Chapter 1 An Archer is Chosen
Spike could never get used to going out into a crowded, shoving marketplace surrounded entirely by ponies, just as the ponies would probably never get used to a dragon who went out grocery shopping. They didn’t hate him or make him feel unwelcome; they just couldn’t help snickering at seeing such a tame, domestic dragon. He could take a few playful chuckles and amused smiles, but they became annoying and grating after a while. So, he was glad that today Starlight joined him. Having a friend beside him made the chore a little more bearable, partly because misery loves company but mostly because he had someone to talk to and help carry the groceries.
Starlight placed the carton of eggs into her saddlebag, on top of the other Ponyville delicacies. The dragon crossed another item off Twilight’s shopping list.
“Alright,” Spike nodded, “so that leaves a bag of flour, and liquid plumber.”
“Liquid plumber? I don’t remember Twilight putting that on the list?” Starlight frowned.
“She didn’t, but we need it. Trust me on that.” He managed not to say that Starlight and Twilight’s hair kept clogging up the shower drain.
Starlight shrugged and followed Spike into the next market stall to get their bag of flour. Sadly, the line had a dozen or so ponies waiting. Apparently, they all had the idea of getting up early and shopping when no pony would be around. With a sigh, Spike headed to the crowded line.
In spite of the inevitable wait, Starlight still didn’t regret her decision to join Spike on his morning chores. Was she annoyed? Yes. But she was with a friend at least. As he and Starlight took their spots, Spike glanced around the marketplace out of habit.
Shelves bore rows of tabloids spurting the latest celebrity gossip that he couldn’t care less about along with sweets to tempt customers. The sight of said treats caused his mouth to water. Starlight noticed his gaze on the chocolate bars.
“Didn’t Twilight say no sweets before lunch?” She asked with an amused expression.
“Yes,” Spike grumbled. “Thanks mom.”
He glanced to the waiting line on his right, hoping to find a distraction. Most ponies didn’t seem to notice him as they talked amongst themselves or read the available tabloids. One tabloid had a cover story about the elusive Bighoof spotted in the mountains of Yakistan. Another detailed the Savage Dragons of Equestria. Spike rolled his eyes. He saw a tabloid resting on a newspaper stand that mutated his annoyance into anger. A photoshopped mare resembling Twilight was on the cover with a caption, implying she was in a relationship with some aristocrat. Starlight followed Spike’s gaze to the magazine. She put her hoof over her mouth only just managing to suppress her gag reflex. She managed to find some humor in the absurd concept of a romantic Twilight, but Spike was angered to no end. He asked her to hold their place and stomped over to grab the absurd tabloid so he could track down the writers and file a complaint.
On his warpath, he passed a mare carrying her a baby in a stroller. The moment their eyes met, the baby erupted into tears, causing Spike to freeze as all eyes in the marketplace turned to the child. The mother placed a hoof on her child, trying to comfort the wailing filly. He felt accusing eyes focused on him as though he had been caught in the act of some despicable crime.
“I’m sorry.” Spike extended his claws. “I didn’t mean to—.”
“It’s fine,” the frantic mother replied without a smile, pushing the stroller away to a bathroom.
Red with embarrassment, Spike trudged back to Starlight, as the clerks continued their transactions and the life of the marketplace started again. The pink unicorn patted his shoulder.
“That wasn’t your fault,” she said.
Spike did not respond. He pulled out his chore list.
“I think I’m going to head to Sugarcube Corner and get those cakes Twilight ordered,” he told Starlight.
“Sounds good,” Starlight nodded. “We can meet up at the castle when we’re done.”
Spike left Starlight and headed out of the crowded field of market stalls and ponies. The pink unicorn frowned at his retreating back. She knew Spike well enough that she could see something was bothering him. When he was no longer in ear range, Starlight heard an old mare in the back of the line whisper, “Where does he get off on frightening fillies like that?”
Her head whipped to the mare, furious. Most ponies nearby tried to ignore the cynical gray mare, but some nodded in agreement. Under Starlight’s glare, the gray mare said nothing more. Wise, considering she tempted Starlight to put a curse on her. Starlight returned her attention to the slow-moving line. She started with a realization.
“He left me to do his chores!”
“Here you go, Spike.” Pinkie Pie handed him the boxes in paper bags. “Two boxes of cakes with one third chocolate, one third vanilla, one third strawberry, one fourth white frosting, one fourth whip cream, one fourth chocolate chips, and one fourth sprinkles. They’ve been cooked in the oven individually, and stuffed with eight fourths love, twenty fifths strife, and sixty tenths ambivalence.”
