"Kiki? Hmm....Kiki Kiki...I like that name." Spike said as Philomena rubbed against him softly. "Even Philomena thinks it's cute."

"How unpleasant..." Kiki uttered as she let out an embarrassed cough. "You're very sweet I suppose."

"And you're definitely...less stalkerish than I thought you were."

"I-I already said I didn't stalk you, now you're just being rude, forget I even mentioned that," she said turning her head to pout. "What the heck are you doing in this bush anyway?"

"Oh yea, well um, your grunting noises?"

"Oh yeah, that...sorry," she said, another look of embarrassment crossing over her face. "No one usually pays attention to little old me in the bush so I kinda don't expect anyone to investigate strange noises, well not like you Mr. Detetctive," she teased with a smirk.

Spike felt his own embarrassment coming on as he turned his attention away. "Is it a crime to be concerned about someone's safety, I mean what if you were actually in trouble?"

She chuckled, the situation now in her favor. "Well Mr. Hero, It's not what you think," She replied showing the half-finished drawing to him. "I wasn't grunting, more like angrily expressing frustration through sound."

"So you were grunting?" Spike asked once more.

"N-no not grunting, It was like um...angry expression noises?"

"Soooooo grunting?"

She was about to retaliate once more but lowered her head in defeat. "Ok fine, I was "grunting" because of this drawing. As you can see, I got half of it done, but there's this stupid tree on the far side that's kinda positioned weirdly. I draw it and draw it, and it just doesn't come out right."

"You could always not draw it, seems as simple a fix as any."

"You're serious? I'm an artist, of course, I can't just not draw it when I already started drawing it, what would a drawing be with a huge chunk of it missing, don't you know how weird that would look?"

"Well when you put it that way, I've never really been the type to you know," He said as he mimicked someone painting and twirling the mustache. "But then again, what's so hard about brush stroke equals art?"

"I sir, am offended. You really think art is all oh ho, I'm so artsy, look at me throw a splash of paint on a canvas and call it art?"

"Is that not how it works?"

"Oh Spike you poor little dragon, you've been clueless all your life, haven't you? Well then allow me little old me blow your simple mind with the power of art."

"I don't follow."

"Just look out there upon the lake and tell me what you see would you?"

"You're asking me to state the obvious?"

"Just get your butt by the water and look out there."

"Alright alright sorry I'm going." Spike fearfully uttered as he took a seat next to the small stream of water pouring into the bush, letting his eyes capture the scene.

"Well, tell me what you see, don't leave anything out."

"Trees, water, um..."

"No no no too basic too obvious, I want details dragon, real detail."

"Oh um...green grass and a few birds?"

"That's really all you could come up with?"

"I'm new to this ok, I'm sorry."

"Alone and the only experienced enough to educate the populace, the artist must give her all if she is to advance through this nightmare, how unpleasant."

"Wai what"

"Just sit back and allow the master to show you how it's done," she said taking a position next to him. "Look again, this time I'll help you," she said taking a paw and forcefully turning Spike's back toward the sight. "Now, the thing you're missing here, is that you're seeing everything too normally."

"Is that not how we see or am I missing something?"

"Definitely missing something. You're taking this too literally, seeing with thought instead of natural senses."

"Geez, you're starting to sound like Fluttershy's hippie friend Treehugger."

"Shhhhhhh, the teacher is explaining. you see, when you look at a scene like this and draw it, you're supposed to make people imagine what it's like to be here in our shoes, looking at this scene, hence drawing with the senses of the body. Can you see the rainbow of color that forms on the surface of the water when light hits it just right? Can you hear the chirping of the birds in the tree? Can you smell the fragrance of flowers among the edge of the water just across the way?"

"So you're using your senses to draw instead of the brain, sounds kinda complicated."

"No, what's complicated is trying to draw with that ball in the middle of the lake those dumb kids keep kicking into it. Point is, an artist sees something more than average water and trees. It's mother nature at her absolute peak." she uttered dramatically reaching towards the sky. For a moment Spike sat and stared in concern until Kiki turned her attention to his lingering silence. "W-what?"

"You're a few screws loose aren't you?"

She couldn't help but stomp her paw at that show of ignorance. "Were you even listening?!"

"Yes, yep, definitely, I promise, nature is really beautiful." He tried to reassure waving his hands in defense."

A low growl escaped as she proceeded to correct Spike. "Not just nature dummy, animals, places, and even the insects all alike have a certain beauty to them that deserves to be captured, like that bird on your shoulder."

