This was not what Spike expected the outside world to be like, it was a lot more sticky and spidery. He was caught off guard by just how far that castle city really was and after a night of flying he had only gotten a bit closer. He found it difficult to get back into the air after he landed the first time. So he reserved himself to walking the rest of the way, after all, he did come out to see the world and all that were in it. The forest was a strange place that had weird bugs, wide open lakes, soft lively green grass, vibrant colorful plants, and new smells in every direction. Spike had come to start collecting every plant, animal, and fish that he didn’t recognize and sketching a picture of them in a journey he had brought and started writing in. He wanted to keep a record of whatever he found so he could show Ember his journey’s fruits when he got back home.
He was sketching a flower he recognized as a rose when he heard the sound of fluttering wings above him. He looked up to see an eagle had gotten its wing tangled in a very fine thin string-like substance. “Oh you poor little thing, I guess I can help you out real quick.” He looked around and clawed his way up a nearby tree before running off a branch and gliding over to the web, getting caught himself. He removed his wings and crawled over to the panicking bird. “Hey relax! I’m not trying to hurt ya, I just need a second to cut you out of this.” He stretched a claw and began to cut the web away from the wing as the bird freaked out worse. “I said that I was helping you! What got you so- Oh no…”
A bit of drool made a trail down the dragon’s head and he slowly looked up to find an enormous black spider with eight crimson eyes looking back at him. Spike nervously smiled as he cut the last string holding the eagle and screamed as the spider screeched at it’s lost lunch and attacked the baby dragon. Spike tried to jump off the web but found it to be too strong so he just climbed higher, barely dodging a bite from the monster. Rolling away from a lunge at his throat, he crawled towards his discarded wings and bag but felt a web wrap around his tail and started pulling him back. “No no no! Let me go!” He blew fire at the web around his tail and the spider screeched at the pain, only getting angrier. Spike nearly cursed when he saw his fire had set the main web on fire and the flames were heading to his stuff.
He started cutting the web as a whole, everywhere his little claws could reach, before he fell and hit the ground hard on his tail. He grabbed his throbbing tail and held it against his chest before his bag and wings fell right on top of him. “Ouch… well, that was my good deed for the day so I’m getting out of- OH GIVE ME A BREAK!” He groaned loudly as he looked up and found the spider had gotten trapped in its own webbing after he had scared it and the fire was getting closer. He wanted to just leave and forget about the creature, a normal dragon just might have, but Spike wasn’t normal and there was something in those eyes that he found familiar. It was a fear that any creature could understand and one they would all face one day.
He pulled at the his ears in a stressed fashion before he grabbed the bits of webbing still intact and started to quickly climb through the flames. He thanked whatever being there was out there for dragons being fireproof before he got to the spider and slicing the web from under its body. The spider fell and Spike cheered before he cut the web from under himself and fell again, landing on his side. Opening his eyes he found the spider over him and he only reached out a claw. “I helped you…”
The spider blinked before it leaned down and used its mouth to help him up, bowing its head in thanks. “Don’t mention it, I’m sorry for the mess I made of your web... is there I can help you?” The spider nodded and led the baby dragon up a towering old oak tree, where he found several baby spiders all looking at their mother expectantly. “I see… you were just trying to feed your babies… hmm well, I’m not much of a hunting dragon. Oh, wait! Do you like fish?” The spider mama looked at her babies before shrugging with two of its legs. “I’ll take that as an okay! I’ll go catch a few and bring them right back. Umm, here play with this for now.” Spike dug into his bag and pulled out a crystal he had made that shined several different colors and using the glass of one of his spare mask eyelids, he used the sun to make the crystal glow in front of the babies and they all just stared at the sight. He started walking but was grabbed by the mama who put him on her back and the two rushed off.
