Chapter 3
Spike wasn’t feeling much better that evening when he found Twilight in the library. “Want me to make you dinner? I’m not hungry.”
She looked up and blinked, then rolled her eyes. “Spike, I told you five times you do not have stomach chill. I don’t think dragons can get stomach chill. You breathe fire.”
“I know,” Spike sighed. “It’s not that. I just… talked to Apple Bloom today.”
“About her decision?” Twilight cocked her head and set down her book.
“Yeah, she wanted to know about Canterlot. So I told her…” Spike frowned. “Twilight, I know you need me here, but could we maybe get somepony else to be Apple Bloom's assistant? She really seems like she’s going to need help.”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “What makes you say that?”
Spike shrugged. “She worries a lot. Even if she decides to go, well… it’s like when you worry. You’re just not as good at stuff, and that’s when you need me the most.”
“You’re right. I guess I could look for another assistant for her, but that pony would still be a stranger.” Twilight sighed.
“Yeah…” Spike nodded and sat down next to Twilight. “Why does this make me feel so bad? Everypony else is worried about Apple Bloom, but, I mean, I don’t even feel like eating because of it.”
“I have an idea about that…” Twilight looked at him. “If a pony asked ‘who is Spike?’ what do you think other ponies would say?”
Spike smiled. “Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant.”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “What if I wasn’t around? Then who would you be?”
Spikes face fell. He started to feel tense, and he looked around the room nervously, fiddling with his claws. He noticed books he should straighten, and a ball of dust under the desk he really should be--
“Spike,” she said softly. “This is important. Who would you be?”
Spike swallowed and made himself look at her. “Some… dragon? Who likes comic books, and food?”
“I think you’re wrong.” Twilight gave him a nuzzle. “And I think you were wrong about your first answer. You’re not just my number one assistant, you’re a personal assistant. If you were a pony, I think that would be your special talent. You don’t need me for that, in fact a lot of the time you don’t even get to do the best job that you can here. But then you see Apple Bloom, and you see someplace you really could do your best.” She smiled at him. “It’s like when I see a magic puzzle, or when Rainbow Dash hears about a race. It calls to you.”
Spike blinked. “You think that I have a real special talent? Like, a cutie mark?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. I don’t think dragons usually have them, but I think you’re a special dragon.” Then her smile turned wistful. “But, one thing everypony knows about special talents is that you’re always happiest when you follow them.”
“Yeah…” Spike frowned and looked up at Twilight. She was smiling, she wasn’t sending him away. But she was all he’d ever known for his whole life, and now…
She cuddled him close. “That’s why I think you should go, Spike. I thought about it when I was talking to Applejack, before we told Apple Bloom. She had a really hard time with the idea. She loves Apple Bloom, and she cares about her, and that won’t ever change. But she wants Apple Bloom to have the best life she can, even if it means she has to be out there and not at home with her. And I realized, I feel the same way about you.”
Spike hugged Twilight and closed his eyes. “I… care about you too.”
“I love you, Spike. You’re my family.” She smiled. “But… I don’t think it’s really fair to call you a baby dragon anymore.”
“Thanks, Twilight.” Spike said, smiling back. He felt… hungry. And a little excited, he really wanted to talk to Apple Bloom. But he was mostly hungry. “So does that mean I can have ice cream for dinner?”
Twilight raised her eyebrow.
“In a totally grown-up way.”
Twilight shook her head.
Spike crossed his arms. “You know, in Canterlot there’ll be nopony to stop me from eating ice cream for dinner…”
Spike glanced at Twilight. She was just standing there, smiling her encouragement towards Apple Bloom. But that wasn’t going to be enough.
This wasn’t fair. He looked up at the judges, and wondered if somepony planned this. He knew that Princess Celestia would never let something like that happen. But somepony might have slipped it by if they wanted to make sure Apple Bloom didn’t get in. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that the tests weren’t always supposed to be fair; Twilight’s test had been to hatch his egg, and nopony expected a foal to be able to do it. Twilight had done it, with the help of a sonic rainboom, but other foals got in that year just based on how they had tried.
He felt like he was that egg again, but this time he was watching from the outside, hoping there was some way for Apple Bloom to hatch it so he could be her assistant, and they could prove to anypony who even thought about keeping her out that she could be one of the best students they’d ever seen.
