Playing with Dragonfire
Spike made his way downstairs, complete with Diamond in tow. She wasn't kidding about keeping an eye on him – she watched him like a hawk all the way into the kitchen. Honestly, her suspicions that he would – heh, spike the food – were completely unfounded. Did her family have some bizarre history of poisonings he wasn't aware of, or was it just that she had absolutely no trust in dragons? Either way, as long as she didn't disturb him, he could tolerate her sitting around and watching.
As he looked around the still-cluttered kitchen to figure out what he could make use of, she made herself comfortable at the dinette over in the far corner of the room, pulling out a chair so she could face him. “Remember, I've got my eye on you!” she exclaimed from her outpost.
Spike opened his mouth, all set to send a zinger right back at her, but his melancholy mood and previous experiences dealing with her today caused him to think twice about it. Instead, he simply frowned, trying his best to not let her get to him more than she already had. Right now he really didn't want another round of insults while he was trying to focus on this meal he was about to make.
And what should that meal be? He pretty much gave up on any of the fancy meals he could have made for everypony – there simply wasn't enough time, as the sun was already setting. Instead, perhaps something simple, like a stew?
Stews were the kind of meals he learned to cook early on, back when Twilight was still a teenage filly in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and indeed – they were quick and easy to prepare. She would occasionally come home for lunch instead of eating at the cafeteria and he would have it ready for the entire family.
Even then, he felt the need to make himself useful. As a drake in a world dominated by ponies, he didn't attend a regular school – Twilight, her mom, and occasionally even Celestia herself tutored him at home – so he had to do something – anything – to give himself a sense of self-worth, and helping with the cooking fit the bill nicely. Reminiscing over those enjoyable times brought a bit of happiness to his otherwise gloomy demeanor.
“Hey!”
A loud voice cut through the images of fond memories like a knife to fabric, and replaced them once again with the scene of the untidy kitchen that was his prison, his guard shouting at him from the far corner. “Stop goofing off and get going. Dinner isn't going to cook itself, you know!”
Spike, now having snapped back to reality, looked around in bewilderment; he wasn’t even sure how long he had been sitting there just staring off into space! Refocused, he quickly did a survey of the coolers and pantry, and found some ingredients that could be used – cabbages and carrots in this case – to make a simple stew. One that should be tasty for ponies and even acceptable to him as well – if he used the appropriate spices and seasonings.
Spike stood on a chair and cleared off as much of the prep table as he needed to make room for his meal work, save for an old iron pot that was perfect for cooking in. The remainder of the retired cooking equipment could be stowed in the basement later as planned. As he was reaching for the carrots, Diamond's voice boomed once more. “What do you think you're doing?”
“Huh?”
“Don't you dare touch those carrots before you wash those dirty claws of yours!”
Spike peered down at them and realized that was a good catch – he never washed up after using and cleaning the bathroom! “Oh, right,” he quietly answered, thoroughly mortified it had slipped his mind. The thing that dismayed him the most, however, was the realization that she was the one who pointed it out. How could somepony that sharp waste such a talent by using it mainly for hurling insults at others?
“See? I knew you'd try to make us all sick!” Diamond scolded. “It's a good thing I came down here.”
“Sheesh, I wasn't trying to make you sick! You've been so mean and got me so flustered I just forgot to do it, okay?” Spike then held his claws up before continuing, “You want them clean? Here – how about I do this, then?”
The next thing Diamond saw caused her eyes to widen. Spike proceeded to blow a small but wide flame from his mouth across the tips of his claws, singing each digit with his dragonfire and leaving the tip of each claw smoking before he doused them in some running water at the small prep table sink. “There, they're totally germ-free now! Happy?”
“Why'd you do that?” the awestruck filly asked. “Doesn't that, like, hurt?”
“Nah, my scales keep me pretty safe – at least from my own fire. I'd have to try really hard to burn through them.”
Diamond blinked twice at Spike’s explanation, but her look of astonishment quickly faded as doubt set in once again. As her eyes narrowed, she let out a muffled laugh. “Fat chance that will ever happen – it’s probably more likely you’re just a pathetic excuse for a dragon,” she sneered. “I’ll bet some other dragon saved everypony at the games with their fire and you just took all the credit!”
Spike’s eyes flared an absolutely livid red at the insult. “You doubt me? Think I’m pathetic?” Spike was so angry, black smoke billowed from his nostrils with every breath. “I'll show you pathetic!”
He then grabbed an old iron soup spoon among the clutter and held it up in his claw, making sure his detractor could see it clearly. After a deep breath he pursed his lips and proceeded to blow a large, bright-green flame that extended across the entire prep table. A flame so fierce it lit up the entire room, casting warped, convulsing shadows that danced on the ceiling and walls behind him.