"Never known Philomena to be a dull girl, always shining bright and ready to roll at the drop of the hat. Now if only we could calm down with the flames, swear I'm sweating half the time." Philomena angrily squawked at that comment. "If I can completely honest, I'm actually really glad animals like you exist."

"Hmm?" Kiki curiously hummed.

"Well, it's just not a lot of animals has that optimism when I was here last, it was more of glass half empty kind of deal."

"Geez, you must have lived in the wrong part of town then, cause as far as I know, everyone's been pretty happy these last few years."

"Well try ten years ago."

Kiki fumbled with her sketchbook before safely catching it as those words entered her ears. "I'm sorry, it sounded like you said ten years ago?"

"I did, then I got sent away and have been living in the everfree ever since."

"Crap, I'm sorry...I didn't know you were here during...all that..." she said turning her sad gaze downward.

"No no, it's ok, I'm just glad to see the city back on it's feet after everything that went down back then."

"I'm sorry we let you suffer for so long..."

"What do you mean?"

Kiki quickly realized she had been heard and put a hand over her mouth. "N-nothing. Um...j-just forget I said that it's nothing, I'm just sympathizing," she said returning that cute pout to her face.

"L-let's change the subject, dragons yea let's just talk about that," she said turning her gaze away. "S-so if you're a dragon, then you must know where others are right?"

Spike shook his head laying back on the green soft leaves and letting his feet soak in the water. "Not a clue, not even a lick of info about them. As far as I know, I'm the last of my kind there is, orphaned as a baby until Twilight found me."

"Must be hard I'm su-wait wait wait, Twilight? Twilight Sparkle? The Twilight Sparkle?"

"That is her full name yes. Why, she didn't experiment on anything alive again did she?" he said growing slightly concerned.

Suddenly Kiki's eyes shone like stars as she internally cheered. "Twilight Sparkle is one of my sole reasons for living!" Spike immediately cowered in fear as she closed the distance between them, only inches in front of his face. "To be raised by the great Twilight Sparkle must have been the greatest honor. Dear Celestia, I can just imagine it, to be mentored by someone so intelligent, so beautiful, so powerful, I envy you Spike the Dragon."

Spike blinked twice in confusion before pushing her face back with a single claw. "Never knew Twilight had fans."

"Fan? No no Spike, I am her future student, I have to be. Tell me, what was she like? How did she raise you? Did she teach you anything? What's her fighting style, weapon, special technique, I want details dragon."

"To be honest, we were both kids in our own right, still are. Her methods were always by the book, she followed a specific set of rules for doing most things and if it didn't turn out the way she read, she would freak out."

"Well, that doesn't sound like Twilight Sparkle at all."

"She's only a pony after all, I know that better than anypony else."

"So much for the perfect idol for my life. Oh who am I kidding, I still love her."

"Well, now it's your turn, got any family that I can call the next time you stalk me."

"For the last time I was not stalking you, stop being so unpleasant...and yes...but no."

Spike watched as her head as she turned away, a mix of confusion, nervousness, and frustration on her face. "Is it complicated?" he asked.

"Let's just say, me and my family aren't on the best of terms right now.

"I guess it's not my place to pry, sorry for asking. Besides, I was kinda surprised by something else you mentioned."

"Well wha--" she stopped squinted and covered her clothed body with her hands. "Is this some kind of plan to get me out of my clothes?"

"W-what, no no no no it's not that I swear, It's actually about Twilight's Fighting, you seemed more than a little interested."

"Oh...well like I said before I wanna know everything about that goddess Spike, her favorite food, color, book, how she sleeps, what she sleeps on, what her schedule is like--"

"You're not helping your "not a stalker" case here," he said with a giggle before a feeling of her sketchbook hitting the top of his head caused him to wince in pain.

"Unpleasant...Like I was saying, she's my idol so any information is important, but her fighting, that right there is the icing on the cake. I would give anything to learn how she handles a weapon."

"So, you're a fighter then?" he said still rubbing his head in pain.

"Well I don't mean to brag," she said with a smirk. "but I got some moves, pretty good if I do say so myself. What about you, got a little of fighting blood under those scales?"

"Uh sure," he said with a smile although the bead of sweat the rolled down the side of his face said otherwise. "You could say I learned a thing or two from Twilight.

The girl gasped as she grabbed his hand. "You mean you know something that only Twilight Sparkle knows. You have to show me."

"I'm sorry?"

"If you were trained by Twilight Sparkle, then I can learn from you and impress her when I finally meet her, please Spike you can give me a chance at greatness, please?"

"Uh, I don't think you wanna do that, I mean not to be rude but you're kind of well--"

"What?"