But she couldn’t do it, and this time it was his fault. He’d failed her. Apple Bloom didn’t have raw power like Twilight, she needed to be prepared, and it was his job to make sure she was. Twilight said it was his special talent. Some special talent, if he was that bad at it. He’d do anything if it would make it right. He’d fight a dragon… well, another, much bigger dragon. He’d jump out on that stage and tell everypony how great she was, and tell them this wasn’t fair, if he thought that would help. But it would just mess things up more.
She just had to do something, anything. She had to show them she wouldn’t give up. She had to, for both of them.
The sun was setting and Apple Bloom was sitting on a hill overlooking Sweet Apple Acres, thinking. She’d thought so much in the past week she thought her brain was going to dissolve. That would make things easier, at least. It occurred to her that maybe that was why grown-ups drank hard cider, and it didn’t seem fair that she had to make a grown-up decision before she was even allowed to have any.
As she was thinking, she heard somepony huffing and puffing up the hill. She glanced over and saw Spike coming towards her.
“Heya,” she said.
“Hey… I’ve been looking… all over… for you. This… is a big… farm.” He finally made it to where she was sitting and plopped down.
She smiled as he caught his breath. “You get used to it. You oughta get out and exercise more.”
He scrunched up his face. “That would cut into my food and comics time.”
Apple Bloom giggled. “Well, I reckon that’s another thing about a farm. Food is all over the place. Want an apple?”
“Nah. I just wanted to talk to you.” Spike took a deep breath. “I wanted to ask if you want me to go to Canterlot with you as your assistant. Like I was for Twilight when she was in school.”
Apple Bloom’s mouth fell open. “You’d do that for me?”
Spike took a deep breath, then he grinned. "Yeah. And I’ll show you all around Canterlot, and I’ll help you study, and you’ll always have a friend, right there. And we can come back to Ponyville whenever we have time.”
“But... why?”
Spike shrugged. “I like helping ponies. And you need my help, so… it’s what I want to do. Why do you want to study magic?”
“It’s fun. And… it’s important. It holds the whole world together, and there’s so much nopony even knows ‘bout it. And Princess Celestia’s School is where ponies are actually puttin’ it together. I could be part of that someday. I could find new potions, or write new spells, or unlock the resonance access for earth pony magic so we could direct it and use it on purpose…” She smiled. “Look at me, talkin’ big when I don’t even know if I wanna go.”
“Are you sure you don’t know?” Spike smiled and raised an eyebrow.
Apple Bloom looked at the farmhouse with a nervous smile. “Ya’ know, Applejack said I was a lucky pony. I reckon she’s right. I got a great family, amazin’ friends who all care about me, I got a chance to do something fun that nopony’s ever done before, and be in a neat city, and have somepony there I know I can depend on. Other ponies ain’t gonna have that. They might get some of it, but I got it all. I guess that means… I oughta give it a shot.”
She looked over at Spike. “That sounds like some grown-up thinkin’, right?”
Spike nodded. “More grown-up than a lot of grown-up ponies I know.”
“Good.” Apple Bloom smiled for real. It felt like the first time in days. “I’ll tell my family this evenin’ and go talk to Twilight tomorrow.”
Spike smiled back. “Great. So, I guess now you’ve just gotta study for the entrance exam.”
The smile slowly melted from Apple Bloom’s face as her stomach started to twist. She sat frozen like that for a few long minutes.
“Apple Bloom?” Spike asked, his brows furrowed in worry.
Apple Bloom just flopped back in the grass and groaned. “Now I gotta worry about that exam!”
Apple Bloom closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she opened them and studied the chest. It was covered in leather, with brass fittings on the corners, brass hinges on the back, and big padlock on the front. She could make a corroding potion, that might open the lock, but it would probably hurt the chest in the process. She could easily buck the darn lock off the chest, but that would definitely hurt the chest.
Everything she could think of would hurt the chest. This just wasn’t something a pony could do with a potion. If she was a unicorn, maybe she could use some kind of magical lock picking, but… she wasn’t a unicorn.
Which was the problem when it came down to it. She was crazy, thinking she belonged here. She looked over at Applejack and Twilight and Spike again. All three were trying to smile, to help her feel better, but it just made her feel worse. They knew she couldn’t do this, why was everypony pretending she could? What good did that do anypony? She was wasting the judges time, and everypony would probably just laugh about how an earth pony tried to pass the entrance exam at Princess Celestia’s and couldn’t think of a thing to do for it.
