Spike felt a little uncomfortable when Rainbow Dash and Bulk Biceps brought him into the gym. Every pony he saw lifting hundreds of pounds were in impressive shape, especially compared to his pudgy frame. The sight alone made him feel out of place, even more than usual. Rainbow Dash didn’t notice his unease, simply talking about the various workouts she would put him through every day.
“We’ve got nine months until the games. Three of those are going to be spent building your muscle mass. Since you’ll have to shoot a bunch of arrows, the end goal for you is to keep pulling a 40-pound bowstring for over three minutes. Bulk Biceps and I mapped out a series of exercises targeting your arms, back, and chest. You’ll meet one of us here at least twice a day at 11 am and 4 pm. We’ll run you through exercises for two hours, then you’ll break.”
Dash turned to him. “After every workout, Bulk has some muscle building food you have to eat. When you’re not training here, try to get more comfortable with a bow. Drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep.”
Spike frantically scratched as many notes as he could into his writing pad, until Dash lightly slapped the pad from his claws.
“Could you not do that? It’s triggering my high school traumas,” she shuddered, recalling days spent taking boring notes.
“You went to high school?” Bulk asked.
“No, I dropped out and joined an illegal street gang,” Dash replied with a flat tone that left Bulk uncertain whether the answer was “yes” or “no.”
After a few warm-up stretches, Dash led him to the first of many weightlifting machines. Bulk adjusted the seat height so Spike could reach the lateral bar. The drake sat down on the black cushioned seat and started pulling down the lateral bar, lifting the black weights to the top of the machine. Dash added fifteen pounds, which Spike lifted that without any strain. Dash eventually skipped all the way to ninety pounds, but even that couldn’t phase Spike. To her surprise, he managed to lift almost as much as a stallion twice his size could, before giving out.
“Wow,” Dash whistled. “For a little guy, you've got some serious muscle.”
Spike brought the bar down and rubbed his palms. “It's probably from all the work Twilight puts me through. A few years of book sorting and catching whatever she throws in a panic really builds your stamina. Plus I'm always carrying her stuff, and Rarity's stuff, and…” Spike shrugged with a joking smile. “Well, I guess I carry everypony's stuff.”
“Hmm,” Dash hummed in thought. If he was already this strong, maybe they could move his training along faster. With a few alterations, she formed a new schedule, which she promptly showed Bulk. After a brief glance, he added a few exercises to target Spike's back. Dash thanked him and turned her attention back to Spike. “Good news, if you work hard enough this might only take two months.”
“You think so?”
“It depends on you.” Dash passed the clipboard to Bulk Biceps, “I've got weather duty today, so Bulk will handle training you."
“Yeah!” Bulk pumped his hoof.
Dash headed out the door, leaving the two to their training. Bulk ran Spike through some workout machines that the drake could not remember the names of. After four reps on three different pulley machines, Bulk handed Spike a purple band with black foam handles on both ends. He showed Spike countless ways to exercise with this resistance tube. By the time he hung up the rope, Spike felt sore all across his arms, shoulders, and back.
He tried not to notice the ponies on the lateral pulls adjacent to him, lifting the entire column of weights. Spike ignored his peripheral vision as best he could, but he could not ignore the sound of their weights banging onto other weights.
“Remember to count, Spike,” Bulk's voice interrupted Spike's thoughts. The drake realized he forgot to count his reps, so he guessed the number of reps left.
Most of the day continued as such. Bulk would show Spike an exercise and the drake would do twelve, fifteen, or twenty-five reps, then alternate between two other exercises.
When they finished, Bulk directed Spike to the restrooms. Spike tried not to cringe at the scent of sweat siring an unholy offspring with dirty toilet water. The white stallion directed Spike to a line of showers without stalls.
“If you finish around this time, usually the showers will be empty,” Bulk said.
Spike frowned and shook his head. He knew he was short and chubby. He didn't need to shower with other muscle-bound jocks to know that.
“If it really bothers you, I'll stand guard until you're done.”
“Thanks, but uh, I didn't bring any soap anyways.” He shrugged, “I think I'd rather just shower at home.”
