The Great Dragon

by TOM

Chapters

Condolencies and Discords
And the Hearth Froze
Please take care of...
Epilogue
An Unannounced Guest
Memorable Flights

Condolencies and Discords

“PFFT! Ponies!” Discord spat.

“Oh I hear ya!” Discord agreed.

“Always wanting some kind of order.”

“You know I bet they would control the weather given the chance!”

Discord looked at his other self he created. “That is sooooo true.”

“No one else complains as much as they do. All running around screaming or going crazy.”

“The Pegasuses won’t even stay put for a day now. Or is it Pegasi?”

“You know you’re right, even that big stupid dragon in ol’ Ponyville doesn’t run around, or whine. He just spits out fire and flaps his wings around if we get too close.”

The other Discord jumped off his owl claw & sundae chair. “Oh! That reminds me, should I have this fixed?” he asked showing the other Discord the scars on his face. “What looks better?” he asked as he moved his hand over his face wiping out the scars then bringing them back.

“This? Or this? This? Or this?”

“Hmm,” he thought looking at himself. “You know what? I like it! It makes you look mean. And this definitely needs to be a Mean Year.”

“Quite right! I’ve been far too nice!”

“Hear Hear!” Discord number three applauded.

“Let’s make the buffalos ice-skate!”

“Change the names of all the cities again!”

“Wait! Wait! I got it! Attack Flying Sea Lion Ginger Beer Extortion Ring!”

All three Discords’ stood up excitedly, then all slumped back into their thrones. “I’m just not feeling it today,” they chorused. Discord was thinking of making a fourth version of himself, but that would be an even number. Better for the chance for one of him to be the odd God-of-Chaos out.

“Ugh! I’m so bored! What’s the point of being infamous if everypony is too scared to even say your name?”

“Y’know I was thinking.” Discord pondered. “What happened to The Elements of Harmony?”

“Beats me. They weren’t in Contourloot.”

“No idea.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” number four chimed in.

Discord gave his fourth version a dirty look, and then fixed it all by making a fifth.

“I’m stumped,” number five said. “BUT, remember when what’s-her-face banished whosits to the Moon?”

“Not really.”

“Aw jeez read a book willya?”

“Kidding! You’re me.”

The Discords guffawed. The first time he was turned into stone he had no idea of the power of The Elements of Harmony. He was actually in mid-speech explaining to the two sisters how omnipotent he is. So when he broke out the first time, he did so quietly, he plotted, took his time. He read up on the history of what transpired while he was gone. He gathered intelligence, and learned everything there was to know about his enemies. Their strengths, their weaknesses, their fears, it was a full 2 hours before he got bored and decided to strike.

“Oh Discord you handsome devil! You’re so craaazy!”

“And handsome too.”

“I said that already.”

“I know what you are but what am I?”

“Thank you soooo much,” Discord said. “Anyho, as I was saying. Where are The Elements hidden? Long ago, after whatits & whosits went at it, the cute one couldn’t stand to live in that castle anymore.”

“That’s right!” Discord declared.

“And that castle is now……?”

“The Big Stupid Dragon’s Cave.”

They all sighed.

“Yeah but they were moved, that little whatever-her-name was bound to them in that that silly little town.”

“That the big stupid dragon is guarding.”

“Oh yeah.”

“So you think he has them?”

“Hard to say, dragons like jewels and shiny things. As dragons go he’s kind of an odd duck.”

“Tell me about it. None of my spells to bend his will seem to work.”

“And he knew me as soon as he saw me, that’s a headscratcher.”

“Tried to kill me before I even got a word out.”

“So, I took all that effort into convincing those other dragons to join forces to get all Big Stupid’s hoard.”

“Excuse me? I convinced those dragons.”

“Yeah and what happened?”

Discord five made little dragon puppets out of his hands. “Rawr! I’m not scared of you! You’re nothing but teenagers! Diamond Dogs to be whipped into place! Get back here! Yipe! Yipe! Yipe!”

“And the dragons he didn’t get said they didn’t even see any gems,” Discord number seven added.

“That pretty much broke the spell I cast on them.”

“He obviously doesn’t crave the same things other dragons do.”

“You mean the spell I cast on them.”

“No because I was the one who did it!”

“No me!”

“I did it!”

“ENOUGH!”

Discord made his other selves disappear. “It doesn’t matter anyhow. A big dumb stupid dragon can’t wield The Elements of Harmony anyway. Only a pony can, and not just any pony.”

Silver tried a full frontal assault this time, she charged at full speed with her horn in attack position. No effect, she landed upside down against her opponent. She jumped back up and struck as hard as she could with the hind legs, just like her Dad used to do during harvest, again nothing. She flew in the air and tried kicking again. Nothing was working, she even bit him.

The dragon just snorted.

“Fine,” she said. “Then let’s try this.”

For months she’s been learning at least one new spell every day, but had only tried the safer ones. This wasn’t the time for that though. She concentrated on her target, ignoring the smell of ozone as the power collected on her horn. Her top of her main began to stand on up. Silver still held onto the spell. She didn’t release it until she felt the bridge of her nose getting shocked. A bolt of lightning arced right into the dragon’s face.

The dragon’s head reared up and sneezed out a fireball right at Silver.

“Alright I’m up! I’m up!” the dragon grumbled. He blinked a few times getting his eyes to focus. “Silver?”

“Up here,” she said. She launched herself out of the way at the last second. Silver really loved the room she had to practice flying and has become a very strong flyer in fairly a short time.

“Are you alright?”

“You could have burned me!”

“I’m really sorry my little pony, but it wasn’t my fault. You made me sneeze.”

“Why is it so hard to wake you up? When I first got here you heard me sneaking down the hallway.”

“I noticed that. I think I sleep allot better knowing you’re here.” The dragon scratched the spikes on his head. Silver lit the globes on her own again this morning, the rooms were as bright as day. “Still not used to being alone in here I guess,” he said looking down at Rarity’s bed. “For that matter I’ve never slept in an empty house.”

“Never?” Silver asked.

“I shared the same room with my teacher when I was her assistant in the library.”

“The Pink One?”

“No she only taught me how to make cupcakes. It was the violet unicorn that taught me about almost everything else. I’ve known her since she hatched me, named me; she was pretty much my older sister.”

The big dragon lumbered out of the bedroom with Silver following.

Silver flew down landing on top of Spike’s brow. “We need to re-write those books in the library about dragons.”

“I wrote my own book on the subject if that counts. My memoirs actually.”

Silver was going to ask how but she already knew watching him cook for her. His claws are very sharp and would use the points to delicately move around pony sized utensils. That’s how he filed away all the books in the library. Once Silver learned how to use magic to move objects, Spike just told her the recipe and let her cook her own food.

“I’d like to read it,” she said.

“You should be reading other books.”

“I like The Daring Do series.”

“I mean spell books, and history books,” Spike said. Before she could say it he answered her. “I know it’s tedious, and you need a break. But your parents were right, you are special, I’ve never seen a pony learn so many spells so fast. And this is very important.”

“I know,” she sighed, sliding on her back between the dragon’s eyes. “It’s just kind of lonesome in here. No offense.”

Spike gave his signature growl. “None taken.”

“I mean I love flying all the time, but at least with Mom and Dad they’d let me go outside. Didn’t have any friends though, having to be all covered up all the time.”

“Friendship’s important.” Spike declared as fact rather than just being sympathetic.

“I just want to get out more. Meet more ponies like I did on the way here.”

“If it wasn’t so dangerous out there I would agree.”

“I can take care of myself,” she boasted. “I could even show Him a thing or two!”

Spike growled again.

“How do you fight Him?” she asked.

“Never listen to anything He says. Even when He’s asking for a truce it’s an attack. What He loves to do is play on your doubts & fears. He uses that to take away your resolve. So ignore every noise that comes out of His mouth. Just fight Him.”

“That’s how you beat Him all those times?”

“I never really won. He’s still around isn’t he? He just gets frustrated and leaves. I guess I’m a puzzle to Him.”

“Everypony thinks I can beat Him.”

“With the right tools you can.”

Silver pounced back on her feet on the end of Spike’s nose looking him in the eyes. “I can’t wait to take Him down!”

Spike had to cross his eyes to see the little filly, she was standing in what she thought was a fighting stance. It reminded Spike of Rainbow Dash before she was about to take flight to practice some ridiculous stunt.

“Silver, you’re the bravest pony I’ve even met. I mean it. But you need to be smart more than you need to be brave. Defeating Him is one thing, but saving the world is something else. And trust me it needs saving. You’re one of a kind and there are still some ponies out there who heard the stories of when they had a Princess like you. So it will be you they turn to.”

She collapsed on the end of Spike’s nose, covering her eyes with her hooves, an exaggerated display of dread. She then propped her head back up resting it on one hoof. “I was thinking: if I go out exploring once in a while, I could learn more about what life is like now instead of what the books say.”

“Maybe, you could also get hurt. Even the forest around here is dangerous.”

“I’d like to go past the valley.”

“You might run into Him doing that. He doesn’t like ponies venturing to and fro around the valley.”

“Yeah, but I can teleport now.”

“I think you’ll run into danger more than anything.”

“Or I might even meet another pony like me. And then you’ll have two students!”

Spike laughed. “That would be a really good sign.”

Silver has gotten very comfortable with her new surroundings since she crept into Spike’s home earlier this year. Then again Spike has made it easy for her. He has generously opened his home to her letting her use his library, let her stay in one of his guest rooms, and fed her. But it has been more than that, when she first began researching magic she was excited, but Silver’s enthusiasm waned when she realized the daunting task that was ahead of her. Spike pointed her in the right direction, telling her what books to start with. After a few weeks of coaching, he began quizzing her. Now he has settled in to being her teacher which he is surprisingly suited for. He made learning fun for her and himself as well. Silver was always told she’s inquisitive; her parents would get frustrated and scold her for asking so many questions. Spike never seemed to tire of it, and always had an answer and never hid anything from her. The old dragon enjoyed the company and was very tolerant of the filly.

He did have what Silver described as “dragon moments”. She learned quickly enough not to touch Rarity’s bed. If he thought there was any threat to his “hoard” which turns out to be the entire valley, he’d stay perched at the mouth of the cave glaring for hours looking over the old village, his keen eyes searching for anything unseemly. He had a unique duality about him. He was the wisest creature Silver ever met but in the shell of a giant beast but it seemed to match his nature. When she would ask him about his life, Spike would gloss over the hair-raising adventures as if bored by them, yet gleefully talk about what were mostly life lessons of his long-gone friends. Silver learned more about personal lives of Spike’s friends and his unusual relationship with the Unicorn Rarity than she did on what to do if she ever faced an Ursa Minor. There was the Pegasus who wanted nothing more than to join The Wonderbolts. And when she finally did, she stole the show, but left after just a few months out of fear of how Ponyville was fairing without her. Spike’s “older sister” went from a bookish student to Steward of Equestria after the Two Sisters passed away. Then there was the shy Pegasus whose paralyzing fear of dragons made their reunions very awkward. She was so torn between visit her old friend and her phobia she had to force her husband along so she could hide behind him while she and Spike caught up.

Then there was Rarity, a vain social climber who would drop all pretenses of materialism if a friend was in trouble. She never obtained the fame or notoriety of some of Spikes other friends, and was overshadowed by her younger sister’s talents. But she loved her work and did gain some moderate success as a designer after moving to Canterlot. She had plenty of suitors in her day, most romances ended in disappointment, one ended tragically. Yet Spike was always there for her, as a baby dragon, and up to his adolescent years. In another one of their dangerous adventures Spike told in his usual blasé & unspecific fashion he grew his wings needed to save Rarity. The adventure drew the two closer to each other. Later on Rarity realized she was comparing her colt suitors to Spike. Eventually the two would arrive to socials together as a couple rather than friends, a disturbing sight to a number of the ponies outside of their circle of friends. Some of the more status conscious unicorns would mock her in public resulting in more than a few embarrassing scenes when Spike would defend Rarity’s honor. This always ended with the colt running away in terror while the Palace Guard held the dragon at bay. Rarity’s career suffered yet she never blamed Spike, it didn’t seem all that important to her anymore. The two returned to Ponyville where they received a warm welcome. When Spike got too big for the town his friends helped set up the old castle in the Everfree Forest. Rarity insisted on decorating the rooms with every intention of moving in with him. And that’s how the two stayed, a time so boring to Silver yet so blissful to Spike he would talk Silver’s ear off about their time together in this giant home.

Silver wondered how a unicorn could have such a hold on The Great Dragon. She has stared at her portrait and tried to mimic the expression on her face and her hairstyle. Spike caught her doing it and shook his head smiling then told her to get back to her studies. It certainly wasn’t the same to him, his unicorn was white with a dark blue mane, Silver was light blue with a silver mane.

Once they got in the library Silver hopped off Spike’s nose, and Spike grabbed the latest book she was studying. He would read a few chapters, a comic site watching him flip the pages with his claws, and impressive how he did it so easily. Spike would quiz Silver on particular chapters if it was a book on history or philosophy, or would ask her to work one of the spells. He would always volunteer to be the test subject, the moustache spell was hilarious. Silver noticed the dragon was surprisingly well read, and his library is a collection of books from all the great libraries that are now in ruins across the world. Spike would fly off searching for more for his collection once or twice a year. Silver thinks it’s funny to know when he flew over her hometown terrifying the locals he was gingerly clutching a cache of pony literature.

“Spike, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” It’s the first time she asked so I must be important.

“You knew ponies like me, the Princesses, right?”

“I was closer than most.”

“What were they like?”

Spike put the book down and Sliver used her magic to file it back away. “Not all of them were as talented as you; some had magic skills that were very limited. The two sisters on the other hand, ho ho. Almost godlike.”

“What were they like personally?”

“Celestia was sort of…matronly to her subjects. A little cryptic at times as well. She was very wise I’ll grant her that, and kind.”

“So you liked her the most?”

“When I was baby absolutely, every child wants a Mother. Later on though, I preferred Luna. She was a bit more stern, with almost a martial discipline, but very honest. Celestia I always thought was hiding something, Luna was just hidden. Until I started staying up late.” Spike grinned.

“Did she approve of you and Rarity?”

