• Published 8th Jan 2021
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Ark: Friendship is Survival - Pomp-Neigh



Equus, a world of magic and many strange yet wonderous forms of life. However, is this world truly natural? Or could it possibly be... artificial?

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Chapter 16 - Twilight's Dilemma

-INSTALLATION: THE ISLAND-

It was now noon on the Ark, roughly around 1pm if one were to use humanity’s ancient method of time management, as the Tribe of Harmony took some time to rest. Following directly after the events that resulted in Pinkie Pie's death. Various ponies could be seen harvesting berries from nearby bushels, and gathering resources for a very particular task of theirs, including Spike.

Both Twilight and Fluttershy were currently standing next to Vanellope in conversation. Then, the yellow pegasus mounts the Raptor and states:

“Ok, Twilight. Vanellope and I can handle it.”

“Are you sure, Fluttershy?” The alicorn questions with concern.

“I’m sure. I appreciate you looking out for my feelings on this matter, but I understand that we have to do what we must in order to survive.”

“Please be careful, Fluttershy,” Twilight responds with a nod, all while the rest of their tribe members continue to harvest. “Remember, be very selective with what creature you choose to fight. We only need twenty five Hide to craft a Sleeping Bag. Also, since you’re heading in that direction, could you swing by the house and check on Pinkie Pie? We’ll wait here for you both before we all continue on.”

Fluttershy nods, “Of course. No problem, and I promise to be very careful. Let’s go, Vanellope!” She orders with a pointed forehoof, causing the Raptor to release a cackle before kicking off to a full on sprint. Vanellope’s powerful legs go to work as the duo swiftly moves back towards the direction of their home, Twilight seeing them off as they disappear into the distance.

“Hey, Twilight?” Spike questions as he approaches the lavender mare.

“Yes, Spike?” She responds, turning towards him.

“Rainbow Dash and I were curious about that small island over there,” The small drake says before turning sideways and pointing in the direction of a distant isle. “Plus… I’m starting to get hungry, myself…”

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, but not entirely due to her tribe mate’s request to visit the small island. It was mostly because she absolutely dreaded the idea of Spike feasting on raw meat, and without any gems for the drake to feed on... she began to fear for the worst.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Spike! I failed to pack any gems before we left Equus!”

Spike blinks twice in response, then laughs lightly before responding with a dismissive claw:

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Twilight. I probably should've worded that a little better. Helena actually gave me some gems, and they even come in three different colors!” Spike raises his right arm as the drake’s implant starts to glow. Three separate objects manifest into the dragon’s right claw, “See? There’s a green one, a blue one, and a red one.”

The alicorn sighs in relief upon seeing the gems within the dragon’s grasp, but a certain fashionista could be heard stampeding towards them while shouting:

“Spikey Wikey! You didn’t tell me you had such exquisite gems in your possession!” The unicorn suddenly plants her limbs into the sand, skis across the beach for a short distance, and fixes her gaze upon the shiny objects within Spike’s right claw. “These beauties are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life!”

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash approach as they take notice of the commotion.

“They just look like any other gem to me,” The cyan pegasus comments with a deadpan expression.

Applejack chuckles, “Well, Rares does have an eye fer’ these things.”

“Indeed, darlings!” The unicorn shouts proudly. “And I can tell you that these are nothing like the ones from back home. Yes, these are made of such good quality that everypony would travel across the Arks just to get a hoof full of these.”

The young draconian sends away both the green and blue gems, but offers the red gem towards the fashionista.

“Here you go, Rarity. I want you to have it.”

“Oh, Spike!” She responds in shock and awe, placing her right forehoof over her chest region, “T-this is- do you have any idea how much these are worth?! Why, just this red one alone could buy you all of Equestria!”

He chuckles, “I’m not really interested in such things. Besides, you’re worth it to me. Go on, take it.”

Rarity’s lower lip begins to quiver before she lunges forth and brings the draconian into an embrace via her forehooves, rubbing her left cheek against his own, “Thank you so much, Spike! I will cherish this gem forever,” She plants a kiss onto his cheek, “Mmmmwah!”

The dragon’s face becomes derpy for a moment with hearts practically filling his eyes, but this is then replaced by sadness.

Taking notice, Twilight questions:

“What’s wrong, Spike?”

Rarity stops rubbing her cheek against the dragon’s, and pulls away from the hug before saying:

“Spikey Wikey? Now what’s got you looking all gloomy?”

Both Rainbow and Applejack look on attentively.

“Oh… w-well…” The dragon starts, then sighs, “Twilight… I know why you got worried when we forgot about the gems.”

“S-Spike, I-” The alicorn responds with hesitation. She falls onto her flank and looks downward, “When I saw what that Carnotaurus did to that Parasaur, not to mention what that giant Sarco did to Pinkie… and when I realized we didn’t even bring food for you…” Tears began to build up within her eyes, “If Helena wasn’t here… oh, Spike… I don’t ever want to see you like that…”

As the other ponies look on sympathetically, Spike gently breaks free from Rarity’s gesture and approaches the alicorn, who was still weeping from her dread.

