//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Dealt A Bad Hoof // by TheHooligan //------------------------------// Chapter 5: “Dad, why do you always wear that silly looking hat?” “Because I'm a magician, all great magicians wear cool capes and hats. That way when other ponies see us they know just how great, and powerful we are.” “But why is yours so silly looking?” Gasp “I-It is not silly looking! I'll have you know that these articles of clothing are artifacts of great power, you little daisy muncher.” “Really?!” “Yup, in fact these were passed down to me from your grandpa, and they were passed down to him from his father. A magician's trusty cloak and hat can be just as important as his name.” “Is that why you're always shouting your name in that weird way?” “Of course! When strangers hear my name they know that I'm a well respected mage, and take great heed in my words. It's all part of being an amazing magician, well you know besides going on adventures, beating up bad guys, saving ponies, and all that fuss.” Little filly eyes grow to the size of saucers as the stallion tells stories of travel, and learning powerful magics. “Dad do you think that someday I can be a magician like you?” A prideful smile grows on the stallion's face as he gazes down at his young offspring. She reminded him of a young wide eyed colt who would chase his father around from morning to night insisting that the gruff elder instruct him on the basics of magic. Despite her young age the stallion could already feel the dormant unicorn magic within her building up, she may very well be an earlier bloomer. Even more pride swelled within him at the prospect of so much potential being possessed by a creation of his own flesh, and blood. “I bet you could be if you really wanted to, though we'll have to start working on a name. If you are going to be a great spell-weaver like your old man, then your gonna need a cool name.” “Does that mean that I'll have to wear that silly hat, and cape?” For a brief moment that prideful smile deflated, and a look of dread flashed across the light blue ponies face. “You wouldn't want some old dusty outfit that your dad ran around in all his life. Nope a rising star like yourself is going to need her own garb specially made.” The seasoned colt patted himself on the back for his quick cover up, though his daughter looked up at him in confusion. He wouldn't wish the dreadful responsibility of wearing this hat, and cape on any pony, least of all his own offspring. He was quick to change the subject back to what kind of title his daughter should give herself, hoping that the slip-up would be buried underneath a foal's short attention span, and his stories of magical adventure. Despite his best efforts, the little azure filly never forgot that brief look of fear that passed over her father's face. The first thing Trixie became aware of as she slowly awoke to the conscious realm was the sensation of moving, or to be more exact the world around her moving. The familiar creaking of her carriage's wheels rotating, and the sound of said wheels moving over the earth filled the air, and for a brief moment Trixie couldn't figure out why. Then it all came flooding back, her capture, meeting that blasted dragon, that damned deal they made, and everything that followed after. “The things Trixie gets herself into.” Moving to rub some of the sleep out of her eyes Trixie realized just how snug she had been wrapped in the thick dark blankets she owned. She easily dismissed the occurrence as her body instinctively doing the best it could to keep her warm even in her sleeping state, though she wondered slightly if the dragon had any trouble sleeping. Realizing that she was showing early signs of concern for another creature caused the unicorn to gag in a very unladylike manner. “As if Trixie could care less if that rotten reptile sleeps soundly or not.” Tossing her mane about to fully wake up, Trixie attempted to sit up, but the ache from her muscles argued against the sudden motion. With a grumble Trixie settled on continuing to lay in bed while her mind roamed freely, she briefly wondered how long she had been asleep, and how long her acquaintance had been pulling the carriage. “Not long enough.” The azure mare could just barely feel the trickle of her magical reserves regaining it's former glory, it would probably be a bit more before she could do much. Trixie's eyes scanned over the inside of her carriage to take inventory of all her possessions just to be sure that the dragon hadn't soiled anything with his dirty claws. Nothing looked molested and Trixie was pleased to see that her hat and cloak were placed safely on her dresser with no noticeable marks or stains. The faintest signs of a chance that she might think of the purple dragon in a less despised light were beginning to emerge on the edges of her mind, but were quickly brushed aside when a grumbling in her stomach took precedence in her thoughts. She was hungry, and decided that fixing something to eat was beneath her. But Trixie knew just the dragon to force the task upon to start her day. Earlier that day: Despite the previous day's multiple conflicts, near-death situations, and countless headaches Spike at least woke up in better shape than the day before. Once Trixie was within her carriage, and peacefully snoring up a storm, Spike was out like a light within minutes. Truth be told he would much rather have something a little more comfortable to sleep on beside the cold, hard ground but at least he wasn't in a dungeon, and his travel companion's snoring wasn't nearly as maddening as when she was insulting him. The night had been slightly cold forcing Spike to raise his body heat by using his inner dragon fire the majority of the night, but doing so had left him considerably low on energy. When he first awoke with a fang-filled yawn, and the sun's rays warming his scales he felt pretty alright, but then the consequences of his self heating dawned upon him as he was assaulted by a terrible clawing within the empty pit that was his stomach. Though a dragon could metabolize just about anything it managed to get into it's mouth, factors such as taste, and the actual energy it was able to get out of what it ate always varied. To put things simply a dragon could survive off near any substance, but to remain healthy a dragon had to be more precise with it's eating habits. With his hunger distressing him so, and knowing full well what could happen if it got out of control Spike quickly, and quietly checked the carriage for a bag, or pack to carry anything he found in. Luck was on his side as he found an old burlap sack amid Trixie's traveling gear without displacing anything else or waking the still sleeping mare. Clenching the bag between his teeth Spike bolted away from the carriage, and into the forest to quickly find something to eat. A few mushrooms, and a small patch of wild flowers had taken the edge off his hunger, but Spike was still in incredible need for something to digest. Sadly his senses hadn't picked up on any nearby gems, well despite the ones that Trixie used to clasp her cape, but the purple dragon had enough sense to not count that as an option. So now he found himself looking up at a large tree, his eyes focused on a birds nest with unreadable intent. As a dragon raised by herbivores he felt a inner conflict with the choice presented to him, there was always