“No, but she told me straight off. She respected me enough to be truthful. Most everypony who didn’t like it learned to keep their mouth shut around me, not her. Luna wasn’t scared in the slightest and was more concerned about it. Thought it would just end badly for both of us. Celestia seemed entertained by it, approved I don’t know. Come to think of it, that’s why I liked Luna more. She treated me as equally as any of her subjects. Yes she would bark in an incredibly formal manner even in private, but she did it out of respect for the citizenry, thought it was her duty. Celestia still looked at me as the pet she never bothered hatching. If she didn’t have that premonition one day and used me to test for the next Chosen One, I would probably still be in an egg on her mantle.”

Silver took this biased tale with a grain of salt. She imagined a dragon would gravitate to a Princess of the Night the same way a Batwinged Pegasus does.

“I still wish I had a sister,” she said out loud.

Spike eyed the little pony thoughtfully. “Let’s try a different kind of spell,” he said.

It was a little involved at first; Spike didn’t need a reference book to teach it though. He wanted to keep the spell’s result secret. It was part bonding, part phoenix restoration. Naturally Spike volunteered as the test subject for the bonding. After the first stage of the spell was done, Spike had Silver write the word “Help” on a parchment, and then wrap it with a red ribbon.

“Alright, now burn it, just like I told you.”

Silver incinerated the paper. Immediately afterwards Spike belched out a tiny puff of flames, when the flames disappeared the Spike had caught the parchment in his claws. Silver was in tears laughing at this trick.

“Why would I want to know how to do that?!” she said still laughing.

“Watch this.” Spike burned the same paper.

Silver felt a gentle warm wind on the tip of her horn and the same paper landed in front of her.

She smiled. “We can send letters to each other?”

“If needed, I was thinking we could also use it for something else. You keep this letter with you at all times, when you’re out exploring and meeting ponies. As soon as you feel in danger, even in the slightest, send this letter. We’re bonded now so I should find you easy.”

“You mean I’ll be able to go out on my own?”

“Just keep yourself covered and if you must fly, do it at night.”

Silver danced with joy, the big dragon let her celebrate. As gifted as she is, it’s hard for Spike to remember she’s just a little filly. Watching her reaction now reminded him.

“BUT, you have to learn this spell until it’s as easy a breathing.”

Silver nodded excitedly.

“I mean perfectly. It’s a simple spell but in a scary situation you could freeze up, so we’re going to practice this all day till you can do it without thinking. Are you ready?”

Silver answered him by sending the letter to him. As soon as Spike burped it up he sent it back to her. And the rest of the day was spent in the library sending the letter back and forth.

The old Pegasus was exhausted, face down on a cloud panting.

“Oh for goodness sake you’re not going to snap are you?” Discord groused.

“So tired,” the Pegasus wheezed.

“Yeah I ran you ragged didn’t I? Which was pretty easy considering I shrunk your wings, they look silly by the way.”

The old Pegasus whimpered something Discord couldn’t make out.

“I got a question,” Discord asked. “What’s purple on top green on the bottom and goes like this?” He morphed his head into the shape of the big stupid dragon and roared exactly the way he’s heard from the dragon himself.

The old Pegasus quailed. “No! Please! A dragon! It’s a dragon!”

“Well, duh! What’s the dragon’s name?!”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Well those other Pegasuses – Pegasi whatever said you two were flying together for quite some time. And it looked like you here talking!”

The old Pegasus had passed out from exhaustion.

“WAKE UP!” Discord shouted while kicking him.

The old Pegasus groaned in agony and fear. “H-He asked me things. He just flew up next to me, said ‘Excuse me?’ and asked me about the Cloudsdale Library.”

“Excuse me?!”

“I mean Klusdaul.”

“He say anything about The Elements of Harmony?”

“What?” The old Pegasus never heard of that. “No, he just asked about the books.”

“What do you mean ‘books’?”

The Pegasus pulled an old worn copy out of his satchel, holding it above his head making a deliberate effort not to look Discord in the eye. Discord snatched from the old Pegasus scrutinizing the bizarre artifact at arm’s length staring at the pages sideways.

“Blecch! A reference book on cloud making?” His mismatched eyes widened. “Hang on. You mean to tell me that big dumb stupid dragon likes this sort of thing?”

The old Pegasus nodded while keeping his face buried in the cloud.

“So THAT’S what he craves! That changes everything.”

“Please let me go,” the old Pegasus whispered.

“You know what? No.”

Spike didn’t sleep as easy with her gone, but if he concentrated he could feel her presence. He learned how to as an adolescent while bonded to Celestia. As letters were being sent back and forth between her and Twilight, he could feel their destination. Later he didn’t need to send anything, he could feel Celestia’s whereabouts and even touch onto her emotions. Until the day he dug a little too deep and heard Celestia’s voice in his head say “That’s enough of that.” And the bond was lost. No more letters were sent through him, he thought the connection was completely cut off. That is until the night Celestia died. While sleeping he heard her voice in his head.

“You’ll live longer than any of us Spike,” she said. “Please take care of-“

Spike jolted himself awake thinking it was a dream shaking Rarity awake too. She assured him it was just a dream and told him to go back to sleep. The next day they learned that Princess Celestia passed away. Twilight took the news worse; she was a wreck for days. Princess Luna kept herself occupied with the funeral arraignments then later with royal duties to hide her pain. When Spike flew to meet Princess Luna the next night she held back her tears and even forced a smile on her face as the dragon greeted her. Even though she hid her pain Twilight and Spike could tell she needed friends near her at this sad time. So the two of them began sleeping in the daytime to keep her company at night.

That year’s Nightmare Night was one Spike will never forget. He was large and scary enough to be elected to pull Luna’s Chariot that night. Twilight even cast a spell to make all his scales black. He flew into town with Luna in tow he landed, spread his wings and let out the loudest roar he’s ever shouted, then bowing theatrically to the Princess who was adorned with the most terrifying raiment. The ponies cheered and greeted her like a savior. The children could not even pretend to be scared, everpony was too grateful to still have a Princess. The tone of the celebration changed after that night, and from then on Luna chose to spend more time in the daylight to reassure her subjects. Over the years the burden of her new duties wore on her. Near her end she had relied of Twilight Sparkle so much, Twilight’s ascension was unchallenged when decreed by Luna.

It dawned on Spike he hadn’t thought of those times in years.

“Please take care of-“

Spike walked out of his cave looking up at the stars, wondering what he was supposed to take care of. Ponyville, and the Everfree Forest he took care of more for himself. Spike thought that may be why he’s grown so big to guard such a hoard, though he never seemed to stop growing. Take care of Equestria maybe? No one would trust a dragon with that. Celestia could have been asking him to take care of Silver. But how could she know about that? It was so very long ago. It disturbed Luna that no others like her had been born in years. Yet when she passed she told Twilight she was certain others would come. So Twilight waited, she ruled the Kingdom waiting for the next Princess. Spike watched her grow old waiting, and Spike watched her die; like all of his friends. Afterwards another Steward was chosen democratically, an earth pony this time. And the Kingdom soldiered on protecting the realm from outside threats and keeping the peace within; just that Spike was no longer welcome in Canterlot. Life got very lonely for Spike after that, staying in his home high in the mountains of the Everfree Forest, no more visitors, and no way to visit without causing a panic.

Applejack was the last to pass away, naturally, her family’s longevity was well known in Ponyville. Spike lost touch with her decades earlier, the older she got the harder it was for her to travel from the farm to visit. Applejack’s Grandkids didn’t understand in the slightest, as fillies they heard her talk about her Dragon Friend, but didn’t believe her until she led them here. Her grandchildren were far too terrified to be decent houseguests, poor Applejack was embarrassed by them. And that was the last time he had any guests. Spike wanted to go to her funeral, but knew the reaction he would get and didn’t want to scare away the mourners. So he waited till nightfall to quietly fly in and pay his respects. There was nothing left for him, so that night Spike left to fly with other dragons on their migration and make a home far away from Ponyville.

Then Discord returned. The spell that imprisoned him was so strong it lasted for years after Applejack’s passing. With the last of the six dead and gone, the spell weakened enough for Discord to escape. No one was ready for his brand of mischief. It was almost too easy for him. He began with his usual pranks, up-ending reality just for the fun of it. Over the years the ponies’ way of life collapsed, and with their normal world gone, they lost all means to sustain themselves. When Discord made it rain muffins the ponies would clamor towards it for sustenance. He didn’t like that reaction, Discord could never grasp the pain he was causing, the ponies’ desperation confused and angered Discord. He stopped being mischievous and became cruel. Discord would scorch the earth as he roamed the land, the ponies fled in terror.

Spike had a new life for himself with the dragons, and a new lair. He lived like a “real dragon” now in a proper dragon’s cave and proper hoard. But memories of his old life came back to him to the point where he couldn’t think of anything else.

“Please take care of-“

Discord descended onto Ponyville with every intention to destroy everything. At the same time Spike had flew in for a visit. He was compelled to at least check up on his hometown. When he saw Discord there, the dragon lost all control. Even with other dragons he never had to assert himself that much because of his size. It was the first time he ever attacked or even fought like a dragon should, swooping down from on high and snatching up Discord with his teeth. The Spirit of Chaos, startled, defended himself which enraged Spike even more. They fought in the sky above the town, Discord confused by the behavior of this animal, and Spike overwhelmed with a deep dragon instinct to kill that he never knew was in him. When it was over Discord had fled cursing while still on fire. The way Spike had fought terrified him. He was so scared of himself and what he could do he stayed in the town square for hours just to remind himself of whom he once was. The ponies cowering in their houses had no idea how to react to this enormous dragon peering into the old library panting in fear.

A piebald pony who’s Mayoral Responsibilities forced himself to come out and confront Spike. He quietly inched up to the dragon and politely asked is he needed any help. Spike was still too scared to even speak, afraid more fire would burst out. The Mayor saw him staring at the bookshelves and brought a few out for the dragon. He read the books frantically, and then later began reading out loud. After that he felt in control enough to talk to the Ol’ Mayor Pip as the locals affectionately nicknamed. The Mayor offered the books to dragon for saving his town, Spike explained it was his town too, and he had books of his own. So he returned to his old cave. It was in slight disrepair, he found therapy in cleaning it up. As empty as the home is now he was more at ease here than in his dragon life. Discord would show his face on occasion to pester him. Spike grew stronger during each fight. His nature grew accustom protecting this hoard above anything else he coveted.

One day he looked down from on top of his mountain and saw Ponyville was empty. A mass exodus by order of their new ruler. Spike felt he should once again to wander into town, he saw the old books left to rot in abandoned library where he grew up and took it upon himself to add them to his collection. That’s when he began expanding his personal library.

“Please take care of-“

Spike thought of it again. He thought it might be why he was compelled to collect all the knowledge of Equestria. It was heartbreaking to see the world of his childhood destroyed they way Discord has. But every child’s world is forever lost by time. The plight of the ponies is horrible, but the ones that showed Spike any sort of affection are long gone. It made no sense a dragon would want to preserve a culture that is alien to him now. Then he would look at the paintings of his old life and fly off to collect more books.

When Silver came to his home it seemed to all make sense. His size and strength, the knowledge he accrued, the childhood among ponies all pointed to him being some sort of focal point in their history. Celestia would know something like that, and naturally keep it to herself. If this actually was the beginning of a great plan laid down by the Princess so many years ago when she first bonded with him, The Great Dragon decided to see it to the end. He would protect the new Princess and teach her all she needs to know.

Spike could tell Silver was in the Everfree Forest, she has been here for over a day now. She had wandered out beyond the valley staying in the old town Hoofington for a few days then wandering off to a few other small villages before returning. Spike could sense her climbing up the mountain, but at a much slower pace than normal. He peered deeper into Silver’s condition and could tell she was in no stress, in good spirits in fact. The dragon scrambled back into his home, he didn’t want Silver think he was doting over her. She needed her space like when he was and young trying to find himself. Spike galloped into his sleeping chambers and pretended to be asleep even though it was noontime. When she reached the mouth of his lair, Spike could hear the hoof falls of two. Then he heard the second one babbling like the old fool she is all the way down the hall. Silver was using her magic to carry a large assortment of saddlebags and luggage.

“The globes still work I see,” Zecora said in a scraggly voice. “If you recall they were designed by me.”

“What are you doing here Zecora?!” Spike shouted, the spears on his head and neck rising along with his anger as he stood.

Silver immediately jumped in front of the old zebra with a defiant look on her face, her wings spread out to protect Zecora. “She’ll be staying here with us,” Silver said.

Spike wanted to argue but more concerned that she had exposed herself. “Silver, where’s your cloak?”

“The filly has done nothing wrong, I have known all along.”

“I’m not asking you to take care of her. I will. Spike, it’s my duty. I have to look after all of my subjects in Equestria. I got to start somewhere.”

He was going to shout back his objection, he could already feel his dragon instincts to protect his hoard from an enemy. Then he looked closely at Zecora. Over the years he had only seen her from afar as she wandered the Everfree Forest looking for herbs. But even his keen dragon eyes could not see the sad state she was in. Zecora stood proud as always, but so very frail. Her stripes are now completely gone, Spike knew that, but she was so gaunt, toothless, her eyes clouded. It was a miracle she could see anything.

Spike sat down, his bulk shaking the cavern. “We – Silver – this is, why do you -?” He hung his head growling extra loud. “I know you mean well, but why does it have to be her?”

Silver knew it was rude to talk about how old and helpless Zecora is right in front of her, and stumbled for another reason. “She’s your friend isn’t she?”

“Hardly,” Spike growled loudly.

“Blame me for the death of Rarity you do, surely you know this is not true.”

“Of all the ones who hated the two of us being together, you were the worst, Zecora. Oh you kept it quiet around Twilight and my close friends, but I heard from Big Mac and others.”

“So you think I would let her die, and what Twilight told you is just a lie?”

The vast room heated from Spike breathing. “I know Rarity was the first to go, and you were supposed to help her!”

“The Elements gave them all long life, it’s your dragon greed that blames me for your wife. Forget this silliness and your wallowing in pain, haven’t you noticed you have a Princess to train?”

“FORGET?!”

“Silver is whom we should worry about. All these past grudges should be thrown out.”

Spike scoffed. “Not only are you an expert on dragons, now you are a professor of magic as well? You’ve certainly learned allot since you gave up on medicine.”

Zecora clucked her tongue. “I wish I could have done more for Rarity, I really do. I can only make special brews. One’s that ease pain, clean wounds, cure bad breath. Nothing on earth can hold back Death.”

