The Draconic Twins: Combat is Magical

Now that Spike had managed to get a good grip on how to light his flames on his own, without being, as Spine jokingly called him on several times, a “glorified fax machine”, Spine took the time to teach him some basic moves from her past life. Standard throws, a few full body punches, very telegraphed stuff that only the newest of fighters would get hit by. Unless one was sparring, without magic, as they were now.

One had to walk before one ran. Spike was eager to learn. He had been just as eager around Twilight's books. Given a topic to absorb, he consumed it readily, greedily one might argue. He didn't have strength, or size, but he was learning and watching, and didn't like pain. One might think an aversion to pain would be a bad thing in any fighter, but it kept Spike alert for sources of that discomfort, making him a ready avoider of it.

“Come on, Spike! You can’t hit me if you’re always running! Or do I need to get Sis over here? She’d probably put up more of a fight than you!” Spine taunted Spike as she chased him, careful not to mess up their moms yard too much.

Spike ducked under one of her angry strikes. She was losing patience, and he knew it. Overextended and furious, it was too late to avoid a sudden one-two thump into the soft spot on her side, already bouncing away with laughter.

That he was having so much fun with it was perhaps the worst part. She huffed as she felt her anger and pride, both at him, flare up together. She growled as she lept, intending to tackle him and pin him down so she could teach him a lesson… Only to get tossed off to the side as he used her momentum against her.

Spike was still giggling. Fighting was as much a game as anything else. "C'mon!" he called. A game he loved to play with his big sister. "Can't scare me with your fire, gonna have to be more--" His words were cut off with a sudden need to yelp and duck to the side, her fist thumping him in the shoulder despite his best effort. Talking had risks.

"I can't scare you, because Mom is far more terrifying than anything I can do! Now stop running!" Spine growled out, some of her anger fading now that she finally got a punch on him. Not by much though, but it did.

"She isn't here," Spike pointed out. "So I'm still not scared of her." And out went his tongue as he darted in for a quick strike, only to be grabbed by Spine. His boldness had landed him in trouble, grabbed securely. "Hey!"

She grunted and proceeded to slam him to the ground, pinning him with his arm behind his back in a standard hold, preventing him from going anywhere. She then growled into his ear, "And why do you not fear her, when you live with her? And yet I do, but I bed at the barracks?"

"Because, uh…" He pulled and tugged, to little avail. "She's my sister, and I trust her? I'd say I trust you but that kinda hurts." He scrabbled his feet against the ground, trying to find purchase to get away. "And she reads a lot more."

Spine huffed, shaking her head as she realized he didn't see Velvet as their mom. "Not Sparkle, Spike. Velvet. She's the one I fear. More because she has the actual presence for it than anything, but you had better believe I don't want to be on her bad side," Spine explained, letting him up before he damaged the yard too badly.

Spike was blushing, oh right, mom! "Don't tell her I said that. She's uh… Oh…" He realized he was digging himself deeper. "She's like a big sister. And big sisters are… kinda like moms and… don't tell her I said that!" He waved his hands frantically at what was also his big sister.

She smirked and shook her head, taking a deep, slow breath, forcing herself to calm down and lock her fire firmly behind the door in her mind. "Think that's enough for now… And quit using hit and run tactics. Makes any competent team fight drag out, and enemies that are smart will turn on me or whoever we manage to fight beside us to try and lure you back into their range.""

"Yeah yeah." Spike clapped his hands together with a big ole grin. "Against something that's not a dragon, we got an edge, er, a fire. A fiery edge." He sliced the air with the end of his hand in a keen chop. "Thanks for showing me stuff."

Spine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Of course he would miss the point. "And what do you plan to do against a unicorn? Or somecreature with fire affinity magic, since you and I would both be rendered moot by such opponents?" Spine asked through a growl, more annoyed than genuinely angered.

Spike twirled in place, arms out to balance. "I'll get better, not gonna happen in a day," he said in an expression of patience. "Have you seen how long it took before Twilight could do any magic?"

She huffed, barely suppressing the early memories of her after the sonic rainboom, a small smile forming on her lips before she could clamp down on it fully. "Yes, and as I recall, Shining, Mom, and Dad all said that she was suffering minor mana fatigue those few years. Hatching a dragon egg into twins is apparently hard enough with the right magical affinities. Next to impossible for somepony throwing raw arcane power at it haphazardly." She then looked at him pointedly.

"So I--" He hiked both thumbs at himself. "Will take my time and get it right." He nodded, clearly satisfied with his own logic. "Besides, I got great teachers, like you."