Bulk shrugged. “Your choice.”
Spike guzzled down a tall bottle of water he brought along, quenching his burning thirst before falling onto a bench.
“How do,” Spike managed between pants, “You do this every day?”
“You gonna be okay?”
Spike was about to answer, when a cough broke from his mouth.
“You’ll get better with practice.” Bulk handed Spike a bottle of water. “Just wait till you see Dash’s idea of a workout.”
Spike’s body grew cold as a shiver ran down his spine.
“I’m kidding,” Bulk said. He considered Dash’s idea of a warm-up and frowned. “Well, sorta.”
Spike managed a chuckle, after taking a few sips of water before heading to the exit.
“Oh wait, one more thing,” Bulk called to Spike before the drake could exit. “I’ve got an archery book for you to read.” He explained as he rummaged through his saddlebag, “Dash wanted me to give it to you.” Bulk pulled out a thick book titled The History of Archery: Ancient to Modern, and handed it to Spike. The cover showed an ancient drawing of a pony with a bow and arrow on the left edge. To the right were other bows lined in a row one after another. The row ended with a modern bow and arrow on the far right side.
“Dash wants me to read all of this?” Spike panted.
“She did, but she hasn’t read it herself. So I went through and bookmarked the chapters you should focus on. You know, technique and stuff.”
Sure enough Spike noticed the rims of a dozen notecards wedged in between the pages.
“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “I’ll start reading it when I get back home.”
“Cool,” Bulk said, “So I’ll see you for your afternoon workout in a few hours.”
Spike swallowed his dread, and nodded.
“Hey, I noticed you looked distracted in our workout. You forgot to count your reps a few times and stuff. Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Spike nodded with a shrug, “I was just feeling a little out of place. You know, first time I’ve been here.”
“If you’re feeling uncomfortable about working out with all these other ponies, we could meet early in the morning or in the evening when there’s less of a crowd,” Bulk suggested.
Bulk’s keen observation surprised Spike. He wondered how Bulk figured out he felt uncomfortable around those muscle heads who made him feel small.
“Yeah, maybe that’ll help. Thanks.”
Bulk smiled and offered a hoof bump. Spike grinned and returned the gesture. Together they yelled, “Yeah!” before heading their separate ways.
As he headed home, he could hear the distant school bell ringing, signaling recess was over. Part of him was grateful Twilight didn’t make him go to school, considering some of the horror stories he heard about the education system. He couldn’t begin to fathom how anypony could stomach eating cafeteria schlop everyday or deal with constant stress of academics. Another part of him however, couldn’t help wondering what it felt like to hang out with other ponies his age and to meet some of the other Ponyville kids. Sure he sometimes hung out with the CMC, but besides them, he didn’t really know any other kids in town. Not for lack of effort. Spike didn’t have time for school, not with all the crazy stuff he did. He tried not to dwell on those discomforting thoughts for long.
A whip cracking sound roared through the sky as overhead, Rainbow Dash soared across the sky, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. Spike had never seen her move so fast without her Sonic Rainboom. It was like watching her do something she shouldn’t be capable of, like she broke through limits of the Rainbow Dash of yesterday.
“That’s what I have to do,” he said to himself. “I’ve got to break my limits and push myself like she does.” Spike balled his fists, making a vow to himself and all dragons that he would be an archer that Rainbow Dash and all of Ponyville could be proud of by putting everything into his training. He headed home, prepared to spend the following months pushing himself without rest.
“Hold. One, two, three, four, and release,” Rainbow Dash counted. At her command, Spike brought the barbell back down to the supports flanking the bench before pushing the weight up once again and holding it for even longer.
“Alright, that’s good,” Dash nodded. Spike dropped the barbell onto the iron pegs and rolled off the bench. “You’re lifting twenty-five pounds more than you could last week. How you feeling?”
“I’m good,” Spike said.
Dash moved him onto sit-ups, which the drake plowed through with a single-minded determination. She then showed him a lateral pull down machine. After a demonstration how to use the machine, Spike completed a set of fifteen reps. On the last rotation, Dash told Spike to do as many sit-ups as he could. While his body shook as he entered the forties, Spike still managed a grand total of fifty.