"It's just... you know...the arms and the legs...and--"

Oh ho ho, I see now, I get exactly what you're saying, Mr. Dragon. You think just cause I'm cute and draw pictures, I wouldn't be able to hold my own in a fight?"

"I-I didn't say that, I just meant--"

"I know exactly what you meant and I'm going to inform you that you're no better. I thought dragons were supposed to big and monstrously strong looking."

"I think the size skipped a generation being honest."

"Well size or not, I want--no, need this fight Spike."

"A-are you sure, we can always--"

"No buts, Twilights secret techniques."

"B-but--"

"Get out off the bush." She coldly stated making Spike quickly retreat from inside. They emerged back into the courtyard just before the steps up to the school, Spike setting Philomena on one before returning to a spot just a few feet away from the bush. Kiki soon emerged from the bush as well, stretching her body and letting out a relieved sigh. "Oh man, I've been sitting in there for way too long, my entire body feels like jello."

"Welp, guess we better postpone it the--"

"Ah ah ah, you're not getting out of this that easy. Set up the territory."

"The territory?

"Yes, the territory, you know the thing that makes it so that we can fight without A, the authorities getting called, or B, causing any real damage to each other?" Spike just sat in confusion as he tried to think of anything that would give him an idea, a second that only seemed make Kiki sigh. "You seriously don't know what a territory is?"

"I mean...should I? Everfree isn't really big on safety first so I've never heard of it."

"How unpleasant..." she said taking a card from somewhere in her tail.

With a swift motion, she threw the card into the air, both watching as it froze in mid-air and stayed there with blue glow in it's outline. "And that is?"

"A territory card, it sets up a box of magic that will surround and follow us around. As long as that is up there, we won't cause any permanent damage to anything or anyone. Geez, you really haven't used one of these before?"

"Never really needed to, the Everfree is kinda home to just about every giant predator you could think of so learning to survive on a kill or be killed state of mind is a must." Good going Spike, you just had to lie about being an experienced fighter when all you did in the everfree was run away from the giant feral wildlife.

"Well then, I expect you to be ruthless mister survivor, take your stance." she uttered taking her own stance."

Spike was reluctant to do so but soon bent his knees into own stance. "Ready...I think."

"Good cause here I come. Iku Ze!" she yelled as out of nowhere, the sound of glass shattering accompanied by the blue outline switching to red made Spike nearly jump out of his skin.

"What in Equestria was that?!"

"I activated the territory duh. Kind of a cheesy thing to say, but tell to the person who invented them. W-wait hey hey hey, no distractions, we're sparring here. Here I come!" She let her back foot slide bit by bit, digging in until she took off just fast enough to make spike regret his decision to even mention the fight. Kiki quickly spun a kick toward his head making him lean back with fear on his face. Crap she's fast. Just as quick, she dropped to a crouch throwing a sweeping kick to his legs. He barely managed to hop back, avoiding the kick and regaining his stance. "I may have underestimated her, she almost caught me there." He whispered.

As he caught his breath, Kiki chuckled. "Wow, two moves and I already caught you off guard. Although, this could be apart of his plan Kiki, let's not underestimate him."

"Are you talking to yourself?"

"Uh no, you're talking to your...self, s-shut up."

Ok, she's expecting something cool or...unexpected...something... I just gotta do something that will catch her off guard. Maybe just rushing in will work? The two took their stances once again, this time Spike leading the first attack as he took off toward Kiki. Upon reaching her, he threw a few right punches before heading in with his left, Kiki easily dodging this but Spike was ready. Ok, just gotta do something unexpected...maybe her leg sweep from before would work. He made a slight movement, letting his back leg come forward to sweep her own, before moving back in with yet another punch. I-I think that did it, she's vulnerable, now all I got to do is land the hit and she'll give up. he thought, her face turning to surprise as he put what little hope he had into this one attempt to prove himself. He felt good about his lie now, so sure that maybe she would call the match then and there. That is until she suddenly smiled. "Boop!" She said as Spike's face became engulfed in her tail.

"Mmmphphhpmmm," he uttered with a muffle as he struggled to remove the fluffy power move from his face.

Kiki then spun around him with a twirl, jumping back as Spike finally got the tail out of his face. "Hey, who said you could put your fluffy yet surprisingly soft tail in my face?"

"Oops." she giggled. "Although I don't see a rule saying I can't."

"Isn't that considered like a low blow, cheap shot, something?"

"Twilight must have left that part out. All is fair in a real fight Spike, if it saves your life, use it. Besides you were trained by Twilight, I figured you'd be much stronger, what gives?"

