Growth Spurts and Hypnotic Face Lasersby HyperRandomnessChaptersChapter 1: The day of change.Chapter 2: The day of slightly less change that becomes more change anyway.Chapter 3: The day that confused everypony.Chapter 4: A day of flying and failing.Chapter 1: The day of change.Spike’s eyes fluttered open as he came into consciousness. Glancing around the library, he quickly noted something was... different. He wasn’t in his bed. Instead, he was splayed across the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Flashbacks of a party that everypony threw together played through his head. He giggled to himself as he remembered a certain pink pony getting sick and needing to go to the hospital, where they diagnosed her with diabetes from constantly eating sugary treats. In a similar way that Spike ate gems for energy, she was using her sweets as a sort of life source. Letting out a short chuckle, Spike stood and balanced himself, then staggered towards the bathroom. Before he passed through the door, he hit his head on the low-hanging part of the ceiling. “Ow!” Spike exclaimed, reeling back and rubbing his head. “What in the...?” he started as he ducked through the door. He turned to look in the mirror, and froze in place. Staring back at him was a tall, lanky dragon of purple and green. Almost taking this as a new arrival, Spike nervously greeted the ‘other’ dragon with a quick, “Oh, hello.” He waved. The other dragon waved. Confused, Spike lowered his hand and took a step closer. The other dragon mimicked his move. It was about then that it struck him. That’s not another dragon. That’s me! With a startled look, Spike looked over himself. He’d made quite a growth spurt, expecting that it had occurred overnight as that was the only way it could make sense. He thought briefly why he may have had this sudden growth spurt, but his mind could only fall to two conclusions. One, he had become a greedy monster overnight.. for the second time. Two, there was something wrong with him. Figuring that, since he had no craving for material objects, there must have been something wrong with him, he began to panic. He called up the stairs, “Twilight! I need you to come down here! I think there’s something wrong with me!” Almost immediately there was a reaction. Shuffling could be heard coming from the second-story bedroom, with various objects bumping around and hoofsteps rushing towards the door. “I’ll be right there!” Twilight shouted from behind the door, which became enveloped in a sparkling aura and flew open. Without really looking, Twilight charged down the stairs and surveyed the room, almost immediately laying her eyes on Spike. She looked him over, at first seeming confused, then frightened, but then intrigued. “Uh, Twi? Are you alright? You’re sorta acting like you’re investigating the whole ‘Pinkie Sense’ ordeal again.” Spike said, a tone of concern in his voice. Finally finding her own, Twilight responded, “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m just... shocked. I didn’t think your growth spurt would happen this soon.. I thought we’d have at least a good year before you grew.” Twilight levitated a quill and parchment from a nearby table, and then began furiously scrawling notes onto it. Twilight’s words caught Spike off-guard. He took an inquisitive look and asked, “Wait, you knew this was going to happen, and didn’t bother telling me? You know, you could have at least warned me that this was going to happen, and before it actually did!” He growled at Twilight. Upon seeing this hostile action, Twilight cowered in fear behind her notes as though she were Fluttershy. Realizing his mistake, Spike relaxed himself and said, “Oh, uh, Sorry, Twi. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that...” He looked away and rubbed the back of his head as Twilight calmed down. “That..That’s okay, Spike. I really should have told you before this happened.” She set her notes down, then walked up to Spike and placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, which caused him to turn back towards her. “I’m just a bit worried now, though. If you are becoming a monster again, then there won’t be any way we’ll be able to stop you. We got lucky enough the first time.” She took her hoof off his shoulder and went back to her notes. “Well, how could I become a monster again, anyhow? It’s not like I’ve been receiving any gifts lately,” Spike defended his position, shrugging slightly. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be getting gifts, Spike.” Twilight said with a short sigh, “It could just be giving and wanting something in return. Regardless of what you give, you’d probably want something more valuable than the thing you gave... I think. I’m going to write a letter to the Princess about this, Spike. Just make sure nopony else sees you, or you might have another mob of ponies to deal with.” She then proceeded to walk into another room, likely to write the letter. “Well, okay, but-“ Spike was interrupted by the turning of a doorknob behind him. He froze in place from a shot of panic, as he knew nopony was scheduled to arrive at the library... all aside from their friends. He bolted up the stairs so fast that, had a certain Technicolor Pegasus mare been there, he probably would have gotten a compliment. He raced into the upstairs bedroom and closed the door most of the way, but kept it cracked open so he could observe the situation. Familiar voices rang in his ears as Pinkie Pie entered the library, accompanied by other hoofsteps. From his perspective, however, Spike couldn’t tell who else was there. “Twilight? Twilie? Twi?” Pinkie called out, then proceeding to call Twilight in different languages. “Pinkie, would you stop that? We’re here for Twilight, not some ‘say your friend’s name in a thousand languages’ contest. Besides, I’ll bet Spike knows where she i-“ Rainbow Dash stopped mid-sentence. She was pointing a hoof to where Spike would ordinarily be at this time of the day, but only saw an empty piece of floor. “Huh. Anypony seen Spike?” She asked, looking about the room, “He’s not where he’s usually working around now.” Glancing around, Fluttershy noticed that Spike wasn’t on the ground floor at all. A look of concern washed over her as she said, “Oh my, I hope poor little Spikey isn’t sick.” She took to her wings and flew to the second floor. Thankfully, Spike was prepared for this. He darted out the window and hid beneath the flowers like he had seen in so many action films. As the girls entered the room, they all looked around, but found no evidence of either Twilight or Spike. “Well, I guess they aren’t here,” Rainbow Dash said, “Must be royal business or something. I’m sure that only ‘eggheads’ like Twilight and Spike would get it.” On this note, they all turned to leave. A wicked grin spread across Spike’s face as he realized this would be the perfect opportunity to pull a prank on Rainbow. He quickly climbed down the building and stood just above the doorframe that lead outside, then waited. He tensed his wings as the doorknob tur- Wait, I have wings? Spike thought curiously to himself as he looked to his back, where he spotted a pair of finely-sized purple wings. Cool! he thought in silence as the door opened, then averting his attention to the mares exiting the building. As Rainbow Dash exited, he opened his wings wide and cast a shadow over her. He expected her to turn around with a look of terror over her face, but her reaction was quite different. The first thing he registered after her wheeling about was a hoof connecting with his face. The next thing he felt was him getting yanked by the tail and slammed into the ground, then thrown into the air where he casually landed on a cloud. A chromatic Pegasus flew to him and stood over where he lay, accusingly asking, “Who are you?! Why were you trying to hurt me?!” Before he could answer, two more hooves connected with his face and stomach. “Ugh...” was all he muttered out as he attempted to regain his wits. “There’ll be more where that came from if I don’t get an answer right now!” Rainbow Dash roared at him, winding up for another kick. Spike was completely sure he had some broken ribs by now. His left eye was partially swollen and both his nostrils were bleeding. Through blurred vision, he saw Rainbow rearing up for another kick, so he put out a claw defensively in front of him. “Rainbow, wait! It *cough*.. It’s me..!” He started, but Rainbow Dash interjected. “I don’t know who you are, since I’m pretty sure the only Dragon I know is Spike, and he’s Twilight’s assistant.” She faltered for a moment, saying, “Y’know, I kinda think he’s cute. If he was a bit taller and older, maybe about your size, then I’d hit it.” She took on another aggressive look and shouted, “But don’t tell Spike that. Or Twilight!” “Heh...” Spike said, coughing up a little blood. “I’m sure there’s no reason to worry. I think he already knows.” Rainbow Dash looked confused for a moment, before she looked over the Dragon before her, saying, “Well, what makes you say tha-“ It struck her like a Frisbee. This Dragon WAS Spike! She put a hoof over her mouth in realization before letting them back down. “Spike?” “The one and only.” “Oh. My. Gosh! How did I not realize it was you? Sheesh, what spell did Twilight put on you this time?” She asked, blushing from realizing she said she’s probably date Spike had he been older and taller. Well, now he was older and taller, and she was finding him mildly attractive. “It wasn’t a spell,” Spike started, coughing a couple more times and holding a clawed hand over his side. “I hit a growth spurt a little early. Heh... did you really mean what you said earlier?” Rainbow Dash blushed hard, but that quickly faded when she noticed how bruised and beaten he was. “Oh, shoot, I’m so sorry, Spike! I didn’t hurt you that badly, did I?” Genuine concern flooded into her voice as she took a step towards him, but stopped herself. She wasn’t sure what she should do, or even could do. “No, it’s..” Spike’s breathing began to slow. “It’s okay. I’ll be.. ngh.. fine. I’m just a little... tired, is all...” Spike yawned, suddenly finding it difficult to hold his eyes open. His breathing slowed further as he muttered, “I just gotta.. take a nap, is all...” His breathing slowed down almost to the point of stopping. Realizing she had injured Spike greatly, Rainbow knelt at his side and shook his shoulders, shouting, “No! Spike! Stay with me, buddy! Stay awake! I, uh.. I meant it! All of what I said before! I meant every word!” Spike’s eyes slowly flickered shut as he faded from consciousness. “No! Stay awake!” she shouted, tears streaming down her face as she watched the life drain away from Spike. She held him halfway up with her hooves, shouting at him to stay awake and that everything would be fine as dripping tears rolled off his scales. His eyes closed, possibly for the last time. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed this rewritten chapter! More to come soon! A/N 2: Fluttershy's color is temporarily orange, or permanently orange if no orange-colored ponies invade the story. Chapter 2: The day of slightly less change that becomes more change anyway.Rainbow Dash had no idea what to do. Here was her friend, Spike the Dragon, whom she had just brutally beaten and was losing his life right before her eyes. What was she doing? Standing around like a foal. Without a second thought, she bolted to the sky and flew as fast as her wings could take her. She headed off to the Ponyville hospital to get help. Having not noticed Rainbow Dash had gone out of her way to beat the tar out of Spike, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were still trotting along a path away from the Library, until Pinkie heard shouting. She turned around in time to see Rainbow soaring away, then turned to see what she was flying from. She noticed a cloud with a peculiar purple-and-green tail sticking out of it. “That’s funny! Clouds don’t usually have tails, and when they do, they’re always cloud tails! Hey, Fluttershy! Look at the funny cloud!” Pinkie said, giggling, then bringing Fluttershy’s attention to the unusual cloud. With a gasp, she automatically recognized whose tail it was. More importantly, she noticed the marks on his tail that indicated some form of rough-housing. From what she could gather from that distance, his tail looked like somepony had pulled it quite hard. Her motherly instincts kicking in, Fluttershy zoomed up to the cloud to get a better look, then realized why Rainbow Dash had flown away so fast. One shriek and the sound of sirens later, his body was quickly retrieved from the cloud and carted away. The funeral was short. Not many ponies showed up, but not many needed to. Few words were spoken, but the thought was really what mattered. Many tears were shed, many ponies lost composure of themselves, and few remained straight-faced. Spike himself stayed sullen as stone the whole procession. Who could blame him? Strangely enough, Rainbow Dash seemed the most broken up about the death. She was in tears the whole time, and when she was called up to make a speech, she couldn’t form any words and was escorted away by her friends. Twilight, curiously, had not shown. She hadn’t left the library since she heard the news. Figuring it was for the best, her friends left her to be by herself for a few days. It wasn’t the same without her, but it would have to do. Even the Wonderbolts had made an appearance to show their respect. They even performed a few tricks in honor of the recently deceased. Most surprising of all was the arrival of Princess Celestia herself. Stating that Luna would have shown had she not been busy shocked the ponies more than the arrival of the first, but attitudes all shifted to that similar to depression as the ceremony carried on. The Princess had even read a prepared speech. Anypony who had kept their composure at this time completely broke down into tears, all aside from Spike, who remained almost completely stone-faced. The time had come to lower the coffin into the ground, and final goodbyes were said. Rainbow Dash had remained in tears the entire time, much to the amazement of many ponies. Even the Princess herself had shed a tear as the coffin was buried. As the ceremony ended, one lone figure stood over the gravestone, which read: Here lies Nitrous Oxide. Member of the Wonderbolts, Fast Flier, Optimist, Companion, and a great Friend. May she forever Rest in Peace. A cutie mark of a splash of green liquid, half of which was on fire, was emblazoned upon the Tombstone below the words. Tears stained the ground below a Technicolor Pegasus mare, before a reassuring clawed hand was placed on her shoulder. Without opening her eyes, Rainbow turned and pulled Spike into a big hug. He returned the embrace silently, letting Rainbow get it all out. It really was a sad moment for Nitrous to go out in such a way. What many ponies had assumed was a skydive became a moment of horror as a speeding body crashed into the ground. A sickening CRUNCH echoed through the stadium as medical ponies rushed to aid the downed Wonderbolt, but they were far too late. The doctors didn’t even get her off the field before announcing that she had passed away. Many heartbroken and tear-stained fans walked away from the stadium that day, leaving just a few saddened members of the Wonderbolts left to cope with their loss. It had only been her first performance, and they had known she wasn’t ready. They pushed her to strive for the best, but her best wasn’t good enough. Some questioned how she got into the Wonderbolts in the first place. Some said it was luck. Others said it was fate. Others still credited it to her ability to light the very air on fire with her spectacular stunts. Any way you cut it, she must have been destined to die that day. She tried hard. A little too hard, actually. During a loop-de-loop, she had accidentally hit her head on a cloud while moving quite fast and had knocked herself unconscious. The other members of the Wonderbolts watched as she fell but, just like the crowd, they had assumed she would pull up at the last second in a spectacular, death-defying stunt. They were horribly, painfully wrong. Thanks to their misjudgment, a good pony was lost that day. Now, everypony was feeling the weight of their mistake. In particular, Rainbow Dash. Spike comforted her as she cried. It was not just for the death of Nitrous, but also in fear. She had nearly gotten accepted into a spot for the Wonderbolts. What if that had been her? What if she died that day, and not Nitrous? It was simply too much to bear. The very thought horrified her, but her own conscious got to her first. What are you doing, Rainbow? You’re crying for your own safety when the Wonderbolt who got the spot died? Quit pitying yourself! She began to feel enraged at herself. Here she was, just after a funeral session, and she was concerned for herself. It almost disgusted her, but she forgot all about it as Spike consoled her regardless. “Shh...” he whispered, gently stroking her mane as he took her up in his arms, “There, there, Rainbow. Everything’s going to be alright.” She looked up into his big, green eyes as they stared right back at her, comforting her with a look of kindness. For a moment, she felt as though everything would be okay. She shifted herself in his arms and nuzzled close, giving a content sigh as she shoved the negative thoughts from her mind. Spike simply sat and held her, ignoring the pain under the many bandages across his body, hoping and praying that he could alleviate her pain for good. He knew these prayers would be to no avail, but at least, for now, she was calmed. To Spike, that’s all that really mattered. It was not until the sun shone no longer in the sky that Spike flew to the Library, carrying a sleeping bundle of color in his arms. During all of this, Twilight had been furiously working with no regards to her personal needs. Why? Well, let me tell you. After having sent a letter to the Princess, she had gotten a letter back stating the utmost of important tasks. Dear Twilight Sparkle, It is interesting to hear that Spike has hit his growth so early. In light of this news, I am sending two professionals of Draconic knowledge over to the Library to discuss manners of utmost importance. They will be arriving shortly via carriage. Please listen to every word they have to say, as this is an extremely important task. With hope, Princess Celestia Twilight, for one, was quite surprised. She had no idea that Spike’s growth spurt would incite such a reaction, nor did she know why the Princess was sending over to experts on Dragons. There was clearly a piece of the puzzle that she did not have, and she needed to know what it was before anything bad happened. As one might guess, Twilight immediately started to jump to conclusions. Maybe they know something about Spike that I don’t. Maybe he is going to become a monster again! Maybe it’ll be worse than last time! What if they have to take him away from me? What if they have to k- Twilight immediately cut her last thought off, and tried to shake it from her head. Now, Twilight, you’re just being silly! They wouldn’t have to do that to Spike! ...right? Twilight nearly jumped ten hooves in the air as a loud RAP RAP RAP! was heard from the front door. She quickly answered it and greeted two stallions outside the door, who introduced themselves as Rational Thinking and Itmen Siofmea. Twilight was confused at the last name, but Rational quickly explained that it meant ‘Bright Thought’ in Draconic tongue. They hurried inside and immediately began speculations. For starters, they stated that the entire Library was unsuitable for a growing Dragon, as he would need to master his fire-breathing. Since there were a lot of flammable books in the Library, combined with the fact that it was a tree, it was deemed a very dangerous environment to keep Spike until he learned to control his fire. Twilight interjected by saying he could already do just that, but they assured her that it would likely grow out of control quite soon. They also speculated that, at Spike’s growth rate, he would likely need larger accommodations, so they would need to find a more suitable living space for him. Twilight was horrified. They’re gonna take Spike away?? She thought in a panic to herself. As the duo thanked her for her time, they turned to leave. The door in front of them disagreed as it slammed shut, enveloped by a certain Unicorn’s aura. “Hold it. Are you saying you’re just going to take Spike away?” she asked menacingly as the two turned back to her. “Well, yes,” Itmen stated, “It would be hazardous for him to remain in this current establishment anyhow. He would have no room to grow, practice with his magic fire breath, or relieve his temper.” “Wait...” Twilight started, “What do you mean, ‘relieve his temper?’” She took on a quizzical look. She did remember Spike snapping at her, but that was all. Oh, no. He isn’t going to get worse, is he? She thought, a look of combined excitement and fear portrayed across her face. “When I said relieve his temper, I meant relieve his temper! A growing Dragon has to deal with severe mood issues until they can be quelled, which won’t be for quite some time. Speaking of, I hope you’ve got a close eye and tight leash on him. For all we know, at this stage of development, he might start having some pretty bad mood swings.” On that note, he added, “Me and my colleague will return tomorrow to discuss other important matters. For the time being,” He pulled out a pocket watch and examined it, then put it away. “We must depart. Farewell, Twilight Sparkle. Have a good evening.” The chatterbox Draconic specialist and his colleague departed shortly thereafter, leaving Twilight alone to her thoughts. It