Vignette Nine - Spike At Your Service
“You… saved… my life…”
Applejack put on a casual smile for the young drake. “Aw, don’t mention it, Spike. Now c’mon, let’s get back into town before those timber wolves pull themselves back together.” The hot air balloon secured about her midsection, she led the young drake out of the Everfree and back into town. “So how’d you end up out here? See the balloon flyin’ out this way and tried to wrangle it?”
Spike laughed. “Yeah!” At Applejack’s raised eyebrow, he amended, “Okay, it’s my fault it’s out here. Twilight’s got this big study session going on and she didn’t need me for anything, so I thought I’d take a ride, but the rope got loose and I tried to stop it…”
“An’ you got dragged out all the way out here.” At her friend’s regretful nod, she gave him a comforting smile. “Don’t worry. This thing probably got beat up worse when me an’ the girls were tryin’ to chase down Rainbow Dash. Cherry Berry’s probably gonna be mad fer a while, but that’ll blow over.” She flashed a teasing grin. “Ah’m surprised you didn’t go see what Rarity was up to.”
Spike blushed and laughed nervously. “Actually, I didn’t even think about that.” He hastily moved to change the subject. “Anyway, I’m really grateful for what you did.”
“Don’t think anythin’ of it.”
“No, I’m serious! You saved my life, Applejack! I owe you a life debt!” He produced a small card with a crudely-drawn depiction of himself in crayon and explained, “And according to my Noble Spike the Dragon Code, that means I must serve you as you see fit!”
Applejack studied the card for all of one second before she deadpanned, “You made that up yerself, dinnit ya’?”
“No!” Spike recoiled and pulled the card away in protest, then nervously shifted his eyes from side to side. “Maybe.” He sighed. “Did Twilight ever tell you about what happened to me during the dragon migration?” At Applejack’s nod, he explained, “Well, between that and me running away, I haven’t exactly met a lot of ‘nice’ dragons. I can only really think of one. Me. And I don’t want to be like them, or have other ponies think that all dragons are big jerks. If I have a code to live up to…”
“One that puts ya’ in debt to somepony else fer the rest of your life? Servin’ ‘em, waitin’ on ‘em claw an’ foot durin’ all hours of the day like a servant? Or a slave?”
Spike went pale. “I wouldn’t go that far, but…” He sighed, then turned alarmed and asked, “A slave?”
“Ah might’ve exaggerated a little bit, sorry.” As they continued, Applejack elaborated, “Still, Ah can understand wantin’ to show appreciation, an’ livin’ up to a moral code, but yer makin’ it sound like it’s only a big deal because of those other dragons you met. So you can prove you ain’t like them.” She then smiled and assured him. “But you don’t have to do that. You ain’t like them, not one bit, and anypony with sense knows that. Ah mean, you weren’t the one tryin’ to smash phoenix eggs, were ya?”
“Well, no. But how do I know not all dragons are like that?”
Applejack laughed. “Us not gettin’ roasted to cinders by that one dragon might be a clue.” The mirth faded from her voice as she continued, “Seriously though, it takes a special kind’a cruel to smash up a defenseless egg. Ah can’t rightly figure why anyone would want to do that, or why they’d think it was fun.”
“Still, dragons don’t really have a good reputation.”
“And if’n the only ponies you ever met were like some high-an-mighty Canterlot noblepony like those suckups Rarity had to deal with a while back, ponies in general wouldn’t have a good reputation either.” She gave him a gentle nudge. “You don’t have to prove a thing to anyone, an’ you don’t owe me a dang thing. Yer mah friend, Spike, an’ Ah’ll always have yer back.”
Spike smiled. “Thanks, Applejack.”
“No problem. Now let’s get this balloon back to Cherry Berry, an’ after that…” Applejack considered things. “Well, maybe you could still go and lend Rarity some help.”
Spike waived a dismissive claw. “Nah, I’d probably just get in her way.” He looked up at her hopefully and asked, “But maybe I can still help out at Sweet Apple Acres? I mean, not to pay a debt or anything, but friends help each other out when they need help, and a busy farm means lots to do, so…”
Applejack laughed. “Alright, no need to twist mah ears over it.”
-
“Oh, this is terrible!” The anxiety was clear in Twilight Sparkle’s voice as she trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres with Rarity in tow. “Spike could be anywhere! He could be in danger, or…!”
