> My Little Pony: The Stick of Friendship > by PyreStorm > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Deep in the land of Equestria, the ponies of Canterlot struggle to stay alive as they are attacked by the wicked changelings of Fround Valley. Darkness falls as the ponies beg their queen the save them, a noble queen known only as the Sun Princess. For a thousand years the battle has been waged, with only the bravery of the Sun Princess to protect her pony followers. But even though the Alicorn Queen is so undeniably cool, the changeling armies continue their attacks. They seek the ponies' most treasured relic - the Stick of Friendship. But the tides of war are soon to change, as news of a "newcomer" spreads throughout the land. In order to save the ponies, the Sun Princess must get to the newcomer before the changelings can manipulate his mind and use him to take the sacred relic from pony hooves, for whoever controls the stick, controls Equestria." Spike the Dragon in MY LITTLE PONY: THE STICK OF FRIENDSHIP > The Newcomer > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. Birds were singing, fillies were playing happily outside, just about everything was in the town was relaxing and peaceful. Well, except for the new kid on the block. Spike's parents had just finished moving in. They did not like the lifestyle of the dragons they had met and did not want their child to grow up in such an environment either. That is why they decided to move to somewhere that is nice, friendly and free of the nasty stuff. Spike had only just turned nine last month and was beginning to learn how to breathe fire. He was a little upset that he had to move now because it would be harder for him to practice his fire breathing due to the lack of dragons at his new home. His father had tried to cheer him up by promising to teach him, but Spike knew that his parents were pacifists on the inside. The new house was nothing too major. It looked the same as the ones surrounding it. Nevertheless, Spike's parents were busy enjoying it. They where cuddling up to each other, having a nice little chat. "We did it hon! We finally moved in!" exclaimed Spike's mother. "It's a new beginning for us. Things are finally going to be good!" replied his father. They were really happy about their decision. Spike's mother then began to ask about their son. "Do you really think it will be better for him?" She questioned. "They won't look for him here," his father answered. "We just need to make sure he doesn't attract any attention. Come one, let's see how he's doing." Spike was busy exploring his new room. "Pretty bland," he thought. There was barely anything in it except for his bed and his shelf. That was when he heard a knock on the door. "What do you want?" he asked. The door opened and his parents walked in. "Hey champ! How do you like your new room?" "Boring. Dad, I'm not in the mood for chatter." His father sighed. "Look son, I know this is a big change for all of us but do you remember why we moved to this peaceful little town?" "Yes dad, it's because you don't want me to grow up with over dragons because they fight a lot and you hate violence!" His parents were both quiet. "He doesn't remember," his father whispered in his mother's ear. "He doesn't remember at all..." his mother whispered back. "Good! It's good that he doesn't remember!" They checked Spike to make sure he hadn't heard what they were saying. So far so good. "Uh sweetie," his mom asked, "we want you to make lots of fun here. Why don't you go out and make some friends?" "Mom, do you really think a pony would want to make friends with me? I'm a dragon! Darn it! I'll be the odd one out!" "Look son, if you just go outside and do what your mother tells you to do, I'll think about teaching you how to breathe fire." Spike sighed. "OK, I'll go outside but you better mean it dad!" "Just make sure you're home before it gets dark," warned his mother. "Fine," Spike replied. "I guess I'll see you too later then." "We hope you have a good time!" his father cried. With that, Spike walked out of his room, opened the front door and entered the town of Ponyville. ================================================================================ Having grown up among dragons, Spike was not used to pony culture. His first steps he took outside were uncomfortable and everywhere he looked around he felt a strange, awkward vibe inside him. "I'll get used to this," he thought, trying to calm himself down. Spike was looking around for a pony he could at least interact with when he heard some yelling not so far away. There were at least two voices and they were both female. Spike followed the sound and saw an unusual sight. A grey pegasus wielding a hammer and wearing a small crown with a jewel in the middle was what appeared to be fighting