Past, Present, and Future

by DragonShadow

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Zecora, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Romance
Length: 79690

When a dragon girl comes to Ponyville, she changes the way Spike sees his friends and himself, opening his eyes to the possibility of a life lived outside of Ponyville.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike save a dragon girl from a savage attack, and the girl is grateful, but her gratitude turns to suspicion and bitterness when she gets a glimpse of how dragons are treated within Ponyville. This sets off a long journey of challenge and discovery for Spike, and all of his Ponyville friends, that could change the fate of two nations forever.

Edited by CarcinoGeneticist

Published 2013-11-18 13:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-09-06 17:10:44 UTC

02 - The Dragon of Ponyville

Chapter 2: The Dragon of Ponyville

Pyralsprite had never been in a pony town before; in fact she’d never even been around ponies. Now that she was they didn’t seem all that bad, though it was a bit jarring. The constant clop-clop-clop of their hooves against the hard ground as they walked was kind of annoying, especially with dozens of ponies wandering about, but there wasn’t so much chatter on the streets that it made her head ache. The feeling of the warm sun on her scales felt nice, let through into the town by the short buildings that lined the street.

The most prominent thing about them that she noticed was the myriad of smells that came from each one. Scaled creatures tended to have more muted scents, like her dragon guide in this town, Spike. These ponies though, with their fleshy fur-covered hides, were like walking flowers, and somehow each and every one was unique. It was strange, but not wholly unpleasant.

Spike stood out among the crowd, not only by not having a very strong scent, but simply by radiating an enormous amount of body heat. It wasn’t something a pony would feel to the touch, but a sensitive dragon like her could sense him a ways off. Some non-dragon races whispered that a dragon’s veins were filled with lava instead of blood. It wasn’t true, of course… but it was a funny thought, and it was easy to see how it got started. Though Spike was easily the hottest dragon she’d ever come into contact with, despite also being the smallest…

“Ah, here! This is Sugarcube Corner!” Spike rushed up to the entrance of a nearby building, whirling to look back at her with a crooked grin. He pushed the door open, and delicious sugary scents immediately wafted out to greet them. “They have some of the best cakes and pies in Equestria here, and they’ll even make some special gemstone cupcakes if I ask them to!”

“Mmmh… that does sound pretty good.” Pyralsprite licked her lips and turned to follow Spike inside the building, into the whirling, swirling scent of pastries and ponies. She followed Spike up to the counter, behind which two ponies who smelled of strawberries and blueberries were speaking to one-another in soft tones.

“Good morning Mrs. Cake!” Spike exclaimed as he bounded up to the counter.

“Good morning Spike! Oh, and Spike’s little friend!” Mrs. Cake marveled in surprise. “Who’s this?”

Spike chimed in gleefully. “This is Pyralsprite! She just arrived in Ponyville. I thought I’d show her around town!”

“Um… yeah, hey,” Pyralsprite agreed with a wave of one claw and an awkward smile.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Do you like gemstones too?”

Pyralsprite moved up beside Spike. “Sure, I love gemstones. Quartz is my favorite.”

“I… don’t think we have any quartz, unfortunately. Do you like sapphire?”

“Oh, sure. That’s not bad.”

“Great! Give me just a few minutes, and I’ll whip you both up a special treat!”

“Thanks Mrs. Cake!” Spike settled down and licked his lips while the two ponies disappeared into the back. “I think you’re going to like these cupcakes, they’re the best cupcakes in all of Equestria!”

Pyralsprite giggled. “Considering it’ll be the only cupcake I’ve ever had in Equestria, that’s not saying a lot.”

“Well you’ll never need another one. Until the next time we come to Sugarcube Corner, anyway.”

“That’s a bold claim,” Pyralsprite smirked.

Spike’s cocky tone betrayed the matching smirk on his face. “That’s just how confident I am.”

Despite her doubts, once the cupcake was in her claw and she took a bite, she had to admit, it was a darned good cupcake. Somehow they managed to make the tough, crunchy sapphire work perfectly with the fluffy dough it was embedded into. She still would have preferred a quartz cupcake, even the thought made her mouth water, but this was still plenty good enough to quench any hunger she may have had for sweets.

“Come on! There’s still so much of Ponyville for you to see!” Spike exclaimed, adding a moment later. “Uh… so to speak… thanks again Mrs. Cake!”

“You’re very welcome! Have fun out there you two!” Mrs. Cake called after them as Spike led Pyralsprite back outside into the pleasantly warm sunlight. Something about her tone made Pyralsprite hesitate, but she didn’t want to say anything. The light, high-pitched tone was almost like one she’d expect a pony to use when talking to a dog…

“Hey, it’s Rainbow Dash!” Spike jolted her out of her thoughts. Pyralsprite could hear the wind whipping around above her, bringing down the smell of sweat mixed with rainwater. It was a surprisingly not-unpleasant scent. “Hey, Rainbow Dash! Come say hi to my new friend!”

“New friend huh?” Rainbow Dash whirled down close to the ground, her hooves touching down with a heavy thump right in front of Pyralsprite. “A winged dragon? How fast can you fly?”

Pyralsprite stood stunned for a moment, then huffed a puff of flame in front of her. “Fast enough to leave you behind, if I didn’t have holes in my wings.”

“Hah! We’ll have to see about that once those holes are gone then! Name’s Rainbow Dash.”

“I’m Pyralsprite.”

“And I’m looking for Twilight,” Rainbow Dash suddenly addressed Spike. “You know where she is?”

“Oh, if she’s not at the Library she’s probably at the Town Hall,” Spike informed her. “She had a meeting with the mayor this evening.”

“Really? Aw horseapples, well I can’t pull her away from that, and I’m sure as heck not listening in on boring political stuff.” Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh. “Well, tell her I said hi, will you Spike?”

“Will do!” Spike replied enthusiastically before Rainbow Dash took off again, the scent quickly moving out of her smelling range on the stiff breeze blowing through Ponyville.

“That was… abrupt,” Pyralsprite huffed.

“Ah don’t mind her, she’s just always kind of hyper.” Spike chuckled. “Hey, come on, there’s one more pony I’d love to introduce you to before we have to go home for the night!”

“Have to go home? What, like a curfew?” Pyralsprite asked as she turned to follow Spike through Ponyville.

Spike chuckled. “Nah, there’s no curfew, not for us at least. Twilight just prefers me to be home by seven. That’s when she starts her evening work assignments.”

“And what do her evening assignments have to do with you?”

“I’m her assistant! I can’t assist her if I’m not there!” Spike exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I guess I can’t argue with that…” Pyralsprite muttered to herself under her breath.

“Ah, here we are.” Spike sounded like he was giggling to himself as he approached a large building in front of them. The smell of cedar and old dry paint was thick in the air, a wooden house lavishly painted, no doubt. Pyralsprite was no expert on pony society or ponies in general, but she had a feeling whoever lived in a place like this was both well off and full of themselves.

Spike seemed psyched however as he charged up to the door and knocked almost daintily with one claw. Pyralsprite moved up beside him, a bit curious who he was so eager to see. When the door opened she was met with enough different scents to make her gag, but she quickly suppressed it so she didn’t seem rude. It was like standing in front of a flower garden covered with oils and gemstone dust of all kinds, and hidden somewhere deep inside of it was a tiny, tiny hint of pony.

“Oh! Spike!” The flowery pony exclaimed in surprise. “And Spike’s little friend?”

“Hehe, yeah!” Spike exclaimed. “Rarity, this is my new friend, Pyralsprite. Pyralsprite, this is the most beau… I mean, this is Rarity… ahehe…”

“Oohhhh isn’t that an adorable name for an adorable dragon?” Rarity’s hooves clopped across the pavement as she approached. Pyralsprite had to fight the urge to retreat. Honestly, how did Spike not notice this gross mishmash of smells? “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pyralsprite!”

Pyralsprite choked down a cough. “Heh… likewise…”

“Now you both simply must come inside and allow me to get you something to drink. I insist!” Rarity exclaimed.

Spike spoke up immediately. “Great! Come on, Pyralsprite!” Pyralsprite wanted to protest, but his claws had already scraped their way into the building and out of earshot.

“Are you coming, darling?” the perfumed pony asked.

After taking a breath to steel herself Pyralsprite moved forward. “Yep… hehe, I can’t wait.” She held her breath as long as she could once she entered, but eventually she had to start breathing again. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared inside the building. There were only traces of the flowers and oils, the building itself mostly smelled like gemstone dust, which was actually kind of nice.

“Come into the kitchen and I’ll make you both some nice tea!” Rarity closed the door and headed into the kitchen to turn on some of the kitchen doodads Pyralsprite didn’t recognize. She did recognize Spike though, his superheated body was perched in one of the chairs at the oak dining table. If Pyralsprite didn’t know any better she’d swear his head was five degrees hotter than it usually was. Was he blushing?

“So when did you come to Ponyville, Pyralsprite? How long are you staying?” Rarity asked companionably.

“I sort of arrived this morning…” Pyralsprite coughed into one claw. “And I don’t know how long I’m staying. Until my wings heal enough to carry me home I guess.”

“How long will that be?”

“I’m not a doctor, I don’t know.”

Rarity giggled and approached the table with two cups of tea floating in front of her. “Well I’m certain my little Spikey Wikey will take just marvelous care of you! So you have nothing to worry about.”

“Spikey Wikey…?” Pyralsprite muttered.

“Aw, come on Rarity…” Spike groaned.

Rarity just replied with a giggle. “Oh come now, don’t get all bashful, be proud of what a wonderful little dragon you are! Oh, by the way, Spike, I could use your assistance with a couple of projects I’ve been working on. I have some dresses in progress for a mare precisely your color and I could use your scales to help me coordinate the colors.”

“Sure! I’m ready any time!” Spike leapt up from his chair, his head growing even hotter.

“Oh thank you! I knew I could count on you!” Rarity nuzzled his cheek, moments before the two of them turned to head into the next room.

“Spikey… Wikey…?” Pyralsprite muttered to herself for a moment, then slid off of her chair to follow the other two into the next room. She paused when she realized that Spike was standing on the far side of the room as bolts of fabric of every type, and undoubtedly color, were draped across his body, then pulled off by the unicorn who was standing against the wall next to a giant pile of different clothing.

“Yes, no… aha, yes, much better! Now I need complimentary colors…” Rarity muttered to herself.

Pyralsprite made her way over to Spike’s side, where the boy was standing stock still and letting the unicorn throw clothes all over him. “Why are you letting her do that? Is she paying you?”

“Paying me? Nah… I don’t need to be paid to want to do everything I can for the most beautiful creature in Equestria…” Spike spoke softly, ending with a wistful sigh. Pyralsprite had to admit she’d never actually seen a pony, for obvious reasons, but she felt her stomach churn at the thought of one being beautiful. This was a dragon she was standing next to, wasn’t it? He sure smelled like one, he was as hot as one… but he didn’t act like one.

He didn’t even act like a pony. He acted more like a dog.

“Thank you so much, Spike! You made this project so much easier for me!” Rarity exclaimed as a gemstone hovered from her closet over to Spike. “Here you go, a special treat for such a kind gesture!”

“Gosh, thanks Rarity!” Spike snatched the gemstone out of the air in one eager claw. “I’ll help you out any time…”

“You’re such a sweetheart!” Rarity giggled. “Now, why don’t you run along and play with your little friend? You really mustn’t allow a lady to become bored.”

“Oh! Uh, no way! Come on Pyralsprite!” Spike whirled back to her as if just remembering that she was there.

“Right behind you.” Pyralsprite moved to join him at the front door.

“Do come back any time, Pyralsprite! I’ll show you how to color-coordinate!” Rarity called after them whimsically. Pyralsprite came to a stop and turned to Spike, whose head heated up with an intense blush, but she didn’t feel like sticking around and arguing the point. Instead she just made her way outside, into the fresh, clean, pure air that circled around the town of Ponyville.

“I’m really sorry about that, I mean, she doesn’t know…” Spike stuttered.

“Relax, I know.” A smirk tugged at her lips as she walked down the sidewalk again. “So where are we going next?”

Spike considered for a moment. “It’s getting kind of late now; we should probably head back to the library before Twilight wonders where I am. I bet she could use your help too, now that I think about it. She always has so much work to do a helping claw couldn’t hurt.”

Pyralsprite huffed a small puff of flame. “Just how I wanted to spend my evening.”

“What?”

“Oh nothing… let’s get back to the tree then, then make like a couple of leaves and stay there until Winter.”

Spike let out a laugh. “Haha, good one!”

Pyralsprite couldn’t help a smile. “I try.”

The two dragons made their way through Ponyville again toward the Golden Oaks Library. Most ponies were wrapping up the day’s business and heading home before the sun’s warmth gave way to the cold night. Dragons were cold-blooded, so the idea of being out at night alone was less than comfortable, but it was far from a problem. Their blood was more than hot enough to take a few hours of cold, but being out all night by oneself was worrying nonetheless.

So it was with a sense of relief the two dragons made their way into the library, where she immediately heard Twilight’s hoofsteps approaching from the far side of the room. “Spike! Punctual as always! That’s why you’re my number one assistant!”

“You got that right!” Spike exclaimed excitedly.

“Could you do me a favor and fetch those scrolls Celestia sent from the bedroom? We need to categorize and catalogue them all before we get started.”

“Right away!” Spike scurried upstairs.

“Yes. Fetch, Spike, fetch,” Pyralsprite grunted under her breath.

“Pardon…?” Twilight asked curiously.

Pyralsprite grumbled a wordless response and turned to make her way toward the kitchen. She hadn’t meant to be heard. No matter how she felt she was still a guest here, and they were kind enough to give her a place to stay until her wings were healed, and even that was after saving her life from those timberwolves. Who was she to butt in and complain? He seemed content with the way things were anyway, no matter how little like a dragon he really seemed. A true dragon earned respect, they didn’t obey commands unless it was from someone who earned greater respect, and these ponies did nothing but boss him around without earning anything, passing him treats and talking down to him like a dog.

Yet she could only listen from the kitchen as Spike obeyed every command Twilight Sparkle gave to him. Like an obedient little puppy, running back and forth chasing a squeaky rubber ball. The Patriarch would have flown into a rage if he witnessed a dragon behaving like this, especially for a group of soft ponies. It was a good thing he wasn’t here. Spike was as soft as a sponge made of clouds, but there was an enthusiasm about him that was kind of charming. She wouldn’t want him to get hurt.

With a sigh Pyralsprite plopped down on the floorboards in the kitchen and listened to the chatter from the next room, until several hours later she heard Twilight yawn.

“Ah, we just finished! At nine o’clock! We’re right on schedule! Because of you, number one assistant!” Twilight giggled.

Spike chuckled back. “Heh, aw shucks, come on, you’re gonna embarrass me in front of… hey, where’s Pyralsprite?”

“I’m here, I’m here.” Pyralsprite pulled herself up from the floor and headed into the living room to join the others. “Just relaxing and letting you two do your thing.”

Twilight nodded. “Well, we’re done with our ‘thing’ tonight, so why don’t you two go to bed? Owlowicious can keep me company until I go, but you two need your sleep. Now go on.”

“Of course Twilight, I’ll see you tomorrow. Come on Pyralsprite, let’s get some sleep!” Spike turned to head upstairs without any complaint. Pyralsprite followed silently after him, letting him lead her up to the bedroom and towards the two little-dragon-sized wicker beds at the foot of the gigantic fluffy pony bed. She couldn’t help her lip curling into a soft snarl. Five dragons their size could fit on one of those beds, why were they cooped up in these tiny things?

Spike didn’t mention anything wrong with it as he climbed into bed though, so she kept her jaws shut as well and climbed into her own, curling up on the cushion and letting her wings fan out across the sides. She would just enjoy the time with him, have a little fun, and then go home once her wings were healed. At least nobody was trying to boss her around. If Spike wanted to run around living his life taking orders from ponies that was his business, but the second any pony tried to order her around they would not like her response.

“Goodnight, Pyralsprite.” Spike spoke from the other basket as he shuffled over, his body heat being obscured somewhat by a thick blanket.

“Goodnight, Spike.” Pyralsprite sighed softly, speaking the rest in a soft whisper. “And thanks again…”

___

The next morning brought the birds singing their song right outside the bedroom window, only to be shooed away by a burst of fire. Nothing was more irritating to Pyralsprite than birds chirping. Perhaps it was her reliance on her hearing to get around, but it was just so high-pitched it gave her a headache. Oh well, they were gone now and she was left with the sound of the wind rushing through the open window and the blankets flapping softly against the beds.

She lifted her head to get a sense of what was around her. The room was as it was the night before, but the other two beds were already empty. There was still a lot of heat inside the blankets though, so they couldn’t have left too long ago. Indeed, now that she was starting to focus better she could hear the scuttling of claws and hooves on the wooden floor downstairs through the open bedroom door.

Leaving her bed-slash-basket behind, Pyralsprite made her way downstairs, where Twilight was sitting at a table in the living room with a book hovering in front of her nose.

As the little dragon reached the bottom step Twilight turned toward her. “Oh, good morning, Pyralsprite. I hope we didn’t wake you.”

“Nah, I’m fine.” Pyralsprite wandered further into the living room, turning toward the kitchen.

Twilight spoke in a friendly tone that did nothing to make Pyralsprite feel better. “Spike’s in the kitchen making breakfast. If you want something I’m sure he’d love to make it for you.”

“I’m sure he would.” Pyralsprite headed into the kitchen to find Spike standing in front of the stove, wearing an apron across his body and holding a spatula in one claw as a soft sizzle erupted from the pan in front of him. The smell of bread and eggs wafted around the kitchen.

“Hey Pyralsprite!” Spike exclaimed enthusiastically. “Do you want some eggs and toast? I’m making plenty.”

Pyralsprite was as polite as she could be. “No thanks, I don’t eat organic food.”

“Aw, come on, I know dragons eat gemstones, but I bet if you gave it a try you’d really like it.”

“I said no.” Pyralsprite approached Spike. “Doesn’t she keep any gemstones around here for you to eat?”

“Well I have a small stash upstairs, but Twilight doesn’t get them for me. I earn them myself.”

“Fantastic.” Pyralsprite shook her head, listening to the oil in the pan sizzle and pop for a few moments before speaking again. “So what’s the plan today? Does Twilight have more assignments to be assisted with?”

“Yeah, I gotta stick around here at the library for a while and help her write her responses to Princess Celestia. There’s no reason you can’t go out if you want to, though.” Spike hefted the pan off the stove with one heat-resistant claw, sliding the eggs onto two plates that were already sitting on the table with toast on them. “Are you sure you don’t want them? They don’t take long to cook.”

“No. Why can’t Twilight write her own letters? Isn’t she a unicorn? It’d be easy for her.”

“She has more important things to focus on than using her magic for writing all the time.”

“Don’t you have more important things to focus on than doing her bidding all the time?” Pyralsprite growled with increasing irritation.

“What…?” Spike turned on her with confusion in his tone. Pyralsprite wanted to snap back at him, tell him what she’d been thinking since arriving… but it was obvious he liked Twilight Sparkle, and she was still a guest here. That hadn’t changed overnight.

“Urgh, forget it.” With her wings flapping in frustration Pyralsprite whirled away from the table and the little dragon beside it, making her way towards the door. “I’m gonna go have some fun, when you’re ready to join me you know where to find me.” She ignored Twilight Sparkle as she stomped through the living room and emerged into the warmth of the rising sun outside.

No sooner did she step out than she felt her stomach let out a low grumble. Darnit, she thought. She hadn’t eaten since setting out yesterday morning… maybe eggs wouldn’t have been good but it would have been food. A single cupcake wasn’t enough to fill her up, after all.

“Ugh… stupid Spike…” She grumbled and turned to march through the streets of Ponyville, letting her nose guide her toward something that smelled like food and not ponies. Unfortunately she didn’t find anything that wasn’t organic near what was obviously the shopping area of town. It was all fruits and vegetables, with a bunch of grass and flowers mixed in. It wasn’t to her taste, but it made her empty stomach grumble anyway.

“Oh my gosh… it’s a baby dragon!” A voice squeaked in stunned delight from nearby. Pyralsprite’s head jerked up in surprise as a wind rushed over her, carrying with it the scent of flowers and grass, but not nearly as overpowering as what she got from Spike’s friend Rarity. “How did another baby dragon appear in Ponyville? They’re so rare… I mean, oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t speak about you that way…” The pony muttered softly.

“Hmph… no, you shouldn’t. I’m not a baby.” Pyralsprite softened her tone, however. “And I came to town yesterday… Spike brought me here.”

“Oh, I should have known. He’s such a sweetheart.” The pony giggled. “My name’s Fluttershy, what’s yours?”

“I’m Pyralsprite.” She couldn’t pinpoint why, but something about this new pony’s demeanor was kind of nice.

“It’s so lovely to meet you, Pyralsprite.” The pony fell silent as Pyralsprite’s stomach grumbled against her will. “Oh my, you must be hungry! Come on, I’m sure I have something scrumptious for you up at my cottage.”

Pyralsprite fought through her blush to respond. “Sure, yeah, I’m coming.”

Pyralsprite followed the soft-spoken pony through Ponyville, past the clopping hooves of the other ponies until they left the noises of the town proper a distance behind them, which was a tremendous relief to her ears. Up here she was met more with the sound of a sweeping wind from the forest and the soft chattering of animals from inside the modest cabin that Fluttershy led her up to. Inside it was just as calm as the outside, and the chattering of animals was almost soothing. It reminded her of home.

“What would you like to eat?” Fluttershy asked in her caring, dulcet tone.

“You don’t have any quartz stones around by any chance, do you?” Pyralsprite knew it was a long shot, but it really was her favorite.

“Hehe, sure, I think I have a couple. Sometimes Rarity gives me gemstones she doesn’t need for her dresses.” Fluttershy marched into the next room, then returned a few minutes later with a plate piled with the sweet, sweet scent of several gemstones, including topaz, sapphire, and even a couple of quarts stones on the top.

“Oohhh… thank you so much.” Pyralsprite didn’t even wait for Fluttershy to finish putting the plate down before snapping at the gems, sweeping them into her mouth and happily munching right through the hard substance.

Fluttershy gasped and jerked back letting the plate clatter to the floor with the dragon’s snout in it. “Oh my, you really were hungry,” she giggled. “Well eat up little friend, and if you need more I can always get some for you.”

“Mmmh, thanks!” Pyralsprite licked some gemstone dust off her lips before digging in again. It wasn’t too long before her small dragon stomach had its fill and she sat back on her hindclaws, picking some stubborn chunks out of her teeth with one foreclaw. “I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten that much at once before… I’m so stuffed.”

“Oh? Don’t they feed you back at home?” Fluttershy asked.

“Sure, but they don’t just HAND any to you… you gotta earn it.”

“Oh my, that sounds… er… lovely…?”

“It makes sense, at least.” Pyralsprite faded into silence for a few moments before speaking again. “Hey Fluttershy, you acted like you knew another little dragon here in Ponyville… did you mean Spike? Do you know him?”

“Oh yes, he and Twilight Sparkle are some of my best friends.”

“Oh yeah? What do you think of how she treats him?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, how she makes him do everything for her…” Pyralsprite looked down. “How she treats him like a slave?”

Fluttershy gasped. “A slave? She doesn’t treat him like that… she loves him, I know she does.”

Pyralsprite growled. “Loves him? I spent all night and all morning with them and all she did was tell him to do things. Fetch my book, write this letter, be home by seven so you can do all this stuff for me. It’s like he never even thought about what he wanted to do for himself, he spent all day doing things for everyone else, even the cupcake we got because he wanted me to try it.”

“He’s a kind and thoughtful boy, and he just likes being helpful,” Fluttershy insisted. “Is that such a bad thing?”

“Sure, if it was his idea to be helpful! All he does is what everyone else tells him to do! It’s like he doesn’t have a unique thought in his head!”

“Pyralsprite, that’s not true. He has all kinds of interests of his own.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“He likes… well, gemstones… and… and Rarity…”

“And?” Pyralsprite demanded.

“Um…” Fluttershy drifted into silence.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Pyralsprite stood up. “Is that how ponies see dragons? As servants who spend their lives dedicated to doing whatever they’re supposed to do? Oh give him a couple of gems every once in a while and that’ll keep him happy.”

“B-but…” Fluttershy squeaked meekly.

Pyralsprite sighed and turned away from her. “Sorry, I don’t mean to snap at you. I don’t even have a right to say anything. They saved my life… I’m just gonna hang around until I heal, then I can get out of here and leave Spike to his thing…” she trailed off slowly. She didn’t want to leave Spike here to spend the rest of his life in servitude. He really was a nice boy, she’d rather take him with her, show him what life was really like…

“Oh Pyralsprite… I’m sure it’s not how you think it is.” Fluttershy walked up behind her. “Would it make you feel better if I spoke to Twilight about it myself?”

Pyralsprite thought about it for a moment. She barely knew Fluttershy, and yet she found herself trusting her regardless. She was the nicest creature Pyralsprite had ever met, by far. “Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt. If you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course I wouldn’t. What are friends for? Come on, I’ll take you back home to Twilight’s.” Fluttershy patted her head softly and turned to move outside with Pyralsprite, heading back into town with her toward the library without another word. Well-fed and grateful for someone who seemed open to her complaints, Pyralsprite was walking with a lighter step on the way back. Maybe Fluttershy really would get to the bottom of this, maybe she could even get Spike some better treatment from these ponies. That would be the next best thing to him going home with her.

“Spike, take a letter,” Twilight’s voice rang out from inside the library as the two of them approached the door.

“I got it!” Spike exclaimed amicably.

Pyralsprite growled deep in her throat, but Fluttershy either didn’t hear or didn’t react, knocking softly on the front door of the library.

“I’ve got it.” Spike wandered toward the door to pull it open, his voice reflecting his surprise. “Pyralsprite? And Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy spoke in her soft tone. “Good morning, Spike. I was hoping I could speak with Twilight Sparkle for a little while.”

“Of course!” Twilight’s clopping hooves approached the door. “I always have time for you, Fluttershy. We’ll be right back out in a minute, Spike.”

“I’ll be waiting!” Spike exclaimed before the two ponies turned to head into the back. Pyralsprite kind of wanted to listen in, but she didn’t want to be rude, and Spike looked like he really wanted her attention. She didn’t want to make more waves anyway… it was out of her claws now…

To Be Continued

03 - Before the Dragon

Chapter 3: Before the Dragon

Twilight Sparkle made her way into the interior library, where she closed the door behind Fluttershy. Her pegasus friend was pink in the cheeks, and didn’t seem to want to meet her gaze. Something that was not uncommon for her, of course, but it had been a long time since Twilight had seen her get like this when they were alone. They’d been good friends for a long time, after all.

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight approached her friend. “Has something happened?”

“No, nothing like that.” Fluttershy shook her head and finally looked up at Twilight. “Pyralsprite seems like a nice baby dragon…”

“Yeah, I get the feeling she doesn’t like me much though.” Twilight Sparkle rubbed the back of her neck with one hoof. “Not that I expect everypony to like me…”

“Oh Twilight, it’s not that she doesn’t like you, I think she’s just confused about the way you and Spike do things.”

“How we do things?” Twilight cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Well, she confided in me that she feels you treat Spike like a slave… n-not that I agree with her of course, I know you love Spike very much.”

“Wh-what!?” Twilight’s wings shot up in shock. “A slave!? Why in Equestria would she think something like that!?”

“She says it’s the way you talk to Spike. How you tell him to do things. I think she just doesn’t understand your special relationship with him.”

“How I…?” Twilight’s cheeks reddened and she looked down slightly. “Fluttershy… do you think I treat Spike like a slave?”

Fluttershy responded immediately and firmly. “Of course I don’t. I just think you need to speak with Pyralsprite and explain to her how special Spike really is to you.”

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right, I’ll definitely have a talk with her, thank you.” Twilight coughed into one hoof nervously. “Do you want anything to eat or drink while you’re here?”

“Oh, no thanks, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay here. I’ll let you speak with the baby dragons. The sooner the better, I think.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to them immediately. Thank you again, Fluttershy.” After a swift, friendly hug, Twilight opened the door back into the living room to see Fluttershy out.

“Huh? You’re leaving already?” Pyralsprite asked as they passed.

“I need to get back to my animal friends, but if you need anything else, you’re welcome to come see me any time.” Fluttershy smiled and patted the dragon girl’s head with one hoof. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Oh, sure! Later, Fluttershy!” Pyralsprite turned to wave after her as Fluttershy headed outside, closing the door to leave Twilight Sparkle alone with the two baby dragons.

“So… I think we should all have a little honest talk.” Twilight turned to approach the cushions on the floor in the living room, settling down comfortably as the dragons moved toward their own cushions.

“A talk? What about, Twilight?” Spike asked curiously as he plopped down beside Pyralsprite, who was curling up on her stomach over her own pillow.

Twilight spoke calmly. “About our lives here. Pyralsprite? Is there anything you’d like to ask us about?”

Pyralsprite jolted in surprise, then her cheeks reddened and she lowered her head. “No.”

“It’s okay… you can ask us anything you want. We won’t get mad, I promise.”

Spike turned to give his dragon companion a curious gaze, but said nothing. Pyralsprite took a few minutes to consider before speaking. “I don’t think it’s right for you to order Spike around… he’s a free dragon…”

Twilight smiled. “Of course he’s a free dragon. Nopony’s holding him here; he’s here because he wants to be.”

“Yeah, of course I am!” Spike agreed quickly. “I even left once to try to be with other dragons, and I hated it! I’m totally happy here with my Ponyville friends.”

“Just because you like it here doesn’t mean you’re free here.” Pyralsprite raised her head. “What do you like to do, Spike?”

“Do?” Spike blinked.

“Yeah, when you’re not helping out Twilight Sparkle or Rarity. What do you do when it’s just you around town?”

“Um…” Spike hesitated at that, and Twilight could guess why. He never really went out on his own; he always followed Twilight around and helped her out with whatever she was doing. He never complained, in fact he always seemed happy to do it, but now Twilight could see how that might seem a bit… questionable. Worst of all, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of anything that made him happy on his own besides eating gemstones and being around Rarity…

“Well?” Pyralsprite demanded.

“I like…” Spike trailed off, then grunted defensively. “What does it matter what I like to do on my own? I like living here, I like my friends, and I choose to be with Twilight Sparkle.”

“That’s right,” Twilight agreed quickly. “Where else would he even go? He doesn’t like it with other dragons, and a baby dragon can’t exactly go out and live on his own.”

“He’s not a baby, don’t call him that,” Pyralsprite growled.

Spike blinked in confusion. “I’m not?”

Twilight chuckled incredulously. “What do you mean he’s not a baby dragon? He’s only ten years old, and he’s so small.”

“Dragons don’t grow the way mammals do,” Pyralsprite countered quickly. “We’re fully mature at five years, getting bigger is a mental thing. How do you not know any of this? How can you claim to take good care of Spike without knowing anything about us?”

“W-well…” Twilight blushed. Now that Pyralsprite mentioned it, Spike had grown rather abruptly after his birthday party… and then shrunk back down to his old size when his mentality was changed. Was it true this was how all dragons continued to grow after they were fully mature? Was their physical growth fueled by their mental state? It was an intriguing thought that definitely warranted further study, but right now Twilight was feeling too ashamed to press for details. She really didn’t know anything about Spike…

“Come on, Pyralsprite, knock it off.” Spike interrupted with a stern tone in his voice. “Twilight respects me plenty; she hatched me for crying out loud.”

“What!?” Pyralsprite gasped. “She hatched you? Where in the world did a pony get hold of a dragon egg?”

“It was…” Twilight hesitated, realizing how damning this was going to sound. “It was… given to me?” She heard a growl rise up from Pyralsprite's throat, and quickly continued over it before it could grow too loud. “I swear Princess Celestia gave it to me during my magic school entrance exam. That was where I hatched Spike myself.”

“And how did a pony princess get her hooves on a dragon egg in the first place?” Pyralsprite was fired up now, her wings flaring out above her aggressively. “No dragon female in her right mind would ever willingly hand an egg over to ponies! Or any other species!”

“Pyralsprite! That’s enough!” Spike exclaimed. “Stop yelling at Twilight! I mean it!”

Pyralsprite growled deep in her throat, but her body slowly relaxed, settling down onto the floor again as her wings drooped more limply. “You know I’m right.”

“What are you saying?” Spike demanded. “Are you accusing Princess Celestia of stealing a dragon egg? She would never do something like that.”

“Then where did she get it?” Pyralsprite asked simply. Twilight and Spike exchanged a quick glance, neither able to offer her an answer. When she got no response Pyralsprite shook her head and turned to head for the stairs, making her way up towards the bedroom. “Dragon eggs don’t just fall out of the sky.”

The bedroom door slammed shut above them, leaving Twilight and Spike standing alone in the living room. For several tense moments Twilight had no idea what to say, but Spike spoke first.

“Where do you think she got it?” Spike asked in a hushed whisper.

Twilight stared down at her faithful assistant for another moment before approaching him, slipping a hoof around his shoulders. “I don’t know… she never told me, and that’s the honest truth.”

“I believe you, Twilight…” Spike shook his head. “And I don’t for a second think Princess Celestia would ever steal an egg from any creature… but… I’d kind of like to know where it came from.”

“I understand.” Twilight squeezed him slightly harder, then released him and gave him an encouraging smile. “And I’ll do my best to find out for you.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “You will?”

“Absolutely. I want you to stay here with Pyralsprite while I-” Twilight caught herself in a moment, clearing her throat. “I mean… would you please stay here with Pyralsprite while I go to Canterlot and ask her in person?”

“Of course I will… somepony has to keep her out of trouble. She has kind of a temper.”

Twilight giggled. “Apparently… but at least that temper is being used to try to defend her friend.”

Spike blushed and rubbed his arm with one claw. “Y-yeah… I guess that’s true.”

Twilight nudged him toward the staircase with a wink. “Go on, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay, Twilight. Take care.” Spike turned to head upstairs after Pyralsprite. Twilight watched him make his way up to the bedroom, and then turned to head outside once he was gone.

Her hooves carried her rapidly down the sidewalk towards the Ponyville train station, where it would be just a short ride to Canterlot. A skilled pegasus could have flown there in under an hour, but she was far from a skilled pegasus. She was barely able to fly under optimal conditions, let alone with the breeze that was blowing through town today. She could have sent a letter through Spike, but this seemed like something best asked in person. Besides, if she did that he would have read both her letter and Celestia’s, and as much as she loved and trusted her cherished monarch, she wasn’t sure that was the best idea right now. She wanted to know the truth and tell him in her own way. She would be honest, of course… but perhaps if the news was bad it would be easier coming from her.

Not that she would ever suspect Princess Celestia of stealing an egg… there had to be a better explanation. There just had to be…

___

Canterlot was a huge place, as Twilight well knew. She’d spent most of her life here. Not that she’d gone out very often to really take in the size and majesty of the city; she’d mostly stayed within the confines of her home and the palace, jetting back and forth only to attend her studies and go home to study some more. Ever since she’d gone to Ponyville, however, coming back was always an eye opening experience. It really showed her how much she missed, keeping her nose in her books all the time.

Even Canterlot Castle, a place she’d come to so often during her studies in her formative years, took on a new light with this fresh perspective. It never failed to leave her breathless just how beautiful it was, even in the shade of the mountain as the sun moved down past the peak towards its resting place on the far horizon.

“Good afternoon, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The two guards outside the gate bowed low as she approached.

Twilight blushed. She was never going to get used to that. “Y-yes, thank you, sirs. Carry on.” Twilight moved past them uncontested. She was always free to come and go whenever she wanted, but she almost felt like she was abusing her royal privilege now. Being a princess was so awkward, giving commands was not her style.

Well… except with Spike, she thought with a blush.

She moved quickly into the castle and made her way to the throne room. Princess Celestia wasn’t at her throne; instead one of the maid ponies was dusting it with a duster clutched between her teeth.

“Oh! Your Highness!” The maid bowed quickly. Twilight looked back, expecting to see Celestia standing right behind her, until she realized the maid was talking to her.

“Oh! Uh… don’t mind me, carry on!” Twilight blushed. “Could you tell me where Princess Celestia is now?”

“She’s in her private chambers getting a massage.” The maid stood upright again with a kind smile. “But she has told the palace staff to always let you in, Princess Twilight.”

“Oh, really? Well… thank you. You can get back to your, uh… thing.” Twilight waved thankfully at the maid, then turned to make her way down the hall towards Celestia’s private bedchamber. She stopped outside to knock with one dainty hoof.

“Who is it?” Celestia’s soft voice floated through the door.

“It’s Twilight, Your Highness.”

“Twilight Sparkle, of course you may come in. My door is always open for you.”

Twilight pushed the door open and stepped inside. Princess Celestia was lying on her stomach on the floor, resting on the thick round carpet in front of the fireplace while a strong-looking stallion stood over her, his hooves kneading into her back. Celestia turned to look up at her with a relaxed expression and a blissful smile.

“Um… I can… come back if I’m interrupting…” Twilight blushed.

“It’s quite alright, Twilight. You can speak freely. Muscle Relaxer is quite trustworthy.” Celestia smiled up at the stallion.

“Of course, Your Highness.” Muscle Relaxer nodded formally, continuing his work.

“Well… it’s not really something private, just something that came up back in Ponyville, and I thought you could provide the answer.”

Celestia waved a hoof. “Of course. If I have an answer to give, I will give it to you.”

“The dragon egg… the one that Spike hatched from. Where did you get it?” Twilight asked.

Celestia seemed taken aback by the question, lifting her head from the carpet to fix her with a long, stunned stare. A moment later she jerked her hoof at Muscle Relaxer. “You are free to go until I signal your return.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Muscle Relaxer bowed and left the room, closing the door to leave the two alicorns alone.

Celestia rose to her hooves, standing at her full height in front of Twilight. “That’s quite a question to bring to me so suddenly.”

“I understand…” Twilight hesitated. She hadn’t expected a reaction quite like this… but she’d promised Spike an answer. “But it’s something Spike has begun to wonder, and I think he has a right to know.”

“You’re right. He absolutely has every right to ask such a question… unfortunately, I have no answer I can give.”

“You mean you don’t know…?”

“I mean I have no answer I can give.” Celestia approached with a sad smile.

“I don’t understand… you said you would tell me anything. Why won’t you tell me this?”

“Because I cannot.” Celestia shook her head. “Nor can I tell you why.”

Twilight Sparkle was stunned. In all her years of training under Princess Celestia, she’d never been completely blocked after asking a question. She’s always been as open and honest as could be… was it possible that…

Was it possible Princess Celestia was guilty after all?

“Princess Celestia, was the egg… stolen?” Twilight asked haltingly.

Celestia stared down at her for some time before turning to make her way back to the carpet in front of the fireplace, settling down once more. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Spike deserves to know the truth… but the truth cannot be spoken of. Not even to you, or him.”

“Princess…”

“That’s all I will say, Twilight. There are times when even I am not free to do what I wish. Would you do me a favor and send Muscle Relaxer back in?” Celestia’s smile was as calm and bright as ever, but her tone, however amicable, left no doubt that Twilight had just been dismissed. Twilight’s mind was reeling, she’d never simply been dismissed without an answer like this… it left her dumbfounded as she turned to leave without so much as a goodbye.

How could it be? Could Celestia really have stolen a dragon egg? How? When? From whom? Most importantly, why?

She left the room in a blank, confused haze, seeing the masseuse still standing outside the door. Twilight thought for a moment to tell him that Celestia was free again, but she couldn’t muster the will to do so. Instead she just wandered past him, heading toward the exit and the train station. What was she supposed to tell Spike? How would he react when he learned that Celestia wouldn’t talk about it? He would undoubtedly reach the same conclusion she did…

What would he do then…?

___

Twilight’s mind hadn’t eased by the time she reached her home in Ponyville later in the evening. The words to tell him what had happened simply wouldn’t come. He adored Princess Celestia like everyone else in Equestria… this was almost like a betrayal. Even Twilight felt a little betrayed and she was probably closer to the princess than anypony. Maybe she was wrong, maybe there was some other reason Celestia wouldn’t answer… a reason Twilight couldn’t even guess about…

“Twilight! You’re back!” Spike exclaimed from upstairs after Twilight kicked the door closed behind her. He and Pyralsprite made their way down the stairs to meet her in the living room. “What did she say?”

“She…” Twilight hesitated. “She… didn’t say anything.”

“What do you mean?” Spike demanded. “You asked her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I asked her… and she refused to respond. She wouldn’t tell me where the egg came from… I’m sorry.”

Pyralsprite grunted. “Sounds like an admission of guilt to me.”

“N-no!” Spike whirled in Pyralsprite. “You’re wrong! The princess wouldn’t steal an egg!” his voice cracked as he continued, his claws clenching at his sides. “She wouldn’t steal me to give to somepony…”

“Spike, I’m sure there’s a rational explanation…” Twilight touched his shoulder gently, but the little dragon jerked away from her to stomp upstairs with his shoulders shaking. The bedroom door slammed behind him, leaving the two girls alone in the living room.

“Honestly? I was hoping I was wrong…” Pyralsprite gripped one of her wings with her foreclaws.

“Yeah… me too.” Twilight took a deep, calming breath. “Would you please wait down here while I go talk to him?”

“Yeah, sure…” Pyralsprite plopped down on a cushion in the living room with her wings tucked in tightly around herself.

Twilight headed upstairs, making her way to the bedroom door, which opened slowly with a nudge of her magic as she approached. She could see the baby dragon lying in his bed face-down, curled up into a purple ball of scales. He didn’t sound like he was crying, at least not from here. Yet as she moved closer she could hear the low sniffles from his bed, his claws hiding his face from the world around him.

“Spike…” Twilight approached her dragon friend and knelt beside his bed, but didn’t move to touch him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get the answer you wanted…”

“Is-isn’t that an answer…?” Spike sniffled into his hands. “P-Pyralsprite’s right… it… it’s like she said… said that…”

“Spike… she didn’t say anything. It’s all open to what you believe…” Twilight wanted to comfort him… but her heart wasn’t in it. Even she couldn’t help but think the princess was guilty… but she just couldn’t imagine her sneaking a dragon egg away from its mother… and for what? To give it to a unicorn as a servant?

As a slave?

Twilight took a deep breath. “Spike… I just want you to know, no matter where your egg came from, it doesn’t change anything between you and me. You’re still my number one assistant… and my best friend in the world. Nothing can change that.” She leaned in to give him a soft nuzzle on the back of his head, but he didn’t respond.

So Twilight rose from the carpet to make her way to the living room, closing the bedroom door behind her on her way. Obviously the baby d… no, not a baby dragon. Obviously the little dragon needed some time to himself. She just hoped when he was ready to come out that he wouldn’t do anything rash…

___

Twilight awakened the next morning in the living room, lying on the lush carpet with a thin blanket draped over her body. Pyralsprite was coiled up nearby, with her tail batting lightly at her lips in her sleep. Spike hadn’t emerged from the bedroom since yesterday afternoon, and neither of them had the heart to barge in to go to bed. Twilight was kind of regretting it now though; her back was stiff and creaky as she sat up.

As the first one up, Twilight decided to make breakfast herself for a change. With Spike around she’d never cooked anything, but perhaps it would make both dragons feel better to have something to nibble on when they awakened. In fact she could go to Rarity’s and pick up some gemstones for them, which would really make them feel better. It also meant they wouldn’t have to try her experimental cooking and become even more upset.

The Ponyville sky was blotted by darkening gray clouds as she emerged to make her way towards Carousel Boutique through streets that were still mostly empty this early. She was pretty sure there wasn’t a rainstorm scheduled for today, so they must have wandered in while the weather teams were asleep. They would be gone as soon as Rainbow Dash woke up and took care of it, but for now they cast a dull gray pallor over the town, a sign that Twilight prayed wasn’t too ominous…

Her hoof knocked heavily on the door to Carousel Boutique, and she took a step back to wait. She could hear a soft commotion inside before Rarity opened the door, with a pair of thick pink glasses perched on the end of her nose.

“Oh, good morning, Twilight! What a pleasant surprise! Do come in.” Rarity stepped aside to let her friend enter.

“Thank you, Rarity.” Twilight smiled as she moved into the showroom in front of the shop. “You’re up awfully early to be working, do you have a big order?”

“They’re getting bigger all the time, it seems. Being best friends with Princess Twilight may have something to do with it,” Rarity giggled.

“Heh… glad to help.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Not to be brisk, but I was wondering if you have any gemstones to spare. I have two little dragons at home sleeping, and I’d like to get them something special for when they wake up. I can pay for them.”

“Pffft, pay for them? I wouldn’t dream of it, darling!” Rarity turned to head into the back. “Come with me, I’m sure I can find some I don’t need immediately.”

“Thank you!” Twilight followed her into the back, towards the storage chests lining the far wall.

“So what’s the occasion?” Rarity asked as she rummaged through her chests.

“Oh, no occasion, really. Spike’s feeling kind of down, and I thought a special breakfast treat might help cheer him up.”

Rarity whirled with a gasp. “Spike’s feeling down? Oh dear, what happened?”

“Well, Pyralsprite asked where his egg came from and I tried to find out… but Princess Celestia wouldn’t tell me.” Twilight looked down with a blush. “I don’t want to sound suspicious but… it doesn’t sound good, and Spike’s really upset about it.”

“Oh my goodness, well we simply cannot let that last, can we?” Rarity’s horn glowed as several gems emerged from one of the chests as Rarity gave her a wink. “I’ll just have to come with you and make certain he feels better.”

“Oh Rarity, you don’t need to do that. You seem so busy.”

“There’s no such thing as too busy for a good friend, and especially not for my Spikey Wikey.” Rarity stuffed the gems into her saddlebag and turned to head toward the front door. “Now come, we can discuss it or we can go cheer up our dear friend.”

“Thanks Rarity…” Twilight smiled widely and followed her quickly down the street. There was no way Spike wouldn’t be cheered up by a visit from Rarity, if there was one thing she knew about him, it was that Rarity paying attention to him was the best thing that could possibly happen to him.

When they got back to the Golden Oaks Library, Pyralsprite was already awake and stretching her wings in the living room. The little dragon seemed to recoil slightly when they entered, but quickly caught herself before retreating.

Pyralsprite spoke through a half-cough. “H-hey… Rarity… and Twilight…”

Rarity didn’t seem to notice the strange reaction. “Well good morning, Pyralsprite. I brought you a little something for breakfast!” One of the gemstones lifted out of her saddlebag to float into the dragon’s claws.

“Really? Sweet!” Pyralsprite snapped it up immediately, licking her lips in mere seconds. “Mmmmh, I think my wings are about healed too. They don’t feel tingly anymore.”

“Really? That’s great. Here, let me take your bandages off and we can check.” Twilight approached the dragon as her horn glowed softly with magic. The bandages unraveled themselves swiftly, fluttering in a neatly coiled pile to the floor as the girl extended her wings out to full spread, the membrane one full, unbroken piece once again. “Well look at that. Dragon healing is very impressive.”

“Most certainly! Those wings look magnificent!” Rarity chimed in.

“Does this mean you’re going home?” Twilight asked.

“Well… I would, but… I kinda wanna-” Pyralsprite was cut off by the sound of the door on the second floor creaking open.

Spike emerged in a slow walk, his eyes drooping and his arms limp at his sides. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Rarity standing in the living room, but he didn’t give his usual yelp of excitement, or get that gleeful glimmer in his eyes. He just stood there with a dull, blank look on his face, looking between the three girls on the first floor.

Rarity stepped forward. “Oh Spiiiiike, I brought your favorite breakfast.” Rarity’s saddlebag opened and several blue gemstones hovered in the in front of her. “I know how much you love sapphire.”

