Chapter 1: Big birthday surprise with a new friend
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Gem of my eye, fire in my heart
Chapter 1: Big birthday surprise with a new friend
Spike smiled as he got into the castle he called home with Twilight and Rarity close behind him. He looked ahead and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna patiently waiting for the group to meet them in the discussion hall. Spike quickly ran over to both of them as Twilight and Rarity both chased behind him as Twilight said, "Spike! Why the hurry?!"
"I just can't wait to tell them the good news!" Spike said as he made his way to the Princesses.
"What good news do you bring us Spike?" asked Luna.
Spike clapped his hands together and cleared his throat, "Welp, as it turned out, the reason I was summoned along with all the dragons to the Dragonlands was because Torch, the old Dragonlord, was to step down as leader."
"Oh? There is such custom in dragon culture of power transference? Fascinating...," Celestia commented as Spike continued.
"The next Dragonlord is chosen by a challenge called the 'Gauntlet of Fire' where we go through a lot of neat stuff like caves and mountains which had a bunch of traps to get a scepter that would make the wielder the new dragon lord!," Spike said excitedly while the princesses looked concerned.
"It was quite brutish but I suppose that's how all free-for-alls would go," Rarity said as she remembered seeing how some dragons fell to fighting each other.
"Yeah but through it all I was able to get it but only to protect my new friend I met who happened to be Torch's daughter, Ember. She didn't like me at first but she became my friend through the experience and I know she would never bring harm to Equestria so I gave her the scepter and let her become the new Dragonlord. She even is giving information to Twilight about dragons so she can help ponies learn more about us!" Spike finished explaining.
Princess Celestia smiled and hugged Spike, "My word, you certainly went through a lot Spike but I am proud that you were not only able to protect Equestria but showed such courage and were able to make a new friend. I wonder if she would like to come visit Ponyville to not only help build diplomacy but also visit her new friend."
Spike looked up at Celestia and pondered, "Hmm...that would be nice but I thought the Dragonlord had to stay in the Dragonlands...maybe Twilight can ask since she can write to her."
"Well, it did sound like she has to stay there but I could ask for you Spike," Twilight said as she came up to spike and gently pat his head.
Rarity looked deep in thought as everyone looked at her as to what she could be thinking about before she suddenly said, "I-D-E-A! Since Spikey Wikey's birthday is just two months away, we can ask her to come visit for his birthday and to speak to the Princesses and while we are at it, she could help me with ideas for a dragon fashion line! Spike and Ember would make such cute models! Why this single visit could be the very beginning of many things!" Everyone stared at her as she was prancing about spouting fashion idea after fashion idea till she realized everyone was staring at her blankly. She stopped herself and blushed in embarrassment, "B-but the important thing is that Ember will come to Ponyville...hehehe."
Twilight giggled at Rarity's embarrassment, "Then it's settled. I'll write her a letter tonight and see what we can do. Hopefully she can come visit us and our town."
Spike smiled up at Twilight, "I do too, I do really want to show her around and have her experience Equestria like I have, maybe dragons could change their attitude towards ponies and Equestria."
The Princesses nodded in acknowledgement, said their goodbyes, and both teleported away and after a bit, Rarity left home as well. Once night came, Twilight began to plan out a letter to Ember to discuss a visit to Ponyville and possible diplomatic associations between the Dragonlands and Equestria. Spike was in his little bed next to Twilight's and as he nestled himself under his blanket, he looked through the window at the night sky, "Ember, it's only been two days but...I still wonder if what I did was right thing. Giving you the scepter and walking away from being the Dragonlord. Sure, I would be stuck there but Equestria's safety would be assured and maybe Rarity wouldn't mind becoming my queen..." He smiled at the thought but shook his head, "I can feel that you have good intentions...I suppose that's friendship, trusting one another. Eh, I'm sure everything is going to be just fine. I also didn't realize my birthday was coming up soon, I kinda forgot about it after all the stuff between Twilight and Starlight. I hope Twilight doesn't get me another book for my birthday...I like to read but it's always books she wants me to read instead of comics." He chuckled a bit and began to feel tired, he closed his eyes and began to fall asleep.
Twilight peeked into her room and saw little Spike asleep in his bed, she smiled and went back to working on the letter for Ember. She yawned as she worked on it since they only just got back from the Dragonlands. Once she finished the letter, she set it aside on a coffee table as to have Spike send it in the morning and she went to bed. Not too far away from their home, the lights of Rarity's boutique could be seen. Rarity was up working on yet another custom order for a Canterlot socialite, she may have felt tired from her recent travels but she always had work on her mind. She looked at the dress shirt she was working on and how well she was able to have the purple silk accent the green hems, she smiled as she looked at it, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I based this off of my little Spikey Wikey." She chuckled and finished the final stitches, as she placed the dress shirt into a protective bag and hung it up, she began to think about what she saw in the Dragonlands. "Did Spike really think things through? Giving Ember the scepter and trusting her to keep Equestria safe from the dragons who wish us harm. She did seem genuine in keeping her word to Spike but I am not so sure. She was raised there and she may still have prejudices about us, then again, we have prejudices about them as well. I know Spike is quite young and a bit rash at times but he really showed courage and maturity out in the Dragonlands and in the past...he's really becoming a knight in shining armor isn't he. Not to long ago he would just gawk at me cutely from a distance and would do what he could to avoid chores and now he's ready to sacrifice it all for our sake and even for a dragon he just met. I sure do hope I don't lose my cute Spike as he grows up, but he will certainly grow up to be a fine gentlecolt...er...gentledragon."
Night turned into day and Spike sent the letter to Ember before getting breakfast with Twilight. Over in the Dragonlands, Ember awoke and looked around her cave, noticing nothing had changed, from her bare walls to her cactus in the corner of her room called Kayne. She got out of her bed and yawned, "Geez, I should have this place redecorated or something," she said as she got bored of waking up to a plain cave. She only had the essentials unlike other dragons that had a mountain of riches in their caves. Before going to her pantry to nab a few gems for breakfast, she felt something coming up from her throat. She spit out green flame that materialized a letter before her. It fell to the floor and picked it up in confusion. "Huh? The heck is this? I can spit up letters?" she looked at the sender and saw it read it was from Twilight Sparkle and Spike. She smiled a bit and shook her head, "Didn't think they'd be writing to me so soon, let's see what they want." She went to her little living room area and sat down on her couch, she began to read the letter and became a bit puzzled. "Hmm...diplomacy and a birthday...I'm not allowed outside the Dragonlands though per tradition. Then again, I am the Dragonlord, I'll do as I please...and ask for forgiveness later." She chuckled and shook her head, " Oh geez, spoken like a true dragon. Well, I suppose this will be a nice chance for me to see more of this world and it will be my first attendance to a birthday party with friends so it's gonna be quite the experience. I'm quite surprised to see Spike and I share the same birthday. I'll go pay them a visit." She began to write up a letter to Twilight and Spike, she had a dragon run it over to a city near by to mail it since she didn't know how to use her fire to send letters yet but she'd try to remember to ask Twilight about that.
