This story is a sequel to My Services Are a Curse?
Spike the number one assistant, has left his home. Feeling a bit lost, somewhat confident and unsure of what lies ahead the young drake begins his journey on the path to improvement. On the path to discover what he wants to do in his life aside from his services to Twilight. And as Spike goes through his travels on Equestria and beyond the young drake begins meeting ponies, griffons and other creatures across Equestria that in some way or another have a descent understanding of what he's now going through. And with each new meeting and experience Spike continues to grow.
With each meeting Spike learns something new and does his best to apply it to his new experiences. But as he continues through his journeys he never once forgets about those he left behind. They in turn will never forget about him. For they'll always be with him in heart, till the day he can return.
This look like the start of a worthwhile adventure.
I feel it's a little weird that this guy would readily share such a private letter, but otherwise I really enjoyed this. I'll be keeping an eye on it.
I also feel that it's weird that the story's going into hiatus right after chapter 1 is posted. Is it the holidays? Just curious.
6751943 The reason I've put this story on hiatus and any other in-depth stories is because I've got too many stories that I'm working on and getting individual chapters out every week will get tough for me. I'll release the hiatus as soon as I get a bit more into my other stories.
yay you continue it! Take your time, there is no rush
Dammit I came here expecting feels and I was not dissapointed in the least
Sooooo freaking eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
Is there a missing romance tag on this story? Or am I misreading Rainbow's reaction (as well as the word "heartbroken") ?
6764479 More of a misread. Nothing romantic is being hinted in this particular chapter. Her reaction is more of a feeling of closeness with Spike than anything romantic based. One doesn't necessarily need to be in love with another to be heartbroken.
Why is on hiatus?
6764637 Too many stories I'm working on. Not enough time to work on every story, want to focus on others for now. Shorter stories will be more of a focus to me while the three I'm currently working on are nowhere near breaching the surface of things. So these will be on hiatus, but if I'm free and am not too busy I will update them.
Yep, the feels hit me like a ton of bricks...ouch
Despite Spike's belief in AJ and RD's Elements being switched out, Dash is really showing her loyalty with her actions...as usual. Are you going to do a chapter from the rest of the Mane 6's perspectives?
Oh, and a belated Merry Christmas to you
6768286 Belated X-Mas to you too. As for your question I do intend on doing one for the rest of Mane 6.
Dammit is this story going to bring me close to tears every chapter?
I think it's funny that Rainbow completely skips over the fact that Thunderlane said they have no right to find him, and then after she slapped him he forgot about it too.
I really, really hope that you aren't using he IDW dragon city as canon, that would be...upsetting. Either way I'm so happy you've updated and I eagerly await more.
Another belated merry Christmas to you, and I'll looking forward to when this I'd out of hiatus, no matter how long it takes!
Good luck with your other stories!
Will The CMC have a chapter of their own when they learn the news of Spike's departure ?
I ask this because this is a great idea of exploring how much Spike means to the girls and vice versa. It would be interesting to see Spike on the run, learning and hiding from his former friends and family while trying to grow.
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one.
Great chapter. And oh, the betrayal. That's gonna hurt Spike's perception of Soarin.
A cook, huh? That's a pretty good job for Spike to have. He'd probably get a position as a sous chef, as entry level, though...
Really loving your story, though I hope that when Twilight finds out about what Dash is doing (assuming she doesn't already know) that she is dissapointed in Dash's brash actions and her inability to trust Spike and let him be his own person, pony, dragon, thing.
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I in all honesty never considered the CMC. When I began thinking of this sequel my main focus was generally on the Mane 6 and them alone, but now that you mention it it would probably be more plausible to include them as well. Especially since they've also had their moments with Spike as well.
I'll consider it. And if I'm able to come up with something I'll include their own perspectives on Spike's departure.
This sentence is confusing as heck. I had to go back and look at people's reactions to realize that Twilight was thinking that Spike is hurt. It looks like Dash was thinking it... or even that she said it.
