Little Dragon In A Strange New World II: Hero's Plight

by Zeryurijin

Training Sessions

The Ponyville Schoolhouse stood like a menacing presence beyond the wooden fence that surrounded the perimeter. To every first year colt and filly, the double doors felt like a prison where once inside, they would never see the light of day. Parents re-assured them that nothing sinister lay on the other side. Only the kindness of the school teacher who only wished to help them progress in learning. The older foals merely regarded the school house as a secondary home when their parents were away at their jobs. To Spike, the school house felt both like a library and jail cell.

It was his second year coming here. The young dragon had hoped to find a way to extend his training with his teachers, but Princess Celestia, along with Twilight both agreed he needed more then just magic training. After all the dragon had reached that age where all foals started to attend school. By the laws the alicorn had set on paper ages ago, every filly and colt was to receive a education. It would help build the foundation for their future. For Spike if his life had remained normal a few years ago, he would have opted to become a miner or maybe an engineer upon completion. The idea of working with earth ponies in the dark caves, digging up vast tunnels while retrieving precious gems sounded promising.

That future now looked hazy as he stood there, shifting his weight from one scaled foot to the other. Ever since his awakening, the dragon took on a sudden growth spurt. Now he stood as tall as Twilight herself. A bit of a shock, knowing he was used to being barely able to peer over her back from time to time. It was the affect of being subjected to such a vast array of power. The first year was spent learning to control and refine his abilities. Spyro had seen that though Spike had incinerated Malefor with one great fire breath, the fire spread in a wide area threatening to turn much of the landscape to ash. He informed the young dragon upon returning after a four month vacation, that without control he could do more harm then good. The first few months focused on the young dragon learning to channel his magic and focus its power. It was hard for Spike. He was so used to simple light puffs of flame to either send letters or warm fireplaces. On rare occasions did he really let loose when a friend was in danger. Even then the flames died out after a few minutes. Now if he not careful when breathing his fire, Spike could ignite Ever Free forest by accident.

The badlands provided a suitable training ground since hardly any creature lived out in the open and vegetation was sparse. It didn't make it any easier for Spyro and Twilight. Despite telling him to control his breathing, to focus and let it flow, nearly half the landscape wound up being scorched as a result of his attempts. In the end Twilight sent a letter to Princess Celestia, explaining the dilemma. Upon receiving a reply, the unicorn received not only parchment but a small cache of a sort of metal she had never seen before along with cut gems. After keeping Spike from eating them for a snack, she read that due to Spike's youthfulness and lack of maturity, it would be years before he could harness his power with full control. The metal enclosed could be fashioned into a neck choker or trinket along with a pair of bracers to help channel the force within. The gems would act as focusing points much like a wand or a staff an elderly wizard pony or griffon may use to help pin point their target more accurately. The end of the first year saw Spike wearing a choker and wrist bracers. With them he was finally able to focus his magic abilities with better results.

The second year saw Spike grow nearly a foot tall and awaken another dormant power. While fire came naturally to the dragon, he was surprised to find out he could manipulate and shift the earth beneath his feet. Spyro and Twilight had conversed in private and both agreed that due to the young one being grounded all his life, the natural affinity to be connected to the ground would result in its many uses. If he grew wings, would he lose his connection with the earth? Spyro doubted it given the similarities he saw in Spike that reminded him of himself during the younger years. The training on using the earth magic proved a little uneven and coarse. Spyro had a plan to deal with this new problem. He asked Twilight for permission to bring the dragon to Avalar and have Terrador, the dragon elder of Earth, act as a third teacher, a guide. At first Twilight was unsure seeing as he already had two teachers. Spyro promised that Terrador could show him the finer details of earth magic. In the end she agreed and Spike found himself visiting Spyro's world, Avalar.

Spike was in awe. Spyro had told him stories of Avalar when he was in Equestria. Yet words didn't seem to hold a candle to how it really felt when he stepped through the gate. The young dragon remembered when his foot first touched the ground. A gentle thrum of magic he had never felt before coursed up his leg, through his limbs right to the tip of his head spines, then back down. It was if a mother was welcoming a lost child back into her wings. It felt strange to a dragon who never knew his parents, something Spyro could relate to. The temple itself reminded Spike of the Castle of the Two sisters. Parts of it was in ruins, due to the earlier years of being under assault. He learned from Spyro the despite all their efforts to rebuild, progress was at a snail's pace. The young dragon admired the great statues that stood poised by the temple doors and marveled at the effort of long lost architects who may of spent decades building this sanctuary for dragons.