She looked at her useless wagon and thought about bucking that. It wouldn’t open the chest, but the glass and potion ingredients would make a really satisfying crash. But that would be mean, somepony would have to clean it up, and Spike spent all that time packing it for her.
She shook her head and walked over to the wagon. She took out the list of ingredients and objects Spike had packed. Maybe she’d accidentally put a set of lockpicks on the list. Not that they would help much, her experiences as part of Cutie Mark Crusaders: Locksmiths would attest to that. But she wouldn’t be standing there like an idiot.
The list was full of the things she’d need to make potions. Different plants and scrapings and oils, bottles and fittings, a burner for heating things, and the tools to put them all together. There was no potion that could help her now, but as her eyes scanned the list they landed on something… she shouldn’t have needed it, but Spike probably added it just in case the fittings on the stands that held the bottles came loose. She wished she knew about it earlier, she would have fixed that darn wagon.
She looked over at him, he was biting his lip and his claws were in fists, he didn’t even try to smile at her.
So she grinned at him instead. She dropped the list and quickly trotted around the chest, nodded to herself, and started pulling out ingredients to make a potion.
It only took Apple Bloom a few minutes to put together her equipment and mix up the potion, and then it was just a matter of letting it set. While she waited, she went back to her cart and found the screwdriver.
She calmly trotted over to the chest and unscrewed the hinges on the back, being careful not to scratch the brass or leather. She opened it just wide enough for her hoof to fit inside so that she didn’t bend the latch on the front. She felt around until she found the gemstone and slid it up the side and out of the box. Then she carefully screwed the hinges back on and set the gem on top of the chest.
The judges were just staring at her, and she felt herself blush.
“I… uh… didn’t know a potion that would open the box. But I got the gem out anyways.”
The judges were quiet, but she saw them look towards the potion she was making.
“Oh, yeah. It didn’t feel fair to do a magic test with a screwdriver. So, I made ya’ a plant growin’ potion too, for your gardens or houseplants or what have ya’. It’s a real good one, just don’t use more than three drops at a time unless you got a whole lotta ponies to feed.”
The judges raised their eyebrows. Then the blue mare smiled and said, “Thank you, Apple Bloom. You’ll be receiving the results in a few days.”
Apple Bloom nodded and put on her mature, serious face. “Thank ya’ kindly, folks.” Then she packed up her things, hitched up her wagon, and trotted towards the door.
Soon as they got outside, Applejack grinned and hugged her tight. “Apple Bloom, I am so proud of ya’! I dunno if ya’ passed the test, but that kinda thinkin’ is a darn useful thing anywhere.”
“I know I didn’t know a spell that would pick a lock when I took my test, but I knew one that would undo screws. You did exactly what I would have done.” Twilight grinned and wrapped her wings around the sisters.
“I guess you could say you were really… thinking outside the box! Huh? Get it?” Spike waggled his eyebrows.
“Spike! That’s awful.” Apple Bloom said, giggling.
Spike grinned. “Well, I guess you’re gonna have to get used to it.”
Apple Bloom walked over and nuzzled him. “Ya’ know, I’m lookin’ forward to it.”
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Oh, now this looks interesting...
This is... The story is sweet, but the last chapter basically reduces Spike to... well an assistant. And not just "you're assisting now" but "you will assist forever. That is all you're good at, making sure someone else succeeds at their thing."
I find the idea behind that depressing, and always have, that Spike's destiny of destinies is to do what he's doing now for the rest of his life because that's all he's good at: doing things for other people. Most people dream of growing out of servile positions, not into them.
That being said it's a sweet story of both of them having the courage to move into this new thing, so that's nice.
5920980
I don't see it as servile, especially not as Apple Bloom's assistant (where he's much more an equal, even almost a teacher, than with Twilight.) Yes, it means he's making sure other ponies succeed, but that's not a bad thing to do in life, and it is what he's good at.
ETA: It's servile in the same way being a teacher or a civil servant is, but those can be very noble professions.
5921036
Yeah, that she was trying to hide it, but would be a little disappointed if Apple Bloom didn't go.
Sequel?
