Author's Note: I realized after I posted last chapter that I gave Spear the name Azule and neglected to correct it. I don't like to repost so just know that Azule and Spear are the same dragon. I looked at transcripts and saw the dragons names.

Chapter 31: Dragon Quest Part 3

Harry, Spike and the dragons where lazing about after their gem feast. Harry sucking on an emerald like it was a candy cane.

"Spikey and Harry, stay with these awful dragons...forever?" Rarity asked.

"Dang it. No more surprise birthday parties for Harry." Applejack said sadly.

"Surprise birthday parties?" Twilight asked.

"Well, Ah think its why he's been a lil depressed. We're tryin' to bring the whole family toagether again for his birthday and we've kinda been avoiding him during the day. You know, to keep from spillin' the beans." Applejack said in a shamed tone. "He started hangin' out with Spike alot the past couple of weeks."

"Wait, when did he start with the hoarding?" Twilight asked.

"Well he's always had a small supply of treats." Applejack said, "But he only recently started goin' a bit overboard."

"How recent?" Twilight brought up a notepad and quill telekenically. Her horn glowing a lavender aura.

"Uh...I guess aince he started goin' ta see Spike everyday." Applejack thought.

"I got it!" Twilight said in an 'Aha!' tone. "Alicorns must be suceptable to other species that surround them when their young! That explains the drastic changes in his body!"

"Uh, come again?" Rainbow Dash asked in a confused tone.

"Harry's becoming more and more dragonlike because he's been around dragons more than ponies lately." Twilight explained. "It all fits. The extreme hoarding began when he started hanging out with Spike, The heat tolerance, the fire breathing, the eating gems for sustenance and lava immunity all came when he got to this volcano. Around MORE dragons."

"So how do we get him back to normal?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, I'm not sure." Twilight admitted. "I suppose the first thing we should do is monitor his visits with Spike."

"And no more secret keepin unless we tell him its a surprise." Applejack said, looking down in shame. She'd unintentionally made her son feel alienated again. She silently promised herself to never let it happen again.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash said as the dragons left on a "Dragon Raid." The pegasus Tried to fly off as Pudge flew off with Spike and Spear flew off with Harry. The two where still nervous about the raid.

The mares screamed as Rainbow Dash kept trying to take off from inside the costume.

Twilight gasped as she saw the lava pool. "Rainbow Dash STOP! We can't fly!"

"And your ruining my fabulous costume!"

"I'm sorry, but we gotta help Spike and Harry!" Rainbow Dash said as she stopped.

"Well, we'll just have to hoof it." Twilight said as she watched the dragons fly toward a nearby forest.

"Okay, someones gonna have to go lure the phoenix parents away from the nest." Garble said.

Spike didn't see the dragons and Harry put a claw, hoof to the side of their nose. Harry saw and caught on after Pudge did it. "But how are we supposed to decide who-" He noticed abd put a claw to the side of his nose last. "Darn it!"

Spike huffed as he walked over to the tree the phoenixes.

"Alright, when Spike gets the parents away, you swipe the eggs got it?" Garble asked the foal.

"Aye aye captain." Harry saluted eagerly.

"We don't have all day Spike." Harry heard Garble hiss to his friend. He saw the older dragon drop something in his paw. Harry assumed it was a rock because he saw Spike throw something before running away with two angry phoenixes after him.

Harry took his cue to fly up to nest. "Huh?" The eggs had hatched. "Uh, Boss?" Harry called down as he fluttered. "Problem."

"Grr, figures a Rookie couldn't handle a simple raid." Garble growled. "Come on." He ordered and Spear and Pudge followed him into the air.

"Aww, the eggs have hatched." Spear groaned as Harry admired the baby phoenixes.

"Whaddo we do now?" Pudge asked.

Garble gave a grin Harry didn't like. "We take the hatchlings of course."

The hatchlings proved to be wickedly clever and managed to much smarter than Harry thought. They managed to get Garble all tied up with his own limbs.

"Get them!" Garble ordered after one of the babies blew a raspberry at him and flew off.

Garble, Spear and Pudge flew off after the hatchlings. Destroying the nest in the process. Harry managed to get a phoenix egg that hadn't hatched yet.

His fangs shrank as he started to worry. What would they do with this helpless egg?

"Alright! You snagged an egg!" Garble said proudly. "I guess the raid wasn't a total waste after all. The dragons cheered.

"So what do I do with it?"

"Smash it as hard as y can!" Spear told him as Spike rejoined them.

"Smash the egg?" Harry asked.

"Throw it as hard as ya can on the ground." Pudge told told the foal.

Harry's fangs grew slightly as he raised the egg high with his magic. The teen dragons watched excitedly. I can't do it. His fangs retreated and his eyes returned to normal

"NO!" Harry said forcefully before bringing the egg to his side.

"No?" Garble asked in vonfusion. Spike phwewed in relief.

"This is just a defenseless egg. Like I was a helpless baby, and Spike was a helpless egg. The ponies didn't smash him." Harry pointed out to their new "friends."

"What did you say?" Garble asked threateningly.

"I said no." Harry said forcefully.

"Nobody says no to me." Garble growled angrily.

The other two ganged up on Harry and Spike. But suddenly, Harry backed into Crackles cousin.

"Stop right there!"

"Momma?" Harry asked in confusion as he saw the orange mare.

"Nopony's gonna lay a claw on these two." Rainbow Dash said putting up her front legs like fists.

"That's right." Twilight said with her horn alight.

"Fighting's not really my thing, I'm more into fashion, BUT I'LL RIO YOU TO PIECES IF YOU TOUCH ONE SCALE ON SPIKE'S OR ONE HAIR ON MY GODSON'S HEAD."

"Wow." Harry said in awe. Here he was ready to abandon ponies and his mother and friends came to defend him and Spike.

"Ooh, scary, hehe!" Garble laughed with his lackey's. "Are these namby-pamby poniesyour friends?"

"And momma." Harry added looking to Applejack who was in front of him protectively.

"Yes they are." Spike said confidently. "And they're better friends than you could ever be." Spike moved to Twilight.

"That's right, now if you don't back off your gonna see what us ponies do when confronted by a huge group of jerky teenage dragons." Harry said confidently as well.

"Oh yeah?" Garble snorted, "Whats that?"

Harry and Spike looked at each other and nodded. "RUN AWAY!" Both shouted and the ponies and baby dragon ran away.

Things eventually got back to normal around the Apple family house. Unfortunately not all of the Apple family could make it to Harry's birthday. But Little Strongheart managed to get Chief Thunderhooves to let her come with Braeburn which was fun for Harry to introduce her to his Ponyville friends. She even came with a special gift, a second feather for his head dress promoting him to journeyman brave in the eyes of the tribe.

Unfortunately, Harry was grounded for three months for his little stunt. But Harry learned his lesson. With a sore red backside delivered by his momma personally of course.

CRACK...Chirp!

Harry smiled. "Welcome to the Apple family Peewee! Stick with me. I've got plenty to teach you about being a pony." He nuzzled his new friend.

End of Dragon Quest

To Be Continued...

Up next: Bridle Gossip!