the feeling of despicable sin when his predatory instincts took him down this road, but meat did considerably better for a dragon's metabolism than plant life did. “One bird equals up to a few pounds worth of hay sandwiches Spike.” An inner voice at the back of his head pleaded for Spike to find another option, but time was of the essence and the nest above would make an easy target. Trying his best to push the voice in his head out of hearing by drowning his guilt with logic. “Nothing wrong with this Spike, it's just the circle of life. Dragons need to eat just like everything else, and since there isn't any rubies or sapphires to munch on...” As his claws gripped into the tree bark, and he hoisted himself upward into the branches of the large oak, Spike spared a few sad words as he approached the nest. “I'm really sorry.” A short time later Spike returned to the carriage, his hunger now gone, the rest of him aching to head home, and the bag filled with a few things he figured a grumpy unicorn might eat. Trixie was still fast asleep, and Spike knew better than to disturb a female unicorn when she was resting. A bitter chuckle escaped the dragon as he realized that he had thought the exact same thing a day or two ago back when he was home. “I hope Twilight isn't too worried, she's an absolute mess without me.” Spike's brows furrowed as it dawned upon him that the longer it took for him to get home, the worse off his best friend might be. Fastening himself to the carriage's harness quickly, Spike set off down the dirt path in a brisk walk. A few hours after he had first started walking Spike's ears picked up the sound of something stirring within the carriage. Though he said nothing, and continued moving onward the purple dragon was actually dreading what his travel companion might do or say once she was fully awake. Though the night before had ended on a somewhat neutral note heck maybe even friendly, he was convinced that her bad attitude would be back in full swing. “Oh come one Spike, what's the worst she could do?” Spike's brain had a good point, even if she was a aggravating mare with a superiority complex what harm could she possible do tucked away inside her carriage. As long as Spike kept pulling the carriage, and hadn't done anything to tick her off, she'd probably just quietly ignore him until her mood was at a bearable level...Right? “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you pull her vessel smoother, scale for brains unless you plan on buying her a new one!” Wrong! Spike inwardly groaned as he slowed his pace a bit, and was now just moving at a leisured stroll. An unlatching sound, and the creak of wood was his only warning before he felt a familiar glare on the back of his skull. Taking a moment to turn his head Spike was now staring into a scowling Trixie's eyes as she watched him from an opened window. If not for the hostile look in her eyes Spike would have asked just how many potential openings this odd carriage was equipped with. Such thoughts were quickly set aside as the azure unicorn began to speak. “Morning dragon.” “Uhhh it's more like the afternoon Trixie, you were pretty knocked out.” “Do not correct Trixie, especially if the first thing she has to see in the morning is your scaled mug.” “Well if you're going to insist on being wrong then I really can't be faulted for trying to correct you. And like anyone would be happy too start their day with laying eyes on that bedhead mess you call a mane.” Spike stifled a chuckle as Trixie's eyes widened in realization, she hadn't taken the time to check her appearance and her current look was quite the sight. Her usually well maintained mane now stuck out in unusual places, and was frizzled to the point that one would think she had recently undergone shock therapy. In half a second Trixie's head was back inside the carriage, and the window slammed shut. Spike continued walking as the sounds of items being moved quickly, and hair being brushed rapidly filled the air. After a few minutes the sounds stopped, and Spike's ears notified him that Trixie had reopened her window, and was probably glaring holes into the back of his head. “At least Trixie's problem can be fixed, it's a shame we can't say the same about you.” Trixie smirked as Spike visibly flinched at the remark, she was sure that the dragon had been put in his place with her use of wit. “I guess you got me there Trixie, now if only there was a way to make you at least half as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.” Spike congratulated himself on that quick rebuttal, but knew that there would be consequences for allowing himself to stoop to her level. A loud growl followed his words, and Spike's ears heard a few whispered curses, and threats toward him. Taking a look at the sunny sky above him that was now only partially blocked by the tree line Spike sighed knowing that even though he won another unnecessary argument, it was going to be a long day. “Well now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, Trixie is hungry.” Despite hating that the purple dragon had beaten her at her own game, the azure unicorn couldn't ignore the grumbling of her own famished stomach. “Oh really, I could sworn you were great and powerful.” Stopping in his tracks Spike reached for the sack that he had slung around his neck for safe keeping. Using his tail Spike gripped the bag, and handed it towards the awaiting mare who held it using her magic that had started returning gradually since she had woken up. “This is all that I could find while you were sleeping, it should be enough until the next time we stop.” Trixie withdrew her head back inside the carriage bringing the sack with her. Once inside she peered inside the bag, and took notice of a few flowers, one mushroom, and a slightly underdeveloped pear. As she began eating the first flower, which happened to be another daisy Trixie wondered what Spike had eaten. Her thoughts instantly went to the pear since it would have had to come from a tree which would have more unless the gluttonous reptile had eaten them all by himself leaving her the runt of the litter. “So dragon, is it safe to assume that your breakfast consisted of delicious ripened pears, while poor Trixie has to make due with scraps?” Though completely inside her carriage Trixie had left the window open, and spoke loud enough that she knew his sensitive ears had heard her. “That was the best one I could find, the rest weren't nearly matured enough for you to get anything out of, so I left the rest alone. Once their ripe enough they'll doing more good for the wildlife, then they would for a few passerby's like us now.” Spike would have loved to engorge himself on the pears if he could, but underdeveloped fruit would just leave a bad taste in his mouth, and he didn't see any sense in robbing a small part of the ecosystem just to still be overwhelmingly hungry afterward. “Then what pray tell did you eat?” Trixie had a hard time believing that a creature similar in size to a large stallion had fed on anything less than an entire bushel of apples, or at least half his weight in some stash of gemstones he had come upon. “U-Uh you know this and that, found a few acorns, and dug up some rubies.” Spike picked up his pace slightly, and concentrated his gaze straight ahead of him. A dragon's diet wasn't something he was very comfortable talking about with a pony, but a chill down his