//------------------------------//
// Just Another Day 
// Story: Finding Your Place 
// by Jake The Army Guy 
//------------------------------//

	
Some years later

A long-suffering sigh bounced of the newly-rebuilt walls off the Golden Oaks Public Library. A combination of draconic magic and earth pony engineering had expanded the tree house into an even more breathtaking affair, now double the size it had been in years past. The center foyer now housed a front desk, complete with a state-of-the-art gem powered catalogue that was the envy of libraries throughout the Everfree Province. Behind the desk, the librarian removed the reading glasses from his scaley snout and ran a claw over his head to smooth down his head spines. Sunlight peeking in from the large ornate window above them caught the silver ring on his claw, sending dazzling spectres of light dancing from the flame-shaped emerald laid on it.

“Okay, let me see if I understand you.” Spike rubbed his eyes, then looked back to the stallion and his wall-eyed wife on the opposite side of the desk. The mare was perusing the book that Spike had been trying to finish before bothered by the absurd request. A tiny pegasus colt, sharing his father’s spiky brown mane and his older sister’s light purple coat, sat atop the mare’s head. A pacifier held in his mouth, he eyed the spines on Spike’s head with a predatory gaze. “You want me to strike your house... with lightning?”

Doctor Time Turner-Hooves nodded enthusiastically. “A few times, if you can manage it!”

Another protracted sigh escaped Spike’s maw. “Look, Doc, I—”

“Oi! Doctor, thank you very much.” He huffed indignantly. “I didn’t spend twelve years at university to be called ‘Doc’.”

“Sweetie, let it go,” Derpy said without looking up from the book... or, at least Spike didn’t think she was looking away. All these years and he still had a hard time remembering which eye wandered.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Okay, Doctor, then tell me, have you asked the weather manager about this? I’m sure he’d be thrilled to know about me casting weather magic in city limits without permission.”

“Uh, eh-heh, funny thing, that,” the Doctor said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof. “I went to ask Rumble, but apparently the Wonderbolts are in Cloudsdale, so he ran off to spend time with his brother.”

“How convenient.” Right then, the colt atop Derpy’s head pounced, fluttering his tiny wings to land on Spike’s head with a growl and attacked the topmost spine, gnawing at it with his several stubby teeth. The only response from Spike was a lopsided smirk, but his eyes remained on the fidgeting stallion. “And what about the assistant manager?”

The Doctor snorted. “Oh, don’t even get me started on Raindrops! That mare must be the stingiest weather mare I’ve ever seen! Did you know that she even refused to give me a cumulous?! Even after I filled the appropriate paperwork! And prejudiced, too! Telling me I can’t handle the cloud because I’m an earth pony! I’m a PhD, Neighbel Prize winner! I should—”

“Muffin,” Derpy said, nuzzling into his side, “you’re rambling again.”

From atop Spike’s head, the foal removed the fin from his mouth. “Daddy ‘bamblin’!”

Derpy giggled, finally looking up from the book to beam at the colt nomming on Spike’s head fin. “That’s right, Diddly! And what do we do when Daddy talks too much?”

“Shushies!” The colt let out a squeal of joy as a green haze enveloped him, and with a twirl of Spike’s also glowing claw, he rose from the drake’s head and began to circle the trio slowly above their heads.

"Celestia above, my own family is against me," the Doctor muttered. 

“Look, Doc—” A glare from the stallion. “—tor, why do you even need this? What could you possibly be doing that requires enough electricity to power Ponyville for a week?!”

“I'm... I'm not at liberty to say."

"You're not taking another defense contract, are you? Remember what happened last time?"

Derpy shuddered slightly. "It was raining gelatin for a week."

"Oh, come now! The foals loved it," the Doctor muttered with a nod to the still floating Diddly, who was giggling with infantile glee as he circled the adults, forelegs outstretched like a Wonderbolt.