Twilight received the letter three days later and Spike was ecstatic to hear the news of her trip to Ponyville and about how he and Ember shared a birthday. It seemed Pinkie Pie was also excited by the news and began a super project to prepare a giant party for Spike, Ember, and for the Princesses meeting or as she called it, "The super diplomacy double birthday party!" As the two months went by, Ember would exchange letters to Twilight, Rarity, and Spike. She would typically send a group letter for Twilight and Rarity whom she'd have conversations about Dragon facts which fascinated Twilight and the lack of fashion in the Dragonlands which horrified Rarity but Rarity assured her that she would make it her mission to start a fashion culture there with Ember's help. She would send private messages for Spike since she felt most comfortable speaking to him since he was a dragon like her and he seemed genuine in wanting her visit to be enjoyable. He would explain pony culture and customs as to avoid any confusion later about her interactions with the ponies or how they would react to seeing her and she would talk about how she was doing as the new Dragonlord.
As the dawn of Spike's birthday arrived, Spike awoke beyond excited. He jumped out of his bed and made a quick B line to the bathroom and dashed into the shower, it was quite a big day and Ember sent him a message saying she would be arriving early and would like him to walk her into town as to help her out. She told him not to tell anyone as she wanted to surprise everyone else and he happily obliged. Once he finished scrubbing himself, brushed his teeth, and put on his typical plain blue shirt with jeans; he walked out and saw a groggy Twilight standing in front of the bathroom door waiting for him to get out. He was about to think of an excuse for why he got up early and showered so soon before breakfast but Twilight just hugged him and mumbled, "Happy birthday Spike...now move." She kissed his forehead and made her way into the bathroom.
With a smile, Spike left the castle and began walking down the road towards the Everfree forest since she didn't want to just land in Ponyville and possibly scare anypony. As he passed the shops that were just opening up, he thought he'd probably take Ember over to one of the shops for breakfast considering she probably hadn't eaten any yet. He made his way to the edge of Ponyville and the Everfree to see Ember sitting on her luggage as she looked around. She had on a plain red sundress and was barefoot since she never used shoes before in the Dragonlands, she spotted Spike and got up, "Hello Spike, nice to see you again. I see you followed my instructions," she said.
Spike smiled back and bowed, "But of course my lord, I would never disobey your wishes." He chuckled and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Well aren't you clever, half pint. Anyways, I know it's your birthday and I am not too good with them so...I kinda asked Twilight and the others to instruct me on birthday traditions so...umm..." she blushed a bit and awkwardly made her way to Spike and gave him a hug which he happily accepted and what did surprise him was that she planted a quick kiss on his forehead before looking away with a bright tinge of red on her cheeks. "Th-they said this was normal on birthdays so...yeah. Happy birthday squirt," she smiled but couldn't believe she did something so embarrassing but she was told it was normal so she thought it shouldn't bother her too much but it still did.
Spike was surprised by the kiss on the forehead but was sure Rarity or Pinkie probably told her to do that and the others just let it happen. "Thank you Ember, that was nice of you," he said but she still couldn't bring herself to look at him. He went over to her and hugged her back which she yelped at since it surprised her.
"Wh-what do you think you are doing?!" she said.
"Well, it's not just my birthday Ember, you said it was your birthday today too so I am just returning the gesture," Spike beamed. Ember smiled a bit and was about to say something along the lines of thank you but Spike kissed her hand as to return the kiss she gave him and her whole face became bright red in her fluster.
"Aah! I see! W-w-well then! To Ponyville we go!" she exclaimed in her flustered state as she picked up her bags and quickly walked in the direction of the town as Spike giggled and followed behind her. As they both entered the town, she was awed to see all the houses and shops; as a dragon who never left the lands, this was all new to her but she had heard how towns in Equestria looked and worked. Ponies would look at her and feel a bit of fear but would see Spike right behind her talking with her so they didn't feel to afraid but it certainly did startle them.
As they got to the center of town, Spike took the chance to take her to the front of town hall and the large commercial area around it. She was surprised by the shops and their wares, her curious eyes mainly looking at produce and wondering how fruits and vegetables tasted since all she's ever eaten were gems. "So ponies eat these? Are they tasty like gems?" asked Ember.
"I like apples and bananas but as for the rest, they taste alright. Ponies can't chew gems like we do and I'm pretty sure our sense of taste is quite different from theirs," Spike said. Ember curiously looked at more produce, "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
Ember shook her head, "To make it in the morning like planned, I had to skip breakfast."
"How about I take you to breakfast, don't want her highness to starve here," he joked. Ember facepalmed at him and just shook her head. Spike took her into his favorite restaurant and treated her to some breakfast. The ponies around them shamelessly looked at them as they ate as if it was a rare sight to see a dragon in Ponyville. "They just don't know you yet, don't let their looks get to you," he reassured her as they tried to eat in peace. Unfortunately the patrons of the restaurant began to whisper among each other and they could both over hear how they believed she was Spike's girlfriend and were surprised he never brought her into town before. All this talk about them being together made Spike blush a bit but Ember was starting to get annoyed, she would glare back at some ponies and was just about to get up and give them a piece of her mind before Spike talked her down. "Hey, we are almost finished so let's just go. I'm pretty sure there are more than enough gems at the castle for the both of us." They got up, paid, and left while the patrons began to gossip loudly.
"Wow, I can't believe ponies are so quick to judge. I didn't do anything to show we were going out or have that kind of relationship and all of a sudden, they ship us. Geez! Are all ponies like this?" asked Ember as she fumed her frustrations.
"N-no...well...they just don't know any better, today will clear all that up once we are at the party. The right word will spread and the gossip will stop...usually." Spike didn't really know if it would and he can tell if it wasn't that apparent that this visit wasn't going as well as he thought, he hoped the mood would change once they reached the castle.
Once they made their way inside the castle, they noticed the whole gang there as they were moving supplies into the great hall of the castle for the party and were all surprised to see Ember and Spike. Pinkie, of course, was the first one to spot them and quickly made her way to Spike. She picked him up off the ground and began hugging him and spinning around with him in her arms, "Happy birthday Spike! Boy do I have quite a party planned for you!" She looked over to Ember who was startled by how fast she was and that she was spinning Spike around like a rag doll, "Nice to meet you Ember, I'm Pinkie Pie and I have your party setting up too! This will be amazing!"
Ember smiled at her as she kept Spike in a bear hug, "Thank you Pinkie, from what I have been told by Spike and the others, I am sure this will be one birthday I won't soon forget."
