//------------------------------//
// Spike 
// Story: A New Stall in the Square 
// by Night Music 
//------------------------------//

	While Ponyville was a nice town, in the days that Vinnie had been here, it had been a quiet town, too quiet. Nothing ever happened that was exciting for Vinnie, I mean sure, there had been spats that had happened right in front of his vendor. But that was it. Back in New York, you couldn't go a day without seeing a car crash of some magnititude, or someone getting knocked out from a punch to the face. Out here, it was more like a duel of words more than anything, no hoof tossing, no mane pulling. Just an argument. Nothing else. So, just like routine, Vinnie got up from his sleeping bag after taking his nap and stood up from behind his stall. And like routine there had been customers, even when the ponies had now known what was in the hot dogs he sold, minus a tiny detail. They still came, just because it was a quick meal that could be eaten on the go. With only minor difficulty... somehow.

Mustard and ketchup. New dog. Salad, beans, and mustard. New dog. Ketchup, onions, veggie bacon. Weirdo Vinnie thought. It was monotonous, yes, but it kept food in his stomach and his home warm. How his vendor had even retained the same amount of dogs and condiments as day one was a mystery to him, but he didn't care. That just meant he could have a snack or two a day. And then something happened, while he knew mythical creatures had called this place home, one of his customers had been even more mythical, in his eyes at least. And it was the town's dragon, or Spike as his customers had called him. Vinnie looked over his vendor at the tiny dragon and saw him holding up two bits.

"I've seen ya around, so, couldn't resist?" Vinnie asked as he reached into the vendor to pull out a new dog.

"Yeah, just wanted to try something new ya know?" Vinnie nodded at this.

"What do ya want on your dog?"

"Anything really. I just want to try some meat for once." Spike had replied. But Vinnie almost had a heart attack at this.

"Ya never had any meat before?" He asked, trying to play cool. Spike shook his head. "But, you're a dragon." He said suggesting to Spike with an open palm.

"I've mostly just eat gems, not much else."

"Ya know what? This can't go on for any longer, kid, you're gonna get the best dog eva, and it's gonna be my treat." Vinnie grabbed a tiny cardboard sign that was hanging from a handle on his vendor and he placed it on top of the vendor itself. 'Back in Five' is what it had said. The line disbanded with a number of groans. He looked at the crowd of ponies disperse and wander off. Then, Vinnie gestured for Spike to walk around the stall to the spot next to him. And he did.

"If ya eat this, and you like it, ya gotta come here everyday, just to get some for free, okay?"

"Why would you give them to me for free?" Spike asked cautiously.

"Well, mainly cause ya are the only dragon in this town."

"So?"

"Well ya see, you're different than these ponies, just like me, and if I'm going to be making any friends around here, I want ya to be my first."

"So, you want me to come here every day, just because I'm different, like you?"

"Well why not? Gotta have at least one friend to talk to, ya know?"

"I guess..."

"So, here ya go. Have a dog." Vinnie said as he piled ingredients and condiments onto the same dog. Mustard, beans, bacon, onions, and finally, a slice of a pickle.

Spike took the dog into his claws, looked at it, then brought it up to his mouth and bit down. He chewed slowly, as if savoring the flavor and trying to see if it was any good. Then, his eyes lit up like fireworks were going off in his head. The next moment, the dog was in the air making its way to Spike's mouth. He caught it chewed and swallowed.

"That was amazing! Is that what meat tastes like?"

"Not quite, that's just a small morsel compared to what could be made."

"And you said I could get more if I came to hang out with you?"

"Yeah, just chilling, eating dogs, sound good don't it?"

"Yeah! I'll come by same time tomorrow. Sounds like a plan?"

"Sure, I gotta get back to work, break doesn't last forever ya know." Vinnie held out a clenched fist and Spike returned the gesture with his own clenched claw.

Vinnie watched as Spike had left. The dragon had a special place in his heart, a place where fantasies from his childhood still remained. As he turned back to his vendor. He saw the line back where it had always been, and hopefully, where it will always be. The hot dog business won't get old, there were too many ponies who had a taste for it, mostly thestrals that had traveled down here to see what the craze was. Other ponies had been wary of them, some even warned him about them. But he had always wanted a vampire as a friend also, he just had to find the right one. But for now, he had to serve hungry customers the dogs he had. The pony in line had tossed bits into a bit jar that Vinnie had bought and told him what his order was.

New dog, mustard, ketchup, wrap it up, hand it to the pony, next. 

While he was going through the motions of taking the customers order and making it. Vinnie had thought, "Nothing can go wrong, I have a stable thriving job, a warm house, free food. What could go wrong?"