“Thanks…” Spike spoke in a dull tone as he made his way downstairs, his limp tail thudding on each step as he made his way down. When he finally reached the floor he plucked one of the sapphire stones out of the air to look it over.

“It’s a special gift from me to you, my darling Spike.” Rarity batted her eyelashes with a sweet smile.

Spike took a bite of one side of the gem, looking up at the two ponies standing over him, then across at the dragon girl, who was closer to his height, despite her serpentine body being significantly longer. “Everyone’s staring at me…”

“Oh, I just heard you were feeling a little blue.” Rarity waved off the complaint with one hoof. “I have an idea, how about you come back to the boutique with me and you can help me with some of my newest designs? I know how you love assisting me, and they could certainly use your amazing touch.”

Twilight’s eyes widened while Pyralsprite’s narrowed. Rarity didn’t know exactly what the problem was… and that was probably the worst thing she could have said right now.

“Assist you, huh…?” Spike’s claw squeezed around the sapphire, soon shattering it into shards that slipped between his fingers as a fine blue dust.

“Um… Yes? You love helping me in my workshop. You always have the brightest smile on your face, it just warms my heart.” Rarity smiled brightly, with a twinge of nervousness in her voice.

Spike didn’t snap, he didn’t yell, he didn’t even respond. He just looked up at Twilight with a blank expression. “Twilight… I think I want to leave.”

“What!?” Rarity exclaimed in shock.

“Spike… please, think about this a little longer.” Twilight pleaded with him. “I know you’re hurt and confused… but we all love you here.”

“I know…” Spike’s voice quivered as he moved past the two ponies, approaching Pyralsprite, who had a look of shock on her own face. “I love you guys too… but this… I feel like I’m nothing. I feel like all I’ve ever done, and all I’m going to do is serve everypony… and that’s all anypony wants me to do, even Celestia…”

Rarity’s voice quivered. “Th-that’s not true at all.”

“Yeah!” Twilight added quickly. “We don’t just want you to do things for us! Th-things can change if you want them to! You don’t have to do anything!”

“I don’t even know what I’d do with myself if they did change.” Spike just stared at Pyralsprite, who had a more calm and serious look on her face now. “I don’t know how to be a dragon… I don’t know how to even be a pony. Every time you’ve let me take a day off I’ve spent it helping others, Twilight… I don’t know how to do anything else… I think that’s all I’ll ever do as long as I’m here in Ponyville. The only way I’ll do anything other than be the baby dragon assistant… is to leave Ponyville. Would you mind if I went with you now that your wings are healed, Pyralsprite?”

Pyralsprite shook her head. “No way, I don’t mind at all. I’d be glad for the company.”

Rarity stepped forward. “S-Spike, please listen to reason! Tell me anything you want from me and I’ll give it to you! A-a hug! A kiss! D-do you want that fire ruby back? I bet it’s well-aged by now!”

“Thank you for everything Rarity…” Spike’s voice wavered. “You really are… the most beautiful creature…” His voice broke as he quickly made his way out front, his claws stomping across the street away from the library. Pyralsprite hurried after him, and the two ponies made their way to the front door in pursuit.

“Spike! Please!” Twilight shouted after him. “Please come back, Spike!”

“Spike!” Rarity shouted after him, her whole body quivering. “I love you! Come back and I’ll be your very special somepony! I’ll do whatever you want! Just come back!” Rarity gaped in shock when the little dragon didn’t even turn around. Some of the ponies who’d emerged to begin their daily business gave them all strange glances, but nopony moved to stop the pair of baby dragons.

“T-Twilight…” Rarity turned tear filled eyes on Twilight. “We’re going after him again… right…?”

“Rarity…” Twilight took a deep breath, futilely trying to fight back tears of her own. “I want to, so badly… but I don’t think we can, this time…”

To be Continued

Author's Note

For the record, this chapter was written weeks ago, well before the start of Season 4 showed Twilight's attitude towards her new princesshood. It just seemed blindingly obvious to me, and I don't know how anyone expected a lifelong egghead-introvert to suddenly morph into some hoity-toity stuck-up princess bitch who lives on a steady diet of smelling flower petals and singing with birds in her garden. I guess it's just another case of people assuming the worst based on their own pessimism and paranoia. I've seen so many people sigh in relief that Twilight's personality didn't do a complete 180 after her "promotion", and I simply don't understand why people thought it would in the first place.

I think the show staffwriters have done a good enough job up to this point to give them the benefit of the doubt when we're unsure how things will go.

04 - Walking Away

Chapter 4: Walking Away

“Oh Goddess… he’s actually gone…”

Rarity’s choked up words echoed in Twilight Sparkle’s mind as her hooves plodded numbly through the brambles of the Everfree Forest. Her sentiment had echoed Twilight’s own, though she refused to break down crying in front of the rest of her friends. As a friend she knew she could tell them anything, but as a princess breaking down and sobbing openly didn’t seem very becoming. She hated being a princess sometimes, she hated it passionately… but she couldn’t change it. Not any more than she could drag Spike back here…

She wiped furiously at her eyes with one hoof, then came to a stop when she realized she was standing in front of Zecora’s cottage deep in the Everfree Forest. She had come here to get away from Ponyville, someplace the others wouldn’t dare follow, she hadn’t meant to come here… had she? Maybe she simply needed a friend right now… somepony to whom she wasn’t a princess. Somepony to whom she was still just Twilight Sparkle.

Before she could even approach the cottage to knock the door opened, revealing her wise zebra friend standing in the doorway. For a moment Twilight thought the mysterious sage had somehow known she was coming, but Zecora’s eyes widened at the sight of her.

“Is that Twilight Sparkle I see? What brings you back into the Everfree?”

“Hello, Zecora.” Twilight flashed a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry to show up without warning, I was just wandering in the woods and my hooves brought me here.”

Zecora smiled. “Then there must be a reason they have brought you here. Come in and rest a while, my dear.”

“Thank you, Zecora.” With a grateful smile Twilight entered the small, strangely decorated cabin. She’d been here many times since arriving in Ponyville, and somehow the artifacts and decorations within never became any less alien, though they weren’t as unpleasant as they’d seemed at first. Even the smell of herbs and spices that wafted through the air from Zecora’s cabinets was a welcome scent that pulled her in every time.

“I can sense something weighing heavy on your heart.” Zecora told her as she closed the door.

Twilight spoke before she could continue. “I guess, but I barely know where to start.” She paused and flushed deeply when she realized she’d just finished Zecora’s rhyme for her. Zecora just smiled and nodded her head in acceptance. “Spike… Spike’s left Ponyville… and he’s on his way to leave Equestria forever. All because he feels like we’ve been controlling him and using him and… and I can’t say for sure that it’s not true.”

Zecora cooed sympathetically. “I would never question your love for your friend. Perhaps his heart just needs time to mend.”

“Of course I love him, he’s my best friend… and almost like a son to me. I’m just not sure if that justifies the way I’ve been talking to him all these years. Do this for me, get me that, don’t do that…” Twilight heaved a sigh and approached the table in the center of the room, plopping down on her butt beside it. “Do you think we’ve been treating Spike badly, Zecora? Was he right to run away and find a life of his own?”

“Right or wrong, it is the path he has taken.” Zecora moved to sit beside her with a companionable smile. “But I don’t believe you have been forsaken. What you had with Spike was special, it’s true. Whether it was right or wrong, that’s between you two.”

Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath. “You’re saying it worked for us for all these years, so it wasn’t really wrong.”

“Through your actions your friendship has remained strong.”

“But if Celestia stole his egg, then our friendship is phony!”

“Do you really believe that, my little pony?”

Twilight hesitated. She wasn’t even sure if she believed it… but she couldn’t help but think it. She’d always seen Spike as a loyal friend and companion, a comfort to have around whenever things got rough. He’d always been there for her… but what if that all really was just her using him for her own gain? He always seemed happy… but what if that was just because he was trained to be happy doing all that? Would he have been happier in the place where his egg was taken from?

“Aaaaagh! I don’t know, Zecora! I just don’t know!” Twilight threw her hooves against her cranium and slammed her head into the table with a thick clunk. “I don’t know what I believe… I never believed Celestia was capable of something like that in the first place. If Celestia would do that… does that mean everything she taught me about goodness and friendship was meaningless? Was it all lies?”

Twilight could hear Zecora sliding closer to her, laying a hoof over her shoulders in a comforting half-hug against her side. The pleasant smell of herbs and tea hovered over Twilight. “How can you say what she taught is a lie, when you’ve yet to even ask her why?”

“Why…?” Twilight opened her eyes. “She won’t even talk to me about it at all, she wouldn’t tell me why… and besides, what does it even matter why? It’s basically kidnapping, can that ever really be justified?”

“Without knowing the truth, you’ve said that she lied. Is that something you think is justified?” Zecora asked.

Twilight thought about that for a moment, then nodded and straightened slightly under Zecora’s hoof. “You’re right… I can’t call her a liar if I don’t know the truth… but I don’t know if I can find the truth.” Twilight sighed and shook her head. “It doesn’t even matter now… it’s too late. It won’t bring Spike back…”

Zecora squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. “You need to relax, stay here with me. I’ll make you some of your favorite tea.”

“Thank you, Zecora. I would appreciate that very much.” Twilight raised her head with a genuine smile as the zebra moved away from the table over to the countertop nearby. Even if Twilight couldn’t exactly go to her friends with everything anymore, at least Zecora would be here to listen to her most private thoughts, with Spike gone. Being a princess was tough, and in many ways terrible… but at least it didn’t need to be lonely.

___

Spike’s legs carried him through Ponyville and straight into the Everfree Forest seemingly on autopilot. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around. If he did he would surely go back, right back to where he was and where he would remain for the rest of his life. However long that would be. He didn’t even know how long he was supposed to live, he’d thought he was still a baby, which would mean he had a long life ahead… but Pyralsprite was saying that wasn’t true. He wasn’t a baby anymore… not physically anyway.

Spike spoke for the first time since they left the library. “Hey Pyralsprite, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, ask away.”

Spike hesitated, almost unsure if he wanted the answer, but it was something he had to ask, and besides, talking took his mind off of his pony friends. “How long are we going to live? I mean, if I’m not a baby, that means my life is partway through, right?”

Pyralsprite responded with light laughter that did much to lift his spirits. “Oh Spike, your life isn’t even close to finished. You’re still thinking like a mammal. We don’t grow like them, we don’t exist like them. We’re magic down to our very core, so we don’t follow the same rules they do.”

“So what… are we immortal?”

“No… but close enough to give the pony princess a run for her money.” Pyralsprite grinned. “You’ve got more years ahead than you can possibly plan for now. So relax, enjoy life, and let me show you what it means to really be a dragon.”

Spike looked down at his feet again. “I thought I knew what it meant to be a dragon… it meant to be a bully, make fun of others, and hurt innocent creatures just for fun.”

“No, Spike… being a dragon doesn’t mean those things. Being a boy means those things.” Pyralsprite smacked his side with a crack of her tail. Spike yelped and ducked away from her, rubbing his side. Pyralsprite just giggled with a brighter grin. “Well, being a boy means those things for most dragons. Doesn’t seem to be that way for you.”

“I guess that’s one way ponies are different from dragons.”

“One of many ways I’m sure. Honestly? I’m not too fond of ponies… but maybe that’s one thing they have over us.”

“You like nice boys…?”

Pyralsprite chuckled. “Down boy, I barely know you.”

“R-right! Right… I didn’t mean…” Spike fidgeted uncomfortably. “Of course you don’t…”

Pyralsprite just smiled as the dragons continued their march through the forest. The silence was companionable, and strangely enough, the usually dark and scary Everfree Forest didn’t seem so bad today. He couldn’t place his claw on it, but it seemed very calm and quiet. Unfortunately that gave him time for his thoughts to turn back to Twilight and his other Ponyville friends… thoughts he was quick to dismiss with further enquiry.

“So I’m curious about something. You said a dragon’s body, including their size, is based on their mind, right?”

Pyralsprite nodded. “There are limits. You’ll never grow wings or anything, but in general, yeah.”

“And I’m so small and chubby because I still see myself as a baby dragon?”

Pyralsprite hesitated. “Well… not to sound rude…”

“It’s fine… I get it, really.” Spike assured her with a smile, then blushed when he realized she couldn’t see him smiling anyway. “B-but I was actually curious… if I’m so small because I think I’m a baby… why are you so small? You seem strong, confident, mature. You sure don’t seem like you think you’re a baby.”

Pyralsprite shook her head. “I told you I’m no psyche-expert or anything, I don’t know why I’m so small.”

“You can’t change it by changing your outlook?”

Pyralsprite turned her head toward him. “Can you?”

Spike thought about that for a moment. He wanted to become bigger, he didn’t want to be a baby anymore, he tried really hard to think himself bigger, into a towering dragon nobody would dare mess with… but still nothing happened. He was as tiny and pudgy as ever. “I think I see what you mean. It’s not your conscious mind… it’s your unconscious, how you really feel, or a reflection of who you really are. Maybe a dragon’s body is like a cutie mark.”

“Um, sure? I’m not sure what a cutie mark is.”

“A cutie mark is like a reflection of a pony’s soul, or a symbol of their destiny… or both, really.”

“Then yeah, I think that’s pretty spot on.” Pyralsprite nodded. “Your body will change to reflect who you really are, again, within reason. We’re not slimy blobs or anything that just change shape, our bodies have structures and limits.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Spike clasped his claws nervously. “I was kind of afraid you’d say that…”

“Why’s that?”

“I did grow… once… I grew into a monster.” Spike gulped. “I tried to take everything; I destroyed buildings, kidnapped Rarity…” Spike raised his head. “I just got carried away with taking whatever I wanted... does that mean that’s what I’ll grow into if I grow again? Is it my destiny to grow into a rampaging greed-monster?”

He glanced over when he felt a claw touch his arm in a comforting grip. Pyralsprite was walking on three legs now, holding his arm with her claw. “Remember what I said about us changing? If you grow again, it’ll be into whatever you become… and from what I’m hearing? It won’t be a rampaging greed-monster.”

Spike smiled again more reflexively and put a claw over Pyralsprite’s. “Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it.” Pyralsprite released his arm after a few moments to walk more normally. Spike just watched her for a little while. He looked away when he suddenly realized the light around him was getting brighter, until it seemed like they were out of the shadows altogether.

Spike looked forward again, halting in his stride when he saw the vast expanse of plains spread out in front of him. He’d been so occupied with Pyralsprite he hadn’t even noticed how far they’d come. The dark Everfree Forest had suddenly given way to a vast grassy plain that faded into a pale desert in the far distance. Spike had never come this far out before, most certainly not alone. They had walked clear through the Everfree Forest. They still had a long way to go to leave Equestria and reach the dragon country, but still…

“Spike?” Pyralsprite turned toward him curiously. “Are you coming?”

Spike allowed himself only one brief look back towards Ponyville and his friends, then took a deep breath, turned to face forward, and willed his legs onward. “I’m coming.”

TO BE CONTINUED

05 - Tale of the Savior

Chapter 5: Tale of the Savior

Equestria was kind of a strange place, with many different climates within fairly short distance of one-another. After leaving the Everfree Forest, it took Spike and Pyralsprite only a few days’ journey to end up in a desert. The two dragons took turns carrying each other and Pyralsprite’s wings made decent work of the landscape, but she couldn’t go too fast with Spike in tow, and he simply couldn’t walk very fast, no matter how little she weighed on his shoulders.

There was everything one might expect a desert to have; cactuses, tumbleweeds, lizards scurrying about from rock to rock, and a set of train tracks running across the land leading away from the direction of Ponyville. It looked familiar too, somehow, but Spike couldn’t quite place his claw on it.

He heard Pyralsprite yawn from over his head, with her long, but narrow body coiled around his neck and shoulders. “That was so refreshing.”

“Heh, have a nice nap up there? Glad to hear it.” Spike beamed. “You haven’t been out very long, though, you can get some more sleep if you need it.”

“And miss this amazing weather? Not a chance.” Pyralsprite’s wings opened and flapped mightily at the air, lifting her easily from his shoulders so she could flutter like a leaf to the sand beside him. It was a hot, sunny desert day. The kind of day that would have a pony sweating and crying for water, but to a couple of dragons it was soothingly warm.

“Yeah, it was pretty nice out here last time I was…” Spike gasped. “Aha! I know exactly where we are! We must be near Appleoosa!”

“Apple-whatnow?” Pyralsprite cocked her head curiously.

Spike hopped up in excitement. “Appleoosa! It’s a pony settlement in the flatlands around here, I know some friends there. Do you think we have time to stop by?”

“Have time? We’re not actually on our way anywhere in particular.” Pyralsprite smirked. “One of the perks of true freedom, Spike. We can do whatever you want for as long as you want.”

“Alright! Then let’s head into town and say hi!”

“Lead the way.” Pyralsprite turned to follow him with a lazy smile as he charged forward, following the train tracks.

Spike wasn’t sure why he was in such a hurry. Pyralsprite was right; he didn’t have any responsibilities anymore, he had no reason to be anywhere by any time. They were just meandering towards the dragon country, because that was where Pyralsprite wanted to go. Wait, now that he thought about it, that begged another question.

“Hey Pyralsprite… if the dragon country is on the Eastern edge of Equestria, how did you get all the way to Ponyville in the West?”

“I flew,” Pyralsprite replied carelessly. “I wanted to know what Equestria was like, so I decided to wander around. I stayed away from ponies, though, until I ran into you. They say ponies don’t care for dragons very much.”

“I guess that’s kinda true,” Spike agreed. “The one time a dragon besides me appeared in Equestria, Twilight and the others had to go shoo it away.”

“Huh… isn’t that interesting?” Pyralsprite smirked a bit, but fell silent. Spike got her meaning though… and while he didn’t like it, he couldn’t really argue with it. It just made him feel sick to his stomach.

Instead he turned his focus to following the train tracks the rest of the way in silence. He forced his legs to slow down a bit, walking at a more leisurely pace. In Ponyville he’d always been running around everywhere to do something or other, but Pyralsprite was right, he had nowhere to be. He could afford to slow down and give his stomach a rest.

Despite the slow pace it wasn’t much longer before Appleoosa came into view in the distance. The small dusty town hadn’t changed a bit since the conflict between the settlers and the buffalo had been resolved. The happy settler ponies wandered back and forth across the streets, while dancers entertained themselves and the onlookers with their performances. It was very different from Ponyville, but also vaguely similar, somehow.

“This is it. Looks nice, huh?” Spike asked.

“I’ll take your word for it.” Pyralsprite smirked.

“Oh… uh… s-sorry…”

“Forget it, I’m teasing you.” Pyralsprite smacked his side with her tail, then took off running toward the town. “Come on, if we’re going let’s go!”

“Heh, I’m right behind you!” Spike took off after the dragon girl, his stubby legs struggling to keep up. He didn’t arrive at the town border too much after her though. A couple of the ponies passing by the edge of town gave them looks of surprise, but nopony tried to stop them as they made their way into town on the dusty road.

“I like this place. It’s warm, and smells like apples.”

“I thought you didn’t like organic food.”

“I said it smells like apples, not tastes like them.” Pyralsprite smirked. “So where are we headed?”

“Where are you headed? You’re headed to happiness my friend!” A stallion in a brown vest suddenly leapt out in front of the two dragons. “Because you just wandered your way into Aaaaappleoosa!”

“Braeburn!” Spike jolted forward to greet the stallion. “It’s been a long time!”

“It certainly has, and I’m sure you’ve been wanting to come back!” Braeburn grinned.

“Haha, well it’s not on the top of my to-do list, but I thought it would be nice to see some friends again.” Spike glanced around. “Hey, um, you don’t know where Little Strongheart is, do you?”

Braeburn blushed softly. “W-well, I may…”

“You may?” A feminine voice approached Spike from behind. Spike turned to watch the buffalo girl approach with a wry smile on her lips. “I think you know exactly where I am, considering we’ve spent all day together.”

“W-well yes, I just didn’t know if you wanted to keep telling ponies that…” Braeburn coughed.

“These aren’t ponies, these are revered guests.” Little Strongheart closed her eyes and bowed her head respectfully at the two dragons. “It’s good to see you again, Mister Spike.”

“Yeah, it’s good to see you too!” Spike approached the buffalo girl to give her a brief hug around the neck. “It’s nice to see you hanging around in town too, you guys must be getting long great after the whole orchard incident.”

A blush spread across the buffalo’s cheeks as she responded with an even wider smile. “Things have been pretty great, and they’re even greater now that we have not one, but two honored guests in town.” She looked back over Spike’s shoulder.

“Oh!” Spike blushed and backed away with a sheepish grin. “R-right! This is my new friend, Pyralsprite! She’s travelling with me across Equestria towards the dragon lands.”

Pyralsprite saluted lazily with one claw. “Yo.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Pyralsprite.” Little Strongheart approached the dragon girl to give her a deep bow. “This must be a blessed day to be visited by two dragons at the same time.”

Pyralsprite gave a toothy grin and puffed out her chest. “Well, it’s nice for someone in this country to acknowledge how awesome we dragons are.”

Little Strongheart giggled softly. “For my tribe, dragons are revered as saviors and protectors.”

“Saviors?” Spike’s eyes widened. “Dragons are saviors?”

Little Strongheart responded with a solemn nod. “Oh yes, it was a dragon who saved my tribe generations ago.”

“That doesn’t sound very draconic…” Pyralsprite noted in a soft voice.

“If you’d like I can tell you the story, but it’s kind of long. We should go someplace more comfortable.” Little Strongheart flashed Braeburn a warm smile. “Could we go back to your place for a while?”

“Oh! Of course! Everybody follow me!” With an energetic wave of one hoof Braeburn led the way through town, past the curious gazes of the other ponies until they reached one of the larger buildings near the center of town, though it was still pretty small compared to Canterlot standards, or even Ponyville standards.

Spike and Pyralsprite followed the pony and the buffalo into the comfortable house. Little Strongheart walked right in like she was well-familiar with it… in fact there was a strangely familiar look on Braeburn’s face whenever he looked in her direction, but Spike didn’t have time to dwell on it too much before Little Strongheart took a seat on the cushions in the living room and beckoned the others closer.

Little Strongheart smiled at her audience as they moved into the living room and curled up on the cushions in front of her. “Please take a seat and relax. In my tribe storytelling is one of our most important traditions. It’s how we’ve maintained our history for far longer than many of the other races. We remember times from before the princesses, and before writing, even.”

“We dragons remember that too.” Pyralsprite huffed. “It’s not that impressive…”

“Well I for one would love to hear the story!” Spike rocked back and forth excitedly. “A dragon hero… it sounds amazing!”

Braeburn smiled politely. “I think we’d all like to hear it, Strongheart. You know I love hearing you tell any stories.”

“Heh… thank you, Braeburn.” Little Strongheart smiled at the stallion with another soft blush, then turned back to the dragons. “Well, it was so long ago now I can’t even tell you when… before Equestria, before the three pony races started to conflict, possibly even before the three of them formed their own nations… there comes the tale of Kindfire the Savior.”

___

Long before the ponies came to this land to found Equestria, the buffalo were everywhere. Our stampeding trails wound the length and breadth of the continent. We were the guardians of the land, many and powerful… but not united. My tribe was one of the largest on the continent, controlling the west, right around what is now known as Ponyville and Appleoosa. We were mighty and fierce protectors… but we were not magic.

One day a powerful daemon appeared in the buffalo lands and began to terrorize the tribe folk, killing buffalo without reason or warning. Their spears fell like blades of grass and their horns snapped like twigs against its magical hide. When asked why it was attacking them, the daemon said only one thing.

“Because I’m bored.”

For days the buffalo attempted to fell the daemon, but it only laughed as it slaughtered the tribe folk with reckless abandon, until one day as the buffalo approached the daemon, the laughter stopped.

“I tire of this.” The daemon said. “You buffalo have grown boring.”

The chief of the tribe, Chief Proudheart, responded. “Are you going to leave us be?”

“No,” said the Daemon. “Since I have no more need for you, I will leave you to die.” As suddenly as it appeared, the daemon left, leaving only a veil of magic that puzzled the tribe.

It wasn’t until long after the daemon was gone that they discovered the truth. The buffalo could not gain sustenance, nor could they fall asleep. No matter how much they ate, their stomachs would not fill. No matter how long they lay still, their eyes would not close. The entire tribe was doomed to die of starvation and sleeplessness. Some even tried to leave, to escape the magical veil, but they discovered they were trapped within it. There was no escape.

Several days later, a dragon appeared. Weak and tired, the buffalo tribe still tried to stand against the fearsome beast.

“We are tired and weak, but we will not allow you to harm us without a fight,” said the Chief. “We will fight to our end, if we must.”

The dragon was puzzled. “Why are you tired and weak?”

“A daemon has cursed us all. He has taken our appetite, so we cannot eat. He has taken our sleep, so we cannot rest. We will surely die soon.”

“A coward’s curse,” said the dragon. “I will not allow you to perish in such a manner. I will defeat the daemon.”

The dragon left, and soon, above the tribesfolk, the battle began. For seven days and nights, as the buffalo grew too weak even to forage for food, blood and fire rained from the sky. The roars of the dragon and the growls of the daemon silenced the birds that usually sang their songs in the morning. For a week, there was nothing but the sound and stench of the battle raging overhead. If Hell could appear in this world, this was it.

At last, the buffalo were shocked when the cursed mist vanished from the air. Again they could eat, again they could sleep. The dragon had emerged victorious… but not unscathed. Before the tribe could even begin to celebrate, the dragon plummeted from the sky in a veil of fire, hitting the ground like a stone in the center of the village. The dragon was still alive, however faint the life energy was, and the buffalo dedicated themselves to seeing the dragon well again.

The dragon did not move or eat, sleeping the sleep of the nearly-dead for weeks on end. The buffalo, emboldened by the dragon’s will and sacrifice, only grew stronger in its presence. Many had been lost against the daemon, but those who remained were strong and vigilant in the shadow of the dragon, a reminder that true goodness still remained in the world.

Then one day, when the buffalo awakened, they found the dragon was gone.

They didn’t know where it went, nor where it came from. They did not even know its name, but it was decided that one without a name was doomed to be forgotten, and it would be a sin for the savior to be forgotten. The dragon would be made a member of the buffalo clan, and given a name to be forever honored and remembered.

So the legacy of Kindfire the Savior had begun.

___

Little Strongheart smiled down at the two little dragons, who were gaping at her in unified, slack-jawed awe. “Ever since Kindfire saved our people, we have always revered dragons as paragons of righteousness… and you didn’t let us down either, Mister Spike. You helped us resolve our conflict with the Appleoosans peacefully.”

Spike blushed deeply. “Aw come on, I hardly did anything… all I did was tell you not to trample Rainbow Dash, and she did the rest…”

“Still, if it wasn’t for your wisdom in doing that, we might have done something we would have regretted forever.”

“Something I think we all would’ve regretted forever.” Braeburn nodded with an encouraging smile. “Thanks from those of us here in Appleoosa too, Spike.”

“Awww d-darnit…” Spike’s blush only deepened when he noticed Pyralsprite’s head turned toward him, only to jerk away when he glanced in her direction. “W-well either way I’m just glad it turned out the way it did instead of much, much worse.” With a cough he decided to change the subject quickly. “Anyway, wow, that was an amazing story Little Strongheart, and you told it so well.”

Little Strongheart grinned. “Thank you Mister Spike, storytelling is extremely important in my tribe, it’s how we remember our history.”

“Y’know they sell pens and pencils now.” Braeburn noted with an innocent look on his face. “Don’t HAVE to remember everything through stories.”

Little Strongheart just rolled her eyes. “I see no reason to change a tradition that has served us well for all this time.”

Spike wasn’t paying attentinon to the exchange, tittering to himself giddily as the story ran through his mind again and again. “A dragon hero… when I get bigger again, I want to be a dragon just like that! I wanna use my strength and magic to help creatures in need!”

“That’s very noble of you, Mister Spike, and I have no doubt you’ll do just that.” Little Strongheart told him with a bright smile.

“Hehehe…” Spike giggled to himself as thoughts of being a massive and mighty dragon facing down an evil spirit flittered through his mind. He’d never seen an evil spirit, of course, but he imagined it to be red and covered in smoke. That was probably close enough.

“It’s getting kind of late,” Braeburn noted from the living room window, where the sun was rapidly fading down past the horizon. “The lands around here can get mighty cold in the middle of the night. Do you two need a place to stay?”

“We’ll live… but it would be nice to sleep in a warm bed.” Spike shivered at the thought of sleeping outside. They’d been travelling for a few days, and spent several nights outside, but it was hardly his idea of comfortable.

“Well then we have no choice but to make you stay here with us.” Little Strongheart nodded without even asking. “And we won’t take no for an answer.”

“We? I thought this was Braeburn’s house,” Spike smiled wryly. His smile turned into a soft blush when the pony and the buffalo looked off in different directions with a soft blush. “Oh my gosh… are you two… dating?”

Little Strongheart spoke quickly. “We’re trying not to tell everyone around… not everyone is really okay with it yet. Chief Thunderhooves would explode if he found out I was dating a pony.”

“Yeah, our people are at peace with one-another, but that don’t mean they’re ready to be quite that close.” Braeburn sighed. “Still, I couldn’t just not ask her out because of that.”

Spike jumped in. “Don’t worry! We won’t tell anyone! We definitely don’t want anyone to explode, do we Pyralsprite?”

“Nuh-uh,” Pyralsprite agreed distractedly.

Little Strongheart grinned in relief. “Thank you, Mister Spike. I knew we could count on your discretion and wisdom. Come, I’ll show you both to the guest room.” She turned to head into the back, with the two little dragons close on her tail.

“Thanks again, Little Strongheart.” Spike moved into the small but comfortable room to hop up onto the single bed against the wall. “We really appreciate it.”

Little Strongheart just smiled. “Don’t mention it, thank you for honoring us with your presence. I’ll have some gemstones ready for breakfast when you wake up in the morning.”

“Mmmh, that sounds amazing! Thanks again!” Spike grinned and waved gratefully as the buffalo girl turned to leave the room, closing the door firmly behind her. “Gosh, I’m so glad we came here. It’s nice to spend a night cozy in a warm bed instead of curled up out in the cold desert. Who even knew the desert got cold?”

“Yeah, funny…” Pyralsprite approached the bed to hop up onto it beside him.

“Are you okay? You’ve been quiet since Little Strongheart told her story.”

“I don’t think that was real.” Pyralsprite shook her head. “Stepping in and sacrificing themselves to save a bunch of weak mammals? For nothing? What kind of dragon would do that?”

Spike frowned. “I would do that if I could. Why, what do you think a real dragon would do?”

“Leave the mammals alone or demand their respect for saving their lives.” Pyralsprite shook her head. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

“But the dragon has their respect… that’s why they’ve honored him, and all dragons, for all of this time.”

“It’s just… not the same.” Pyralsprite growled in frustration. “I don’t even know how to explain, it’s just something you gotta see when we get there…”

“Yeah, okay… fair enough… I didn’t spend much time in the dragon country before, I guess I can’t really say anything about it until I spend a lot of time there.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have an easy time adapting.” Pyralsprite climbed up the bed to the pillow, plopping down onto it with a sigh. “Ah, now this is the kind of bed a dragon could get used to… I don’t know how you slept in that basket for so long.”

“I was just… used to it…” Spike shook his head to force the sudden wave of memories away. “Hey, uh… I just realized, there’s only one bed here.”

“I’ll keep my claws to myself if you will.”

“Er… yeah, of course I will. It’s a big bed, anyway.” Spike couldn’t help a blush though as he scooted further up toward the head of the bed, resting his head on the single pillow beside her head. The bed was more than big enough for both of them to stretch out without touching each other, unless she decided to spread her wings, but still he couldn’t help a hot blush that spread across his cheeks. He hadn’t slept in bed with a girl since he really was a baby…

“I’ll try to keep my claws to myself, anyway,” Pyralsprite gave him a toothy grin.

Spike chuckled through his blush and slapped her side lightly with his stubby tail. “Down girl, I barely know you.”

Pyralsprite’s grin only widened. “Okay, okay… let’s get some shuteye, then.” She settled down onto the mattress, her long, sinuous tail snatching the blanket beneath them and flinging the top over them, where they could pull it up around their necks.

Spike took a deep breath and settled into the pillow, his eyes wandering over to where Pyralsprite lay close by, her body coiling underneath the blanket until her tail was resting near her lips. Spike couldn’t figure her out. The idea that she’d come all the way across Equestria without talking to anypony was kind of silly, especially if she was just ‘wandering’ like she said. If she came to Equestria to explore it, why not talk to the ponies who lived there?

Oh well… he had no reason to distrust her, really. Besides, it really was nice having another dragon to talk to… and a cute girl dragon who seemed to like him at that. He was sure his blush was deepening, but he didn’t care. She was fast asleep… and it was time for him to settle down too. They would have a lot more walking to do come morning…

To Be Continued

06 - The Princess and the Stranger

Chapter 6: The Princess and the Stranger

It had been almost a week since Spike left Ponyville, and yet Twilight’s mood hadn’t improved at all. She hadn’t even had the heart to remove his bed, despite it sitting empty for all that time. It was his bed after all, when he came back he would expect it to be there. She just found herself waiting for him to come back. She knew he wouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself from waiting anyway. She was starting to feel like she was going crazy…

The sound of the front door opening jolted Twilight out of her thoughts, pulling her away from the basket toward the main library, where she looked down on Rarity just walking inside.

“Good morning Rarity.” Twilight forced herself to smile. “Are you looking for a book to read?”

“Actually, I’m looking for a friend I’m concerned about.” Rarity met her gaze with a return smile.

“Oh, there’s no need for concern… Spike did what he wanted to do. He’s happy now…” Twilight turned to make her way down the flight of stairs. She was unsteady on her wings when she was mentally perfect, as upset as she was there was no way she could fly. “I admit it’s taking me some time to adjust, but I’m perfectly capable of handling it.”

Rarity’s smile only became more sympathetic. “That’s good to hear, darling, but nonetheless, you’ve been cooped up in this house since he left. How about we go out for lunch? It’ll be my treat.”

Twilight thought about it for a while. It was true she’d barely left the library since Spike’s sudden departure, except to slip away and visit Zecora. It might be nice to get out and think about something else for a while. “Sure, but you don’t have to treat me, really.”

“As you wish, Princess Twilight.” Rarity smiled with a slight bow and turned to hold the door open. Twilight could only sigh inwardly as she walked past outside the library. Her friends had been acting this way ever since the coronation, and it made her uncomfortable. She was starting to get over being a princess, but she didn’t think she’d ever get over the way her friends saw her now…

“Please, Rarity. Twilight is more than good enough to address me by.” Twilight looked back as Rarity closed the door. “And you don’t have to open the door of my own house for me.”

“I’m just being polite.” Rarity pulled the door firmly closed and moved up beside Twilight.

“I know… I know that.” Twilight took a deep breath as she turned to make her way down the streets with her friend by her side. “I’d just like you to be a little less polite with me. I may be a princess, but I’m still your friend, first and foremost.”

“Of course you’re my friend, Twilight. But first and foremost? Well…”

“Excuse me?” Twilight’s hoofsteps halted as she turned her gaze on her unicorn friend. “Were you about to say something?”

“Twilight Sparkle, you’ll always be one of my very best friends, and you’ll always have a very special place in my heart… a place in all of our hearts…” Rarity hesitated for a moment. “But we simply can’t come first. Your royal duties are just too important, to all of Equestria.”

“But I…” Twilight sputtered for a moment. “Rarity, I don’t care what duties I have now, that doesn’t mean I’ll just stop being your friend, and I can’t believe you would even suggest that! Does everypony think like this?”

Rarity nodded slowly. “We all understand the reality of the situation… except for Pinkie Pie… I think she has decided you’re the princess of Ponyville rather than all of Equestria. Still, we don’t think you won’t be our friend, simply-”

Twilight cut her off sharply. “Simply nothing… our friendship is still the most important thing to me, and that’s that. Come on, we’re going to get something to eat as friends! Spike! Come o-” Twilight stopped, having reflexively whirled to order him onto her back. As she stared at the silent, empty spot on the ground just behind her, she heard hoofsteps approach from her right side.

“I know…” Rarity placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “I miss the little guy too… he was always so eager and happy. I didn’t even realize how much he inspired my work sometimes until he wasn’t there anymore.”

Twilight shook her head, trying to fight back tears that threatened to overwhelm her again. “Stop it, Rarity… I said I’m fine…”

“You don’t seem fine, if I may say so...”

Twilight gritted her teeth, but couldn’t hold her tongue back. “Why couldn’t you say so? Because I’m different? Because I’m a princess and things can’t be the way they were anymore?”

Rarity backed away with a hoof against her chest. “Twilight, please, I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Well it’s the truth!” Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m a princess who doesn’t have her friends or assistant anymore! If that’s the reality of the situation then fine! Goodbye!” Suddenly Twilight’s horn pulsed, cutting Rarity off mid-exclamation as the world around her faded into mist and back again in the span of a blink.

She hated this, she hated this more than anything in her life. If tearing the wings off of her back would mean everything would go back to normal, and Spike would come back, she would do it in a heartbeat…

With her breath returning to normal and her anger spent by the surge of magic, Twilight opened her eyes to find herself standing in front of Zecora’s hut once again. She hadn’t had a destination in mind when she used her spell, she could have gone anywhere, but she was kind of glad it was here. Zecora was the only friend she had left who didn’t see her as a princess… or a slave master. She was the only one who didn’t see her any differently than before.

Twilight approached the door to knock softly this time. The door opened and a pleased smile appeared on the face of her zebra friend.

“Twilight Sparkle, back so soon? What brings you here this afternoon?”

“I… I just had to get away again.” Twilight huffed. “It feels like everything’s gone wrong… nothing’s really happened and yet it’s totally different, it’s the strangest feeling… maybe I’m just losing my mind, but you’re the only one who comforts me anymore, Zecora…”

Zecora’s eyes widened slightly, but she only gave a warm smile in response. “If it’s comfort you seek, it does not make you meek. Come inside, and I’ll try to be your guide.”

Zecora stepped aside to let Twilight in, but the alicorn hesitated. Something was bothering her…

Spike could only shrug. “But we’ve all done everything we can to make her feel welcome. Maybe she’ll move into town when she’s ready.”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah, you’re right… still, maybe I should come by more often, make sure she knows how welcome she is.”

Spike smiled. “Yeah! And we can invite her to town some time too. You know, instead of going out to see her or waiting for her to come on her own.”

“Spike, that’s a wonderful idea!” Twilight smiled. “We can invite her into Ponyville for dinner soon, I bet she’ll have a wonderful time.”

They still hadn’t made Zecora feel welcome, in Ponyville or Equestria as a whole, in fact. Spike had left because he didn’t feel welcome anymore… because she was a terrible friend who only used him for his services. What if she was doing the same thing to Zecora? Using her for comfort and to help her solve riddles, but never taking the time to be her friend? But she didn’t want to go back into Ponyville right now…

“Actually, Zecora… I was thinking… you don’t get out of this forest much, do you?”

Zecora tapped a hoof against her chin. “I mostly leave for ingredients or supplies, it’s true.”

“Then how would you like me to go to Canterlot with you?” Twilight smiled. “I could show you around, and we could have a little fun.”

“That sounds wonderful, a bright day in the sun.” Zecora’s smile widened. “I’ll come with you, Twilight my friend.”

“Then let’s get going, and we’ll have fun without end.” Twilight giggled softly, already cheered up by the companionship as she turned to lead Zecora back towards the Ponyville train station.

They made it to the train station without incident, avoiding all of Twilight’s friends on the way. She just wasn’t sure she could take seeing them right now. She thought she was fine… she wanted to be fine… but objectively, she wasn’t fine. She knew she wasn’t, but she wasn’t going to let herself sit and mope. She wanted to be out doing things with her friends, and if her old friends were just going to talk about how they weren’t such good friends anymore, she would hang out with her real friend…

___

It wasn’t long until they reached Canterlot in companionable silence. By the time they stepped off the train Twilight had managed to calm herself down and had turned her mind towards what they were going to do first. Zecora had never been here, so it was up to her to show her zebra friend a good time… something she wasn’t really amazing at even when she was in a good mood. Still, she’d come this far, and Zecora looked eager to begin.

Zecora marveled at her surroundings, looking around and sniffing at the air. “My word this is a place of such beauty. The sky is so blue, and the food is so fruity.”

“Ahem… yes, I’m glad you like it,” Twilight couldn’t help a soft chuckle as the two of them headed away from the train station into the city proper. “You know Zecora, I don’t want to sound rude, but I’ve always wondered why you speak that way. I mean, don’t be offended, it sounds nice, and you’re so intelligent, but it just…”

Zecora cut her off with a soft chuckle. “Among my people, words spoken in haste are words that have gone to waste.” Zecora reached up, tapping the side of her head lightly with one hoof. “Give it a try for a while and I think you will find that speaking with care will exercise the mind.”

Twilight blinked, her eyes widening. “You do it to exercise your mind? Oh my gosh, what a fantastic idea. That never even occurred to me! No wonder you’re so intelligent and observant… you keep your mind sharp by constantly forcing yourself to think about everything you say and do! It’s genius!”

Zecora smiled wider. “It is an ancient tradition.”

“It’s a wonderful position.” Twilight smiled more genuinely than she had in the last week. “Come on; let’s go check out the market square. They have all sorts of wonderful things to see there.”

Twilight led the way further into Canterlot with a much lighter step, happy to see the zebra so eager to look around the large and beautiful mountainside city. She’d only ever left her hut to go shopping in Ponyville, Twilight hadn’t been sure she would even be interested in seeing more of Equestria. Obviously she was, and Twilight had never known simply because she never bothered to ask. If it wasn’t for Spike she probably wouldn’t have ever asked.

She shook her head to clear it of her oldest companion and turned her attention instead to the matter at hoof. “So, what would you like for lunch? Something good that we can munch?”

“To experience this place would be a treat, so I will eat what you wish to eat.”

“Heh, alright, if you wanna taste what it’s like in Canterlot, I’ll show you some of the… restaurants… I enjoy a lot.” Twilight giggled softly and led Zecora to one of her old favorite restaurants in town, the Golden Saucer.

The owner seemed surprised to see Princess Twilight Sparkle enter his restaurant, and if possible even more surprised to see the zebra walk in beside her. She could see his brain attempting to get back on track even as he approached the pair with a wide smile and a deep bow in Twilight’s direction. “Oh! P-Princess Twilight! This is such a surprise! I-I’ll show you to a table immediately!”

“Thank you very much.” Twilight managed to keep her blush light as she followed the stallion through the restaurant to one of the tables under the far window. Zecora’s eyes were darting around the room quickly, taking in every detail of the wooden tables and chairs, and the stunned expressions on the ponies seated at them, who watched the pair take their seats.

Twilight hadn’t counted on being the center of attention just for going out to lunch. Perhaps it would be better to go someplace less public.

“Are you sure you want to eat here, Zecora? We seem to be attracting a lot of attention.”

“Don’t worry my dear.” Zecora waved back to one of the gawking mares with a friendly smile. The mare blinked in surprise and flashed a furtive, blushy smile back with a wave of her hoof. “This happened in Ponyville, I expected no different here. Hopefully they too will learn that I am a friend.”

Twilight smiled more brightly. “Well that’s certainly the message you send.” Twilight finished her rhyme again with a giggle. Zecora returned her smile as a young filly from the next table over approached.

“Pwincess Twiwight? Can I eat wiff you?”

“H-hey! Where are you going?” The unicorn mare spun up from the next booth and put a hoof around the filly to pull her back. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness. She sort of got away from me…”

Twilight giggled. “It’s no trouble at all.”

“She will need her sustenance to grow strong and tall.” Zecora had a bemused smile on her lips, looking down at the curious little filly. “If you wished to eat with us I would not object.”

“A filly so adorable I would never reject.” Twilight caught a sharp glance from Zecora, but not an unpleasant one. If anything she thought she saw a soft blush on the zebra’s cheeks.

The little filly gasped in delight and flashed her mother a glittering white-toothed grin.

The mare still looked doubtful. “W-we couldn’t possibly intrude, Your Highness…”

“Please don’t be unsure, at our table there’s always room for more.” Twilight slid further back along the bench to give the eager little filly room to leap up onto the bench beside her with an excitable screech.

Their meal was more lively and significantly less intimate than Twilight had hoped, but Zecora looked absolutely delighted. Once the filly and her mother had settled in to eat with them, the rest of the restaurant seemed to ease back into a jovial mood. The talking in the other booths picked back up, with several voices cooing and giggling at the silly shenanigans of the filly who looked extremely delighted to be sharing a meal with her pwincess. Even the waiter looked more relaxed when he came back to take their order.

They spent two hours in the restaurant eating their meal and joking around with the mare, who turned out to be a local singer named Cotton Tale out for a day on the town with her daughter Sweet Tooth. Running into them had been a complete coincidence, but despite hating the attention at first, Twilight was quite enjoying the conversation with her, and some of the other patrons in the restaurant even approached to introduce themselves and talk a bit before going on their own way.

“Can you do big magic, pwincess Twiwight!?” Sweet Tooth bounced up and down with a happy grin.

Twilight giggled and made the little filly suddenly lift off from the bench to float her to her mother on the other side of the table, who caught her with a chuckle of her own.

The filly squealed in delight. “More! More!”

“Now Sweet Tooth, you can’t just demand things from ponies,” Cotton Tale admonished her daughter in a soft voice before turning back to Twilight. “Thank you so much for humoring us today, Your Highness. I’m humbled by your kindness.”

Twilight waved off the praise with one hoof. “Please, no need to be so formal, we’re just here for lunch, like you. But it is getting pretty late, and we have more of Canterlot to see before we head home.”

“Of course! Don’t let us stand in your way!” Cotton Tale slid out of the booth to let Zecora slide free, while Twilight moved out on her side.

“I’ll pay for lunch, since you were such wonderful company.” Twilight floated enough bits onto the table to cover all of their meals, and a generous tip for the waiter. “Thank you for letting us meet your wonderful daughter.”

“I-I’m humbled!” Cotton Tale bowed deeply, which was tough with her daughter still clutched in her hooves. “Thank you so much, Your Highness.”

With final farewells to the rest of the restaurant’s patrons and workers, Twilight and Zecora made their way outside to head down the sidewalk. Zecora had been thoughtfully silent for a while, but Twilight didn’t want to bother her. She was having a good time, which was really all that mattered.

“Is there anything you’d like to see next?” Twilight asked instead.

Zecora replied after a moment. “I will leave you to decide where we go. I would like to see what you wish to show.”

“How about Canterlot Castle over that way? We can see the sights on the way, what do you say?”

Zecora spoke in a soft, thoughtful tone. “Your mind is far sharper than I ever knew… let’s go, I’ll follow you.”

“Excellent, come on!” Twilight nodded and turned to lead the way down the sidewalk more quickly. “I’m glad you’re having a good time. I think I’m getting the hang of this thing with the rhyme.”

Zecora smiled wider. “You certainly are, Twilight. I think you’ll be a master by tonight.”

Twilight shook her head. “A master? Oh I’m not nearly as smart as you, Zecora. You make it sound so easy. You make everything seem… um… easy.”

Zecora only responded with a soft chuckle, and they faded into comfortable silence as they made their way through Canterlot. It was a large city, and they found themselves meandering from the straight path, but neither minded. They made their way in a serpentine path through the city, spending hours exploring the buildings and gardens in a way even Twilight had never quite done before. She was always running around Canterlot on some urgent business or other. Always running, pretty much never walking until today.