"You can bet your tail you won't forget this, I have been preparing the perfect gem cake that should be a real knockout in flavor and gem consistency! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a super diplomacy double birthday bash cake to get!" Pinkie exclaimed before dropping Spike and running off.
Spike got up off the ground but was quickly swooped up by Rainbow Dash who gave him a noogie, "Happy birthday squirt, today is the big eleven right? Seven more years and you'll be an adult! Then I can take you to some special places...," Dash said with a wink.
Before Spike could ask what she meant by "special places", he was quickly enveloped by magic and was taken from Dash to Rarity who hugged Spike and glared at Dash, "Don't you dare corrupt my sweet little Spikey poo, he's going to grow up to be a gentledragon and I don't need you to ruin him with such filthy places Rainbow. How uncouth." Spike was puzzled but happily accepted Rarity's hug since he was face deep in her bosom as she kissed the top of his head.
Ember looked on as she was ignored by the two girls and Spike but was turned to see Twilight and Applejack behind her, "Pleasure to meet ya your highness, the name's Applejack. Sorry them girls aren't paying ya much mind, Dash likes ta mess around with Spike and Rarity fawns over him a bit at times so ah hope y'all don't take it personally."
Ember smiled and giggled a bit, "It's fine Applejack and you can drop the highness and just call me Ember, I may be the Dragonlord but I don't really care for the title as much as being a good ruler."
"Now that's what ah like to hear, I admire that Ember. That's a fine quality for a leader to have," complimented Aj.
Twilight stepped up and shook Ember's hand, "I'm happy to see you again Ember and I'm surprised to see you hear early, I thought you mentioned that you'd be arriving at four o' clock?"
"Oh, right. I just wanted Spike to give me a bit of a tour around town before showing up as to get a chance to see the pony town, " Ember said with an embarrassed smile since she did feel a bit bad for lying.
"Ah, I see. So what do you think of our little town so far Ember?" asked Twilight but Ember looked away a bit.
"O-Oh...it's certainly different from the Dragonlands...has houses instead of caves...no lava or fires here and there...ponies sure do like to talk a lot..." she was biting her tongue a bit as not to insult their kind after what happened at the restaurant.
"Hehe that's true, we do try to keep fires to a minimum and there are a few caves nearby but they all belong to bears and that was kind of my first thought in this town when I first arrived as well, ponies here sure do talk a lot," Twilight reminisced her arrival to the town.
Ember opened one of her bags and pulled out a large book and handed it to Twilight, "Here is the book I promised you Twilight, the Dragon Codex. There isn't much dragon written books but this one is by far the most important ones, it explains our culture and our anatomy. I figured it might come in handy since you have a dragon of your own here," she said as she pointed at Spike.
Twilight squealed happily, "Thank you! I can't wait to sit down and give it a read. Have you read it already?"
Ember nodded, "I did but it was a few years ago so I don't remember a lot but being a dragon myself, I don't really need to. I'm actually surprised we didn't send this book over to the Princesses since it doesn't really serve much purpose in the Dragonlands."
Spike made his way over to Ember once Rarity released him but it was only to scold Rainbow Dash who was busy laughing at her scolding. "Hey Ember, sorry about that. Now then, let's get us some gems before the rest of the girls show up."
Ember nodded and excused herself from Aj and Twilight, "She's quite the civilized dragon if I ever saw one, gal's probably not even fifteen yet she carries herself quite nicely..." she looked on as Ember walked next to Spike as they made their way to Spike's gem stash, "those two do look kinda cute together don't ya think?" smiled Aj at Twilight.
"Now Aj, we didn't bring her as a date for Spike but...they do look kinda nice together, hehe. Now then, we need to get their party ready. Let's get these supplies set up and I'm sure Pinkie will pop up eventually with the cake." Twilight gathered the girls and they continued working in the great hall as Spike sat on the living room couch with Ember with a bowl of gems between them.
As Ember popped a blue gem in her mouth, she was surprised that it tasted a bit better than usual, "Hmm, why do these gems taste different from the others I've eaten? Are they special in some way?" she asked Spike.
"Oh, these are ones I picked with Rarity. She can use her magic to detect gems in the earth and can see if certain ones are more special than the others. I tend to keep some to eat since they do taste better than regular gems," he replied as he stuffed his face with more gems from the bowl.
Ember didn't really talk much as the hours passed by, she felt quite out of place since the girls and Spike were always smiling and enjoying each others company which is something she didn't get to see over in the Dragonlands, social events were rare and they usually ended with confrontation. Spike noticed this and walked up to her, "Hey, I hope we aren't weirding you out. It's just here in Ponyville, friendship is common and so is just enjoying being around each other. Why don't you try a bit, just pick a pony and try talking to them."
Ember blushed a bit and looked around the grand hall, she didn't know anypony besides Twilight, Rarity, or Pinkie and Pinkie was dashing about the place getting the final preparations done and Twilight seemed to be supervising everything since she was walking around with a clipboard so Ember decided that she'd try to talk to Rarity.
Rarity was looking at the ribbon decorations and trying to determine if they really were befitting the festivities when she noticed Ember standing next to her, "Oh, hello dearie. Is there something you need?"
"Um..no, not really but Spike said I should try to be a bit...social while I am here. I am curious as to how you can detect gems and sort them since I can't distinguish them besides taste because I am a dragon and all." Ember didn't really know how to make small talk but she was trying her best and Rarity noticed this.
Rarity began to talk about the rainboom incident that helped her get her cutie mark and how she began the boutique as well as how often she implements gems and gem shards into her clothing. Ember was paying attention and would ask a few questions to which Rarity would answer. Spike looked on from a distance and smiled, he was happy to see some progress in getting her out of her shell. Night came in and Spike, Ember, and the Princesses Luna and Celestia were having their diplomacy birthday party. The Princesses stepped aside with Ember and began talks about making a treaty with Ember as to assure relations with ponies and dragons would be peaceful as well as beneficial since Ember pointed out that some dragons just wanted simple things that ponies have such as pillows.
Princess Luna and Celestia left for the night after their talks with Ember to which they told Twilight that they went without a hitch, letting Twilight give a sigh of relief. Pinkie began to push into the great hall a giant cake that was decorated in gems that made both Spike and Ember began to salivate a bit. Everypony gathered around the two and the cake and began to sing happy birthday to them, Spike smiled as they did and Ember looked around a bit confused, "So this is how birthday parities go? Hmm...they are kinda nice," she told Spike.
"Haven't you had a birthday party before Ember?" asked Spike.
She looked away and shook her head, "Not really. My dad would celebrate it but he would just dump a bunch of gems on me and that was it. It's nice to get a lot of gems but after being here...it just doesn't compare."
Spike frowned at her response and hugged her, she looked at him puzzled but the hug did feel nice and comforting, "Hey, every year, come back to Ponyville and celebrate your birthday with us. No pony or dragon deserves a sad birthday." She blushed a bit at what he said and looked away again.
