The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1

by SmokeShadow95


Ch.8 A Cold Recovery

It was official. Spike had the worst luck ever. He was on the train leaving the Crystal Empire. The train had a small group of guards that were sent out to request help from the other Princess's. Mostly Celestia and Luna. Twilight did not yet have the extra guards that was needed. She did not yet have a castle. So Spike was sitting in the front cabin again. He was a royal guest after all and got the perks to go with it. One bad thing was that because of everything that had happened with the Black Colt assault every single pony came up and started asking questions about Spike's job as the PAD. He was wearing the coat, too, so that did not help at all. All he wanted was to sit down and continue reading the book that he started months ago. The one about the dragon that has to save the land from darkness with the new skills he learns. That book. He never got very far into it. Now that he had time he was being verbally assaulted by ponies. It took a while, but he was able to get a good way father into the book. He was on chapter eight when it happened.
He was sitting in the cabin, reading. It was a fairly quiet in the cabin. Many of the other crystal ponies had already gotten off at stops along the way. Spike was the very last stop. But he wouldn't make it there. Everything was going along normally, like any other day. That is when it hit. The whole train cabin nearly flipped. Spike grabbed his backpack and was able to use his longer reach, claws, and tail as leverage to keep himself in place as the cabin shook violently. After it stopped Spike checked on the other ponies. None of them were hurt. Only minor aches and pains. A few bruises here and there. Spike then peered out the windows to try and get a look at what hit them. Oh, he saw it all right. It was not what he was expecting. It was not a Black Colt. That is what he was expecting. A couple Pegasus Black Colts. But that would have been too easy. Why did Spike never get the easy option? What he saw was a dragon. A Black Dragon. It was just there. A few slow flaps of it's wings was all that kept it up. Spike could see the black ooze drooling out of its mouth. The eyes were dark and lifeless voids. It was a nightmare come to life, only worse. The Dragon all of the sudden darted at the train and breathed onto it. This Dragon did not breath fire, however. It layered a thick stream of black ooze onto the side of the train. Spike acted quickly. With a telekinetic wave he got all windows up and all ponies away. In the panic nopony noticed what he did. Not that it mattered. Within moments the ooze began to sizzle and pop. It was eating away at the side of the train cabin. Now the ooze was acting like acid. The entire side dissolved before Spike's eyes. Before Spike could even try to help the Black Ooze Dragon attacked. It caught Spike off guard and yanked him out of the train. He gripped Spike tightly and squeezed. Spike did all he could to fight the Black Dragon's grip, but it was immensely stronger than he was. It crushed Spike nearly to point of passing out. His body went limp as he struggled to stay conscious. He could barely keep his eyes open. The Dragon loosened his grip just slightly before throwing Spike down to the emptiness below.


Along the river below, a young filly was gathering water. She and her family were all farmers. This was the closest fresh water river to their farm. The young filly was sitting by the river. She did not want to be there. But she had to do as her father said. She thought she had seen something fall from the sky earlier, but she blamed it on a mind not fully awake. Farm workers get up early after all. Way to early, in her opinion. But then, as she was sitting by the river, she saw something. It was hard to make out. It was floating on the surface of the water so it was not a rock. It was much to dark to be a chunk of ice. She was young and curious so she had to figure it out. She was also a unicorn. She thrust her head out over the water and focused on getting that thing. Her horn flickered and sparked. The thing slowly lifted out of the water and landed next to her on the shore. She stopped to congratulate herself. She had done it! Then she investigated the thing. She quickly saw that it was a backpack. It was soaking wet obviously, and it was also covered in a really weird black sticky substance. The young filly went to touch it when she was surprised. Out of the silence of the early morning she heard a loud crack. The ice that covered the river was cracking. It was a normal sound so she ignored it. But then, much to her surprise, a massive hand shot up out of the water. All of it comes out, down to the shoulder. She screams at the top of her lungs as the hand comes down with a mighty thud. The claws dig into the dirt and the rocks right next to her. She backs up quickly as more of whatever it was appeared. The arm pulled up and a head appeared. It was hanging low and she could not see a face. The other arm was coiled around the abdomen. Whatever it was it was clearly hurt. It slowly and painfully crawled out of the icy river and collapsed onto the ground. The filly hid behind a rock the entire time. She was too afraid to think of what to do, but she had to do something. But she had no idea of what to do. She ran off to get her father. He would know what to do.

Spike woke up in a pile of ash. Now it was little more than cinders, but he could tell it was recently burning. What happened? He tried to sit up when a throbbing in his head put him back down. Ohh, that was going to hurt for a long while. He almost didn't notice the pain in every other part of his body because of the throbbing in his head. He did notice one other. His left side was particularly painful. He moved his head just enough to see what hurt. He saw only a large cloth hidden behind a lot of bandages. What happened to him? He looked around him. He saw metal walls and all sorts of equipment and tools. He recognized a few from his time at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, but the rest were unfamiliar. The passed his gaze over the metal walls until a pony blocked his sight. She came out of nowhere and startled Spike. Spike's vision was a little blurry so he could not see her clearly up close.

“Hi,” She said happily, “You're awake.”

Her voice sounded young. He could tell it was full of excitement. It reminded him of Scootaloo, or maybe Sweetie Belle. It did not have the same accent that Apple Bloom did. He missed the three of them the more he though about them. His thoughts were cut short by the appearance of a pony. A young filly now filled his visual range and he could see her clearly. She had an ice blue crystal coat with a short and spiked white mane with dark blue stripes. Her eyes were a deep red in contrast to the rest of her.

“Yeah,” Spike said slowly, “What happened?”

“I dunno,” The filly said, “You just popped out the river like a sea monster and darn near scared the ice off me.”

