Last time, Spike had a run in with three old faces from his past named Garble, Glut, and Rad, who had just finished pounding on the mutt trio. Angered by the three's never ending conquest to torment others, Spike challenged Garble to a parkour match with Spike agreeing to join Garble's gang again if he were to lose.
At Sugarcube Corner, Spike, Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow were having an ice cream, until Rainbow spoke up, "All right Spike, how about you tell us exactly how you know those three back there?" she requested.
Spike looked at both Rainbow and Rarity who were curious. He then turned to Twilight who nodded, signaling he can trust them with what he told her years ago. He sighed, "Well this happened before I even knew you girls and the others."
Spike flashed back to his Junior high years in the seventh grade, and narrated, "As you could tell from the first time we met I wasn't exactly that much of a popular kid. Though I had a number of friends, I still felt as if I was a nobody. Then I met Garble, Rad, and Glut outside a 7/11. I tried impressing them by acting like I wasn't some weak junior high student. Eventually I got them to laugh, by embarrassing myself." he recalled how he tried leaning against a trash receptacle only to knock it over with him falling over as well.
"I thought they just thought of me as a joke, and they probably did. But my antic seemed to have been enough to get them to want me to stick around. So I shot the breeze with them, and after awhile they felt I wasn't so bad for a junior high student. Since then I spent a number of weeks hanging out with them, as they taught me a few things about pulling pranks. We'd mostly prank those who deserved it or were just being rude jerks. We'd almost get into trouble, but we'd split before anyone could alert the feds or anything. They even rubbed off on me, as I started behaving more like them, even in front of Twilight and our parents." Twilight sighed recalling how Spike would react stand offish to her when she tried to figure out what was wrong with him.
"It was a load of fun with all the laughs and camaraderie, but one day things took a nasty turn," Spike continued in a sigh, "They said that last weeks were to test to see if I was truly good enough to be officially inducted as their newest member. But all that remained was a final test. They wanted me to pick pocket from an old guy. I knew doing that was the wrong thing, but these guys would probably maul me if I didn't go through with it. The closer I got to him the more ready I was to grab his wallet, but something inside me told me to stop. I knew I couldn't go through with it, so I backed out."
"Eventually, the guys confronted me and chewed me out as to why I backed out. I told them I knew it wasn't right. For not following their order, the three ganged up on me and let me have it. They then left me there on the ground, bruised, beaten, and a black eye. I eventually pulled myself together and got home, where mom, dad, and Twilight comforted me and warned me about associating with the wrong crowd. Though I was grounded for three weeks for rolling with those three, I was at least thankful I was still alive even after taking such a beating. I didn't see those three since then, until now.
He stopped his flashback and spoke to the girls, "And that's the story of how I know those three."
"Oh my stars." Rarity gasped.
"Yeah, even wouldn't be desperate enough for popularity by joining a group like that." Rainbow added.
"I never saw Spike so beaten up in my life, and I'd never want to see him like that again." Twilight added as she held her brother close to her.
"And that's why I have to face Garble. Him and his goons have caused trouble one too many time, and I'm not gonna do nothing about it this time." Spike explained in determination.
"I still think the risks are too high." Twilight replied, still in worry.
"I agree, if you lose you have to join that horrible group of ruffians." Rarity noted.
"And it's a risk I have to take." Spike replied, sticking to his choice.
Twilight sighed knowing at this point there was no stopping him. Rarity still feeling worried hugged Spike, hoping he'd be all right, while Rainbow smiled, admiring his confidence, "Well Spike, all I can say is go for it." Rainbow spoke, making Spike smile.
The very next day after school, Spike, Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Rover, Fido, and Spot were leaving the building and headed for the exact spot they met Garble and his crew. When they arrived, they saw the three punks kicking back, until Garble saw them approach, "Well this is a surprise. I was thinking you weren't going to show up." he spoke to Spike.
"Now what kind of guy would I be if I make a challenge and back out?" Spike retorted smugly, just to annoy Garble.
"Whatever, can we get this challenge over with? I got a hair appointment today." Garble spoke.
"All right let's get to the roof." Spike replied.
Soon enough, both Spike and Garble were on one building rooftop, while the others were a few buildings away from them on a roof top as well that served as the finishing point. Spike turned to Garble and spoke, "All right the rules are simple. First one to make it to the finish line wins. But remember this is parkour so we must also use techniques and such while we race."
"All right." Garble agreed, as the two stood ready.
Rainbow Dash held up an air horn and used it, signaling the two could begin. And with that they took off running across the first roof top they were on. Garble vaulted over a chimney, while Spike did a roll underneath a bar, and got back up on his feet, continuing his run. Twilight, her friends, the juveniles, and the mutts watched as the two competitors were nearing the edge of the roof they were on.
Both Garble and Spike made the jump, and both made him, putting a look of relief on the girls to see Spike didn't fall. The two continued forward as Garble spoke, "Very impressive. How'd you get o good at such a sport like this?"
"I had a great teacher, thank you very much. A better teacher than you ever were to me." Spike mocked, as Garble frowned while they both continued onward using whatever parkour move they could while getting around poles, beams, ledges, etc.
Twilight and the girls cheered Spike on, while Garble's gang cheered for him, Rover, Fido, and Spot could only watch as the freshman continued with the challenge seeing how determined he was to win, and for them to boot, "Wow, he's good." Spot gasped.
"Yeah." Rover admitted.
"And to think we've been giving him such a hard time." Fido added.