They spent so long walking that by the time they neared the castle grounds the sun was beginning to move toward the horizon, casting an orange light across the massive palace looming ahead of them. The guards stationed at the palace entrance gave the two mares quizzical looks, but they paid them no mind. They weren’t going to question Princess Twilight as she entered with her zebra friend, who turned away before entering the palace to gaze up at the light of twinkling twilight.

Zecora spoke for the first time since they left the restaurant. “Canterlot is a magical place, but it lacks a certain natural grace.”

Twilight moved up beside her. “Maybe it’s more controlled than the Everfree Forest, but I think Canterlot is as natural as can be. We’re a part of nature too, as you can plainly see.”

Zecora nodded slightly, and Twilight thought she saw another soft blush on her cheeks. “I’ve been in Equestria for many years, and away from my people I’ve shed many tears. Alone in the forest wasn’t a bad place to be, but it wasn’t the best place, not for me.”

“I’m sorry Ponyville wasn’t so welcoming at first. I’m sorry I never thought to ask if you wanted to come to town, I feel like the worst.”

“It wasn’t your fault Twilight, you were not even there for that first fright.” Zecora turned away from the sunset to look her square in the face with a broader, more assured smile. “What matters now is that you’ve invited me in… and for the first time in years I feel like I’ve truly discovered kin.”

“Kin?” Twilight cocked her head curiously to the side. “Does that mean what I think?”

“Kin are those whose minds are in sync.” Zecora reached up slowly to tap her hoof against the side of Twilight’s head, and Twilight couldn’t resist a blush on her cheeks. “Those who can discover happiness together.”

“Zecora, I never thought... I mean… I knew that you cared…”

“Of course I do, but please don’t be scared.” Zecora shook her head and pulled her hoof back away from Twilight. “Thank you for a wonderful day. It makes me happy that I decided to stay.”

Twilight shook her head clear and smiled through her continuing blush. “I’m happy you decided to stay too, Zecora…”

“Twilight?” A soft voice interrupted. Twilight and Zecora both turned to see Princess Celestia emerging from the castle with guardsponies on either side of her. “It’s good to see you. What brings you back to Canterlot?”

“I was just showing my good friend around.” Twilight quickly tried to shake off her nerves and blush. Of all the times to be interrupted. “I thought I would show her the castle, but I guess it’s getting kind of late for that.”

“Not at all, as a princess you have access to the castle at all times.” Celestia assured her. “Luna will be along momentarily to take over the throne, though, so you don’t have to stay. I was just on my way to my tower to retire for the night.”

“Then please, don’t let me keep you awake any longer.” Twilight nodded courteously.

Celestia moved to walk past them, then stopped suddenly. “Oh! By the way, I haven’t received any letters from Spike for a while, or seen him around. Is he doing alright? I know you mentioned him asking questions.”

“Yes… he did ask questions.” Twilight averted her eyes from her old mentor. “And when he didn’t get answers, he left. He’s on his way to the dragon lands right now…”

Celestia gasped and turned fully towards her. “What? No! Twilight, you must bring him back.”

Twilight looked up in shock and took a step back. “What? Bring him back? What do you mean?”

Celestia stepped forward, her voice quaking as she spoke. “Twilight Sparkle, Spike cannot reach the dragon lands. If he does, it could put all of Equestria in danger.”

To Be Continued

Author's Note

If it feels like I'm retreading character development issues that have already been addressed in canon at the beginning of Season 4, it's because I had some of this planned out ahead of time before Season 4 began, so please do bear with me as I put my own little spin on it. You can effectively think of this story as an Alternate Universe, splitting off after Equestria Girls and before Season 4.

07 - The Fires of Friendship

Chapter 7: The Fires of Friendship

Princess Twilight Sparkle was at a loss for words as she marched through Canterlot castle, with Zecora on her heels and Celestia leading the way. Minutes has passed, and Twilight’s mind was whirling with even more questions than ever. Celestia had looked so intense, so sure. But it simply wasn’t possible, was it? How could Spike going home to the dragon lands do anything bad to Equestria? What was Princess Celestia hiding?

Celestia led the way into the throne room, where a guard and one of the maids were chatting near the steps that led up to the throne itself. Celestia spoke in a soft tone, but one that left no room for questioning. “Thank you for your services, but they will not be required further for today.”

“Oh… um, yes, Your Highness. Good evening.” The guard bowed with a blush, the maid bowing beside him before they both turned to trot out past the three mares, letting the door swing shut behind them from Celestia’s glowing magic.

Celestia turned back to them, her eyes locking on Zecora. “I’m sorry, but I need to speak with Twilight…”

Twilight grabbed Zecora around the neck before she could move. “Zecora has saved my tail numerous times… you can speak just as freely in front of her as you can in front of my other friends.”

Zecora blushed deeply under her hoof, casting Celestia a slightly panicked look, but Celestia didn’t look angry. Instead she nodded in acceptance.

“I know this sounds strange, and very sudden, but you must believe this is the truth, Twilight. Spike’s presence in the dragon lands could cause a chain reaction that puts Equestria in jeopardy. You must bring him back.”

“Bring him back? You mean… by force?” Twilight’s eyes widened.

Celestia took a deep, shuddering breath. “By any means necessary.”

“Then I won’t.” Twilight surprised Celestia, Zecora, and herself by speaking immediately. For several moments the two princesses just stared each other down, until without warning the double doors to the throne room slid open.

“I am here, dear sister. You may retire now and I shall-” Princess Luna stopped when she saw the staring contest, looking back and forth between them. “And what, pray tell, is going on here?”

“Princess Luna…” Twilight finally looked away from Celestia’s eyes. “Do you know where Spike’s egg came from?”

“The egg? No. I don’t know where any of the dragon eggs have come from, actually.” Luna shook her head. “I suppose I have not given it any thought.”

“Any? You mean there are others?” Twilight blinked in surprise.

“Very special students within my academy are given dragon assistants, just like you.” Celestia interrupted, her voice wavering slightly. Given out like prizes, Twilight thought to herself bitterly.

“Where did they come from, Celestia?” Twilight demanded.

“I already told you, there is no answer I can give.” Celestia’s tone was soft, but her eyes were firm.

Luna cleared her throat and moved to step between them. “Clearly something has happened while I slept. Perhaps we should have a drink and try to calm ourselves before we go any further.”

“There isn’t time,” Celestia objected. “Every moment we wait is another step he takes towards the dragon lands.”

“And you’ve yet to explain why that’s a bad thing.” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “He’s a free dragon, he can go wherever he chooses.”

“Twilight, please.” Celestia’s eyes were almost desperate. “You must trust me…”

Twilight hesitated for a brief moment, then took a strong step forward. “I’m sorry… but I can’t.” Luna and Celestia both fixed her with a wide, stunned gaze. “You’ve done so much for me over the years Celestia… it hurts me to say it… but Spike left me because of you. My closest friend in my entire life walked away from me as if he couldn’t bear to be around me, because you did something you wouldn’t trust me with. If you want me to trust you, then I need you to trust me, and tell me exactly what is going on.”

Luna bit her lip, then whirled to look up at her older sister. “What is this all about, Celestia? You must tell us.”

“I told you… I cannot.” Celestia lowered her head slightly. “I understand what you’ve said Twilight… but this is not my own decision.”

“Not your decision?” Twilight cocked her head worriedly.

Luna stepped closer to the larger alicorn. “Sister, are you under some sort of spell or coercion?”

“I cannot speak of it… that is all I can say.” Celestia took a step forward, her voice shaking as she moved past Luna, who stepped aside so she could approach Twilight. “If you cannot trust me… then you can go here.” Her horn pulsed with a soft light, a piece of parchment materializing in the air in front of Twilight and her companion. “This map will show you where you can learn the truth…”

“Fine…” Twilight narrowed her eyes slightly as her own magic took the map from Celestia. “But you better not send anypony else to retrieve Spike while I’m gone. Promise me. If we have to bring him back… I want to be the one to do it.”

Celestia nodded formally. “You have my word, Twilight. Nopony else will be assigned to bring Spike back in your absence.”

“Thank you…” Twilight took a deep breath and turned away from her old mentor, seeing Zecora quickly turn to match her stride towards the large double-doors. “I’ll move as quickly as possible, so that if things are as you say, we can bring Spike back before there’s any danger.”

“Thank you, Twilight. Good luck.”

Twilight didn’t look back until the double doors had closed behind her, guided shut by her glowing horn. Only when the doors were closed did Twilight allow her self-control to falter, her knees nearly giving out underneath her as her breath quickened. “Oh my Goddess… oh my Goddess, I just told off Princess Celestia…”

Zecora leaned up against her side for support and patted her shoulders with one hoof. “You did what needed to be done, regardless if she’s the master of the sun.”

“I hope you’re right…” Twilight gulps, leaning into the offered embrace for a long moment. “Wh-what do you think, Zecora? You have the sharpest mind of anypony I know. Do you think we can really trust all of this at face value?”

Zecora cocked her head thoughtfully for a moment before responding. “I think that if the princess is under some sort of spell, then what else it may make her do, nopony could tell.”

Twilight froze. She hadn’t even thought of that. If Luna was right and there was an enchantment on Celestia preventing her from doing something she wanted to do… perhaps it could make her do something she didn’t want to do too.

Twilight stood up straight finally and looked down at the map in front of her. It was a map of Equestria, with a brightly pulsing dot on the Eastern edge of the continent, nestled in the mountains towards the north. It seemed strange that despite such secrecy, she would have a convenient map pointing straight to whatever the secret was about.

“I don’t understand.” Zecora shook her head as she looked over her shoulder. “It’s nothing but a map of this land.”

“Nothing but a map?” Twilight blinked. “But there’s a big glowing dot right there.” She fixed Zecora with a startled gaze, only to be met with a look of confusion and a shrug. “You… you can’t see it? Only I can…” Twilight gulped. “This really must be big to involve such magic.”

“If Celestia’s words are true then we have no time to waste. Come my dear friend, and we will depart with haste.” Zecora turned to march quickly past her down the hall.

“We?” Twilight trotted to catch up with her. “You don’t have to come, this is my quest.”

“One I will help you see through, as your grateful guest.” Zecora flashed her a sideways smile as Twilight caught up to her.

Twilight blushed softly and moved to trot a little closer by her side. “Okay, Zecora… and thank you.”

Twilight and her companion left the palace, leaving the two alicorn sisters in their castle while they set off on a journey across Equestria. With all the secrecy surrounding this Twilight didn’t feel comfortable getting a guard to take her to the eastern mountain, and she could barely fly herself, let alone her zebra passenger, but they were in too much of a hurry to walk the whole way. She did still have her balloon; it would probably take no more than a day or two at most if she whipped up a strong wind with her magic.

Maybe she had plenty of reason to be cautious or scared… but that wouldn’t keep her from the truth.

___

Nearly a week had passed since Spike and Pyralsprite had left Ponyville. Plodding through forest, desert, marshland and grassy plain, the two little dragons talked and laughed the whole way there. Spike told stories of his adventures with his Ponyville friends, while Pyralsprite spoke of some of her own adventures with her great many bigger brothers.

“The life of a dragon can be pretty free and relaxed, but it’s far from dull.” Pyralsprite clicked her tongue from atop Spike’s shoulders, where she was curled loosely around his neck with her wings open to take in the last rays of the fading evening light. “I swear I thought my brother was actually going to eat me.”

“Haha, well if someone did that to me I might think about it,” Spike snickered. “You’re pretty mischievous.”

“I like to have fun.” Pyralsprite snickered right back with a teasing smile. “Are you saying you wouldn’t like to have some fun with me?”

Spike raised his eyebrow without missing a beat. “Well who wouldn’t like to have fun with you?”

He heard a soft purr from Pyralsprite’s belly pressed up against his ear, but she didn’t respond again. It was strange; a few days ago he would be blushing terribly from this kind of talk. The idea of flirting openly with a girl would have been scary and strange, but after doing it for a while, he found that he was enjoying it more and more. There was a world of difference between pining for an unobtainable pony and flirting with a very happy dragon girl who seemed to like him back…

He heard a sniff above his shoulders from Pyralsprite’s raised head. “Ah, we’re getting close to the ocean.”

“Really? You can smell it already?”

“Already? I think we’re there.”

Spike looked forward just as they reached the top of a grassy hill. Suddenly the two small dragons were overlooking a large, bustling pony port town of Fillydelphia, situated right beside the massive expanse of ocean just beyond. The sun was just setting behind the horizon at their backs, casting a fiery orange glow across the water and buildings alike. The glow did nothing to halt the ponies rushing back and forth across the streets on the last of their daily chores, of course. In fact the commotion showed no signs of slowing despite the imminent nightfall.

Spike marveled at the sight. “Whoa… this place is almost as big as Canterlot…”

“And it smells just wonderful.” Pyralsprite opened her wings to flutter off of his shoulders, marching beside him instead of riding the rest of the way towards town. “Though the ocean is kind of a problem. We’re gonna need a pony boat to get to the dragon lands, because there’s no way I’m carrying you all the way there.”

“Don’t sweat it; ponies are really generous and helpful at heart. I’m sure somepony will be willing to give us a ride.” Spike swept the worry away with a wave of one hand as they marched into the town towards the docks.

“The dragon lands? Uh… sorry, no.”

“Dragon lands? Are you insane? No!”

“You do realize boats are made of flammable wood, right?”

“I’ll go to the dragon lands when my boat can fly.”

“Hah! HahahAHAHAHAHAHAAHahahahahaHAAAAAAA!”

“That’s simply not going to happen.” Another in the long line of seafaring ponies shook his head. “A captain would have to be completely stupid to agree to take you a place like that.”

“Come on, somepony around here has to be willing to help!” Spike clutched his claws in front of him desperately. “Tell us what you want! Something burnt? Jewels? Er… something…”

“All the jewels in the world aren’t worth that kind of risk.” The captain retorted. “If you want someone who’ll go for something like that you need somepony less sane and more greedy than a law-abiding fishercolt. Probably somepony a lot more drunk too. Try the bar. Now if you’ll excuse me, we disembark early tomorrow, and I need my sleep.” The captain marched away from them towards the inn sitting just inland off of the docks.

“Yeah, generous and helpful my tail.” Pyralsprite turned toward spike with a grunt. “Looks like these ponies about gonna be about as helpful as a hemorrhoid.”

“They’re just scared is all… it’s not like they have no reason to be.” Spike sighed and turned to look towards a small pub nearby. “He is right though, maybe we need to look someplace a little bit different. Come on.”

“Sure, let’s follow the advice of Captain Cowardice and hire a drunkard, that can’t end badly.” Pyralsprite grumbled to herself, but turned to follow Spike towards the pub. The interior looked cozy enough, but the pungent smell of alcohol assaulted his nose, and the sight of the dour, sullied denizens sitting at their tables with their drinks assaulted his eyes. Part of him wanted to run screaming from the building. He was too young to be in here anyway… wait, no he wasn’t. Would he ever get used to that?

Spike approached the counter with his companion close by his side. “Excuse me, do you know if there’s anypony in here with a ship?”

“Lots of ponies in here own ships.” The bartender gave him a droll glare. “This is a dock, after all. Few ponies come here who don’t.”

“Er… yeah, I guess that makes sense… but any who would be willing to take me and my friend to the dragon lands?” Spike asked. The bartender’s eyes widened slightly, and Spike suddenly realized that the entire room had gone silent. He turned slowly to see all eyes on him and Pyralsprite.

“Tis a bold request you make so blindly, mate.” A voice spoke out of the crowd, with a familiar sound to it. Spike turned toward the voice to see a larger stallion sitting at the table near the back wall, circling a drink in front of him with one hoof. “The dragon lands be the most dangerous place in the world for a stallion of the sea. What business do ye have there?”

Spike moved toward the stallion in the booth, squinting to make him out in the dimly lit pub. That voice sounded so familiar. “We’re trying to get there because it’s sort of like our home… see, we’re…” Spike gasped when he saw the skull and crossbones cutie mark on the stallion’s flank, and looked up into a familiar eye-patched face. “Captain Hoofbeard?”

“Aye, do I know ye? Wait a second…” Hoofbeard squinted his unpatched eye for a moment, then broke into a broad smile. “Well if it ain’t Spike! The finest parrot ever to set foot on me ship!”

“Parrot?” Pyralsprite grunted.

“L-long story.” Spike waved off the question with a blush. “Anyway, I guess the details aren’t important, but what is important is that we need a ship to get to the dragon lands. Do you think you can give us a lift?”

“Aye, I could.” Hoofbeard nodded thoughtfully. “But I’ve yet to hear what be in it fer me.”

Spike heard Pyralsprite growl under her breath, but he stepped forward before she could speak. “We have some jewels with us, we brought them to eat on the way… but when you get us to the dragon lands, we won’t need them anymore. You can have all of what’s left.”

“What!?” Pyralsprite shrieked, then hissed under her breath. “Spike! Dragons do not give their jewels to ponies.”

“Why not? It’s true! We won’t need them!”

“That’s not the point! It’s a matter of pride!”

“Pride in what? Having jewels? How is that something to be proud of?” Spike asked. Pyralsprite’s cheeks reddened as if she was about to explode on the spot, but she fell silent instead, so Spike turned back to the salty sea captain. “Please, Captain Hoofbeard. Nopony else in the city will even think about helping us, but I know you have the courage to do it.”

“Mmm…” The captain nodded slowly, then tossed back the rest of his drink, slammed the glass to the table, and rose to his hooves. “Alright, mate. I’ll take ye to the dragon lands, fer what you and yer mates did fer me. We can set out come morning.”

“Really? Oh yes! Thank you, Captain!” Spike grinned.

“You and yer ladyfriend best be gettin’ your sleep. No pony nor parrot sets hoof on me ship without earnin’ their place, I don’t care what they be payin’. Meet me at the docks at sunrise in the mornin’ and we’ll set off for yer homeland.”

“Yes sir!” Spike saluted swiftly. “Come on Pyralsprite, let’s go get a room at the inn.”

Some of the other ponies in the pub watched them leave, but Spike didn’t mind. They had a way across the ocean, now all they had to do was lie down and wait. It would be a nice night. The stars were coming out in full force, the ocean was quiet, and he was going to spend the night with the dragon girl who’d whisked him away and was making him happy…

“I can’t believe you’re going to give him jewels.” Pyralsprite grumped as they made their way towards the inn. “Dragons don’t give away their hoard.”

“I thought you said before I didn’t need to be a greed-monster.” Spike huffed back. “It’s just a few gemstones, it’s not even a big deal.”

“It has nothing to do with greed; it’s just the principal of the thing! Dragons don’t give out jewels, they demand respect.”

“You keep using that word, but I don’t know if it means what you think it means. I mean, I don’t see how anything we said in there was disrespectful.”

“He called you a parrot!”

Spike blushed. “Okay, yeah, that seems kind of weird, but I don’t think he meant any offense by it.” Spike moved up to drop his last few remaining bits on the counter in exchange for one of the room keys, then turned to lead Pyralsprite into the back. “I’m just not sure you and I have the same definition of respect. Why don’t you tell me what it means to you?”

Pyralsprite marched into the bedroom once the door was open, approaching the bed to hop up onto the thick mattress. “Well, for a dragon, respect means earning loyalty and obedience. You make others want to listen to you, because you’re bigger and stronger than them. You can protect them if they make you happy, and make them wish they had made you happy if they don’t.”

Spike hesitated. “Yeah, I’m not sure I’d call that respect… that sounds more like domination.” He approached the bed to climb up beside her, sitting with his legs dangling over the side of the mattress. “I mean, respect is supposed to be a mutual thing. You respect each other, not just make others respect you.”

“Puh, what do you know?” Pyralsprite stuck out her tongue and crawled away from him to the head of the bed, plopping down with her head on one of the pillows. “Maybe I’m just bad at explaining it, it’ll be clearer when we get home and you can see for yourself how everything works.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Spike crawled further onto the bed and plopped down beside her with his own head on the pillow. “Do you think I’ll be able to get along with the other dragons?”

“It… may be an adjustment, but we’ll get you through it. You’ll learn what it’s like to be a real dragon.”

“But I don’t wanna change or anything… I still wanna be myself.”

“Oh Spike… it won’t change who you are.” Pyralsprite reached out to grip one of his claws on her own, giving him a comforting smile. “At least, I hope it won’t… I kind of like who you are. You just have some things to learn, that’s all.”

A soft blush lit up Spike’s cheeks as he returned her smile, returning the soft squeeze. “Thanks, Pyralsprite… then I can’t wait to get there and learn more about dragons.”

Pyralsprite grinned and opened her mouth, blowing a small burst of fire into his face.

It didn’t hurt, in fact it felt pretty good, but it left him confused. “Whoa… what does… that mean…?” Spike asked softly.

Pyralsprite blushed. “Oh… you don’t know… it’s… sort of like a kiss, I guess…? It’s an affection thing…”

“Oh…” Spikes grinned and took a breath, blowing his own emerald green fire across her cheeks. He jerked when he felt the girl twitch on the bed, her eyes shooting wide open. “Oh gosh, did I hurt you!? I’m so sorry!”

“N-no… it didn’t hurt…” Pyralsprite calmed down after a moment. “It felt… really, really good, actually… was that your fire?”

“Y-yeah, it was…”

Pyralsprite sat up on the bed. “Do it again…”

Spike looked up at her for a moment, then sat up in front of her and blew a slightly longer stream of fire over her head and torso. Pyralsprite didn’t twitch this time as the fire washed over her body, but when the stream died it almost looked like her scales were glittering in the soft light of the candle beside the bed.

“Pyralsprite?” Spike asked cautiously. “Are you okay?”

“Mmmhh… I’m wonderful…” Pyralsprite flexed her wings and foreclaws slowly. “I’ve never felt anything like that before… it didn’t even feel like normal fire…”

“Really? What did it feel like?”

“Magic.” Pyralsprite faced him fully with a look of awe on her face. “I think you’re breathing almost pure magic. I mean, all dragons have a little magic in their fire… but yours… it’s completely different.”

Spike rubbed his shoulder self-consciously. “Is that good?”

“It’s amazing. It’s almost unheard of, too. Only a couple dragons in history have ever had fire like that. The most powerful dragons ever known.”

“Most powerful? Gosh… I don’t think I’m anything special.” Spike blushed deeper.

“Well you are… you could be one of the most special dragons in the world today.” Pyralsprite flitted closer on the bed, her side brushing up against his front as one claw touched his shoulder.

“Wow…” Spike felt like his head was going to erupt, it was getting so hot. Both from the idea of being that important and how unusually physical Pyralsprite was getting. He’d carried her on his shoulders for several hours a day over the last week or so, but this was way different from that. She didn’t need to be carried, she just wanted to be close to him.

“M-maybe we should get some sleep…” Spike stuttered nervously. “After all, we’re kind of young for-”

Pyralsprite cut him off with a claw on his lips. “No, Spike… we’re not too young for anything.”

“Oh… right…” Spike took a deep breath. He still felt like a child looking at things that his mind could barely comprehend… but then, his mind had been what kept him like this all along. He saw himself as a child, so he looked and acted like one. Still, he felt like something was wrong, so he flashed the dragon girl an apologetic smile.

“You’re right… maybe I’m not too young… but it still feels weird to me right now.” He moved his claws up to her waist and leaned in to give her a soft peck on the cheek. “Let’s get some sleep for tonight and maybe we can think about this more later… when we’re across the ocean.”

“Alright, fair enough.” Pyralsprite moved back away from him, but blew him another bolt of fire that swept across his cheek. “Goodnight, Spike.”

“Goodnight, Pyralsprite.” Spike watched his friend climb into the bed, slipping sinuously under the covers and curling her body into a small coil, with her tail at her lips.

A small smile crept its way onto his lips before he slid to the head of the bed and slipped under the covers beside her. He scooted just a little bit closer to her before he settled in and closed his eyes with a deep, calming breath. He was still just a little bit confused… but he also felt like things were starting to come together nicely for him. Who knew what would happen once they reached the dragon lands, but at least he’d have her there to help him…

___

WTF? #%^& you you stupid n00b!

The rattling of gunfire and explosions echoed through the inner hallways of Canterlot palace for quite a distance, as nimble fingers danced across the console controller’s buttons. The explosions were mixed with the sound of uproarious laughter as the admittedly strange being rocked back and forth in his thick, comfortable easy chair. He didn’t care how strange he was, of course. He was just too busy having fun while the text glowing on the television screen screamed bloody murder at him.

OMG stop using the rocket launcher you #%^& idiot! You’re not supposed to do that!

Discord just laughed to himself with a wicked grin on his lips. “I must remember to thank Twilight for teaching us about these humans. They’re most amusing.”

“I’m glad to see that you’re continuing to make new friends.” Princess Celestia’s voice echoed through the chamber from behind him.

Discord’s left eye crawled out of its socket to look back at her. “Oh yes, we’re the best of friends, he and I.”

#%^& you #%^& you #%^& you #%^& you #%^& you!

Discord leapt from his chair, plucking his eyeball off the top of his head to tuck it back into place while his gaming gear blipped into nothingness. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this interruption, Your Highness?”

“I need you to do something for me. Spike, from Ponyville has departed towards the eastern edge of Equestria by himself. I need you to prevent him from leaving the continent.”

“Is that so?” Discord cracked a surprised smile. “Did my ears deceive me when you promised not to bring him back?”

Celestia shifted uncomfortably on her hooves. “First of all, I have asked you not to listen in on my private moments.”

“And I told you at that time that I was going to do it anyway.” Discord waved off her complaint with a swipe of his cat’s paw. “After all, I don’t have to do everything you tell me to do. That would just be slavery.” His grin widened.

“Second of all, I have not asked you to bring Spike back here, simply to find him and delay any departure he may be attempting. These are two different things.”

Discord appeared right beside her with a sharp laugh, laying across her back backwards. “Hahahahaha! Oh my word, Celestia!” Discord vanished and reappeared on her head the size of her horn, whispering into her ear. “You and I are more alike than I ever imagined… such clever deception…”

“This is no deception, merely a precaution.” Celestia shook her head, sending Discord tumbling toward the ground until he simply appeared again standing upright in front of her. “Spike cannot be allowed to reach the dragon lands.”

“Oh Celestia…” A smirk tugged at the edge of Discord’s lips. “Is that fear I hear in your voice?” He lifted off from the ground to float around the pony princess in a slow circle, turning in mid-air to float along on his back. “You, who have faced beings like myself and even more powerful… you are practically quaking in fear.” He vanished suddenly and reappeared beside her, draping his eagle’s claw over her back and leaning close to her head to speak in a low, but delighted tone. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

“I cannot give you an answer…” Celestia turned her head to meet his curious gaze.

“I see… your inability to lie is showing… or perhaps, your inability to break a vow…” Discord’s grin only widened further. “Now I’m even more intrigued.”

“Please, Discord… I may not be able to give you orders, but for the sake of your friends, and yourself, do as I’ve asked. It probably won’t take much… he’s still a little dragon, after all. Surely you can halt his progress somehow.”

“Very well!” Discord vanished again to reappears right in front of her, raising his arms grandly to the sky. “You have asked, and so I shall comply!” His hands jammed themselves into his eyes, plucking them both out of his head as he bowed deeply to the pony princess. A swarm of fluttering, leathery-winged yellow eyeballs streamed out of his empty socket, heading straight for the windows high up on the walls around them, and vanishing into the night.

Celestia took a breath and rolled her eyes. “Always such theatrics, Discord… such meaningless theatrics.”

Discord raised his eyeballs to the sky on his palms. “Life is but a stage, Celestia.” He brought his hands down with a flourish to shove his eyeballs back into place, where they spun around for several moments before focusing in on her horn. “All I want is top billing in this show.”

Celestia couldn’t keep a slight smile from crossing her lips. “Thank you, Discord… I will think of some way to properly reward you for this.”

“I await your reward with great anticipation.” Discord bowed respectfully to the princess as she turned to leave his room, her pulse of magic closing the door behind her.

Discord turned away from the door with a curious smile, stroking his chin with his eagle-claw. “Finally things start to get interesting around here…”

To Be Continued

Author's Note

For those who don't read the IDW Comic Book series of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic", Captain Hoofbeard appeared in issues 13 and 14. Generally it and the cartoon series are considered separate continuities, but I figure as long as they don't directly contradict one another for any reason events from the comics are fair game for reference.

Also you should totally read the IDW "Friendship is Magic" comic book series. It is quite awesome.

08 - Natural Chaos

Author's Note

I feel obligated to mention that going forward the story contains major spoilers for the "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" IDW Comic Book series. Specifically issues 13 and 14. I'm not that worried about spoiling the cartoon, 99.9% of people reading fanfiction will already know everything about every episode of that, but the comics are less common and more open to being spoiled, so be aware.

08 - Natural Chaos

Chapter 8: Natural Chaos

There was something pressed lightly against his chest, a pleasantly warm something that felt like it was moving up against him. For a while Spike didn’t want to move. His imagination began to wander about what it might be. A snow-white pony with beautiful diamond eyes, perhaps? Or a snow-white dragon girl with passionate eyes the color of burning embers? Why did he keep falling in love with white creatures? They were beautiful no doubt, but was there something wrong with that? Why was he just lying here thinking to himself, anyway?

At last he allowed his eyes to open, trying to pull his claw to his face, but he found something holding it down. Pyralsprite was on top of his chest, dozing lazily with her wings and claws draped across the bed on either side of him. Her body was lying right on top of him, coiled somewhat around his legs and stomach in an almost scarily intimate position, but he knew she hadn’t done anything to him in the night. She probably didn’t even know she’d rolled over. He understood, he was sometimes prone to rolling around in his sleep too, especially after something exciting happened the night before.

Or almost happened, in this case. And might happen, if she didn’t get up soon.

Having her on top of him was making him seriously reconsider his stance from the night before, but he could already see the sunlight beginning to peak through the window, and if they didn’t get up soon Captain Hoofbeard might think they weren’t coming. He just wasn’t sure how to wake her up without making her grumpy. He’d seen her grumpy in the mornings during their journey. It wasn’t a very pretty sight.

After pondering his problem for a short time, Spike carefully wriggled his left claw out from under her serpentine stomach, moving it and his right claw up to gently run over the scales on her back, pressing into them and stroking in a gentle massage. Her serpentine body squished under his touch, but he knew she was able to take it, in fact the soft groaning noises that came from her throat after a short time told him he was doing a good job.

“Gguuuhhhhhh…” Pyralsprite groaned softly deep in her throat. “Wow… don’t stop that…”

“Heh, I’m glad you like it.” Spike kneaded his claws firmly into her scales, letting them scratch down her back with the sound of screeching on a sheet of metal, but she didn’t complain, instead she moaned her approval. “Twilight and Rarity liked it too, when I gave them massages… but I was a lot more careful with them.”

“You have very strong arms…” Pyralsprite agreed with a nod, her chin brushing against his shoulder. “I can see how you’d hurt a pony with them. Good thing I’m not a pony.”

“Yeah, good thing.” Spike smiled and lets his claws linger a little longer, brushing over her smooth scales until he noticed the light outside beginning to get even brighter. “We need to go soon. Captain Hoofbeard probably won’t wait for us forever.”

“Bah… he can wait until we’re good and done…”

Spike chuckled softly and sat up, wrapping his arms around her to hold her up. Her body draped limply over his shoulder like a wet noodle as he moved. “Come on, he’s doing something really dangerous for us, at the very least we don’t want to keep him waiting.”

“Aw come on, five more minutes…”

“Come on, Pyralsprite. It’s time to go.” Spike hopped off the bed with the dragon girl dangling from his shoulder. He shook her up and down with a chuckle, trying to get her to move. “Seriously, do you want me to carry you through the streets like this? It’s a bit undignified.”

“Uuuugh, fiiiiine.” Pyralsprite slithered out of his grasp and plopped down on the floor behind him, lifting to her claws a moment later with a yawn. “But you owe me more massage the next chance we get.”

“You got it.” Spike patted her shoulder before turning to head toward the door.

Celestia was still hard at work moving the sun into position on the distant horizon, but for now it was casting a bright golden glow across the town of Fillydelphia, and the ocean that lay just beyond. In the growing darkness the night before Spike hadn’t been able to tell one boat from another, but with the sun rising again he could make out the familiar shape of Captain Hoofbeard’s boat, the Salty Sea Mare, docked at the far side of the port.

A brisk breeze brought with it the smell of ocean water as the two dragons picked their way through the growing crowd of ponies towards the aged, but still sturdy-looking wooden ship on the far side. Knowing a pirate’s reputation Spike had expected to find Hoofbeard already there waiting for them, but strangely he was nowhere to be seen.

Spike folded his arms across his chest curiously. “Huh… I guess he’s not here yet.”

Pyralsprite slapped him on the shoulder. “See? We could have taken five more minutes! Impatient jerk…”

“Ahehe… better safe than sorry…” Spike rubbed his shoulder with a soft blush.

Before Pyralsprite could complain anymore more they both heard a voice from the direction of the ocean. “Spike! Yer finally up! I was beginnin’ ta think ye were gettin’ cold hooves. If ye had hooves, a’course.” Captain Hoofbeard was just swimming towards the shore, climbing up on one of the lower docks and shaking himself dry before making his way up towards them. “The Salty Sea Mare is ready ‘n waitin’ ta go.”

“Oh, yes! Of course! Sorry to keep you waiting!” Spike elbowed his companion in the side, who stuck her tongue out at him in return. “Come on, let’s get on board and get moving! The sooner we can get to the dragon lands the better!”

As they made their way up the plank, Spike saw that there was a small crew of ponies manning the various parts of the ship, and even one cleaning up the deck with a broom clenched in her jaws. Captain Hoofbeard had managed to get himself a new crew since last time Spike had seen him, plus one extra special member…

“Hoofbeard!” The beautiful mermare, Jewel, was floating comfortably in a large glass tank up near the ship’s steering column, her face lighting up into a broad grin when she saw him come aboard. “I told you I would check the ship’s rudder so you didn’t have to.”

“Nonsense, Jewel. I couldn’t stand ta make ye work after all I went through ta find ye.” Hoofbeard’s smile was unusually soft for a pirate as he approached the tank with the two dragons close behind him. “Besides, I still need the practice gettin’ these ta work. It’s a lot harder than it seems like it would be.” He gestured to his neck, where a row of barely-visible gills could be seen just underneath his coat.

Jewel giggled. “Well, if you insist then. The sooner you can get under the waves without worrying about drowning, the sooner I can show you everything the ocean has to offer.”

“Aye, we’ll get there soon, I can feel it.” Hoofbeard pecked the mermare’s lips softly, then turned back toward his ship and approached the steering wheel to shout across the boat. “All of ye get the ship ready ta depart! We’re headin’ out in ten minutes!”

“Aye-aye!” The crew echoed back at him and set about their tasks in double-time under his watchful eye.

Spike leaned against the glass tank with his claws folded over his chest. “It’s funny, this doesn’t really feel like a pirate ship anymore… the ponies are so happy and clean.”

Jewel sighed with a bright smile. “That’s because this is a pirate ship no longer. Hoofbeard has turned it around and made it into an adventure ship. We roam the world seeing all there is to see.”

“How is that different from pirating?” Pyralsprite asked curiously.

“We help ponies instead of taking their things.”

“I’m sure you have something to do with that, huh?” Spike asked.

“The right female has a way of making even the most headstrong male settle down, doesn’t she?” One of Jewel’s fins slapped lightly into Pyralsprite’s side, drawing a goofy grin out of the dragon.

Spike rolled his eyes and turned away from the two girls. He pushed off from the glass tank when he saw something strange in the sky, almost like a sickly yellow orb just hovering a long distance over the ocean before suddenly vanishing again. Spike rubbed his eyes and tried to look again, but the sky was clear of strange floating orbs.

“Spike? Are you okay?” Pyralsprite asked.

“Yeah… just thought I saw something weird. I’m fine.” Spike shook his head and turned back to the girls.

Hoofbeard’s voice cut through the crowd and the chatter. “We’re settin’ off now, me harties! Hoist the mainsail and raise the anchor!”

“Aye-aye, captain!”

The ship moved away from the harbor and out into the open sea, heading straight towards the sun halfway above the horizon. The boat cut through the water at a pretty fast clip, the mainsail catching the generous wind and bearing them eastward towards the land where the dragons lived. Spike found himself becoming more eager at the thought of reaching it and seeing what it was really like. The dragons during the migration hadn’t gone as far as the dragon lands, he had only caught up to them within Equestria…

Hoofbeard approached the dragons and mermare with a powerful stride after making sure they were on course. “We should be approachin’ the dragon lands by nightfall, if the wind keeps up.”

“Thank you so much, I really can’t thank… you… enough…” Spike glanced up in surprise as the mainsail suddenly went limp on the mast, dangling like so much useless deadweight in what was suddenly an eerily calm ocean.

“Hey! What’s goin’ on over there? Did somepony let the rope slip!?” Hoofbeard marched up to the wheel to look out over the ship.

“No, captain! The wind’s just… gone!” One of the mares near the sail tugged on one of the limp ropes. “I can’t even feel anything.”

Hoofbeard looked up at the sail with a curious gaze, then turned his attention to the water. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he approached the side of the boat. “My Goddess…”

Spike rushed up beside him to see what he was looking at. The ocean around them was calm… spookily calm. So calm even the ripples in the water had died, fading away to leave a surface that looked more like glass than water. It was still water though; the boat was still bobbing softly for a moment until the stillness of the wind and water alike brought them to a complete standstill.

“Captain? Have you seen something like this before?” Spike asked.

“Not once in me long life.” Captain Hoofbeard marched back to the front of his ship, past his confused and worried crew. “Jewel, do ye have any ideas about what this may be?”

Jewel’s jaw was slack as she looked around at the water, but she composed herself as the captain approached. “I’m sorry, no… besides to say this can’t possibly happen in nature.” Jewel shook her head.

“Aye, nothin’ natural about this.” Hoofbeard turned back to his crew, who were mumbling and ranting among themselves. “Shut yer mouths, all of ye! You are not gonna turn into a panicky bunch of useless fillies, yer gonna man yer stations and stay there until I says otherwise!”

“Yes Captain!” The crew scattered back to their positions around the ship.

Hoofbeard turned back to the dragons and mermare. “We gotta get this boat movin’ again before me crew goes bonkers.”

“I could move it.” Jewel splashed her fins through the water in her tank. “I could go down and make the water move myself. It’ll be slower than using the wind, but at least we won’t be at a standstill.”

Hoofbeard grunted, “I don’t know, Jewel. Who knows what be lurking in that ocean? It could be dangerous.”

“Hoofbeard, the ocean is my domain; I promise I’ll be perfectly fine,” Jewel assured him with a smile. “If I see anything dangerous I will come back on board the ship immediately.”

Hoofbeard looked out over the glassy ocean for a few moments before nodding. “Aye, you make a fair point. Do yer thing, and we’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Aye-aye, captain.” Jewel flashed him a swift salute with one of her flippers, then jerked herself down to the bottom of her water tank. She flung herself up like a bullet, flying from the water with her fins spread wide almost like wings, sailing over the side of the ship to vanish into the water below. The splash from her entry made small ripples that reflected off the side of the boat, but these soon faded back into the smooth, glassy surface.

Jewel’s voice came from behind the boat. “I’m going to move the ship now, everypony hold on!”

Spike looked around quickly, then wrapped one of his arms around the mast while the other wrapped around Pyralsprite, holding her against his side. The dragon girl clung to him surprisingly tightly, her wings wrapping around him to keep herself secure.

Once all the ponies had found their own anchor points, Hoofbeard called out, “we’re all ready, Jewel! Do yer worst!”

“You asked for it!” A moment later it felt like an elephant slammed into the back of the boat. A tremendous spray of water flew over the sides of the ship as it rocked forward from the force of the impact. Pyralspite shrieked and ducked her head down inside her wing while the rest of the crew shouted and struggled to hang on, but the boat didn’t flip. It lurched forward across the glassy water, buffeted along by more waves that added to the momentum rather than slamming harshly into the hull.

“Pyralsprite?” Spike squeezed her body softly in his arm. “Are you okay? You’re shaking…”

“Uh… I…” Pyralsprite gulped. “I uh… can’t really swim…”

“But you can fly… you could fly away if you need to.”

“Not if I can’t tell which way land is…” Pyralsprite shook her head. “Out here, in the middle of the ocean, and especially under the water… I really am blind.”

“Oh… well don’t worry, you won’t have to do any of that.” Spike clung to her even tighter as another wave rocked over the ship, sending them lurching forward. “Just focus on me, the ship is just fine. There won’t be any swimming or trying to fly away.”

“O-okay… I’ll try…” Pyralsprite jumped in his arms when a shriek erupted from the back of the boat, which was just settling down from the latest wave.

“Hoofbe-“ Jewel’s voice cut through the air like a siren before it suddenly disappeared.

“Jewel… Jewel!” Hoofbeard took off towards the back of the boat, shrugging past his confused and worried crew until he leapt over the side of the ship, splashing into the water below.

“Captain!” One of the crew ponies rushed to the back rail of the ship, looking down into the still water. “I can’t see them anywhere!”

“Oh no… what if they’re in trouble down there?” Spike stepped forward. “A-a dragon hero would do something!”

“Dragon hero?” Pyralsprite huffed. “Spike, I told you, that Kindfire tale we heard in Appleoosa was probably just a load of crap.”

“Even if it was… I want to be that kind of dragon! And-and there are ponies in trouble here and now! Besides, if we don’t rescue Jewel, we’re stranded here in this creepy place. If only I could breathe underwater…”

Pyralsprite sighed. “Well… if you were really determined, you probably could.”

“What? Really?”

“I felt your magic… I’d be surprised if you couldn’t use a water-breathing spell. Dragons with much less magic than you do it.”

“Wow! Okay, I’m gonna try!” He hesitated a moment. “H-how do I use it?”

“The thing to remember is that your magic and your fire are the same thing.” Pyralsprite reared up on her hind claws and pressed one claw against her chest. “You gotta infuse the spell you want to use into your fire. Focus on shaping the flame, on making it do what you want.”

“Oh… so it’s like how I always used to send letters, but instead of teleporting a letter, I’m doing other things.”

“That sounds about right.” Pyralsprite dropped to her four claws again and took a step back. “Just keep your focus so you don’t burn down this ship. If you burn down this ship I will kill you.”

“Heh, yeah, I’ll try.” Spike looked down at himself and spread his legs, beginning to deepen his breaths.

He could feel the fire inside of him, where it always was. It had always been easy, and actually quite natural, to use it to teleport things over distances even unicorns couldn’t possibly cover in a single bound, but he’d never stopped to think about what else it could do. Now that he was focusing on it, he could feel how malleable it really was. Like the fire in his belly was a piece of clay waiting to be shaped… but how to shape it into something that would do what he wanted was a bigger question. Obviously he wanted gills, or maybe to change his lungs for a while. Yeah, that could work…

He took a deep, steady breath, feeling the flames rolling inside of him, then let it out slowly. The emerald green fire trickled out of his lips, but he didn’t release it yet. He took several more breaths, letting the fire churn inside of him, until he lowered his head and let it out in one long stream across his legs, where it burned and swept up his body quickly. The boat was left untouched, but he could feel the change happen… though he wasn’t yet sure it did exactly what he wanted.

“That was cool.” Pyralsprite stepped closer curiously. “Did it work?”

“One way to find out.” Spike clenched his claws at his sides, then took off running towards the back of the boat, where he dove over the side. A hero never stopped to think, after all, even if being wrong meant terrible, terrible things.

He plunged into the ocean water headfirst, sinking several feet. He held his breath by instinct, but eventually he forced himself to take a deep breath… and found that no water entered his lungs. He wasn’t sure how it worked, but it had worked! He was breathing underwater!

“Yes!” Spike pumped his fist happily.

“No! Get yer tentacles offa Jewel, ye beast!” Captain Hoofbeard’s cry drew his attention away from his own success.

The captain was floating in the water nearby with his sharp sword clutched in one hoof, facing what looked like the strangest octopus… squid… thing… Spike had ever seen. He couldn’t even tell how many tentacles the thing had. It looked like it had to be at least thirty, if not more.

The squidopus just laughed in a bubbly voice. “Are you asking me to do your job for you? Hmph, some good guy you are.”

“Hoofbeard, be careful.” Jewel struggled against the tentacles that had her wrapped from neck to tailfin like a cocoon. “I’ve never seen a creature like this…”

“And ye won’t ever again once I get through with it!” Hoofbeard lurched forward through the water, bringing his sword around in a furious slash that sliced through the water, but one tentacle easily snatched the blade away while another stroked under his chin.

“If you want to make any progress may I suggest a stabbing motion?” One tentacle lifted the sword into his stunned hoof, jerking it forward into a stabbing motion in the water. “There you go; slicing simply won’t do under the water like this.”

“Ye mock me!?” Hoofbeard lashed out again, stabbing at the creature’s main body, but it easily floated out of range. “Release me beloved, monster!”

The squidopus turned around to aim all of its tentacles at him, each opening into a miniature mouth that blew a giant raspberry powerful enough to blow Hoofbeard back through the water. “If you want her, you’re gonna have to heroically waste time chasing me into the horizon after her!” The mini-mouths sang before the creature jetted through the water.

“Hoofbeard! Heeeeeelp!” Jewel screamed as she was dragged away quickly through the water.

“I’m comin’ for ye, Jewel!” Hoofbeard began to swim with all his might after the creature.

Spike took a deep, steadying breath for a moment, finally regaining his senses from the frightening and strange scene enough to follow after Hoofbeard. His smaller, lizardlike body allowed him to cut through the water much better, and he quickly caught up with the pony captain.

“Captain! I’m going to swim ahead and find Jewel!”

“Eh!? Spike!?” Hoofbeard whirled on him with wide eyes. “How are ye…”

“That doesn’t matter! Just follow as quickly as you can! I’ll meet you there!” Spike surged ahead, cutting through the water and keeping a sharp eye out for anything strange. He couldn’t feel any kind of tide or normal movement in the water. It was almost like swimming in thin Jell-O, in a weird way, but he still had no trouble moving around.

His body shot through the water in the direction the squidopus has disappeared, his eyes scanning the ocean for any sign of them until finally he caught sight of a mass of swirling tentacles resting on one of the ocean reefs. Jewel was still cocooned inside dozens of the tentacles, her entire body covered except for her head.

“What do you want with me?” Jewel demanded. “I have done nothing to you! Leave me be!”

The squidopus responded with a deep yawn from the central mouth on its body. “Such drama, there’s really no need for that. But what’s a chase through the high seas without a beautiful prize for the hero to rescue?”

“This is a game to you?” Jewel’s eyes flared. “You kidnapped me for fun? S-surely you don’t mean to…”

The squidopus barked out a bubbly laugh. “Oh please, I’m less interested in you than I am in a carp, though I’ve seen some very shapely carp over the years. In fact there was this one some time ago-”

“Halt!” Spike clutched his claws at his sides once he was close enough to the creature that he was sure it couldn’t get away. “Release her at once!”

The creature whirled on him, sickly yellow eyes looking him over in stunned surprise before the creature collapsed across the reef in halting fits of laughter. “Baaaaahahahahahahaha! Oh my word that is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!”

Well, that certainly wasn’t what Spike had wanted to happen. “Uh…” He lifted one arm to point an accusing claw at him. “I mean it! Release her or I’ll be forced to save her!”

“And how will you do that?” The creature raised itself up on the reef with one tentacle wiping tears of mirth away from its eyes, a strange motion considering they were underwater. “Will you scratch me with your tiny claws? Or breathe your underwater compatible fire at me? Bwahahahahaaaa!” The squidopus fell over again, waving its tentacles so hard in the water that Jewel was flung back and forth.