was right about then that she had an idea. If she could just meet Spike’s needs, then she could keep him around instead of having anypony take him away! A crazy grin spread across her face as ideas flooded into her mind. Paying no mind to the new knocking at the door and loud voices, she got a quill, ink and parchment then got right to designing. Curiously, the sound of an opening window upstairs and heavy steps didn't disrupt her work either. Chapter 3: The day that confused everypony.For the first time in a long time, Rainbow Dash awoke with another body next to her. As one would guess, her mind jumped right to conclusions. “AAH!” she shrieked, bolting from the bed and quickly surveying her surroundings. Similarly, the body that had once been next to her awoke with a start, but didn’t scream. Instead, it just fell to the ground with an audible THUD. It scrambled around for a moment, seemingly caught up in the sheets. Seeing an opportunity, Rainbow Dash turned and readied her wings, but then an oddly familiar voice grunted, “Ugh! What the heck?” “…Spike?” Rainbow questioned, turning towards the writhing mass of blanket. After a few moments, the dragon’s head popped out of the covering. He shortly got the rest of the blanket off, then stood up.. and promptly hit his head on the ceiling. He ducked back down with an “Ouch!” and reached up to rub his head. Rainbow Dash looked up at Spike. Spike looked back down at Rainbow Dash. An awkward silence hung for a few moments, before Spike spoke up, “Uh, wasn’t everything a lot bigger last night?” Rainbow gawked at the dragon, mouth hanging open like a… well, like a hole. Spike had grown big. In fact, big was probably an understatement. He had to duck down just to fit into the library now, and he was certain that his neck, tail and wings hadn’t been that long before. Additionally, he was fairly positive that Twilight wasn’t the one who crushed Spike’s bed. Spike looked around, taking in his new viewpoint before it clicked. He had grown again. He quickly made observations of himself, noting that his teeth seemed significantly sharper, and also that his limbs had become lengthier. He even appeared stronger, regardless of any time he had spent working out. This was, to say, none. While he was looking himself over, Rainbow continued to stare at him, completely dumbstruck. First off, she had calmed her mind that she hadn’t done anything dirty overnight… well, at base minimum, that’s what she thought. She was pretty sure of it. Anyhow, secondly, she was quite confused. Spike hadn’t been NEARLY that size when she saw him last, which was merely the day before. It baffled her how he could have grown so large. “Spike? What was that noise? Spike?” Twilight called from downstairs, sounding slightly irritated. “Nothing!” Spike called, suddenly realizing his voice sounded much deeper than the day before. Would Twilight notice? Likley. Would she be upset? Also likely. Hoofsteps were heard coming up the stairs. Rainbow Dash, being the mare she was, automatically reacted and bolted out the nearest window… without opening it. The sound of shattering glass accelerated the hoofsteps on the stairs, resulting in the bedroom door swinging open forcefully. Twilight rushed into the room, a panicked look on her face. After a quick survey, her expression changed from panic to confusion and intrigue. “…Spike?” she asked, slowly approaching the now-towering-over-her-in-size Dragon. “You.. another growth spurt? I need to tell the Princess immediately! Oh, I hope my research can finish quick enough!” On that note, Twilight scurried out of the room. “Well, that was… weird.” Spike said, looking up at the window Rainbow had flown through, then back to the door Twilight had run through. After weighing his options, he opted to leave through the window and find Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, physics argued otherwise. He attempted to fit his newly-enlarged self through the window, but only managed to get to his shoulders before he caught the edges. Figuring it was for the best not to destroy a wall to exit, Spike chose the door. Much struggling later, Spike just managed to squeeze through the door. I hope Twilight doesn’t mind that I cracked the walls, he thought to himself with a short chuckle, then taking all of three steps down the stairs to find Twilight scrabbling out a letter. “Twilight, what’s going on? I thought I was done growing…” he said, still slightly unused to his deepened voice. “Oh, good! You’re here. Spike, could you send this letter? You know, to the Princess?” Twilight asked, her mane and tail looking more disheveled than the time she had gone crazy over a friendship problem. “Uh… okay, sure.” Spike responded, grabbing the letter off the desk with his claws. It felt strange, because he usually needed most of his claws to pick up things. Now, however, he was big enough to only have to pick it up with two claws. Lifting up the sheet of paper to his mouth, Spike inhaled and exhaled magical fire. Unfortunately, he emitted far more than he meant to, which accidentally engulfed half of the library in the substance. “Oops!” He exclaimed, attempting to extinguish the flames with his claws and tail. Too late. Meanwhile, in Canterlot Royal Castle… Princess Celestia was enjoying a nice, relaxing moment to take a load off of her usually busy schedule. Right then, she had just finished re-reading one of her favorite novels. It’s too bad the Royal library doesn’t have more books like these, she thought to herself, If only we had a larger selection. Poof. WHAM! All at once, a half-a-library’s-worth of books fell on top of the reclining Princess. Needless to say, she was not pleased. Back at the Library, Twilight was less-than-elated as well. “Spike! What did you just do?!” she yelled at the Dragon, who was attempting to make himself smaller by scrunching up into a corner. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” he said, shielding his face with his hands. “Ugh! Spike, now we have to write another letter to the Princess explaining what happened, then we have to wait for her to send the books back unless we want to go up to Canterlot ourselves to retrieve them!” she shouted, sounding more harsh than intended. “Well, maybe you should have figured I was going to burn down half the library with my fire!” Spike shouted back, suddenly taking a more aggressive stance against Twilight, looming over her. “I mean, you should have known that, since I got bigger, my fire would be more powerful! I didn’t even know I was going to get bigger again, Twilight! This brought up enough problems in the first place!” Spike had been moving slightly forward with each shout, sending Twilight back further and further in the library until she was pressed up against a wall. Snarling, Spike continued, “Why didn’t you tell me I was going to grow again? Did you think I didn’t want to know?! I’ve already scared the heck out of Rainbow Dash and you, and this is ALL. YOUR. FAULT!!” Spike practically roared at Twilight, dulling her hearing for just a few moments. Tears welled up in her eyes as she attempted to shield herself from the onslaught of words. Looking angrily down upon Twilight, Spike saw her in this state and mentally slapped himself. He nearly instantly calmed himself down and took on a saddened expression. “I, oh, shoot. I’m… I’m so, so sorry, Twilight. I just.. don’t know what came over me…” he glanced about the room, seeking refuge from the situation. He felt ashamed. Maybe it wasn’t Twilight’s fault that he hadn’t been informed about this growth. Maybe she didn’t know either. Seeking shelter from his own feelings, and possibly Twilight’s, he darted for the front door before she could react. He just managed to dive through when she managed to get up to call after him. He didn’t hear what she said, but he didn’t care right then. He, in his eyes, had just been as mean as mean could get. Right now, he just needed to get away. Rainbow Dash was confused in every sense of the word. She was confused emotionally, mentally, physically, and however else you could possibly be confused. To start, she had just woken up next to Spike. Spike the Dragon. In Twilight’s house. What the hay did I do last night? she thought with mild panic, hoping she hadn’t done anything she would come to regret. She cleared her mind of such thoughts. I wouldn’t do that, even if I wasn’t depressed and lonely… she thought, quickly shaking her head of that as well. Next up, she was very, very tired and could not figure out why. Perhaps it was the fact that she had cried herself to sleep? For the third time in the past two minutes, Rainbow shook her head clear of the offending thought. However, during the time she had spent focusing on these things, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was g- THWACK! Rainbow Dash flew straight into a solid Apple tree, knocking herself unconscious. Spike flew far, and he flew fast. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he was sure it would be far away. He wasn’t sure how far he would go, nor was he sure if he was ever going to work up the nerve to return. Here, he had just practically roared at Twilight, his caretaker, for a problem that she herself didn’t predict. He felt like a huge jerk. That thought rung out in his head. Right then, he decided where he would go. Twilight sat, simply stunned from the scene that had unfolded before her. She knew Spike was going to have some emotional trouble, as the two dragon professionals had said before, but she had no idea it would have gotten this badly so quickly. She also had no idea that Spike’s growth would escalate to such a point as another growth spurt, but it was all water under the bridge now. Spike had just absconded, likely to sulk around for awhile before seeking forgiveness. “Well, no time to dilly-dally. If I don’t get this done on time, things could get a lot worse…” she said, grimacing at the thought of anything becoming worse at this point. She went right back to her notes and began drafting a letter to Princess Celestia. Chapter 4: A day of flying and failing.A lone ember burned brightly in the dark, only just illuminating a book and quill. The flickering flame threatened to go out as melted wax pooled up around it, but it carried out its duty. This flame was quickly joined by another, yet this one was different. It shone much brighter than the candle, and shot forward much unlike its wax-encompassed kin. Sparks emitted from beneath this flame’s weight, shooting off this way and that like tiny streaks of lightning. These searing specks rebounded off of a pair of goggles from time to time, underneath which were a pair of focused eyes. It shouldn’t be much longer. A single thought floated through the room silently, invading only the mind of one pony. To be specific, a lavender Unicorn Mare, who had a welding torch in her telekinetic grip. Twilight had been in her