“Thanks.” Spike rummaged through his knapsack before handing Pinkie a bag of bits and taking the cakes.
“Rough day?” Pinkie asked.
Spike blinked, “How’d you—?”
“I read the script.”
“The script?”
“Let’s just say I have friends on the other side.”
“Okay?” Spike shrugged.
“And I won’t have any frowns in my town.” She slid over the counter and wrapped a hoof around his shoulder. “I’ve got a sapphire cupcake with your name on it.”
Spike managed a small smile. “Thanks, but I should really get these cakes back to Twilight first. She gets cranky without her daily sugar rush.”
“Come on,” Pinkie laughed. “Life is all about detours. It’s never supposed to be a straight boring line. It’s more like a curvy, zigzag cupcake with rainbow sprinkles.”
With that, she reached behind Spike’s ear and pulled a sapphire cupcake from thin air. Waving her hooves like a magician, she placed the sparkling cupcake in Spike’s hands. The awestruck dragon burst out into a big, silly grin.
“Isn’t that better?” Pinkie said.
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Thanks. You’re the best, Pinkie.”
“D’aww.” She smiled, “No, you’re the best.”
“Pinkie.” Spike hugged her. “Don’t ever change.”
Their revelry was interrupted by Mr. Cake telling Pinkie to return to the counter, pointing to the ten ponies waiting at the counter with impatient expressions. Some of them smiled at Pinkie comforting their local dragon, while others just wanted to order their cakes right now. She bounded back to the counter and returned to her job. Spike scarfed down the cupcake. No sense in keeping Twilight waiting.
He grabbed the bags and headed out the door, when a poster on the door caught his eye. It asked any unicorn with archery experience to visit the training field for auditions for Rainbow Dash’s team. Spike grew excited. Shining Armor had taught him archery years ago, and he practiced every chance he had when he was younger. The little dragon remembered that Twilight was still waiting. Then again, a pink pony told him that life was a curvy, zigzag cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. Who was he to disagree?
Rainbow Dash plucked three arrows buried in a tree yards from the target. Applejack thanked Lyra for trying out, with the best smile she could muster, and sent her away. Dash dumped the arrows back into the quiver and returned to her chair beside Bulk Biceps. She slumped into her seat, waiting for the twentieth pony who would probably fail as miserably as the first nineteen.
“Dash.” Applejack nudged her friend. “That was the last one.”
“Seriously?” The pegasus massaged her throbbing temples with the tips of her hooves. “That’s all the turnout we got?”
“Well, you did only give a few weeks warning, so not every pony knows,” Fluttershy suggested. “Maybe everyone else is just too nervous to try out.”
“Or they’re too scared of Dash,” Bulk murmured. Dash’s scowling face whipped towards Bulk who stuttered meekly. “I mean— you can be a little—you know…” He did not to finish his sentence.
Dash folded her hooves. “No, I don’t know. What can I be?”
He whimpered. “Intense?”
“What do you mean intense?!” Dash exclaimed.
“Dash, calm down,” Applejack said. “He just meant that ya have a reputation for going overboard. That may’ve scared some ponies off.”
“Going overboard?” Bulk blinked. “Dash, I didn’t know you’re a sailor.”
Dash gave him a flat, unimpressed expression. “That’s not funny, Bulk.”
He tilted his head. “What’s not funny?”
“Oh, it’s hopeless,” Dash’s face plopped onto the desk.
“Hey.” Dash lifted her head to see Ponyville’s resident dragon, Spike, approaching the judge booth, carrying two paper bags. Judging by the scent, Dash guessed he picked up an order from Sugarcube Corner.
“Howdy, Spike.” Applejack tipped her hat. Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps also said their hellos. “What brings ya here?”
“I saw your poster at Sugarcube Corner,” Spike explained.
“That’s right.” Fluttershy nodded. “Every pony’s really been giving it their all.” She tried to smile earnestly, grateful Spike didn’t notice the pained expression on Dash’s face.
“Cool.” Spike smirked. “I don’t know if I ever told you all, but I actually used to do archery.”
Dash seemed piqued. She lifted her head and gave a little smile. “Yeah?”
“You bet.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Shining Armor taught me archery when I was growing up in Canterlot. I was pretty good if I do say so myself. And I do say so myself.”