Spike smiled thinking she was just being shy but a tear rolled down her cheek, "No one has been so nice to me before..." She held Spike's hand and Spike looked at her and noticed her cheeks had tears rolling down them, "You better not just be saying that Spike...I want to come back and spend our birthdays...together."
Those words, in Spike's mind, struck a cord with him he didn't feel before, at least not with anypony else but Rarity. He blushed and shook his head, "I meant every word Ember, let's celebrate it together." Everypony finished singing to them both and in their singing, they missed on their conversation but when they finished singing, they noticed that both Spike and Ember seemed lost in each other's eyes.
Twilight, Pinkie, and Aj found it cute and awed a bit; Dash was acted disgusted by the cute display and as for Rarity, Rarity didn't know how she felt about it. She looked at them with no expression, she did think it was cute but somewhere in her mind, the sight before her made her feel a bit bad but she didn't know why.
After a bit, Ember looked around and noticed all the girls were looking at them and coughed a bit, "Oh...you are done. Hehe, didn't realize it...thank you for your singing..."
Spike looked around as well once Ember broke their stares and as to avoid the further growing awkwardness in the room, he quickly cut two slices of cake for him and Ember and placed a candle on each of them. With a quick shot of flame, he lit both of them up and smiled, "Alright Ember, now close your eyes and make a wish in your mind before blowing out the candles."
She took the plate with her slice in her hands and looked down at it, "Hmm, make a wish on a candle? Is this a birthday tradition or something?" Spike nodded and she looked back at the candle. She didn't really know what to wish for at the moment. She was Dragonlord, she has friends, and she is now visiting a new area of the world; not a single thing came to mind to wish for. She looked over at Spike and saw he had his eyes closed and was smiling as he thought of something and that's when it hit her. She cherished his kindness for asking her to come here and celebrate as well as his courage for risking his neck for her to gain her title, that was one thing she couldn't bare to lose now. She closed her eyes and thought to herself, "I wish to never lose my friendship with Spike," she blew the candle afterwards and opened her eyes. She noticed Spike blew his out as well and he was already taking a big bite out of the slice, she smiled and followed in suit.
Both seemed very pleased with the taste of Pinkie's cake and happily munched on it as the girls began to cut themselves a slice as well. Pinkie smiled, "Party is a success, chalk another one up for the party master!" The rest of the girls began to laugh but then they heard silverware and plates fall to the floor and looked at where the noise was coming from and saw that Spike and Ember fell out of their seats and were on the ground groaning in pain. Aj and Dash quickly dropped their cake slices as Twilight and Rarity hurried over to both dragons, Pinkie frowned and looked at the slice she had in her hand, "Oh no...I could have swore nothing in this cake was toxic to ponies or dragons...guess no point for the party master today..."
Ember's and Spike's skin began to glow red and they grunted in pain, unable to make comprehensible words. Twilight looked at Spike and tried to understand what was happening to him, "His face isn't swelling, there is no visible injuries to him, his pulse is quickening...oh Celestia, what his happening to my boy?" Both dragons bodies began to generate an excessive amount of heat and the girls had to back away before possibly burning themselves. A bright flash filled the room and the girls went blind for a bit from it.
Rarity walked forward a bit and noticed the heat the dragons were generating was gone and she walked closer towards where they were as her eye sight began to return. She noticed two bodies on the ground that she could only assume were none other than Spike and Ember but as she got closer, their bodies seemed to get bigger. Finally, her eye sight returned and she looked at the two on the ground and all she could do was scream. The rest of the girls went towards her and rubbed their eyes as their sight returned, when it did, they could only gasp and stare at what laid on the ground.
Spike opened his eyes and felt the cold floor under him, he rubbed his head as it hurt a bit and heard gasping and murmuring, "Huh? Wh-what happened? What's everypony gasping about? Did we fall asleep?" He got on his feet and the world seemed to wobble a bit so he grabbed on to the table for stability, he looked at it and it seemed smaller, "Oh geez...did the table shrink?" He looked at the girls once he felt stable and saw all of them looking at him and analyzing him as if he did something wrong, "Hey, what are you all looking at?"
Aj coughed a bit and blushed, "W-well partner...ya don't feel any different? Or maybe y'all ain't feeling a bit of a breeze?"
Spike looked at Aj puzzled, "I feel fine, sure, everything seems smaller but I think I just hit my head a bit when I fell. And now that you mention it, I probably should of brought my sweater down from upstairs because it's kinda cold in here." He reached for his shirt as to feel how thin it was only to realize he was only touching his bare chest. He looked down at himself and realized he was standing in front of everyony...naked. He yelled in surprise and grabbed a nearby table cloth to cover himself, "What happened to my clothes? Why am I tall?! What's going on?!"
Ember awoke and sat up as to get the spinning feeling to settle down, once it did, she stood up and felt woozy, "Pinkie...are cakes meant to do this? Not that I am complaining but I don't believe cakes are meant to hurt the eaters." She looked at Pinkie who was petrified and silently gasping. She looked at the girls and their expressions made it clear something bad happened, she looked over at Spike and looked at him for a bit. He was certainly taller than before, he was taller than the girls by a bit. He had only a table cloth wrapped around his waist like a bath towel, his chest seemed more structured, and his arms were built with noticeable muscle growth. "Spike...is that you?" she asked as she looked him over. Spike turned to her and his eyes went wide, his face turned bright red and he didn't stop staring at her, "What is it? Did I spill something on my dress?" She looked down only to be greeted by her bare chest which grew a considerable amount more than she remembered. She shrieked and followed Spike's example of stealing a table cloth to cover herself. She felt so embarrassed and looked at the girls, "What happend to us?!"
Twilight walked up towards them and around them, "Girls...this is Spike and Ember but...they are grown up now...like us. Oh Celestia what's going on here?"
Author's Note
Editing and proofreading by Nec Assis and Xeltosh :D
Gem of my eye, fire in my heart
Chapter 2: Time of discovery
Rarity stared quietly at the two dragons before making her way to Twilight, "First thing first Twilight dear, there are two naked dragons in your house. Take Ember to the room she will be staying in and Spikey can go to his room, I will make a quick run home and gather supplies to make them some clothing for the night and a change for the morning." Rarity began to leave and Twilight made her way to Ember, Spike started to head to his room while Pinkie, Aj, and Dash stayed in the grand hall. Pinkie was inspecting the cake to see if it had something to do with Spike and Ember's sudden growth.
"Pinkie, did you happen to use something Zecora gave you in the cake?" asked Dash.
"No. I just fused my super gummy chocolate cake with some gems and rocks from my sister Maud. I used up all of Zecora's magic potion on your birthday cake Dashie," replied Pinkie to which Dash looked at her wide eyed.
"You did what!?!" yelled Dash.