She smiled faintly, relaxing fully as she pulled him into a headlock, rubbing the top of his head with her knuckles while laughing. "And who do you think I'm learning from, eh kid?" She didn't want to see him get hurt, and while hit and run would work on the mindless monsters like Timberwolves, she didn't think it would work overly well against smarter enemies like Tirek when, not if, he reared his ugly mug.

Not that Spike could see the future, nor was he that worried about it, clearly. "Your super strict teacher. He's really good at his job, but lemme just say, kinda glad he's not my teacher." He laughed at the idea, dancing away from Spine. "You can keep him."

Spine smiled warmly as she shook her head, heading back inside. "Yeah, and Ace has been letting up these last few weeks, though I'm not sure why. No matter, you need to get back to Twilight before she has another fit about not finding some book or other, and I need to head off for the park to meet up with Bluey again."

"Have fun with your boyfriend." He burst into a parting fit of giggles, ducking into the house to find Twilight, lest she notice her favorite assistant wasn't where she needed him to be.

Spine blushed faintly, but couldn't find it in herself to argue the point. He was snobbish at times, but he knew when to do it so it came off as funny, rather than rude. She set off, head down as she mentally argued with herself to work up the nerve to tell Blueblood how she felt, brushing a claw over the brooch he had given her that day… and that was the tipping point. She'd tell him today! No more delaying it! And with that determination set, she hurried off, now even more determined to see him today of all days.

"Darling." He was at the door, a big smile on his face. "Always lovely to see you."

"Shall I draw a lunch?" inquired his butler from behind. "Your parents are expecting you shortly."

Blueblood frowned at the reminder. "That is correct. Just a little snack then." He gestured for Spine to come in.

She smiled and stepped in after him, happy to walk with him to the park. Gave her more time, afterall. "Thank you, Bluey… Um… Think I should meet them today…?" She asked nervously, blushing as she realized that she hadn't met them yet, not properly at least.

Blueblood swiveled an ear. "We have to set a date. If you're up for it, I'll get that going. All things at their proper time," he assured with aristocratic sureness. "Wouldn't do to surprise them."

"Surprise who?" A well-dressed mare stepped from around the corner. "Oh, you have a guest." Her eyes went to Spine, judging.

She bowed, sensing that this mare was nobility, likely Blueblood's mother. "I am assuming you are Bluey- erm… Blueblood's mother…?" She REALLY hoped she didn't just irritate somepony…

The mare inclined her head just faintly. "That would be I, Sharp Statement." She turned a hoof on their guest. "And who am I addressing?"

Blueblood quickly put himself between the two, a nervous smile worn. "Mother! We were actually just scheduling a meeting."

"Were you now?" Her eyes hadn't left Spine, calculating cooly.

Spine shuddered. Where Velvet scared her with her quiet fire and threateningly silent aura, this mare was cold as death itself… one wrong move and Spine had no doubt she would end the little drake before her... "S-Spine… From the Sparkle residence, Missus Statement… My Sister is Princess Celestia's personal student, my Elder Brother, Shining Armor, is in the Royal Guard and trained with Far Sight, who has been training myself for the last several years…"

Her features broke into a gentle little smile. "Oh, the Sparkles. Why didn't you start there?" She fixed Blueblood instead. "The head of the guard? And Princess Celestia's personal protege. That is a family worth knowing. Now, little one, how do you plan to catch up? I can only imagine it burns one at your age, to be so put behind by others in your family." She chortled, perhaps in a good natured way. "I would be beside myself."

She smiled, relaxing only a little. "At the moment, I'm training to be able to deal with any threats to my sister directly, Missus Statement. Thus, the reason I am training under the one who trained Shining Armor himself. I'm not training to be a shield spell specialist like he is though, since fire doesn't lend much dexterity in such fields," Spine said, trying to be diplomatic with the mare, since one wrong step could still easily see her end, and she knew it.

"Oh ho, a trained warrior? How… physical." She gestured a hoof at Blueblood. "Don't get any ideas in your head. He is not a warrior and if I see any new marks on him, I will be very cross. He is a fine filigree statue, and should be handled exactly as such."

Blueblood was a bright red as his mother spoke in his defense. "Mother! I can--"

"--Quiet." She popped a hoof in his mouth. "As I was saying, be gentle with him."

She bowed again, intent to do just that. "I'd be a poor bodyguard if I couldn't do even that much, Missus Statement. I'll be gentle with him, in the same way I treat my own sister… Though I do wish to ask you if I can…" Spine paused, briefly forgetting the word. "D-date…? Um… I think that's right…"

"My word!" But that wasn't Sharp, but Blueblood who was surprised at the question.