They arrived at the lake and Spike started to make a fishing rod but smacked his head as he had no bait and catching them normally would take too long. ‘No no no come on I just need something safe that would at least make them easier to catch… he was a darn alchemist! Making solutions was his whole job!’ He rubbed at his scales in thought and his eyes popped open, quickly digging in his bag he pulled out a green potion. “Just one more thing.” He plucked a few of his scales that were coming loose and dropped them into the potion, turning it a deep purple. He added a bit to the lake and slowly a handful of shining lights appeared then two and there were shines everywhere. “Yes! Okay, Mama Legs, aim your webs at the shining lights and you’ll get the fish!” The spider nodded in understanding and was able to catch a fair amount while using the light as targets. Spike felt a bit bad for the fish as he ended it quick for them but he knew now that he shouldn’t get too much in the way of nature.
“The lights will vanish by tonight but you have enough until you can remake that web. Let's get back to your babies.” He packed the fish on her back and the two quickly made their way back to the oak with Spike writing down what he had done. He explained that the potion he used was made as a substitute for glue that would only stick to whatever substance was put into it but the potion had failed and only managed to make the substance glow. When he put his scale into the potion and into the lake the potion ignored the water around it and stuck itself to the scales of the fish as their scales weren’t too different from dragons.
Once they arrived, Spike couldn’t help but the soft chuckled that escaped him as the spiders were dancing around the crystal and ran over to their mother hungrily. They ate the fish and he aimed to take the crystal but saw the sadness in the babies’ eyes so he sighed dramatically and smiled. “Oh darn, looks like I have no room in my bag so I guess the crystal will have to stay.” The spiders happily jumped on the dragon as he laughed and after patting the head of each one and shaking the leg of the mother who gave him a small ring of webbing. He looked over the gift and put it on before he climbed down the tree and started off again. Pulling out his journal he began to write on a blank page.
“Hey Em, well I managed to waste almost a whole day well no. I think I may have learned something about the world. Nature is a force that we shouldn’t mess with too much. While what we do could be considered right, there is always another viewpoint that we may never see. Also maybe just because something doesn’t do what you wanted it to that doesn’t mean that it can’t find uses in new and strange ways.”
Spike sketched the gift he had been given and closed the journal before starting to munch on a jewel. That night he slept in a tree and gazed up at the starry night sky. It was if the stars themselves were dozens of jewels and night was their sun, causing each one to stand out with its own sparkle. He smiled as the soft sounds of the forest gently soothed the dragon into rest.
. . .
The next morning, Spike turned a bit to escape the sun that tried to threaten to take him from his dreams. A homemade gem shook loose from the young dragon’s bag and fell to the ground, landing with a small thump. The strange scent of the gem drawing the noses of a certain trio. A while later, Spike finally woke and stretched before scratching his stomach and climbing down. The shine reflecting off the gem on the ground drew his attention and he dusted it off with a smile.
“Hello breakfast, I should be careful to not lose too many of these. Who knows when I will have the ingredients to make more?” Spike ate the gemstone and started off on his path to the castle, missing the three sets of eyes that watched him from the nearby bushes.
“Hey Rover! Did you see that? That little dragon took the gemstone!”
“Of course I saw that we were all looking at him at the same time but I suppose you missed what the little guy said.”
“Said? I was a bit distracted by the scent of that stone.”
“Because it isn’t a normal stone, he created it. I say that we give this little newcomer a proper introduction to our side of the woods, Diamond Dog style…”
Spike wiped his forehead as he finally arrived in a clearing where dozens of flowers gently moved in the breeze. He awed at the sight of them all before looking up and seeing that the castle was only a day away at most or maybe a rock climb could fix that time gap. “Guess all times that Garble chased me up the cliffs is finally gonna have some practical use, go figure.”
“Now what do we have fellas? A fire-breathing ferocious dragon I do believe. And it looks like he’s on his way up to Canterlot the poor child.” Rover, the obvious leader of the group, walked near Spike and leaned against the rock wall. “A climb like this might be hard if ya hungry or tired any. Not too mention that Canterlot isn’t that open to well someone like you.”
Spike examined the three before him, the air around them reminding him of Garble and his thug friends. Something was off about the three and they had some gems on and in their clothes that he could smell. Spike took a step away from them as the three backed him to the rock wall. “Who are you guys and trust me, I’m not tired or hungry. Why wouldn’t that city wanna see me?”
