I am going to do a pretty gutsy move when it comes to Spike, you will see what I mean later in the story.
this chapter happens an hour after the last one, and the second part from the episode "Over a Barrel"


Twilight and the others tried to speak with the settler ponies, but when mentioning the buffalos, the ponies got very defensive in their actions to retaliate against the buffalo and dragons. Like Soldier, they considered the other species as savages that only solved their problem by trampling it over and got any right to protect their town and lands. Of course, that is understandable, but they escalated this conflict into needless war, but none of the ponies saw it that way.

Spike tried too but got literally kicked out when the ponies from Appleloosa saw him, like so many other ponies, feared dragons and didn't want anything to do with him. Pyro meant well, but her protective nature towards him and her likeliness to remove an issue with fire only made the whole situation worse.

"Perhaps it's best you two stay away from the town for a while." Applejack suggested and the two dragons left.

Spike decided to return to the buffalo camp, much to his surprise, none of the other drakes are there. He brushes that aside for now as he honstly did not want to face Snow Stalker at the moment. The words of that adult drake rings in his ears and Spike is still very upset about it. Instead he tries to reason with Chief Thunderhooves. "Isn't there some way to stop this?" He asks the patriarch buffalo.

"Unless the settlers remove those trees, I do not think so." Little Strongheart replies to him mournfully.

Spike then turns to the chief, "Do you really want to solve this in violence?"

The chief sighs, "I see no other options young drake." and his eyes go to where Appleloosa is located. "They have taken our land, threatening our very way of life— your kind way of life." He turns back to Spike and asks this young drake. "Do you want me to bow down at their whim, Spike?"

"No, but…" Spike tries to argue but he cannot find a good argument; all of this is so out of his comfort zone. The biggest dilemma he usually deals with is which chore he should finish first.

Chief Thunderhooves watches the dragon for a moment before he walks over to join the warriors that are preparing themselves for the battle tomorrow. "We must defend our way of life, you do understand don't you young drake?"

Spike does not answers, for he cannot make himself to answer that he barely knows how it is to be a drake. Without a word he walks off, not noticing that Pyro is following him. He only does when she speaks up: "This is not like the War Games; there's no fun in this battle." He glances up to his partner, her words do reminds him that she used to fight all the time. "I know you're not really a dragon, but…" He sighs and feels like she's the only one he can ask, "Do you ever question who you are?" ever since he was reminded he wasn't like other dragons, he's been questioning himself, where he truly belonged... At first, Spike thought he was like the winged dragons, but when Gable showed the cruel side of that kind, he rejected his dragon heritage and was fine with that for quite some time. Then Spike found out he wasn't a winged dragon but one of the drakes, much more social and closer to the noble dragon he often pictured himself. But now, once again realized that he's not like the others… he's acting more like a pony than his own kind… "Why you're not like the others?"

At first Pyro does not answer, the expression on her face did not change and for a moment, Spike didn't think she would answer him. But then, "Sometimes I wonder why I created a whole world where everything is joy and rainbows, a happy place I go to every time the real world gets too scary for me." He looks up to her, surprised to hear that Pyro— one he didn't think feared anything, in fact is scared of something. Pyro turns her gaze up to the sky, her face the same blissful expression but her gaze seems a bit distant. "I do not remember my past, only my time in the War Games. Who I was before I became Pyro, is a mystery."

"Do… do you want to know your past?" Spike asks slowly.

Pyro hesitates, for once forcing herself to think about this question, but the answer is still the same. "No," She shakes her head, smiling down to the young dragon. "I fine in being Pyro. Who I was before does not matter."

Wish he could be as casual about his own identity like his partner. Spike continues his aimless walking, only stops when suddenly finding himself before a valley with countless drake statues. A familiar sight, but unlike in the Crystal Empire, all of these drakes seemed to have been oblivious of their fate. He slowly passes an adult drake lying down, watching a group of youngsters that look to be at his age. Each of these statues gives a frozen picture on how drake society should've been, and it's depressing to see. "They never knew what hit them" Spike muses and he can't help but feel sorry for them.

Further inside this valley, Spike and Pyro find the remaining drakes, all standing before a real statue of a drake. This carved statue shows a male drake, standing proud and holding flames in his claws.
Spike is not sure what the others are doing other than showing their respect to whoever this statue should represent. Only that when they are done. "Let's go back to the buffalo." Snow Stalker says and the group leaves. With them gone, Spike walks over to the statue and right away, his eyes land on the missing spikes of this drake's back. His eyes wide of who this might be.

Not seeing anything special about this drake, Pyro walks over to the text ""Change only come if you seek it out, if your voice cannot be heard, unleash the tremor sleeping within and the earth itself will carry your roar." Sounds like something Engie would like to ponder about." She remarks to Spike, poetic speeches like this have never really interested her.

