MLP: Air Magic

Twilight paced the main hall of her castle over and over again, walking in a perfect circle even as her mind was preoccupied with her continually less and less happy thoughts.

"Spike? Spike, where are you?!" Twilight yelled out as she made her way through the castle corridors. Earlier today- earlier being thirty minutes after she woke up-she had gone to check on Spike, only to find that he wasn't in his room. She'd gone all throughout the castle several times already, thinking he may have decided to play hide and seek with her out of nowhere, and was now doing her last thorough sweep of the place before she really got worried.

"Spike! Please come out! I don't know where you're hiding, but this isn't fun anymore." She lowered her head and sighed heavily. 'Geez. Where did you go? Just up and taking off like that.'

But then something occurred to her. If she didn't know where Spike was, then maybe her friends would. She would go see them and let them know.

She stood up from her position on the floor, which allowed her to finally realize the fact that she hadn't put on any clothes since starting her search for Spike. She quickly made her way up to her room and got an outfit out of her closet, putting it on and grabbing a pair of binoculars to aid in her search. She also grabbed her umbrella, just in case it got hot again.

With that done, she made her way out of her castle and down the dirt path to Sugar Cube Corner. If anyone would know where Spike was, or at least how to find him, it was her.

"So...how do I work these again?" Spike asked out loud to no one in particular. It was a rhetorical question. He had been able to steal Twilight's A.M.s, and get away with them before he was caught, and everything was going good so far. The only thing wrong was that now, he couldn't figure out just what to do with them.

He'd read the manual, and so he at least knew that if he applied just the right amount of pressure, he could get them to move. That was what he was doing at the moment. Just getting used to moving around in them.

'Hmm...It says here, that if I apply more pressure, I should be able to get them to move even faster! Alright! Let's try it!'

And so he bent his knees, preparing for the burst of speed he was sure to receive...only to blast forward at unimaginable speed, catching him off guard and causing him to slip and fall onto his back.

"Ow." He tried to stand up, his legs wobbling slightly as he did so, and set to try again. "Alright. I'll get it right this time."

And so, he tried again, bending his knees and preparing for another burst of speed. This time tensing up to prevent himself from slipping...

Only to fall forward, flat on his face this time. He stood up again and wiped his bloody nose. 'Come on, you silly skates. Help me out here!' He thought as he prepared for a third time...

only to flip over and land on his head. When he got himself upright again, he screamed at the sky in fury, enraged at how hard it was to just skate in a straight line.

'Why...is...this...so...hard! Spike growled out as he practiced over and over again just to do this once thing. He had to make sure he had at least this it down to a T before the end of the day. If not, he really wouldn't be able to be a Magic Rider.

'It would be just like Twilight said. I wasn't ready.' Spike thought, looking down at the A.M.s he stole from his older sister. Then he realized it. What was he doing out here? There was no doubt in his mind that Twilight was currently tearing ponyville apart in her worry, trying to find him. What was he doing out here, putting himself in danger like this when Twilight was out there searching heaven and earth itself, all for his sake.

'...No. I can't stop now. I'll just get better. That way when Twilight finds me, I can show her how wrong she was about me being in any real danger. Yeah, that's it.'

And so he kept practicing, and practicing, and practicing. Until he was sure he could go at any speed on the skates and not fall at all.

When he was done. his hair was a mess on his face, matted with sweat and his breathing was quick and shallow. He needed to take a break. And so he sat down on the Canterlot mountain trail where he had gone to practice. The trail led up the mountain to the princess' castle, and he was pretty high up, so he had a good view of the dawn over ponyville from where he was. He took the time to enjoy it before laying back and basking in the cool refreshing feeling of the stone on his back and the wind brushing across his face.

After about five minutes, he finally felt up to the task of trying again, but now there was something different on his mind. As he looked out over the mountain, down at all people of ponyville, he had the sudden urge to jump. He wanted to feel the wind on his face, feel it rushing past his ears, feel it pushing against the fabric of his purple jacket and his black sweatpants.

He wanted...to fly.

He took a deep breath, reveling in the refreshing scent of the air. Then he smiled, backed up to the wall of the mountain, and applied the pressure. He could feel himself being propelled forward. It was like moving in slow motion for him. He could see the edge coming, but it felt so far away, so distant, like the summit to the mountain it was apart of.

He was able to briefly entertain the idea of this being a metaphor for him, something like taking a leap of faith, or a journey into the unknown. It suddenly felt like there were so many opportunities opening before him, and he was excited to find out what they all were.