Slowly, he raised the spoon into the stream of glowing plasma. Almost immediately it turned bright-orange, the ladle awkwardly bending backward over its own handle before liquefying and melting onto his claw like an ice cream cone on a hot day.
The once-callous filly ducked down in her chair, her mouth agape as her dread-filled eyes glimmered in the light of the intense flames. Dragonfire was a sight to behold, to be sure; but it was the shadow Spike cast of himself that held her attention. It rose up behind him – immense in size, perverse in its arched, menacing stance; seemingly ready to strike at any moment.
It was the shadow of a monster she had hoped would never materialize again, and yet there it stood – as frightening as it was the first time.
With the spoon now nothing more than a melted blob of metal covering his claw, he extinguished his fire and looked her directly in her eye. “How do you like that, huh?” he snarled, clinching his point by thrusting what remained of the spoon toward her while still securely grasped in his claw. “Is that hot enough for ya?”
Diamond said nothing, her mouth still agape at the demonstration. Her eyes quivered ever so slightly as they repeatedly jumped between the melted stem and the dragon’s angry expression.
“Well?” he asked sardonically as he pushed for a reply, but none came. Instead, her eyes narrowed as they shot him a hateful look just before she jumped off her chair and bolted out of the kitchen. When Spike heard the gallop of her hooves on the stairs, he realized she was heading back up to her room, confirmed by the sound of her door slamming shut. “You'd better not be thinking about trashing that bedroom again,” he lectured to the ceiling in the empty kitchen. “Your mom said you're grounded for a week if you do!”
That wasn't exactly what she said, but he figured it was close enough. Plus, it didn't really matter anyway – if she did trash it, he was perfectly willing to let Randolph clean it up this time since he would be back soon.
And then the little dragon caught himself: He was so upset he was now willing to throw the kindly butler he had befriended under the chariot and leave Randolph solely responsible for something he was tasked with as Diamond’s temporary assistant. Somehow this filly always managed to get under his scales and he couldn't figure out why, and every time she did he realized he was that much farther away from accomplishing his mission as an emissary.
His subsiding rage was replaced by guilt, and it led him to stare at the large pot he was about to fill with ingredients, wondering if he could fit inside of it. “Maybe I should make a dragon stew instead? I’d probably be a lot happier as a meal compared to how I feel right now…”
Spike halfheartedly chuckled at the thought before dismissing it. “As if I could actually cook myself!” he concluded, realizing as a creature that could swim through lava, sitting in a boiling pot of water, herbs, and spices would have actually made for a very comfortable soak!
It reminded him of the times back in the library where Twilight had complained to him for using all the hot water because he insisted on taking baths and showers with the tap turned all the way to the highest temperature possible – after all, for a dragon, the hotter the water, the better! But despite her being upset at him, somehow the two of them always managed to have a good laugh over it later, and it brought a slight smile to his face.
With his spirits lifted a bit, the latest skirmish with Diamond faded out of his thoughts. But the scene he had just witnessed continued to replay in his head, and it dogged him. Why did she react like that? To him, it seemed like a pretty impressive demonstration of his talents! She must be one really temperamental pony, he figured.
With the lavender-maned distraction in the room gone, the cooking went quickly, and the stew was soon simmering nicely in the pot on the grill at the prep table. Spike sniffed at the aroma rising from under the lid – perfect! He had found several herbs and spices in the pantry to add to the mix, and once again his nose didn't fail him. Everything had come together nicely – despite the unwanted acrimony – and this should be a meal the family, and more importantly, their butler, would really enjoy!
Now that dinner was all set to cook for the next hour, he once again had some time to himself. He thought it best to get started on the kitchen cleanup immediately rather than wait till after dinner. Spike chuckled softly to himself – if he were cooking this back at the castle, he'd be trying to use this time to spend it with his beloved comic books! But here, the only thing he wanted was to get back home – to Twilight.
Twilight. While he was more than eager to get out of this house, he also realized she'd be expecting a full report on how his day went. As he was trying to figure out how he would explain how badly it had gone, a voice interrupted from across the room.
“My, what is that cooking? It smells delicious!”
Spike turned and saw Spoiled Rich enter from the hall. “Oh, hi,” he said flatly. “It's a carrot and cabbage stew, with some seasoning for flavor.”
Spoiled’s delighted expression faded as she looked suspiciously at her chef-conscript, raising one brow. “Is that not a bit – plebeian – for a princess? I thought I told you to cook the meals you cook for Princess Twilight!” she finished, her expression having turned even more adverse.