"I was um...I just wanted to see how strong you actually are is all, all apart of testing the opponent before you really give it your all you know. I'm not even worried about the tail b-believe it or not, now I know you'll use it, so I can avoid it.

"So you let me hit you to see how strong I was? That is so," she paused making Spike think he was in trouble. "Awesome. Is that one of Twilight's secrets famous secrets?"

"Y-yea sure, definitely. course she usually has a magical shield or something to do the hit taking for her."

"What was that?"

"N-nothing, let's just get back to sparring."

"Oh ok then, allow me to step up my game then."

"What are you talking about?" he uttered curiously as Kiki proceeded to remove her art pen from her pocket. "Your pen?"

"What about it?"

"It's a pen, and you're pulling it out in a fight?"

"Oh yea, I never told the secret to my art." She twisted a small ring around the center of the pen, the clicking of the mechanism inside the only sound audible until something Spike wasn't expecting happened. A color wheel appeared around the pen floating in thin air as if some ghostly apparition.

"What in the--Is that magic?"

"No...well I don't know, I've never known really. My pen isn't like most pens one of a kind actually because It creates its own ink, colored or not, allowing me to draw without ever needing to replacing anything except for paper. If it's magic, I have no idea how it works since I know for a fact that can't use magic, and it certainly doesn't seem like anyone else has invented anything similar. I've had the thing since I was a baby, never really knew where it came from either, it just kind of popped up."

"But why did you pull it out in battle?"

"Oh, that?" Kiki said with a smile as she twirled the pen around on the tips of her fingers. "That's a surprise."

"A surprise that's probably gonna hurt."

"Come again?"

"Oh nothing, I was just saying I can't wait to see what it does."

"Well then come at me Spike, nothing ventured nothing gained."

I'm gonna regret this one way or another. Spike took up stance again, this time determined to land at least one hit on kiki before this was over. He rushed forward fast as he could, throwing a spin punch to which she ducked under before he propelled himself forward with one foot to launch another punch. However, said punch made contact with something that wasn't a squirrel, like hitting a wall of slime that felt like a rock. "Ow ow ow ow," He whined as he took a second to greet what had stopped him, a physical wall of ever moving ink, colored like a rainbow. "What in Equestria is that?"

"Pretty cool huh? I call it Ink wall, turns rock hard when you put pressure on it. The ink seemingly retreated back into the color wheel which from Spike's observations acted as a full and empty meter, Slowly getting greyer or gaining more color as the ink was used or retrieved. "And oh oh, I think Twilight's gonna like this one."

She removed yet another sketchbook from her person, this one smaller in size in comparison to her original. "What now, you gonna draw me to death?"

"Yep."

Spike paused, that answer definitely not what he expected. "I'm sorry?"

"Yes, you are." Within a few seconds, she quickly doodled something on a few pages. "Super Ink: Crow!"

"Super what now?" She quickly tore three pages from the sketchbook throwing them to the air as they suddenly took the form of three separate crows all gunning for Spike. On fear and instinct, Spike let out a burst of green flame, watching and breathing heavily as they fell to the ground slowly blackening under the flames. Spike immediately found himself staring at her with confusion in his soul. "What in the world was that?"

"Told you, my pen isn't like most pens."

"I thought you said you didn't know how to use magic?"

"I don't."

"So creating drawings that come to life isn't magic?"

"No idea, that's all the pen's doing." So magic ink wall, bringing drawings to life, there's no way I can beat that with nothing but hand to hand." "Hey no daydreaming just yet, I got one more trick to sho--uh oh." Her eyes drifted up toward the sky, studying the sun's position before finally taking note of a nearby clock. "Oh no...oh no no no no no," she hastily said with frustration in her voice. "Can't believe I forgot all about it."

"W-what's going on?"

"I yield," she said as the red outline of the card disappeared in a flash of light before it dropped back down into Kiki's hand.

"Are you late for something, what happened?"

Kiki shifted from leg to the other, her a nervous smile upon her face as she scratched the back of her head."Ugh, it's so unpleasant but I forgot I had something to do today that's suuuuuuper important and I can not miss it for anything." Spike let out a silent sigh of relief as Kiki proceeded to pick up her actual sketchbook. "It was so nice to meet a real dragon though, even if you kinda made me question it a few times."

"H-hey, It's not my fault, I just haven't fought in awhile ok, I need a bit more of a warm-up."

"Is that so? Well then, tomorrow morning."

Spike raised an eyebrow to that statement. "Tomorrow?"

"Yep yep, morning exercises bright and early to get your blood flowing, that's what every martial artist does right?