Spike sighed once more. "Doctor, I don't think this—"

"Spike." The harried tone was gone from the Doctor's voice, replaced with a calm pleading. "Look, you know me. I’m not one to break the law, but this is the culmination of my life's work. If this device works, it will revolutionize... everything! But I need at least one point twenty one gigawatts of electricity to make it work, and the only way to get that kind of power is..."

"A bolt of lightning," Spike finished with a slow nod.

"Precisely. Right now, the box is sitting in our back yard, just waiting to change everything we know about the laws of physics. The weather team is stonewalling me, and love here doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to lightning—” he gave a quick nuzzle to Derpy, who smiled sheepishly at Spike— “and that leaves you, the only creature in the province who knows weather magic. Spike... I need you.”

 With a final twirl of his claw, Spike floated young Diddly back onto his mother's head, and she greeted him with a pacifier. Spike then looked up at the two ponies before him. "Look, even if I wanted to help by breaking several city ordinances by practicing pluvomancy inside city limits without a permit—”

“It’s only a misdemeanor...”

 “I can't right now! The twins are in the middle of an inspection from their new liaison from Canterlot, so there’d be nopony to watch the library."

Doctor Hooves flashed him a strained grin. "Well, what about your little assistant?"

"Zap doesn't even have his cutie mark yet!” As if fate deemed punctuation needed, a loud crash came from somewhere in the library proper, one that sounded suspiciously like a brand new twelve-volume set of the Encyclopedia Canterlotia being knocked over.

Several seconds later, a tiny voice chimed in with, “I’m okay!” Spike gestured with his claw, as if to say ‘see what I mean?’ 

“W-Well, perhaps after closing time...”

Spike shook his head. “Twilight’s coming down for my monthly recharging,” he gave a light tap to his silver ring, “and she’s bringing Shining and his family for a visit. Look, Time, I’m sorry but...” His words crumbled to dust and his heart melted as, after a tap on the haunches from her husband, Derpy looked up from her book and flashed the puppy-dog eyes of the century at him. Even as her bottom lip quivered, the act made all the more heart-wrenching with her left eye—left eye! Remember that, left eye—made a slow scan of the ceiling, Spike could swear he literally heard his will break. 

After only several seconds under Derpy's assault, his broad shoulders slumped, but a wry grin spread across his face. "Okay, okay! I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon, alright? Just... put that away."

The Doctor squealed in delight, throwing his hooves around his wife and bounding in place. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Spike!"

 "Yeah, yeah," Spike said with a dismissive wave of his claw. "You know, forget whatever you're working on, you need to figure out how to weaponize cuteness!"

"Oh-ho-ho, no, my dear boy. This one's all for me." The stallion leaned in and kissed his wife deeply, and Spike groaned. As the Doctor pulled back, he lifted his hooves to snatch the foal from atop her head and placed him on his own. "Spike, mate, trust me, you won't regret this."

Spike shook his head as they walked towards the ornate wooden door. "Oh, I'm sure I will."

"Eh, more likely than not! Anyways, come along, Derpy! Diddly, what do we say?"

The colt squealed and pounded his forehooves on the stallion's head. "Allons-y!"

"That's my boy!" With an exaggerated whinny, he reared up and charged out the front door. 

Derpy shook her head and smiled at Spike. "Thank you, Spike. This means a lot to him. Me, too."

"Well, you can thank me by telling Dinky to pay her late fees." Both dragon and pony crossed the foyer towards the front door. "Charisma's Compendium of Combat Magic is overdue to the tune of ten bits. One more week, it'll be fifteen."

"F—fifteen bits?!" For a moment, both her eyes slammed home together, boring down on the dragon. 

Spike just shrugged. "Hey, that's what happens when you borrow from the Restricted section."

Derpy's left eye floated back to the ceiling. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

"Please do,"'Spike said as he opened the door for her with a slight bow. "It's not wise to hold back gold from a mighty dragon."

