A New Drake in Town
By unknown99
Chapter 1: Old Troubles
Perspective: Spike
I sigh in content as I gaze at the white puffy clouds being carried across the sky on the air current high above me. It's a beautiful Spring day in Ponyville, the first day of spring to be exact. I'm laying underneath the old oak tree on the hill just across the river from Town Hall. I had just finished organizing this years winter wrap have told me. I take a deep yawn as I stretch and pop my spine and wing joints, than sighing in deep relief. Over the past year I've grow a lot, I'm now about five five right now and have finally grown my wings.
"Oh Spiky-Wiky!" I hear somepony shout from a distance, a very beautiful somepony.
I sit up and turn to see non other than Rarity, she is wearing a yellow sundress and matching hat. I waved her over and she started to pick up her pace. Trailing behind her in her telekinetic grip, is a picnic basket with a red bow.
Earlier today she had invited me to a picnic under the oak tree to celebrate another successful winter wrap up. She said she would invite all of our friends, I wonder where they are. In all reality I wouldn't really care if it was just me and Rarity, and I don't think anypony would argue with that statement. After all it's no secret that I like Rarity (found that out the hard way). But over the last year or so I've grown out of the love sick like stage, and have now developed true feelings for her.
When I started to grow something just, happened. I didn't feel need to obsess about her, and instead became fascinated with who she really was. Little by little our conversations stopped being so one sided, and started to become more open and personal. After a wile I felt like we could tell each other anything.
Once she was about twenty feet away I stood up to meet her the rest of the way. With a few powerful strides and tree boosts from my wings later I was two feet away from her.
"And how is the wonderful Lady Rarity this fine afternoon?" I say with an over the top bow, this makes her smile and chuckle a bit.
"I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking, and how are you doing Spike?" She asks.
"Pretty good," I say as we stat walking to the tree at a slow pace, "would you like me to carry the basket?"
"Oh Spike, a gentledragon as always, why am I not surprised." She says as she places the twine basket in my claw.
We walk the rest of the way talking about the latest gossip around Ponyville, I say a sarcastic comment here or there, but she does most of the talking. Buy the time we get to the tree we're talking about how she thinks Big Mac and Fluttershy are finally going out. As the topic dies we start setting up the picnic, we have a pretty good spread. Daffodil sandwiches, apples, carrots, hay fries, and even some sapphires for me.
"So where is everyone?" I ask as I unpack the last of the feast.
"Non of them could make it Pinkie has to babbysit Pound and Pumpkin, Rainbow Dash was passed out and wasn't waking up, Fluttershy is still making sure all the animals have everything, and Applejack is helping the CMC get there 'AGRICULTURAL CUTIE MARKS, YAY!'" She says mockingly, we both share a small laugh at that. "So it's just you and me."
In my mind I do a little celebration dance, but in reality I just grin. We ate in peaceful silence, just enjoying each other's company. I finished my sapphires first, and then sat there, waiting patiently for her to finish.
"So, Spike," she says before taking the last bite of her sandwich ", how have your flight lessons with Rainbow Dash going?"
"*sigh* I'm definitely getting stronger, but I still can't into the air." I say as I put my elbow on my knee, and placed my chin in my claw. "I've been training for over two months now, and I can't even get three feet off the ground."
"Hmm that seems rather odd, have you checked the library for any information on the flight for dragons?" She askes
"The only information on dragons in any pony library is very basic. Like most of us live in the north, or that the more we practice greed the faster and larger we grow. All basic observations made from a far." I say, I do a quick stretch and lay on my back with my claws under my head.
"I'm shore you'll figure it out soon enough." She says as she gets up and lays about a foot away to my left. We both lay their looking at the clouds.
"Do you see that cloud," I say pointing at the white ball of puff ", it kind of looks like a ship."
"It does, doesn't it," she takes a moment to look across the sky ", and that one their looks like a dandelion."
"Good eye, and that one..." I stop mid sentence when something to my right catches my eye, it was round and black. Before I could take a good look at it it flew behind a cloud.
"Is there something rong Spike?"
"No, I don't think. It's just, something caught my eye. It was flying, but is covered by a cloud now." It looked familiar, like something from an old memory or maybe even a dream.
"It was probably a Pegasus, nothing to worry about." She says shaking it off.
