A Not-So Draconian Adventure

by Rock-Lee

The Family Under the Rainbow

Monday had finally arrived, and Spike found himself patiently waiting after school with Scootaloo for Rainbow Dash's classes to finish so they could head to the athlete's house.

"Don't you have stuff to pack?" Scootaloo asked, lounging on the grass with her hands beneath her head, glancing at Spike.

"Nah, Rarity's family took care of all my luggage this morning... At least that's what they told me! Hehe," Spike replied with his head resting on Scootaloo's lap.

"Even that goofy dragon plushie?" Scootaloo teased with a smile, using her hand to push Spike's hair over his face.

"Hey! Ember isn't goofy!" Spike protested, attempting to move and thwart Scootaloo's hair-messing efforts. However, Scootaloo's strength prevailed.

"Quit fighting," Scootaloo said with a teasing smile before shifting to swiftly grab Spike's neck, initiating a playful wrestling hold. She kept him in place while continuing to mess with Spike's hair with her own hand

"Mhhhg!" Spike would continue complaining for several seconds, wriggling in an attempt to free himself from Scootaloo's grip. "Okay! I give up, I give up!"

"That's what I like to hear," Scootaloo would say, releasing Spike and leaning back to rest her head on her hands.

"Do you know how hard it is to fix my hair in the morning?" Spike would say, pouting in frustration, trying to rearrange his hair into spikes again.

"Hey, Casanova! Leave some for the rest of us!" Rumble's voice would be heard from one of the second-floor windows.

"Huh?" Spike would look up to see Rumble leaning on the frame of an open window. "You hush, Rumble! You're just jealous because no girl is getting near you!"

"And why would I want a girl near me? I don't want to catch cooties like you!" Rumble would say, sticking his tongue out at Spike and blowing a raspberry.

"Mock me when you can score a goal!... Wait, aren't you in detention!?"

"Yes! But the teacher went to the bathroom!"

"You know you're going to get into even bigger trouble, right!?" Spike would say, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms in confusion.

"Probably! Probably!" Rumble would shrug, smiling at Spike. "Hey! Tomorrow, I'll bring my video game console to show you that game I was talking about!"

"Awesome! We'll talk more tomorrow!"

"Why tomorrow!?"

Spike would point behind Rumble, causing him to turn and see Vice Principal Luna standing with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow in annoyance. Rumble would sigh and accept his fate, closing the window and returning to his seat.

"I don't know why we let that weirdo on the team," Scootaloo would say with a slight blush on her face from Rumble's original comment.

"Because without him, there would have been only 9 people on the team? Hehe," Spike would say, leaning back on Scootaloo's lap once again, closing his eyes to wait for Rainbow Dash in silence.

After a couple of minutes of silence, both of them were lying on the verge of falling asleep until they heard the bell signaling the end of the school day for Rainbow Dash's grade.

"Mhhg?" Scootaloo lifted her head slightly, looking around while gently rubbing one of her eyes. She gave Spike soft pokes to wake him up too.

"Mhhhg!" Almost mimicking Scootaloo, Spike made the same noise but with a smile. He sat on the ground, stretched his arms for a few seconds, and then finally stood up, offering his hand to help the girl on the ground get up.

"Hey, you two! Ready to go home!?" Rainbow Dash said as she approached the duo, carrying a scooter for herself and Scootaloo's.

"Wait... How am I supposed to go with you if you're riding scooters?" Spike said, raising an eyebrow as he pointed at the two scooters.

The two girls looked at each other for a couple of seconds, making Spike start to sweat slightly from nervousness."AHHHH!" Spike was on the same scooter as Scootaloo, holding her tightly around the waist as she raced through the empty streets, with Rainbow Dash in front of them a few meters away. "Is it really necessary to go this fast!?"

"Of course!" Scootaloo said with a smile, turning a bit to glance at Spike. He hid his face in the girl's back while hugging her with a bit more force. If Scootaloo weren't so caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, she might have noticed that his face was as red as a tomato.