"Oh, Spike," Derpy giggled. "You're not a mighty dragon." She laughed once more at Spike's befuddled look. "You're Ponyville's dragon." She leaned in and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek, then walked out the door and took to the air, dancing a dizzy path away from the blushing dragon standing in the doorway. 

Spike took a deep breath of the warm summer air wafting past his doorway. A taste of freshly cut grass was in the air, and the tantalizing scent of grilling treats—most likely Truffle Shuffle experimenting with some bizarre spice—came from the restaurant on the corner. A gaggle of giggling foals ran circles around the large fountain that stood in the courtyard before the library. Marble reliefs carved in the shape of his five closest friends and his sister stood boldly and proudly—demurely and withdrawn in the case of Fluttershy—in the center, beneath the gentle sprays of water. Standing beneath Twilight's forelegs, to Spike's simultaneous glee and chagrin, was a chubby dragon whelp. Ponies mulled around the rim of the fountain, some were tossing bits in, accompanied with a mumbled wish, while others sat on benches, nuzzled next to their special somepony, basking in the scenic day.

"Hey, Mr. Spike!" A young unicorn across the courtyard looked up from her comic book to wave at him. 

"Hey, Ruby." He waved back, and a warm, prideful smile spread across his face. My ponies.

He may not be the most modest of creatures, but Spike was truthful when, in his many letters to Twilight, he said that he now rivaled Pinkie Pie in knowledge of the town. He knew something about everypony, and took pride in being at least somewhat involved in their lives. Whether it was helping Archer with building her firing range or watching Shady Daze play in the Equestrian Poker Tournament, his hoard was—

"Incoming!"

An orange blur flashed in the corner of his eye. "Whoa!" His wings gave a mighty flap, and Spike just barely took to the air in time to miss the buzzing torpedo beneath him, the unruly purple mane tickling the bottom of his claws. Before he even began his descent, his claw flared with magic just in time to grab Scootaloo before she slammed into the rim off the fountain. 

Scootaloo, apparently noticing a distinct lack of being a pony pancake, opened her eyes as Spike floated her back over to him. "Uh... hey, Spike!"

"Scootaloo, what ha—" Before he could finish, the sound of rolling wheels caught his ears. Turning, he reached out and stopped her signature more of transport just before it crashed into him. He took one look at it, then turned back to her, earning a nervous twitch of her half-sized wings. "Okay, what's the trick this time?"

"Well—"

"Scoots!"

A flash of white plucked Scootaloo out of the air and tackled her to the ground, buck-toothed mouth frowning with concern. "Babe, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm—"

"Are you sure nothing's broken?! No cuts or abrasions?"

"Feathers, I said—"

"We need to get you to the hospital! You might have internal—"

She silenced him with a deep kiss, instantly turning his concerned frown into a dopey grin. She pulled back slowly. "Featherweight, I'm fine, okay?"

"Huh, okay."

"You're dating a daredevil; try and keep the hypochondria to a minimum, 'kay?"

"Huh, okay."

"Now, did you get the shot?"

Featherweight's expression did another one-eighty, this time to manic glee. "Oh, Scoots, it was awesome! The light bounced off your helmet just right, I got the exposure perfect, the framing was beyond awesome! I think we have your new cover shot!"

"Mmm, good." With that, she rolled him over to land atop him and pressed back in for a kiss, this time with copious and unabashed tongue. 

Spike stood there awkwardly for several moments as a crowd gathered, drawn in by the couple's passionate moans. Finally, he coughed. "Um, you mind?"

Scootaloo pulled back, gasping, and tossed him a grin. "Not in the least," she panted, then dove back in. 

"Uh... O—okay."

As he turned to leave, she came back up for air. "Oh, Spike! Don't forget, you promised to come by this weekend and help me build my new half-pipe."

"Sure. Don't forget to let Featherweight breathe."

"Breathing is a crutch!" Featherweight cried. 