5921153 There are plans...
5920999
Yeah... but the problem is that "personal assistant" is nearly the most ignominious (although that word is actually too harsh for what I mean, I'm having trouble finding the right one) of the different roles (barring abusive or illegal ones) Spike could have that essentially involve him helping people for the rest of his life. It involves the least skill, the least equality to those he helps, the least accolades, and the least self-improvement for Spike in the course of doing that job, being nothing but gratitude for his good work and maybe a good word to his next employer. Helping someone stay organized or fetching things for them is sorta rightly not highly respected at the end of the day, and that's all that it's been implied Spike does.
Really, no part about actually getting the results?
5921177
I don't know what to tell you. This is canonically what Spike wants to do with his life and what he's good at. I just tried to put him in a position where he's not riding on his mom/sister's coat tails, but gaining respect from other ponies on his own merits.
5921231
However, he already had respect from other ponies (The crystal empire). Forcing him to wait on a younger, less renowned pony (somewhat against his will) seems very demeaning to him. It would be like forcing a Star MLP player to play in the little leagues.
5921249
He has respect as a hero in times of emergency. He can coast on his association with that for the rest of his life, or do something useful with himself. Applejack has saved Equestria a few times, and she still farms apples.
Also, I headcanon Apple Bloom as being a few months older than Spike (AJ left home after her parents were dead, therefore Apple Bloom would have to have already been born, therefore Spike was born after her.) But that's headcanon and your mileage may vary.
And where do you get the idea it's in any way against his will?
This was my favorite one to read during the contest.
5921260
Put it this way, AppleJack takes care of her family's farm, Spike assist Twilight. It would be messed up if Applejack had to start all over again on a new farm with some other family, so as to not ride on the coat-tails of the apple family.
That's funny because I always figured Spike was older than AB based on that episode, I Head-cannoned AJ's parents as being away then and haven't made AB yet.
5921265 5921044
Thanks, you guys.
This was a sweet story and a pairing I don't see a lot of, well done.
5921302
Applejack takes care of her family's farm, acts as mother-figure to Apple Bloom and is moving towards being a caretaker to her elderly grandmother. Spike assists Twilight, who, as pointed out in the fic, doesn't need that much assisting a lot of the time (so Spike rarely gets to use his talents) and also frequently acts as his guardian (telling him it's time to go to bed, keeping him from eating ice cream, etc.)
This gives him the chance to help a pony who's making history, who really does need him, in a situation where he's given the responsibilities of an adult with no one looking over his shoulder. I don't see it as a step down on achievement of an adult life. It's more like if one of the Apple siblings decided to start their own farm and family. The farm would be smaller at first, but they would be the center of it.
Here's an Apple Bloom video exploding with originality.
23.33 % ponies have access to 99.99% spellcasting
OCCUPY CANTERLOT!
Will you be writing more of this or sequel? You need to write more!
I quite like that extra scene. Spike assists. Not in a servile sense, but in an enabling sense. Both Twilight and Apple Bloom are brilliant, but both tend towards obsession and anxiety spirals that keep them from using that brilliance. Spike helps them maintain their grip on sanity and keeps them functional. Without him...
Well, I hope Twilight's friends are up to the task.
Also, I find myself greatly intrigued by the prospect of unlocking earth pony magic resonance access. Plus, it's a great piece of magical technobabble.
Good story. I'm glad to see it on Fimfiction.
Fun story, with a very original concept. Applejack was great; Twilight felt like she was pushing a little too much, which is quite OOC. I would definitely read a sequel.
this could be interesting
5921177 It's just a title, and while it might not be the best title to have, it is the broadest title. Spike could take up teaching, if he wanted, or even psychology, if he wanted, or really anything involving assistance of any kind, and he'd still be within the bounds of his special talent as established by Twilight. Assisting could mean a lot of things, and in this particular case it does mean a lot of things. He won't necessarily get a lot of attention for what he does, even though he actually might, but he's going to be guiding Apple Bloom through her studies, keeping her organized, giving her in depth knowledge of the city, and probably both using his preexisting knowledge of potion making and getting a lot more of it. There's a lot for him to do, and a lot of ways for him to improve, because if that weren't the case then he wouldn't be going.
Anyway, I really liked the story. Taking educational integration to a pony place gives it a weird depth. This is a world I'd be interested in seeing more of, if you have any intent along those lines, and if you don't then what you have is very good.
5921534 I always like seeing Moderators on comment sections. It's like joining a TF2 server and seeing a rare Spycrab migration.
5921433 5921441
I do hope to write a sequel one day, and if I do it'll move towards SpikeBloom.