"Uh...yea, yea it is, I just got a little lazy is all, morning exercises, I am ready for that," he replied with a nervous chuckle. "But wait wait, how early are we talking here cause--"

"Nevermind that Spike," she said beginning to run off. "It's a date, don't be late."

Spike immediately found himself blushing. "A d-d-d-date?"

"Yea, like a date on the calendar? You're so weird Spike," she said stopping for a moment to shake her head at him before giggling. "See ya weirdo."

"Yep, definitely see ya and yeah..." He uttered incoherently before she quickly disappeared into the crowd of animals nearby. "Why couldn't you just tell the truth Spike, you can't fight that well, how hard was it to say that?"

"Because you're a dummy of course." a voice uttered from behind him.

"Yep, the makes sense--wait...who--" he said curiously turning around to greet the pink-haired pony standing directly behind him, tapping her foot in annoyance.

"When were you gonna tell me you were back in town?"

"Oh P-Pinkie, long time no see," he uttered as curiosity turned to fear. "I swear I was gonna come straight to you, first thing." All that escaped her was an angered groan making a single drop of sweat trickle down his scales. "I can explain?"

Spike sighed as Pinkie snuggled deeply into his jacket, hugging him without a care in the world for anything around her as if dragging him into her morning classroom wasn't suspicious to passersby already. "Uh, Pinkie?" he uttered as she continued to snuggle. "Pinkie?... Pinkie are you listening?"

"Shhhhhhhhhh Spikey, let me enjoy this."

"But it's already been like 20 minutes, I think that's enough hugg--"

"I said let me savor this."

"As much as I would love that," Spike said removing her hands from his person and slowly pushing her back. "I'm kind of confused about why you're in Ponyville. And you're taller than me, when did this happen?"

Instantly her once poofy hair deflated and her once excited eyes drooped to the ground, the vibrant pink of her body now dull and sad. It was as if she became a cartoon character as her body suddenly became very exaggerated. Spike was hesitant at first but soon took a defensive stance as he waited for something to happen. "Uh...Pinkie?"

" I was just so glad you're back and you don't like me anymore..."

"No no no, it's not like that, hugging is nice but I'm just really confused why you're here."

"It's fine, just go, I'll be fine. I'll just sit here...and sulllllllllllllk..." she uttered seemingly deflating herself into a nearby chair.

Spike let out an annoyed sigh before extending his arms once more. "Ok ok, you can hug me again, just don't deflate."

"Yay!" She said reinflating and instantly rushing like a bullet back into his arms embrace.

"Hehe, it's nice to see you too Pinkie. How old are you?"

"13 why?" Spike felt a growl escape him to Pinkie's surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, no, nope, I'm fine." 13 years old and she's already taller than me, what kind of joke is this slow dragon growth.

"I'm not gonna have to kick you again, am I?"

"N-no no, I'm fine I'm fine, I just was thinking how great it is to see you, all "grown" up."

"Do I look cute, I thought I wouldn't unless I was super-short, then I got taller and even my sisters were saying how cute I was. For a minute though, I thought that being taller was ugly and I would just keep getting taller and taller and taller and uglier until no one likes me and calls me a troll and I have to live under a bridge and terrorize children and never see daylight again, and eventually die aloooooone," she said instantly deflating once more.

"Pinkie, you're pretty calm down."

"Oh ok!" she said with a smile. "Also..."

"Hmm?"

For just a moment, Spike felt his entire world turn black and white as the pain flowed through his arm. He let out a pained squeal as he dropped to one knee, Pinkie shaking her fist in discomfort. "Oh my gosh, your scales are so hard, it's awesome."

"W-what...was that for, I t-thought you weren't gonna hit me?" he cried out as he rubbed his arm in tearing pain.

"I wasn't going to kick you, didn't say anything about punching. Besides you deserved it, you lied to me."

"W-what are you talking about?" he choked out.

"You said you were gonna come to see me first thing."

"I did I sw--"

"Wrong, you went to go see Twilight first and then fight with that squirrel girl, I'm pretty sure that makes me your third stop."

"W-what no, I was just--wait have you been watching me this entire time?"

"Like a hawk the minute you got off the train," she uttered with a twinkle in her eye.

"How did you even know I was coming that early?"

"I didn't, I just had a feeling."

"A feeling?"

"Pinkie sense."

Riiiiight, that oh so effectively creepy sixth sense of hers, Pinkie sense she called it. Those words sent a shiver up Spike's spine as he shook his arm in desperation to work again. "Well, incredibly creepy sixth sense and even creepier stalking me aside, what in the heck are you doing here, in Ponyville?"

"I go to school here silly."