"Goddess, I love you," Scootaloo breathed before once more attempting to eat his face. 

Spike eased the door shut, turning back to the front desk, eager to return to his book. Truthfully, he didn't have a whole lot to do in order to prepare for the upcoming visit. The large treehouse now had an entire floor of living space, more than enough room to house them all. Shining and Cadance would have the one room—soundproofed this time, not wanting anymore all-night shudders from hearing the effects of the Princess of Love—and their kids in the other. A light smile played on his lips at the thought of Dusk having to share a room with his two sisters, memories of the poor colt waking up with pigtails from the last time they visited running through his mind. This would require him and Twilight to share a room, not that either would care. An evil chuckle escaped him. Instead of a bed, maybe I’ll lay out a big basket for her.

Ding-a-ling!

Just as Spike was rounding the corner to return to his book, the front door opened. He sighed through a smile, turning to face the newcomer. "Welcome to Golden Oaks Pu—oh, hey, Cheerilee!"

The magenta mare smiled warmly at the drake. Time—not too mention several generations of Cutie Mark Crusaders—had left streaks of gray marring her pink mane, but her eyes still blazed with youth. "Good afternoon, Spike. I saw Doctor Hooves galloping away, grinning like a madmare. Should I run for cover?"

"Hehe, maybe stay indoors tomorrow. What can I do for you?" he asked, taking his seat behind the desk. 

"Well, I wanted to double check that you're still coming down next week to give that demonstration on draconic magic. The little ones had so much fun last time, they've been begging for another show."

Spike sighed and futzed with his head spines. "Yeah, well, you can't blame them for demanding the best, now can you?"

"Mmm-hmm, and you can't blame me for having a few extra fire extinguishers on hoof, can you?"

"Not in the slightest," he said with a wink, then snapped his fingers. "Oh! I just remembered, that book you ordered finally came in."

"The Collected Works of Langston Hooves?"

"Mm-hmm. Hey, Zap!" Spike leaned back in his chair and yelled towards the archway leading to the library proper. "Run back to my office and grab Ms. Cheerilee's book off my desk!"

"Right away, Master Spike!" came the high-pitched reply, followed by tiny hoofsteps and a metallic clanging across the wooden floor of the library. 

"And stop calling me that!" Spike hollered, a bit more high-pitched than he would admit. 

Cheerilee arched an eyebrow, but before she could speak the metal rattling grew louder, and a small unicorn colt came bounding into the room, a book held in the shaky grasp of his emerald magic. More surprising was the strange armor he wore: odd horseshoes of polished steel, complete with spikes jutting out in the front and back, adorned all four hooves; strands of tri-colored hair stuck out from beneath a champron atop his head, and matching haunch plates covered his blank cherry-red flank, while what looked like bolas hung from his braided tail. 

"Hey... Hngh... H-hey, Miss Cheerilee." A final grunt of effort, and the book wobbled over to the mare, who plucked it out of the air before it could fall and placed it in her saddle bag. 

"Good morning, Zap." Turning back, Cheerilee stifled a giggle as the colt strutted and posed for his teacher. "Um, Spike, what is he wearing?"

"That," he said with a grin, "is ceremonial draconic battle armor, slightly modified, of course. Had a friend in Tacksworn make it for the little guy."

Cheerilee slowly shook her head in obvious confusion. "And... why?"

Zap beamed up at her from beneath the champron that seemed just a hair too big. "I'm Master Spike's noble dragon apprentice!" 

"Are you, now?"

"Uh-huh! Master Spike is teaching me the ways of the noble dragon," he said, chest puffed out in what was most likely supposed to be a stallionly manner. Spike and Cheerilee both found it adorable. 

Cheerilee shot Spike a perplexed look, and he just shrugged. "Hey, some colts want to be rock stars, he wants to be a dragon."

"And Master Spike?"