"Alright Ember, you will be staying in the room over here..." Twilight began to walk Ember to the guest room, she couldn't help but notice Ember's breasts bounce as she walked her. Twilight gave them a bit of an envious stare since her breasts were quite a bit smaller than Ember's. Once inside the room, Ember sat on the bed as Twilight paced about the room in thought. "When Spike grew on his birthday a few years back, it was his greed that lead to his growth. Is it possible you both are feeling greed for something?"
Ember thought about it, "No, I can't say I felt any greed. I also doubt Spike was because if it only happened once before, he may have learned how to control it." Ember thought about it and an idea came to mind, "The Dragon Codex! Bring it here and maybe there is information over what happened to us."
"You're right! I'll go fetch it from the library, I'll be right back," Twilight said as she started to leave.
Ember sat alone in the room and looked around, the room was rather elegant looking and had all sorts of decorations but one thing that caught her eye was a full length mirror by a dresser. She stood up and walked up to it, she dropped the table cloth she was covering herself with and she began to look at herself in it. She examined her new height, "Hmm, I'm a bit taller than Twilight but shorter than Spike." Her eyes then wandered off to her new curves and developed body, "Wow...to think this is how I look older. I guess it would be easier to attract guys like this." The thought of flirting with guys made her chuckle but she shook the idea off since she didn't want to do that anytime soon. She then looked at her face, it was a bit more defined than before but other than that, still the same which gave her a sense of relief, "At least I'm still me. I wonder how Spike is dealing with all of this."
Spike walked around in his room and thought to himself, "Let's see. I'm not feeling greedy so it's not that. The cake was delicious but I can't say there was anything in it to do this. Besides, Pinkie would would pull a prank, not try to harm us." He just couldn't figure out what happened, he looked down at himself again and began to touch his new body. He felt his arms first, they were firm and had nice muscle as if he worked out a bit. He smiled at his new development and flexed a bit in front of his mirror, "Looking good Spike, looking real good." He saw his toned chest and abs in the mirror and was pleased with it but one thing that did throw him off was his size. He was used to being smaller than everyone else so now that he was taller, he felt off balance a bit and when he sat on his bed, the bed was more like a small bench to him now than a bed. "Oh geez, where am I gonna sleep tonight? I can barely fit my upper body in this thing," he said as he tried to lay on his bed. He looked at Twilight's bed and laid on it as well but much to his dismay, his feet were hanging off of it. He let out a deep sigh, "Guess it's the floor for me tonight..."
Twilight returned to the room with the Dragon Codex and saw Ember standing naked in front of the mirror, "Oh wow...um, bad timing?"
Ember was startled and quickly grabbed the table cloth and covered herself, "Sorry Twilight, I was...just seeing myself and how I changed."
"It's okay," Twilight said then mumbled, "...I probably would too..."
Ember looked at her a bit confused, "What?"
Twilight caught herself and presented a book to her, "Here is the book, now to see if it can give us an explanation of what's occured." She placed the book down on the bed before opening it, reached the table of contents and saw a chapter on dragon anatomy, and she turned to it and started looking through it but unfortunately could only find how dragon organs functioned and it spoke nothing about growth spurts. She checked the table of contents again and saw a chapter on aging processes, "This might be it!" She reached it and began reading it to Ember, "Due to the susceptibility of young dragons to danger from the older dragons, it is common for young dragons of the ages ten to fifteen to under go a rapid growth spurt as to help with their survival. The growth spurts typically age the dragon body by ten years as to develop the dragon to a combat ready body. What it is intriguing about this is that the growth spurt occurs on the day of birth of the dragon like there is an inner mechanism that activates it only then. Unfortunately not much is known about this inner mechanism besides its existence and effect."
Ember looked surprise, "So what it is saying is that this is normal? I didn't know, then again, I didn't really get to know many young dragons since they typically move around the Dragonlands with their families as to find a permanent cave of their own and we often don't associate well amongst each other."
"Wow, this is a fascinating defense mechanism. No wonder Spike seems built and your body is more toned, but..." Twilight paused as she looked at the Ember who looked at Twilight with concern as to her pause, "...what about puberty? Surely even dragons undergo that."
"What's puberty?" asked Ember.
Rarity knocked on Spike's door, "Spikey dear, I am back with the materials. I need to take your measurements before I can begin making the clothes, please be decent before I enter please."
"It's okay, I got my table cloth on," Spike said behind the door.
Rarity opened the door and saw him sitting on Twilight's bed, "Alright dearie, I will need you to stand right here so I can get your measurements, please do not move while I do them or this shirt and pants may be a tight fit." She pointed to the middle of the room, right under the light as to get as much of it on him so her measuring could run smoothly. Spike did as she asked and stood still as she took the measuring tape out, "Now extend your arms out to your sides please." Spike lifted his arms and extended them, she began with his height then his waist. She used her magic as to jot down the numbers as to keep her hands free to continue measuring. She wrapped the tape around his chest and walked around to see the number, she focused on the number and her eyes wondered up a bit. She noticed his chest was quite firm and not half bad, she realized what she was doing and shook off the thought. "Alright Spike, now turn your palm towards the ground," he did so and she measured from his shoulder to his wrist. She wrote down the number and saw his biceps flex a bit as he was trying to keep them up. "Q-quite the development..." she said as she looked at his arm.
"What do you mean?" asked Spike.
"Oh! Um...your arm length, quite the development of...length," she tried to recover her composure and proceeded to measure his back. She took the measuring tape and began her work again but now she was just looking Spike over, "My word. He's quite handsome, I knew my Spikey was cute but now he's quite a sight. No Rarity, work first! Now get this done and go to Ember," she said internally. She quickly finished measuring him and quietly left the room. As she went to the grand hall, she questioned what she did in the room, "Why did I keep checking Spike out like I do the guards or some of the Canterlot socialites...I don't think of him that way. He's just my cute Spikey...just...bigger."
Ember's face was deep red as Twilight finished explaining what puberty was to her, "So that's going to happen to me? Oh...oh wow. I did not even know that happened. I think I'm going to have to re-read the codex as soon as possible, just in case."
Twilight rubbed the back of her head, "Well, if you do ever have any questions, you can always ask me. Sorry it sounded a bit scary but I can assure you it's not, you will get a hang of it soon." Ember thanked her as they heard a knock on the door.
"It's Rarity, I am here to take some measurements," Rarity announced before entering. "Alright Ember, I will need you to stand right here while I take your measurements." Ember got up and stood in place as Rarity began, "Have you girls have any leads as to what has happened tonight?"
"Turns out that this is a natural occurrence among dragons. They grow and age quickly around the ages of ten to fifteen as a way of survival, it's all mentioned in the Dragon Codex," said Twilight.
"My word, what an odd thing but I suppose none of us would know anything about that since the only dragon we know is Spike. Will they be turning back or is this permanent?" asked Rarity.
