Paper Spike and the Thousand Year Door

by Sakunyan

Chapter Four: Petalburg

Chapter Four: Petalburg

After crawling through a long length of pipe, Sweetie Belle and Spike ended up emerging into a pleasant meadow, a strange and comfortable change of scenery from the underground areas of Rogueport. They gazed around, enjoying the view.

"Boy, I could stay here for a while." Spike said, taking in a breath of the sweet air. Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

"So could I, but we really need to get a move on. I'm assuming Fluttershy is in the town just ahead of the meadow, so let's get a move on."

The two enjoyed their walk down the path through the meadow for a while. Things seemed rather peaceful and tranquil.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle, is that a castle over there?" Spike pointed off into the distance.

"Oh, yeah, I think it-" Sweetie's voice was drown out suddenly by a loud roaring sound. Cowering, the two looked up to see a large red dragon flying through the air.

"Whoa, another dragon!" Spike exclaimed. Sweetie Belle's ears folded back.

"Uh, Spike, that doesn't exactly look like a friendly dragon. I think we know from experience how dangerous adult dragons can be." They watched the dragon fly off towards the castle. It entered the castle and disappeared from view after letting out another loud roar.

"Oh boy, I'm glad we don't have to deal with that guy. It was hard enough dealing with the Hydra!"

"The Hydra also couldn't breathe fire," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "It also couldn't fly." She shuddered at the thought of facing a large, scary dragon, then looked at Spike and rolled her eyes. He was probably the least threatening creature she had ever met. "Anyways, let's go. The town shouldn't be much farther up ahead."

Petalburg was as bright of a town as the meadows surrounding it. Ponies of all types and ages wandered around, casually greeting everyone they met with a smile. A young, happy looking mare approached the two.

"Hello there and welcome to Petalburg! My name is Roseluck and I'd like to greet you into our pleasant little town!" She smiled cheerfully. "You two look awfully young for adventurers. Do you happen to be lost or need any help that we can provide?" Sweetie Belle and Spike exchanged looks, confused by her cheery attitude.

"Uhh, actually, we're just looking for a certain Pegasus. Yellow coat, pink hair, really shy, you know her?" The mare stared at Spike.

"Oh, you mean that mare who came to visit and take care of Petalburg's animals? Sure! She's in the veterinary clinic right now!" The three stood in silence for a moment. Spike shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, uh, could you tell us where that is?" Roseluck nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure! Right this way, you two!"

The mare led them through the town until they stopped outside of a building which appeared to be the clinic. Roseluck turned to them.

"Well, I hope I could be of help to you! If you need anything else, feel free to visit the Petalburg town center. Don't forget to stay at the Petalburg Inn as well, locally owned!" Spike and Sweetie Belle nodded their thanks and the mare went on her way. They turned to the clinic.

"Let's hope she's in here...." Spike said, beginning to walk up to the front door. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a sudden crashing noise inside.

"No, Angel, stop! Calm down, it's alright! Ahhhh, calm down, I'll get it back, I swear!" After recognizing the frantic voice as Fluttershy, Spike immediately swung the door open. The two looked in to find Fluttershy on the ground, her pet rabbit Angel on top of her holding a fist in the air.

"Spike? Sweetie Belle? What on Earth are you doing here?" She quickly stood up, shaking Angel off of herself and running towards the two. "It is much too dangerous for two young ones like you to be out on your own! What are you doing here?" Fluttershy looked at them with a rather worried expression. Angel stood looking rather irritated in the background.

"Um, Fluttershy, we were actually here because Rarity's in trouble and we-"

"Rarity's in trouble? Oh my! That's absolutely terrible! Somepony's working to help her, right? Oh, no no no no! That's just dreadful! The poor thing, I hope she's alright!"

