//------------------------------// // S3 E9: Spike at Your Service (What If?) // Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 2 // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// It had been a few weeks since Twilight had begun her advanced magical studies under Princess Celestia, and already the workload was increasing at a tremendous rate. Spike was busy counting a stack of books that had been mailed to Twilight just a few days ago. "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve." he said, as he counted each book one by one. Twilight, surprisingly enough, seemed to not be surprised at all. "Huh. That's not that many. I was sure there would be more." she commented, observing the stack that lay before her eyes. "Are you kidding? How are you supposed to read twelve books in one weekend?" Spike asked "That's a lot, even for you." "Well Princess Celestia obviously thinks I can do it or she would never have assigned them to me. I'm not planning on letting her down." Twilight said seriously, making her usual preparations for whenever she had a lot of books to read in one sitting. "Well, I hope you're not planning on sleeping then, either." Spike teased "I just hope you don't drive the whole town crazy again. We don't need another repeat of the 'Future Twilight Fiasco'." "Very funny Spike." Twilight said sarcastically "But I'll tell you what, these books are gonna keep me busy for quite a while. So why don't you make yourself useful and run a few errands for me?" "Though you'd never ask." Spike replied "What can I do for you?" "I have a small list I've prepared that should give you all the instructions you need." Twilight explained, levitating said list over to Spike with her magic "Be careful about that last item though." "Why?" Spike asked. "In case you haven't heard, it's timberwolf season in The Everfree Forest." Twilight told Spike "Applejack says timberwolves have been spotted not far from Sweet Apple Acres. So when you go to pick up the potion ingredients from Zecora, do not stray from the main path at all!" "Oh relax Twilight, no offense but you worry too much." Spike replied "I'll manage just fine." "I'm just making sure you're aware." Twilight said to Spike "If anything happened to you out there, I'd be devestated. You know I see you as my son." "Of course I know that. Everypony knows that by now." Spike said seriously, and he headed for the front door. "Spike please, come back unharmed." Twilight called "I came close to losing you for good in The Crystal Empire, I don't want anymore scares like that." "Don't worry Twilight, I'll be back before you know it." Spike smiled, and with that he was gone. Twilight sighed, and turned her attention to the stack of books on the desk in front of her. Hopefully, if she concentrated on reading them, time would tick by and Spike would be back before she had a chance to worry. Once outside, Spike took a quick look at the list. The first item on the agenda: Pick up more writing quills from Quills and Sofas. "This will be easy. I'll be done with these errands in no time at all!" Spike said to himself. "Okay, let's go over that list one more time." Spike said to himself sometime later. He'd completed most of the chores on the list, but he wanted to double check and make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. "Pick up more writing quills from Quills and Sofas, check. Deliver the electric bill to town hall, check. Drop off the bridesmaid gown from the royal wedding at Carousel Boutique, check. Return Cheerilee's blackboard to the school, check. Schedule next appointment at Ponyville Dentistry, check. Place an order for cupcakes at Sugarcube Corner for a mid-study snack, check. All that's left to do now is Obtain new potions ingredients from Zecora. It's too bad The Everfree Forest is such a long walk from here, if only there was some way to just go right into the heart of the forest." Then, in the distance, Spike spotted a familiar sight. It was the light pink and purple hot air balloon that could be rented out to whoever wanted to use it. "Of course, the hot air balloon!" Spike exclaimed, and raced over to it "This will be so much better than walking there on my own claws, and when I've picked up the ingredients I can just fly right back out of The Everfree Forest in a matter of seconds." The balloon was resting at the balloonport, guarded by Cherry Berry. A sign next to the ramp leading to the ballonport listed the price it cost to rent out the balloon. Currently, the price was set at 5 bits an hour, with a penalty of 3 extra bits for every 15 minutes over the paid hours. "Hey Cherry Berry!" Spike called, carrying the writing quills and cupcakes in a small saddlebag tucked under one arm. "Hello Spike." Cherry Berry greeted warmly "You here to rent out the balloon?" "Of course, I need it to get into and out of The Everfree Forest." Spike explained, and gave Cheery Berry 5 bits. "One hour should be more than enough time to accomplish that." "Are you sure that's a good idea Spike?" Cherry Berry asked "There are an awful lot of trees in The Everfree Forest. And remember, this balloon was just recently repaired after being all but destroyed in a freak tornado near The Wonderbolts Academy." "I'll be fine." Spike said crossly, as he climbed into the basket of the balloon and untethered it from its docking post "I've flown this baby before, I know what I'm doing." "Be very careful." Cherry Berry called, as the balloon flew up into the air. In a matter of seconds it was out of sight and floating off towards The Everfree Forest. Most ponies took no notice of the balloon, as it floated towards The Everfree Forest. The balloon had flown over the town so many times that it had become a common ocurrence. But there was one pony that did take notice of the balloon, and the direction it was traveling in. "Now just who in their right mind would fly a hot air balloon into the heart of The Everfree Forest, in the middle of timberwolf season?" the mare thought to herself "I sure hope they know what they're doing, otherwise they're probably going to end up becoming a timberwolf snack." Before long, Spike had reached The Everfree Forest, and tethered the balloon to a tree to keep it from flying away. But as a precaution, in case he hadn't tethered it properly, Spike took the saddlebag containing the writing quills and cupcakes out of the balloon basket. Now Spike could suddenly remember just what made this forest a place to be feared. It was broad daylight, but the trees blocked all sunshine and made The Everfree Forest as dark as Princess Luna's night. In the distance, Spike could've sworn he heard a howl, but he shrugged it off. "Fluttershy always says this forest can play tricks on you if you're not careful. I've just got to stay focused, and get to Zecora's. The sooner I get those potions ingredients, the sooner I can leave." And with that goal in mind, Spike set off. What he didn't know, was