"Uh, eh-heh," Spike rubbed the back of his neck, "the thing—"

"Eeyup!" Zap said with a little bounce and rattle of his armor. "According to Wyrmic tradition, when a dragon takes on an apprentice, the apprentice officially becomes the master's legal property. Master Spike even cast a spell on me to make it official! I'm Master Spike's slave! Isn't that cool?!"

"Yes, very... cool," she said evenly, glancing at Spike. 

"Uh, o-okay, Zap! Now, how about you go clean up whatever mess you made back there?"

Zap's grin suddenly got much less toothy. "Uh, I-I didn't make any mess!"

Spike narrowed his eyes. "Zap, a noble dragon doesn't lie..."

"No... r-r-really!"

"Zap..."

The tiny colt crumbled quickly under the might of Spike's stink-eye. "It's, um, not that big a mess..."

"You lied to me, fledgling," Spike growled. "Twenty lifts. Now."

"But... But—"

"Now."

Zap eyes spike desperately for several seconds before letting out an adorable pout and snorting. Spike and Cheerilee both blinked hard when a tiny jet of smoke blew from the colt's nostrils as he walked towards a large weight in the corner of the room. His horn lit, and with a grunt, his magic lifted the hunk of metal to his eye level before falling to the ground with a clunk. "One... Two..."

Spike turned to Cheerilee. "Ooo-kay, maybe Macintosh is right and Zap is spending just a bit too much time over here."

"Oh, and what does Mac think of you making his son your property?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Zap got a hold of one of my old books on Wyrmic tradition. He wouldn't let it go until I made him my apprentice!"

"So you cast a spell to make him your property?!"

"Oh, lighten up. It's just a minor ward of ownership, it can't even make him go against his will. I can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do, and the only people who would even be able to sense it would be other dragons!"

"So, you would be fine if I, say, went and told Rainbow Dash about it?"

"No! Uh, I-I-I mean..."

Mercifully, Spike was saved yet again as three stallions emerged from the basement door: two emerald colored ponies, one scowling deeply and the other grinning like an idiot, identical save for the horn on the scowling one's head. Leading them was a stout young earth pony with an easy-going smirk on his dusky face, wearing the full regalia of the Night Guard. His yellow, slitted eyes scanned the room, and his smirk turned into a fanged grin at the sight of the magenta mare. "Oh, Miss Cheerilee! I was hoping to run into you while I was here," he said in a thick Trottingham accent. 

Cheerilee smiled awkwardly. "Um, I'm sorry, sir, but... have we met?"

"Oh, come now, ma'am! It hadn't been that long, has it?" He removed his helmet, revealing a shaggy purple mane, cut coitishly atop his head. 

Cheerilee stared absently until she finally noticed the slightly darker patch of fur around his left eye. "P... Pipsqueak?!"

"That's First Lieutenant Pipsqueak, Her Majesty Princess Luna's Night Guard," he said, puffing out his chest. 

"Wow, Pip, you... uh, you look..." She shot a look to Spike. 

"Different?" Spike offered. 

"Yes, that... Different about covers it. I heard from your mother that you graduated from West Hoof, but... wow." She made a slow circle around him as she spoke. "When, did all... this happen?"

"Yeah, got enrolled in the Night Guard as soon as I graduated, and the enchantment ceremony was the next week. Stung like the dickens, let me tell you. I was in bed recovering for days. Still, I think I cut a rather dashing figure in purple, eh?"

Cheerilee giggled. "So, what are you doing back here?"

"Oh, Princess Luna appointed as the official Canterlot liaison for these two chaps," he said, gesturing towards the twins. "It's great! Looks good on my record, and let's me spend more time with Dinky without having to uproot her."

"Speaking of Miss Hooves," Spike leaned across his desk and grinned at Pip, "when are you gonna buckle down and make an honest mare out of her? It's been almost six years..."

"So, everything here appears to be in order, lads," Pipsqueak squeaked, his purple cheeks flaming to a delightful shade of pink as he turned from the snickering dragon and towards Heckel and Jeckel. "Operation seems to be running smooth, no signs of trouble at all?"