Spike sighed with annoyance as he rolled his eyes. Here we go again… “I am cooking what I cook for Twilight! She loves stews – we’ve been having them since she was a filly. Why is it so hard for you to understand Twilight doesn't go for all the fancy-schmancy stuff you Canterlot types do?”
“Because she is a princess – mentored by Celestia herself!” the obstinate mare shot back. “Even as new royalty, I simply find it hard to believe she would reject the perks that come with such status. After all, everypony knows that all fillies one day dream of becoming a princess! Who wouldn’t desire such a lavish lifestyle, their every whim being fulfilled?”
“Well, that’s not who Twilight is,” Spike countered in a stately manner. “All she wants is to help others and learn new stuff along the way. She even had to convince her friends to stop calling her ‘princess’ after the coronation. I mean, Diamond wears that tiara of hers more than Twilight ever wore her own crown!”
You almost make her sound like one of those blank-flanks, she nearly blurted, before catching herself and dismissing the notion. She had reluctantly accepted Spike’s earlier contention that the princess did not desire political power, but to believe she did not even wish to be treated as royalty? Preposterous. “Oh, come now. That is almost as ridiculous as the notion that she only has you around in that entire castle of hers – with no other servants or guards!”
The declaration the princess had made earlier that day continued to vex her. What sort of royalty lives by herself, save for a single assistant? Certainly something was amiss, but for the moment she could only speculate. “I don’t know what is going on – perhaps she does not wish to put on airs because she insists on holding onto this pretext of being a princess to mere commonponies? But whatever it is-”
“We’re not trying to pull the wool over anypony for crying out loud!” Spike shouted, irate at the accusation. “It really is just the two of us – and Owlowiscious, her pet owl – who live at the castle!” Spike angrily pleaded, his claws flailing in the air.
Spoiled huffed at the drake’s abrasive attitude, but his unwavering persistence did give her pause: She did seem to recall a lack of anypony around when she visited the castle the other day. Could he be telling the truth? Was it really just the two of them?
The gears in her head started turning as she thought back to a few of the other members of the aristocracy she had encountered who also forewent using servants. Some simply couldn’t afford it – their perceived wealth was all an elaborate ruse to maintain their place in higher social circles. Others, she recalled with a twisted smile, had more scurrilous reasons to keep untested hires away. Those in particular proved extremely useful if their deepest secrets could be uncovered, and she was more than willing to take full advantage if the need rose.
Was this a similar situation? She regarded the little purple and green beastie, now wearing a scowl as he impatiently tapped his right foot, awaiting a response to his reply. Certainly a dragon could cause all sorts of problems that might need to be swept under the rug – from minor issues like petty thievery and destruction of property, all the way to heinous crimes, like having an unhealthy appetite for ponies.
But none of that made any sense – she had done her research and he came with glowing reviews from both of the princesses in Canterlot. Certainly they of all ponies would have noted any behavioral issues. No – she dismissed the idea that he was somehow the problem; her own dealings with him thus far had shown him to be a trustworthy, albeit mouthy, servant. He was even quite malleable – when properly motivated, of course.
No, whatever it was they were hiding at the castle, it somehow involved the princess. But without evidence to back her up, any accusations would likely result in steep reprisals, and from an alicorn no less. So any plans to pressure her into granting boons would have to wait, though such plans might be expedited if Diamond could be compelled to help loose those secrets from this dragon’s lips…
“Forgive me, Spike dear. I meant no disrespect to either of you,” she reluctantly apologized. “It just seems difficult to believe a princess would willingly choose such a solitary lifestyle. Does she not become lonely by herself at the castle?”
“Well, she has her friends, you know,” Spike calmly replied, having cooled off over the slight. “The adventures they go on keep her pretty busy. And of course, she always has me.”
“But, you’re just her assistant, and if what you say is true, her only assistant. I know from personal experience from my days in Canterlot that living by oneself with only a maid for company is an absolutely dreadful existence.” Which is why, the mare thought to herself, she spent so much time at parties and dinners while stationed there.
“I’m more than her assistant,” Spike sighed. “Why do all you Rich’s think I’m just some random dragon that happens to work for Twilight? First it was Diamond, now it’s you. I’m the one she’s closest to, even with all her new friends! We’ve been there for one another our entire lives, and I imagine – and hope even – it will always be like that in some way.”
The color drained from Spoiled face on hearing this revelation.
Spike was correct – all this time she had assumed he was assigned to Twilight because a successful protégé of Celestia would require his services, and there was no denying a dragon would be helpful asset in that regard. But she had never considered he and the princess were any closer than any servant Spoiled herself would have hired.
Sure, the princess seemed friendly with him, as seen in the playful banter she witnessed upon their arrival this morning. But what he had just spoken of was more than simple friendship – it sounded more like love.
