"So let me get this straight: You met this teenage dragon named Grigori, who not only saved Zecora from a manticore, but came to made friends? I don't believe it." Rainbow Dash denied, crossing her arms as she hovered above the ground. She was only one that wasn't blown back enough by Spike's story.
"Rainbow, you're one to talk, considering how jealous you get when someone other than yourself saves the day, and don't even think I can't come up with examples." Spike said, motioning to each of the others, the memory of Mare Do Well all too well remembered. The rainbow-colored mare pouted, glaring over at the wall.
"Let's not veer off the topic here, gals. What'd yur friend say 'bout us, Spike?" Applejack asked, walking up to him.
"Well, he said that I should only tell people that won't go out looking for him with hostile intentions as soon as they learned of him. Thought I might be able to trust you guys with that. He said he won't leave the Everfree until you're ready to see him, and he'll help out if anypony finds themselves in danger out in the Everfree. Other than that, we just talked about dragon stuff for the next few hours." Spike explained.
"Anything about the princesses?" Twilight found herself asking. Spike thought for a moment before shaking his head in reply.
"Wellll looking for him with hostile intentions would be a bad thing, so what about a good thing? Like a party!" Pinkie Pie suggested, her hind legs rising high up in the air at her suggestion of a party.
"NO!" everyone, Spike included, shouted at once shooting down her suggestion before it could become anything more. Pinkie Pie pouted at everyone's disagreement, but it went away with a polite apology from Applejack. After that moment was over and done with, Twilight spoke up again.
"We have to approach this logically. Maybe the princesses know what to do. This is a pretty big thing, after all." Twilight suggested. Spike just groaned at that.
"Really Twilight? You're gonna bring the princesses into all this?" Spike sighed, completely disagreeing that that subject would be big enough to have to involve them in. "This is just another guy coming to Equestria to make friends. Can't you cut a dragon some slack?" Spike reasoned raising his arms for emphasis. It seemed that after their curiosity went away, all that was left was not wanting Grigori to be here.
"Spike, ya barely know 'im. How can we be sure we can trust 'im?" Applejack asked. Spike just gave her a flat look.
"I barely knew you guys when we were out to get Nightmare Moon, and I trusted you. Look how that turned out." Spike retorted.
"But this is different, Spike! Your so called friend is a dragon!" Twilight retorted.
"And Zecora's a zebra. You trust her." came Spike's rebuttal. "Do I have to recite every lesson about friendship? Because I was there to write all of them, just so you know." Spike said. Being a dragon himself, he understood what dragons, especially full-grown, were capable of, and he understood their view of the situation. He himself experienced what a dragon can do first-hand, and prided himself on not allowing himself to lose control again. However, Spike waited his whole life to find another draconic companion that he could come to call a friend, and he wasn't gonna give up this opportunity so easily.
"You're not giving up on this, are you?" Twilight asked flatly, pretty much already knowing the answer. Spike gave her that look that said 'You already know'.
"Ugh, fine. But until we're absolutely sure we can trust him, you're not going out into the Everfree without supervision from one of us." Twilight stated with finality. Spike rolled his eyes, but nodded.
"Well, now that that's over an' done with, ah gotta head back to the farm. Ah'll see ya all later." Applejack said before trotting out of the door.
"I think it's time I headed out too. I got a nap I gotta catch up on. See ya!" Rainbow said before flying out of the window like a blue missile.
"I have to get back to my home to feed breakfast to the animals. I'll... talk to you later then... if that's okay." came Fluttershy's goodbye before she too departed.
"I'd love to stay and talk, but I gotta head back! Got a birthday at Sugarcube Corner today that needs a party! See ya!" Pinkie was next as she hopped out of the window. That left Spike, Twilight, and Rarity.
"I gotta head back to Canterlot to continue with preparations for the Gala. You mind looking after Spike for me, Rarity?" Twilight asked. Spike would've objected if it wasn't a day with Rarity, so he remained quiet as the fashionista nodded with a smile.
"Actually, I'll need Spike today. I received an order by Sapphire Shores in the mail this morning that required gems I didn't have, and I'll need my little Spikey Wikey to help dig them up." Spike grew a big dumb grin at the mention of his nickname. Twilight paid it no mind, chuckling at the sight.
"Alright. I'll see you later then." and with that, the three departed from the library.
XXXXX
Grigori was hard at work throughout the morning and far into the evening.
Heading out before dawn, he made his way to the gem mines along the outskirts of the Everfree, but it wasn't the gems he was after. Along with wide assortment of nearly any gem a dragon could ever want to eat, it also stored certain minerals that would help, essentially, to strengthen a dragon's fire. He would need it for boring through the mountain he resided in to make it accessible to others via a safe path to the top.
