Tyrants Path

Knock knock knock.

Spike waited a moment, his tail waving around anxiously, before knocking on the door thrice more. "Rarity! Come on, element of generosity! Grace us with your presence!" He called out, Scootaloo rolling her eyes.

"Could just barge the door in."

Spike stared at her, giving her a soft glare, which made Scootaloo roll her eyes. Spike knocked once again, huffing loudly, snorting some smoke out of his nostrils. "Barge the door in? We aren't savages."

"If you knock any harder, you might break it in anyway." Scootaloo mumbled out, making Spike glare at her again. "What? Just sayin'!"

"Are you acting like this cuz we are in a panicky situation or because you like pushing my buttons?"

"Bit of both." Scootaloo answered honestly, stretching out a bit. "Now, hurry up and get your girlfriend out here, Spike."

"We are not dating." Spike grumbled out, ignoring the look from Scootaloo. "Tartarus, I don't even have a crush on her anymore."

"Then it should be no problem to get her out."

Spike raised his fist to knock again, before it opened, a slightly annoyed Rarity poking her head out. Spike panicked and stopped his fist, drawing his hands up and jumping back in a dodging move, lifting one leg in fright. He wiped his chest, standing normally, and glared at Scootaloo, who was snickering loudly behind him.

"Spike, darling, a mare needs some time off from her dresses. And as much as I love gem hunting with you, I really want to train the others." Rarity gave him a soft look, in which a younger Spike would have melted at the sight of her beautiful eyes and soft, posh voice.

Instead, this Spike raised his hand to stop her and shook his head, speaking, "No, this is an emergency. Twilight might be in trouble...well, the whole town might be in trouble."

Rarity dropped whatever she was holding behind her, (Spike just now having noticed her horn was aglow during this conversation), and asked, "How big of an emergency."

It was at this moment that a roar echoed out of the forest, the birds flying off in different directions. Her cat shrieked inside and ran to hide under something, the normally prim and proper cat not caring about its looks as it scrunched up.

"Pretty big." Scootaloo said, her wings fluttering in anxiety.

"Very well." Rarity gave a determined look and a confident smile, closing the door behind her. "Let us go then!"

She walked past Spike, the drake giving a soft smile, before chuckling. "Uh...Rares."

"Yes, Spikey-wikey?"

"You forgot to put the "closed" sign up...and you didn't lock your door."

"Oh...right."

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack found theirs heads bouncing back and forth as Zecora searched through her vials, potions, knick knacks and whatchamacallits. Twilight opened her mouth a few times, trying to speak, though words failed her.

Applejack, however, had no issues starting, "Zecora, we are so happy you're safe!"

Zecora stopped through her search, only to smile at the trio, turning with a potion in hoof, "It is good to see you my friends. I had feared you had met your collective ends."

The zebra had always rhymed, though the trio didn't seem to mind it. Fluttershy then asked her, "Zecora, how have you stayed safe? We saw Barney and...and..." She couldn't finished her sentence, tears flowing from her eyes as she silently wept for her fallen friend.

"We had feared you suffered the same fate." Twilight finished, pulling Fluttershy into a comforting, and much needed, hug, the timid mare giving her a sad smile in response. "We were worried you might have been hurt."

"Ah, such a heartwarming thought. I am glad your journey had not ended in naught." Zecora spoke as she tipped the potion into the massive cauldron in the middle of the room, adding it into the bubbling concoction. "Although, I too had fear, I had to plan your rescue by ear."

"That reminds me, Zecora, have you ever seen an animal like this before?"

Zecora thought for a moment, before shaking her head, "I have never seen such a beast. It seems to me that it rather enjoys a feast. This one is not a foe that you can quell...but you can overwhelm its sense of smell."

"A completely new animal? Wait...sense of smell?' Twilight peered at Zecoras brew curiously, before wrinkling her nose in disgust when she caught a whiff of it. "Oh, sweet Celestia, what is that smell?"

"Wait...Shy, ya heard that thing sniffin in the forest, right?" Applejack asked, making Fluttershy nod. "Maybe it uses its nose ta hunt stuff? Kinda like when Winona catches a smell of somethin she likes and follows it around for awhile!"

"Yeah...with something that smells that awful, we could keep it away from Ponyville." Twilight scratched her chin, before Zecora sat next to them.

"I am afraid it will take some time for this brew...perhaps you can find something to do?" Zecora said, before a roar echoed out through the forest, all the mares turning towards it.

"Wait..." Fluttershy spoke, dread creeping into her voice, before she continued, "Ponyville is that direction."

"You don't think..."

"Ah do think. Knowin our luck, that thing is heading straight for town!" Applejack jumped up and went to open the door, before looking back at them. "Well, Ah can buy some time while Zecora makes her stink bombs! Give it something to hunt!"

Twilight stood up, then trotted over to Applejack, giving her a smirk, "Then I can double that time. Fluttershy, you stay with Zecora and fly us the finished concoction when she is done."

Fluttershy gave a terrified look, then asked, "Wait, what? What do you want me to do? I don't want you girls to get hurt, but that thing is so...frightening, what if I freeze up? What if I drop it? What if I-"

"Fluttershy." Twilight cut the shy mare's words off, before giving said pegasus a soft, reassuring smile. "I have faith in you."

That phrase cut down all of Fluttershy's fears and left a swelling feeling of warmth and determination. "I'll do my best, Twilight."

With that, Zecora and Fluttershy would stay behind as Applejack and Twilight would run for town and distract the beast. Said beast, who was moving closer and closer to Ponyville, following his nose of the three invaders. Perhaps he could destroy their nest and force them to stop coming to his territory.

Spike walked towards the outskirts of town, his tongue flicking out for a moment to taste the air. His spines straightened up in fright as he caught a familiar scent of the predatory creature. He kept moving though, Rarity following behind, looking at the back of Spikes head.

"So, Spikey-wikey...seeing anypony at the moment." Rarity asked curiously, Spike stopping mid step and giving her a glance over his shoulder. "Apologies, just trying to break the mood."

"What mood? We're trying to find Pinkie and meet Dashie at the castle once we are done. There is no mood." Spike said as he continued walking, his tail waving to and fro lazily as he walked.

"Well, when you were younger, I could barely get anywhere without you hopping along with me. Now, you seem...distant."

"Well, I grew up. Decided you needed space. Realized that you weren't the mare for me." Spike spoke, before stopping for a moment. Did he hear a scream? No, no, he must be imagining things. "Besides, we both know I wouldn't be the one for you."

"Still...you seem like you are upset with me." Rarity spoke with such concern that it made Spike pause.

He sighed softly, before crossing his arms, giving her a soft look. "I am not upset with you. I just...didn't think you'd want me around as much."

"Oh, Spike, I-"

That is when Spike stopped and looked over to see a picnic blanket set out under a tree, cutting Rarity off by making her bump into his back. He barely moved and started walking towards the blanket, seeing two ponies lying on it.

"Welp, here come your friends." Cheese Sandwich said as he spotted Spike, Pinkie stretching and sitting up a bit.

"Yeah, it's a shame they had to cut our nice day short. Same time next week, Cheese?"

"Of course, Pie!"

Spike blinked as Pinkie stood up and stretched out, popping her back and giving a happy hum. She then shook herself and walked over to Spike, speaking, "Hey, Spike! Ready for the fight with a dinosaur?"

"Dinosaur? What dinosaur?" Spikes eyes narrowed suspiciously, before a roar echoed out from the town, along with a scream that broke after it.

"That one!"