When he finally reached the edge, he jumped, and was effectively launched across the sky. For a moment he was as happy as could be. The wind was in his hair, he was flying through the air, and there was no Twilight to tell him what he could and couldn't do. He was free.

But...then he realized he was several feet above the ground and there was no one to catch him.

His eyes were as big as saucers as he fell at great speed down to...to...

"The Everfree Forest?! Ahhhhh!" Spike screamed as he fell down towards the trees of the Everfree. Why had he been such an idiot? What exactly made him believe that he was ready for this? He had had enough. Twilight was right. He wasn't ready! He only just wished she was there to save him from his impending doom.

As the trees of the Everfree rushed into view, he squeezed his eyes shut and prepared himself for an impact that would surely kill him...

Only...it didn't. In fact, he didn't feel any pain at all. Had the impact been so strong that he was instantly killed? Was he in heaven now? Or...was he really alive? As impossible as that last one had to be of course.

For a single moment, he dared to open his eyes. Only to see... a girl? Well, whoever she was, she had saved his life. He owed her big time.

The two sailed through the air for a moment before falling into the middle of a clearing, where Spike's savior rested him down on the ground gently.

Spike sat up and took a look at the girl who saved him. She had wild blue hair, and wore a pair of white rimmed sunglasses. She also had a pair of headphones around her neck. She wore a white crop top hoodie and a pair of baggy blue cargo pants. Spike looked down and saw that...

"You're a magic rider?"

The girl nodded her head and lifted up her sunglasses, showing off bright red eyes. "That's right, kid." She winked at him. "The name's Vinyl Scratch. You should be more careful next time you jump. Landing is hard. I should know." She grinned, showing off her perfectly white teeth.

"Uh...okay." Spike blinked. "I'll...be more careful next time. Thanks for saving me."

"No problem!" She turns around and leaves, the sound of her A.M.s motors the only thing she left behind. She looks back over her shoulder and waves. "See ya, dragon boy!"

Spike could only stare in wonder for a moment, thinking, 'So, that's a magic rider, huh? She's great.' Then he realized what she said. 'Dragon boy? What did she mean by that? Was she talking about the dragon design on the back of my jacket? I know Rarity made it for me but, to get a nickname for it...' He watched her retreating form a little bit more before getting up and walking deeper into the Everfree. 'I don't know why, but something is telling me to keep going further.'

"What do you mean you don't know where he is?!" Twilight yelled as she stared down her pink friend. She had long since gotten Rarity to come along with her. All she had to do was mention Spike's name, and Rarity needed no more persuasion. She was a little surprised at how quickly she'd agreed actually. It was a little touching to know that she cared for Spike to such a degree. If she told Spike about this, he'd probably fall even further in love with her.

They were currently questioning Pinkie Pie as to whether or not she knew where Spike was, and Twilight was surprised that for all her abilities, her Pinkie Sense couldn't tell her exactly what she needed to know at a time like this.

"I'm sorry Twi. I wish there was more I could do, but, my pinkie sense can only sense danger and possible unexpected events. it can't locate people. At least not as far as I know. If it helps, my pinkie sense hasn't activated yet, so he must be alright."

Twilight seemed to calm down at her friend's words. "Thank Celestia for that." She sat down at the counter, and accepted the back rub Rarity offered her.

"Darling, it's alright. I'm sure Spike is doing fine out there on his own."

"Do you really think so, Rarity? Because him being on his own is exactly what i'm worried about!" Twilight buried her face in her hands.

"Our little Spikey is a big, strong boy, you know? Have more faith in him, Twilight. I'm sure that if-" Rarity cut herself off at the glare she got from Twilight. "-when we find him, he'll be perfectly alright!"

"I hope you're right about that, Rarity, for everyone's sake." Twilight sighed. It seemed she was becoming very adept at sighing these past couple days. "I'm sorry, girls. I'm just so worried. What if something happens to him?!"

"It won't, darling! He'll be fine. I promise. If he's not, well then, i'll paint my A.M.s green for a week."

"Oh...you don't have to do that. I'm just being paranoid. We'll find him."

"That's the spirit, Twilight. Have faith!" Pinkie said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Twilight couldn't help the grin that formed on her face. She had such good friends.

"Now! I'll call the others. Let's get this search party started!" Pinkie cheered, raising a fist into the air.

