“When Diamondback said I had a lot to learn,” Spike groaned as he tried to keep pace with the diamond dog ahead of him, “I thought she meant studying in that library.”
Despite his words, he found himself running the length of the mountain that Diamondback used as her lair. Flitting ahead of him was one of her diamond dog servants - a spry little pup with cinnamon brown fur and playful brown eyes.
“And what happens if those books get stolen?” replied the dog - Lizzie, he remembered, was her name. She waved one of Diamondback’s books at him. “You gonna be able to catch a little old thief like me? Or are you gonna be left huffing and puffing as I get away with your stuff?”
Spike groaned and tried to pick up his pace, even as the sound of metal ringing from inside the lair reached his ears from above. “Why can’t I just learn how to shoot like Swift is doing with Darius? I wouldn’t need to move fast if I could just…” He hocked a fireball like he was spitting, but the fireball didn’t even get close to Lizzie before spattering against the boulders.
Lizzie gave him a coyly unimpressed look before turning and continuing to run. “Keep up, buttercup,” she teased. “Just one more lap down the mountain and back up.”
Sighing, Spike kept pace with the pup, desperately reaching for the book.
However, as they skidded to a stop at the base of the mountain, Spike found a surprise waiting for them: a familiar griffon leading an entire flock of the bird-lion hybrids, all glaring at Spike.
Spike bit back a curse. “Hawk?” he whispered.
“Where’s Swift?” the female griffon growled.
Lizzie growled, putting herself between the griffons and Spike. “No one here by that name,” she snarled.
“Don’t play coy with me,” Hawk snarled. “I know he’s here. He belongs to me, not your scaly masters.”
“Wanna take that up with them?” Lizzie shot back, before letting loose with a howl.
Hawk shot forward to silence the pup, but Spike moved quicker, catching Hawk’s punch and throwing her off guard. However, Hawk wasn’t alone this time, as another griffon caught Spike with a kick that sent him to the ground.
“You’re not dealing with me alone anymore, kid,” Hawk warned him. “That hybrid belongs to me.” She seized Spike by the head. “And I will do whatever it takes to…”
However, she was cut off with a roar. The griffons looked up as a familiar blue sea serpent launched out of Diamondback’s lair, roaring a battle cry as he dove down on top of them.
One of Hawk’s friends moved to intercept, only to get crushed under Jackknife’s weight. Springing off the downed griffon like a springboard, Jackknife punched Hawk away from Spike, and proceeded to envelop her in a brutal series of punches.
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Jackknife roared as he punched.
As Hawk was forced back, her other friends tried to help, only for a volley of arrows to fall upon them.
Spike was pulled back by Lizzie, looking up in awe as Darius and Diamondback rained arrows down from above. The griffons squawked and cried out as the sharp points pierced their feathered wings, but with Jackknife keeping them from mounting a proper defense, the birds were quickly forced to take to the air.
“C-Curse you,” Hawk snarled. “Just wait until I…”
Whatever she was going to do, Spike didn’t get to hear it, as Jackknife punched her hard enough to send her spinning into the air.
“YOU WANT SOME MORE?!” Jackknife dared, flexing his muscles at them. “COME GET SOME!”
However, the griffons seemed to have more than enough, as they scrambled back into the forest, Hawk giving the lair a seething look of hatred before being swallowed up by the shadows.
Spike let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Thanks, Jack.”
Jackknife, however, glared at the forest with an almost… disappointed look. Like he had been hoping for more. Before Spike could comment on it, Jackknife huffed and turned back to him with a grin.
“Anytime, brudda,” he said, before glancing up at the mountain. “Alright, so… can Swift ‘r someone get us?”
“Oh, no,” Lizzie laughed. “Spike’s not gonna learn how to get stronger if he lets others carry him around. Besides, how else would his run have allowed us to see those griffons sneaking up on us?” She started jogging up the mountain. “Come on, boys. This is healthy for you!”
Jackknife and Spike exchanged a look before Jackknife shrugged, keeping pace with Lizzie as she ascended the mountain.
Spike groaned before reluctantly following them.
##
By the time Spike, Jackknife and Lizzie returned to the lair, Spike was completely winded. With his lungs barely working, he dragged himself past a shivering Swift who was being tended to by Night Fire, past the library where Jackknife promptly started to read scrolls on ancient martial arts, and to a pile of mattresses and feathers that served as bedding, where Diamondback was fitting Phoenix with what looked like bits of armor.
“Another rough jog?” Diamondback teased.
Spike merely slumped onto a bed with a groan. “Please tell me you didn’t have to do any of that,” Spike moaned.
“Alright then,” Diamondback replied. “I didn’t have to do any of that.”
Phoenix and Spike glared at her. “Are you lying?”
Diamondback shrugged. “You did plead with me to say it.”
Spike sighed, while Diamondback just chortled.
“Oh, my sweet little hatchling,” she soothed, leaving Phoenix to tend to Spike. “Your body is the first and most precious treasure you’ll ever have. You need to treat it with the respect and care it deserves.”