6824580 I'll be sure to fix that. Thanks for informing me
EDIT: Fixed
6824676
No problem. The main source is that you use Dash's name, then switch to pronouns. So you look like you're talking about Dash again.
I'd recommend to swap more around than adding Twilight's name instead of "her", but if you want to just do that then you might be clear enough.
So dissapointed in Dash man. But it's actually pretty in character for her though, tending to not care about others wishes and doing her brash actions in a pretty ignorant way. I have to admit that this is the reaction I wanted to see out of Spike if Dash ignored Twilight and Spike's wishes. I cannot wait till the next chapter
and your pinkie is lovely.
Time to bail and fast. This almost feels like an episode of the Fugitive or something similar to this.
Great update to the story and it makes me wonder when is it going to get through Rainbow Dash's thick head that Spike doesn't need to be watched like a baby anymore ?
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one as I'm surprised that Twilight is giving Spike the space he needs to grow and isn't hunting him down like Rainbow Dash is.
Time to get a new job? I think.
This premise is really good and I love how Spike's actually doing mediocre. I hope he doesn't have to move away from his job, and I hope Dash leaves him alone.
6826362 I doubt any time soon, and I really wish Twilight had slapped her at some point in their argument.
So, I feel like the biggest problem here is a matter of time. How did Spike get that high up in the restaurant in one month? Furthermore, how did he become such a valued member of the community in one month? How many people are really going to go this far out of their way for someone they've only known for a short period of time? If had been six months or maybe a year, it would have felt much more organic. Alternatively, focusing more on these new characters and the neighborhood surrounding them, giving reasons as to why they care so much about him. As it is, it feels kind of forced. Also, if Rainbow Dash isn't chasing him anymore, why can't he just go back to the restaurant? What's stopping him?
I apologize if it feels like I'm nitpicking. But I genuinely feel that these are issues that detract from what should be a very emotionally-charged scene.
Speaking of nitpicks, though, how did the others get there so fast? Weren't they just talking to Spike on the phone from Ponyville? Did Twilight mass teleport them there? Bit of a stretch, but I'd buy that.
6872352
You have point. I understand what you're saying all fairly justifiable points. I honestly am not going to lie when I first published the chapter involving Spike's job, I felt it was a bit pushed and forced to make him such a high ranking chef so quickly, but after I considered a few things I decided to play it out and see how things were going.
Considering the fact that Spike had been there for about nearly one month closely bordering to two it s really strange that he would be so well adored. However, there are other factors to consider in all this. Facts that I will be going into in the next chapter to explain things, since I rarely talked about what it was Lavish Dish and him discussed before he got where he currently was.
As I mentioned in certain parts of I believe chapter 4 and a majority in this recent chapter, most of the surrounding community or a majority of Baltimare know Spike, because he is one of the creatures that helped saved Equestria numerous times with the Elements carriers. Simple as that. Granted this may not be a lot when taken into account, considering the fact that even when Twilight and the others save the world, they don't even get a single parade or form of gratitude. HoweverI'd like to say that in other parts of Equestria where other countries like Fillydelphia, Baltimare, and Transelyvania haven't suffered severe casualties as Ponyville does on a natural daily basis and rarely gets as much danger, these ponies are all thankful for Spike and everyone else's efforts. Yet despite this some were not willing to let Spike get a job due to his form and age, in spite of all the knowledge he has gained with Twilight over the years.
Lavish Dish however, as I first mentioned, like Spike. Not just because Spike had helped save his home no matter how small a part he may have played, but also because he admired Spike's courage. The job for a sous chef was the only spot empty at the time that Lavish Dish could offer, so like any sensible businessman he gave Spike a test to see if he was up for it. I will go into detail about that later, but for now that should give an idea of where I'm going with this.