"No, sir!" Jeckel said. "Everything's been hunky-dory, tip-top, lean-and-me-ow!" He rubbed the back of his head, looking to his brother. "Heh, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Heckel growled. "Ever."

"Roger that, Sergeant Jeckel," Pip said with a nod. "And you, Staff Sergeant Heckel, need to start filing your RG-1594's on time, got it?"

"I'm a decade older than you," Heckel growled. 

"What was that?"

"Roger that, sir!"

As this was going on, a slightly sweaty Zap walked back to the group. "All done, Master Spike."

"Good," Spike said with a warm smile. "Now, go clean up that mess, and once you've finished your homework, I might be in the mood for some ice cream before I take you back to Swe—"

The switch was quicker than any of the ponies could have thought possible. Mid-sentence, Spike's words devolved into a loud, feral growl as a plume of smoke jetted from his nostrils and green flames licked from in between his clenched jaw. Every muscle in his body tensed, to the point that his claws dug deep ruts in the library's wooden floor. His eyes blazed with emerald fury as his deafening growl echoed in the large foyer. 

Cheerilee instinctively moved to shield Zap, while all three guards leaped backwards before lowering into combat stances. They all stood there, stock still save for harried breaths, until the fire in Spike's eyes finally dimmed and his body released some of the tension it held. 

Pip was the first to venture a step towards him. "S—Spike, mate, you alright?"

Spike took a deep breath, shaking his head vigorously. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm... I'm so sorry," he said to the still-trembling school teacher. "Cheerilee, I—"

"I-it's okay, Spike. What... what was that?"

"Something... something just crossed the wards into my territory. Something big."

"Big?" Pip took another step towards Spike. "What wards? What do you—"

"Mister Spike!" The front door of the library nearly exploded off its hinges as a massive pegasus colt slammed into it, his shaggy brown mane plastered to his skull with sweat. A tiny white rabbit wearing a gold color sat in between his wings.  He fluttered his wigs several times before plopping down in front of Spike. "Mis—Mister Spike," he gasped, "y-you... you gotta..."

Spike and Cheerilee both rushed to the teenager. Spike could all but smell the terror wafting off him. "Pound, Pound! Calm down, breathe." 

Pound Cake took a few cleansing breaths as Cheerilee soothingly rubbed his back. Once he had collected himself, he gulped and spoke. "Me... me and Ms. Fluttershy were in Froggy Bottom Bog, helping Snails tend to a sick turtle when this... thing came crashing in from the trees! It was big, and it had, claws, big fangs..." 

Pound began to hyperventilate again, but Spike gently shook him back to reality. "Pound, focus. Where's Fluttershy?"

"W-when it started to crawl out we, she told me to run and get you. She said she and Snails were going to get Silver Spoon and the foals from their cabin and run to Fluttershy's cottage. I know I shouldn't has left her and I should have made sure she was okay but I was just so scared and I didn't want—"

"Pound, calm down, honey. You did the right thing," Cheerilee said gently. 

Spike had already stood up. Smoke once more poured from his nostrils; the instant Pound has said something was in the Bog, his instincts were screaming. Something was in his territory, threatening his ponies. A low growl escaped him. "You did the right thing, Pound. Angel, let's go."

The tiny rabbit on Pound's back nodded, a tinkling sound coming from the orange, carrot-shaped gem on his collar, and leapt from Pound into Spike's back as the dragon stormed to the door. 

"Right." Pipsqueak's ever present smirk was gone, a mask of seriousness in its place. “I’ll go radio the Guard. If I push the panic button, I can have an entire brigade her in less th—”

“No!” Spike roared.

Pip flinched when the dragon rounded on him, but soon regained his countenance. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“This is my territory, Pip. I don’t want a bunch of armed strangers walking around my town. Angel and I can handle this.”