"Yes, Fluttershy, well, you can actually help us, we just need-"

"Me? Help on a rescue mission? But I'd be no help at all! If anything, I'd probably just get in the way and be a nuisance! Somepony else should be put up to the job who is more qualified, like Princess Celestia. I'm sure she'd do a much better job of saving someone than me. Even Rainbow Dash could do a better job!"

"Fluttershy! You can help! We just need your Element of Kindness!" Fluttershy's eyes widened in fright. She backed up slowly into the building.

"M-my Element? Oh dear, well, you see, hehe, I don't particularly have my Element at the moment.... That's why Angel was mad at me earlier, if you saw that. He did have every right to be upset with me. What happened was very terrible. You see, I had my Element, but then it was taken from me by a dragon! Apparently dragons enjoy very valuable things like that and he wanted it for himself! I tried to tell the mister dragon that he couldn't take it, but he didn't listen and now he has it in his dragony lair somewhere else! It's a terrible, terrible thing I let happen and I just don't know what to do now!" As Fluttershy kept talking, her voice was gradually becoming quieter and quieter. She was now lying down on the ground covering her face in shame. Angel rolled his eyes.

"Wait, did you say dragon? As in a dragon that lives around Petalburg dragon? Maybe in... a castle?" Fluttershy nodded her head, still lying on the ground. Sweetie Belle gulped. "I was afraid of that...." Spike puffed out his chest.

"Well, I'm not afraid to go face that dragon and get your Element back! It's for Rarity, after all, we have to do it! I'll just try to talk to him... dragon to dragon!" Fluttershy got up and tackled Spike, holding him as though he would try to run away.

"Oh, no, that's definitely not a good idea! Hooktail is a mean, scary dragon who won't listen to anyone, especially little small dragons like you! He's really big and really mean and there's no way I'll ever get my Element back!!" Fluttershy's face scrunched in disappointment. Spike gently pushed her away.

"Look, Fluttershy, I have to try at least. You can come or not, but Sweetie Belle and I are going to go get it back." Sweetie Belle nodded valiantly. Fluttershy bit her lip nervously.

"Oh, um, I don't know if that would be a good idea... I'd probably just get in the way." Spike sighed at Fluttershy's constant uncertainty.

"Well, Sweetie Belle and I are going to stay at the Inn for the night so you can decide by then, alright?" Fluttershy looked back at the angry Angel.

"...Probably not. But if you did get it back- which I really don't think you should go try to do- then I would be ever so grateful..." Fluttershy squeaked and flattened her ears, looking away from the two. Spike sighed again.

"Alright, well, bye Fluttershy.... We'll see you later." She squeaked again and buried her face. Sweetie Belle shook her head and the two headed out of the veterinary clinic.

"What was that all about?"

"Just regular Fluttershy..." Sweetie Belle nodded. Honestly, she did want the help of another pony, even if Fluttershy did seem cowardly. By the looks of the dragon they had seen earlier, this task was going to be a rather big challenge.

Sweetie Belle rolled over sleepily and yawned, sitting up in the warm bed of the Inn. She stretched out and looked around, surprised to find that Spike wasn't on the couch which he had chosen to sleep in the previous night. She got up and began looking around.

After grabbing a carrot from the front desk to snack on, she walked outside and looked around for Spike, eventually spotting him pacing in circles in a grassy patch out in the distance. Still yawning, she walked over to him.

"Spike, what are you doing? How long have you been awake?" Sweetie Belle took into consideration that it had been seven when she asked the mare at the front desk for the time. Spike continued pacing.

"I could barely sleep last night. I kept thinking about how we're supposed to deal with the dragon." A shiver ran down Sweetie Belle's spine. It hadn't hit her yet in her tired state that they were going to go off and face a dragon today. It made her stomach churn.

"Well, we do this or Rarity may remain trapped forever. I say we just head out and get it over with." She gulped as she said the last part, praying to Celestia that it would result in their success rather than them being some dragon's dinner. She tried to shake off the thought. "So I'm guessing Fluttershy isn't going to show up?" Spike shrugged.

