Rise of Spikeby The Cowardly ChristianChaptersChapter 1chapter 2Chapter 3chapter 4Chapter 1Author's Note ANNOUNCEMENT! I'M GETTING A BOOK PUBLISHED! SUMMARY: On the 13th day of the 13th month of the 13th year...magic will return to the world...and the streets will run red with the blood of the (semi)innocent...unless the world is saved by the most unlikely of hero's...baking cupcakes?! The title is '13/13/13' and it'll be coming to a bookstore or E-Book site near you! Xilbris is the publisher, also available at Amazon, Inkitt and BarnesandNoble. ......... This story was inspired by Enclave2277 ... https://www.amazon.fr/13-Dakota-Umlauf/dp/1984511963 Above is a link to amazon for my book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128212357?ean=9781984511966 Above is a link to barnesandnoble for my book https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001178898https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001178898 Above is a link to Xilbris for my book https://www.inkitt.com/stories/fantasy/217373 Above is a link to Inkitt.com for my book https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakota-umlauf-487523169/ Above is a link to my Linkedin account https://thecowardlychristian.tumblr.com/ Above is a link to my Tumblr account https://www.facebook.com/dakota.umlauf.90 Above is a link to my facebook account https://www.patreon.com/TheCowardlyChristian?alert=2 Above is a link to my Patreon account ....... If you want to see more go to my fanfiction account: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5874134/The-Cowardly-Christian-du911 .... Want me to continue this? I'm willing to take Bribes! Publish a chapter of my 'Shake up the Falls' Challenge before anyone else and I'll update the next chapter this plus two other stories! Love me, flame me, review me Chapter 1 Rise of Spike I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ... ... The Dragon lands; barren, fiery, hazardous...only a crazy person would come here...or someone who has no choice... "Man...why'd I have to come here?" Groaned spike the Dragon as he trudged through the wilderness. All his life he'd been raised by Ponies, to have civilized pony values; value friendship, eat vegetarian, and wear clothes- actually that last part was only for him...apparently unlike the average Equestrian stallion(who could just retract it into their 'sheath' and out of sight...lucky B*******) certain parts of Spike's anatomy were more...'visible'(1)... In any case, Spike had never seen another Dragon before, he only knew what he'd heard: that they were vile, savage and constantly waging war on each other and their neighbors(well they used to until Celestia put the fear of...well, HER into them). So WHY you might ask is Spike wandering around by himself in this infernal land...? Well, first of all he's not alone: His adoptive mother Twilight Sparkle was secretly keeping an eye on him invisible without his knowledge- She had to be careful though, Celestia had forbidden this for a reason: if caught, Twilight's presence will break the treaty and start a war...or WORSE Celestia will send her back to Magical Kindergarten as punishment for disobeying! But we're getting off track; the reason Spike was here was because it was time for the 'Gauntlet' a rite of passage that most dragons must partake...This was signaled by glowing spikes and other weird anomalies in a young dragons body. Spike, not wanting to leave his (mostly)peaceful home or go anywhere near his seemingly savage kind. Had lied and hidden these 'anomalies' the last 4 times it had happened around the same time the last four years...and each time it hurt a bit more. Fortunately Spike used pony magic to numb the pain and hide the effects...after a couple weeks mild discomfort he'd usually be fine... Unfortunately, This year the pain had proven too much, none of the pony medicine- not even ZECORA's was enough to stop the pain! Wracked with agony he'd been forced to go to the hospital. Once alerted, Celestia forced Spike to attend the Gauntlet for the sake of his own health if nothing else. She would broker no argument. Spike simply kept a watchful gaze on his surroundings...he briefly spotted a flash of blue scale...but after a moments uneventful vigil, he just kept cautiously walking to the unknown... Twilight, meanwhile...tried not to be too worried though, Spike was a capable dragon. Plus he'd packed plenty of provisions. Really, there should be no- "What have we here?!" And just like that, Murphy reared his ugly head...in the form of three dragons; Garble, Crackle, and Clump. "Uh, oh." Whispers Twilight to herself as she prepares a spell just in case. Consequences be fracked, she was getting her son to safety! Spike gulped. These dragons were bigger, beefier, and more intimidating then he could ever hope to be...worse, they were naked...the sight of their foot-long junk was REALLY disgusting to Spike...and maybe making him feel a bit inadequate... Twilight was equally disgusted, had Dragons no shame?! "Looks like we got a midget! Just in time too! We need a new ball!" Shouted Garble the apparent leader of the bunch, with a smirk. "Yeah, the old ball is just about broke!" Shouted Crackle as he crushed the 'ball' -I.E. a dragon Skull -with his bare claws. Spike gulped, but he quickly dug through his backpack if he could just grab the right mystic talisman- FWOOM! The dragons breath fire on him, being a dragon himself Spike is unharmed...but all his gear, supplies and clothes are totaled... Garble laughed, "What you really expected us to just sit around and wait for you to do whatever you were about to do? How stupid- He stopped mid-way in his sentence...for it was at that moment that Spike's clothes fell apart completely...embarrassed, Spike covered himself...but it's too late. "BA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA" Laughed the three dragons, "Is that a minnow between your legs or are you just cold?" Mocked Garble as he laughed so hard, tears came from his eyes. "M-My Newborn little brother is bigger then that!" Laughed Clump. "I've picked things out of my nose bigger then that!" Taunted Crackle. Spike's face was hot with both tears and humiliation...Twilight Meanwhile was caught in an internal struggle...between her Pinkie promise not to reveal herself unless Spike was about to get hurt(2) and her desire to say 'F**** it and whoop the jerks who were making her son cry! But before she could do anything- FWOOM! GAH! FWOOM! OW! FWOOM! WHY!? Spike took advantage of the three stooges laughing-induced incapacitation to aim for three very BIG obvious targets...from both hands and his mouth he spewed fire balls that utterly destroyed their genitals...they moaned on the ground in agony... Spike laughed, "HA! I guess 'Bigger isn't better'!" He chuckles... ... Nearby a set of red eyes widen in disbelief... ... Spike gets control himself and quickly runs off, he knows their agony wouldn't last long and he needed to make tracks fas- GOTCHA! Spike screamed as Garble- unfortunately being strong enough to (somewhat)recover quicker then his two goons -had grabbed Spike by his tail and lifted him up as he panicked. "That's it! I'm going to rip off your 'minnow' shove it down your throat with my fist