And that is how Spike became a badass. Oh right, I just finished that part.
For the next part, We will have to sidestep in time to about...
--------------
10 minutes ago:
Big Mac is hard at work. Today is just like any other, Yesterday ended with a 'surprise' party... Some do, some don't.
Just another fine sunny day in Equestria, hauling apples.
That new Stallion... thing was a funny looker, no fur to speak of, cept his mane. and he walked around like them
Minotaurs. It definitely takes all kinds.
"Eeyup,"
Mac had just finished offloading several bushels and was about to go after his last load for the day when he heard the
loud deep howling.
"Eeee...crap."
Mac immediately dropped his cart harness and ran for the Apple House.
He burst in the front door, "Jackie!"
Applejack pokes her head into the living room from the kitchen, "Mac? Whats botherin ya?"
Mac holds the door open, as another howl rings through the air, "That. It's huntin." He then lets the door close.
Applejack stomps a hoof, "Dagnabbit! And I just put pies in the oven, too!"
Mac smirks, "Ahl take over, go be a hero."
AJ grins "Thanks Mackie," and rushes up the stairs "I hope this thing works" She mutters as she bursts into her room and
grabs an orange gem from her nightstand. She frowns as she tries to remember her activation phrase..
"Ohh yeah... 'Fabulous!' "
The orange gem glows with light, and AJ feels her cutie mark pulse, looking back it is glowing with an orange light.
"Alright, That's done, the girls should be here soon."
A groaning of wood and a loud crash can be heard in the woods nearby followed by a massive roar.
"Ohh Great, Whut now?!" AJ turns and heads back down. She skips stairs heading down and meets Mac on the porch.
"What was that?"
By this time, Granny Smith has made her way out to the porch, "What in tarnation's makin all that noise, I was havin my
beauty nap!"
"That timberwolf's got competition." Jackie can see a huge purple dragon looming out of Whitetail woods.
The Dragon growls deeply and they watch it take a swing. A loud crash and the howling stops suddenly.
"Sounds like it lost." Mac quips Mac, rolling the straw in his mouth.
A loud crack and a Rainboom appears in the sky, and a blue blur angles towards the farmhouse. Rainbow Dash comes in for an
expert landing in the yard near the porch. "Sup Apples? A dragon? Oh great...."
AJ glares at RD, "Now why cain't you land like that all the time, Stead o crashing through the window?"
RD grins and brushes a hoof against her chest, "Hey, that's part of what makes me awesome!"
Big Mac snorts, "Property damage ain't awesome."
RD glares in the direction of the dragon. "Now what are we gonna do about this? Wait... is that somepony on it's back?"
As they watch the Dragon begins shrinking back down out of sight.
RD shakes her head, "What the buck? Gonna go scout." She leaps back into the air and heads toward the disturbance.
A couple minutes later Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy arrive.
Twilight asks, "What's going on?"
Mac shrugs, "Was a Timberwolf, got smashed by a dragon, now both'r gone." he heads back into the house to watch the pies.
"A dragon? Wait Zed and Spike are supposed to be near there!" Twilight shakes her head, "Hope they are safe."
Rainbow skims in and lands shortly after, "Hi Girls, I checked it out and all I saw was Spike and Zed coming this way."
AJ blinks, "No huge dragon?"
RD shrugs extending a hoof, "Just the little one."
At this point Zed, with Spike riding his shoulders, approaches the farmhouse.
-----------------------------------
*POV change*
I grin and set Spike down on the grass, "Afternoon ladies! Glad you could all show up."
Rarity runs up and gives Spike and me a big hug, "Oh I was so worried, Applejack says there was a Timberwolf and a
Dragon!"
"Well there was a Timberwolf, Big motherbucker too." I grin and pat Spike on his scaly head, "Lil Bro here took it out..."
A collective "What!?" from the six, Granny wakes up a little confused, having dozed off again.
Applejack steps forward, "Yer tellin me that huge purple dragon was... Spike?"
Spike grins and crosses his arms, "Eeyup."
Rarity looks back and forth between me and Spike, "Darling... What in Equestria did you do?"
I take a seat on the porch next to AJ and chuckle, "I am gonna call it an 'inspired crash course in dominance'."
Twilight looks confused and a little upset, "What? A lesson in dominance?"
I sigh, "Spikes, I think we need to demonstrate... Gimme Stage One."
Spike grins and cracks his claw knuckles. "you got it." He closes his eyes and concentrates, and slowly he grows into
Teenage Spike, Standing about a head shorter than me on his hind legs. "Whatta ya think?"
Twilight, threatening to go Super Saiyan, steps up and pokes me in the chest with a hoof. "HOW?!"
"You want the technical details or the short and... wait Dash is here... Short and sweet it is...Spike Owns Equestria."
The chorus of confused looks tells me what I was expecting.
"Do you want to know how I came to that conclusion?"
The chorus of equally confused nods answers that question.
"Spike! Go stage two!"
