CHAPTER ONE: A Rainy Day in Ponyville
It was a rainy Autumn day in Ponyville.
Due to the annual running of the leaves the weather ponies had scheduled a massive downfall for the day, the sky was dark and gloomy clouds hovered over the sky looming over the poor ponies who had to go outside. This weather however was exceedingly awful for a certain purple baby dragon who lived in Twilight's castle. It was this little dragon's day off and he couldn't go to the spa or go to his favorite gem shop without getting soaked down to the scales.
"Twilight can we please do something to day? I'll even take re-ordering the book shelves" The little dragon whined with a hint of sarcasm hopefully to his friend. "It's wet, boring and I have nothing to do!"
"I'm sorry Spike!" Princess Twilight Sparkle, the purple alicorn answered. "I have got Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo coming around for twilight time and I can't spare a moment. You know I would otherwise."
"Yeah... Alright." Sighed Spike as he turned to find a nice comfortable spot to lie down with his blanket and a comic book.
It was not long until the playful laughter filled the halls of the crystalline castle. Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom galloped in brandishing their Cutiemark Crusaders capes and their brand spanking new Cutiemarks. Spike however wasn't as high spirited as the young fillies and found himself roused by the noise the ponies produced.
"Hnnn what's going on?" Questioned the young dragon as he stuck his head from below the blankets.
"I told you already Spike!" Spoke Twilight Sparkle in her cheerful but informative tone. "It's Twilight Time."
"Oh... Right." Spike replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Pulling back his blanket Spike got out of the nest that he had made and came to investigate.
"So what are we doing today Twilight?" Came enthusiastically from Scootaloo who's wings were flapping chaotically, lifting her off the ground slightly before an ungraceful landing.
Twilight used her magic to move two boxes through the air in front of the fillies, opening them up. One of the boxes contained a potion making set for Apple Bloom and one contained a set of what looked to be the components for a very complex bicycle for Scootaloo to assemble.
"Today Apple Bloom could you please try the recipe for a luck potion on page 22." Twilight used her magic to levitate a book to the young yellow filly. "And Scootaloo, I have a three seater tandem bicycle for you to build." The Alicorn Princess smiled and spoke informatively and ever so slightly in a matter of fact. "You never know, it might come in handy for those Cutie Mark Crusader missions"
"Cooool!" Enthused Scootaloo.
"Oooh! Oh! What am I going to do?!" Questioned Sweetie Bell who was patiently waiting her turn.
The other two fillies were already setting up their tasks with excitement, Twilight simply smiled down at the pony before answering.
"I am going to teach you summoning spells, you know... In case you forget a very important book or... a scroll or a quill." The Princess's enthusiasm picked up as she spoke however Sweetie Bell didn't seem to find it that exciting.
"Oh... Kay.." the filly replied.
Twilight used her magic to lift another book off a shelf and set it in front of Sweetie Bell.
"There you go, Chapter Two and page thirty six. It's under 'conjuration and teleportation'." Twilight finished speaking and looked down to spy her purple dragon friend at her hooves. "Do you need something Spike?" She asked.
"Twilight why do you still do Twilight Time? They have already got their Cutie Marks." Spike twiddled his claws slightly as he asked the question, slightly embarrassed of not knowing the answer. Twilight Sparkle looked like she was going to give a long winded answer before Apple Bloom interrupted.
"We asked her! We may have our cutie marks but it's good if we learn other things too. That way we can help people with their super special talents!"
She held her hooves in the air with the enthusiasm of her statement, almost spilling a beaker of a blue liquid onto the crystal floor.
Spike scratched his head and nodded, he was still confused but the reassuring smiles of his friends let him know that it was all the answer he needed.
Spike helped with the 'Twilight Time' students for a while, fetching books and finding tools for Scootaloo though after a while the students got the hang of it and he retired to a chair to catch up on one of his favorite comic books.
CHAPTER TWO - Old Comic Books
Spike had drifted off to a half asleep state, his eyes had barely closed when he felt something on top of his head.
"Hoo"
"Huh?" Questioned spike when his eyes rolled up, he spied an owl perched on his head. "Oh hello Owlowicious." He commented.
