Ch9
“Look, Miss Cheerilee,” a rather embarrassed drago began, “I promise it’s not an issue. All I have to do is send another letter and ask for them back (and an apology for their contents), and we’ll be fine.”
To her credit, the mulberry earth pony managed not to hyperventilate at finding out she had just sent the ruler of the nation three essays on why she was arguably less popular than her sister. “Spike, you did great, and I appreciate all the help. But I’m not going to lie, this might be a deal breaker.” She told him as tactfully as she could.
Spike sighed, recognizing a pattern at this point. “Yeah,” he said despondently “I guess I get that. I’ll send the letter to the princess when I get home in a bit. Using Twilight’s nice paper and the messenger seal might make her feel a little better about the whole thing. I’ll get them back to you when I get them, kay?”
Cheerilee put a hoof on his shoulder, trying to ease the news. “Spike, I know you didn’t do it on purpose, and obviously your work ethic” she gestured to the large sorted piles he had graded “is impeccable.” Spike gave a half-hearted smile to show he appreciated the gesture, but his heart obviously wasn’t in it. “Don’t worry Spike, I’m just a bit scared at sending the mare who controls the sun essays on why she’s second fiddle. Rationally, I know it was a mistake, and I trust the princess enough to think she won’t take it personally.” She dropped her hoof, but lowered her head to look him in the eyes. “Spike, would you be so kind as to come back on Monday, and help me keep an eye on the younger classes?”
Spike showed a bit of life now, this time making an effort at an honest smile. “That’d be fine, Miss Cheerilee.” She smiled and patted him on the back.
“Now then!” she pepped. “Back home with you! I want those essays back, toot sweet.” She scolded good-naturedly. Spike snorted and saluted goofily.
Their mirth was short lived however, when they both heard a ruckus outside. “What in the world?” Cheerilee questioned. “There isn’t supposed to be anypony here. Did you bring a friend?”
Spike went to the window to see what was going on, and immediately Cheerilee got the message that something was wrong when the baby dragons scales paled and his wings drooped. “I don’t think any of them are my friends, Miss Cheerilee.” She walked up beside him to check for herself, and gasped at what she saw. Outside her school house was a gathering of almost thirty ponies, not counting some of the children accompanying them. Though most were empty hoofed, the several ponies in front made it clear what the purpose of the angry mob was. It was Glitter, the mare from the jewelry shop, and her several friends. “I don’t suppose there’s a back door I could use?” he asked fearfully.
Able to see the seriousness of the situation, Cheerilee led him to the back of the classroom, and into the stationary closet. As they moved aside some of the items on the ground, so they could get to the emergency exit in the back (stars above, she feared the day when she would need it,) a knock at the front door called their attention. “Cheerilee!” called an unfamiliar stallion, “Cheerilee, open the door! We’d like to have a word with you about making that lizard your teachers’ assistant!”
‘What? How did they even know?’ Spike wondered fearfully. Before he could think about the answer, though, Cheerilee pulled him close and whispered harshly “Spike, I’m going to let them in, and try and keep them here. You go out the door here and get back to town; stay with one of your friends.” She then ushered him out the door, and closed it behind him. He heard the lock latch into place behind him, so, knowing there was no going back, Spike began to move. Before he got very far, he heard the ponies get inside, and start yelling at Cheerilee for making him her assistant, ignoring her objections that he hadn’t been hired.
Moving as quickly as he dared, Spike stayed close to the building and made sure to duck under the windows. When he ran out of wall, regretfully, he stopped to think about how next to proceed. He couldn’t well just make a mad dash across the school-yard, he’d be spotted from inside instantly. Then he saw that a fence surrounded the property of the school, and even though it had gaps in between each post, they were close enough together to make it difficult to see what might be on the other side. Spike figured if he could get over the fence without being seen, it’d be his best shot at getting back into town. Taking a moment to gather his nerves, he overheard some of the shouting from inside the house. It was obvious the ponies inside were only getting more rowdy, and Cheerilee was becoming less and less capable of dealing with it. ‘Thank Celestia she’s not part of the friend hoard. I don’t wanna think about what’d happen if I had to go in there.’ He shuddered silently at the thought of facing all those angry ponies. ‘I don’t think I’d wish that on any of my frien-’ he stopped.
It occurred to Spike that even though she wasn’t a part of his friend hoard, she was still his friend, wasn’t she? Spike realized that even though he collected friends instead of jewelry, he still had to put effort into how he acted, or he’d be just like the greedy dragons his friends had tried so hard to keep him from imitating. That meant that he had to go the extra mile, and for more than just those who he was getting magic from. Making his decision, he quickly formulated a plan and began to act on it before it was too late. As swift as he could, Spike jumped over the fence and made his way to the front of the schoolhouse, but ran into an issue once there. He had assumed, due to all the noise from inside the building, that all the gathered ponies had made their way inside to yell at Cheerilee. But unfortunately, it now appeared that several had remained outside, and even though they were all facing the door and looking in the windows, it still meant he had less time to escape after saving Cheerilee.
And save her he would; in the most spectacularly stupid way he could think of. “HEY! JERKS!” he hollered as loud as he could. Immediately, all the ponies whipped around, and even some of the ponies inside came to see. “Hah,” he mock-laughed at them “you all responded to ‘jerks.’” And immediately ran for his little scaly life.