“Twilight, darling!” Despite being in reasonable shape, Rarity had to make an effort to keep pace with her friend. “I’m certain that Spike is fine! Just because he didn’t come to me doesn’t mean he’s in danger! Now let’s check with Applejack, like I suggested. Absolute worst case scenario, we can ask her to help with the search.”
“You’re right. Still, I…” A strong, familiar scent caught Twilight’s attention, and she followed it off to the farmhouse to find several apple pies cooling in the windowsill, and a familiar dragon inside the kitchen. “Spike!”
“Hey Twilight!” The young drake looked very pleased with himself as he finished putting away a mop and bucket. Every surface within the kitchen had a shiny gleam to it, which Granny Smith regarded with approval as she entered with Applejack in tow. “Everything okay?”
The young mare sighed in relief as Applejack opened the kitchen door to allow the two of them entry. “Yes, I just took a study break and got worried when you didn’t answer me.” She noticed several other pies cooling to one side. “Wow!”
“Eh, this all ain’t nuthin’.” Granny approached and ruffled Spike’s coxcomb as she remarked. “Spike came by earlier an’ offered to help out. Went above an’ beyond, too. Earned himself a nice reward.”
Spike turned nervous. “Wait, I don’t…”
“Spike, this ain’t like yer last birthday. Earnin’ somethin’ ain’t the same as just gettin’ it handed to ya, ‘specially if’n ya helped make it in the first place.” She gestured to one of the pies, likely ready to eat at this point, and asked, “Just make sure ya bring back the tin.”
Spike accepted with a nod, then carefully scooped up his pie. He then turned to Twilight and asked, “You were really worried about me?”
“Of course, Spike.” Twilight nuzzled him in assurance. “How could I not worry about someone I love? I’m just glad you can take care of yourself.”
The young drake grinned nervously. “With a little help from my friends, anyway.”
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And this Vignette right here is why I love Applejack. I really, really enjoyed her conversation with Spike, and the way that she managed to settle matters with him about dragons and wanting to prove himself different from Garble and the others. (Nice touch by the way, having her cite the Canterlot snobs as a counterpoint about how every species has its ilk.) The call-back to - and distinguishing from - the greed growth episode was another appreciated addition too.
Most likely, yeah. I mean, if there's one thing that fandom has taught me, is that people will look for something to complaint about.
10838100
Yeah, I figured Applejack was the best pony for something like that. And hey, what's wrong with a little bit of continuity?
I don't mind complaints, honestly. I just want the complaints to be valid, and come from a reasonable standpoint. If people are just going to complain for the sake of complaining, however, then there's a problem. That being said, I suspect that many would find legitimate complaints with that episode, given how many tend to view Rarity as having a tendency to take Spike for granted...or worse, take advantage of his feelings for her.
Hey there. Sorry I took so long to respond. Nothing to blame except self-admitted laziness. Anyway, really good job on this vignette. The exchanges, characterizations and general wrap-up were quite well done. Definitely really enjoyed how rational the dialogue between Applejack and Spike was. Yeah, I could see Spike developing a moral code specifically to avoid becoming as bad as Garble and his pals (kind of like how Batman has that "no-killing rule" specifically to avoid becoming as bad as the criminals he goes after). But, yeah, Applejack has a point about how Garble and his pals (and, for that matter, the two adult dragons the gang encountered earlier) don't represent the entirety or even the majority of the dragon race and even compared it to how another species might get the wrong idea about ponies if the only experience they had with the race was with the snotty nobles. Also thought that "allowing Spike to help out as a friend, but not go overboard" WAS a pretty fair compromise.
Of course, we do, indeed, get solid proof that Garble and his pals ARE among the minority concerning dragons in a bit over three years real time and just over a year in-universe.
At any rate, very certainly looking forward to more of this.
10839629
Honestly, I'm convinced that we should've had a conversation like what I had in this installment between Applejack and Spike in universe. Kids are smarter than most people working in TV give them credit for, and they can (and should) be able to accept a lesson like that. And Spike did not deserve to have his competence take a hit in this episode.
And don't be surprised if Spike gets a reminder of the events here before too long, as well as solid proof that jerks are the exception rather than the norm among dragons. It won't be before this season of the Quiververse ends, but that doesn't mean it isn't coming.
The next Vignette will, hopefully, be released in September. I just hope I can finish Tales from a Double Date before then, and not need to release it early to keep up my monthly release plans.
This is so wholesome
10840282
Yeah most people don't give kids the credit their due. They may not understand everything that someone older might but that doesn't mean that don't understand a lot more than they have the words for.