Dragon about town!

[SunsetSombra]

It was one of those averagely busy days in the treebary - or at least, busy for Spikes friend and mentor Twilight Sparkle, whom had left the dragon to his own devices once he'd woken up, made breakfast and tended to all of his regular morning chores. He knew she wasn't going to be venturing outside or handling any particularly difficult something or other to do that might possibly require his assistance, which left Spike at a loose end...and he was feeling JUUST a little bit restless as a result.

His mind raced for things he could do on his own here, but it all seemed a bit...empty...without having Twilight to goof around with in any real way.

"[colour=#008080] Hmm... [/colour]" Spike uttered to himself in thought, drumming his claws against the table he was currently sat at - a nearly finished bowl of Quartz balls sitting in front of him, which he occasionally picked at and crunched on as he pondered the days activity, or at least the direct lack of it and how he could possibly go about rectifying this fact.

Outside, the sun was pretty darn strong, and it seemed to be giving a particularly inviting warmth...giving the youngster dragon a rather sudden urge to go boldly forth into Ponyville and discover perhaps a myriad of things that might well help to keep his inquiring dragon mind occupied for an indeterminate period of time!

" [colour=#008080]Maaaybe there's something interesting going on outside... [/colour]" Spike concluded, flopping back down to the ground from his chair and making his way towards the door - for the most part, everything here was pretty much in order with regards to his normal morning chores - and there just didn't seem to be anything else he'd really need to be hanging around to do...and given Twilights considerably busy demeanour right now, he could hazard a guess she'd be like this for most of the day.

"[colour=#008080] TWIIILIGHT - I'M GOING OUT FOR A WHILE[/colour]! " Spike calls to the back, hoping that the unicorn could hear him. "[colour=#008080] I'LL BE BACK SOON[/colour]! "

And with that, he walks outside of the door - closing it behind him as he ventures forth into the bustle of Ponyville, in search of something to do!

[Mojo]

[colour=#000000][/colour]

[colour=#000000]Pigpen Dr. Stable[/colour]

[colour=#000000][colour=#000000][colour=#000000]Walking towards the [/colour][/colour]happy baby dragon was a dirty, unkempt long maned stallion who sang a song outloud as he moved along the street:[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"They call my name Pigpen, and I am here to say, I'm the pony you'll want to meet when you throw your trash away..a.a..a.. OH! Hello there Spike! Say, did Miss Sparkle toss out anything INTERESTING into the dumpster today? I do love my job and I have to confess, your friend Twilight throws away some of THE most fascinating garbage in Ponyville!"[/colour]

As Pigpen stood, anxiously waiting for an answer, a light brown stallion trotted up to them.

[colour=#8B4513]"There you are, Mr. Spike! I'm Doctor Stable and two of my colleagues who examined you several months ago asked me to check up on you. Have you had any further unexplained growth spurts in the past few weeks and have you.... EGAD! What is that foul stentch?"[/colour]

Turning his head slightly while sniffing the air, he saw the smiling Pigpen.

[colour=#8B4513]"Mystery solved. Mr. Pigpen, have you EVER read those pamphlets I gave you on cleanliness and personal hygenie?"[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"I was supposed to READ those? I thought you were offering me a snack! They tasted good, but needed a little salt. Lucky for me, that's one of the many things I carry on me."[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Just IGNORE him, Spike. How are you feeling now?"[/colour]

[Rosewind]

(( ))

[QuickLime]

It had been a VERY fruitful day! QuickLime had been able to find a nice patch of her favorite plants to use for tea! A wonderful herb that had the softest scent of Honey and warm Milk, perfect for calming frazzled nerves and unwanted muscle twitches! She had these leaves tucked into her saddlebags and was just walking back to her shop, passing the Dragon, the Doc and the Dirty as she did so, a slight mane flip was required to get some of that spiky mess out of her face "Mhm this will be perfect for some tea, I'm so glad I found it fresh, that's when it's the best"

It was the only plant that Lime preferred fresh instead of dried for teas, the oils were so much stronger! And it was just the thing after a slightly chilly day of foraging for plants.

[SunsetSombra]

Well, this was immediately turning out to be a pretty interesting decision - Spike stood there, watching as the unfamiliar figure of Pigpen approaches, and introduced himself. The dragon couldn't help but notice the rather unusual aroma wafting from the Pony, and it took all of Spikes willpower to refrain from saying something about it...as funny as it might have been, Spike figured it would only offend.

{ Still, this encounter was reminding him that perhaps he ought to think about perhaps having a small bath later. }

" Oh, Hi there! " The dragon greets, giving a small wave before listening to the ponies spiel about who he was and whathe did - trash collecting didn't really seem to be the most glamourous thing in the world, but if it was makin' this one a happy equine, Spike figured there wasn't anything wrong with it.