basement for hours, but this was not the only thing she had been doing for that time. Notebooks, papers and unfinished letters lay in disarray over many tables where there was not something to fill the spot, and a few were even scattered about the floor. The hard, stone floor of Twilight’s basement didn’t make the room more inviting, nor did the lack of lights. All aside from one nearly-burnt-out candle and her blowtorch, there was nothing to illuminate the room. Other than papers and notes, there were other bits and bobs around the room. Machinery, wires and rough metal were stacked high in unorganized piles, some even reaching the ceiling. Many large machines, unfinished or otherwise, loomed over their neighboring parts without identified purpose. If anypony else were to walk in at that moment, they would just call it a mess and leave it at that. To Twilight, it was so much more. Twilight had been hard at work ever since Spike departed, figuring it would be better to save the letter to the Princess for later. She had more important matters at hoof, such as Spike’s temper. If she was going to manage that, then she would need help. That help came from her project, of which she was so laboriously working on at that very moment. To make a long story longer, it was a program designed specifically for Spike. You see, Twilight had come up with an excellent idea to control Spike’s temper. Seeing as he could become out-of-hoof at any moment, she came up with two alternatives. She could either cope with it, or make something that could cope with it for her. The second option made the most sense, so she got right to drafting up ideas. Her first idea entailed mind control, but she deemed it too dangerous. Many other ideas floated around similar subjects, all of which were labeled as ‘too hazardous for operation.’ An idea finally presented itself, of which was a combat program that Twilight could design and tweak to fit Spike’s needs, particularly when he would need to vent his anger or other emotions. By now, she had made great progress on it. She had a few failures, of which were recognized by various blast marks and damage in the room. These were paid no mind, however, as the only worker was hard at… well, work. A bead of sweat rolled off of Twilight’s forehead. The torch went out, and was levitated over to an empty spot on a nearby table. The purple Mare turned her attention to what she had just finished, removing her goggles so she could see it better. The machine itself was massive, taking up practically half the basement. Various gadgets, widgets, gizmos and sprockets were jutting out here and there, none of which were animate at the time. Controls and levers sat in front of Twilight, who then levitated a few screws and a screwdriver over to her. She set them in place and secured them, taking care to get everything juuuuust right. Spike was distraught, disoriented, disappointed in himself and completely unsure of his decision. When we last left ~~our hero~~ the drake, he’d made a poorly-concocted decision about what to do. He knew he would have practically uncontrollable rage, as had been demonstrated before, but he didn’t know it could get so severe. Many ponies looked up as a purple-and-green streak tore the sky, giving only the occasional powerful flap to keep him aloft. Fewer and fewer ponies looked up as he flew away from the town, leaving the residents of the village to ponder what had just occurred. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I shouldn’t have been with Twilight in the first place… Spike thought to himself, allowing tears to form in his eyes. He considered it fate that he was given to Twilight as an egg, yet he wondered where he came from originally. Maybe he’d been rescued. Maybe he’d been stolen. Maybe he was given as a gift from his actual parents. Regardless of the options he brought up, he could place no further idea than these three. He would have put more thought into it, but this was not the time for this topic. Right now, Spike was concerned with finding those of his own kind. Yeah. You heard me right. Spike was looking for Dragons. Why, you might ask? Well, let’s head back t- Oh! Oh! I know this one! Don’t tell me, it’s- Pinkie. We already had a discussion about keeping the fourth wall intact. But… but that was in your other story! I don’t care. Now, put the fourth wall back so I can resume my story. … Much better. Anyhow, let’s head back to when Spike left Twilight’s tree. Remember how he was thinking he was a huge jerk? Well, if you don’t, then you oughta get your memory checked. If you do, then keep reading. Anyhow, Spike was extremely upset about how he had treated Twilight. He thought himself to be a huge jerk and didn’t deserve to be around Twilight, so he wanted to seek out a place that he would fit in. Almost immediately, the other dragons he’d met during the Dragon migration. They were huge jerks, and he now considered himself a jerk, so he immediately picked them for company. It may have just been the emotion of the moment, but he had set out to find other dragons and integrate himself into their society. So far, nothing. He thought with a sigh, scanning the ground below him for any signs of draconic activity. Alright. Back to Twilight. Since I know everyone’s going to wonder, we’ll do a bit of an in-depth investigation. First order of business, Twilight herself. Having stayed up all night, Twilight’s mane and tail were a mess. A small line of dried drool had been trailing from her mouth for most of the time, since she hadn’t bothered to stop for a break. Her thoughts, similar to her papers, had been scattered this way and that. Not one thing she’d been thinking had been a complete thought, yet she somehow managed to string them together into a comprehensible idea that she then channeled into the metal before her. The machines themselves, although too numerous to list off, were often quite complex. Many focused around the idea of controlling the electrical impulses of the brain in order to control the body, but that idea was scrapped halfway through the night. Similarly, a couple of plates of food had been discarded as Twilight decided it would be more important to complete her task. Food could wait until she was done. Twilight removed her goggles and looked back over her work. Everything had been put in place, so now all it needed was to be turned on. …and it also needed a test subject. Twilight face-hooved. How could I have left that out? She thought with a huff, quickly throwing her eyes about the room. Each and every machine here needed a subject and an operator. She was just one pony, so she couldn’t pull off both tasks simultaneously. Not to mention, if it was dangerous, she might end up hurting herself. With no further options, she decided to venture… OUTSIIIIIIDE. … Yes, I know, that’s not very ominous or foreboding. That’s the best you’re gonna get for awhile. Twilight huffed. She was tired and didn’t want to go outside, but an experiment not done isn’t an experiment at all. With newfound determination, coupled with the fact that she wanted to get it over with, she set out for the exterior world. Creeeaaaak… the door to the library resounded, loudly groaning as it was opened slowly. Blinding sunlight streaked its way into the dim library, to which a lavender Mare responded by bringing a hoof up to shield her eyes. Twilight’s vision hazed for a moment as piercing light entered her vision, but it quickly focused again as she grew used to it. Turns out it was the perfect time for Twilight to find a test subject, seeing as it looked to be during the hustle and bustle of the day. Ponies trotted this way and that, some shopping or travelling while others stopped to have a chat. Twilight saw none of this. Instead, she saw all of the possible subjects she could make endure her ~~torture~~ tests. This, however, would prove quite difficult in the next few minutes. Twilight made her way outside, making quick note of the casual breeze that ran through her fur. She swiftly decided that the best approach for getting a test subject would be the direct approach, so she trotted up to the nearest pony available. The pony in question was a tan-coated, brown-maned pony with a cutie mark resembling a golden leaf. Being the sleep-deprived Mare she was, Twilight immediately ran up and blurted, “Hey there! Wanna take part in some experiments that toy with your mind and could potentially be crippling or fatal based off of machines that were originally designed for my assistant and could have unforeseen consequences on somepony like you?” There are no words to describe the look of horror that crossed that stallion’s face. There are words, however, for describing how he ran away. He ran away screaming. Twilight was left standing confused, unsure of what just transpired. Shrugging it off, she repeated this several times with other nearby ponies. She got the same reaction each time, regardless of whatever way she may have reworded the request. Why is it so hard to get a guinea pig? The lavender Mare thought to herself, sitting on a nearby bench to start formulating a new strategy of approach. Spike had been flying for awhile, and he began to tire. For all you smart-alecks out there, NO, this does not mean that he became rubbery and spherical. It just means he was exhausted. Anyhow, he decided it’d be a good idea to land and rest for a bit. Once he’d regained his energy, he would take off once again and find those dragons. Spike came to a stop atop a small hill amongst others, but not a creature was in sight. In fact, it was almost eerily quiet with having nothing nearby to make noise. He glanced around for a quick moment, and made sure he was alone. With a short sigh, he plopped down on the ground and laid back. It felt nice to just relax, regardless of how short it may be. Thoom… A quiet rumbling caused Spike to sit up, now slightly confused. Thoom. Spike stood, surveying the scene. He was sure that something was up, considering he had felt it twice. What concerned him was the fact that it felt like it was getting closer. THOOM. The ground beneath Spike began to shake violently, as though some massive beast were approaching. Spike whirled this way and that, trying to spot it, but nothing appeared. THOOM! The ground in front of Spike exploded, flinging the drake across a large distance. The ground almost seemed to erupt with fire and smoke, spewing chunks of land every which way. Spike hurriedly regained his footing as the smoke dissipated into nothing, as though it’d never even been there before. He hurried to the site of the blast, finding only small bits of rubble scattered around a large crater. From the size of the crater, which was roughly about twice as wide as Sugarcube Corner, he hadn’t the foggiest idea as to what could have caused it. THOOM. Another rumbling signaled what would have been obvious. Whatever it was, it was leaving. Turning to take to the skies, Spike spread his wings and darted into the air. Whatever it was, it’d pay for that trick.