“Twilight… look at me,” He said, standing within ‘hoof reach’ before her. She looks up to meet his gaze, “I will never become anything like those things. Yes, it’s true that dragons eat meat, as I’m sure you already know, but they can choose to live entirely off of gems, too,” He hugs Twilight’s right foreleg, “And I choose to be that dragon.”

The lavender mare hugs the draconian gleefully, “I’m so sorry, Spike… I know that I can trust you, I’m just so afraid of what these Arks could do to you. If they could… change you...”

A sudden silence overtakes the tribe with Rainbow Dash wanting to break this silence, and change the subject.

“So, uh, Spike!” The cyan pegasus starts. “Did you tell Twilight about scoping out that island?”

Spike gently breaks away from his embrace with Twilight and looks back to the pegasus, “Sure did, but we should-”

“Actually, go on and explore that island, Spike,” Twilight interjects, causing the dragon to look back at her now smiling features, after she wiped away her tears. “It’s called Herbivore Island, and so long as you and Rainbow don’t anger any of the wildlife, it’s relatively safe.”

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, preparing to flap her wings, “We’ll be back before you know it. Let’s go, Spike.”

“Ok!” The dragon responds while looking over his right shoulder before looking back at the alicorn, “You gonna be ok?”

“I will, Spike. We’ll wait here for you two to come back. Besides, Fluttershy hasn’t returned yet, and we aren’t leaving until everyone is accounted for,” She chuckles, “Go on and have some fun exploring, but do it safely,” Twilight asserts. “That’s all I ask.”

Spike salutes her with his left arm before taking to the sky with a flap of his wings, an already aloft Rainbow Dash waiting for him. The two flyers begin to fly off towards the island, their excitement causing them to forego a proper departure. Despite this, Twilight still waves her right forehoof to see them off.

Applejack approaches the alicorn with Rarity just behind the cowmare.

“Y’all sure yer’ ok?” She questions, then sighs, “Ah’ know ya’ lied to Spike just now.”

Rarity’s mouth drops in response, “Applejack! How could you say such a thing? Twilight would never-”

“No. Applejack is right,” Twilight interjects. “I’m not ok… I never should’ve brought Spike to this place...”

“Don’t be absurd, darling!” Rarity responds. “Spikey Wikey is a very capable survivor. He’s the highest level member of our tribe, he was a huge help in taming Vanellope, and he beat an Argentavis for Celestia’s sake!” She emphasizes by raising a forehoof into the air, “If anything, the rest of us are the ones who aren’t nearly as capable as he is.”

“I know, Rarity,” Twilight responds. “Spike is amazing, and his dragon origins help him a lot here.”

“Then why, darling? What are you afraid of?”

“Outside of Twilight’s family, ah’d think you’d know it all too well, Rarity,” Applejack responds. “Spike changed drastically just from being consumed by greed, ya’ ’member that?”

Rarity tilts her head sideways with a raised eyebrow, “What does that have to do-”

“Let me finish, sugarcube,” The cowmare interjects. “The thin’ is: Spike’s never had to deal with hunger before. Whenever he did get hungry, Twilight fed em’ an applesacks worth of gems. But he’s never dealt with true hunger, the kind that borders on desperation. The kind where ya’ can’t just walk down the street to get what ya’ need.”

“B-but, you heard Spike! Helena gave him gems to feed on in order to curve his hunger.”

“Yeah, she did… but did ya’ already f’rget why Helena made this challenge fer’ us in the first place?”

“It’s to prove our survivor capabilities, of course!”

“It’s not just that, Rarity,” Twilight responds, finally rejoining the conversation. “It’s also for our own sake… Helena won’t always be there to help us. There could be times when something happens to her AI unit, which would leave us to fend for ourselves.”

Applejack nods, “And that’s what Twilight is worried about, sugarcube. If Helena hadn’t giv’n Spike them gemstones... we’d have been in a heap of trouble.”

Seeing where they were going with this, Rarity opens and closes her mouth like a goldfish. Then, a thought comes to her:

“O-ok, let’s just say that Helena wasn’t here. And Spikey Wikey was forced to… eat meat, he’d still be Spikey Wikey!”

“That would be the best case scenario. If Spike was still the dragon we know, despite eat’n meat, ah’d be absolutely fine with it. After all, we’ve got ta’ survive, and if Spike’s survival includes eat’n like Vanellope, then so be it,” Applejack narrows her eyes, “But what if that doesn’t happ’n? Y’all saw how he changed when he was consumed by greed... what would happ’n if it was absolute hunger?”

The white unicorn wanted to retort, she so wanted to refute the cowmare’s statement. But the truth is... Applejack was right. Rarity slumps down, and surrenders.

“I… I s-see where you’re coming from, darlings…”

“Don’t get me wrong, Rares,” Applejack responds after nodding in agreement. “Ah’ don’t want anyth’n bad to happen to Spike,” She turns sideways and motions a forehoof towards Twilight, who had moved closer to the shore and looking off to Herbivore Island, “How do ya’ think Twi must feel right now? She practically raised that dragon, and… and if he did change into someth’n else…”

Rarity’s face morphs into absolute sympathy, “Of all of us… she’d be most heartbroken…” She then looks at the red gem she had placed into her Cloth Armor’s right pocket, and with a remorseful tone, she mutters:

“I… I don’t think I can truly accept this gift… Spikey Wikey…”

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