True Rainbow Dash wasn't chasing him to get him back home, but remember she did imply multiple times that she still would try to get him to go with them, due to her better judgement and instincts playing a role in her behavior. Spike also had already assumed that Dash wouldn't listen to him no matter what, and simply decided it was best to leave before trouble ruined the restaurant that had helped him so far. And just as he predicted, trouble did arise. Rainbow Dash caused a ruckus in a train station, secuirty was called on her. She knocked out about several different ponies with a sonic rainboom in her attempts to reach Spike and also ruined private property at Serve & Dine. Spike knows Dash just as well as AJ and the others know him, he knew bad stuff was going to happen like it always does. That's why he left.
As for your other question revolving the other characters. Propete as I hinted, has been with Spike since he started the job, she has gotten to know him and was ever a part of his conversation with Soarin for a bit which grew their relationship. Spike has also been hinted to get along well with the other workers, and since he is their boss, they all seem to like him fairly well since its his job to monitor them and make sure nothing goes wrong in the kitchen so the orders aren't ruined. But I've said enough, the next chapter will go into detail on this, so I'm glad you asked as I myself was wondering how you all would react with this one.
Don't worry about being nitpicky. You asked reasonable questions and it actually gave me stuff to write on, as long as the questions aren't annoying like "Why I gave a character this name" or something stupid like that I won't be bothered in the slightest. I hope this answers your questions and anyone else that may have had the same thoughts.
As for Twilight and the others, I probably should have put that in there but Pinkie sensed something bad was going to happen and Twilight fit the pieces together, she did basically just teleport everyone to Baltimare one of the reasons she was tired, that was my bad I should probably include that.
That was amazing. It was all of my greatest expectations plus more! Reading this was incredibly intense and though it seemed everyone outside of Spike's immediate friends were a little more involved that what is realistic, in my opinion it makes it seem more like something that would happen in the show. The tension in the chapter was palpable, every time Rainbow did something that pushed her situation just a little coulee to being too far you could feel it grow and grow until instead of snapping, it boils over into an icy glare that could shatter hearts. All of Rainbow dash's pig headedness that he was ignoring built up until it blew up in her face. So many time she could have stopped but now all she has left to grasp onto is a tiny sliver of hope that she'll be forgiven.
Even though I have been wanting it to happen I was surprised when Twilight slapped Rainbow dash. I had half expected her to take pity and hug her because she called Rainbow over and Rainbow actually moved. Looking back on it it sort of seems like Twilight is acting like the Main Six's mom with how they every her immediately, well I guess you'd have to when faced with a pissed off Princess of magic
This was so great. I really felt like Dash got what was coming for her, and I enjoyed that a ton.
One thing, though. The story is being continued but it's still marked as "hiatus."
6872990 its on hiatus because i won't always post a new chapter in a week it may take a month or even three weeks before i post a new chapter. Glad you liked it.
Wouldn't their hope of his ever returning greatly diminish if he left the country? What about the Princesses besides Twilight? How would they be acting? Would Cadence send a letter inviting him to the Empire? Or Celestia? Luna 'might' be the more understanding out of them as for dragon state of mind, down to the bare bones in a sense they 'forced' him out of his new comfortable territory. Perhaps she might visit his dreams offering advice, not stating he should return to ponyville and everything would be sunshine and daisies again but say that he has a home there or even Canterlot or the Empire.
Celestia may likely react the worse as in a way she helped raise spike, how could he had learned to cook or write? now her baby dragon safe at twilight's castle, he's on his own and angry. If she ever reads his letter meant for the girls she may want to keep Spike at canterlot forever, or cause her own search party... Because the only ones who know where that train went are the diner ponies, or the ones who work on said train.
6872435
For what it's worth, I do like the scene presented in this chapter, and feel that it would be an excellent climactic point for this part of the story. I just feel that we got here too quickly without building up enough. This Propete character, for example, is clearly a major player in this scene, but I still don't know anything about her other than she's a server and a few other tidbits that I've truthfully already forgotten. I remember things being mentioned about her, but none of them felt too important, and they tended to be provided through narration rather than, say, her interacting with Spike. In fact, I feel like there's a lot of things that are being told to me as opposed to shown, and very few of them stick.
