Saturday afternoon, and Spike was with Applejack and Rainbow Dash taking some of the Apple Family Produce to the market square in Canterlot City. Applejack was driving the family truck with Spike and Rainbow Dash up front. Spike found himself caught in the middle between A.J and Rainbow. Not that Spike minded being in the middle, in fact he found it enjoyable. Especially for Rainbow and Applejack.
When they arrived at the market, Spike looked around seeing all the various other fruit stands and vendors were already in the middle of setting up shop with all their fresh produce on display. Just the sight of all the freshly picked oranges, apples, melons, peaches, and bananas make Spike's mouth water.
As the three teens got out of the truck, they began unloading all the Apple family produce and cider to be given to one of the stands that sells their products.
“Thanks again both of you for helping me take all this produce to the market today.” Applejack told Rainbow and Spike.
“Hey, anything for you, babe.” Rainbow replied, as he leaned closer to Applejack.
Applejack leaned closer smirking, and said teasingly, “And you're not just doing it for the bottles of Apple Cider waiting for us back home, are ya?
Rainbow blushed, “You know me so well.”
“Uh-huh.” Applejack confirmed, as the two kissed.
Spike watched the two kiss while feeling stirred below the belt. Fortunately he kept himself under control, as the two parted. Applejack looked over at Spike smiling before walking up to him.
“And don't think I forgot about you, sugarcube.” she kissed Spike's cheek making his blush increase.
“No problem, Applejack.” Spike replied.
“Now come on, ya'll. Let's keep on unloading.” Applejack ordered her friends.
So the three continued to unload more produce and help set them up for any bystanders to see and purchase. As they finished, Applejack spoke to Rainbow and Spike.
“Ya'll wait here. I need to discuss business with the manager here.”
“Ok, Applejack.” Spike replied, as he and and Rainbow kicked back while keeping an eye out for any customers looking to buy the produce with the salesman of the stand.
“Boy, this place sure is busy.” Spike said taking note of all the people wandering around purchasing various fruits and vegetables from the stands.
“Ya got that right,” Rainbow agreed, “This is usually where Applejack and her family sell their produce, and just like how I can't get enough of their apple cider, the people here can't get enough of their apples.”
“Do you and Applejack usually come here together to drop off the goods?” Spike inquired.
“Sometimes if I'm not too busy and if Big Mac has other orders to deliver.” Rainbow answered.
“And you're sure inviting me here isn't getting in the way of your special time together?”
“What? No! Applejack and I glad to have you here, Spike. Makes it all the more fun.” Rainbow leaned closer to him making Spike sweat.
“Rainbow...”
“Yeah, Spike?”
Before Spike could say anything, they heard panicked screams all around them causing them to jerk back from each other and look.
Coming into the fray were a group of seven young adults composed of four guys and three girls. What they each had in common was each of them had the same tattoo on one of their arms. This tattoo in question looked like the head of a purple equine with a pointed horn with a moderate cyan colored eye.
The sight of them put everyone in shock, especially Spike and Rainbow.
Suddenly the scene froze becoming black and white, as Spike walked out carrying a pointer, “Ok, let's pause it here and let me tell you all about these guys. These are members of the Purple Nightmares. A Gang in Canterlot who think they own the streets. They've been running a lot of illegal activity as of late, from gambling, drug dealing, smuggling, selling on the black market, thievery, and as of late running protection rackets.”
Spike used his pointer to point at the muscled one with blonde hair in a thin ponytail, “Muscles here is their ringleader Night Terror. But just because he's big and strong doesn't mean he's stupid. Oh, no. This guy is one tough cookie, I should know. Oop, I said too much!” he stepped off screen as it returns to normal and the scene resumed playing.
“Purple Nightmares?” Spike and Rainbow gasped, as Applejack came out.
“What's all the ruckus?” Applejack began, until she spotted the street gang, “Oh, no!”
Night Terror looked right from left at all the stands looking terrified of their presence which put a smile on his face, “I love the sound of fright in the afternoon,” he turned to his gang and addressed the girl holding the chain rope, the guy with a mohawk, and another guy wielding a bat, “Crunch Bar, Rift, Clubs, go check out the peaches and oranges stand.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Rift answered, as he gripped his crowbar weapon.
Night Terror then looked to the other three, the first guy who was bald while holding a knife, a girl carrying an alleyway pipe, and the final girl carrying a sledgehammer.
“Switchblade, Stryke, and Pierce, check out the melons, and the bananas.”