5921470
In terms of Twilight, the way I see it is that she sees from the start what Apple Bloom came to realize, that there probably isn't another non-unicorn in Equestria who has all of the support Apple Bloom has to do this, and in terms of Spike that there probably wouldn't be an opportunity for a long time where he'd be so comfortable and in his element. So if she's a little pushy, it' coming from a place of optimism for both of them and for an integrated school of magic.
5921557 I can understand her motivations, but I think she'd be sensitive enough to realize just how susceptible Spike might be to suggestions that she doesn't need him anymore, and how important their bond is to him. Especially the repeated "she needs you more than I do" toes the line. I just think Twilight would be more diplomatic.
5921555 I'll take that as a compliment!
5921045 There is going to be a sequel. Is there not?
I haven't even started reading this, but I have to admit this is already one of the most interesting story concepts I've come across since joining the site. Expect a review later, because this is going in my "Read Later" shelf.
WHY DOSN'T THIS HAVE MORE LIKES!!
Seriously this only has 70 likes!
Why doesn't this have more!
5921177 Speaking as someone who works in an Administrative Support role, your opinion about my vocation can go hang.
I would love to write a sequel to this (with your permission of course) but set it in a very slightly alternate universe where there is just a touch more prejudice against mudpo- ah.. earthponies. Heh. Anyways, great fic!
I too would be interested to see where this would go in a sequel.
I enjoyed this as much as I did in the writeoff, and the adjustment to the scene ordering helped.
WHAT?! A dirt pony sullying the hallowed halls of unicorn supremacy?!
INCONCEIVABLE!!
Clearly they must be oppressed much more harshly! They're getting uppity!
5921623 And you should. Being compared to a spycrab is like being compared to god. Flattering but blasphemous.
5921574
Twilight wants him to make the right decision and is steering him towards it. A lot of the time, that's kind of how it goes with kids; you want them to make up their minds, but you also want them to make the right choice for the right reasons.
Plus it means Spike won't be around when she shacks up with Applejack.I couldn't think of a story more worthy to finally kick me out of the goddamned featured box.
This was my favorite story during the Write-off. Glad to see it back again!
I feel like you're really good at getting into the characters' heads and knowing exactly what they would say and do
It's something I definitely envy!
This is a joy to read, I've always thought about where Apple Bloom would go with her potion making skill.
This is posilutely adorable! I love the way you portray the characters, and the whole flow of the story is beautiful. Their lines were in the proper voices in my head, so you nailed the diction as far as I'm concerned. Simply delightful! I too also would be interested in reading more of this, it's an intriguing premise.
Please keep writing, I'll keep reading!
hi hi
This is so incredibly sweet, I don't even know what else to say. I think my favorite parts are the interactions between Apple Bloom and Applejack, cause they actually make it feel like there's an honest connection that Apple Bloom is going to have to leave behind.
I said it before, but good job, was a nice story.
What an excellent concept, and so entertainingly executed! I, for one, really like the idea that Spike might have his calling in finding exceptional ponies and helping them to reach their full potential. Very nice characterization from all involved, and I especially liked AJ and Twilight for their roles in this. It was also fun to see another entrance exam, and I enjoyed seeing Apple Bloom solve the problem presented to her in a very Earth Pony way.
All in all, a great little story to find! I look forward to anything more you might do with this concept!
Really awesome story! I can't wait for the next chapter! I really love the idea that Applebloom continues her study in potion making and magic study.
This was extraordinarily well done. Very original, very interesting, and on-point with every character. The one thing I might fault is that there's only one scene with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo—they're her best friends, so I just expected them to be more prevalent. Regardless, good job!
I find it hard to believe that ponies would use leather.
5922329
They import it from the griffons. They just don't ask.
5922329 They didn't say what leather, though. It's like hearing we have books bound in leather and assuming it's human skin (or monkey or dolphin skin). Maybe it's imported from Griffonia. Maybe it's an organ donation program for cows. Maybe it's a synthetic substance. Maybe it's from some eldrich beast in the far-off reaches. Maybe it's Thragtusk hide, cut from the still-living monster at the liver of the Everfree.
Or maybe you're right and it's just an oversight on the part of the writer, who can tell?
5921327
Thank you!
5921469
Magic technobabble is too much fun. By the time I finish a sequel, I'm going to have my own vocabulary for it. And thanks!
5921505
Thanks! I do have plans for a sequel...