" [colour=#008080]Oh, Twilight sorta hates throwing stuff out sometimes... [/colour]" Spike admits, giving a small chuckle. " [colour=#008080]She's all 'What if I'll need it later?' and 'Princess Celestia might ask about it someday!' - so sometimes I jus' kinda grab stuff I know isn't gonna be needed all that much and... [/colour]"

He trails off the sentance there, pretty sure that Pigpen would get where the end of that little remark was going anyway.

He would have said more, but this was the moment the doctor Spike could vaguely remember as the one doc' whom Rainbow had seen when she'd done that thing to her wing so long ago, came over to ask his question - Well, okay, it wasn't REALLY all THAT long ago...He just wasn't all that great at remembering stuff he wasn't really a part of all that well! - " [colour=#008080]Well I... [/colour]" Spike starts, but is promptly interrupted by Stable asking questions of Pigpen, causing Spike to exhale with a small puff of annoyance.

For a moment, he let the two have their conversation - not really sure where he could even get a word in edgeways, since both of them seemed to be rather intensely caught up in a discussion about something to do with a leaflet that Pigpen had eaten rather than read. That in itself sounded pretty silly to spike, who had been around enough literature in his lifetime to know that you didn't eat leaflets like that in the first place...this pigpen was a real oddball, it seemed.

[colour=#8B4513]"Just IGNORE him, Spike. How are you feeling now?"[/colour] - The question caught the distracted and contemplative Spike offguard as he shook his head to snap himself out of his momentary daze and gives a small ginger nod. "[colour=#008080] I guess I'm okay - I mean, I haven't had an 'episode' in a while...or at least, that's how Twi refers to it. Still kinda woozy about the whole thing, an' my memory of everything that happened isn't so great - buuuut I guess that's because I'm a baby dragon, huh[/colour]? "

This was about the particular moment that he found himself being distracted by a rather delicious aroma - he resists the immediate urge to drool a little, but he can't resist the need to go find out where the scent was coming from...which didn't take him too long, as this seemed to be something a particular green bespectacled pony was carrying on her person. Spike excuses himself from the others, as he jogs quickly after the deliciously scented pony and waves for her attention...!

" [colour=#008080]HEY...Heeeey[/colour]! " He calls out enthusiastically. " [colour=#008080]That deliciously awesome smell...what is it? Where'd ya get it? I gotta know[/colour]! "

[QuickLime]

QuickLime heard a voice calling out for her attention and glanced from side to side, not seeing anypony at all...before she finally glanced down and spotted the baby dragon, she smiled lightly since he was rather cute, and wasn't another pony...which instantly put the antisocial pony at ease "Oh the smell?" She asked before jerking her head at the bag on her back "It's some fresh picked HoneyLeaves, I collected them at the edge of the woods, they are pretty delicious in tea, calms a pony..or dragon right down" She explained.

He was a cute little thing, and she knew she'd seen him around before 'If you'd like I'd be happy to brew you a cup to try, it's something so delicious it would be criminal to share"

[Mojo]

Doctor Stable turned towards Pigpen as Spike walks away from them.

[colour=#8B4513]"There you see," [/colour]the unicorn doctor said sternly, [colour=#8B4513]"your odor caused Spike to leave. When was the last time you took a bath?"[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"I'll have you know I bathe regularly!" [/colour]the dirty smelly stallion neighed defensively.

[colour=#8B4513]"How regularly?"[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"Once a month!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"I rest my case."[/colour]

Meanwhile, walking causually down the street was an elderly bearded stallion dressed in clothes from Germaney:

[colour=#FF0000][colour=#212121]

[/colour][/colour]

When Uncle Apple Strudel spotted Spike from a distance, he instantly panicked.

[colour=#008000]"ACH! UNEEMAL! A DRAGON!" [/colour]he shouted, [colour=#008000]"VEE HAVE A DRAGON IN DEE TOWN! SOMEVONE CATCH IT UND REMOVE IT BEFORE IT BURNS DOWN PONYVILLE!"[/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Spike glanced at the pony whom was now causing a commotion, currently distracting his attention away from Quicklime and making spike furrow a brow slightly...he wasn't anything like a fierce, horrible creature or anything like how this weird old pony was yelling. Spike rubbed his temples for a moment, finding the loud yelling to be doing nothing at all to 'not remember' certain periods of events that transpired a few months ago. " [colour=#008080]PIPE DOWN, Willya, I'm getting a headache over here[/colour]! "

The dragon winced - partly from the very real sudden headache that had developed from the rather impromptu shouting session from what seemed to be a one-pony demonstration in how to make as much noise as was possible, alongside a small mental fuzzy replay of his charging through the Treebary door on the hunt for some more treasures to add to his hoard...thank CELESTIA he no longer was a slave to that instinct, he thought to himself for a moment with relief.

