Tyrants Path

Spike stared at the egg, curled around it like a dog curled in its bed. He stared at it, ignoring the words of the women around him. Fluttershy had joined him, staring at the egg with him, their eyes filled with curiosity as they inspected it, the group of mares behind them were currently arguing about what to do about the planned trap.

Spikes eyes flicked over the eggs features, noting the strange flecks on its surface and dark colors, his tail slowly waving behind him lazily. "Hey, Fluttershy, do you know what this belongs to?"

"Well..." began Fluttershy, cocking her head and inspecting it at different angles. "It looks almost like a...emu egg. However, it is such a strange shape, it cannot be an emu egg, it looks more like a...well, I don't quite know."

Spikes eyes travelled along its surface, before pulling it closer to him, keeping the egg nice and warm, his tail curling around him. "Spike, are you sure this is a good idea?" Fluttershy asked, to which Spike gave her a soft look.

"He...or she was abandoned, in their nest. Besides, Peewee was abandoned by his parents, but I raised him until I could return him, maybe I could do the same here?"

Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the table, catching the twos attention, Spike pulling the egg closer unconsciously, trying to keep it safe. He nuzzled into it and watched the table, seeing Rainbow Dash glare at the others. "Well, where else do you plan to put that thing?!"

"Not in the middle of town, Rainbow Dash! We want to make sure it doesn't attract attention." Twilight spoke out, making Spike grasp the egg. He made to leave the room, only to hear Fluttershy follow him.

Spike turned to her and smiled, before smacking his face against the door, giving a yelp of surprise, making him reach up with a free hand and rub his snout, more shocked than actually hurt. He looked at Fluttershy, who giggled behind her hoof and gave a soft noise of irritation. He opened the door and walked towards his room, Fluttershy following behind him.

"We could set 'im up at Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack offered, the others turning to her, Rainbow Dash crossing her hooves and staring at her in surprise. "What?"

"I mean, Applejack, darling, we aren't opposed to the idea just...surprised that you said it." Rarity clarified, making Applejack shrug.

"I mean, we got an open field Mac and I haven't decided to plant anythin in yet. We could just dig 'im a nice hole, fill it with tha good stuff, and wait until we find the varmint a new home." Applejack proposed, Twilight scratching her chin with her hoof.

"Well, to be honest...I can't really find any faults in your idea. How about it, Fluttershy? Fluttershy?" She turned to see Fluttershy and Spike gone, giving a soft chuckle. "Always gone when I need her. Let's come up with a plan to lure the creature in. What do we know about it?"

"It's fast." Rarity spoke, making the others nod, the mare humming in thought. "And quiet, fast and quiet."

"It's really smart and strong." Rainbow Dash said, her back aching from her position, adjusting and sitting up to get comfortable. "It tore a lamp post out of the ground like it was nothing and threw it at me when it couldn't reach me. It also tried digging us out with a tree when it got stuck in the buildings."

Applejack spoke, adjusting her hat, "Great sniffer on it. It was able to track us in tha Everfree by smellin us."

"It eats bones!" Pinkie spoke up, giving a smile as she nodded to herself, the others staring at her in horror. "I mean, with the way it was bending those lamps like toothpicks witn its teeth! Definitely eats bones! It reminds me of this one time, when I-"

"Pinkie. Focus." Twilight said, making the pink mare blink. She nodded, embarrassed, and sat back down, trying to think of some way to help.

"It likes Spike." Rainbow Dash added nonchalantly, putting her cheek in a hoof. She jumped a bit when Twilights head snapped to her.

"What?"

"Well, when everyone was trying to talk to it, it acted differently around Spike." She explained, shrinking back a bit from Twilights stare. "All it did was make noises at him, the dude only attacked when Pinkie got close. The thing was also way less aggressive to Spike compared to the rest of us."

"Now that you mention it...the beast did seem placated around Spikey-wikey." Rarity added, looking at Rainbow Dash. "It may have tried talking to him."

Twilight hummed in thought, her wings fluttering as she stared at the table. Her mind ran through all the things that would happen if Spike were included. All of them horrible, gruesome, gore filled. Spike being eaten alive, crushed by the beast whilst it walked, tail whipped and becoming crippled. Yes, his bones were insanely tough, he was a fire breathing dragon, and he was taller than her and the others now when standing bipedally, but he was still her little brother, and she worried about him.

"We could ask Spike to-" Rainbow Dash started, scratching her chin with her hoof.

"Absolutely not." Rarity cut her off, slamming her hoof on the table, making Rainbow Dash jump. "Spikey-wikey has been injured enough today. We should let him rest, he has done enough."

Fluttershy took this moment to re-enter the room, with a picture in hoof, stopping when everyone turned to her. She blushed and walked over to Twilight, giving her a picture of Spike curled around the egg, keeping it warm.

Twilight smiled and used her magic to teleport the picture away, giving Fluttershy a hug with her hoof, ignoring the surprised squeak from her. Pinkie raised her hoof, giving soft "OOOH OOH" sounds with her mouth.

"Yes, Pinkie?"

"Why don't we just invite him over with some food and trap him then?"

Twilight blinked in surprise, before giving a smile to the crazy, cotton candy haired mare. "Pinkie! That's a great idea! We'll use food to lure it in and trap it!"

"Well, what kind of food will we use, Twi? I mean, no offense Pinkie, but I don't think pies are gonna cut it." Rainbow Dash said, seeing the pink mare rummage around under the table.

"What about cupcakes?"

Rarity only smiled, rolling her eyes playfully, before replying, "You could bring us some snacks, dear, but I don't think the brute will like cupcakes."

"What about ice cream?"

"Pinkie."

"How about cotton candy?"

"Pinkie."

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Focus."

"Oh, right."

"So...what exactly is the plan?" Applejack asked, making Twilight smile softly.

"Well, we'll start with..."

Spikes eyes closed as he slept peacefully, his wings rustling a bit as he curled around the egg. His body kept the egg safe and warm, his body coiling around it to. His snores were a bit loud, the egg not seeming to mind the noise.

Tap.

The egg adjusted a bit, rolling in the soft blanket and against Spike. He adjusted, though his mind did not stir. The egg settled again, movement seeming to calm down.

Tap tap tap.

CRACK!

The eggs shell started to push out a bit, the shell cracking noisily. Spikes ear frill twitched, though he only adjusted and kept snoring, the egg started pushing out more and more. Suddenly, a crack appeared, part of the shell opening to show an eyelid. The nictating membrane slid back to show a green eye, a soft chirping being heard, the egg pushed out more and more.