The Legends of Magic: Enter the Dragons

by Phantom-Dragon

Welcome To Ponyville Part 2 - Lending a Helping Hoof and Claw

After their reacquaintance with three of their Ponyville friends, Spyro, Spike, Sparx, and Twilight were later walking into an apple orchard called Sweet Apple Acres as a part of their agenda.

Sparx happily inhaled the country aroma of the land, “Ah! Sweet Apple Acres,” He sighed in content. “No matter where you go in Equestria, there’s no place like the birthplace of the Apple Families and their apple pies. And their Zap Apple Jams. Mmm-hmmm.”

“If you say so,” Spyro replied.

Spike took a big whiff of the air, "Mmmm, smells like apple pie!" Spike sighed in content.

"We'll have lunch later Spike," Twilight nudged the little dragon, getting him back on topic, while levitating a large scroll in front of her. "Remember, we're here to check on the banquet preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Right," Spike answered.

“I wonder where Applejack is?” Sparx buzzed, turning his head in every directions, searching for the pony.

Then, as if answering the dragonfly's question, a loud voice hollered, "Yee-haw!" The four friends turned their head to see a certain country mare who too has grown from the filly they last remembered meeting, galloping towards a tree, before she turned on her front hooves, aiming her hind legs towards the tree. Then, with a strong thrust, she kicked her legs out, striking the thick barks of the tree, shaking it in its place, which sent several apples to come falling from their branches and into the buckets that were placed all around them.

"That answers your question?" Spyro asked.

"Eeyup," Sparx buzzed.

"I didn't ask," Twilight replied to the older purple dragon.

"Uh, Twilight. He was talking to Sparx," Spike clarified.

"Oh, right," Twilight blushed.

After smiling to herself for a job well done, Applejack turned her attention towards the four, "Well, sweet Celestia, blow me down!" She exclaimed happily. "Spyro! Twilight! I didn't know you were back in town!"

"Hey! What about me?" Sparx buzzed, undignified, which of course, to Applejack, he sounded like saying, "Buzzz buzz buzz buzz buzz."

"Aw, it's nice to see you too, Sparx," Applejack chuckled. Then her eyes fell upon the little dragon accompanying them. "Oh my gosh! Lil' Spike? Is that you Sugarcube?"

"Uh, yeah, it's me," Spike hesitantly answered, before he asked, "Have we met?"

"Of course we have, little fella," Applejack smiled. "I was there when ya first hatch and took your first breath. You were so small back then."

"Well, I'm not so little anymore, am I?" Spike asked, crossing his arms, and looking proud of himself.

"Yeah, he's absolutely gorgeous isn't he?" Twilight asked, interrupting the moment. "Anyway, we're here to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration coming up. And I take it you're in charge of the foods, Applejack?"

"We sure as sugar are!" Applejack confirmed. "Would you care to sample some?"

Sparx simply buzzed with excitements, while the two dragons both looked at Twilight, wanting to hear what her answer is, to which the lavender unicorn shrugged, "Eh, as long as it doesn't take too long-"

With that, Applejack rushes over to a rusty metal triangle and rapidly clank the metal rod against the outlines, ringing the sound, while hollering, "Soup's on every pony!"

And with, the ground beneath the four friends shook as a few country ponies suddenly galloped into the area, carrying them away to a table, where they were treated to a small buffet of apple treats they've prepared.

"Hey Apple families!" Applejack cheered, before she points her hooves to the friends, "Ah reckon y'all remember Spyro, right?" The apple families all voiced their agreements, "Then let me have the pleasure to introduce y'all to our other friends, Twilight and lil'Spike!"

"Howdy y'all!" The families greeted the two newcomers.

"Hey! What about me?" Sparx buzzed, further undignified at being left out....again.

"Twilight! Spike!" Applejack began. "Let me introduce y'all to the Apple family!"

"Thanks, but we really need to-" Twilight didn't have time to finish as Applejack quickly began with the introductions.

"This here's my sister, Apple Bloom." She pointed to a little yellow filly with blazing red mane and tail, brilliant gamboge eyes, and a large pink bow tied in her mane.

"Howdy!" Apple Bloom greeted.

"My cousin Braeburn!" She pointed to a tall gold yellow stallion with brilliant gamboge mane and tail with brilliant amber highlights, and green pistachio eyes. For attires, he wore a dark brown cowboy hat with matching vest.