Her words were a little confusing for Spike. What river? She said something about a sea monster? Where was he ? The only thing she said that Spike fully understood was the ice comment. He was freezing! Spike relaxed his body and the pain subsided a very little. He looked back the the filly. She was just standing there. It was kind of creepy. She was just smiling and staring. She must not have a lot of friends.

“Was my backpack with me,” Spike asked.

“That was yours,” The filly said, “Yep. Gottit right here. It was in purty bad shape when I dragged it out the river. Didn't open it. Didn't get the chance with you exiting the river the way you did.”

The filly ran over to the corner and fetched the backpack. Spike did not even ask her. Cool. She dropped it at the edge of the ash pile. Spike tried once to get up but the pain nearly flattened him again. Slowly this time. He started with his legs. He got one up and over the side. Then the next. He then sat up. That took much longer. Every single movement, no matter how small, sent pain shooting throughout his body. He finally got to an upright position and stopped. He was in a lot of pain. He looked down at his backpack on the ground. There was no way he was getting down to it without a lot of pain. The filly nearly read his mind and unclasped the backpack. Spike told her to find the mirror and to touch nothing else. It took her a moment, but she found it. She held it up and admired herself in the face of the mirror. She gawked at the frame and the designs before Spike snatched it away from her.

“Thank you,” Spike said, “Now can you give me a moment alone?”

“Sorry, but I can't do that,” The filly responded, “I was told to watch you every minute.”

“Well then, can you keep a secret,” Spike asked.

He knew it was a risk, but he needed some help. The filly nodded excitedly. She nearly bounced off the wall as Spike held the mirror up and said the magic words.

“The night calls you, Smoke Shadow,” Spike stated.

“Well. It is good to see you,” Shadow said through the mirror, “How have you been?”

“Not too good,” Spike answered, “I was thrown off the train and now I don't know where I am, but I a-”

“You are on an ice farm in the Crystal Empire,” The filly interrupted.

“Who was that,” Shadow asked, “Are you using the mirror in front of somepony? Do you not remember what I said?”

“I do remember,” Spike said, “But I am hurting all over and was wondering if you knew something that could help.”

“I see,” Shadow said mysteriously, “I do know something. Lay back down and close your eyes. Focus all your remaining energy on your pain. Do as I taught you. Then repeat after me.”

Spike lay back down. That took almost as much time as it did for him to sit up. It was just as painful too. He groaned as his body shifted back into a resting state. Then he closed his eyes. The pain was constant so it was easy to focus on it. He would need absolutely no interruptions. In his state any interruption would mean he would have to start over. Luckily the filly did not interfere. And once Spike was ready he repeated what Shadow had said.

“Mend my body and heal my wounds,” Spike said with clarity.

Spike felt a surge of energy withing his body. It was everywhere, but then collected in his hand. He gazed at the swirling aura of blue energy that encased his hand. He felt no pain. It was incredible. He touched his hand to his chest and the energy returned. It surged across his body and went deep under every scale. At first the pain increased, but then it subsided very quickly. After a few moments Spike felt better then ever. He took his healed body and sat up. That was a mistake. He sat up too fast and sent his head spinning.

“Be careful,” Shadow said, “You are not fully healed. That spell was a healing spell used to heal wounded warriors on the battlefield just long enough to get them out. You will still need some time to recover from your more serious injuries. And deal with that filly that you foolishly used the mirror in front of.”

“Thank you, Shadow,” Spike said, “The night releases you.”

Spike ended his call with Shadow and turned back to the filly. She had not moved. Her eyes were as wide as they could be with shock and pure amazement. Her mouth was wide open. Spike noticed her unicorn horn and knew what he had to do. He got out of his bed of ash and closed her mouth for her.

“You cannot tell anypony about what you saw here,” Spike said assertively.

“How'd you go and do all that now,” She asked, “I ain't never heard of a mirror that could talk to people from far off. And you did magic. Only ponies can do magic. How did you do it?”

“You want answers,” Spike said, “I will give them to you. If you give me some.”

“Answer for answer, eh,” The filly pondered, “You got yourself a deal. You got my questions already. So answer 'em.”

“You first,” Spike stated, “Where am I and who are you?”

“You are on the very edge of the Crystal Empire. This is an ice farm on the border. We harvest the ice used in special events in the main city. And me? My name is Flake Frost. The Frost family has been here in these parts for a dozen generations, but we only began harvesting ice a few generations ago.,” Flake said proudly, “Your turn.”

“My name is Spike. I am a dragon that can do magic. The mirror was a magic artifact that helps me contact my mentor. He teaches me magic. That is how I can do it,” Spike explained.

With all the questions asked and answered. Spike got up and grabbed the Night Calling Mirror and put it back in his backpack. He then took a second look at the building he was in. It seemed to be a barn. Or maybe a warehouse. Spike could not picture a barn for ice harvesting. Just as he was looking towards the front a small door off to the side opened. An older pony came in. He looked to be Flake's father. He was happy to see Spike up and about so soon. He said it was the wonder that dragons healed so fast. Flake snickered at her father. She knew the truth, but no one else did.
Spike and Flake followed her father outside. The wind blasted Spike as soon as he set foot outside. It was bitterly cold and stung at his every scale. He breathed a small flame into his hands to try and get some warmth. It did not work very well. Flake pushed him to get into the main house. The trek was short, but still very uncomfortable. Spike almost knocked his head on the door frame as he entered. He was instantly greeted by a warm fire, though, and that made up for the cold walk. Flake led him up to it and sat him down right next to it.

“There you go,” She said, “Now you can get all nice and cozy and warm right next to the fire.”

“Thanks, Flake,” Spike said.

“I see my you and my daughter have spoken,” The father said, “I told her to come get me as soon as you woke up, but kids these days. They don't listen like they used to. As for me, you can call me Papa Frost. Everypony 'round these parts calls me that.”