“Really? Then why are you still here?” Spike leaned in inches from Zecora his mouth blocking all view of the rest of the cavern. Zecora shrunk back. Silver didn’t like this side of Spike, one that would bully a frail old zebra.

“If you want me dead than swallow me whole, do it now in front of the foal. Show Silver what a dragon is capable of, then you can tell her you did ‘For Love’.” Zecora spit out the last two words dripping with honey and sarcasm. Spike slowly opened his jaws.

“Spike?” Silver pleaded.

“You’ve pined for Rarity since you were knee-high,” Zecora continued. “Have you ever stopped and wondered why?”

Spike pulled his head back eyeing Zecora suspiciously.

“Gems a dragon needs to get his fill, who else do you know that had her skill?”

Spike shook his head. “No that isn’t why.”

“You think you loved her, but a dragon feels nothing but greed. Rarity found you jewels, that’s all you need.”

The dragon’s eyes widened, he looked around his home at all off the decorations Rarity had made. Silver could tell there was a part of him that believed Zecora.

“I’m sure other dragons think they love their jewels in a pile, but what you did to that poor unicorn is vile!”

“No!”

“She was a pet to you, like that phoenix you had, trust me if you just let HER go I would have been glad! But no, your greed trapped her here finding gems for you to keep. Her wasted life with you is what makes me weep!”

Spike closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. “I was the one who gave her every diamond, ruby, or emerald she wanted, I dug them out with my own claws and handed them to her. When she got so old she lost her ability, I went out on my own to find whatever jewel she needed for her designs. When it hurt her to stand I carried her. When she was too weak to be carried I was the one who brought her family to meet her. Don’t tell ME that was all for greed!”

Spike opened his eyes, glaring at Zecora. “All you had to do was keep her well enough for Sweetie Bell to say her goodbyes. And you failed!”

“Who are you supposed to take care of?” Silver asked out of the blue.

Spike was puzzled by that question. “I’m taking care of you Silver, no one else.”

“No that’s not what I mean. I disctinctly hear a mares voice saying ‘Please take care of’, what does that mean?”

Both were shocked into silence. It broke the tension to say the least.

“Well?” Silver asked.

“The night Princess Celestia died, I heard her voice in my dream. That’s what she said.”

“How can this be, Spike?” Zecora whispered. “Can the foal hear your thoughts and the like?”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, I can’t do magic. And will you ever stop with that rhyming?!”

“I heard her right now, when you two were arguing about Rarity. She called your name, Spike.”

“She said I would live longer than any of them.”

“There was something else though, about your friends, and Rarity.”

“I can’t remember anything else.”

“I can sense it though. Like when my horn led me here.”

“That riddle had plagued me for countless years, Silver. You really think you can solve it?”

Silver nodded with a broad smile.

Zecora laughed gaily. “Her talents are greater than any in the land,” Zecora cheered. “Discord’s end is soon at hand!”

“Well well well!” a voice all too familiar to Spike chimed from outside. “Nice to know someone remembers my name.”

“YOU STUPID OLD ZEBRA!” Spike roared. Then shot out of the cave faster than Silver had ever seen him move. The gust of wind from his flight knocked both of them down.

“Hello dragon! I got you a present. See? It’s a book. You can – OW! Hey! Quit it!”

Silver could only hear the altercation outside. The sounds from her teacher were frightening. She flew to the mouth of the cave to see. Discord wasn’t that much larger than her, especially compared to Spike. He flew on mismatched wings while casting spells to beat back Spike or distract him. The Great Dragon snaked through the air with blinding speed spitting fire and swiping with his claws and snapping at Discord, but he always seemed just ahead of Spike’s attacks. Spike managed to flank the ancient spirit and catch one of his wings. As soon as he got a hold of Discord he threw him down to the forest below and flew down crashing on top of Discord. The shockwave knocked Silver back off her hooves again. A cloud of dust rose up to the mountain and trees centuries old were splintered into kindling. Within the cloud of debris Silver could only see the spikes along the dragon’s back as he thrashed and clawed as Discord.

“If you don’t like this book I can get others. What do you like to read?” Discord said. He appeared in a flash above Spike floating in the sky in a throne crafted from the destroyed trees, smiling wryly one fang peeking out from his upper lip.

That’s what scared Silver the most. Her protector and instructor, the strongest creature she or anyone else has known is fighting a being that at most was slightly interested in the carnage. He truly seemed invincible, and she’s the one everyone is expecting to defeat this demon. Discord glanced over to the mountain making eye contact with Silver. She went cold from his stare.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

Spike answered by throwing his tail at the back of Discord’s newly made throne knocking him off into the horizon.

“Get inside!” Spike gasped. He sounded exhausted.

Silver ran as fast as she could, flapping her wings too fast to catch air. She ran past Zecora who was only now getting up from gust that knocked them both down when Spike flew out of meet Discord. She finally took flight and soared into her room diving under the covers of her bed.

“He saw me. He saw me.” She whispered to herself. Her parents told her to always keep herself covered. Is he going to come for me now? Maybe he didn’t see my wings? She silently prayed Spike could protect her.

Outside the battle raged on getting closer to the mountain. A thunder clap shook Silver’s room, antique books from the previous resident fell off the shelves. Silver used her magic to pick them up and noticed one had fallen open. There was a note written on the inside of the jacket that read:

“WOW Sis! I am so proud of you! I know your new job has you scared, and that’s ok. You know more than me it matters most what you do when you’re scared. And if you’re not scared of anything, then there’s something wrong with you. Like Pinkie Pie HAHA! – Shining Armor”

The book was about some Pegasus explorer who flew higher than anything else alive. But what’s more important to Silver is the book was a gift to Spike’s “older sister”, the one who defeated Discord so long ago. And she was just a unicorn, now Silver is hiding in Twilight’s bed hoping Spike will save her. It shamed her.

Silver got out of the bed took a deep breath and went back out to main hall where she had left Zecora. The zebra was stone-faced staring unblinking at the entrance where the sounds of the battle echoed. “I’m sorry,” said Silver. “I should have helped you. Spike told me to go back inside and I was so scared.”

“Don’t listen to that dragon, little Princess. Go. Learn all you can about your foe.”

Silver drew her cloak out of Zecora’s satchel put it on and teleported outside, far from the mountain. Discord had grown to a size larger that Spike and appeared genuinely angry now as they fought. No more spells, he was just fighting Spike with his fists. The wise old dragon was gone leaving a dangerous monster. One that returned every hit from Discord with a greater blow, as he became more ferocious Discord grew larger, Spike didn’t notice. Discord grew so large he began to dissipate. Soon there were hundreds of normal sized Discords joined together creating a large one. Spike shot loose a large fireball of green flame knocking them all flying into the sky.

“That is IT!” they all chorused. There were now thousands of Discords floating in the air above Spike, perched on his mountain. “I came here to make a bargain and I’ll have my say!”

Spike didn’t answer, but he did sit down. He clearly needed to rest.

“You have something here of mine I want. They’re not that interesting really. Six ugly little glass orbs. Now if you let me just dig those trinkets up I’ll give you all the books you want. Plus I will be permanently out of your hair. No wait! Your – spiky things on the top of your head. And if you don’t like that idea I’m willing to negotiate other terms. So there it is! Just name your price and-“

Spike began to laugh. Not the way Silver and he would during class, but a cruel laugh.

“What’s so funny?!” The army of Discords asked.

The dragon was still chortling; he took his time to answer. When he did he was smiling. “I don’t have The Elements of Harmony. And I don’t know where they are.”

Silver could see the looks on the faces of some of the Discords hovering closer to the ground and it was priceless, it was nice to see this demon could be rattled so.

“Alright!” One Discord yelled. “You’re going to tell me right now who you are and how you know so much!”

“And why is it your fire can hurt me so much too?!” Another Discord added.

“Don’t tell him that!” a third said.

“You’re not the boss o’ me!”

The rest of the Discords began yelling and arguing with each other. They seemed to be in a panic, which made Silver smile.

It started like the sound of a light breeze but grew louder and is the wind was slowly picking up. Silver could see Spike’s chest inflating as he breathed in. The Discords were still confused most of them arguing on where to find The Elements, some arguing that the dragon is lying. “Wait! Wait! Shut up!” one of them hollered above the crowd. They began to slowly settle down. “What’s that noise?” they chattered among themselves a series of “I don’t knows”.

The loud wind stopped, and Spike roared out a stream of green fire that filled the sky. The heat pushed back the trees and the animals of the forest fled in a panic. And Discord screamed horribly. Green flames replaced the entire sky above the valley and beyond. Charred copies of the Spirit of Chaos fell to the ground lifeless, where they landed the fire spread into the forest. And fire still shot out from Spike’s jaws. The Discords had all fled or were killed by the fire, and The Great Dragon hasn’t stopped. By the time Spike was finished, the cloud of fire completely blotted out the sun. No other sounds could be heard other than that of the raging fire.

Silver teleported to Spike’s side. His lips were scorched black and smoke seethed out of his mouth. He didn’t look down at her, he sat there laboring to breathe. His limbs were shaking as he wheezed. Silver never noticed before, he’s a giant dragon, wise and powerful, but very, very old.

“I got him REAL good that time,” he finally said.

“Is he gone? I mean – forever?”

“I hope so, but I doubt it.”

The two stared off at the sky together. The flames dissolved into the clouds far off in the distance which were brewing into a thunderstorm. The sound of the fire gone, the sound of the forest animals stampeding could be heard in the distance.

“So much damage,” Silver said to herself.

Below the fire spread through the forest. “It was worth it. He said my fire hurts Him, till this day I thought I was just lucky when I burned him. I guess over did it a bit. I wonder why I’m the only one who can hurt Him?”

“What are The Elements of Harmony?” Silver asked.

“It’s what you will need to defeat Him. A talisman of great magic.”

“But you don’t know where they are.”

“No,” Spike smiled showing his burnt teeth. “And neither does He.” He groaned then lied down. “I need to rest a bit, Silver. I’m very tired.”

“Nice shot you big dumb stupid dragon!” I was Discord’s voice, he sounded dark and wounded but there was no mistaking it. Only there was no visible figure of him to be seen “And who’s your little friend? Is that how you know so much about me?”

Spike jumped back on his feet covering Silver with his wing. “Why don’t you show yourself and find out.” Spike did a better job hiding his pain as he spoke.

“I don’t think so. You are no longer welcome in my world! Get it? Stop playing around with ponies and leave!”

“Make me Discord.”

“I will! I’ll destroy everything you care about.”

Spike snarled, Silver could actually hear his muscles tighten.

“You’re not the only one who can read you know,” Discord continued. “And I’ve been reading up on the ultimate act of Chaos. It’s called: WAR! You’ll love it. Just wait and see dragon, just wait!”

Discord’s forced laugh carried in the wind and he was gone. Spike lifted his wing back off of Silver.

“War?” Silver repeated. “What does he mean?”

“I don’t know,” answered Spike.

The two remained silent for a spell. The thunder from the distant storm quietly rumbled into the valley.

“We need to find The Elements of Harmony,” Silver said. “I’ll go, I have to. You’re too big to look for them if they’re in one of the pony villages.”

“Anything to go exploring some more, am I right?” he asked. Silver didn’t answer, Spike nodded in agreement to her plan. “OK, you might be safer out in the world considering what happened today. But you can’t go running from town to town. We need a plan, tomorrow we’ll do some research in the library, maybe there’s a spell you can learn that will help.”

Silver looked down at the forest fire.

“What about Zecora, can she stay with us now? I think you might have burned down her house.”

Spike sighed. “Yes she can stay, so long as I don’t have to talk to her anymore.”

“I’ll put her in my room and help her with anything she needs.”

“No Pinkie’s room is near the kitchen, she’ll like that more. You will be staying in Rarity’s bed from now on. He knows about you now, and as long as you’re my guest I will protect you.”

And the Hearth Froze

The small farming village was devastated. Half of the houses were destroyed, the crops were stolen, several wounded ponies were being tended too.

“It ain’t raight! It ain’t raight!” an elderly earth pony cried in the country drawl Silver heard so much growing up.

“I know grandma.”

“Why did they attack us? Ah had unicorn friends, mah whole life. What’s happenin’ to us?”

“I don’t know grandma,” the younger earth pony began crying with her grandmother.

Silver kept her head down as she walked past them. She could figure out what happened, the same as happened in the last two towns she’s visited. It all started after “The Green Storm”, the name given to Spike’s dragonfire that changed the weather violently, thunderstorms poured over on Equestria for a week after the green clouds billowed out of The Great Dragon’s valley. The storms put out the fires outside Spike’s home saving old Ponyville, much to the dragon’s relief. Outside the valley were heavy rains so odd the attacks were blamed on the event. The unicorns and the earth ponies have been fighting in every town so far, there are too few pegasus that stay near the ground, but Silver’s sure the same things happening with them. A group of grey one’s would attack, the other side would fight back. The end result is resentment between the different kinds of ponies. The fighting has gotten worse, everywhere Silver has been there has been unease. This town will now become an “Earth Pony Town” and unicorns will not be welcome.

This town was another dead end in locating The Elements of Harmony. She and Spike combed through his massive library, found a few books on the subject, one theorized that The Elements choose their bearers and also proposed that is why the two sisters passed away after a millennia of ageless rule after the Elements chose the six of Spike friends. But they found nothing involving a spell to find their whereabouts. Spike was so battered from his fight with Discord we would doze off while Silver read through books on her own. After a few weeks of research Spike shrugged and gave the advice he said over & over again as a library assistant “Where’d you leave it last?” He planned on searching the through Canterlot while Silver would check other spots from Spike’s memory. But poor Spike was too tired from his battle to check right away and promised to do so later. So Silver ventured out to some of the ruins where new towns had sprouted during Spike’s long lifetime. After those locales were searched she went off the beaten path to others. Then she investigated the places Spike assigned for himself.

On her travels Silver took along a few books to keep up her studies. No time for any pleasant reads, just the more practical tomes considering the situation: A Treatise of Spell Casting for Self-Defense by Starswirl the Bearded, The Encyclopedia of Combat Magic from The Equestria Royal Guard Academy, and The Element of Magic: Crafting your Own Spells by Twilight Sparkle. There was one additional book Spike gave to her, he handed it to her deference to the old tome as if it were a family heirloom; he said it was Twilight Sparkle’s old book on The Elements of Harmony. Silver spent every night trying some new spell or testing out the head-spinning theories about magic from Spike’s older sister.

