“Spike!!” The girls yelled, as they hurried to the spot where Spike once stood. Nothing of him reminded, expect a faint mist from his teleportations.
Twilight lit of her horn, hoping a spell could help track where Spike went.
Rainbow Dash didn’t need anyone to tell her what to do. Unfolding her wings, she blasted off the ground, and climbed the sky as high as she could. Her eyes searched everywhere for even a hint of the dragon.
Fluttershy, despite only having knowledge on how to treat injured animals, approached Jo to see what pained him. She placed placed her hooves over Jo, inspecting if anything could be broken. But she wound up surprised; Jo didn’t seemed pained anywhere, and any scratches or bruises on him disappeared.
Jo woke to the sight of Fluttershy face, looking concerned. “Huh, being touched up my a mare. Not a bad way to wake up.” Fluttershy cheeks flushed, and quickly did she retreat from Jo.
Applejack whacked Jo over the head. “Easy about how you talk about my friends, partner.”
“Ow,” Jo said. He rubbed the spot that had been hit, and stood up with ease. It made all those around confused. “Hey! I was only speaking about what happened.”
“Then I reckon you start speaking of what just happend with Spike,” asked Applejack.
“I was hoping you were going to tell me. He punched me because I talked too much!” Jo said. He took a hoof to his chin and looked away. “Although we’ve gotten into worse fights about much more stupid things.”
Rarity, who had been unable to process what happened with Spike, felt the same weight Spike did with all the eyes on them. Rarity bit her hoof, as she tried to think of an explanation that would defuse the situation.
Spikey-Wikey has gotten quite taller from yester, so much that my new designs for his suit are now redundant, and how weird he’s been acting! But I know my Spike, and even though he hurt that Jo character (after what he did to dear Fluttershy, I’m starting to think he deserved it), but I still sense the goodness; as if he were trying to fight back. As his friend, I must not make others panic over him.
Rarity turned to the cloud and cleared her throat. “Dear bystanders who witness the event that has just occurred. Let there be no fear as the Elements of Harmony have the situation under control.”
“That dragon that just teleported away doesn’t seem under control!” said a stallion amidst the crowd.
“Not at the moment. But don’t fear, the very dragon is Ponyville’s own Spike the Dragon!”
“The same dragon who rampage this town years ago?” asked a mare, who stood close to her brother.
“Well, yes,” Rarity said. She could already sense the panic that was to occur, and all the for sale signs getting ready to be plotted down. Rarity shook her head of any doubt about her scaley friend, and planted her front hooves into the ground. “But the same accident will not happen again. Spike is a special create, and a good friend to the elements of Harmony. But even as the bestest of friends, our knowledge on drakes are still quite small, so we cannot assist our drake as he goes through purbey. All that has happened is that Spike has found his own magic, but doesn’t know how to use it. Once we find him, we’ll be sure to teach him.” Rarity smiled as her white lie stringed together.
I would have never thought I’d be so good at this!
“But for now, we need to collect what just happened. So we would appreciate it if you just went about you day,” Rarity said. She did her best to give a big, fake smile.
Rarity’s speech quilled some confusion and anger, and had sent some about their day. But most ponies didn’t buy it, or didn’t quite trust. So they kept on watching.
Jo stepped in front of Rarity. “Oi! The lady trying to tell ‘ya to get lost!” Jo stood on his hind legs and smashed his two forehooves together. “Anyone who doesn’t leave, the elements tell me I can fight.” Those words were what it took to get most to leave the scene. Jo grinned at what power he held.
Then Applejack bit the back of his scarf, and pulled him back to the ground. Applejack looked down at Jo. “We didn’t give you permission ta do anything.” Jo grinned at Applejack, and attempted to stand back up. If only it weren’t for Aj standing on his scarf.
“Um, Jo was it?” Fluttershy asked. Gaining the confidence to speak to Jo. “I heard Spike call you that.”
“That is I,” Jo replied.
“Well, Jo, if you don’t mind my saying: Spike had badly injured you before he covered you in his arua. And while I was inspecting you to see if you were injured, I noticed that you were completely healed. We all thought Spike might’ve hurt you… beyond repair.”
“No kidding,” Jo said. He looked to his scarf, and thought if he could yank it hard enough, it would cause the orange mare to fall; allowing him to stand up. So Jo tried to yank it from under, and only ended up choking himself.
“Nope,” Applejack said with a smile.