The young dragon turns his attention back to Quicklime with a small shrug, clearing his throat for a moment as he decided that perhaps it might be a good idea to check out her rather interesting leaves, and to maybe bring some back for Twilight, who was always partial to a relaxing cup of tea in the afternoons.

"[colour=#008080] Alright, sounds cool to me, Miss[/colour]! " Spike says with a firm nod and a flick of his tail. " [colour=#008080]All of a sudden, I get the feeling I could use some of those herbs myself[/colour]! "

[QuickLime]

QuickLime cringed at the noise, ears pinning back with distance for the two that were causing such a ruckus her gaze narrowing for a moment before it lowered down back to the young dragon that had expressed interest in her herbal tea "Alright then, would you like a ride there?" he was small and her house was a bit of a walk, not too far mind you, but far enough so that if you could hitch a ride you would gladly take one...of course the long walk wasn't a problem for the green Pegasus in the slightest but she wanted to be polite, in case the small dragon couldn't match her long legged pace.

"I take it you don't know those two then? The old one needs to learn to not scream at people, I can tell you are a good kid" She moved a hoof giving Spike a gentle head scritch "Dragon pup or not"

[SunsetSombra]

Spike paused for a moment, scratching his head in thought before shaking his head nonchalantly.

" [colour=#008080]I don't think I've come across them before, no - aaaand after that encounter, not really sure I'd wanna deliberately repeat the moment a second time[/colour]! "

Well, this pony at least seemed to have a decent head on her shoulders - not that he could tell everything about her from simply this brief introduction and whatnot, but for the most part she wasn't yelling at his direction or running in the opposite...and whilst that was a rare reaction from anypony in ponyville generally, it was one Spike had sometimes wondered about. Heck, some ponies were a lot more sensitive about the matter now...even after all this time removed from that one time a particular dragon had 'stumbled' all over the town - not an incident Spike liked to remember, but it was one he knew that he probably should remember as things to never let happen again.

The offer was definitely a good one, and since he was always up for trying new things now and then, he had no problems accepting her offer of a ride as he climbed up carefully onto the back of Quicklime, giving a small look around before exhaling softly with a slight nod of approval.

" [colour=#008080]Didn't catch your name, by the way[/colour]! " He says, pausing for thought after realising the fact. " [colour=#008080]Mines Spike, just so you know - Nice to meetya[/colour]! "

[Mojo]

Dr Stable immediately gallops over to the histerical Uncle Apple Strudel.

[colour=#8B4513]"Everything is alright, Mr Strudel," [/colour]the brown coated unicorn said sternly. [colour=#8B4513]"This is Spike and he is a good baby dragon. In fact, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant."[/colour]

[colour=#008000]"Vhat?" [/colour]the bearded stallion neighed in astonishment. [colour=#008000]"He lives und vorks here in Ponyville? Vee have no such dragons living in cities back in Germaney!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Please calm yourself, Mr. Strudel. Do you happen to be on medication?" [/colour]Dr Stable asked as Pigpen continued to follow Spike as he talks to Quicklime.

[colour=#FF0000]"Don't worry, Spike," [/colour]the unkempt smelly stallion said, [colour=#FF0000]"I think Dr. Stable will help calm poor old Apple Strudel down."[/colour]

Suddenly, Pigpen spotted Quicklime. His heart began to beat a little faster as he tried in vain to straighten up his mane,

[colour=#FF0000]"I don't believe we've met, lovely filly. I'm Pigpen, pleased to make your acquaintance!"[/colour]

[QuickLime]

[colour=#0b2f0b] QuickLime smiled at the small dragon softly as he got comfortable on her back "[/colour][colour=#006400]The name is QuickLime, it's a pleasure to meet you [/colour][colour=#00ff00]Spike[/colour][colour=#0b2f0b]" She offered, starting towards her shop to get him a nice cup of tea, however she got stopped by a rather smelly individual that slicked his mane back, and she coulda sworn she heard him try to turn his swag on...