while I shatter your teeth! Then I'm going to rip out your eyes, squeeze out their jelly, put it on toast and MAKE YOU EAT IT!" Spike whimpered, that spell he'd cast had drained his admittedly minuscule magic reserves and now he was helpless. Garble laughed as he reached up to castrate him with his claws, "Heh, like any female would ever do anything but laugh at you with that useless 'little' thing." He mocked, causing Spike to tear up. Twilight growled, that TORE IT! She was going to tear him apart so HARD that- FWOOM! Twilight blinked as Garble was hit with a mighty flame that MELTED his scales(3), and a blue blur snatched up Spike and flew away... ... Spike was panicking, one second, he was about to have his 'willie' ripped out, next his tormentor is screaming in pain and he's being grabbed and flown through the air at speeds that would impress even Rainbow Dash! And now he's in a cave flat on his back...looking up at the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. It was a blue FEMALE dragon, her gender obvious with her exposed and rather large breasts and equally exposed 'womanhood' area...which he was currently getting a VERY close upside down view of it. Spike...Spike could stare at it all day- Princess Ember then snatched him up and shouted while shaking him back and forth shouting, "THAT THING WITH FIRE COMING OUT OF YOUR HANDS! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT NOW!" Yeah...that last bit kinda killed the mood... ...…... (1): Spike is still a dragon...just a bit more Anthro though. (2): She made it to a worried Pinkie who didn't want to see her hurt, but couldn't bring herself to stop Twilight from going after Spike, and couldn't go with her because this would be difficult enough with only ONE pony trying to conceal herself. (3): something that was SUPPOSED to be impossible...save for the MIGHTIEST of dragons. ............. TO BE CONTINUED? chapter 2Rise of Spike 2 I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ...III... Ember suddenly remembered that she was yelling and shaking a baby and quickly calmed down, apologized, and set him down. Her father was right, she could be a bit of a hothead at times. When she first saw this baby drake wandering the land alone, she was immediately drawn to him out of curiosity. Both because of how irresponsible it was to have a drake that age allowed to wander around by himself...and because of all the weird 'stuff' he had all over his body. She was originally planning to let him get roughed up a bit before swooping in to rescue him- hey, it's a cruel world. If your dumb enough to wander away from your mom while your young and helpless you deserve having some sense knocked into you...at least that's how dragons viewed it. That plan ended when she saw him shoot fire from his HANDS! BOTH OF THEM! Like any good, pragmatic dragon she was always interested in learning new ways to beat things up so naturally she rescued him to learn how he did that...well, that and she owed him for giving her the hilarious sight of Garble getting neutered. Funniest. Sight. EVER. Regardless, she needed to calm down. She was clearly upsetting the little guy. "Sorry about that little buddy. How about I bring you back to your momma? Would you like that?" She said in her best, maternal voice. This, naturally did not go over that well with Spike. "Why are you talking to me like that? I'm not an infant you know." He says annoyed. This completely took Ember by surprised! "Wait, wha- How old are you?" she asked confused. Spike snarled, "I'm 13 years old, thank you very much!" He snapped irritably. Ember frowns...the turns him around to look at the spikes on his back, "Hey!" Snaps Spike annoyed, "What are you- Ember ignores him and counts his Spikes, which indicate a dragons age. "Wait...seriously? Your 13?" She asks baffled as she takes another look at him. "YES! WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO BELIEVE!?" Shouts Spike angrily. Ember stood corrected...This was funniest sight EVER. She fell to the ground and rolled around laughing. Spike was steaming, "What is so funny!?" He demands. "(snort) Well- (snicker) for one thing I'm 13!" She laughs. Spike felt his face heat up as he get a sinking suspicion of where this was going. "Uh...what, so your...tall for your age?" He asked/pleaded. Ember smirked, "Nope, completely average height for my age group, your the one that's below Average short-stuff." And then giving another chuckle she quips, "In more ways then one it seems." She said while giving a meaningful and gleeful glance at his groin. Spike couldn't be more red if he tired; there was a cute girl here, laughing at his naked body, flat out telling him his 'equipment' wasn't 'up to snuff'. He covers himself humiliated, "Hey, come on! I- I'm due for a growth spurt ANY day now!" Ember laughed, "And who told you that, your mom?" She mocks. Spike just glares back defiantly, "For your information my mom is one of the most learned and wisest pony there is, so she knows what she talking about!" He proclaims stiffly. Ember's eye's widened, "Wait, did you just say Pony?" Spike groaned at his slip, Celestia had warned him that dragons might not take too well to him being raised by ponies and to not mention it if it could be helped. But regardless Spike just glares at Ember defiantly, "Yes, I was raised by ponies...and I'M proud of it! And I also can't wait to get back to them!" He says aggressively. Ember snickers, this shrimp was trying to act all tough... it was adorable! But in all seriousness... "What are you talking about!? How can a pony raise a dragon!? Actually, strike that. You'd rather be with a bunch lame ponies then your own kind!?" She asks that last part insulted Spike glares back angrily, "Those 'Lame' ponies have given me love, affection and a roof over my head for 13 years! Whereas I've barely been with my own 'kind' for 13 minutes and I've been attacked, insulted and humiliated! Who would you rather be with!?" He snaps back defiantly. Ember is about to naturally say 'Dragons'...but then she actually thinks about what Spike was saying...annnnnd... "Huh, wow, that's actually a very good point." She admits reluctantly. She shakes her head and gets back on track, "But seriously though, a pony raising a dragon? How dose that happen?" Spike's eye's lit up, this he actually enjoyed talking about! So he began telling his life story- Ember listened with some interest...some of it was interesting; like personally knowing Princess Celestia(there was a reason Dragons dared not invade Equestria after all) and being involved in fights with Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Tirek and the like(what Dragon didn't enjoy a good fight?)