spine told him that the conversation wasn't over. The Great and Powerful Trixie may have been lacking in some social graces, but she was no fool when it came to picking up on sudden tension, and unease regarding a topic. Taking her time to chew on the mushroom, Trixie debated on just how she planned on probing this delicate subject. She could try being subtle but that would take too long, and she certainly wasn't going to try being nice until he felt comfortable to just spill the beans on his own. She decided that simple blunt force would be enough, and if it wasn't, she would just use more. “For some reason Trixie doesn't think you're being entirely truthful with her.” Spike's eyes narrowed as he tried to concentrate harder on the path ahead of him. The extra effort proved to be in vain as Trixie's voice continued to carry out from within the carriage to his ears. “Trixie wonders just what kind of dragon she's made a deal with here. A deceitful one that's taking advantage of her charity, or maybe a big dumb forgetful one that just can't remember his last meal.” Spike's lips curled back in a slight snarl, and his pace began to slow again. The prying unicorn couldn't possibly understand this problem he had to deal with, how could she fathom the moral dilemma he had to suffer through earlier. He wished that she would understand that the answers she was trying to drag out of him would just complicate their partnership, possibly even ruin it. As loathe as he was to admit it he had no idea how he would get back to Equestria without the boastful unicorn to guide him, even if she was doing terribly little in that field at the moment. “So dragon are you going to tell Trixie or not?” Trixie was now appraising the small pear before her, though she had moved back to looking out the window so she could better gauge Spike's reactions to her words. His walk had slowed, his legs moved with a tenseness that displayed his growing levels of discomfort, and from her position Trixie thought that she could even see a slight baring of fangs. Rolling her eyes in annoyance Trixie decided that she would have to play dirty to get what she wanted. “Either tell Trixie, or she won't help you get back to that middle of nowhere town Ponyville.” The carriage rocked roughly, as it came to a sudden halt. Spike's head wiped around, and his blazing emerald eyes burned into her own, though she kept a mastered poker face displayed on the outside, Trixie shrunk ever so slightly on the inside. “I ate a bluejay, and it's three eggs ok!” Spike's voice was level but dripped with emotion, his eyes now alight with an inner fire that swirled with anger, and guilt. “Are you happy now? I was so hungry I climbed up that tree, snapped them all up, and went looking for something that you could eat.” Now that he had given his answer Spike hung his head, and wrapped his tail around himself. The dragon closed his eyes, and prepared for the outraged cries of disgust, and shrieks of terror from the now enlightened unicorn that would surely hate, and fear him for his actions. “....And?” Well that was unexpected too say the least. Spike's eyes popped open in surprise at Trixie's reply, he looked up to see her gazing at the still uneaten pear with a bored expression. It took a moment for Spike to even get his head on right enough to say anything back. “A-And?! I ate a defenseless bird, and it's eggs! I just ended another creature's existence just to further my own!” The pear now floating in the air thanks to Trixie's magic began spinning in midair like an air born top, as Trixie tried to entertain herself. Her violet eyes glanced toward the flabbergasted dragon before her, than refocused back onto the pear as she readied her next words of wisdom. “So what?” Spike had to physically restrain himself from face-palming in frustration, obviously this mare wasn't understanding. “That's a terrible thing to do Trixie! I'm a dangerous monster that has to eat other living beings to survive! Why isn't this bothering you?!” With an annoyed sigh Trixie caused the spinning pear to suddenly start peeling by using her magic as a sort of knife, though now her eyes were staring straight into Spike's very own. “Why would Trixie be bothered just because you ate some dumb bird? It's not like you tried to eat Trixie, which wouldn't go well for you by the way.” “B-But...” “Dragon's eat stuff big whoop, not like ponies didn't know that before.” Trixie though understanding to a degree couldn't figure out why Spike was making such a big deal out of a biological function. It's not like she felt bad every time she ate a hay sandwich, or a nice looking tulip. “You don't know anything about dragons, so stop acting like this is such a simple thing.” Spike's guilt was slowly giving way to just full on anger, and frustration. “Then perhaps you need to explain to Trixie why you're being such a drama queen about this.” Trixie really couldn't care less, but she recognized that this dragon had a chip off his shoulder that needed dealing with if they wanted to get back to Equestria in one piece. “Fine! As you probably know dragons can pretty much metabolize anything organic, and even a good number of things that aren't.” Trixie nodded her head in affirmation, this was pretty basic knowledge for anything that knew what a dragon was. “The thing is though we can eat most anything, what we get out of what we eat varies dramatically depending on the food source. When a dragon exerts it's body he draws from the last thing he's eaten as fuel which burns up at different rates depending on the fuel, and even the dragon itself.” Trixie's interest regarding the matter grew slightly, now this was something she hadn't heard before, though that could be blamed on the fact that her interest in dragons was scarce, if not entirely nonexistent. “Gems for a large portion of the species do the best, which is why most dragons have hordes of treasure. That way they have a fuel for their bodies that doesn't burn quickly, and are less likely to have to go looking for large quantities of a less efficient food source to keep them going.” Spike's anger was slowly ebbing away now that he was lost in reciting knowledge of his draconian heritage. Trixie picked up on the dragon's improving mood, and nodded again to insure that he knew she was listening. “The problems arise from when a dragon doesn't have enough of that most efficient food source, lacks the capability to get that food source, or in some cases when young dragons misidentify their bodies need for that food.” Spike thought back to the 'Greed Growth' episode he had undergone years before, his gathering of random items was caused partially by an influx of hormones, and partially because of his own body's confusion on what it's most efficient food source had been. Having been raised by ponies it was obvious that he wouldn't be around meat, and had to supplement his bodies need for it by eating large sums of pony food, and gems when he could. The gems had done a great deal in keeping him in check, but due to his love for them Twilight and the others compared them to candy so he was only allowed so much every now and then. “When a dragon has no fuel left to burn it's body goes into a sort of panic mode which disregards vital things like reasoning, and depends more on instinct.” Spike visibly shuddered when his thoughts drifted to what could have happened earlier if he hadn't dulled the clawing of