“What about you, boss?” Stryke asked.
“I'm gonna check out the most popular stand here.” Night Terror smirk, as he started walking and the other gang members split up to harass the other fruit vendors.
Spike and the girls watched, as Night Terror stopped before the stand where they were and looked, “My-my, Sweet Apple Acres apples look so tasty today.”
“Ya want any ya gotta pay for them.” Applejack warned.
Night Terror smirked, “See I'm a little short on cash at the moment. Forgot to bring my good wallet. How about you just give me all you have and I walk away no harm or mess?”
“I got a better idea, how about you just walk away, period?” Rainbow argued.
Night Terror turned to Rainbow frowning, “Shut it! I'm discussing business here.”
“We don't like you varmints coming around here trying to start trouble with honest hard working citizens like us,” Applejack argued, while motioning to the other Nightmares messing up the other stands, “Unlike you fellas who wouldn't know anything about honest work.”
“Oh, I assure you our work is plenty important,” the gang leader continued, before grabbing Applejack by the arm and squeezing it, “Now I suggest you cooperate otherwise there may be consequences.” he gripped A.J arm tighter making the cowgirl groan. As tough as Applejack was, against this guy she was out of her league.
“Hey, lay off her!” Rainbow punched Night Terror's shoulder who barely flinched. Night Terror looked back at Rainbow and shoved her.
“Get lost!” Rainbow fell back landing on the ground, as Night Terror continued to squeeze Applejack's arm.
Spike who was startled by what Night Terror did to Rainbow Dash and looking ready to break Applejack's arm started tightening his eyes on Night Terror and frowned. Suddenly he couldn't stand by anymore, and let out an angry yell before running at Night Terror from behind and jumped onto his back wrapping his arms around his head.
This caused Night Terror to let go of Applejack's arm, as the girl rubbed it. Night Terror looked back seeing Spike wrestling him from behind, “What's this? Get off me!” He stumbled around trying tog et Spike off, as the boy held onto him.
“Spike!” the girls gasped.
“Hang in there, Spike!” Rainbow called.
“Oh, I'm hanging!” Spike called, as he kept his grip on Night Terror whose screams alerted the rest of his gang.
The gang members saw their boss wrestling a teenage boy clinging to his back and rushed in to help. Applejack and Rainbow knowing Spike wouldn't last long blocked the Nightmares path and wrestled them, but Stryke, Clubs, and Rift got past them, while the other three managed to restrain A.J and Rainbow.
Night Terror finally reached back and grabbed Spike before throwing him to the ground and planted his boot on his chest, “That was a bad move, boy,” he told Spike with a frown, before smirking, “I like that in a punk. How about joining our gang? We'll make it worth your wildest dreams.”
Spike looked up frowning, “Eat me!”
Night Terror chuckled, “Well, since he won't take my offer, guys. What shall we do with him?”
“Let's beat him until he cracks!” Clubs suggested, and Rift chuckled sounding on board with the idea.
Stryke looked down at Spike and licked her lips, “Hang him on a hook, and let me play with him.” she reached down wanting to caress Spike's face only for Night Terror to pull her back.
“No!” he answered, “I say we teach him what happens when you mess with the Purple Nightmares.” he smirked.
And with that the four punks started punching and stomping down on Spike as the boy cried out from the pain.
“Spike!” Applejack cried, as she tried to get past Switchblade.
“You leave him alone!” Rainbow shouted but the Nightmares weren't stopping.
The gang stopped what they were doing as Spike laid battered and bruised, before Night Terror pressed his foot down on Spike's stomach while leaning down close to him, “Let this be a lesson to you, kid. No one stands up to the Purple Nightmares and lives to tell the tale.” he taunted.
Suddenly police sirens could be heard and getting closer, “It's the fuzz!” Rift called.
Night Terror looked and saw it was true, the cops were coming their, and knew it was time to bail, “Nightmares, let's split!” he got off Spike, and the Nightmares made a run for it.
When Applejack and Rainbow were freed from being blocked, they ran to Spike and got down seeing how bruised her look, “Spike are you ok?” Rainbow asked in worry.
“What hurts?” Applejack asked equally concerned.
Spike just looked up at the two girls as tears started coming down his face before he started to cry and didn't bother trying to conceal it. The girls quickly lifted Spike to sit up as they hugged him close to comfort him.
“It's ok, sugarcube. It's ok.” Applejack tried calming him, as the cops showed up and started speaking to the other fruit stand vendors.