“Well then, Papa Frost,” Spike said, “Flake said I came out of the river and that this is an ice farm on the border of the Crystal Empire. How did I get here?”

“Flake told you a lot, she did,” Papa Frost said, “Well, she wasn't lying to ya. This is an ice farm and we are on the border of the Crystal Empire. Have to be here. This is where the best ice comes from. But to answer your question. We are not exactly sure how you got here, but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that the river carried you here from some other place. Why you stopped here is anyponies guess. The river is mysterious that way.”

Papa Frost finished talking and he let Spike absorb everything. It was a lot to take in. He was still in the Crystal Empire after all that had happened. Even if it was the edges he was still there. But this place was far from the city in a more ways than one. It was so empty and cold, but that was not a bad thing here. Papa Frost's wife came in with hot drinks as Spike was thinking. Flake handed him a mug and he took it heartily. He held it for a moment. The feeling of warmth in his hands was bliss in the freezing cold environment that he was in. And the flavor was even better. It was just hot cocoa, but it was the best that he had ever had. He took a sip and the hot liquid stirred as it went down.

“Delicious,” Spike said.

“Old Frost family recipe,” Papa Frost said, “We buy cocoa beans from the ponies in town and fix 'em up just right here at home.”

Spike was glad to have some warmth in him. He was very tired after all that he had been through. Flake showed him to a small room off to the side of the main room. It was just a little smaller than the room he had at the Crystal Palace. He would do just fine in that room. He immediately went for the bed and curled up on it. Flake said goodnight and Spike was fast asleep a moment later.

Spike found himself in yet another nightmare. He was getting really tired of them. But he was plagued by them. This one was different. Spike was not in any place that he could recognize. It was not even that weird, empty room with the lights. It was nothing. Then Spike saw something. It was like he was seeing through a window into the past. It was a group of dragons walking and talking. It was from the time before dragons lost their magic. The one in front wore an immaculate golden crown. Spike knew who he was. Galeek. The Dragon King. He was just as imposing as Spike envisioned him to be. He had the black gem amulet. The Amulet of the Dragon King. That image must have been during the war with the ponies. But then the window closed and another opened. This time Spike saw an army of dragons. They were all armed and ready for war. This window snapped shut as another opened. Spike saw as Galeek addressed his subjects. He seemed like a good and fair king. This happened before the war with the ponies. Galeek did not have the Amulet. Spike began to wonder if it really was the war that changed him. Either way the Galeek that Star Ethereal defeated was not the same one that built the dragon kingdom. And then Spike heard it.

“Those were the good days.”

The voice was loud and booming and everywhere. Spike could not tell if it was talking to him or not. He kept quiet for fear of the being the voice belonged to. As he shuddered in fear he noticed a piercing cold come over him. It was like no cold he had ever felt. It stung like needles down to the bone.

“How I wish for those days to return,” The voice said, “To be a King again and rule this land as it should be.”

Spike could not believe it. Was that Galeek? How could it be? Galeek was long dead. He could not be here. Spike's thought was disproved by a sudden appearance. It was the most terrifying thing Spike had ever seen. And he didn't even see it clearly. All he saw was a silhouette. It was massive. It was strong. It was poweful. And it was coming.

“I will not let the ponies have their reign any longer,” Galeek said, “Soon I will rise again. I am even more powerful than I was before and I will take back what was taken from me!”

Spike could not move. He was paralyzed by fear. Galeek was getting closer. He could not see Spike. And he almost flattened him. Just as Galeek was right on top of him, Spike was gone.

Spike woke up screaming. He thrashed out as his mind tried to remember where he was and what he was doing there. It took a pony to bring him back. One of Spike's flying fists came within an inch of hitting Flake Frost. Spike managed to stop it just in time. He pulled himself back together and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sorry about that,” He said, “I had a nightmare.”

“I could tell,” Flake said, “Not surprising with what you been through and all. Now get up outta bed. We gots work to do.”

“Okay. I have to make a call first, though. Is that okay,” Spike asked.

“A call? You gonna use that fancy magic mirror to talk to somebody again,” Flake asked excitedly, “Can I stay? Pleeeaaase???”

Spike conceded that Flake could stay. She had already seen him use it once. He pulled the mirror out of his backpack and looked at Flake. She closed the door and rushed right next to Spike's side. He cringed a bit as she pressed into his side. He still had a wound on his left side that was new to him. She scooted over a bit and apologized. Spike brushed the whole thing off and looked back at the mirror. He looked deep into the mirrors black surface and said the magic phrase. The night called Luna. She appeared in the surface of the mirror and Flake almost flew through the roof.

“That is Princess Luna,” She shouted excitedly, “You know Princess Luna? How? Did she give you the mirror? It does have her on it. Did she make the mirror?”

“Calm down, Flake,” Spike urged as Luna spoke.

“Spike, is that you,” She asked worriedly, “I feared the worst. The news of the train incident said you were thrown from the train. You were nowhere to be found when they searched for you.”

“I am okay, Luna,” Spike said, “I landed in the river and it carried me away. I came to at an ice farm at the very edge of the Crystal Empire.”

“Is that where you met that young filly,” Luna asked.

“Yes. This is Flake Frost,” Spike explained, “She found me. She is the only one who knows about me and what I can do.”

“Are you sure that is wise,” Luna asked.

“I can handle it,” Spike said, “But I do have bad news. I had another nightmare last night. This one was different. I cannot tell you anything now, but I will the next time I see you.”

“As you wish, Spike,” Luna said, “But I cannot keep my joy for you a secret. What am I to say to my sister?”

“I don't know,” Spike said, “But I know that you will figure something out, Luna.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Luna said.

Spike groaned in agony as his wound was agitated by Flake moving. Flake quickly moved to his other side and apologized. Spike looked back at the mirror. Luna looked a little displeased.