Chapter 1: The day of change.Spike’s eyes fluttered open as he came into consciousness. Glancing around the library, he quickly noted something was... different. He wasn’t in his bed. Instead, he was splayed across the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Flashbacks of a party that everypony threw together played through his head. He giggled to himself as he remembered a certain pink pony getting sick and needing to go to the hospital, where they diagnosed her with diabetes from constantly eating sugary treats. In a similar way that Spike ate gems for energy, she was using her sweets as a sort of life source. Letting out a short chuckle, Spike stood and balanced himself, then staggered towards the bathroom. Before he passed through the door, he hit his head on the low-hanging part of the ceiling. “Ow!” Spike exclaimed, reeling back and rubbing his head. “What in the...?” he started as he ducked through the door. He turned to look in the mirror, and froze in place. Staring back at him was a tall, lanky dragon of purple and green. Almost taking this as a new arrival, Spike nervously greeted the ‘other’ dragon with a quick, “Oh, hello.” He waved. The other dragon waved. Confused, Spike lowered his hand and took a step closer. The other dragon mimicked his move. It was about then that it struck him. That’s not another dragon. That’s me! With a startled look, Spike looked over himself. He’d made quite a growth spurt, expecting that it had occurred overnight as that was the only way it could make sense. He thought briefly why he may have had this sudden growth spurt, but his mind could only fall to two conclusions. One, he had become a greedy monster overnight.. for the second time. Two, there was something wrong with him. Figuring that, since he had no craving for material objects, there must have been something wrong with him, he began to panic. He called up the stairs, “Twilight! I need you to come down here! I think there’s something wrong with me!” Almost immediately there was a reaction. Shuffling could be heard coming from the second-story bedroom, with various objects bumping around and hoofsteps rushing towards the door. “I’ll be right there!” Twilight shouted from behind the door, which became enveloped in a sparkling aura and flew open. Without really looking, Twilight charged down the stairs and surveyed the room, almost immediately laying her eyes on Spike. She looked him over, at first seeming confused, then frightened, but then intrigued. “Uh, Twi? Are you alright? You’re sorta acting like you’re investigating the whole ‘Pinkie Sense’ ordeal again.” Spike said, a tone of concern in his voice. Finally finding her own, Twilight responded, “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m just... shocked. I didn’t think your growth spurt would happen this soon.. I thought we’d have at least a good year before you grew.” Twilight levitated a quill and parchment from a nearby table, and then began furiously scrawling notes onto it. Twilight’s words caught Spike off-guard. He took an inquisitive look and asked, “Wait, you knew this was going to happen, and didn’t bother telling me? You know, you could have at least warned me that this was going to happen, and before it actually did!” He growled at Twilight. Upon seeing this hostile action, Twilight cowered in fear behind her notes as though she were Fluttershy. Realizing his mistake, Spike relaxed himself and said, “Oh, uh, Sorry, Twi. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that...” He looked away and rubbed the back of his head as Twilight calmed down. “That..That’s okay, Spike. I really should have told you before this happened.” She set her notes down, then walked up to Spike and placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, which caused him to turn back towards her. “I’m just a bit worried now, though. If you are becoming a monster again, then there won’t be any way we’ll be able to stop you. We got lucky enough the first time.” She took her hoof off his shoulder and went back to her notes. “Well, how could I become a monster again, anyhow? It’s not like I’ve been receiving any gifts lately,” Spike defended his position, shrugging slightly. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be getting gifts, Spike.” Twilight said with a short sigh, “It could just be giving and wanting something in return. Regardless of what you give, you’d probably want something more valuable than the thing you gave... I think. I’m going to write a letter to the Princess about this, Spike. Just make sure nopony else sees you, or you might have another mob of ponies to deal with.” She then proceeded to walk into another room, likely to write the letter. “Well, okay, but-“ Spike was interrupted by the turning of a doorknob behind him. He froze in place from a shot of panic, as he knew nopony was scheduled to arrive at the library... all aside from their friends. He bolted up the stairs so fast that, had a certain Technicolor Pegasus mare been there, he probably would have gotten a compliment. He raced into the upstairs bedroom and closed the door most of the way, but kept it cracked open so he could observe the situation. Familiar voices rang in his ears as Pinkie Pie entered the library, accompanied by other hoofsteps. From his perspective, however, Spike couldn’t tell who else was there. “Twilight? Twilie? Twi?” Pinkie called out, then proceeding to call Twilight in different languages. “Pinkie, would you stop that? We’re here for Twilight, not some ‘say your friend’s name in a thousand languages’ contest. Besides, I’ll bet Spike knows where she i-“ Rainbow Dash stopped mid-sentence. She was pointing a hoof to where Spike would ordinarily be at this time of the day, but only saw an empty piece of floor. “Huh. Anypony seen Spike?” She asked, looking about the room, “He’s not where he’s usually working around now.” Glancing around, Fluttershy noticed that Spike wasn’t on the ground floor at all. A look of concern washed over her as she said, “Oh my, I hope poor little Spikey isn’t sick.” She took to her wings and flew to the second floor. Thankfully, Spike was prepared for this. He darted out the window and hid beneath the flowers like he had seen in so many action films. As the girls entered the room, they all looked around, but found no evidence of either Twilight or Spike. “Well, I guess they aren’t here,” Rainbow Dash said, “Must be royal business or something. I’m sure that only ‘eggheads’ like Twilight and Spike would get it.” On this note, they all turned to leave. A wicked grin spread across Spike’s face as he realized this would be the perfect opportunity to pull a prank on Rainbow. He quickly climbed down the building and stood just above the doorframe that lead outside, then waited. He tensed his wings as the doorknob tur- Wait, I have wings? Spike thought curiously to himself as he looked to his back, where he spotted a pair of finely-sized purple wings. Cool! he thought in silence as the door opened, then averting his attention to the mares exiting the building. As Rainbow Dash exited, he opened his wings wide and cast a shadow over her. He expected her to turn around with a look of terror over her face, but her reaction was quite different. The first thing he registered after her wheeling about was a hoof connecting with his face. The next thing he felt was him getting yanked by the tail and slammed into the ground, then thrown into the air where he casually landed on a cloud. A chromatic Pegasus flew to him and stood over where he lay, accusingly asking, “Who are you?! Why were you trying to hurt me?!” Before he could answer, two more hooves connected with his face and stomach. “Ugh...” was all he muttered out as he attempted to regain his wits. “There’ll be more where that came from if I don’t get an answer right now!” Rainbow Dash roared at him, winding up for another kick. Spike was completely sure he had some broken ribs by now. His left eye was partially swollen and both his nostrils were bleeding. Through blurred vision, he saw Rainbow rearing up for another kick, so he put out a claw defensively in front of him. “Rainbow, wait! It *cough*.. It’s me..!” He started, but Rainbow Dash interjected. “I don’t know who you are, since I’m pretty sure the only Dragon I know is Spike, and he’s Twilight’s assistant.” She faltered for a moment, saying, “Y’know, I kinda think he’s cute. If he was a bit taller and older, maybe about your size, then I’d hit it.” She took on another aggressive look and shouted, “But don’t tell Spike that. Or Twilight!” “Heh...” Spike said, coughing up a little blood. “I’m sure there’s no reason to worry. I think he already knows.” Rainbow Dash looked confused for a moment, before she looked over the Dragon before her, saying, “Well, what makes you say tha-“ It struck her like a Frisbee. This Dragon WAS Spike! She put a hoof over her mouth in realization before letting them back down. “Spike?” “The one and only.” “Oh. My. Gosh! How did I not realize it was you? Sheesh, what spell did Twilight put on you this time?” She asked, blushing from realizing she said she’s probably date Spike had he been older and taller. Well, now he was older and taller, and she was finding him mildly attractive. “It wasn’t a spell,” Spike started, coughing a couple more times and holding a clawed hand over his side. “I hit a growth spurt a little early. Heh... did you really mean what you said earlier?” Rainbow Dash blushed hard, but that quickly faded when she noticed how bruised and beaten he was. “Oh, shoot, I’m so sorry, Spike! I didn’t hurt you that badly, did I?” Genuine concern flooded into her voice as she took a step towards him, but stopped herself. She wasn’t sure what she should do, or even could do. “No, it’s..” Spike’s breathing began to slow. “It’s okay. I’ll be.. ngh.. fine. I’m just a little... tired, is all...” Spike yawned, suddenly finding it difficult to hold his eyes open. His breathing slowed further as he muttered, “I just gotta.. take a nap, is all...” His breathing slowed down almost to the point of stopping. Realizing she had injured Spike greatly, Rainbow knelt at his side and shook his shoulders, shouting, “No! Spike! Stay with me, buddy! Stay awake! I, uh.. I meant it! All of what I said before! I meant every word!” Spike’s eyes slowly flickered shut as he faded from consciousness. “No! Stay awake!” she shouted, tears streaming down her face as she watched the life drain away from Spike. She held him halfway up with her hooves, shouting at him to stay awake and that everything would be fine as dripping tears rolled off his scales. His eyes closed, possibly for the last time. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed this rewritten chapter! More to come soon! A/N 2: Fluttershy's color is temporarily orange, or permanently orange if no orange-colored ponies invade the story.