"Mama hates it when we're late! So we have to hurry!" Rainbow Dash said, seizing the opportunity to explain to Spike why they couldn't go slower... although she obviously didn't want to.

After several minutes of the same, Spike finally felt the girls stopping their scooters. He got off and kissed the ground with relief.

"Ground! Finally, ground!" Spike exclaimed, kissing the ground before finally looking around and noticing the white-painted house in front of him. "(Mhhg... I guess it makes sense for it to be white like the clouds.)"

"Stop kissing our sidewalk and let's go inside, shorty," Rainbow Dash said, grabbing Spike by the hood of his jacket, carrying him like a bag of groceries.

"Wait, don't you think we should maybe let them know that Spike is here?" Scootaloo said, walking alongside her, not caring about how Rainbow Dash was carrying Spike.

"Please, knowing them, they probably already have a 'first steps in the house' party or something," Rainbow said, sighing but also laughing a bit about it.

"(Seems like they're not so different from their Pony versions)" Spike thought as he let himself be carried peacefully, happy not to have to walk.

Rainbow left Spike standing on the ground and casually brushed off any possible dust or dirt on the boy's clothes, adjusting his hair to perfect the spikes as always.

"Oh, don't forget these." Scootaloo grabbed a pair of sunglasses and put them on Spike, smiling at how cool he looked.

"Huh? What are these for?" Spike raised an eyebrow but didn't move much, just adjusting the glasses a bit.

"Trust me, you'll need them," Rainbow said, giving Spike a gentle shoulder punch before opening the door and letting Spike enter first.

"Um... Hi-" Spike entered the house slowly, only to be greeted by a million camera flashes that made him cover his face, thankful for the sunglasses they gave him. Otherwise, he'd end up totally blinded by those lights.

"Awww! He's so adorable! Just like Scootaloo described!" a female voice said while hugging Spike tightly as the boy still tried to regain his vision.

"First hug with mom!" a male voice said while taking another picture of Spike being embraced by the woman.

"Mom! We already talked about this before!" Rainbow said somewhat annoyed, grabbing Spike to hold him against her chest, letting the boy calm down before separating him.

"Oh, we're so sorry, Rainbow. It's just that... Look at him! He's almost as adorable as Scootaloo when she first came here!" The male voice said as Spike began to calm down slowly.

"That's obvious, but you can't blind him on his first day here," Rainbow said, now a bit calmer, even laughing a bit. She then gently stroked Spike's hair, though she murmured something that Spike didn't catch.

"Oh... Yes, you're right, we're sorry." Apparently, whatever Rainbow had said had been important enough for the rest of the family to calm down a bit.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Spike," Rainbow said, separating Spike from her chest and taking off those sunglasses so he could see the two adults in front of him.

Spike had no memory of meeting or interacting with Rainbow Dash's parents. He only had vague recollections of Rainbow telling the group in general how annoying they were with all the praise and celebrations they made for her. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was bothered by the way Rainbow hated something he desired more than anything: recognition when he did something well, as he often felt unappreciated by his friends.

"Grr!" Spike would grit his teeth, angered by the way those thoughts invaded his mind for no reason. He grabbed his head and shook it quickly, thinking annoyed, "(Get out of my damn head!)"

"Wow! Hey Spike! What's going on!?" Spike would feel firm hands on his shoulders, so he stopped shaking his head, embarrassed about making such a fool of himself in front of these people.

"I-It's nothing... I'm sorry," Spike said, sighing as the hands let go of his shoulders. He would lift his gaze slightly to look at the two people in front of him. "I-I'm Spike... nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours, sweetie," a woman with skin color identical to Rainbow Dash's would say. Her slightly small-sized face stood out with some cute freckles and large purple eyes. Her hair, a reddish or yellowish color that Spike couldn't quite identify, was cut quite short, much like Scootaloo's. She wore an unbuttoned orange shirt with a white undershirt underneath, covering her torso. For pants, she had jeans of the same color as her skin, with simple white shoes. "My name is Windy Whistles."