They loved each other, and Spoiled came to the realization she was suddenly on thin ice. Having something to leverage over the princess was now more important than ever.
“Forgive me, Great and Honorable Spike, I did not realize…” The mare stepped backward unsteadily, bumping into the items scattered on the floor Spike had previously cleared from the table to make room for cooking.
“Realize what?”
“Never mind, I’ve taken up enough of your time,” she replied nervously. “Would you happen to know where is my daughter is?”
Spike pointed up at the ceiling. “She went upstairs. I was giving her a demonstration and she galloped off like she had seen the return of Nightmare Moon or something!”
“Well then, I’d better go see what is wrong. As for dinner, carrot and cabbage stew sounds perfectly fine. You can forget all that nonsense I said earlier!”
“Um, sure thing. Consider it forgotten.”
With that, Spoiled darted out of the kitchen; not as quickly as Diamond had, but it was evident she was in a hurry and it left him standing there alone, scratching his head. “Well, that was weird…”
He simply shrugged it off and went back to work on the kitchen cleanup task, still trying to avoid having to stay there late. The mare in question, meanwhile, had reached the door to Diamond’s bedroom, and was surprised to find it locked, the sounds of quiet sobbing emanating from behind it.
“Diamond Tiara!” she chided as she rapped on the door brusquely. “Stop that incessant whining at once and unlock this door. What have I always told you about that? Winners do not cry!”
The sound of soft hoofsteps could be heard approaching, soon followed by the click of the latch. Slowly, the door swung open and Spoiled stepped into the room, finding her daughter already walking back to her bed, her head hanging low.
“Face me when I am speaking to you, young lady. Do not cower behind your own tail!”
Diamond wiped away a tear as she hopped onto her bed and curled up, a scowl soon forming as she faced her mother, her voice full of disdain. “I want that dragon gone, right now!”
Her mother closed the door, making sure ‘that dragon’ she had unceremoniously left downstairs hadn’t followed her up to listen in before replying to the distressed filly. “Oh, come now, Diamond – not this again,” she admonished. “You complained about my desire to hire him all week long – to the point of having to punish you – my only daughter – for your insolence. Well, let me be clear once again – I will do no such thing!
“I’m about to disclose to the world tomorrow that we have none other than Princess Twilight’s assistant working for us – the Princess Twilight – the same princess that is all the rage right now in Canterlot! Do you really expect me to toss him out right when I’m on the verge of informing the haut monde at our weekly tea club get-together about our little asset? Expect me to throw away all the effort I’ve put into guilting him into not only cleaning but even cooking for us?”
“I don’t care! I just want him as far away from us as possible. He’s – dangerous.”
“Dangerous? Why, my capricious little filly, whatever gave you that idea? Just a while ago I heard you arguing with him, and now I find you up here whimpering like some lost little rabbit. You are not afraid him now, are you?”
“Well, mother it’s just that I-I…” Diamond looked up and froze. The glare of her mother’s eyes peered straight into her soul, scanning for any sign of frailty. Knowing what the consequences would be if she admitted to being afraid – or even giving her mother the suspicion of such – she pushed away the fear of his terrifying shadow and recomposed herself to offer a plausible alternative: “Mother, he can breathe fire.”
The filly’s mother snickered, then outright howled over her daughter’s ridiculously obvious revelation. “Well of course he can breathe fire! What else would you expect a dragon to do?”
Diamond shrunk back from her mother’s belittling tone, realizing her made-up excuse for locking herself in her room wasn’t working as well as she’d hoped. “It’s just that I – I didn’t think he was any good at it since he’s so tiny, that’s all,” she offered. “Plus it’s not some namby-pamby flame, either – he can make it hot enough to melt metal. He could burn this entire house down if he wanted, and walk away without even a scratch!”
“Oh pish-posh, you worry too much, my dear. I have him wrapped around my hoof so tight I believe I could convince him to repaint the house and resod the lawn if I felt they needed it. Besides, he’s too considerate to ever think of hurting anypony – it would utterly destroy his relationship with the princess, and I fully intend on exploiting that weakness.”
“But-”
“Speaking of which, that is why I came up here to see you. While I don’t think you have anything to fear from him in particular, we are going to have to treat him more gently all the same. It turns out he holds the princess’ ear much closer than I first thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“All this time I thought he was assigned to her after graduating from Celestia’s school. Only now did I just learn he has been with her for his entire life and they are very, very close!”
Diamond sighed. “Yes, mother. He told me as much this morning.”
“He told you that this morning?” Spoiled lunged at her daughter on the bed, muzzle to muzzle, and growled, “My dear, how many times have I told you anytime you overhear important information or gossip, you should report it to me as soon as possible! Do you realize what a precarious position your poor judgment has put us in with the princess?”