“You are not fine, Spike,” She said, “You need to stay where you are. That ice farm is perfect place for you to stay while you recover.”

“What,” Spike nearly shouted, “I can't stay. The nightmare I had revealed a lot. I have to tell you in person. This is important”

“Spike,” Luna said gently, “As much as I would enjoy seeing you again you must stay. You still have your magic training, and now you have wounds that need healing. Please stay, for me.”

“Alright, Luna,” Spike said.

“And you, young filly,” Luna said to Flake, “Make sure he doesn't get into to much trouble, okay? Can you do that?”

“Y-y-yes, Princess,” Flake stammered, “S-sure thing.”

“Thank you, Flake Frost,” Luna said before Spike released her.

It would seem that Spike was staying a bit longer after all. Great. He hated the cold. He was a dragon. He swam in lava like ponies swam in water. He could breath fire. Nothing about him was compatible with the cold he was in. He reached for the coat in his backpack, but reconsidered. That coat was a little to conspicuous. He needed something a little more local. Then he remembered Flake. She was stunned and starstruck. She just saw Princess Luna face to face, sort of. And she was sitting next to one of Luna's friends.

“It was Luna who gave me the mirror,” Spike said, “I am the dragon that goes around to the different Princess and helps them with whatever they need. I am the Princess Assistance Dragon.”

“That is the downright coolest thing I have ever heard,” Flake said, “I still can't believe that you know Princess Luna, or that you call her just 'Luna'. That is so cool!”

“Remember, Flake,” Spike said seriously, “You have to keep this a secret. I took a big risk showing you this. I am trusting you not to tell anyone.”

“You can count on me,” Flake said, “Now come on. We gots work to do and we already late.”

Flake pushed Spike out of the room and out of the house. The brisk morning air took all the fight right out of him. It was not as cold as the night before, but it was still freezing. The sun was out and shining bright. That made it somewhat bearable. Papa Frost welcomed Spike to the morning and to the ice farm. It was the strangest farm Spike had ever seen. There were fields upon fields of ice that grew straight up from the ground. It was quite a sight. Papa Frost also handed Spike a coat. It was the largest they had. It was not the best fitting, but it was warm. Once Spike thawed a bit Papa Frost gave him his first job.

“I need ya to run into town and pick us some supplies. Food mostly. Our supplies are runnin' mighty low. Flake will go with ya. She seems to like ya and she knows the town better than most.”

Spike and Flake retrieved a cart from behind the metal barn. It was a barn. He learned that from Flake. That is where they kept a lot of their supplies. The only reason they put Spike in there is because that was the only fire big enough for him and because there was enough room.
The cart itself was small, but sturdy. It was also a pony drawn cart and the only pony with him was Flake. As much as she was excited to go, she could not pull the cart on her own. She was about to hook herself into the harness when Spike picked her up. She was caught by surprise and put right into the back of the cart. Spike removed the harness and tossed them in the back too. Last in was his backpack. Then he took either side of the cart handles and pulled.

“Whoa,” Flake shouted, “There is no way you is gonna be able to pull this cart in with you being hurt and all.”

Spike noted her concern but said nothing. His response was the initial jolt that got the cart moving. Flake managed to keep her balance as the cart got moving. Spike pulled out and started off down the main road. All the other ponies were astonished that Spike was able to pull the cart in his condition. And so started Spike's first day at the Frost Ice Farm.


Luna

Luna's call with Spike ended. She was overjoyed to hear from him. It had been a while since she had heard from him. The last time was when Shadow discovered he was a Mystik. She was so glad to hear his voice and to see him. He had changed so much. He was no longer the little baby dragon that she had first befriended. She danced around her chambers with joy at the good news. All the while she was trying to think of some way to break the news to everyone. If she didn't do it just right questions would be asked that could lead to her revealing Spike and his magical abilities. It was early morning when Spike called and Luna was still awake, but tiring. She lay her head down on her pillows and thought of Spike. She was so happy that he was alive and well. She knew he was still alive. Even when she got the news that he was thrown from a train and could not be found. That night she could feel him. He was dreaming still. Luna's eyes shot open. That was it! She could feel Spike dreaming even though he was missing. She flew out of bed and to the balcony. She jumped over the railing and flew down to the throne room. It was the fastest way there. She opened the giant double doors that led into the throne and was through them in less than a blink. Celestia had just finished talking with some of the guards when Luna burst in. She caught Celestia quite off guard.

“Luna, sister. Why is that you burst in here so,” Celestia asked.

“I have news! Such wonderful and joyful news,” Luna answered joyfully.

“About what,” Celestia asked, slightly confused.

“Spike,” Luna said, “I have news about Spike. He is alive. I know he is.”

Celestia looked past Luna. The guards were still there from her meeting. She gave them a look and they quickly exited the throne room. She looked back at her sister. Luna was dancing around the thrones. She even took flight at one point. She seemed so happy. When the messenger pony came with the news of the train attack Luna was devastated. She had grown quite close to Spike. The news of his disappearance hit her hard.

“I know that had become good friends with Spike, Luna, but there have been no findings whatsoever on his condition,” Celestia said.

“I know that, sister,” Luna said, “But I could feel him. That night after the news came, I could feel him dreaming. I have felt him every night since. If he is dreaming then he is alive.”

Celestia could not argue with that logic. It still took a moment to comprehend. Luna could feel Spike dreaming. If he was dreaming then he was alive. But where was he? Could Luna find him?

“If you know he is alive because of his dreams then can you find him using his dreams,” Celestia asked Luna.

“I do not know,” Luna said, “I can try, but I am not certain I can enter his dreams without knowing exactly where he is.”

“Trying is all that I can ask of you, sister,” Celestia said, “Now go and get some rest. I shall spread the good news. Spike is alive!”

