Friendship Is Magic: The Adventures of Spike is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanfic by Awesome McCoolname.
Official summary: "After the Dragon Migration, Spike realized that he's a special kind of dragon. Now, he's learning his own lessons about friendship, love, and magic as he grows into what he's destined to be."
NOTE: This story is now being completely rewritten from scratch.
The original version can still be found here
, and the new version can be found here.
Tropes featured in this story:
- Aborted Arc: The "Spike Party Anthem" arc was cut unceremoniously short, and the arc that was meant to come between it and the "Canterlot Wedding" arc was cut out altogether. Both were a result of the author's computer crashing and losing all his notes for those arcs.
- The author has promised that the rewrite will include these elements this time around.
- Almost Kiss: At the end of Spike and Fluttershy's Not a Date. Interrupted by Shining Armor's arrival.
- Anachronic Order: The Sneak A Peek chapter posted between the "Canterlot Wedding" and "When A Good Dragon Goes to War" sub-arcs, by definition of being a preview that's set what appears to be several years after the latter.
- Alternate Universe Fic: Runs parallel to the last few episodes of season 2 until the "Canterlot Wedding" arc, where it ultimately diverges completely from canon.
- Bar Brawl: In the Sneak A Peek preview chapter, an adult Spike gets into one with some Diamond Dogs in a tavern.
- Battle Couple: Soarin' and Spitfire, as shown during the changeling invasion.
- Betty and Veronica: Spike insists he still only has eyes for Rarity, but is definitely attracted to Fluttershy as well. At the very least, 'Shy seems to like him too.
- Big Damn Heroes: There's one early on when Spike saves Fluttershy from a group of Timberwolves.
- Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna save Spike from the Diamond Dog grunts harassing him.
- The Doctor saving Ditzy from a group of changelings during their invasion.
- Blood Knight: Played for laughs with Luna's... excitement during the changeling invasion."Huzzah! The body count has been doubled!"
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Spike hopes the Elements of Harmony send Chrysalis to the moon, or turn her to stone, or preferably both.
- Climax Boss: Chrysalis, whose murder of Celestia ends the first part of the story and convinces Spike to begin Walking the Earth in order to learn more about himself and his powers.
- Continuity Drift: In the earliest chapters, Spike, with Dreamy's help, realizes Twilight is like a mother to him. Then, he views her as a mix of mother and sister. And by the "Canterlot Wedding" arc, he sees her only as a sister and Celestia as his mother figure.
- Cryptic Conversation: Most of Spike's dealings with Dreamy. He lampshades it.
- Curse Cut Short: When the Elements of Harmony confront Chrysalis:Chrysalis: Ah, Twilight Sparkle. How did it feel, having all of your loved ones lose faith in you?Twilight: Not as bad as you're going to feel, you dirty, rotten bi-(dodges magic blast)
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: During his Not a Date with Fluttershy, Spike's mind starts wondering and Dreamy has to remind him he has a hot date. He repeats that part out loud, to his embarrassment; fortunately, he muttered it and she didn't hear him.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Celestia, after being mortally wounded by Chrysalis, dies in Spike's arms.
- Distaff Counterpart: Dreamy, Spike's Spirit Advisor, is originally just a Palette Swapped version of him. Then she takes on a more mature form and turns out to be a girl.
- Dream Sequence: Spike has one about him apparently living with Rarity... and Fluttershy. He's flustered when he realizes this.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The Previously on… segments at the beginning of each chapter, and the stylized scene breaks, were both dropped at reader command after the first few chapters.
- Fantastic Racism: Spike starts facing this when he begins Walking the Earth.
- Foreshadowing: Sneak a Peek naturally has plenty of it.
- He's Just Hiding: In-universe, this is Twilight's initial, denial-heavy belief in regards to Celestia's death — she's convinced that Celestia is just recovering power and will return. However, her research eventually proves her wrong.
- Hope Spot: The Equestrian military manages to start winning against the changelings, and the Mane Six reach the Elements of Harmony. Then changeling reinforcements show up, and the Elements of Harmony refuse to activate. note
- Hurl It into the Sun: What Luna does with Celestia's casket. She says it feels appropriate.
- It's All My Fault: Spike blames himself completely for Celestia's death.
- Mama Bear: Celestia for all of her subjects, but especially Spike, who she sees as a son. Hence the Tranquil Fury when she confronts Chrysalis.
- Moment Killer: Shining Armor walking in on Spike and Fluttershy's Almost Kiss.
- My Greatest Failure: Celestia's death for Spike.
