Spike's Shortcut

Spike's Shortcut is the twenty-sixth episode of the seventeenth season of Spike the Dragon and Friends, and the four hundred and fourteenth episode overall. It is a parody of the Thomas and Friends episode, Thomas' Shortcut.

Cast

 * Spike as Thomas
 * Shining Armor as Edward
 * Pipsqueak as Percy
 * Apple Bloom as Annie
 * Sweetie Belle as Clarabel
 * Angel as Bertie
 * Hoity Toity as Sir Topham Hatt
 * Caramel as Harvey (does not speak)
 * Filthy Rich as Henry (cameo)
 * Big Macintosh as Gordon (cameo)
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey as James (cameo)
 * Rarity as Emily (cameo)
 * Silver Shill as Paxton (cameo)
 * Neon Lights as Stafford (cameo)
 * Igneous Rock Pie as Farmer McColl (cameo)

Transcript
Narrator: "It was a sunny day in Ponyville. Spike as taking Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle along his route.

They met Angel coming along the road."

Angel: "Hello, slow filly."

Apple Bloom: "Ignore him, Spike."

Sweetie Belle: "He's teasing again."

Spike: "But you're not slow fillies. You can do very fast."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle: "He's not talking about us." (Laugh)

Spike: "Look at that. Two minutes early."

Angel: "Good thing I hurried you, or you would have been late."

Spike: "That's not true. I always get my passengers to the station on time."

Angel: "Ha! You must be slowing down though, Spike. Lately, I seem to beat you to the level crossing every time."

Spike: "I'm not slowing down. I'll show you. Let's race again."

Narrator: "Spike and Angel think racing is great fun.

Sometimes, Angel is quicker, especially when Spike has to wait for sheep on the path.

And sometimes, Spike is quicker, especially when Angel has to stop for workmen repairing the road."

Apple Bloom: "Slow down, Spike. You'll burst your stomach."

Sweetie Belle: "You'll rattle a scale loose."

Spike: "I'm going to win. I'm going to win."

Narrator: "But lately, every time they have a race, no matter how fast Spike puffs..."

Spike: "Oh, no."

Narrator: "Angel manages to win."

Angel: "You really are very slow these days, Spike." (Laughs)

Narrator: "Spike couldn't understand it. Why was Angel always there first?"

Spike: "I was going faster than ever."

Narrator: "Later, Spike met Angel again, but he wasn't sure if he was happy to see him."

Angel: "He-he. Don't be cross, Spike. Should I tell you my secret?"

Spike: "What secret?"

Angel: "I've been re-routed. Now I take a shortcut, so my route is much quicker."

Narrator: "Spike was very surprised. He didn't know Angel could take a shortcut.

That night, Spike was very cross."

Spike: "It's not fair! I like to race Angel, but he's been re-routed."

Pipsqueak: "What does re-routed mean?"

Shining Armor: "It means to go a different way to the one you usually go on."

Pipsqueak: "What's wrong with that, Spike?"

Spike: "Angel takes a shortcut now, so he always wins."

Narrator: "Then, an idea flew into Pipsqueak's head."

Pipsqueak: "So why don't you take a shortcut too, Spike? Then you can be re-routed, just like Angel."

Narrator: "Spike thought that was an excellent idea.

But Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn't."

Apple Bloom: "But there's no shortcut on your route, Spike."

Sweetie Belle: "If you go another way, you could miss a station or make your passengers late."

Narrator: "But Spike was determined."

Spike: "If Angel can be re-routed, so can I.

Spike arrived at the Ponyville Airfield, just as Angel was arriving too. Some passengers got off and some more passengers got on. But as soon as he could, Spike rushed away again."

Spike: "Bye, bye, Angel."

Angel: "See you soon, Spike."

Narrator: "He didn't want to lose another race."

Spike: "If Angel can be re-routed, so can I."

Narrator: "Spike came to a junction, where the path was already switch."

Spike: "Maybe that's a shortcut."

Narrator: "But he only ended up running along a loop siding and coming back onto his route again."

Spike: "Oh."

Narrator: "Then Spike came to another path that lead away from his route."

Spike: "Maybe that's a shortcut."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle: "We don't think so. We don't think so."

Narrator: "This time Spike ended up in an old goods yard."

Spike: Oh, dear. That's not a shortcut either."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle: "We told you so. We told you so."

Narrator: "The passengers were grumbling, but Spike didn't want to give up.

Finally, Spike found an old path that lead into the woods."

Spike: "This must be a shortcut."

Sweetie Belle: "There is no shortcut, Spike."

Narrator: "Angel was waiting for Spike at the level crossing."

Angel: "He never usually takes this long."

Narrator: "Angel's passengers were starting to grumble too, so Angel went on his way.

Spike pushed his way along the overgrown path. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were not happy."

Apple Bloom: "Spike, please."

Sweetie Belle: "Where are we going?"

Spike: "Don't worry. This shortcut is going somewhere. We'll be out of the woods soon and then..." (Hits a buffer) "Whoa."

Narrator: "Spike had hit a rotten buffer in the undergrowth and his feet had come right off the path."

Spike: "Oh, no! I can't back up. I'm stuck."

Narrator: "The passengers were not happy. Now they were going to be very late indeed. Spike felt terrible. And then he saw his friend, Angel."

Angel: "Hello, Spike. What are you doing there?"

Spike: (Sighs) "I was trying to find a shortcut, Angel, but I've come off the path, and now my passengers will be late."

Angel: (Laughs) "Oh dear. But maybe I can take your passengers for you."

Narrator: "Spike's passengers thought that was a very good idea indeed, but Spike still felt very silly.

It was almost dark when Caramel came to take Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle out of the way before lifting Spike back onto the path again.

Hoity Toity was very cross."

Hoity Toity: "Your passengers don't like to be late, Spike. You have caused confusion and delay."

Spike: "I'm very sorry, sir. I was hoping to find a shortcut, but I will stick to my route from now on."

Narrator: "A few days later, Spik was back on the path. He arrived at the town hall to pick up Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle: "Spike! Welcome back! We missed you."

Spike: "Thank you, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I missed you too."

Narrator: "Spike promised to stick to his route in the future. He wouldn't try taking shortcuts again."

Angel: "See you later, slow coach."

Narrator: "But he and Angel still like to have races, and sometimes...

Spike even wins."