Dragon Warrior

Chapters

Adventure! The Battle Against the Desert Bandits!!
War!? The Struggle to Enter!!
Rebellion; Faults of the Species!!

Adventure! The Battle Against the Desert Bandits!!

The desert was hot. Even by dragon standards, it got me a little bothered and the more I went on, the more I felt dumb. My destination was far off, but I'm the one that decided to take the San Palomino Desert. My other alternative would be taking the train and have the others know where I went or where I'll end up... or pass through the Badlands, which may be worse than the desert. Several days after I left Ponyville, I've gotten through most of the desert and gotten 'round Macintosh Hills. Up ahead, about a few miles, was the train tracks leading south. If my watch was correct, I had several hours to go before the train went by; I had to memorize the schedules when I was younger, which finally came in handy.

I trudged onward, my scales and eyes untouched by the sands due to the gear I wore. The wind wasn't cooling at all but at least it blew in the direction I was headed. Eventually, the hazy train tracks came into focus and they were on raised wooden blocks. Large blocks; the train was several feet off the ground and one could only guess the blocks were deep underground. As if on cue, I heard the train in the distance and I looked over. It was a tiny dot and I felt a thousand pounds lift off my shoulders. I hopped up and dragged myself onto one of the tracks, feeling the vibration much more than one would on regular tracks. Balancing on the beam, I jumped up several times and waved my arms. The train's horn blared as they must have seen me and I could hear a screeching as the brakes had started. I let out a deep breath I unknowingly held and started panting heavily. I hopped to the sand beside the tracks and waited as the train screeched to a halt. The engine had long since passed me but someone still popped out of the car closest to me; it was a passenger train and two faces showed themselves. A hairy dog and a short pony, both wearing uniforms that the Equestrian Railway provides.

“Hey you, what are you doing out in the desert!?” the dog asked while the pony stepped back, fumbling with something.

'I'm trying to cross into the next nation.'

“I'm—” I made a violent cough as I couldn't say what I wanted.

I stumbled over, falling into the desert sand as I closed my eyes. I sunk in a bit and found it oddly relaxing. The six day walk through the desert took its toll on me and I had long since run out of food and water. Pretty stupid... A warmth surrounded me and I felt gravity ceasing to be for a moment. Opening my eyes, I saw the ground lower as I was pulled into the train. The shade was incredible and slowly, I felt the coat around me being removed and the instant the scarf around my mouth was moved, several droplets of water were splashed on my snout. They had forced my lips apart and dribbled water gradually in my mouth until I was able to take in more gulps.

The train must have started moving again since when I first realized what was going on, the cars were jittering and clicking as we travelled down the tracks. When I looked around, I saw they moved me as I zoned out from the exhaustion. I was in what was most likely a medical cabin and the dog was watching me. As he noticed I was able to form words, he cleared his throat. Leaning up, propping my torso with my elbows, I quickly examined myself as he started talking.

“A dragon in the desert. Where you headed?” he asked, sounding curious.

Clearing my throat as it felt raspy, I decided to take another swig of water from the canteen on the nightstand. I glanced out the window quickly, drinking a bit until I felt comfortable letting my throat relax. Turning to the pup, I let out a sigh.

“I'm trying to cross into the next nation,” I responded, still feeling phlegm in my throat.

“No train? No air travel? Do you even have a passport?” he asked.

I shook my head, letting it fall back against the awful pillow. It was crunchy... most likely cheap hay.

“Why?”

Why? That was a good question. I never thought about it much at the time, yet somehow I knew my answer.

“I can't go back, not yet,” I muttered.

Pursing his lips, the pup rubbed his chin in thought. “Well, I guess there's worse reasons to be fleeing to Equestria.”

“Uh uh,” was all I could really do. He raised an eyebrow towards me as I arched my back, getting a long needed stretch. “I'm coming from Equestria. I can't go back yet.”

He didn't waste a second to respond. “So you must be the murderous dragon.”

I shot up, feeling energy come from nowhere. “NO! I'm not, I was vindicated. They caught the real murderer.” I paused. “Or what was left of him.” Groaning, I dropped my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, feeling a bit dizzy. “I couldn't let my family or the royals know where I went. I can't return home until I've found the answers.”

“Answers?” he asked, reaching for the door. “To what?”

Shooting him a look, one that radiated the determination I felt, I sat up straight. “To myself.”

He frowned for a moment before shrugging, returning to a cool expression. “Well, okay. I'm gonna go assist with the lunches and we'll snag you some leftovers. And unfortunately, since you have no ticket, we'll have to hold you in here for now. You aren't the first of your kind that we've found in the continent.”

With that, he stepped out of the cabin, closing the door. He locked it for good measure, but I agreed with him. I was typically an upstanding citizen and he's right about me not having a ticket.

. . .

Time passed by and I could smell many of the lunches being served to the passengers. I was starting to get hungry but there was a distinct smell. My superior nose could pick up the obvious fruits and vegetables and hay that was served, as this is part of the Equestrian Railway Services, or ERS. I also smelled something different... and I could only recognize it as meat.

That smell was only in my nostrils once, and it was by freak accident. It was also a Griffon Soldier that was roasted at the prison. It was brief but it smelled like food, then it occurred to me; Griffons, Dragons and Dogs are omnivores. We eat both yet Dragons prefer meats. Soon, I felt my mouth watering and my hunger became apparent. As if responding to my wishes, the door swung open and the dog from before waltzed in carrying food and a proper drink.

“Here you are,” he said, setting it on the nightstand. Eagerly, I ripped off the covered top and stared down at the food, feeling disappointment hit me full. “Steamed rice and vegetables with orange juice and a cookie.”

I glanced up at him and pleaded with my eyes for a moment.

“Where's the meat? I could smell it, it smelled good. I've never had meat. It sickens me because it's from a living being but I can't help it where is the meat, guy!?” I asked, gesturing with my hands.

He let out a quick sigh. “The meat was all gone and even so, it kind of makes me queasy. Sorry.”

Dejected, I leaned my head against my hand and rested my elbow on the table. He apologized one more time and stated when we arrive in the next nation over before leaving once more.

“Two hours and I get to eat this alone with nothing to do,” I muttered.

Pulling out a fork, something I've rarely used in my life, I scooped up a chunk of rice and steaming broccoli and put it into my mouth. It tasted better than anything I've really tasted before, probably because I've been starving for several days.

A horrible bang killed the thought as well as any chance to finish; the plate fell onto the floor along with the juice and cookie. Ignoring the bang for a moment, I dove to the floor and shovelled as much food into my mouth as possible. The whole train vibrated and with that, I sighed as I gulped a bunch of rice and veggies while grabbing the cracked cookie before busting out of the locked door.

The momentum I had threw me into what must be another cabin door, just as a crowd of ponies was forcing themselves past. The group threw me back into the next car as everyone rushed to get to this end of the train. Hiding around the corner, I stared down at a hunk of meat on a plate as I jammed the cookie in my mouth. Glancing outside, we were passing a canyon. Ignoring my urge to grab the steaming meat, I pressed my snout up against the window to look upward and as I figured; bandits were on the rim of the canyon, sliding down or simply jumping onto the train. A slew of dogs, dragons, griffons and other various sentient beings boarded the train and denting the ceilings above us. Feeling the rush return to me that I haven't felt since I left the prison a week ago.

The flood of ponies had ceased quickly as they vanished, leaving me as the only one in this car. Peeking around the corner, through several door windows, I could spot several dragons checking each little booth or cabin through numerous train cars. I took a deep breath and relaxed myself quickly. Turning the corner as an armed griffon rounded the corner, I was noticed.

“What do you thi—”

An explosion occurred, this time not like the first. It was colourful, flashy, and above all else; bombastic. It was like a firework. Various colours exploded in the room and several of the bandits rushed out of the car where it all went down, fur singed or on fire while several dropped down to the ground, unconscious. The griffon took his eyes off me and spun around, just to have a sparkler hit him in the face, causing him to dance around and crash through the window. Just as he stepped out of the way, the face of the Great and Powerful Trixie showed herself in the middle of a ring of panicking, singed bandits. Her horn bright and shooting sparkles as she turned her head and finally locked her eyes onto mine. They widened for a moment as did mine from the sheer surprise.

Glass shattered behind me as several bandits jumped through the windows which snapped me out of my gaze as did Trixie. Spinning around, several Dragons jumped through the glass and knocked over numerous tables. Many of them spotted me immediately and they converged on me, holding blades up to me.

“Hand us everything you got,” one of them barked.

Instead, I lunged forward, thrusting both fists towards his gut as I pushed off my legs with all my strength. He didn't expect it and keeled over as I allowed my arms to slide around his waist. I pushed off the ground with a foot and began a run, using most of my strength to shove the larger dragon backward. I hit one more dragon, knocking him back as I saw out of the corner of my eye and before the dragon I held could get his bearings, I shoved him back with a powerful thrust, launching him into another bandit as they fell over onto the ground.

I could hear no shouting yet quick footsteps from behind as several dragons attacked. Little combat experience didn't yield ideal results but my mind had superior reactions. I could essentially sense them coming and immediately hopped up, grabbing onto the ventilation graft above as their attacks missed. They didn't waste time and glanced up, prepping their arms for an upward stab. I pushed off the ceiling and stomped my feet against their napes and felt them buckle under the hit, going down easy. Four more in the cabin served to be no more than a bother as one lunged forward in an attempt to use his size. I remembered what I did to instigate that riot in prison and leaned forward. I wrapped my arms around this one's waist as well and used his momentum as my attack; I threw myself back while using my arm strength to pull him over me, smashing his head into the ground below me.

I never let go and once more utilized the momentum to swing my legs back just as the other dragon behind me attempted to attack. With a second to react, I brought one foot down and smashed it down atop his snout. A crack sounded as he stumbled back from the impact and fell over. Allowing my legs to drop, I let go of the dragon I performed the suplex on into the ground and planted both feet firmly. The last two went feral and leapt forward, barring their fangs with a roar. Still bent over from when I planted my feet on the ground, I pushed forward towards one of them.