Luna landed back on the floor and headed down one of the side corridors. She did feel quite tired. She passed several of the guards as she headed back to her room. They were all whispering to one another quietly. As soon as they saw Luna they quickly quieted down until she had passed. She knew what they were gossiping about. She had been a little overzealous with her joy. She would have to watch herself from now on. Another outburst like that and ponies might start questioning her sanity. She made it to her chambers and the guards looked back and forth at one another. She was in her chambers and now she was coming up to her doors. She headed to bed at once when she got into her chambers. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her. She yawned and fell asleep with thoughts of Spike in her mind.




Spike

Flake gave Spike directions from her seat back in the cart. Talk about a back seat driver. They did not see a lot of other ponies on the road. The Frosts got up at the earliest time Flake told him. The ones they did see were surprised to see Spike. It was not often that a dragon showed up and started helping. The long walk to town allowed Spike to see the scenery. It was quite lovely. There were many fields of ice. Many of them were bigger than the Frost's. Spike could see the Crystal Palace off in the distance. It looked so far away from where he was. And to think he was there only a week ago. From a royal palace to a farmhouse in less than a week. How his life had changed. Flake was talking the entire ride to town. Spike didn't mind. She was young and full of energy. It reminded him of his home back at Ponyville. The three young fillies that were always racing around trying to find their own cutie marks. Spike could not recall if Flake had hers or not. But he would not think about this any further. Flake was tapping him on the shoulder.

“We are getting close to town,” She said, “We need to go to the general store and get the supplies for the farm. Maybe after that we can head to the doctors and get you looked at. Maybe you could get a better coat. If we had the money for all that, that is.”

Spike slowed down as he walked into town. Flake directed him to the general store. He pulled the cart up and set it down with a bit of effort. He stood back up straight and groaned in pain. That much physical activity did not do his wounds any good. Flake was right. Spike was never going to tell her that, though. She headed right on in and walked up to the pony at the counter.

“Hey, Flake,” He said, “How are you doing today? And who in Equestria is that?!”

The store manager was surprised to say the least, when Spike walked into his store. It was not everyday when you see a dragon walk into your store. Flake was quick with her words, however.

“It's okay,” She said, “He just popped out the river a couple days ago. He is gonna help out 'round the farm while he gets all better. We are here to pick up some supplies, by the way. We need everything on this list.”

The store manager took the list and read it. He looked over every item and then looked back at Flake.

“This will take some time to put together,” He said, “Come back a little while later and I will have everything ready.”

Flake and Spike headed out while the store manage got the supplies around. They had time to kill so they did what Flake suggested in the cart. Spike grabbed his backpack and the two of them headed off to the doctors. It was on the other side of town.
The doctors office was a small building that was set a little farther back than the other buildings. He was as surprised as every other pony to see a dragon walk into his place. He saw him anyway. Spike took the coat off to show the doctor his bandaged wound. It was not looking good. The doctor removed the bandages and Spike finally saw what hurt so much. He had a huge gash in his left side. It was a deep wound that looked pretty bad. The doctor was able to clean and bandage it again. Other than that Spike was healing really well. The doctor said he would need at least six weeks for it to heal properly, but he admitted he was no expert on dragons. It could be six weeks or six days. He really did not know. They all agreed it would take time so Spike paid the doctor his fee and left.
Next they headed for the coat shop. The one that Papa Frost gave Spike was really uncomfortable and not the warmest. So they headed in and Spike started talking to the mare that owned and ran ran the shop. It was a lot of words that Flake did not understand so she went back outside for a bit. She was not outside for long when a snowball came flying right for her face. It hit her and she was not happy. She shook the snow off her head and searched for the thrower of the snowball. And she found her. Another young filly the same age as Flake. It was her nemesis. She stood a short distance away. Only a couple of paces. She was a unicorn also and magically formed a group of snowballs and launched them all at Flake one at a time. Flake was nimble and dodged around all of them. She formed a quick snowball with her hooves and aimed carefully. She threw it high into the air. At first it seemed like a bad throw. And then it landed. Flake scored a direct hit to her nemeses' face. She was not happy as Flake laughed hysterically.

“What is so funny? It was just a stupid snowball,” She asked.

“What's funny,” Flake said in between laughs, “Is that you had a whole mess of snowballs and couldn't hit ice in an ice field, and I only needed one to hit you in your face.”

“Did you already forget. I hit you in the face first,” The filly said.

“Yeah, but I didn't know it was comin' so it don't count,” Flake argued, “You saw mine comin' and still got hit in the face. That is why it is funny.”

“That was not funny,” The filly said angrily.

“It was too,” Flake shouted back.

The two of them argued back and forth with it. They got closer and closer to each other until they were practically at each others manes. They were not backing off either. Their shouting had caught the stares of several ponies from town. They always did. Their fights were infamous around town. Usually it was one of the adults that broke the two of them up and set them separate ways. This time was different.

“What are you doing,” Spike asked.

Both Flake and her nemesis looked at Spike after he broke up their little battle. They were both kind of shocked. Spike looked a lot different. The coat that Papa Frost had given him was brown, worn, and barely went past Spike's waist. The new one he bought was much different. It was made of a dark, black cloth. It looked brand new and went down past his knees. It was closed in the front across his chest, but opened up around his legs. It was slit in the back to make room for his tail. It made Spike appear rather intimidating.

“Nice coat, Spike,” Flake said after a moment.

“You know this dragon,” The other filly said, “What am I saying? Of course you know him. No pony is going to associate with you so you had to resort to dragons. How very Flakey of you.”

The other filly walked off with her chin out like a spoiled brat. Spike looked back at Flake. She was steaming. She was so angry Spike almost saw the snow around her start to melt. Her face was red and she was about to explode. Spike knew he had to do something, so he took a major risk. It was going to be dangerous. Maybe the most dangerous thing he had done since he came to this town, but he had to do it.