...but the rest was kinda boring. So she mostly zoned out and enjoyed the view of his tiny 'twig and berries'. Finally, she got REALLY bored and just pounced on Spike while he was busy talking. "HEY!" He shouts annoyed, then turns red as she presses himself against him and whispers into his ear. "So...basically, what I'm hearing...you have no experience with any dragons? And know nothing about us?" Spike blushed, but nodded. So Ember gets an idea; "Here's what I'm thinking: I help you survive here...you teach me that trick you did earlier. What do you say?" Spike gulped...but realized that without her he'd probably be dead by now...so he reluctantly agrees... She smirks and climbs off him, Spike then tries to collect himself and ask the first question. "So...what exactly happens during 'The Gauntlet?'" Celestia hadn't known much about it. Ember smirks: "Oh, it's basically a huge rite of passage for a dragon. Full of fighting, contests and sex." Spike's eye's bugged out, "S-S-SEX!?" He exclaims mortified. Ember laughs, "Yep, not gonna lie...your gonna get laughed at a LOT. And not just for your LITTLE friend" She teases playfully giving another meaningful glance at his 'area'. Spike just groans miserably as he covers himself...he was already regretting this... ...Meanwhile... Garble groaned as he entered his home, it would take weeks for his scales to grow back properly! And his poor genitals... That stupid baby...and that stupid Ember! What bussines was it of her what he did for fun!? Why he ought'a- "Dare I ask what happened to you?!" Boomed a thundering voice. Garble gulped and turned to the dragon that towered over him, "Oh...dad, your home early- "Don't change the subject! How did you disgrace our family name today? Did one of the weaklings you choose to fight best you?!" He snarled irritably. "What, no! It was Ember who did this! I- "EMBER!? You idiot! Need I remind we are on thin ice with the Dragon King?! And you go pick a fight with his daughter?! AND LOSE!? Honestly, why can't you be more like your younger brother Drago- "Wha- Drago is the reason were on thin ice in the first place!" Grable shouts angrily, "And he's in exile!" "Correction, he's in exile because he fought the dragon King for Dominance- AND NEARLY WON! -if the cave hadn't broken and allowed sunlight to come in and blind him at a crucial moment our family would be royalty right now!" Garble snarled, as much as he hated to admit it...his dad wasn't exaggerating. First Draco had kidnapped Ember and forced King Torch to fight him in an underground cave. Not only did the narrow space rob Torch the usual advantages him being ten times bigger then others gave him, but he also couldn't use his flames in that enclosed space lest he burn Ember by mistake. The fight lasted for hours, and Garble had remembered being annoyed as other onlookers praised how despite lacking experience Drago being a natural gifted prodigy was apparently easily making up for it... In any case like his dad said...even Drago's most vocal detractors couldn't deny that without that last minute lucky brake...he would've won...BUT DID EVERYONE HAVE TO KEEP RUBBING THAT IN HIS FACE!? "Come on dad! It wasn't like that! Ember attacked ME defending some uppity baby drake that could somehow shoot fire from his hands- "WHAT!?" Suddenly Drago found himself lifted in the air. His father Shendu looked at him with interest, "Tell me more..." …III... TO BE CONTINUED? Chapter 3Rise of Spike 3 I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ...III... The sun was setting on Spike's first day in his native land. Now for many people such a time would be filled by self-reflection, meditation, spiritual discovery- "WILL YOU STOP GRABBING MY JUNK!?" Screamed an annoyed drake for the fiftieth time as his female companion once more forcibly grabbed him 'there' and held him down...'just because'. "I'm not grabbing your 'junk', I'm playing with your tiny sesame seeds and your even smaller tic tac." She teased. "And if you don't like it...MAKE me stop." She said with a chuckle. Spike flustered, even before he'd come here he'd been somewhat aware of his...shortcoming's. It had been bad enough that he was shorter the everyone, had no wings, and his flame was embarrassingly low...but as for his man meat- or lack thereof... He'd been first made aware of this 'fact of life' the day he lost his swim trunks while swimming with the cutie mark crusaders...bad enough they laughed at his 'teeny weeny'...they also stole his trunks and he had to chase them naked through Ponyville to get it back... The whole ordeal had been humiliating, the Crusaders later apologized- after their hides got tanned by their respective sister-figures -And Spike had been sorta hoping to just forget the whole thing... Sadly, even to this day, many of the mares he'd been forced to run past still giggled when he walks by and whisper 'Vienna sausage' to each other when they think he can't hear... It didn't help matters that sometime afterwards when he'd been trying to help Rarity with her sewing, she wasn't paying attention so his shorts got snagged on her sewing machine and got ripped off...in her defense she tried REALLY hard to not laugh at what she saw(spoiler alert: she failed miserably)...and she gave him ice cream and his favorite gems afterwards...it didn't help...(especially since he overheard Sweetie bell whisper to her 'I think it actually got smaller'.) After that, he'd been forced to go to his mom about his 'issue'- and BOY had that been awkward for all concerned! In any case, since ponies didn't know that much about dragon biology Twilight was forced to give him the usual 'you'll grown into it eventually' spiel that most loving mothers give their sons... Of course, as humiliating as those instances had been...it was NOTHING compared to THIS. A very attractive, NAKED dragon girl was pinning him, LITERALLY had him by the short and curlies, and took every opportunity to remind him of his inadequacy... "It is NOT okay, that I'm enjoying this." Thinks a mortified Spike who was actually a bit thankful that his 'issue' made it impossible for Ember to notice his 'reaction' to her. He glares defiantly up at her. "Come on, seriously? Why are you doing this to me!?" Ember shrugs, "Hey, I'm fulfilling our agreement! I'm teaching you all about dragon culture! And a large part of our culture is sex and sexual dominance!" She explained sincerely, giving his nuts another playful squeeze during the word 'dominance'. Spike gulped, "Uh...okay?" He asked nervously. Ember continued on, "Oh, yeah! Were all about one-uping each other in everything! But especially when it comes to sex! It's why we don't wear clothes, not only because were too tough to care about the elements but because it gets in the way of our 'fun'. The elders say we value it because of how deeply we understand the importance of conceiving the next generation and continuing the circle of life for our species- She let's out a dismissive snort, "Of course for those of us who AREN'T geriatric geezers, we just like sex, and proving our superiority to others." Again, she gives him a squeeze during the word 'superiority'...the meaning is not lost on Spike. She then smirks at him, "Secondly, don't think for one second that just because your wiener is too tiny to see, that I can't smell your arousal...you like this, small fry." She teased. Spike groaned, "Annnnd, there goes the last shred of my dignity." "Dignity? Buddy, that ship sailed several hours ago!" She laughed. "...Yeah, that sounds about right." He admits in resignation. Desperately trying to change the subject- and ignore the feeling of both her iron grip on his genitals and the feeling of her splendid breasts and womanhood rubbing against his back while she had him pinned to the ground- he