Spike had to admit he hadn’t thought that far ahead. What was he supposed to do here to rescue the girl? That creature’s flesh was probably thicker than his claws were long, and his fire wouldn’t work underwater…

Would it? Pyralsprite’s words from the night before came back to him.

“I think you’re breathing almost pure magic.”

Water may stop fire… but would it stop magic?

Spike took several deep, steady breaths, once again trying to focus on shaping the flames in his belly. He could feel them churning like lava, spreading through his body and making their way up towards his throat. The creature was still too busy laughing to pay him any attention as the emerald green flames began to leak from his lips with each breath, sending tendrils of bubbles rising towards the ocean’s surface.

With one last deep breath, Spike let the fire out in one massive stream. Bubbles erupted like a thunderclap, but they couldn’t stop the flame that surged through the water straight up the center of the squidopus’ tentacles, engulfing its body in emerald fire. A hideous, pained screech split the ocean as the tentacles thrashed in pain instead of mirth, so wild and aimless they sent the mermare flying through the water upwards, where she corrected and turned to face her abductor.

“How dare you take me against my will, you vile creature!? Begone!” Jewel shot through the water towards the creature before it could recover and lashed out with her fins, creating a powerful current that blew the creature right off of the reef and sent it plummeting through the ocean and further into the dark, murky depths at the bottom of the sea. “And never return!”

“Hah… haha! Yeah!” Spike pumped his fists over his head. “We did it!”

“You did do it, little one.” The mermare floated over to him and wrapped him in her fins in a tight hug. “You have my gratitude!”

“Hehe, aww…” Spike blushed. “Don’t worry about it, it was nothing really…”

“Jewel? Yer safe?” Captain Hoofbeard finally caught up to them.

“I am. This little one rescued me.” Jewel floated up to the captain to give him a brief, but strong kiss. “Thank you for coming though.”

“Haha! Aye, I did me best, but it looks like this day ain’t mine.” Captain Hoofbeard gave Spike a strong pat on the back, sending him cartwheeling through the water. “What’s more, I can feel the water movin’ again. Let’s return to me ship, and we can continue on our way.”

“Heh, that sounds pretty good to me,” Spike agreed with a wide smile and a blush.

The journey back to the boat was thankfully calm, and when they broke the surface Spike could immediately tell that everything was back to normal. The sail had been lowered so the ship wouldn’t sail off in the strong wind that had kicked up over the rolling ocean surface.

No sooner did Spike’s head break the surface then a winged dragon girl swooped down to pluck him out of the water like a fish, carrying him back towards the boat.

“Waaaaahhhh! Ooof!” Spike grunted as he slammed into the deck with Pyralsprite on top of him, holding him tightly in her claws and her body.

“You scared the Hell out of me you jerk!” Pyralsprite squeezed him tighter.

Spike’s head was about to explode from the furious blush on his cheeks, fueled by the crew ponies who were watching with bemused expressions. “P-Pyralsprite, I’m sorry. I’m fine, you were totally right about everything… and I did it.” A smile spread across his cheeks as he returned her hug. “I managed to be a hero… now… please let me go…”

Hoofbeard helped pull Jewel aboard and into her tank, where she floated upright again gracefully. Once she was aboard he turned back to his crew. “Raise the mainsail, me harties! It be clear sailin’ to the dragon lands now!”

“Aye-aye, captain!” The screw immediately went back to their assorted tasks, leaving the two dragons alone on the deck.

Now that they weren’t being watched, Spike was more okay with the tight hug…

___

His skin was smoldering. Scorched fur covered his body as he slowly pulled himself from the ocean on the beach near Fillydelphia. Smoke continued to pour from him despite having just spent the last two hours in the water, making his way towards the shore. He felt something strange coursing through his body, something that had slowed him down tremendously and made it difficult to think well enough to use his magic.

Was the master of chaos himself in pain?

“Nnngh…” Discord rolled over onto his back to rest on the sand, taking deep, steadying breaths. “Well played, little dragon.” He spoke to nobody in particular. “Well played… but of course, this is far from over…”

To Be Continued

09 - The Slumbering Secret

Chapter 9: The Slumbering Secret

The skies over Equestria were calm out here over the wilderness where even pegasus ponies didn’t go very often. Only the strong wind conjured by Twilight Sparkle’s horn made any noise other than the idle chatter she shared with her zebra friend. Despite the strange, almost frightening circumstances of their journey, the mood was light and relaxed as, for the first time, Zecora shared a couple of tales from her homeland. Including one shocking secret…

“You were married, once?” Twilight leaned forward with her eyes wide open. “Oh my gosh, Zecora! What happened? Who was he? Where is he?”

Zecora chuckled with a kind smile. “It was long ago, though I remember him still. It was long before I came to Ponyville. Our romance was strong and our marriage was swift… but then our love simply began to shift.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Zecora. I’ve heard that it happens sometimes.” Twilight smiled and leaned against the side of their balloon. “You get so excited about love that you find it someplace where it’s not really there.”

Zecora chuckled softly. “I’m not sure that’s exactly the truth, though it was still certainly a folly of youth. Sometimes love can be tried and true, and yet still come to an end for you.”

Twilight cocked her head curiously. “Do you really think love can end, Zecora?”

“All things can have an end someday, no matter what you want, or what you say.”

“Mmm… I guess I can’t argue with that…” Twilight hugged her forehooves around her chest with a frown on her lips. “I never thought I would lose Spike… we were so close…”

“Endings come, and sometimes ponies go…” Zecora pushed off from her side of the basket to crawl over to Twilight, who smiled back. “But you must continue to let your feelings show.”

“Yeah, I don’t think there can be any doubt of that. Nothing is more important than close friends… especially when you really need them.” Twilight raised one hoof, pressing it softly against Zecora’s. “Forever we’re together, forever we’re friends…”

“A kindred friendship that never ever ends…” Zecora smiled back softly.

“Hey…” Twilight’s eye twitched down toward the map that was laid out on the bottom of the basket beside them. The enchanted map showed they were quickly approaching their destination. “We’re almost there!”

Twilight and Zecora both hefted their heads out of the basket to look ahead, spotting a tremendously large mountain looming close.

Twilight nodded. “The map is leading us to that mountain… help me look for a way inside.”

“It seems that that will be no big trick. You can simply take your pick.” Zecora gestured a bit further up the mountain face, where a great many dark caverns seemed to open straight into the middle of the mountain. Strangely, all of the entrances were near the middle to top, with none visible near the bottom, at least not from this high up. Was this intentional, to keep most ponies from being able to wander in?

“Okay, are you ready?” Twilight glanced at her friend, who nodded in acceptance. “We’re going in.”

Her horn shifted slightly, releasing the wind that had been blowing them onward in favor of taking control of the balloon directly. It was more tiring, but it allowed her more precise control over their movements as they approached the sharp, jagged mountainside. They floated close to one of the higher caverns, where the mountaintop was further back from the edge of the outcropping of rock.

Zecora leapt from the balloon with a rope clutched in her teeth, landing easily and turning to tie it to one of the large boulders on the mountain edge. Once that was secure, Twilight leapt from the balloon to join her, leaving it tethered in place just beyond the reach of the mountain.

Twilight moved up to her zebra companion, exchanging a shallow nod before they turned as one to make their way into the darkness. Twilight’s horn lit up to show the way as their hooves clip-clopped against the stone ground, her sharp eyes darting back and forth, keeping an eye out for anything strange.

Zecora spoke in a breathy whisper. “It occurs to me that this may take a long time. This mountain is massive, and we have no goal in mind.”

“We’ll take all the time we need, Zecora.” Twilight’s horn floated her map out from her saddlebag, looking over it in the light from her horn. It looked like the dot was getting smaller as they moved deeper into the mountain, becoming more precise. “Besides, it looks like we’re not going in completely blind. The dot is this way.” She turned to head down one of the more narrow passages, so narrow that Zecora fell into step behind her instead of beside her.

The winding passages through the mountain melded together as they went, but Twilight was fairly confident she would be able to find her way back. She was a master at map reading and memorization, after all, but that didn’t stop the spooky creeping feeling from running up her spine. They really had no idea what they were even looking for, and if Zecora was right, this could be a very nasty…

“Surprise…” Twilight breathed deeply and took a step back before she entered a massive cavern in the middle of the mountain. She heard Zecora’s hooves clop up beside her, but she didn’t look away from the figure that lay in the center of the mountain. Scales glittered like a hundred jewels in the dim phosphorescent light coming from the mold on the walls, as the dragon’s narrow, sleek body rested comfortably on the cold, empty stone. It was one of the smallest dragons Twilight had ever seen, only slightly bigger than Princess Celestia even with the wings on its back, but it was still undoubtedly a dragon.

Twilight whispered, “Do you think it’s friendly?”

Zecora didn’t even respond before the soft whisper made the dragon’s ear twitch, and one glowing white eye popped open, with the deep red iris turning to fix on them at the cavern entrance.

“Oh… g-gosh…” Twilight took an instinctive step back. The first dragon she’d met besides Spike had been pretty rough-tempered, but willing to listen to Fluttershy. The ones during the great dragon migration had seemed more willing to step on a pony than listen to a word they had to say. This one was a lot smaller than any of those, but didn’t look any less fierce, or less dangerous. “E-excuse me… we… we didn’t know…”

Twilight’s heart leapt into her chest when the dragon opened its powerful jaws with a snap and a deafening screech, a burst of emerald green flame erupting from its throat to surge towards them.

“Run!” Twilight whirled from the flame to charge back down the tunnel they emerged from, with Zecora running at her side. Zecora whirled down one of the smaller tunnel offshoots, yanking Twilight after her just before the blaze whooshed past the entrance. There was no time for words as they rushed down the tunnel. Twilight only cast one glance back to see the dragon peering in after them, then continuing on down the passage.

They emerged into a larger tunnel up ahead, with Twilight’s map floating quickly up in front of them. “This way! I think!” The map tucked itself back into her saddlebag before they both turned left, charging hopefully in the direction of their balloon.

Even as they ran Twilight found her mind spinning. Had Celestia known this dragon was here? Was this really what they’d been sent here to find? What good could come of this? Did Celestia mean to simply get rid of them? Would she say she didn’t know the dragon was here after it gobbled them up? No… Celestia would never plan something like that. Besides, dragons ate jewels. They didn’t actually eat ponies, did they? Then why would this one attack them?

A reflexive screech escaped Twilight’s throat when rainbow scales flitted through the darkness just on the edge of her horn’s light, moments before the emerald green flame erupted from the darkness towards them.

Twilight slammed into Zecora’s side to throw them both out of the way just in time, scrambling back to her hooves to continue running down another adjacent passageway. This mountain was like a maze. Had the dragon carved the tunnels this way on purpose so ponies couldn’t escape? What was it even doing in Equestria?

Another burst of emerald fire lit the tunnel right in front of them. Zecora lurched to the side inside of a small niche in the wall, but Twilight was too far to make it. So instead her horn pulsed with even brighter light, a powerful magenta shield blocking the flames just in time. It worked… but the second the fire touched the shield Twilight thought her brain was going to erupt. The magical fire was so intense just holding it back was pushing her power to its limits.

Twilight lurched back, but the second the fire subsided she conjured up what magic she could muster to return fire. A piercing beam of light shot from her horn, striking straight and true into the dragon’s chest, but the light scattered on contact with its rainbow scales. Pieces of her shot slammed into the cavern walls and floor all around them, punching holes in the solid stone, but leaving the dragon completely untouched.

A swift glance to her side showed Twilight that Zecora was still hiding in the small nook in the wall, but the dragon’s attention was squarely on Twilight. “You want me? Come get me!” Twilight fired another, weaker shot, but this one wasn’t meant to defend, but to anger. The dragon roared in defiance as the shot deflected harmlessly off, and Twilight turned to flee again, trying to draw the dragon away from her friend.

At first it seemed like it was working. In the light from her horn she could see the dragon following… but it stopped right where Twilight didn’t want it to, and turned to face Zecora. The zebra couldn’t even leave her nook in the wall without running right into one of its claws.

“No! This way! Come here!” Twilight fired several more shots, but the dragons jaws were already opening, emerald green flame spilling out into the air. “No! Zecoraaaaa!”

Twilight charged forward as fast as her legs could carry her, but she simply wasn’t fast enough. The flames burst forward, lighting up the tunnel in an emerald shine as they fully engulfed the zebra. Twilight couldn’t even see her anymore, but she didn’t turn around, leaping with all of her might towards the flames.

Twilight’s horn flashed to life as she came down, another shield materializing to block off the flames that roared all around her as she slammed into the cave floor. Her knees buckled under the strain, but she would not fall. She forced herself back upright, so tense and focused that her wings spread wide out to her sides. The deafening screech of the dragon’s cry mingled with the roar of the flames, for several moments locking her in a bubble apart from the world.

At last the flames died, and with them went Twilight’s shield. Her legs shook and her wings drooped, but she stared up at the dragon defiantly.

The dragon’s eyes seemed to widen in surprise as it stared down at her, darting from her face to her wings. “Princess?”

Twilight grunted when she felt the ground twitch under her hooves. Weakened by the blasts of her magic and the dragon’s fire, the cavern floor suddenly crumbled underhoof, dropping her into a brief, tumbling slide down into the darkness. She was so startled that the light from her horn faded into darkness during the descent, leaving her tumbling through the dark until she slammed into the cold, solid ground with a heavy thump.

“Nnngh…” Twilight groaned and forced her eyes open, trying to reignite the light in her horn. It took a few tries, with fatigue taking its toll, but finally the light flared to life. She didn’t want to see the first sight that met her eyes.

“Zecora!” Twilight pulled herself over to her friend, who was lying unconscious nearby amid a small pile of rubble that had accompanied them down. Twilight’s heart fluttered in her chest, fearing the worst, but the zebra was still breathing… in fact, aside from some cuts and bruises from the fall, she looked physically fine. But Twilight had seen her engulfed in the dragon’s fire. How was she completely unscathed? It made no sense…

“Princess!” Twilight jumped at the sound of the dragon’s voice echoing through the cave. “Princess, there’s been a misunderstanding! Come out!”

Without hesitation, Twilight carefully nestled herself underneath Zecora to heft her onto her back. Even with her new alicorn strength, she was barely able to carry the zebra, as tired as she was. She picked her way out of the rubble and began to trot as silently as she could away from the larger cave. The dragon was getting so close she could hear claws scraping against the stone just after they left, along with the sound of echoed sniffing.

“Princess! Please! You must trust me! This is a mistake!”

Not a chance, Twilight thought to herself as she turned down another cave, trying to flee, but the voice and scratching claws were closing in behind her. Desperately Twilight turned back, letting the light from her horn fade, instead bringing up another bulb of light down the far side of the opposite stretch of cave.

No sooner did the second light appear than the dragon reached the fork in the caves, turning towards the glowing light on the far side. “Wait! I must speak with you!” The dragon took off down the passage, but Twilight sent the light flying further away from the dragon, making it bob in the darkness as if it was a running unicorn.

Hoping that the dragon’s scrambling claws and yelling would mask her hoofsteps, Twilight broke into as fast a trot as her fatigue would allow. Her horn flared to life again when she could no longer hear the dragon behind them, allowing her to pick her way through the mazelike cavern system. She didn’t bother with the map, there was nothing in here that would allow her to get her bearings now. All she could do was keep walking and hope they came out somewhere they could escape from.

Zecora’s body was starting to feel heavier and heavier the further she walked, but soon enough she was spurred onward by the sight of light at the end of the tunnel. She rushed forward, but her heart sank when she stepped, blinking, out into the light. They were still halfway up the massive mountain, and her balloon was nowhere to be seen. Of course, she had seen wings on the dragon, so the balloon was not an option for escape. If it came out looking for them, they would be sitting ducks.

Carefully Twilight slipped Zecora off of her back and wrapped her forelegs around her, pulling her towards the edge of the mountain face. Unburdened by the weight, Twilight’s wings spread wide open and she lifted up onto her hind legs, taking one last step right up to the edge with Zecora held firmly against her chest.

“If we don’t make it, Zecora… I’m sorry.” Twilight took a deep, steadying breath before leaning forward, and letting them drop from the mountain.

They just barely cleared the first patch of jagged stone in their way, gliding rapidly towards the forest. Her wings were definitely catching the air, but she was afraid to move them. Plummeting from the sky with a zebra dangling from her hooves wasn’t the time she wanted to risk a spinout, but this also meant she couldn’t exactly steer them clear of the trees that were fast coming up beneath them. So she wrapped her forelegs tighter around Zecora to hold her closer, hoping to protect her from the impacts.

Her wing scraped the top of the first branches, which sent them spinning the rest of the way down through the thickening brambles and leaves. They were so thick she felt their descent slowing as they tumbled down, but the last twenty feet were straight through open air, slamming into the ground on her back with Zecora on top of her. The breath burst from her lungs and stars formed in front of her eyes, but she could still feel life flowing through her, and a quick check of Zecora told her Zecora was alive as well, though still unconscious.

Twilight rose to her hooves with a grunt and peered up through the foliage above them. She almost thought she saw a rainbow-colored head poking out from one of the caverns, but she couldn’t be sure. She did see their balloon though, still tethered to the mountain, where it would be completely useless to them. She would have to get Zecora someplace she could be helped on hoof, and the map told her the nearest town was Fillydelphia. There would be doctors there.

“Come on, Zecora…” Twilight was panting, but she leaned down to gently nuzzle Zecora onto her back. “We’re going to get you some help… I’m sure somepony knows what happened to you.” She turned to march away from the mountain, stepping carefully but quickly. She had no idea what was going on anymore, or what Celestia was thinking. All she knew was that if Zecora was seriously hurt, and Celestia was responsible…

She couldn’t even bring herself to finish that thought.

To Be Continued

10 - Harsh Truths

Chapter 10: Harsh Truths

Twilight Sparkle’s hooves clopped over the solid ground as she finally approached the town of Fillydelphia. It had taken the better part of a day to get there. Surely by now Spike was in the dragon lands, but she didn’t care. Let him go where he wanted, Twilight wasn’t about to worry about what Princess Celestia wanted anymore. She’d sent them to find a dragon that wanted to destroy them, what else was there to say? How could she believe anything Celestia ever said again?

As she approached the town limits several ponies looked up in surprise, watching her approach with her wings spread open. They dropped to the ground in a deep bow as she approached.

Twilight shook her head, her voice weak and wary as she spoke. “Please don’t bow to me, just help my friend…” She turned to look back, where Zecora lay unconscious across her body.

“Of course, Your Highness! We’ll take her to the doctor at once!” Two stallions rushed forward to take the burden from Twilight’s shoulders, carrying Zecora quickly into town. Twilight followed right on their tails, ignoring the rest of the citizens who bowed respectfully at her passing.

It wasn’t long before they reached the doctor’s clinic, a small building in a big city, but the doctor within had the look of a pony who had seen much, and knew even more. He whirled on the door the moment they entered, his eyes immediately finding Zecora’s unconscious form.

Twilight spoke quickly. “Please help her, doctor, she won’t wake up…”

“Did you just come from the northern mountain?” The doctor asked as he approached to look over the unconscious zebra.

“What? Well… yes, actually.” Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is this common?”

“Lay her down on the bed so I can have a look at her.” The doctor nodded to the two helpful stallions. They quickly laid the zebra down on the small hospital bed and stepped away so the doctor could approach; running his hooves over her head and pulling her eyes open to have a look at them.

He nodded every once in a while, but he kept his thoughts to himself until turning back to Twilight. “I’m afraid it’s as I feared. In this town we have a condition we call Exposure Syndrome. Nopony knows what causes it, but every once in a while a pony will be found on the mountain, or stumble down from the mountain with it.”

Twilight hesitated to even ask, but she had to. “What happens to those ponies? Are they okay?”

“They’re fine. They always make a full recovery.” The doctor cleared his throat. “But there is one lingering effect…”

Before he could finish Twilight’s attention was drawn away from a twitching on the hospital bed. After several long hours, Zecora was finally beginning to stir.

“Zecora!” Twilight rushed to her beside and reared up to place her hooves against her shoulder. “Oh, thank goodness you’re okay… you are okay, aren’t you?”

Zecora groaned as her eyes fluttered open. They were glassy and unfocused at first, but after a few moments they looked up at Twilight. “Oh… uhn…”

“Zecora.” Twilight smiled broadly. “I was so worried about you.”

“Zecora?” The zebra grunted in surprise. “Is that my name?”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she whirled on the doctor, who was watching with a sad smile. “The final symptom of Exposure Syndrome. Complete amnesia… I’m sorry.”

“What? But… no.” Twilight turned back to Zecora, looking into her soft, but confused eyes. “Zecora, you… you don’t remember me? It’s me, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’m sorry… I don’t.” Zecora shook her head. “Are you my friend?”

Twilight blinked slowly, trying to force a smile through the tears that threatened to fall, but she couldn’t even fake a smile. “Y-yes… I am your friend.” She threw her hooves around Zecora in a tight hug. “And I always will be, I promise…”

“Oh…” Zecora hugged her back more softly, patting her back. “That is good to hear… I’ll try to be as good a friend.”

Twilight choked up a bit. “Y-you already are…” She turned away from Zecora quickly to march back to the doctor. “Does it ever come back? Will her memory return?”

The doctor shook his head sadly. “Nopony with this affliction has ever regained their memory. Some have had family show up and find them… but some simply settle here to start life all over again. Where did you find her? Did you actually see her when it happened? That would be a great help in identifying the cause.”

Twilight stared at him for a moment, then glanced back at Zecora, who was now resting in her bed with a wary look in her eye. “I think I have an idea what causes it… but I need to confirm it first.” She turned back to the doctor. “Please take care of her for me. I’ll come back for her soon.”

“You have my word; I’ll do my best to care for her.” The doctor nodded solemnly.

“Thank you.” Twilight turned to march back outside. “I’ll make sure this Exposure Syndrome never happens to anypony again…”

She left the hospital and turned back toward the mountain. She was still tired, but she forced herself into the fastest trot she could manage. That dragon hadn’t been trying to kill them; it had been trying to erase their minds, just like all the other ponies with this Exposure Syndrome. But why? Why would it do this? Why was its presence here such a big secret? Why was Celestia allowing this to happen? There was no way she didn’t know, considering she’d sent Twilight here to see this dragon. She needed answers, and there was only one place to get them. Perhaps the dragon hadn’t just been trying to coax her out into the open when it had started speaking…

It took her less time to reach the mountain than it had to reach Fillydelphia, but the sun was just beginning to set by the time she got there. Thankfully, after resting her horn somewhat during her trot, she was feeling much stronger, so she kept a sharp eye out for flat ledges she could teleport onto that would be within easy range. Teleporting was somewhat tiring at the best of times, especially with company, but going short distances was simple enough.

She flashed from corner to corner, leaping her way magically up the mountain until she reached the bottommost cave entrance that opened into the mountain, and was met with a stunning sight, and a startled squawk.

“Philomena!?” Twilight jerked back in surprise. The majestic phoenix had taken flight the instant she appeared, but the fiery girl soon settled back down on the rock again with a soft, relieved cooing noise. “What the hay are you doing here?”

“She is here for my letter to Celestia.” Twilight whirled at a much softer voice from inside the cave. The dragon from before was approaching, but at a slow, methodical pace. The creature stopped before moving into the light, staying hidden in the shadows. “I’m glad you returned, princess. I’m sorry for what happened earlier.”

“If you’re sorry, then undo what you did to my friend.” Twilight whirled on the shadows angrily. “She’s a good friend, she doesn’t deserve that! And neither do any of the other ponies I presume you did the same thing to.”

“A necessary evil, normally.” The dragon nodded. “Though I did not realize who you were, or I would not have acted as I did.”

“I don’t believe in ‘necessary evil’. Why would you do that to innocent ponies?”

“Because I must remain hidden. Any pony adventurers who wander into my caves and discover me must not be able to tell where I am… so I erase their minds. It allows me to remain hidden, and allows them to continue living. It’s the most positive solution to the problem.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Still, you can undo it, can’t you?”

“I’m afraid I cannot. The mind is like a painting on a wall. Once it is erased, it cannot be restored. Only redrawn.”

Twilight was practically shaking in rage, her horn flaring to life, even though she knew it was useless. The last assault had just bounced right off. “How dare you… you have thirty seconds to explain what this is all about! Tell me now!”

The dragon nodded slowly. “Celestia sent you to me to discover why Spike going to the dragon lands is a bad thing… it is because, as far as the denizens of the dragon lands are concerned, he does not exist. None of the dragons in Equestria exist.”

“What?” Twilight’s wings flared. “Explain!”

“It would take far too long to start from the beginning. Time is of the essence. The short story is that the Patriarch of the dragon lands believes dragon kind to be superior to ponies. To be their rightful rulers, and through the fear they create, to be entitled to the servitude and… respect… of the lesser beings. It is an ancient truce that keeps them out of Equestria.”

“What does this have to do with Spike? If the dragons don’t like ponies and are supposed to stay out, then where are all of the dragon eggs coming from in the first place?”

“The dragon eggs came from me.” The dragon nodded. “They are my eggs, and I gave them to Celestia.”

“You?” Twilight’s eyes flew open in shock. “You’re the mother of all the dragons in Equestria? You’re Spike’s mother? B-but… I don’t understand, if you willingly gave the eggs to Celestia, then why would this Patriarch mind if they’re here? They weren’t stolen, so why all this secrecy?”

There was a bitter tone in the dragon’s voice as she spoke. “You are thinking like a kind-hearted soul, princess. The Patriarch does no such thing. Can you imagine what a being who believes his kind superior would think if he discovered that members of his kind were being taught by his lesser? Being raised to think, to feel, to act like ponies? An entire race of dragons who have been raised from birth to be inferior to him? A race that’s been… corrupted? If he learns of Spike’s origin, he will suspect, and he will eventually piece it all together.”

The dragon’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I know the Patriarch well. He would take it as an insult to his kind, and his rage would engulf this land and every living thing in it. The wrath of all the dragons in the dragon lands would come down on Equestria at his command, and you would all burn.”

Twilight couldn’t suppress a shudder at the very thought of it. It was so terrifying she couldn’t even speak, so the dragon continued. “I remain a secret here, hidden away so that word can not reach the Patriarch that I still live. That there is a dragon here actively helping to create this ‘corrupted race’. Celestia would not… could not… tell you the truth because I made her vow not to ever reveal my existence. To the sun princess, a vow is as unbreakable as a mountain, and I believed that her truth and honesty would someday lead her to mistakenly speaking of my presence. It seems I made a mistake, forcing that vow on her. If she could have told you the truth from the beginning, all of this could have been avoided. I am sorry again...”

“B-but there’s still so many questions.” Twilight finally managed to speak in a quivering voice. “What is the goal of all of this? Why would Celestia put all the ponies at risk to raise the dragons here? Why would you want the dragons raised here in the first place? How do you keep all the dragons here and keep the dragons of the dragon lands from finding out? Why-”

The dragon raised a foreclaw to silence her. “You have many more questions, but they are best left for another time. For now you must retrieve Spike and bring him back. I would hunt for him myself if I could leave this cave, but I cannot risk being seen.”

Twilight gulped. “I… I’ll find him.”

“Thank you, princess. I deeply regret what I did to your friend. Celestia sent word that a princess would be coming to speak to me about this, but she said nothing about a companion, nor did I expect you to arrive so quickly.”

Twilight took a shuddering breath. “It’s not okay… but we’ll deal with that once Spike is safely back home.”

“Fair enough.” The dragon nodded. “Good luck, dear princess.”

Twilight turned away from the dragon, trying to be strong, but she couldn’t stop herself from shaking. Celestia hadn’t been lying… she had to find Spike, and soon. She just hoped she found him before he reached the dragon lands…

___

The wind was blowing strong into the mainsail, carrying Captain Hoofbeard, his crew, and his passengers along at a rapid clip over the ocean waves. He had said at such a pace they would be at the dragon lands by nightfall, and Spike couldn’t wait to see land come into view over the horizon. It couldn’t be too much longer now.

Then how were they still sailing at full speed over a day and a half later?

“I know we be goin’ the right direction.” Captain Hoofbeard pounded a hoof on the map in front of him. “We should have arrived hours ago.”

Jewel sighed from the bottom of her water tank, a small stream of bubbles wafting towards the surface. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I am beyond bored…”

“Maybe whatever stopped us before is holding us back,” Pyralsprite suggested helpfully.

“But how would they do that without any of us noticing that we’ve stopped? We’re obviously still moving.” Spike leaned against the side of the ship. His enthusiasm was quickly beginning to dry up from this unexpectedly long voyage with no end in sight. “Maybe I’m simply not meant to go to the dragon lands…”

“Oh shut up.” Pyralsprite slapped him in the side with her tail. “You are not a quitter.”

Spike took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not quitting, we’re going to get there eventually.”

“Uuugh.” Jewel broke the surface of the water and swished some of the liquid from her hair. “I think I’m going to see how far we have left to go. I’m faster than the boat, and I’d at least like to know how long it’ll be.”

“A fine idea, Jewel,” the captain replied with a bright smile. “Just don’t go messin’ with any big beasties on yer way.”

“As if they could catch me.” Jewel threw herself out of the water tank and flew into the ocean, shooting like a bullet straight ahead of the ship.

Spike smiled. “At least we’ll find out how much longer we have to wa-“ He was cut off when they heard a sharp thump from the back of the boat, followed by a voice cursing and mumbling.

“Ow, sonuva…”

“Jewel?” Captain Hoofbeard and the dragons approached the back of the ship to see Jewel floating in the water behind them, rubbing her head gingerly. “Jewel, didn’t ye head off in the other direction?”

“Of-of course I did!” Jewel flushed in embarrassment. “I must have gotten turned around!” Jewel darted away from the back of the boat, heading around it and shooting off into the sunrise again.

And again. And again.

Spike could only gawk in shock as the mermare kept passing them by, shooting through the water as straight as an arrow only to come right back from behind them thirty seconds later. It was like she was swimming clear around the world over and over again. She was certainly fast, but not nearly that fast.

“Is it me…” Pyralsprite mused with pursed lips. “Or is this the weirdest thing ever?”

“This be some wicked magic.” Hoofbeard nodded his agreement. “We be goin’ ‘round in circles here. Jewel! Just-just stop!”

Jewel finally came to a stop beside the boat, panting softly after her quick swim. “I don’t understand it… it makes no sense…”

“You’ve got that right.” Spike marched to the front of the boat with a claw on his chin. “It’s as if going past a certain point, you somehow end up further back automatically. Twilight’s talked about spells that can open doors between two places in space, but one big and invisible enough for an entire boat to go through without knowing? That’s just insane…”

Pyralsprite walked up behind him. “If this is that kind of door spell, then you know how it works. Do you think you can counter it with your magic?”

“I’ve never tried before, but I guess I’ll have to try now. Of course we have to find it first…” Spike jogged back to the side of the boat. “Hey Jewel! Do you think you could go just ahead of us a ways? When you disappear we’ll know exactly where the door is, then you can catch up to us.”

“I’m on it!” Jewel pushed herself ahead of the boat, keeping pace with it this time instead of charging ahead.

Captain Hoofbeard turned toward his crew. “Ready the anchor! We’ll be needin’ ta drop it at a moment’s notice!”

Spike stood at the front of the ship, keeping a sharp eye on the mermare cutting easily through the water ahead of them. Everything looked normal for quite a while. He was starting to think maybe he was mistaken when suddenly Jewel’s water wake faded into nothingness.

Spike whirled to shout, “drop the anchor!” The anchor slammed into the ocean’ surface with a strong wave, bringing them to a halt. They didn’t see Jewel ahead of them, which Spike hoped meant they’d stopped fast enough to keep from going into the barrier. Now he just had to figure out how to counter an incredibly powerful magic spell for the first time in his life.

Spike climbed up onto the railing of the ship as close to the front as he could get. Now that he was really focusing and looking, he could see the faint sparkle of magic in the air in front of him, so subtle they must have missed it at least a dozen times. It would take magic beyond even Twilight to make this happen, what chance did he really have of dispelling a force like this?

He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Pyralsprite standing on the deck of the ship right behind him with an expectant look on her face. She didn’t seem to have any doubt he would succeed… and he wouldn’t let her be wrong.

He faced forward again. He tried to focus on the fire boiling inside of him, rolling back and forth through him with every deep breath. Shaping the flames, trying to turn them into the magic that he wanted. It was easy to shape it, but he really had no idea what to shape it into to make it do what he wanted. He was mostly going on things Twilight had told him, but seeing as she was the most magically gifted unicorn, and possibly alicorn, in Equestria, he couldn’t have asked for a better teacher.

He took one last breath, then began to let it out in a stream of emerald fire that ended suddenly when a goat head with mismatched antlers popped out of thin air in front of him. “Boo!”

Spike’s gasp pulled the fire right back into his chest, and he rolled off of the boat’s railing with a heavy plop, coughing and gagging up smoke on his way. “Aaaagh! Hack! Gaaahhh!”

“Well, that was more fun than I thought it would be.” The head’s body materialized more slowly, lounging in thin air in front of the ship with a bemused smile on its face.

“Spike!” Pyralsprite leapt to his side to pat his chest worriedly, then growled up at the intruder. “You stay away from him you… you… thing!”

A metal slashing sound echoed through the air before Hoofbeard approached with his blade at the ready in one hoof. “Are ye responsible for this sorcery?”

“Arrrr! Me be responsibly fee thee sorcery matey!” The creature bust out laughing suddenly as the blade of Hoofbeard’s sword simply melted from his hoof, dripping to the wooden deck like a pile of melting ice-cream. “Don’t wave that thing around at me. You may put somepony’s eye out.” He plucked his eye from its socket and flung it at the captain, where it bounced off of his head and plopped to the floor at his hooves.

“Ewe, what kind of monster are you?” Pyralsprite demanded.

“He’s… Discord.” Spike finally managed to clear the fire and smoke out of his lungs enough to speak and sit up. “Master of chaos…” He pounded on his chest to send the last plume of smoke spiraling into the air around him. “Question is… what is he doing here?”

“I’m doing my civic duty to the crown! Because I’m reformed!” Discord batted his eyelashes for a moment before abruptly vanishing, reappearing beside the two dragons in a body the same size as theirs. He leaned his shoulder against Pyralsprite’s and wiggled his eyebrows. Pyralsprite took a step back, but he floated easily along with her.

“Are you telling me Princess Celestia ordered you to stop me?” Spike rose to his feet. “Why would she do a thing like that?”

“I assure you I have no idea, but it is rather difficult finding ways to stop you without directly moving you… or getting you eaten.” Discord ran one finger under Pyralsprite’s chin. “So I thought I would try… eugh… reason, instead. You have quite the girl here, couldn’t you just go back to Fillydelphia and spend some quality time with her?”

“No, and stop touching her like that, she obviously doesn’t like it.” Spike glowered.

Discord clicked his tongue. “Oh come now, are you telling me you’re not enticed by these rock hard scales and creepy, sightless eyes? Oh yes I see what you mean…”

Pyralsprite snapped at his hand, crunching it right off of his wrist before spitting it back in his face, where it connected with his cheek with a wet slapping sound. “Don’t touch me.”

Spike chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. “You asked for that one.”

Discord huffed as his palm slid down his cheek and back into place on his wrist, where it sprang back to life. “Someone is overly sensitive.” He stuck his tongue out at Pyralsprite before vanishing and reappearing lying on the air beside Spike again. “Listen, the truth is Princess Celestia doesn’t want you to go. Even if you can use your magic to bust down my magic, you’ll be going directly against her wishes. I daresay she won’t be very happy about that.”

“O-oh…” Spike hesitated for a moment. Simply leaving Equestria was one thing, but he’d never actually defied the princess before. Maybe he was upset or disappointed with her, but to openly defy her wishes…

“Spike, you want to go to the dragon lands.” Pyralsprite moved up beside him. “Don’t let her stop you, and don’t let this jerk stop you either. You’re a free dragon, you go where you want, and you call the shots.”

Discord smirked with his hands on his hips. “Save your breath, eyeballs. He may be a free dragon but he was raised by ponies with pony values. He’s not going to go running off somewhere the princess doesn’t want him to. It’s just not in his nature.”

Spike cast a glance at Pyralsprite, whose face was set in a determined, expectant expression. Then over at Discord, who looked self-assured, confident in what his final decision would be. Spike had walked away from Twilight Sparkle… but to walk away from Princess Celestia too, despite her explicitly ordering him to stay, and even going so far as to send Discord to stop him. It felt like a betrayal of everything he’d ever believed. Like abandoning the core of who he was…

He looked back at Pyralsprite again, who looked just as confident as Discord, confident and almost adoring. She was teaching him so much, and giving him so much… how could he let her down? How could he let himself down? After all, she was right, he really did want to go. Staying just because Princess Celestia wanted him to wouldn’t be true to himself…

His mind made up, he marched up to the front of the ship and took a deep breath, letting his emerald green flame flow out into the air in front of him. The sparkling strands of magic went up like a spider-web, the emerald flames spreading through the air in long tendrils that stretched as high into the sky and as wide into the distance as he could see. Slowly but surely the flames began to die away as the tendrils of magic gave out. In fact there, up ahead…

“Land ho!” A crew stallion cried from the bird’s next on top of the mainsail.

“Geeze, we’ve been this close the whole time!?” Pyralsprite whirled on Discord. “That’s just cruel!”

“What? I thought it was funny.” Discord walked up to Spike as he dropped down from the railing. “You do realize this may mean there’s no going back. The princess will be quite unhappy.”

“If she never wants to see me again just because I made my own decision… then that’s her decision.” Spike was shaking, but he stood firm. “You can go tell her that.”

Hoofbeard grunted with a bright smile as he caught Jewel, who had just leapt out of the water into his hooves. He laid her across his back sitting sideways so he could approach the two dragons and draconequus. “Hoist the anchor and bring us in, we be docking to let our passengers off!”

“Aye-aye, captain!” The crew went to work moving the ship towards land.

Pyralsprite slinked up close to Spike with a grin. “Geeze, you just dispelled a spell like that… I was totally right about you.”

“Hehe, thanks… I was just hoping it might work.” Spike slipped an arm around her, letting her lean up close against his side, but he suddenly noticed Discord hadn’t left. “Um, aren’t you leaving? You failed.”

“No, I’m not leaving. I’m still on a mission after all, and besides, this is the most interesting thing I’ve done since being reformed. I kind of want to see where this is going.”

Spike groaned. “Fine, whatever… just try to behave yourself, got it?”

Discord gasped in horror. “As if you need to ask me to behave. I am a gentleman among gentlemen.” He pulled a suddenly-appearing monocle off of his eye to rub it against the fur on his chest. “My behavior will be a model for generations to come.”

“Yeah, sure…” Spike grunted.

“Oohhh, I can smell it!” Pyralsprite suddenly darted out from under his arm up to the front of the ship, leaning up against the rail and sniffing deeply. “Aaahhhhh… home again… just like I remember it…”

“Oh yeah?” Spike walked up beside her, slipping his arm around her middle again as he looked across the little ocean that remained between them and the dragon lands. “Yeah, it does look beautiful too. It’s a lot greener than I expected.”

“It’s a nice place…” Pyralsprite leaned against him with a wide smile as they both fell silent, watching the land draw ever closer. They had finally arrived at the dragon lands…

To Be Continued

11 - Organizing Chaos

Chapter 11: Organizing Chaos

“Goodbye, Hoofbeard! Thank you so much for the lift!” Spike jumped into the air off the sandy beach as the massive wooden boat drifted away from shore.

“Aye! Fare ye well, Spike! I hope ye find what ye be looking for!” Hoofbeard and Jewel waved back from the front of the ship as it turned away from them, eventually pointing towards the distant horizon and releasing its mainsail to take off across the ocean back towards Equestria.

Spike took a deep breath and slowly turned around. “This is it… no going back now. The dragon lands.” Spike spent a moment taking it in. The lands smelled of wild flowers and wet dew, and the lands before him were covered in thick, green jungle. He could hear all sorts of animals chattering from the shadows within, and the rustling of creatures darting from bush to bush. Even the buzz of insects sounded very loud…

“Huhn… it really is very… green.” Spike mused curiously.

Pyralsprite moved up beside him, her snow-white scales glistening in the deep orange light of dusk. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a jungle, after all.”

Spiked rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know, I just thought with all the dragons here it would be more… fiery.”

Pyralsprite huffed. “Oh yes, because that’s what we do all day here.” She raised her voice into a furious roar. “Raaawr! I am a dragon! And these living plants enrage me! They shall buuurrrrrnnnn!”

“Hehe, I see your point…” Spike chuckled. “Sorry if I offended you, I guess I just have a lot to learn.”

“Of course you do. That’s why we’re here.” Pyralsprite smiled and took one of his claws in her own.

Her claw jerked out of his in surprise when Discord suddenly popped into existence, maintaining a size close to the small dragons’ as he straddled Pyralsprite’s back like a rider on a pony. “Well this is quite touching, but aren’t we supposed to be moving? Giddyup!” His heels jerked into Pyralsprite’s sides, but she didn’t seem to notice as they rebounded off of her tough scales.

“I thought you wanted me to go home. Why are you urging us forward?” Spike demanded suspiciously.

Discord rolled his eyes. “You accuse me of being a pain when I try to stop you, and you accuse me of shenanigans when I don’t. Is it so impossible that I just genuinely would like to see the little, poor, orphan dragon shown a home he can call his own? That I’ve had a change of heart and want nothing more than for dear, sweet Spike to-“

Spike cut him off. “Not literally impossible, just statistically impossible… or super improbable.”

Pyralsprite growled. “Are we really going to let this creep travel with us?”

Spike waved his hand resignedly. “If you think you can stop him, be my guest.”

Pyralsprite turned her head upward as Discord stuck his tongue out at her from behind her head. A burst of bright orange fire hid him from sight for a moment before he suddenly appeared beside Spike, leaning companionably against his shoulder.

“In any event, I suppose you’re right, Spike. As the sun descends on the land and time runs out on the day, perhaps trekking through the jungle isn’t the smartest move.” Discord grinned a cheeky grin.

Spike glanced up at the darkening sky. “Yeah, it is getting kind of late. The sun is going down, and it’s gonna get really dark and cold in that jungle, so it would be best if we make camp here for tonight.”

Pyralsprite nodded. “Sounds good to me, we can make a fire out here without risking burning the whole forest down. I’ll go in and get some firewood.”

Discord perked up. “And I’ll go find something to start a fire with! Ladedadaaa…” Discord whirled on one foot to jog eagerly into the forest.

Pyralsprite just stood dumbfounded on the spot, then turned her bright, glowing red eyes toward Spike. “Is he stupid, joking, or mocking us?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “I’m trying not to think about it. Come on, I’ll help you find the firewood…”

___

Discord slipped inside the royal palace in Canterlot with ease, his form shifting and swaying as he floated invisibly through the hallways, past oblivious guards and maids alike. He allowed himself a soft snicker at the ponies going about their daily lives. In one hallway a guard was desperately trying to sweet-talk a disinterested maid who somehow heard from a mysterious stranger that he was a selfish lover, while in another, a maid was being scolded for leaving a stain on a rug that a mysterious being may or may not have made the moment she left the room.

This palace was a delight to live in, so many unsuspecting ponies going innocently about their daily lives, but he didn’t have time to dwell on his playthings today. He zipped the rest of the way down the hallway, gliding between the guards just outside the throne room and phasing straight through the door, leaving it closed and untouched. Evening was just beginning here, and Princess Celestia remained on her throne, looking over a letter hovering in front of her while her pet phoenix, Philomena, perched obediently on the arm beside her.

The phoenix turned its gaze to watch him despite his invisibility, letting out a soft chirping noise that brought Celestia’s attention up from her letter.

Celestia smiled tensely. “I hope you’ve found Spike, Discord.”

“I have indeed, Your Highness.” Discord bowed deeply as he reappeared in front of the alicorn, fading into her sight. “He and his little friend are resting on the shores of the dragon lands as we speak.”

Celestia gritted her teeth. “Then there isn’t much time to waste… Twilight Sparkle is currently in Fillydelphia. If you can go to her and take her to find Spike, she can convince him to return home.”

“Perhaps I could…” Discord stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But then you know how I feel about solving problems for people. Simply taking Twilight Sparkle to her target feels like cheating.”

“Discord, please, this isn’t a game!” Celestia’s voice began to rise, but she quickly caught herself and took a deep breath, speaking in a softer tone. “I know you have your ways, Discord… and you know I wouldn’t ask you to violate them. Just please consider the options… and at least speak with Twilight. She can tell you what’s at stake in this…” Celestia’s horn glowed, floating the letter from her throne up into his waiting paw. “Her exact location is in this letter she had Philomena bring back to me.”

Discord adjusted a pair of suddenly-appearing reading glasses on his nose as he scanned the letter. “Very well, Celestia. In light of our friendship, I will speak with Twilight.”

“Thank you, Discord. I’m certain after you speak to her, you’ll agree this is extremely important.”

“Rest easy, Celestia. It all rests now in your no-doubt-capable pupil’s princessly hooves.” Discord bowed once more with a wink, and was off, leaving the note fluttering through the empty air behind him.

He reappeared just outside of a small clinic in the city of Fillydelphia, less than the blink of an eye later. Distance was no obstacle to a creature like Discord. Still, it was rude to simply pop into rooms with ponies without warning. Sometimes he simply didn’t care, but given the situation, scaring the living daylights out of Twilight Sparkle, while not without its appeal, wouldn’t be very practical.

Through the window he could see the new alicorn princess sitting beside one of the stiff hospital beds, on which a zebra mare was lying asleep on the bed before her. Discord had never met the zebra, Zecora, but he made it his business to know as much as possible about his new friends.

Discord slipped gingerly through the closed window, leaving the glass untouched behind him. “You know, Princess, hanging around in hospitals is a rather creepy hobby. I approve.”

“Discord!” Twilight whirled and jumped to her hooves in surprise. “What in Equestria are you doing here?”

“Princess Celestia said you had some things to tell me in the hopes that I may assist you in reaching your missing dragon.”

“Spike?” Twiight’s eyes widened. “You know where he is? You can take me to him!”

“I can, if you convince me to.”

“Oh, I have no doubt once you hear this you’ll understand why this is so important…”

Twilight told him everything about the dragon Patriarch and what might happen if they figured out where Spike came from. She neglected to mention how she came by this information, but Discord knew better than to accuse Twilight Sparkle of lying. Twilight Sparkle was many things, and she most certainly didn’t trust him, but she didn’t outright lie, especially not in a situation such as this.

He listened to her warnings silently, his lips curled into a contemplative pout until she finished. “So you see, it makes sense for you to help us.” Twilight nodded firmly. “Maybe you’re immortal, but all of your Ponyville friends will be in grave danger.”

Discord mused, “that is one argument I suppose…”

Twilight looked up at him with a hopeful smile. “So will you help me? You can take me straight to Spike and we can put an end to all of this immediately.”

“I don’t believe in simply helping ponies with everything they have a problem with.” Discord took a step towards the alicorn. “If I did that what purpose would there even be to your life? You would all become fat and lazy.”

“Discord, I’m not asking you to stuff my face, I’m asking you to save Equestria! That’s completely different!”

“Details, details.” Discord waved her off with his eagle’s claw. “Here’s how I see it, Twilight Sparkle…” Discord suddenly appeared on the other side of the hospital bed, resting a claw on Zecora’s forehead. “Everything comes and everything goes. Before the pony queendom there was the buffalo tribunal, before the buffalo tribunal the dragon hordes, and before the dragon hordes the draconequus empire… even I don’t know what, if anything, came before that.” His claw slid down Zecora’s face, turning her head toward him. “Civilizations come, go, expand, and shrink, endlessly through time. Time would not end if Equestria did.”