"That's the thing, it was to big to be a Pegasus and not the right shape either."
"Well maybe it wa..." This time it's Rarity that sees something. "Did you see that." She says as she turns her head to the left.
"No what was it?" I ask hoping she just saw a bird.
"I don't know, it was thin and white and it was moving very fast." She says with a puzzled look on her face.
"Something not right here, I can feel it, like something is about to happen." I look at Rarity and she looks just about as nervous as I feel. "I think we should head back into Ponyville. I'm not liking these strange thing flying around."
"I think that would be best." She says trying to keep her cool, I think she recognizes these things to.
It doesn't take very long to get everything packed back into the basket. As we start the walk back to Ponyville, I can't help but feel someone watching me from behind.
SSSWOOSH THUD THUD THUD
"Well if it isn't are favorite baby dragon." Says a deep voice that makes me shiver.
Both Rarity and I turn to see three dragons that have landed behind us. All three of them are about a half a foot taller than me, the closest one I recognize right away. He's well built and muscular, his scales are the shade of blood and so is a short fin that goes down his back. The dragon to his right is thinner than he is but a little taller with massive wings, his scales are white as snow and has bright blue spikes that remind me of lightning. The one to his left is fat and the shortest, but has the most muscle. His scales are black with dark red spikes.
"What do you want Grumble? The dragon migration isn't until summer." I ask as I step in front of Rarity, who just stands there terror plain on her face.
"We were gust passing through, when we saw little Spiky-Wiky and his mare friend. And we thought it would be rude to not drop in and say hi, isn't that right boys?"
"Ya." The two say at the same time.
"Rarity... Run, go to Applejack's as fast as you can."
With that she teleported half the distance to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.
"Flash lets go have some fun, Bolder deal with Spiky-Wiky." With that the two smiled as they took off after Rarity.
I didn't even have time to react befor he lunged at me. I sidestepped to the right and grabbed the back off his neck simultaneously tripping him and shoving his face in the ground. Luckily there was a rock there that knocked him out cold, the impact had enough force to crack the rock in two. Thank Celestia that Shinning Armor thought me some basic hand to hand combat last summer.
I look up to see Grumble and Flash have already caught up with her, their flying just slow enough to keep up with her, that means I can do a little catch up. I start to sprint towards them, using my wings to move me even faster. By the time I get to the Eastern orchard their half way to the farmhouse, I pick up my pace and go faster than a freight train.
I catch up with Rarity by the time she gets to the farm, Flash aRarity mble are about a minute behind us. I pick her as I'm about to pass her, carrying her the rest of the way and into the barn. I dig my heals into the found as I enter the barn using my wings like parachutes to slow me down. I waist no time as I drop Rarity onto a pile of hay and then close and seal the barn door. I turn back to see a very messy looking Rarity, her hat is gone, her dress is torn apart and has mud on it, and now she's covered in hay.
I can't help but chuckle a bit at the sight, she just shoots me an evil look. "They'll be here any second now, I need you to stay in here and don't come out for any reason, understand?"
"Yes."
I run back to open the barn door, I take a moment to calm my self down.
"Spike, please come back to me, okay." She says in a worried voice.
"I will." With that I open the door and step back out into the open. I quickly close the barn back up as I wait for them. I hope they didn't see me through the tree line, so I may have the element of surprise. I look around to see what I could hide in, there's a wagon to my right filled with hay. I grab a small stone as I walk ttowards the wagon, I jump in and wait for what feels like an eternity before they land in front of the barn.
"Flash search the farm, I'm going to see if she didn't justjust keep running. If you find her roar and if not catch up with me when your done."
"Can do boss." Flash says with mock salute.
Grumble takes off again into the sky as Flash turns towards the barn. I wait until he's about to open the door before I throw my stone.
TINK
"Who the hell through that!?" He says as he spins around. "Show yourself!... Fine, I'll play hide and seek." Is takes him a minute to get to the wagon. "Come out come out wherever yo..." Before he could finish I popped my torso out as I drove my thumb into a pressure point on his sholder, knocking him out. Once he goes limp I lean back to pull him into the pile of hay. I jump out and do a fist pump.
