Good relationships are all about compromise. For example: Rarity likes massages, and Spike likes adventuring up giant magical beanstalks to fight giants.

This is gonna be one heck of a compromise.

Written for LtMajorDude for Jinglemas 2022!

Spike is no stranger to getting roped into things, being helpful is practically his second nature. Sometimes though, it can be a little too much even for him.
Thankfully, he has somewhere to go when things get out of control.

Rated T for a few instances of cursing.

Four friends are meeting up to play a nice game of Ogres and Oubliettes, but they get more of an adventure than they were looking for!

They're pretty sure that being sucked into another world and having to fight for their lives is still all just a game, but if they ever want to go home, they're going to have to face their destiny.

This is a crossover with a parody RPGmaker game called 'Doom and Destiny'.

A dragoness who has seen the world and its wonders. A dragoness who has been on countless adventures and has found dozens, if not hundreds of treasures thought to be nothing but myths. A dragoness who hides a dark secret that is tearing her up inside, is forced to face her guilt head on when she takes a trip to Equestria.
A baby dragon who was raised by ponies. A baby dragon who feels at odds with his own kind. A baby dragon who wonders why he lives as he does will soon get his answer when a stranger comes to town.
Now two souls brought together by fate will build a bond that has always existed through trials and tribulations neither could have predicted.

This story was inspired by three things. The first was the breakout hit, Ten Years Gone, by Some Other Guy, of which you may notice some slight similarities in the beginning. The second was a comment that made me wonder, "What if it wasn't a human coincidentally made to look like Spike?" And the third was me watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The inspiration from that last one will become more apparent later in the story.
I hope you like this, I don't usually write fanfictions, after all.

Spike and Twilight return from the alternate world to only see that Spike has not changed back to a dragon. This Spike isn't a puppy though and must show the world that he isn't a pet but much more. Watch as Spike grows into his destiny as a protector of not just the wildlife of Equestria but the very balance of nature itself. Spike will have to battle against everything from, manticores, hydras, constellation beast, timberwolves, corrupt forest gods, and everything in between.

Featured 5/18/14

Spike was the strangest of dragons, living his charmed life so far removed from his heritage. Knowing so much. How to be a good friend. How to be a hero.

How to have fun.

But actually being a dragon? Not so much. Barely at all, really.

Ember didn't know what to make of her friendship with the little drake, but she did know two things. Spike needed a teacher, a proper dragon teacher, to show him the way.

And second, that this was going to be fun.

This story is a sequel to For Want of an Egg

Centuries ago, Princess Celestia stole a dragon's egg to fulfill a prophecy, and found it necessary to deal with the egg's mother to keep said prophecy from being compromised. But now that the prophecy has been fulfilled, and her time as a princess is over, Celestia decided that it was time for the truth to come out.

It was also time for Celestia to face the consequences of her actions.

Princess Celestia has seen occasional visions of the future in her sleep, but none so vivid as the ones regarding purple spotted dragon egg. She saw the egg hatch, and the dragon within live and grow among ponies. What's more, Celestia saw key events of the future play out in the most favorable ways possible, all because of that one dragon: the discovery of the Bearer of the Element of Magic, the second defeat of Discord, the second and third defeats of Sombra, and the rise of two rulers who would become invaluable allies of Equestria.

Celestia's visions also showed her where to find the egg. . .

As Twilight attempts to get Starlight Glimmer to see the error of her ways, Spike can't help but interject. If Starlight had a portal to take her to any place or any time, why fixate on one single event when she could accomplish so much more?

As it turns out, Starlight Glimmer has an answer. Several in fact.

Inspired by a conversation with the story's editor Tired Old Man.

Shortly after getting his wings, Spike decides he doesn't know enough about his own kind, and goes off to the Dragon Lands for a little vacation. His absence is keenly felt, which is why Twilight has six unwilling volunteers in mind to fill his role...

This'll definitely end well.