"Mine is Bow, Bow Hothoof," the man said. Judging by the size of his hands, he was the one who had calmed Spike during his outburst earlier. The man would have hair cut in a military style, with rainbow-colored hair like Rainbow Dash's, and slightly darker blue skin. He had traces of a beard growing after recently shaving. His torso was covered by a green buttoned-up shirt, revealing a white shirt with a design that Spike couldn't see. He wore simple blue pants similar to those he had seen in the photo of the Wonderbolts in Spitfire's office. Perhaps he, too, was a military man?. "And...Yeah, Spike, we feel really sorry for overwhelming you with those pictures. We just get so excited when a new kid arrives at the house."

"You guys celebrated every little thing I did for two whole months, so don't worry," Scootaloo said, wrapping her arm around Spike's neck and giving him a gentle hug to reassure her friend.

Spike managed to regain his composure, nodding and offering a small smile. The initial overwhelming welcome had caught him off guard, but he appreciated the warmth from Rainbow Dash's parents and Scootaloo's support.

"Well, we're glad to have you here, Spike!" Windy Whistles chirped.

"Yeah, welcome to the family Spike!" Bow Hothoof added, giving Spike a friendly pat on the back.

"Thanks," Spike said, feeling a mix of emotions. It was a strange experience for him, being welcomed so warmly. He wasn't used to this level of attention and genuine friendliness. The thought of fitting into Rainbow Dash's family and being part of their daily lives was both exciting and a bit overwhelming since Rainbow was... Spike's least friend among all his friends

Spike took a moment to look around the lively and colorful living room. Family photographs adorned the walls, capturing moments of Rainbow Dash's childhood and achievements, not only really incredible achievements like win important tournaments in any sport, as only Rainbow could do, but for things that... gave Spike a certain amount of shame.

"Mom! I told them to get those things out of there!" Rainbow Dash would say starting to take photos like "First day without a diaper", "Best sugar bump in the world" and things like that.

"But they are such beautiful memories! Or do you want me to throw away the photos of Scootaloo from the first day without a stuffed animal?" She would say Bow Hoothof, laughing at the situation, but asking completely seriously.

Would Spike just be watching everything with a strange mixture of embarrassment, discomfort and... a little joy? He didn't know, it was very difficult for him to understand how he was feeling. Scootaloo, sensing Spike's mixed emotions, gave him an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Spike. They're awesome, and you'll fit right in. Just be yourself."

Emboldened by Scootaloo's reassurance, Spike decided to embrace the moment. "Thanks, Scootaloo."

While Rainbow Dash and her parents passionately discussed when it was a good time to take a photo and frame it on a wall, Scootaloo took the opportunity to show Spike around the house. One thing that surprised him was a quite spacious gym, equipped with a variety of machines and dumbbells.

"Wow," Spike said as he gently ran his hand over one of the dumbbells, being careful not to drop it.

Scootaloo smiled proudly as she showed Spike the gym. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash loves staying in shape, so her parents built her this amazing gym. Sometimes we train together here, and Dad joins us. It's awesome!"

Spike nodded, impressed by Rainbow Dash's dedication to her training. "Must be great to have a place like this at home. Do you enjoy working out too?"

Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! Rainbow Dash has taught me some cool stuff. I'm not as fast as her, but I'm getting better!"

Spike chuckled. "Well, you're probably faster than I would be. I'm not exactly built for speed. Actually, the rest of the team is probably even slower than me."

Scootaloo gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Don't worry, Spike! I'm sure you'll find something you like to do here. After all, we can't have our star midfielder slacking off so close to the first game!"

While exploring the gym, Spike noticed a corner with a collection of trophies and medals. "Are these Rainbow Dash's?" he asked, admiring the sports achievements proudly displayed.

"Yeah, those are hers. She's a legend in Ponyville," explained Scootaloo with admiration.

Spike smiled. "That doesn't surprise me at all. Rainbow Dash has always been amazing."