But there’s no time for rest in this town. As Silver walked she could feel the eyes of the villagers on her. She heard hoof falls behind her.

“Hey you!” a pony said. “Where are you from?”

“Apuliza,” she said without looking back.

“No you’re not, you came from the north.”

“I’m going back home.” Silver quickened her pace.

“Ah bet! A foal out on her own walkin’ all the way back to Apuliza. You think I’m stupid?” The pony galloped up to her and tore off the hood of her cloak. “Ah knew it!”

Others came up and blocked Silver’s way.

“Leave her alone, she’s just a filly.” The old pony pleaded.

“So was mah daughter, it didn’t stop them other unicorns!” the agitator hollered. He then caught Silver’s eye. “They send you through here to spy on us?”

“I’m just passing through, I won’t tell anyone.”

“You’re not going anywhere silver hair,” a large pony said in voice almost as deep as Spike’s.

The other ponies surrounded her. Silver tried to duck around the big one and sprint away, but another one grabbed her. She kicked at them as they shouted, the old pony and her granddaughter were fighting the crowd to get her free. Silver felt her cloak torn off her and desperate she jumped into the air. There was a collective gasp from village as she hovered above them. Silver cast a wind spell to knock them away and then teleported. She looked around getting her bearings, it was the first time she teleported without knowing her destination. It appears Silver’s deep in the forest away from the village. There was a sound past a thicket, Silver readied herself for a fight her horn charged. Pushing back the brush she sees three unicorns hiding, presumable a husband and wife & their daughter. All three looked at Silver with fear in their eyes. She straightened herself doing her best to look non-threatening.

“I’m sorry,” said Silver.

The three stared at the princess dumbstruck. “They drove us out of our home,” the father said.

~~~~~~~~~

Twilight Sparkle heard the guards laughing in the courtyard, it made her a little curious. The Royal Guard under her brother’s command were always stoic. She walked out into the morning light to see giant Spike there talking to a platoon of her new retainers. They were all laughing, highly engaged in Spike’s anecdote.

“Now I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but yes. She was dancing so horribly the other unicorns practically ran from her! And she thought she was so good the others were backing away to let her bust a move!”

Twilight’s face flushed and she began shaking with rage. Her first instinct was to muzzle her old friend and teleport him back to the Everfree Forest, but she knew her new status in Equestria meant she show some regal restraint. So Twilight hid to listen in on them. In the most regal way possible.

“So seriously, don’t let her dance.” Spike added.

A few guards nodded, still laughing.

“She was always in those circles then, with the rich unicorns I mean?” a pegasus guard asked.

“I suppose. When you’re being taught personally by Princess Celestia that’s bound to happen. But she didn’t care about that; she has very plain tastes compared to them. The way Rarity told me she wanted to make her a ‘fabulous dress’ for her birthday that time, but in her mind it was unfinished, and Twilight didn’t even notice. She liked it just the way it was.”

A few of the guards chuckled, Twilight’s embarrassment has been doubled. She was shocked to hear that part of the story; it made her wonder what other secrets Rarity shared with Spike through their years together.

“So to get back on subject don’t leave her alone in formal settings,” Spike added. “She finds those socialites just as phony and boring as all of you do.”

A few more laughs followed. Other guards talked among themselves mumbling stories about the high society unicorns.

“Just keep an eye on her when she’s working too,” said Spike. “Don’t let The Council wear her down. And she can overwork herself easily, don’t let her lose track of time or she’ll work all through the night.”

“That’s a butler’s job,” a unicorn guard scoffed.

“Maybe, but she won’t listen to them. She will listen to The Guard.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?” the unicorn challenged.

“Because she’s Shining Armor’s sister,” said the Sergeant at Arms.

The others were stunned. It filled Twilight’s heart with pride to know her older brother is still revered among the Royal Guard.

“Will he be coming back?” one asked.

“No I just flew from his house, he’s far too happy being retired with his wife.” Spike’s voice was a little sad. Twilight knew why and her anger towards Spike began to cool.

“But they’ll be others that will want to visit. And who are they?”

“Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie!” the guards all chorused.

“And what do you do?”

“Let them in immediately!” the guards said.

“That’s right, she’ll always be glad to see them.”

“Yeah and Spike too,” a guard in the back heckled.

“Oh like you could keep me out if I wanted to get in here.”

The guards picked up the playful challenge and began throwing back good-natured barbs back at Spike who responded in kind. After a few back and fourths, the Sergeant at Arms seized on the opportunity.

“Well, Spike I guess we’ll have to have a combat drill to settle this,” he said.

“OK,” Spike said. “You’ll be the helpless little ponies, and I’ll be the big scary dragon that burns down your city, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

Halfway through his sentence the guards we booing.

“I was going to call it a Dragon Hunt,” the Sergeant said followed by his troops cheering.

Spike acted insulted but let the guards cheer. “Next week?” he asked.

“That should be good,” the Sergeant replied.

Twilight tried to sneak by letting the boys amuse themselves. The guards snapped to attention and Twilight sighed knowing she’s been spotted.

“Hey there she is!” Spike said and hastily scooped her up placing Twilight on his back.

“Spike,” Twilight pleaded. “Stop it!”

“Nope,” he responded cheerfully. Twilight noticed that even after all these years he still heard a hint of Big Mac’s accent when uses that word. As a teenager he did idolize Big Macintosh. “After all those years you carried me around, I should return the favor. Where to, miss?”

Twilight groaned. “The Equestrian Library.”

Spike proudly marched to the library. Two of the Pegasus guard flew overhead keeping at a good distance. Twilight noticed a satchel impaled on the spike in front of her.

“What’s this?”

“A book from Shining Armor, he wanted me to give it to you.”

She stared at the saddlebag not opening it. “So he’s not coming,” she stated.

“No, I think they might be trying to have another child in the hopes of – you know.”

“At their age?” Twilight knew why though. Cadence was the last Princess, everyone is holding out hope, including Twilight. But it probably wasn’t going to happen.

“I know,” Spike answered in a tone that sounded like he was reading his older sister’s mind.

Twilight looked out at the streets Spike walked through. Some ponies were shocked, but most were used to the sight. Embarrassed, Twilight waved to a few of the more terrified spectators. Since Rarity’s passing Spike has been spending more time with Twilight, eager to help out in any way. And Twilight understands the big dragon’s need to be with family at this time. If she was back in Ponyville it wouldn’t be an issue. Looking out at her subjects here in Canterlot makes her wonder.

“They don’t really know who I am, do they?”

“That’s why I was telling the guards about you, Capt. Smiles thought it would be a good idea.”

“I was talking about me being Steward of Equestria! I don’t want them to know things that will make them all laugh at me behind my back!”

“Oh come on, Twilight. The more they know about you, the more they’ll like you. Trust me on this. You’re a very likable pony.”

“When you’re running things, you have to be more than liked. I need to be taken seriously for this to work.”

“That’s why you need the Royal Guard on your side. They’re strong.”

“Spike, you’re thinking like a dragon.”

“Well, yeah,” the dragon said turning his head back to flash a green eye at Twilight Sparkle.

“You know what I mean, there’s more to life than strength and power.”

Spike didn’t respond Twilight felt his breathing labor a bit. It was probably something Rarity said to him before. Always putting on a brave front Spike did, trying not to say or do anything that would make him sick with grief.

“So, ‘Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie’ will be ‘let in immediately’!” Twilight said.

“You need friends with you.”

“You really think Rainbow Dash will show up?”

Twilight felt Spike massive wings shrug.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know what’s gotten into her, but she’s avoiding all of us for some reason.” Spike didn’t want to talk about anything said Twilight could tell, even before Spike turned his purple to her with a big toothy grin and said “But don’t worry! I’ll be filling in for her!”

“Congratulations Spike, you’re the new Rainbow Dash!”

They busted out laughing remembering simpler times. The dragon’s fiery cackle startling the pedestrians.

“Please take care of-“

Celestia’s voice woke him and a pain jarred Spike as he brought his head up to look around. He still ached from his long fight with Discord. It made getting to sleep almost as difficult as waking up. He slept even less due to worrying over little Silver’s safety. Even while dreaming he kept tabs the little Princess, a trick he perfected in his younger days with Celestia. It made proper rest unsatisfactory but Spike’s a dragon of his word and is now more protective of the princess than he is of his hoard. Something he noticed with Zecora sluggishly trouncing about his home. Spike has just been ignoring her, and she did the same. One morning Spike found her in cooking some odd draught in a giant cauldron.

“Drink,” the old Zebra snapped at Spike then walked off in a huff.

As she left Spike heckled her for not rhyming, and then drank the potion as soon as she was out of site. He did feel much better, but has been too proud to ask for more.

When Silver got closer to his home, Spike found it easier to rest. Even with his unwelcomed guest boiling Celestia knows what in HIS kitchen. As Spike napped she felt Silver return.

“Spike, I’m back,” she sang.

Spike replied with a “welcome back” and slowly got up and followed her into the library. He asked her what she had found; Silver didn’t give that many details. Spike found it hard to concentrate with the smell in the air. Zecora must be cooking something different today. It didn’t smell like food though, or even a potion; a very familiar scent though. That’s when Spike realized he was still asleep and dreaming.

The dragon opened his eyes to the sight of a purple unicorn a few feet away from his nose. She was a foal smaller and younger than Silver with her eyes closed blissfully leaning into the wind of Spike’s exhaling nostrils and all of her weight was on her forelegs. Spike could not get over how, except for her mane, the tiny filly looked exactly like Twilight Sparkle at that age. He was so shocked he stopped breathing. The purple pony fell on her face, then got back up as if nothing happened and sat down. She stared into Spike’s eyes smiling.

“Your breath is WARM,” she marveled.

Spike was too confused to even speak.

“My Mom says dragons are dangerous, but the Princess says you’re a good dragon.”

Oh Silver, he thought.

“I can do magic! Wanna see?”

“OK?” Spike squeaked.

The little unicorn jumped too her feet and strained herself. Some tiny sparks dropped from her horn and onto the floor, bouncing towards the dragon. She then sat back down with a satisfied smile.

“Very nice,” Spike said.

“Crescent! CRESCENT!” The foal’s Mother screamed. She galloped towards the two and scooped up her daughter, then groveled before Spike with Crescent slung under her. “I am so sorry! Please forgive her! The Princess said we could stay here! I told Crescent not to disturb you, PLEASE DON’T HURT HER! TAKE ME INSTEAD!”

Spike put his foreclaw up as a halt, the unicorn shut up immediately. “Where is the Princess?” Spike calmly asked.

“In the library.”

“Thank you.”

Spike groaned in pain as he stood up, and limped off to his book collection. Silver was talking to a colt unicorn her back to Spike. As Spike approached the unicorn eyes widened and his face slowly contorted to one of terror. Silver figured out why and turned around.

“You’re awake,” she said.

“Something you want to tell me?”

Silver shot up into the air closer to Spike’s face so they could talk in private.

“I tried to tell you when I returned, but you went back to sleep.”

“You brought them here to STAY?”

“The earth ponies and unicorns are fighting, they lost their home.”

“Fighting? And you didn’t call me?”

“I was fine, when the earth ponies cornered me I had to fly away but I wasn’t –“

“They saw you?!”

“-hurt. And I was only seen by ten or fifteen ponies. The problem is-“

“You were attacked by fifteen ponies and you didn’t call me?!?”

“the towns are - I was fine! No reason to send a dragon at them. But the towns are splitting up ponies and -“

“Towns? How many have you been to?”

“Just the ones around here and Canterlot.”

“I told you not to go near the Castle, Silver. That was my job.”

“If you said there was a dragon living there now I wouldn’t have.”

“Dragon! The Green Dragon?! AGAIN! Why didn’t you call me?!”

“He’s barely half your size! I put a sleeping spell on him and searched the place. Anyway the towns are-“

“This is outrageous, Silver! You’re putting yourself in harm’s way-“

“Will you listen to me?!” Silver screeched. Spike looked annoyed, but quietly stood there. Silver told him what she saw in the villages during her travels. How the unicorns and ponies are breaking apart due to mistrust. And how the mistrust began.

“They all said the attackers were grey?”

“Uh-huh, he saw them.” Silver pointed at the Unicorn gaping at this spectacle. To see a princess arguing with a dragon, a dragon visibly concerned for the princess’s safety, is the most surreal thing he has ever seen.

Spike peered at the frightened unicorn. “Name?” he asked.

“Ink & Pen,” the Unicorn answered.

“He’s as smart as you,” Silver added.

Ink didn’t know how to react to that, he never heard a dragon to be described as smart. He figured in this cave that looks more like a grand palace where ponies are welcomed and taught by dragons it is probably a compliment.

“You saw this?”

“Yes,” Ink answered. “I saw the ones who attacked. I have no idea who they were. Alas, that wasn’t good enough for the townsfolk.”

Spike growled. “So this is what He meant.”

“What’s going to happen?” Silver asked.

“A lot of ponies are going to get hurt,” Spike answered sadly. “Silver, you said you searched the old castle in Canterlot; I’m assuming you didn’t find anything?”

“No.”

“And the green dragon is OK?”

“I just made him sleep, is he a friend of yours?”

“No, when I was a baby he chased me out of his lair. And when I was older I was the one who chased him out. Just leave him alone, alright? He’s old and cranky. If we need to go in there again, I’ll talk to him.”

“You dragons sure are funny, you sound like have a history.”

Spike chuckled. “Not a good one. I just – I don’t know. I feel sorry for him.” Spike looked over his shoulder at Crescent and her terrified Mother as they skulked in from the distant archway. “So they are going to stay here, is that it?”

“Well, they got nowhere else to go.”

“And you’ll be bringing more in here, like you did with Zecora.”

Silver didn’t answer that. Her face read as one of the guilty child she was.

Spike growled. “The more ponies you bring here, the quicker the old food stores here will run out.”

“We can grow more food since the forest got burned down, plants are growing all through there.”

“Good plan, but there’s a problem with that. With the ponies fighting outside the valley, it’s going to get very cold.”

Silver could tell Spike knew exactly what was happening, and also knew if she asked, he would tell her without hesitation. She also trusted Spike enough to leave any plans to him. She also prayed he would come up with a plan after what she just learned from the unicorn.

“I need to go check on Zecora,” she said.

“You’re running yourself ragged little princess,” Spike warned.

“I’m fine,” Silver said as she flew away. “Stop worrying about me. You’re the one who’s hurt, get some rest.”

Spike scoffed. “She doesn’t even have her mark yet and she’s acting like Celestia.”

Ink & Pen just stared up at the enormous dragon.

“Don’t get me wrong, she has a good heart. And she’s smart. As quick with magic as Twilight was, and it’s very easy for her to learn, she’s already at a level far beyond her age. But, I think she’s getting ahead of herself.”

“She doesn’t seem afraid of you at all,” Ink finally said.

“No reason for her to be. She was a wee bit scared at first, but that was a when she first got here. Then after just a few days she was so not-afraid of me she practically became a nuisance. A little like your daughter.”

Ink gasped. “What did Crescent do?!”

Spike laughed. “Nothing, she’s a cute little foal.”

The unicorn sighed his relief.

“So the Princess says you’re smart?”

Ink didn’t like how the dragon said that, like it was a challenge.

“I-I just. I study allot.”

“What are you studying?”

“I’ve been doing research on Pony History mostly. I’ve been learning about an ancestor of mine, he was the Royal Archivist at Canterlot Castle.”

Spike’s eyebrows went up. “Really?!”

“Oh, yes! In fact the Princess was just asking me about him before you walked in. I have his old ledger right here. One of the few books I could carry on such a short notice.” He brought the book out. “I couldn’t carry much but I had to take this its –AH!”

Spike took the book from the unicorn and flipped through it. “Is there anything in here about The Elements of Harmony?”

“Y-yes. It’s a very fragile book if you could please-”

“What does he say about it?”

“A few things, one of his responsibilities was to guard them. That book is a family heirloom if you don’t mind.”

Spike flipped through the book as the unicorn squirmed below him far out of reach and too timid to use his magic to take it away. The Dragon’s sharp eyes scanned every page looking for either the word “Elements” or “Harmony”. A few paragraphs about how unappreciated he is and how thankless his job is compared to the six backwoods ponies that can use the Elements. One detailed account of the castle under siege by changelings. Spike laughed a bit to himself at that. Even they are afraid of Discord, no pony has seen them in centuries. Then he found it, “Elements”, “Harmony”, and an unwelcome word: “Stolen”. His giant heart skipped a beat, he made himself more comfortable and carefully read the journal entry.

“I am writing this so my diary may be used as evidence in my inevitable trial. I have been stepped over enough in my position to know tomorrow the blame will fall solely on my shoulders and I wish to put down on paper what just happened while it is still fresh in my mind. I will not be blamed for The Elements of Harmony being stolen and I have every intention to bring the guilty parties to light before the court if it comes to that. During The Hour of the Timberwolf I heard the great doors of Harmony Hall being opened. I was sound asleep yet that is a noise all too familiar to me. Alarmed I galloped out of bed to check. I wish to stress the doors were not forced open nor were the locks undone through any other means. Further investigation should prove that, they were opened with a key. As I rushed to Chamber of the Elements there were three figures standing there. I shouted for them to stop in hopes of alerting the guards. It turns out two of them were guards! To be specific, those Night Guards of Princess Luna. A young large one named Nightshade, and a very old yet intimidating guard named Sunshine Smiles. I’m writing their names down so they may be called as witnesses. The third figure was our ruler: Princess Luna herself. I asked her why they were here and with no regard to protocol Princess Luna stated she was taking the Elements of Harmony. I asked when they would be brought back, and Princess Luna said they would not and the exhibit will be closed. The older guard offered to take them for her, but she said ‘I will do this alone, Captain Smiles.’ I pleaded with the Princess but that Captain Smiles insulted me and threatened me with bodily harm if I told anyone Princess Luna was here. It is almost morning now and I know what will happen. The Royal Guard will discover The Elements of Harmony are gone, and I will be blamed. But I will not go down without a fight and the Princess should know that. I don’t care what anyone else says, she is still Nightmare Moon and last night proved it. Let it be known that I, Shelfstack, did not steal The Elements of Harmony.”

Spike carefully closed the old diary and gave it back to Ink & Pen.

“Something the matter?” Ink asked.

“Yes. Something also makes no sense. I knew Luna, I even knew the guard your ancestor wrote about. Why would she steal them?”

Ink knew the entry Spike read.

“In the entry the day after, Shelfstack wrote no one seemed to notice the Elements were gone. No pony arrested him; it was as if the Elements were never there.”

Spike growled. “Does the Princess know?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Call me Spike.”

“Your name really is Spike?! I thought that was a nickname!” a little voice squeaked. Crescent and her mother approached. The purple foal was riding on her mother’s back.

Spike snaked his head down to the two, the mother cowered in a predictable fashion, the foal’s eyes widened with gleeful anticipation.

“Do you know why I was named Spike?” the dragon asked the foal.

The foal shook her head.

“Because I was named by a unicorn that was the same age as you,” he answered smiling.

The child gasped. “Really?! You were a pet?!”

Spike reared back incredulously, every emotion exaggerated to entertain little Crescent. “I was no PET! I was Senior Assistant to The First Steward of Equestria for her entire life. Before she became Steward I managed her personal library and even corresponded with Princess Celestia herself! I was on a first name basis with Princess Celestia AND Princess Luna!”

The foal climbed up to her Mother’s ear and whispered. “I don’t know who they are.”

Spike sighed. “Well, trust me it’s very impressive.”

The mother chuckled. She had slowly gotten her composure as her fear subsided.

“I would have named you,” the little unicorn paused as she thought of a name. “Sword Head!” she roared with her forelegs up in the air.

“But I only had little bumps on my head when I was born. And this-“ Spike brought the giant spade on the end of his tail over the foal and her mother putting shadow over them greater than their old house. “was just a tiny little spike.”

“Really?”

Spike nodded. “I was smaller than you,” he said with a wink.

“Spike good sir,” the mother spoke. “I wish to apologize for my behavior. You allowed us into your lair – HOME and I’ve acted horribly.”

Spike was genuinely impressed with Crescent’s mother. “It was perfectly understandable, and trust me, I’ve heard much worse in my lifetime.”

“My name is Etiquette, as hard as that is to believe they way I behaved,” the mother said. She let Crescent down, then bowed formally. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Spike replied. He tried to bow, but his massive bulk made it difficult.

“If I may be so bold, Spike. What was it like under the rule of The Two Sisters? I’ve seen old paintings of them, and they were always portrayed as being so much larger than the other ponies. I can only imagine how they were seen by their subjects?”

“Actually they really were larger,” Spike said. “Luna was the younger, even more so from her exile, yet she grew to the same size.” Spike realized something and mulled it over as he spoke to his guest. “It’s strange, the other Princesses were not as tall, nor did they live as long.”

“They were ancient from what I gather,” Ink & Pen added.

“Yes!” Spike agreed enthusiastically. “The years didn’t wear on them as it did everyone else. And they were greater in size.”

“Like you!” Crescent chimed.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” The Great Dragon replied. “Larger in size with greater longevity. The green dragon is older than I, but his so frail Silver could put him to sleep with a spell.” He appeared to be deep in thought to his small audience. “Please take care of she said,” he said aloud. “Excuse me.”And Spike lumbered off.

The three unicorns stood in the library confused.

“It gets colder when he leaves,” Crescent noticed.