Later on at Sweet Apple Acres, inside the house Spike was sitting on a kitchen chair with his shirt off to reveal more bruises from where the Nightmares nailed him. Though he stopped crying he was still sniffling, as Applejack applied a cotton ball dabbed in rubbing alcohol to one of the bruises making Spike recoil.
“You were very lucky, Spike.” Applejack told him.
“Yeah, you gotta be crazy jumping Night Terror like that!” Rainbow added still in shock.
“I don't know what came over me,” Spike answered sounding ashamed of himself, “When I saw what he was doing to you two, I just snapped and acted without thinking.”
“Well, as I said you were lucky you weren't killed!” Applejack scolded him.
“I just didn't wanna sit by and let him get away with it!” Spike cried, “But it didn't matter! Look what happened.” he cried a bit more while motioning to his bruises.
Applejack spoke calmly, “We both appreciate what ya did, Spike. Really. We just...”
Suddenly the sound of the doors flying opened and loud footsteps approached, and the three saw Twilight, Sunset, and the rest of the girls enter the kitchen looking worried.
“Spikey-Wikey got beat up by the Purple Nightmares?!” Rarity cried.
“Spike, how do you feel?” Sunset asked in worry.
“Lousy.” Spike answered.
“Do you need a doctor?” Twilight asked ready on speed dial.
“Don't worry, it's just some bruises.” Rainbow assured them.
“Those look like they really hurt.” Fluttershy gasped.
“You have no idea.” Spike replied.
“The fact you're still here means you're a lot tougher than you look.” Pinkie noted.
Spike dropped his head looking down at the floor, “I don't feel all that tough. I tried to protect Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and look what happened.”
“No one is blaming you, Spike.” Twilight laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Some things are just beyond anyone's control.” Sunset added.
Spike sighed, “I guess so.”
Applejack looked around seeing everyone was in a dismal mood, and knew something had to be done to lift their spirits, “Ya know what, I say we all have ourselves a slumber party here tonight to take our minds off what happened. All of us.” she finished while looking at Spike who was confused.
“Even me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Please, Spike?” Pinkie pleaded.
“It would be nice of you to join us.” Fluttershy smiled.
“Indeed so.” Rarity agreed.
Spike thought about it before answering, “Well, ok.” he smiled.
“Great!” Rainbow cheered.
“But what are you going to tell your parents when they see your bruises?” Twilight asked.
“I'll just tell them I got them playing tackle football with Rainbow and some of the guys from school.” he answered.
“If they've seen the way you play football they'd believe it.” Rainbow joked followed by a laugh which got a smile out of Spike knowing how true it was.
So the girls went back to their places to get what they needed for their slumber party. When Spike went back home to get his things his parents did question about his bruises, but Spike used the story he made up, and while they were skeptical they decided to accept his story.
Soon everyone returned to Sweet Apple Acres and were relaxing in Applejack's room in their pajamas. Spike was in a pair of purple sweat shorts, and undershirt. He looked around at the rest of the girls in their own sleepwear and couldn't help but see how cute they looked in them.
Rarity was wearing a violet nightgown with a fiddled white collar and a blue bow. Fluttershy was wearing green long pants and a long sleeved button shirt with butterflies on them. Rainbow Dash was wearing a white shirt with red sleeves with the image of a cloud and rainbow colored lightning bolt, and blue pants. Pinkie was wearing a long blue sleeveless shirt with yellow balloons and matching shorts. The shirt had purple straps and a pink bow above the chest. Applejack was wearing blue footsie pajamas with pale blue apple prints. Twilight was wearing a light blue shirt, and dark blue sweat pants with star patterns/ Finally Sunset Shimmer was wearing a magenta shirt and long pants with the image of a shimmering sun on the shirt.
The group was relaxing in Applejack's room, with some like Sunset playing a game switch game, Rarity doing selfies with Fluttershy, Twilight reading, Pinkie relaxing, and Applejack and Rainbow sitting close together. Everyone was enjoying food from pizza, chips, and soda. Spike ate a slice, he looked around at the girls while thinking to himself.
'Even if it was foolish of me to do, if anything happened to Applejack or Rainbow Dash I could never live with myself. If anything happened to any of them I couldn't live with myself.' when he noticed the girls giving him concerned looks from being quiet, he just smiled and joined in on the girls fun.