Chapter 2: The day of slightly less change that becomes more change anyway.Rainbow Dash had no idea what to do. Here was her friend, Spike the Dragon, whom she had just brutally beaten and was losing his life right before her eyes. What was she doing? Standing around like a foal. Without a second thought, she bolted to the sky and flew as fast as her wings could take her. She headed off to the Ponyville hospital to get help. Having not noticed Rainbow Dash had gone out of her way to beat the tar out of Spike, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were still trotting along a path away from the Library, until Pinkie heard shouting. She turned around in time to see Rainbow soaring away, then turned to see what she was flying from. She noticed a cloud with a peculiar purple-and-green tail sticking out of it. “That’s funny! Clouds don’t usually have tails, and when they do, they’re always cloud tails! Hey, Fluttershy! Look at the funny cloud!” Pinkie said, giggling, then bringing Fluttershy’s attention to the unusual cloud. With a gasp, she automatically recognized whose tail it was. More importantly, she noticed the marks on his tail that indicated some form of rough-housing. From what she could gather from that distance, his tail looked like somepony had pulled it quite hard. Her motherly instincts kicking in, Fluttershy zoomed up to the cloud to get a better look, then realized why Rainbow Dash had flown away so fast. One shriek and the sound of sirens later, his body was quickly retrieved from the cloud and carted away. The funeral was short. Not many ponies showed up, but not many needed to. Few words were spoken, but the thought was really what mattered. Many tears were shed, many ponies lost composure of themselves, and few remained straight-faced. Spike himself stayed sullen as stone the whole procession. Who could blame him? Strangely enough, Rainbow Dash seemed the most broken up about the death. She was in tears the whole time, and when she was called up to make a speech, she couldn’t form any words and was escorted away by her friends. Twilight, curiously, had not shown. She hadn’t left the library since she heard the news. Figuring it was for the best, her friends left her to be by herself for a few days. It wasn’t the same without her, but it would have to do. Even the Wonderbolts had made an appearance to show their respect. They even performed a few tricks in honor of the recently deceased. Most surprising of all was the arrival of Princess Celestia herself. Stating that Luna would have shown had she not been busy shocked the ponies more than the arrival of the first, but attitudes all shifted to that similar to depression as the ceremony carried on. The Princess had even read a prepared speech. Anypony who had kept their composure at this time completely broke down into tears, all aside from Spike, who remained almost completely stone-faced. The time had come to lower the coffin into the ground, and final goodbyes were said. Rainbow Dash had remained in tears the entire time, much to the amazement of many ponies. Even the Princess herself had shed a tear as the coffin was buried. As the ceremony ended, one lone figure stood over the gravestone, which read: Here lies Nitrous Oxide. Member of the Wonderbolts, Fast Flier, Optimist, Companion, and a great Friend. May she forever Rest in Peace. A cutie mark of a splash of green liquid, half of which was on fire, was emblazoned upon the Tombstone below the words. Tears stained the ground below a Technicolor Pegasus mare, before a reassuring clawed hand was placed on her shoulder. Without opening her eyes, Rainbow turned and pulled Spike into a big hug. He returned the embrace silently, letting Rainbow get it all out. It really was a sad moment for Nitrous to go out in such a way. What many ponies had assumed was a skydive became a moment of horror as a speeding body crashed into the ground. A sickening CRUNCH echoed through the stadium as medical ponies rushed to aid the downed Wonderbolt, but they were far too late. The doctors didn’t even get her off the field before announcing that she had passed away. Many heartbroken and tear-stained fans walked away from the stadium that day, leaving just a few saddened members of the Wonderbolts left to cope with their loss. It had only been her first performance, and they had known she wasn’t ready. They pushed her to strive for the best, but her best wasn’t good enough. Some questioned how she got into the Wonderbolts in the first place. Some said it was luck. Others said it was fate. Others still credited it to her ability to light the very air on fire with her spectacular stunts. Any way you cut it, she must have been destined to die that day. She tried hard. A little too hard, actually. During a loop-de-loop, she had accidentally hit her head on a cloud while moving quite fast and had knocked herself unconscious. The other members of the Wonderbolts watched as she fell but, just like the crowd, they had assumed she would pull up at the last second in a spectacular, death-defying stunt. They were horribly, painfully wrong. Thanks to their misjudgment, a good pony was lost that day. Now, everypony was feeling the weight of their mistake. In particular, Rainbow Dash. Spike comforted her as she cried. It was not just for the death of Nitrous, but also in fear. She had nearly gotten accepted into a spot for the Wonderbolts. What if that had been her? What if she died that day, and not Nitrous? It was simply too much to bear. The very thought horrified her, but her own conscious got to her first. What are you doing, Rainbow? You’re crying for your own safety when the Wonderbolt who got the spot died? Quit pitying yourself! She began to feel enraged at herself. Here she was, just after a funeral session, and she was concerned for herself. It almost disgusted her, but she forgot all about it as Spike consoled her regardless. “Shh...” he whispered, gently stroking her mane as he took her up in his arms, “There, there, Rainbow. Everything’s going to be alright.” She looked up into his big, green eyes as they stared right back at her, comforting her with a look of kindness. For a moment, she felt as though everything would be okay. She shifted herself in his arms and nuzzled close, giving a content sigh as she shoved the negative thoughts from her mind. Spike simply sat and held her, ignoring the pain under the many bandages across his body, hoping and praying that he could alleviate her pain for good. He knew these prayers would be to no avail, but at least, for now, she was calmed. To Spike, that’s all that really mattered. It was not until the sun shone no longer in the sky that Spike flew to the Library, carrying a sleeping bundle of color in his arms. During all of this, Twilight had been furiously working with no regards to her personal needs. Why? Well, let me tell you. After having sent a letter to the Princess, she had gotten a letter back stating the utmost of important tasks. Dear Twilight Sparkle, It is interesting to hear that Spike has hit his growth so early. In light of this news, I am sending two professionals of Draconic knowledge over to the Library to discuss manners of utmost importance. They will be arriving shortly via carriage. Please listen to every word they have to say, as this is an extremely important task. With hope, Princess Celestia Twilight, for one, was quite surprised. She had no idea that Spike’s growth spurt would incite such a reaction, nor did she know why the Princess was sending over to experts on Dragons. There was clearly a piece of the puzzle that she did not have, and she needed to know what it was before anything bad happened. As one might guess, Twilight immediately started to jump to conclusions. Maybe they know something about Spike that I don’t. Maybe he is going to become a monster again! Maybe it’ll be worse than last time! What if they have to take him away from me? What if they have to k- Twilight immediately cut her last thought off, and tried to shake it from her head. Now, Twilight, you’re just being silly! They wouldn’t have to do that to Spike! ...right? Twilight nearly jumped ten hooves in the air as a loud RAP RAP RAP! was heard from the front door. She quickly answered it and greeted two stallions outside the door, who introduced themselves as Rational Thinking and Itmen Siofmea. Twilight was confused at the last name, but Rational quickly explained that it meant ‘Bright Thought’ in Draconic tongue. They hurried inside and immediately began speculations. For starters, they stated that the entire Library was unsuitable for a growing Dragon, as he would need to master his fire-breathing. Since there were a lot of flammable books in the Library, combined with the fact that it was a tree, it was deemed a very dangerous environment to keep Spike until he learned to control his fire. Twilight interjected by saying he could already do just that, but they assured her that it would likely grow out of control quite soon. They also speculated that, at Spike’s growth rate, he would likely need larger accommodations, so they would need to find a more suitable living space for him. Twilight was horrified. They’re gonna take Spike away?? She thought in a panic to herself. As the duo thanked her for her time, they turned to leave. The door in front of them disagreed as it slammed shut, enveloped by a certain Unicorn’s aura. “Hold it. Are you saying you’re just going to take Spike away?” she asked menacingly as the two turned back to her. “Well, yes,” Itmen stated, “It would be hazardous for him to remain in this current establishment anyhow. He would have no room to grow, practice with his magic fire breath, or relieve his temper.” “Wait...” Twilight started, “What do you mean, ‘relieve his temper?’” She took on a quizzical look. She did remember Spike snapping at her, but that was all. Oh, no. He isn’t going to get worse, is he? She thought, a look of combined excitement and fear portrayed across her face. “When I said relieve his temper, I meant relieve his temper! A growing Dragon has to deal with severe mood issues until they can be quelled, which won’t be for quite some time. Speaking of, I hope you’ve got a close eye and tight leash on him. For all we know, at this stage of development, he might start having some pretty bad mood swings.” On that note, he added, “Me and my colleague will return tomorrow to discuss other important matters. For the time being,” He pulled out a pocket watch and examined it, then put it away. “We must depart. Farewell, Twilight Sparkle. Have a good evening.” The chatterbox Draconic specialist and his colleague departed shortly thereafter, leaving Twilight alone to her thoughts. It was right about then that she had an idea. If she could just meet Spike’s needs, then she could keep him around instead of having anypony take him away! A crazy grin spread across her face as ideas flooded into her mind. Paying no mind to the new knocking at the door and loud voices, she got a quill, ink and parchment then got right to designing. Curiously, the sound of an opening window upstairs and heavy steps didn't disrupt her work either.