his hunger with the few things he had found, when he had...eaten the bird his systems were brought back to a safe level for the time being. Spike's musing were suddenly interrupted when he noticed Trixie suddenly raise a hoof in the air. He was surprised that she had a question, and even more so that she had been polite enough to raise her hoof, instead of loudly speaking her mind. “Uh do you have a question Trixie?” “You said that young dragons misidentify their bodies needs. So what, do they just run around eating random things until they can figure out what they like?” The question was more of a way to keep the dragon talking since Trixie noticed Spike shudder, and how his face darkened slightly over whatever he was thinking about. “Not exactly, you see young dragons go through what we call 'Greed Growth' which is a series of chemical reactions that cause the dragon's body to jump alarmingly in size based on the amount of things it possesses, and how badly it's body is reacting to it's lack of stimulating food source.” “So Trixie is being led to believe that dragon's can change their size depending on how much junk a dragon owns, and how much it's starving?” The subject was strangely becoming more, and more interesting and Trixie was surprised herself that she was still paying attention at all. “Kind of, though it's less based on how much a dragon owns, and more on how badly the dragon wants it, or how valuable it is to the dragon.” Once again Spike was thinking back to his own incident, after some time Spike found himself questioning exactly how he had succumbed to his greed. He found himself thinking less and less that it was because he wanted lots of stuff, and more on how badly he had wanted both the fire ruby, and his crush on Rarity. It made sense really, his mind and body had been investing in how wonderful the gem would taste, and he ended up giving it to the one mare he wanted perhaps just as badly causing a subconscious reaction he wasn't even aware of until it was too late. “Sounds like dragons aren't as vicious, greedy, and evil as some ponies may think.” Having fully peeled the young pear before her, Trixie was now inspecting the small fruit for any signs of worms, or other inner issues. Though she now saw dragons in a slightly different light, that didn't change her viewpoint on the matter that they were probably dimwitted, and hardly worth her time. A stray thought raced across the unicorn's mind, and she briefly wondered if there was something weird in those mushrooms that was making her nicer than she typically would allow. “We aren't..... but a lot of creatures misunderstand, and dragons are made out as horrible monsters. There's always going to be a few bad eggs that ruin it for the rest, but most just want to be left alone.” Spike's spines wilted slightly, and the end of his tail was now busy drawing circles in the dirt as his gaze once again became downcast. “So what do you think you are then?” Once again Spike was assaulted with an unprecedented question, and for a lack of better words he didn't know how to answer it. “W-What?” “Trixie said, what do you think you are dragon! Are you a blood thirsty monster? A timid deer encased in scales? Or a drama queen laying in the dirt because you're too thick to understand the laws of nature?” Spike looked up to glare at the insulting unicorn, but she was gone. The window she had been watching him through was closed, and the sound of movement echoed through the carriage interior. Suddenly the main door burst open, and out hopped the light blue mare now fully garbed with her iconic hat, and cape. Trixie had decided that she had heard enough of this lizard's wallowing in self pity, and she was going to apply that extra amount of blunt force right now. The magician now stomped toward the surprised dragon until she was glaring at him only a few inches away, her eyes still demanding an answer. “N-No, I'm a dragon...a dangerous dragon that just wants to go home.” Spike hated how weak he sounded, but all of this was happening so fast, and he truly thought he was more harm than good at the moment. He dreaded the day that his friends back in Ponyville would eventually find out about the darker side of his appetite, and how much distress it would cause them to know that a potential predator was in their midst. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you shut up already!” The tables were turned, and now Spike found himself shrinking back as the loud unicorn stared him down. “Do you honestly think you're the only dangerous being around here? Is there any chance that you can comprehend the scale of destruction a single unicorn can unleash if she deems it necessary?” The air around the two seemed to thin, and Spike could sense Trixie's magical reserves skyrocket with every word. Spike was well aware of the potentially dangerous force a magical creature such as a unicorn could bring forth, having lived with one of the most gifted mares in Equestria for a large portion of his life, and having grown up under the tutelage of the mighty sun goddess herself. Yet here he was trying to make himself as small as possible while being yelled at by a two-bit show pony, just now realizing that he never thought of ponies in any form as being dangerous, powerful at times yes, but never truly dangerous. “Trixie knows from past experience just how dangerous another unicorn can be. Trixie knows the amount of danger she can put others in if she wishes, or if she isn't careful.” With a slight swoosh of her cape Trixie spun around, and with a magically charged jumped, leaped on top of her carriage. Striking what she imaged looked like a stylish pose, Trixie's cape shrugged off the confinements of gravity, and she resumed her leer toward the dragon below her. “The most important thing Trixie knows though is that no matter what, she will be The Great and Powerful Trixie! If she chooses to turn another pony into an apple and devour it to appease her hunger, she is still Trixie. If she decides on a whim to save an entire town from a horde of basilisk, she is still Trixie. And even if her body was changed to that of a feather-brained pegasus, or some dirt covered earth pony. SHE WOULD STILL BE TRIXE!” If she wasn't so caught up in the passion of her own speech, Trixie would have given herself a pat on the back for having improved such a spectacular rant, but then again she wouldn't be surprised she was Trixie of course. “All things eat other things, that's just the way it is. You can continue to cry every time you gobble up some rapid squirrel, or fat pigeon, but Trixie refuses to shed a tear whenever she decides to nip some harmless, and defenseless flower. Trixie never looks back because she chooses to do so, it's that ability to make a choice that puts her above other creatures. Now then you stupid salamander, do you have the capability to make a choice?” Still completely caught off guard by the unicorn's words, it took a moment for Spike to realize that he had been asked a question. “Y-Yeah I guess so, but what does that have to do with anything?” “On any given day would you choose to rather eat a single bad tasting jewel, or double your weight in wheat, instead of one tiny rodent?” “Of course!” Spike's reply had more power to it than his previous words, and his tail started to unwind from his body. “If faced with either going on some hunger-induced rampage, or snacking on some fish, or possum