“Now, you see here! We may be mates, but I’m a Royal Guard, and I’m not going to—ow!”

Little Zap charged and swung his tail, nailing Pip in the shins with his bolas. The tiny unicorn glared up at him. “Don’t interfere with a dragon defending his territory!”

“Why, you—”

“Pip! He’s right. This town is under my official protection. Don’t believe me? Ask Celestia.”

“Th... the Princess?”

“The claim to my territory has been documented and recognized by both the Equestrian government and the High Wyrmstadt council. Celestia is still the ruler, but I’m the law around here.”

“Are... really?” Pip asked.

Spike nodded. “I get you want to help, really, but this is something that I have to do, my way, no outside help. It’s a dragon thing.”

Pip seemed to chew on this for a moment. “Okay, but you can’t expect me to just sit here while some abomination stalks into town!”

“It won’t make it that far," Spike said evenly, "and no, you’re not going to just sit here. I need you and Jeckel to run to Snails’ cabin, make sure they got out okay, then head to Fluttershy’s cottage. It’s the nearest place to the Bog.”

Jeckel saluted. “Right away, Master Sp—” He flinched at the glare from Spike. “Er, I mean, Mister Spike! We’ll head over there right now! Er, that is, as soon as you order it, sir.” He flashed a wide grin at Pipsqueak

Spike then turned to Pound Cake. The muscular colt had finally calmed down, though his eyes were wide with worry. “Pound, you did good. Now I need you to go home, okay?”

The colt gave a shaky nod. He took to the air, but paused in the door to cast one last glance at Spike. “Y... save her, Mister Spike.”

Spike nodded. “All of you.” Pound flew out, and Spike moved to leave as well. “Heckel, come on.”

As Heckel grumbled and followed, Zap scurried behind Spike. “All right, let’s get going!” He made it halfway through the door before a large green claw blocked his path.

“Oh-ho-ho, no, no, Zap. You’re staying right here.”

“Bu... why?!”

“Way too dangerous,” Spike said. “Besides, I’m, uh... I’m honestly more scared of your mother than I am whatever’s out there.”

The tiny colt gazed up at him with deep, moist eyes. “But, I... I wanted to see you defend your territory. I... wanted to be a noble dragon...”

Spike leaned down and gently touched a claw to the colt’s face, gingerly wiping a tear away. “Zap. Zap, look at me.” The unicorn reluctantly cast his teary eyes to his master. “It’s too dangerous for a fledgling like you. Being a noble dragon means knowing when you’re outclassed. Besides,” he leaned in to whisper into Zap’s ear, “somepony has to stay back and keep watch on my hoard while I’m gone.”

The colt gasped. "You... you mean you want me to..."

"Mhm-hmm. Can I count on you?"

A giddy smile broke into Zap's face, but he shook it off as he bowed before Spike. "As your noble dragon apprentice, I, Zapurnicus Aurora Apple, swear to defend your hoard with tooth and claw!"

"Good. Cheerilee, can you..." Spike nodded towards the colt. 

Cheerilee nodded. "Be careful, Spike."

"Right. Heckel, Angel, let's get a wiggle on."





The air in the bog was as muggy and thick as Spike remembered. Every step in the mire caused a lewd shluck sound and lukewarm mud to spread in between his toes. “Ugh, jeez, this is nasty.”

“At least you don’t have armor to polish,” Heckel grumbled behind him.

A tiny snickering came from Spike’s back, where Angel Bunny was reclined in between his spines, lounging like a king.

“You know, you could at least try to be sympathetic!” The bunny stuck his tongue out at him, and Spike rolled his eyes. “Whatever, let’s just get this—

A piercing shriek came from in front of them, like several different voices all howling at once. All three looked at each other, then raced to where it came from, on the other side of a cluster of trees. There, standing in the muck and roaring like a conquering hero, stood an amalgamation of nightmares: probably twenty meters tall. its head looked like some twisted parody of a lion, while its hulking body more resembled a goat, though with lmbs bulging with muscle and shaggy fur like an ill-kept dog. Where its deformed hooves touched the ground, the rancid water was steaming and boiling. Writhing in the air behind it, its segmented, scorpion-like tail sported the head of a cobra, hissing and spitting a green puss. The vile slop hit a copse of trees behind it, and immediately burst into flames and withered to ash.