“I-I’m sorry. It just didn’t seem like it was a big deal. So what if they care about each other? I figured if he said anything bad about me to her, I’d simply say he was lying and I’d have you and father back me up, like you always have.” The filly looked away anxiously before finishing, thinking back to her terrible experience in the kitchen again. “At least, that’s what I thought I could do…”
“It is more complicated than that. I’m afraid when matters of the heart are involved, the sway one has over another’s ear is much more powerful. Stronger than even the word of our family might have on the princess.”
“…which is all the more reason why he needs to go,” she responded emphatically as she pointed away from herself with her hoof.
“No, Diamond – I already explained to you that is out of the question. So buck up and deal with it. Just as you have to adjust your demeanor in how you deal with our scaly little friend, I have to adjust my plans when dealing with the princess.”
The filly shook her head in confusion, “I’m not following you, mother…”
“Once my relocation to Ponyville was complete, I had planned to gain her favor over the coming weeks by offering her lavish gifts and dinners. As it turns out, that is not going to work; she is far more, shall we say – pedestrian – than I first thought.”
Diamond jumped up, shocked by her mother’s statement. “Mother! How could you say such a thing – and about royalty, no less?”
“I am afraid it is true. After speaking at length with our little helper, it appears she simply does not go for baubles and trinkets, figuratively speaking. No, despite the castle, all the pomp and circumstance of her coronation, and her appearances at the galas, she prefers a simple lifestyle, living alone with her assistant.” She paused and smiled, “And that is where you come in, dear daughter of mine…”
Diamond swallowed hard. The look in her mother’s eyes implied she had some major new scheme in mind, and she wasn’t going to like taking part in it.
“I need you to do some investigating for me. Learn everything you can about what goes on behind closed doors at the castle through our mutual acquaintance down there in the kitchen. Do whatever it takes to gain his trust. Be – nice with him…”
Diamond’s eyes betrayed the anxiety welling up inside of her – that word: nice – she knew what it meant. When it came to the colts in her class, it normally wasn’t a difficult thing to do. She had often used her wiles to casually cajole extra supplies or lunch items out of them. Sometimes she was even able to get homework done for her or a few test answers when her teacher, Cheerilee, wasn’t looking. It had been less effective as of late, mainly due to her overuse of instilling fear in everypony; instead, the use of bribes were now the preferred method of being ‘nice’.
But in this situation, it was clear by the tone of her mother’s voice what was expected of her, and she would have none of it – especially after the recent events downstairs. “No. No! Absolutely not, mother!” she shouted defiantly. “Right when I don’t want to be anywhere near that dragon, you expect me to actually flirt with him? Act like a tease and try to get him to like me, just so you can-”
Diamond suddenly realized what tactic her mother was planning to employ, and the additional horror caused her to abruptly freeze. It was a tactic she herself had used with varying amounts of success, but how it would be applied here was so absurdly dangerous, it even made her forget about Spike for the moment.
While it was an effective tool when it worked, when it didn’t the consequences were none too pleasant – as was the time she held incriminating photos of those awful blank-flanks. For what her mother was proposing, the consequences would be far more dire than losing an editorial position at the Foal Free Press – and she pleaded with those terrified eyes, begging her mother reconsider. “You – you can’t actually be serious! You want to blackmail the princess? The Princess of Friendship?”
“Indeed, my dear,” the mare replied assuredly with raised brows and a sly grin. “The fact that she holds that title means it will be that much easier to get what I want from her.”
That did it. As reality was officially no longer a viable option, Diamond sat and curled up into a ball and rocked herself on the bed. As she slowly teetered to and fro, she quietly talked to herself since she seemed to be the only sane pony in the room who was willing to listen to what she had to say.
“…An alicorn. Mother wants to play a dangerous game with an alicorn…”
Meanwhile, Spoiled continued to try and explain why her new plan was necessary, ignoring and talking over the stricken filly who was now off in her own world.
“You see, I happen to know the princess was mentored by Celestia…”
“…we’re all going to end up living in the moon for a thousand years…”
“And just like her assistant, the princess absolutely hates disappointing her mentor…”
“…or maybe she’ll just make me into a statue and place it in her garden as a warning to others…”
“Besides, it is not as if I will act hastily before I have any hard evidence I can use against her…”
“…a-and everypony will see me covered in disgusting bird droppings and laugh…”
“Additionally, Princess Twilight is incredibly even tempered compared to other royalty I have successfully held accountable in the past…”
“…either way I-I’ll never see Silver Spoon again and she’ll be nothing but dust and bones by the time I return...”
“You should have seen the rage in Prince Blueblood’s eyes when I told him what I knew!”
“…I’ll have to start all over and make friends with her great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfoals!”