that a pair of glowing green eyes was watching him from a distance. They would've been hard to spot admisit the bushes and vines, however. As Spike made his way through The Everfree Forest, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was following him. But everytime he turned around to look, he saw nothing. "I'm letting this forest get to me. I've got to get to Zecora's and get out of this spooky place." he thought nervously to himself. All the while, a pair of glowing green eyes was observing him. Zecora was waiting for Spike outside her hut, she seemed quite relieved to know he was still okay. "Hello Spike, I'm glad you are here. Your visits always bring me cheer." Zecora greeted in her usual rhyming way. "It's good to see you too Zecora." Spike smiled, shaking her hoof with his claw "Sorry I can't stick around to chat, but I'm here to pick up some things for Twilight." Zecora nodded "I know what it is that has brought you here today. I have everything, if you will kindly step this way." Spike followed Zecora into her hut. The wooden masks that lay on the floor and the various shelves seemed a lot less scary compared to what might being laying in wait within the forest. It wasn't long before Zecora had given Spike everything he needed, and despite her insistence that Spike let her accompany him back to the balloon, Spike set off along the path alone. "I made it here in one piece. I won't have any trouble making it back to the balloon." he had told Zecora. Zecora, for her part, was incredily worried. "Spike please, listen to what I have to say! I sense great danger is heading your way!" she called, but Spike was already too far away to hear her by the time she shouted the warning. All Zecora could do now, was hope that Spike would not stray from the path at all. If he did, he was doomed. As Spike navigated his way through The Everfree Forest, two pairs of glowing green eyes were watching and observing him from afar. They were watching and waiting, hoping for their prey to wander off the path. "Where am I now?" Spike thought to himself, as he found himself in an unfamiliar part of The Everfree Forest. "Stupid nature! These trees all look the same from down here!" he quickly realized he was getting angry, and started to take some deep breaths "Just stay calm Spike, and retrace your steps a little. You'll find the path to the balloon much quicker if you don't let your anger distract you." Suddenly, Spike noticed something off to his left. A small patch of delicious berries were sticking out of a bush. The only problem was, in order to get to them Spike would have to wander off of the path he'd been on since he'd landed in The Everfree Forest. Already, Twilight's warning from earlier came creeping back to the forefront of his mind "When you go to pick up the potion ingredients from Zecora, do not stray from the main path at all!" But even as he remembered that warning, Spike's stomach began to rumble. He really should've gotten something to eat at Sugarcube Corner while he was running around. He looked all around, but other than the berries the only thing he could eat were the cupcakes. He quickly ruled out that option, they were meant for Twilight. "She'd be pretty mad if I came back home with a box of eaten cupcakes, and I don't have any money to buy another batch. Besides, those berries look so delicious, how could I possibly ignore them?" Against his better judgement, Spike wandered off of the main path and made his way over to the berry bush. He quickly scooped up as many berries into his claws as he could, and ate them as he raced back to the main path. But it was too late. Just as he'd left the bush, it happened. A rather rotten smell, almost like bad breath, began to fill the air. Spike heard growling again, and this time it sounded a lot closer. Then, he felt his scales brush against something made of wood. He spun around, and came face to face with a pack of timberwolves. "Uh, hello?" he greeted nervously. The timberwolves responded by letting out a howl. Spike, for his part, was wondering how the timberwolves had managed to find him. Then, he noticed the saddle bag with the box of cupcakes inside it. "Of course, the cupcakes lead them right to me." he thought to himself "Well, this is a fine mess I've gotten myself into." The timberwolves looked at Spike, growling slightly and licking their chops. It was obvious what they intended to do. Fortunately for Spike, he quickly remembered that he could breath fire. Without wasting time, he took a deep breath and blew it out, setting the paw of one of the timberwolves on fire. Said timberwolf cried out in pain, and raced off to extinguish the flame. "That's right timberwolves, come any closer and I'll roast ya." Spike said confidently "It's just you, me, and my fire breath. What are you gonna do about it?" The timberwolves looked at Spike, and a look of fear seemed to come into their eyes. They slowly backed away, and for a moment Spike thought they would turn around and run away. Instead, one of the timberwolves howled again, and within seconds Spike found himself surrounded on every side by the creatures. "Good point." Spike said nervously. He knew now that if he tried to set fire to any of the timberwolves, the rest would gang up on him and attack him. He needed to think of something while he still had time to do so. Then, it came to him. "Before you eat you I just wanna one thing, what's that over there?!" he cried out, and quickly pointed his claw in a random direction. Just as he had expected the timberwolves all turned to look where he was pointing. And while they were all distracted, he ran away. Unfortunately, the distraction didn't last for more than a few seconds. And the instant the timberwolves realized they'd been tricked, they gave chase. All Spike could do now was run, and hope they wouldn't catch him. Unfortunately, he hadn't been running for very far when he ran into the side of a cliff. He tried to climb up it, but his claws wouldn't grip the rocky surface and he slid back down. He kept trying, and kept slipping, as the timberwolves closed in on him. "I guess this is it." he thought to himself, as he shut his eyes and waited for the end to come "Never thought it would end like this." But just before one of the timberwolves could grab hold of Spike, there came the sound of shattering wood. Spike opened his eyes, and saw that a rock had made contact with the timberwolf that had tried to attack him, leaving the timberwolf as nothing but a pile of various sized sticks. Spike looked up, and saw the most welcoming sight he had seen since the day had begun. Above stood Applejack, holding a pebble in her hooves, and looking down at the timberwolves with a look of a seriousness and anger. "Why don't you overgrown pieces of lumber try pickin' on me for a change?!" she shouted "I'm sure you'll find me to be more of a challenge!" "Applejack, what are you doing?" Spike asked. "What's it