what's it going to be?” “I guess the fish, or maybe the possum.” Now Spike was standing up, his spines now pointing out proudly, and his eyes fully locked with Trixie's. “And why is that?!” Another odd question from Trixie, who stared down at the now more confident dragon like some sort of motivational coach. At least now Spike had an answer, and didn't hesitate to reply. “Because their just animals, and if I don't then something else might just stroll by and eat them, and I'd much rather that than put some poor pony in danger” It was true, Spike knew that if he was some small little wildlife animal none of the other local fauna would think twice about taking him out on the spot just to fill their own bellies. “That's right! Now tell me again, are you capable of making a choice?” “YEAH!” Spike was now completely caught up in all of the energy, and was briefly reminded of a muscle-bound pegasus by the name of Snowflake...or was it Big McLargehuge? Either way the purple dragon found himself feeling unexpectedly pumped. “Are you going to quit moping about what you had for breakfast so you can go back to pulling Trixie's carriage?” “YEEAH!” In her own weird way Trixie had significantly improved Spike's mood, and the earlier choice he had to make weighed a little less heavily on his mind. He didn't want to, and if he had any control over the matter he wouldn't have. He was just playing the cards dealt to him, and he made the best decision that he could at the time. Despite how insufferable she could be, and how sure Spike was that Trixie would eventually go back to being a jerk...he couldn't help but he appreciate the unicorn's mature way of looking at the situation, and how she had chosen to help him. “Do you suck your thumb when you sleep, and you think that The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most amazing unicorn that ever lived. And it's a privilege to be able to pull her carriage like a common ugly beast of burden?!” “BUCK YEEEAAH!.....Wait what?!” And now the mood was effectively assassinated by a mare who couldn't deny herself the satisfaction of making a now cheered up dragon look like a complete fool. Trixie's laughter echoed all around as she rolled on her sides, and continued to make fun of Spike's lapse in judgment. Spike was now left to cover his head in shame, and think of the most vilest of revenge schemes to apply while he waited for her chuckles to end. “Another victory for the Great and Powerful Trixie! Now then dragon, do you feel better?” Trixie's triumphant smile grew more so in size when she noticed the intense hate filled glare Spike sent her way. “Good! Now shall we continue on our journey? Trixie has tuckered herself out from being such a great symbol of motivation, so let her know when we reach a town or find a place to make camp.” And with that Trixie hopped off the carriage roof, and went back inside her room to attend to that still floating pear. Grumbling loudly Spike reattached the harness, and started pulling the carriage again. As he trudged down the dirt path his thoughts drifted toward what Trixie had said earlier. 'What do I think I am?' Spike was still surprised that someone as thick headed, and self-absorbed as Trixie could ask such a cryptic question, and he wondered if she had truly expected an answer. From within her carriage Trixie found herself once again inspecting the bare fruit in front of her. It was a wonder that it hadn't succumbed to the elements around it, but perhaps that was because of the magical stasis she had suspended it in since she had first peeled it. Finally deciding to put the danged thing out of it's misery Trixie willed the small morsel toward her awaiting mouth, as it moved closer and closer she briefly wondered if her ramble had gone too far. “...Naahhh Trixie's priceless advice is a gift from the heavens, and his life can be nothing short of improved by it. Even if Trixie didn't do much besides state the obvious, and perhaps she did kinda sour the mood with that last jab. It's not like Trixie is here to make any friends, she's just making sure that dumb dragon won't be dead weight.” Despite patting her ego on the back, and squashing any miniscule chance of feeling guilt Trixie couldn't help but notice that her first bite of the small pear was unpleasantly bittersweet. The next few hours passed by in relative silence, the only sounds made were from the forest that surrounded them, Spike padding against the dirt, and the carriage creaking as the drake pulled it along. The walk had become dreadfully dull, so Spike tried passing the time by reanalyzing Trixie's advice, and his still present fears on the matter. The root of his fear stemmed from a bout of recurring nightmares that had plagued him when his body had first began to change naturally. It would always begin with him searching the tree house in vain trying desperately to find something to eat. Then the hunger would increase tenfold, his empty belly would feel like dozens of snakes were writhing angrily, and attempting to bite their way out. His eyesight would blur, tinge a dirty rust red, and his fingers would twitch frantically in anticipation of grasping something to eat. His throat would feel dry as a bone, and burn as if he was trying to breathe fire, and for some reason his insides weren't protected from the intense flames. And that's when the dreams would take the worst turn, some poor pony completely oblivious too his ailment would wander in hoping to aid him in anyway he or she could. In the first few dreams he would decline, and clumsily exit the library to escape into the Everfree forest. From there his dreams would just deteriorate to flashes of scenery, and the frightened eyes of startled wildlife. The dreams only got worse after that, instead of escaping into the forest Spike would turn his red-tinted sights on the unfortunate pony and.... Well for a segment of time Spike started hanging out with his pony friends less, and less too the point where he dug a hole in the ground and stayed there until Twilight dragged him out with her magic and demanded an explanation from him. He wished that he had told her the truth, wished that he had trusted her enough to not have lied and blamed his behavior on his dragon hormones messing with his mind. But he had been too afraid, had seen what his predator instincts would attempt to do to her if pushed to it. So from that day Spike always made sure to sneak a ruby, or sapphire before going to bed, and when nothing else was on hand he would slink away into the forest to deal with himself. Spike had kept this dark secret all to himself for a year now, and oddly enough the first pony he spilled any of the beans to was one of the mares he despised the most. And still the most alarming thing was how well she took the news, it really made Spike feel stupid for thinking Twilight of all mares wouldn't understand his plight. Twilight would have done research, made theories, charts, graphs, and would try to explain the entire ordeal in detail to her assistant. Then again...Twilght's method would probably leave Spike feeling like some sort of science experiment, or worse one of her friends might possibly weasel the information out of her and then everypony would know just how dangerous he was. Sigh “Spike keep it together, just let it go and go back to concentrating on the road ahead of you, the sounds of the forest around you, and the faint smell of