Spike shook his head in disbelief. "W-wait, you've been to going to school here, as in every day of the week?"

"Yeppity yep, and it's so much fun--"

"Woah Woah, don't you live in a village like 5 miles away?"

"Oh yea, I walk here like a lot of animals do."

"You know most other animals usually live like a block away, or 2, or 3, maybe even just a mile away."

"Yea, it's little hard, sometimes I even jog because I made some really cool friends here so I have to be on time or even early enough to talk to them. But now that you're here," she said once again jumping into Spike's embrace. "We can have the ultimate 'Spike and Pinkie are never leaving Ponyville welcome back forever party' party."

Spike sighed as he struggled to hold the girl up. "Uh Pinkie, you have to go home, your parents would be worried sick."

"Oh, I know that I already told them before I came to school today," she replied with a giggle.

"Wait what, your parents are ok with it?"

"Oh they're ok with just about anything I do, as long as I don't get into trouble, and if I do, my sisters come running fast as the wind."

"Pinkie, I'm not even sure I'm staying permanently."

"Well I am silly, Pinkie sense predicts you're staying forever, I just know it...right?"

Spike set her down nervously scratching the back of his head in the process. "Well...It's... I don't really know, I mean...maybe?"

"I heard a maybe and that's all I need to know."

"Pinkie, let's not jump ahead with assumptions here, it's a maybe, which means I might, I might not, I still haven't decided."

"Well what in Equestria would make ever wanna leave little old me, I mean I throw the best parties, I'm cute, I'm easily accessible only to you if you know what I mean wink wink."

"Gonna forget you said that." He uttered quickly.

"Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike, I'm so looooooonely."

"But you just said you had friends."

"Oh yea, they're really cool you should meet them one of is suuuuuuper smart and the other one has like this really hard shell and can roll--"

"Pinkie, the point?"

"Oh right," she said with a giggle before pausing for a second as if to jump back into character. "But I'm so loooooonely, my friends are fun and they always come to my parties, but it's just felt super empty without you here. What if you leave and never come back or die and I'll never know just sitting her waiting day after day after month after month after year after decade until eventually, I die from waiting so--"

"Pinkie, that's not going to happen besides, you still got Twilight and Fluttershy to hang out with, and you only knew me for like a year, you know them a lot better than you know me."

"I remember every time we hung out Spike, it was the most fun I ever had at a party...well second most fun."

"And you remember that?"

"Don't ever doubt a Pie's memory, I remember everything," she said with a confident smile upon her face before immediately jumping to an exaggerated saddened expression. Within seconds she was within Spike's embrace again, fake crying into Spike's shoulder Parties just aren't the same without everyone here."

"Just because one person isn't here?"

"Fluttershy is just super shy all the time so she sticks near the food and Twilight doesn't even remotely leave her home like she did when you were here."

"Twilight is a natural bookworm, that much is true, but I doubt she never left--"

"I drew on a calendar the days she left her house last year," she said pulling last year's calender out somewhat thin air. "She only fully left her clinic about once every two weeks, and that was just to restock on herbs and tea, she had food delivered and wouldn't even answer the door the talk to anyone."

Spike internally sighed. "Yep, that sounds like Twilight alright, darn."

"So my point is proven, the world is way more fun with you around and I refuse to let that go ever again."

"What if I'm already on the train?"

She tapped a suddenly existing Party Cannon. "Last resort."

Spike jumped a bit at the idea of such a young girl owning such a powerful thing but shook it off as fast as he could before standing up. "Is that confetti in there?"

"Yes, yes it is," she uttered with an evil little smirk.

"I don't think firing a giant confetti cannon at my train is a good idea."

"Anything that gets you to stay is a good idea."

"W-what...what if I call your sisters." he nervously retorted.

Her eyes instantly shot at Spike with a burning gaze. "You wouldn't..."

"I'll have them on speed dial tomorrow." He replied giving her a false stare of confidence.

For a moment, she seemed to wanna call his bluff, until eventually, she turned to pout with her back to him. "Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh fine, I won't blast the train if you decide to leave."

"Alright then, Pinkie promise."

"W-what?"

"Pinkie promise me."

"N-no, why would I do that."
"Come on Pinkie." She grumbled, turning her back once again to Spike. "Pinkie." Another angered grumble. "Pinkie, I know you, Pinkie promise."

"Ok ok fine, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye or whatever..." she pouted before the sound of school bell caught their attention.

"Guess that's my cue to leave, I'll see you at Twilig--why are you looking at me like that?"