another pony, but this pony was wearing a black suit with tears in it, was wielding a wooden sword and had a crooked horn. Spike couldn't tell if the horn was real or not. "You shall perish by my war hammer, changeling!" the grey pony yelled. "I don't think so," the black pony replied. "I banish thee back to the forest realm!" "Not unless I banish you first!" The pony in the black suit suddenly struck the grey pony in the saw with her sword. The grey pony fell to the ground as the suited pony got on top of her and started striking her multiple times. "HELP!" The grey pony cried. Spike didn't know what to do. He had no idea if this was just an act or if the grey pony was actually being assaulted or not. Either way, he was not going to let it continue. Spike quickly ran up to black pony, grabbed her by the suit and thew her off the grey pony. She landed with a thud and looked up at him with a horrified look. "Why don't you try picking on someone as tough as you next time?" Spike yelled at her. "No fair!" she replied, "This is cheating! I shall inform the Changeling Queen about this!" Having said that, the pony in the black suit ran, took a corner and vanished from sight. Spike helped the grey pony up. "You okay?" he asked. "Looked like you had it pretty rough there." The grey pony gasped. "I'm fine," she answered. "Thanks for helping me by the way. Who are you? I haven't seen you before." "That's because I only just moved here," Spike told her. "My name's Spike. You're not afraid of me, are you?" "Why would I be?" the grey pony replied. "You saved my life! My name is Ditzy by the way, Ditzy Doo. I am a paladin who serves the Alicorn Queen!" "Alicorn Queen?" Spike thought. "Must be the pony who rules this place. Maybe if I can gain her my trust, people won't think of me as a freakish dragon." "Say Ditzy," Spike asked, "may see this Alicorn Queen?" "Sure!" Ditzy answered. "I was just about to take you to see her. Come on! I'll show you around so you may become a little more familiar with this town." ================================================================================ As they made their way to the Kingdom of Canterlot, Spike and Ditzy and a little chat to get to know each other more. Spike told Ditzy that his parents did not want him to grow up among other dragons because of the way they act. He also said that this place scared him a little. Ditzy calmed him down however by telling him that she'll introduce him to her friends as an ally so that he wouldn't feel left out. At last, they finally arrived at Canterlot. It wasn't really a sight though, just a backyard that was designed to look like a kingdom with a tower made of cardboard at the far end, a wooden stand and other decorations to make it seem like something out of a fantasy novel. "We must enter through here," Ditzy said, pointing to a library in the shape of a tree. "It is the entrance to Canterlot." They both went up to the door of the library and Ditzy knocked on it a couple of times. They waited until the door opened. A grand looking purple unicorn stepped out. She was wearing royal robes, fake cotton wings and a gold crown. Ditzy bowed before her. "All hail the Sun Princess!" she cried. The Sun Princess looked at Spike. "So," she said, "you must be the newcomer. Your coming was foretold. I am the Alicorn Queen. My name is Twilight Sparkle." Spike was nervous. He was thinking of what to say. He didn't want to make a fool of himself and in front of this Alicorn Queen and make her think of him as a dimwit. "Greetings your royal highness," he said sheepishly. "My name is Spike. I come from..." "The time for talk is not nigh, Spike," Twilight interrupted. "Come, let me show you to my kingdom." ================================================================================ Spike, Twilight and Ditzy both exited the library via the back door and entered Canterlot.Other ponies were there, all of which were wearing fantasy costumes. "Welcome to the kingdom of Canterlot!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let me give you a tour." She walked over to the stand with Spike and Ditzy following her. The stand was covered in wooden swords, shields, staffs and other medieval weapons. Behind the stand was a blue unicorn wearing a wizard had and magician's robes. "This is the weapon shop," Twilight explained, "tended by Trixie, a divine sorceress." Spike and Ditzy then followed her to a pen with all sorts of animals in it, including chickens and rabbits. A cute looking yellow pegasus with pink hair was petting them. "These are our stables," Twilight told him. "The animals here are looked after by the animal caretaker Fluttershy." They then followed her to the entrance of the cardboard castle. Standing next to the entrance was the most beautiful pony Spike had ever seen. She was