“The depravity that goes on at his estate would make your hooves curl…”
“…that is if that dragon doesn’t turn me to ashes first, or worse!”
“So quit worrying your little head over this, my dear…”
“…oh, why does my life have to be this way?”
Diamond could stand no more and buried her face in the crumpled sheets and began sobbing again. Her mother immediately took notice and scowled. “Stop it! Stop it right now. Your name is Diamond – this is no time to forget how to behave like one and go soft!”
“B-but – dragons eat diamonds, don’t they?” she remarked as she sniffed away her tears. “And that’s exactly what he’ll do to me if he figures out what we’re up to. And if not him then certainly the princess will do something just as terrible!” The somber filly looked up longingly at her mother, hoping for any hint of sympathy.
“No dragon could ever eat you,” Spoiled smiled as she caressed her daughter’s curls with the tip of her hoof. “You are far too precious.”
The filly smiled back, witnessing a side of her mother she hadn’t seen in many a moon. Alas, it was all too brief, as the mare’s expression quickly resumed its harsh demeanor. “However, as things stand, you have little choice in the matter. You will aid me in this little endeavor, without as much as another peep or tear! Whatever it is that has gotten you all wound up, put it aside and do as you are told – unless you wish to find yourself polishing the floors again?”
Diamond winced and unconsciously shook her head, giving in to the demand. She had been doing a lot of floor polishing lately, ever since her mother’s return as a full-time resident of Ponyville. Some of this punishment was in the name of ‘fixing’ the weaknesses in her character that had been identified – weaknesses her mother claimed father had let slide. But most of it was for mouthing off her concerns earlier in the week about having a dragon for an assistant.
“Now, get yourself cleaned up,” Spoiled finished. “I expect you to look your best at dinner – as you always should. Your father shall be making his return shortly, so do not delay.”
With this latest quarrel concluded, Spoiled turned and left, leaving Diamond lost and alone, sighing to herself.
“If you would only listen mother – listen to me when I say you have invited a monster into our home…”
So, does Spoiled Rich deserve "Mother of the Year" award, or what? 
The first half of this chapter I wrote in the first two days following the release of the previous chapter, and I was hopeful it would be published in under a week.
But then things ground to a halt in rewrites. First it was my trying to decide what exactly it was Spoiled (falsely) suspected could be going on behind closed doors at the castle, and once I had settled that issue the chapter bogged down in the scenes of Diamond fighting with her mother.
Then, after getting all that straightened out a day before the S6 premiere, I reread the whole thing and realized there was a plot hole in the first part of the chapter so big you could drive a truck through it! After I fixed it I then had to go back and rewrite the other two sections since they depended on it. Argh.
Finally, I wanted to split this chapter like I had done with many of the others, but the chapter title makes reference to both the beginning and ending, so a split wasn't practical.
Anyway, I hope the longer-than-expected wait was worth it. Diamond's insecurities over why she lashes out so much at Spike are coming to light, and things are about to get a lot worse for her two or so chapters from now...
I had always planned to put the title of the story as part of the dialogue, but originally it was to be Apple Bloom doing it during a CMC advisory scene with Spike, which is still coming up. Maybe even in the next chapter, depending on how long this dinner scene goes - a scene that finally introduces Filthy Rich into the story.
As for Spoiled, I imagine she's going to get drop-kicked into the badlands or something when this is over. 
Stats
Page generated in 0.027 seconds
Total duration
666 users online
699,171 hits today, 1,996,409 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
woooo
Oh, Spoiled Rich. Truly, thou art a fool. Blackmailing a princess? I'm pretty sure that's treason. I know that it probably won't turn out this way, but I can imagine Spike going all rage-mode on her and the Rich home when he finds out what she's planning.
(The Rich Manor burns and crumbles under a massive Spike's bulk. Spoiled and Diamond cower as they watch the dragon destroy all of their possessions.)
(Noticing the ponies) Spike: "Who are you that would stand against me?!"
(Spoiled looks for anything to defend herself with, but finds nothing)
Spike: "Now that is a pity. What will you do know, Madam Head of the School Board? You are forsaken; no help will come."
(Noticing Diamond hiding behind her mother and licking his lips) Spike: "Ah. Is that your child? You cannot save her from the fire. She will BURN! Tell me, wretch. How now shall you challenge me? You have nothing left but your DEATH!"
(Spike roars.)
You are missing a "to" in that sentence.
Spoiled plays on easy mode.
This line was very important. Over in a flash, but enough to demonstrate that Spoiled is not just a cardboard cutout villain (Not to say that she isn't the fandom's public enemy number one).