Dash led him to the pull-down machine and told him to do as many reps as he could. She could see the fire in his eyes as he mounted the machine and grabbed the bar. He pulled down the bar, lifting the weights. His breaths were steady as he pulled up and down. At fifteen, he stopped counting. Rainbow Dash adjusted his posture and grip on the bars before allowing him to continue.
“That’s thirty,” Dash grinned as Spike jerked down the bar. “That’s the tenth new record you’ve set today.”
Spike did not respond, he didn’t even turn around. He simply continued with his exercise, his eyes closed into a scowl. With each rep, a breathy groan escaped his throat. Still, Dash could see he had no intention of quitting. He wanted to go farther, and she had to help him.
“No, you exhale when you pull. Inhale when you release,” Dash’s reminder caused a slight delay in Spike’s pattern. He grudgingly took her advice and adjusted his breaths.
“Think you can get to fifty?” Dash challenged him.
Spike dragged the bar halfway.
“All the way,” she said. “You got this.”
Spike dragged the bar all the way down, letting gravity pull the bar back up. Rainbow Dash grinned, pleased to see Spike pushing himself. She’d never appreciated what a hard worker he was before. Yet after seeing how driven he was, Dash actually applauded him after his last rep. Spike, after letting the bar slide back up, slumped over in the seat, panting for air.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Rainbow Dash slapped his shoulder. “Way to go.”
Spike did not respond. Dash lost her smile as she saw Spike’s eyelids drooped over his dazed eyes.
“Hey,” She put a hoof on his shoulder. “You feeling alright?”
Spike nodded, swallowing another breath.
Dash frowned. “You want to keep going?”
He nodded again.
“Alright, but first take a breather. Get some water and walk it off. You’ve earned it.”
Spike slid off the seat and lumbered to the restroom, while Dash checked the last rotation Spike had left today. There weren’t any more rotations requiring him to lift as many times as he could, so he would probably manage it. She had to start her own workout. Once Bulk arrived, she could turn Spike over to him. After two weeks, Spike probably already knew most of the exercises on his own anyway.
Spike returned five minutes later. His feet dragged across the ground, his shoulder hunched as he took ragged breaths.
“What now?” He managed.
You alright?” Dash asked, “Not feeling nauseous or dizzy, are you?”
“I can keep going.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why don’t you finish off with a few bicep curls, the GHR, and a few overhead presses?” Dash frowned at Spike’s wobbling, swaying posture. “Actually, if you want you can just call it a day.”
“No way,” Spike shook his head. “I want to go all the way.”
“Are you sure you can? You don’t look too good. If you can’t do anymore, then you shouldn’t push yourself.”
“I can do it, really.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. I want to get a few laps in before it rains. Bulk should be here any minute to take over. Think you can manage on your own for a sec?”
Spike nodded, though his mouth struggled to respond. He staggered off into the jungle of exercise machines. Dash had to admit Spike’s performance impressed her. After two weeks of exercise, he proved steadfast, never wavering under the pressure. At this rate, they could start archery by next week.
She headed to the bathroom, spotting Bulk emerging from the men’s room. To her surprise, when she offered him a nod, he hesitated to return the gesture. Bulk walked up to her with a troubled frown.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash.” Bulk only used Dash’s full name in rare circumstances, so it was apparent something was bothering him.
“What’s up?”
Bulk glanced to the ceiling and back at Dash. He gave a brief shrug. “Up is relative.” Dash rolled her eyes.
“I meant is there something bothering you?”
Bulk pursed his lips as he formulated his thoughts. “Ponies don’t eat gems, right?”
Dash raised an eyebrow, wondering why Bulk would ask such a juvenile question. She sighed.
“No, Bulk. Usually, ponies do not eat gems.”
“Usually?” Bulk scratched his head. “Are there sometimes when they do?”
“Look, I’d love to goof around, but I really have to get in a few laps before it rains,” she said.
She moved around Bulk and headed to the restroom. As she reached the door, she sniffed the air. Her nose crinkled, as an unpleasant smell drifted to her nostrils. She jerked back from the door and looked for the source of the stench. The odor burst from the men’s restroom.