“The draconequus once ruled the land?” Twilight stepped forward in shock. “You mean there’s more of you!?”

“There was… before the dragons got finished with us.” Discord shrugged and released the zebra’s chin. “Water under the bridge now, of course. One of me is all I need, but that doesn’t change what’s happening now.” Discord turned to face Twilight now. “As I said, the pony queendom’s fall won’t mean the end of time; it wouldn’t even mean the end of ponykind. Ponies would escape, establish elsewhere, and everypony would start all over again in the ashes of what once was. It’s how these things happen.”

“But it doesn’t need to happen.” Twilight marched around the bed with a dark glare. “You can stop it. You can prevent that from even being a risk, right now, with a flick of your wrist. What possible reason could you have for sitting back and letting this happen?”

“Because existence is not a right, Twilight Sparkle.” Discord smiled mischievously. “If you want to continue to exist, if you want to keep what you have, you must earn it. Such is the way of the world. It’s why I was never upset with Celestia and Luna for imprisoning me so long ago. It was annoying and uncomfortable, but they earned their victory, fair and square. They bested me and I lost the right to the throne, then you bested me again and I lost the right to the throne again. Why, taking revenge on them immediately after breaking free didn’t even cross my mind, however simple it would have been. How did you put it? A flick of the wrist?” He flicked his wrist out to the side.

“Discord…” Twilight gritted her teeth, visibly holding herself back. “Don’t you care about anything? Don’t you care about your friends? Don’t you care about Fluttershy?”

“If the time comes, I’ll worry about Fluttershy’s safety, as a friend…” Discord scratched his chin. “But frankly, princess, you and I have never been and will never be friends, and I think you will agree with me on that little point.” He took Twilight’s silence as a sign to continue. “But I am not without some regret in this, Twilight. I will tell you where Spike is, but I will not lift a single claw to help you reach him. He’s currently on the Western beach in the dragon lands, fixing to move inland come morning.”

Twilight was all business now. “Do you know how long it will take them to reach the other dragons?”

“I don’t, but I will let you know when they do.”

Twilight was silent for several long moments before speaking again. “Thank you…”

“Ah, there’s that courtesy you keep trying to teach me.” Discord turned back to Zecora’s sleeping form. “By the way, you may wish to leave the zebra here when you go to the dragon lands. Dragons can sense each other’s fire on their victims.”

Twilight looked up in surprise. “You… you know?”

“A memory spell, if I remember my dragon fire.” Discord clicked his tongue. “A strong one too, bet she doesn’t remember a thing about herself.”

“No… no she doesn’t.” Twilight looked down at the floor. “A mind is like a painting… once erased, it can’t be restored, only redrawn…”

“For a creature of order, perhaps… dragons are powerful, but the nature of their harmonious magic is a natural inhibitor.” Discord heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Of course it’s also what made us powerless against them… yin and yang and all that, I suppose.”

Twilight looked up from the floor slowly. “Are you… are you saying you can heal her?”

“Tell me something chaos cannot do, and I will prove you wrong. The only thing chaos cannot do is resist order… but creating something from nothing? Such as a memory? Child’s play. Literally, I used to give my toys memories all the time as a tot. They were horrified because they couldn’t move or speak, but them’s the breaks when you’re inanimate.”

“You… you did take away those memories when you were done, right?”

“Huhn… you know that didn’t occur to me.” Discord scratched his head. “Oh well, I’m sure they’re still fine.”

Twilight shook her head quickly. “Discord, I… I suppose I shouldn’t ask, but…”

“Is that really the most important thing you have to worry about at this moment?” Discord asked curiously.

Twilight stared up at him, then rested one of her hooves on Zecora’s thigh, staring into her sleeping face. “Discord… I know it wouldn’t take more than two seconds for you to heal her. The only question is… what must I do to earn it?”

Discord smiled.

___

It wasn’t long before Spike and Pyralsprite had several good sized logs set up on the sand, and not a moment too soon either. The orange flash of Pyralsprite fire lit the wood seemingly moments before the last of the sun’s rays disappeared behind the horizon, bringing with it a bitter, chill wind. It wasn’t enough to hurt the cold-blooded dragons, their inner fires would keep them more than safe and warm enough, but attempting to leave the fire would be a discomfort they didn’t need.

Pyralsprite mused as she settled down beside the flame. “Creepy has been gone a long time. Do you think he ditched us? Please tell me he ditched us.”

“I wish Discord was that simple.” Spike settled himself down on the sand beside her with a sigh.

Pyralsprite smacked her lips. “Mmh, I sure could go for something to eat right now. If only someone hadn’t insisted we leave all our gemstones with Captain Hoofbeard.”

“A deal is a deal, Pyralsprite. He risked a lot to bring us here, it was the least we could do. Besides, you said you had a hoard at your place. Just one more night and we can fill up there.”

“That doesn’t make me any less hungry now,” Pyralsprite grumped.

Spike chuckled lightly and scooted closer to her. “Awww, you’re not hungry, I bet you’re just cold.” He slipped his arms around her middle, pulling her toward him and draping her serpentine body across his lap. “There, you’ll be warmer.”

Pyralsprite blushed in surprise. “Y-yeah… that is a lot warmer…”

Spike smiled. “I did say we’d talk about this once we got across the ocean… well, here we are…”

“Yeah… here we are.” Pyralsprite’s tail slowly circled his waist as she squirmed in his arms to face him, her claws resting on his shoulders and hips. “You thought a lot about it?”

“Not sure how I couldn’t…” Spike stared into her eyes, though he knew she couldn’t see him back. “Pyralsprite, you’re the first creature ever who hasn’t just seen me as a child… and you’ve shown me that I can be more than that…”

“Yeah…?”

“You make me feel like a grown-up…” Spike’s arms tightened around her, pulling her body gently up against his own, his face nearing hers. “You make me feel like a man…”

Pyralsprite’s lips curled into a smile, opening to speak just as their lips lightly touched for the first time. “You are a man, Spike… you even saved the girl and outsmarted the monster… I guess that makes you a hero too…”

Spike couldn’t help a boyish giggle. “Hehe, yeah…”

“Now just…” Pyralsprite’s body coiled more tightly around his, her claws gripping his shoulders. “Keep doing what a man does…”

Even just a few days ago Spike would have freaked out at such a forward suggestion… but now his arms tightened around her and he leaned forward, pressing his lips hungrily against hers.

“Hey!” A voice echoed like a thunderclap, scaring him beyond words. His arms tensed and shot forward, shoving his female companion right into the fire that kept them warm.

“Gah!” Pyralsprite squirmed to get off of her back and stand upright, walking out of the fire. “You… you!” Pyralsprite jerked her claw at Discord, who was now hovering right over spike’s head. “You’re lucky my scales are fireproof! You fucking piece of… of…!” Pyralsprite’s cursing continued, getting stronger with each word as she whirled to march away from the boys, a short distance away from the crackling fire.

Spike’s claws and eyes twitched, his arms still stretched out in front of him toward Pyralsprite, as if he could magically draw her back to him and pick up where they left off. Alas it wasn’t to be, the girl instead made herself a small hole in the sand and curled up, with her wings wrapped around her body and her tail coiled around to touch her mouth.

Discord clicked his tongue and shook his head as he hovered down beside Spike, leaning companionably against his shoulder. “My, she’s a sensitive one, isn’t she?”

“G-gguuuhhhh…” Spike grunted. Eventually his hands plopped into the sand at his sides and he turned his narrow gaze on Discord. “You are a dick.”

The insult rolled right off of Discord with a shrug. “Interesting choice of words.” He plopped down on the sand beside Spike, his body shrinking back down to match the dragon’s as he ran his toes through the sand. “You realize there’s going to be nothing pleasant about reaching her homeland.”

Spike sighed softly. “Yes there will… I’ll get to keep being with her. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I came because I wanted to. I want to see what it’s like being a dragon. What it’s really like, not just what those jerks I met before were like. But still… I think there’s something about her that just… it’s amazing…”

Discord chuckled. “You haven’t really been around your own kind before, let alone a female. Of course there’s something enticing about her.”

Spike frowned. “Come on, it’s not just physical, there’s like… a connection between us. She gets me. She believes in me.”

“Well far be it from me to stand in the way of love, lust, or other worldly desires.” Discord shrugged.

Spike looked over at his companion for a short time. “Are you really coming all the way with us? Are you really here to help us?”

“I would like to see you find a place of your own, Spike. Though as I told you, I’m here on a mission. In fact I’m reporting your movements to Twilight Sparkle from now on.”

“Really? Wow, that…” Spike blinked. “That’s very… honest?”

“She didn’t ask me to keep it a secret.”

“Well… uh, thanks for telling me. So you talked to her just now?”

“Mmhmm.”

Spike crossed his arms over his chest, staring for a moment into the fire on the sand before speaking again. “Is she worried about me?”

Discord considered that for a moment. “If by that you’re asking if she’s still Twilight Sparkle, then yes. Very much so.”

Spike couldn’t help it, he let out a loud belly laugh through the claw he put over his mouth so he wouldn’t wake up Pyralsprite, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully on the other side of the fire.

Discord waved his eagle claw in front of him, turning it upward just as a piercing light appeared in his palm, fading into a glittering blue jewel that he held out to Spike. “As a token of my sincerity. I really would like to see you find your place.”

“Wow…” Spike smiled and took the gem from him. “You really mean it, don’t you? I didn’t think it was possible for you to be supportive. I thought all you liked was chaos and messing with ponies.”

“Well you’re not a pony, are you?” Discord smirked. “Besides, I’ve been learning some things, lately.”

“Well, whatever the case… thank you. Really, I mean it.” Spike stood up with the gemstone in one claw.

Discord waved him off with a wry smirk. “Just don’t let it go to your head.”

“Heh, no way.” After one more smile Spike turned to walk around the fire, approaching Pyralsprite’s inert form. He couldn’t tell if she was really asleep or not, but he didn’t want to risk waking her up anyway. So he approached her with a light step, kneeling to dig a small hole in the sand beside her head, and place the gemstone securely in front of her.

With a smile Spike rose to his feet and walked a bit closer to the fire, settling down on the sand between it and Pyralsprite. He lay down on his stomach, curling himself into a comfy ball facing her. It wasn’t long before Pyralsprite’s tongue shot out from her lips, wrapping around the gemstone to drag it back in, followed by soft, delicate crunching noises as she began to chew.

Spike grinned to himself and settled down in the sand to try to get some sleep. Come tomorrow they would reach Pyralsprite’s home, and he would have a whole new way of life to learn. Thinking about it, maybe it was a little frightening, as Discord had implied, but he still wasn’t about to turn around and run back home to Ponyville. He loved Ponyville, and he missed Twilight more than he’d realized… but this was too important to just give up on.

Besides, he didn’t want to leave Pyralsprite. He was pretty sure he was genuinely in love with her. It was nothing like what he’d felt for Rarity either. Rarity was beautiful, but there was so much more to Pyralsprite. She was tough and caring, trusting and intelligent. There was so much more to her than a pretty face, in fact if he was being honest her face wasn’t even very pretty… and yet looking into her creepy red eyes still felt like a treat and made him feel giddy on the inside.

He turned his head slowly to glance toward Discord, but the master of chaos had vanished again. Oh well, that was to be expected. He was sure he would be back by morning before they left the campsite. For now, Spike really did need to sleep and gain his strength for the days to come…

To Be Continued

12 - Welcome Home

Chapter 12: Welcome Home

Scales glittered like jewels in the darkness, standing before her eyes in the depths of the cavernous mountain. Her legs quaked and her breath halted as the beautiful, but terrifying creature turned its eyes toward her, its eyes staring right back into hers. She wanted to move, she wanted to scream, but she was petrified, even if she wasn’t trapped by the creature’s deadly-looking claws. She saw its jaws open, a lick of bright, emerald green fire building deep inside of its throat…

Zecora shot up on her bed with a cry of alarm, her heart racing in her chest. “The creature’s fire I see! It’s coming for me!”

“Zecora!” She felt a pair of warm, soft hooves wrap around her from the side, holding her gently, but firmly in place as she struggled to get away. “Zecora, it’s okay, the dragon is gone, I promise. You’re in a hospital in Fillydelphia.”

Zecora looked around quickly, seeing that she was, indeed, inside of a normal pony building. The atmosphere was calm and quiet inside of a darkness broken only by a candle flickering on the small wooden table beside her bed, and the pale starlight coming in through the window just over her headboard. The pony with their arms wrapped around her was a familiar filly with a beautiful velvet coat and piercing, intelligent eyes.

“Twilight Sparkle…” Zecora leaned heavily against her friend in relief. “I don’t understand. I thought that was my final moment in this land…”

“Thank goodness no… you’re still alive, you have my word.” Twilight Sparkle pulled back slowly with a smile, leaving her hooves on her shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re back to normal Zecora, I was starting to think we’d lost you forever…”

“Was I truly almost lost? Was my life nearly the cost?”

Twilight sighed. “In some ways, losing your life might have been better than what happened…” She shook her head. “But it doesn’t matter now. You’re better, and I need you with me to go find Spike to bring him home.”

“Oh…?” Zecora gasped and looked into her eyes. “You have come to believe what Princess Celestia told you?”

“I have, and I still need your help too…” Twilight’s hoof wrapped around Zecora’s. “I understand if you’re not feeling up to it, but I don’t know if I could make the journey to the dragon lands alone. It’ll be really dangerous and maybe you could use more rest, but…”

Zecora lifted her hoof to place it gently against her lips. “Do not doubt my commitment to you, Twilight. I will follow you anywhere, in brightest day or blackest night.”

Twilight smiled warmly around her hoof. “Thank you… my balloon is waiting outside. We can take it right to the dragon lands.”

Zecora nodded and rose from the bed with Twilight’s help, making her way out into the night toward the balloon waiting right outside the door. She felt like she was missing something, but as long as Twilight needed her company, it didn’t matter what she was feeling. She would do everything in her power to make sure Twilight Sparkle accomplished her mission. After all, that’s what friends were for.

___

Spike’s tail twitched against the sand as his eyes fluttered slowly open. Their fire had long since died and was now just a pile of black ash on the sand. Not even a trail of smoke existed to mar the sight of the sun’s powerful orange glow shining across the world from the far distant horizon.

Of course, the most beautiful thing the light touched was the dragon girl, still snoozing on the sand nearby. She must have been feigning sleep for quite a while, he was sure she’d passed out first. He had to wonder, what could she have been thinking about? He couldn’t keep the naughty ideas from creeping into his mind, drawing a probably perverted smile to his lips. She certainly had seemed eager to be with him, just as eager as he’d been to be with her. If she’d stayed up half the night just thinking about it, then maybe after he fell asleep she…

A devious cackle escaped his throat at the thought, much louder than he would have hoped.

“Mnguh…? Spike?” Pyralsprite lifted her head just slightly off the sand. Spike froze with one hand over his mouth, crossing his legs on the sand. He was afraid for a moment she would look over and see the proof of what he’d been thinking, but when she opened her eyes he was reminded that she couldn’t actually see anything. “You awake over there?”

“Um… yes, yes I am awake.” Spike sat up quickly.

“Is the creepy dude still around? I can’t even smell the bastard half the time…”

Spike glanced around the beach, seeing it empty except for the two dragons and the pile of ashes. “No, it looks like it’s just us.”

“Mmm, good…” Pyralsprite moves toward him, half walking and half slithering over the sand until she reached his side, her body coiling up against him as her cheek pressed against his chest in a gentle nuzzle. “Thanks for the gemstone last night… I really was hungry…”

“You’re welcome…” Spike blushed softly and slipped his arms around her, holding her body gently against his. “You were awake the whole time…?”

Pyralsprite nodded. “Mmhmm.”

“So you… heard everything I said?”

“Mmhmm.” Pyalsprite smiled with a blush on her cheeks. “Did you mean it?”

Spike replied without hesitation. “Of course I did. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t…”

“Heee…” Pyralsprite grinned an even wider toothy grin. “We should be able to make it back home before nightfall… then we won’t need to worry about anything separating us. You can live in my cave with me.”

“That sounds really… really nice, Pyralsprite.” Spike pulled her up his body slightly to give her a more comfortable peck on the lips. “I can’t wait to see it…”

“Then why should we wait?” Pyralsprite grinned and slid off of him smoothly, dropping into a low stance with her wings spread wide to her sides. “I can carry you the rest of the way, just hop on.”

“Get on you? Heh…” Spike blushed. “That sounds… inviting.”

Pyralsprite stuck out her tongue playfully. “Just make sure whatever position you choose lets you hang on in flight.”

“Hehe, will do!” Spike charged forward and slung his leg over her back, mounting her just in front of her wing joints so he could lean forward across her neck, wrapping his arms around her. “Okay, I’m ready!”

“You better be!” Pyralsprite launched into the air, pumping her wings against the air to send them spiraling straight up into the sky.

Spike gasped and clung on tightly as they spiraled higher and higher. He had ridden Pyralsprite through the air off and on during their trek through Equestria, but she had never gone up this high before. The winds beat fiercely at his body as if trying to tear him free from her while the dragon lands spread out smaller and smaller far below him. Spike knew Pyralsprite was made for flying, she could take it, but he couldn’t help a lump in his throat regardless.

“We’re going r-really high…” Spike gulped. “Are you sure we’re gonna be okay? I mean… isn’t it hard for you to smell anything from here?”

Pyralsprite shouted back over the wind. “Are you kidding? I’ve spent my whole life here! I could find my way around with noseplugs! Hah!” Pyralsprite whirled through the sky and turned inland, suddenly streaking over the forest like a glittering white bullet. Spike could only hold on and admire the speed at which the forest beneath them whizzed past, disappearing into a vague green blur. Pyralsprite seemed much more energetic now than she had been since they left Ponyville, in fact Spike could see her wings pumping super hard to keep them airborne.

Spike reached around her head to cup her chin worriedly. “Hey, if you need to stop and rest soon, we should! I don’t want you to hurt yourself!” He gulped and spoke more softly. “Or me…”

Pyralsprite turned her head slightly. “I have faith in you, Spike… don’t you have faith in me?”

Spike thought about that for a moment, then smiled. “Yeah, of course I do. I’m just worried is all.”

“I know my limits, I’ll let you know if I hit them! But the way I’m feeling right now, it’ll probably be a while! So hang on and enjoy the ride!”

True to her word, the flight lasted a really long time. Whirling and looping energetically through the sky. Spike felt like a backpack dangling from the dragoness, but his grip was tight, and it wasn’t long before he began to relax and enjoy himself. It was like having his own personal roller coaster, and she sure did seem like she knew where she was going. This was so much different from riding in Twilight’s balloon, so much more exhilarating.

Spike jumped and nearly lost his grip when a white burst of light appeared beside him with a pop. “For shame! Riding the girl so blatantly in public. Did Twilight not teach you discretion?” Discord shook his head and clicked his tongue in disapproval, keeping pace with them easily lounging on his back in the open air beside them, as if the rapid pace they kept was nothing at all.

“Gah! Discord!” Spike tightened his grip on the dragoness. “Don’t do that! You almost made me fall!”

Discord put his hands lazily behind his head. “Given that you have two flying creatures right here I daresay that’s not really a big concern of yours.”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Spike growled. “Where the heck did you go last night? I thought you wanted to journey with us?”

“Journeying with you is one thing, but I see no reason to sleep on the sand when I have a perfectly fine bed at home. Besides, I was somehow getting the feeling you two might want to be alone.” Spike narrowed his eyes. “Call it a hunch.”

“Ugh, that’s it, I’m gonna try to lose this jerk!” Pyralsprite exclaimed. “Hold on, Spike!”

“Oh, you are on, girly!” Discord whirled to face forward, his small body flashing brightly until it came back into view in the form of a third little dragon, with deep brown scales, a pair of impossibly tiny wings the size of Spike’s hands and a body that was somewhere between Spike’s bulky one and Pyralsprite’s serpentine coils. His mismatched horns continued to stick out the top of his pointed head, however. “You’ll lose Spike before you lose me!”

“You’re on, jerkwad!”

“Oh… crap…” Spike gritted his teeth and grasped his claws together around Pyralsprite’s neck moments before they suddenly turned into a fast nosedive straight for the trees. “Aaaaaargh!”

They vanished into the tree line, moving at a breakneck pace through the branches, which whipped and snapped off against their strong scales. Discord was keeping pace easily right beside them, but surprisingly he looked like he was playing fair, ducking and weaving through the branches as he flew alongside the two little dragons. Pyralsprite’s lip curled into a growl and she went even lower, weaving between the thick trunks now.

Several groups of insects buzzed angrily as they passed, whirling into motion behind them far too late to attack their aggressors as Pyralsprite suddenly lurched skyward again. Spike could feel her breath coming in deeper gasps, but she didn’t slow down as they rose once again above the tree line. Discord continued to pace them with a bored yawn, raising his dragon claws to cover his mouth.

Discord looked at his wrist. “Are we finished with this little race? You must realize that you simply can’t evade me.”

Pyralsprite snarled, barely able to breathe through her panting. “Are you trying to convince me to stop because you can’t keep the pace? Is that it?”

“Oh, well, if you’re offering I could use a rest.” Discord suddenly flipped over slowly through the air, landing lightly on Pyralsprite’s back just behind Spike. Spike yelped as they suddenly began to dip, Pyralsprite’s hindquarters leading the charge back toward the ground.

Pyralsprite shrieked. “Aaaahhhhhh! Get off get off get off!”

“Pleeeeaaaaase!” Spike half-sobbed.

“Pfuh, I thought you said you two weren’t babies…” Discord suddenly lifted off of Pyralsprite’s back again, allowing her to whirl around in the air, catching the breeze with her wings to stop their descent, but not their momentum. They streaked forward until her wing clipped the ground, sending them into a fast spin across the hard rocks.

They finally came to a rest in a tangled heap of limbs and coils, groaning and trying to get their heads straight as Discord approached with a disarming smile on his newly draconic face. “You might want to be more careful in the future.”

Pyralsprite grunted. “I hate you… I really hate you…” she took a deep breath. “And I really, really hate you.”

“Ughn… that was a hard landing… what happened to the grass?” Spike stood up slowly, disentangling himself from Pyralsprite as he did. He stumbled to his feet and shook the feeling back into his limbs as he straightened, looking ahead for the first time.

“Whoa…” Spike’s eyes widened as he looked up slowly. The mountain before him reached easily into the clouds… no, not a mountain, a volcano. A very violent, very active volcano. The land around the base of the volcano was scarred by the magma that was, even as he watched, sliding down toward the countryside. In the side of the mountain were more holes than he could count, like a massive anthill where the hill was leaking magma and the ants were gigantic, terrifying, fire breathing dragons that were taking to the sky and landing at their own dens as he looked on. The volcano even scarred the air around it, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky, which were strangely localized right around the cone rather than spreading out across the landscape.

“Welcome home, Spike.” Pyralsprite smiled despite her fatigue and soreness, moving up close to his side. “This is Fire Mountain.”

“Fire Mountain?” Spike asked absently.

“Dragons aren’t known for their imagination,” Discord chimed in helpfully, drawing a warning hiss from Pyralsprite.

“They’re all flying dragons…” Spike blushed. “What about dragons without wings?”

“Don’t worry about it, these are just the external caves. Inside the mountain are all kinds of tunnels and caverns for dragons who can’t easily make it up the side. Not that it matters to you, right? You’re staying with me, after all.”

“Heh, right.” Spike smiled, finding himself unable to look away from the sight before him. It was so terrifyingly beautiful. “It sure is something… I don’t think any pony has ever seen anything like this.”

“For good reason.” Discord stroked the beard that appeared on his chin just to be stroked. “The heat even this close to the mountain could cook a pony alive.”

“Wow! Really?” Spike looked down in surprise. “I didn’t even notice! Is that why you became a dragon? Because you can’t normally stand the heat?”

“Oh, I’d survive, it’s just that fur gets all sweaty and sticky and eeeewe. Besides, a draconequus such as myself walking freely into a dragon den is just begging to have a bad day.”

“Gee, I can’t imagine why dragons wouldn’t like you,” Pyralsprite huffed.

“Hey, come on guys, let’s try to get along here.” Spike smiled brightly and clasped his claws together. “So where is your cave, Pyralsprite?”

“It’s near the bottom, actually. Come on.” Pyralsprite turned to walk down into the bowl-shaped valley, leading her two companions toward the volcano. A tendril of lava snaking its way right past them went completely unnoticed. “Only the oldest and most powerful dragons live up near the cone, the Patriarch actually lives inside of it.”

Spike cocked his head curiously. “The Patriarch?”

“The oldest, most powerful, and most respected dragon in all the dragon lands. If we have someone you can think of as our ruler, he’s definitely the guy.”

Discord pursed his lips. “Funny, last time I remember running into the dragons they had a Matriarch.”

“Matriarch? No, the Patriarch has been in power for as long as I can remember, and as long as any dragon I know can remember.” Pyralsprite shrugged. “I don’t doubt it though. Whoever can prove themselves the strongest dragon is the one who earns the respect of the rest. I can believe there have been other leaders before the current Patriarch. He probably killed whoever they were.”

“You mean the fight to be the leader is a fight to the death?” Spike gulped.

“Well yeah, that’s why nobody challenges the Patriarch unless they’re sure they can win. There would be fights for leadership every other day if it wasn’t to the death.”

Discord cackled. “How efficient and chaotic at the same time. I can appreciate that.”

Spike shook his head unsurely. “I don’t know, Pyralsprite… simply making your leader whoever is the best at killing? Is that really the most important quality in a leader?”

“He earns his position and the respect of the other dragons. It’s because of dragons like him that we survive, and flourish.”

“There’s that word again…” Spike mumbled.

“What was that?” Pyralsprite demanded.

“Nothing, nothing…” Spike shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m just still trying to wrap my head around all this. It’s so new and different… nopony would ever imagine trying to challenge Princess Celestia for the throne. Everypony wants her there because she’s a good ruler.”

“Well things are no different here, the Patriarch is in power because he’s a good ruler too. Only… y’know, others would want to be ruler if he wouldn’t eat them.”

“Literally?”

“Sometimes.”

“Ewe…” Spike shuddered.

“I’m sure you’ll come to understand as we settle in. Speaking of which, that’s my cave up there.” Pyralsprite led the way up to the base of the volcano, gesturing up towards a smaller cave entrance twenty feet off the ground. The mountain wasn’t too steep to climb this far down, but it would definitely be more convenient for a winged dragon.

“Looks cozy. Won’t you need a bigger one if you get bigger, though?”

“If I need more space I’ll make more space. It’s my cave, as long as I don’t tunnel into someone else’s home I can do what I want with it. Do you want a lift up?” Pyralsprite lowered herself closer to the ground.

“No thanks, I think I can manage. I should be able to get home myself, if I’m gonna live here.” Spike smiled and approached the mountain, pulling himself up onto the first rocks on his way upwards.

Pyralsprite nodded with a wide smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She took off from the ground and fluttered up to the cave to wait for him. Discord hovered lazily into the cave past her head as Spike pulled himself up foot by foot until he reached the cave entrance, slamming his claws into the rocks with a grunt to pull himself up the sharp drop-off right outside the entrance.

Spike grunted as he pulled himself over the edge with Pyralsprite’s help. “Thanks, whew… that was a bit steeper than it looked from down there.”

Pyralsprite grinned. “I knew you’d make it anyway! Come on! I can’t wait to show you my hoard!” Spike gasped as he was tugged quickly into the cave. Pyralsprite’s fire flew out into the air ahead of them, small fireballs that cleanly hit several torches lining the walls and lighting the way. “I’m used to having company,” she cut off Spike’s next question. Several more small fireballs shot across the innermost cavern, much larger than the rest. The torches they hit burst into far brighter flames, the golden light shining off of… an empty floor.

“Um…” Spike scratched his head. “Where’s your hoard?”

“What?” Pyralsprite sniffed the air in front of her, then froze. “Discord you jerkface! Did you take my gemstones!?”

Discord clicked his tongue disapprovingly from where he was hovering in the air, lounging on his back. “So quick to suspect me. Why would I ever take your jewels? I have no need of them.”

“Grrrr…” Pyralsprite growled and lurched forward, putting her head to the ground to sniff around the floor. “I can still smell them, they weren’t here that long ago…” she rushed back and forth across the cave like a bloodhound tracking her prey, her nose taking in every inch of the cave until she neared the entrance, sniffing at one particular spot.

Her head shot up from the ground with a growl. “Lemonsnout! I-I can’t believe it! My best friend snuck in while I was gone and stole my hoard! No dragon steals another dragon’s hoard!”

“Hey, calm down!” Spike slipped his arms around her torso in a gentle hug. “Going and yelling at someone isn’t going to help. I’m sure it was some kind of misunderstanding. How long were you gone?”

Pyralsprite was shaking under his grip in barely suppressed rage. “Four weeks, but that has nothing to do with it! This hoard is still mine, and he has no right to it!”

“Then let’s go calmly tell him that, I’m sure we can get this cleared up calmly and efficiently.”

“I hope so, for his sake! Or he’s getting a thorough nostril cleaning! With fire! Get on!” Pyralsprite shoved herself under Spike’s legs, then took off toward the cave entrance while Discord waved them a lazy goodbye from the center of the room. Spike barely had time to throw his arms around her neck to keep himself in place before they shot out the cave entrance into the open air, just barely weaving to one side to avoid a much larger dragon just flapping toward his own cave.

The dragon growled up after them in irritation, but didn’t bother them as they moved partway further up the mountain to another, much larger cave. Pyralsprite landed on the outer edge of the cave, letting Spike climb off of her back before beginning to march inside.

“That jerk is going to get it…”

“Hey!” Spike threw his arms around her to hold her back. “Remember… calm… I’m sure it has to be a misunderstanding.”

“Calm, right… yeah…” Pyralsprite took a deep, cleansing breath, then flared her wings open and screamed into the cave. “Lemonsnout you thieving cheat! Get your sorry tail out here and talk to… me…” Pyralsprite trailed off as the sound of claws crunching into solid stone echoed out towards them.

The two little dragons could only stand and wait as the crunching noises moved toward them. It wasn’t long before brilliant golden scales began to glitter in the sunlight at their backs, covering a dragon easily ten times their size, and as fierce as any Spike had ever seen in his life. Its long snakelike body was very much like Pyralsprite’s own, only far, far bigger, and the giant wings wrapped around the long form only added to its apparent girth.

“Lemonsnout… you’ve changed…” Pyralsprite almost seemed to shrink away a bit.

“Yes, I did.” Lemonsnout sneered and took one more crunching step towards them. “You didn’t change at all though. I guess you wouldn’t. You did run away for a reason.”

Pyralsprite jerked fully upright again. “I did not run away! I went on a journey of self-discovery!”

“And what did you discover, exactly? Did you discover how soft and weak you are?” Lemonsnout cackled.

“Sh-shut up!” Pyralsprite growled. “This isn’t about me! You stole my hoard, I know you did, and I want it back!”

“Like I said, you ran away.” Lemonsnout sneered. “You abandoned it, so it was fair game.”

“I did no such thing! I told you I was leaving for a while, and I told you I’d be back! Give back my gemstones right now!”

Lemonsnout’s claw lifted from the ground and flew right towards Pyralsprite. The dragon girl reared back in alarm, but didn’t have time to dodge as it came down, crashing into the mountain ledge around her, the claws digging almost a solid foot into the solid rock. Spike’s heart leapt in his chest, but he could still see her wiggling under his claw, a sign that she was still alive, at least.

“Or what, Pyralsprite?” Lemonsnout lowered his head toward his claw, peering between the sharp talons with a toothy grin on his lips. “Are you going to tell the Patriarch? Go running to someone who isn’t a spineless pushover to jump in and defend you? Tell someone who actually has some semblance of respect?”

Pyralsprite sniffled from under his claw. “Lemonsnout, stop… we were friends, why are you doing this all of a sudden…?”

“Because I learned what it means to be a dragon.” Lemonsnout shorted smoke under his claw, making Pyralsprite explode into a coughing fit. “I know what I am, and I am proud of what I am. I command respect now. Unlike the sniveling snake that came back from her ‘journey’ just as pathetic as ever. To think I was just like you…”

“Respect?” Spike finally stepped forward, his determination to hold back and let Pyralsprite deal with her friend finally breaking. His claws felt like they would punch holes in his palms, being squeezed into such tight fists. “Don’t you say that word! I have no respect for you whatsoever!”

Lemonsnout’s eyes flared open and his head whirled to face Spike, as if noticing his presence for the first time. His head was larger than Spike’s entire body, but he wouldn’t let himself back down or shrink away.

“Spike… don’t…” Pyralsprite reached for him from under the claw.

“You will respect me.” Lemonsnout moved his head closer to Spike, baring his teeth.

“Not until you do something to earn it!” Spike’s fists trembled in rage. “You’ve mocked and bullied a girl a fraction your size and you want respect for it!? There’s nothing to respect about you!”

Lemonsnout growled deep in his throat, his head moving toward Spike. He could see the flames licking at his lips, a warning sign of aggression. “I have power over you and the snake. Power is respect.”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Not to me.”

“Then I’ll teach you the error of your ways…” The dragon reared back, then opened its jaws, bringing its head down like a snapping rattlesnake.

“Spike!” Pyralsprite shrieked, but Spike was already taking a deep breath.

The emerald green flame exploded into the air in front of him, flying straight down the far larger dragon’s gullet. The dragon’s snap came to a whipping halt, flying wide of Spike in its desperation to stop the searing flames that were now ripping through its body. It stumbled back away from the two little dragons, freeing Pyralsprite as it stumbled into the side of the mountain with a thunderous crash, furiously coughing and trying to shake its head clear.

It tried to stumble back, but it went too far, one hindclaw slipping off the edge of the cavern’s entrance. The dragon yelped in pain and surprise as it slipped off the edge, yowling as its body rolled down the jagged volcano-side all the way towards the ground, where it landed with a sickening thunk on the solid stone.

Spike ran to the edge of the ledge in fear, but he wasn’t too high up to see the dragon still breathing on the ground. Hurt, but alive. Spike froze when some of the other dragons around the base of the volcano looked down at the unconscious Lemonsnout in surprise, then looked straight up at Spike. He was ready to run if they tried to take revenge, or bring him to justice, but the dragons simply laughed and continued on their way, stepping over the wounded dragon on the ground.

“Nobody’s going to help him?” Spike muttered worriedly. “He could be seriously hurt…”

“S-Spike…” Pyralsprite coughed behind him, finally pulling his gaze away from the fallen dragon and back to her. The dragoness was still coughing up smoke, but she had a look of stunned admiration on her face. “That was… incredible…”

“Incredible?” Spike turned fully toward her. “I could have seriously hurt that guy…”

“He deserved it; he was being a royal jerk.” Pyralsprite stood and approached him, her eyes sparkling red even brighter than usual. “To think we were best friends before I left… I didn’t think he would change so much in such a short time.”

Spike looked down slightly, then approached her to slip his claws around her shoulders. “Come on, you look like you need to get back to your cave and rest.”

Pyralsprite smiled. “It’d be simpler to rest in your cave.”

“My cave? I don’t have a cave.”

“You do now.” Pyralsprite turned toward Lemonsnout’s cave. “I told you, the stronger dragons live higher up the mountain… the stronger dragons are the ones who beat other dragons for their caves. You beat Lemonsnout, fair and square… this cave is yours.”

“I don’t know… it just doesn’t feel right… where will he live?” Spike rubbed the back of his neck.

“He’ll figure something out. Or he’ll leave. Frankly I don’t care which anymore.” Pyralsprite huffed and turned to head inside. “Besides, he stole my hoard first, all you did was take it back… with interest.”

Spike wanted to keep arguing the point, but Pyralsprite really did look like she needed the rest. So he let the issue die and turned to follow her into the much larger cave, where he could smell a large pile of gemstones that made his mouth water.

He wasn’t at all sure that he was liking what he could see of the dragon lands. Dragons fighting with one-another over leadership, beating each other out of their homes, and just walking past their injured companions, as if being hurt and thrown off the mountain was a regular occurrence. It sat wrong with him, but he had promised Pyralsprite that he would try to adapt, and she was right that Lemonsnout had done all of the provocation. Spike was just defending himself, and his girl, and a lot of the gems in this cave had been stolen in the first place.

Yeah, Lemonsnout had been a jerk. He couldn’t judge this place because of one jerk… he had to keep an open mind.

And apparently keep his eyes open.

To Be Continued

13 - Being a Dragon

Chapter 13: Being a Dragon

“They’re already there!?” Twilight’s wings flared in shock as she glared at the little brown dragon in front of her. The hot air balloon was sitting on the sand behind her, still settling on the sandy beach as Zecora climbed out of the basket behind her. “Then it’s all over! The dragons are going to find out about Spike and horrible, horrible things are going to happen to Equestria!”

“You’re very dramatic today.” Discord rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

Twilight howled. “The end of pony civilization as we know it tends to do that to me!”

“Twilight Sparkle, please calm down. There’s not yet such reason to frown.” Zecora stepped out in front of her, looking down at Discord’s dragon body curiously. “If Spike is there and the dragons are not yet moving in line, it must mean that we have yet more time.”

Discord nodded. “That’s what I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted. Your boy has reached Fire Mountain and is fitting in quite well so far, actually.”

“We’ve got to… wait, what?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “He is?”

“He is,” Discord snickered. “It seems despite your best efforts, he still has a little dragon in him after all.”

“Wow…” Twilight felt a swell in her chest. His last experience with those dragon bullies during the great dragon migration had convinced her that he couldn’t possibly get along without her in a dragon den. Yet he was fitting in quite well on his own… well not quite on his own, he was with Pyralsprite, but doing it without Twilight. Equestria-endangering circumstances aside, she was glad… proud, even… that he was able to do what he’d wanted to do.

Zecora thought about this for a moment. “That is good for our cause, but in our quest we must not pause. As long as Spike remains there, it’s a risk we will always share.”

Twilight forced herself out of her thoughts and nodded her head gravely. “You’re right, that buys us some time, but who knows how long it will last. We must retrieve Spike as quickly as possible. The fastest way there would be my balloon, but…”

“A flying dragon would make quick work of us in that. We would be as helpless as a mouse to a cat.” Zecora began to march toward the forest. “It may take us a bit more time, but walk with me, and we can work on your rhyme.”

Twilight stared for a moment, then giggled and rushed after her. “Wait for me; I need to learn from the master. Even if it won’t help us get there faster.”

Despite his initial misgivings, Spike felt like he could really get used to a life like this. There was a giant mountain of gemstones waiting for him in his own personal cave while he leaned back in a flowing river of magma a short distance from the base of the mountain, letting the heat wash over his scales, disintegrating and cleansing the filth he’d accumulated during their journey even as it relaxed muscles aching from days of constant travel.

Best of all, he had an adoring dragoness sitting two feet to his right, who seemed to be enjoying herself just as much, sighing and spreading her wings out under the surface of their magma river. “Aaahhhh, this is how a dragon was meant to live.” Pyralsprite smiled and snuggled herself deeper into the magma. “So relaxing…”

“Tell me about it…” Spike smiled. “We didn’t have anything even remotely like this back in Ponyville. I mean I’ve been in lava before, but it was kind of different. I wasn’t just relaxing, I had all these boys glaring at me and judging me…”

“Some dragons are just like that. All contests this and jealousy that. But that doesn’t mean we’re all like that. Some of us are just happy to be where we are, content with what we have.”

Spike scratched his chin with one claw thoughtfully. “Yeah, I’ve seen ponies the same way, come to think of it. Ponies trying to build themselves up as more than they are, trying to prove how strong they are, or become stronger. There was this one called Trixie who was seriously intent on being the strongest pony in Equestria.”

“See? There you go.” Pyralsprite smiled. “Maybe dragons and ponies aren’t so different after all.”

“Heh, yeah, maybe…” Spike trailed off for a few moments, then pursed his lips in thought. “Pyralsprite, can I ask you something?”

Pyralsprite smiled lazily. “Ask away.”

“Lemonsnout said something about a dragon so old being so small… how old are you?”

Pyralsprite tensed. “How old am I? What kind of question is that?”

“N-no offense! I was just curious, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’d just like to know more about you, is all.”

“Nngh…” Pyralsprite took a deep breath with a blush on her cheeks. “I’m fifty-seven.”

Spike’s jaw dropped almost into the magma, his eyes shooting wide open. “Fifty!?”

Pyralsprite grunted nervously. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Spike shook his head quickly. “N-no, of course not, it’s just… wow. You were out fighting your way up the mountain since before I was an egg.”

“It’s really not that long a time. I’ve seen dragon couples with way bigger age gaps. A couple of decades are almost nothing in the grand scheme of things.”

“To a pony it sure would be something… but I’m not a pony.”

Pyralsprite gave him a small smile. “Now you’re getting it…” She floated closer to him to rest her side against his, comfortably slipping one wing behind his back. “That fifty year difference will seem like nothing when we hit the big one triple zero.”

Spike flushed and slipped his claw around her narrow torso. “Gosh, that seems like an impossible amount of time from now…”

“There’s nothing impossible about it. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Time we have plenty of, it sounds like.”

“Oh yes…” Pyralsprite grinned and rested her head against his shoulder. “We have all the time we could ever want…”

Spike slipped an arm around her shoulders slowly, pulling her body against his side. He felt her side press against his, the blood under her scales burning hotter than the boiling magma in which they sat. Her claw lifted to run over his chest, scraping softly across his chest with a screeching noise. Spike couldn’t take a stupid grin off of his face, however desperately he wanted to seem like a suave and dashing hero.

“Mmmh… I think we’re clean.” Pyralsprite grinned.

Spike chuckled. “Yeah… not sure anything that can make us dirty can survive in here.”

Pyralsprite leaned her cheek against his shoulder suggestively. “How about we go back to our cave and see how dirty we get?”

Spike stiffened in more ways than one, his claw gripping her around the back. “I… yes.”

Pyralsprite climbed out of the magma, with Spike following her out, but they both paused when they heard crashing footsteps approaching rapidly from the base of the volcano. Spike jumped and scooted back at the sight of Lemonsnout approaching at a quick pace, but Pyralsprite seemed unperturbed by the approaching threat.

“M-maybe we should go, like… now…” Spike grabbed her.

Pyralsprite just smirked, waiting for her old friend to approach. “You come for round two? I assure you Spike won’t lose this time either.”

“I-I won’t?” Spike gulped. He loved that she had such faith in him, but he really didn’t want that faith to get her eaten.

Thankfully Lemonsnout didn’t hear him, his pounding steps slowing as he reached the two little dragons. “No, Pyralsprite…” the dragon snarled, baring long, terrifying fangs at them… but didn’t move any closer. Instead he lowered his head toward them, until his chin was resting on the rock by the pool. “My insides still feel like they’re on fire… the pain is… unbearable. I come to beg your friend to remove it…”

Pyralsprite turned to Spike. “Geeze, you’re even meaner than I gave you credit for.”

“I-I didn’t know it would do that.” Spiked moved toward Lemonsnout slowly. “I think I can help, though… but if I do, I want your word that you won’t try to hurt either of us ever again.”

“You have it…” Lemonsnout shifted uncomfortably. “You have proven your strength, and you have earned my respect…”

“Okay…” Spike took a deep breath and approached the dragon, eyeing his face warily. True to his word, however, Lemonsnout didn’t move from his pleading, subservient position. Confident enough that he wasn’t about to be gobbled up, Spike turned his attention to the problem, trying to ignore the fact that that open jaw was easily big enough for him to walk inside and make a tent.

He didn’t have a lot of experience with his own magic yet, besides letter delivery, but somehow he could feel his flame settled inside of the massive dragon’s body. No wonder it felt so uncomfortable, it was burning just as brightly as it did when Spike spit it out. Even for a dragon, having that kind of fire inside your stomach had to be like torture. He was a little sorry… but then, the dragon had tried to eat him and his girlfriend. Still, no creature deserved this.

He just needed to figure out how to fix it. Well, if his fire did everything else…

“Open your mouth.” Spike laid his claw on the dragon’s snout, coaxing it open for him. He could see a flicker of emerald green flames deep inside the dark throat, the remnants of the fire he used to ward off Lemonsnout in the first place. He took a deep, slow breath, trying to shape the flame in his stomach once again, as he’d gotten used to doing. He took a little extra time to make sure he got it right this time. A mistake could leave Lemonsnout in even worse condition, but when he was ready he let his fire surge from his lips straight down the dragon’s throat.

Lemonsnout’s body jerked in surprise as the fire faded down his throat, but his body relaxed fully when the two flames collided in his stomach, and put each other out, leaving his stomach as dark as it naturally should be.

“Oh thank the Gods…” Lemonsnout heaved a deep, relieved breath. “The pain was beyond anything I’ve ever imagined…”

Pyralsprite huffed. “Hmph… you deserved it for betraying me.”

“Ahehe…” Spike blushed. “W-well… just don’t try to attack us again!”

“I gave my word and I will keep it.” Lemonsnout lifted to his full height. “Thank you, Spike.”

“Hey, no problem. Happy to help.” Spike smiled.

“Now go away.” Pyralsprite turned away from him. “We were just on our way back to our cave.”

Lemonsnout growled. “I respect him, not you, Pyralsprite. Nothing has changed for you, you still ran away from your life here, and seemingly, brought back a dragon who could fight your battles for you after I refused to.”

Pyralsprite whirled back toward him, her wings flaring in anger. “That is not why I brought him back with me! I brought him back because we’re in love!”

“In love?” Lemonsnout turned his gaze on Spike questioningly.

“Y-yeah… that’s right.” Spike moved up beside Pyralsprite, sliding his claw around her waist softly. “So if you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me too.”

A burst of orange fire erupted form Lemonsnout’s nostrils. “I hope things stay fine between you. Who knows how quickly she’ll take off if she’s not happy.”

“Lemonsnout! That’s enough!” Pyralsprite sneered. “I mean it! Get the fu-“ Pyralsprite halted suddenly, her glowing red eyes suddenly going wide as her head turned toward the sky.

Spike wasn’t sure at first what was wrong, but suddenly he realized he could feel it too. It was almost as if his body was moving of its own volition, his head looking towards the cone of the volcano, where a brilliant plume of magical blood red fire was spiraling into the sky. Spouts of flames of all hues erupted from the face of the volcano as if in response, from the dozens, if not hundreds of dragons who were emerging from their caves or approaching from the air, sending their fire skyward to join the growing wave of flames.

Unable to stop himself, Spike opened his own jaws and send a magic emerald burst of fire joining Pyralsprite’s and Lemonsnout’s, though it was quickly engulfed and concealed in their own much larger flames. A sensation Spike had never felt before, an urging toward the top of the volcano, swept through his mind and his body until suddenly he regained control of his own breath again, and his fire died along with the rest of the dragons in the area.

“What…?” Spike blinked in shock as he watched the dragons move toward the volcano’s summit. “What was that?”

“It was a summons from the Patriarch.” Pyralsprite leaned down on her stomach, opening her wings to offer her back to him. “I’m sure you can feel it too. We’re meeting up there.”

“You don’t know what that meant?” Lemonsnout peered down at Spike curiously. “Where did you even come from?”

“We don’t have time for that now, the Patriarch won’t wait.” Pyralsprite moved closer. “Come on.”

“Right, I’m coming.” Spike climbed onto her back, leaning forward to wrap his limbs securely around her body just before she took to the sky with Lemonsnout, both winged dragons spiraling up the cone within the flock of massive, grumbling dragons towards the summit.