Spike rolled onto his side. “It feels like I treated it with everything but respect and care.”
Diamondback waved a claw. “Nonsense. The pain will become more bearable. And, in the meantime, training your body makes you more adept at protecting what is yours.”
Spike hummed. “Twilight never taught me to do any of that,” he admitted. “She just had me carry her books and write her letters.”
Diamondback frowned while Phoenix looked away in shame. “Well, things will be quite different here,” Diamondback replied.
Before Spike could respond, Darius the Archer’s howl sounded.
“We got rogue diamond dogs,” he said. “Not our pack; looking for trouble.”
Jackknife immediately shot up. “I got dis one!” he claimed, racing away to where Darius had called.
Diamondback grimaced at Jackknife’s eagerness to fight, but Spike yawned, too tired to question it.
##
As the days went by, Spike started to get into the routine of his morning jogs. It grew easier for him to keep pace with the diamond dogs, and he even saw the wisdom in keeping an eye on the borders of Diamondback’s territory.
However, it also allowed Spike to see just how risky Jackknife’s gung-ho behavior was.
During one of his jogs, he came across the teenage dragons that had been harassing Wing. The red dragon glared at Spike, but otherwise made no move towards him.
“Well-well,” the red dragon growled. “If it isn’t the shrimp. Having fun as one of Diamondback’s treasures?”
“Oh, she won’t be so friendly once he undergoes the Molt,” the brown dragon noted.
“Or if you try to take any of her things for your own,” the purple dragon added.
Spike ignored them - words were a poor way to hurt somebody, at least, that’s what he thought - but evidently, someone thought differently.
With a sudden roar, Jackknife leaped out of the lair and dive-bombed the dragons.
“Ain’t gonna catch me off guard dis time!” Jackknife promised, as he smashed the red dragon’s face into the ground, and uppercut the brown dragon into the air.
The purple dragon tried to back up, raising his hands in surrender, but Jackknife was undeterred, launching forward and decking the dragon into the ground.
All three scrambled backward, but Jackknife kept coming at them, cackling darkly as he prepared for battle.
But Spike noticed the dragons going into full retreat. What Jackknife was doing wasn’t self-defense.
“Jack, wait!” Spike insisted, grabbing Jackknife’s tail.
Jackknife whirled on him with a hiss, causing Spike to let go. But Jackknife’s face fell as he realized what he had done. Unfortunately, it also fell into disappointment when he looked back to find the other dragons gone; vanished over the horizon.
“Why’d ya do dat, Spike?” Jackknife asked. “I was keeping ya safe.”
“They weren’t doing anything but talking,” Spike insisted.
Jackknife huffed. “Words can be a lot more powerful dan ya dink. I would’ve thought being around dem ponies would let you know dat.”
Grimacing, Spike finished his patrol/run, before reaching Diamondback. Passing by Night Fire training Swift, he found Diamondback continuing to fit bits of armor to Phoenix.
“Doing better, I see?” Diamondback asked, before noticing Spike’s downtrodden expression. “Or… not doing better?”
Spike sighed. “It’s Jack,” he said, looking back as Jackknife joined Night Fire and Swift’s training. “I’m worried that he’s taking ‘defending our territory’ a bit too far.”
Diamondback hummed. “Spike,” she warned. “This isn’t Equestria. There can be very dangerous things out here that will try to take what’s yours.”
Spike gave her a pleading look, and she gave him a motherly smile.
“Nevertheless,” she replied. “I’ll keep an eye on him, and see for myself. If he’s acting far too aggressive, I’ll help you…”
“Hey!” Darius barked.
Instantly, Jackknife shot out of the lair, Night Fire and Swift staring stunned at his speed. Diamondback’s face fell as Spike resisted giving her an ‘I told you so’ look. Instead, he ran to the edge of the lair, where the others joined him to find Jackknife chasing away…
“Fluttershy?” Spike stammered.
The poor yellow mare was crying as she fled, a basket of gems and books scattered across the mountain side. Twilight was yelling at Jackknife, as he yelled back.
“What is wrong with you?!” Twilight was screaming. “We were only trying to make sure Spike was alright.”
“Well, ya shouldn’t have spooked de watchman,” Jackknife insisted, pointing to Darius. “I heard him bark; ya should’a made yourselves more clearly allies.”
“We’re Spike’s friends!” Twilight screamed. “On top of that, we’re ponies! How threatening can we be?”
As the two argued, Spike glanced up at Diamondback, who sighed.
“Okay, that’s a bit too far,” she admitted.
##
A short while later, Jackknife sat with his arms crossed, surrounded by the other dragons.
“Jack,” Spike began. “We have a serious problem with your attacking people.”
Jackknife sighed. “Look, if dis is about de ponies…”
“The ponies weren’t your enemies,” Diamondback said. “I won’t deny that there are some people we need to be careful of, but throwing yourself at every possible threat is not going to be as effective as you think.”
“Take it from me,” Phoenix added. “I thought I could use force on everything.”
“And how’d that turn out for you?” one of the dogs snarled from the corner.