I always suspected she would be afraid of Spike. I really thought the CMC would use him to scare the bullies in One Bad Seed episode, oh well. Mrs. Rich has no idea what she has just gotten herself into, Spike is a handful.
Pleasant nightmares Diamond Tiara!
31.media.tumblr.com/c4dc47179a65aacdd26fbc618c83eb60/tumblr_ntkhelQ49Q1uqw70oo2_500.gif
Diamond Tiara REALLY needs to have a one-on-one chat with her father. There is no way Diamond is going to be able to go through with what her mother wants her to do. She's too terrified of what Spike or Twilight will do if she is found out. I hope by the end of this story, we see how DT was still able to act the way she did during the class election. I can already see why she will be questioning herself and wanting to be a pony already.
7083439 Heh, maybe by the time I get around to the last chapter, the upcoming ep "Gauntlet of Fire" will have opened a door that allows Spike to temporarily grow in a way that fits within the show's continuity?
I have to admit, it's a LOT of fun channeling Smaug. Another story I'm working on that I put on pause to write this one opens with a pony getting caught stealing hatchlings from a male dragon OC, and writing that terrifying, lofty verbiage makes me cackle with glee.
7083461 Very perceptive. That was actually the problem I was having with Spike and Spoiled's conversation in this chapter. I wanted so badly to see if a pony could stick their proverbial hoof in their mouth so deep it came out the other end at the end of the story, so her believing their relationship was more than just professional - or even familial - seemed like a satisfying way to accomplish that.
But, every time I got to Diamond's part in the following scene, the whole thing short-circuited, because let's face it - I'm pretty sure everypony in Ponyville knows about Spike's crush on Rarity, so it wasn't very believable. As it stands now, Spoiled has figured out they have a close familial bond, and is still trying to figure out what secrets make Twilight manage her castle the way she does.
That section still bears hints to the original idea, with her repeatedly bringing up how they are often alone together. There was even a draft where she thought Spike was Twilight's familiar, and the princess actually practiced dark magic in the shadows; but I think the way it is now works best.
7083521 Thank you so much for the correction! I even had the computer read back this chapter to me, since the cold, hard logic of a text-to-speech engine usually helps me catch missing words like that, but apparently not every time!
Spoiled's line to her daughter came to me almost immediately after Diamond's fears were expressed. Somehow, it was the only thing she could say to her that made sense, and I like the notion that deep down, under all those layers of cynicism, cruelty, and ambition, even she still has a heart and can act like a mother would upon seeing their child in pain, even if she still thinks fear is a shameful emotion.
Having said that, I briefly toyed with the idea of adding two additional words after "precious": "a commodity." But like you I didn't want to see Spoiled basically tease her daughter with sympathy, and then admit that all she really means to her is existing as some asset she can use for her own gain.
7083639 The thing that has always bothered me a bit about how the show never discussed in depth the relationship between Spike and the rest of the ponies in Ponyville. They have this nice town - this nice wooden town - that would make perfect kindling for a dragon living among them. Heck, Spike doesn't even need to greed-growth to destroy the place if they ever made him angry - he'd just run from building to building, setting each one on fire until enough unicorns could subdue him. (Presuming they could do that, even.)
I like thinking that even if current Spike is 99% nice, if someone pisses off the 1% that isn't, they would pretty much have an intelligent, really strong, nearly indestructible acetylene torch with razor-sharp claws and teeth harder than diamonds coming after them. And once he was done with them, he'd gobble them up and move on to the next miscreant pissing him off!
And now I have this feeling the show is hinting he's going through puberty or something in S6 - have fun with all of that, my little ponies!
7084347 And in fact, she will.
It wouldn't make sense for her not to try and stop her mother's scheme by relating it to him. Whether or not Spoiled heeds any cease-and-desist order from her hubby I haven't figured out yet - I'm still working out the details for that idea.
7084762 I meant a better pony.
7084803 Ha, that's funny - my brain had automatically inserted the word "better" when I read the last sentence in your comment.
Actually, I forgot to say I'm also aware of how tempting it is to simply start writing her as her redeemed self. I'll have to fight to keep her from being too nice to Spike if they happen to work out their differences by the end of the story, just to stay in continuity.
Damn.
That is all!
Spoiled Rich...Mother of the year.
7136253 I understand completely. You're not the first to note that Spike is getting walked on in my story. When the idea for the story formed in my head, I always knew Spike would end up having to cook as well as be Diamond's assistant. Once I got to the point where Spoiled asked he do this, I originally had Spike's ego take over and he simply agreed to it. But it felt unsatisfying so I tossed that and came up with this notion of using his relationship with Twilight to have Spoiled twist his arm to get what she wanted.