asks: "So...have you had a lot of- Ember sighs, "I'm no virgin, but I haven't had nearly as much as I'd like. Since my dad's the king, this give guys ideas to assassinate me while were intimate or impregnate me so they're family has a claim to the throne..." Spike looked at her sorrowfully, "Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. That must be- Wait, did you say your dad's king?!" Ember grinned evilly, "That's right...which means your getting dominated by a genuine princess!" Again, she squeezes his poor, abused nuts during the word 'dominated'. Ember smirked as the smell of his 'arousal' grew stronger, "Oh! You like getting trod upon by royalty, huh? Wait, didn't you say your adopted mom was a princess? Well, ain't you the kinky one?" She teases. Spike responds by vomiting in disgust and his 'arousal' along with his genitals had shriveled up in disgust faster then a salted slug. Ember quickly let him go startled, "Okay, wow. Sorry, I clearly went too far there..." She said in a sincere apologetic way. Spike glared, "YAH THINK!?" He snapped back in anger. Ember giggled, "I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously when your angry! Your like a little, yapping...Diamond dog thing! And it REALLY doesn't help since your 'snail' has crawled back into it's shell...you look like a eunuch!" Red in both rage and humiliation...he then went deathly white as her words sunk in- "Wait, Eunuch?! Castration is a THING here?!" He said in panic as he covered his ding-dong protectively. Ember smirked, "Yep, I've personally cut off thousands of willy's from male's who thought they could 'best me', but don't worry Spike. I only rip off REAL genitals not 'useless trinkets.'" She says that last bit with a chuckle. Spike gave her a sour look... "Explain to me again why I'm putting up with your BS and NOT heading back to my nice, safe home back in Ponyville?" He asked annoyed. "Because if you DON'T go through the Gauntlet at least once in your life, your body won't develop right and if your inner-flame doesn't kill you your appendix bursting out wrong will." Ember reminds him flatly. Spike's whole body deflated, "Riiiiight...I'm totally fracked aren't I?" Ember tries to reassure him. "No, look it's quite simple, there are three important tasks you need : First you lose your virginity to a dragon- or mass orgy- Spike blushes and whimpers -whatever floats your boat. Then you go to the gorge of gems and feast on the most delicious gems- Spike salivated -while fighting all the other dragons to the death to do so- Spike paled -then we all have sex AGAIN- then you chug down enough black lava to make your appendix burst in a non-lethal- Spike perked up -yet excruciatingly agonizing way- Spike felt despair yet again -and then we have MORE sex!" She says that last part excited. "And yes, I realize that that's technically more then 3, but the extra sex is just for fun! Spike groaned, "Dang it, I won't even be able to do the sex part!...no girl is going to want this..." He looks down on his pathetic nub of a wiener saddened... "Yep, I can see that." Said Ember flatly. Spike glared. "Oh, sorry! I thought that was a question directed at me. But look if it makes you feel better...as long as you keep your end of the bargain, not only will I teach you to survive the other challenges and dragon life in general...I'll have sex with you too." She offered warmly. Spike turned an even redder shade of crimson, "You- (gulp) -will?" He asked nervously as he began to sweat. Ember smirked and posed her body in way that her breasts and womanhood were more displayed for the young Drake's sight...and delight. Spike blushed, Wow Ember...I didn't realize you Felt that way- "Whoa, there buddy! This is just business, no offense but you might be cute...but your a mamma's boy." She replied snidely. Spike looked at her both shocked and annoyed, "Mamma's- I'm 13!" He retorted. "So?" Spike took a deep breath to calm himself and explain; "In pony culture, colts aren't considered adults until the age 18." Ember quirked an eyebrow, "For real? Weird- Well anyway, dragons are considered adults when 12. With the exception of important dragons like my father, most dragons either kick their young out of their nests at that age or just abandoned them." "Yikes...isn't that kinda cruel?" Asked Spike horrified. "Eh, it's a cruel world. life goes on. Since my dad's the king, he needs to keep me around because someone could use me to usurp his throne. Either by having him killed in an 'accident' and and using me as a bride to give someone's kid legitimacy or using me as a breeding factory to create heir's strong enough to kill him one day." Spike just kept staring at her in horror. Not just because of what she was saying...but how she said it, completely indifferent. She was talking in the same kind of apathetic tone one would expect from a 'discussion about the weather or local politics'. As if a family being murdered from children born of rape were an everyday occurrence! ...Spike vowed that if he got out of this alive...to give Twilight and Celestia EXTRA big Mothers day presents early for rescuing him from this HORRIBLE life! Then Spike realized something, "Wait, if 12 is the age adult hood and your 13- Ember rolled her eye's, "I got my urges last year like everyone else...but for some reason dad refused for me to go to the Gauntlet and wait another year...he never explained why..." She shrugged, "In any case although not recommended, the stronger of us dragons- i.e. me -can survive missing the gauntlet at least once, for someone like or for me to do it more then once would be fatal." She said smugly. But now it was Spike's turn to be smug, "For your information; I survived it FOUR times before my Grandmare Princess Celestia found out and forced me to come for the sake of my health." Ember's eye's popped out, "What the- But that's not- HOW!?" She didn't like to admit it, but she came very close to dying that first time! And everyone knew she was one of the toughest dragons around! She'd tried to make it seem like it was no big deal, but truthfully she was glad her father didn't make her go through with it for a 2nd time! But for this pipsqueak to survive FOUR times!? Ever eager to help people, Spike began to explain: "Well it wasn't easy, I had to find the right medicine first and foremost. But after looking through 'Meadowbrook's guide of 101 herbs and fungi' I realized- "Whoa, slow down there poindexter! ...'Med-icine'? What's that, some kinda rash?" Spike just looks at her in disbelief...then face-palms, "You gotta be kidding me..." ... ...so turns out the dragon version of healthcare is...suck it up, take a salt tablet, and stop crying! Basically, if you get injured...either it heals or it doesn't...and you die. Which made Spike even more desperate to head back and see if there was anything that could be salvaged from his destroyed supplies, Ember flies him toward the place she'd rescued him from Garble... On the way there... "Say, I've been meaning to ask...how big's your hoard?" Spike shrugged, "Oh, I don't have one." Ember nearly fell out of the sky in shock, "WHAT!?" She screamed. Unfortunately, Spike couldn't answer...he was too busy plummeting to his death... …III... TO BE