Applejack swallowed her chuckle at Spike’s theatric bravado, but Dash snorted, “I’ll bet you were.” She did not intend to sound mean-spirited, but Spike looked a bit disheartened at her comment.
“I mean,” he shrugged, “I wasn’t terrible.”
“We ain’t saying you were.” Applejack cast a reprimanding glare at Dash. “But we didn’t set this bow up so ya could have fun. We’re looking for an athlete who could compete.”
“Oh, right.” Spike’s frilled ears drooped. “Well, I hope that works out.”
The purple dragon hoisted the grocery bags and left, giving Dash a chance to rethink her words. Up to this point, she couldn’t remember a single pony who managed to hit the target or had any previous archery experience. Yet, here was somepony, or rather somedragon, who claimed to have actual training from Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Then again, she didn’t see how Spike could be any luckier than the other nineteen auditions. Still, she supposed that as a friend, she at least owed him a chance.
“Ah, what the heck.” She mumbled to herself. She rose from the table and called Spike, “Hey hold up, Spike. You deserve a shot just like every other pony.”
Spike stopped and turned around, “Really?”
“Yeah, why not? Just pick up the arrows when you’re done.”
Spike’s eyes lit up. He placed his grocery bags on the judge’s table. Dash handed him a hoof-shaped arm guard. The guard was a little too big for his arm; it dangled loosely on his wrist, but Spike felt uncomfortable asking for a better guard. Honestly, he doubted there was a guard shaped for a dragon, since most dragons didn’t do archery. He walked to the bow, standing on one end like a harp, and took an arrow from the quiver placed on the ground.
He eyed the distant target and did his best to judge the distance. Spike nocked the arrow on the bowstring and drew back, or he tried to. The bowstring resisted his efforts, and his arm guard buckled his wrist. He managed to draw the bowstring half of its length before he lost his grip. Without the full strength of the bow, the arrow fell into the ground, a few feet short of the target.
Fluttershy and Applejack gave him encouraging smiles, however, those smiles had the opposite effect. They only served to make him feel worse, as though they were supporting him out of pity. Undeterred, he tried to push them from his mind and regain his focus. With a deep breath, Spike centered himself, remembering Shining Armor’s training, which felt like a lifetime ago. He taught Spike with much smaller bows that did not require the same strength to bend. “Well, I’m a lot stronger now than I was then,” Spike reminded himself.
Nocking the second arrow, Spike pulled the string all the way past his ear to his anchor point in a quick, single motion. He took careful aim, and then fired. The arrow hissed through the air. Thwump! The tip burrowed into the target’s outer blue ring. In the corner of his eye, he could see movement at the judge’s table. Rainbow Dash now looked intrigued, staring at Spike’s shot. Applejack gave a small cheer, Fluttershy an even smaller “Yay.” Spike felt a surge of pride at his accomplishment.
Spurred by his achievement, he nocked the final arrow, determined to hit the bull’s-eye. Exerted from the effort of the previous shots, he found his arms trembling before he drew the string. Despite his sore arms, he managed to drag the bowstring past his shoulder, his snout, and finally his frilled ear. He took aim and fired, launching the bolt into the target, managing to hit the line between the outer red and inner yellow circles. Practically a perfect shot. He took a deep breath and rubbed his sore arms.
He grinned at the judges, “Told you I was good. Best dragon archer in all of Equestria.” He shrugged. “Well, probably only dragon archer in all of Equestria but still pretty good, right?”
The judges did not respond to his comment. Their eyes were fixed on his final shot. Spike wondered if he didn’t do well. His pride became embarrassment, as they continued to gaze past him. He guessed they were done letting him play around.
“I’ll just get going then. Thanks for letting me try.” He muttered. Before he could fetch the arrows, Dash scrambled from the judge stand, knocking off papers, pens, and water. She bolted in front of him with a beaming grin plastered across her face.
“You want what?” Twilight blinked, uncertain she heard the pegasus correctly.
“I said I want Spike on our team for the Equestria Games this year.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a hoof around Spike’s shoulder. “We need an archer so we can enter with a complete team.”
“Wait, if you never had an archer before, why do you need one now?”
“Ponyville’s already gotten golden medals in every competition but archery. So we need an archer to get a complete set of medals,” she explained as her hoof slid from Spike’s shoulder.
“You can’t do it?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m already signed up for this year’s triathlon, obstacle course, and tag team race. Not to mention a few other events that've already been announced. I’m not allowed to enter anything else.”
“So why not just drop one of those?” Twilight suggested.