“So,” He started, “Who was that?”

There. It was done. The fuse was lit before, but now maybe Flake would extinguish herself out. All she had to do was vent. And she did. Right after she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“That would be my mortal enemy,” She told Spike angrily, “My nemesis. My rival. Her name is Snow Banks. Her family owns the biggest ice farm 'round these parts, but they don't work it themselves. They hire other ponies to do it for 'em. It makes me so angry the way she acts! Like she's better than everypony else.”

“Well there are other ponies like that everywhere,” Spike said, “But I would like to know why she called you 'Flakey'.”

“She's been doin' that for months now,” Flake said, “It all started because I am a Unicorn that don't do magic. My horn is a fake. A first it was just 'Fake Flake' and then it became 'Flakey'. Anything that didn't work right or failed was Flakey.”

“That seems a bit harsh,” Spike said.

“I know,” Flake said, “But no pony 'round here is gonna say anything to her or her family. They pretty much own this whole town and can get any pony's farm shut down or worse. And because they have such a big farm it makes it hard for a small farm like ours to make money.”

“Why don't you make enough money,” Spike asked, “You have so much ice in thefields.”

“Yeah, but we can't harvest it all,” Flake said, “The only ponies we have are Papa and Mama, but they are getting old. I have two older brothers, but one left for the city and the other was injured during the last harvest. He won't be able to do much this harvest.”

“Well you got me,” Spike said, “Tell you what. I can show you a thing or two about magic and I can work as hard as two ponies combined. Together we can make this ice harvest the best you have ever had.”

“You got yourself a deal,” Flake said proudly.

Spike and Flake headed back to the general store. The pony that ran it should have all the supplied ready by now. They got back as he was loading the last of it into their cart. He shoved the last sack of cocoa beans into the cart with a grunt before addressing Spike and Flake.

“Alright now. That will be fifty-five bits,” He said with a huff.

“What,” Flake shouted with surprise, “It was only forty bits last time! What changed, huh?”

“Sorry, Flake, but the last shipment from the city was really low. I have to raise my prices to keep my little store up and running,” The manager said.

“But we ain't got that kinda money,” Flake argued, “You know that. We buy from you because you always have good prices as well as good stuff.”

“It's okay, Flake,” Spike said calmly, “I can pay for this.”

Spike reached into his backpack and pulled out a small pouch. He could hear the clink of the coins as he handed the pouch over to the store manager. He took and inspected the contents of the pouch. He was stunned. There had to be way more than fifty-five bits in there. They were all shiny and clean like they were never before used.

“This is way to much,” He said, “There must be seventy bits here at least.”

“Use the extra to keep your store running,” Spike said, “The Frost family will be needing your services in the future. It would be shame if the best store went out business.”

“Thank you so much. . .,” The manage started.

“My name is Spike,” Spike filled in, “And you're welcome.”

Flake jumped up into the back of the cart as Spike took the handles again. He groaned at the difference between how heavy it was before. It was very light with just Flake in the cart. Now it was packed full of supplies and much heavier. But Spike could handle it. It took him a moment to get some momentum in the icy ground, but once he did he was good to go. The ice on the ground actually helped him with the cart. The wheels moved over the slippery surface easier. It was a fairly quiet trip back to the farm. Flake took a nap and Spike was able to enjoy the silence and the scenery. The rest of the way to the farm was uneventful. Good. Spike had been through enough to last him a good ling while. It would be nice for him to just do some real work for a change.
He and Flake got back to the farm around noon. Papa Frost and his wife were just coming in from the ice fields. Flake's injured brother greeted them from the front porch. They all admired Spike's new coat and the entire cart full of supplies that he was pulling behind him. It was more than they expected.

“Looks like you had a good trip to town,” Papa Frost said.

“You got no idea, Papa,” Flake said very excitedly, “It was incredible. First, we give the list to the store manager and then we went to see the doc pony. Spike has a nasty ol' scar on his side. Then he went to buy that fancy new coat and I got into a snowball fight with Snow Banks. Then we got the supplies from the store manager, but he slams us with a fifty-five bit price. And then Spike pull out this big bag o' money and gives it all to him. Now the store can stay open so we have somewhere to buy stuff.”

The other ponies had to stop and catch up to Flake's words. She talked almost as fast as Pinkie Pie did when she was excited. The energy of the youthful pony. It was quite something.

“So, Spike here bought all the supplies for us,” Papa Frost reviewed, “And was able to give the store manager a little extra coin to keep the store open? That about right?”

“It was the least I could do to repay you for letting me stay here,” Spike said.

“He's also gonna stay and work the ice fields,” Flake said, “The doc said he was gonna need at least six weeks to get better, so why not.”

“Well,” Papa said cautiously, “We could use the help. But the fields can be mighty dangerous to an amateur.”

“Please, Papa,” Flake pleaded, “He already fell into the river and popped out again. Plus, he has already been movin' around and gone to town and back just a couple days after that. He can handle it.”

“Well then he can start right away,” Papa Frost said, “But with the easy stuff. Transporting the ice crystals from the fields to the barn for storage. Judgin' by the way you handle that cart I'm sure you can do that.”

Spike was greatly appreciative. And reassured. He could get to work right away. Well, right after lunch. He was starving. They all sat around a table outside. For lunch it was a simple vegetable stew. Unfortunately, the Frosts did not have any gems for him. And his backpack supply ran out on the train. He could use a few gems right now. Flake could see the look of disappointment on his face. He could eat other things, but a nice gem would be a treat.

“What's the matter? You don't like vegetable stew,” She asked.

“It's not that. It's just that I usually eat gems and such things,” Spike said, “I had a bag full of them that a friend gave me. I ran out just before I got here.”