Spike stares at the plate where the words of possibly his father has written down. A rainbow briefly brushes over the metal and right that moment; Spike realizes an advantage the other drakes do not have, and he sure heck is going to use it! "I know what to do." He tells Pyro and begins to run back to Appleloosa, musing to himself, "I sure hope they will listen to me…" for both sides does not want to hear this baby dragon's words, but still, he has to try as he's the only one who can see both side's point of view.

**Applelosa, noon**

The buffalo arrived to the town that has prepared itself for the upcoming battle, everyone is tense and more so when the clock chimes noon. The settler ponies await the buffalo to attack and for just a moment, it seems the buffalo chief has changed his mind.

Chief Thunderhooves sort of have, but as his gaze goes to their sacred stamped ground, coated in those apple trees, he knows that he has to fight; otherwise his people's way of life will be in danger. He turns to the leader of their allied drakes, one look and Snow Stalker lets out a terrifying roar and joining in this roar, chief Thunderhooves command the herd to charge.
The buffalos come down fast and easily bypass the barricade the settler ponies have set up, sending the ponies running.

The settler ponies retaliate by kicking rocks at them, some knocking their target of a buffalo out, but that line of ponies soon have to scatter as most of the buffalo came straight at them. Those ponies not fast enough would get headbutted so hard that they went flying.
The settler ponies try to set another form of attack but quickly came on other ideas when the bulky drakes started throwing rocks with their powerful tails.
One of the speedy ones got onto the building were several settler ponies were, unleashing a tongue of fire at them, touching not only their hats but a good chunk of their hair as well.

"Stop!" Twilight yells she tries to freeze the fighters with her magic, but not only are there too many, but a rock from the bulky drakes broke her concentration and if not for Scout, the next rock would've seriously hurt her.

The mercs decide to do what they do best: fight. They joined the settler ponies, giving them the edge to put up a fight. They might not have the weapons the Elements would grant them, but these veteran fighters still knew how to defend themselves without guns and several knows how to make makeshift weapons.

Right that moment, Pyro arrives on the hill the buffalo stood on not long ago, on her back is Spike, watching the battle below in horror. "Stop fighting!" He cries but his voice gets drown by the stomping hooves, roars and sheer destruction going on below. Pyro runs into the town but quickly goes back to her old ways of fighting.
"Pyro don't!" He calls, it does make her stop, but right there, Snow Stalker's tail smacks her to the ground, he gets thrown off and when getting back up, Spike can only watch Pyro and Snow Stalker do a rematch, this time both out for blood. It's clear that his voice cannot be heard in this chaos, but refusing to give up on either. Spike reaches deep inside and with fire surrounding his claws, he slams his claws hard into the ground, which obeys his command. The ground break around him, leaving such a mighty tremble that it startled everyone, even the dragons stopped and turned to Spike, who is surrounded by magical fire.

Whatever he did took its toll, his body is trembling and his claws hurt but Spike refuses to let it show. "Fighting won't solve anything!" He shouts at everyone, ponies, buffalo and drakes alike, "It will only cause a bigger rift made by hatred!" he turns to his own kind, even though he is the smallest, right now; they look at him as if he's as big as his mother. "Our ancestors shared these lands with ponies, we were their allies! The reason they got turned into stone is because we refused to let them fight on their own. Instead of honoring our fallen, you instead spit in their faces— dishonoring them!" Snow Stalker narrows his eyes but does step away from Pyro, regretful for his actions. Spike then turns to the settler ponies. "And you are dishonoring the lands of my kind by not accepting other creatures! I know you need the apple orchard, but you have to compromise with those who were here first! You cannot do whatever the hay you want and step over other creatures' hooves!" Many of the settler ponies drops their heads from have been called out at their refuseal working together with other species.
Spike struggles onto his feet and asks— begs both sides, "Please, try and talk. Don't look at the scales, horns or cutiemarks," he weakly gestures to the many watching faces "but... like... equals." then, everything goes black.

When Spike wakes, he is lying in a makeshift bed, Medic standing beside and the moment Twilight's partner sees him awake. "Ah, good to see you back, herr Spike. Tell me," The doctor lifts a clibboard with a curious but also quite creepy smile. "how much does it hurt?"

Needed a moment to understand what this male alicorn meant, "I'm really sour." Spike replies, he carefully sits up and begins to stroke a claw over the other. "Only my claws hurt." He notices that several scales around his wrist has been torn away by the stunt he pulled off and feels sick when realizing that he can see into his flesh.

"Not a surprise, you did unleash your dragon magic through your claws. Very fascinating in fact." Medic remarks and by magic, lifts one of Spike's claws, pointing at the wound that magical outburst did. "See this; it's where the magic got unleashed, tore clean through skin and scales. Your body wasn't meant for such a thing but it seems dragon biology is much more adaptable than it first appeared." He drops the dragon's claws, causing Spike to flinch from the sudden pain. "I would need do a few more tests, but it seems you most likely can unleash your inner magic much easier in the future."