I dove over the dragon I slammed while staying under the dragon to the right. I planted my hands on the ground, keeping my legs bent until I was clearly under and stomped my foot into his gut. His body almost went limp and our clashing momentum stopped me from flinging him. Instead, I had a second to balance myself before I placed my other foot onto his gut as well. Leaning forward, my body tipped over while I balanced the bandit on my feet until I pushed off the ground, flinging the bandit out the window. He vanished over the window sill but I heard a yelp as he hit the ground.

Behind me, the other dragon prepared to take advantage of my position, and it looked like he was gonna get me. Instead, a firework was launched from the other cabin and impacted the remaining dragon. The force from the burst sent the bandit out the shattered window. Reorienting myself with the ground, I stood up to see Trixie had defended me. Wordlessly, we came to an agreement just as several more bandits landed in the next car over.

Several screams sounded and a rough voice blared out demanding all possessions. Stepping into the centre of the car, I ran along the mass produced red carpet and tackled through the door, breaking the whole thing as a griffon stood in front of it. We both tumbled to the ground and galloping hooves sounded behind me as well as the sound of magic flaring up. Sparks and lights flew overhead and into the car, exploding as the fireworks only seemed to impact the bandits. The dragons fared a little better as they had seemingly heard the commotion and were more prepared. Ten bandits, 14 ponies and six dogs hostage, two of us. The five dragons that managed to tank Trixie's spark stepped forward, a few of them having their eyes on me. I glanced down as the griffon's head turned enough so that he could see me. In a karate chop motion, I slapped my hand down on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

Pushing myself up, I took a deep breath and let out a torrent of green flames towards the ground. To everyone's surprise but my own, the green flames stayed on the dragons' feet and started to burn them as they started to howl. I had missed the griffon below me, luckily enough.

“Put them out!” I shouted behind me to Trixie.

She let her shock go and put on a scowl. “Do not order Trixie around!” she declared as her horn lit up.

The flames were encased by her blue aura as they quickly died out and the bandits fell over, grasping their feet in agony as the scales had burned off. A brief moment of peace happened as the bandits were incapacitated. Trixie took this moment to investigate.

“How? How did you burn a dragon, Twilight's dragon!?” she asked, bewildered and looking around.

Cracking my jaw, I let out a low growl as I felt somewhat bad. “That's a story for another day, and my name is Spike.”

“Trixie needs no knowledge of your name right now, plus, we're not out yet,” she responded.

The hostages were still tied up and both of us stepped over and began cutting the ropes and tape. The dog that brought me food was present. He hurriedly ripped off the rest of the tape and rope around others and once they were free, I approached him.

“Is there anything of value on this train or anything bandits would do to stop them?” I asked quickly, glancing around as more bandits slid down the canyon walls before leaping towards the train.

He shook his head, glancing around briefly as the hostages scurried away. “The train engine, maybe, but some of the passengers are rich. The thing they'd want to do is stop the train, since it's easier for their men to jump on.”

Trixie and I briefly contemplated the meaning before several bangs above sounded. Several bandits were already running towards the front. I ran over to the window and peered upward to the roof. Several bandits were entering via the bilevel car over.

“Trixie, I'm climbing up top. You head for the engine and clear out down here, alright?” I stated. Rather than wait for an answer, I reached up and grabbed the ribbed, rounded edge of the top of the train car. “Fun,” I muttered.

“Don't order Trixie around!” I heard behind me as she started galloping into the bilevel car.

I had gotten a good hold of a grate above and by the time I pulled myself halfway up, I could hear and see colourful explosions coming from the first floor of the bilevel car. Above, the bandits were too busy focused on entering, fighting for, or jumping over the bilevel car. With one burst of energy, I yanked myself up, surprising one bandit as he was one of the last. The end of the canyon was in sight and there were several bandits at the engine up three cars, attempting to shut it down.

The one that spotted me attempted to stop and almost did too, since he must have been used to running atop trains. I dug my claws into the ridges of the rooftop edge to make sure I wouldn't fall and I grabbed a protruding spike that stuck out of his upper arm and yanked back, the momentum siding with me once more as I threw the criminal off the edge of the train. Finally, I saw what happened as the bandit smacked into the ground, doing several rolls similar to a ragdoll. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be fatally injured and just held his arms in pain.

Glancing up, I was now behind five dragons that were being pushed out of the bilevel car's windows. I stepped forward, making sure the claws on my feet had some sort of dig into the metal roof and I brought my left arm back, slugging it forward into the left side of a griffon. It impacted just on his wing and I heard a crack as the griffon was helplessly tossed off the side of the train. A yelp he made managed to make my presence known and two ponies glanced over at me as did one dog while the remaining dragon was having a flame war with Trixie.

One of the ponies was a unicorn, and their horn was the one place I knew was a weakspot. Before his horn could light up, I lurched forward and wrapped my fingers around the protruding bone and yanked him towards me. He let out several shouts as his magic stopped. The Earth Pony spun around and bucked towards my hand. Letting go, his hindhooves impacted the other bandit's head rather hard and I took this moment to fight dirty. I kicked upwards, hitting the stallion directly in the groin. He let out a yelp as his legs buckled and he rolled off the other side of the train as the unicorn he just took out.

The dog drew a knife as he stood a foot over me, making his stance wide and intimidating. I hesitated for a moment and he stabbed the blade at me. I side stepped and was going to kick if he wasn't so fast with it. The blade crossed my soft underbelly, leaving a red line as the flesh started to drizzle out a crimson liquid down my belly. I let out a shout as the pain registered in my mind as a sharp, sizzling heat that passed through the area around the injury. His body spun around as he sliced me and he brought his fist towards me in a backhanding motion. Clenching my fist in a fit of rage, I screamed as I thrust it forward, directly onto his backhanding elbow. Another crack sounded as his forearm bent backwards limply and the dog howled in pain. He stopped spinning and grabbed his arm, dropping the knife. I reared my other fist back and swung it upwards, connecting with his jaw. It clamped shut with a clack and made him step back, dazing him in the process. Bending my legs, I hopped up, kicking my legs forward against his chest. It pushed me back and pushed him into the other dragon.

I landed on my back as the dragon turned around, his massive form accidentally pushing off his injured companion. His eyes locked with mine as I rode off the stinging pain that I felt and briefly, fear flashed through my body. It was cut short as a blue and violet explosion occurred right next to his face, blinding him and sending sparks everywhere. He clamped his hand over his eye where the burst happened and I pushed myself up, jumping into the air while twirling my body around. I spun my leg as hard as possible and kicked the dragon bandit right where his hand was covering his eye. The impact knocked him back, and like the rest, he fell off the train too.

Landing on both feet, I briefly glanced at my chest and locked eyes with Trixie. She quickly turned around and ran down the stairs back to the first level of the train car. Ahead, the bandits were crowding around the front of the car and at the edge of the canyon was a mob waiting for the train to stop. Glancing down, I spotted the pocket knife, rattling around on the rooftop. I quickly grabbed it and bolted across the raised roof of the bilevel car and landed onto the next one. My feet clanged against the metal top and as I jumped onto the next car, I felt the entire train jerk and a metal screeching sound. The ground below me slowed down a lot as well as the car. I was already on the car behind the engine yet I knew I would hit and roll. I tossed the knife and it spun in the air. Luckily, the blade lodged itself in the back of a dragon's head. He turned around, confused and pulled the knife out, only to see me speeding towards him as the group as well as the train slowed down.

Predictably, my feet landed on the ridged top and I felt myself tumble. I rolled over the gap between cars and directly onto the awning above the gap between engine and baggage car. I smacked into the legs of the dragon that took the knife to the head and he slid off the engine, knife flying away as he let go of the blade. The rest of the bandits atop the engine slid off the roof and only one fell off the train. The rest grappled onto the roof and threw themselves into the front room where the conductor was tied up and pressed against the engine due to the force of the stopping train. The entire thing was almost at half speed and would soon stop, which was a que for disaster. The bandits in the train were all dragons as it seemed this was a dragon gang.

Feeling outnumbered and overpowered, I grabbed the poker and swung it as hard as I could towards the closest dragon out of the quad. It collided with his neck and he stumbled over, leaning against the frame of the window. Another dragon stepped forward as I swung it back over to him. His hand caught it and his superior strength ripped it from my grasp. He smacked it against my head, causing me to fly towards the back end of the engine car. I hit the chain which pressed against my gut, knocking the wind out of me. That wasn't enough as I felt the metal pole slap against my back hard, sending a sharp pain up my spine. I grit my teeth and held in a scream as I clenched my eyelids and teeth shut.

The door to the baggage car opened up and a flurry of fireworks shot out, lighting up the engine room far more than anything else I've seen. I'm facing the baggage car, back turned to the light show and it still hurts my eyes. The noise coupled with the train wheels squealing against the rails hurt my ears but not enough to cripple. The lights died out and I turned around to see the dragons holding their heads, presumably getting a severe headache as well as suffering from temporary blindness. The controls for the train lit up cyan and moved for a bit before the train's squealing stopped. The engine started pumping once more and we slowly picked up speed. By now, we cleared the canyon yet we weren't slowed enough for the bandits to board... luckily.

Trixie and I both recovered from the severe laser show that occurred and we both stepped into the centre of the engine room. She shot a blast of magic from her horn rather than a firework which knocked two dragons on the left side out of the room while I had simply pushed the last two out the window. With that, the train was successfully retaken from the bandits.

[*][*][*]

“Well, I suppose,” the dog said as he looked over at all the food on the floor.

Diving forward, I grabbed a chunk of meat that was atop a shattered plate. It was cold now but I didn't care. I took a cautious sniff and it seemed extremely alluring. My mouth watered once more as I opened it and prepared to have my first chunk of meat... but a thought popped into my head. Twilight... and Rarity. This is a creature I'm about to eat. Pulling it away from my mouth, I looked at it sadly before sighing, dropping it back on the floor.