"Nice to meet y'all!" The stallion greeted.

"Granny Smith!" Applejack pointed to an elderly mare with weary gamboge eyes, gray mane and tail, wearing an orange bandana decorated with apples. "Up and at 'em Granny Smith! We've got guests!"

"What-huh?" Granny Smith stammered, waking up from her afternoon nap in her rocking chair.

"And Big Macintosh!" Applejack finished, pointing to a large red stallion with orange scruffy mane and tail, green eyes, and wears a yoke.

"Howdy," Big Mac greeted silently.

"Oh, well nice to meet you ponies," Twilight greeted, before she noticed the troubled look Spyro and Spike were sharing with Sparx.

"Wait, that's all of them?" Sparx buzzed.

"What do you mean, 'that's all of them?'" Spike asked.

"Well, I've been living in Ponyville a lot longer than you two have," Sparx answered to both dragons. "You were just an egg, Spike. And before Spyro came to Ponyville, there used to be more Apple family ponies than this. Normally, whenever there's a big get together, at anytime and any place, the Apple families are one big happy family," As proof, Sparx managed to produce a single picture as evidence of the whole family.

"But this....this is hardly considered a herd!" Sparx gestured to how small the numbers have gotten with only AJ, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Braeburn.

"So, what you're saying is-" Before Spike could continue, their conversation was again interrupted by Twilight.

"What's going on now boys?" Twilight asked.

"Sparx is just talking about how he was kinda expecting a bigger Apple family reunion than this," Spyro translated.

"And that it's kinda out of the ordinary to see this few of the Applejack's family," Spike added, before he turned to Applejack, "Oh, sorry Applejack. I didn't mean to offend."

"Shucks, little fella, you have nothing to apologize for," Applejack smiled sadly, before she sighed, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid Sparx's right."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, starting to show some concerns.

Scratching her head, finding the words, Applejack hesitantly began, "Well, ya see, normally at this time of a year, we'd get the whole family from the four corners of Equestria to come together, have a good time, cooking up all kinds of apple treats, y'know? But for some strange reason, the only ones here are just me, Bloom, Big Mac, Grannie Smith, and Braeburn."

"Maybe they're all just running late?" Twilight voiced her thought.

"Ah don't think so," Applejack shook her head. "We've been sending letters to them for months now, and there haven't been any responses, as of late. It's not like them, and we're really beginning to worry."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed, with Granny Smith giving a solemn nod.

"I hope Babs is alright," Apple Bloom said worryingly.

"Babs?" Spike asked. "Who's Babs?"

"She's my cousin," Apple Bloom answered. "She's from Manehattan and she's a lot of fun! But she can be very tough from time to time," Apple Bloom looked down on the ground, trying her best to hide her sad face. "I just hope nothing bad has happened to her."

Walking over, Applejack placed a comforting hoof around Apple Bloom's shoulder and pulled her close in a comforting hug, "There, there, Sugarcube," Applejack tried her best to comfort the filly. "I'm sure she's okay. She's a tough filly, isn't she?"

"I guess," Apple Bloom shrugged.

"Aw, come now, youngster," Granny Smith began, attempting to lightening the mood in her own way. "Let's not let a few sour moods stop us from doing what Apple families do best. We got a Summer Sun Celebration to prepare for. I'm sure even Babs would've wanted us to do it. Wouldn't she?"

Apple Bloom slowly began to perk up, "Yeah...yeah, she would!" Apple Bloom replied.

"That's what we want to hear!" Applejack smiled. "Come on! We've got work to do!"

Wanting to further lighten the mood, Spike got up and offered, "I don't suppose we can help out a bit, can we?" Spike asked.

"Shoot Spike! That's awfully kind of ya!" Applejack smiled. "Come on!"

Before Spike could follow, he was stopped by a magical tug at the tail from Twilight, "Spike! What are you doing?" Twilight began. "We're here to supervise!"

"Exactly! And what better way to supervise than to offer a helping hoof, or claw to some ponies in need?" Spike then turned his attention on some apple fritters and chows it down, "Besides, this fritters are good! It's the least we can do for these ponies at a time like this."

"He's got a point," Sparx buzzed.

"Well, if you're staying here to help out, I'm with ya Spike," Spyro joined in.