The owl hooted again and Spike lowered his comic book from in front of his eyes to see a gorgeous white coated and purple maned unicorn staring bright eyed at him.
"Oh that is simply adorable, you and Owlowlicious get along so well now." Rarity spoke, her beautiful baby blue eyes gazing square at spike.
"Raaarity~" Spike drew off. "What are you doing here?" He questioned as he tried to distract himself from her glorious visage.
"Oh, I was simply here to pick up Sweetie Bell, but it seems she wants to play with her friends just a little longer. No matter I also wanted to give you something."
Rarity used her magic to levitate what seemed to be a comic book from her bag.
"I saw this comic book for sale and it's one of the ones that I used to enjoy as a filly. It's not quite one of those 'super hero' stories that you normally read but I am sure you will enjoy it all the same." She smiled gently as she offered the comic book over to her scaled friend.
"The Adventures of Rin Rin, this is the one she travels to space and meets Nightmare Moon. It's a little frightening but you're a brave dragon."
Given the illustrations on the book, it was clearly written during a period where 'The Mare in the Moon' was merely a legend. Spike was in awe of such a thoughtful gift.
"Wow thank you Rarity, I didn't know you used to read comic books." Spike said with his eyes wide with enthusiasm.
"Let this be our little secret Spikey Wikey, I was a filly too once. I won't bother you much longer I am sure you are excited to read it!" Rarity flicked her mane and added. "I need to speak to Twilight anyway, Good bye Spike, Good Bye Owlowlicious."
"You could never bother me Rarity~." The baby dragon had a rather goofy expression on his face but Rarity seemed to fortunately missed it.
Spike looked down at the book and opened it, the illustrations were very different to the super hero comics that he knew but part of it inspired him somewhere deep inside. As Owlowlicious hopped off his head Spike sank down in his seat and drifted into the imaginary world of 'Rin Rin'.
An hour had passed and Spike had finally reached the last page of the comic. 'Rin Rin had eluded the terrifying Nightmare Moon and commandeered the rocket back to Equestria with Nightmare Moon trying to chase her. The mare detective escaped the lunar surface just in time and escaped the corrupted Princess's grasp... For now.' Spike was amazed, he didn't know there was so many different kinds of comics out there and he reminded himself to thank Rarity again when he next saw her.
"Hey Spike!" Shouted Scootaloo suddenly.
"Huh what?" Spike jumped into the air slightly from shock, closing his comic book protectively of his new gift.
"Do dragons get cutiemarks?" The question seemed out of the blue to him, it wasn't something he had ever thought about.
"I don't think so." Spike replied as he set the 'Rin Rin book back down on the table beside him.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell approached the two, seemingly not far behind the orange filly.
"Told Ya!" Interjected Apple Bloom. "It's just ponies."
"Fiiine." Scootaloo responded, temporarily ignoring the baby dragon she was speaking with.
Sweetie Belle approached Spike and stuck her hooves up on the chair arm and looked at him curiously. After titling her head to the side, she decided to ask a question that was on her mind.
"Do you have a special talent?"
The words rang in Spike's mind for a good long while. He had never thought about it as no pony had ever asked him the question.
"I don't know." He replied honestly.
The three fillies huddled up together and started whispering to each other, Spike watched them as he was interested in finding out what the ponies were speaking about.
"Spike!" Announced Scootaloo. "The Cutiemark Crusaders are going to help you find your special talent!"
CHAPTER THREE - Sugar Cubes and Corners
The four rode the tandem bicycle that Scootaloo made around the puddle filled streets of Ponyville, however due to there not being enough seats for everyone, poor Spike had to ride in the wicker basket that was neatly attached to the back of the vehicle. Leaning around, Apple Bloom looked over at the baby dragon and spoke.
"Hey Spike, what do ya like doing already? That's how Twilight told us to start when we first began looking for our special talent."
The bicycle bounced a bit as it scooted over a large rock and the pony had to straighten up and face ahead.
"Well... I do like making gem cakes!" Spike answered her. "Not sure how to tell if it's my special talent or not."
"Oooh! I know, we should go visit sugar cube corner and talk to Pinkie Pie!"