Chapter 3: The day that confused everypony.For the first time in a long time, Rainbow Dash awoke with another body next to her. As one would guess, her mind jumped right to conclusions. “AAH!” she shrieked, bolting from the bed and quickly surveying her surroundings. Similarly, the body that had once been next to her awoke with a start, but didn’t scream. Instead, it just fell to the ground with an audible THUD. It scrambled around for a moment, seemingly caught up in the sheets. Seeing an opportunity, Rainbow Dash turned and readied her wings, but then an oddly familiar voice grunted, “Ugh! What the heck?” “…Spike?” Rainbow questioned, turning towards the writhing mass of blanket. After a few moments, the dragon’s head popped out of the covering. He shortly got the rest of the blanket off, then stood up.. and promptly hit his head on the ceiling. He ducked back down with an “Ouch!” and reached up to rub his head. Rainbow Dash looked up at Spike. Spike looked back down at Rainbow Dash. An awkward silence hung for a few moments, before Spike spoke up, “Uh, wasn’t everything a lot bigger last night?” Rainbow gawked at the dragon, mouth hanging open like a… well, like a hole. Spike had grown big. In fact, big was probably an understatement. He had to duck down just to fit into the library now, and he was certain that his neck, tail and wings hadn’t been that long before. Additionally, he was fairly positive that Twilight wasn’t the one who crushed Spike’s bed. Spike looked around, taking in his new viewpoint before it clicked. He had grown again. He quickly made observations of himself, noting that his teeth seemed significantly sharper, and also that his limbs had become lengthier. He even appeared stronger, regardless of any time he had spent working out. This was, to say, none. While he was looking himself over, Rainbow continued to stare at him, completely dumbstruck. First off, she had calmed her mind that she hadn’t done anything dirty overnight… well, at base minimum, that’s what she thought. She was pretty sure of it. Anyhow, secondly, she was quite confused. Spike hadn’t been NEARLY that size when she saw him last, which was merely the day before. It baffled her how he could have grown so large. “Spike? What was that noise? Spike?” Twilight called from downstairs, sounding slightly irritated. “Nothing!” Spike called, suddenly realizing his voice sounded much deeper than the day before. Would Twilight notice? Likley. Would she be upset? Also likely. Hoofsteps were heard coming up the stairs. Rainbow Dash, being the mare she was, automatically reacted and bolted out the nearest window… without opening it. The sound of shattering glass accelerated the hoofsteps on the stairs, resulting in the bedroom door swinging open forcefully. Twilight rushed into the room, a panicked look on her face. After a quick survey, her expression changed from panic to confusion and intrigue. “…Spike?” she asked, slowly approaching the now-towering-over-her-in-size Dragon. “You.. another growth spurt? I need to tell the Princess immediately! Oh, I hope my research can finish quick enough!” On that note, Twilight scurried out of the room. “Well, that was… weird.” Spike said, looking up at the window Rainbow had flown through, then back to the door Twilight had run through. After weighing his options, he opted to leave through the window and find Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, physics argued otherwise. He attempted to fit his newly-enlarged self through the window, but only managed to get to his shoulders before he caught the edges. Figuring it was for the best not to destroy a wall to exit, Spike chose the door. Much struggling later, Spike just managed to squeeze through the door. I hope Twilight doesn’t mind that I cracked the walls, he thought to himself with a short chuckle, then taking all of three steps down the stairs to find Twilight scrabbling out a letter. “Twilight, what’s going on? I thought I was done growing…” he said, still slightly unused to his deepened voice. “Oh, good! You’re here. Spike, could you send this letter? You know, to the Princess?” Twilight asked, her mane and tail looking more disheveled than the time she had gone crazy over a friendship problem. “Uh… okay, sure.” Spike responded, grabbing the letter off the desk with his claws. It felt strange, because he usually needed most of his claws to pick up things. Now, however, he was big enough to only have to pick it up with two claws. Lifting up the sheet of paper to his mouth, Spike inhaled and exhaled magical fire. Unfortunately, he emitted far more than he meant to, which accidentally engulfed half of the library in the substance. “Oops!” He exclaimed, attempting to extinguish the flames with his claws and tail. Too late. Meanwhile, in Canterlot Royal Castle… Princess Celestia was enjoying a nice, relaxing moment to take a load off of her usually busy schedule. Right then, she had just finished re-reading one of her favorite novels. It’s too bad the Royal library doesn’t have more books like these, she thought to herself, If only we had a larger selection. Poof. WHAM! All at once, a half-a-library’s-worth of books fell on top of the reclining Princess. Needless to say, she was not pleased. Back at the Library, Twilight was less-than-elated as well. “Spike! What did you just do?!” she yelled at the Dragon, who was attempting to make himself smaller by scrunching up into a corner. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” he said, shielding his face with his hands. “Ugh! Spike, now we have to write another letter to the Princess explaining what happened, then we have to wait for her to send the books back unless we want to go up to Canterlot ourselves to retrieve them!” she shouted, sounding more harsh than intended. “Well, maybe you should have figured I was going to burn down half the library with my fire!” Spike shouted back, suddenly taking a more aggressive stance against Twilight, looming over her. “I mean, you should have known that, since I got bigger, my fire would be more powerful! I didn’t even know I was going to get bigger again, Twilight! This brought up enough problems in the first place!” Spike had been moving slightly forward with each shout, sending Twilight back further and further in the library until she was pressed up against a wall. Snarling, Spike continued, “Why didn’t you tell me I was going to grow again? Did you think I didn’t want to know?! I’ve already scared the heck out of Rainbow Dash and you, and this is ALL. YOUR. FAULT!!” Spike practically roared at Twilight, dulling her hearing for just a few moments. Tears welled up in her eyes as she attempted to shield herself from the onslaught of words. Looking angrily down upon Twilight, Spike saw her in this state and mentally slapped himself. He nearly instantly calmed himself down and took on a saddened expression. “I, oh, shoot. I’m… I’m so, so sorry, Twilight. I just.. don’t know what came over me…” he glanced about the room, seeking refuge from the situation. He felt ashamed. Maybe it wasn’t Twilight’s fault that he hadn’t been informed about this growth. Maybe she didn’t know either. Seeking shelter from his own feelings, and possibly Twilight’s, he darted for the front door before she could react. He just managed to dive through when she managed to get up to call after him. He didn’t hear what she said, but he didn’t care right then. He, in his eyes, had just been as mean as mean could get. Right now, he just needed to get away. Rainbow Dash was confused in every sense of the word. She was confused emotionally, mentally, physically, and however else you could possibly be confused. To start, she had just woken up next to Spike. Spike the Dragon. In Twilight’s house. What the hay did I do last night? she thought with mild panic, hoping she hadn’t done anything she would come to regret. She cleared her mind of such thoughts. I wouldn’t do that, even if I wasn’t depressed and lonely… she thought, quickly shaking her head of that as well. Next up, she was very, very tired and could not figure out why. Perhaps it was the fact that she had cried herself to sleep? For the third time in the past two minutes, Rainbow shook her head clear of the offending thought. However, during the time she had spent focusing on these things, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was g- THWACK! Rainbow Dash flew straight into a solid Apple tree, knocking herself unconscious. Spike flew far, and he flew fast. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he was sure it would be far away. He wasn’t sure how far he would go, nor was he sure if he was ever going to work up the nerve to return. Here, he had just practically roared at Twilight, his caretaker, for a problem that she herself didn’t predict. He felt like a huge jerk. That thought rung out in his head. Right then, he decided where he would go. Twilight sat, simply stunned from the scene that had unfolded before her. She knew Spike was going to have some emotional trouble, as the two dragon professionals had said before, but she had no idea it would have gotten this badly so quickly. She also had no idea that Spike’s growth would escalate to such a point as another growth spurt, but it was all water under the bridge now. Spike had just absconded, likely to sulk around for awhile before seeking forgiveness. “Well, no time to dilly-dally. If I don’t get this done on time, things could get a lot worse…” she said, grimacing at the thought of anything becoming worse at this point. She went right back to her notes and began drafting a letter to Princess Celestia.