water in the air.” Spike inhaled deeply letting the fresh air fill his lungs, and getting a much stronger sense of his surroundings. He looked upward to the sky, and couldn't see a single cloud past the tree line that had become much less dense since he had first started walking. Spike found if odd that his fine tuned sense of smell would pick up on the unique odor of H20, but there was no sign of rainclouds or any oncoming storm. Then it hit him, Spike suddenly stopped, and whipped his head around to and fro trying to pinpoint the exact origin of the smell. Taking a few strong sniffs Spike turned his head to the left and began pulling the carriage off the rudimentary road, and weaved it between the trees before him. The sudden change in direction, and erratic movement of the carriage didn't go unnoticed by his travel companion and all too soon Trixie's confused voice rang in the dragon's ears. “Hey bird breath, what gives? Trixie could have sworn she told you to pull her chariot more carefully.” The irritated unicorn was already sticking her head out her window, and watched as Spike continued to pull despite her complaints. “Shut up, I just want to check something out real quick.” The smell was stronger now, and Spike was sure that he was close to it's source. He hadn't had anything to drink all day, and the thought of cool water quenching his thirst took complete dominance over anything else. “Your going to get us lost you dumb dragon!” The uneven ground, and numerous tree roots that the carriage was pulled over caused the whole thing to shake to the point that Trixie was close to losing her footing. “In case you didn't know, we're already lost Trixie. I doubt we'll be any worse off than we were a few moments ago.” “At least back there we have a path to follow!” “Wheres your sense of adventure? I was given the understanding that the Great and Powerful Trixie was fearless, and had been traversing the road for a long time.” All Spike had to do now was pass the next couple of trees, and he'd be at the source. “That sense of adventure is securely locked away in Trixie's brilliant mind, it's a shame that you let yours shift into complete buffoonery!” Trixie growled in frustration as Spike once again blatantly ignored her words, and moved them past the last tree line. For a brief moment both the unwilling unicorn, and the daring dragon were forced to close their eyes shut in response to the bright sunlight that was now surrounding them. Spike was the first to recover, and his opened eyes were greeted with the beautiful sight of a vast body of water stretching for what could have been miles, and miles. The sun's rays shined all over the scenery without a single cloud dotting it, making the blue sky almost completely mirror the water below. “So you found a lake, still not worth dragging us off the path.” Trixie had now recovered from her momentary blindness, and her jaw had dropped halfway open when she took in the sight before her. Luckily enough Spike hadn't noticed, allowing her time to don a mask of disinterest, and make a snide comment. Spike quickly shrugged off the harness, and quickly made his way toward the small beach in front of him. The sand felt good between his toes, and the purple dragon found himself wanting to sun on one of the larger looking rocks that sat on the left side of the cove. Deciding to put that thought on hold Spike reached the water, and without hesitation dunked his head into the life giving substance. A few feet back Trixie watched with another raised eyebrow trying to figure out the dragon's strange actions. After a few seconds Spike lifted his head back up, and let out a long sigh of relief. Just submerging his head had felt like washing his troubles away for a brief second, and another sudden want surfaced in his brain. Spike eyed his reflection noticing how his head looked leagues cleaner then his dry neck, and most likely the rest of his body. “Well of course spending the night in a diamond dog den would probably dirty me up a bit, not to mention all the running around I've been doing since we broke out.” If Trixie had been slightly confused before, she was now completely stumped as she watched Spike begin sniffing around the beach suddenly. The dragon now having moved closer to the large rocks began to dig frantically into the dirt, and sand until his head had disappeared into a hole that he had dug. “If you're choosing now of all times to go completely insane, Trixie will just continue on her way, and let you do...whatever it is that you are doing." The awkward feeling mare trotted back to her carriage when a few muffled words reached her ears, and she turned her head back around to watch Spike's head exit the hole with a mouth full of rocks of varying coloration. Trixie was about to demand that the dragon repeat himself, and then pull her carriage back to their original path, when the sound of rocks grinding into each other cut her off. With a few hard crunches Spike's teeth ground the minerals up into a glittery dust that he promptly swallowed. A small burp threatened to escape past his lips, but it was stifled within the dragon's fang-filled mouth, and now that he didn't have any food in his mouth Spike was able to repeat himself. “I was trying to say that I found a small stash of Binghamite over here.” Feeling a few stray shards of gem still in his mouth Spike walked back to the lapping waves of water, and rinsed the meal down with a few gulps. Binghamite wasn't really one of his favorite minerals to eat due to it's sour after taste, but it would do nicely for what he had planned. Spike now entered the water until he was deep enough to completely submerge if he wanted, and after giving a quick glance toward Trixie he inhaled deeply. Though it made some sense that Spike would sniff out some rocks to chew on, Trixie couldn't think of any other reason why the odd dragon would go into the bank afterward. She was in the middle of deciding on if he just fancied water, when a bright spout of green fire erupted from within Spike's mouth to hiss, and rage against the water he was treading. A fog of steam began to rise from the water as the hissing increased in volume. When faced with unconventional situations Trixie found it most reliable to express her opinions in a calm manner. “What in Celestia's name are you doing?!” Spike cut short his fire-breath to cast an odd look toward the flabbergasted unicorn, and replied with a nonchalance that most certainly didn't suit the situation. “I'm heating up my bath, duh.” And with that he went back to the deed, bringing the water to a near boiling point, until he let loose a long moan of pleasure. “Oh yeah, I can feel the dirt disintegrating on the spot.” Spike's eyes rolled back lazily, and he stretched his limbs out earning a few cracks, and pops, and the entire time he did Trixie cast forth the ugliest scowl that she could muster towards him. Even the Great and Powerful Trixie had her weak points, and in her travels a soothing hot bath was hard to come by. And here she was staring down an opportunity she would probably wouldn't get again until they reached the next town, and even then she would have to perform her heart out to even get a chance at it. Once again she was going to have to ask for that ridiculous dragon's help, and barely fourteen hours had gone by since the last time she was forced to. “Easy now Trixie no need to fret, just demand that he heat