~~~~~~~

“Zecora, you in here?”

“Out! Away! Pester me another day!”

Silver was a little shocked. “Zecora?”

“Come in child, welcome home! Did you find the Elements on your roam?”

“No I didn’t,” she sighed. “Who were you talking too just now?”

“The tsetse flies! They come in here and tell nothing but lies!”

“I see.”

“They ask for things from me, say that I owe them for life. But they’ve done nothing at all except cause strife!”

Silver was a little shaken by Zecora, she always has been odd but this…

“I learned something, Zecora. I read that The Elements of Harmony were taken by Princess Luna. Would you know where she could have hidden them?”

“Taken!?” Zecora screeched. “Oh dear child, all is lost! We had to find the Elements at any cost!”

The old zebra wailed, pacing her room in a panic. Too feeble to run yet too scared to stand still.

“Zecora please! You’re scaring me!” Silver shouted. Zecora stopped pacing and dunked her head in the caldron she was simmering.

I hope that wasn’t dinner, Silver thought. “Zecora?”

She pulled her head out of the cauldron sobbing. “The Elements could have driven the flies away, I would be at peace. Now I shall die knowing the chaos will never cease.”

She’s so melodramatic compared to Spike, Silver thought. She found it annoying at times. “Also, I think – He – is making the ponies fight one another.”

Zecora’s milky eyes peered at Silver, the old zebra furrowed her brow. “The Windygos shall fill the sky, and in the cold we all shall die.” She spoke it so clearly and with such conviction there was no way Silver could doubt her.

“Why would He was to kill us all?” Silver asked.

“He is a spirit of chaos that’s all that fills his head. You cannot expect such a creature to think to think ahead. What happens tomorrow is and unknown event, He will not grasp what He has done until after all life is spent.”

Silver suddenly felt like she was drowning. Zecora spoke with such conviction; it was as if there was no escape. It truly felt as if this is the end.

The door shook from a pounding that startled the two ponies. It had to have been Spike knocking. Silver opened the door the sight of Spike’s giant eye filling the doorway.

“Hi,” Spike said awkwardly. “Is Zecora in?”

Silver stepped back and holding the door open for Zecora who stepped outside. Spike pulled back to give the two some space.

“Zecora, uh- hello,” said Spike. “That potion you made for me a while back. Do you think you could make more?”

Zecora nodded slowly, saying nothing.

“What for?” Silver asked.

“I need to heal up and get back into fighting shape,” Spike replied with a smile.

Spike smile was reassuring, as always, but what Zecora told her drained all hope from her. She need more but was too timid to ask. “Zecora says without The Elements of Harmony, we’ll all die.”

Spike laughed. It was a genuine laugh that filled Silver with relief. “No, that won’t happen. In fact I’ve been thinking we might not need them. Providing Zecora helps me get better.”

Zecora smiled as if she and the dragon had been communicating by thought and realized The Great Dragon’s plan.

“For you dear Spike, I shall help make you strong. If we both work hard it shouldn’t take long.” And Zecora strutted back inside without even a goodbye and closed the door.

Spike stared at the hideous wooden mask hanging on the door. “Pinkie would be so upset seeing what happened to her room,” he said to himself.

“It sounds like you have a plan,” Silver said.

“I have a few ideas.” Spike was looking coy. “Silver, as far as bringing other ponies here: Do it. I’ve got ten rooms here and only use three, so there’s plenty of space. You-know-who is going to be causing allot of pain to your subjects, what they will need is a refuge, they can come here. But let them know, they leave any animosity towards each other outside of the valley. All ponies will live here in harmony. For that matter make sure you get some earth ponies in here next time. Some good farmers to seed the land I scorched just like you said. A new life for your ponies will begin here with you as their Princess.”

Silver couldn’t help but smile. Before the thought of having to be a ruler frightened her, but compared to the Armageddon Zecora prophesized she welcomed the mundane burden of ruler. “Both you and Zecora said it is going to get cold.”

“A very harsh winter is coming. We need to prepare. Believe me there are very hard times ahead, which is saying allot considering the way things have been. But we can at least ease the suffering.”

A strange as it sounds, Spikes foreboding promises were very uplifting for Silver. If all hope truly was lost she would expect Spike to assign her with a task to keep her mind off the impending doom. Here he was developing a strategy and hiding none of the dangers they will be facing.

“What about, Him?” Silver asked.

“I think ’He’ is what I’m supposed to take care of.”

~~~~~~~

Discord probably imagined great armies of stallions charging on a great open field, with pegasus swooping down, and unicorns casting deadly spells of fire and lightning. Instead there were just skirmishes of groups numbering in less than one hundred at a time brawling and cursing at one another. He couldn’t understand the damage he wrought on the ponies over so many years deprived them of the ability to fight a proper war like the ones he read about. The sun popping up at random times made the crop yields too poor for the towns to live above basic sustenance. No reading, no smiths, no artists, no scholars, so of course there are no generals. Discord looked forward to the first battles with such anticipation. He hid in the clouds looking down joyfully, and left in disgust before the first one was over. The unicorns barely knew how to cast spells, and the ones that could were weaklings. The earth ponies knew only how to kick and yell. Hardly any pegasus were ever seen, so they didn’t show up. Sure the ponies managed to hurt each other, but it wasn’t a real war. Not like how Discord wanted them to hurt.

What was puzzling was how in each town as the fighting broke out, others would just – disappear. In other places where he thought had herds of ponies, there were fewer than he remembered. Where did they go? His searching found nothing, it’s plausible the unicorns and earth ponies took to wandering from place to place like the pegasus do. Ponies are a cowardly lot, not like the big dumb stupid dragon.

Discord wondered about how the dragon burned him. The pain was unbearable, yet somehow familiar. Something in that dragon’s fire, like an odd taste in your mouth that you can never forget, an unknown element so to speak. It’s as if the dragon is part of the ponies’ magic that has annoyed Discord so. Then there was that little blue one the dragon was protecting the same way he protects Ponyville. That dragon is definitely more than he appears to be, he knows too many things a dragon would never care about. Perhaps it’s time Discord should pay another visit? Then the memory of the pain he felt that last time, and decided to wait a little longer. There are safer ways to spy on a dragon.

~~~~~~~

Silver teleported to the mouth of the cave with the five ponies she promised refuge. The freezing blizzard shocked them into a huddle.

“Run! Run! Run!” she ordered and flew into the cave behind her galloping subjects. Once in the darkness she flew in front of them to slow their pace to a walk.

“Is it safe now?” one asked.

“Yes, just let me go in first. Now remember, this is A Dragon’s Cave. It’s Spike’s Place, and he’s very friendly to ponies, but still a dragon. So be respectful of him and his hoard.”

“He’s the one that caused The Green Storm,” and old earth pony said.

Silver gave no response; she didn’t want to frighten them more than they already are. She walked towards the light knowing full well she will have to calm the five she brought and introduce them to the other ponies, while telling them to bury any grudge with unicorns if they want to stay. It has been over fifty trips now bringing refugees to Spike’s Home. Each trip to the outside world showed a more horrific scene. She pretended to look back at the ponies but was really looking at her own flank. She’s a Princess now with Royal Subjects, and she still hasn’t gotten her mark. All of it was happening too fast.