"As far as the book states, it is a permanent development but it only occurs once in their lifetime," replied Twilight as she began to leave the room, "I'm going to inform the girls and Spike about this."
"Alright Twilight," Rarity said as Twilight left. She began measuring Ember, "Now I will need you to stay still sweetie."
"Okay, I will," Ember replied. She stood still as Rarity started but as time went on she began to question just how many measurements Rarity needed, "Just how many measurements do ponies use to make clothes?"
Rarity chuckled, "Well, I don't know about everypony else but I take as many measurements as possible as to assure the clothing fits and feels beautiful, you can't rush perfection darling." Ember huffed as she felt annoyed standing still for so long, after ten minutes Rarity finished, "And we are done, feel free to move again."
Ember began to stretch her arms and back, "Finally, I was just about to lose feeling in my feet. Thank you none the less for making us clothing, I'll be sure to pay you for your work."
Rarity smiled, "No, no. This is an act of friendship, I don't want my friends running about in their birthday suits. Besides, this helps me with my dragon clothing line, you and Spike will be perfect models!"
Ember chuckled, "Then I guess I can repay you with my...modeling?"
Both girls chuckled together in the room, Rarity began using her magic to start working on Ember's clothing as Twilight knocked on Spike's door, "Spike? Ember and I found out what happened."
Spike opened the door, "Really? What happened to us?"
"It's a natural occurrence amongst dragons your age. It's like a defense mechanism, your body forces advanced aging as to help keep you safe from older dragons," Twilight explained.
Spike scratched his head, "Oh, so I grew up as to not get beat up easily...that's oddly convenient. So I'm how old now?"
Twilight thought for a bit, "I'd say you are twenty-one now since it ages dragons ten years."
Spike looked at her blankly, "Ten years. I've missed out on ten years of birthdays...oh great."
Twilight laughed a bit at his complaint and Spike just looked at her laugh, "Hahaha sorry Spike."
"Well, I guess it's a bit nice that I'm older but now I have to get used to my body, I've kind of been tripping and wobbling a bit," Spike mentioned as he was leaning on the door frame.
Twilight pondered for a bit, "Hmm, I'll talk to the girls and see what we could do. Maybe your body is just weak at the moment after what happened." She looked at him and remembered what she saw when he was changing and how scared it made her, she hugged him and he looked down at her, "I'm just glad you are okay Spike..."
Spike smiled and held her in his arms, he knew she was concerned for him and that made him happy. They both heard an awe behind them and saw Rarity standing there, "Don't mind me, keep being your adorable selves, quite a cute sight." Twilight and Spike laughed along with Rarity, "Now Twilight, I'll be borrowing your dragon again, I will be working with him to make his clothes." Twilight nodded and left them, Rarity entered the room with Spike and she started her work once more to make clothing for the dragons.
Twilight reached the grand hall where she saw Aj, Dash, and Pinkie eating cake and talking, "Hey girls, good news on Ember and Spike. It's a natural phenomenon for dragons so no need to worry."
Dash looked puzzled, "They randomly grow? That's weird."
"Yes but it's a one time thing and it ages them ten years," responded Twilight.
"So ya mean to tell me our little dragon is now a full fledged adult? Well ain't that sumthin'. How are the two handlin' the change?" asked Aj.
"Well Ember seems okay, unfortunately Spike is having a bit of trouble but I think it's just his body is drained from the change," said Twilight.
"How about we do a test of limits on both Ember and Spike?" suggested Dash. All the girls looked at her confused.
"Y'all wanna make them do what now?" asked Aj.
"A test of limits, we have them both run an obstacle course we can create as to test their abilities and bodies so we can see how we can help them adjust to their growth. It's how you can see how an athlete may preform, it'll be a harmless test and it'll be fun to watch!" Dash exclaimed.
Aj shook her head but Twilight responded, "You know, that's not a bad idea Rainbow. We can do performance tests on them and see what they need help with. Applejack, do you think we can borrow your farm to make this happen?"
"Well, seeing as we do have a brief break at the farm, I guess we could run this little shenanigan there. Alright, can do Twilight," replied Aj.
"Great! We'll meet up in the morning and run a test for them, the Dragon Codex only has so much information so this will be a great study of dragon structure tolerance," Twilight said with excitement as the girls laughed at her enthusiasm.
Pinkie, Dash, and Aj said their goodbyes and headed home, Dash left thinking up a course for the two dragons as Aj left wondering how she could convince her brother to help her tomorrow with the testing. Rarity finished her work and left shortly afterwards, she made a dark blue night gown for Ember and a red shirt and shorts for Spike. Twilight entered her room and saw Spike sitting on his bed. "So...any idea where I can hit the hay? Doesn't look like I fit anywhere anymore," Spike said as he motioned to her how his bed was now puny for him.
Twilight giggled a bit at how contrasting he was to his bed, "Well, there may be a guest room by Ember's room with a king size bed. I think you'll fit. I'll be sure to order a new bed for you but...I think you'll be needing your own room now since you are bigger so another bed in here will only make this room cramped and well, Spike, you are older now. You do need to get used to sleeping alone, it's what we adults do."
Spike sighed as he got up, "Fine...growing up sure isn't what I imagined..." He walked to the door, "Goodnight Twilight," he said as he walked out into the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he felt a bit saddened he would no longer be able to sleep near Twilight like he was used to but he thought to himself that if he wanted to be like an adult, he had to get used to it. He made his way to the guest rooms and was passing by when he heard one of the guest room doors open.
He turned around to see Ember peeking from behind the open slit of the door, before he could ask what she was doing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room. He was startled by her action but blushed at the sight before him, Ember stood close to him, the moonlight bouncing off her scales as if to cause a light blue aura around her, her dark blue nightgown was a bit risque as it clinged to her curves, and there was a scent in the air that he didn't recognize but he liked it. "Spike...this is a little embarrassing to say but I need to say it," she said to him.
"Okay, I'm listening," he replied as he looked at her eyes.
She gulped and cleared her throat, "I don't sleep alone in my room. I don't like sleeping alone. I have a cactus named Kanye that has kept me company and his condescending stare has been helping me sleep alone for some years now but he's not here so I can't fall asleep. I didn't think I would stay overnight so I didn't bring him. Could you please stay the night with me? Just to help me sleep."
Spike took a bit to analyze what she said to him and he softly smiled, "Sure Ember, I'll stay. I do have a question though, how can a cactus have a condescending stare?"
Ember chuckled, "If you met my cactus, you can tell he's quite the condescending plant but I love him." They both laughed, Spike left the room to take some of the bedding from the next guest room and brought it into Ember's room. He laid it out on the rug and laid down on it as Ember got into bed, before she began to fall asleep she said, "Thank you Spike."