Spike’s eyes widened when they cleared the volcano lip, spotting a dragon half-submerged into the bubbling magma. Even with half his body out of sight, the dragon’s body was massive and, he had to admit, impressive in its sheer size and dimensions. The fiery orange glow of the magma reflected off of the diamond scales, giving the creature’s body the dark, fierce color of fire. His wings spread out toward the sky overhead, coming off of a broad chest that was easily five times as thick around as Twilight’s treehouse home back in Ponyville. The creature’s diamond blue eye had to be several times larger than Spike’s entire body…

Pyralsprite spiraled in toward the crowded volcano edge, finding a sharp rock that would punch through the foot of a larger dragon, but was just the right size for her to cling onto with all four claws, climbing to the top with Spike perched comfortably on top of her.

“What’s going on?” Spike whispered into her ear.

“I have no idea… this isn’t normal.” Pyralsprite parked them at the top of her sharp rock. “The Patriarch almost never summons the entire horde…”

“That’s the Patriarch…” Spike muttered to himself, almost in awe of the sheer size and beauty of the creature in front of him.

The Patriarch turned slowly, peering at dragon after dragon, as if looking for something. Spike thought he felt his heart stopped when those massive eyes focused squarely on him for a bit longer than they did for the others, but his gaze simply swept on until he’d examined every dragon present.

His low, powerful voice made Spike’s blood run cold, and his breath freeze in his chest. “I can feel Draconequus magic in our lands.”

“Draconequus?” The rumble of stunned and confused voices around Spike only put him further on edge. He glanced down at Pyalsprite, whose lips were set in a grim line. “The Draconequus were wiped out…”

“The vile ones were wiped out back before our ancestors were hatched, when the dragons took power, and made the lands tremble in awe.” The Patriarch narrowed his eyes. “But it is no jest that Draconequus magic has appeared in our lands. We will not rest until we hunt it down, and make sure that they truly are gone for the rest of time. Any here who can help us find this creature, speak now… or die a traitor’s death when we find it.”

Spike couldn’t breathe. For just an instant, as the Patriarch looked over the crowd again, he was sure he would be picked out. He didn’t even start breathing again when the gaze passed over him, sweeping across those gathered.

“Keep your eyes open, and come to me directly if you see anything strange. The Draconequus is a vile imp, a trickster, and their twisted chaos magic can allow them to assume any form. We must remain vigilant against its corruption.” The Patriarch closed his eyes and waved them off with a blast of his massive wings. The wind alone blew several dragons off their perch, sending them hovering into the air around the cone. “Now go, and bring glory to your kind.”

No sooner were they dismissed than Pyralsprite kicked off of their perch, sending them spiraling down towards their cave ahead of the other dragons. They zoomed inside, only coming to a stop once they were in the main chamber, where she skidded to a stop so fast in a plume of dust that Spike flew off of her back, landing on the floor across the room.

The two little dragons rushed up to each other. “We’ve got to keep Discord out of here!”

“Ah, I heard my name.” The little brown dragon form popped into view overhead with a cackle. “I knew you’d grow to love me.” He plucked a handful of potato chips out of a bag resting on his stomach to pop them casually into his jaws.

Spike whirled on him. “Discord! The Patriarch can sense you somehow! They’re looking for you! You’ve got to get out of here, before they find you!”

“Hmmm… nah.” Discord shrugged.

“Nah? Nah!?” Pyralsprite shrieked. “What do you mean nah!? All three of us are going to die if you don’t leave!”

“Oh they can’t catch me.” Discord waved off their concern with one claw.

Pyralsprite howled. “Well that’s fantastic for you but I’m pretty sure they’d catch us! Don’t you care?”

“Pyralsprite! Ssshhhh!” Spike shushed. “Don’t yell too loud, someone might hear you!” Pyralsprite growled, but slunk away a bit to collect herself while Spike moved closer to Discord. “This is serious, Discord. They can sense your magic, and if they trace it to this cave, we’re both going to be killed as traitors. Besides, you said you wanted to join us until we got here and we’re here now, exactly what else are you hoping to accomplish by sticking with us?”’

“Maybe I like it here.” Discord puffed out his lower lip in a deep pout. “Maybe I see you both as the first friends I’ve ever had…”

“Fluttershy,” Spike said drolly.

“Second friends I’ve ever had, but no less important.” Discord pouted almost supernaturally hard. “Won’t you be friends with me?”

“No! Go home and leave us alone you annoying, perverted, cockblocking freeloader!” Pyralsprite squawked.

Spike really wanted to agree with her. It would make his life easier, safer, and more enjoyable if the master of chaos would just leave them alone. Still, maybe it was his pony upbringing, or maybe it was his own personality, but he couldn’t bring himself to say no to such a question. It would just feel far too cruel, even if the question was being asked by a creature who was just as likely to be serving his own strange nefarious purposes as he was to be genuine.

“Fine, Discord.” Spike moved up close and grabbed his hovering dragon tail. “But we need to establish something.” A sudden yank brought Discord crashing to the cave floor on his back with a heavy whump. “Rule one and only, no magic! They sense you because your magic is different from ours, I bet if you simply don’t use it you will fade off of their senses.”

“Not use my magic?” discord gasped in genuine shock. “I couldn’t possibly-”

“This isn’t up for debate! If I see you use magic I’m turning you in to the Patriarch myself! I mean it!”

Discord sat up slowly with a look of utter shock in his eyes, and even Pyralsprite had a stunned look on her face. “You wouldn’t dare…”

“I may be willing to put my life on the line for a good friend, but I’m not willing to put Pyralsprite’s life on the line. I won’t have her harmed because you have no sense of self-control! Got it?”

Discord looked him over for a few moments, before a wry, almost proud smirk tugged at the edge of his lips. “Very well, my boy. You leave me with no option but to comply.” He jumped up to his feet, standing instead of hovering for once. “Of course, if I can’t use my magic to leave, that means we’re roommates!” He leapt forward, throwing an arm around each of their necks with a bright grin. “We’re going to have such a lovely time together, you and I!”

Spike suddenly ran out of his backbone reserve, and was left sputtering helplessly. “Uh…”

“It’s about dinner time! And since I’m a dragon, I think I should have my first draconic meal! Come on!” Discord leapt away from them suddenly toward the pile of precious gemstones lying against the back wall of the cave.

“You couldn’t just tell him off.” Pyralspriite huffed. “Had to let him stay. Had to invite him in.”

Spike blushed deeply. “Oh come on, we’re just going to be living normal dragon lives. I’m sure it won’t be long before he gets bored without his magic and leaves. Let’s just play along for a while.”

“Fine, fine…” Pyralsprite’s tone softened. “Besides… as pissed off as I am that you invited that creep to stay with us… what you said about me was still really sweet. Did you really mean it? About turning him in if he put us in danger?”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought I wouldn’t mean it… but… yeah, I meant it. I can’t even imagine letting you get hurt because of him… so if he puts you in danger, yeah, I’ll turn him in.”

Pyralsprite nodded in acceptance. “I believe you, Spike. Come on, I really am getting hungry.” She turned away from him toward the gemstones. “Of course you realize, until he leaves, we aren’t getting dirty together.”

Spike heaved an even deeper, resigned sigh as he followed her towards their meal. “Yeah, I know… the things I do for a friend…”

To Be Continued

14 - Exposed

Chapter 14: Exposed

Spike shifted with a soft groan, rolling over until he hit his first obstacle, a scaly, coiled body sleeping soundly against his side. Not for the first time, he allowed himself to take in the fact that she looked so happy and comfortable beside him. He stroked her side up to the base of her wing, feeling her soft breath and subtle shifting movement under his claw. They had been here for a little while, and he was beginning to really get used to this. Even Discord didn't seem so bad anymore, even if he did get in the way a lot.

Carefully Spike rolled his girlfriend's coils off of him so he could climb to his feet and approach his cavern entrance, looking out over the face of Fire Mountain and beyond. This wasn't just a place he lived, he wasn't a kid living with his guardian. This was his cave, with his hoard, and his girlfriend.

Perhaps this was where he truly be-

"Psssst."

Spike blinked and looked around in confusion. There were no dragons near his cave...

"Psssst."

He wandered in the direction of the psssst'ing, which seemed to be coming from a large boulder sitting right near the entrance to his cave. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure that boulder hadn't been there the night before.

"Uh... talking rock?" Spike cocked his head confusedly.

"Spike, it's me... Twilight..." Now that it was speaking in a normal, albeit low voice, Spike was now able to recognize it.

"Twilight? That's you? But I thought the heat here could cook a pony alive!"

"It can... this boulder illusion is also a heat-ward." The boulder seemed to shudder in front of him. "Spike I'm so glad I found you, I need to take you home. I made a terrible mistake, and there's been a terrible misunderstanding."

"Take me home?" Spike took a few steps back. "I don't want to go home. I've really found a place here. I'm happy!"

"Spike, I know what it must sound like, but Equestria is in danger, and-"

"What? That's ridiculous! Equestria can't be in danger just because I'm happy! Can't you just be happy for me?"

Twilight stammered for a moment, the boulder shaking like an Earthquake was rocking it back and forth. "Of course I'm happy for you, I want you to be happy..."

"Then please, Twilight... I'm sorry, but I want to live here, and learn what it's like to be a dragon... what it's really like to be a dragon, not from some adolescent punks... and so far, I really like it." Spike waved a claw at the boulder and turned to head inside. "Goodbye, Twilight..."

"Spike! Wait! I... nnngh... I met your mother!"

Twilight's voice brought Spike to a screeching halt, his eyes shooting wide open. He felt like his heart had stopped.

"I met your mother, Spike..." Twilight continued from the mouth of the cave. "She told me you can't be here. If the Patriarch of the dragons discovers your origins... it could mean w-"

"How dare you..." Spike's claws closed into fists as his arms began to tremble. "You'll say anything to make me come back, won't you?"

"I swear to you Spike, I would never make up something like this!"

Spike whirled back toward the fake boulder and marched up to it, gripping it in his powerful claws with a snarl. Twilight squeaked as his claws punched through the rock with an audible crunch, piercing right through her spell.

"Spike! Don't! If you take down my shield I'll-"

"Then leave... me... alone!" Spike hefted the boulder off of the ground and spun away from the mountain, sending Twilight sailing through the air toward the forest... and that was that. Suddenly he was alone again, standing with his back hunched over in the first golden rays of dawn's sunlight.

"What the heck is all that yelling out here?" Pyralsprite spoke through her yawn as she moved up beside him.

"Just... letting off a little steam." Spike straightened his back with a pop and smiled down at Pyralsprite. He paused for a moment before speaking again. "Hey... have you gotten shorter lately?"

"Mmm, no, I sure haven't." Pyralsprite smiled up at him, standing several heads taller than her now. "Come on inside and get some breakfast, will you?" She turned to march into the cave away from him, her wings and tail swaying with her motions. "We got stuff to do today."

Spike stared after her for a moment, then looked down at his claws. They had grown longer lately... he hadn't even really noticed. Not until they punched so easily through Twilight's rock. Through her spell. Celestia above, if he'd lost his temper any worse... what would he have done to her? Was it happening again? Was he growing into another monster?

"Spike, hurry up. I found some sapphires for you."

"Yeah, I'm coming." Spike headed back into the cave, where Pyralsprite was sitting in the center of the cave with two small piles of gemstones laid out before her. She sat in front of one, Spike took his seat in front of the second, and Discord was just plopping down right beside the piles in his dragon form.

Discord cackled. "I must say, my time here has been marvelous in its absolute boringness."

"Come again?" Spiked raised his eyebrow.

"Sitting, and doing nothing. Sitting, and doing nothing. Sitting, and doing more nothing! I've never experienced anything like it in my life!" Discord crossed his legs in front of him. "So many thousands of years and I've never done this much nothing! I think I'm finally starting to understand Buddha! He told me all about that zen thing and I never believed it! Boy is there egg on my face..."

Spike decided to ignore him. "Hey, Pyralsprite, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you think I've changed since we got here?"

"Oh heck yeah." Pyralsprite nodded immediately. "You're definitely getting tougher. I can feel it in everything that you do."

"Oh..." Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "Am I... am I also getting meaner?"

"Meaner?" Pyralsprite cocked her head to one side.

"Yeah, like... you know, more violent. Do I hurt anyone for no reason?"

Discord snickered. "Well if you need to ask..."

"No, Spike." Pyralsprite cut in quickly. "You're not getting meaner. You're the same great guy you were when we left Ponyville."

Discord rested his chin on his hand curiously. "So friendship is lying, is it? That's a new one on me."

"Discord..." Pyralsprite growled warningly, "shut up."

"Oh come now, you can't possibly be honest when you say he's the same dragon he was in Ponyville. I barely know anything about sane people and even I can see he has radically changed. Not that that's a bad thing, a creature with some fight in him has the guts to go a long way." Discord threw a few quick punches at the air. "Got the eye of the tiger or dragon or whatever creature you think has eyes... which is most of them... that is a strange phrase really..."

"I said shut up!" Pyralsprite jumped to her feet. "I am getting so sick of you! All you do is mock us! I still don't even know why you're sticking around here! I hate you, Spike is sick of you, what do you want?"

Discord just rolled his eyes and leaned against Spike's shoulder. "Sheesh. Women, right?"

"Aaaaaargh!" Pyralsprite roared in frustration and turned to stomp toward the exit. "That is it! I am going to turn you in right now! I don't know why I should put up with some dumb Draconequus when I can just be rid of you forever!"

"Because friendship is magic, right Spike?" Discord glanced up at Spike curiously out of the corner of his eye.

Spike just stared at him, rewinding in his mind the moment where he'd thrown Twilight out of his life once again. He hadn't even gone to make sure she was okay...

"I..."

"Ah!" Pyralsprite squeaked in surprise from the cavern entrance. Spike and Discord both looked, then leapt to their feet at the sight of Lemonsnout standing in the entrance, his massive body blocking nearly all light from outside. "Lemonsnout!"

"Did you just say what I think you did, Pyralsprite?" Lemonsnout growled. "Did you say it?"

"S-say? Say what? That he's dumb?" Pyralsprite grinned weakly.

"Draconequus!" Lemonsnout's roar was so strong the wind alone blew Pyralsprite back across the cave towards her two companions, who caught her between them. "The Patriarch sensed one here, remember? And he still does..."

"Gah! W-well yeah, but... not literally! It was an insult! Like... hey, you dumb Draconequus!" She punched Discord in the chin so hard he spun to the ground with a thud. "Ahehehe... see?"

Lemonsnout approached them slowly, his gaze sticking to Discord. "I've never even seen this creature before... this type of dragon."

"You can't see air, does that mean it doesn't exist?" Discord grinned.

Lemonsnout snorted. "What?"

"If you shave a bear is it a bear or a bare?"

"What?"

"Precisely!"

"I... what?"

"See? I told you he was stupid." Pyralsprite laid a gentle claw on Lemonsnout's nearest foot. "Just another complete idiot we don't have to worry about, now let's get out of here and get a nice bath, hm? Nothing wakes me up like the smell of disintegrating insects and dust particles..."

Lemonsnout shook his head slowly, glancing down at Pyralsprite for a moment before suddenly whirling, spitting a powerful spout of flame that engulfed the entire cavern. Spike and Pyralsprite's scales were immune to fire, and this stuff didn't even have much magic in it. For a moment after the fire died down Spike wasn't sure what he'd been trying to do... then he noticed Discord lying against the far wall in his true form, his fur burning and smoldering in patches.

There was silence for a long moment, then Lemonsnout howled in anger, "you are a traitor to our race, Pyralsprite! I should have known! You were always an outsider!" He whirled to march toward the exit.

Pyralsprite zipped in front of him, hovering near his head. "No! Lemonsnout, please, we're friends, remember? We're friends again!"

"Your friendship is meaningless!" Lemonsnout knocked her out of the way with a swift smack of his muzzle and continued on his path until he came to a stop. Spike had taken up position at the cavern entrance.

Spike stood with his back straight and his claws fanned out to each side. "If you don't care about friendship, how about respect?"

Lemonsnout stared at him warily, not willing to fight a dragon who had already bested him before. "You can't hide the draconequus. The Patriarch will find out the truth, and he will kill everyone who knew he was here. Including me." Lemonsnout took a deep breath. "Whether you kill me now or he kills me later, it won't make a difference." He fanned his wings out to the sides aggressively. "I'd rather die fighting for my life."

Spike gulped. He hadn't expected this. He'd thought a dragon would always obey their superior... but then there was still a lot he didn't know about dragons. Then again, this didn't seem like the course of a dragon's code or way of life. It was the course of any creature fearing for its life. That fear was what this society was based on, after all. Despite getting lucky once before, Spike wasn't at all sure he could win again, and if he lost, so did Pyralsprite...

However, there was still one other option...

“I may be willing to put my life on the line for a good friend, but I’m not willing to put Pyralsprite’s life on the line!"

This situation wasn't Discord's fault. True to his word he hadn't used a lick of magic since they'd had that conversation. But that didn't change the situation. Pyralsprite's life could be saved by turning Discord in now, willingly. He could stomach losing his own life protecting his friend... but Pyralsprite...

Spike lowered his claws and stood up straight. "There's another way. We can take Discord to the Patriarch together... he never has to know Discord was hiding as one of us at all."

Lemonsnout lowered his wings, pondering this. "Very well, Spike. Nobody need ever know what has happened here... but in exchange, I want my cave back."

Spike took a deep breath. "Okay..."

"What!?" Pyralsprite shrieked.

"It's only fair. He's covering our tails, he deserves it." Spike nodded and moved aside. "The cave will be yours..."

"And the hoard."

"Agreed."

Pyralsprite zipped up beside him. "Spike! You can't..."

"It's already decided, Pyralsprite." Lemonsnout sneered victoriously and turned to move past Spike. "You're lucky your stranger is smarter than you are, as well as stronger."

"Spike!" Pyralsprite whirled on him. "I refuse! I refuse to leave!"

"We don't have a choice, he has us cornered." Spike turned to approach Discord's limp form, shaking his head. "I don't get it... I've never seen anything hurt Discord like this. He's like a God, why can a little dragon fire do this to him?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." Pyralsprite huffed. "I'm just glad he'll be out of our way."

"Chaos is always at the mercy of order." Discord's eyes fluttered open as he spoke. "It has always been that way."

"Discord! you're awake!" Spike blushed deeply. "I... I mean..."

Discord smirked weakly. "I don't blame you for trying to turn me over, Spike. You are like any living thing. Looking out for yourself and your mate. Friendship is not everything."

Spike shuffled uncomfortably. "It doesn't make it... er... what do you mean, trying to...?"

"I recommend you run. For yourself and your mate." Without warning Discord vanished in front of them in a flash of bright light.

"Wha...?" Spike whirled toward the cave entrance when a powerful, echoing roar rang out through the air.

"Spike..." Pyralsprite cringed uncertainly.

"I say we do what he said!" Spike ran for the cave entrance, but he hadn't even made it halfway there before a form appeared before them, followed by another and another, completely blocking out the light of the sun and plunging them into darkness lit only by the fire from their furious breaths.

"The draconequus was definitely here." The lead dragon made his way inside, sniffing around the walls of the cavern. After a few moments his eyes settled on the two much smaller dragons. "You did well, Lemonsnout. You found those who were hiding him."

"Lemonsnout!" Pyralsprite howled as she backed away from the entrance. "What did you do!? We had a deal!"

"I did the right thing, Pyralsprite. Not that you would know anything about that." The golden dragon sneered as he approached the hoard against the far wall. His claws dug into the gemstones as the other dragons made their way toward Spike and Pyralsprite. "Either way, these are mine again. Goodbye, Pyralsprite."

Pyralsprite and Spike backed against the far wall as the two other dragons approached, tongues of flame licking out between teeth longer than Pyralsprite's body.

"Spike..." Pyralsprite gulped, speaking in a soft whisper. "Get on my back... I'm going to need you to help guide me..."

"Guide you?" Spike blinked slowly. "O-okay... on the count of-" He leapt into the air with a shriek, just barely avoiding a pair of gigantic jaws snapping shut. "Right now!" His feet landed on the dragon's snout and he kicked himself to the right where Pyralsprite was already taking to the air. He felt like he was moving in slow motion as he arched through the air toward her, his claws wrapping around her neck as he settled into place.

Just like that the slow motion was over. Pyralsprite's body seemed to snap straight as an arrow as she darted forward, right between two of the back teeth during the second dragon's furious snap at them. They were outside in seconds, but they were far from home free. Winged dragons filled the sky before them, so thick that it was they, not the two in the cave, who were blotting out the sun. Pyralsprite whirled back toward the volcanic mountain just before she reached the wall of dragons, avoiding another snapping pair of jaws.

"Spike! I can't smell anything at this speed! There's too much wind!" Pyralsprite shouted behind her.

"Just go where I press!" Spike set his thighs against her sides his hands on the top and bottom of her neck.

Several dragons snapped as they passed, and broke off from the crowd, giving pursuit down the side of the mountain. Pyralsprite flew so close to the rock that her wings nearly clipped the stone, but as long as she was so close, the other dragons couldn't get right on their tail without completely sacrificing one of their own wings. There were advantages to being smaller than everyone else.

That didn't put them out of harm's way, however. A sea of snapping jaws and slashing claws hurled themselves into their path, with only Spike's gentle, but quick nudges sending Pyralsprite through the crowd. The dragons got so close at times Spike could feel the heat of their inner fire breath, and he swore he could feel the wind of a giant claw's passing inches behind Pyralsprite's tail. Huge chunks of stone were gouged out of the mountain at their side, tumbling down toward the ground, where all of the wingless dragons waited with fire in their eyes.

"We're going the wrong way..." Spike muttered to himself. But there was no way they could get away if they went up. The cone itself was being swarmed by countless flying dragons. He couldn't see the clouds or the forest, and the ground was being guarded by even bigger wingless dragons... but there was no such thing as giving up.

"Pyralsprite, our only chance is to make a break for it in open air." Spike muttered into her ear. "But-"

"I hear you." Pyralsprite nodded. "If we don't make it... I don't regret anything."

"Yeah, me neither." Spike took a deep breath, and pressed his thigh against her side.

One dragon arced away from them in surprise when Pyralsprite darted away from the side of the mountain out into open air. The boiling blood in Spike's veins was pumping like never before as the two dragons now flew openly through a sea of claws and gnashing teeth, whirling and spinning desperately through the crowd. Their only saving grace was their small size, and seemingly a whole lot of luck, but that couldn't last forever...

The first wave of attacking dragons passed them by, and to his surprise when they emerged from the crowd there was a hole in the wall of dragons beyond. He could see the bright blue of the sky outside... sweet, inviting light. Perhaps too many had come in to attack, and their cage had been weakened as a result. Whatever the reason, Spike couldn't let this opportunity slip. He pressed against Pyralsprite's body to send her hurtling towards the light.

Too late he realized the dragons in the wall were watching them, hovering just outside their range. They were being let out...

Pyralsprite's head lifted slightly as they passed through the wall. "Patriarch..."

A claw the size of Golden Oaks Library swung in toward them, shockingly fast for such a giant creature. Spike barely had time to squeeze Pyralsprite's side before it came crashing down around both of them, catching them like he were catching an arrow in his palm.

"Gah! No!" Pyralsprite struggled desperately to free herself as the Patriarch steadied himself in the air, bringing the two dragons up to face him.

"You brought the draconequus to our land." The Partriarch spit emerald green flames between his teeth, so hot they seemed to ooze down his lips like magma. "The draconequus have been a thorn in our side since the beginning of time. The imps of chaos we swore to wipe out, and believed that we had. How could a dragon associate with a creature so disgusting?"

"You call him disgusting?" Spike struggled against the dragon's grip, but he couldn't even bend the creature's palm, and he didn't struggle too hard for fear of hurting Pyralsprite, who was pressed sharply against his front. "You're the one who's disgusting! At least he's trying to be a good person! You're just a bully!"

"A bully?" The Patriarch let out a mocking laugh. "We are the guardians of order and structure. We bring peace to the chaos, and the only way true peace can be achieved is through respect."

Spike howled. "No! That's not respect, what you're talking about is just fear! Friendship is the way to true peace! We can all live together through understanding!"

"Your ignorance is familiar..." The Patriarch moved the two dragons closer to his face. "You sound like a pony..."

Spike held his head up proudly, trying to look strong despite his shaking voice. "That's right... the ponies taught me the right way to live. They taught me everything. And you'll never turn me around... you'll never change me. No matter what. I know what's right."

A deep grumbling sound like an earthquake echoed around him, and Spike realized a moment later it was the hovering dragons nearby mumbling and muttering among themselves in hushed whispers. The Patriarch himself was just staring at Spike and Pyralsprite, his grip on them tightening slowly, threatening to crush them together.

"A-aaahhh..." Pyralsprite hissed in pain as her body writhed against his. "S-Spike..."

"Pyral..." Spike gritted his teeth against the pain shooting through his body. "I'm sorry..."

"You disgrace your heritage..." The Patriach's voice began as a low growl, then rose into a furious roar. "You disgrace us all!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Pyralsprite howled in pain as the grip only tightened, but without warning the Patriarch's grip loosened as an explosive sound echoed through the air. Spike caught only a glimpse of a massive green shape hurtling toward them from the forest, a green cloud that looked strangely familiar. Wait... it looked like Zecora's illusion dust, and a lot of it... but this was no time to think.

Swiftly Spike gripped the side of the Patriarch's claw and heaved himself upward, dragging Pyralsprite from his loose grasp to send them both plummeting through the sky. He hear several dragons gasp, but none could reach them before they plunged through the smoke. Spike gripped Pyralsprite's body tightly in his claws, clinging to her until they emerged from the bottom of the cloud, heading straight for the trees far below.

"P-Pyral! you've got to fly!"

"Nnngh..." Pyralsprite groaned as her wings fluttered weakly at the air. "I can't... wings hurt... what's even going on?"

"I don't know but we're gonna crash! Please! I know you can do it!" Spike clung to her tightly.

"Nnngh..." Slowly Pyralsprite opened her wings. They were folded and creased sharply inside the thin membrane, but they did catch the air enough to send them gliding forward away from the dragons above.

Spike looked back in surprise to see the green mist that had interrupted the proceedings had expanded, cutting off his view of the dragons, and the mountains, entirely. It was definitely for the best, because they weren't exactly breaking speed records anymore. In fact their momentum was still more down than forward, though he didn't feel like they would die on impact now.

In fact, there would be no impact at all. As they neared the tree line he felt a familiar magical energy wrap around them both, holding them steady as it brought them below the treetops and down to rest them gently on the grass.

"Nnngh, ow..." Pyralsprite let her wings flop to the grass as soon as the magic released her. "I don't wanna move..."

Spike jumped to his feet quickly, whirling until he saw the familiar purple face watching him from close by. She looked tired, but satisfied. "Twilight... you're still here..." Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "After what I did to you, you... you stayed... you saved us..."

"Of course I did." Twilight trotted up to give him a gentle nuzzle on the cheek. "I'd never abandon you, no matter what you do to me. Or how big you get..." Twilight was looking up at him surprise. Wait... Twilight Sparkle was looking up at him.

Before he could feel how strange this was Zecora raced toward them from the nearby trees, skidding to a stop nearby. "We must make haste before the dragons' power overwhelms the magic of my illusion powder!"

Twilight shook her head clear. "You're right! Zecora, would you mind carrying Pyralsprite?" The zebra shook her head, and soon the four of them were galloping through the forest at full speed, with Pyalsprite on Zecora's back and Spike on Twilight's.

"Spike..." Twilight glanced back as they ran. "This is important, and I need an answer now. Does the Patriarch know you were raised in Equestria?"

Spike nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, sure. I told him how I was raised, and that I was proud of being raised the right way, the pony way."

Twilight bit her lip. "I'm glad you're proud... but this is very, very bad..."

"Why is it-"

A piercing shriek cut through the air just then, so powerful Spike felt like he was about to pass out even after he clamped his claws over his ears. The ponies stumbled to a stop on the grass just in time to look up and see the green powder split apart across the sky in a wave, breaking up as it went. Even as it did Spike could feel something tugging his attention back the way they had come. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to hop off of Twilight and go running back. Pyralsprite was twitching, but seemed too weak to take off even if she wanted to.

As the sound died away, Zecora locked eyes with Twilight, for once ignoring her usual rhyming scheme. The sound of her tone made even Spike's hot blood run cold. "We must warn Canterlot."

16 - The Past in the Present

Chapter 16: The Past in the Present

Canterlot was abuzz with chatter, some excited, some fearful, as Twilight Sparkle, Zecora, and the two dragons made their way toward the palace. The larger dragon's appearance had startled everypony, and it seemed like nopony could stop talking about it. Only the four of them remained silent as they reached the palace gates. The guards were peering at them curious, especially at the sight of Spike carrying Pyralsprite across his back, with her crumpled wings sliding across the ground on either side of him limply.

"Princess Twilight?" One guard's eyes widened as they approached, his eyes flicking to the dragons. "What in Equestria..."

"Please, you've got to help her." Spike approached the guards, hefting Pyralsprite off of his back with both claws. "She was nearly crushed... I know you don't know much about dragons, but you've got to do what you can."

"I'll be fine, Spike." Pyralsprite tried to protest even as she was laid across a strong pony back.

"Please, just go. I'll catch up with you later." Spike squeezed her claw to silence the coming protest.

Twilight stepped up beside Spike. "Get her treatment... the rest of us need to go see the princesses immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness." The guards immediately bowed to their princess and set about their tasks. One carried Pyralsprite into the back while the other led Spike, Twilight, and Zecora straight to the throne room. The silence was almost growing unbearable for Spike until they approached the large double-doors of the throne room. He could hear voices inside as they approached.

"Is there truly no reasoning with him?" Princess Luna's voice asked. "Surely any living creature with any sense would realize that a meaningless war could do nothing but harm everyone involved."

An unfamiliar voice spoke next. "He knows no reason except his own. I tried to reason with him long ago... his mind is as closed as mine once was..."

"Perhaps we could-" Princess Celestia's voice was cut off suddenly by the sound of the doors being pushed open by the royal guards. The two alicorn sisters watched the small group makes their way into the throne room, but Spike's eyes immediately snapped to their visitor. The glittering dragon that had passed them on the way into Canterlot. She was half as tall as the entire room was, and how she had even gotten in was surely a feat of powerful dragon magic, but Spike wasn't even curious about that. Was it really true? Was Twilight correct about her?

"Princess Celestia..." Twilight approached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne. "I'm so sorry. I failed in my task..."

Princess Luna shook her head. "What you failed to do no longer matters Twilight, only what we plan to do now."

"What is the plan?" Twilight lifted her head up high. "Tell me what it is and I'll do my part."

"That's just it," Celestia mused, "we have no idea what to do now."

"Well, I'm back, we can round up the Elements of Harmony and maybe we'll stand a chance!"

The dragon spoke for the first time since they entered the room. "The Elements of Harmony were created to tame chaos. They will not be effective against their creators."

"Creators?" Twilight looked at her in surprise. "The dragons created the Elements of Harmony?"

"I was as surprised to discover this as you were, at one time." The dragon nodded. "The seed used to grow the Tree of Harmony was planted eons before even I was born, sewn from the magic of every dragon's will to see the world at true peace."

"I don't understand." Twilight blinked. "If dragons are these paragons of peace, if that's what you truly want, then why would a dragon go to war? Why would this even be happening?"

"Because..." The dragon closed her eyes. "Because we grew arrogant, and lost our way... I don't know when it happened. It, too, was long before I entered this world. But our desire to create order turned to a desire to enforce order, to bend others into shaping up to our will, or destroying them. It's a simple enough idea to understand, I suppose. The line between creating order and enforcing one's own will is a surprisingly thin one, when you think about it. After all, if everyone listens to you, they're not being disorderly..."

Spike finally moved up beside Twilight, unable to tear his eyes away from the dragon. "Excuse me... I-I'm sorry to interrupt but... I mean... you..."

The dragon gave him a soft smile. "It's quite alright... Spike, is it?" Spike nodded. "I'm happy to finally be able to meet you."

"I just... I don't get it." Spike shook his head. "What makes you different? Why are you here in Equestria, and not in Fire Mountain with the others?"

"That is a long story..."

"Please..." Spike pleaded in a soft voice.

The dragon turned to glance at Princess Celestia and Luna, who exchanged a brief glance before giving her a simultaneous nod.

"Very well... I will try to keep my story as brief as possible..."

___

You may think I spent my life on the bottom of the mountain from seeing me now, but the truth is, I was once the Matriarch of the dragon lands. The most... respected... dragon in the world. My rule was defined by an era of peace and order, a fact of which I was proud. There were no fights among my subjects. There was no conflict... at least, not for very long. I put an end to it quickly. Peace was all that mattered to me, and any creature who tried to disrupt it met a swift and terrible end.

So it was with some surprise that I came upon one of the buffalo tribes in the center of what is now Equestria. They informed me that they were under the spell of a powerful demon, who was torturing them without mercy. These buffalo were an annoyance to us... but a demon was a serious threat. Demons were the only creatures in this world with the power to stand up to us, for one to claim a portion of our land, even to attack its creatures... that was an act of war.

In my arrogance, I thought my power would make me more than a match for the demon. My arrogance nearly cost me my life. I don't even know how long the fight lasted, but by the end my strength was reaching its limit. It was only by using the last of my power that I vanquished the demon, but that burst of magic left me weak. Too weak to even make it home. I fell from the sky to the waiting hooves of the buffalo tribe. I expected to die right then. To topple a foe as powerful as I with no resistance, they would surely destroy me and be rid of me. I was in no position to demand respect, or anything else from them.

But they didn't. I could not move, but I could hear their words as they carried me back to their village. I had expected death, but instead these buffalo gave me new life. They spoke of me in reverent tones, tended to my wounds, and fed me for weeks while I slowly regained my strength. I had never witnessed anything like this before, I had demanded no respect from them, I could not demand it, and yet they were giving it to me anyway. Respect and reverence for a creature on the cusp of death was unheard of among my kind...

I did not realize it yet, but what they showed me was true respect. Like the dragons of old cherished and worshipped before we fell victim to our own power, and became something different. They made me feel like nothing I'd ever known. It was pure, it was good... and I cherished it for the time I spent among those buffalo. But I was soon healed and could keep up the ruse of weakness no longer... so in the dead of the night, while the buffalo slept, I left.

Brimming with my newfound knowledge, I returned to the seat of power on top of Fire Mountain, and tried to tell my people what I had discovered, what I had felt. But they were not happy to hear it. Some were curious, some were pitying, but most were furious. They accused me of being corrupted by the mammals, of losing my way as a dragon.

My brother led the charge against me, and challenged me for the right of leadership. Once again, in my arrogance, I accepted the challenge. It was barely even a battle. I don't know what changed, if I was not yet fully healed from my fight with the demon, or if he had grown stronger, or both. Either way, he destroyed me in every sense of the word. My body was broken, and my spirit was shattered. It was only by throwing myself into the ocean that I escaped with my life... and by running away from the challenge, I had marked myself for death the moment another dragon saw me. That is the dragon way.

So I returned to this land. I could not bring myself to return to the buffalo. I was frightened and wary of what might happen... I only passed them by before finding my way to the mountain where I have remained, watching Equestria begin and grow from a few settlements into the most prosperous nation in the world. I only heard one thing from the buffalo before I retreated into the darkness. They had given me a name...

___

"Kindfire." Spike spoke with a firm voice. "Kindfire the Savior."

Kindfire nodded slowly. "That was the name they gave me, and the name I have held dear ever since."

"But I don't get it..." Spike shook his head slowly. "That's how you got here... why you hide... but why give out dragon eggs to ponies?"

"I met Princess Celestia during her journey to find the Elements of Harmony... or should I say, she found me." Kindfire gave the pony princess a warm smile. "We spoke frequently through letters after that, and she saw how saddened I was that my people would forever be the malevolent creatures on Fire Mountain. So she proposed a solution. The ponies could care for dragon children, raise them as their own... and in doing so, instill in them the values of the dragons of old. The value of true harmony, and respect for their fellow creatures."

"Dragons were only placed in the care of those I believed would be able to raise them properly." Celestia nodded. "To revive the dragon race as they once were... once they were ready."

"But... we have made mistakes." Kindfire lowered her head. "I was mistaken in forcing Celestia to keep the secret from all... for that, I am sorry. This could have all been avoided if I had trusted more in her judgment..."

Princess Luna spoke up again, "as I said earlier, it matters not what mistakes have been made in the past. What matters is what we do to prepare for what comes next."

Celestia looked around at the crowd. "The eastern towns are being evacuated, and we have guards watching the coast who will send word the instant they see a single scale enter Equestria. May I suggest for now we get some much-needed sleep? We will be much better able to form a plan of action well-rested."

Luna nodded. "I agree. As ever I will watch over the night and alert you all if any trace of dragonkind appears near Equestrian lands."

Twilight forced a smile onto her lips. "Who knows, maybe the dragons won't come anyway. It's not like we're pushovers, even without the elements of Harmony."

There was no uncertainty in Kindfire's voice. "They will come. It's only a matter of time."

"Then I want to go check on Pyralsprite before bed..." Spike took a step away from the others. "If you'll excuse me..."

"Of course." Twilight nodded. "Goodnight, Spike."

"Yeah... goodnight..." With one more glance back up at Kindfire, he turned to rush from the throne room, leaving the rest behind on his way. He found the guard from earlier waiting right outside to take him to Pyralsprite's bedroom.

"She's going to be fine, as far as we can tell," he told Spike on the way. "Some of the tendons and cartilage in her wings have been crushed, but it's nothing that can't be worked on. It's mostly bruising aside from that."

"Thank goodness..." Spike heaved a sigh of relief, relaxing a bit as they wound through the palace hallways up to one of the spare bedrooms in the west wing of the palace. Spike pushed the door open with one claw to see Pyralsprite resting comfortably on the bed with her wings spread out to each side at full extension, while two unicorns stood on either side of her, the aura of their magic pressing down on the creases in her wings, trying to flatten them.

Pyralsprite didn't even open her eyes before speaking... which made sense, since she didn't use them anyway. "How did things go with the royals?"

Spike approached the side of her bed. "Nobody's sure what's going to happen next, or what we can do about it." He climbed up on the edge of the bed beside her, watching the unicorn nurses do their work. "I'm sorry you had to get hurt so badly... I'm not sure why you got so hurt and I didn't..."

Pyralsprite huffed. "Are you kidding? Let's just say I've been wanting to be pressed up against that rock-hard body for a while, but not like that." The two unicorn nurses barely suppressed their snorting giggles. "Guess I just make a better pillow than you do. I'm more squishable..."

"Well, you are really soft... and there's nothing wrong with that at all." Spike coughed into one claw. "A-anyway... hey... I did find out you were wrong out there."

"Oh? Wrong about what?"

"Kindfire was real all along." Spike took one of her claws in his own.

"Huh?" Pyralsprite huffed. "That story the buffalo told us? How do you know it was real?"

"My mother is Kindfire... I can tell you the story if you want."

Pyralsprite raised one eyebrow. "Call me interested..."

So Spike launched into the story his mother had told him, though he may have added a couple of details here and there. He didn't remember it all fully, he had been far too distracted in realizing just who that dragon standing before him was, but he hoped anyway that he was doing the tale justice. By the time he finished the story, the nurses had already retired for the night, and Pyralsprite had kicked the blankets off of her body, fanning both of them with light wingstrokes.

"Geeze, that sounds completely nuts..." Pyralsprite blushed. "You really think the original dragons were like that? The selfless do-gooder type?"

"I like to think they were. There has to be more to us than just fear and greed..."

Pyralsprite was silent for a moment, then Spike felt a claw touch his cheek, pulling his head slowly up toward hers. "I don't know about dragons as a whole... but I know there's more to you than just fear and greed."

"I don't know..." Spike shook his head. "I don't think I was being very selfless when I made that offer to Lemonsnout. I almost got Discord killed to save us, and he didn't even do anything wrong."

"Maybe... but you did it for me, right?" She pulled him a bit closer, his torso moving over her body. "To keep me safe..."

"Yeah... but that's not exactly selfless either." Spike blushed. "I don't wanna lose you..."

"Hehe... you can't be expected to be selfless all the time..." Pyralsprite pulled him closer, a lick of flame brushing forth from her lips across his cheek. "Sometimes you have to think about yourself and what you want, I think."

"Yeah... maybe you're right..." Spikes leaned in the rest of the way, pressing his lips to hers. The flames inside them began to mingle, before suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Spike's forehead slammed into the headboard. "I am going to die a virgin."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Just... just wait here." Spike rolled off of the bed, grumbling on his way to pull the door open.

His eyes shot open in shock. "R-Rarity?"

"Spike!" Rarity threw her hooves around him in a tight hug. "I came as soon as I heard there was nasty business afoot! I was afraid I had driven you to... to..."

There was no controlling the blush on his cheeks. "You didn't drive me to anything, I promise." He finally allowed himself to return the hug. It was strange being big enough to get his arms fully around her now.

"Oh Spike... Twilight filled me in on everything that has happened... and is going to happen... are you okay?"

"Okay? No... not really." Spike shook his head. "I feel like it's my fault, like... like everything I've done since I left Ponyville was just a series of huge mistakes."

"Everything we've done, you mean." Pyralsprite corrected him from the bed. "We're a pair, Spike. You can't blame yourself... I'm just as at fault as you are."

"A pair?" Rarity looked back and forth between then for a moment, then fixed her eyes on Spike as his blush deepened. "Oh my goodness, Spike... is it true?"

"Aheh... y-yeah..." Spike shuffled his feet on the floor. "A-a lot can happen in a short time, I guess..."

Rarity stared up at him, then slipped a hoof around his neck, bringing him up against her side in a half hug. "My, you've grown so much since you left, Spike."

"Yeah, I know... I'm not sure why, though." Spike looked down at his much larger claws.

"I didn't mean your body. I meant you've matured into a strong young man." Rarity gave him a wide smile. "To think I've been holding you back all this time, toying with that silly child's crush... I'm so sorry, Spike."

"Wasn't your fault..." Spike shrugged. "It was my crush."

"And now you've matured beyond it. Made your way in this world and found a girl who can return all that love you have to give." Rarity pulled him into a soft hug. "I'm so proud of you, Spike, and everything you've become. No matter what you've done or what happens next. I just want you to know that."

"W-wow... thank you, Rarity." Spike could feel the heat on his cheeks as Rarity pulled away from him. "That really means a lot, coming from you."

Rarity blushed. "Not as much as you think, I'm sure. I'm hardly the most mature pony, I can admit." Rarity chuckled softly. "Now why don't you go spend time with your partner? I'll be staying here with Twilight and Zecora if you need me for anything."

"Alright. Th-thank you, Rarity. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Spike." Rarity gave him a smile, for once not using her pet name for him, and turned to leave, letting the door close behind her. Spike stared after her for several moments, torn between pride and dismay, but soon forced himself away from the door and back towards the bed.

"We should probably get some sleep..." Spike climbed into the bed with a regretful sigh, reaching down to pull the covers up to his neck. "Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow? We'll probably need our energy and... uh..."

He blinked as the blanket was yanked away from his body by a long, sinuous tail. Pyralsprite lunged across the bed with a grunt, putting herself right on top of him and straddling his hips, her steady red eyes shining down into his own. A burst of flame erupted from her lips, washing harmlessly over his face before leaving him to stare up at her again, panting and leaking flame from the side of her mouth. It was a look that would not be denied.

Spike could only stare up at her for several long moments, taking in the sight of her. As he reached up, grabbed her, and rolled her onto the bed with more force than he'd intended, the only thought he could bring himself to think was she's a lot hotter than I ever realized.

___

That feeling. She hadn't felt it in over a thousand years. It was the feeling of the natural order being warped by unending chaos. A shard of meaninglessness that could only be caused by one creature... one creature of which only one remained.

Kindfire lifted her head from the roof of the Canterlot Palace, her eyes flitting back and forth through the darkness. She couldn't see the creature, but his presence was unmistakable. "You are Discord, I presume. I've been curious to meet you ever since Princess Celestia told me that you reformed. You must be very resourceful to have escaped the hunts."

"Perhaps I am." A voice drifted out of the darkness, from every direction except for her left. Clearly the draconequus gift for randomness remained in him. "Not that it matters at this point."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Kindfire cocked her head to the side. "Is this a random visit, or do you want something from me?"

The voice drifted out from her left now. "I've been witness to enough history to see the writing on the wall for this nation. If Celestia tries to fight, the ponies will disappear just like we have. I want you to help me convince her to give in. She won't listen to me, but perhaps you..."

"I disagree, Discord. These ponies have more fight in them than you seem to think."

The voice came from her own tail. "I don't care one way or the other if they all survive... there is only one I want to see live, but she has decided to remain with her kind for better or, more likely, for worse."

"Then I suppose your best option is to fight with them, and try to protect her yourself."

"Try to protect her? My power doesn't work on cursed dragons! All of my power is just as useless as it was before... this is going to happen and I am completely powerless."

Kindfire closed her eyes. "Even I wasn't alive when the war between the dragons and the draconequus began... but it was my people that left you alone in this world. For that... I am sorry." When she opened her eyes the frail-looking, pathetic, mismatched creature was sitting in full view on the spiral tower in front of her. "But don't think yourself powerless, Discord. If there is one thing a draconequus will never be, it's powerless."

Her claw reached out from her perch, touching his beard and lifting his head from his chest. "You're not powerless... you're vulnerable, and that makes you afraid. I felt that same thing twice over, long ago. You and I are not so different, I think. We are both frightened husks of the creatures we once were, existing in a time that has no place for us."

"Being trapped in stone for a thousand years was an inconvenience... facing oblivion is something I tried to never imagine." Discord finally returned her look. "I'm not used to being afraid... even when the hunts were happening it didn't occur to me that I would ever be caught. Even when all the others were gone, I was sure I would make it out alive, and I did. Now I feel like if I don't leave, I will die for sure... but I can't bring myself to leave. Not without her..."

"Then you can learn a lesson from the pony who seems to have stolen your heart. You can join with them and fight for her."

"Is that something a friend would do? Throw away his life on the mere hope of accomplishing something good?"

"That's up to you to decide." Kindfire rested her head on the roof again with a sigh. "I don't know how long we have before the conflict begins... but you may want to decide soon."

Discord looked away from her again, and said nothing else before disappearing into a small pinpoint of light.

17 - The Tide Comes

Chapter 17: The Tide Comes

The difference between sweet dream and reality was hazy for a moment. Awakening with a girl in his claws was a dream he had frequently, especially since leaving Ponyville with this particular girl. But this time was different. He felt strangely fulfilled in a way he never had any other morning, and was somewhat comforted by the feeling of her long, sinuous body coiled on top of his torso, wrapping around his thigh on the way down. For the first time, the night before hadn't been part of a dream. It was actually real... it had actually happened.

Spike tightened his grip on the dragoness' body as it trying to make sure he was right. When she didn't disappear, he knew the truth. And so did she, as her eyes were fluttering open at his touch without a trace of surprise within the sightless red pools.

"Hello there..." Pyralsprite purred.

"Good morning, Pyralsprite." Spike smiled. "Sorry to wake you up."

"I'm not sorry at all." She let a tongue of flame lick out over his cheek. "You can wake me up any time."

"Heh, that's good to know..." Spike sat up slowly, cradling the dragon girl in his arms, and letting her cheek rest against his shoulder. "We might not get a chance to rest like this for a while... we should get some breakfast before anything happens."

Pyralsprite remained stubbornly limp against his shoulder. "I still don't wanna move..."

"Okay, then don't. I've got you." Spike wrapped her coils over his shoulders like a scarf and climbed out of bed, stroking her head with one claw on his way to the bedroom door.