“Well, we don't have any gems,” Flake said, “But we do have stew. You can eat stew, right?”

“Yes, I can,” Spike said, “And I am sure it is delicious.”

He was right. Spike sampled the stew and was amazed. It was as delicious as the hot cocoa he had the night before. It must have been another old Frost family recipe. The whole situation reminded him of Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres. She had plenty of old family recipes that she used. Granny Smith had given her a lot. He finished his stew and went to work with the other ponies.

He followed Flake as she led him to the area they were harvesting. Spike could still not quite believe the ice fields, and he was standing right in them. Ice spires that grew straight up and out of the ground. Each spire had small branches growing off it. It was almost like a small ice tree. Only more pointed and heavier. The pointed ends were the dangers that Papa Frost mentioned. You had to have quick reflexes to avoid the sudden spurts of growth that sometimes occurred. Spike was in particular trouble due to his size and his injuries. Flake led him down a row and told him how the ice was harvested. It was a very careful process. First, a metal spike was driven into the base of the spire. That cut it off from the underground source of water that made the spires grow in the first place. That made it much safer to handle the spires. No worry of growth spurts. Then each branch was carefully cut off with a special tool that heated the ice just around the blade. Each of those tools-called heat saws-took a battery. Another item Spike picked up in town. After each branch was cut off the central spire was cut just above where the spike was driven. Then all crystals were loaded into a large cart and Spike would push it to the barn. There Papa Frost's wife, Crystal Frost, would inspect the ice for flaws. The flawed ice was discarded and the good ice was kept in a special cooler to keep it just right until the day it would be sold. A long process. But Spike knew his job and what he was supposed to do.
He worked with Flake the rest of the day. She would buck the spike into the spire of ice. Her size made her ideal for the job. After that, Papa Frost would come and cut off all the branches to the spire and then cut the spire. It was Spikes job to push the cart down the rows and load it with the ice that was cut. After about five carts were full he would attach them all together and deliver them to Crystal Frost at the barn. And that was how the rest of the day went. Flake spiked, Papa cut, and Spike carted. It was a team job.
As the sun was setting for the day Flake was getting tired. Spike was pulling a load of carts behind him and she was wobbling beside. Every few steps her head would suddenly drop and then come back up. Every time Spike asked she said she was fine. Eventually, Spike picked her up and placed her in the front cart. It was empty. Only the back four out of five were full. She curled up and went to sleep. Spike could not help but feel tired himself. It had been a long day and his body needed the rest. He just had to drop this last load off to the barn. He got there and pulled the carts in. He grabbed Flake and quietly closed the barn doors. He walked back to the farmhouse and put her in her bed. He pulled the covers over her and went to his own room. Before he got there he was stopped by Papa Frost.

“It seems my daughter has taken a liking to ya,” He said, “Just be careful. Strangers 'round these parts can attract attention. Attention can get ponies hurt. Make sure my daughter isn't hurt. Can you do that?”

“Of course,” Spike said, “And on that subject I had a question. The pony at the general store said the latest shipment was small. He made it sound like that happened often. Why would that be?”

“Probably 'cause it does happen often,” Papa Frost replied, “Those darn ice imps outside town raid all the carriages with supplies for the stores. Those darn greedy imps! They are ruining this here town!”

“I might be able to help with that,” Spike said, “I am kinda good at solving problems like that.”

“No,” Papa Frost insisted, “You just do your job here on the fields.”

Spike went to bed that night with a lot on his mind. And also not a lot. He was happy to be here. He was helping this family while he was healing. It was actual work and not the sort of jobs he was doing as the PAD. But at the same time he was hiding. He was hiding from the world. By now Luna had told Celestia that she knew Spike was alive and dreaming and Celestia had told everpony else so everypony knew he was okay, but no one knew where he was. He was hiding from Galeek. Spike knew he was coming. He did not know how. He did not know where. He did not know when. But he did know that Galeek was on his way, and he was not happy.
It took a long time for Spike to fall asleep. He was kept awake by the pain. It was not all from the wound in his side. It was mostly the work. He was sore everywhere. It did not matter what position he slept in. He could not get to sleep. He even tried to use that healing spell that Shadow showed him. That feeling of bliss washed over him as he touched his hand to his chest again. He loved it. There was no pain. Then the spell ended and all that soreness came back. It seemed the spell only worked on serious injuries. Spike checked his side to see if that had healed at all. He unwrapped the bandages around his abdomen and peeled back the cloth covering it. It looked a little better since he was at the doctors office, but that was due to time and medicine. The spell did very little to heal the wound the second time around. Spike finally did manage to sleep a little. It was a short and dreamless sleep.
An hour and a half after he fell asleep Spike got a wake up call. It was Papa Frost. It was time to go to work. He groaned out of bed and made his way outside. All the other ponies were there and ready to work. Flake could see the anguish on Spike's face.

“You look tired,” She said.

“Yeah,” Spike said, “And I'm sore.”

“You'll get used to it,” Flake said, “Now we're off the ice fields. Same as yesterday.”

