Love on Land and Sea
Chapter 2
Up on Land
Ten years later...
In the training Arena of Canterlot Castle, Spike the Dragon placed the last weight on the stand. He wiped some of the sweat off his brow. He knew he would need a bath when he got back home. His purple scales were sticky with sweat, and his green spines were gleaming in the sun. His green draconic eyes scanned the Arena, seeing that it was finally spotless.
How does Shining Armor deal with all of these things? He wondered. The unicorn stallion who he thought as a big brother seemed to only think about training these days. Well, technically for all his life, but still, that was all he really did. The only time he would ever see Shining Armor crack even a tiny smile was once a month, when he would receive a letter from his marefriend, Princess Cadence. Spike slightly smirked at the thought that one day, Shining Armor would finally be happy if he has the guts to ask her to marry him. Maybe then, he could loosen up.
Spike remembered back when he once asked Shining Armor why he wouldn't take a break from training and drilling all the new soldiers. But he didn't say anything; just kept quiet. Later, Spike asked Night Light and Twilight Velvet. They said that the main reason why their son trains and coaches so hard was because he doesn't want history to repeat itself. Spike then knew right that they were implying what had happened to their lost daughter.
Spike didn't remember much of her, since he was just a recently hatched baby dragon. Velvet had told him that she was the reason that he hatched, because of her magic. He was part of her entrance exam for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. He slightly chuckled, remembering that they told him that she had a hard time trying to calm him down sometimes.
However, she had disappeared with five other fillies about ten years ago, lost forever to the sea. Spike wished that he could remember at least something about her. Princess Celestia had once told her that she had a rare and special talent for magic, and that she had only been her personal student for about three months. But ever since that incident, Celestia has not considered taking another student under her guidance.
Spike shook his head and glanced over at the large mirror leaning against the wall. He still remembered back when he was just a shrimpy little guy, about the size of a young filly or colt. Now, thanks to a recent growth spurt he had and the work out he was getting from cleaning the Arena, he was the size of a teenage pony, but still kind of on the lanky side. It was strange, though. Really, he should still be stuck in his younger state as a ten-year-old. But instead, he had the mind and the body of a teenage dragon. He had been contemplating on asking Princess Celestia about his strange rapid growth that wasn't because of greed, thankfully. However, ponies knew very little about dragon culture, even to Celestia's knowledge. So, it would seem futile.
Spike then left the Arena, and began walking to the castle courtyards to start heading for home, slightly panting from all of the heavy lifting he did. But as he did, he saw that one of the new trainees was massaging his right wing. It was an orange pegasus stallion, with a blue mane peeking out from the opening of his helmet, and matching blue eyes. His cutie mark was a blue shield with a yellow lightning bolt across it.
"You okay there, Flash?" Spike asked him. Flash Sentry was one of the newest trainees under Shining Armor. Even though he was a pegasus and not a unicorn like most of the other soldiers, he quickly proved to be one of the best ones of all the cadets there. Sometimes, after training was done, he would help Spike clean up the arena, and the two became good friends over time.
Flash rubbed his wing with his hoof. "Yeah. I think I pulled a muscle, though."
Spike winced. "Best take it easy, then." He said.
"Hey, are we still going to meet the others later tonight?" Flash asked him. "It will be the last time we'll see Cheese for a while. He just can't stay in one place too long."
Spike shrugged. "I'm not sure." He answered. "I hope so. It's just up to Shining Armor."
"I hope I'll see you there." Flash said with a smile, and Spike returned it as he waved to his friend while passing then turning the corner of the hallway.
Walking around the busy streets, Spike stopped by the local racing derby. Crowds of ponies were cheering loudly as the famous Wonderbolts zoomed across the track and towards the finish line.
Spike watched from the sidelines as the Wonderbolts screeched to a halt on the runway. However, his eyes were focused on one particular flier on the team. He was a light blue pegasus stallion with a wild and windswept navy blue mane. When he lifted his goggles, he showed that he had green eyes.
The stallion looked around the stadium, and pinpointed his dragon friend waving to him from outside. He quickly went out of the stadium, ignoring all of the press that were trying to ask him questions or for an interview.
"Hey there, Spike!" He greeted, quickly wiping some sweat off his brow before he stuck out his other hoof for a hoof bump. Spike returned it.
"Great race, Soarin." Spike said. "You're not going to be wiped out after that?"
"And miss out on a hang out with you and the rest of the guys?" Soarin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Not a chance."
Spike rolled his eyes. "You probably won't miss out on it anyway because you would miss out on the hot chocolate there."
"Hey, next to pie, hot chocolate is the best." Soarin said while Spike rolled his eyes again. "Well, I gotta get back before Spitfire realizes I'm gone."
"Well, we wouldn't want that." Spike said, remembering the strict and fiery leader of the team that Soarin had mentioned a couple of times before.