"Uh what?" Spike blinks, no idea what Medic is talking about. He lets out an 'uff' when the doctor pony drops him on the floow with: "never mind, but you will have to live with these… scarring." and the alicorn leaves. Spike looks down to his claws and the scarring from the stunt he had pulled off. Not sure it's the dizziness or he actually saw some of his fire surrounding his mutilated wrists. Fisting his hurting claws, Spike slowly heads back outside.

Twilight Sparkle greets him, so relieved to see Spike up after having passed out from that startling magical outburst. "You had me worried there Spike," she walks over and eyes the wounds around the young drakes wrist. According to Medic, they will never disappear. Spike's outburst has permanently removed the scale growth around that part, and for some reason… made his fire react quite differently than before. No idea what that means, but she will keep a close eye on Spike. "How are you feeling?"

"Sour, dizzy, and my claws hurt, but fine otherwise." Spike replies and gasps when the last thing before him passing out comes to mind. "What happened afterward? Are they still fighting?"

Twilight opens her mouth, but before she can speak, Applejack does. "No, all thanks to you, the fighting stopped and we finally got them talking." She beams to the young drake and there more good news. "The buffalo agreed with the ponies that if they cut a path for them to run through, then the rest of the apple trees can stay."

Twilight nods at what Applejack had said, adding further to what happened while Spike was unconscious. "The drakes agreed to aid the ponies of Appleloosa in exchange for their apple pies." She looks over to where the drakes are, most of them are munching down some apple pie.

That's good to hear, Spike can now breathe out a sigh of relief. Does freezes up when Snow Stalker approaches him with an intense stare. "I don't like to be talked down to by a hatchling." The white drake points out sternly.

"You deserved it, Mr. Dragon." Applejack retorts annoyed back, "If it wasn't for Spike here, you would all been acting like those big winged brute dragons."

"Yes, we would, and it's not the drakes way." Snow Stalker whole-heartily agrees, much to Spike's surprise, the adult drake turns to him, now with a much more somber look in his eyes. "You reminded us who we are." Snow Stalker drops his head slightly. "We may be the last of our kind, but at least now, I can see the light again and for that:" He bows his head in respect, "You have my gratitude." he then hands the baffled Spike a piece of coal. "The elders of the buffalo said that when a drake hands another coal, it's a sign of respect." He frowns at this gesture but does have an idea for what it means. "I think it's to represent that only through intense pressure or hard word, something good, like a diamond can be created." but again, he shrugs "but I could be wrong."

Spike notes himself to ask his mother about this the moment he is able to write again. He takes the coal, does winch in pain, but does not drop it. Even though it's worthless, the thought behind it is sincere. Spike is glad to have helped out these before lost drakes, but the question for their future still lingers. "What will you do now?"

Snow Stalker ponders for a moment, "Well, clearly, I don't know how to be a drake at all. So," he looks out to the wilderness, "I think the pack and I will do a proper searching in our ancestors home."

"I take you didn't like to be there." Twilight asks even though it sounds more like a statement.

Snow Stalker shakes his head. "No, for as long I can remember; it was a grave reminder of what we have lost, but now, I think we can see it in a different light." He smiles down to the hatchling "Stand tall little one." and with those words, he walks off, leaving the town along with the other drakes.

**Next day, Ponyville**

"Being a dragon is hard, even when I'm not the kind of dragon I thought I was in the first place. Instead, I am what is called a drake, but being one of those is not as easy as I thought, but that's okay. I don't have to be like any other dragon, instead, I am happy about being who I am now. A dragon hatched by a pony, and is has given me an insight to ponies other dragons do not. I think that's why my mother and father gave me, Rhys and our sister to Princess Celestia. To bring drakes and ponies together."

"Is there more you would like to add?" Twilight Sparkle asks, being the one writing in the journal because Spike can't use his claws at the moment.

Thinking for a moment, Spike speaks while looking at the coal Snow Stalker gave him. "Maybe that I found out my father was part of the drakes living in the Badlands?" He drops his head and can't help but wonder out loud, "I wonder if I ever get the chance to speak with him?"

"I am sure you will." Twilight assures him, even though she does not have any clue, but hope that this mystery box might hold the answer on how to release the drake kind from their stony prison. "And when your father is free, I would like to tell him about all his son's accomplishments, and I couldn't have a better assistance." Twilight giggles at how red in the face Spike suddenly has become.


this is my take on how Spike would get his key, hope you like it. the stunt he pulled off has a life long consequence, first, the circle scar around his wrists will never go away, but most importantly, well, he will be able to do more than just mail letters with his fire breath.