Canterlot Palace was a big place, but he knew it like the back of his claw. He'd practically been raised here by Twilight, after all. He made his way straight toward the kitchens, where there wouldn't be any gemstones, but at least he could find some normal pony food for them to fill their bellies with. He plucked some grass and flowers out of the small cooler box in the kitchen and gulped down a handful, holding another handful up to Pyralsprite's head.

"Ewe, pony food..."

"Come on, it's not perfect, but it's filling enough."

Pyralsprite hesitated for another moment before licking the flowers out of his claw. She grimaced at the taste, but pulled it into her lips and began to chew. It was strange being able to feel every muscle in her body twitch with her chewing, but he tried not to focus on that.

"Good morning, my little dragon friends," Zecora's voice came from the kitchen entrance, where the zebra was just coming in towards the cooler box. "I hope with your friend you have made amends."

"Yeah, I guess so." Spike glanced down toward a moment as he stepped out of the way to let her at the cooler, then looked up again. "Hey Zecora, you know more about dragons than anypony else in Equestria. Is greed the only thing that can make a dragon grow?" He looked down at his own large, but sleek claws.

Zecora pondered that for a moment as she filled a plate with grass and flowers. "Dragons of today have grown into a single breed whose life is focused on their natural greed. But stories and legends of old tell of dragons who grew glorious and bold." She closed the ice box and moved to pull down three glasses from the cabinets, oblivious to the dragons' rapt attention. "Legends of dragons of justice and peace spread among my tribe from grandmother to niece. I do not know for sure how big they could get, but tales told of them being as beautiful as sunset."

"Like Kindfire..." Spike remembered the prismatic shine of his mother's scales as he squeezed his claws shut. "I haven't gotten any more pretty... just bigger and uglier... maybe I really am just like them..."

Zecora gave him a warm smile over her shoulder as she poured juice into each glass. "You are worried about what you may be, but your fears are unfounded you see. Even if you started down that path, even if that is what you have become, there is nothing you can do that cannot be undone." She lifted the tray of food off of the counter with one steady hoof. "Who you could be is not always who you are. Remember this Spike, and you can go far."

Spike opened his claws again, looking up just in time to see Zecora's tail disappearing out the kitchen exit.

"I'm not sure who's creepier, her or Discord." Pyralsprite shuddered around his shoulders.

"Hey, Zecora's cool. She has helped us out a ton of times."

"If you say so..."

Spike rubbed the back of Pyralsprite's neck softly with one claw. "Hey, Pyralsprite... what do you think? Do you think what she said is true?"

Pyralsprite shrugged. "I dunno... I've never really thought about any way to live besides what they taught me. I thought I was messed up, being so different from them..."

"Well now you know better, right? You're not messed up, you're just a good dragon. We both are... well, we try to be good dragons, anyway."

"Guess that's all we can do at this point, huh?" Pyralsprite's words hung in the air for several moments until the kitchen door swung open again, this time revealing a royal guard.

"I've found you! Princess Luna would like to see everybody in the throne room. There has been dragon activity in Equestria."

Spike felt his heart skip a beat, and Pyralsprite's body stiffen around his shoulders. Her deep red eyes almost seemed to be swirling anxiously in their sockets as her claws tightened against his body, as if clinging to him for dear life.

"I've got you Pyralsprite," Spike assured her with a smooth smile. "But we should get to the throne room." For a moment Spike wished they had gotten more sleep... but if Equestria was going to end before the day was out, he could think of no better way to spend his final night.

It seemed like only an instant later he was marching into the throne room, where most of the royal ponies had already gathered, with Kindfire sitting against the East wall. Spike set Pyralsprite on her claws, letting her walk on her own into the large throne room. They could afford to have a little dignity, after all.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly." Princess Luna cast the group a stiff smile. "The dragons have appeared on the Eastern shore of Equestria. They are in Fillydelphia as we speak."

"I don't suppose they're here to negotiate a peace treaty?" Twilight's hopeful smile vanished almost instantly.

"They are tearing the town apart... very, very thoroughly." Luna shook her head. "I daresay they are sending us a very clear message."

"What about Manehattan?" Twilight asked. "It's on the Eastern coast, are they leaving it alone?"

Luna shook her head. "Manehattan hasn't been touched. The entirety of their army seems to be in Fillydelphia."

"Then they will continue toward Canterlot," Kindfire interrupted firmly. "It is the dragon way. They will finish this destructive boast, then make a straight line for us. They are showing that they do not fear retaliation even as they go straight for the throat of your country, clearing away anything in their path."

"Is there anything in their path?" Twilight asked. "If we can clear the way, we could buy ourselves time for further plans without sacrificing lives."

Luna grunted. "Yes, unfortunately... there is a small village called Appleoosa directly between Canterlot and Fillydelphia." Spike felt his breath catch in his throat at the name.

Celestia whirled toward the captain of the guard waiting by the door. "Send a squadron of Wonderbolts to Appleoosa immediately. I want the town evacuated within the hour."

"Of course, your highness." The guard whirled to rush out of the room, letting the door swing closed behind him.

"With that business being taken care of..." Luna looked around the crowd again. "Has anypony come up with a plan for actually fending off the dragon threat?"

Silence loomed over the throne room. Each pony and dragon eyeing the other as if looking for someone to break the silence and save the day. Truth be told, Spike was just too nervous about Appleoosa to think about much else. He had known Little Strongheart only briefly, but he considered her a good friend, and she had taken the dragon pair in on their ill-advised trek toward the dragon lands. The trip that had caused all of this...

"We need to stand up to them..." Spike tried not to blush as every pair of eyes in the room turned on him. "We can't just run, fleeing Equestria wouldn't even guarantee that they'd leave us alone at this point. He's not trying to conquer Equestria, he's trying to punish the ponies who live here..."

Kindfire nodded. "A wise observation, Spike. Fleeing is certainly no option."

"So we face them..." Spike gulped.

Rarity was almost trembling in place, a sight that made Spike's knees weak. "But how? There are so many, and they have such powerful magic."

Pyralsprite spoke in a low, grim tone. "We probably die, to be honest, without enough dragon magic of our own."

After a moment of thought Spike stood up a bit straighter. "Princess Celestia... Kindfire... you said there were a bunch of eggs in Equestria. That means there must be a bunch of dragons like me."

Celestia nodded. "There have been many eggs spread across Equestria over the last few decades, given to my most trusted students to raise and care for."

"Do you know where they are now?"

"I'm afraid I don't." Celestia shook her head. "I know where a few are, with students who have chosen to maintain contact with me, such as Twilight. But I have not been spying on my former students. It would show a lack of trust in them."

"Heavens forbid..." Luna smirked slightly. Celestia blushed guiltily.

Kindfire cocked her head. "I think I see where you're going with this Spike... and it could work, but the dragons will no doubt be here before we could find even half of my other children."

"But we need them..." Spike looked toward the large double-doors at the front of the throne room. "And we can find them..." He turned to march toward the doors without another word.

The throne room was silent for a moment before the hoofsteps and scratching of claws started to follow him through the castle. He led the procession down the hallway, and up multiple flights of staircases until he approached the small hatch that one could use to access the highest sloping roof of the main building. He climbed the ladder to the hatch, flicked it open without a word, and slipped up into the early morning sunlight to look out across Canterlot, and the three other towns that were all within sight of it.

Spiked moved out to the edge of the roof carefully, where he saw Kindfire just climbing the side of the building to peer curiously at him. A glance back showed that most of the ponies were watching from the safety of the release hatch, while Pyralsprite climbed out, using her claws to steady herself as she clambered toward him over the smooth sloping stone roof.

"What's the plan here? You're not... giving up, are you?" Pyralsprite demanded. "Because I will catch you if you are."

"I'm not giving up. I'm going to do everything I can to protect these ponies..." Spike took several deep breaths, trying to remember what he'd seen on Fire Mountain, what he'd felt. He felt the fire rolling in his stomach, churning with magical force. "Maybe I can't do much... maybe I screwed everything up too much to fix... but I'm going to try."

Pyralsprite gave him a soft smile. "Then I'm with you. Just tell me what to do."

Spike placed a hand on her chest, pushing her back a step or two. "Just stand back... I don't know if this'll work..." He closed his eyes now, shaping the flame in his stomach for several more moments before suddenly clenching his claws at his sides and throwing his head back.

There was a collective gasp from the dragons and ponies around him as his emerald flames arched into the orange sky, ending in a cone, but sending waves of magic spiraling out across Equestria. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Kindfire's eyes glazing over slightly, and even Pyralsprite moved a little more robotically as both lifted their heads and spread their wings out, their own orange and emerald flames joining his in the sky.

The gasps of ponies behind him was joined by the sight of a flame lighting the sky in the distance, just barely visible against the horizon. Dragon's fire exploded into the sky, joined one by one by many other pinpricks of light that seemed to come from all over Equestria, from the outer fringes of pony civilization to the deepest forests surrounding the mountain on which Canterlot had been built. As Spike's own flames faded, the fires lighting up the land continued until one by one they faded into darkness again.

"That was... what was that?" Twilight asked.

Kindfire's chest seemed to swell. "That was a draconic beacon. The others around Equestria will be drawn here. They will come to find its source."

"But won't the dragons from the dragon lands sense it too?" Twilight asked. Spike's breath caught in his throat. Oh Goddess, had he-

"They will, but they were already on their way here regardless." Kindfire pointed out, letting Spike release his tense breath.

"Oh Spike, I had no idea you could do something like that!" Rarity pranced out onto the ledge towards Spike with a wild grin. "You have saved us all!"

"He has given us a fighting chance, but it's up to us to take advantage of it." Kindfire turned toward Spike and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Spike, allow me to greet the remainder of my children as they arrive. You should-"

"Your highness!" A pegasus in a wonderbolt uniform screamed as she approached the roof, clutching at her chest. Spike whirled in surprise to see that it was the captain of the Wonderbolts herself, Spitfire. "Princess Celestia, we have a situation!"

"Are the dragons at Appleoosa already?" Celestia looked up in shock. "It's not possible, even for them."

Spitfire saluted swiftly as she regained her breath. "No, Your Highness, the ponies are being escorted to Canterlot as we speak, but there's a tribe of buffalo who refuses to leave. They say they'll die before they let anybody drive them out of their lands."

"Chief Thunderhooves..." Spike groaned inwardly.

"If that is their decision..." Luna began.

Celestia cut her off immediately. "No, Luna. We can't just leave them to fend for themselves. They wouldn't stand a chance."

"They have decided their own fate, Celestia. We can't afford to send troops to force them out, we need everypony to help with the defense here."

"I'll go talk to them." Spike stepped forward. "Chief Thunderhooves is stubborn, but he'll listen to us. They respect dragons." Spike glanced up at Kindfire for a moment. "For a good reason... I'm sure I can convince them to get out of the way, at least for a while. And while I'm gone you all can rally the coming dragons and unicorns."

"Unicorns?" Twilight cocked her head.

"I think I have an idea... but we're going to need unicorn magic to make it work. A lot of it."

The others were silent for a long moment, but Celestia broke the silence with a swift nod. "We'll do as you say, Spike. We're counting on you."

"W-wait, what...? Counting on me? I mean, I'm not in charge, I was just thinking..."

"Thinking more than we were, apparently." Twilight approached, looking up into his eyes, now quite a bit higher off the ground than her own. "We were all so busy panicking we didn't even begin to come up with a plan, but you not only have one, you're putting it into motion without us. Don't worry, we won't let you down. You go move those buffalo, and we'll gather the forces you'll need."

"I-I'll need...?" Spike felt his burning hot blood run cold. "My... forces...?"

Kindfire stepped forward. "Come, Spike. I can get you both to Appleoosa faster than any other, and return to see to the dragons."

"I-I didn't agree to..." Spike was still sputtering when Kindfire set him on her back. Pyralsprite joined them a moment later, clambering up behind him across the larger dragon's scales before they took to the air, streaking away from Canterlot at an almost astonishing speed.

Spike spoke as low as he could while still being heard above the rushing wind. "P-Pyralsprite... what the hell is happening right now..."

"I think you're leading us to glory!" Pyralsprite pumped one claw into the air.

"Yeah, I was kind of afraid of that." Spike gulped. "I'm not a leader, Pyralsprite..."

"Really? Then why have you been doing so much leading since we got to Fire Mountain?"

"I... w-well..." Spike mumbled a bit before trailing off entirely. He had so much to think about on the way to Appleoosa he didn't even think to take in how beautiful Equestria was...

___

Twilight Sparkle could barely believe her eyes. The dragons had begun to show up just as Spike and Kindfire said they would, with their unicorn caretakers in tow. As they arrived each was led into the throne room, where Celestia explained the situation and would ask for their help fending off the impending attack. Twilight wasn't privy to these conversations, this was an important discussion between teacher and former student that she would never dare intrude upon.

Though it was nice to see the kind faces of all the students as they passed through, some throwing her a greeting on their way through the main hallway. These were her kind of ponies, after all. The chosen few who had been trained by Celestia herself, she now knew, to raise the dragons correctly...

Twilight gave Zecora a soft smile as the zebra approached. "You know, if circumstances were different, I would be thrilled to meet so many of Princess Celestia's fellow graduates."

Zecora chuckled softly as she moved to stand beside Twilight. "In this time of doubt and woe, you should let your little pleasures show."

"Oh, uh..." Twilight cleared her throat, trying to focus. "But we have so much to do, to our cause we have to be true."

Zecora flashed her a wide, warm smile at the attempt at a rhyme. "Forgetting that which we fight for simply wouldn't be right. We must remember our happiness now more than ever so that we may continue to fight for it forever."

Twilight nodded slowly and ran a hoof over her chin, partly absorbing her friend's wisdom, and partly trying to come up with a rhyme for her response. "Um... I'm sorry, I can't come up with a good rhyme at all for that."

Zecora chuckled. "Please don't fret, you're not a master yet."

"I'll keep trying my hardest, though!" Twilight affirmed with a determined nod of her head. Before they could speak any more, Rarity made her way into the room from the kitchen hallway, heading toward them.

"Twilight, I would like a word with you."

"Of course, what's on your mind, Rarity?"

"I'd just like you to know that I want to be a part of this." Rarity puffed her chest out. "Spike put out a call for unicorns, and I want to help!"

"Help?" Twilight cast her zebra friend a sidelong glance. "Um... thank you, Rarity, but you realize what's happening, right? We're talking about a potential war here... ponies and dragons could both get hurt. they could even die."

"I understand the risks, Twilight... but I am a patriot, and I am here for my friends." Rarity winked. "So whatever you plan to ask the other unicorns for, please count me among their ranks as well."

After a moment Twilight responded with a gentle smile. "I admire your courage Rarity... but we don't even know what Spike's plan currently is. I'm sure it'll be something clever, given that it requires unicorns and all these dragons."

"I know, I just wanted to make sure." Rarity turned to watch the next unicorn and dragon make their way through the entrance hall toward the throne room. "It's strange, isn't it? So many dragons in Equestria and we thought Spike was the only one all this time. All that needless loneliness."

"Yeah, I've thought of that too." Twilight shook her head. "Celestia splitting the dragons up like she did was genius in a way... they would definitely absorb pony values, and not being localized minimized the chances of them being discovered by the other dragons... but at the same time it was kind of cruel. I wonder if the other dragons spent as much time as Spike did wondering who they were and where they came from."

Zecora shook her head. "Cruel as it may seem to keep them from their kin, is that not a question we all hold within?"

Twilight regarded her friend with surprise, then lowered her head with a hoof to her chin. "You're right, Zecora. Even with our friends and family around to help guide us, who we really are is a question we all have to face." Twilight turned toward the zebra with a soft smile. "Why are you the only one in Equestria who makes me feel dumb?"

Zecora chuckled. "It is the rhymes. They make me sound wise sometimes."

Twilight laughed and wrapped her up in a sudden hug. "Yeah! they sure do!" A moment later a blush lit up her cheeks and she pulled back with a demure cough. "Ahem, I mean... I'm glad you're here to set me straight when I lose my mind."

Rarity peered at her suspiciously with a hoof on her chin. "I bet you are, darling..."

Twilight tried to regain her composure despite her blush. "Whaaaat?"

"We'll be gossiping later."

"Um... do we have to?"

"Even more now!"

Twilight sighed and turned to watch the next guest enter, happy to have something else to focus on. She had an idea of what Rarity wanted to talk to her about... and frankly, she wasn't sure what to say about it. This entire time she had been so worried about getting to Spike that she hadn't let herself dwell too heavily on Zecora. Now, as she sat and waited for the pieces to fall into place, she had time to think.

Her thoughts brought another blush to her cheeks.

18 - A Hero's Welcome

Chapter 18: A Hero's Welcome

Appleoosa was empty. It was a terrifying sight to Spike, as the three dragons flew overhead. The Wonderbolts must have done a swift job of getting the earth pony settlers out of town. This was a good thing, he knew deep down. It meant the villagers were safe... but at the same time it was as if the town itself was now just waiting to be demolished. Torn apart by the army even now sweeping across the land of Equestria straight for them.

"The buffalo tribe should be to the south of here." Spike called up to Kindfire's ears.

Kindfire's ear twitched in response, with a soft "I know" floating back to him on the roaring wind. The wind howled around the three of them as they shot off through the sky, straight toward the waiting tribe.

Kindfire turned toward the ground as the first signs of the buffalo camp hove into view ahead of them, touching down on the ground just beyond a desert hill out of sight.

"Kindfire? What's wrong? Don't you want to say hi? You know them, right?" Spike patted her neck worriedly.

"That was ages ago, Spike. The buffalo from back then are long dead." Kindfire settled down, resting on her stomach so the two smaller dragons could slide off to the sand. "And in all this time, I have done nothing to earn the right to return to them."

"Earn the right? But you're amazing, Kindfire..."

Kindfire turned away from him. "Go, Spike. You must hurry. With every second the dragon army grows closer. I will wait here to take you back to Canterlot Castle."

Spike's arms drooped to his side and he cast a glance at Pyralsprite, who looked just as helpless as he felt. "Okay... we'll be back soon." Spikes turned to head up the sandy dune in front of him. Pyralsprite fluttered through the air quickly to catch up to him, touching down on the ground beside him.

"Not exactly the hero from the story, is she?" Pyralsprite murmured.

"That's the problem with stories, I guess..." Spike shook his head as they reached the top of the hill. The buffalo tribe was laid out before them, clearly readying for battle. Face paint was being applied to grim faces, and horns inspected for maximum sharpness. It was brave, Spike guessed, but completely futile. Even if they managed to hit a dragon with those horns, the scales would deflect most, if not all of the blow.

They would be run over like weeds.

"Mister Spike!?" A feminine voice emerged from the crowd, and several warriors turned to look in surprise as Little Strongheart broke from the crowd to run toward him. "Spike! Thank the savior, you've come just in time!"

"Hey, Little Strongheart." Spike wrapped his arms around her neck as she gave his chest a soft nuzzle, then looked up at him in surprise.

"Have you gotten taller?"

"Yeah, a bit." Spike forced a chuckle, then glanced past her in time to see Braeburn approaching from the camp as well. "Braeburn? You stayed too?"

Braeburn nodded with his lips in a steady line. "I ain't gonna leave Little Strongheart here alone."

"What did Chief Thunderhooves say?"

"He's a little too preoccupied for exploding at the moment." Little Strongheart's smile faded quickly. "Mister Spike, tell me it's not true. Dragons? Evil dragons?"

"I'm afraid it is true." Spike nodded. "Big, fierce, powerful dragons. Making their way straight here."

"No..." The buffalo girl shook her head. "But why? Dragons are good, righteous..."

"Dragons are self-centered assholes." Pyralsprite interrupted her. Spike whirled in her in surprise, seeing her sightless eyes narrowed. "They don't care about anything but themselves. The one who saved you didn't even give a crap about you, she just wanted to claim the land for herself."

"Pyralsprite!" Spike growled.

"Well it's true!" Pyralsprite whirled on him again. "I've only known one good dragon, Spike, and that's you!"

"Enough!" A powerful, deep voice echoed across the rocks and sand as Chief Thunderhooves stormed up the side of the hill toward them, flanked by several warriors with paint on their faces. "You are our revered guests, but you're speaking blasphemy!"

"Chief!" Spike turned toward him in surprise, taking a few steps forward to meet him. "I'm sorry, Pyralsprite's going through a rough time right now, she didn't mean it!"

"Bullshit..." Pyralsprite coughed into one claw.

"Please, Chief. The dragons aren't a joke or a prank, they are coming, and there's nothing you can do to stop them. Your horns won't even penetrate their scales."

"True or not, there is no fleeing for us." Chief Thunderhooves stood straight, with his head in the air. The other buffalo, their war preparations complete, were beginning to gather near their chief. "Our ancestors stood against demon and dragon alike. We would be abandoning our pride, and our heritage, if we fled before them now."

"But Chief..." Spike gulped. "This means certain death."

Chief Thunderhooves' voice only rose, as if in defiance. "If this is to be our day, then we will face it with pride. But we will not lay down and quit, and we will not crumble like ants. We will stay on our hooves to the last breath!" The other buffalo behind him gave a howl of approval, their horns flashing through the air behind him.

A new voice joined the conversation. "You will fight to your end, if you must." The buffalo gasped as a glittering, prismatic head appeared over the hill in front of them. Spike watched Kindfire move toward the group now, shaking her head. "You do your ancestors proud, Chief."

"By the savior..." Chief Thunderhooves took a step back. "Another dragon..."

"This must be a blessing..." Little Strongheart mumbled under her breath.

"This is no blessing, this is a warning." Kindfire came to a stop besides the two smaller dragons to peer out across the line of buffalo, who all stared in awe. "Pyralsprite was not wrong about us. The dragons are coming to kill you all, and they will not hesitate for even an instant."

"Then why do you come with this message?" Chief Thunderhooves asked. "Why would you warn of us your fellows?"

"Because I owe you, Chief." Kindfire nodded. "I owe your people all that I am..."

"Chief Thunderhooves." Spike stepped forward, gesturing back toward his mother. "This dragon... her name is Kindfire."

Immediately murmurs, some of awe and some of suspicion, erupted from the tribe of buffalo. Little Strongheart moved a bit closer to Braeburn, but Chief Thunderhooves looked completely unmoved, his eyes peering up at the larger dragon with an almost questioning gaze.

"Declaring that name... you must know what it would mean. You speak it with confidence, but it can't be the truth."

"Chief Proudheart." Kindfire approached the tribe with a gentle step, her claws almost floating across the sandy ground. "That was the name of the chieftain who challenged me... who saved me. He was married to Big Heart... they had a son, Farsight." The buffalo fell completely silent as she stopped in front of them, her wings opening in front of them. "I remember everyone who cared for me... the ones who proved to me what respect truly was. The ones who saved me from my own hubris."

Chief Thunderhooves looked down for a moment, then up at the dragon again with a softer gaze. "You have returned to save us again..."

"Not I." Kindfire turned around to look down at Spike. "Spike came to warn you of the coming threat... heed his words as you would my own."

Chief Thunderhooves shook his head. "I'm sorry, Spike... I do not mean to be disrespectful, or ungrateful, but we cannot abandon our lands. Not for the settlers of Appleoosa, and not for the dragons. This land is all we have, and all we have ever needed."

Spike stepped forward again. "You only have to leave for a while, until the fighting is done."

"If we did that... then we would not deserve this land, or the protectors who would aid us."

Pyralsprite huffed out a plume of flames. "You're all fools, then."

"If we are fools, then we will foolishly earn our way to join our ancestors in the next life." With that, Chief Thunderhooves turned to make his way back toward the encampment, the rest of the larger buffalo following close on his tail.

"No, don't..." Spike stepped forward as if to give chase, but slowed to a stop after a couple of steps. Chief Thunderhooves was as stubborn as they came. He wouldn't listen now that his mind was made up, and the other buffalo would never go against his word. They were going to stay here... they were going to be slaughtered.

"Mister Spike." Little Strongheart approached the dragon with a solemn expression, her eyes downcast. "I know Chief Thunderhooves can be stubborn, and I know my people can be too... and I have no right to ask something like this, but please..." Little Stronghert bowed deep, resting her chin on the dirt in front of him with her hooves almost touching his feet. "Don't let them die..."

Pyralsprite huffed. "What exactly are we supposed to do? Relocate the entire defense effort to this place just for them?"

Spike lifted his claw to Little Strongheart's shoulder, lifting her gaze to his. "Yeah. that's exactly what we're going to do."

"You are?" Little Strongheart gasped.

Kindfire shook her head. "Spike, that will give us even less time to prepare..."

"Then we'll prepare faster." Spike turned back toward the two females , letting his claw fall from Little Strongheart's shoulder. "It won't be easy... but if we're not trying to save everyone, then we're not trying hard enough."

Kindfire cocked her head. "And if we fail?"

"Then we fail together... all of us." Spike turned to look back at Kindfire, staring into her intense, glittering eyes. "I feel like that's the right thing."

Kindfire nodded, with a ghost of a smile tugging at her lip. "Then I will deliver word to Canterlot personally."

Spike held up one claw. "Don't, I can get a letter there faster, I just need a pen and a piece of paper."

"I have some in my house in town. Follow me!" With a brief, comforting squeeze of Little Strongheart's shoulder, Braeburn turned to lead the three dragons and buffalo towards Appleoosa.

Pyralsprite moved up to Spike's side as they walked, her nostrils flaring. "I'm with you, Spike... I wanna see this through to the end. But are you really sure about this? If we all die because of these buffalo..."

"Sure?" Spike let out a soft, nervous laugh. "I haven't been sure about anything since we left Fire Mountain. I finally thought I had it all figured out, and I turned out to be dead wrong."

"So what makes this different?" Pyralsprite raised one eyebrow.

"Different?" Spike thought about it for several minutes, until Appleloosa loomed close over the horizon. "I don't know..." Spike shrugged and glanced over at Little Strongheart and Braeburn, who were walking side-by-side along the dusty trail, picking up speed toward the first row of houses. "I just don't think I could've lived with myself if I said anything else."

___

Canterlot was abuzz with commotion, the castle most of all. If the stream of little dragons coming through town hadn't set the populace on edge, the open call for unicorns they had put out was ringing serious alarm bells across the entire nation. Many ponies were abandoning Canterlot for the smaller towns, though many unicorns did respond to the call to arms, even those who hadn't graduated Celestia's school or have a dragon companion of their own. Within hours they had dozens of dragons and hundreds of unicorns filling the castle walls.

"I think we're looking to be in fine shape, don't you?" Rarity smiled at her alicorn and zebra companions on the front balcony of Canterlot castle, looking out across the heads gathered in the courtyard. Her smile faded when it wasn't returned.

"You didn't see the dragons at the mountain." Twilight returned her glance with a grim expression. "You could barely see the rock there were so many, and they were so huge."

Rarity shook her head. "But we cannot give up, Twilight. Spike would never give up on us."

"Of course, you're right. We can't afford to give up before the end." Twilight took a deep, steadying breath, which came out in a huff when Spitfire zipped through the air to the balcony in front of them. "Oh for Celestia's sakes, what now!?"

"You've received a letter from Spike." After a hasty salute, Spitfire held a crumpled and slightly scorched letter out to her. "Princess Celestia asked me to get it to you immediately."

"From Spike!?" Twilight yanked the letter out of her hoof with a burst of magic, unfurling it to read it quickly aloud. "Dear Twilight, we can't convince the buffalo to leave Appleoosa, but I think they may be an asset to us if we move the defense force here. Please bring the dragons and unicorns to Appleoosa..."

"Move all of these ponies and dragons?" Spitfire gawked. "Our enemies are already on the move, and they're faster than us! The Friendship Express could only make one trip at most! It could carry less than half of these ponies, and the rest would never get there on time by walking!"

Twilight cut her off with a wave of one hoof. "I'm sure if we can get Discord's help for once we can get this taken care of without any trouble."

"Discord?" Spitfire scoffed. "Nopony has seen a scale or feather of his all day."

"I, um... I can confirm he might not be around." Rarity gave a disarming smile. "He came by Ponyville yesterday and attempted to take Fluttershy with him... as he fled Equestria..."

"Fled?" Twilight could almost feel her brain stop for several long moments. "He fled Equestria!? Are you bucking kidding me!? He spends almost an entire week refusing to lift a claw to help, making me trek all the way to the dragon country to retrieve Spike too late when he could have gotten me to him in a second and resolved all of this, and then when things go bad he runs away!?"

Zecora placed a concerned hoof on Twilights shoulder softly. "Twilight Sparkle, please calm down. We need a cool head under that crown."

Twilight took a few deep, steadying breaths. "Okay... I think I'll be okay. I'm sorry. I just... without Discord there's no way we can get this entire army to Appleoosa in time. The dragons are already on the move."

Zecora nodded. "It's a good thing that you are unicorn ponies, and not some kind of magical phonies."

"Teleporting is one thing, Zecora, but we're talking about moving an entire army almost halfway across Equestria... there aren't nearly enough unicorns here to move such a great number that kind of distance, and not all of them are well-trained in magic. It almost drained me just moving Pyralsprite fifteen feet..."

"Twilight Sparkle..." Zecora turned toward her almost admonishingly. "If there is one thing I have learned from you, it's that when ponies come together and work as one, there is absolutely nothing in this world that cannot be done."

Rarity stepped up to Twilight's side with a bright smile. "I've never done anything like this before... but I'm willing to try, Twilight. My magic is at your command. I suspect they feel the same way."

Twilight blinked in surprised and looked down from the balcony. The unicorns and dragons in the courtyard below had turned to watch the commotion. Some looked frightened, but others looked determined, setting their lips in grim lines and letting their magic float through their horn. The magical auras began to erupt from each horn one at a time, until Twilight was looking down at a sea of unicorn magic. Individually, a normal unicorn didn't amount to that much. But here, all as one, the power was blinding.

Twilight gritted her teeth. "I'm not sure it'll be enough."

"Then believe it will be," Zecora reassured her in a soft voice. Twilight waited for the accompanying rhyme to come, and when it didn't she turned to meet her friend and mentor's gentle gaze. "Sometimes that's all you can do."

Twilight stared into her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Zecora. I don't know if I would have had the strength for all of this without you."

"It has been my pleasure." Zecora bowed her head respectfully, a move echoed by Rarity, and the unicorns gathered in the courtyard below.

Twilight wasn't sure whether to be overcome by pride or humiliation, but before either could take hold, she stepped up to the edge of the balcony, looking out across the courtyard. "Okay, if we're going to do this, we need to get to work right away..."

___

The afternoon light was pouring in on them through Braeburn's bedroom window, casting a bright and cheery atmosphere on the otherwise empty room, and the completely empty town. Spike's claws dipped gently into the bowl of water, moistening his palms before bringing them to the bed to run them over the thin sinew of Pyralsprite's wing. The girl grunted at the cold and twitched slightly, but didn't complain any further as he did his best to smooth over the parts crushed by the Patriarch's grip. The doctor ponies had done their best back in Canterlot, but there was only so much that could be done.

"Do you think you'll be able to fly, Pyralsprite?" Spike asked worriedly. "If you can't, I want you to stay with Twilight and the unicorns."

"I'll be fine when the time comes. You're not going to war without me, Spike, I don't care how messed up my wings are."

"Pyralsprite, I..." Spike trailed off and tried to focus his attention on her wings again. They had healed a lot over the last day or so, most of the actual tears had mended over. Spike had always been a quick healer though, so he really shouldn't have been surprised a fellow dragon would heal as quickly. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"And I don't want anything to happen to you. So we're even." Pyralsprite smirked back at him over her shoulder, the crimson glow of her eyes shining against her scales. "You're not going out there without me, Spike. And that's the end of it."

Spike couldn't help a soft sigh, or the slight smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Alright. We'll stick together then, no matter what."

"Yes, sir." Pyralsprite cackled under her breath.

Suddenly Spike felt an electric shudder run down his spine. At first he thought he was just getting horny again, but after a moment he realized it was something else. Something that made his stomach churn and his fingers twitch. A power the likes of which he had rarely felt before.

"What the heck is that?" Pyralsprite lifted her head from the pillow.

"I don't know... come on, we should go find out." Spike leapt off the bed, letting Pyralsprite leap after him as they made their way outside.

Little Strongheart and Braeburn were already waiting out on the sidewalk, looking toward the center of the street. Spike didn't see anything but a brisk breeze blowing the sand from the ground down the road, but the tingling in his spine only grew more intense as he approached the pony and buffalo.

"What is going on here?" Spike asked.

Little Strongheart shivered. "I have no idea... do you think it's the dragon army?"

"No way, we would see them coming..." Spike raised his claw to guard against the powerful light that suddenly started swirling through the air in front of them. It grew brighter and brighter, until everyone but Pyralsprite was shielding their eyes. Spike gritted his teeth and tried to peer through his fingers, watching as the light coalesced in front of them into a sea of shapes.

One by one the lights exploded into being, chaining backwards, revealing ponies and dragons standing in formation, hundreds of unicorn horns pulsing with magic that was flowing into Twilight Sparkle, who had her head raised at the front of the army. Spike gasped and lowered his arm as the light faded and Twilight opened her eyes.

"Twilight! What the... how did you..."

Twilight smiled despite the sweat running down her face. "How else? With the power of friendship." Twilight glanced behind her, where Spike saw Rarity, Zecora, and a great many unicorns grinning victoriously. Twilight turned back toward him with a determined look in her eyes. "We've come Spike, now tell us how to repel the dragon forces."

Spike gulped. Hearing it said like that made him realize that all of this was riding on him. Why? He was no leader, he was just a tiny dragon brute who barely know what he wanted or who he is was...

No, that wasn't true, he realized as he looked toward the setting sun, where he could see Kindfire resting with her wings spread to full extension. Some of the small dragons had already broken from the crowd to rush toward her, a fact that startled her out of her relaxing trance. He wasn't just a brutish dragon, he was the child of one of the greatest dragons since the peacekeepers of ancient times. They all were. If any dragons were going to win this thing, it was going to be them... with help from their friends of course.

Spike turned back to Twilight, setting his jaw in a grim line. "Here's my plan..."

19 - Respect

Chapter 19: Respect

Spitfire's lithe form whipped through the growing light of dawn, the air currents high above sending her hurtling toward the ground at breakneck speeds. The empty field below her was full of unicorns, dragons, and buffalo, setting up their plans. The dragons breathed their fire in bursts and arcs, practicing the magic that Spike and Kindfire had taught them. The unicorns' horns glowed brightly, making incorporeal shapes appear in front of them occasionally in the shape of a solid being, as they practiced what Twilight Sparkle had taught them. The buffalo were in the rear, watching Zecora launch green powder into the air in a powerful cloud, and many of them were beginning to catch on as well.

Spike watched the pegasus spiral out of the thick cloud cover overhead. How fitting that it was going to rain, Spike thought. How often does it even rain in the middle of the desert like this? Not very often, the land didn't need much moisture. Maybe the pegasus ponies were neglecting their weather duties, with the coming crisis. Not that he could blame them.

"Spike!" Spitfire jolted to a stop right in front of him. "The dragons are ten minutes away now. They're... they're practically blocking the sun, and closing in fast."

"Thanks, Spitfire. You and the other Wonderbolts should get out of here."

"With all due respect, we'd like to stay and do our part."

"You've already done your part, I promise." Spike gave her a reassuring smile. "Thank you, Spitfire."

Spitfire grunted in irritation, but didn't argue anymore. "Send a letter to Canterlot if you need us, Spike."

"You know it." Spike watched the pegasus spin back into the sky, meeting her companions for a few moments before they all turned and flew in formation in the direction of Canterlot.

Spike turned away from the Wonderbolts and made his way toward the buffalo, tapping a claw on Zecora's shoulder. "How is their training going?"

Zecora smiled encouragingly. "They're catching on very quick, I think when the time comes they'll be masters of this trick."

"Mister Spike!" Little Strongheart bounced up to him excitedly with a handful of Zecora's powder in one hoof. "This stuff is so amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" She swirled it in her narrow hoof, then threw it into the air, where it exploded into a giant cloud with a pop so loud Spike thought it had actually exploded. Every pony, dragon and buffalo within fifty feet turned to stare in shock, and Little Strongheart's cheeks went red. "Um... right, save it for the battle..."

Spike dug a claw in his ear to put his eardrum back in place. "That's great Little Strongheart. Glad to see you're getting the hang of it." Spike sidled closer to Zecora, speaking in a softer tone. "How about ten minutes? Do you think they'll all be ready by then?"

"They will be ready if they must, in their capabilities I have much trust."

"I'm glad to hear it." Spike patted her flank, then made his way toward Kindfire and the other dragons.

It was still surreal to see so many little dragons just like him here. Some had wings, some didn't, some were bigger than cottages and some were smaller than he had been back in Ponyville. But there was one thing they all had in common. They were all smiling, and they were all a family. But he couldn't afford to distract himself with that right now.

Spike tugged on his mother's wing to get her attention, whispering so the other dragons wouldn't hear, though she didn't look at him. "How about it, Kindfire? We're the muscle in this, everyone else is just running distraction. If we're not ready, we're already doomed..."

"They've known nothing but peace their whole lives, Spike. Of course they're not ready for war." Kindfire glanced down at him out of the corner of her eye. "But make no mistake. Not being ready for war doesn't mean one can't bring it when the situation demands... when there's something in your heart worth fighting for."

"I sure hope you're right. I don't feel ready either..."

"You will." Kindfire patted his shoulder with one claw. "When it comes time to fight or watch your home and friends be destroyed... you will be ready."

"Thanks, Kindfire... mom." He smiled up at her, then turned away to approach Twilight, who was at the Eastern end of the crowd, watching the illusions appear and disappear in front of their unicorn army.

Spike moved up behind her, watching the practicing unicorns for a moment, his eyes lingering on the field of light sitting in front of Rarity. It was glittering like diamonds even in the dim light of dawn's first rays, in the vague shape of a sleek, crystalline dragoness. The sight make Spike's footsteps falter. Rartiy's dragoness was probably the most beautiful, and strangely delicious, thing he had ever seen. He couldn't take his eyes away from it.

"Ahem." Pyralsprite's tail whipped across the back of his head. "Are you looking at something?"

"N-no!" Spike whirled toward her, hoping she couldn't notice the blush on his cheeks. "I was just checking on everyone. They're almost here."

"Yeah, I bet. The blood rushing to your heads is a total coincidence." Pyralsprite shook her head. "Relax, I'm not the jealous type. You're mine, and that's not changing now."

"Heh, you got that right." Spike smiled. "Looks like the unicorns are really getting the hang of it too." His gaze lingered on the glittering crystal dragon that was taking shape in front of Rarity. "I think we might actually have a shot, here."

"I'm loving the confidence." Pyralsprite punched his shoulder lightly with one claw.

Spike laughed and turned toward her. "Sorry, I'm still kind of new at this." He took one of his claws in his own and pulled her closer to plant a soft kiss on her lips, which she returned gladly. "It's time... do you think you're healed enough to carry me?"

Pyralsprite cooed, "everywhere you want to go."

"Then let's do this." Spike released her claw and moved to mount her, sitting just between her wings and her foreclaws. At his gentle nudging Pyralsprite lifted into the air, up above the crowd to the east. Spike lifted his head and launched a ball of emerald green fire into the air, the explosive burst drawing all eyes toward him.

"Hello, everyone." Spike faltered at first at having so many eyes on him, then he cleared his throat and tried to toughen his voice. "In five minutes we'll be able to see the dragons coming from the east. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be really, really scary. There are hundreds of them, each bigger than a pony building. We couldn't hope to defeat them all... but we don't need to. As you know, they're being commanded by a single dragon called The Patriarch. All we need to do is distract and confuse the others enough to slip past them and get to him. Once he's down, the others will have no reason to keep fighting."

He was so focused that a burst of thunder from the clouds overhead didn't even make him wince, though he saw many in the crowd do so. "I guess I'm supposed to say something inspirational now to make you all want to fight harder... but honestly, I don't think this is really about me. We're all here for one reason, because we love Equestria and its way of life. We love the ponies who live here, and we believe in the way they see the world... that goes for dragon and pony alike."

Spike's eyes turned toward the crowd of dragons. "When this is over I would love to get to know you all better... but we need to end this first. Try to keep each other safe. It won't help to..." Spike trailed off when he realized most eyes were now looking past him. He lifted his head, nudging Pyralsprite to turn around.

Behind him the shadows were looming larger over the horizon, like a wall of darkness blocking out the golden sun, and growing bigger by the second. Even from this distance he could hear the sound of cackling, claws punching into the sandy desert, and large wings beating at the air. A concentration of violence and terror sweeping toward them with purpose. As Kindfire had warned during their strategy meeting, The Patriarch seemed to be hiding inside of the ball of dragons.

"I can't sense them from here..." Pyralsprite cocked her head. "Is it as bad as I assume it is?"

The sounds of thunder echoed from overhead as lightning split the clouds, casting a bright green flash of light over those gathered around him. Spike didn't turn, he couldn't speak. He could only see those dragons stepping right on over them like they weren't even there. They were so big, and there were so many. They could probably level all of Manehattan in less than an hour if they wanted to. They had a decent sized force here, but one of those massive dragons was probably worth twenty of Kindfire's children...

"Spike!" Pyralsprite's voice finally cut through his panic. He could feel one of her claws nudging his foot. "Get a grip, we need you. Something weird is going on here."

"Weird?" Spike looked up curiously. It had begun to rain fairly hard, despite Appleoosa being right in the middle of the desert. Flashes of lightning lit up the dark in a myriad of colors, from pink to orange to blue. Wait, that wasn't right... and now that he was looking, the rain didn't look right either. He peered at the liquid coating the scales on his arm, and gave it a cautious lick. That didn't taste like rainwater, it was far too sweet. In fact it tasted like...

"Chocolate milk."

The lightning flared one more time as, in the distance, long strands of spaghetti began plunging through the sky in chunks, slopping all over the approaching mound of dragons. They whirled in surprise and fury, glaring up at the sky as other various foods and objects began to rain down. Everything from lampposts to pies began pummeling the dragons. The damage was clearly minimal, but Spike saw the value in it once he heard the screams begin.

"The draconequus!" The dragons howled in a frenzy, their eyes searching as they began to flit back and forth in search of their chaotic attacker.

It was the ultimate distraction.

Spike raised his claw over his head. "Unicorns, buffalo, help with the distraction! Dragons, find the Patriarch!"

Like a shot Pyralsprite was in flight, with the rest of the forces trailing just behind them. The thunderous sound of buffalo hooves nearly drowned out the thunder overhead, and the hundred or so dragons was turned into hundreds as they were joined by the illusion dragons cast by the unicorns. An invincible army to take the heat off of those who were really in danger, and on the hunt.

They plunged into the throng of dragons, Pyralsprite's movements deft and precise as she wove through limbs the size of most houses in Ponyville. It was like moving through a living forest, but for the moment, the distractions were working. The thunder and foodstuffs from above and the explosions of illusion powder from below were keeping the dragons confused, and those who did notice the swarm of little dragons ended up chomping at bodies that didn't exist, but their luck couldn't hold out forever.

Spike took a deep breath and batted a dragon wing aside with a burst of fire as they weaved through the swarm of dragons. He kept his eyes open and searching, but he couldn't find the Patriarch anywhere. There were hundreds of these massive dragons out here, covering an area easily the size of Manehattan. it could take a long time to find the center, and that was time they almost certainly didn't have.

Spike nearly flew off of his girlfriend's back when a small point of light flashed in front of him, leaving a creature somewhere between a breezie and a gecko perched on top of Pyralsprite's head.

"Spike, go towards the center." Discord's voice whispered harshly, somehow remaining audible through the wind, rain, and over the explosions from above and below and the roars of all the increasingly pissed off dragons.

"Discord! We're trying, but we can't find it! It's too hard to find our way around in here! We need you to guide us there!"

"It's that way!" Discord's head jerked to one side, but with Pyralsprite spinning around a massive tail, it didn't accomplish much.

"Discord, that's not helping!" Spike growled through gritted teeth. "Please, we need you to guide us! Just take us there and we can do the rest!"

Discord looked up ahead for a moment, his tiny body seeming to shiver. Spike knew the moment he revealed himself he would have a bullseye on his back for every dragon who so much as smelled him. "We'll take care of you, Discord. I promise. Just stay close to us."

Discord glanced up at him again, then suddenly vanished into a ball of light, surging out of it in his normal body flying away from them through the crowd.

"Pyralsprite, follow him!"

The two small dragons whipped through the air hot on the draconequus' tail. As he'd expected several of the larger dragons let out deafening roars and went for the God of Chaos, but bursts of emerald and orange dragon fire held their attackers back just enough for them to get lost in the sea of bodies once again. It was still hard to see, and even Spike was having trouble focusing with all the commotion around, but he wouldn't let Discord leave his sight.

They weaved and ducked around the dragons for several minutes, until the sounds of illusion powder faded. They had long left their companions behind, heading deeper and deeper into the writhing mass of scaly bodies, until suddenly they emerged into a massive clearing. As if entering the eye of a hurricane, Spike suddenly found himself and his companions flying into a place where the wind from the storm was blocked from all sides, and the massive, still form of the Patriarch stood in front of them. His eyes locked on Discord instantly, and emerald flamed licked at the edge of his lips.

No words emerged from those lips. Instead a burst of bright emerald flame surged through the darkness, moving quick as a beam of light straight for the draconequus. Before it could reach him Pyralsprite fluttered in front of him and Spike's jaws opened, his own emerald flames meeting the Patriarch's mere feet in front of his face. Spike was panting by the time the flames died, but the Patriarch looked completely unphased.

"Discord... thank you, but get out of here." Spike bared his claws out to each side. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the flash of light as the draconequus left the battle with a mumbled "good luck". The Patriarch's face twisted into a hateful scowl as he refocused on Spike, flames bleeding from his jaws.

"You are a stain on our kind."

Spike didn't speak. He nudged his knees into Pyralsprite's sides, sending her hurtling forward like a lightning strike. Emerald flames burst once again from the Patriarch's lips, but the nimble dragon spiraled around them as she closed the distance in a hurry, twirling up into the sky toward his head. Claws and a tail the size of a castle tower whipped toward them, but struck only the open air until they had reached their destination.

Spike leapt from Pyralsprite's back, coming down on top of the Patriarch's head. He reared back and let loose a powerful draconic beacon into the sky with a strong, animal roar that cut through the stillness in the center of the storm.

A claw swept up to knock him off, but Spike lunged down the massive dragon's back, racing down and letting his claws rake across the thick scales on his way. The Patriarch seemed more annoyed than injured, bringing his tail up to slap across his back and try to smash Spike against his scales, but Spike weaved to one side and slashed back. his claws managed to grab hold of one scale and rip it clean off of the tail, spinning to jam it painfully underneath one of the scales on his back. The Patriarch's next roar was one of fury rather than pain, however.

He could see Pyralsprite still circling the Patriarch through the air, bursts of orange fire lighting up his scales and tiny claw-slashes denting them. As he watched more flashes of fire began to light up the air around the Patriarch, and some even flared from the ground around his feet, as more tiny dragons began to make their way into the battle, drawn by Spike's beacon. The massive dragon's gaze lowered to the growing swarm, and he stomped down with one massive foot, but the smaller dragons scrambled out of the way and leapt up to climb into him, their flames and claws beating at his body as they made their way up.

Spike raced around the Patriarch's shoulder toward his chest, ripping another scale off of his back as he went and jamming it into one of the scales on his neck. He avoided the retaliatory claw by jumping from the shoulder down his chest, his claws screeching loudly across the scales and ripping off several more. All around the Patriarch's body he could see scales being peeled away, and flames licking at the exposed tenderness beneath.