Please understand, I'm only being so critical because I like this story. I wouldn't put forth the effort if I thought there was no merit here. I still look forward to what happens next.
6873456 I appreciate it, don't worry. I've thought things through and I'll be making sure to add things in the following chapter that have been obscure, your comments tell me I'm doing a good job as an author so far by informing me that there are things I'm missing. So don't worry, being critical helps me.
6873095
You are correct in believing this. After what happened Spike probably would be even less inclined on seeing the others now, just based off Rainbow Dash's actions. And since he gets some of his paranoia from Twilight he wouldn't be willing to meet any of them for quite awhile. It all depends on what he thinks would be the necessary action once he calms down and reasons through things. As for the other members that are well associated with Spike I haven't thought much about them, but I do plan on including them, don't worry. Cadence, Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Celestia and others haven't been forgotten they will all be included soon enough.
6873547 Their reactions to spike leaving ponyville will be 'epic' as one would say, though their reactions will be quite different with Luna's being the least dramatic we believe. Perhaps even stating it could be his own 'migration' instincts kicking in, though she may have more personal knowledge of dragons to be of help but a pony raised one would be new to her in understanding.
6873052 I see. Well, true masterpieces always take time, I suppose.
Great update and I have to say Rainbow Dash had that coming for quite sometime. Still an interesting update, but it does bring up a question of mine own: Given how far spread her family is, will Spike run into any of the Apple Family members on his journey ?
Still, this does also question that while Rainbow did push things a bit too far why hasn't Twilight and the others did the same thing too ?
Wouldn't Princess Luna keep track of Spike as well given his dreams ?
Please do keep up the good work upon this great storyline of yours as I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Wow, I felt that slap twilight gave rainbow. Also, dude your pinkie pie is amazing.That is exactly how I expect her to act in that situation. The only thing that bugs my now is what is going to be spike's foil now.Since rainbow stopped chasing him.
6877707
It'll be tough. But Spike will find something. I leave whatever that something is he finds in his next job or what happens to him up to your imaginations.
6875661
Rainbow Dash I know would do something like this in the show if something like this would happen. Perhaps not to this extreme extent, (who knows though), but definitely something close to this. As for Twilight and the others I will go in detail on that in later chapters. Applejack however, I slightly feel she would have some sort of understanding of where Spike's coming from. Considering that she had refused to return to Ponyville because she felt like she had let her friends and everyone down, she could see where Spike is coming from in terms of desiring to find something that makes him stand out than just being an assistant to everyone. For Twilight, there are many many reasons why she's not pursuing Spike, and that will be revealed later.
32 bits for three weeks work? That's... Not a lot really.
6898937
Fair point. I honestly just made that one up on the spot, not really sure if bits are on par to dollars or euros so I just assumed since you could get like a pack of celery for 5 bits then 32 was an okay amount for a kid. That'll change on his next job.
Good story but I'll be honest. The second telephones, going to the movies, ordering out for pizza ect. is brought into most MLP fanfics it kills the whole thing for me right then and there.
6899104
Movies and Pizza? Haven't seen that in any but there's no way this story's going in that direction. But I understand.
Interesting epilogue to the first part of the story. It will be interesting to see where Spike ends up next and how long will he be safe there ?
Please do keep up the good work on this great tale.
Interesting chapter. I look forward to more. Also is the Princess Twilight or Celestia?
7001234
I'll leave you to decide which Princess you believe that is.
Spike is going to be soooo pissed when he finds out that from the beginning Princess Celestia (or Twilight or Luna I guess...)was helping him, instead of him doing it on his own.
Ha! That entire scene with Propete and Double was cute... and sad, but still cute.
And I finally remembered the one question I wanted to ask from the beginning. How old is everbody? How old are the main six? How old is Spike reletive to them? Are you going off of human age or real pony age? Or have you not said any exact ages for a reason?
7001620
I am generally going off human time, but no ages have been set for certain reasons.