look like I'm doin'?" Applejack replied, throwing another pebble down to take out another timberwolf "I'm savin' your hide!" "It's gonna take more than rocks to get rid of them." Spike said nervously, as Applejack continued to pelt any of the timberwolves that tried to attack "I know that, I just need them to back off for a bit." Applejack explained, and hurridely threw down her lasso "Hurry and climb up it, those timberwolves won't give up that easily!" "What do you mean?" Spike asked Applejack, as he climbed up the lasso and joined Applejack on top of the cliff. "There's no time to explain, run!" Applejack instructed, and took off as fast as her hooves would let her. Spike did the same, if only because he figured Applejack knew what she was doing. The timberwolves were quite mad when they saw their prey fleeing, but they weren't about to just abandon the chase because of a small cliff. They all looked at each other, before they rammed themselves into the cliffside full force, leaving nothing but sticks and leaves. But that wasn't the end for them, as a magical green aura surrounded their remaints and began to re-animate them. Instead of returning to an entire pack however, the sticks and leaves all began to combine together. If one were to look closesly, they would have seen a delicate construction project that was quickly turning into a massive timberwolf. The newly constructed giant timberwolf had no problem grabbing the side of the cliff, and once it was on solid ground once again, it quickly took off after Applejack and Spike with a tremendous roar. When Spike hear the roar, he looked back and gasped in horror. He could not believe what he was seeing. "Where in the wide world of Equestria did that come from?!" he shouted to Applejack, as they were fleeing from the terror that was only a few feet away "It must be at least twice the size of a normal timberwolf!" "That's why timberwolves are so dangerous!" Applejack replied "Granny Smith told me all about em, the only things they fear are fire, and anythin' that can break their stick bodies! And they have this ability to somehow pull themselves back together!" "What are we gonna do Applejack?!" Spike asked nervously "We can't run forever!" "I know that Spike, I'm not tryin' to run away!" Applejack explained, stopping suddenly "I just needed to get a good headstart, so I could do this!" In the blink of an eye, Applejack grabbed a loose tree limb and pulled it back. When the giant timberwolf drew close, she let go of the limb and let it snap back to its original position. By the time the giant timberwolf saw what was coming his way, it was too late. The tree limb hit him square in the face, causing him to shatter into a million little pieces of seemingly lifeless sticks. "Whew. That should keep em' out of our hair." Applejack said with relief "Now then, I don't suppose ya mind tellin' me just what in tarnation you're doin' out here in the middle of timberwolf season?" "I could ask you the same question." Spike replied, as the two friends walked away from the pile of sticks "I'm glad you came when you did, but you don't usually travel through these woods." "That's simple." Applejack explained, chuckling slightly "I saw the balloon floatin' by and wonderin' who in their right mind would want it to steer into The Everfree Forest at ths time of year, so I came out here to investigate." "Funny story actually, that was me." Spike told Applejack. "What? Are you crazy?! You almost got yourself killed!" Applejack scolded, as she and Spike made their way back to where the balloon was docked. "I know, I know, that was pretty stupid of me." Spike replied. "Stupid is an understatement." Applejack said crossly. "But I had a good reason for coming into these woods." Spike went on, and he told Applejack about the list of errands Twilight had given him. "I see." Applejack said seriously, as she climbed into the basket of the balloon with Spike "I had a feelin' there was a reason why that balloon was flyin' again so soon after it was almost destroyed." "I'm just glad it's still in one piece, like me." Spike nodded in agreement "Speaking of which, that was pretty cool how you drove off those timberwolves back there!" "Aw shucks, it was nothin' Spike." Applejack said modestly "I'm sure you'd do the same for me if the roles were reversed, it's what friends do." "What you did was amazing! I mean, you rocketed those boulders at them like they were... rockets! Pow, pow, pow pow pow! You saved my life!" Spike exclaimed, then the realization hit him "You... saved... my life." Applejack smiled, but she felt a bit uneasy as Spike got close to her "Aw, don't mention it, Spike. C'mon, we should be headin' on back, now." And with that, the two friends took off in the balloon. On the balloon ride back into town, Spike had a big surprise for Applejack "Since you saved my life, it is my duty to inform you that as part of the 'Noble Dragon Code' I owe you a life debt and must serve you no matter what." he revealed, bowing to her. Applejack wasn't sure what to say. The idea of someone offering themselves to her for life sounded very uncomfortable coming from the mouth of one of her closest friends. She may not have known Spike as well as Twilight did, but over the past 2 years he'd become a part of her life in ways she never would've imagined. He had shared some of his concerns with her, and had hung out with her on multiple occassions. And now he wanted to serve her for the rest of his life because some code said so? It didn't sound right at all. "Not for nothin' Spike, but that code sounds like somethin' you just made up." she told him. "It's not made up at all!" Spike protested "Do you remember that dragon migration last spring?" Applejack nodded, she could still remember how hard Spike's 2 months of absence had been on her and her friends. "What does that have to do with the code?" she asked Spike. "Well, after I came back from it and Peewee had hatched, Twilight took me to The Canterlot Archives." Spike explained "Together, we discovered that until recently dragons had a code that they strove to live by. Part of that code stated, if a dragon's life was saved by a non dragon creature, they would owe that creature a life debt. Any dragon that ignored such an agreement, would be cast out of the kingdom. It was ripped up when the dragons complained that they were tired of other creatures exploiting their kindness and generosity. When I read about that code, I knew I had to make it part of my life. It was the only way I could ensure I wouldn't end up like Garble and his followers." Applejack said nothing, she had no idea that the code was not only a real thing, but that it had such a significant history. It wasn't until the balloon had landed back at the balloonport, and she and Spike had gotten out, that Applejack thought of something that might change Spike's mind before he got too fixated on this "life debt". "Now, what about