Phoenix looked down at her scars. “I think we both know the answer to that one,” Phoenix replied quietly.
“Please, Jackknife,” Swift insisted. “Defending everyone is admirable, but hurting people who don’t deserve it makes you just as bad as… well…”
“His Aunt Hawk,” Night Fire admitted. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”
Jackknife hissed. “Look, I’m just trying to keep you guys safe, alright?” he said. “I know you all think I can’t, but I can. I kept the griffons at bay, I kept the dragons at bay…”
“Sort of…” Spike grumbled, but Jackknife was on a roll.
“Look, I’m sorry about the ponies,” Jackknife said. “But those other guys? They ain’t gonna be nice like that.”
Diamondback sighed. “All I’m asking is that you show a little more restraint, Jackknife,” she said. “It would be horrible if something bad happened to you because you didn’t think before jumping into a fight.”
“Nothing’s gonna happen,” Jackknife assured them. “Nothing can beat me.” He got up and left the dragons behind.
Spike grimaced as Phoenix shook her head.
“An attitude like that is gonna get him hurt,” Phoenix noted.
“Indeed,” Night Fire said. “If talk ain’t gonna work… then we may need to try something more drastic.”
##
As they set their plan in motion, Spike found himself remembering Rainbow Dash; how she had let her pride go to her head as well. Admittedly, this was a bit different from how Twilight and the others had handled her, but Spike supposed Jackknife’s confidence was a bit different from Rainbow Dash’s.
His thoughts were chased away, however, as the watch dog barked. “We got something!”
As usual, Jackknife was out the lair and dive-bombing whatever had come for them. Shaking his head, Spike walked out to watch as he plummeted right into their trap: a cloaked figure which turned out to be Night Fire, unleashing a barrage of flames that evaporated Jackknife’s water. As he yelped from the burst of fire, Night Fire stepped back as he plummeted right into a net, which she quickly tied up, leaving him defenseless.
“H-HEY!” Jackknife protested as she grinned down at him.
“Still think nothing can beat ya?” Night Fire asked with a coy grin.
Jackknife struggled against the net, but eventually realized that he wasn’t getting out. “Okay, what d’you want?” he grumbled.
“Oh, nothing much,” Night Fire replied. “I know, surprising for a dragon. But… let’s start with you promising to…”
“Get the bird-dragon!”
Spike’s eyes bugged out as the griffon bandits made a rush for the lair.
“No-NO!” Jackknife yelled. “Night, cut me free!”
Before Night could try, however, another griffon shot up and engaged her in combat. Dodging her bursts of flames, the griffon shot back and forth, Night Fire struggling to keep up as Hawk and the others rushed for the cave.
“Guys?!” Spike yelled, before Diamondback stomped out, followed closely by her diamond dogs.
“Spike, keep Swift safe,” Diamondback growled, the griffons freezing as she loomed over them. “I’ll deal with these… ‘ladies and gentlemen.’”
Hawk snarled at the head of the flock and tried to rush Diamondback… but the dragoness back-handed the abusive griffon back into the forest.
At the same time, several other griffons tried to follow after Spike, only for Phoenix to come out, decked out in blood red armor. She lifted a cannon attached to her arm, and a ball of lava shot out, forcing the griffons back into Diamondback’s sight and allowing her to swat them like flies.
As the griffons began to lose ground, Night Fire made a diving leap and sliced through Jackknife’s bindings. The sea serpent reared up with a roar, and caught the griffon bandit fighting Night Fire by the neck, allowing both of them to choke-slam the griffon and send it tumbling back down the mountain.
Soon enough, the others followed suit, Diamondback and Phoenix scaring them off, while Darius and the other diamond dog archers kept the griffons flying away with a barrage of arrows.
As the last griffon fled over the horizon, Jackknife and Night Fire rejoined the others, Night Fire rubbing her head sheepishly.
“Okay,” she noted. “That didn’t go exactly as planned.”
“Perhaps,” Diamondback mused, before smiling at Jackknife. “Or perhaps, someone here learned that he doesn’t have to do all this alone.”
Jackknife looked down in shame. “I didn’t mean to…” He sighed and looked up. “I just wanted you guys to know I could protect ya.”
Night Fire pat his shoulder. “Hey,” she said. “You did a great job protecting me against that griffon.” She grinned. “But you don’t need to protect us alone. We’re a team, okay? We’ve got your back, just like you’ve got ours.”
Jackknife smiled at her before grinning up at the others. “Danks, guys,” he said.
Spike and Swift grinned as Phoenix and Diamondback nodded.
##
“My friends, Twilight and Princess Celestia,” Spike wrote.
“The Land of Dragons is a much more dangerous place than Equestria, but not as dangerous as some would like to believe. My friend Jackknife was eager to prove his strength and dedication to our small group. But he also learned that he doesn’t have to face every challenge alone. For strength alone is not all that matters in a fight. It’s about being smart, thinking before acting, and always remembering when you have friends by your side, ready to help.
I look forward to sharing more of the lessons I’m learning here.
Your faithful dragon friend,
Spike.”