wearing a sparkling dress and had a beautiful tiara on her head. Spike almost felt as if he was in love. "Here, of course, is my lovely and breathtaking daughter, Princess Rarity. She is the fairest maiden in all of the kingdom." "Huh?" Spake snapped out of it. "Oh, yes, of course!" Twilight ignored him. "You have been sought out, Newcomer Spike, because ponies everywhere are in great danger. I need something from you and in return, I am prepared to allow you into my kingdom." "Really?" Spike replied. "Of course," Twilight answered, "but first, do you know how to use a weapon?" "Sure, I grew up among dragons, they fought all the time." "Excellent, It is then time to equip yourself with a weapon. Go to Trixie and choose what you please. I'll let you have your first weapon for free." Spike nodded and ran over to the wooden stand. It was a hard decision to make. There were a lot of weapons he liked and he was thinking hard of which one he would choose. The noise the little filly was making over by the training dummies didn't help either. All he could hear was "I'm gonna get my cutie mark now!" and other shout outs. It was driving him mad but he eventually decided to choose the wooden broadsword in front of him. "I'll be taking the broadsword please," Spike said to Trixie. "It'll cost you 50 gold pieces," Trixie replied. "Actually, The Alicorn Queen said I could have my first weapon for free." "What? But that is the most valuable weapon I have in stock! I'm not letting you have it!" "He can have what he wants Trixie, now letting have it," Spike looked behind him and saw Twilight walking up to the stand. He had a feeling that she must have been eavesdropping on them. Trixie grunted and put her head down so that her face was hidden under her hat. Spike grabbed the sword and stared at it. He knew it was just made of wood but holding it just felt good. "You will need some equipment as well," Twilight said, using her horn to levitate some items off the stand and into Spike's arms. "Here, take this helmet and belt. You will need the helmet to protect your head and the belt to hold your sword in. Come see me once you are ready and I will take you to see the relic." > Changeling Attack > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike had finished putting on his gear. He felt like he was getting ready for a costume party, but he felt a little more courageous wearing what appeared to be the armor of a warrior. Once he was ready, he reported back to Twilight. "You look good," Twilight complimented him. "Now, are you ready to see the relic?" "I'm ready," Spike replied. "Excellent. Now follow me." Spike and Twilight entered the tent at the far back of the kingdom. Spike tried to look hard to see the relic that the ponies here treasured so much but all he could see was a twig on a fancy stone pillar comforted by a cushion. At first, he though that it was some kind of joke until Twilight started explaining to him the importance of this "relic." "This is it, The reason why ponies and changelings are locked in a never-ending war. The relic for which pony and changeling are willing to die. The Stick of Friendship. It may look like a worthless stick but believe me, it has extraordinary power." Spike tried hard to listen further, but he was distracted by the sight of the Stick of Friendship. Somehow, he couldn't take his eyes off it. "Just two days ago, we took the stick back from the changelings who attempted to use it for their own wicked doings. Our kingdom was dying, but now it thrives, for whoever controls the stick, controls the entire land of Equestria." Spike's eyes were glued to the stick until Twilight grabbed his head and jerked it away from the relic, putting it out of sight. She then proceeded to shield her eyes. "Don't gaze at it for too long!" she warned him. "Its power is too much for mere mortals to look at!" Spike did not know what the problem was but Twilight seemed serious so he decided to shield his eyes as well. while they were doing this, they heard a young pony shouting something from outside. "ALARM! ALARM! ALARM!" Twilight gasped. "Our guard Applebloom has sounded the alarm! Hurry, Spike! We have got no time to waste!" They both quickly exited the tent. Twilight looked up at the cardboard tower. "Applebloom!" she called out, "What is it!?" "The changelings!" Applebloom cried back at her. "They are attacking!" "Oh crap! That's it everyone! Get into your defensive positions!" All the ponies in Canterlot stopped working and drew their weapons as they made their way towards the center where Spike and Twilight were. "Somepony man the gate!" Twilight commanded. "Don't let them through!" It was too late. The a swarm of changelings began to make their way through the front gate. They were led by a bright pink pony with curly hair and a silly looking