“No can do.” Rainbow Dash lifted her muzzle proudly. “I have four year winning streaks, and I’m not about to lose them. Plus, I don’t have the time to learn archery, not with weather duty and my own training. Besides, archery isn't really a pegasus sport.”
“Fair enough.” Twilight nodded. “But I still don’t understand why do you want Spike on the team?”
“I’ve been testing ponies all day, but none of them even came close to hitting the target except Spike.” Spike’s cheeks flushed at Dash’s praise, as the pegasus gave his shoulder a light punch. “With some training, I think he’ll be perfect for the job.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. Spike gazed at her, leaning forward with anticipation.
“Spike, I’d like to talk to Rainbow Dash alone.” She smiled at Spike and then glanced at the pegasus. “We have a lot to discuss.”
Spike left the room, closing the door behind him. Twilight cast a silencing spell to mute their conversation. Her eyes turned to the pegasus, who noticed, with some dismay, Twilight’s disapproving expression.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Twilight began.
“Why?” Dash frowned. “Because it’s awesome and you hate anything awesome?”
“I’m serious.” Twilight fought back the start of headache. “Equestria doesn’t exactly hold high opinions of dragons.”
She pulled a book from the top shelves of a nearby bookcase, prompting a groan from Rainbow Dash. To her surprise, Twilight showed her a child’s fairy tale book. Twilight opened the book to an illustration of an armored pony with a lance charging a wicked dragon with batlike wings and crimson eyes.
“What does this have to do with anything?” Dash asked.
“Fillies and foals are taught that dragons are evil, selfish brutes. There are countless children’s books of knights, princesses, and evil dragons dating back centuries. We learn to instinctively fear dragons like the plague. I never even thought about these books until I started raising Spike.” Twilight scowled, wondering how she could ever act so ignorant. “Since then, I’ve tried to keep Spike from seeing himself like this, but it’s not easy. A lot ofponies don’t trust dragons, they think they’re dangerous.”
“Oh give me a break.” Dash shoved the book aside. Twilight caught the book before it could slide off the table. “Everypony in Ponyville and the Crystal Empire love him. They made a statue of him and Celestia knows what other Spike-themed stuff. He’s a freaking action figure.” Dash raised her hooves in exasperation, pointing to a nearby bookshelf holding one such Spike action figure from the Crystal Empire.
“They love Spike, but not necessarily dragons. Most ponies only know dragons through these stories or myths. What will you do if the Game Patrons refuse to let him compete?”
Rainbow Dash paused a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t see how they could. The griffons from Griffonstone always compete in the Games. They’re not ponies.”
Twilight smiled a moment, “Good point, but griffons aren’t dragons. Ponies have been in contact with griffons for centuries. The only dragons in Princess Celestia’s kingdom, besides Spike, are the ones living in Dragon Town.”
“Dragon Town?”
“In Fillydelphia,” Twilight prompted. Rainbow Dash shook her head in disbelief. Twilight rolled her eyes and opened a Fillydelphia map. She pointed to a large green section of the town, labeled Dragon Town. Dash shook her head once again, still unconvinced.
“You know, the only place in Equestria where dragons live in a pony city. I’m sure Spike’s mentioned it to you? He went there on a mission with Princess Luna once.”
“Sorry, can’t say I’ve heard of it before.”
“Anyways.” Twilight rolled up the map. “There’s no rule saying the dragons there can’t live in the city with ponies, but the dragons who live there never leave. They don’t feel…” Twilight searched for the proper word, “Welcome.”
“That’s them. This is Spike we’re talking about. Just tell me why you don’t want him to compete.” Dash leaned into a chair. “Then, let me tell you why he wants to.”
Twilight blinked and took a deep breath, “I’m worried for him. All his life, Spike’s dealt with this stigma. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s just there. Some ponies who don’t know him are afraid of him. Remember that birthday incident?” She shuddered, recollecting the giant rampaging Spike. “No pony would speak to him for a month after that. Sure it wasn’t his fault, but some of them still don’t understand that. If you put him into the Games, I’m worried he could be bullied or excluded.”
“I guess I know what it’s like being the newbie,” Dash’s gaze fell for a moment. “But most ponies know Spike. He’s a hero.”
“The only place Spike will always receive the kind of attention that we usually do is the Crystal Empire. Every other place practically looks past him, even places that he helped us save.”
“I think you’re overreacting,” Dash said. She mumbled under her breath, “How does Spike deal with this much crazy?”