"You too, Spyro?" Twilight and Spike asked.

"Of course! Can't let you get into too much trouble as long as I'm around," Spyro patted to Spike on the shoulder with his wings, before he turned to Twilight. "We'll catch up with you later, Twilight. You go ahead and check on the rest of the preparations."

Twilight thought for a moment, before she nodded in agreement, "Sounds like a plan. We'll get more work done that way," Turning her attention back to Ponyville, Twilight walked away. "Later boys!"

"See ya, Twi!" The three boys replied, before they went to work.

---

"Hi-yah!" Applejack grunted, together with Big Mac and Braeburn as they bucked their hind legs, striking the trees, knocking the apples lose from the branches and into the baskets that were placed all around them.

Spyro, Spike, and Sparx were standing on the sideline, watching the apple farm ponies doing their work. Big Mac and Braeburn soon left the area as they took their harvest with them back to the barn, leaving the boys with the girls.

"So..." Spike began, tapping his claws together. "What can we do to help you guys?"

"Well....for you Spike," Applejack looked around before she spotted a simple task for him. "You can Apple Bloom carry these buckets back to the wagon."

"You got it AJ!" Spike complied, as he helped Apple Bloom carry the basket, holding the handles from one end while the filly took the other.

Turning her head to see Spyro was close by, Applejack walked up and struck conversation with the older dragon, "So Spyro," She began striking up conversation. "How've things been since we parted ways? Was raising Spike any more difficult than raising Apple Bloom? Oh, and how're your wings?"

In response, Spyro spreads his wings out and gave them a few flaps, "They're getting better," Spyro answered, before he retracted his wings. "Though I can't say for sure I'll fly again."

"Sorry I asked," Applejack frowned.

"Well on the bright side, with you grounded, you don't have a good excuse to get yourself away from Spike," Sparx buzzed.

"Yeah right," Spyro scoffed.

"What?" Applejack asked.

"I wasn’t talking to you! I was talking with Sparx!"

"Oh!" Applejack nodded in acknowledgement. "I forgot, you can talk to Sparx like he was talking to you."

"Well of course," Sparx replied. "We ain't exactly called dragonflies for nothing. We're dragons best friends for sure!" Of course, to Applejack, all she heard was, "Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz."

"What's he saying?" Applejack asked, to which Spyro repeated what Sparx had said. Applejack could only chuckle in amusement.

“Hey guys! We’re back!” Spike announced, together with Apple Bloom. “So! Anything else we can do?”

“Not unless ya can buck the apples from their branches,” Applejack replied, thrusting her hind legs out in a kick, striking a tree and knocked the apples off, into the baskets below.

“Buck apples huh?” Spike pondered, looking at a nearby tree, which he gave its trunks a few experimental knocks with his claws. Then, getting down at on all four, Spike thrusted his legs out into a kick, but ended up slipping off his claws and landed face first in the dirt below.

"Spike, what are you doing?" Spyro questioned.

"Trying to buck apples?" Spike replied.

Spyro chuckled as he walked over to help the little dragon up, “Well, your technique is wrong. That may work for ponies. But in case you forget, you’re not a pony, Spike.” Spyro lectured. "Watch and learn, Spike!" The older dragon began. "Here's how a dragon really gets some apples!"

Spike sat on the sideline, along with Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sparx, as they watched Spyro giving himself some distance between himself and the tree. Then, with a burst of speed, the Spyro lunged forward, with his head lowered in order to aim his horns towards the tree, before he landed upon impact, causing the tree to shake in place, losing some of its apples into the buckets below.

"See?" Spyro smirked, while his eyes rolled a bit before he managed to collect himself. "That's how we do it."

"Wow!" Apple Bloom marveled, while Spike and Applejack cringed with discomfort.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Spike asked.

"I'm with the little guy here, Spyro," Applejack added. "Wouldn't it be less painful if it doesn't involve a headbutt?"

"No worries," Spyro shook his head. "Once you start growing some horns, you won't feel a thing...at least, not too much," He muttered at the last part.

"Of course, you might want to get a set of horns first," Sparx buzzed.

Comments

[Wildcard25]

Nice that they got to see A.J again, and I wonder if there is something wrong with the rest of the Apple Family.

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Great chapter. Maybe not a headbutt but a tailwhip.

[Love able chaos]

That's using your head Spyro