Spike looked around the clearing for a moment, taking in everything around him before starting to walk forward. He was glad to have met the magic rider girl, and now something was telling him to keep going.

He poured on the speed, choosing to chase down the feeling rather than let it slip away. he zipped forward, blasting through the path and making his way through the Everfree with surprising ease. He was just glad he hadn't had to jump yet.

After thirty minutes, he could've sworn he heard people talking. Either that, or it was the wind whistling past his ears. He chose to believe it was the former one.

His hopes were proven right as he soon found himself coming upon a small shop. He slowed to a stop and made his way over to it. "H-hello? Is this place open?"

"Yes~! Who is it~!" came a voice that Spike was sure he'd heard somewhere before. He couldn't put his finger on it but...

Soon, a rather large rump entered his vision, followed swiftly by someone's back, and then the person's face when they turned around to face him. "What can I do for ya?"

"M-m-m-Mrs. Cake?! what are you doing here in the Everfree?" Spike said, recoiling in surprise.

"Well, what does it look like, you silly goose? I'm here on business! Welcome to the Swirling Slush" She said, the smile never leaving her lips. That is until she recognized who he was. "Oh my stars! Spike, is that you?! I haven't seen you since you were a baby! How are you doing these days?"

"I'm doing fine, Mrs. Cake. But why are you in the Everfree Forest. Isn't it dangerous?" Spike asked in a worried tone.

"Oh, no, no, no! I'm perfectly safe!" She laughed "At least for right now. The magic riders keep the Everfree creatures from hurting anyone."

"There are other magic riders here?" Spike asked in shock.

"Yep! And there's a lot of 'em. It's the day of the Air Magic Festival after all."

"Air Magic Festival?" Spike asked, genuinely curious now.

"It's a meeting place where magic riders come to talk, test their skills, or just have fun!"

"Well, where is it being held?"

"Oh, it's just a little ways behind me. Why?" Mrs. Cake gasped. "Don't tell me...you're a-"

"Nope, but I wanna be."

"Spike, no! You cant go! The world of A.M. is dangerous. You could get hurt!" Mrs. Cake gestures wildly as she says this.

"Ugh! You sound like Twilight. I'll be fine. Thanks for the directions. See you later!" Spike speeds away again, heading for the meeting.

"Spike! Wait, come back!" Mrs. Cake yells back at him. But he is too far away to hear.

"So, what's this I hear about Spike runnin' off on his own?" Apple Jack asks as she steps into Sugar Cube Corner, panting slightly. After Pinkie had called everyone out there, they had all made a beeline to get here, practically hanging up the phone directly in her ear every time each one of them heard Spike's name

"Apple Jack, darling! Did you run all the way here?" Rarity asks, concern on her face.

"Yes, I did. Now tell me what's going on. What's happened to Spike?"

"He left home and hasn't come back." came Twilight's voice from up at the counter. "We don't know where he is."

"That...sounds bad." Was all Apple Jack could say. How long has he been gone?

"I woke up at 10:00 as usual, so if I remember what Pinkie told me, it's about 12:00 right now" Twilight answered, sniffling slightly.

"Are ya sure?" AJ questioned.

"Did you forget? Pinkie's like a walking clock, AJ. Of course we're sure!" came Rainbow Dash's voice from across the room at a table.

"Right. Hehe. Well, then, now that we're all assembled, what do you say we get started on this search party?"

"We would, but..." Fluttershy spoke up. "We don't know where he is."

Just then, Pinkie let out a loud, "Oooh!" And everyone turned to her. Especially Twilight, who said, "What is it, Pinkie? Do you know where he is, after all?"

"Well, I just learned about it now but I've got it. I guess my pinkie sense can locate people, after all! He's in the Everfree Forest!"

Everyone gasped in shock. "THE EVERFREE FOREST?!"

As Spike made his way through the path, he let out a small chuckle. He was doing it! He was joining the magic riders! After all this time hoping and praying, he was finally doing it.

After a while he finally made it to the meeting point, and when he did, he couldn't believe his eyes. There had to be hundreds of people there! Most of them were normal everyday people, but some of them looked really tough! He had to ball his fists to keep from screaming in excitement.

He strolled through the place while looking around, trying to be as low profile as possible. Too bad that was ruined when he bumped into someone.

"Oh, no! My bad, I'm really sorry!" Spike said, throwing his hands up over his head to show his apology.

"Oh, no, man. That's totally my line. I'm the one who should be-" The person turned around as they spoke, and once they saw who it was, they smiled.

