//------------------------------//
// Seeing Yellow 
// Story: Enter The Dragon (Spike's Story) 
// by Stratocaster 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 3: Seeing Yellow


Spike paced the wooden floor clad in his Tail Kwon Do uniform and belt. With his fists clenched, he stared down his opponent menacingly as he mustered up all his strength to fight. After pacing the room for a bit more, he finally stopped and spoke to his rival.

"So, you thought you could just come in here and dishonor the house of Spike?" he said threateningly.

His opponent remained silent.

"You don't know who you're messing with, pal," continued Spike. "I have been trained in the art of Tail Kwon Do. And soon, I'll be the greatest master of it in Equestria."

Still, no response came from his foe.

"Enough talk, let's end this once and for all!" Spike posed in a combat stance. "Taste my Purple Punches of Pain!"

After a brief silence, the opponent simply ruffled his feathers and hooted. "Hoot!" said Owlowiscious."

Spike groaned with dissapointment. "C'mon, Owlowiscious, I have to train if I want my next belt. The least you can do is make this fight more believable."

"Hoot!"

"What do you mean I got no chance?! I've been working my scales off for days. It's the only way I'll ever become tough."

"Hoot!"

"Don't back sass me!"

"Hoot!"

"My mother what?"

Just then, the door to Twilight's bedroom opened and the purple unicorn herself stepped in. "Spike, will you please stop trying to fight my owl?" she asked, eyelids lowered.

"But Twilight," Spike retorted. "If I want that yellow belt, I've got to train as much as I can. You know how badly I need to become a real fighter."

"Hoot!" added Owlowiscious who flew over and perched on Twilight's back.

"It's okay, Owlowiscious," she smiled at him. "I'll try to talk some sense into him." Twilight turned back to Spike. "Look Spike, I think it's great that you want to devote yourself to Tail Kwon Do. But you don't have to prove anypony how tough you are. It's who you are that makes you a true fighter."

"Thanks for the philosophy, Twi. But I don't have to prove myself to anypony...except maybe Rarity. This is my chance to improve myself and finally quit being a coward and a weakling. Pretty soon, you're gonna be looking at the new Tail Kwon Do champion of Equestria."

"Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?"

"Nope! Now if you'll excuse me, my class starts in half an hour and I have to be going. I'll be home tonight, with a different belt of course." He said smugly.

Twilight sulked. "Well, I hope you at least learn something from this."

"Psh, I don't need to worry about learning stuff. That's what I have you for. Later, Twi!" Spike strode out the room to exit the library with a self satisfaction.

After the front door closed, Owlowiscious spoke to his mistress. "Hoot!"

"Are you trying to tell me something, Owlowiscious?" she asked curiously.


later that night...


Pinkie Pie scrubbed the front counter at Sugarcube Corner waiting for a customer. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had jsut put her on duty and it was looking to be a slow night of service. As she hummed to herself, the bell of the front door jingled and in trudged a young dragon in a martial arts uniform who had been bruised and beaten. He slumped over to one of the small tables and sat down with a pained grunt. Pinkie called over to him.

"Hiya Spike!" she greeted. "You look like you've had a long day."

"Just get me a chocolate milkshake, Pinkie," replied Spike dejected. "...with hay fries."

"Okie dokie, Spikey!" Pinkie turned back to the drink fountain. 

After a hiss from the whipped cream dispencer, she brought Spike his beverage and sat across from him. "Here ya go; the fries will be ready soon."

"Thanks, Pinkie." He slurped his shake with less than enthusiasm.

"What's gotten you down, Spike? Where's that dragon smile that I love so much?"

Spike sighed. "Well, I've been taking up Tail Kwon Do recently so I can become tougher. I worked so hard to become a master at it, but I'm still a beginner. I couldn't even get my second belt today; Master Yin kept beating me at every move I made. How can I possibly call myself a fighter when I can't even move on from my white belt?" He let his head fall on the table. "I'm all talk and no tough."

"Well, what did your master tell you?"

"He said I needed to control my emotions. Master Yin's always nagging me about keeping 'mental strength' or whatever."