CONTINUED? chapter 4Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 1Author's Note ANNOUNCEMENT! I'M GETTING A BOOK PUBLISHED! SUMMARY: On the 13th day of the 13th month of the 13th year...magic will return to the world...and the streets will run red with the blood of the (semi)innocent...unless the world is saved by the most unlikely of hero's...baking cupcakes?! The title is '13/13/13' and it'll be coming to a bookstore or E-Book site near you! Xilbris is the publisher, also available at Amazon, Inkitt and BarnesandNoble. ......... This story was inspired by Enclave2277 ... https://www.amazon.fr/13-Dakota-Umlauf/dp/1984511963 Above is a link to amazon for my book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128212357?ean=9781984511966 Above is a link to barnesandnoble for my book https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001178898https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001178898 Above is a link to Xilbris for my book https://www.inkitt.com/stories/fantasy/217373 Above is a link to Inkitt.com for my book https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakota-umlauf-487523169/ Above is a link to my Linkedin account https://thecowardlychristian.tumblr.com/ Above is a link to my Tumblr account https://www.facebook.com/dakota.umlauf.90 Above is a link to my facebook account https://www.patreon.com/TheCowardlyChristian?alert=2 Above is a link to my Patreon account ....... If you want to see more go to my fanfiction account: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5874134/The-Cowardly-Christian-du911 .... Want me to continue this? I'm willing to take Bribes! Publish a chapter of my 'Shake up the Falls' Challenge before anyone else and I'll update the next chapter this plus two other stories! Love me, flame me, review me Chapter 1 Rise of Spike I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ... ... The Dragon lands; barren, fiery, hazardous...only a crazy person would come here...or someone who has no choice... "Man...why'd I have to come here?" Groaned spike the Dragon as he trudged through the wilderness. All his life he'd been raised by Ponies, to have civilized pony values; value friendship, eat vegetarian, and wear clothes- actually that last part was only for him...apparently unlike the average Equestrian stallion(who could just retract it into their 'sheath' and out of sight...lucky B*******) certain parts of Spike's anatomy were more...'visible'(1)... In any case, Spike had never seen another Dragon before, he only knew what he'd heard: that they were vile, savage and constantly waging war on each other and their neighbors(well they used to until Celestia put the fear of...well, HER into them). So WHY you might ask is Spike wandering around by himself in this infernal land...? Well, first of all he's not alone: His adoptive mother Twilight Sparkle was secretly keeping an eye on him invisible without his knowledge- She had to be careful though, Celestia had forbidden this for a reason: if caught, Twilight's presence will break the treaty and start a war...or WORSE Celestia will send her back to Magical Kindergarten as punishment for disobeying! But we're getting off track; the reason Spike was here was because it was time for the 'Gauntlet' a rite of passage that most dragons must partake...This was signaled by glowing spikes and other weird anomalies in a young dragons body. Spike, not wanting to leave his (mostly)peaceful home or go anywhere near his seemingly savage kind. Had lied and hidden these 'anomalies' the last 4 times it had happened around the same time the last four years...and each time it hurt a bit more. Fortunately Spike used pony magic to numb the pain and hide the effects...after a couple weeks mild discomfort he'd usually be fine... Unfortunately, This year the pain had proven too much, none of the pony medicine- not even ZECORA's was enough to stop the pain! Wracked with agony he'd been forced to go to the hospital. Once alerted, Celestia forced Spike to attend the Gauntlet for the sake of his own health if nothing else. She would broker no argument. Spike simply kept a watchful gaze on his surroundings...he briefly spotted a flash of blue scale...but after a moments uneventful vigil, he just kept cautiously walking to the unknown... Twilight, meanwhile...tried not to be too worried though, Spike was a capable dragon. Plus he'd packed plenty of provisions. Really, there should be no- "What have we here?!" And just like that, Murphy reared his ugly head...in the form of three dragons; Garble, Crackle, and Clump. "Uh, oh." Whispers Twilight to herself as she prepares a spell just in case. Consequences be fracked, she was getting her son to safety! Spike gulped. These dragons were bigger, beefier, and more intimidating then he could ever hope to be...worse, they were naked...the sight of their foot-long junk was REALLY disgusting to Spike...and maybe making him feel a bit inadequate... Twilight was equally disgusted, had Dragons no shame?! "Looks like we got a midget! Just in time too! We need a new ball!" Shouted Garble the apparent leader of the bunch, with a smirk. "Yeah, the old ball is just about broke!" Shouted Crackle as he crushed the 'ball' -I.E. a dragon Skull -with his bare claws. Spike gulped, but he quickly dug through his backpack if he could just grab the right mystic talisman- FWOOM! The dragons breath fire on him, being a dragon himself Spike is unharmed...but all his gear, supplies and clothes are totaled... Garble laughed, "What you really expected us to just sit around and wait for you to do whatever you were about to do? How stupid- He stopped mid-way in his sentence...for it was at that moment that Spike's clothes fell apart completely...embarrassed, Spike covered himself...but it's too late. "BA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA" Laughed the three dragons, "Is that a minnow between your legs or are you just cold?" Mocked Garble as he laughed so hard, tears came from his eyes. "M-My Newborn little brother is bigger then that!" Laughed Clump. "I've picked things out of my nose bigger then that!" Taunted Crackle. Spike's face was hot with both tears and humiliation...Twilight Meanwhile was caught in an internal struggle...between her Pinkie promise not to reveal herself unless Spike was about to get hurt(2) and her desire to say 'F**** it and whoop the jerks who were making her son cry! But before she could do anything- FWOOM! GAH! FWOOM! OW! FWOOM! WHY!? Spike took advantage of the three stooges laughing-induced incapacitation to aim for three very BIG obvious targets...from both hands and his mouth he spewed fire balls that utterly destroyed their genitals...they moaned on the ground in agony... Spike laughed, "HA! I guess 'Bigger isn't better'!" He chuckles... ... Nearby a set of red eyes widen in disbelief... ... Spike gets control himself and quickly runs off, he knows their agony wouldn't last long and he needed to make tracks fas- GOTCHA! Spike screamed as Garble- unfortunately being strong enough to (somewhat)recover quicker then his two goons -had grabbed Spike by his tail and lifted him up as he panicked. "That's it! I'm going to rip off your 'minnow' shove it down your throat with my fist while I shatter