The elders were decent dragons as well with each having their own personality. There was Volteer the dragon of the lightning element who reminded him of Twilight when she rambled on and on over a single subject of interest. Cyril the dragon of the ice element though a little cold to the touch was generally kind natured all around. Finally there was Terrador, the dragon of the earth element and the reason Spike ventured to Avalar. Strong, patient with a gruff voice, Terrador would help the newly adorned dragon legend of Equestria with earth.

Terrador guided him from the portal room into the main chamber.

"Earth is immovable. It remains steadfast even in the harshest of climates. Though the winds may erode its surface or the water slush away its shell, the earth remains unyielding to even the most brutal of punishments. It has endured centuries of change and will continue to do so until time itself runs out. What you, my young dragon hatchling will learn is that the earth can not be forced. It must be guided with a strong firm paw. Create a patch for it to follow and it shall never let you down."

Spike took Terrador's words to heart,"Is there anything that can truly move the earth?"

The green dragon let out a soft chuckle,"Earthquakes are the result of two great sections of the earth jostling each other. Like two rams jousting for a better position on a cliff side, these two mighty pieces struggle to gain the upper paw. It is when one triumphs, does the other earth shudder in submission and acknowledge its better half. We feel its defeat throes in terms of the ground shaking beneath our feet."

Spike pondered this, rubbing his chin as he took in Terrador's explanation,"So in a sense, we are like smaller earth sections nudging the bigger piece in hopes of receiving its help."

"Very good analogy, Spike." Terrador replied,"Indeed we are."

Spike frowned slightly as his thoughts drifted to Spyro. If this was true, then how was it that the dragon was able to not only save Avalar during Malefor's crisis back then, but re-shape the planet? He could only sum it up as being the legend of his homeland, able to bend the rules laid out for those who came and those who would come after him. The young dragon wondered if the same rules could be bent back home.

Six months were spent in channeling the earth's essence through his own core. He learned how to create spires, broad walls which took the brunt of Spyro's fire balls and even learned to use a chunk as a means of quick travel. Spike chuckled at the idea of Scootaloo back home trying to keep up on her scooter while he surfed on the ground itself. The remaining six were spent jumping to and from Equestria, learning how to better focus through meditation and juggling the aspect of fire along with earth.

The third year held some rocky bumps along the road. The gates that connected Equestria to Avalar began to wane. Twilight worked with Princess Celestia to build a new portal, should the current one fail. Spyro left the dragon elders to tend to the gate on his side of the world. A crisis had arisen in one of the towns in the south back on Avalar. With Cynder in tow, both had to leave and look into the matter and offer support where it was needed. Therefore Spike had to rely on his past training in the possible hopes of learning a new element. It never came.

Twilight offered a gentle hoof of encouragement. Rather then be discouraged by not learning a new element so soon, Spike should focus on his past training and put it to good use. That year saw some interesting results. Spike was able to help Big Mac with sowing the fields that spring. Not using a plow, but rather churn up the ground with a jagged boulder, both stallion and young dragon were able to prep the field for next years apple saplings. When the field was finished, he helped Applejack turn old dead apple trees into charcoal to be used as part of their fertilizer mix or for use in the Apple family's bbqing hayday in Applelooza.

When Spike wasn't working on the Apple farm, he was in the library going over early texts that Twilight had delved into when she was young. The books followed Spyro and Twilight's advice: To reinforce his own power and let it flow much like a unicorn would with their own horn. Instead of a horn, Spike relied on his bracers which acted as the focal points. Course his meditation and practice was kept to a bare minimum after a mild incident involving books tumbling from the shelves over a mild tremor.

As the fourth year approached, a letter arrived bearing Spike's name. Upon reading the contents he was surprised that Twilight had enrolled him in the Ponyville Elementary School. The lavender unicorn informed the young dragon that Princess Celestia had brought it up as a suggestion. She followed through and informed Miss Cherilee that a new student would be joining her class that year. Spike protested and insisted that his magic training was more important. It was here that Twilight informed him that one could not rely simply on magic training. Since he was a resident of Ponyville and a young "foal" it was by law he attend school. Twilight felt Spike learn more through Equestria's history and maybe perhaps learn a few new things that the library may have missed.