I guess I'm thinking too much about Spike's abandonment issues, which is where most of my using a fear of disappointing Twilight came from. Spike's initial reaction to Owlowiscious and his greatest fear being revealed as getting sent away by Twilight sticks with me to this day, and it's still one of the unanswered questions I have about his character. So it's always in the forefront of my mind and that's why it always gets first dibs at being a primary motivator for his character.
Anyway, I appreciate the time you took to comment. If the audience is going to push the story aside, even if it's not permanent, I'd rather know about it than just have them give up and walk away. Things did get better for Spike in the next chapter after you paused - he does assert himself again since he has pretty much nothing else to lose at this point. I have to admit, though, the theme of not disappointing Twilight is still going to be a driving force in the plot, and part of that is because I feel Spike needs to resolve this on his own in order for him to grow. So that's why there won't be an angry alicorn storming over to the Rich's until the last chapter or the one before.
7136814
(Weird, I received no notification that you replied to my message. I just stumbled back upon this story by sheer accident.)
Anyway, I did return and finish the chapter or so that was left. I believe an hour or so later. Which as you stated did tip the tables a bit in Spikes favor. So, it did stop making me want to reach into the screen and smack Spike upside the head and tell him to grow a pair.
However, his 'fear' of disappointing Twilight still seems a bit shallow. I get he has a very deep seated fear of being sent away. (As we saw in the Crystal Empire arch) But if it were more towards the surface, then he'd probably just do what he's told without any backtalk or sass. (Which he doesn't)
Had his motivation been 'not to disappoint Twilight' after doing so for so long. That she'd start losing faith in him. Than I can see it being a something workable. But once again, Spike (despite his aloof nature and such) does manage to get the job done...or do as much as he can. Yeah, he doesn't like when the latter happens, but he's accepted that it can.
However, if he was offered more responsibilities or even to go out on more adventures with the mane 6. If Spike can prove that he can handle them. (by his own admission, that fixing the current friendship problem will prove this.) Then his motivation to not 'disappoint Twilight' has some weight to it.
7222818 Well, if it's any consolation, for some reason I received two notifications for your single comment. I guess that makes up for it or something? lol.
Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to write some additional commentary. I'm so much more mindful now of letting Spike slip into a submissive frame of mind. I'm not sure there's much I can do to rewrite a stronger reason for him not going to Twilight for help, but he'll be more assertive from now one.
You did stumble into my other quandary I have with this story's premise - Spike is being smart-mouthed even when he knows he's supposed to be on a mission. I probably haven't made it clear enough that he's been trying to get back to having a level head and not go mouthing off at his employers, but dang... the personality of Diamond and Spoiled make it so easy to have arguments erupt.
FWIW, before Spoiled became such a major character in the story, my original plan was to have Diamond blackmail Spike with some incriminating photos of him around town during the events of "Just for Sidekicks" in order to keep him in line. (I was going to say she continued to pay Featherweight to take photos around Ponyville after the events of "Ponyville Confidential.") But I felt the premise of her continuing that scheme seemed a bit far-fetched, though now I suppose it might have made just as much sense as Spike's anxiety over being a failure.
7224825
That is odd, though now that I think about it. I have been getting messages that the site is having some maintenance done on it. So, maybe that it's caused a hiccup in the message delivery.
Anyway, you seem to have an idea of how Spike will stop being such a pushover and be more assertive. So, I'll take a step back from that. Since I'd only be repeating myself at this point. Which I hope involves Spoiled Rich getting her comeuppance is such a way that it knocks her down a few pegs. With Dimond Tira learning that being a brat all the time will drive away others, instead of attracting them.
And speaking of Spoiled Rich, am I the only one who thinks her existence is solely to push blame away from Dimond Tira's bad attitude? 'It's not DT's fault she's so rotten. Her mom made her that way.'
Up until her appearance, most of the fans just assumed that DT was that way because her dad was never around and gave her whatever she wanted. Or something to that effect.
7225905 Yeah, I had the same feeling that the show was simply transferring the blame of Diamond being a bully over to her mom. I guess it's fair to show the audience that a character is the product of their environment, but Spoiled in the show is currently just as one-dimensional as Diamond was back in the season 1. I didn't feel like Diamond was more than a one-note bully until "Ponyville Confidential" and "Twilight Time," where she showed she at least has some other interests, talents, and can be bargained with.
Holy shit, the blackmail
And the alternating dialogue near the end....whoo boy
I knew I was right about the loophole
In other words, I'm actually her adoptive little brother
10732206
Back when I wrote this, I was still on the fence as to what Spike meant to Twilight. Now that Spike let it be known how he wants to be seen by Twi and Shiny, he would be very specific. The effect on Diamond and her mom would be the same, however, lol.
Diamond was at least prescient about the princesses having no qualms over turning little fillies into statues.