This prompted Scootaloo to raise an eyebrow in confusion, as she didn't know that Spike had met Rainbow Dash before entering Equestria High School. But before she could say anything, they were interrupted by a voice calling them.

"Come on, you two! We want a picture of everyone together!" Windy Whistles shouted from the living room.

Spike and Scootaloo exchanged glances before heading towards the lively voice. As they reached the living room, they found Rainbow Dash covering her face in embarrassment, while her parents held cameras and smiled expectantly.

"It's time for a family photo!" announced Bow Hothoof, adjusting a military jacket he apparently put on specifically for the photo.

Spike felt a bit nervous; he wasn't used to so much attention. However, Scootaloo gave him a friendly nudge. "Relax, Spike. They're just pictures! They're fun."

Windy approached Spike with a smile. "Come on, Spike! You'll be part of our family photo collection now!"

Reluctantly, Spike joined the group as everyone settled in for the photo. Rainbow Dash's embarrassment quickly faded as everyone got into position. Bow Hothoof made sure everyone was in place, and Windy Whistles adjusted the lighting enthusiastically.

"Spike, stand next to Scootaloo; we want everyone together in this special photo!" Windy Whistles cheerfully instructed.

Spike moved next to Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash, though she noticed Scootaloo seeming somewhat flushed by the situation, something she found a bit odd since Scootaloo herself had said that photos were fun, would assume she was just a bit shy. They prepared for the photo, and the cameras flashed again, capturing the image of this peculiar yet united family.

After the photo, Bow Hothoof approached Spike and gave him a firm handshake. "Again, just wanted to say welcome, Spike! We hope you feel at home here."

"Thank you, Mr. Hothoof. I'm very grateful for all this hospitality," Spike responded, feeling more relaxed.

Windy Whistles approached with an excited expression. "We hope you enjoy your time with us, Spike. We're a fun family!"

"Mom, fun people don't say they're fun." With a somewhat embarrassed sigh, Rainbow Dash approached Spike and gave his shoulder a gentle tap. "Officially welcome to the family, kid."

Spike laughed at the playful way Rainbow Dash called him and thanked her for the welcome with a smile. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash. I'm excited to be part of this incredible family."

Out of nowhere, Scootaloo suggested enthusiastically, "How about we play a game or do something fun?"

"Oh! Let's play Charades!" Windy exclaimed, clapping rapidly.

The idea of playing charades was met with enthusiasm by everyone. Rainbow Dash, Spike, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash's parents got ready for the exciting wordless performance competition.

"Yes, charades sounds great!" exclaimed Scootaloo excitedly.

Windy Whistles took the lead and began organizing everyone into teams, essentially putting Spike and Scootaloo on one team while the rest formed a team of 3, ensuring they were ready for the challenge. After some moments of preparation, it was Spike's turn. He received the paper with the word "Dragon" written on it. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he thought about the irony of it, almost as if he were destined to receive that word.

He decided to make it interesting and started moving exaggeratedly, spreading his imaginary wings and letting out an imposing roar. He acted as if he were breathing invisible flames while jumping around the room, causing Rainbow Dash to laugh at how silly the boy looked.

Scootaloo furrowed her brow for a moment, trying to decipher Spike's performance. Then, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly, "A dragon! Are you a dragon, Spike?"

"Exactly! A dragon in action!"

Spike was about to high-five Scootaloo, but a photo from Windy would leave him blinded for a few seconds. "The best dragon performance in the world!"

And so, with an action that would repeat many times throughout the game, the family game night began.

After a couple of hours, the sun began to disappear on the horizon, signaling to the family that it was time for dinner. "Okay, Spike, since today is your day, what would you like to eat? Let's order something," Hothoof said with a smile.

"Mhhg... Well, honestly, I don't know. The only restaurant food I've had is Chinese food," Spike said, scratching his head somewhat embarrassed, but then he remembered something. "But I'd love to try something different! What do you guys like?"

Rainbow Dash suggested excitedly, "Pizza! It's always a good option, and there are many types to choose from."

Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, pizza sounds great! We can order from those places that have crazy toppings."

Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof agreed with the pizza idea, and after a lively debate about toppings, they decided to order a variety of pizzas to satisfy everyone's tastes.

When the pizza finally arrived, everyone gathered around the table and enjoyed a delicious dinner. As they set up glasses, plates, and other things to eat, Rainbow Dash suggested watching a movie together. Everyone agreed, and they settled in the living room with blankets and pillows. While searching for a movie that everyone would like, Spike would simply have his head resting on Scootaloo's lap, enjoying a slice of chicken and pepperoni pizza.

"And how do you feel about your first game?" Hothoof would say with a smile as he observed Spike and Scootaloo, as their game was just two days away.

"Oh, it'll be a piece of cake, especially with Spike available to join us all day!" Rainbow Dash said with a somewhat smug smile, while she continued to browse that strange "website" called "Netflix," searching for a movie that everyone would like.

"That's right! That school of dummies won't have a clue about what hit them!" Scootaloo said with a smile, enjoying her own slice of pizza, with her hand resting on Spike's chest.

"Remember that literally at least three of our players are still afraid to do a slide tackle in case they get dirty with grass, hehe," Spike said, trying to give the athletic sisters a small reality check, as both Snails, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon were still unable to do even half of what the rest of the team could.

"Hey, don't be like that, Spike!" Rainbow Dash said with a playful smile, finally putting on a simple 80s martial arts movie and grabbing her own slice of pizza. "Snails just needs some practice, and since you arrived, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara have improved tremendously."

"Wow! So, my little Spike managed to get two girls like them to put effort into a sport? Seems like we have a real Casanova here!" Hothoof said, laughing a bit at the situation, prompting Windy to kick him in the leg to make him stop.

"Please, Bow, he's just a kid. Don't say those kinds of things," Windy said with a sigh, with a plate containing a slice of broccoli pizza resting on her lap.

"Hehe, Casanova or not, he's managed to make many of my players work harder than ever. That's an achievement in itself. Now I see why Spitfire has her eye on you, Spike!" Rainbow Dash said, placing her hand on one of Spike's legs, as he was lying on the couch with his head in Scootaloo's lap and his legs resting on Rainbow Dash's.

Spike could only laugh a little and remain silent, knowing that opening his mouth would only be an invitation for more teasing.

After a couple of hours, the movie had ended along with the pizzas, leaving Spike, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash brushing their teeth in the bathroom while the adults in the house washed the dishes and cleaned up after eating.

"And where am I going to sleep?" Spike would say, sitting calmly on a towel cabinet near the floor, with his legs hanging slightly above the ground.

"Well... originally, you were going to sleep in the guest room, but since Rarity and Applejack told us about your nightmares, you'll end up staying with me and Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said casually, as if it were nothing, using dental floss to finish her nightly oral hygiene routine.

"Rainbow!" Scootaloo said, somewhat annoyed by the way Rainbow Dash had talked about a considerably delicate topic as if it were nothing.

"No, no... it's okay, it makes sense after all, hehe," Spike said somewhat embarrassed, scratching his head. Although he was grateful for this arrangement, lately the idea of sleeping alone filled him with nerves, as between nightmares and encounters with Crystal, there was no night where he could consistently find peaceful sleep.

"We'll just push our beds together, and there you go, our room is shared already," Rainbow Dash said, throwing the dental floss in the trash, and then walking away, followed by Spike and Scootaloo.

And so, Spike ended up in a somewhat awkward but not unpleasant position, lying down with Scootaloo gently hugging his waist, using him as a pillow, and with Rainbow Dash hugging him from the head, forcing him to use her as a pillow. And although Spike was dying of embarrassment, he couldn't deny that he felt... safe, protected from all the bad things his mind could create.

If there were sounds of a door opening and the noise of a camera taking pictures of the peacefully resting group, no one spoke of it the next day.

Comments

[Wildcard25]

Yeah Rainbow's parents may be over the top, but Spike would've killed to have that kind of family growing up who let him know he's special and important.

[nightshroud96]

11804067
Big time