“There he is!” he heard behind him. “Get it! Go get it!” and the chase was on. Spike had never been very quick on his short stubby legs, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun the ponies with his usual two legged gait, so he resorted to running on all-fours, which he absolutely hated because it made him look like an actual lizard. It did however make him considerably faster, and with the gap of time it took all the angry mob ponies to get out of the school yard, he actually felt like he might get away with his little stunt. He even went so far as to flap his wing for little jumps and bursts of speed.
But, inevitabley, he heard, and felt, the thundering of hooves catching up, and he realized his mistake. A little dragon, no matter how healthy or fast, could never outrun a pony in a foot-race, and certainly couldn’t outrun a whole group of them.
A large brown earth-pony stallion he didn’t recognize ran up alongside him and hopped into his path, yelling “Stop, you little creature!” Spike promptly ignored him and ran around the angry pony, but wasn’t able to get very far before he found another pony blocking his path, then another, and in no time he was surrounded by a ring of angry ponies; ones angry at him.
“This is the end of the line, you little monster!” screeched Glitter. “You’re going to answer for attacking my little girl like that!” she shoved her way to the front, so she could be seen as well as heard. “Somepony bring the cage! I want this creature locked up as soon as possible!”
For his part, Spike was scared out of his wits, with his belly to the ground and trying to be as small as possible, he looked more like a whipped dog than a dragon. ‘Cage?!’ he thought. ‘They’re gonna put me in a cage? But I haven’t done anything!’ However, surrounded as he was by ponies who could at any moment decide he didn’t deserve a fair trial, he was too fearful to summon his usual snark, or to speak at all.
“Spike!” called a small voice over the noise of ponies trying to find the alleged cage. “Spike! Over here!” without lifting his head, Spike tried to turn towards the voice. And like an angel in a dark forest, Sweetie Bell’s face emereged from between the legs of the adults. She crept up to him as stealthily as she could. “Applebloom and Scoots went for help, but this isn’t looking good.” She whispered. “Can’t you fly out of here?”
Fighting his fear for every word. “N-no. Even if I wasn’t too scared, the pegasi would catch me in an instant. Besides, I haven’t learned to do more than hover for a few seconds with Rainbow.” He glanced around at the gathering. “But Sweetie, how did you even know about-”
“Sweetie Belle!” screetched a female voice from the direction Sweetie had come. “Get away from that thing this instant!” forcing their way to the center of the crowd came two ponies Spike hadn’t expected to see, one a white earth pony stallion wearing a shirt and straw hat, sporting a thick mustache, and the other a pink unicorn mare with a large elaborate mane style and full clothing. Magnum and Pearl, Rarity and Sweetie’s parents. Once close, they grabbed Sweetie Belle and looked her over worriedly. “Oh, dear, it didn’t burn you did it dear? Oh, let me look at you.”
Magnum, an admittedly large middle-aged stallion, put himself between Spike and his daughter, glaring at him. “Mom!” yelled Sweetie. “He didn’t burn me! I told you, it’s just Spike! He’d never hurt anypony, let alone his friends!”
Pearl bopped her daughter on the nose. “Hush! I’ll admit he was cute and harmless before, but after how violent he was here yesterday, it’s obvious his little growth spurt made him just like every other dragon; a complete brute!”
“Darned Tootin’!” agreed a familiar, rickety old mare. “Why just yesterday ah saw this little critter abscondin’ with apples from mah farm!” Granny Smith shook an angry hoof at Spike, who somehow managed to sink lower in the dirt.
“Now, mares, I don’t think we need to discuss this further.” Glitter interjected hautily, a rusty metal cage that was obviously too small levitating behind her. “It’s obvious this menace must be dealt with, and swiftly!” she dropped the cage down in front of Spike, and wrenched open the gate with a forceful jerk of her horn. “So monster, what’s it going to be? Will you go willingly, or do we have to beat you into the cage?”
“NEITHER, YOU SELF-RITEOUS BITCH!” and, with a clap of thunder and flash of lightning, Twilight Sparkle descended into their midst. The newly anointed Princess of Friendship lowered her horn, and all the alicorn-y goodness it channeled, right in Glitters face. “Now get. Away.” Immediately the circle broke and all the hostile ponies gathered to one side, staring fearfully at the enraged royal.
“An don’t ya’ll be thinkin’ that’s the end of your problems!” Spike’s head whipped around to see a second mob of ponies, this one just as angry as the first, but considerably more fond of Spike by the looks of it. At the front was Applejack, her sister and brother immediately to her side, and the other elements of harmony on the opposite side. Behind them were a number of similarly minded ponies, including Mr. Widget, his daughter and grandson, Sharp eye and Clear Heart, the Cakes (all of them) and even Sven. Spike even Spotted Snips and Snails in his group of supporters.
He was ecstatic to see them all, almost as many gathered in his defense as there was against him, but he lost his mirth when he saw that Glitter’s group hadn’t dispersed. When his friends settled themselves across from the offending mob, it became clear that the witch-hunt had just turned into a battle.
And Spike marked the battle line.