A dragon as young and small as he woefully lacked the time, patience, or energy to fully melt a new trail into the rockfaces of the mountain, so he aimed to fill in the gaps of the preset trail and essentially make it safer. In his search, he found a mine cart that would serve him in hoarding enough minerals to do the job. As he made his way out of the gem-illuminated caverns with his cargo in tow, pulled by his tail, the sound of heavy steps caught his ears.
Swiftly flying up and out of plain sight, he saw that it was a manticore, the same one that he had saved Zecora from just yesterday, evident by the long, nasty scars he'd left upon the creature's face, which were healed to leave scars. As the mythical beast returned from wherever it came, it rested at the cave entrance, looking even angrier than it did yesterday. Grigori figured it must be out for him.
However, the vendetta against him will have to wait as he and the manticore alike heard voices. Grigori, whose hearing was considerably more sensitive, distinguished one of the voices as Spike's, but the other sounded feminine and high-class. Focusing his bird of prey-like, he saw Spike with a white unicorn, carrying a minecart full of gems with her magic.
"This will not bode well." Grigori muttered grimly as they neared the mouth of the cave, failing to notice the imminent danger of the manticore before it crept back into the shadows of the cave, preparing to strike. If he attacked early, he could potentially scare Rarity off. Too late, and they might be attacked before he could intervene.
He had to time this right.
XXXXX
Spike and Rarity were making their way to the mine, oblivious to the danger that awaited them.
After their leaving the library, Rarity dropped Sweetie Belle off at Sweet Apple Acres as she'd be gone for the day. Afterwards, she and Spike made their way to the mining area to search for gems. They encountered the diamond dogs on the way, but after their last meeting, they kept their distance, reinforced with Spike snorting fire at them. He still had some distaste for them since they kidnapped Rarity.
Their cart was nearly full, and Rarity had found the perfect place to fill the cart the rest of the way to the top, what with Spike sneaking a gem or two when she wasn't paying attention.
"Oh my, there's a good concentration of gems near the mouth of that cave. Mind digging them out for me, Spike?" Rarity asked politely with that smile she knew Spike oh so loved.
"It would be an honor, milady." Spike replied as he headed over to the mouth of the mine entrance to dig while Rarity followed, using her magic to point out the specific gem locations. As soon as Spike began digging, he heard a growling sound from behind him. Turning to the direction of the mine entrance, he looked long and hard for the source. Not finding it, he shot a small bout of fire into the darkness, not in the least bit prepared for the angered manticore that he unintentionally burned the mane of.
As soon as the beast hopped out of the mine, pawing at its mane to put out the fire, Spike and Rarity tried to run for it, but being that they were out in the open, the manticore, after putting out the fire in its now slightly burned mane, spread its wings and took off, landing in front of the two, rising to its hind legs and raising one of its massive paws to strike.
That was when Grigori decided to intervene.
Swooping down, Grigori completely blindsided the much larger predator with his hind talons, sending it to the ground, kicking up a large, thick cloud of dust in the dry dirt as it landed. As the manticore was confused and disoriented, Grigori landed near Rarity and Spike.
"Grigori!" Spike yelled in excitement and relief before the crimson drake scooped up him and Rarity with his snout onto his back, careful not to harm them with the spikes lining his head and jaw before he sprinted off, just in time as the manticore roared and gave chase after it righted itself from being knocked down.
"The gems!" Rarity cried, reaching out a hoof for the minecart filled with them before she lost sight of it as Grigori cut through the Everfree, the manticore undeterred by the change in terrain as it continued its pursuit.
Grigori was focused on nothing but the terrain ahead of him. Flying was ruled out over the risk of dropping Spike or Rarity while he was being chased, so he instead folded them over his back to protect the two from the low-hanging branches and vegetation as he ran. The precious cargo on his back prevented him from running at full speed, else he'd have already left the manticore literally in the dust. But this wasn't the case as the manticore gained ground since it wasn't risking anything falling off of him in going full speed. But luckily, the razor sharp spade at the end of Grigori's tail kept it at bay as he'd swat at the beast whenever it got too close and biting down on his tail was already an overruled option.
As the chase continued, Rarity clung to Grigori's frame for dear life, screaming while Spike was yelling out in excitement, adrenaline rushing through his being at the shear excitement of being chased by a manticore. He came to realize that over the years that nearly getting eaten or some other danger gave him that certain rush that made him feel alive, though he's smart enough not to intentionally go out looking for it.
Twilight would have a field day if he did.
Rarity felt excitement, anger, confusion, relief, and disappointment along with several others. Excitement from the thrill of such a close call, anger at that accursed manticore for ruining her and Spike's quiet day gem-hunting, confusion that a red dragon came out of nowhere and saved them, relief that this dragon DID save them, and most of all, disappointment that she didn't get the gems she needed. Those gems were for a very special client! Sapphire Shores wasn't a mare to be taken lightly, and now, she might as well cancel the order. Once she gets home, she'll have nothing better to do than pass out on her couch and cry into her pillow.