"Awesome!" Spike closes his eyes and focuses again, this time growing to the height of the apple residence, he brings his
head down on it's long neck and nuzzles Twilight.
"Now you see. Dragons are essentially this worlds ultimate protectors. it's their primary behavior, it's why they have
hoards, to guard them. The bigger the hoard, the bigger the dragon."
Twilight smiles timidly at Spike and touches his nose with a hoof, "I know that part..."
"Yes, now We need to look at the definition of a 'hoard'. To yer average pony on the street a dragons heard is a pile of
treasure, a bunch of things of high value, some priceless. What I had Spike think about, is What does he consider of
value..."
Twilight blinks, "I'm following you so far..."
I nod, collecting Fluttershy into my lap and scratching her neck, She giggles softly and leans int my hand. "This part you
should know too. Spike was raised like a pony by the Princess of Friendship and the Princess of the Sun. Valuing
friendship has been a part of his life since he got to ponyville... Now what does that mean?"
Twilight blinks, something having clicked in her head. "it means... to him that his friends are valuable."
I grin and point at Twi, "Gold Star, Purple Stuff! If his friends are his prized 'possessions', then one could say that
his friends are his hoard. Right?"
Five sets of large pony eyes widen, and a few "Ahhs" ring out as the rest make the connection.
"Now... Who does Spike consider his friends? Everybody right? You girls, your families, The entire town, knows and loves
him for exactly what he is. To any other dragon... Spike Owns Ponyville. And...."
Twilight blinks, "And?"
"Lets see, He is friend and family to both Celestia and Luna, and all the servants and guards of Canterlot know who he is
and respect him..."
Pinkie looks fit to burst. She open her mouth to speak.
"One moment Pinkster. We aren't nearly done yet."
She giggles and nods.
"Spike, with the help of Cadence and Twilight, rescued the ponies of the Crystal Empire, There's even a huge statue of him
there.. So, In essence, He 'owns' that too. So, to any other dragon Spike has a gargantuan hoard, All the ponies in Ponyville,
The Crystal Empire, and most of the ponies in Canterlot! His hoard, is second only to the Dragon Lord, and he's good
friends with her too!"
I extend a fist to Spike, who counters with one clawtip, Which I brofist. "A facet of his dragon code is that he protects
anything that he considers his hoard. If Equestria, by way of Celestia, is part of his hoard, Spikey Wikey here... is for
lack of a better way of saying, is the the most powerful dragon in Equestria. Maybe even the Whole world. Now how's that
for Humdrum?"
Spike has this huge-ass grin on his face, and not just because his face is huge currently.
By this time the ladies are awestruck, even Dash is standing and staring at Spike, They realized that the cute little Butt
Monkey of the group has suddenly taken a crash course in ultra-badass.
I smirk and tickle Fluttershy's ear, eliciting another giggle, so damn cute. "Now By his Dragon code, Anyone who saves his
life he promises to protect and help in any way he can. I can easily say that he's been rescued in one way or another from
certain doom by each and every one of you ladies, Cadence, Celestia, the list goes on. So, By his code, he's required to
help, protect and keep safe, Equestria. Just like all of you."
"Conversely, I have also instructed him to keep humble unless he's needed." I give Spike a nod, "Bring it down Bro,
Demonstration over."
Spike gives a really big thumbs up and starts shrinking.
Twilight has the look of gears spinning in her head, "I didnt even realize...."
"And rightly you didn't. As long as Spike here keeps humble about it, he's gonna remain in his passive form as your ever-
faithful assistant, even when he starts growing naturally."
Spike has returned to his new normal, about a head taller than he was. and he runs up and gives Twilight a hug, which she
happily returns. He takes his place on Twi's back.
"What my thought is, is that he's our new ringer. If the stuff starts flying so hard and fast that we can't keep up with
it, nothing ends an argument like multiple tons of muscle and fire. And I do say 'Our'. I'm no pony. I'll freely admit
that Humankind has been in the business of warfare since we learned how to hit each other with sticks. What I am offering
all you ladies is my unique perspective on your skills and powers and how they can be used at need to protect Equestria"
Fluttershy looks up at me, "But you're so peaceful, and nice? How could you be a warrior?"
I glance over at Rarity, "Care to give them an idea?"
Rarity blinks, then nods, "When we were escaping the tunnels, He took up his pickaxe, broke chains and single handedly
cleared a path through a horde of diamond dogs, to rescue myself and all those other ponies. He can handle himself in a
fight, I'll attest to that."
I smile softly at Flutters, "When I meet Rares, I made the choice to be a guardian as well. and that I won't let anything
stop me from doing so. You." I boop Fluttershy's nose, "Are safe with me."
Flutters blushes and hides in her mane.
"All that disclosure aside, I have been thinking... and I have some ideas for each one of you that I think you could use.
I would like to spend some one-on-one time with each of you to implement my ideas. Before that though, I need to make some
preparations, some new gear needs to be made for some of you. and the source of some of that gear is my car. Applejack, If
you would be so kind, take me there?"