“Well don't throw it on the floor again,” the dog shouted as he quickly sweeped it up, plate and all.

“Sorry, but... I just had second thoughts. Meat is... just not right, I guess,” I responded, turning away. “I'll just go back to my cell,” I stated.

“Well, okay. No door, though. Totally can't lock you in,” he responded as he started sweeping up the many shattered plates and food.

As I stepped into the room, my rice was still on the floor, and I was still hungry. I scooped most of it onto the plate and started eating the dirty food. After days without food, I'll take what I can get. In the midst of it all, a clopping sound was heard before Trixie appeared in the doorway. She peered in first before noticing me and stepped in, uninvited.

“Trixie... ah, wonders why Spike is heading towards Doragon Tochi,” the mare asked.

Glancing up, I thought for a second. “Doragon Tochi, that the name of the Dragon Homelands?” She nodded and I swallowed a chunk of rice first. “An—”

“Do not say answers. It's so cliche, be original. Trixie figured you'd be with Twilight after the, ah, sentencing.”

Trixie didn't seem to have any malicious intent so I responded politely after a brief cringe.

“I don't know where I come from, and I want to find out.” Setting the plate on the small table, I looked down at my lap and twiddled my thumbs in burning confusion. My whole brain felt numb as I contemplated the possibilities. “Am I a criminal's son? A love child from a batch of eggs? Thrown away? A long lost prince? Did I just magically form out of thin air, a new phenomenon?” Shaking my head, I drew out a sigh and plopped my head against the awful pillow. “There are many things I don't know and I cannot return to Ponyville until I have the answers, and I don't care how cliche it is. That's what I'm doing.”

A pregnant silence overtook the room as soon as Trixie started to hum, deep in thought. I glanced at her now and then until a smile grew on her face as well as a fierce look of determination.

“It's settled then: we travel together.” She took on a rather smug look and held her head high, basking in the thought.

Panicking, I sat up. “Woah woah woah woah woooah, nothing is settled. What do you mean? Why? What does my adventure have to do with yours?”

Trixie shrugged. “I'm here to bedazzle. Twilight Sparkle is the most magical, most powerful most magnificent pony in all of Equestria, so I will be the most magical, most powerful most magnificent pony in everywhere but Equestria!” She pointed a hoof at me. “And after today, I've decided we're quite a team so Team Trixie will boost my fame and fortune to superstar status and then everypony will know I'm the most magical, most powerful most magnificent pony everywhere!” She threw her hooves into the air and after a moment, stood normally. “... but Equestria,” she whispered.

“Team Trixie?” was all I could ask. “You're selfish, I'm the one going on the quest. Team Draggin' is more suitable,” I stated as I folded my arms.

“How about we not call ourselves a team yet, since we're small at the moment,” she said, turning away.

“Yet? We're expanding? Says who?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You, when you learn what Doragon Tochi is like,” Trixie said in a knowing voice. Before she walked back to what was presumably her car before, she turned to me with a sly smile. “Trust me.”

With that, Trixie walked away, leaving me with my thoughts. I pondered for a moment, shovelling the last of the rice into my mouth.

“When cast into darkness, they would step on the skulls of their own flesh and blood just to stay in the sun. To stay out of pain, even if they cause it. They would do anything to make it stop, even if they caused more in the process. The Great Dragon God, Bahamut, saw fit to start this vicious cycle so no dragon shall go without hatred.”

“I guess there are severe threats from desperate Dragons in Doragon.” Glancing out the window, we were on a long turn with a massive city in the distance. “I guess making a few friends is mandatory.”

War!? The Struggle to Enter!!

Cracking my back, I stood up and looked around for the cloak I had. It was hung up in the tiny closet and still covered in dust. I took the heavy cloak off and inspected it for a moment before discarding it. I grabbed the scarf which was actually two; one thick scarf and the other a high-quality red scarf... my only gift from Rarity that I brought along. I discarded everything but that red scarf and wrapped it around my neck comfortably and stepped out into the hallway. Trixie waited expectantly before she spotted me. Wordlessly, she walked towards the bilevel car and I followed suit. Up the stairs, the windows were large and gave an excellent 360° view of the area. Ahead, a large, large city loomed over us and in the air, many dragons were spotted flying up and about.

Trixie gulped even though her eyes seemed to be filled with wonder. In this moment, she chose to speak.

“I've only been here once and I left within the week simply because my first day here, I immediately saw how violent these creatures were. I won't say I was scared or outmatched, but I was most definitely outnumbered, so I left. Ever since Twilight Sparkle got that Alicorn Amulet away from me, I've trained simply for this... just so I can not run away again.”

Crinkling my snout with a frown, I gave her a side glance before speaking as well. “Why do you feel the need to tell me this? I'm all for connecting, given that apparently we're now a team, but this is a little sudden.”

“This is our fourth meeting. Our last meeting was the briefest, having been fighting against the Nightmare's forces. I think it's safe to say that we've done enough together to delve deeper, even if all I've ever done is antagonize others,” she responded a little more quietly.

Without waiting for a response, she turned away and activated her magic. Sighing, I glanced down at my own hands then back up to the city before turning around. Trixie had her signature cape and hat atop her body and she walked with her head high, seemingly smug. Following her, I was surprised when she stepped near the door and very briefly, I saw a genuine smile on her face that was almost hidden by the hat. Feeling a little better about the magician, I sat down on the bottom step in anticipation to disembark the train.

As the doors swung open, I was made clear just how different Dragons were to Ponies. Immediately, I found things that would be considered oversized back in Equestria. The booths for miscellaneous things such as info, snacks, drinks and such were larger and more draconic in nature. Even so, this being a border city, there wasn't just Dragons. I'm sure it'd be even worse further into the homelands... as well as a lot more rural.

“Ah, the city; Trixie's sandbox,” the magician said as she took in a big sniff of the air, exhaling with glee.

“I'm not here to play,” I responded, scratching my head. “And this time, I wasn't followed by Twilight, Rainbow Dash and... Rarity.”

“Followed?” Trixie asked as we moved forward, leaving the boarding area.

“Last time I went on a quest of self-discovery, they followed me, stupidly... but it did save me, and a phoenix egg.” Frowning, I remembered delivering the little bird back to his parents. “Well, anywho, now that I'm here...” I paused, frowning. “I actually don't know what I'd do.”

“Thought so,” I heard ahead.

I was certain she had a smug grin. Nonetheless, a blue aura tugged lightly at my spines and I followed Trixie as we left the train station. Once outside, the city buildings looked far larger than before. Looking up, immediately, there was a wall of hundred-story buildings, only getting larger... mostly because Dragons are already large.

I couldn't take anything in because immediately, the skies lit up with red, orange and yellow. Buildings up top were lit on fire as several dragons swooped in, all far larger than I am and wearing gear that hid their bodies. I almost thought it was some Dragon tradition, only swayed by the fact that many were screaming, ducking, and shouting the same thing:

“COLDWATER ATTACK!”

Immediately, Dragons, Dogs and the few Ponies ducked low and ran fast in their attempts to enter a building. I kept my head up while Trixie was ducked down, hiding under her hat. Behind us, I heard shouts and steps that sounded familiar. Turning around, I spotted several of the guards that were at Bahamut evacuating civilians while a few more took to the skies and engaged in aerial combat with the enemy. Turning back, I stepped over and slapped Trixie's rump. She yelped and looked around.

“GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie, get up, stop being a scared baby, this is what you said you trained for, wasn't it!?” I shouted, glancing upward and silently cursing my lack of wings.

“R-right,” she said, her breath shaky.

Trixie utilized some basic breathing techniques to quickly calm down. We could only wait as the guards clashed against the 'Coldwater' agents, I'm guessing. Eventually, they brought the fight to us, each side slamming members from the other into the ground. Right off the bat, one of the larger dragons dashed over towards Trixie and myself and attempted to grab one of us, succeeding only with Trixie as I rolled to the side.

“Put your weapons down and surrender, we have a hostage, you Corruption Officer,” the Dragon shouted, his claws prodding the cyan neck.

Trixie's face showed fear for a second before she once more calmed herself down, struggling a bit with her breaths. The guards hesitated before complying, laying on the ground and preparing to ditch the weapons. Everyone was caught off guard except myself as I knew what was happening next; Trixie's horn lit up with it's blue aura before a white-explosion occurred in the face of her captor; it shot fireworks and flares all over and automatically headed towards the other Coldwater Agents, exploding by them as well.

The stun was all that was needed; I dashed over and pried the hand holding onto Trixie and she was freed as the dragon tumbled back, dazed and blinded. The others fared a little better and were immediately fighting the... Corruption Officers. Two were still free, which left Trixie and myself to fight.

“Little Pony, Dragon, I don't want to hurt you, we have business with the Marshal, Oku,” one explained, surprisingly calm.

“Doing that by violence!?” Trixie responded, her horn lighting up.

Both Dragons prepared to defend if Trixie shot another firework again and the one that talked took a step forward.

“All else has failed. You had the option to leave like the other civilians, so all else has failed you,” he said.

With that, he darted towards me and I took a stance, preparing for impact. Instead, his partner leapt over top him as he shot his hand out rather fast, wrapping his claws around Trixie's horn. The partner flipped forward and brought his foot down towards my head. I rolled to the side, unable to help Trixie without getting injured. His foot impacted the brick ground, shattering it as his foot was planted two feet in the ground. His eight-foot body dwarfed my four-foot, and now his strength was a definite issue. I was definitely surrounded by young dragons while I was in Bahamut.

The first Dragon yanked Trixie towards him and his other hand slid under her barrel and rested on her belly. He used this position to fling Trixie over his head and into the air. Trixie had to have been thrown up at least twenty feet, which was a really big fall.