“Why do you stallions go out of your way to make your bathrooms a stink hole? Do you all just love the smell of stench?” Dash exclaimed.
“I don’t think so,” Bulk responded. “Though, it would be presumptuous of me to assume I could answer for all stallions in the world.”
“Use words I can understand,” Dash grumbled. “How does someone known for screaming ‘Yeah’ even know words like presumptuous?” She wondered. “What’s that stench?”
“Oh right. That’s what I was trying to tell you. Someone threw up in the restroom,” Bulk explained. “And whoever it was, they’ve eaten gems recently. Do you know anyone who eats gems?”
The realization of Bulk’s words shot through her like a bolt of lightning. There was only one person she knew who ate gems, and he was currently struggling on the overhead press. Suddenly, what had been a source of pride for her had become one of horror, as she quickly rushed over to the drake.
“Stop, stop,” she exclaimed. She wrest the bar from his claws and placed it into its iron supports. Spike looked at her, wondering why she interrupted his final rep. His pale blue face and pained breathing confirmed Dash’s fears.
“Spike, why didn’t you tell me that you’re sick?” She asked as she cursed herself for failing to notice his pain.
“What are you talking about? I feel fine,” Spike’s listless eyes spoke a different truth.
“Stop. You’re done for the day,” Dash went to unhook the weights.
“No,” Spike tried to lift the bar, but Rainbow Dash stopped him by putting her weight on the bar. “I can keep going.”
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” She grabbed him and dragged him away from the bar. His hand reached for the bar even as Dash rested him onto a bench.
“Please, don’t make me stop.” His voice sounded begging. Dashed looked in his eyes and recognized he had an irrepressible need to prove his worth.
She brought his hand down and pat his shoulder, “You’ve already done an awesome job. I’m perfectly fine with what you’ve gotten done.”
“I’m not.”
“Spike.” She clenched his shoulder. “If you don’t stop now I’m kicking you off the team.”
That threat seemed to work, as Spike slumped against the wall, defeated.
“Why?” He asked.
Dash scowled, “Because if you can’t take orders, then I can’t trust you.”
“But I’ve got to get stronger,” he murmured.
“You can’t get stronger if you make yourself sick.”
Bulk found the two of them on the bench. Dash told him to fetch some medicine for a queasy stomach from the help desk. The stallion noticed Spike’s semi-conscious state and surmised his condition. Bulk headed to the help desk, leaving the two alone.
“I want to keep going,” Spike coughed. He tried to rise from the bench but the pegasus forced the sickened drake back down. “I’ve got to, please.”
“No.” Dash left no room for argument. “If you even say that again, you’re off the team. Do you understand?”
Dash put a hoof on his sweaty forehead. Thankfully, he did not seem feverish. She reached into her saddlebag and handed him a bottle of water.
“Take small sips,” she said. Spike managed to follow her command. “From now on, I want you to stop whenever your head or stomach starts to hurt. You can’t perform well if you’re sick, okay?”
“But if I don’t give it my all,” he sniffed back some dribbling mucus, “How will I get stronger?”
“You can’t get stronger if you’re sick.”
“But—.”
“No buts,” Rainbow Dash silenced Spike with a hoof over his mouth. “If your wing’s broken, you don’t fly on it. You wait till it heals, or you could make it worse.”
“I don’t have wings,” Spike replied with a wisp of humor.
“You could have fooled me,” Dash joked before taking a serious expression. “But you get what I’m saying right? Pushing yourself to improve is great, but the last thing I want is you hurting yourself.”
“I’m going to be the first dragon in the Games,” Spike said. “I need to be ready.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Dash smiled. “I’ll help you get stronger, but one day at a time. I need you to trust me. I’m going to get you ready without hurting you, but I can only do that if you pace yourself. Understand?”
Spike remained unconvinced.
“Spike, look at me,” Dash forced him to look her in the eye.
“There are countless dragons counting on you, right? If you injure yourself doing this, you won’t be able to compete.”
Spike shrugged, “I guess.”