It was the smallest of the three that spoke this time. “Oh I bet dragon boy, I saw you eat that gem earlier. How lucky you were to find it.”
“Yeah you can say that gems and I are pretty connected now are you gonna answer my questions for once?”
The last of the three tapped his chin in thought. “Well I’m Fido, the little guy is Spot, and the big boss over there is Rover. We are the Diamond Dogs.”
‘Really creative name there fellas’ Spot and Fido began to argue about that little comment while Rover tried to get them to refocus. ‘So this group of clowns has been watching me and I guess they heard I can make gemstones, okay then I learned enough.’ Spike shoved a hand in his bag and smashed a black sphere at his feet, a cloud of black smoke covering the group.
“You idiots! Focus on that dragon and we’ll never have to work for gems again! Where is he?!” Rover shouted as they got out of the cloud and looked around.
“Rover! Up there!” Fido shouted and pointed at Spike as he was climbing the rock wall.
“What are you two waiting for? After him!” The Diamond Dogs all started climbing after Spike while he looked down at them and tried to climb faster. “Climb as fast as you can little dragon because once we catch you, you’ll wish that you never started!”
“Leave me alone, you are not getting me or my gems Diamond Dorks!” Spike grabbed another potion and dropped it right on Fido’s head, making him fall as he wiped his eyes. Spike blew fireballs at Spot as the dog managed to twist and spin his way around the flames. Spot slammed his large fists into the wall, causing some to crack and break above them and for Spike to lose his grip. He lands on Spot’s head and pulls at his eyelids before looking up and jumping to the side, leaving Spot to be hit by the falling rock and sent back to the ground. “HA! That’s two down!”
“But I’m the one to beat brat!” Rover grabbed Spike by the throat and began to choke the dragon. “You think the ponies around here would accept a dragon? They hate your kind more than they hate mine, maybe ending you would be a merciful action. Too bad for you I don’t do mercy much.”
Spike coughed and glared at the dog. “H-how bad is your sight? Because it’s about to get way worse!” Spike breathed in through his nose and blew as much fire as he could manage while being choked. Rover let go and yelled as he rubbed his face and Spike quickly began to climb up the wall again. As he neared the ledge he found some stallions were pulling a strange machine behind them that had multiple carts. He finally got to the top as his tail was grabbed by Rover and his two lackeys close behind him.
“You are not getting away from us!!” Spike growled and bit the hand before jumping onto the train. He climbed on top of it before spitting and rubbing his tongue. “Eww, that was foul.” He turned as he heard thumps and could only rub his head as the three had managed to get on the train. “Will you three just give up!”
“Dogs aren’t known for giving up brat, it’s the end of the line!” Spike looked around and sighed as he came up with a plan, grabbing his wings and throwing them like frisbees. The two wings knocked out Spot and Fido before they fell off the train and down the cliff. “Enough! I’m doing playing games with you!” Rover and Spike rushed each other and swiped at each other with their claws, Rover dodging Spike’s attack and kicking the dragon in the stomach. Spike groaned and stood as Rover jabbed at him and only managed to cut his cheek. As a drop of blood slid down Spike’s face, Rover raised his claws and Spike closed his eyes waiting for pain only to hear a voice.
“THAT IS ENOUGH! FREEZE!” Spike opened his eyes as Rover was looking up in shock and growled before he let Spike go and stepped back. Spike stood slowly and found the train had stopped and was completely surrounded by stallions in armor. He watched as the Diamond Dogs were arrested and taken away by the captain of the guard. A white stallion with a blue mane and tail. As Rover was taken away he glared at Spike and struggled against his bindings.
“We’ll get out of this brat and when we do, I’m coming for you and no one will be able to keep you safe!” Spike glared back and sighed before kneeling and taking a moment to relax his sore body.
“Hey little guy, I don’t know who you are but I think you should come with me. I have a few questions and I’m sure the princesses will have some of their own.” The speaker was the captain as he walked to Spike and wiped the blood off his face. He took off his armor and smiled. “I am Shining Armor, welcome to Canterlot kid.”