“Dash.” Twilight tapped the table emphatically, hard enough to get Dash’s attention but light enough to betray gentleness. “I’m serious.” Her scowl lightened into a wistful expression. “If you put him through all this training only for the head of the Games to say he can’t participate, he’ll be heartbroken.”
She anticipated Dash’s next complaint and raised a hoof before the mare could speak. “I know what you’re going to say, and the answer is no. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were patrons two years ago and aren’t eligible until next year. It’s a celebration reserved for everypony so royalty can’t interfere in its regulation unless they’re this year’s patron. So no, they can’t just wave a hoof and make it alright.”
Dash said nothing. She had no counter argument to Twilight’s educated response, but she did have a response of her own.
“Do you know what Spike said?” Dash met Twilight’s eyes. “He wants to be the first dragon to compete in the Games so other dragons can compete.”
Dash took particular satisfaction in leaving Twilight speechless. It wasn’t often she could confound the bookworm, so she decided to press her advantage.
“He thinks that if he does this, maybe ponies won’t be so scared of dragons. Spike wants to show them what dragons are really like. Yeah, he gets that some jerks won’t like him competing, but he really thinks that if does this, maybe ponies will change their minds about dragons.”
Twilight paced by the table, her head bent in thought. In time, she stopped pacing and nodded.
“Alright, I’ll let him try but on one condition.” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, locking her eyes into a grave stare. “Can you promise me that you’ll look after him like he’s family?”
“He’s practically my little brother. Of course I’ll look out for him.” Rainbow Dash was eager to rush away to the door, when Twilight stopped her with a magic spell, yanking back her tail.
“Dash, listen to me. Spike wants approval. If you push him too hard, he’ll collapse trying to meet your demands. I will know you overworked him if he comes home sick.”
“Okay I get it. Don’t push him too hard. Now if you’ll excuse me—.”
“And,” Twilight interrupted, bolting a latch over the door. “If the worst happens, he’ll need more than a hug or kind word from me to feel better. He’ll need you to stand by his side. Will you promise that you’ll be there for him? That you’ll never give up on him?”
“Yeah. Thanks for having faith in me,” her voice dripped with sarcasm, “I’m only like, you know, the Element of Loyalty.”
“It’s not that I don’t, I’m just scared for him.” Twilight softened her expression. “I just need you to promise so I won’t be worried. Please?”
Dash sighed but spoke with complete sincerity, “I promise to look out for the little guy.”
“Thank you.” She nodded with a smile, “Please take care of him.” As Dash reached the door, Twilight said, “Oh, and thanks for asking me before you entered him. I was afraid you'd sign him up without asking me first.”
Dash stuttered, “Yeah, yeah, no prob. It was definitely my idea to ask you.”
Twilight gave a flat-eyed expression. “Spike told you to ask me first.”
“What? No, of course not—yes,” Dash gave up.
Twilight chuckled, “I raised him well.”
The pegasus bolted from the room and delivered the news to Spike, before flying him to Town Hall to fill out his registration form. The second his quill finished the first and only “e” of his name, Ponyville became the first town to enter the Equestria Games with a dragon.
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I already like it
This looks very promising ,can't wait to read more!!!
Spike is making history!!!!
Also foals don't scare him asked the Cake Twins and Flurry Heart.
8436945 Thanks! Glad you like it so far!
This is neat, I'll enjoy reading the rest of this story.
8459164 Thanks!
Ooh. That's some good insight into Spike's character.
Let's see what the rest of this brings...
You sir get a favorite and a like for this line!
Oh, and don't forget your mustache, I'll even throw another one in for free:
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8544942
She raised him well? please tell me this is motherish twilight in this story as well?
Oh. Looks like a good story. I'll give a full comment once i finish it but right now I'll just say I'm not a fan of the whole 'Dragon Town' thing.
I realize it is canon to the comics, but even there it felt weird because it clashes with the show's repeated idea that ponies know next to nothing about dragons.
How can there be a dragon part of town in one of the biggest cities in Equestria and yet ponies still know next to nothing about them?
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8571443
Because even though they never intended it, ponies have been shown to be rather bigoted over and over in the show. Most treat every other species as if they are barbarians and villains. They also have no problem stealing artifacts from other species and nations if the items will help them.
So it makes sense that even if the Dragon's are allowed in Equestria, they aren't made welcome, nor any effort made to learn about their culture.
Also the comics, i believe the term is, "Jumped the shark" and added tons of things that directly contradict the canon of the show.
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Twimommy is best mommy