Grigori expertly weaved through the bushes and trees in the direction he assumed was Ponyville. His assumption was answered when he jumped through the last brush of trees and onto a dirt path. He continued running as there was an agitated and vengeful manticore behind him, but when he reached an open enough area, he saw that the region was covered in hills, littered with appletrees.
Digging one of his front claws into the dirt, he drifted till he was facing the manticore running up, effectively throwing Spike and Rarity off of him. As the two tumbled into the soft grass below, Rarity began to rant about her being thrown off in such a way while Spike instinctively pushed her to safety as the manticore made a beeline for Grigori.
The crimson drake rose up to his hind legs just as the manticore leaped at him with its massive paws, tackling him to the ground, the two tumbling in a mess of scales, teeth, fur, and claws. Using the momentum of the tumbling, Grigori, as soon as he landed on his back with the manticore over him, used his powerful legs to kick the beast off of him, getting back up the moment he was free. But as soon as the manticore was able to get back to its feet, it lunged at Grigori, swiping one of its dramatically massive paws, catching the drake square in the side of the face. Grigori was sent tumbling back once, but that didn't slow him down as he tumbled back onto his feet. However, the manticore still wasn't done with its assault as it had already advanced on Grigori just he'd regained his footing and spun around, its massive scorpion tail swinging into the drake, sending the him flying off his feet into the base of an appletree, tilting it, knocking the apples loose as they rained from the branches. But Grigori was far from done as he quickly rose from his feet and charged at the beast, ducking under the swing of its paw as he tackled the manticore, summoning all the strength at his command and lifted the manticore off of his feet and slamming the flailing beast into the ground before jumping back, avoiding the stinger of its tail. As soon as the manticore was on its feet again, it received a burst of fire as Grigori emptied what little of his reserves he had left. The beast roared out in burning pain before it turned tail and ran off back into the Everfree for the second time.
Watching his day old adversary run off again, Grigori shifted his attention over to Spike and Rarity, who came out from their hiding place behind the appletree he was knocked into. Flying up and landing in front of them, he spoke.
"Hopefully, the beast will pose no more threat with the coming of its second defeat." Grigori said before looking over to Rarity. "Rarity, I assume. Tis a pleasure to meet a friend of Spike's. He has informed me of his circle of close friends." he said to the fashionista.
"A... pleasure." Rarity greeted back, still in the process of digesting the situation. Grigori then looked back to Spike. "If you and your friends would greet me, seek me out and I shall allow it. I have taken refuge in the overlooking mountain northeast of Ponyville. Zecora will speak for my diligence in that. I have other pressing matters I must attend. Until then, farewell." and with that, Grigori beat his massive wings, taking off back towards the Everfree.
As Spike watched his companion fly off into the sunset sky, Rarity was still having mixed feelings about losing the gems. Once Grigoi's form was out of sight, Spike looked back to the fashionista.
"So Rarity, what now?" Spike asked, walking up to her, his smile fading once he saw her expression. A lot of hard work went into getting those gems, but now it was all for nothing, he guessed. However, Rarity bought herself out of her stupor to look at Spike.
"Well, with our lives saved and with it getting dark, I'm afraid it's best we return to the library. At least we've something to share with the others, right?" Rarity asked in an attempt to brighten the bleak mood of the moment. Spike brightened up as well at that, making Rarity giggle. "Come now, Spike, let's go pickup Sweetie Belle from Applejack first. I'll find a way to thank your friend too." and with that, the two headed to the farm.
They had enough excitement for one day. And they had to come up with a reasonable excuse for the tilted tree and the fight that took place on the Apples' property.
XXXXX
That night, when Rarity was in bed, she stared up at the ceiling of her neat and classy room and sighed.
The weight of losing her precious gems and that contract kept her up. It was nearing two in the morning, and Rarity just couldn't sleep.
"Oh this is going to be a mess tomorrow." the fashionista sighed as she rolled on her side, facing away from her back window, just missing the red form that flew pass it. However, the sound of loud flapping, rattling chains, and loud, metallic thuds definitely caught her attention as she groaned and pulled herself out from under her soft covers to give the noisemaker a piece of her mind. When she finally made it to the window, however, she gasped in utter shock at the sight.
Dropped next to her boutique were three mine carts, all filled past the brim in gems. Rarity stared, at an utter loss for words before she wasted no time at all in rushing out of her room, careful not to wake Sweetie Belle up, downstairs, and out of her house to the carts full of gems. She heard the loud flapping noise and looked up to see the dark red silhouette of Grigori take off back towards the Everfree. The fashionista jumped up and down in glee as she watched Grigori fly off.
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Rarity exclaimed in a whisper before she used her magic to pull in their bountiful harvest.
She'd definitely have to thank this Grigori character.