The partner immediately retracted his foot and sped towards me. He was clearly far more agile and I only had one instance of combat for reference. These guys were clearly trained. He stopped unexpectedly right in front of me, causing me to flinch and throw my arm up to dodge the attack that never came. Using the opening, he kneed me right in the gut and lifted me off the ground a few inches like that. His hand was brought down against the back of my head in a karate-chopping motion and the impact dazed me. Instead of falling over, I used basic instinct with my smaller body size to allow myself to fall forward and roll between his legs, still disoriented. Swatting my arms wherever, I planted both hands on the top of his tail and dug my nails directly under his scales. Rather than wait for me to tug, he arched his tail downwards, not only pressing me and stretching my arms out as far as they could go, his scales compressed and locked my fingers under them. Grunting, he lifted me off the ground with his tail and brought my body over to him and using his large hands, he grabbed my entire head.

Trixie fell, yet she wasn't out. She shot a blast of magic towards the ground, shooting up several chunks of rock into the air that irritated her assailant's eyes. Trixie let gravity take her down and as she approached the ground, she grunted and focused her magic. A line connected her horn to a horn protruding from the assailant's scalp. The line was only three feet long yet it was effective. It prevented her from slamming into the ground, as it went taut when she passed by his head, and it served to put a lot of strain on the Dragon. As he stood his ground, he attempted to stand up straight to prevent Trixie from yanking him over and swatted a hand towards her. She shortened the line between their horns, yanking her up a foot and clear of the hand before she released the magic and dropped to the ground.

Rearing up a foot, he attempted to stomp on the mare, only for her to sprint forward the two feet and lodge her horn directly into the flat of his foot. A burst of magic shot out and exploded right against him and I could see that it did damage; the Dragon stumbled backward and fell over, clutching the part of his foot that just lost scales and clothing that his partners wore.

Meanwhile, I was dealing with big hands; his grip tightened and I felt my head grow tense as it was squished. Grunting, I let out a gruff scream as I felt myself grow angry and desperate; my mouth opened and I spat flames, purple and green fire coming out this time. It enveloped his hand and arm and proceeded to burn his scales off his arm. He immediately let go, clutching his burning hand. He wasn't done, though, as he immediately did a quick twirl, bringing one foot to round-house kick me.

A blue aura surrounded it and stopped him, the force shooting back up his leg and causing him to tumble to the ground. Trixie put out the flames on his arm as he caressed the charred flesh. Without wasting a second, Trixie stepped forward and stomped a forehoof on his injured arm and lowered her head to his face to which he seemed to fear.

“Stay down, or say good bye to that eye, whelp,” Trixie growled through her teeth.

Visibly, Trixie was shaking and teary-eyed as she bore an angry expression. She panted heavily with coarse breaths. Stepping over, I placed a hand on the nape of her neck and she glanced over me, surprised. I only smiled in response and she seemed dumbfounded before realizing she was about to start crying. Immediately, she wiped the tears from her eyes before they could turn into streams and returned the smile to me, her eyes taking on a sharper, more satisfied look.

“Thanks,” I said, feeling grateful.

“You should be; you're in the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie,” she said, almost cracking her voice. I gave her a stare, one-eye half-closed as we looked at the other. She giggled in response. “And her sidekick, Spike, the Boy-Wonder!”

I chuckled and patted her back, giving her another stern look. “Don't get too carried away,” I said before turning to look at the guards.

They had successfully rounded up the rest of the Coldwater Agents, with what looked like a seriously injured one being tended to... and a fatality; one on the CA's side. I averted my gaze, the memory of bodies dropping from the sky coated in white-flames still seemingly fresh... and the scent of living beings somehow smelling like good food. I shook my head and felt guilt enter my mind and glanced at the two Dragons Trixie and I took down, both in severe pain.

Our minor guilt was short-lived as more roars sounded above us. Several more Coldwater Agents descended in a mad fury, dropping like rocks towards the small gap between the guards and their captured companions. As I expected, the guards jumped back as the Coldwater Agents landed on the ground, creating several large craters. Immediately, they slashed the restraints on the beaten Dragons and they spun around, dazed slightly from the previous scuffle.

A larger CA landed in front of us, roaring directly in our faces. After our last encounter, Trixie and I both seemed to have the same severe fear racking our brains. No discussing needed; we both launched fire at the Dragon, only with Trixie blinding his eyes and my flames scalding his midsection. He yelped, covering his eyes and his sides as Trixie and I spun around and bolted, full speed away.

“You were here, where do we go!?” I asked.

Trixie gulped a moment, her tears pricking her eyes as past-trauma resurfaced. She managed to swallow the memories and chokes back enough to speak.

“T-Trixie headed towards the mayor's office. Diplomatic relations pinned it that Ponies are guarded in Doragon Tochi, or at least in the border town,” she said, her cracking voice healing as she went on.

Her fear was replaced with a familiar tetchy look on her face. Trixie grit her teeth and as we could hear a Dragon pursuing us, we both darted down a nearby alleyway. I spun around mid-run and sprayed a quick wall of flame before returning to my sprint. The Dragon jumped through it, only causing black marks to cover his body. Glancing back, I grunted and spun around once more, this time covering the ground with flames as I stepped back.

Nadda. He leapt over the flames and used his wings to glide forward. I attempted to face forward and dash once more as the end of the alley came into view. A street was visible along with several Dogs running by, the noise of the fighting behind us. As I reached almost freedom, Trixie's tail and cape flapping in the wind as she sped towards the street, I felt a heavy weight wrap around my neck and my legs buckled like they were made of paper. I hit the ground hard and was held down. I skid into the centre of the street, belly flat against the ground and sparks shooting as I was dragged over... metal!? What is this doing here?

The Coldwater Agent pressed my front into the ground before making sure he had a good grip on my neck, rolling me over as I struggled to breathe. In front, I could hear Trixie leap forward towards my assailant as he stared into my eyes, his hot breath shaky and battered. He seemed like he was refraining from killing me, thankfully. Trixie's horn lit up and I closed my eyes in preparation for the blast.

It never came. She did scream, though. Right by me, and it hurt my ears. Opening my clenched eyes, I felt panic shoot through my mind as the Dragon's mouth was wrapped around Trixie's horn, clearly biting down hard enough to hold her in place. She helplessly struggled, grinding her hooves against the ground as she desperately tried to move

“M-my magic isn't...?!” Trixie muttered, her horn attempting to light several times.

My lungs felt like they would explode, and I felt severe panic and rage entering my mind. I was unable to think straight as the world started to darken, Ponies, Dogs and other creatures screaming in the distance...

Then a heartbeat.

Two.

Three.

Rapid. Fast. Repeatedly. My blood started to flow and a fire ignited in my gut. My body physically changed and I felt my strength coming back tenfold. Stretching my arms out, I could feel my muscles growing, my arms getting stronger. I clamped my hands down on his hand as it held my neck. With all the strength I could muster, I lifted my hands, struggling as he was determined to keep me flat against the ground. My right hand let go of his larger one and I thrust it towards his chest, feeling the magic encase my fist. It impact directly on his chest, not hard at all but I could hear a hard impact. He let out a gut-wrenching horking sound, releasing Trixie's horn in the process as well as my neck as he rolled to the side. Writhing, he held the area where I punched him and quickly tried to stand back up. Trixie was breathing heavily, her legs shaking worse than before as she struggled to stand. I glanced at the metal thing I hit and my eyes opened. I'd only seen them in Canterlot and Manehatten, rarely, but I could identify it... and it was large.

“TRIXIE, THE GRATE!” I shouted, voice raspy as hell.

“N-no, Spike, I'm not great,” she said, her legs wobbling before she collapsed, the magician now sobbing.

My body had lost it's rage-growth and was back to normal, and I was still weak and exhausted. I grunted, rolling over to slap the mare in the face. Trixie pulled back, stunned for a moment and glanced at me, addled contempt visible. I held my throat with one hand and pointed to the grate the CA was atop.

Trixie nodded and sniffled, concentrating once more as her horn lit up in sparks. A click sounded and the large grate dropped open as the Dragon fell into it. He recovered just in time and one arm latched into the grove of the brick sidewalk. Legs finding new strength, I forced myself to my feet and jumped as high as I could into the air. Leaning forward, I fell down and stomped as hard as I could on the Dragon's hand. I heard a sickening crunch as he immediately released his grip. The Coldwater Agent's weight was more than my own and he dropped, yanking his hand out from under me as he fell along with me. I hit the pavement. He dropped 20 feet. Trixie quickly locked the grate once more and collapsed to her knees.

A crisp breeze flew by, no more shouting or battles audible as my mind was dazed, slightly cleared by the wind. Said wind also literally knocked me over as I tumbled to the ground, my arms shaky and feeling weak. I stared up at the sunset sky, seeing several guards ahead and very few Coldwater Agents.

I wonder if all Dragon cities have this kind of... chaos...? I thought.

I could feel a head prodding my side and a horn slipping under my back. My body was limp, so it was a struggle but Trixie managed to roll be over her head and onto her back. I hung off both sides like a Pack Mule carrying travel gear. Trixie grunted slightly, not used to the additional weight and without hesitation, she broke into a rough canter, riddled with heavy breaths.

The skyline above passed by many times and soon, it was clear night. It got chilly, lights came on and there really was true silence. Just the wind, leaves and newspapers flying in the alleys. Eventually, we came to what appeared to be a cliff side with several rails. Glancing at the horizon from my upside down position, I admired the long, desert expanse that waited. It was there, and always would be... just like friendship. And I truly had just made a new friend.

“Thanks, Trixie. You really are great,” I muttered, my throat less-sore and voice less-raspy.

The magician slid me off her back onto a rather large bench and I laid across most of it, Trixie sitting on the end, no longer shaky but rather just tired. Her had and cape got messy and torn a bit, but it didn't seem too bad.

“Honestly, I'm not that great and powerful. I can be, but only in situations where most Unicorns are. Danger, desperation; we get wells of magic that are sort of emergency-only,” she said, dropping the high-and-mighty act as well as third person.

Propping myself up on my elbows, I studied the mare... who still had a smile on her face. After all that, she wore a warm smile; same as when we departed the train.

“You saved me. Several times,” I responded.

She shook her head. “You're making me out to be a hero. That's nonsense. I only picked you up because I wouldn't be able to face Twilight Sparkle again.” Trixie sighed, rubbing her horn.