the water enough for you to get a well deserved soak, and if he refuses bash his skull in with a rock until he changes his mind.” And with that Trixie trotted toward the edge of the cove until she was just a few inches away from the blue water. She opened her mouth to speak, but at that exact moment Spike suddenly disappeared beneath the water's surface with a splash. A few minutes stretched by, and Trixie now sat staring at the spot where the young dragon had just been bathing, her eyes straining to pinpoint any sign of the drake's whereabouts. The minutes dragged by even more so, and a slight shudder began to creep up the mare's spine. “Uhhh dragon...are you still there?” No reply reached her ears, and a small frantic gleam started to show in Trixie's eyes as they scanned over the cove's surface in a hurried pace. “Trixie demands that you return to the surface so that you can do her a favor.” Trixie's words echoed across the now silent beach, the only other sound being that of the smalls waves that crept up and down the shore. An ominous feeling of being watched began to roll over the nervous unicorn like a thick fog, it circled her, pressed against her, and threatened to constrict the very breath from her being. Yet as she quickly spun around nearly tripping over herself, Trixie saw nothing except for the tree line, the beach, and her cozy carriage that seemed miles away. Alarms began to go off in her head, and ancient instincts that had been engraved into her very nature stirred with unease. Unbeknownst to the now skittish magician a large form slunk toward her from the large rocks Spike had been looking at earlier. It's footsteps precise and muffled by the sand, and ill intent burning in it's irises. The ominous feeling was even worse now, and Trixie's hair stood on end as she felt the presence of another creature nearby. The back of her neck was suddenly assaulted by the sensation of something breathing deeply against her, and it took everything she had not to freeze on the spot. “Get a grip Trixie, this isn't the first time you've been in a rather....dicey situation. Just turn around and show it why nothing makes a meal out of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie's tail whipped angrily, she let out a small snort, and readied all her necessary muscles. The smell of red hot ozone burned into the air as Trixie's horn glowed, and in an instant the unicorn pivoted around to face her unfortunate foe. If it was capable of showing fear Trixie's trusty carriage would no doubt be shaking it's wheels in absolute terror right now as it's owner stared it down ready to blast it into splinters at a moments notice. A long minute of silence stretched by as Trixie's pupils shrank, and her horn continued to fizzle with volatile magic. With a sigh Trixie relaxed, and was partially thankful that she was all alone on the still sunny beach. “If that dragon had been here he'd be holding his scaled sides like some sort of ingrate and....Oh Manure!” With her thoughts refocused on her missing dragon Trixie quickly turned back toward the beach, and came face to face with a fang filled maw only inches away from her nose. “Boo!” “AIIIIEEEEEHHH!!” And just like that Trixie leaped a surprising six feet into the air with all her hair standing out like a startled cat. Before she had even landed back on the ground Spike's laughter rang loud, and proud as he rolled on the sand. Trixie had only been embarrassed to this level one other time, and that ironically enough had been by the guffawing dragon's keeper. In retaliation Trixie growled in outrage and willed her magic to blast Spike right on the spot. Instead of unleashing a torrent of angry energy, Trixie's horn sputtered, and sparked until whatever magic she had stored up snuffed out. Completely oblivious to how close he had come to being reduced to purple ash, Spike's laughter had died down to a small chuckle as he wiped a few tears of mirth from his eyes. He wasn't sure what had drove him to swim out into the deeper waters of the cove so he could emerge behind the large rocks, but the end results had been well worth the trouble. Spike honestly didn't think that Trixie would have been so easy to prank, now all he could do was grin and await the angered unicorn's wrath. Trixie face-hoofed in realization as she figured out why her magic had waned suddenly. Her concentration was shot, the most powerful emotion she was feeling was embarrassment, and nerve-racking adrenaline was still running it's course through her veins. All the things that could ruin an unprepared unicorns connection with her magic, and now she was almost as useless as that still giggling dragon in front of her. “It's not that funny.” “Depends on which side of the joke you're on, and here I was thinking that you weren't scared of anything.” Spike turned on his side so that he was facing the glaring mare, and it took all he had not to bust out laughing at the still present blush on her face. “T-Trixie wasn't scared! You just startled Trixie for a brief moment.” “Startled? Didn't know a startled pony could break the sound barrier by screaming out of surprise.” “SHUT UP! A startled pony has no problem blasting that stupid grin off your face. And to believe that Trixie might have actually been worr...” Trixe stopped her sentence right then, and there as Spike raised an eyebrow and gave her a surprised look. A second skipped by before Trixie found the right words to cover her earlier misspoken sentence.”Worried that she wouldn't have some scale for brains dragon to pull her carriage, and fetch her lunches!” Spike didn't look like he was completely buying Trixie's cover up, but his face turned apologetic as he spoke. “Alright I'm sorry, I shouldn't have scared...err I mean startled you like that. Anything I can do to..” “Yes there is! Trixie commands you to run her a hot bath this instant.” Pride would have to take a step back as Trixie was in no mood to let this elude her any longer. “You mean heat up the water like I did earlier? Is that all?” “Yes! Well you could shut up for a while, now stop yapping and do as Trixie commands!” With an annoyed huff Spike turned to the water, and belched out another torrent of green fire. Trixie allowed herself a small giggle of glee as she watched the waters simmer, too excited to merely stand patiently the azure mare paced back and forth until Spike stopped. Trixie almost leaped into the awaiting embrace of the heated water when a sudden thought halted her. Spike, now done with his task had plopped down on the sand and was now watching her while his head rested on his clawed hands. “What are you doing dragon?” Spike seemed confused by the question, and even looked himself over to make sure he wasn't doing anything odd. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary Spike turned back towards the unicorn who was now donning a slight glare. “Uhhh laying here, is there something wrong?” Trixie rolled her eyes and stomped her front hooves against the sand in impatience. “Yes there is, don't you think that there is a slight problem with you laying there while Trixie bathes?” “What? So now you have a problem with a dragon watching while you take a dumb bath.” Honestly Spike couldn't understand this irate mare to any degree, one moment she's giving him advice, and the next she has a problem with him relaxing for a minute. He was just keeping an eye out to make sure he hadn't over-heated the water since he knew ponies were a little less heat resistant than dragons. Trixie gave him a look that screamed 'are you seriously this dense' before her eyes jumped from the water, to him, to her, and back to the water. This continued until Trixie spoke with what sounded like barely contained irritation. “Trixie has a problem with a MALE dragon watching her take a bath, stupid!” And just like that all the gears meshed into place, and for a long second the only thing that transpired was the rapid reddening of Spike's face. His forest green eyes now wide open glanced toward Trixie, to the water, and back to himself just like Trixie's eyes had a moment earlier. His frantic gaze settled back on the unicorn who seemed to read his mind, and nodded her head to confirm his train of thought. Several emotions flashed across the dragons face before he jumped to his feet, and stuttered an apology. “O-Oh! T-that makes sense! Wow I can't believe that I didn't r-realize...Sorry f-for that...I-I'll just go over there!” And with that Spike scampered over to the large rocks, and ran out of sight behind them. Despite the air of awkwardness caused by that situation, and the amount that would surely be present later on Trixie smirked. The only way that could have been any funnier is if the ashamed dragon had tucked his tail between his legs while he scurried off. Now that she was alone Trixie eased herself into the still plenty warm water, and for a moment she completely submerged herself to allow all the built up dirt, and filth to dissipate. Her head broke the water's surface a second later, and she whinnied in satisfaction feeling the tension in her muscles being soothed away. “Oh Trixie it's been much too long my dear, a pony as great and amazing as you should never have to go so long without a relaxing wash.” After a few minutes had gone by Trixie could already feel the water's temperature lowering back to it's original level, and she sighed in annoyance. The mare briefly wondered if she should call Spike back, and have him raise the temperature again while she lounged in the water comfortably. But the emerald fires probably wouldn't be discriminant regarding what they burned, and that would be a problem, plus Spike would probably be much to shy to offer his assistance until after she had dried off. Trixie giggled at the image of a red faced Spike trying his hardest to keep his eyes off of her as he bathed the water with a blanket of flame. If one was willing to look past his wise-guy attitude, somepony might actually find him...attractive. Of course not her! Trixie couldn't stand his rare abundance of wit, or the brilliant way his scales had gleamed in the sunlight before he had ran off. Before her thoughts could get any more confusing, or hypocritical Trixie became aware of something nudging her back left leg. The unexpected touch had unsettled Trixie to such an extent that she kicked out rather suddenly, making the water murky with displaced sand, and bubbles. Not even a second later the same foreign entity was now poking her sides almost making her succumb to a tickle fit. As she swatted at the unseen limb with a submerged hoof, Trixie's mind jumped to the only creature dumb enough to try something like this. “Cut it out you overgrown gecko!” Trixie's horn glowed to life and she felt her magic grasp, and constrict around the offending shadow that she could barely make out in the now murky water. “And to think that Trixie might of assumed you had some shred of decency!” A loud splash announced the entrance of the magical aura surrounded tail as it thrashed about in vain. Spike must have thought it would be funny to poke, and prod her with his tail in an attempt to scare her again. A forceful tug on the tail's other end nearly dragged the unsuspecting unicorn deeper into the water, but she dug her hooves as deep into the wet earth as she could, and pulled back using her magic. Even though it was covered in Trixie's blue hued magic, the tail whipped about angrily, and whacked her once on the head. “So you wanna play rough huh?! Alright but don't say Trixie didn't warn you!” And with that the magic surrounding the tail compressed, and shaped until the once rebellious limb now stood stiff as a board. Trixie smirked to herself as she used her well honed magic to bend the helpless tail into an odd, and hopefully painful angle. The tugging beneath the water increased tenfold as Spike must have been thrashing about in agony. “Maybe next time you'll know your place lowly dragon!” And like that the limb hung limp in defeat, it's other end ceased it's pulling, which Trixie took as a sign of surrender. With a victorious smile Trixie minimized her magic hold until it was down to a ethereal blue ring still gripping the tail by it's tip. Trixie offered a few tuts before she began lecturing the limb turned prisoner, adding as much insult to injury as she could. “Well Trixie hopes you learned a lesson, never match might, or wits with your superior. Trixie had actually thought that you might have been close to her level of intelligence, now look at yourself. Bruised, broken, and at Trixie's mercy, just like all her other challengers.” Despite her gloating Trixie felt slightly let down, she had hoped Spike would put up more of a fight, but perhaps even a dragon had it's limits. The limp greyish brown tail that she held in her magical grasp lacked the stubborn, wise-ass , and mentally maddening backbone that she had seen the night before...In fact it lacked any of the purple scales, or small green spines that had lined it as well. Now that she thought about it Trixie could have sworn that Spike's tail ended with a small arrow headed tip instead of just a blunt point. An uneasy feeling began to crawl up Trixie's spine as her eyes followed the dull colored tentacle back into the murky water that it's owner was probably shrouded in. Suddenly from the corner of her eyes Trixie noticed something slithering out of the water, toward where she stood. Another brown limb felt it's away around the wet sand until it found itself prodding Trixie's front left hoof. Before she realized what was happening the second tentacle wrapped itself around Trixie's leg, and out sprang out another three grasping limbs from the water each one reaching toward the surprised mare. Trixie pulled back as fast as she could, but the second limb held strong, and the original came back to life, and reached out toward her neck with renewed energy. The cove's water level began to swell rapidly as a large mass made it's way toward the surface, and Trixie was transfixed with fright as two large yellow orbs stared up at her from deep below. Remembering her magic Trixie fired up her horn, and blasted the grasping tentacle that held her in place, causing it to fry up and release her. But the other tentacles had closed the distance, and Trixie found both of her front hooves being dragged toward the menacing waters, and the approaching entity beneath. The water now swelled high above her, before being burst forth by a large silhouette that eclipsed the sun with it's size. As Trixie looked up into the pair of hungry yellow eyes, and the cavernous mouth filled to the brim with teeth, her mind loudly shouted within the confines of her skull. “Horse-apples!” While her body rerouted all functions to opening her mouth, and sending forth what could be her final words. “SPIIIKE!!!” End of Chapter!: CLIFFHANGAAA!