Spike watched as Pinkie stared at him, her anger still fresh on the surface. However, there was an eye twitch, then a glance upward as if to think, then a smile spread across her face, a thought had entered her brain, one Spike knew for a fact he could trust. "So Spike, if you're gonna leave me...it's only right you make it up to me right?"

Spike felt his body instinctively take a step back, making sure to keep the corner of his eye on the front door of the classroom. "I never agreed to anything...I think."

"Well...it's just that we have a show and tell today...and everyone has pretty cool things to show. I just thought that maybe..."

"You don't have anything to show already?"

"Well I was gonna show off my Party Cannon, but the teacher said I couldn't show that anymore after last year."

"What happened last year?" He asked with a touch of fear.

"Let's just say it involved a lot of confetti and...the roof."

"Um...w-well what else you got." she pointed to him. "Anything else at all?"

"You silly, it'll be awesome when I show all the kids that I actually own a real dragon."

"You don't own a dragon because the dragon doesn't know if this is a good idea. I got it, what about cupcakes, that's a good show and tell?"

"Spiiiike, don't be a party pooper, just do this one thing for me please?"

"You're asking me to be a class project and I already went through the issues of school back in the everfree, so I'm gonna just take a pass."

"Please Spike, it's only for one hour. Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please," Spike felt his entire being called into question as she continued to repeat the word. "Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please--"

"Ok ok ok ok ok, I'll do it, just don't ask me to any crazy stunts."

Spike felt a ringing sensation in his ears as Pinkie let out one of, if not, the highest squeal he'd ever heard in his life. "Sweet, I'm so glad you said yes, I was prepared to go for a long time."

"What?!" he yelled trying his best to clean out his ears.

"I said," Pinkie uttered before grabbing a megaphone. "I'm so glad you said yes!" Spike was nearly sent to the floor at that moment, covering his ear in pain. "Did you hear me that time?"

Spike stared at her with annoyance, her innocent smile doing nothing to deter his anger. "I heard you perfectly Pinkie."

The sounds of children began to echo from outside, closing in slowly. "Oh darn, break's over already I forgot, you need to hide."

"I need to hide?" Without warning and within seconds, she grabbed Spike and shoved him into the nearby closet. "Just stay quiet and when you hear me say "breath fire" jump out in a cool stylish way and just surprise everyone got it?"

"My leg is in a weird position...please help?"

"Ok, you got it, shhhhhhh."

The sound of her footsteps trailed away as the door to the classroom opened and the voices of dozens of children flowed into the room. What seemed like hours passed as time went on, Spike noting each and everything that happened outside his scolding hot prison. One kid presented a one of a kind gem no longer found in Equestria, funny thing that is seeing as how that would make it invaluable to most museums, yet here it is in the hands of a child. Another presented his father's old war collections, medals, and pictures of his father fighting off the hordes of dragons. Kind of a bad thing considering Pinkie had brought him, a dragon, to show off. Kid after kid, old stuff after stuff and finally he heard the teacher's voice. "Pinkie Pie, you're next sweetie."

As the sound of her footsteps trailed to the front of the classroom, everyone began to sound audibly confused as it seemed she didn't have anything in her hands."My presentation is one of true wonder...witness now history in the flesh." she narrated in an epic voice. "Teacher, this will blow your mind, my fellow classmates, this will be the thing you talk about for ages to come, what I have to present to you is the only thing on the planet, that can breathe fire!" Spike attempted to do as she told, but seeing as how he had been shoved into this closet in a rather uncomfortable manner, he struggled to even angle his body toward the door in a way he could jump out. Instead, he fumbled with the door handle, desperately trying to open it. "I said, Breathe fire....Breathe fire...Spike?"

With a loud thud, Spike flopped onto the ground from the closet. "Ow...uhhh," he uttered as a dozen kids stared his direction. "I mean rawr...uhh growl...I'm just gonna--"

He stood to his feet, dusting himself off before standing at the front of the classroom with Pinkie. "This, my classmates, is a real. Life. Dragon."

Kids are cruel, let's just agree on that, this won't end well.

Pinkie expected everyone to be surprised, excited, calling her the coolest kid in school however a sea of laughter flowed back her way. "You mean to tell me that's a "real" dragon, yea right, what poor shmuck did you pay to get in that costume?" A monkey sitting directly in front of the class asked.

"No no, I'm serious guys, this is a real dragon, he has the teeth and claws and everything." Pinkie said trying to make them believe, and yet, the young monkey continued.

"You're telling me," he said jumping on his desk and eventually to Spike's person. "That this thing is a dragon?" he continued poking, tugging, and pushing at everything he could on the dragon. Well, it could always be worse. "What a joke, the scales are completely fake, and last time I checked, dragons are supposed to be really big, like really really big."