“I love that you want to push yourself. Really, I do. But there’s a difference between challenging yourself and killing yourself.” She put a hoof on his shoulder, “And if I’ve ever given you reason to think you have to push yourself past the point of sanity, then I was wrong. You’ll be ready. That’s a promise.”
“She’s right,” Bulk Biceps chimed in. He headed towards the two of them, handing a pink bottle of medicine to Spike. “Maybe you can’t see it, but the work out’s been making you stronger.”
“We’ve got eight more months before the qualifying rounds,” Dash reminded Spike. “That’s plenty of time to get ready.”
Spike took a sip of the medicine, bristling as a chill ran up his back and triggered his gag reflex. Before he could spew, he forced down the syrup.
“That’s nasty stuff,” he grumbled.
“If something tastes bad that means it’s working,” Dash shrugged.
“I don’t know,” Bulk frowned. “Mud tastes bad but that doesn’t make it healthy for ponies to eat.”
“Mud isn’t medicine,” Dash replied.
“Actually, the Spa uses mud baths all the time. We find that it can help with arthritis.”
“Okay sure, but you can’t eat it.”
“Of course not,” Bulk snorted. “Arthritis is a medical condition, not something you eat. You’re thinking of artichokes. Ponies eat those all the time.”
“I know that,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, amused. “How could I mistake arthritis for an artichoke?”
“I don’t know,” Bulk shrugged. “They both begin with ‘A.’”
“What I meant to say was you can’t eat mud like medicine.”
“Well, maybe I can’t, but a lot of animals like worms, parrots, bats, and elephants, eat mud all the time to help their digestion,” Said Bulk. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, beaten by the stallion’s logic.
“I just can’t win here.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “You take everything too literally.”
“No, I don’t,” Bulk declared. “I’ve never taken anything that wasn’t mine in my life.”
Rainbow Dash hit her head against the wall. Spike let out a little chuckle. Bulk frowned.
“What? Why are you laughing?”
Spike checked over Twilight’s grocery list one last time before he headed to the store. Somehow, she managed to find more items they needed or that could prove useful. She also wrote up a list of materials to buy from the post office. He had no idea why she needed a hundred more stamps and envelopes. Maybe it was just an excuse to give him chores, he thought with a twinge of resentment. He knew Twilight had reasons to ask chores of him, but it still annoyed him. He swung his knapsack onto his back, and rubbed his arms, still sore from his previous exercises.
Placing the delivery order for stamps and envelopes was easy enough, and he had no intention of carrying that mountain of paper back to the castle on his own. When he entered the marketplace, a junior clerk intercepted him, blocking his path forward.
“Is something wrong?” Spike asked. He felt a twinge of nervousness coursing down his spine.
“Well you see,” the young clerk stammered through trembling lips. “My boss told me to ask you to stay off the premise. At least for the time being.”
Spike’s eyes narrowed, a slight scowl forming on his face. “Did I do something wrong?”
“A few weeks ago, you scared a baby and caused a ruckus.”
“But…” Spike remembered that day with discomfort. “That was an accident. I wasn’t trying to scare him. I would never.”
“We’re sure you didn’t,” he nodded. “But some ponies report you stomped over to the child with an angry face.”
“I was angry at a stupid tabloid,” Spike explained. “Which by the way isn’t true.”
“But you understand our concern, right? If a dragon goes around stomping and scaring kids, it sets a bad reputation for our stores. It also frightens the customers. How would you feel if an angry dragon charged you?”
“Bad, I guess,” he admitted. “Can I just get what I need and go? I can be quiet.”
“Please, just leave. Before my boss thinks about calling security,” the clerk implored. “Just give it some time to blow over.”
“How much time?”
“Some time,” the clerk replied.
Spike trudged out of the store. The tip of his nose and cheeks buzzed with numbness. He swallowed. After all these years amongst ponies, he should have learned that as a dragon he wasn’t allowed to get angry in public. Now, he’d have to explain to Twilight that fiasco from weeks earlier.
“Good morning, Spike,” Fluttershy’s voice called to him. He glanced up and saw Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy carrying baskets from their afternoon market shopping.
“Hey,” he said half-heartedly. He tried to smile back. Fluttershy saw straight through the fake smile and rushed to his side, worried for her friend.