"Yeah." Soarin agreed. "Well, I'll see you and the guys soon." With that, he quickly went back inside the stadium.
Spike continued his walk back to the place where he lived. But then, he saw a unicorn stallion that was a bit older than Flash and Soarin, almost in his prime of his time. He had a white coat and horn, a short cerulean blue mane that was combed neatly, and blue eyes with a monocle over one of them. He wore a nice black suit over his body, and his cutie mark were three crowns.
The stallion then saw Spike. "Oh, why, hello there, Spike!" He greeted in a British accent.
Spike went over to him. "Hello, Fancy Pants." He returned the greeting.
Usually, ponies with the same upbringing as Fancy Pants wouldn't give creatures like Spike a second thought, and would stick to their first impression, which was most of the time negative. But not Fancy. He was the only one that would give a little more kindness to him, and to his other friends. When they included Fancy into their group, he was delighted to have friends that treat him like a normal pony, which was actually quite refreshing for him.
"How was training faring today?" The sophisticated stallion asked.
"It was fine." Spike answered while rubbing his shoulder with his claw. "Though I wish the captain would take it easy for once."
Fancy nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems that Captain Shining Armor does take training his cadets a little too seriously."
"It's like he's preparing for the end of the world." Spike added.
"Well, if you had lost a loved one, wouldn't you have probably ended up as he is now?" Fancy asked.
Spike was quiet for a few seconds. He never knew his biological parents, so he guessed that if he wasn't taken in by his pony family, he probably would've ended up the same way, surrounded by ones of his own kind, but never happy.
"I guess you're right." He said. "So, are you able to hang out with me and the other guys tonight?" He asked.
The white unicorn stallion nodded. "I had managed to switch around some things around in my schedule today." He said. "So, I will be available today."
Spike beamed. It wasn't very often when the aristocratic stallion managed to squeeze in some free time to hang out with them. "Great!" He said. "I'll see you there, then!" He waved to Fancy as he began running again.
"Indeed." Fancy called after the young dragon before he faded from view. Then, he went his own way to get ready for their evening.
A few hours later, after a nice bubble bath to relieve himself of his soreness and sweaty scales, Spike had arrived at Donut Joe's, his favorite donut shop. He and his friends would usually use this place as their own personal hangout whenever they had the chance.
The dragon entered the cafe, and soon saw that the others were already there. Flash waved to him to come over. Spike gladly complied.
Flash was out of his armor, Soarin was free of his Wonderbolt uniform, which was good for him because he had enough of swarming fans and paparazzi today. And he was showing his cutie mark of a storm cloud being pierced through by a lightning bolt. Fancy was dressed into a more casual attire rather than his usual suit.
Sitting next to Soarin, trying to stuff as many donuts in his mouth as he can, was a mustard yellow earth stallion with a curly brown mane and green eyes. He had a cutie mark of a cheese sandwich, and he wore a bright yellow shirt.
"Hey, guys!" Spike greeted.
"Hey ya, Spike!" The curly brown- haired stallion returned the greeting after swallowing the eight donuts in his mouth.
Spike rolled his eyes. "You and your weird antics, Cheese." He said.
"No kidding." Soarin said, taking Cheese's mug of hot chocolate. "Who gets so much marshmallows for just one cup?"
Cheese Sandwich took his cup away from his Wonderbolt friend. "In my book, there's no such thing as too much marshmallows." He said, and then took a sip, taking some of the marshmallows with it.
The other guys rolled their eyes with a smile. "So, how have things been today?" Flash asked, trying to use an ice breaker. "Other than your clean-up, Spike." He said to the purple dragon next to him.
"I saw that you won another race today, Soarin." Spike said to the light blue pegasus stallion.
The Wonderbolt nodded. "Yep." He confirmed.
"How many winnings does that make?" Cheese asked him.
"That was number 256." Soarin said proudly. "Only 44 victories in a row until I finally break the record for most race winnings done by a single Wonderbolt in a row."
"Geez, Soar." Flash said. "That's quite the goal."
"Indeed." Fancy agreed. "Are you sure that you won't be driving your wings to exhaustion after flying so much?"
"Chill, guys." Soarin said. "I do take breaks once in a while. But, I still have to keep on the top of my game. I didn't become second-in-command to Spitfire just because I look good and can put on an awesome show."
"Good point." Spike commented.
"What about you, Fancy Pants?" Cheese asked the aristocratic unicorn stallion.
"Nothing exciting to indulge you gentlecolts with." Fancy said.
"Really?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow. "Not even anything with Fleur-de-lis? The first few months that you two have dated brought you some excitement."
Fancy rolled his eyes. "No, not even with Fleur." He answered. Don't get him wrong, he loved his marefriend, but still, he felt like there was something missing. He won't admit that to his friends just yet; not until he knew with more certainty.