Back with the two, as Spike somersaulted over a fan he saw they were nearing the edge of another roof. Spike thought, 'If I can make this jump I'll be that much closer to the finish line.'
Garble seeing Spike was neck and neck with him since the challenge started had to lose him. He smirked and rammed at Spike knocking him aside, "Nice move, Spike!" he mocked, before making the roof jump.
"Hey!" Spike shouted at his dirty trick.
Rarity going out of her character shouted, "BAD FORM!"
"Rarity." Twilight gasped.
"I think you're getting more into it than I am." Rainbow added, feeling creeped out.
"Oh sorry, I don't know what came over me." Rarity answered, while blushing in embarrassment.
"This is great." Rad cheered.
"No way Spike can make the jump or catch Garble now." Glut laughed, while the girls frowned.
"Don't count him out yet!" Rainbow called.
"That's right," Twilight continued, "Spike can take care of himself."
"Just you wait." Rarity finished as they all watched Spike get back up.
Spike seeing Garble had taken the lead frowned, "You dirty cheater!" he ran again and with all his might jumped from the ledge.
Everyone watched in concern wondering if he had enough force in his jump to make it. When they saw Spike was starting to fall, they looked in shock as the three cried out, "SPIKE/SPIKEY-WIKEY!"
Spike who was just about close enough to the other building's ledge, did a flip forward as his hands grabbed the ledge and flipped himself onto the building's roof, "HE MADE IT!" Rainbow cheered, as she and Twilight hugged each other.
"Oh thank goodness." Rarity sighed in relief almost as if she would've had a heart attack if he hadn't made it.
Glut, Rad, Rover, Fido, and Spot had agape jaws at Spike's stunt. Garble looked back seeing Spike made it looked nervous, but continued on confidently he had it in the bag. Spike took off once again, with determination, and thought, 'I can't let Garble win. Not now. NOT EVER!' he picked up the pace, and was now honing in on Garble.
"Look at him move!" Rad gasped, while Glut was in more shock.
Garble seeing Spike was right on his tail, tried running faster, but eventually Spike caught up to Garble, "What the hell are you, a speed demon?" he asked in shock.
"No. I'm Spike, the guy who's gonna win!" he took off, and passed Garble up as they made the last jump of the roof before reaching the building the others were on and Spike made it to the finishing point, followed by Garble.
"He did it!" Rarity cheered, as the girls surrounded him and hugged him in congratulations.
Garble watched in shock, "I-I lost."
"No!" Glut and Rad cried in despair.
Spike looked over to the three and spoke, "Fair's fair, Garble. I won. Now give these guys back their wallets with everything inside of them."
Garble seeing he was defeated fair and square, and was too tired to try and make a break for it surrendered, "All right." he took the three wallets out and dropped them to the ground.
Spike picked them up and gave them to the mutts, "Here you go guys."
The three checked their wallets, as Rover spoke, "It's all in here."
Spike smiled before speaking once again to Garble, "That dirty move you did back there, was uncalled for and downright dishonorable in the game of parkour, Garble. You deserved to lose," Garble was still too shocked at what happened to even retort, "Now the three of you take yourselves out of my sight, and I never want to catch you causing trouble like this again."
Glut and Rad surprised at what happened, and Spike's warning could only help the tired Garble walk. They started off to the building's exit, before Garble spoke up, "Spike, you did well back there. You really could've been one of us."
Spike feeling that was about closest to the nicest thing he was going to get right now replied, "Yeah, but I've got a better group."
Garble nodded in respect, before the three left them. Rainbow approached Spike and hugged him, "Spike, you were so awesome out there!"
"You were fantastic!" Rarity cheered, as she kissed him.
"I knew you could win." Twilight finished as she hugged him.
Spike smiled, until he saw the mutt trio approach him. He braced himself for whatever they were about to do, until he saw them hold out their wallets to him, "Take them." Rover stated.
"Huh?" Spike asked in confusion, while the three girls were just as confused.
"You won them in the match, so our money is yours." Fido explained.
"So please, take it as a token of our thanks for sticking up for us." Spot finished.
Spike looked at them before smiling, "Sorry, but I can't accept your money."
"What?" the three boys asked.
"I didn't win them for me, I won them back for you guys." he reminded them, while pushing their wallets back to them.
"I don't know what to say." Fido gasped.
"No one's ever done anything like this before for us." Rover added.
"I did it because it was the right thing to do." Spike replied, with a smile.
"Yeah you guys should try it sometime." Rainbow added.
"Indeed," Rarity nodded in agreement, "You boys could learn more from Spike." The trio looked at him with interest.
The very next day at school, Spike and the girls entered the school, and were heading for their lockers only to see Featherweight, accidentally lose his footing from carrying four boxes of supplies for the newspaper club. Featherweight seeing the mess sighed, before he could do anything he saw Fido, Rover, and Spot look down on him. Featherweight gulped, feeling they were going to make things worse, until they reached down, and Rover offered him a hand, "Here, let us help you with this."
Featherweight confused out of his mind, accepted the hand and was helped to his feet. He saw Spot and Fido were collecting some of the materials that fell out of one of the box he was carrying. He saw each of the three take a box from him and were willing to help him carry them to the club, "Hey thanks." he smiled.
"No problem." Fido nodded as the three followed Featherweight to the newspaper club room.
Every student present in the hall were in shock, seeing what the three had done without causing more trouble. Spike couldn't help but smile, seeing the three really have changed thanks to his one act of kindness. Puck who was close to him and the girls spoke, "This isn't real, is it?"
"Oh it's real, Puck," Spike answered, "It's very real for sure." he smiled.