Jo gave a huff, and looked back to Fluttershy. “Now, I don’t know why he punch me through a wall, and then pulled me through another wall. Knowing Spike, I don’t think it’s something Spike would normally do. And when that green magic thing of his, spread throughout my body; it hurt, but not the way it should of.”
“Huh?” Applejack said. Jo noticed her confusion cause her to place less weight on the scarf. He tried yanking it again, and had enough strength to stand up once more. He chuckled internally.
“Now then, while I did feel pain, it was more like the pain of putting a bone back in it’s place, or applying alcohol to a burn. It hurts, but from the looks of things, I think Spike my buddy meant to heal me; not hurt.”
Jo sat on his haunches as a thought came to mind. “But if that was his intention, why injure me in the first place?” Jo looked to the sky, as if the clouds would provide him with an answer. Yet his eyes wandered to the sun, which singled to him that it was midday. “Oh, pillars! My date with Suzi is at twelve o'clock - I’m going to be late!” Jo hopped to all fours, and sped as fast as he could to canterlot.
“Let me know if Spike turns out okay!” Jo said, as he ran. If it weren’t for the direness of the situation, the girls would’ve wondered why Jo had a date so far away, and why would anyone attempted to travel to Canterlot on hooves.
Ridding herself of the bizarreness of Jo, Rarity turned to Twilight and asked. “Any luck on finding where our dear Spike teleported off to?”
Giving a sigh, Twilight's horn stop glowing, and turned to her friend with a face full of worry. “Spike’s magic to unstable that I don’t even know if he teleported in one piece,” Twilight took a moment to close her eyes and shake her head. “The tracking spell only led to east of here, but wasn’t specific as to where.” Twilight previous thought returned to her, as the logical side of her said that anyone teleporting without it being taught to them never ends up good.
Twilight felt a hoof lapped around her neck. She looked up to see Applejack giving her a smile. “Don’t worry too much on it, hun. Spike’s a strong dragon, and has been evolving everyday. Even if it be a lie, I think Rarity’s words held some honesty in them. Besides, where has worrying ever got us?” Applejack said. It seemed to brighten Twilight up. But deep within her worries remained.
“Well, what should we do now?” asked Pinkie.
Twilight stood up on her own, as her friends looked to her. Though the answer was obvious to Twilight. “First things first: finding Spike should take top priority. Since there’s five of us, we can divide east parts of Ponyville amongst ourselves.”
“Oh! Oh! Twilight, Twilight!” Pinkie raised her hoof.
“Yes, Pinkie?”
“Not to mean to Spikey, but he did damage Sugarcube Corner; I don’t think the Cakes are too happy with that.”
Twilight sheepishly smiled upon realizing that the cakes had been watching from the window. “Oh, yeah! That sorta is out bad. Alright new plan!” Pinkie giggled, as Twilight continued. “The fastest one here are Applejack and Rainbowdash, so we’ll send them out to scout. We’ll send Fluttershy out as well, as she can survey the land from above.” Fluttershy nodded.
“I and Rarity are unicorn’s, so we’ll have a better time cleaning up after Spike made,” Twilight scratch her left hoof with her right one, and hid her eyes from her friends. “The least I can do, since he’s cleaned after me so many times.”
Everyone smiled, and got to doing their task.
Pinkie raised her hoof once more. “Oh! What about me?”
“I’m pretty sure the Cake’s aren’t going to let you out of their sights, Pinkie. So you’re with I and Rarity.” Pinkie frowned, as the unicorns entered Sugarcube and offered their deepest apologies. Pinkie wanted to go and help Spike, but understood that you must clean up before you can have fun again.
So, three went to go clean up after Spike; the other three went to go find the dragon.
Rainbow Dash had a head start over Applejack and Fluttershy, thanks to her immediately leaving to go find the dragon.
Rainbow had first went to Oakville library, to see if Spike had returned home.
No dice
So dash quickly flew to Sweet Apple Acres, and found a big red farm-stallion amongst the field - harvesting crops that emerged from the ground.
Dash landed next to Big Macintosh, who noticed her arrival.
“Hey-oh, Big Mac. The farm treating you nice today?”
“Ey’up,” said the stallion.
Rainbow chuckled. Some things don’t change, she thought. Though the word ‘change’ reminded her of Spike.
Rainbow spoke. “By any chance, did you see a ball of green light, and purple scale dragon running around?”