The first year at Ponyville Elementary school was nerve wracking. Miss Cheriliee had to settle the class down when Spike entered the doors, informing her students that yes, he was a dragon but also a student just like them. Thankfully Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle vouched for him, insisting the other fillies and colts that he wasn't some blood thirsty, meat craving dragon Diamond Tiara had made him out to be. Spike was thankful for the trio. Were it not for them, he would have done something to that obnoxious filly and would have no regrets about it, consequences be damned. Course he heard of Diamond Tiara and her bullying ways when the CMC's were younger. One would think she would have grown out of it when they earned their cutie marks awhile back.

It was rocky for the first few months. Writing, reading, math all came as second nature to the dragon, having seen Twilight's studying methods. It was mingling with other ponies that proved to be more challenging. Besides Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, he knew of no other pony aside from Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Making friends proved just as difficult as the foals had trouble accepting him being just another student on the playground. Then came the stories of his heroics in Draconis and the dark dragon known as Malefor. Spike had relished being in the spot light just as he did back in the Crystal Empire for his role on the Crystal Heart. Yet with all feats as time went by, it grew tiring to hear the same thing over and over. The same was said for his exploits in the lich dragon's defeat. The braver of the colts and fillies peppered him with questions about the dark entity. What it was like. How he managed to survive. How the dark dragon came to the world.

By the time Hearth's Warming Eve came, the dragon was sick of having to recount his tales over and over again. He began to understood what Twilight and her friends had gone through when they first became the Bearers of the Elements. The spotlight was grand for the first month or two. But in the end, they simply wanted to continue living their lives as they always have. Spike felt no different at this point. Sure he vanquished the lich, saved the world and was deemed a hero. Surely there would have been books written about his accounts on the incident? Twilight informed him that not all heroic tales were quickly made public to the rest of the world. To the young ones, what he endured was new and exciting as were the parents.

Spring rolled around and Spike found himself without anything to read. Much of Equestria's history he read back at the library. Cherilee had to order books from Draconis in hopes of keeping him occupied rather then bored for the rest of the year. They proved helpful and seeing as he could learn more about his kin, the young dragon welcomed the new knowledge. By the time summer rolled around, the young dragon learned a great deal.

The future queens of Draconis fought for the crown should one die or retire. The competition and rivalry were considered fierce, almost brutal. Such was the way in the eyes of the males. If a dragoness could not stand her ground in a one on one spar, what good of a mate would she be when the breeding season came around? The same could be said of the queens. A weak queen would reflect poorly on the inhabitants of Draconis. It would make their fellow neighboring nations itch for a chance to claim lands within the borders. Spike tallied up that last bit of info as mild paranoia. Dragons were solitary and hated intruders broaching their territory. A strong Queen showed the might of the nation and inspired loyalty. Only the foolish or reckless would consider challenging a dragon queen for the throne.

Another strange part was the fact of no king dragons. Ever. A few consorts of the past were mentioned such as Steel Talon, mate to Queen Ruby who was known for smashing through even the heaviest of defenses with his claws alone during the early wars. Another male dragon, Typhoon, consort to Queen Onyx was said to be quite intelligent and was the one of the few diplomats of the kingdom who helped calm tensions during the elemental crisis that nearly ended Draconis. A few other males were mentioned, but to Spike surprise their accomplishments felt more like footnotes compared to the first two. Other then that, no male dragon had ever assumed the throne.

Fall arrived and it was here that Spike found himself at the steps of the schoolhouse. With a great exhale, he climbed the steps and entered the building, just as the bell rang the hour. The other foals were taking their seats, the new first years watching Spike as he strode down the aisle towards his desk, young eyes wide with shock and awe.

"Attention class." Cherilee spoke,"First of all let me say welcome back all my darling returning students. Its so good to see your faces and I hope to look forward to another year. To the first years, I say welcome to Ponyville Elementary. Now I know some of you may be a little frightened or unsure of how things work. Let me assure you that as your teacher, I will do my utmost best to provide accommodations to meet with your educational needs. Also to let you know that yes, there is a young dragon with us. His name is Spike, resident of Oak Tree Library and brother to Twilight Sparkle. He is perfectly friendly and not at all harmful in any way. If you have any further questions regarding him, I will do my best to answer to the best of my knowledge."

Cherilee continued on with her annual welcome back speech, one she gave every year to the fall students. Spike leaned back in his chair, his mind wandering to Twilight and more importantly to Spyro. It had been a couple of years since the portals between Avalar and Equestria started to falter. Despite the princess's best efforts, there had been no reconnection to Avalar. Twilight assured Spike that sometimes, not every spell or incantation went off prefectly. They were dealing with a world whose magic differed from Equestria. Still, the young dragon could not help but worry.