As lightly as I could, I gently kicked her in the Cutie Mark which once again caught her attention. I scowled at her and barred my teeth.

“Don't give me that. We're a team, and teammates are friends. You don't leave your friends behind,” I growled, kicking her once more for emphasis.

“Friends...?!” she asked, tilting her head back to lean against the back of the bench.

“If I'm gonna be travelling with you, I'd rather have a friend than an old grudge,” I said, trying to give her a smile. It probably came out more like a drunken simper. “You're not bad. You're just misjudged. I think you'd be a good friend.”

Once more, Trixie gave me that warm smile. I'd say I love it, but... that word just brings up painful memories. I shook it off and watched as Trixie didn't cry, but she looked like she wanted to.

“Yeah, I guess I am pretty great,” she muttered, tilting her head up and shooting me a cocky grin.

I stared dumbfounded for a moment before I broke into a fit of giggles. Once more, I pattered her Cutie Mark with my feet in mock-stomps as she swatted her hooves at my feet.

“C'mon, that's what you took from this? I bet this was all a ploy to gather praise,” I said, watching her shoot me a coy smile.

“Who, me? The Great and Modest Trixie would never,” she said, planting a hoof on her chest and raising her snout up as she put on a playful tone.

We let out a series of giggles and I could feel that fear and anger vanishing. This was nice... just two, new friends shooting the crap after a long and exhausting day.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that Spike the God-Slayer!?”

Perking my ears up, I excitedly sat up, regardless of my sore spine and spun around on the chair. Trixie did too, her gaze more curious. To my surprise, it was the double-agent from Bahamut in the flesh; Haruo. He shot me a dopey grin and waved a hand.

“Yo,” he said, casually walking up towards us.

“Yo-yo my ass, what are you doing here?” I asked, repositioning myself until I was on my knees and holding onto the back of the bench with both hands.

“My homeland? That question is better suited to you,” he asked.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed.

“To find—”

“Please don't say find the answers, that's so cliche. Be original,” he interrupted me.

My jaw slowly closed as I felt a bit of mock frustration in my head as I heard the same phrase twice today. Trixie giggled, prodding my shoulder.

“He's not here to play. He's here to scour the lands and ravage all who come across him for the sake of finding out the truth to his existence, his soul and very being, Spike the... God-Slayer, you said?” she said, chuckling at the last part.

“Long story, but yeah I once killed a resurrected God. Totally intentional,” I said, whistling it off as I sat on the enlarged bench properly. “If I were a Pony, I'd have a Cutie Mark in God Slayin'.”

“Oh hush you,” Trixie said as she oscillated on the bench.

“Well, anyways, you're here to find out more about you. You picked a perfect time to waltz into the city. Then again, I probably wouldn't run into you here,” he said, glancing off into the distance as I had.

“What did you even come here for?” I asked, rubbing my sore joints.

“My goal was to resolve any conflict the King's Knight is supposed to do. I chose here.”

“Oh.”

Silence followed that; I had not expected such a brief response and Trixie seemed lost on what was going on. I should probably fix that.

“Haruo, Trixie. Trixie, Haruo. There, you've met,” I said, feeling a headache budding in my mind.

“Oh, I thought this was the lovely Rarity you've told me about,” Haruo responded, rubbing his scalp.

I tensed up at the mention of the name, memories resurfacing no matter what I did to stop them. Images of her flashed by, and our conversations... particularly one.

[*][*][*]

“Do... you want more tea?”

I shook my head in response, feeling the taste of the toneless liquid lingering in my mouth. I set the cup on the dish and attempted to eat a biscuit. Rarity held back a sigh and silently walked over to the table, sitting down across from it. A pregnant silence took over, with no sounds in the room. No wind, no clock, no humming bugs.

“I... um, I thought... maybe, I wanted to—” Rarity bit her lip, staring into her tea, presumably for her lost words.

I reached over, easily with my taller body, and tilted her chin up until she was facing at me. Her blue eyes seemed so lost, and were red and puffy. Dried tears on her cheeks, she looked... cute. It was tantilzing.

“I simply wanted some time to talk. See how you're doing, maybe critique a dress or two, y'know. Same ol', same ol',” I said, smiling.

She attempted a smile, but I watched it die before it was even born. She knew that I knew what she was thinking. I didn't say it, merely because I didn't know how... she didn't either.

“When... when you left, I realized that I made a mistake. One that I can never take back or live down, not that I want to.” She patted the table, blindly finding a biscuit and taking a small nibble. She spit that out quickly, giving a weak chuckle. “These were always so bland, but they were so cheap. I should ask Pinkie Pie for some homemade style.”

I grinned slightly, imagining the baking goddess cooking up biscuits. Apron, white toque, a mess all over her face as she beamed a huge grin at us as she pulled the biscuits out of the oven. I could practically hear her giggle as she watched us test a biscuit. The seven of us... tea and biscuits.

“I think you should try, jack Pinkie's recipe and become more popular with Canterlot Elite,” I said, jamming two of them into my mouth.

“I don't care about them, right now.”

. . .

“Do you still love me, Spike?”

. . .

“Spike?”

“SPIKE!”

I snapped out of my daze as I was shoved off the side of the bench. A flaming sound occurred behind us as the bench was taken out by a fireball. The remains were dragged off the edge of the cliff and I saw Trixie scrambling to stand on her hooves. Haruo was already drawing an impressive blade, at least twice my length as four Dragon's surrounded him.

It was unlike anything I've ever seen. I can't describe it, really. One lunged forward, Haruo never connected the blade with them, instead seemingly manipulating their movements. Redirecting them into each other, making use of grabs and the momentum each of them made. I had thought him to be a dopey fool, but I've never truly seen him in combat before. One by one, he had them attacking each other, knocking each down with grand ease.

“Run to the city hall. Big tall building with violet lights, ask for refuge. State my name,” he stated as several more Coldwater Agents arrived. “And don't let the Corruption Officers make you talk, threaten them with punishment from Haruo if it comes down to it!”

With that, Trixie and I darted away from the scene wordlessly. My joints still ached and now that I stopped working, they felt numb. Trixie must have noticed because she slowed down. I ran into her rear, letting out a grunt as the air rushed out of my lungs. Quickly, she bent over and I fell onto her hip. Trixie made her legs go stiff, causing her to stand up and throwing me into the air a bit until I rested on her back comfortably.

“Trixie will run. If we see agents, you flame,” she demanded.

I nodded, feeling a lack of breath still. I was far more exhausted then I thought. Up ahead, we ran straight around the long bend of the cliff until the clash behind was only barely heard. Darting forward, Trixie's hooves clopped against the brick relentlessly. She was running a lot, and putting on a brave face. I couldn't be scared, lest I be shown up by her. Grunting, I craned my neck until it cracked and felt a short pain followed by a bit more relief. I popped several more joints as Trixie rounded numerous corners and alleyways, using the city as cover.

It was useless.

Ahead, a wall of Agents barricaded the alleyway vertically, and as they did, the same occurred behind us. I attempted to blow flame, but just coughed a plume of smoke instead and Trixie's body finally gave out. We both panted heavily, and looked on with contempt as the group closed in on us. Once more, I was in shackles, being carried away by dragons to the great unknown.

Rebellion; Faults of the Species!!

Hard stone chair, dark dank room with no exit due to a locked door. Yep, prison. Several eyes leered on Trixie and myself, yet all of them seemed to be... light-hearted. All of them had soft eyes and soothing voices, and none of them tried to water board us or anything. Frowning, I rested my head against the table, which was high enough that I didn't have to struggle.

“A Dragon born in Equestria... you aren't really a threat since you don't know the situation, but you are dangerous in general. Some of those Dragons are well-trained. You've got none, yet you both—a vegetarian Dragon and a showmare—made short work of them. The boss thinks you would be perfect in the war for peace,” a violet Dragon said.

“No,” was all I said.

Same thing I said before. I held my stance and waited for another response. The purple Dragon hadn't stated her name and I was waiting for that before I bothered to talk politics. Trixie seemed to be in a panic, her horn with a dent in it. I was worried more about the mental health of this mare than I was their interrogations.

“Come on, talk to us a bit. We're not gonna hurt you or anything. I just want to talk a bit, maybe get you to understand,” she said.

I glanced back over to her, scowling. “That's not proper etiquette.”

She seemed taken aback by what I said. She coughed once and glanced at the clock, seemingly pondering what to say. The whole room was giving off an awful smell, which slightly distracted me. Finally, she faced me and extended a hand to me, smiling.

“My name is Hoshi, and I'm a Coldwater Agent, fighting the habitual dangers,” she said.

I held my shackled hands up, hinting that I wanted them off. She glanced at the Dragons in the room and they shrugged. Hoshi then removed the shackles on me as well as Trixie, offering us food. Within minutes, Trixie was eating a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables and I was... rejecting meat, in favour of a few gems.

“I apologize for the prison treatment, but again, you kinda mutilated a few of our guys, and severely injured one. Nonetheless, they weren't supposed to attack you,” Hoshi stated, watching us eat.

We ignored her explanation, finishing what little food we had and both felt exhausted. The day started with me in the desert and ends with me in an old, crappy cell. I chewed on the diamond dust, savouring the flavour as nothing more than exquisite; I last had gems when... she gave me all of hers. I felt like vomiting and hitting someone as I thought of her.

“They did, and we had every right to retaliate the way we did,” I muttered, drumming my fingers on the edge. “Dunno why you're trying, we're just gonna be your prisoners until your stupid rebellion topples or whatever.”

“Trixie believes that she shouldn't be here. This is, technically, a declaration of war against Equestria. Trixie doesn't see what this has to do with her,” Trixie said, maintaining her higher attitude from earlier.

I won't tell her, but I do kinda like it when she keeps that attitude. It's more her, more identifiable than first-person. Disregarding those thoughts, I glanced back at the girl as she let us talk. Hoshi paused as we stopped talking since we both expected a response. Clearing her throat, she beamed once more.