"Well, while we are on the subject, what about you fellows?" Fancy asked the other stallions, and dragon. "No mare caught any of your eye yet?"
The other males rolled their eyes with smiles while shaking their heads. Well, except for Cheese, who had a nervous grin on his face. Fancy Pants recognized that look.
"Cheese, do you have a special mare in mind?" He asked, grinning mischievously. The other males leaned in closer to the yellow earth pony stallion, who now had a red blush on his muzzle.
"Uh, well..." Cheese trailed off, looking at the playful looks on his friends' faces. "Yes?"
Soarin playfully nudged his friend. "Come on, what's her name?"
The blush and nervousness disappeared, and a sad look came on his face. "It doesn't matter anyway." He replied glumly. "She's gone." Upon seeing the confused looks on the others, he clarified. "She was one of the Lost Fillies."
The other males looked down in understanding. When Princess Celestia's ship returned from Mount Aris, word quickly spread throughout Equestria about the losses.
Fancy placed a hoof on Cheese's shoulder. "I'm sorry, chap." He said.
Cheese had a sad and dreamy smile on his face. "She didn't know that I existed when I first saw her. But, she was my inspiration for spreading joy around Equestria in the way she did."
"Well, at least you are honoring her by doing what you do." Flash said softly.
The party pony gave the orange pegasus a soft smile. "Thanks, pal." He said to him. Now wanting to lighten up the mood, Cheese turned to the only dragon in the group. "What about you, Spike? No pretty mare catching your attention?" He asked.
"Nope." Spike answered. "But, who in their right mind would fall in love with a dragon? It's pretty much impossible."
"I don't think that would be that far-fetched." Flash said. "I mean, besides the different species thing, you're a really great guy."
Spike rubbed the back of his head with a nervous flush on his face. "Thanks, Flash." He said. "And you're pretty awesome too, you know. Any girl that gets a shot with you would be lucky."
Flash rolled his eyes with a tinge of crimson on his muzzle. "Well, I think I would be too busy to really pursue a relationship." He said. "If I did, I would give her everything I had to make her happy."
"Me, too." Spike agreed.
"Me, three." Cheese added in.
"Not me!" Soarin proclaimed. "This Wonderbolt is going to spend the rest of his days up in the skies! No settling down for me!"
"Are you sure about that, Soarin?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk etched on his muzzle.
"Being a celebrity myself, I do know that they are fans wanting to have a chance with you." Fancy said, with a teasing smile on his face.
Soarin groaned. "I know! And that's the problem!" He exclaimed. "Most mares who like me only like me just because I'm famous." He then took a breath to calm himself. "If I ever find a girl out there that will like me for me despite my celebrity status, I could give her a chance. But so far, that girl doesn't exist."
Spike smiled. "I think one day, you will find her." He said.
The light blue pegasus stallion returned the smile, but he was still doubtful.
That evening, the guys bade their goodbyes to Cheese. He was heading over to Rio de Neighro for a party he had to host. He planned to sail over there, renting a boat from Manehattan.
But, the conversation they shared in the donut shop brought a lot of thoughts to their minds as they tried to get some sleep. Spike, for example. He knew that if love could come to him, it would most likely be a one-in-a-million shot, because he was not a pony. He and a special somepony would probably be too different to even try.
Flash knew that he would be most likely be too busy to pursue a relationship, with his training and his dream of becoming a member of the Royal Guard within his grasp. At least it wasn’t forbidden to have a relationship, since Captain Shining Armor has been courting Princess Cadence for a while now. But still, he hoped that she wouldn't be too possessive for his attention because he still had to focus.
Soarin knew that he had a lot of admirers because of being on the Wonderbolts. But it was like he said. Even if he wanted to have a special girl, she would have to like him for him, not just because of his status, flaws and all. He knew he wasn't perfect, but his public image has to say that he is. Once, he even considered going out with one of the female members on the team, if he was actually attracted to one of them. Spitfire was his leader, and his best friend. Fleetfoot was the same as well. So, it seems that that special somepony of his secret dreams is worlds away.
Fancy knew he loved Fleur, but still, he felt like she was too clingy, not that he had noticed before. He had to keep his image up, no matter how infuriating it may seem. And it wasn't easy, that much was certain. When he had started noticing mares, he wanted love, but with his position, it was either that you find somepony who can boost up your rank, or don't get married at all. Though he personally hated it, he really had no choice.
As Cheese began navigating through the ocean, he kept his eyes glued up to the stars in the sky. Over the years, he had seen many mares, but none of them captured his heart the way she did. That one special filly. Though he had kept telling himself that it was probably time to move on, he just couldn't.
The earth pony stallion just sighed heavily, softly banging his head on the wheel. It really was hopeless.