“Ey’nope,” replied Mac.
Horse feathers.
“Alright. Well, thank you anyway, Mac.” Rainbow Dash went to take off, but the clearing of a throat caught her attention.
“Tell me what happens to Spike when ‘ya find him; I don’t want another rampage again,” said Big Mac.
Rainbow was surprised to hear Bigmac say anything without ‘ey’’ proceeding it. But felt herself a little irritated by that comment, but Big Mac was entitled to that fear. “Don’t worry about a thing other than the farm, Mac. Me and the others will--” Big macintosh cleared his throat again.
“I only say that, because I would not like to see Spike depressed again. It was hard seeing him blaming everything on himself.”
Rainbow light shook her head; taken aback. “Uh, yeah. We’ll be sure to find Spike before he can hurt himself.”
Big Macintosh shook his head. “Ey’nope. Just be there for him - that’s what matters most.”
Rainbow’s mind went blank, for as if she almost didn’t understand the words. Dash wanted to say something heroic like she had did before, but felt like it would be a greater disappointed on Big Mac. So Dash nodded her head.
“Thanks,” Dash said. And once again took flight.
Big Macc sighed, as he returned to work. He was sad because he knew his sis wouldn’t be home to help with the farm, but knew she was doing something far more important.
The library was empty; Big Macintosh saw nothing all day; the street ponies hadn’t seen the bugger all day, and Quill’s sofa store contained no sleeping dragons. Dash was becoming irritated by Spike’s disappearance, but with each passing moment, she became more scared for the not so little dragon.
Dash decided to take a break - she had went to all the locations without taking a break. Upon relaxing, down below, Dash noticed Applejack, who waved for her to come down. Dash complied.
“Where in tardation have you been, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked. Rainbow landed and stared at Aj.
“Looking all over for Spike,” Dash responded, almost insulted. “What have you been doing?”
“Look’in for Spike as well; only I have a better idea where he is.”
“Really?”
Applejack sighed. “Yes, really. If would’ve waited like a patient one, then you’ll would’ve learned from Twi that Spike teleported somewhere east of ponyville.”
“Oh! Well, that narrows it down, kinda.”
Looks like half my searching was useless, thought Dash. Wait, so they have an idea of where Spike teleported.
“Applejack, does this mean Spike teleported in one piece?” Rainbow began to smile at the exicment.
Applejack hadn't returned the smile; she instead lowered her station over her eyes. “We’re unsure of that part.”
“Oh.” Rainbow’s smiled dropped.
Despite the situation; Applejack chuckled and pushed her stenting up. “Wither Spike is one piece or not, one thing’s for sure: he’s east of Ponyville and awaiting our help. So no sense worrying the small stuff.”
Dash found herself motivated and amazed by Applejack attitude. Heck, it was as if Aj had stolen Rainbow Dash’s persona.
With her spirits lifted; Dash stood tall, and held her head high. “If Spike’s east of here, than he could be close Fluttershy Cottage, or worse, the Everfree Forest itself.”
“If that’s case,” Applejack said, “then it’d be best if we both went along.”
“Nah.” Dash shook her head. “It’d should be me to go. The Everfree is more active this season-”
“Exactly the reason the two of us should go.”
“I usually would, I enjoy fighting alongside with you, Applejack. But we’re in a hurry - if Spike really is in the Everfree, he doesn’t stand that much of chance in his current state. I need to be able to move quickly through the tree’s. You need to be a pegasus to do that, and not to toot my own horn, but dodging branch by the second you see them - not even Fluttershy could do that.”
“I understand yer point,” Applejack said, she thought on it for a moment. “But what if something happen to ‘ya. Then we have two friends to be worrying about.”
“Come on, Applejack,” Rainbow said. “Don’t you have better faith in the best flyer - and soon to be greatest wonderbolt of all time?”
Applejack sighed. For even in a situation as dire as this one, Dash still threw out the same remarks. But she could help herself from smiling; Aj knew Dash was going to be all those things.
Applejack held out a hoof. “A’right. But if you don’t return from that darn forest in fifteen minutes, I’m going after the two of you personally.”
“Deal,” Rainbow said.
The two pounded their hoofs.
Marefist.
“Bring him back to us, Rainbow Dash.”
Dash didn’t need any more words than that. She started running, and with enough speed Dash lept into the air, and flapped her wings. Her next destination being the Everfree Forest.