“Okay, I'll explain a bit, if only to let you know why we're bothering with such tactics,” Hoshi said as she sat down at the table.

She folded her arms and frowned as she hummed, thinking of words. Trixie and I seemed disinterested... but there was nothing else to do, so I at least sighed, leaning in to focus.

“A species of animal native to Doragon are crystal creatures named simply after their diet; Crystovores. Unoriginal, but they were named in another time. What's going on is the mayor is attempting to wipe out all of their habitats in the nearby areas, exterminating the race.” She leaned in closer. “We are not the bad guys.”

Confusion washed over my mind as it did Trixie; both of us stared dumbfounded and shocked. The mere thought of it made me sick, bringing back memories of what Lockdown said. My species really is full of bastards... and Haruo is with this guy... this mayor.

“You're attacking Dragons,” Trixie muttered, most likely trying to rationalize this in the law's favour.

“We've tried peaceful protests, petitions, letters, conversations, interviews and it has gotten to extremes. We had to act,” she said. “But that doesn't mean we don't feel for the ones we've hurt. We'll never live it down, so we cope and look towards the future.”

Silence took the air once more and I contemplated asking for more gems, if only to occupy my mouth while I thought. Trixie, ever the initiative one, spoke up quickly.

“That justifies none of your actions. Trixie believes that sacrifices to your mentality does not equal the sacrifices of those who lost family in your apparent raids,” Trixie said, hostility peeking through her voice. The Dragons seemed taken back by her response and seemingly contemplated. “But... the Mayor does have to find another way. I will help only if there is promises for zero casualties. Your goal shouldn't be this deadly to civilians or Dragons protecting the populace.”

“Very well. Although a Pony such as yourself doesn't have huge use, you do have vital use; the city is required to, by law, protect you, but that still leaves your friend.” Hoshi turned to me as I kept my stern glare, feeling a little weaker now that Trixie sided with the Coldwater Agents. “Spike, is it? There's been a bit of buzz about a prisoner from Bahamut; the youngest in the prison yet he was hailed as a saviour. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it? You match the description.”

I clicked my tongue in response and glanced away, wondering if I should spit out a witty retort. Killing the thought, I rolled my eyes and settled on a fixed, lazy gaze.

“I have a friend working for the Mayor and I trust him over you,” I responded.

Hoshi once again let silence take over. Thoughts ran as this seemed to be turning into a psychological battle and the more time we took to think, the more apparent it was that we weren't on top. She sighed, and seemed to drop the friendly facade.

“If your friend is the King's Knight, Haruo, he may be killed simply because he's the most dangerous enemy here, regardless of your friend's requirements to assist,” Hoshi stated. “Work with us and you can sort things out yourself, and maybe convince him to stop the mayor from going through with his plans.”

I scoffed, sliding the chair back and stood up, stretching my arms and legs and walked towards the wall. Leaning against it, I didn't give her a response.

“Fine. If you change your mind, just tell Brooster.” Hoshi pointed at a winged Dragon in the same body-covering uniform as his companions, save for the headgear. He was three times my size. I sniffed at it and Hoshi continued. “We will be heading towards a nearby habitat to stop a raze.”

She stood up and three of the four guards put on their headgear. Hoshi glanced over at Trixie who seemed unsure, if not a little scared. I pondered agreeing but I still had to think. So much has happened in a few days. I talked a lot of resistance but my stronger, more curious mind was reigning.

“You're a magician, we would love it if you could locate any gems,” Hoshi said as she motioned for Trixie to get up.

Trixie slid off the large chair and stretched her legs, several audible cracks sounding from her achy bones.

“Trixie doesn't know any gem finding spells,” she muttered.

I cleared my throat to get their attentions. At this point, only Hoshi, Brooster and Trixie and myself were present as the rest left to prepare. I didn't want to assist the rebels, but at the moment, I had to meet up with Haruo in order to get some answers out of him.

“I know a gem finding spell,”I muttered. “Someone I know created one.”

[*][*][*]

“Pastel, cyanide, ink, happiness, paint, sudoku, superhero, Equestrian Free Radical Chess Death Battle. All examples of things I pretended to do or be in order to ignore the pain or burning as I bid my time. It wasn't easy but I managed, and, well, I'm here. I know you must feel sorry, but I want you to know that I forgive you. I don't hold any malice towards you. You're the closest thing to family I have... you're my mother, and I love you. Hey, please stop crying? Mistakes happen, I don't blame you. I don't blame Shining Armour . . . There there, let it out. It was hard for you too, and I'm sorry about that. Just... let it out. Get it out of your system. I'm sorry. Please smile a bit. Maybe talk about a book or something you read. Oh, you read nothing... I'm sorry. No reports from... C... Celestia? Oh... I see. I'm sorry. I thought that... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I did it again. I'm sorry. Just by being me, I worried others and made everyone else sad. I'm sorry, please, s-stop c-crying, y-you're an adult, aren't you? Please... I'm sorry. I'm sorry... Forgive me, please? I can't ask for anything else. Oh, no, I didn't mean that... you... you'll understand soon. I'm sorry. Please don't forget about me. I love you, mom.”

[*][*][*]

A rickety wooden bridge snapped me out of my thoughts. I could always count on some environmental anomaly to disrupt my mental process. Sighing, I glanced out the flaps of the wagon as we seemingly approached a crystal-like area. Farther from the city than I thought, the ground seemed to have little dots and speckles of violet crystal embedded into it. Then chunks showed up. Then the ground turned into crystal with structures and odd trees here and there. The wagon was full of Coldwater Agents; ten or so along with Trixie and myself. We both wore odd uniforms matching them. As soon as I started to wonder why they needed a gem finding spell, I found my questions answered.

“The crystovores hide when non-crystovores enter any area they inhabit. We need a gem finding spell since our last Unicorn was assimilated by rabid Changelings posing as Crystal Ponies,” Hoshi explained, adjusting a helmet.

Trixie's eyes widened a bit and she seemed a bit shaken by the info dump. She laughed awkwardly as she attempted to play it cool, much to my amusement.

“Haha, that Pony must have been weak or something. W-won't happen to the G and PT, haha nope,” she stuttered out, drawing three pairs of eyes.

Trixie turned to face the back of the wagon, fumbling with her hooves in the dimly lit back half. Several Dragons up front yanked the cart and had subtly gotten quieter. Nobody spoke and the only sound was the light wind blowing the loose flaps of the cart and the steel wheels crushing diamond dust atop the crystal Earth.

Sitting next to me was the larger, intimidating Brooster. He had a mean gaze fixiated on the dim light, watching a fly zip around the 15-watt bulb. Brooster seemed to growl. An eye shifted towards me and I stood my ground, not averting my gaze. I simply furrowed my brow and glared back at the brute. A brief staring contest occurred and neither of us blinked for several seconds.

A sudden jerk in the wagon caused us all to slow. I was pressed up against Brooster, Trixie across the wagon pressed up against Hoshi. A sudden stop jerked Trixie and I back, almost causing us to fall over the back end of the wagon. All eyes turned to Trixie as the showmare reoriented herself, fixing the hat she insisted she wear. A black uniform with a starry blue hat seemed to make her stick out, but it was part of Trixie nopony could change.

“We're here. Ten minutes ahead of schedule, thirty minutes to the arrival of the Corruption Officers,” Hoshi stated, standing up. Everyone out, Brooster, you burn down the cart. We'll fly back after we've gotten the CO's.”

Everyone cleared out of the cart, Trixie and myself sharing a nervous look as we timidly touched the ground. I had never seen this kind of ground, even in the Crystal Empire. It wasn't slippery as I had thought, instead having an odd grip on my feet that seemed to have more traction than normal dirt... almost sticky. Frowning, I glanced around. Looking at Hoshi, I stepped over to her.

“Out of curiosity, what do these things look like?” I asked.

“Imagine a bipedal canine figure made of crystal and half your size,” Hoshi responded, glancing towards a large expanse of crystals.

Glancing over the land, there was something shaped like a small volcano made of crystals; it was perhaps half a kilometre high. There were numerous holes spotted in the sides and I almost dropped my jaw.

“D-do you Dragons eat this or harvest this or something?” Trixie asked, giving it a once-over.

“Sometimes, yes. We can also hunt and kill the crystovores for food. It's perfectly legal, but the government is going to wipe out the whole habitat. We can't have that and we'll do our best to keep the casualties down. I can't guarantee as anything can go wrong, but we'll try,” Hoshi said.

Several Dragons set fire to the cart, a rainbow of colours coming from the flames. It quickly burned down and I could feel the heat. Only Trixie showed discomfort, having to turn away from the heat.

“Trixie wonders what she's supposed to do,” she muttered, sitting down on the ground.

“Hoshi wants Trixie to find crystovores,” Hoshi explained. “The Corruption Officers have a magic-using Dragon that can find the crystovores. They're gonna try to exterminate them and preserve most of the area since there is no successful agent to gas them. Most likely, they're gonna detonate the area and destroy most of the supplies the creatures gather. We're gonna find out where they are and surround the area.”

Another Dragon stepped forward. “I stand guard and notify when the officers arrive before retreating into the structure. We intercept them and either capture them, send them away or take them down if Haruo shows up.”

“I know Haruo, or I know him a bit... can't I talk to him? Surely we can work something out? I mean, he's not a bad-bad guy,” I said, losing my confidence as I talked.

“You can try but if it comes down to it, Haruo is the only one we truly have to consider killing over capturing,” Hoshi muttered.

Resigning myself to the events that had happened, I faced Trixie as all Dragons seemingly turned to her. She glanced around, smiling. The attention-loving Trixie surfaced for a moment and she seemed to gain her confidence back. A brief moment to vent and the simplicity of the mission; that coupled with the fact that I could possibly convince Haruo otherwise, she lost most of the tension in her stance.

“Trixie needs to know when, then she can try that spell,” she boomed, spinning to face the structure.

“I gotta say, that spell is genius, Spike; who taught you it? It's far better than anything we've seen,” Hoshi asked as we moved towards the structure, watching the wind blow the cart's ashes away.