Twilight? Doesn't she need your help and such?" she asked Spike. "Huh, you're right." Spike realized "I better break the news to Twilight. I just hope she doesn't take it too hard. Besides, I need to at least drop these things off before I can officially say that I'm done serving her." Applejack breathed a much needed sigh of relief, as Spike raced away. "If anyone can talk some sense into him, Twilight's definitely the one." she thought to herself, and she headed back home to Sweet Apple Acres. As Spike approached the front door of The Golden Oaks Library, he was starting to have second thoughts about serving Applejack. Twilight was very much the mother he'd never had. She had raised him, taught him right from wrong, and done so many wonderful things for him. And now, here he was, about to say that it was all over. His heart felt incredibly heavy, and it took everything he had not to breakdown and cry right then and there. "Come on, Spike, this is your personal, moral, ethical dragon code we're talking about!" he said seriously, giving himself a mental pep talk "You have to do this! It's not like you and Twilight won't ever see each other again ... but it won't be the same." For several minutes, he just stood there, uncertain of what to do next. At last, he sighed and said to himself "But it has to be done." Twilight had just finished reading the third book, when she heard the familiar footsteps that told her Spike had returned. She turned around and greeted him with a warm and motherly smile "Ah, there you are Spike. You've been gone for quite a while, is everything alright?" she asked innocently. Spike sighed, and set the saddlebag filled with the writing quills, cupcakes, and potion ingredients down on the floor. "Everything is fine, though I was attacked by timberwolves in The Everfree Forest." As soon as those words escaped Spike's lips, Twilight's mood change. "What?!" she exclaimed, and quickly raced over to him to check for any signs of injury "You're not hurt are you?! You didn't get bitten, right?!" "I'm perfectly fine." Spike said, calming Twilight down "Applejack saved my life." "She did?" Twilight asked, Spike nodded "Well, that was very brave of her. I owe her big time for that." "That's kind of what I came here to talk to you about." Spike said solemly "I know you've told me already that you see me as your son, and I'll always be grateful for the part you played in raising me." Twilight could already tell where the conversation was heading, and she tried her best to stay strong "Spike, I know how much the 'Noble Dragon Code' means to you." she began. "Then you know why I have to do this." Spike interrupted "I owe her a life debt, and I intend to serve her for the rest of my life." "But what about me Spike? Haven't you ever stopped to think about what will happen to me if you leave?" Twilight asked. "You'll be fine, you've got Owlowiscious to help you." Spike replied. "He can't replace the hole in my heart that you'll occupy." Twilight said sadly, trying her best to hold back tears. "Twilight, please don't cry!" Spike pleaded "Because if you start crying, then I'm gonna start crying, and it's just gonna be a big ugly mess!" "I'm sorry Spike." Twilight replied, tears flowing down her cheeks "I know this may sound selfish, but I need you in my life. Without you, my life just isn't the same." "I'm sorry as well Twilight." Spike said, as he turned and trundled saddly away "But this is something I have to do. It saddens me to have to say this, but our time together has come to an end. Goodbye, Twilight." As soon as those words reached Twilight's ears, there was no stopping the water works. She burried her face in her hooves, and sobbed. Spike was gone, and he wasn't ever coming back. Spike was just as heartbroken, but he was determined not to let it stop him from fufilling the "Noble Dragon Code". With a heavy heart, he set off for Sweet Apple Acres, to begin the first day of his life of service to Applejack. Applejack was busy with her usual farm chores. It was almost harvest time, and Sweet Apple Acres was busier than ever. With Big Macintosh out of town to try and resolve some finanical issues, she had to work harder than ever to make sure everything would be ready on schedule. "Hello there Applejack, I've come to offer you my services." Spike greeted, as Applejack finished bucking one of the apple trees. Applejack was quite surprised, Twilight should've resolved the entire issue. So what was Spike doing here, trying to fufill this silly idea about a life debt? "Spike, I thought you said you were going to talk to Twilight about this?" she asked. "We talked and she said it was okay." Spike explained, but Applejack could easily tell that he was lying. "Spike, tell me the truth. What happened with you and Twilight?" Applejack said, trying her best not to come across as rude or inconsiderate. "I told her what you did for me, and we had a talk." Spike told Applejack. "And?" Applejack encouraged. "And nothing." Spike lied "We just talked, and we came to an agreement." "Spike please, tell me the truth." Applejack demanded "I know how close you and Twilight are, there's no way Twilight would just be okay with you up and quittin' on her to serve me. You're practically her son, you should know that by now!" "Applejack please, I am telling you the truth." Spike insisted. "Perhaps you are, but you ain't tellin' me the whole truth." Applejack said, shaking her head "Whatever it is, you can tell me. We're friends." "I don't have to tell you anything, I just want to serve you." Spike replied "Why can't you just leave this issue alone?!" "Because it wouldn't be right of me to just up and accept your life debt without knowing what you and Twilight talked about at the library." Applejack explained "If Twilight's really not okay with this, then I'm not gonna do it." "Do you really wanna know?" Spike asked Applejack. "Of course I wanna know Spike, I'm not gonna make one of my friends mad just because I did something like this without their approval." Applejack replied "Now will you please answer my question, 'What happened with you and Twilight?'" Spike tried to think of some way around the issue, but he quickly realized that there was no point in hiding the truth. Applejack would find out one way or another. "I told Twilight what happened, and we talked for a while." he explained to Applejack "Twilight pleaded with me to reconsider, but I told her that I had to do this, because the 'Noble Dragon Code' means so much to me. So I told her that our time together was over, and I left. She's probably still trying to recover from the sadness my depature has caused." "So that's why you were tryin' to skirt around the issue." Applejack realized "Is that 'Nobel Dragon Code' of yours really so important that you're willin' to leave Twilight for good?" "Yes." Spike replied and turned his head "I don't wanna talk about it anymore. It's in the past, and it can't be changed. All