In the warm light of Spike’s bedroom was a site she did not expect. The number of ponies had doubled since she was here last. The fillies were running around playing, several of the adults were busy making little houses around the great hall. Spike was curled up around Rarity’s bed, but alert. His head was upright engaged in conversation with a Pegasus. A teenaged one, but tall with red coat and blonde mane that seemed oddly familiar.

“To be honest I’m not that good a flyer, but I’m strong,” the Pegasus said to Spike.

Spike nodded. “Yeah that runs in your family actually.”

The Pegasus cocked his head. “How would you know?”

“Let me guess, your sister is good with animals?”

“No, she’s like me to tell you the truth. But come to think of it, our youngest brother is!”

Spike smiled, “I knew it.”

“So you really knew our kin?” another Pegasus from the family asked.

“Sure did, your great-grand-or whatever-father was the strongest pony I’ve ever seen.”

“Stronger than you?!” a filly Pegasus the same age as Silver asked.

Spike snorted. “Nopony’ s stronger than I. Well, maybe when I was a baby he was stronger. But that’s it.”

The red one laughed. “I can’t believe all this time you knew our kin! We just knew you as The Great Dragon.”

Spike noticed Silver. “Welcome back, Your Highness,” he said grinning.

The youngest Pegasus flew over to the youngest of the five behind Silver. “My name’s Anna Apple, wanna play?”

“Ok!” the other said and they were off.

“Meet Aerlies Red,” said Spike. “He’s the Captain of your new Royal Guard.”

The big red Pegasus bowed. “Please to meet you, You Majesty.”

Silver was stumped for a reaction. The dragon noticed and rose from his seat. “Will you excuse us please, Aerlies?”

“Certainly.”

Spike tapped his nose as he walked away, Silver flew up and landed on the spot the dragon tapped.

“I have a guard now?”

“The first of many,” said Spike. Then he bellowed “Make Way for the Princess!”

Below she saw why. Spike’s kitchen has been turned into a full blown market with more ponies than his bedroom. He’s probably more concerned about accidentally stepping on one, but used it to introduce Silver to all the newcomers. They parted for The Great Dragon and cheered and waved to the princess standing on his nose. Silver looked at her subjects, they were cheerful, but their appearance is what troubled her. All of them were gaunt and disheveled a number of them with wounds covered in dirty bandages.

“Wave to them,” Spike said.

Silver began to cry, and hid from the crowd between Spike’s eyes. Spike stopped raised his head so the ponies wouldn’t see. If only he wasn’t so large, he could hug the poor filly at times like this.

Silver whimpered “I’m sorry. It’s just – I. I can’t help them all. There are just too many. Outside they are all fighting for no reason, and with the snows they can’t grow any food. They’re starving and sick, and still fighting each other! Is this happening everywhere? And if it is what about my parents? I want to go see if they’re ok, but I know I can’t!”

Spike let her cry, he really couldn’t blame her.

“I just can’t do this alone.”

“Oh Silver,” he said in a way that reminded Silver of her father. “You’re not alone. Want to know how so many got here while you were gone.”

She sniffed and mumbled something inaudible that sounded like a positive.

“That Donkey Notches and some earth ponies finished digging secret tunnels straight through the mountain range. Houses are being built in the other rooms, and a hospital here. Every group of ponies that walked through those tunnels has someone with a skill we need. They are all eager to help out, too. Little Garner has been scouring the ashes of the forest collecting every seed she can find and storing them. Just about the whole Apple & Wheat Families have been setting the land up for farming. And I hate to admit it, but Zecora has been a great help, healing the injured and teaching the other ponies her tricks. There’s a unicorn named Sneak Thief, actually a pretty nice pony from some not so nice parents, she’s been training a crew to sneak out and bring more ponies in. And the ones helping her are smart enough to keep a secret. Take a break. Let the other ponies do the saving for a while.”

Silver quietly huddled between Spike’s eyes.

“Silver?”

“OK! I WILL!” her voice cracked.

“Silver, walk out to the end my nose please? I can’t see you.”

She stomped out and sat down facing him, pouting with eyes red from crying.

“Oh I know that look. That’s the ‘I failed and I’m never going to try again’ face. Isn’t it?”

Silver turned her back to Spike. He knows the little princess well enough, Silver knows she’s special and she also thinks that means she’s perfect. The little filly will rush into huge challenges and when she finds out she has limitations Silver beats herself up for not being infallible. Spike can only imagine it comes from being born into a hopeless world yet seeing the hope in her parents’ eyes when they looked at her.

“Silver, no one said you had to do this alone but you. In fact you were the last one to figure out that you can’t.”

She sniffled and chortled a bit.

“Time for another lesson,” Spike announced.

He walked into his gallery where the ponies have built what looks like a prison. Most of the cages were empty with the exception of six of them that had a snarling grey pony in each. Silver was aghast.

“What is this?!”

“A necessity.”

There were a few burly earth ponies waiting, and Spike presented Silver they bowed.

“Princess,” one said. Silver recognized his deep voice. “I’m so very sorry for what I did, and my townsfolk.”

Silver presented the poise Etiquette taught her. “And you are?”

“Boulder , Your Highness. It’s my friend you see. His name is Saddlesoap. He’s the one who cornered you that day.”

Silver looked in the cage and saw him, the colt lunged at Silver. She looked up at Spike.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“They can be cured,” said Spike. “I’ve seen my sister do it. This isn’t a spell written down anywhere. It’s something we’ll have to figure out together.”

She looked at the cursed pony again. “How?” she asked quietly.

“Twilight was able to break the spell because she was close to those that were changed. She knew them and showed them who they really were. She told me she touched their soul.” Spike nodded to Boulder who brought in some other ponies from the village.

“This is Saddlesoap’s wife,” Boulder said. “And his friends.”

The mare looked at Silver with pleading eyes. Silver took a deep breath. “Tell me about Saddlesoap.”

She learned about the colt as seen in the eyes of his friends and family. When she thought she was ready Silver told them to hold the colt down.

Touch his soul, she thought.

Silver closed her eyes and put her horn on Saddlesoap’s brow. A bright flash followed and everypony around became translucent ghosts. She could see the taint on this grey colt, and like a figure blocking her path. Silver focused everything she learned about Saddlesoap. In an instant the taint was gone. In the corner of her eye she saw a massive figure that startled her. A different shade than the ponies, brighter, with a shining red jewel in it center. She looked at it directly recognizing it to be Spike.

“You’ll live longer than any of us, Spike,” she heard Celestia’s voice say. “Please take care of ______, ___ ____ _____ gone _____ __ _____ remember ___ ____ _____ ____ ___ ___ Twilight ___ ____ _____ ______ ____ __ __ ____ ____ ___ ____ __ all __ _____.”

The ghost world dissolved and the real world returned for Silver to see Spike smiling down on her. She looked back at Saddlesoap to see him back to normal squeezed in the center of a group hug with his friends and family.

“You made that look easy,” Spike said still smiling. He expected if she succeeded it would boost her confidence, yet she looked at him as if something was wrong. “He’ll never be turned again thanks to you.”

Silver shook away her odd feeling she had about Spike and smiled. “So this was your idea?”

Spike gave a half nod half bow. “Something else too, you might have missed it on your way back.”

Spike left the gallery and Silver flew up to the top of his head. They passed through the kitchen, except this time Silver waved to the ponies below. They went back through his bedroom to the outside. Silver ducked under Spike for shelter.

“Alright, let’s give this a try,” Spike said to himself.

The Great Dragon dove into the blizzard and disappeared. Silver heard a belch, than a roar. The white curtain of snow faded by a pulse of green light. A pause later and a beacon of green fire shot into the clouds. Silver thought she saw creatures that were part of the clouds fly away. The fire grew till the storm was beaten back and the sun shown. Spike was sitting in the center of would-be farmland, he carefully flew up above the snow covered farm. Flying above is in a circle he breathed more fire much less than during his fight, but Silver still felt the heat from it. In the clear Silver saw the farm has already been plowed and the seeds planted and also covered in a blanket of snow. Spike puffed a few more clouds of fire then settled down next to Silver.

“That hurt a little but it’s a start.” He said.

“A start?”

“Two birds with one stone, I get back into shape while turning the snow into rain. We get some earth ponies to plow the snow off, and we’ll have full crops growing.”

Silver looked out at the grey beyond the valley. The clouds were already creeping back overhead.

“Aw nuts.” Spike cursed.

“Well it was just your first try, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go back inside,” Silver said like a pony much older than she is. “I need to try to heal those others and you need to get some rest.”

~~~~~~~

“It sounds like a lot activity outside,” the tiniest sing-song voice squeaked.

“It’s just noise, nothing more. Care not what is beyond that door.”

“How can I do that?! We are in the dragon’s lair, no?”

Zecora didn’t answer. She ignored the fly by angrily stirring her cauldron.

“Come on, Zecora. Talk to your old friend. I thought you said the dragon hated you.”

“Nothing new is happening since you where here last. His dislike of me is now in the past.”

“A dragon that forgives? He’s more strange than I imagined.” The little fly tittered. “This is so much fun! Tell me more! How can a dragon not like somepony without burning them to nothing in an instant, on top of that how can one forgive?”

Zecora again tried to ignore the fly, picking various herds from jars to add to her brew.

“What about the unicorn? I know she’s here. Is that why the dragon ‘forgave’ you? Oh there’s so much I want to know! I could have sworn I’ve seen the clouds break apart right above where we’re standing. And every time it stays clear longer than before.”

“What dragon likes the cold? He’s set in his ways and he’s old.”

“A dragon, set in his ways, that forgives you, and adopts a unicorn? None of that makes sense. I LOVE IT!”

“Vile beast! Go away if you please?! Don’t you have a world to freeze?”

The fly cackled. “That was a good rhyme!” It buzzed directly into Zecora’s ear. “But you still haven’t told me anything. And - You - Owe - Me!”

She flicked her ear to shoo the fly away. “That’s what I want to hear from you, don’t bother being nice. If you want to know something it comes with a price.”

“You’re trying my patience old fool.” Discord’s voice inched into the sweet high pitched voice of the fly.

“Six feathers from a gryphon’s wings, moon dust, and an aurochs’ tail, find those ingredients for me and do not fail. Once that is done I’ll tell you all that I know about the unicorn, the dragon and why he guards this land. It’s quite an interesting tale though I doubt you would understand.”

The fly screamed as loud as it could, its rage signifying nothing more than a whisper. “You owe me you ugly cloudy-eyed grey weak stubborn obstinate arrogant smelly useless fossilized exiled alchemist! I left your homeland alone!”

Zecora picked up the nearest book within her grasp and smashed the raging fly with it.

Please take care of...

“Are you sure you’re okay with letting Peachy stay with you?”

“More than sure! I insist that she stays!”

“Are you REALLY sure?!” Pinkie Pie asked, bright eyed putting her face right up to Rarity’s.

“Mooommm! Stop it!” Peachy said between clenched teeth, giving her mother the stink eye through the one part in her perfectly straight mane. Her coat and mane both peach colored, hence the name of Pinky’s oldest daughter.

“How about you Spike?”

“She’ll be fine.”

“Can I stay too?!” An orange colt with a black mane said; Pinkie’s only colt, an earth pony she name Pokey.

“No!” Peachy said.

“Oh little darling,” Rarity said to Pokey. “You wouldn’t want to stay. Peachy and I are going to be doing nothing but boring grown-up things.”

“But I could fly around on Spike!”

Peachy looked at Spike with desperation in her eyes. Her ears and horn pointing up at Spike.

“Well, I really don’t go outside much, Pokey. I’ll just be staying in, in case Rarity needs anything.”

Peachy’s desperation turned to relief.

“Aw you never leave,” Pokey said pouting.

“Yeah,” Pumpkin added. “You’ve been inside so long I don’t think you could even fit through the door anymore.”

“Peachy, do you REALLY want to-“

“YES! GO!” she snapped at Pinkie.

“Okie Dokey! Say goodbye to Rarity and Spike kiddies!”

“I don’t wanna leave!” Paisley groaned. “Everything is so much bigger here.”

The smaller daughters of Pinkie were sitting at the foot of Rarity’s bed and took turns hugging her.

“Bubye Auntie Rarity,” Pinkie’s youngest, Poesy, lisped. “I hope you feel better.”

“YEAH! GETBETTERSOYOUCANCOMETOMYBIRTHDAYPARTY!DADSAYSI’LLGETMYOWNBEDROOMAND YOUCANDODESIGNINGTOMAKEITLOOKLIKEYOURBEDROOM! THAT’LLBEYOURBIRTHDAYPRESENTTOMEAND-“

“Okay Piffle,” Pumpkin mercifully interjected. She shooed her younger sister off the bed and kissed Rarity on the cheek. “Do get better Aunt Rarity.”

Pumpkin motioned Spike to drop his head down to kiss level, when he did Pinkie Pie’s second oldest gracefully gave him a kiss on his nose. “Bye Uncle Spike.”

The rest of Pinkie Pie’s children began leaping up at Spike’s face trying to kiss or hug him, but for the most part hitting him in the chin with their hooves and horns.

“Come along, Pumpkin, Poesy, Plucky, Presto, Pokey, Paisley, Penny, Piffle, Patter, Pedagogy, Pickle Barrel, Pyx, Puce, Prescience, and Puck. I got a mustang waiting for me at home and he’s getting lonely!”

“Dad’s not a mustang, he’s a unicorn,” Pedagogy said.

“Daddy’s an accountant!” said Poesy. She obviously has been trained by her father to keep all of Pinkie Pie’s humiliating nick names from being leaked to the public.

Pinkie Pie hopped away, her massive brood bouncing behind her. Spike and Rarity waved to them goodbye.

“She is going to wear him out,” Rarity said as soon as Pinkie was out of earshot.

“He’ll go with a smile though,” Spike added.

“EW! Come on guys, its bad enough when my Mom talks like that.”

“We are just saying your Father must be very happy.” Rarity said with an innocent smile worn just to annoy Peachy.

“Oh yeah? Well you two seem very happy,” Peachy said with a more sinister smile. “What’s it like when you - you know?”

Spike gulped.

“Oh Dahling, it is AMAZING!” Rarity cooed. She turned on her side to face Peachy and seductively writhed under her covers as she spoke. “You have no idea the PASSION of a dragon, they are so PRIMAL and so STRONG and sooOOOOOooooooooooo-“

“ALALALALA!” Peachy yelled with her hoofs over her ears and her eyes closed. She opened her eyes when she guessed it was safe for her delicate sensibilities to see Rarity smugly grinning knowing full well she won. Peachy looked up at Spike dropped her hooves from her ears and laughed at the look on his face. If he could still blush his face would be a beet red right now.

Unfortunately Spike is used to this. Rarity and Peachy are so in tune with each other Spike ends up feeling like the ball in a tennis match any time they decide to spar.

“Thanks for letting me stay with both of you,” Peachy said. “I really needed some peace and quiet.”

“You’re welcome here any time, hun.” Spike said. “Besides, it’s nice to see you smile for a change.”

“I smile!” Peachy said acting more insulted than she really was.

“Oh hush Spike!” Rarity said taking Peachy’s side as usual. “Alright, Peachy. Your Mother’s gone, let’s see those drafts of yours!”

Peachy nodded. “Be right back!” and galloped off to Fluttershy’s room where she has set up camp.

“That was the most flattering and most embarrassing thing you have ever said about me.” Spike lectured Rarity.

“It has been a while, but I have a very good memory,” she whispered looking up at Spike and fluttering her eyes. It made Spike wish he was still closer to pony size.

“Do you ever – regret not having a foal of your own?”

As weighty as the question was, Rarity hardly noticed and took it with her usual grace.

“Hmm. Sometimes, but only if they would be like Peachy.”

Spike knew that. There was no blood relation between the two of them, but one would never guess. Rarity has become Peachy’s de facto guardian with Pinkie Pie so busy with her other children.

“I wish we could have had offspring,” Spike apologized “or adopted at least.”

“Stop it! Spikey Wikey, we’ve been through this a million times and I’m sick of you blaming yourself for everything beyond your control. You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t destroy my career, you didn’t rob me of Motherhood, you didn’t alienate me from my parents, and you didn’t make me sick.”

“Sometimes, I wonder.”

“Well stop wondering. I’m never going to blame you and that’s that.” Rarity raised up her cheek. “Now kiss me and tell me you love me.”

Spike brought his head down to Rarity, and mashed the side of her head with his lips like he was chewing her head. “OM NOM NOM NOM!”

Rarity screamed and laughed at the same time. She was still laughing when Peachy returned. Peachy ignored the happy couple setting her drawing utensils on Rarity’s lap with her portfolio facing her.

“Okay, what I was looking of doing is bring your style back,” Peachy said as she opened up her portfolio.

“My style wasn’t that tight.”

“No I didn’t want to make an exact copy, like a modern take. See the jewels?”

“Hmm, what were you going to use?”

“On this one, cut onyx with grey cloth.”

“How about this?” Rarity tried picking up a charcoal pencil with her hoof but dropped it. “Oh Bother!”

“I got it.” Peachy used her unicorn powers to pick up the pen and draw the lines the way Rarity proposed.

The scene broke Spike’s heart. Rarity lost all of her magic some time ago, and now she was too weak to hold a pencil, yet still went on indifferent to her debilitating state. Peachy and all of her siblings were used to seeing her as frail on her best days and bedridden on the others, so Peachy barely noticed. To Spike it was another sign that Rarity has been sick for a very long time and was getting worse.

He left the two to their work, not bothering telling them he was leaving, since they wouldn’t notice anyway. They’ll be talking and drawing for hours before Spike is needed to carry Rarity into her studio so they can actually make the dresses. Peachy’s weakness is sewing so that will be the part that frustrates her as Rarity coaches. Peachy seems better at drawing the dresses than actually making them no matter how hard she tries. Her cutie mark is of crossed pencil and paintbrush which explains those strengths, and why she connected with the most creative friend of her mother’s.

Spike decided to go to his front door to test Pumpkin’s theory. So he opened it and tried to walk outside and stopped right at his wings. Passersby would get an eyeful of the comic sight of a homey looking doorway blown up to gigantic proportions with neck and head of a dragon sticking out like a purple and green goose.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he complained to himself. “Applebloom, I told you a fully grown dragon wouldn’t fit in this doorway.”

Spike remembered the argument she had with Applebloom over the front door. She mocked it painting horrible scenarios of Spike growing larger and larger till there’s nothing left in the world but him stomping around. Spikes’s first thought was to smash through the entrance and fly to Applebloom’s house with the doorway around his neck to give her a piece of his mind. Then he thought of how upset Rarity would be without a front door.

It did bring to light a very grim point: Spike has not left his house in a very long time. He mulled over many questions to try to make sense of it all. How many times has a dragon lived with magical beings like unicorns? Is Rarity’s illness the result?

“Spike? Spike!” Peachy cried. “Something’s wrong with Rarity! Come quick! SPIKE!”