"Son Goku that is enough, leave the boy alone and sit down." the teacher ordered.

"Eh, whatever, it's not real anyway," he uttered jumping back to his seat.

Pinkie stamped her foot as she pouted. "He is a real dragon Son Goku, you're just jealous cause my presentation is way better than yours."

"You kidding me, I brought in the real-life staff of the monkey king," he proudly stated as he removed a small compact object from his backpack, a small red pole. He took a stance and pressed something on the pole, making it extend slightly. "This bad boy was the sole weapon used by one of my ancestors in the war, you can even still see the chips in the wood from the battle."

"So cool..." one kid stated as he stared in interest.

"It's the real thing, I can't believe it..." another continued

Pinkie groaned in frustration. "Listen here Monkey boy--"

"Hey Pinkie, can I give it a shot?" Spike asked with a smirk.

"They already don't believe me, knock yourself out."

"Just let me handle it, I'm sure I can change their minds." Spike took a few steps toward the desk of the monkey, jumping up to sit on it. "Your name was Son Goku, right?"

"Yea Mr dragon, what of it?"

"What exactly is one thing that you think only a real dragon can do?"

"Real dragons are big." He stated.

"Well, you got me there, what else?"

"Real dragon got real scales, these are obviously made out of some fake material."

"Hmm, can't really fight that either, what else?"

"Well for one," he said as he jumped on top of the desk opening the dragon's mouth to get a better look. "All of these teeth are obviously fake, made with some type of hard material and glue used to stick them onto your real teeth. The gums are just your gums, the tongue is some type of Halloween decoration and the biggest thing you can't even breathe fire."

Spike internally smirked. "Oh really..." he said mouth still open.

"Yep, disproven, not a real dra..." The boy's trailed off as he watched as inside Spike's mouth, a small green light flickered from within, deep past the uvula. Pinkie seemed to time this perfectly as she tossed a ball of paper into the air and spike let loose a torrent of fire burning it to a crisp. It fell black and smoking to the monkey's desk, his eyes widening as he made the realization. "Oh crap baskets, she brought a real dragon..." He uttered.

"I-It's a real dragon..." One kid uttered.

"But how did she find a real dragon?" Another asked.

"You think she found it outside the city?" Another continued

"Or, what if she hatched it all by her self, what if that dragon follows her command down to the letter, what if she orders it to eat us?" Another said with fear.

"Calm down my fellow students." Pinkie chimed in. "The dragon is not under my command, he's only a friend."

"And I'm not gonna eat you I promise. Besides, it takes hours to dig the fur out my teeth."

"Why do you breath green fire?" One student asked

"Are there more of you out there?" Another continued.

"Are they as small as you?" Another finished.

"Students, students," the teacher interrupted. "Let him answer one at a time, raise your hands and wait to be called on...after me," she said quickly jumping front of Spike. "Is it true your scales are composed of one of the rarest materials in Equestria?"

For nearly the rest of the school day, kid after kid, even the teacher ignored the idea of more presentations just to ask this living proof of history any question that popped into their head. From "Can you grow wings and fly" to harder to explain like "What do gems actually taste like to dragons when they're just rocks to us."

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Pinkie yelled as she endlessly snuggled into spike the minute school was over, trying her best to hold in tears of joy as kids passed them at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm gonna have to start giving you a 5-minute hug rule," Spike said with a sigh.

"I'd never listen to it."

Spike giggled at that. "Yea I know, I just feel better knowing I tried to stop you."

"Seriously, thank you for doing this, I was sure she was gonna fail me for the year."

"I'm sorry what, what do you mean fail you?"

"Uh...oops forgot to mention that part sorry. I was kinda on the last stand with my grades and the teacher said this was my last chance to improve before she made me repeat, but we did it and everyone's happy yay?"

Spike seemed unamused by this new information. "This is usually information you pass along beforehand Pinkie. Either way, I probably still would have done it so it doesn't matter, I'm cool with it."

"You are a saint Spike Dragomina Pie."

"I'm sorry...what did you just say?"

"Well when you eventually become apart of the family--"

"Pinkie, I told already I am not interested in Maud."

"But whyyyyyyyyyy?"

"I'm going back to Twilight's."

"Just tell me why?"

"Walking away," he said his voice slowly trailing off as he proceeded away from the school.

"Spike come on, just tell would you?" Pinkie replied running to catch up.

Author's Notes:

As always squids, kids, or whatever you are today
Don't get caught in the Heat
Stay Sweet of the Deep