I can do now is foucs on the future. So, what can I do to serve you Applejack? Your wish is my command." Now Applejack felt really torn. "What should I do?" she thought to herself. Should she tell Spike how she felt about having someone else work for her for the rest of her life, or should she keep quiet to make him feel better? Maybe there was some sort of loophole she could use to get out of this? She shook her head at the idea. "The last time I got out of a promise because of a loop hole, Pinkie Pie wouldn't talk to me for a whole week. I'm not gonna let that happen again." "Well Applejack, what can the great and noble Spike do to serve you?" Spike asked, interrupting the silence. Applejack remained silent for a bit longer, as she tried to decide what she should say to Spike. At last, she spoke up and told Spike "Uh, well... Apple Bloom's just over yonder givin' little Piggington a bath. I was gonna go lend her a hoof, but I think maybe you could lend her one instead. How's that sound?" "Can do! Just sit back and relax." Spike replied, and eagerly raced over to find Apple Bloom and "Piggington". As it turned out, "Piggington" wasn't so little. "Piggington" was a massive pig, and from the looks of things it had attracted a lot of mud. No wonder Apple Bloom needed assistance. "Well howdy Spike, I wasn't expectin' to see you here." Apple Bloom greeted cheerfully. "Applejack said I could lend you a helping hoof, or claw as the case might be." Spike explained "I wasn't expecting 'Piggington' to be so massive though." "Piggington" responded with a loud snort, as if it were offended. "Great! I could use all the help I can get!" Apple Bloom replied "Piggington can quite stubborn when it comes time for her baths. Careful not to let her roll onto ya." "Piggington" sat down with a thud. Spike grabbed a brush, and he and Apple Bloom set to work on cleaning "Piggington". "Just wait 'til Applejack sees how you sparkle!". He said to "Piggington" "Won't that be nice?" "Piggington" let out another loud snort, but Spike and Apple Bloom took no notice. A few minutes later, Spike and Apple Bloom were finished. "Piggington"'s coat glistened in the sunshine. "Ta-da!" Spike said happily. Applejack was most impressed. "Good job, you two. Piggington looks spotless." "Piggington" responded with an oink, and trotted off somewhere. "Applejack, is it okay if I get goin'?" Apple Bloom asked "I don't wanna be late for my Crusaders meeting. We're gettin' fitted for water skis! It's gonna be loads of fun!" "Heh, you definitely don't wanna be late for that." Applejack smiled. "Thanks." Apple Bloom replied, and raced away "Water skiin' cutie mark, here I come!" Once Apple Bloom had left, Applejack turned to Spike. "Spike, you can head on out too." she told him "I don't have anythin' else I need your help with." Spike wasn't happy at all to hear that. He hadn't created that code just to do one favor for someone, and then be told he wasn't needed anymore. "Please, Applejack, you must allow me to assist you further!" he pleaded "I can do anything you ask." "I dunno, Spike. Just don't feel right to have you, uh, doin' things for me." Applejack explained, hoping he'd get the message. "Oh come on, please?" Spike pleaded. Applejack already knew what Spike was trying to do, Apple Bloom had tried to do something similar on many occassions in the past. It didn't work then, and it wasn't going to work now. "Really, you don't–" she began. "Pretty please?" Spike interrupted. Applejack was starting to lose patience, Spike was being incredibly persistence. But she stood her ground. " It's just not necessary–" she began again, this time trying to sound more serious, in the hopes that Spike would pick up on it. "Pretty pretty pretty please?" Spike interrupted, clinging to Applejack's front left leg and shooting his best pair of puppy dog eyes at her. Applejack tried her best, but she just wasn't able to bring herself to shrug off Spike's face. With a sigh, she admitted defeat and said "Oh, all right. I suppose you can help Granny Smith and I bake some pies. How's that sound?" "Oh thank you Applejack!" Spike said happily, and let go of Applejack's front left leg. "Thanks for all your help Spike." Granny Smith said a short time later, and inserted the last of the pies into the oven. As it turns out, Spike was an incredibly skilled baker, and he knew his way around a kitchen. He'd wanted to use his flame breath to cook the pies, but Applejack and Granny Smith wouldn't let him. They didn't want to run the risk of his flame breath overheating the pies and turning them into charcoal. Even so, Applejack still wasn't all that comfortable with the idea of Spike helping her out. As one of the pies was placed onto a windowsill to cool off for a bit, she decided to take the time to talk to him about how she felt. "Listen, sugarcube, you know that I completely respect that 'Noble Dragon Code' of yours." she told Spike. "Of course I know that." Spike replied happily. "But I just don't feel comfortable with you permanently servin' me." Applejack went on "You've already helped quite a bit, and I appreciate that very much. But this just isn't right." "Please, Applejack, that dragon code is a part of who I am." Spike pleaded "It's the only way I can be sure I won't end up like those teenage dragons I met during the migration. You've got to let me keep serving you! I want to feel like a noble dragon!" "Well, I certainly don't want ya to feel like you're not a noble dragon." Applejack replied nervously. "Then that settles it, I'm going to keep serving you for the rest of my life." Spike said seriously "So, what else can I help you with today?" "Why don't you help me deliver some of these pies?" Applejack suggested "This one here's goin' to Rarity. I know for a fact she'll be happy to see you." Under her breath she added "Maybe she can help me figure out a way to get out of this mess." "What did you say Applejack?" Spike asked innocently "You were talking to yourself for a second there, but I couldn't make out what you said." "Oh, I was just thinkin' about somethin' that Rarity could help me with that you can't." Applejack replied "Trust me, if you could help me with it, I wouldn't hesitate to ask." "Oh, I see." Spike nodded "Well, let's get going. I'm sure Rarity's not gonna want a pie that's gone cold." Rarity was quite surprised when Spike and Applejack arrived at Carousel Boutique together. Just what was going on? "Oh my stars, I don't think I've ever tasted a pie as lovely as this!" Rarity exclaimed, when she had sampled a piece of the pie. "Thanks, I helped to bake it." Spike explained. "You helped Applejack bake a pie?" Rarity asked "Was Twilight okay with this?" "Of course she was." Spike replied, skirting around the subject "In fact, she's okay with me serving Applejack for long as I want." "Huh, why I wasn't informed of this?" Rarity thought to herself "Something must be up. Spike's usually going on and