pointed twig taped to her forehead. "Give us the stick ponies!" she yelled. "Fuck you changeling!" Twilight shouted back. "Come and get it! Trixie! Guard the Stick of Friendship while we defend the fortress!" "Aye aye!" Trixie replied as she made her way to the battle tent. "Aye aye? We're not playing pirates Trixie!" Twilight turned to Spike. "Spike, this is your chance to prove yourself in combat. Get out your weapon and and hold off the asshole changelings at all costs! Spike drew his weapon, but stood where he was. He didn't have a clue what he was to do next. Was he actually supposed to physically hit the ponies dressed as changelings with his wooden sword? That was what Twilight seemed to want him to do and as he looked around, he saw his allies trying to do just that - inflict physical damage onto the enemy. Rarity was firing arrows with suction caps at the tip using a toy bow at the attackers. Fluttershy was using some sort of whip. Ditzy was fighting with her hammer and Applebloom, along with the other filly, was hitting her opponent frantically with a plastic sword smaller than his. He was too busy observing the battle when he felt something hit the back of his head. He fell to the ground, stunned. He lay there, hearing nothing but the sound of ponies yelling and fighting for a while until he was helped up. His vision was a bit out of focus for a short while so he couldn't see the one who saved him until his sight came back to him. He saw himself being rested on the far side of the battlefield by Ditzy. "You OK?" she asked. "Ughh!" Spike moaned, rubbing the sore part of his head where he had been struck. "I don't feel so good!" "You where hit by an arrow," Ditzy explained to him. "You could be bleeding but luckily, the arrow didn't hit you as hard as it should have. Your injury is still pretty bad though. Here, eat this. You'll need it to regain your strength." Ditzy held out an apple. Spike grabbed it out of her hands and took a bite. He suddenly felt a lot better. "I think I'm alright to go now!" he exclaimed. "Good," Ditzy said. "Just be more careful next time. Make sure to block any further attacks and hang on to that apple. You may need it for later." "Got it." Spike ran back into the battlefield. He was prepared to hit one of the changelings this time. He was looking for a suitable opponent to fight when he saw an arrow flying out of the corner of his eye straight towards him. Without hesitation, he held up his sword in front of him. The arrow hit the sword and fell. "Not this time!" he said smiling. The changeling archer in the distance cursed. Spike ran as fast as he could nearing the archer until he was close enough to land a hit. He seized the opportunity and spun around, swinging his sword and hit the changeling has hard as he could in the guts. "Owwwww!" the archer cried as he collapsed. He was not getting up any time soon. Spike had did it. He had defeated his first changeling. But the battle had not yet been won. Spike was smiling, enjoying the glory of his first victory in combat when he looked up and saw something horrifying. The changeling leader had Rarity at her mercy. She was bleeding badly and the leader had her sword in the air as if she was ready to land a finishing blow. Spike was desperately thinking for something he could do to save Rarity when he stepped on the bow of the archer he had taken out. Next to it was a quiver filled with arrows that had come off the archer when he hit the ground. Spike then had an idea. "Give us the stick and I'll spare your life!" the changeling leader yelled at Rarity. "Never!" Rarity replied with great force. "Then you leave me with no choice." The pink pony was just about to make her move when she got hit in the back with an arrow. "Ouch!" She screamed. "My back! It's bleeding!" She pulled the arrow off her back and looked at it. "What foul being shot me with this?!" "I did." The changeling leader turned around to see Spike armed with a bow and a quiver strapped to his back. He then put his bow away and drew his sword. "Take your changeling army somewhere else, bitch!" Spike cried as he ran at her. He was ready to land a hit but as soon as he got close the changeling leader stuck him quickly in the jaw with her weapon, forcing him to move back a little. Spike clenched his mouth and spat some blood. He should have known that this was not going to be an easy fight. They don't choose leaders for no reason. "You must be the Newcomer that everyone is talking about," the changeling leader said to him. "You are a fool to fight against the changelings. We are unstoppable! You can just rot here with that jackass Twilight Sparkle while we take the stick and use it to rule all of Equestria!" Upon finishing that, she sprung into the air and attempted to land a blow upon Spike. Spike remembered Ditzy's words of blocking enemy attacks and held his sword up in front of him. He hoped that his block would work as good as it did when he used it to prevent the second arrow from hitting him. As soon as the changeling leader brought her sword down, it clashed with Spike's sword and she was taken by surprise. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Spike grinned. He immediately started hitting the downed leader with his sword. "Not so tough now are you?" he yelled. "AARRRGHH!" she cried. She clumsily got back on her hooves and ran for the gate. Spike helped Rarity up. "You look terrible," he said. "Here, take a bite of my apple," He took the apple out of his pocket and held it out for her. Rarity took a bite and her strength was replenished. "Thank you...Spike? Was that it?" "That's my name," he answered. "CHANGELINGS! FALL BACK! THEY ARE TOO POWERFUL! FALL BACK I SAY!" the changeling leader commanded. All the other changelings, who were beat up as well, followed her out of Canterlot. The warriors of Canterlot regrouped at the center, most of which were puffing and panting after a hard battle. "Yes!" Twilight shouted. "Awesome dude!" She then began taunting the changelings. "Take that you asshole changelings! Better luck next time! Na na na na naaaa na! We still control Equestria! Ha ha ha ha haaaa ha!" "It's gone." Twilight stared a Trixie "What?" "The Stick of Friendship," Trixie replied. "The changelings got away with it." There was nothing but silence for a moment. "THAT WAS YOUR ONE AND ONLY JOB TRIXIE!" Twilight yelled at her. "TO GUARD THE STICK OF FUCKING FRIENDSHIP!" She sighed and spoke again. "Trixie, you are hereby BANISHED FROM SPACE AND TIME!" "What!?" Trixie replied in a shocked tone. "No! You can't do that!" "Yeah I can Trixie! I'm the Alicorn Queen and I say you are banished and lost in space and time!" "Yeah!" Ditzy shouted. "Go home, Trixie!" Trixie growled and walked slowly out of Canterlot via the gate, her head down once again. Twilight faced Spike. "You fought bravely on the battlefield, Spike." "Yeah!" Applebloom exclaimed. "He may not be a pony but he sure can fight! Ain't that right, Sweetie Belle?" "For sure!" Sweetie Belle replied. "The time for compliments comes later," Twilight interrupted them. "Right now, we have a bigger problem on our hooves. The Stick of Friendship has been stolen and we must assemble our entire army in order to get it back. I have noticed that we are missing someone. Where's Scootaloo?" "Scootaloo is trapped in the dungeons at school," Applebloom told her. "She flipped off the teacher or somethin' like that." "Oh no!" Twilight said. "If they've locked away our fastest warrior in the dungeons we have no hope of getting The Stick of Friendship back! We have to break her out!" "What?!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "We can't do that! Last time me and Applebloom tried to bust Scootaloo out of the dungeons, we ended up in there ourselves!" "Don't worry," Twilight replied, "getting into trouble is a risk that Spike is willing to take! Right, Spike?" "Excuse me?" Spike said. "Why am I being sent on this rescue mission? I only just joined!" "Well," Twilight quickly answered him, "because you are a dragon and dragons have unique powers." "What powers?" "You can fly and breathe fire," Sweetie Belle said. "Don't tell us you didn't know you could do those things!" Spike hesitated for a moment. "Oh, uh, there's a little problem there." "Problem?" Twilight asked curiously. "You see," Spike explained, "I can't breathe fire." Most of the crowd gasped. "If we don't have someone who can summon fire," Ditzy said panicking, "we have no hope of getting Scootaloo back! I'm sure they have beefed up the guards and the security since our last infiltration." "There is no need to worry everyone!" Twilight yelled in order to calm the crowd down. "I will handle this situation." Twilight faced Spike. "Spike, you claim you cannot breathe fire. Is that correct?" "Correct." "Than we shall browse the library and find a book on dragons. I may be a pony but with the correct knowledge I can help you breathe fire. Does that sound like a suitable solution to you?" Spike froze. Did she just say she could help him to breathe fire? "You can do that? You can teach me to breathe fire?" "Yes Spike. I can." Spike suddenly grew excited. "I will let you teach me how to breathe fire," he said with a smile, "And then I will help rescue your Scootaloo in return." "Excellent!" Twilight exclaimed. "Now let us be on our way to the grand library. We must not waste any more time." Spike followed Twilight to the back door of the tree shaped house feeling great. He could not believe he was actually going to learn fire breathing on his first day at his new town, seeing as he was hating it on arrival. Irony was a strange thing.