Hooray. Spike slowly made his way over to the barn and grabbed a line of carts. Crystal was already hard a work inspecting the ice that was harvested the day before. She seemed very focused. Very intent on finding any and every flaw. But Spike was with Flake again today. He dragged the carts out to the fields. It was a heavy job. These carts were not like the one he pulled to town. No, these were almost like mine carts. Each one was deep and had wooden sides lined with metal to reinforce it. Spike was going to make sure they were well used.
Flake traveled down the row driving a spike into the base of each ice spire. It was not a very physical job, but a critical one. She took a pike from the bag she wore and placed it against the ice. She carefully lined up the height, the angle, and the force of her kick. When she had it all figured out she would tap the tip of the spike into the ice to make a mark for her to aim at. Then she would use her magic to hold the spike in place as she turned around and aimed her hoof. Then, with one swift motion, she drove the spike into the ice. It seemed like a complicated process, but Flake did it all within a moment of time. She was often a few rows ahead by the time lunch came around. Papa Frost was always behind her because he had the slower job. He had to carefully remove every branch of ice without damaging the overall spire. That is where most of the ice is good and useable.
Spike watched as Flake moved farther and farther away. Papa Frost was having trouble with the heat saw. It wasn't cutting through the ice. He tried to put some weight behind it and it didn't budge. Spike looked at it and tried his weight behind it. He did have a few pounds on Papa Frost. But not even Spike's weight could move the heat saw. Papa Frost was getting worried. The heat from the saw was beginning to melt the ice around it. That would damage the spire. Spike had one final idea. He let go of the heat saw and grabbed hold of the branch that the saw was cutting through. It was just over halfway through the branch, so Spike was going to finish the job. He took hold of the branch near the tip and raised his other hand high above it. He slammed it down like a meteor on the branch. The saw cut already weakened the branch and Spike's thunderous blow broke it off completely. When it was done he had the branch in one hand and the saw in the other. He handed the saw back over to Papa Frost and then looked at the branch.

“It is just one branch,” Papa Frost said, “At least the spire is intact.”

And so Spike was the hero of the day. He saved one ice spire and the heat saw. It still worked properly, but could use a tune up. All of their tools could use an upgrade. They never had the money. But Spike was determined to fix that. He promised himself that he would make that years harvest the best the Frost family has had in a while. The first week was tough. Only his second day and he was already breaking limbs off spires. The rest of the day went rather normal. They finished one section of the fields that day. They were able to start another one after lunch. Flake and Spike raced their ahead of Papa Frost. Spike stopped to catch his breath after they got the new section. Flake had to duck and dodge to avoid his swinging tail. It nearly hit her before the tip smashed into the bottom of a spire. The spire got agitated and sent a sharp branch right at Flake. Spike saw it coming, though. He turned faster than he thought possible and shot his arm out. He pushed Flake out of the way of the incoming branch as it collided with his arm, The thin ice branch was no match for his dragon scales. It did put a nice hole in his coat sleeve, though. Spike didn't mind. As long as Flake was okay.

“Whew,” She said, “That sure was close.”

“What happened,” Spike asked her.

Flake went over the spire. It was okay now. It had calmed down, so to speak. Flake carefully knelt down and inspected the bottom of the spire.

“Whoa,” She exclaimed, “You cracked the ice. With your tail.”

“I don't get it,” Spike said.

“This is Northern Mountain River Ice,” Flake explained, “The reason we use these special tools is because this ice is known for being real hard and real dangerous. You broke it with a swing of that big ol' tail.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had that much strength in my tail,” Spike said.

Spike made an effort to keep his tail in check in the future. He and Flake went down the row after lunch and cleared half the section before the day ended. That is how Spike spent the next two weeks.
He and Flake cleared rows and sections. He filled the carts and pushed them back to the barn. He regularly checked in with Luna and Shadow. She often said how hard it was to keep the secret of his whereabouts to herself. She nearly caused her sister, Celestia, to have a heart attack when she burst into the throne room. Spike was alive! She did not know where. She did not know how. All she knew was that he was dreaming which meant he was alive. Spike laughed when Luna told him about the way she was acting that morning. She blushed.
Shadow was staying wherever it was he stayed when not with Spike. He still taught Spike as best he could. He gave him plenty of advice and lessons. Spike was learning elemental magic now. He could already do fire. That came naturally to him. But to truly understand magic he had to be able to harness his opposites, according to Shadow. Spike was surrounded by ice almost all the time. The only other element that he could try harnessing was wind. Even that was cold as ice here. Spike ended one their conversations one day as Flake came up to him in the fields.

“Hey, Spike,” She said, “Remember back in town a couple weeks ago. You said you could show me some things 'bout magic, but you haven't yet.”

“Sorry, Flake,” Spike said, “How about I show you some things at lunch?”

Flake was all too excited to learn about magic. She was not that good at it at all. And she was a unicorn. What good is a unicorn who can't do magic? Spike and Flake headed out in the yard at lunch. The other ponies watched as Spike knelt down by Flake.

“Alright. Remember to focus. You have magic inside you. Close your eyes and focus on that magic. Bring it to the surface. Once it is there you can use it to do what you want. We are going to start simple. Lift this ice,” He said.

Spike threw some small pieces of bad ice that Crystal Frost had given him. They landed a few feet from them. Flake could hear the ice hit the ground. She did as Spike instructed. She closed her eyes tight. She focused. For a few moments she did nothing. Then her horn sparked and glowed. The ice began to twitch and move. And then it was floating. It was just three small pieces a few inches off the ground, but that was something. Flake opened her eyes and saw what she was doing. She was so happy that she lost focus and dropped the ice. It shattered on impact with the ground. Flake lost her smile.

“That's okay, Flake,” Spike said, “That was really good. Try again.”

Spike left Flake to practice and went back to the table to get some stew for lunch. All the ponies there were giving him strange looks.

“Where did you learn about magic,” Papa Frost asked, “I thought dragons don't do magic.”

“I used to live with a pony who was very gifted with magic. I learned a lot from her and now I can use that to help Flake,” Spike said.

He purposefully avoided answering the question about dragons doing magic. He did not want to get into that. He ate his stew and watched Flake. She was doing just as Spike had said. Guess all his training with Shadow was not all for nothing. Spike learned more than just magic from him. She was real tired by the end of the day and had to be carried out of the fields. Magic did take a lot out of you. Spike knew that firsthand. The next day was the one month anniversary of Spike's arrival. Unfortunately, one month was all the time the supplies lasted. It was time for another trip to town.