Any sane creature would have fled in terror at the sight. Spike just sighed. “Hey, there!”

The monster ceased its battle cry, both its lion head and snake head focusing on the group at its hooves.

"How you doing? I'm Spike. This is my buddy Angel," he said, nodding down at the rabbit, who blew a raspberry at the creature. "Look, I can feel your aura from here, so I know you felt the wards I placed around my territory." The dragon's eyes narrowed. "It's not very smart to enter a dragon's territory uninvited."

The creature roared again.

"Shut up!" 

Its cry of fury abruptly ended at the scream that seemed far too loud and booming than it should have been from Spike’s relative size.

"Look, I got crap to do, and you don't sound too bright, so I'm gonna make this quick. Ponyville is mine. Everything in it is mine, everypony in it is mine! They're under my protection!" Every time Spike said that word—mine—he felt his body flex and tense. "So, that being said, how about you be a good little freak of nature and crawl back to whatever pit you came from?"

With an unearthly howl, the thing’s tail reared back and emitted a sound like somepony hawking a loogie, and a stream of putrid acid rained down on the group. Spike quickly threw up his left claw, and a shimmering green force field enveloped the trio. The water surrounding them instantly evaporated in a searing cloud of steam. Trees behind them burst into flame and shrank to withered husks within seconds.

After several long moments, the beast’s assault finally ended. When the steam and smoke cleared, all three were standing right where they had been, looking as nonplussed as before. Spike glanced down to Angel and sighed. "He said no." The two nodded at each other, then with an audible crack of energy, pulled off their silver ring and gold collar respectively and threw them into the air. 

In a flash, the pony with them caught what was now an amethyst-studded tiara and a necklace with a pink butterfly pendant. He took one last opportunity to grunt at the demon, then teleported away. 

Spike then looked back to the monster. "You know, I was really hoping you'd say yes." He spoke calmly, casually. "I got family coming in tonight, and it's a pain to wash blood off my scales."

As he spoke, the muscle beneath his skin began to twist and writhe. "But my friend here," he pointed down the the rabbit, "he was hoping you’d say no." The rabbit flashed a predatory grin as pink energy began to arc across him. 

Spike, now with green energy doing the same to his body, continued. "See, a few years ago, an entire new menu got added to his diet. But he only gets to indulge in it when freaks like you threaten my hoard." The dragon flexed his arm and groaned as the limb began to pulse and inflate. "And buddy," his voice was now deep and booming, "he's veeeeerrry hungry."

The rabbit, now swathed in pink magic and nearly twice the size he had been, growled as a very long, forked tongue slid from his maw and licked his lips. 

High above them, the mighty creature whimpered. 





Thirty minutes later, as green dragonfire dissolved the last remnants of rancid blood and vile flesh, the waters of the bog trembled under the weight of the massive dragon's steps. Spike groaned and cracked his neck to the side as a deep cut in the side of his face slowly healed itself. Riding on his back, a huge, muscled beast covered in a patchwork of white fur and black chitin, held what looked like the remains of a rib in his segmented tentacles. He brought it to his tubular muzzle and took a large bite, razor-sharp teeth gnashing on the putrid meat like it was candy. 

Spike turned to look at Angel. "Dude, that's enough. Fluttershy will kill me if you ruin your appetite before the barbeque tonight."

Angel swallowed, then opened his deformed muzzle, the two top halves raising up and away, and issued forth a loud belch. 

Spike gagged. "Ugh, dude! Carrots and necro-flesh. Not a good combo."