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"Every year its the same speech, with a few words changed just to make it sound new. I'm telling you, Miss Cherilee really needs to find new material to work with." Scootaloo griped.

She and her friends, along with Spike sat beneath the oak tree by the sandbox on the playground. It was recess time and the air was filled with the laughter and cries of giddy foals who played ball, slid down the slides or dug in the sandbox. The older foals tended to break off and form their own groups, ones that had formed during the early years of school. The CMC's (formerly Cutie Mark Crusaders) settled beneath the oak tree as they had done for a couple of years now. Spike had recently joined the group since he arrived and the four lazed about discussing either last night's homework or the lesson plan for the day.

"Well granny always said, 'Ifn its good enough for every pony, why fix it?' Ah think." Applebloom replied.

"Ehh, she probably overslept again. I mean who doesn't anyway. We're still in summer mode and have yet to shift over to school mode." said Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo shrugged as she fiddled with her scooter,"How long has she been teaching? You'd think she would at least give it more pizzazz then last time. What do you think Spike? Spike?"

"Hmm? Oh, uuh can't say for sure. Maybe?" the dragon replied.

"Ya still thinkin about Spyro? Twilight said not ta worry. They're doin their best fixin the portal. Magic ain't easy for some of us."

Sweetie Belle shrugged,"Its complicated. Least that's what my sister says sometimes when she's buried under her work. Course I heard Twilight mumbling about unstable pathways and rune circles interfering with time and space, making things go all wibbly wobbily."

The unicorn blinked as three pairs of eyes stared at her oddly. She meekly smiled and waved a fore hoof in the air,"Well I think that's what she said."

Spike shook his head,"I've been at this for five years. Even I don't know the finer details of magic yet. Just that a lot of focus and meditation to channel the energy flow, yadda yadda yadda."

"You learn any cool new elements Spike?" Scootaloo asked.

"Nope. Nothing. I feel I've hit a dead end. Or I'm at a point in my training where its a plateau until I'm older. Spyro is a different dragon. Maybe all dragons on Avalar learn at a different levels then we do here."

"Well look on the bright side. Ya have been a huge help to the farm lately. Applejack and Big Mac enjoy the extra work ya help put in."

"But for how long? Honestly, I don't really know what I see in my future, Applebloom."

Spike stood up and pointed to each filly,"Applebloom. Not only are you an excellent farmer, but you've got great talent on being a carpenter. Already you have a few customers lining up to by your wood work and you've been considering delving into the furniture business. Scootaloo. Your a late bloomer, but that didn't stop you from being the best dare devil stunt pegasus Ponyville has ever seen. You've signed up for the junior extreme sports competition this coming spring and almost every pony from around town is looking forward to seeing it."

"What can I say? I learned from the best." Scootaloo said, blowing on her hoof, admiring the sheen.

"Sweetie Belle. You practically have every agent groveling at your sister's hooves, begging for her permission to admit you into performing for the Grand Galloping Gala this year. Your singing voice is said to soothe even the fiercest Manitcore or bring even a smile to the most grumpiest of griffons."

"Its a bit of an exaggeration, but there is some truth to that."

"What is your point, Spike? Didn't you say you wanted to be a miner or engineer when you were older?"

"That was before the Malefor incident. Now, I'm not so sure what my future holds."

Scootaloo psshed, waving a wing in his direction,"You're stressing too much, Spike. Listen, dragons live like what, a couple hundred years or so? You're thinking way, way, way too far ahead here. So your like Spyro who can control a few elements so far. You've barely scratched the surface so to speak. You don't have to suffer from a mental break down just yet. Just focus on what is in front of you at this moment. When the time comes and here's hoping it will be some time, you'll find out just what you want to do."

The pegasus trotted over to Spike and laid her fore hooves on his shoulders,"I don't envy your long life, but you really need to stop thinking like Twilight and stress over the little things."

Spike smiled and opened his mouth to reply until a certain voice closed it quick.

"And over here is the scary dragon you've all been wondering about. Be careful little ones for he spits fire as far as the path leading to the school grounds can be seen. If his stomach growls, be warned! He hungers for fresh foal meat!"

Gasps and squeaks murmured from behind the four. Spike shared Scootaloo's annoyed look and turned to see Diamond Tiara talking to the first years.

"I swear if Twilight didn't make me leave my bracers and choker at home, I could smack some sense into her." Spike growled under his breath, the three fillies with him nodding in agreement.

