Takes Place During Friendship is Magic: Part 2

Nightmare Moon has thrown Equestria into an eternal night since returning from her thousand year exile on the moon. Now it's up to a prestigious unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, and a certain group of five other mares to put an end to the tyrant's ruthless regime.

After overcoming every test that Nightmare Moon trialed them with; there seems to be one more before they can reach the castle and retrieve the Elements. They must answer five questions--

Three questions.

Three questions given by a strange looking creature who is apparently blind in one eye. If they succeed in answering the five questions--

Three questions.

Three questions. Then Equestria has hope to restore its harmony. However if they fail in doing so. Then surely the country and all its surrounding continents will be doomed for all eternity.

This story is a sequel to I Can Count On You

Ember, Lord of all Dragons, has been presented with a problem that has forced her to seek the help of her best and closest friend.

Now that Spike has arrived all she needs to tell him is her problem. An ancient law, one that no Dragon Lord can object against, has come into effect.

What's that problem? She is to be bonded with the winner of a special tournament as life-mates.

Additional tag: Action.

*If you are feeling generous you can buy me a Ko-Fi!!

*This fic will deal with a lot of fighting, but it shall not be gore related, and the blood will be kept to a minimum.*

**This is my first attempt at writing something based almost purely on fighting/combat in a tournament-like scenario.**

Artwork by Traupa.

It's only been a few moons since Spike moved to Ponyville, and the settled zone hasn't quite gotten used to having a dragon around, any more than his sister has become accustomed to managing all the duties of a small town library. So while she sorts out late fee notices, he's expected to work the front desk and speak to patrons. Ponies who don't know how to talk to him. Ponies who seem to be having a hard time even looking at him. So when Twilight finally sends him to collect a book from a truly unresponsive patron, it's almost a relief.

Except that the pony isn't there. Will never be there again.

And just about nopony seems to care if she was ever there at all.

(A stand-alone, no prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome. )

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

A scientist wants to take Spike and study him in hopes of understanding dragons; however, her questionable methods make Spike refuse. The scientist counter-argues that Spike is not a pony and the same rights given to a pony, do not apply to him. A trial is commenced with Twilight as Spike’s defense attorney and Cadence as the unwilling prosecutor; Twilight must prove that Spike does indeed deserve the same rights as any pony. Or else, Spike is a lab rat that she will never see again.

This is a fanfic inspired by a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Measure of a Man, directed by Robert Scheerer. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
I want to thank the person who brought me into the fandom for helping me truly refine this idea and truly give it life. You know who you are!
I will say right now, updates for this fanfic may be highly irregular until I take care of certain obligations, but I promise not to abandon it until it's done.

Rainbow Dash discovers Spike has the makings of a great archer to represent Ponyville in the next Equestria Games and decides to train him, but dragon-hating officials, and a dragon-fearing town are bent to bar him, and possibly Ponyville, from the Games.

Edited by Fan Without a Face. Huge thanks to him for all his criticism, feedback, and edits . If you ever need an editor, I highly recommend him.

A few things to know: According to the MLP wiki, there is a section of Fillydelphia where dragons live called Dragon Town.

I've had this story planned for a year now, but haven't gotten around to writing it due to personal issues. I like to think of it as a spiritual successor to my most popular story "The Measure of a Dragon" in that it deals with similar themes of isolation and being an outsider. Although Dr. Saffron and Silver Stone won't be making an appearance, I do have some new friends and foes waiting to meet our favorite dragon. The subject matter may get a bit dark at times, but I truly believe this is a story well worth telling.

Spike now harnesses the bloodstone scepter making him the ruler of all dragon kind. Of course he hands it off as part of an important lesson on friendship, right? Naw. He immediately goes mad with power.

While re-shelving books at the library, Twilight discovers a journal she gave to Spike years ago contains stories about the great dragon hero Captain Invincible, who fights for Truth, Justice, and the Equestrian Way, defending the city of Ponytopolis from the diabolical Dr. Spectra and other assorted dangers.

There's just two problems: Spike clearly wanted the stories to be kept private, and Twilight just can't stop reading them.

Featured on Equestria Daily on 3/4/2013

Spike the Dragon had made many mistakes in his long life, mistakes that clouded his memory, haunted his dreams, and filled his waking hours with nothing but heartache. After his beloved friends passed from the world of the living, he was robbed of his chance to show his remorse, but he would make amends with the only gift he was able to give. No gem was big enough, no hoard rich enough, no sonnet contained enough beauty, no poem had enough finesse. There was only one gift that Spike could give to the ponies of Ponyville: his life. Receding from memory, vanishing from history, Spike the Dragon became the guardian that Ponyville required: a piece of Unwritten History.

An insane and illogical parody of your favorite ponies.

Are you looking for a story about the magic of friendship or how great it is to be alive? Too bad! What you're getting is a story about a bitter bookworm named Twilight Sparkle who just got booted out of Canterlot and is forced to go to a little backwater town named Ponyville in order to get some sort of social life.

Will she enjoy it? No. Not at all.

Rated Teen for strong language, cartoonish violence, immature humor, and god-awful jokes.
Sex tag is for repeated mentions of sex, sexual activities, and Rainbow Dash. Just...Rainbow Dash in general.

Cover Image by the very talented Wadusher0.

Now on TV Tropes!

Two thousand and fifty three years.
Spike has been battling the eldritch horrors of timeless Ginungagap for over two millennia, yet even to this day, his shame remains gnawing at his very heart and mind. Until the day comes when he is told of the danger that threatens what is most precious to him.

To save what he loves, Spike shall face his shame once more, his will, determination and sanity stretched to their limits, as he will step into the Abyss of his own, personal hell.

As always Spike moves forward, ever forward, towards battle, death and hopefully redemption.

In life, shame.
In death, absolution.