your teeth! Then I'm going to rip out your eyes, squeeze out their jelly, put it on toast and MAKE YOU EAT IT!" Spike whimpered, that spell he'd cast had drained his admittedly minuscule magic reserves and now he was helpless. Garble laughed as he reached up to castrate him with his claws, "Heh, like any female would ever do anything but laugh at you with that useless 'little' thing." He mocked, causing Spike to tear up. Twilight growled, that TORE IT! She was going to tear him apart so HARD that- FWOOM! Twilight blinked as Garble was hit with a mighty flame that MELTED his scales(3), and a blue blur snatched up Spike and flew away... ... Spike was panicking, one second, he was about to have his 'willie' ripped out, next his tormentor is screaming in pain and he's being grabbed and flown through the air at speeds that would impress even Rainbow Dash! And now he's in a cave flat on his back...looking up at the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. It was a blue FEMALE dragon, her gender obvious with her exposed and rather large breasts and equally exposed 'womanhood' area...which he was currently getting a VERY close upside down view of it. Spike...Spike could stare at it all day- Princess Ember then snatched him up and shouted while shaking him back and forth shouting, "THAT THING WITH FIRE COMING OUT OF YOUR HANDS! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT NOW!" Yeah...that last bit kinda killed the mood... ...…... (1): Spike is still a dragon...just a bit more Anthro though. (2): She made it to a worried Pinkie who didn't want to see her hurt, but couldn't bring herself to stop Twilight from going after Spike, and couldn't go with her because this would be difficult enough with only ONE pony trying to conceal herself. (3): something that was SUPPOSED to be impossible...save for the MIGHTIEST of dragons. ............. TO BE CONTINUED?
chapter 2Rise of Spike 2 I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ...III... Ember suddenly remembered that she was yelling and shaking a baby and quickly calmed down, apologized, and set him down. Her father was right, she could be a bit of a hothead at times. When she first saw this baby drake wandering the land alone, she was immediately drawn to him out of curiosity. Both because of how irresponsible it was to have a drake that age allowed to wander around by himself...and because of all the weird 'stuff' he had all over his body. She was originally planning to let him get roughed up a bit before swooping in to rescue him- hey, it's a cruel world. If your dumb enough to wander away from your mom while your young and helpless you deserve having some sense knocked into you...at least that's how dragons viewed it. That plan ended when she saw him shoot fire from his HANDS! BOTH OF THEM! Like any good, pragmatic dragon she was always interested in learning new ways to beat things up so naturally she rescued him to learn how he did that...well, that and she owed him for giving her the hilarious sight of Garble getting neutered. Funniest. Sight. EVER. Regardless, she needed to calm down. She was clearly upsetting the little guy. "Sorry about that little buddy. How about I bring you back to your momma? Would you like that?" She said in her best, maternal voice. This, naturally did not go over that well with Spike. "Why are you talking to me like that? I'm not an infant you know." He says annoyed. This completely took Ember by surprised! "Wait, wha- How old are you?" she asked confused. Spike snarled, "I'm 13 years old, thank you very much!" He snapped irritably. Ember frowns...the turns him around to look at the spikes on his back, "Hey!" Snaps Spike annoyed, "What are you- Ember ignores him and counts his Spikes, which indicate a dragons age. "Wait...seriously? Your 13?" She asks baffled as she takes another look at him. "YES! WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO BELIEVE!?" Shouts Spike angrily. Ember stood corrected...This was funniest sight EVER. She fell to the ground and rolled around laughing. Spike was steaming, "What is so funny!?" He demands. "(snort) Well- (snicker) for one thing I'm 13!" She laughs. Spike felt his face heat up as he get a sinking suspicion of where this was going. "Uh...what, so your...tall for your age?" He asked/pleaded. Ember smirked, "Nope, completely average height for my age group, your the one that's below Average short-stuff." And then giving another chuckle she quips, "In more ways then one it seems." She said while giving a meaningful and gleeful glance at his groin. Spike couldn't be more red if he tired; there was a cute girl here, laughing at his naked body, flat out telling him his 'equipment' wasn't 'up to snuff'. He covers himself humiliated, "Hey, come on! I- I'm due for a growth spurt ANY day now!" Ember laughed, "And who told you that, your mom?" She mocks. Spike just glares back defiantly, "For your information my mom is one of the most learned and wisest pony there is, so she knows what she talking about!" He proclaims stiffly. Ember's eye's widened, "Wait, did you just say Pony?" Spike groaned at his slip, Celestia had warned him that dragons might not take too well to him being raised by ponies and to not mention it if it could be helped. But regardless Spike just glares at Ember defiantly, "Yes, I was raised by ponies...and I'M proud of it! And I also can't wait to get back to them!" He says aggressively. Ember snickers, this shrimp was trying to act all tough... it was adorable! But in all seriousness... "What are you talking about!? How can a pony raise a dragon!? Actually, strike that. You'd rather be with a bunch lame ponies then your own kind!?" She asks that last part insulted Spike glares back angrily, "Those 'Lame' ponies have given me love, affection and a roof over my head for 13 years! Whereas I've barely been with my own 'kind' for 13 minutes and I've been attacked, insulted and humiliated! Who would you rather be with!?" He snaps back defiantly. Ember is about to naturally say 'Dragons'...but then she actually thinks about what Spike was saying...annnnnd... "Huh, wow, that's actually a very good point." She admits reluctantly. She shakes her head and gets back on track, "But seriously though, a pony raising a dragon? How dose that happen?" Spike's eye's lit up, this he actually enjoyed talking about! So he began telling his life story- Ember listened with some interest...some of it was interesting; like personally knowing Princess Celestia(there was a reason Dragons dared not invade Equestria after all) and being involved in fights with Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Tirek and the like(what Dragon didn't enjoy a good fight?)