That night, Spike was sleeping in a guest room, before waking up. He looked at the time on his phone charging to see it was 11:30 P.M. He sighed, and decided to get up and walk. He quietly left the guest room and creeped down the hall making sure not to wake anyone. He creeped past Applejack's room to hear the faint sounds of snoring coming from it. He saw the door was creaked opened enough for him to see the girls all asleep with Applejack and Rainbow sharing the bed, while the rest of the girls were in sleeping bags. Knowing better than to wake them, he kept moving quietly before going downstairs.
In the kitchen, Spike sat at the table with a simple nightlight plugged into counter's wall providing him some light. He sighed to himself, while remembering how Night Terror and his gang really nailed him. Though it had been hours since that happened, he could still feel a slight twinge in his body from the places he got hit in.
“If only I was stronger. Strong enough to at least defend myself from lesser punks than them.” he dropped his head down and shook it.
“Hey, Spike.”
The boy shot his head up to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack standing in the kitchen entrance wide awake, “Whatcha doin' up so late?” Applejack asked, as they walked over.
“Couldn't sleep. Had a lot on my mind.” Spike replied dismally.
“Still thinking about what happened?” Rainbow asked rhetorically.
Spike said nothing, as his silence was his answer. Applejack sat beside him, “I know you're upset, but what's done is done. And you're still here.”
“I know, but what if something like that happens again, and someone else tries to mug me or any of you when I'm around. I just want to be strong enough to defend myself and all you girls when you can't defend yourselves.”
“Well, that doesn't happen to me too often,” Rainbow boasted, only to get nudged by Applejack, “But it's nice of you to think about us that way.”
“Look, when I was a kid I was always the subject of some form of bullying and I had no way of actually defending myself. When I got to junior high it all stopped like I was finally free from that curse. Until today.” Spike continued, “I just wish I could defend myself even a bit.”
Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other before smiling, “Well, what if we can help with that?” Applejack offered.
Spike looked to A.J, “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is how about Rainbow and I help train ya in self defense?”
“How are you two going to do that?” the boy wondered.
“Well for one thing keep up with your jogging with me.” Rainbow began.
“And I happen to be good at boxing, and if you want I can help train you in a few moves in case any kinds of bullies mess with you.”
Spike looked surprised at A.J's proposition, “You'd do that for me?”
“You betcha,” Applejack confirmed, “I'd do anything for my friends.”
“Same here.” Rainbow agreed, as she sat down on Spike's other side.
Spike looked between the two girls who were offering to help him get stronger even slightly, and blushed while smiling, “Thanks, girls.”
“No problem, sugarcube.” Applejack replied.
Rainbow then put her hands to Spike's cheeks, “Now come here. I wanna repay you for coming to our aid.” and she leaned forward planting her lips onto Spike's while closing her eyes. Spike was surprised at what was happening, but suddenly found himself closing his eyes and returning the kiss to Rainbow.
The two came up for air, as Spike spoke, “Wow. That was very gracious of you.”
“I know.” Rainbow replied.
Suddenly Spike found himself turned to face Applejack who smiled at him, “I wanna give ya some thanks too.” and Spike once again found himself kissing another of his friends whom he started to see very differently thanks to this new display of affection. When the two parted, Applejack and Spike smiled at each other.
Rainbow yawned, “I don't know about you guys, but I'm going back to bed.”
“Me too,” Applejack let out a yawn before getting up with Rainbow Dash, “What about you, Spike?”
Spike got up, “I am starting to feel sleepy.”
“In that case how about joining us in bed?” Applejack offered.
“With you two?” Spike asked in with a blush growing.
“Relax, we're just gonna be sleeping, you perv,” Rainbow chuckled before smirking, “Although, I can't be responsible if my hands go wandering in the bed.”
Applejack shook her head, as Spike raised a brow, “Now who's being the pervert?”
The three just laughed, as they headed back upstairs with Spike putting his arms around both girls. Rainbow managed to slip her hand down and grab Spike by the butt making him jump a bit.
The next morning, as the teens were enjoying some homemade pancakes, they were in the living room watching the morning news.
Suddenly the newsman spoke, as images of Night Terror and his gang were shown, “This morning's big news, Canterlot City's worst street gang the Purple Nightmares have finally been apprehended and are now facing multiple accounts of criminal activity. All of the city can rest easy knowing these juvenile lawbreakers are locked away behind steel bars.”
Spike and the girls sighed in relief, as Spike thought to himself, 'Well, at least that's one trouble in my life I don't have to worry about anymore. And I'll still take Applejack and Rainbow up on their offer to train me. After all I don't want to be remembered as some scrawny guy.'