~~~~~~~

“SPIKE!” Silver shouted above the storm of green flames. “Listen to me!”

Spike viciously attacked Silver’s force field till it shattered. She pushed the flames away with a gust of wind before being scorched.

“Discord! Stop this!” Silver pleaded.

“OK,” she heard Discord say. “Hey Spike! Stop being a dragon! There, that should do it.”

Spike brought is tail down on top of Silver who dodged it by only a foot. The thunderous impact knocked Silver off her feet. Spikes’ growling was so horse and loud it shook her bones.

“Did it work?” Discord taunted. “I can’t tell with all the giant monster attacking going on.”

Silver heard Spike inhale and put up another force field just in time. The flames were boiling the snow causing clouds of steam to blind her. Silver jumped into the air high above The Great Dragon and Discord, Spike twisted and turned inside the steam cloud look for her. She flew higher looking down at Spike. Even from this high height the dragon spotted her and leapt up in the sky after her. She raced away hearing Spike gaining on her.

~~~~~~~

The Pegasus flew faster than he ever had in his life as the dragon gained on him. The terror of being eaten the only fuel he had left. As soon as he saw the dragon silhouette against the backdrop of the early red dawn, he dropped his parcel to distract it and ran into the clouds. He read that dragons normally don’t attack Pegasus, but this one was tracking him, wearing him down like a hawk against a pigeon. The sound of his heart beating pounded his temples, he wanted to just fall and let the ground put him out of his misery. Yet every time he heard the dragon’s maniacal laugh he found another bit of adrenaline to keep him flying away. The flapping of its great wings was getting closer. He banked at a harder angle than he ever tried before, light headed he ducked behind a cloud. He panted loudly as he laid there on the cloud wide-eyed, cursing himself for not being able to breathe quietly. Above him was a dense fog, the blindness panicked him, he needed to see where the dragon went. He tried to listen for him, but the sound of his heart pounding pulsed his eardrums to the point where he might as well been deaf. Without warning, the giant head of the dragon leapt out from the fog inches away from the Pegasus’s face.

“AH HA! – Oh! Whoops. I’m sorry. I thought you were someone I know.”

The Pegasus had blacked out.

When he came to he was on the ground. A beautiful green glade lined with flowers, morning dew sparkled off the plants as birds chirped in the distance.

Am I dead? he thought.

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

He looked up at the dragon and screamed uncontrollably. The Pegasus tried to fly away but as soon as he moved his wings the pain of his furious flight grounded him.

“Hey! Hey! Calm down!”

The screaming Pegasus tried to run but tripped. He frantically crawled and still screaming.

“STOP SCREAMING!” the dragon yelled. Birds fled the nearby trees.

The Pegasus tried to play dead. The dragon picked the limp Pegasus up off the ground and sat him up facing him.

“Look, I’m sorry. From a distance you looked like a friend of mine.”

The Pegasus was catatonic.

“Her name’s Scootaloo. Do you know her? She’s got same color coat and mane as you, so you would remember that.”

The Pegasus mouthed words a couple of times. “Meaaah.”

The dragon had no idea what he was trying to say. “Here you dropped this,” he said giving the Pegasus his mailbag. “What’s your name?”

“Daaaaaaah.” The Pegasus blinked and swallowed. “Down Draft.”

“Well hi, Down Draft. Welcome back. My name’s Spike.”

“You chased me because you thought I was a friend of yours?”

“Yeah, it’s an old game we’d play.”

“You’re not going to eat me?”

“No! I – Am – Not – Going – To – Eat – You!” Spike has been getting very annoyed with that question from everypony he meets nowadays. “So you never met Scootaloo?”

Down Draft shook his head.

“How about Rainbow Dash?”

“I’ve heard of her, but I never met her.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah she’s a bit of a celebrity.”

“I heard she defeated a dragon once, are you out for revenge?”

“’Defeated a dragon’?!” Spike scoffed. “She kicks a dragon in the nose while he’s taking a nap and now it’s ‘she defeated a dragon’?!” Spike shook his head laughing.

“That didn’t happen then?”

“Of course not! That’s stupid!” Spike sighed. “I’m going to have a REALLY long talk with that silly filly. Do you know where she is?”

“She died.”

Spike was struck dumb. “She’s dead?”

Down Draft nodded.

“Rainbow Dash.”

The Pegasus nodded again. Spike growled.

“Now let me say this out loud so I know we are all on the same page: Rainbow Dash – is DEAD?”

“Yes.”

“And when did this happen?”

Down Draft shrugged. “I don’t know. A year ago I think?”

“A YEAR?!” Spike roared. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ANYONE?! SHE DID HAVE FRIENDS ON THE GROUND YOU KNOW?!”

Down Draft screamed again and tried to run.

“STAY WHERE YOU ARE!”

Down draft obeyed, curling into a ball. Spike leaned in on the quivering mass.

“Down Draft, listen to me very carefully. I am going to repeat what you just told me. Rainbow Dash: former Wonderbolt, former Weather Chief of Ponyville, close personal friends with Twilight Sparkle your Steward has been dead for a year. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Down Draft said, still crying and hiding his face under his wings. “Please don’t kill me.”

“How did she die?”

“I don’t know. I just carry the mail. Please, I got a wife. I just want to go home.”

Spike flew off snarling.

~~~~~~~

Silver could hear Spike’s snarling as he drew closer.

I’ve got to get to his head, Silver thought. If I can get to him I can cure him.

The danger in doing that was obvious. Spike seemed completely feral since being cursed.

Discord was laughing while flying alongside the princess, he didn’t want to miss a second of this chase.

“You know, it serves you ponies right.” Discord said. “Enslaving this poor dragon for all those years. Why can’t any of you just let things go wild?”

Silver dove down into some highlands on the edge of the desert, Spike was right behind her. The ground was thawed and fertile enough for the spell, so she landed. Spike banked low enough for the spell to work. Vines sprung out of the ground entangling The Great Dragon. Silver tightened vines pulling Spike against the ground, she brought more vines around his nose tying his mouth shut.

Spike struggled against the vines growling. Silver could hear the agony I Spike’s voice. As she got closer she could see the vicious lacerations her teacher had, deep cuts that would be fatal on any other creature. Any other dragon she imagined. She flew over quickly to cast the spell, as she got closer they locked eyes for her to see nothing behind them. The others she cured were still coherent, talkative in some cases. The was a feral dragon and nothing else. Spike thrashed violently breaking the vines. Silver cast more up to replace his restraints, but Spike shook off even more, tearing open his wounds at the same time. He was breaking free but at a terrible cost.

“Spike! Stop it! You’re hurting yourself!” Silver pleaded through tears.

“HA! What do you care? He’s just a dragon Celestia trained!” Discord said. “If it weren’t for that he wouldn’t even be here.”

~~~~~~~

“I don’t know if I should be here,” Spike cautioned.

“Nonsense. You’re Family.” Applejack shot back. “Just help set up the tent, and carry a few things and it’ll be fine.”

The entire Apple family has shown up. Applejack introduced Spike to any who didn’t hide. Most of them looked at the big dragon with suspicion. Spike noticed Fluttershy’s children were fully grown now. He helped as they set up for the services, the co-workers not completely paralyzed with fear were polite. A few of the extended family remembered Spike. But for the most part, they were all strangers. Pinkie Pie and Applejack being the only exceptions.

“I wish Twilight could have come,” Spike confessed to Applejack.

“Ah know, but she has a lot of responsibilities now.”

The services were outdoors for the benefit of the large number of ponies that came to pay their respects. The Pastor’s eulogy spoke of Fluttershy’s kindness, her devotion to her family, her uncanny ability with animals, but no real mention of her six friends and the time with them in Ponyville. That wasn’t important to most of the grievers, not even to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. It mattered to Spike though. It was the only thing that mattered to him. Because it was the only time he fit in. He sat at a far distance from the rest watching them all and felt so out of place. When it was time for Spike to pay his respects the crowd of strangers look at him with dread.

She was my friend too, he thought as he stepped up to the coffin. She didn’t look at all as Spike remembered. Older, more plump, but it was the way she was laying there. When Fluttershy slept she never looked as stern as she did here. He placed the gift he brought in the coffin resting on her grey and pink hair, and walked back ignoring the gawkers.

The pallbearers were her four sons, strange she would have only colts. Her grave was set next to Big Macintosh’s on a hill at the far end of their property. The somber event was all finished by late morning.

After the ceremony most of the Apple family went home, those who were closest to Fluttershy stayed at her house. That was more comfortable for Spike, she knew most of them and their attitude towards him spread through the ponies he didn’t know. Spike still kept at a distance from the back-yard get together. He’s gotten far too big to mingle. Applebloom and Applejack being cordial as usual had that chore down, introducing one pony to the other and exchanging stories about Fluttershy and Big Mac. Spike just watched.

“I miss her already,” the quietest voice said next to Spike.

To his right was a tiny blonde and sea foam earth pony sitting demurely next to Spike.

“She was the kindest, best mother-in-law a filly could ever hope for.”

It made Spike smile inwardly. This one was so quiet, avoiding the crowd. She probably moved next to the dragon because no one else was near him. Spike imagined one of Fluttershy’s little colts saying: When I grow up I want to marry somepony just like Mommy!

“I miss her too,” Spike said trying to be just as quiet.

“I had no idea Fluttershy was friends with a dragon.”

Spike nodded. “We were friends when I was very young.” He was going to add about Fluttershy drifting away as Spike became an adult because of her annoying phobia, but it didn’t seem worth mentioning.

“I saw you leave something for her, what was it?”

“A flower, I visited her old house near The Everfree Forest. They were growing wild on the front lawn.” Spike scratched his spines on the top of his head. “I don’t know, I thought I should bring something. We haven’t gotten a chance to talk in so long. Her and Mac were – great. I wish I got to see more of them.”

“I remember Big Mac,” she said. “He would hardly say anything until we were alone. Then he’d go ‘So uh, when am Ah gonna be a Granddad?’”

They both laughed a little. Her imitation of Big Mac was pretty close.

“He wasn’t pressuring me or anything, he never did. If I didn’t want to talk about something or just didn’t feel like talking, he would just stay nearby in case I changed my mind. But with Momma Fluttershy, I always wanted to talk to her. I just,” She sniffed. “I just felt so comfortable here.”

She began crying openly, leaning on Spike. Spike put a hand on her and covered her with his wing to comfort her. In doing so he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. As the two wept Spike noticed they attracted attention of the others here.

Spike locked eyes with Applejack who smiled at him through tears.