Chapter 4: A day of flying and failing.A lone ember burned brightly in the dark, only just illuminating a book and quill. The flickering flame threatened to go out as melted wax pooled up around it, but it carried out its duty. This flame was quickly joined by another, yet this one was different. It shone much brighter than the candle, and shot forward much unlike its wax-encompassed kin. Sparks emitted from beneath this flame’s weight, shooting off this way and that like tiny streaks of lightning. These searing specks rebounded off of a pair of goggles from time to time, underneath which were a pair of focused eyes. It shouldn’t be much longer. A single thought floated through the room silently, invading only the mind of one pony. To be specific, a lavender Unicorn Mare, who had a welding torch in her telekinetic grip. Twilight had been in her basement for hours, but this was not the only thing she had been doing for that time. Notebooks, papers and unfinished letters lay in disarray over many tables where there was not something to fill the spot, and a few were even scattered about the floor. The hard, stone floor of Twilight’s basement didn’t make the room more inviting, nor did the lack of lights. All aside from one nearly-burnt-out candle and her blowtorch, there was nothing to illuminate the room. Other than papers and notes, there were other bits and bobs around the room. Machinery, wires and rough metal were stacked high in unorganized piles, some even reaching the ceiling. Many large machines, unfinished or otherwise, loomed over their neighboring parts without identified purpose. If anypony else were to walk in at that moment, they would just call it a mess and leave it at that. To Twilight, it was so much more. Twilight had been hard at work ever since Spike departed, figuring it would be better to save the letter to the Princess for later. She had more important matters at hoof, such as Spike’s temper. If she was going to manage that, then she would need help. That help came from her project, of which she was so laboriously working on at that very moment. To make a long story longer, it was a program designed specifically for Spike. You see, Twilight had come up with an excellent idea to control Spike’s temper. Seeing as he could become out-of-hoof at any moment, she came up with two alternatives. She could either cope with it, or make something that could cope with it for her. The second option made the most sense, so she got right to drafting up ideas. Her first idea entailed mind control, but she deemed it too dangerous. Many other ideas floated around similar subjects, all of which were labeled as ‘too hazardous for operation.’ An idea finally presented itself, of which was a combat program that Twilight could design and tweak to fit Spike’s needs, particularly when he would need to vent his anger or other emotions. By now, she had made great progress on it. She had a few failures, of which were recognized by various blast marks and damage in the room. These were paid no mind, however, as the only worker was hard at… well, work. A bead of sweat rolled off of Twilight’s forehead. The torch went out, and was levitated over to an empty spot on a nearby table. The purple Mare turned her attention to what she had just finished, removing her goggles so she could see it better. The machine itself was massive, taking up practically half the basement. Various gadgets, widgets, gizmos and sprockets were jutting out here and there, none of which were animate at the time. Controls and levers sat in front of Twilight, who then levitated a few screws and a screwdriver over to her. She set them in place and secured them, taking care to get everything juuuuust right. Spike was distraught, disoriented, disappointed in himself and completely unsure of his decision. When we last left ~~our hero~~ the drake, he’d made a poorly-concocted decision about what to do. He knew he would have practically uncontrollable rage, as had been demonstrated before, but he didn’t know it could get so severe. Many ponies looked up as a purple-and-green streak tore the sky, giving only the occasional powerful flap to keep him aloft. Fewer and fewer ponies looked up as he flew away from the town, leaving the residents of the village to ponder what had just occurred. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I shouldn’t have been with Twilight in the first place… Spike thought to himself, allowing tears to form in his eyes. He considered it fate that he was given to Twilight as an egg, yet he wondered where he came from originally. Maybe he’d been rescued. Maybe he’d been stolen. Maybe he was given as a gift from his actual parents. Regardless of the options he brought up, he could place no further idea than these three. He would have put more thought into it, but this was not the time for this topic. Right now, Spike was concerned with finding those of his own kind. Yeah. You heard me right. Spike was looking for Dragons. Why, you might ask? Well, let’s head back t- Oh! Oh! I know this one! Don’t tell me, it’s- Pinkie. We already had a discussion about keeping the fourth wall intact. But… but that was in your other story! I don’t care. Now, put the fourth wall back so I can resume my story. … Much better. Anyhow, let’s head back to when Spike left Twilight’s tree. Remember how he was thinking he was a huge jerk? Well, if you don’t, then you oughta get your memory checked. If you do, then keep reading. Anyhow, Spike was extremely upset about how he had treated Twilight. He thought himself to be a huge jerk and didn’t deserve to be around Twilight, so he wanted to seek out a place that he would fit in. Almost immediately, the other dragons he’d met during the Dragon migration. They were huge jerks, and he now considered himself a jerk, so he immediately picked them for company. It may have just been the emotion of the moment, but he had set out to find other dragons and integrate himself into their society. So far, nothing. He thought with a sigh, scanning the ground below him for any signs of draconic activity. Alright. Back to Twilight. Since I know everyone’s going to wonder, we’ll do a bit of an in-depth investigation. First order of business, Twilight herself. Having stayed up all night, Twilight’s mane and tail were a mess. A small line of dried drool had been trailing from her mouth for most of the time, since she hadn’t bothered to stop for a break. Her thoughts, similar to her papers, had been scattered this way and that. Not one thing she’d been thinking had been a complete thought, yet she somehow managed to string them together into a comprehensible idea that she then channeled into the metal before her. The machines themselves, although too numerous to list off, were often quite complex. Many focused around the idea of controlling the electrical impulses of the brain in order to control the body, but that idea was scrapped halfway through the night. Similarly, a couple of plates of food had been discarded as Twilight decided it would be more important to complete her task. Food could wait until she was done. Twilight removed her goggles and looked back over her work. Everything had been put in place, so now all it needed was to be turned on. …and it also needed a test subject. Twilight face-hooved. How could I have left that out? She thought with a huff, quickly throwing her eyes about the room. Each and every machine here needed a subject and an operator. She was just one pony, so she couldn’t pull off both tasks simultaneously. Not to mention, if it was dangerous, she might end up hurting herself. With no further options, she decided to venture… OUTSIIIIIIDE. … Yes, I know, that’s not very ominous or foreboding. That’s the best you’re gonna get for awhile. Twilight huffed. She was tired and didn’t want to go outside, but an experiment not done isn’t an experiment at all. With newfound determination, coupled with the fact that she wanted to get it over with, she set out for the exterior world. Creeeaaaak… the door to the library resounded, loudly groaning as it was opened slowly. Blinding sunlight streaked its way into the dim library, to which a lavender Mare responded by bringing a hoof up to shield her eyes. Twilight’s vision hazed for a moment as piercing light entered her vision, but it quickly focused again as she grew used to it. Turns out it was the perfect time for Twilight to find a test subject, seeing as it looked to be during the hustle and bustle of the day. Ponies trotted this way and that, some shopping or travelling while others stopped to have a chat. Twilight saw none of this. Instead, she saw all of the possible subjects she could make endure her ~~torture~~ tests. This, however, would prove quite difficult in the next few minutes. Twilight made her way outside, making quick note of the casual breeze that ran through her fur. She swiftly decided that the best approach for getting a test subject would be the direct approach, so she trotted up to the nearest pony available. The pony in question was a tan-coated, brown-maned pony with a cutie mark resembling a golden leaf. Being the sleep-deprived Mare she was, Twilight immediately ran up and blurted, “Hey there! Wanna take part in some experiments that toy with your mind and could potentially be crippling or fatal based off of machines that were originally designed for my assistant and could have unforeseen consequences on somepony like you?” There are no words to describe the look of horror that crossed that stallion’s face. There are words, however, for describing how he ran away. He ran away screaming. Twilight was left standing confused, unsure of what just transpired. Shrugging it off, she repeated this several times with other nearby ponies. She got the same reaction each time, regardless of whatever way she may have reworded the request. Why is it so hard to get a guinea pig? The lavender Mare thought to herself, sitting on a nearby bench to start formulating a new strategy of approach. Spike had been flying for awhile, and he began to tire. For all you smart-alecks out there, NO, this does not mean that he became rubbery and spherical. It just means he was exhausted. Anyhow, he decided it’d be a good idea to land and rest for a bit. Once he’d regained his energy, he would take off once again and find those dragons. Spike came to a stop atop a small hill amongst others, but not a creature was in sight. In fact, it was almost eerily quiet with having nothing nearby to make noise. He glanced around for a quick moment, and made sure he was alone. With a short sigh, he plopped down on the ground and laid back. It felt nice to just relax, regardless of how short it may be. Thoom… A quiet rumbling caused Spike to sit up, now slightly confused. Thoom. Spike stood, surveying the scene. He was sure that something was up, considering he had felt it twice. What concerned him was the fact that it felt like it was getting closer. THOOM. The ground beneath Spike began to shake violently, as though some massive beast were approaching. Spike whirled this way and that, trying to spot it, but nothing appeared. THOOM! The ground in front of Spike exploded, flinging the drake across a large distance. The ground almost seemed to erupt with fire and smoke, spewing chunks of land every which way. Spike hurriedly regained his footing as the smoke dissipated into nothing, as though it’d never even been there before. He hurried to the site of the blast, finding only small bits of rubble scattered around a large crater. From the size of the crater, which was roughly about twice as wide as Sugarcube Corner, he hadn’t the foggiest idea as to what could have caused it. THOOM. Another rumbling signaled what would have been obvious. Whatever it was, it was leaving. Turning to take to the skies, Spike spread his wings and darted into the air. Whatever it was, it’d pay for that trick.