on about how much Twilight cares about him. Why is he suddenly spending all his time with Applejack? Did he and Twilight have some sort of falling out or something?" "Aren't you gonna have more of that pie?" Spike asked Rarity. "I would love to Spike, really I would." Rarity replied kindly "But I had a big breakfast. I'll tell you what though, I'll save the rest for later. Maybe I'll even share it with some of our friends." "Spike, why don't you take Rarity's plate back to the kitchen and wash it off?" Applejack asked Spike "There's somethin' Rarity and I would like to discuss in private." "As you wish!" Spike replied, and headed to the kitchen with the dirty plate. "So, what is this all about?" Rarity asked Applejack, once the two friends were alone "Why is Spike doing all of this for you? And what's going on with him and Twilight?" Applejack sighed, and explained "I saved Spike from some timberwolves in the Everfree Forest, and now he thinks he has to serve me forever as part of this 'Noble Dragon Code'. He claims Twilight's okay with it, but the truth is he and Twilight were pretty heartbroken when he said he was through being her number one assistant." "Oh the poor darling." Rarity said sympathetically "That's why he was so quick to change the subject when Twilight came up." "Yeah, and I'm just not okay with lettin' him serve me for the rest of his life." Applejack went on "It's just not somethin' I'm comfortable with. I've been tryin' to tell him this, but he just won't listen. I was hopin' you might know what to do, seein' as Spike's always gushin' over you." "Well, did you ever think about maybe getting Spike to serve somepony else?" Rarity suggested. "Where are you goin' with this?" Applejack asked. "It's quite simple really." Rarity explained "Since Spike always loves to be around me, I'm sure he wouldn't mind serving me for the rest of his life. And I would love to have him, there's a lot he could do for me. He could help me with my sewing, organize my closets, and even give me a pedicure every now and then." "That sounds like you'd be takin' advantage of his affections for you." Applejack said crossly. "Oh don't be silly. I'd be more than willing to reward him for his hard work." Rarity replied "He'd get his own bed to sleep in, I'd let him snack on some of my spare gemstones every now and then, and he'd be given an endless amount of love and caring affection." "Sounds like a plan." Applejack agreed "When he comes back, I'll tell him that he's free to serve you, and that you have my permission to carry on my debt for me." Spike returned a short time later. "The dish has been taken care of." he said proudly "Now then Applejack, what do you want me to do next?" Applejack looked at Rarity, and then said to Spike "Actually, I was thinkin' about somethin'. I know how much you enjoy bein' around Rarity and everythin'. So, why don't you start servin' her instead?" "What?" Spike asked. "Applejack has given me permission to absorb your debt to her. From here on out, you can owe me a life debt instead." Rarity explained "I have a lot of things that I would be more than happy to let you help me on, and I'm sure Sweetie Belle wouldn't mind having you help her with some of her chores. You'd be given your own bed to sleep in, and if you behave nice enough I could let you snack on some of my gemstones. Wouldn't that be a nice change from farmwork?" "She knows about your whole 'Noble Dragon Code'." Applejack added "So, whadya say Spike?" "Do you want to come with me?" Rarity asked. "Or do you wanna stay with me?" Applejack asked "I'll understand completely if you wanna go with Rarity. She can provide you with everythin' you could ever want." "Well, I don't know. This is kind of sudden." Spike said uncertainly. "It's alright Spike, there's no pressure on ya." Applejack replied. "Take as much time as you need." Rarity said kindly. Spike said nothing for a few minutes. In his mind, he considered each of the choices, and the pros and cons that they presented. He could go with either choice, and never be fully satisfied. But eventually he looked at Rarity and said "I'm sorry, but I owe my life to Applejack, not to you. I can't ask you to absorb that debt, even if I would love to be with you. I'm going to continue to serve Applejack until the day I die." Both Rarity and Applejack were shocked "WHAT?!" they gasped at the top of their lungs. "No way! If I didn't see it myself I would never believe it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She had just been passing by Carousel Boutique, when she'd overheard the conversation. Needless to say, she was just as surprised as Applejack and Rarity. "My decision has been made." Spike replied, and went over to Applejack "And a noble dragon never goes back on his decision, no matter what." "Just what is this all about?" Rainbow Dash asked "Shouldn't Spike be working with Twilight?" "Applejack saved Spike's life and now he has to serve her forever." Rarity explained "Apparently, it's part of this 'Noble Dragon Code' that I've never heard about before." "'Noble Dragon Code' huh? Never heard of it." Rainbow Dash replied, and she turned to Applejack "So what are you having him do? Wash your laundry? Clean your room? Help you with your unfinished novel?" "Unfinished novel?" Applejack asked. "Yeah! Don't tell me I'm the only one who does it!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly "Mine's about this awesome Pegasus, who's the best flyer ever and becomes the captain of the Wonderbolts!" Rarity was anything but impressed "How ever did you manage to come up with that ingeniously woven intricate plot line?" she asked Rainbow Dash sarcastically. "I don't know. It just came to me." Rainbow Dash replied. Rarity could easily tell that she was lying, but said nothing more. "Thing is, I don't really want him to serve me forever, but I don't know how to get him to stop." Applejack told Rainbow Dash "I thought he might be interested in servin' Rarity, but he still wanted to be with me in the end." "So he's interested in serving you for life huh?" Rainbow Dash asked "Well, I've got a pretty easy way to make him give up! Just make him help you with something really, really hard." "I dunno. I don't want him to get hurt." Applejack said nervously "If that happens, Twilight will kill me for sure." "Puh-lease. He'll quit way before there's even a chance of getting hurt!" Rainbow Dash replied confidently "Just leave this to me!" "I hope you know what you're doin', Rainbow Dash." Applejack whispered anxiously. "Everything is under control." Rainbow Dash whispered in reply, and turned to Spike "Sooo, Spike, Applejack was gonna help me stack some hay so I could practice smashing through it, but I'm feeling extra, extra powerful today." "You are?" Applejack asked. "Yeah, I am." Rainbow Dash quicky replied. She knew Applejack was a terrible actor, so she had to make this up as she went along in order for Spike not to suspect anything. "So instead of hay, I'm gonna smash through rocks!" "Rocks?" Spike asked. He couldn't understand why Rainbow Dash would want to do such a thing. She might sometimes push herself too hard, but she wasn't stupid. "Yeah! A huge tower of rocks!