"Maybe that's the problem." Pinkie eagerly suggested. "You just need emotional control."

"Pinkie, my emotions were just fine; until now, that is. I was being serious as a lawyer back there. I didn't need any 'emotional control'."

"That's the thing. Maybe you shouldn't be too serious."

Spike picked his head up and cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"It's easy, Spike, you just have to think like me. I hardly ever take things seriously; that is unless it's about FUN! What I'm saying is that you should relax and be happier when training for your master. That'll make you feel tons better!"

"So basically, I just have to take it easy and...be happy?"

"Of course! The less stressed you are, the easier it'll be to get that belt."

"Huh, that actually makes a lot of sense."

A bell rang from behind the counter. "Oop, the fries are ready!" Pinkie skipped back to the kitchen humming again.

"So that's emotional control, huh?" Spike pondered to himself. "Could it really be that easy?"

Just as soon as she got up, Pinkie returned to the table with a platter of hay fries and a strawberry milkshake for herself. "I just know you're gonna get that belt, Spike. And just remember: think like Pinkie!"

"Think like Pinkie." He repeated then smiled. "Alright, thanks for the advice. I'll show Master Yin just how 'controlled' my emotions are."

"I'll drink to that!" Pinkie raised her glass and clinked it with Spike's as they both drank to a toast, before Spike began rolling on the floor with agonizing brainfreeze.


the next day...


As Yin approached the center of the gym, Spike stood before him with a bright grin on his face. Yin stared at him with his same old stony expression.

"Are you sure you want a second chance to test for your yellow belt, dragon?" he asked.

"Absolutely, sir." Spike answered eagerly. "I got this test in the bag!"

Yin looked puzzled at his student's new spry attitude. "Well, let us just hope you will live up to your words. But this time, you will not be sparring with me. Instead, you will be put against one of your classmates."

"Bring it on, Master Yin," said Spike with a snap. "I'll show em' my true metal. Give me your best student; it'll be no big deal."

"Very well then. Fluttershy, you are up with Spike."

"Say what now?"

To Spike's shock, Fluttershy trotted over to Yin, this time brandishing a yellow belt around her uniform. She looked at Yin nervously.

"Um, are you sure, master?" she asked meekly. "Because, um, Spike is my friend and, well, I don't want to hurt him by accident."

"Not to worry, Fluttershy." Yin replied. "You have shown the most improvement in my class. I am confident you will give Spike a fair fight."

Without further anticipation, Yin stepped out from the center to join the rest of the class and watch. Fluttershy approached her dragon friend sheepishly.

"Fluttershy, how are you Yin's best student?" asked Spike.

"Well, he said that I was very good at keeping mental control." Fluttershy told him with a smile and a shrug. "It's kind of funny since I've only been here for as long as you."

Spike rolled his eyes, and returned focus on thinking like Pinkie. "Well, I promise to go easy on you. Don't want you getting too badly hurt."

Fluttershy raised a brow. "What does that mean?"

"Well, I'm just saying I know how delicate you are, so I'll try to be careful. No sweat."

Suddenly feeling a tad offended, Fluttershy narrowed her eyelids and scowled at Spike. "Oh it is so on." She muttered under her breath.

"You may begin." Yin announced.

The pegasus and the dragon bowed to each other, then stood in their ready combat stances. They stared each other down in waiting.

"Remember," continued Yin. "Three hits to the torso wins. Fight!"

Still with a cocky smile, Spike mad the first move. "I can feel that belt around my waist already!" He quickly swung his right leg around aiming for his opponent's side.

But suddenly, a yellow hoof swiftly rose upward in a high block, flinging Spike's leg up and landing him on his spiny back. he grunted and looked up to see a stoic Fluttershy standing closer to him, poised on her back legs with her wings spread out to keep balance. Time seemed to slow down as she raised a rear leg toward the ceiling and brought it down to slam on her opponent's underbelly.

Spike's eyes widened and he instinctly rolled to left before the the heavy axe kick could blast the air out of him. Thinking on pure adrenaline, he stood back up and attempted to make another kick, this time pushing his left leg forward at her torso.