“Her name...”

[*][*][*]

“Spike, what would you consider a good name?” she asked.

I pondered for about two seconds before responding with my usual child-like demenor.

“One that's distinct, memorable and one that can be associated with the owner,” I responded.

“So, Spike for a Dragon with lovely spikes,” she responded, levitating an object onto a mannequin.

[*][*][*]

“Rarity, for a one-of-a-kind Unicorn. She developed the spell and refuses to teach it to others simply because it's how she got her Cutie Mark. I feel sick already, but this can't get any worse,” I muttered, spitting on the ground.

A brief silence hung in the air broke only by stepping. A set of hooves clacked against the glass-like ground yet it felt as if my foot sunk a bit into the purple foundation.

“I'm sorry, Spike. If it's any consolation, I will not be using this spell after today,” Trixie stated.

We entered a rather large opening to the structure and immediately, we saw the setting sun's light refracting off the crystal structure. An odd, ambient glow lit the entirety of the inside making it brighter than outside. Deeper in, however, it visibly got darker.

“How did you convince this Unicorn to teach you the spell if it's so personal?” Hoshi asked.

Glancing back, I saw that one Dragon standing by the entrance just behind a larger crystal. Facing forward, I adjusted the goggles on my head before pulling them over my eyes. They had night vision, but I didn't truly need them unless we stayed here for several more hours.

“A promise,” was all I said.

Seemingly accepting it, Hoshi nodded and Trixie stepped forward. Her horn started to glow as she concentrated. We stopped walking a moment as the showmare struggled with conjuring up the magic. Trixie grit her teeth and started to sweat a bit before the sound of proper, flowing magic buzzed lightly. She lost all signs that she was straining and her eyes opened. Trixie stood up more calm and relaxed.

“W-woah, Trixie feels a tugging leading further into the structure; not only that, but Trixie can feel where it forks and can even sense where crystovores are under. This is a rather advanced magic,” Trixie said. “Trixie wonders why the fashionista didn't use this spell during her first visit to Ponyville.”

“Well, it had to be fair, right?” I asked, elbowing her.

She playfully rolled her eyes and once more the whole group started to move forward. After a few seconds, we saw a branch as well as some different landscape. The purple crystals had a light gradient into red and orange in these areas as we went deeper, giving it an odd atmosphere. I also felt strangely empowered by the surrounding structure, as if my own magical flame would be amplified by this place.

“Trixie, can you tell us how close we are?” Hoshi asked.

Trixie and I seemed to be the only ones letting our eyes wander. Trixie stopped for a moment and once more attempted to focus.

“Um, Trixie thinks there's a massive cluster about fifty meters away from here, thirty-five degrees southwest from where I'm facing. I can feel a hundred or so large and small... things resonating with the spell shifting around with several others converging on their location,” Trixie said.

We all glanced towards where she mentioned. Hoshi whistled and I thought back to more innocent days.

“Wow, that spell is amazing. I didn't know it was that specific when we tested it,” she said, lightly clapping.

“It wasn't extensive, and it was on gems with the magic sapped out. Equestrian Gems typically have magic in them like everything but here... it's like the very presence of Dragons saps out magic,” I noted, glancing at the shining crystal beneath us.

Each step us Dragons took, the crystal beneath us grew darker around our feet while slowly darkening all around. The ground beneath Trixie, however, seemed to subtly change colour and brighten up more than before. Trixie was truly amplifying the magic around us... I merely took it.

Did that affect Twilight's magic? Did my presence cause them difficulties with casting spells? I wondered, feeling a pang of guilt ring in my mind as I contemplated the meaning.

“Stop,” Hoshi's voice said, stern and loud.

The whole group froze on the spot and Trixie's spell dissipated. The showmare seemed visibly exhausted, but she quickly regained her energy. She seemed to be in an even better mood than before. I glanced down at the crystal structure and felt an odd tugging at my chest; something reminiscent of exhaustion... as well as empowerment. Like the crystal landmass around me was draining me physically while enhancing me magically.

“We'll split here and cover each exit. We know where they are and we need to make sure that we can protect them. Trixie, you head down to where they are along with Brooster and do your best to guard them to make sure that the Corruption Officers don't get them should they get by us. They may be expecting us to be here,” Hoshi stated, setting a hand on a blade.

Glancing over at it, I admired the design briefly before shaking it off and facing Hoshi. Gulping somehow got her attention as she looked right at me, giving me a tiny smile to calm me down. It worked for about a second before an unsettling feeling set in. This exhaustion and empowerment felt strangely familiar. Hoshi's smile vanished just as soon as it came in and she leaned in closer, whispering. By this time, Trixie had already started moving down, accompanied by another Dragon.

“Spike, you stick by me. If it comes to it, you and I have to face Haruo; we are not to engage in combat no matter what. We hide even if the enemy runs by. If Haruo passes by, then we jump in. As promised, I'll try and take him down without serious injury or death... but if it comes to it, I will strike to kill in order to defend my own life,” she said sternly.

It was at this point I noticed Hoshi and I were entirely alone. There was nobody else with us and I felt that exhausting yet empowering feeling return. She caressed my face, snapping me out of my trance and I glanced at her eyes. It was an almost motherly smile and her touch even felt warm. It wasn't her usual forced smile from before and I had a brief flashback to the face of someone I had grown oddly attached to in that prison... even if she never outwardly called me a friend. She shared all her details with me that she didn't have to and stuck by me, even giving me advice. Seeing her body laid on the ground with a small grin, blood coming from between her teeth and tears in her eyes... it brought some to my own. I grit my teeth and clenched my eyes shut, feeling my muscles tense and my hands curl up into fists. I shuddered violently and I felt her hand tug me a bit closer. For some reason, this stranger was hugging me. It was warm and I couldn't help but return the hug. I was stupefied and confused.

“You're so young... and already having been through so much. I'm sorry for my kind,” Hoshi whispered softly. “Please, I want you to smile a bit more. You're by no means a fighter Dragon. You just want peace... it's what I want too. My family is all gone... I've got nothing left. I know you must have at least someone left. Try and stay strong. A world where you don't fit in is awful, yet you've lasted this long. You... really could be a great peace warrior, Spike.”

The tears started flowing freely as this one stranger understood me more than anyone else in my whole life. Estranged and cast out by the society I grew up in, I never truly fit in yet this Dragon, that I've shared no details with other than the fact that I grew up in a Pony society, picked apart my whole life and what I've been avoiding doing simply because I didn't believe I could. I felt my knees wobble but I held them up and quietly sobbed, feeling so many pent up emotions flowing out.

“Please, please don't let us believe you're a killer.”

“T-they left me i-in prison. My own mother le-left m-m-me... I l-loved them, I thought—” I found myself unable to continue as Hoshi ran her hand down my back. Simple yet comforting.

“The race of the Dragons... we're not exactly the best but we learn compassion overtime from our meetings with other nations. It's the young that pick up the most,” Hoshi stated. "Right now, we have to be strong for those that can't. We have to protect these creatures, and—”

“AIR RAID!” a Dragon's voice shouted.

Hoshi and I both blinked for a moment before the entire structure lit up numerous colours. Roars sounded out and flames invaded the tunnels. Massive flames of many colours cascaded the walls and several explosions sounded out. Hoshi dived forward, pushing me with her and shielded my body. The ceiling cracked and shards of crystal dropped. The whole area shuddered as colours flashed. My ears buzzed from it all.

Several small shards and chunks of crystal dropped from above, pelting my face like falling clumps of snow. Hoshi rolled off me and crouched, moving up the shattered-hallways quickly. Glancing up, I spotted a large part of the ceiling gone and just through a hole in the top of the structure, I saw numerous Dragons flying above. There were objects in their claws that were dropped; each time one impacted the ground or structure, a sound of magic was heard before exploding.

“SPIKE, HIGHTAIL IT OUT OF HERE! THEY'RE BLOWING THE WHOLE PLACE!” Hoshi's voice shouted from afar.

Her voice was soon heard screaming before another explosion blocked out the noise. It was impossible to hear at this point and I prayed my eardrums survived the incident. From behind, I felt hooves push me forward and I instinctively started running, avoiding falling chunks that tattered the charred hallway-turned-trench. Trixie darted out ahead of me, her eyes narrowed as her magic made a shield around us, the whole thing flashing every time a larger chunk of crystal fell on it.

We served our ways around piles of debris, the odd body, much shrapnel as well as blades and pieces of the Coldwater Agent uniforms. Mine was cut rather badly by pieces of debris; Trixie was still in one piece, her hat merely looking a bit dusty. This mission... we could only hope the crystovores could escape lest we die.

Many bodies fell around us and a quick glance behind us revealed the large, volcanic-shaped crystal structure collapsing in on itself. Many Corruption Officers flew in the air, none of them carrying explosives. Instead, they focused on taking down or arresting the remaining CA's. Upon reaching where the entrance originally was, I saw the body of the one standing guard there, numerous shards of crystal lodged into his gut from what I presume was their weapon. Even further ahead, Hoshi had a gash in her side yet was entirely restrained along with many of the CA's that came to the site. The rest were all dead or still being apprehended in the skies. Neither of them noticed us, most likely due to our size and we ducked down, her shield spell deactivating.

Just as we did, they flapped their wings and numerous agents flapped their wings, taking off into the skies with the prisoners in tow. Trixie and I both grit our teeth, glancing as the rest of the Coldwater Agents were caught or killed. Several Dragons lingered in order to continue dropping explosives that they seemed to get from a pouch. Magical; they were effective in countering the structure of the crystals.

One bomb was detonated near Trixie and myself, us most likely blending in with the purple crystal ground. Chunks of crystal were sent flying along with bits of shrapnel. Trixie managed to get her shield up in the brief second she had but not before the force shoved her back a bit... while it violently forced me back. The concussive force almost shattered Trixie's shield yet she held out until the explosive vanished. She slid into the rather large crater, cringing from the burning in her hooves even through the uniform as well as the exhaustion.