Diamond Tiara just smugly grinned and circled the four,"Well, well if it isn't the former blank flanks. And Spikey wikey. What are we moping about today? Big brother Spyro still hasn't come back? Maybe he got tired of your whining and decided to stay in his world. Not that its much of a world to begin with."

Applebloom restrained Spike as Scootaloo stepped up,"Don't you have bits to scrub and polish, Diamond Tiara? Or are you afraid to chip your dainty little hooves?"

"Please, that's what servants are for, tom filly ruffian. I still don't see the big hype about you. Took you long enough to finally get your fat flanks off the ground for once, chicken."

Spike snatched Scootaloo's tail before she launched herself at Diamond, all the while hearing her laugh. The filly turned her sights on Applebloom, but remained silent. They just stared each other down, as though trying to tempt the other one to blink first. Diamond Tiara huffed and turned, flicking her tail in their direction.

"As much as I enjoy rubbing your noses in it, I have better things to do." She trotted off, leaving the first years to bump and stumble into each other before they retreated, leaving the group alone.

Spike muttered and grumbled along with Scootaloo as they sat down once more.

"One of these days, I swear. One of these days." Scootaloo started.

"Bam! Pow! Straight to the moon." Spike finished.

"Why is it she still pesters us, yet doesn't say a word to either of you?" Scootaloo asked, pointing to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.

"Cause she knows all ah need do is tell Applejack that Filthy Rich's daughter is heckling the next heir of Zap Apple Jam. All sis need do is casually mention lookin for a different seller. After that its all fire n brimstone for Diamond."

"Ok, what about you Sweetie Belle?" Spike asked.

"Meh, I have ways of getting even with her." She cackled and rubbed her hooves together, drawing puzzled looks from her friends.

A light tug on Spike's tail drew his attention to a small colt pegasus. He blinked as he gazed at the small foal, whose green eyes stared up in wonder.

"Umm... mista Spike?" he asked, nervously.

"Yes?" The dragon replied, not sure of this young one. The colt kicked the ground a couple of times before finally replying,"Is... is it true you fought a scary monster?"

"Yeah, that's me. Spike the hero of Draconis." He meekly replied with a weak smile.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom grinned as they got up and left, leaving Spike to regall his adventures to a young foal who quietly was eager to hear all about it from the hero himself.

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The afternoon sun light bathed the sky in reds, yellows and orange. The school house doors burst open, revealing a herd of fillies and colts, racing to meet their parents at the gate and by carriage, eager to head home and start on homework or procrastinate until evening. Spike, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom made their good-byes at the crossroad leading to Sweet Apple Acres. The four separated and the dragon found himself, wandering the path towards the library. He mind drifted to what Scootaloo had told him earlier that day. That dragons lived for a long time, that he shouldn't have to stress so much on what he wanted to do. Spike had to admit, for a pony whose idol was a rather laid back cyan pegasus, Scootaloo seemed to have more common sense then Rainbow Dash did.

He passed Carousel Boutique hearing Sweetie Belle's voice drifting from an open window on the second floor. He had to agree, the unicorn filly had the best voice in Ponyville second only to her older sister. The Oak Tree Library came into view and he was eager to get home and relax after a long day. Just as he reached out to flip the latch, a bell rang out in the distance. Turning, the dragon stepped back and stared off into the distance. The bell rang again, its echo long and foreboding. The door opened and Twilight emerged, bearing a scroll in her magical aura.

"That's odd. It's not the hour yet." Spike said as the bell rang again in the distance.

"It's not. It's ringing for a different purpose, Spike." Twilight murmured, head lowered.

Spike could feel something was wrong. Laying his hands on his sister's shoulders, the dragon nudged her,"What are they ringing for?"

"The passing of some pony important. I received a letter from Princess Celestia who, in turn received a message from a diplomat of Draconis."

"What's the message?"

"Queen Demuria the Third is dead."

More bells joined the first in Canterlot as Spike stood there shocked. Shocked to learn that the great Queen of Draconis, benevolent ruler and friend to Equestria, had passed away.

Comments

[DARKPHANTOM13]

Well that can't be good.

[Arcane Howitzer]

The training on using the earth magic proved a little uneven and coarse.

One might even have called it 'rocky.'

Admit it, you were thinking it too!

[Golden_Reflection]

rune circles interfering with time and space, making things go all wibbly wobbily."

I can see a doctor who reference! Whoop whoop whoop!

do you have to be so loud?

yes