"I guess not. She was able to handle a dragon the last time she faced one, but I guess one was enough for her." Before Sweetie Belle was able to question when Fluttershy ever faced a dragon, they heard a small voice calling after them.

"Um, hold on, please don't leave yet!" They turned to find Fluttershy running towards them. "I'm... I'm sorry if I'm intruding. I just couldn't bear the thought of two little ones like you going alone to face a dragon! Even if you are a dragon, Spike! I would just be too afraid for your safety. So, um, I'm coming with you, if that's ok." She blushed and hid behind her hair, folding her wings back tightly.

"Sure, Fluttershy, you can come with us! Maybe you could show up the dragon like you did last time in Ponyville!" Fluttershy laughed quietly and smiled. Sweetie Belle remained lost in the dark about when Fluttershy was able to accomplish this feat.

"Alright then, guys, are we heading out now?" Sweetie Belle asked a tad impatiently. Fluttershy stood up straight.

"Does that mean... I can come with you two?" Spike smiled.

"Of course you can, Fluttershy! We did invite you to come with us yesterday, after all!" Fluttershy smiled and flitted her wings a bit.

"Oh, thank goodness! Now we just have to leave before Angel finds out! He's already really mad about me losing my Element, he'll probably be even madder to know I plan on leaving without him! He gets worried that I'll get hurt or injured or worse!" Sweetie Belle cocked her head, confused about how Fluttershy could even understand what a rabbit was saying to her, but tried to ignore it.

"Well, the faster we get going, the faster we can start doing things. Got it?" Spike gave her a strange look at her obvious logic but Fluttershy nodded.

"Oh, yes, of course! We don't want to hold up anything, now." Spike turned to Sweetie Belle.

"You want to lead the way, Sweetie Belle?" The filly rolled her eyes.

"You ARE supposed to be the hero, aren't you?"

The three adventurers had reached the edge of town when Fluttershy stopped them.

"Wait, just... I need to take just one more look back, alright?" Although not understanding how that would help her cope with leaving Petalburg, Spike and Sweetie Belle waited for her to finish up. The decisions was immediately regretted.

"Wait, is that...." Fluttershy was suddenly tackled by a small white shape. This shape was, of course, Angel, looking quite angry.

"Angel, wait! Stop! Please, let me explain!" The bunny jumped off onto the ground and tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm going to go search for my Element and prove to you that I can take care of myself. I can get it back! I promise I can!" Angel gave her a look of disbelief. "And if I can't and decide to give up and go home, you can have all the carrots you want all the time, whenever you want them." Angel considered this offer and nodded his head.

"That was it?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Spike covered her mouth.

"Just let them work this out." he whispered to her. Sweetie Belle shook her head free from him and rolled her eyes. Fluttershy looked down at Angel reassuringly.

"Please believe in me, Angel. I'm going to try my hardest, I swear by it!" She stood strong and looked heroically into the wind. Angel gave her a look which stopped her from posing. "Oh, um, sorry. You can head back now, Angel." Without another motion, Angel turned around and hopped back into the town.

"Well that was weird." Sweetie Belle mumbled to Spike.

"It happens a lot when you hang around Fluttershy." he replied.

"You two talking about something?" Fluttershy asked. They adamantly shook their heads.

"Nope, nothing up here!" Spike said in a fake voice. Fluttershy smiled.

"Oh, alright. Let's go then. The castle is just up ahead through this meadow. I've seen it before when I was taking Angel outside for a stroll. It's not too far.... to the path leading to the castle, at least." Sweetie Belle and Spike groaned. "B-but I'm sure the path to the castle isn't that long either! Really, it probably isn't!" Ignoring her ramblings, they continued walking out of town into the flowery meadows. Sweetie Belle secretly wished Fluttershy would keep down her internal conflicts while Spike hoped to himself that they would be able to survive the quest to retrieve the Element of Kindness.

Comments

[Orange Pudding]

The dragon we must fight! TO GLORY!