My body felt limp as I was tossed back, impacting what must have been a pile of debris. I didn't stop there as I felt each individual gem I collided with. Foot after foot I went further into the stack until I felt a ton of weight against me as well as gems falling from a short height, tossed into the air by me impacting the pile. My body felt weak and memories of being tossed and slammed by a Dragon God rung strong. It was merely a week ago, but good holy mother of God, did it seem like just seconds.

Outside, Trixie glanced around, shouting my name to no avail. She ignored the fact that she could draw attention to herself and frantically glanced the area, crawling out of the crater as she did.

“SPIKE!? SPIKE!”

Another Dragon landed next to her that we, or at least I, could recognize. Haruo sniffed the air and his expression softened. His armour wasn't the same as the Corruption Officers, bearing a more majestic and royal design as well as having a much more elaborate shape.

“Trixie? I thought... where's Spike!?” he asked, looking around frantically.

“WHAT IS THIS!?” Trixie shouted, her horn sparking all over.

Haruo gulped a moment and stuttered trying to speak. “W-well, our mission was to erase the contamination entirely, including the land. It's a severe loss, but orders are orders.”

Trixie angrily stomped over to Haruo who simply stood his ground as his face sharpened a bit. He seemed to register Trixie wearing the apparel of his enemy and instinctively, he placed his hand on the hilt of his blade.

“There were DRAGONS IN THERE! And myself, and those creatures... you killed many! And for what!? Trixie may not know you and may not know what Spike saw of you, but right now, she thinks you're a pathetic excuse of a Dragon who blindly follows orders rather than doing the right thing!” Trixie spat on Haruo's foot to which he briefly glanced down. Trixie grit her teeth, refraining from growling.

“Trixie, just calm down and we can explain things back at HQ,” Haruo said in a quieter voice.

Trixie headbutted him in the gut, knocking him back a few feet as her horn put a lot of pressure on a rather soft spot in his armour. He staggered a moment and drew his blade a bit, showing a few inches of the sharp metal as he remained ready to pounce, glaring at Trixie.

“SPIKE is in there! Your explosives just launched him in there and he's probably broken or dead right now!” Trixie bellowed.

Haruo's expression shifted for a moment before he clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. He sighed heavily, eyes aiming downwards as he spoke softly.

“Progress requires... sacrifice,” he muttered as if he didn't believe his own words.

. . .

I blinked, seeing myself laying in a small pocket in the pile of debris. Looking around me, I saw strange crystals that seemed to move like bipedal dogs. They shuddered and let out soft cries as they held up the massive debris, allowing me room to move. They all stared at me, glowing brilliantly even as the light in them flickered. I reached over, ignoring the pain in my arm and pet one creature. I felt a stronger sensation in my body; exhaustion yet empowerment. As I did, the little crystovore's eyes softened and his glow returned to brilliance as he also seemed to grow stronger. He stopped shivering and continued holding up the ceiling. They were only about a few inches shorter than myself.

Yet... one by one, several of them stopped moving, their glow fading to the point where they looked like regular crystals molded into those shapes. Their beady red eyes closed and some of them fell limp. Some of the crystovores had little shards of multi-coloured crystals in their bodies and even whinnied as they were silenced for good. I watched them die. I watched a species have one of its habitats destroyed and their brethren die. My eyes widened as I realized the toll this air raid had on the citizens and my eyes briefly watered once more. My own body started to shudder as I felt anger swelling up in my body.

Images of bodies coated in fire raining down from the sky flickered in my mind... agonized screams or even worse... the lack of no screams. Just hunks of meat that slam into the ground, charred and unrecognizable even with dental. Innocents, inmates and varied species all dropping dead. It infuriated me and I felt a fire start in my chest. A purple glow surrounded my body and the few crystovores still alive seemingly absorbed some of the aura into their bodies, gaining all of their strength back. The crystals around us started to glow and it seemed like the crystovores that took my magic filtered it and gave it back... as if it ate it and the waste was somehow beneficial to me. I felt more refined and stronger, plus my temper wasn't as bad as it was... back then.

I let out a scream, making sure my anger was well-heard. Pushing myself into a crouching position, I pushed off the ground as hard as possible. I launched upwards, crashing through the debris yet feeling no pain. My pain from before vanished as the magic flowed and I felt myself feeling like the Power Pony, Zap. Debris was flying as I propelled myself from out of the pile, feeling a warm heat coating my body. I reached the apex of my jump, throwing my limbs forward to brace for the landing.

My feet connected with the ground and I felt the crystal crack and shatter a bit. A small indent was formed and as I opened my eyes, I noticed that there was a warm, green and purple flame emanating from my body. My own draconic magic, expressed by my flames, seemed to mix with Twilight's. Out of each little scale on my torso and arms came a short flame that constantly seemed to burn. I felt my magic burning up yet it was also constantly being empowered. The ground below was starting to glow brightly... and I felt that odd sensation from before again. This area was affecting the magic... and I was glad.

Glancing up, I stood up straight and saw Haruo and Trixie staring at me, the Dragon seemingly in the middle of attempting to draw his sword. His expression seemed to flash with worry for a moment as his eyes narrowed. He stood up taller, letting his sword slide back into his hilt. He seemed to know why I'm riled up... so I'm glad he didn't bother asking.

“Spike, calm down. We don't need this,” he said, his voice having an edge to it.

“Need it!? APPARENTLY, we do otherwise those creatures wouldn't have died. The rebels wouldn't have had to die. NOBODY HAD TO DIE!” I shouted, darting forward.

Pressing off with my feet, I had gotten a fast dash and was already just in front of Haruo. Rather than take the hit, I felt a fist slam up against my jaw, clamping my teeth shut as I attempted to roar. I groaned as he side stepped, letting me tumble to the ground. Rather than wait to stop, I allowed my instincts to take over. Time seemingly slowed down and when I found myself rolling onto my front, I pushed up with my hands and feet. I launched myself several feet off the ground so I stood. I slid to a halt just as Haruo has already closed the distance between us. His blade swung upwards towards me and I kicked my foot outwards, foot hitting his wrist. He didn't drop it but it twisted the blade enough so that the flat end slapped me in the gut, the edge poking me.

Haruo attempted to thrust forward gently yet I grabbed the blade and stepped to the side, yanking the sword. He went with it and I brought my knee up, hitting him in the gut. He still didn't drop it and that's when I felt his superior strength kicking in. He yanked it back, twisting the blade as he did. It sliced my hand up a bit, causing some flesh to hang loose. After a moment, a purple aura surrounded it and the wounds were healed. I still felt my self getting exhausted but the magic continued pouring out of me, seemingly endless. My body ached and begged for a rest but I pressed on.

I jumped back as Haruo stumbled, composing himself shortly. I felt a bit nauseated from the exhaustion and just as I saw Haruo dart towards me, I saw a faint spark from over his shoulder. I closed my eyes and heard a bang. My eyelids didn't shadow the light and I randomly dove to the left, rolling as I did. Haruo grunted and when I opened my eyes, the light was gone replaced by smaller fireworks. Flattening my feet, I stopped rolling forward and slid while crouched, swinging my left arm in a backhand motion. A solid purple aura shaped like a fist stretched out, reaching further than I could and impacted Haruo right where he was headbutted by Trixie and kneed by me. The third hit seemed to do something as his blade finally dropped, clanging against the ground as he tumbled backwards.

Pressing off with my feat, I took into the air and swung my legs so I did a side flip. I bent my knee and leaned over mid air, causing me to fall towards him knee-first. Haruo regained his composure just in time and left hand supported by his right caught my knee. His fingers clenched, wrapping around the whole leg and he effectively had me in his grip. The little flames coming from my body didn't seem to hurt him too much, but it did darken the colour of his scales.

My other leg dangled as the pressure around my knee started to really hurt and Haruo gritted his teeth. A cyan aura surrounded his hands and seemingly tried to pry open his fingers. Trixie shortly dropped to the ground, allowing herself a moment to rest as she exhausted her source.

“Spike, stop, the, fighting,” Haruo spat out, pausing on each word. “We don't... have... to fight... let me ex-explain,” he said, his face reddening as his voice became raspier and more like he was restraining anger.

I growled in response, reaching down with my hands and squeezing my claws around his wrists. His eyes winced as it seemingly caused the same pain... or rather, discomfort that I felt. Our eyes locked and a brief staring contest occurred. Once more, images flashed in my mind and I remembered what was the primary issue. Who Haruo was, what he did for me and what he was trying to do. Involuntary or not, I still knew this Dragon, and I still didn't feel right attacking him like this.

Flames retreated back into my body as my anger disappointed. My grip loosened until I let my arms dangle at my sides and merely settled on wincing as his grip now started to hurt. His expression softened and so did his hands; my knee now ached from the pressure and I leaned to the side, allowing my other foot to be placed on the ground. He released me and I stumbled over, panting heavily as full-exhaustion assaulted my mind. It was at this point I realized my uniform was completely gone, most likely burned off. Feeling like a fever was in full swing, I laid out on my side and allowed my limbs to rest. I felt like jelly.

“S-Spike, we're not... hah, we're not a perfect species. We never will be... I'm sorry,” Haruo said, heavily panting as well.

“Trixie believes that... that you two making up so fast was the most convoluted thing since Blueblood learning how to be a gentlecolt,” Trixie responded, merely gritting.

The showmare stood up, walking over to us two Dragons as we laid on the ground, exhausted. I simply couldn't move without feeling stiff and sore.

“Haruo, you... argh, you better explain everything before I get my strength back,” I muttered, feeling that fire in my chest flicker.

My eyes flashed over towards the rubble, seeing several of those crystovores slowly climbing out of the debris, carrying several bodies. I winced, feeling saddened. It reminded me of something... an old story about Griffon children in a wartorn nation having to bury their own parents because of the chaos and conflict. Wonders about my own species flickered briefly as I shook my head, quickly dissipating the thoughts.

A fault in our species... imperfect beings... scourge of the world... the beast the knight slays... a Dragon.