- Mysterious Backer: Dreamy to Spike, who eventually realizes that she can't be his subconscious, when she knows things he doesn't.
- Mysterious Watcher: Two of them, viewing Spike remotely, are introduced in the Spike of Saddle Arabia arc. And judging by their comments, they're on the malevolent side of things.
- Not a Date: Spike and Fluttershy go on one when they're in Canterlot for the wedding.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Chrysalis implies that Spike's purple scales are an indication of something special.
- Parental Substitute / Like a Son to Me: Celestia and Spike's relationship.
- Please Wake Up: Spike, when Celestia dies.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: After the initial power up from Dreamy, Spike's physical age advances to that of a teenager.
- Precocious Crush: Spike apparently had one on Cadence when he was younger.
- Previously on…: The earlier chapters started with these, until readers complained about them being distracting, at which point they stopped.
- The "Spike of (Saddle) Arabia" arc starts with a recap of the story up to that point.
- Retired Badass: Implied about Doughnut Joe, who apparently used to be in the military.
- Shout-Out: "It was time to buck up or shut up."
- After an upset Twilight goes to confront Shining Armor over not telling her about the wedding 'til last minute, Spike wonders if she sent him to a gender-flipped alternate universe.
- The last three chapters of the "Canterlot Wedding" arc are listed under the name "When A Good Dragon Goes To War". For bonus points, the Doctor himself cameos.
- The apparent code phrase to magically grow Spike's temporary wings is "Fly Me To the Moon".
- The first arc after Spike starts Walking the Earth is called "Spike of (Saddle) Arabia".
- The two Saddle Arabian guards Spike meets upon his arrival at Rideyadh are named Wedge and Biggs.
- Spirit Advisor: Dreamy, a gender-inverted, color-inverted mirror image of Spike who often brings him inside his mind in order to advise him. It's still not clear whether she's an external being or a manifestation of his subconscious, but she does seem to have actual influence, since she's the one who gives Spike his initial power boost.
- Guardian Angel: Spike is starting to suspect she's this.
- Taking the Bullet: When Chrysalis tries to sneak attack Spike, Celestia jumps in front of it and is mortally wounded.
- Tired of Running: Spike decides this when being chased by some Diamond Dogs — he's sick of always running from danger and needing to be saved by others, so he stands and fights.
- Train-Station Goodbye: A non-romantic (possibly excluding a goodbye kiss from Fluttershy) example when Spike and Mane Six part ways at the end of the "When A Good Dragon Goes To War" arc, the former on a quest of self-discovery and the others to take up leadership in Canterlot.
- Tranquil Fury: After recovering from Chrysalis' initial attack, Celestia goes into one of these and tracks down Chrysalis amongst the invasion to deal with her personally for threatening her subjects.
- Trickster Mentor: Dreamy to Spike, sometimes.
- Took a Level in Badass: Spike takes several over the course of the series, thanks to a power boost from Dreamy, a growth in physical age and maturity, and training from Rainbow Dash.
- The Sneak a Peek preview chapter imply that he's going to take even more in the future.
- Underestimating Badassery: According to Spitfire, ponies tend to do this about the Wonderbolts, often forgetting that despite being most well known for stunt shows, they are part of the military. And they show it during the changeling invasion.
- Unstoppable Rage: Spike goes into one, complete with transforming into his adult form, when Chrysalis kills Celestia. Fluttershy manages to talk him down after Chrysalis is banished from the city.
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: Soarin' suggests to Spitfire, in the middle of the changeling invasion, that they get married afterwards. Judging by the Big Damn Kiss after they're repelled, it's possible this wasn't just a joke.
- Walking the Earth: Spike starts doing this after Celestia's death in order to learn more about dragons like himself.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Dreamy chews out Spike for only trying to rescue the Saddle Arabian princess in hopes they'll reward him by letting him meet their sage and learn from him, rather than out of concern for the princess' life.
- Year Inside, Hour Outside: Spike's conversations with Dreamy play out like this. She says they're speaking at "the speed of thought", which is apparently pretty fast.
- You Are in Command Now: Shining Armor's second in command, Sheathed Sword, takes over defense of the city after he's brainwashed by Chrysalis.
- Spitfire, in turn, takes over when Sheathed Sword is overpowered and killed.
- The Mane Six step up to rule alongside Luna after Celestia's death.
- You Killed My Father: Spike's Unstoppable Rage-fueled attempt to kill Chrysalis is caused by her killing his mother figure Celestia.