"Get off of me you pathetic creatures!" The Patriarch's flames licks across his own scales, washing a swath of smaller dragons from his body, but still more were joining the battle, many riding their winged siblings up through the air to leap to his body and begin their own assault. Another blast of fire breath however caught more dragons, including Spike, washing them clean off of his body and sending them sailing out into open air.

Growling, Spike let several bursts of green fire go from his jaws, which slammed into the Patriarch's head with enough force to jerk it backward. It didn't save him from falling, but he had little concern, and indeed his faith was rewarded when he felt Pyralsprite slip between his legs and turn them both skyward.

"I think we're pissing him off!" Pyralsprite shouted against the rushing wind, which Spike realized was growing more intense. Looking up, he saw that the flying dragons had moved to one side, exposing the open sky, letting the sun shine in through the cracks in the cloud cover. In fact all of the larger dragons had formed a circle around the commotion, watching the scene in stunned amazement. Not a single one of them was moving to help their leader.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" Spike mused a bit nervously.

"Dragons don't rescue each other, Spike." Pyralsprite responded smoothly. "That was the biggest difference between you and them that I noticed when we first met. For them you're strong enough to win... or you deserve to die."

The Patriarch howled in defiance even as he fell to his knees, blood beginning to drip down his scales from the dozens of wounds that the dozens of smaller dragons were beginning to open in his body. Finally the pain was beginning to take a visible toll, but still his lips were curled into a hateful snarl, and his flames lapped at his lips with every heaving breath.

Spike nudged Pyralsprite in front of him, hovering toward his head. "Stop this, Patriarch. We don't want to hurt you. Surrender now and we can talk this over! We can teach you a better way to live! One where we can all respect each other!"

"Respect?" The Patriarch growled darkly. "What do you know of respect? You've been corrupted and twisted by the ponies of this land. I will accept my death before I beg for my life." His gaze turned toward those gathered around, the massive dragons watching in absolute silence, as if transfixed to the scene. "These corrupted dragons would see you lose your way! Your identity! They would see you enslaved to the ways of the ponies! Even if I die, do not let that happen!"

"The only one who is killing you is you, brother." Kindfire hovered toward them from the open sky, her wings beating powerfully at the air. They were shimmering brightly in the sunlight that was now shining down upon them. Spike hadn't even noticed the storm dissipate entirely. He supposed now that they weren't being attacked by the others, they didn't need the cover. "I brought you a better way long ago."

The Patriarch growled even deeper, his eyes filling with rage. "Bladestorm! I had thought you killed yourself in that ocean... but you only disgraced yourself and your kind. You spawned these pathetic creatures, didn't you?"

"My name is Kindfire. And yes, the pathetic creatures who have brought you to your knees are my children, hatched of my eggs, given life by pony magic, and given virtue by pony ways." Spike's chest puffed out just slightly, and he could see the other little dragons looking similarly proud, some hovering in the air, others on the ground, and others clinging to the Patriarch's scales.

Kindfire turned to address the other dragons gathered around them as she landed on the sand in front of the Patriarch. "The only corruption among our people has been the corruption of arrogance. We lost our way ages ago, perverted by our own power and sense of self-righteousness. We came to believe that peace is attained through control, and control is brought about by fear... but there's a better way." Kindfire gestured to Spike whose head whipped around in shock. "My son, Spike, has united three races against you. He made them work together, and he did it without a single threat or demonstration of power. He did it with the respect he earned by caring about those who stood with him."

The Patriarch raised one claw swiftly, his voice roaring over the crowd. "This is what we are! We are dragons! We are power!" His claw came down towards Kindfire in a lightning fast swing, but Spike was already flying between them on Pyralsprite's back, his breath held in his stomach.

A sheet of emerald green flame arched through the air, slamming into the approaching claw with enough force to knock it clean back over the attacker's shoulder. Pyralsprite pressed forward, allowing Spike's flames to sweep across his chest, pushing him back. He couldn't hope to bring the giant down, but he did hold him back long enough for the rest of his flying siblings to tug on his giant head, dragging him back and slamming him to his back on the sand with a deafening crash. Dragons, big and small alike had to scramble to get out of the way of his massive frame.

Kindfire only watched the commotion, not even flinching at the assault. When it was quelled, she turned to look at the enemy army again. "That is what happens when we work together, when we learn true respect for one-another. As opposed to the vile, twisted thing that he forced into all of you... as I once forced into all of you." Kindfire rose to her hindclaws again, spreading her wings wide. They reflected the golden light now shining fully down upon her, casting radiant rays across all of the dragons assembled. "You choose, my people. What will you choose to believe in? Respect? Or fear?"

The massive dragons all exchanged slow glances. For a moment, Spike was afraid they were all going to attack again. There was no way they could hope to stop them if they went into a rampage now.

But instead, one by one, they began to kneel in front of Kindfire.

"Whew..." Spike heaved a shuddering sigh. He could scarcely believe it, but his eyes weren't lying to him. Soon they were all surrounding her, bowing in reverence.

"You did it, Spike." Pyralsprite grinned and turned her head upward. "You saved Equestria."

"You could say that." Spike patted his girlfriend's sinuous neck with one claw. "Personally I think this has been coming for a lot longer than a couple of days..."

"Huh... your voice has changed, Spike." Pyralsprite cocked her head slightly.

"My voice?" Spike looked down in surprise, then saw his claw resting against her neck. He lifted it slowly into the air.

It almost looked like it was glittering.

20 - The Future

Chapter 20: The Future

The party that took place in Appleoosa that evening was probably the most epic in the history of Equestria. Three princesses, representatives of three different nations, and enough food to make them all throw up until the early hours the next day. Spike couldn't contain the smile on his face as he watched his fellow dragons... his family... interact with the ponies who were most important to him, and he even got to meet a few during the party. One even had similar stories to himself, as the personal assistant to a unicorn stallion named Wander.

Despite his pride and his joy at seeing the party unfold, he couldn't help but linger off to the side instead of running into the thick of it. Many of the little dragons who had fought in the battle had come out looking different, but his scales were now reflecting with bright prismatic color, just like his mother's. It made him stand out, and that made him uncomfortable. Pyralsprite did her best to reassure him, but he decided for tonight at least, he would just try to stay out of the way and adjust.

"You doing okay, Spike?" He glanced toward the voice as Twilight Sparkle approached with a warm smile.

"I'm alright..." Spike shrugged his stiff shoulders. "It just feels weird. I put Equestria in danger, I nearly got the entire continent destroyed by rampaging dragons, and just... out of nowhere everything's going back to normal. I'm just standing here, watching Pyralsprite mingle with my brothers and sisters, watching Discord mingle with the princesses. It's like nothing happened. It's like everyone's just forgetting."

"Nopony here today will ever forget what happened, Spike. That's exactly why they're trying to bring everything back to normal." Twilight Sparkle sat down on the small picnic blanket beside him. "I know it must be hard for you... you've been through a lot over the last two weeks... but it's over, Spike. You can let go."

Spike looked down slightly, then looked over into his old friend's eyes. He realized now that he really had been waiting for something else. Waiting for something to go wrong, for Equestria to be destroyed, for him to have his whole life thrown into turmoil, for his emotions to rip themselves out of his chest. He felt tears stinging at his eyes as he met her gaze, staring into those large, comforting eyes that had been there since his life began. He was here, without the conflict, without the hatred or betrayal... just calmly sitting with the mare who had hatched him.

Twilight scooted closer and pulled him into a tight hug. Her hooves felt a lot smaller than they had two weeks ago, but they felt just as strong. "It's over, Spike." He wrapped his claws around her a bit tighter than he intended as he sniffed back his tears. "I promise it's over."

___

"Oh please stop..." Discord's voice quivered as he brushed aside the princess' unabashed praise. When she did indeed fall silent, he waved his eagle claw at her. "I didn't really mean it, please do go on."

Princess Celestia rolled her eyes slightly, but continued. "I know you had your reasons for leaving, and your reasons for coming back, but Equestria owes you a tremendous debt regardless. If you would like anything just say so, and I'll do my best to make it happen."

Discord practically giggled in delight. "Oh to hear such words from you, Celestia, is almost payment enough. Almost. Speaking of debts, however." He snapped his fingers in front of him, and Twilight Sparkle appeared in front of him in a flash of white light. "I believe Twilight Sparkle has something for you."

"Wait, what?" Twilight looked around curiously, then peered up at Discord in annoyance. "Seriously?"

"Go on, a deal is a deal." Discord winked with both eyes, and a third eye in the middle of his forehead for good measure.

With a groan Twilight approached her old mentor, speaking in a wooden monotone. "Princess Celestia, to honor your kindness, leadership, and intelligence, I would like to award you with this." A banana cream pie suddenly appears over her head and flung itself into the larger alicorn's face. Celestia's face remained expressionless as she peered down at her former student through the thick layer of cream. "Sorry, he made me..."

"Ahaaaaahahahahaha!" Discord almost doubled over in laughter. "I've been trying to get her for weeks! She's a wily one, that Celestia!" Discord suddenly appeared on the tip of Celestia's horn, dancing happily on the end of it.

"Great, now we're even..." Twilight grumped as she turned to march away from the gloating draconequus, shaking her head.

Once she recovered from her shock, Celestia's horn glowed with a soft light and a washrag wiped the cream from her face. The washrag knocked Discord from his perch, but he couldn't tell if that was an accident or not. "Well played, Discord."

"Thank you, Celestia." Discord bowed gracefully after he appeared in front of her again in a flash of light. "Now if you'll excuse me, this party is grand and all, but I think there's another party where my presence would be more appreciated."

Celestia smiled again in understanding. "Tell Fluttershy I send my regards."

Discord coughed into one claw with a rare blush and a quick mumble, "yes, well, maybe I'll think about it..."

"Don't be nervous, Discord. You've earned her friendship today... you've earned all of our friendship today."

Discord couldn't help a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips as me met Celestia's gaze again. "I shall return to the palace soon, Celestia." With that, the draconequus vanished from the party.

___

Twilight Sparkle fumed silently as she retreated through the crowd. She'd been pulled away from Spike completely without warning... oh well, surely the dragon would recognize that she hadn't chosen to leave. He knew Discord as well as any of them did. Possibly better, given what he'd said happened during his trip.

She swept Discord out of her mind when she noticed Zecora standing near the refreshment table set up along the side of the road. She was speaking with Little Strongheart and Rarity in what sounded like a light conversation. Curiously Twilight approached behind Zecora.

"I think I'd like to learn more about your magic, if you wouldn't mind teaching me Zecora," Little Strongheart's enthusiasm was plain in her voice.

Zecora smiled back. "I would love to teach you what I know, I love nothing better than to help a student grow."

"See? I told you she would agree." Rarity nudged the buffalo girl with a grin.

Twilight moved up beside Zecora with a bright smile of her own. "I'm so glad you've decided to seek knowledge, Little Strongheart. I think learning from Zecora is a magnificent idea. I've learned so much from her, after all."

"You have?" Little Strongheart's eyes widened.

"Oh yes." Twilight nodded and turned to face Zecora, who was watching her curiously. "I've learned not to judge ponies by how they look... that being alone in a strange place can make you hesitant to approach those who live there, and that sometimes simply being there for a friend is the absolute best thing you can do, even if there's nothing you can do to solve their problem."

Zecora raised her eyebrow. "I don't recall setting out to teach you that."

"You didn't have to... you were just that much of an inspiration." Twilight paused and blushed. "Oh, wait, I was supposed to rhyme that, wasn't I?" Zecora chuckled.

"Hey, Little Strongheart, how about you and I go get us all some punch?" Rarity sidled over to the buffalo girl. Twilight blushed when she noticed Rarity's quick wink. "I think we could all use some refreshments."

"Oh, of course Rarity." Little Strongheart turned away to follow Rarity to the punchbowl, leaving Twilight and Zecora alone by the table.

Twilight stared after them for a few moments of companionable silence, then turned back to Zecora. "Listen... I don't mean to make anything awkward but... over the last two weeks..."

Zecora lifted one hoof to press it lightly against her lips. "I understand what is on your mind, Twilight. I feel it too, our partnership has felt most right."

"Yeah?" Twilight lit up. "Y-you mean you... would like to spend more time with me?"

"That sounds like a marvelous situation. As long as there's no big expectation."

"None at all. I've just really enjoyed spending this time with you." Twilight smiled wider.

Zecora matched her smile. "I will welcome what may happen when you and I come together and be true..."

Twilight stepped slightly closer and gave her cheek a soft nuzzle, which Zecora returned. "I agree, anything is possible when one and one make two..."

Geeze, she was still pretty bad at rhyming... but it didn't seem to matter now.

___

Later in the evening Spike's arm draped over his girlfriend's back as they moved away from the fires lit in the streets of Appleoosa, away from the other partiers into the bright, pale moonlight as it shone down across the desert. The light reflected off of his prismatic scales, lighting the way forward in a rainbow of color that mingled with the sharp red glow that emanated from Pyralsprite's empty eyes. No words were exchanged between them for a little while as they just walked across the cooling sand.

At last it was Pyralsprite who broke the silence. "It feels like the whole world has changed, doesn't it? Dragons, ponies... us."

"Yeah." Spike held her a bit tighter at that. "Things are going to be totally different from now on."

"I guess the big question for us is... what now? Kindfire is taking The Patriarch back to Fire Mountain, and they're going to be figuring out how to govern themselves now. We could go back, help our people improve, and make a new life for ourselves there."

"Or we could stay here, with my friends, with Twilight... help dragons and ponies come together formally. Help all the ponies of Equestria see that we're not so mean." Spike stopped and turned toward her. Despite being sightless, Pyralsprite kept her face turned away from him. "Maybe things could have gone better before... but they're still my family, Pyralsprite. My friends. I don't know if I can just abandon them."

"Yeah, I know..." Pyralsprite was silent for a long time.

Spike turned away from her and plopped down on the sand beside her, leaning back on his arms. "I'm sure nopony would mind if you came back with me."

"I'm sure they wouldn't." Pyralsprite lay down on the sand beside him, her body coiling in on itself. "It's funny, I ran away from Fire Mountain because I couldn't take it anymore, but now I would really like to just go home..."

"We've had a long couple of weeks." Spike kicked his feet idly in front of him. "It's natural to want to go home after all of that. After all of this even the basket at the foot of Twilight's bed sounds nice. Not sure I'd fit in it anymore though."

"Spike... is this goodbye?"

"I don't know."

The silence washed over them again, drowning the world in the sound of the gentle desert wind brushing past the two dragons. Peering into the distance, Spike could see Kindifre and the rest of the dragons from Fire Mountain resting for their morning journey. They were going home, and they were taking their massive prisoner with them, though he already seemed to have shrunk a bit since his defeat. He knew it wouldn't be the last time he saw her, even if he decided to go back to Ponyville. He could always go visit her.

But he knew in his heart if Pyralsprite left and he stayed, they couldn't share what they had found along the way.

He glanced over at her. Her snow-white scales almost seemed to be haloed in the soft moonlight, her long serpent-like body coiled around itself a couple of times. She too had gotten a little bigger, he realized, especially since earlier that day. The battle had left its mark on all the dragons. But now he was just trying to distract himself.

Spike scooted closer to Pyralsprite and wrapped his claws around her, pulling her into a powerful hug. The dragoness leaned against him, her smaller claws resting on his shoulders. Spike opened his mouth and made a few sounds, but he suddenly didn't want to speak. He didn't want to say it.

So he let his arms slide off of her body, setting her gently on the sand before climbing to his feet. He yanked his eyes away from her and started back toward Appleoosa. He couldn't think of anything else to do. He wanted to beg and plead with her to stay with him, but if Fire Mountain was still her home, who was he to ask her to leave it? He would feel like a complete jerk asking her to leave her life just to be with him, and he couldn't imagine leaving his friends again, despite what had happened before. Perhaps this was for the best...

He hadn't quite reached the town border when he felt Pyralsprite's familiar weight land on him, her hindclaws gripping his shoulders while her foreclaws leaned against the top of his head.

"Pyralsprite?" Spike looked up curiously at the underside of her chin.

"A lot of Kindfire's kids are going back to Fire Mountain." Pyralsprite reasoned. "There aren't going to be many dragons left here in Equestria to convince the ponies to stop being scared of us."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Spike smiled slightly.

"It's my civic duty to all dragonkind to stay here."

"That sounds like a noble thing to do." Spike raised his arms to pluck the dragoness from his shoulders and cradle her against his chest. Her glowing red eyes almost seemed to bore into his own, even though he knew she couldn't really see him. "As long as you're completely sure it's what you want to do."

"It's not that big a deal." Pyralsprite leaned closer, letting a small lick of flame pass from her lips to his own. "We have so much time we can live everywhere in the world, eventually."

"That does sound pretty amazing." Spike kissed her softly on the lips, letting their flames mingle between their tongues for a moment before turning to carry her back toward town. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We have a lot of decisions to make tomorrow about where we're going to stay in Ponyville..."

The End

Author's Note

This story has been dangling over me for a year and a half now. It's good to finally be able to put it behind me. Not that I didn't enjoy making the story, but writing the story can feel rather tiresome. There was a point of time fairly recently where I considered just marking it "Cancelled" and moving on, but being so close to the end just made me want to buckle down and finish the thing. I spent a very long time stalled at Chapter 18 (which, incidentally, is my least favorite chapter of the whole thing), but eventually I convinced myself to stop thinking about it and just move on. If it's not as good as the rest, then so be it. It needs to be done.

It has been a long time coming, but I sincerely hope you all have enjoyed the ride, and I promise now that this isn't hanging over me any more there will be more stories coming more frequently. Umbra Rex still has a long way to go, after all.

01 - The Girl from the Forest

Chapter 1: The Girl From the Forest

The Everfree Forest was a dark and foreboding place that not many ponies had the guts to go, but for Spike and his best friend Twilight Sparkle, it was quickly becoming like a home away from home. Not only was it a place where they could find peace and quiet away from the town, and privacy to practice Twilight’s magic, it was the home of one of their friends, Zecora. It was Zecora who had brought them out into the forest this day, and had Twilight walking at a comfortable pace through the trees while Spike rode on her back.

“Mmm, Zecora makes the best tea.” Twilight Sparkle licked her lips as she walked. “Always relaxes me, which is something I could use more often.”

“You’re telling me,” Spike chuckled, earning a wry sideways glance from his companion. “Ahem, I mean, yeah, it is pretty good.”

“I wish she’d just give us the recipe already.”

“Maybe it’s a family secret,” Spike suggested. “Or maybe she just likes that it makes us come out to see her.”

“Wow, do you think so?” Twilight frowned. “That’s actually kind of sad, if that’s the case. I wonder why she hasn’t moved into Ponyville now that everypony has accepted her? I hope she doesn’t still feel too different and singled out…”

Spike could only shrug. “But we’ve all done everything we can to make her feel welcome. Maybe she’ll move into town when she’s ready.”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah, you’re right… still, maybe I should come by more often, make sure she knows how welcome she is.”

Spike smiled. “Yeah! And we can invite her to town some time too. You know, instead of going out to see her or waiting for her to come on her own.”

“Spike, that’s a wonderful idea!” Twilight smiled. “We can invite her into Ponyville for dinner soon, I bet she’ll have a wonderful time.”

“I’m here to help.” Spike saluted with a warm smile, followed by the two friends fading into a comfortable silence.

There wasn’t much wind today, so the leaves overhead were almost eerily still, but that didn’t keep a pungent, but familiar scent from wafting out of the trees. Spike’s eyes darted back and forth across the path as Twilight came to a stop, her ears instantly perking up on top of her head.

“Do you smell that?” Twilight asked.

Spike leaned in close to Twilight’s head, resting his claws on the sides of her neck. “Smells like timberwolves…”

“Just keep quiet, and I think we can get out of here without attracting attention.” Twilight started down the path again, stepping lightly through the leaves and grass underhoof.

The smell of a timberwolf’s breath was overpowering even from a distance, but thankfully they couldn’t hear its snarling or footsteps nearby. It seemed it wasn’t on their trail, which was good for them. The Everfree Forest was full of predators of all kinds, but the timberwolf was near the top of the food chain even here. They were supernatural predators who lived to devour… though nopony really knew whether they ate flesh, or souls.

Spike nearly leapt off of Twilight’s back when he heard a screech of terror from inside of the forest, followed by the spine-chilling howls of the timberwolves on the hunt. The sound of bushes being brushed aside and screeches of terror were moving around them, but not getting any closer.

“Twilight, they’re onto somepony…” Spike gripped her fur.

“Is it a pony? I can’t tell who or what it is…” Twilight narrowed her eyes.

“Aaaahhhh! Get away from meeeeee!” A piercing voice was cut off suddenly by a heavy thump from inside the tree line.

Twilight Sparkle’s hesitation ended instantly, and she bolted into the trees with Spike clinging to her mane to stay on her back. They burst through the trees on top of a small hill, looking down on a sight that made Spike shudder. It wasn’t a pony the timberwolves had surrounded, it was a dragon. A baby dragon no larger than Spike. A dragon with a coiling, snakelike body and a pair of large, quivering wings, though the wings were folded in with several tears on the thin membrane.

“I’m… I’m warning you! Get away from me!” The dragon huffed a spurt of bright orange flame at one of the Timberwolves, but even as it backed away another of its pack lunged forward, one massive claw raking across the dragon’s side and sending it whirling through the air to the grass, tumbling away from them with a yelp of pain.

“Twilight!” Spike gripped her mane tightly in both claws as the timberwolves approached the limp form on the grass. A soft growl emanated from the scene as their jaws opened, easily big enough to snap the dragon up from the ground in one bite, though given that there were three, it would likely be far more gruesome than that…

Twilight’s brilliant royal wings flared out to the sides and her horn pulsed with powerful magic. A blinding explosion of light erupted just over the dragon’s body right before the first timberwolf could take a bite, and Spike suddenly found himself cradling the small, limber form in both claws. Twilight grunted and hunched over slightly to catch her breath. Spike knew that teleporting herself was fairly easy for her now, but teleporting someone else from place to place was extremely difficult. It always wore her out.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to catch her breath now. The three timberwolves had whirled toward them even before the magic had faded, as if sensing the small dragon’s exit point.

“Hang on!” Twilight whirled away from the scene to barrel back towards the path.

Spike clung to her back with his feet while his arms clung tighter to the dragon curled unconscious against his chest. The branches and bushes whipped against Twilight’s legs as she sprinted at a full gallop through the trees, but the snarling and stomping of the timberwolves would not be left behind. Spike could see glimpses of them keeping pace through the trees, their bodies almost blending in with the forest if not for their movement and glowing green eyes.

Twilight gasped as one of the wolves turned suddenly to barrel right into her path, its massive claw scraping through the air inches under her belly when she managed to leap into the air at the last instant. She came down hard with a slight stumble, and quickly corrected course before their pursuer could lunge again, but the other two were still pacing them on either side.

Twilight’s horn shimmered with magic, but the magic didn’t stabilize into an actual spell. She was still too tired from the teleportation, and the rapid gallop wasn’t helping her recover any.

Suddenly the second timberwolf lurched through the tree line toward her with its jaws wide. This time Twilight skidded to a stop and whirled to the side just out of reach, but the pursuing timberwolf closed the distance almost immediately. Twilight’s wings flared open and swept forward with a powerful stroke, the force of it sending her reeling back just out of range as it bit down on open air.

The third timberwolf came at them from behind Twilight again, barreling straight towards Spike and the unconscious dragon in his arms. Spike’s eyes widened in shock. Twilight was still facing the other way, there was no way she could turn in time to see it coming…

After only a moment’s thought Spike took as deep a breath as time would allow, and let it out in a burst of brilliant emerald flames. It was a bigger plume of fire than he’d ever conjured before, big enough to easily catch the timberwolf as it approached. The flames engulfed the wooden creature completely, the smoke fading and materializing again inches in front of Twilight.

The flailing timberwolf yowled in pain as it fell from the cloud of smoke in front of Twilight with emerald green flames roaring up and down the length of its dry wooden frame. Its two companions yelped in surprise and lurched backward to get out of its way as it flailed straight towards them.

Spike didn’t see much more, Twilight had already whirled away from the scene, leaving the stunned timberwolves far behind. They raced through the forest until at last they emerged out into the small field separating Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. Once they were safely out of the shadows of its long branches, Twilight heaved a gasp and collapsed to the grass with the two baby dragons on top of her.

“Are… you… alright…?” Twilight panted back at them.

Spike patted his friend’s mane with one claw. “We’re just fine, Twilight, thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me?” Twilight smiled back once she caught her breath. “I’ve never seen you blow fire like that before, it was incredible… almost magical.”

Spike blushed deeply. “I-I panicked, I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I just tried to blow fire… I had no idea that much would come out.”

“Well I’m glad you did, we would’ve all been goners if not for you.” Twilight leaned back to nuzzle his cheek with a bright smile.

Spike’s blush deepened. “Aw come on, stop it…” He looked down at the limp form still cradled in his arms. “A-anyway, maybe we should get back home…”

“Oh my gosh, you’re right…” Twilight climbed to her hooves with a grunt, stumbling forward towards Ponyville. “We need to get him home and tend to his wounds…”

“Her.”

“What?” Twilight perked up.

“Get her home… she’s a girl.”

“Oh…” Twilight blushed deep crimson. “I’m so sorry… I’ve never seen a dragon girl before… I couldn’t tell…”

“It’s alright Twilight… I had trouble telling at first too.” Spike raised one claw to brush some of the dirt away from the dragon’s smaller face. “I’ve never seen a dragon girl either… but I’m pretty sure this is one.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright then… let’s get her home and get her fixed up.”

The trip back into town was as swift as Twilight could make it. The afternoon sun was high and there were ponies everywhere going about their daily business, but thankfully Twilight reached their home in the Golden Oaks Library without any delays or distractions. Once inside she marched the two baby dragons into the back, where the bathtub was set up near the wall, with a water pump pointed down into it.

Twilight dropped them off near the tub. “Spike, will you get her into the bath? We need to clean her up first thing, I’ll gather up the medical supplies.”

“Will do.” Spike saluted with his free arm, the other holding the girl against his torso.

Twilight trotted out of the bathroom while Spike laid the dragon girl carefully on the floor beside the basin so he could pump some water into it from the spigot sticking out of the wall. Once it was about half full he lifted the surprisingly light dragon into his arms and climbed into the tub. His arms were simply too short to hold her head out of the water from the outside, and he didn’t mind getting a little wet. His scales were fairly water-resistant anyway.

With her head resting back against his shoulder he dipped a washrag into the water before running it over her body. Slowly her true form came to light, and it was borderline magnificent. A long, sinuous body with four feet-like claws coming out the sides, and a pair of wide wings coming out her back. With the dirt being washed away, he could see that every scale on her body was as white as freshly fallen snow.

He hesitated when the washrag reached her side, where several scales had been broken, showing the tender red skin underneath. Letting the rag fall beside the tub, he very gently lowered his claw to cup some water into his palm, and lifted it up to let the water trickle lightly over the wound, washing away the dirt without aggravating it too much.

“Nngh… ggguh…” The dragon girl grunted in pain and squirmed in his arms as the water washed over the wound.

“Careful, you don’t wanna hurt yourself anymore, I’ve got you.” Spike spoke softly into her ear.

“And… who’re you…?” The girl replied in a low, but undoubtedly feminine voice now that she wasn’t screaming. She hissed softly as his claw brushed over her wound again, brushing away the last of the dirt.

“My name’s Spike. We found you in the Everfree Forest. Are you okay?”

He felt her body relax just slightly under the water, her head leaning back against his shoulder. “I’ll be fine… where the heck am I?”

“Welcome to Ponyville, little dragon.” Twilight Sparkle smiled as she entered the bathroom, with several bandages, washcloths, and salves hovering around her head.

The girl opened her eyes slowly and turned her head toward the sound of Twilight’s voice. Spike’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her eyes… or lack thereof. Where her eyes should have been were bright red pools of light.

“Ponyville? I came this far? Ugh…” The girl grunted. “I was running from those things for so long I got turned around…”

“Don’t worry about it, you’re safe now.” Twilight approached the tub and floated the girl onto the edge. The washcloths moved down toward her to finish washing off her wounds, the salves and bandages going to work soon after.

“Nngh, thanks, I guess…” The girl grunted, her sightless red eyes turning back toward Spike for a moment. “Who are you guys?”

“Oh, I’m Spike!” Spike chimed in helpfully. “This is my best friend, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Hi there!” Twilight smiled brightly. “It’s nice to meet you… well, not under these circumstances, of course. What’s your name?”

The dragon girl looked up again. “Me? My name is Pyralsprite.”

“Pyralsprite.” Twilight smiled warmly. “That’s such a pretty name.”

“I’ll say…” Spike agreed quickly with a smile of his own.

“Thanks…” Pyralsprite grumbled with a soft blush on her pure white cheeks.

“There.” Twilight’s horn pulled the bandages around Pyralsprite’s torn wings and around her waist where the scales were missing, then floated her down to the bathroom floor. Spike followed quickly, climbing out of the tub to stand beside the dragon girl. “I’ve done what I can, but I’m afraid ponies don’t know enough about dragons to do much else. Thanks to Spike knocking a few off I know scales grow back, but do wings heal themselves?”

“Yeah, they should.” Pyralsprite ran her claws lightly over the bandage on her right wing.

“Where’s your mother? Can we help you find her again?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“She’s in the Dragon Lands…” Pyralsprite gripped her wing a little tighter. “I don’t need help getting back, really… I just can’t get there until my wings are healed.”

Twilight smiled. “Well, you’re certainly free to stay with us until they are.”

“What? Really?” Pyralsprite looked up in surprise.

“O-of course!” Spike chimed in again as he leapt to stand beside his pony friend. “We’d love to have you here! I mean, if you have nowhere else to go.”

Pyralsprite was silent for a moment, wringing her claws together in front of her before speaking again. “I guess I really don’t. So… if you don’t mind, sure, I’d love to stick around here… for a while.”

Twilight smiled. “That would be just fine. Spike, go set her up a bed in the bedroom, then you can show her around Ponyville.”

“Yeah, okay! Come on Pyralsprite! I know you’ll love it here!” Spike turned to lead the dragon girl out of the bathroom. The girl dropped to her four claws to walk, her body slinking back and forth like a serpent with each alternating step. Despite her eyes being unable to focus or seemingly even see, she navigated her way easily past the books that had fallen to the floor in the living room, and didn’t bump into the stairs, making her way up with grace and ease.

“So um… this is the bedroom!” Spike led her into the bedroom. “And this is my bed, over here!” Spike approached the cushy wicker bed that sat at the foot of Twilight’s bed, climbing in to look back at her. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“That’s your bed? Then what’s that?” Pyralsprite pointed toward the bigger bed.

Spike glanced over in surprise. “Oh, that’s Twilight’s bed. I guess maybe it’s kind of weird for some ponies to sleep in the same room together, but we’ve been doing it my whole life, so it’s not weird at all.”

“Your whole life?” Pyralsprite asked.

“Yeah, I’ve been her assistant since the day I hatched.” Spike sighed wistfully. “I don’t remember that day, but I think it must have been a good day.”

“Uh-huh…” Pyralsprite shook her head. “So where am I gonna sleep?”

“Oh, of course! Come on, we can get you another bed! We keep a backup for me from back when… uh…” Spike blushed deeply. “N-never mind that, we just have another one, we keep it in here!” Spike rushed toward the large closet set in the wall, pulling out a second wicker basket with a fresh, fluffy bed cushion ready and waiting inside. He dragged it across the floor to position it beside his. “There, why don’t you try it out?”

“Um, alright…” Pyralsprite snaked over to the bed and climbed in, her sinuous body easily sliding into the confines of the wicker bed and settling down onto the cushion, with her wings draped lazily over the sides.

“What do you think?” Spike smiled eagerly.

“It’s… um… nice. Thanks.” Pyralsprite gave him a toothy smile.

“Heh, don’t mention it!” Spike leapt onto the comfy cushion in the bed beside hers with a hearty chuckle. “Ahhhh, warm and comfy…”

“Yeah, warm…” Pyralsprite turned her head toward him, resting her chin on the side of the bed.

Spike looked back at her curiously for a few moments, then took a deep breath. “I don’t want to sound rude, but… your eyes…?”

“Oh, noticed, huh?” Pyralsprite lip curled into a wry smirk. “Yeah, I can’t see. I was born that way.”

“I had a feeling… but you get around so well,” Spike noted.

“I’m a dragon, Spike, my other senses are more than enough.” Pyralsprite cocked her head. “Haven’t you ever just closed your eyes and let your other senses take over?”

“Nah, I like my eyes.” Spike smiled. “Besides, I tried being a dragon once… I didn’t like it much. Those guys were real bullies… I’m way more comfortable here with my Ponyville friends. Hey, maybe you’ll be more comfortable here too. It really is great here, they don’t usually serve gemstones in the restaurants, but there’s plenty of gems in the mountains, and the ponies here are all really friendly!”

“Hehe… yeah, maybe.”

“Hey, now that we have your bed sorted, we should go out and I can show you around.” Spike jumped out of his bed quickly. “I bet you’ll love my friends once you meet them!”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.” Pyralsprite climbed out of her bed and turned to leave with Spike. She looked strangely thoughtful, Spike thought, but he dismissed his worry quickly. She was just hurt and probably still confused after being attacked by the Timberwolves. She would snap out of it soon enough. It was going to be so nice to have another dragon to talk to…

To Be Continued

Author's Note

A long form story that will take a very long time to finish. I decided for the first time instead of pushing myself to finish the entire novel before posting I would instead treat it the same as my Equestria Girls series, and sort of write it as I go. Frankly it feels more appealing to write that way.

Also, yes, the character of "Pyralsprite" is based loosely on the dragon "Pyralspite" from the webcomic "HomeStuck."

15 - Preparing for the Storm

Chapter 15: Preparing for the Storm

The cackling fire in the fireplace was slim comfort as Celestia lay on the rug in the center of her living quarters. A piece of parchment sat crumpled on the floor in front of her, as if freshly emerged from the blaze amidst a blast of smoke and emerald magic, though it had been there for hours now. Her teacup trembled in her magical grasp as she brought it to her lips for a brief sip, then set it on the floor. The tea had grown cold since she'd fixed it, trying to calm nerves that refused to steady.

Her mind had been racing for hours, and only now was she finally able to pull her thoughts together enough to hammer out a plan. She climbed to her hooves swiftly, bringing a pen and parchment closer to her to scribble rapidly on the page. She then approached her faithful phoenix friend, Philomena.

"Hurry, please. Time is of the essence." She slipped the note into Philomena's claw. The bird squawked before whirling to dart out the window, its trail of fire vanishing beyond the horizon to the east within seconds.

Satisfied, Celestia pushed open the door to her private chamber to find her private guard standing by her door. "Captain Pommel. I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, Your Highness!" The guard leapt from the wall to gaze up at her, obvious worry in his eyes. Clearly he could see how strangely she was acting today.

"I want you to send word. I want a full evacuation of everypony along the Eastern coast."

Captain Pommel's eyes widened in shock. "P-Princess? Evacuate...? That's tens of thousands of ponies. Fillydelphia, Manehattan..."

"All of them." Celestia nodded as calmly as she could. "Send word swiftly, I don't know how much time they have. Bring everypony toward Canterlot and the western cities."

"Y-yes ma'am..." Captain Pommel still looked unsure, but he would never dare question his princess. He whirled to gallop down the hallway away from her, leaving the princess to head in the other direction down the cold, empty hallway.

She made her way to her sister's room, hesitating briefly before pushing the door open to let the light into the darkness.

"Nngh!" Luna's voice floated out from the dark bedroom. "Sister? What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but we need to stand together now."

"Stand together?" Luna's silhouette sat up in bed. "Sister, what has happened?"

"My worst fear." Celestia stepped into her sister's room and closed the door behind, her horn glowing to light the candle on the wall beside the door. "The Patriarch of the dragon lands has discovered the truth."

"The truth? What truth, sister?" Luna climbed up from the bed to approach her. "What have you done?"

It was not Celestia who responded. "The one thing that can bring an end to Equestria... besides me." Discord appeared beside them in a flash of light. No longer his usual nimble, careless self, he was hunched over toward the ground with a claw around his waist.

"Discord! You're hurt!" Celestia stepped toward him worriedly.

"I never did care for dragons very much..." Discord lifted his head to look up at her face. "I simply wanted to report that your princess has failed. The dragons are organizing. They will be on their way any time now..."

"I know... they sent a letter to inform me of what has happened." Celestia couldn't keep herself from trembling. "Is there nothing you can do now?"

"We both know my magic doesn't work on dragons. Order, harmony, those are the core of a dragon's existence, and the bane of my own." Discord grunted as he lifted to his feet, standing once again taller than the two princesses. "If you'll give me pardon, Your Highness, I wish to go back to Ponyville."

"What will you do? Retrieve Fluttershy and flee?" Celestia asked.

"What would you do if you were me, Princess?" Discord raised his eyebrow curiously.

Celestia stared at him for a long moment, then gave him a sad smile. "Probably that very thing."

"Then I bid you farewell." Discord bowed graciously. "Not knowing what will happen is what has kept my life worth living for all these centuries... but for what it's worth, it wouldn't be so bad to see Equestria live on."

"Thank you. We shall do our best." Celestia nodded solemnly before Discord popped away again in a pinpoint of light.

Luna turned her gaze on her sister, narrowing her eyes. "Explain. Now."

___

Rarity was lost in thought as she laid in the grass of Ponyville's large central park. Opalescence was running back forth across the grass, alternating between chasing Wynona and being chased by Wynona, while the other pets lounged around on the grass with their pony caretakers. Except for Owlowiscious of course, who was being taken care of by Fluttershy in his owner's absence. A task she had quite happily taken up.

Which was the strange part. Twilight Sparkle had left with nary a word to any of them. They had only Princess Celestia's letter from Canterlot telling them that she had left on a journey and not to worry about her. She hadn't even asked any of them to take care of her pet. Rarity had a bad, sinking feeling that Spike was involved somehow. She was the only one who had been there when he left, besides Twilight. There was such disappointment and betrayal in his eyes... what if they carried him to a bad place? And even worse, what if Rarity had done something to drive him to it?

"Are you okay, Rarity?" Fluttershy's voice cut through her thoughts. "You look a little down."

"I just can't help thinking about Spike." Rarity shook his head. "I never wanted to hurt him but... I feel like he left because of me... at least partly..."

"Oh Rarity..." Fluttershy sighed. "I don't know why Spike chose to leave the way he did, but even if it was because of you, he'll learn someday why you acted the way you did. You did nothing wrong..."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know... and time will help you too." Fluttershy flashed her friend a comforting smile.

Suddenly a bright light flashed beside her, and Discord lifted her off the ground with his lion's claw, squeezing her against his side. "Fluttershy! I've got a proposal!"

"A proposal?" Fluttershy turned immediately red. "Wh-what s-sort of p-p-pr-proposal?"

"I would like you and me-"

Fluttershy squeaked. "Discord! I... I don't even... I mean... b-but it's so..."

"-to go out and see the world together!"

"Oh..." Fluttershy seemed to deflate, though some redness remained. "Th-this is very sudden..."

"It certainly is." Rarity peered suspiciously up at the draconequus. "What's your game, Discord?"

"Yeah, I think you need to get yer mitts off of our friend until she gives you permission to pick her up like that." Applejack approached the scene sternly, flanked by Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Discord waved off their concerns with his eagle talon. "Oh come now, I come in peace! No games! My only desire is to spend time with my dear friend!"

"Time with friends is always nice..." Fluttershy nodded meekly. "Where did you want to go?"

"Everywhere!"

"Everywhere? That's a lot of places... we'd be gone from Ponyville for a very long time."

"Just think of all the animals outside of Equestria you've never even heard of! Sights you never imagined! I could show you them all!"

"Outside... Equestria?" Fluttershy paled. "I've never been outside Equestria..."

"Then perhaps it's time you left!"

Rarity stepped forward again. "Discord, I think it is time for you to put her down. She clearly doesn't want to leave with you."

Rainbow Dash hovered up close to his head and punched her hooves together. "Yeah, let her go!"

Discord stammered, "but don't you-"

"Now!" Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash shouted in unison. Discord hesitated a moment before releasing his grip on Fluttershy, who squeaked and fluttered back in surprise.

"Discord, what has gotten into you?" Fluttershy hovered right back up to him, giving him a worried look and placing a hoof on his chest. "I've never seen you like this. Are you frightened?"

"Frightened? Him?" Rarity scoffed. "What could scare him?"

Discord was silent for far longer than Rarity thought he was even capable of before responding. "Losing Fluttershy..." He looked up at her with big, wet eyes. "I'm frightened of losing my only friend."

"Oh Discord... why would you be afraid of losing me?" Fluttershy rubbed her hoof gently over his chest. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"That's the problem..." Discord straightened his back again. "Danger is coming for you, Fluttershy, and all of the ponies. I want to take you away from here where you'll be safe."

"Danger?" Fluttershy gasped.

"What sorta danger are we talkin' about?" Applejack narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Draconic danger, Fluttershy. Dragons are coming to Equestria... angry, full grown dragons." Discord's tone was so serious Rarity thought for a moment there had to be some joke in it, but there was no laughter in his eyes.

"Wh-what?" Fluttershy's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Why would they...?"

Rarity muttered in a low breathy voice, "Spike..."

"It doesn't matter why, you need to get out of here now, please. I can take you anywhere, I can take you everywhere."

Fluttershy was shaking as she turned to look back at her gathered friends. "N-no, Discord... I can't..."

"But Fluttershy, you hate dragons!"

"But I love my friends... and I can't abandon them, no matter what."

Applejack stepped forward. "Come on y'all, we should go talk to the mayor about this. Figure out what we're gonna do."

Rainbow Dash pumped one hoof into the air. "Right! We need a plan of attack!"

"Wait!" Discord stepped forward as the four ponies whirled to charge towards Town Hall. "Fluttershy, we can-"

Fluttershy slowed to call back. "I'm sorry Discord, but I just can't leave my friends... and I hope you won't either..." She flashed him a gentle smile, then turned to follow Rainbow Dash's multicolor streak across Ponyville.

"But there's nothing I can do..." Discord lowered his arm to his side in defeat. "I'm powerless..."

"Discord..." Rarity approached the lord of chaos. "Tell me the truth... does this involve Spike in some way? Did he... do something wrong?"

Discord gave her a blank look in return. "Spike?" He shook his head, regaining a bit of his usual jovial nature with something new to talk about. "Do something wrong? On the contrary, he behaved just as dragons do."

"Why does that not sound pleasant?"

"That depends on your perspective, really. I feel like if it wasn't for this whole 'racial tension' thing he would have fit in quite well at Fire Mountain."

"And as it is...?"

"He has been marked for death by the dragons just like your entire species. I suppose that's what we get for not being careful."

Rarity's eyes widened. "How could little Spikey Wikey cause something like that?"

"It's a long story, and I am thoroughly uninterested in repeating it."

"Very well, can you at least tell me where Spike is now?"

"Last time I checked he was on his way back to Canterlot to regroup with Princess Celestia." Discord stroked his beard curiously with one claw. "Why do you want to know? Are you actually still worried about him after what I just told you?"

"Of course I am! I'm his friend!"

"If I were you I would be fleeing for my life right now."

Rarity smirked. "Would you? And yet you stopped here to get Fluttershy instead of fleeing for your own."

"Yes, well... I..." Discord trailed off. "Touche."

"The others can handle things here... I've got to reach Canterlot!" Rarity turned to race away from the park at a full gallop, her hooves digging into the grass sharply with every step as she made her way toward the train station. Running like this was going to make her sweaty before long, but she didn't care. She had to reach Spike. Even if for no other reason than to ease her own conscience for her role in driving him away.

If she helped cause all of this, she would never forgive herself...

___

Twilight's balloon flew quickly over Equestria. The land below was deceptively peaceful, as quiet and beautiful as it had ever been, and yet Spike couldn't help but feel like there was a new stillness in it. As if the world was waiting with bated breath to see what would happen next. Waiting for the carnage to come. Waiting for the destruction Spike was bringing back in his wake. Even thinking about what was going to come, what Twilight had told him, made his stomach turn. He even considered hurling himself out of the balloon... this was all his fault...

"Spike?" He felt Twilight's hoof gently nudge his shoulder. "It's going to be okay. We'll find a way out of this. Princess Celestia always has a solution, she always has a plan. We'll make it through."

"We wouldn't need a plan if I wasn't so stupid..." Spike clenched his eyes shut. "All I've done since Pyralsprite got to Ponyville was make mistake after mistake... leaving Ponyville, going to the dragon lands, letting Discord stay, trusting Lemonsnout, spilling the truth to the Patriarch... and it all led to this... me leading the greatest threat Equestria has ever known right to it... if Equestria is destroyed it will be all my fault..."

There was silence in the balloon for a moment before Pyralsprite finally spoke up from her position lying against the side of the basket. "Lemonsnout was right..."

"What?" Spike looked back in surprise.

"I did exactly what he said... I ran away from home because I couldn't take it anymore. I have never believed in what they did, I never liked the dragon way, and for that I was always separated... always the useless little stupid runt who couldn't even conquer her own home... who had to have Lemonsnout fight for her place to live. I ran away because I couldn't handle it anymore... and when I stumbled into you in Ponyville, I found in you someone who thought like I did, and..." Pyralsprite turned away from him, "I thought if I brought you back things would be better. Spike, if this is anyone's fault, it's mine. If I'd never run away from my problems instead of dealing with them, you would be back in Ponyville with your friends where you should be. None of this would have happened. So don't blame yourself."

Spike moved toward her, kneeling down beside her. "You've never thought like them?"

"I told myself they were right... over and over I tried to believe it. I wanted to be like them. But somehow I was never able to." Pyralsprite shook her head. "I wanted to live like them because they're my people, you know?"

"Do you think that's why you didn't grow?" Spike took one of her smaller claws in his now-larger claw. "Maybe it really is true that only the bad dragons, the greedy and selfish ones, grow like that."

"But why me?" Pyralsprite lifted her head slightly. "Why did I have to be different?"

"I don't know..." Spike pulled her into a soft hug. "But I don't blame you, Pyralsprite. You did the same thing I did... so if one of us messed up, I guess we both did."

Pyralsprite snuggled into his chest, wrapping her forelegs around his shoulders. "I'm not sure if that's comforting or depressing..."

Spike stroked her back softly. "Me neither... but you're not alone. And I want you to know that..."

"Thank you..."

"Twilight, I think I spy a dragon in the sky!" Zecora jerked her hoof back behind him in alarm.

"What? There's no way they could organize fast enough to be here already!" Twilight whirled to rush to the back of the basket, with Spike and Pyralsprite springing to their feet as well. "Oh... wow... that's not one of the dragons from Fire Mountain."

"It isn't?" Spike cocked his head confusedly at the sight of the dragon. It was barely bigger than the balloon over their heads, downright puny for a dragon, but its scaled glittered with prismatic light in the direct sunlight shining down on it. Surprisingly, there was a phoenix flying alongside the beautiful creature, leaving a trail of flame behind it. "Who is it?"

"That?" Twilight stepped away from the basket's edge to watch the dragon pass, its powerful wingbeats blowing their balloon off to one side as it shot straight toward Canterlot Castle. "That is your mother, Spike."

"My m-mother?" Spike stammered in shock, his eyes locking on the glittering form as it spiraled towards Canterlot Castle, which itself was just coming into view in front of them. He couldn't even find any more words. He had only rarely wondered about his real mother, and now to see her... it was like he was having a dream he had forgotten about a long time ago. She was there now, at Canterlot Castle, just waiting for him.

He would finally get to meet his mother for the first time.