Spike wakes up on the side of an unfamiliar road, with only a confusing memory of the night before and a very unspecific note in his hand. Following the road, he finds himself in the town of Dragonsville, a rural town in the direct center of the country of Serpentia, land of love, tolerance, and harmony. Upon entering the town, he comes face-to-face with the most confusing group of dragons he's ever met: Pinkie Pie, the baker; Rainbow Dash, the stunt flyer; Applejack, the farmer; Rarity, the designer; Fluttershy, the animal enthusiast; Twilight Sparkle, the librarian; and Spike, the #1 assistant, who also happens to be a unicorn, a species most rare in this land.

And so begin the most incredible two weeks of Spike's life...

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Featuring Brand New Cover Art by Ms. Pia-Sama!
MLP: FIM Characters, Settings, etc. © Hasbro & Lauren Faust

Big Macintosh was a simple apple farmer pony. He has a family who cares about him, a respected name in the Ponyville community, and enjoys his work tilling and caring for his beloved apple trees.

But when he's thrown into jail under false charges, he begins to think about the freedom he'd taken for granted. Suddenly, a strange package appears within his cell, containing tools for his escape and a strangely cryptic note that forces him to reevaluate his lot in life.

After; he comes across a strange and foreign stallion who teaches him the ways of freedom and liberty in a way that changes the young pony's life forever.

Freedom, Choice, Independence, and Liberty.

To some, these words are taken for granted, believing themselves entitled to the ideas simply because they draw breath. But what happens when you stop and think about them? What course of action does your mind take when your mind dwells upon these words?

And more importantly, what are you willing to sacrifice to preserve them?

(Special thanks to codejunkie for assisting in the editing of earlier chapters.)

Spike has had it. It's not his fault the library is a shambles. In fact, he tried his very best to save it.

And now he's supposed to take the blame? Not this time! Until Twilight starts to fully appreciate his worth, Spike goes on strike!

He will not falter! He will not give in! He will stand his ground!
...if at the end of it all there is still some ground left to stand on.

Nothing's wrong with me, I know it. I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in all of Equestria. There isn't anything out there that I can't do, except apparently find a pony of my own.

Even the Gala let me down.

But I have a feeling that everything is going to change soon. I don't know what it is, but I just know that somepony is going to sweep me off my feet...

(Prequel to this story )

Pre-reader

Spike doesn't know how long he's been running - he just knows he can't stop. He doesn't know why the ponies keep hunting him - he just knows they won't stop. From the sky, from the earth, from the water and all the between places, the ponies emerge with their tricks and their ambushes and their unrelenting hunger. He's just the appetizer in a banquet that never ends.

Thanks to a certain crazy person who would like to remain anonymous, this story now has a cover that actually looks good! You can find the commissioned artist, SapphireGamgee, over at Deviantart. Just, uh, be careful when you're browsing the 'More from Deviantart' section. Things get really weird, really fast. I blame myself for this.