But Fluttershy saw his foor coming and easily stepped back once, letting Spike stumble as he kicked nothing but air. Then, as he stood confused and exposed in that brief moment, she hurled an air splitting fore hoof at his chest, hitting instantly.

"Oof!" Spike fell back on his tail as he took his first hit.

"One for Fluttershy." Yin announced.

Spike shook himself off and stood up. He took a deep breath as he repeated under his breath. "Think like Pinkie. Think like Pinkie." With a quick exhale, he returned to his combat stance and smiled again, believing his next tactic would be a sinch. Again, he raised his right leg to make another roundhouse kick. But as Fluttershy prepared to block, he then retracted his foot, and instead slid forward pushing with his left one. At that point, Spike was more than sure he would land his first hit.

However, Fluttershy saw the clumsy trick coming a mile away and did not move. As a result, Spike's foot did not stretch far enough to make contact and he simply took an awkward step forward. Now with his front exposed again, Fluttershy pivoted on her back left hoof to the left and made a swift hook kick with the other. She retracted her hoof and swept the heel to the right, hitting Spike square on the same spot on his chest again. As expected, the little dragon stumbled backward and fell.

"Two for Fluttershy. One more and you fail." Yin called to him.

Coughing a bit, Spike sat up and pondered to himself. "How in Equestria did she learn to fight like that? I just can't get to her no matter what." He growled. "That's it, I can't think like Pinkie for much longer. It's time to get mad." With that, he stood back up, slightly wobbling, and faced his winged foe. With a glare, Spike flicked his hand to motion her towards him.

Fluttershy caught his drift. Now with her right side facing him, she slid forward, pivoted on her right hoof and prepared to land a roundhouse on his exposed side.

But before the blow could come, Spike simply slid forward as well, avoiding the lethal hoof, and brought a fist to her stomach.

Fluttershy stood unscathed by the tiny fist, but she knew that he had made his first hit.

"One for Spike." Yin called.

Drowning out his master's words, Spike then turned ninety degrees clockwise on his left leg, and in one quick motion, he slid backward, pivoted on his left again and pushed a strong side kick into Fluttershy's ribs.

The kick surprisingly made Fluttershy fall on her side and she rolled over to look up.

"Two for Spike. One more to pass!" said Yin.

With increasing adrenaline, Spike moved quickly to end the test and claim his third hit. He stepped forward with his left leg and then raised his right. His heel pointed downward at the dazed Fluttershy preparing to make a devastating axe kick. Spike yelled as he finally hammered down his heel.

But the drop was immediately halted as Fluttershy caught his foot with both front hooves, saving her torso. Spike looked down in surprise and expected to be flipped over like a scaly pancake. But instead, he saw Fluttershy wearing her usual kindly smile on her face.

"I knew you could do it, Spike." She whispered and dropped his foot on her chest.

"Three hits. Spike is the victor!" Yin announced as the other ponies stomped their hooves politely.

Spike was overcome with joy as he helped his opponent up. "Thanks, Fluttershy." He said. "You were actually really good."

Fluttershy blushed. "Oh sorry. Like I said, I can be such a brute sometimes."

After the two bowed and hugged, Yin joined in with something in his hoof. This time, he wore a calm smile which Spike had never seen before. "You have certainly surprised me, Spike. It seems that you have learned that once you learn to control your emotions, you will perform better once you release them. That is why I am proud to give you this."

Spike beamed as Yin held out his hoof revealing a folded yellow belt. He snatched it up and held it dearly. "Yes! Finally! Can I talk big game or what?!"

"Well, it is a start." Yin replied. "But keep it up and you will rise through the ranks easily."

"Thank you, master." Spike bowed to him, then turned aside walking next to Fluttershy.

"You seemed pretty confident at first Spike," she said. "Especially after feeling so bad yesterday. What made you suddenly so optimistic?"

Spike puased to think. "Well, I guess if wanted to see yellow, I just had to think pink."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know."