"Dragon boy?"

"Wha-Vinyl Scratch! You were coming here?"

"Yep. That's right! Check it out!" Vinyl spun in place, showing off a bunch of different strange logo looking things that Spike didn't recognize.

"What are those?"

"Aww, you mean you don't know about Emblems, man? Have ya been living under a rock or what?" Vinyl teased.

"Hey, I just got into this sort of thing! I'm a newbie. So sue me!"

"Whoa there, dragon boy." Vinyl said, reaching her arms out in a way that said, "Calm down, calm down."

"My name's Spike." Spike pouted.

"Right, right. Well, Spike, relax! I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings. I was just surprised is all. Listen up." She put an arm around his shoulders and brought him into a hug. This of course caused him to blush like mad.

"Emblems are the things that get your team its rep in the world of A.M. If ya wanna get noticed, you get an emblem. But, be careful. If you bet your emblem and lose, your team, and your cred, is gone. You get me, dragon boy?"

"I said, my name is...aww, whatever. Yeah, I get it." Spike couldn't help but smile. He had a nickname. From a cute girl to boot.

"Good. Now where do you wanna put it?" She asked, grinning.

"What?" Spike asked, confused. "W-what do you mean, 'put it' Put what where?"

"Your emblem, kid. Put it right here on me. Anywhere ya want!" Vinyl spread her arms out in obvious invitation.

Spike nearly fainted. Vinyl was asking him to put one of those...on her...anywhere he wanted? Oh yeah. Best. Day. Ever.

'Oh wait, I don't have one.' But then he remembered who's shoes he was wearing. 'Maybe Twilight has one?' He quickly bent down and checked inside his sister's shoe, finding what felt like a metal object somewhere on the side. 'Huh. How did I not feel that?' He pulled it out and examined it for a moment before looking back at Vinyl.

"Okay...then, how about...here!" He slapped onto her plump backside, eliciting a small yelp from her that sent her into a fit of giggles. "So, tell me. How did you manage to get in with the Elements of Harmony, huh?" Then is she realized where he had put it, and her expression turned to one of shock.

"What...what did I do?" Spike asked, suddenly afraid.

"My dude! You've got some serious balls!" Vinyl picked him up and spun him around with her. "I like that."

"No, seriously, what did I do?" Spike asked, now more afraid than ever.

"Oh, that's right!" Vinyl seemed geuinely surprised about something. "I forgot you were a newbie. I also forgot to tell you. When you put your emblem on someone else's that counts as a challenge. That's what I meant by betting your emblem."

'Oh great. Now I'm gonna get my sister's team disbanded.' "And who did I just accidentally challenge?"

"The Shadow Bolts."

"And who are The Shadowbolts?"

"Them." Vinyl turns him around and points to her left, where five men in purple and black uniforms and helmets were walking up to them.

"I think I heard someone say that this kid just bet his emblem!" The lead one said, as he walked up to Vinyl, examining the emblem on her rear.

"Oh...You're with the elements? We have history with them, you know? Hmm, you don't look like a pro. In fact, you look like a complete newbie. Fresh off the block. Are you sure you wanna do this? We can forget the challenge if you want, you know?" The leader said, looking back at Spike.

Spike considered this. Here he was, about to fight with a magic rider team, all by himself, without his sister or the rest of her teammates. He was, effectively...screwed. But, wait, there was something he said...

"What kind of history do you have with the Elements?" Spike asked, curious as to how these people knew his friends.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It was just a small scuffle some time ago with one of their members. I believe her name was...Rainbow Dash?"

'What? These guys know Rainbow Dash?' "What happened between you?"

"We wanted her to join our team, so we bet on a race. We win, she joins our team. She wins, she can do whatever she wants. We lost, obviously. I'm still jealous that she beat us all by herself."

Spike listened closely to what the man said, taking it all in. 'Rainbow Dash beat an entire magic rider team? All by herself? Awesome!' But then he remembered the situation. And the leader's question to him.

'if I win this fight, Twilight might stop being so nervous, let me become a magic rider. I have to show her that I can take care of myself.'

Spike looked back at the leader of the Shadow Bolts, and, with determination in his eyes, said, "No. I'll take the challenge. Please let me race you."

The leader seemed to consider this for a moment, before crossing his arms. "I like your spirit, kid. Sure! Let's race. I'll let you see how us magic riders fight."

Spike smiled. "Right. Let's go!"