//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Flight Day // Story: The Draconic Showmare // by HeartfireFirebrand //------------------------------// It was Saturday one of the days Spike had off, it was the day he went flying with Rainbow Dash. Trixie had just woke up and he had made some pancakes and put them next to her bed, Spike smiled “I must admit you have been quite pleasant company so far, I’ve noticed your third pony speech has gone.” Trixie sighed “I had that ego issue for a while ye, let’s just say it’s hard to keep it up after you have been tortured. I miss being able to see with both eyes.” Spike frowned as he saw her right eye, he knew she was lucky she didn’t lose it. Spike said “I have to go for a flight with Rainbow Dash.” Trixie smiled “I don’t want to disturb your schedule.” He nodded as he got ready and then took off into the air. Trixie frowned “Why is he so kind? I hurt his friends, it makes no sense.” Spike meanwhile was flying through the air, his wings were much larger than a Pegasi almost the length of his body when fully extended. He did enjoy his weekend flies, Rainbow Dash rushed past him “Hey Spike.” Spike grinned “Hey Dash, you ready to fly?” Rainbow Dash grinned “I’m always ready, let’s stop talking and fly.” Spike chuckled and they both took off. Spike decided to start big and lit himself on fire bursting through the air leaving behind a flaming trail which formed a huge flaming dragon skull. Rainbow Dash counted as she burst through the air at full speed leaving a rainbow lighting bolt image behind. Spike grinned “Always the show-off.” Rainbow Dash grinned back “That’s rich coming from mister flaming dragon.” Spike smirked “Well I bet I can beat you in a hoof wrestle.” Rainbow Dash shouted “You’re on!” They landed on the ground, Spike wrapped his claw around Rainbow Dash’s hoof. They both gritted their teeth as they began to push, Rainbow began to sweat she continued to push. After about an hour Spike slammed her hoof down, Rainbow Dash groaned “How come you keep beating me?” Spike chuckled “Stamina, I am a dragon after all.” Rainbow growled “I have been doing intensive stamina training but I can’t match you.” Spike grinned “You also need to improve you muscles mass, you focus on building lean muscle but you need to bulk a little more.” Rainbow frowned “But then I will be slower, I pride myself on being fast.” Spike shook his head “Speed and strength, you can only be so fast if you want to be strong and you can only be so strong if you want to be fast unless you are of tremendous size. I mean If I was a really large dragon I would have speed and strength but lack manoeuvrability which means I would be unable to perform such tricks as you do.” Rainbow asked “So I am best to stick to what I do best?” Spike nodded “Exactly speed is your thing, strength is mine. You can fly circles around me if you really wanted too.” Rainbow smiled “Thanks Spike, I was so worried about matching you I forgot was was important.” Spike frowned “I may need to cut our day short, I worried about my guest I hope she hasn’t hurt herself.” Rainbow grinned “Finally you’ve found yourself a mare.” Spike blushed “It’s not like that, she’s just a friend.” Rainbow smiled “Go and talk to your ‘friend’ then.” Rainbow flew off with a goofy grin on her face, Spike sighed before flying home. He arrived to see Trixie trying to make herself some food. He saw she was standing on 3 legs. Spike frowned “Trixie, stop.” Trixie sighed “I’m sick of feeling useless, especially when I have hurt you before.” Spike raised an eyebrow “Why do you find my kindness weird?” Trixie frowned “All my life I have been treated with disrespect, nopony liked me. I was abandoned at an orphanage and told by everypony I was useless. That I would never amount to anything, I developed an inferiority complex, that I had to prove myself to be superior to everypony around me. After the incident with the amulet I tried to keep doing what I did best, after Manehatten I stopped caring, I gave up on myself.” Spike frowned “You are not a bad mare, just bad things have happened to you, accursed amulets, Ursa minors, hecklers and even torture. You have been rather pleasant company once I saw the mare behind the ego.” Trixie blushed “I have never received such praise, nopony ever had praised the real me before. The great and powerful Trixie got all the praise, a facade I made to make myself feel better but after the Alicorn amulet incident it couldn’t protect me anymore, so it died.” Spike smiled “Don’t worry, I will make sure the real you can flourish where the facade could not.” Trixie hugged him as she began crying “Thank you Spike, just thank you.”Spike wrapped her in his arms around her. Trixie fell asleep in his arms, he carried her to bed and let her rest for the night. A portal opened up in the room and a version of Discord stepped through, he began healing her wounds, he smiled “Make him happy as your counterpart did me.” He then moved back through the portal without leaving a trace of himself behind.