...but the rest was kinda boring. So she mostly zoned out and enjoyed the view of his tiny 'twig and berries'. Finally, she got REALLY bored and just pounced on Spike while he was busy talking. "HEY!" He shouts annoyed, then turns red as she presses himself against him and whispers into his ear. "So...basically, what I'm hearing...you have no experience with any dragons? And know nothing about us?" Spike blushed, but nodded. So Ember gets an idea; "Here's what I'm thinking: I help you survive here...you teach me that trick you did earlier. What do you say?" Spike gulped...but realized that without her he'd probably be dead by now...so he reluctantly agrees... She smirks and climbs off him, Spike then tries to collect himself and ask the first question. "So...what exactly happens during 'The Gauntlet?'" Celestia hadn't known much about it. Ember smirks: "Oh, it's basically a huge rite of passage for a dragon. Full of fighting, contests and sex." Spike's eye's bugged out, "S-S-SEX!?" He exclaims mortified. Ember laughs, "Yep, not gonna lie...your gonna get laughed at a LOT. And not just for your LITTLE friend" She teases playfully giving another meaningful glance at his 'area'. Spike just groans miserably as he covers himself...he was already regretting this... ...Meanwhile... Garble groaned as he entered his home, it would take weeks for his scales to grow back properly! And his poor genitals... That stupid baby...and that stupid Ember! What bussines was it of her what he did for fun!? Why he ought'a- "Dare I ask what happened to you?!" Boomed a thundering voice. Garble gulped and turned to the dragon that towered over him, "Oh...dad, your home early- "Don't change the subject! How did you disgrace our family name today? Did one of the weaklings you choose to fight best you?!" He snarled irritably. "What, no! It was Ember who did this! I- "EMBER!? You idiot! Need I remind we are on thin ice with the Dragon King?! And you go pick a fight with his daughter?! AND LOSE!? Honestly, why can't you be more like your younger brother Drago- "Wha- Drago is the reason were on thin ice in the first place!" Grable shouts angrily, "And he's in exile!" "Correction, he's in exile because he fought the dragon King for Dominance- AND NEARLY WON! -if the cave hadn't broken and allowed sunlight to come in and blind him at a crucial moment our family would be royalty right now!" Garble snarled, as much as he hated to admit it...his dad wasn't exaggerating. First Draco had kidnapped Ember and forced King Torch to fight him in an underground cave. Not only did the narrow space rob Torch the usual advantages him being ten times bigger then others gave him, but he also couldn't use his flames in that enclosed space lest he burn Ember by mistake. The fight lasted for hours, and Garble had remembered being annoyed as other onlookers praised how despite lacking experience Drago being a natural gifted prodigy was apparently easily making up for it... In any case like his dad said...even Drago's most vocal detractors couldn't deny that without that last minute lucky brake...he would've won...BUT DID EVERYONE HAVE TO KEEP RUBBING THAT IN HIS FACE!? "Come on dad! It wasn't like that! Ember attacked ME defending some uppity baby drake that could somehow shoot fire from his hands- "WHAT!?" Suddenly Drago found himself lifted in the air. His father Shendu looked at him with interest, "Tell me more..." …III... TO BE CONTINUED?
Chapter 3Rise of Spike 3 I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING! ...III... The sun was setting on Spike's first day in his native land. Now for many people such a time would be filled by self-reflection, meditation, spiritual discovery- "WILL YOU STOP GRABBING MY JUNK!?" Screamed an annoyed drake for the fiftieth time as his female companion once more forcibly grabbed him 'there' and held him down...'just because'. "I'm not grabbing your 'junk', I'm playing with your tiny sesame seeds and your even smaller tic tac." She teased. "And if you don't like it...MAKE me stop." She said with a chuckle. Spike flustered, even before he'd come here he'd been somewhat aware of his...shortcoming's. It had been bad enough that he was shorter the everyone, had no wings, and his flame was embarrassingly low...but as for his man meat- or lack thereof... He'd been first made aware of this 'fact of life' the day he lost his swim trunks while swimming with the cutie mark crusaders...bad enough they laughed at his 'teeny weeny'...they also stole his trunks and he had to chase them naked through Ponyville to get it back... The whole ordeal had been humiliating, the Crusaders later apologized- after their hides got tanned by their respective sister-figures -And Spike had been sorta hoping to just forget the whole thing... Sadly, even to this day, many of the mares he'd been forced to run past still giggled when he walks by and whisper 'Vienna sausage' to each other when they think he can't hear... It didn't help matters that sometime afterwards when he'd been trying to help Rarity with her sewing, she wasn't paying attention so his shorts got snagged on her sewing machine and got ripped off...in her defense she tried REALLY hard to not laugh at what she saw(spoiler alert: she failed miserably)...and she gave him ice cream and his favorite gems afterwards...it didn't help...(especially since he overheard Sweetie bell whisper to her 'I think it actually got smaller'.) After that, he'd been forced to go to his mom about his 'issue'- and BOY had that been awkward for all concerned! In any case, since ponies didn't know that much about dragon biology Twilight was forced to give him the usual 'you'll grown into it eventually' spiel that most loving mothers give their sons... Of course, as humiliating as those instances had been...it was NOTHING compared to THIS. A very attractive, NAKED dragon girl was pinning him, LITERALLY had him by the short and curlies, and took every opportunity to remind him of his inadequacy... "It is NOT okay, that I'm enjoying this." Thinks a mortified Spike who was actually a bit thankful that his 'issue' made it impossible for Ember to notice his 'reaction' to her. He glares defiantly up at her. "Come on, seriously? Why are you doing this to me!?" Ember shrugs, "Hey, I'm fulfilling our agreement! I'm teaching you all about dragon culture! And a large part of our culture is sex and sexual dominance!" She explained sincerely, giving his nuts another playful squeeze during the word 'dominance'. Spike gulped, "Uh...okay?" He asked nervously. Ember continued on, "Oh, yeah! Were all about one-uping each other in everything! But especially when it comes to sex! It's why we don't wear clothes, not only because were too tough to care about the elements but because it gets in the way of our 'fun'. The elders say we value it because of how deeply we understand the importance of conceiving the next generation and continuing the circle of life for our species- She let's out a dismissive snort, "Of course for those of us who AREN'T geriatric geezers, we just like sex, and proving our superiority to others." Again, she gives him a squeeze during the word 'superiority'...the meaning is not lost on Spike. She then smirks at him, "Secondly, don't think for one second that just because your wiener is too tiny to see, that I can't smell your arousal...you like this, small fry." She teased. Spike groaned, "Annnnd, there goes the last shred of my dignity." "Dignity? Buddy, that ship sailed several hours ago!" She laughed. "...Yeah, that sounds about right." He admits in resignation. Desperately trying to change the subject- and ignore the feeling of both her iron grip on his genitals and the feeling of her splendid breasts and womanhood rubbing against his back while she had him pinned to the ground- he asks: "So...have you had a lot of- Ember sighs, "I'm no virgin, but I haven't had nearly as much as I'd like. Since my dad's the king, this give guys ideas to assassinate me while were intimate or impregnate me so they're family has a claim to the throne..." Spike looked at her sorrowfully, "Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. That must be- Wait, did you say your dad's king?!" Ember grinned evilly, "That's right...which means your getting dominated by a genuine princess!" Again, she squeezes his poor, abused nuts during the word 'dominated'. Ember smirked as the smell of his 'arousal' grew stronger, "Oh! You like getting trod upon by royalty, huh? Wait, didn't you say your adopted mom was a princess? Well, ain't you the kinky one?" She teases. Spike responds by vomiting in disgust and his 'arousal' along with his genitals had shriveled up in disgust faster then a salted slug. Ember quickly let him go startled, "Okay, wow. Sorry, I clearly went too far there..." She said in a sincere apologetic way. Spike glared, "YAH THINK!?" He snapped back in anger. Ember giggled, "I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously when your angry! Your like a little, yapping...Diamond dog thing! And it REALLY doesn't help since your 'snail' has crawled back into it's shell...you look like a eunuch!" Red in both rage and humiliation...he then went deathly white as her words sunk in- "Wait, Eunuch?! Castration is a THING here?!" He said in panic as he covered his ding-dong protectively. Ember smirked, "Yep, I've personally cut off thousands of willy's from male's who thought they could 'best me', but don't worry Spike. I only rip off REAL genitals not 'useless trinkets.'" She says that last bit with a chuckle. Spike gave her a sour look... "Explain to me again why I'm putting up with your BS and NOT heading back to my nice, safe home back in Ponyville?" He asked annoyed. "Because if you DON'T go through the Gauntlet at least once in your life, your body won't develop right and if your inner-flame doesn't kill you your appendix bursting out wrong will." Ember reminds him flatly. Spike's whole body deflated, "Riiiiight...I'm totally fracked aren't I?" Ember tries to reassure him. "No, look it's quite simple, there are three important tasks you need : First you lose your virginity to a dragon- or mass orgy- Spike blushes and whimpers -whatever floats your boat. Then you go to the gorge of gems and feast on the most delicious gems- Spike salivated -while fighting all the other dragons to the death to do so- Spike paled -then we all have sex AGAIN- then you chug down enough black lava to make your appendix burst in a non-lethal- Spike perked up -yet excruciatingly agonizing way- Spike felt despair yet again -and then we have MORE sex!" She says that last part excited. "And yes, I realize that that's technically more then 3, but the extra sex is just for fun! Spike groaned, "Dang it, I won't even be able to do the sex part!...no girl is going to want this..." He looks down on his pathetic nub of a wiener saddened... "Yep, I can see that." Said Ember flatly. Spike glared. "Oh, sorry! I thought that was a question directed at me. But look if it makes you feel better...as long as you keep your end of the bargain, not only will I teach you to survive the other challenges and dragon life in general...I'll have sex with you too." She offered warmly. Spike turned an even redder shade of crimson, "You- (gulp) -will?" He asked nervously as he began to sweat. Ember smirked and posed her body in way that her breasts and womanhood were more displayed for the young Drake's sight...and delight. Spike blushed, Wow Ember...I didn't realize you Felt that way- "Whoa, there buddy! This is just business, no offense but you might be cute...but your a mamma's boy." She replied snidely. Spike looked at her both shocked and annoyed, "Mamma's- I'm 13!" He retorted. "So?" Spike took a deep breath to calm himself and explain; "In pony culture, colts aren't considered adults until the age 18." Ember quirked an eyebrow, "For real? Weird- Well anyway, dragons are considered adults when 12. With the exception of important dragons like my father, most dragons either kick their young out of their nests at that age or just abandoned them." "Yikes...isn't that kinda cruel?" Asked Spike horrified. "Eh, it's a cruel world. life goes on. Since my dad's the king, he needs to keep me around because someone could use me to usurp his throne. Either by having him killed in an 'accident' and and using me as a bride to give someone's kid legitimacy or using me as a breeding factory to create heir's strong enough to kill him one day." Spike just kept staring at her in horror. Not just because of what she was saying...but how she said it, completely indifferent. She was talking in the same kind of apathetic tone one would expect from a 'discussion about the weather or local politics'. As if a family being murdered from children born of rape were an everyday occurrence! ...Spike vowed that if he got out of this alive...to give Twilight and Celestia EXTRA big Mothers day presents early for rescuing him from this HORRIBLE life! Then Spike realized something, "Wait, if 12 is the age adult hood and your 13- Ember rolled her eye's, "I got my urges last year like everyone else...but for some reason dad refused for me to go to the Gauntlet and wait another year...he never explained why..." She shrugged, "In any case although not recommended, the stronger of us dragons- i.e. me -can survive missing the gauntlet at least once, for someone like or for me to do it more then once would be fatal." She said smugly. But now it was Spike's turn to be smug, "For your information; I survived it FOUR times before my Grandmare Princess Celestia found out and forced me to come for the sake of my health." Ember's eye's popped out, "What the- But that's not- HOW!?" She didn't like to admit it, but she came very close to dying that first time! And everyone knew she was one of the toughest dragons around! She'd tried to make it seem like it was no big deal, but truthfully she was glad her father didn't make her go through with it for a 2nd time! But for this pipsqueak to survive FOUR times!? Ever eager to help people, Spike began to explain: "Well it wasn't easy, I had to find the right medicine first and foremost. But after looking through 'Meadowbrook's guide of 101 herbs and fungi' I realized- "Whoa, slow down there poindexter! ...'Med-icine'? What's that, some kinda rash?" Spike just looks at her in disbelief...then face-palms, "You gotta be kidding me..." ... ...so turns out the dragon version of healthcare is...suck it up, take a salt tablet, and stop crying! Basically, if you get injured...either it heals or it doesn't...and you die. Which made Spike even more desperate to head back and see if there was anything that could be salvaged from his destroyed supplies, Ember flies him toward the place she'd rescued him from Garble... On the way there... "Say, I've been meaning to ask...how big's your hoard?" Spike shrugged, "Oh, I don't have one." Ember nearly fell out of the sky in shock, "WHAT!?" She screamed. Unfortunately, Spike couldn't answer...he was too busy plummeting to his death... …III... TO BE CONTINUED?