"That was bucking awesome!" I say out loud. Now to get Grumble back hear. "RRROOOAARR, that felt awesome." I take cover behind the wagon as I wait.
With in about ten seconds I see him coming back at a breaking speed. He comes to a quick stop over the farm, then makes a slow descent to the ground.
He looks around in confusion when he lands. "Flash, where are you!"
I step out of my hiding spot when he's looking the other way. "He's taking a long nap in a pile of hay." Hearing me instead of his friend made him flinch.
"How in the hell are you still alive? Bolder should have crushed you." He says turning around venom in his voice.
"He would have, if I would of stayed still. He was to slow." I say with pride.
"But there's no way you could of took Flash head on, he would have ripped you to shreds in seconds." He says still not able to rap his head around the situation.
"Probably, good thing I didn't give him the chance." I step forward scared out of my mind, but I don't show it.
"No mater, I'll take care of you with ease." He says as he takes a step forward.
We start to circle each other, we stare down one another waiting for the other to make a move. It was Grumble that made the first move. He launched himself twenty feet in the air and dive bombed at me.
I tried to role out of the way, but as he passed he turned to the side and struck me with his tail mid role. The hit sent me flying into the wagon of hay, making everything in it fly out including an unconscious Flash.
Grumble circles the air for a second before landing in front of the barn. I slowly get to my feet as I clutch my side, I think he broke a few ribs. I look over to my opponent to see him smiling at me.
He knows I can't win, he's going to kill me. No I have to try, I promised Rarity I would come backback.
I get back into my fighting stance and begin to circle him again.
"You want more? Okay, it's your funeral pal." He says as he just walks in a wide circle until I have the barn door to my back. Then he stops, and I just stay their looking like a fool. Before I could move another muscle he closes the gap between us. He strikes me with a furry of punches. Head, body, head, body, body, body, head, head, body, head. Then he just stops as I fall to my knees beaten and bloody, I look up to see him smiling at me once again.
"Is… is that… all you got"
THUD, CRASH
***
Perspective: Rarity
Once Spike leaves the barn I'm left worried sick, and I realise how terrible I look at the moment. My dress is ruined, I'm covered in mud and hay, and worst of all... I chipped a hoof. I sigh as I think about my predicament, as I discard my ruined dress. I'm in barn being protected by Spike against three older dragons that could most likely at any moment. Please be careful Spike.
There's nothing I could do, so I just wait. After a minute or so I hear voices outside of the barn, then they stop.
"Who the hell through that!?" I hear somepony shout outside. "Show yourself!... Fine I'll play hide and seek."
Another minute passes by.
"RRROOOAARR" I jump when I hear the thunderous roar from outside.
After a few more seconds I hear voices outside again, then the sound of a crash echoes through the barn. After a few seconds nothing happens.
THUD, CRASH
I instinctively duck behind a bail of hay, I look up to see Grumble standing in the doorway of the barn, with Spike and what's left of the door on the floor. Spike looks like he's been through hell, and isn't moving.
"Where are you little pony? Come out come out wherever you are." He says in a smooth tone. "I'm giving you till the count of three to come out. Or I'll burn the barn to the ground!"
No, please no, it can't end like this.
"One."
I can't die yet, please. I start to cry silent tears as I try to hide as best as I can.
"Two."
Please make it quick, I don't want to suffer.
"Thr…" I look up to see what happed. But all I see is a cloud of dust in the doorway, and all I can hear is the sound of fighting. It feels like an eternity before the fighting stops and the dust settles.
I see a new dragon with it's back facing me standing over a beaten up Grumble on his back trying to get away.
"You'll pay for this, I swear it." Says Grumble as he scrambles to his feet. He runs to his white friend who's now unconscious and flies off with him. I stand their a moment starring at the new dragon. He's about six feet tall and very muscular, even for a dragon. His scales are so black that they almost look blue, he has blood red spikes going down his back and pearly white horns on his head that curve out than back in and almost touch. His wings' membranes are the same color as his spikes.
After a moment he turns around and looks right at me. I continue to study him as he does so. His stomach scales are red as well, his face looks so familiar, but I can't quite place it. His eyes are a dark yellow that I could just get lost in. I look him up and down again and notice a pair of modified saddlebags around his hips.
"Are you okay?" He asks.
"I… I… who are you?"