Spike just smiled and quietly fell asleep on the floor, the scent in the air made him feel relaxed in the room with Ember. The night passed and morning came, his internal clock didn't change so he was up around six in the morning. His eyes opened and he let out a yawn, he gave a curious look down his blanket and saw he was still large, "Guess Twilight was right." He sat up and looked at the bed where Ember slept and saw she was still asleep, he smiled and stood up. He made his way out of the room and walked into the kitchen where he saw Twilight sitting with a cup of coffee and the Dragon Codex.
"Good morning Spike, I'm just brushing up on some dragon facts for today," she said as she took a sip of her coffee.
Spike started to take eggs out of the fridge, "Oh? Gotten curious about us or just because you really want to read a new book?" He laughed a bit and Twilight just looked at him.
"Neither Spike...okay so both but there is another reason. Today we are going to Applejack's family farm to preform some tests on you and Ember to better understand your new bodies," said Twilight.
"What kind of tests are we talking about?" he asked as he started making an omelette.
Twilight pondered, "Well, it's like athletic test such as running, lifting, and things like that to see what your limits are and better see what we can help you improve on."
Spike put the finished omelette on a plate and began working on another one, "Hmm, I suppose that would be good. Who else will be there to help?"
"All the girls will be there," she said as she closed the book.
"Even Fluttershy? She didn't come yesterday out of fear of another dragon being here," he mentioned.
"Dash said she'd bring her so I'm guessing she's not going to be thrilled at first but it would be nice if she did at least meet Ember," Twilight said as she turned to see Ember making her way into the kitchen. Her nightgown was a bit of a mess since she was tossing and turning in her sleep.
Ember trudged into the kitchen and covered her mouth as she yawned, "Good morning everyone."
Spike handed her an omelette, "Looks like we are going to be taking a test today Ember."
Ember looked at him puzzled, "Since when?"
Twilight stood up and walked over to them, "Yesterday, the girls and I talked and we thought it would be good if you two took a physical test as to see how your bodies are now and what you may need help with."
Ember took a bite of her omelette and thought for a bit, "Well, it would be nice to test out my new strength and speed for future reference. Sounds good to me then."
Spike shrugged as he scarfed down his omelette, "I'm sure you girls would drag me there regardless so I'm in." They all laughed and finished having breakfast together, Spike and Ember went to their rooms and put on the extra set of clothes that Rarity made for them and met Twilight outside the castle. The three walked to the farm as to let Ember see more of Ponyville and to have a chance to talk amongst each other.
As they reached Aj's farm, they spotted the girls waiting for them by the gate, "Mornin' Twi! The gang's all here and the course is all set," Aj said.
Ember smiled, "Good morning everyone." She noticed a pony behind Pinkie who she didn't recognize and seemed to be shaking, she walked towards her and the pony just stayed behind Pinkie, "I'm sorry if I'm imposing but who might you be?" The pony mumbled something but Ember didn't hear anything, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
The pony mumbled again but yet again, Ember didn't hear anything, Pinkie moved aside and pushed the pony forward and the pony covered herself with her yellow wings. "This is Fluttershy, she's just shy but don't worry, she'll come around," said Dash as she placed her arm around Fluttershy's shoulder.
"Oh, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Fluttershy. My name is Ember, I am Spike's friend from the Dragonlands. Sorry if I scare you, I understand you don't have the best impression of us."
Fluttershy lowered her wings and looked down, "I-I'm sorry...I'm just not good with new ponies much less dragons but i-it's nice to meet you too."
Ember smiled and Dash blew a whistle she pulled out of her shorts pocket, "Alright everypony and dragons, we are going to be running a test of limits to see what you dragons are made of! Twilight and I will be judges, Aj and Big Mac will be assisting with the events while Fluttershy will be our medic. Our first challenge will be a race around the first acre of the farm, Twilight will be timing you while I observe from overhead."
Everyone nodded and went to position: Twilight stood by a marked post that was the start/finish line, Dash took to the sky, Ember and Spike limbered up at the starting line while the rest of the girls stood behind Twilight to see the race. Once both dragons finished stretching, Twilight waved at Dash who nodded back, "Alright, get ready. When Dash blows her whistle, take off as fast as you can." Spike and Ember positioned themselves as to start and when Dash saw this she blew her whistle.
Both dragons quickly took off from the line and sped along the fence line of the acre, Spike and Ember were neck in neck for a few seconds but Ember pushed past him. Spike kept having to measure his distance from the ground and moved slightly slower than Ember, "Dang it, my balance is still kinda whack. I'm not sure I can beat her..." He saw her turning the first corner of the acre and he pushed himself to run faster, once Ember reached the second corner, Spike was close behind.
"Hehe there's no way I'm letting you beat me!" Ember said proudly as she saw Spike next to her. She began to run even faster which discouraged Spike, she turned the third corner and dashed towards the finish line. Spike grunted and pushed himself as hard as he could to at least get close. Ember crossed the line first and Spike crossed it fifteen seconds after her.
The girls cheered as both finished and Ember stood proudly as Spike sat down and catched his breath. Dash decended towards them, "Alright Twilight, what were their times?"
"Ember finished in eight minutes and twenty seconds while Spike finished in eight minutes and thirty-five seconds," Twilight read off her clipboard.
Dash smirked, "So the score is one to zero in favor of Ember! Now a short break before we start the next event, the tug of war!"
Spike and Ember sat down on a blanket that Fluttershy laid out, she approached Spike, "Are you feeling okay Spike? Nothing hurts?"
He smiled, "I'm fine, just had to catch my breath a bit."
She smiled back and turned to Ember, "A-are you doing okay?"
"Ha, a small race can't bring this dragon down," she replied proudly. Fluttershy nodded, by her feet came a white rabbit that caught Ember's attention, "Who's this little fella?"
Fluttershy picked up the rabbit in her arms and cuddled it, "He's my bunny, his name is Angel."
Ember smiled and waved at him and Angel looked at her curiously then waved back, she seemed quite amused by how the bunny would respond to her. Spike looked at Angel and just shook his head, "If only she knew how much of a jerk that rabbit can be."
Dash blew her whistle, "Alright, break's over! Now then, Spike will be going against Big Mac and Ember will go against Applejack. Ladies first." She pointed to a empty spot among the trees where Twilight laid down a rope over a painted line marking the middle.
Ember walked to one end of the rope and smirked, "Alright Applejack, show me how strong you ponies can be."
Aj chuckled, "Woah girl, you just might get what ya asked for. Truth be told, ah always wanted to test mah strength against a dragon."