“Spike, is something wrong?” She asked.
He found himself explaining everything, the incident from a few weeks ago, the tabloid, the baby, the clerk, and the dumb markets. Fluttershy rubbed his back.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wish I was there to help.”
Spike shrugged.
Fluttershy smiled, “Would you like to come to my house for some tea?”
“Thanks, but I’m not in the mood.” He tried to walk away when Bulk stopped him.
“What did you need from the marketplace?” Asked Bulk.
Spike showed him the grocery list, which Bulk promptly took. “Go to Fluttershy’s,” he ordered, “I’ll get your stuff to Twilight, and explain what happened.”
“I can’t accept that,” Spike began. However, the bulky stallion already left for the jungle of market stalls before he could argue.
Fluttershy brought Spike to her cottage, and had him take a seat as she brewed some tea. She returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup. Spike thanked her and took a sip. A thousand tastes like sweet honey danced on his tongue. Spike had no idea how Fluttershy brewed such heavenly tea.
“I hope you like it,” Fluttershy tapped her hoofs tentatively.
“This is the best tea I’ve ever tasted.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Thank you.”
She took a seat in an adjacent chair. Spike downed the tea, struggling between his desire to savor the taste and his need to drink the tea.
“Thanks,” he smiled as he licked some tea from his lips.
“Feeling better?”
“A bit.”
“I’m sorry that market pony gave you such a hard time,” Fluttershy said as Angel Bunny took a seat next to her, allowing her to stroke his fluffy head.
Spike shrugged, “I shouldn’t have gotten angry. Then I never would have scared that baby.”
“You had every right to be angry,” Fluttershy insisted. “Someone wrote false news about Twilight. How couldn’t you get angry?”
“I shouldn’t have shown I was angry,” Spike explained. “I should have kept it to myself.”
“I suppose anger isn’t pleasant,” she admitted. “But everyone gets angry sometimes. You can’t blame yourself for feeling a natural emotion.”
“I guess.”
“And some ponies get angry over the silliest things. You only got angry because of how personal that tabloid was.”
“I don’t get why anypony would want to write that about Twilight,” Spike clenched his fist. “She’s saved Equestria and helped everypony, even the Princesses and Discord. She doesn’t deserve that.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Fluttershy agreed.
Spike sighed. Fluttershy waited for him to speak his mind.
“Sometimes,” he said at last, “I feel so alone.”
Fluttershy rose from her seat and placed her hooves on Spike’s shoulders.
“Mr. Spike the Dragon,” she stated. “You have hundreds of ponies who love you and would do anything for you. If you ever feel alone, then go to one of us. And if you ever need to talk, I’ll always be here to listen.”
A smile crossed Spike’s lips. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy! Spike!” Bulk’s voice called outside the door as he hammered on the front door.
The two raced to the door where Bulk Biceps was panting outside. Fluttershy opened the door.
“You’ve got to come quick,” he exclaimed. “Twilight and Starlight are on a rampage!”
“What?” Spike’s eyes widened.
“When I told them about the store asking you to leave, they went berserk. They’ve gone to the marketplace management to complain. Every other pony ran away from them, but the ponies that work at the market are trapped inside.”
“They’re not hurting anypony, right?” Fluttershy asked, “Just grilling them?”
Bulk’s looked flabbergasted. “You have a very strange idea about what ‘not hurting’ looks like.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m pretty sure cooking someone over a fire would hurt,” Bulk exclaimed with a frown. “Plus, where would they even find a grill big enough to cook those ponies?”
Spike clarified, “She meant are they just questioning the staff? Not actually hurting them?”
Bulk tilted his head. “They’re not hurting any staffs or scepters, that I know of. Unless you count that Twilight scepter that—.”
“Employees, I meant employees.”
“Oh,” Bulk realized what Spike was trying to ask. “No, they’re not hurting them, but they’re very angry.”
Fluttershy had to add a quick jab. She turned to Spike and said, “See? Even Twilight gets angry.” Seeing little point in discussing the matter further, the trio raced towards the supermarket, hoping to arrive before things blew even further out of control.