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly "And you're gonna build it for me!" "I am?" Spike asked nervously. Had Rainbow Dash lost her mind? "Yeah, I mean, unless you don't wanna help Applejack." Rainbow Dash suggested. "Of course I do!" Spike said seriously "It's a part of the 'Noble Dragon Code'!" "Then what are you waiting for?! Get to it!" Rainbow Dash told Spike, then she turned to Applejack and whispered "This is gonna work like a charm, just you wait and see." Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, Spike proved to be more determined than she anticipated. Not only he had not gotten hurt, but he had managed to build a massive tower, made up entirely of rocks. He'd set it up in the fields outside Sweet Apple Acres. "Huh. I was so sure he'd give up after, like, three rocks." Rainbow Dash said nervously to herself "Guess I thought wrong." Fluttershy was passing nearby, when she saw what was going on. Applejack quickly informed her of the situation. "Oh, goodness. If it'd been me, I'd have just pretended I didn't have anything for him to do and sent him away." she said in reply. "Why didn't I think of that in the first place?" Applejack asked herself "Would've saved me all this trouble." "Is that high enough for you?!" Spike called down. Rather than take chances Applejack called up "That's quite high enough if you ask me! Come on down, Spike!" Spike did so with ease. "Well, the bad news is he actually built that entire rock tower." Rainbow Dash said nervously, and gulped "But the good news is... I've got a rock tower to knock down. "Ooh, I don't think that's a very good idea Dashie." Pinkie Pie said nervously, arriving on scene "I know rocks, and trust me, they're not something you can just smash your way through." "I know that Pinkie, but I gotta do it." Rainbow Dash gulped. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Pinkie Pie replied. Spike, for his part, wasn't worried at all. If Rainbow Dash had asked for his help to build a rock tower, she obviously had to know what she was doing. "Haha, yeah! You can do it!" he encouraged. Rainbow Dash decided it was no use trying to delay things any further, and with a flap of her wings she was off. "Oh, I can't look!" Fluttershy said nervously, and turned away just before Rainbow Dash made contact with the rock tower. There was a crash, and some of the rocks on top were knocked loose. Luckily, Rainbow Dash wasn't hurt. "That... was... awesome!" Spike exclaimed, completely ignoring the fact that a huge boulder was just about to crash on top of him. Sure enough, there was a thud, and the boulder hit the ground. Everypony (except for a rather dazed Rainbow Dash) gasped in horror. But to their relief, Spike emerged from behind the boulder, having evaded it at the last second. "Wanna do that again, Rainbow Dash?" he asked "I'm sure Applejack wouldn't mind if I rebuilt for ya. And of course, I pride myself on a job well done." "I think Rainbow Dash has had enough for one day." Pinkie Pie replied "She's looking worse than me after that one time I tried to follow her crazy stunts. Let's just say, that's an experience I hope I'll never have to repeat." "She seems fine to me." Spike said innocently "She can always take a beating, right Rainbow Dash?" "Sure! Why not...?" Rainbow Dash stuttered, barely able to keep herself airbone in her dazed state. "No! I mean, I don't think Rainbow Dash needs any more of your help. Or my help for that matter." Applejack spoke up. "Just look at her, it's a miracle she hasn't crashed yet." Pinkie Pie commented "Say, Dashie. How many hooves am I holding up?" "Two! No, wait, four! I mean two! I mean.. oh for pete's sake can you hold them still?!" Rainbow Dash complained, not realizing that Pinkie wasn't holding up any hooves. "See what I mean?" Pinkie Pie whispered. "I'm fine as well Spike." Applejack went on "I just can't think of one more thing I need help with." "What do you mean you can't think of anything else I can help with?" Spike asked. Surely Applejack was pranking him, there was no way there wasn't something she needed help with. "Exactly that! There's nothin' else." Applejack said seriously "So why don't you just take a break for right now, and I'll call you if I need help." "But, if I don't help you, then how am I suppose to know I'm a noble dragon?" Spike asked frantically "I made that code for a reason." "Well, I–" Applejack began, determined to set Spike straight. This had gone on for long enough in her book. Unfortunately, Spike interrupted Applejack before she could say anything else. At this point, he was willing to try anything and everything to continue to serve Applejack. "Maybe there's things you need help with, but you don't even realize you need help with!" he said quickly. "If she needed help, I think she'd realize it." Pinkie Pie replied "Applejack's not one to get in over her head." But Spike wouldn't listen. "Maybe not! Maybe Applejack needs help realizing what she needs help with. Like... maybe your back itches! I know that can sneak up on you. Let me fix that!" And he proceeded to use his claws to give Applejack a back rub. Applejack was going to complain, but her back had been feeling awfully sore for the past couple of days. She hadn't said anything, but it was really starting to bother her. Now, however, her back much more comfortable. "Huuuuh... that does feel... good..." she admitted, letting out a sigh of content. Spike laughed nervously "See? Or you might need help remembering your favorite song!" he added. "What are you talkin' about, I don't have a favorite song." Applejack complained. "You do now." Spike replied "Sing it with me! 'The dragon is the finest creature ever, there's more to him than just guarding treasure.'" "Uh, I don't think that's her favorite s-" Fluttershy commented. "Or... you might need help breathing!" Spike interrupted, and raced away to fetch something. "Breathin'? I certainly do not–" Applejack protested, but before she could finish Spike inserted the tip of a bellows into her mouth, and began to pump her full of air. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh, as Spike pumped Applejack up like a balloon. In a matter of seconds, Applejack looked like she was about to burst, and she did. Just like air being let out of a balloon, Applejack soared through the air with a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous. In a matter of seconds, she was back to normal. But now her patience was starting to wear thin. "See? There are plenty of things I can help you with, and you don't even have to trouble yourself with thinking of them!" Spike explained. "No thank you, I'll think of em' myself. So lemme think of em'." Applejack said crossly. "As you wish." Spike replied happily. "Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy. Why don't the two of you make sure Rainbow Dash got home safely?" Applejack asked, she wanted them both gone so she could talk to Spike in private for a little bit and set everything straight. "Fine by me. Let's go, Pinkie." Fluttershy said, and she and Pinkie Pie set off to go find Rainbow Dash. Now, Applejack and Spike were alone. Applejack said nothing for a moment, trying to think of how she could put what she was about to say as nicely as possible, while still ensuring Spike understood what she was going to tell him. "Spike." she said, looking the dragon in the eyes. "Yes Applejack?" Spike asked "Do you need my help with something?" Applejack sighed, the time had come to put an end to this whole "life debt" problem. She didn't mind the fact that Spike wanted to help her, but she knew his place was with Twilight. She had to put things right, and nopony but herself could do it. "Listen, I know how much you want to feel like a noble dragon, and that this 'life debt' arrangement of yours is really important." "Glad you realize that." Spike said with a smile, but it was quickly replaced with a look of confusion "What are you trying to say?" he asked. "The thing is, I just can't keep goin' through life knowin' that you're servin' me. You're not my servant, and it's not right of me to have you as one." Applejack explained. "But I'm not a servant, I'm merely offering you my services as a good friend." Spike replied. "And that's why this 'life debt' is foolish." Applejack went on "I saved your life, and you wanted to repay the favor by helpin 'me out a bit. That was mighty fine of you, and I really appreciated it. But now that you're tryin' to do all these things for me, just because that code of yours says so, it's just not somethin' I'm okay with." "But Applejack, I told you already, that code is my way of knowing that I'm a noble dragon!" Spike protested "Without it, I could become that greed filled monster I was on my birthday last year." "Spike, with all due respect, that's a bunch of hogwash!" Applejack said bluntly "That only happened once, and you felt mighty bad about it afterward. You know now what caused it, and you know now that no one thinks any less of you because of it. I don't know what those teenage dragons were like, but I'm pretty sure they were the exception and not the rule in regards to your species." "Are you saying, I don't need a 'Noble Dragon Code' in order to be a noble dragon?" Spike asked Applejack, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't misreading the situation. "That's exactly what I'm sayin'." Applejack nodded "We're good friends, and we always will be. We don't have to do each other favors just because one of us saved the other's life. It's foolish at best, and selfish at worst. But that's not the most important thing that you've forgotten since you got hung up on that there code of yours." "So then, what is important?" Spike asked, though he could already guess what the answer was. "There's somepony who's been a part of your life since day one." Applejack explained "A pony that has made it clear on numerous occassions that you're her son, and that she cares deeply about you. A pony who has worked hard to raise you, and a pony who took you into her life out of the kindness of her heart. She may not always recognize just how important she is to you, but she loves you with all her heart. And when you ran off to serve me, I can guarantee you broke her heart far worse than when Discord made her think friendship wasn't important anymore." "You're talking about Twilight, aren't you?" Spike asked. "Of course I am." Applejack replied "But it's not too late to make things right. Go back to her and let her know just how much she means to you. I'm pretty sure she'll welcome you back with open hooves. Like she's said in the past, you're her son. And without you, her life just isn't the same." "You're right Applejack." Spike said sadly "I have to go back to Twilight. I just hope I haven't broken her heart so much that she refuses to accept me. Do you think I should do anything special to make it up to her?" Applejack shook her head "I don't think so, but that's for you to decide. I can't help you on this, it's somethin' you gotta do on your own." "I see." Spike replied, and set off for The Golden Oaks Library, where he knew Twilight would probably be trying to distract herself with her studies. "Wish me luck." he called to Applejack. Applejack just smiled "I know Twilight enough to know she won't stay mad at Spike. Everytime she's told me about how wonderful Spike is, I can sense the motherly affection she has for him." Just as Spike had assumed, Twilight was busy reading through one of the books Princess Celestia had assigned her. From the looks of things, she seemed perfectly content. No one would've assumed that, not long ago her heart had been broken pretty badly. "Twilight?" Spike called nervously. When Twilight heard Spike's familiar voice, she slowly put down her book. This was most certainly going to be important. Slowly, she turned around, and came face to face with the baby dragon that was her son, and until recently had been her number one assistant. Now Spike could see just how upset she was. Her eyes were still red from crying, and her mane and tail looked rather messy compared to their usual pristine condition. "Spike?" she asked "Is it really you?" "Yes Twilight, it's me." Spike said with tears in his eyes "I'm back." "Oh Spike, I'm so happy to see you again!" Twilight exclaimed, and embraced Spike in a hug "I've missed you so much!" "I know you have." Spike replied "I'm ready to be your number one assistant again." "But what about that 'Noble Dragon Code' of yours?" Twilight asked "I thought that was more important to you than anything else?" "It was, until I realized what was even more important." Spike explained. "And that would be what?" Twilight asked Spike. "Your love of course." Spike replied with a sincere smile "I'm sorry I couldn't see that earlier." "That's okay Spike." Twilight said, also smiling "I'm just glad to have you in my life again. You truly are the son I've never had." "Thanks for understanding, Mom." Spike said softly. "Tell you what Spike?" Twilight asked "Seeing as I've pretty much completed all but a few of these books, why don't I take the time tomorrow to go down to town hall and officially make you my son?" Spike was amazed, he couldn't believe what he had just heard "You'd really do that for me, even after what I did?!" he exclaimed. "Of course I would Spike." Twilight said with a motherly smile "After all, isn't that what you want more than anything?" Spike just nodded. It was good to be back. He knew now, that he didn't need to have a special code to be a nobel dragon. He was a noble dragon just by being himself, and doing things because they were the right thing to do.