Both picked up the ends of the rope and got into position as Twilight checked to see if the rope was still lined up correctly, Twilight nodded to Dash, "Ready? Get set...pull!" Ember and Aj instantly began to tug at the rope, Ember felt the rope pulling her towards the middle and was surprised to see that Aj wasn't struggling much as she slowly pulled her. Ember gritted her teeth and pulled harder which had Aj stop moving, Aj huffed a bit and started tugging harder as well. For fifteen seconds there was a stand still between them till Ember dug her heels deep into the ground and yanked as hard as she could while using her body weight. Aj felt herself move forward from the yank which gave Ember just enough wiggle room to quickly pull back and Aj was taken forward more as Aj tried to regain her stance but just as she was about to plant herself into the ground Ember yanked once again and Aj fell forward and Ember tumbled back with the rope. Dash blew her whistle, "Ember successfully took the majority of the rope to her side so she wins! Better luck next time Applejack!"
Aj laid on the ground as she caught her breath, "Darn it, ah was sure ah was going to drag you once ah got my ground. Great job Ember."
Ember sat up and smiled, "Oh geez, I was losing right from the beginning but I was able to make you lose your focus just enough to win. Ponies sure are strong..."
"Wow! Applejack is strong but Ember beat her! Dragons sure are something else!" exclaimed Pinkie as she was astonished by the event.
"Oh my, Dragons sure are scary strong..." said Fluttershy, feeling a bit afraid of Ember and her victory. She approached Aj and Ember and took them to the side as to check if they were okay as Spike and Big Mac went to the ends of the rope as Twilight finished setting it up again.
"Oh geez...going against Big Mac, that's hardly fair..." Spike muttered as he saw Big Mac stretch, his muscles making Spike feel nervous.
Dash laughed, "What are you worried about? You are almost as built as he is and are the same height! Just do your best and you just might beat him."
Both guys picked up the ends of the rope and got into position, Rarity looked on at the two but focusing more on Spike, "I sure hope he doesn't strain himself, Ember may be used to some combat and physical exertion but Spikey isn't."
Ember was also looking at Spike, she saw he was worried and felt a bit bad, "Don't worry Spike, you are a dragon! We are a strong and proud race! You will win!" Fluttershy looked at her a bit puzzled about her cheer but to Ember, these tests got her competitive spirit running as well as her pride as a dragon.
Spike sighed, he was worried about losing quickly. He looked at his arms and chest, "Sure I look built but I don't really know what I can do...come on Spike, snap out of it! You faced Dragons as a kid, this should be easier. You can do this!" he reassured himself internally.
"Alright boys! Are you ready?" asked Dash. Both nodded and she smiled, "Let's see what you got Spike! Ready? Get set...pull!"
Big Mac buckled down and pulled hard on the rope which threw Spike off, moving him forward. Spike was startled and dug his heels down into the ground, he slowly increased how strongly he pulled back and slowed down Big Mac, "Oh no! He's gonna beat me quickly! Come on Spike! Come on!" he thought as he pulled back against the large earth pony.
Rarity was captivated by the display, she kept her eyes on Spike and observed his arms, "He isn't using all his strength, he's not flexing like Big Mac is. Use your legs and arms Spike!" Spike heard her and pushed away hard with his legs and yanked harder with his arms, he stopped Big Mac from moving away and started to see him trying to buckle down to keep him in place.
Aj looked at her brother, "Come on now! Y'all were the tug of war champ last year at the rodeo! Pull that rope Mac!" Big Mac huffed and nodded, he lowered his center of mass and pulled back against Spike and caused Spike to move towards him a bit. Spike groaned as he slowly moved a leg back and moved his body back which moved Mac's body forward, seeing he was slowly gaining the upper hand, he quickly moved another leg back and tightly gripped on to the rope as to pull Mac farther forward.
The girls all cheered for them: Twilight, Rarity, and Ember cheered for Spike while Pinkie, Fluttershy, Dash, and Aj cheered for Big Mac. Spike felt pain shoot through his arms and knees as he inched backwards, Big Mac groaned as he felt himself being dragged forward. After a minute, Spike was only a foot away from winning but Mac was firm in his place as he resorted to outlast Spike in a deadlock. Spike started to get mad and growled, he felt a surge of energy enter him and he yanked at the rope. Mac was surprised to see himself be pulled off his feet and fall forward a few feet as Spike tossed the rope down and huffed angerly before starting to calm down.
All the girls looked at Spike surprised, he just launched Mac forward a few feet as Mac was doing his best. "W-w-woah...did he just..? How?!" Dash said surprised.
"Do not test the temper of a dragon, the more passion we have, the stronger we become," Ember replied as she looked on proudly at Spike.
Fluttershy approached Mac, "A-are you okay?" He nodded and stood up, she then turned to Spike, "How are y-you doing Spike?"
Spike got up and popped his arm, "I'm alright, sore but I'm alright. Thanks."
Big Mac approached Spike and shook his hand, "Y'all did well Spike, don't doubt yourself. You dragons certainly are sumthin' else." Spike smiled as Mac complimented him.
Twilight and Dash met up and began to discuss what they saw, once they finished Twilight approached Spike and Ember, "Okay, from what we saw: Ember, you know how to move your body and seem fine. Spike: You need to learn a bit more about your grown body, you did stumble during the race and were confused during the tug of war but it seems you can quickly learn about your body."
Dash walked up behind Spike and Ember and placed an arm around both their shoulders, "Sounds like you two will be just fine, so what do you girls and guy say we celebrate a bit tonight?"
Aj walked up to Dash, "Celebrate in what way?"
Dash smiled, "Take them out to their first bar! Go and party as adults!"
Rarity looked at Dash, "They just went from teens to adult Rainbow, how can you possibly think they can handle alcohol so soon?"
Pinkie giggled, "Well we won't know if they don't try it right?"
Twilight shook her head, "Don't egg Dash on Pinkie...but you are right. But even if they wanted to go, they must be tired from today's tests right?"
Spike nodded, "I'm not really in the partying mood as I am in the laying down for the next few days mood."
Ember chuckled, "Oh come on Spike, you can't be that tired yet? Plus I have never been to a bar or tried alcohol! Let's go have some fun!"
Rarity sighed, "Alright, if we are going to do this then first thing we should do is get these two a nice massage from the spa, you'll certainly feel revived afterwards Spikey. Secondly, we won't be going to a bar, they are smelly and droll. How about we take them to Club Wubz in Canterlot?"
Dash nodded, "Alright, it's settled! To the spa then to the club! Get ready for a fun night you two, you certainly won't forget your first experience...unless you two get wasted...then you will." She laughed and everypony else just shook their heads, Ember and Spike looked at each other and shrugged.
Rarity began to walk towards the front gate, "Alright everyone, lets get going. Once we are finished at the spa, we can go shopping for their outfits tonight!" Both dragons sighed as they imagined Rarity would be the one having the most fun.
"Well, maybe tonight will be fun, right?" said Spike as he walked with everyone out of Applejack's farm.
Author's Note
After a long day, nothing like a nice drink with friends. Nothing bad can happen when you mix emotions with alcohol right? :D