"[/colour][colour=#008000]Er.. It's.. a pleasure [/colour][colour=#8b4513]Mr PigPen[/colour][colour=#0b2f0b]" Pigpen was a appropriate name for him, but she'd never even seen pigs be so filthy... "[/colour][colour=#006400] I was just taking [/colour][colour=#00ff00]Spike[/colour][colour=#006400] to my store for some tea, so....we must chat later[/colour][colour=#0b2f0b]" She wasn't good with other ponies! She quickly resumed her trot, trying to be polite in her brush off, besides she was already very much head over hoof for [/colour][colour=#ee82ee]Miss BerryPunch[/colour][colour=#0b2f0b] of all ponies in Ponyville! [/colour]

[SunsetSombra]

Spike watches as Quicklime paused for talking to the other pony - the 'aroma' kinda taking Spike again by surprise and forcing him to hold his breath a little whilst he waited. Sure, he was used to the smell of ponies by now, but THIS pony seemed to smell...extra pony'ish - like he'd literally bathed in pure pony, before wading around head deep in a pile of smelly garbage. He wasn't about to make any comments in it, but the fact was that this rather weird pony seemed very interested in introducing himself to Lime...which wasn't something Spike had expected at all.

He sits on her back, arms folded slightly as he waits for his currently-boarded host to shake off the unexpected conversation, giving a small clearing of the throat - he didn't mean to be rude or anything, but his nose was kinda sensitive to stuff like this, and the moment was kinda starting to get awkwardly uncomfortable, just a little!

[Mojo]

(ooc): Sorry I was away from this one for so long

Pigpen smiled as he listened to Quicklime.

[colour=#FF0000]"That's a beautiful name, Quicklime. And it's good that you and Spike are having tea together," [/colour]the unkempt stallion said as he waved at them. [colour=#FF0000]"Nice meeting you! I think maybe I should go help the Doc with the old timer"[/colour]

As Pigpen galloped up to Doctor Stable, Apple Strudel sniffed the air and got a sour look on his face.

[colour=#006400]"Vhat is dat smell?" [/colour]the bearded stallion asked. [colour=#006400]"It smells like rotten cheese und burnt toast!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"I think I can answer that question," [/colour]the tan physician said as he turned his head to see, [colour=#8B4513]"Pigpen! Who'da guessed?"[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"Need any more help with this fine gentlepony, Doc?"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Er, no. I think I have the situation well in hoof. On SECOND thought, could you go fetch us a bucket of water from the stream at the far end of town?"[/colour]

[colour=#FF0000]"Sure thing, Doc! Be right back!"[/colour]

[colour=#8B4513]"Take your time, Pigpen. REALLY, take ALL THE TIME you need," [/colour]Doctor Stable said as he watched Pigpen gallop off.

[colour=#006400]"Wonderba! Dee air is getting fresher all dee time!" [/colour]Apple Strudel shouted.

[colour=#8B4513]"Yes, small wonder, isn't it?"[/colour]

[QuickLime]

Lime heard the throat clearing and rolled her eyes chuckling slightly, waving PigPen goodbye and started a brisk trot to her shop "Right sorry about that Spike, I wasn't expecting that"That dragon's poor nose! "But soon we'll be in my place and I'll be clearing your head with a fantastic tea and other goodies "She promised, anything to make up for that nasal assault the sensitive dragon nose just endured...

(QuickLime Exits)

[SunsetSombra]

well, that just sounded like a pretty darn good plan all around - the dragon was looking forward to spending a little time with the newfound pony friend and taking a taste of her delicious goods. Perhaps he could find out some interesting recipe's to try out for Twilight when he got home. For a brief moment he wondered if he should head on back and let her know...but thinking about it, she was no doubt up to her eyeballs related to her studies and he didn't need to distract her from that if she was gettin' into a serious session. Nope, this seemed the much better option, and perhaps it'd even prove rewarding for the little dragons curiosity...

Quicklime seemed like a pretty interesting pony to know, and Spike couldn't wait to see just what curious drinks, snacks and treats she sold.

" [colour=#008080]Lead the way, Quicklime - I can't wait to see what you've got[/colour]! " he says, holding on - anticipating just what fun things lay in store just ahead!

[Mojo]

Dr Stable and Uncle Apple Strudel decided this was a good time to make their exit, galloping away before the unsuspecting Pigpen returned with his bucket of water. Maybe this wasn't a polite thing to do, but considering who bad that unkempt stallion smelled, not a second thought was given to the 'plan.'

(Dr. Stable and Uncle Apple Strudel exit)

When Pigpen returned with his bucket of water, he sat it down and looked all around.

[colour=#FF0000]"That's weird, they're gone! Oh well, guess maybe the Doctor had an emergency and that old pony probably needed to get back to the Old Pony's Home before lunch. Say! Maybe Spike and Quicklime would like this bucket of water!"[/colour]

Grabbing the bucket handle in his mouth, the eager Pigpen galloped up to catch up with them.