~~~~~~~

Silver escaped Spike’s attack despite the tears in her eyes. She was crying as she flew from her wounded friend. Behind her she heard the last of the vines breaking and the dragon grunting in pain as he tore loose. She flew higher above the desert. To buy time she employed an invisibility spell.

“This is fun!” Discord said. “Where’d you go?”

Silver landed on one of the few clouds left so Discord could not hear her wings. Spike was climbing towards him from below. The princess thought of a mischevious spell to try on the Spirit of Chaos, a glamour spell that changed his likeness to hers. The sound of Spike’s wings grew louder as Discord looked at himself confused.

“Hey what’s this?” he asked, then looked down at the approaching dragon in horror.

Silver was ready to enjoy the show, then noticed Spike was flying towards her, the dragon knew exactly where she was hiding. Spike’s jaws snapped around the princess everything went dark. In a panic Silver teleported away unsure of where she was going. She got her bearings and realized she was back on the ground again.

How did he see me? She thought. The bonding spell!

As horrifying as that was it did mean there was a part of Spike inside the mindless dragon.

That means I CAN cure him!

That hope was still there. No remains the obstacle of getting near the dragon to do so. Every other time she used the spell the subject was restrained, an impossible task with Spike.

The dragon landed in front of her with a grinning Discord alongside him.

~~~~~~~

Spike landed with Pegasus alongside him.

“Let’s go again!”

“Pleeeeeaaaaaase?!”

“I don’t think so,” Spike said. “Poor Kanzi Apple looks pretty tired.”

Kanzi was more that tired. He was lying on the ground supine desperately trying catch his breath. The parents all agreed that Spike could take their kids up for rides as long as Kanzi Apple flew along with Spike as a spotter to keep the little rascals from falling off. After the third trip of trying to keep up with Spike the poor farming Pegasus was spent, and this was the fifth trip.

“Let’s get one of the other pegasuses to follow!”

“Yeah! Ol’ Derpy said she’d do it!”

“No way,” Spike said.

“Then you could catch us if we fall.” One of the foals reasoned.

“You mean all of you?” Spike looked back at the little herd on his back.

They all caught on and nodded in agreement hoping the lie would become truth by consensus.

“Well let’s find out!” Spike began bobbing up and down. The foals did their best to hang on like a mass rodeo. They were all laughing as the fell off and rolled safely down Spike’s wings onto the ground. Except for one determined filly that wouldn’t budge. Spike gave up and let her stay. “How are you feeling Kanzi?”

“Old,” he wheezed.

The parents were collecting their various colts and fillies all of them talked about their flight. Some saying how lucky Pegasus like Uncle Kanzi Apple are, or how small the house was from up there. None of them admitted to being scared, including the ones that were.

Pokey greeted Spike with a smile.

“You know you look just like your father,” Spike had to say.

Pokey nodded since he couldn’t deny it. Over the years he lost most of his mane and donned a pair of glasses. “Well the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Kanzi would say. If he could still talk.” Pokey leaned in to the fresh corpse lying on his lawn. “You OK cousin?”

“Feeling better, gimmie another week.”

“Let’s go again!” the foal still riding Spike’s back ordered. She even kicked him on the neck.

Spike ignored her looking around at his landing site. Pokey has done very well for himself, the yard around his house was large enough for farming but it was just noting but gardens and a wide lawn, which is currently being trampled by a crowd in the hundreds if not thousands. The guests were mingling, sharing memories, or dancing to the DJ and even the band that set up. Applejack and Applebloom were running the cider bar that was built. They brought a massive amount of cider and treats for everypony.

Kanzi Apple finally got up to the relief of Spike and Pokey. “Wooey!” he said still winded. “And Ah bet you weren’t even trying to fly fast were you?”

“What can I say? I’m a dragon.”

“Are you done with rides for the day?” Pumpkin asked as she greeted the three.

“Ah know Ah am.”

“MOM!” the foal in Spike’s back shouted. “DIDJA SEE ME?!”

“I did!” Pumpkin said with equal enthusiasm. “You know, you’re VERY lucky! Spike wouldn’t even let Uncle Pokey ride him when you were his age!”

Spike pulled Pumpkin’s her daughter off of his back while she bragged that she was the only one to stay on when Spike shook all of the other young ones off.

“You should come work the farm with those talents sugarcube!” Kanzi Apple said.

“Yes, that’s what she needs, more encouragement.” Pumpkin replied to her “cousin”.

It didn’t surprise Spike in the slightest how these children of his friends consider themselves extended family. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were so close after all. The Apple family has always been a prominent and affable clan that welcomed Fluttershy when she joined. And judging by the number of grandkids scurrying around, Pinkie Pie decided to start her own personal army. The two families together turned Pokey’s palatial estate into a berg on par with small city.

And since most were of Pinkie’s army, none of them were afraid of Spike in the slightest. Their jovial attitude infected Spike, so he started giving the young ones rides. He noticed there were still more coming in from far off at the front gate, a short distance for his dragon eyes. More than family but friends from all through Pinkie Pie’s life, anyone who could make the long trip from Ponyville as well as the hundreds of local friends Pinkie Pie gained when she moved in with her only colt. Around noontime some neighbors complained, but when the authorities arrived, they took one look at all the earth ponies, unicorns, Pegasus, griffins, donkeys, zebras, minotaurs, and one giant dragon, and decided to look the other way.

Spike spotted a familiar face cautiously walking past the valets in an expensive black dress. She looked unsure of her surroundings as she leaned on a rather pompous looking unicorn for protection. Spike leapt into the air and glided over to his target. Her look was first one of fear, then of annoyance when she recognized the dragon. As her date galloped away screaming at a very high pitch, she stood her ground prepared for the humiliation to come. The dragon scooped her up hugged her gently as he landed.

“Hiya Peachy.” Spike said still holding her.

“Hi Spike,” she said with a sad smile. “You’ve gotten bigger. How have you been?”

“As well as could be expected I guess,” he said while putting Peachy down.

“Yeah.” Nothing else really needed to be said on the subject. Peachy noticed her date was still galloping away. “Could you, stay with me? For like the ENTIRE time I’m here? I’m really not comfortable doing this, and I don’t think he’s coming back.”

“Who was he anyhow?”

“Just some colt, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Spike walked along side Peachy as her date. “I’ll be glad to be his replacement, but you have to tell me what you’ve been up to. It’s been a long time.”

“Well,” she said. “I never got to be a great designer. So I started, doing drawings and paintings. And, that’s how I make my living.”

“Quite a reserved biography, are you doing well?”

“As well as a living artist can be I guess. I got my own studio in Fillydelphia and get steady work. Some of my paintings have gotten me in hot water though.”

“Oh?”

Peachy nodded with that sinister smile from her adolescent years. “A few of my more avant-garde portraits involving unicorns and dragons.”

Spike growled.

“They are very happy together in my paintings.”

“Alright, I get it.”

Peachy laughed. Her laughing stopped when they got to the party in the backyard. Instinctively she got closer to Spike.

“Is this – appropriate for a funeral?”

“You really think your Mother would want anyone to be sad because of her?”

She laughed sarcastically. “No she never wanted people to be sad, she was always ordering me to smile and be happy. Every – single – day.”

“You just felt out of place. That’s all, Peachy.”

“Yeah, like I do right now.”

She started to back away, but Spike stopped her with his tail.

“It’s alright. I’m here,” said Spike.

“I feel really bad about this,” she whispered. “I was there when – Aunt Rarity died. I was with her the whole time when you flew off to get help. I was alone with her waiting for Zecora and Twilight to show up. I felt so stupid and helpless; all I could do was watch. So when I got a letter telling me Mom wasn’t feeling well. I – I just didn’t want to go through that again.”

Spike used one finger and patted her straight peach colored mane.

“We didn’t part on the best of terms,” Peachy said her voice shaking. “After Rarity was gone, I felt so alone. I didn’t want to burden you, and Mom wasn’t much help. I said some things to her that I really shouldn’t have. I really hurt her I think. And then, instead of saying I’m sorry, I left.”

“I don’t think you could have hurt your Mother,” Spike said. “I mean if you said something that hurt her she would never hold it against you. And if she did hold it against you she would probably forget.”

“Oh thank you, now I feel much better!” Peachy said trying to hold back tears.

“Did I ever tell you about the first time she brought your father over to meet Rarity and I?”

Peachy shook her head not making a sound. She was doing her best not to cry.

“She actually forgot to tell your Dad that I was a dragon.”

She broke down in sad tears and laughter.

“She went on and on about how Rarity was this great designer and how she knew me since I was a baby. Oh and how I always had a crush on Rarity since was really really really really small, but Rarity didn’t even notice till I got bigger. And boy did I get big!”

As Spike imitated Pinkie Pie as best he could, Peachy’s tears went away completely but the laughter stayed.

“She did nothing but talk about the two of us to your Dad for THE ENTIRE TRIP, and NOT ONCE did she tell him I was a dragon. So when he first saw me he said ‘EEK!’ and jumped into Pinky’s arms.”

“I can picture that!” She said while still laughing. Her laughter died off, but now she had a smile on her face. “Thanks Uncle Spike, I really needed to hear that.”

“Well, well well, look who decided to show up,” Pedagogy said.

“Hello, Ped. How have you been?”

“More like where have YOU been?”

“Be nice,” Spike said in a stern voice to Peachy’s sister.

Pedagogy was a little surprised at Spike’s change in attitude. The look on her face told Spike this little pony wasn’t going to back down. Her eyes showed her to be both angry and hurt over her older sister’s sudden appearance after such a long absence.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could have gotten here sooner.” Peachy said. “Could we just put the family drama on-hold till later? I promise you will have all the time you need to tell me what a horrible sister I am.”

“Peachy?!” Pumpkin cried. She galloped over and hugged her older sister. “I’m so glad you came!”

Peachy was surprised by Pumpkin’s reaction. “Really?”

“Of course!”

“But, when I left Mom and all of you-“

“Hey!” Pumpkin said holding her older sister’s face and looking her right in the eye. “I’m not going to hate you. And Mom never did. Now come on I want to introduce you to your nieces.”

Pumpkin dragged her away. Peachy looked at Spike with that same pleading look he remembered from years ago. So the dragon followed her.

~~~~~~~

Discord strutted towards the princess with arms out stretched theatrically, the grey dragon following him.

“He’s not yours anymore, he’s free.”

“Spike isn’t free!” Silver cried.

“Isn’t he? Be honest now, what other dragon collects books and cuddles ponies? That just isn’t natural. I bet Sun Butt planned this since he was an egg. Poor Spike still hears Celestia’s voice in his big purple head. Not anymore though!”

“Please take care of-“ Silver said.

Spike stopped in his tracks unsure of his prey. Silver noticed his reaction.

Could the lie Zecora said be true in some way? She thought.

Spike growled and lunged at Silver, stomping Discord deep into the mud in the process. The princess flew back into the air, flying up as fast as she could. Spike pursued her again into the sky, but at a slower pace. Silver noticed, all of his wounds, the fighting he’s been doing for what could be days is wearing him down. But Spike was still gaining on her, as she flew she could feel the dragon’s breath.

Silver peered ahead and teleported. It worked. She got further away from the dragon with that short jump. It gave Silver an idea, a way to take what Spike taught her. As Spike drew close she dove down at him and corkscrewed around the giant dragon. Spike tried to follow his tiny prey with his head but had to stop his forward flight to do so.

As he hovered, Silver flew so close she was almost standing in Spike’s lap.

Try and bite me now, she thought.

The dragon stared down at the princess.

~~~~~~~

Twilight Sparkle stared down at the device placed on her lap.

“Now I will just place this crystal like so,” the doddering old earth pony said. “And hold just the tiniest flame to it.”

A flash of blue light filled the room, startling everypony as well as the dragon outside looking in from the open balcony. For at least five seconds the guards and advisors were all silent.

“Great, now I’m blind!” Twilight Sparkle groused. Clearly she was most unimpressed from the demonstration.

“B-But you can see the potential in this. We could light streets ten times brighter than they are today.”

“Uh huh. For a half-second at a time.”

“This is just in the preliminary stage. I still have more research to do. But for that I need funding for an expedition to get more crystals.”

Twilight Sparkle groaned. “Last estimate I read stated you need a small army of Pegasus for the expedition. Half to collect these crystals, the other half to fight off the beasts at the top of this mountain where you found them.”

“Well, uh. Yes but-“

“Goodbye!” she said cheerfully. The guards dragged him out. She sat in her bed disgusted with her plight. “Spike, are you still here?”

“I’m right outside. Follow the sound of my voice.” He said the last part like ghost in a haunted house.

“I wouldn’t recommend going near the dragon, M’Lady.” Her Doctor said.

“I’m not going to talk to little brother through an open door while he stands outside.”

“But it’s so cold out M’Lady, it is detrimental to your health.”

“Have you felt a dragon’s breath? It’ll be a lot warmer than that practical joke that was just pulled on me.”

“I understand, but for your own good-“

Twilight’s horn glowed and everypony, guards and all, were forcibly shoved out of her room and the door locked. She then levitated her bed cushion and rode it like a magic carpet to the balcony, folding it in the shape of a chair so she could comfortably sit upright. A Pegasus guard standing at ease on the balcony snapped to attention.

“Honestly Spike, I think you are the only one here that has the slightest bit of pony sense.”

“Look on the bright side, it didn’t blind you for very long.”

“Actually I’m still blind,” she complained with the same annoyed look she wore during her irksome ordeal trying to understand Pinkie Pie’s ESP.

Spike chuckled when he saw the young Pegasus guard’s reaction. He was trying to be stalwart at attention while ignoring the fact this sweet feeble old unicorn just performed a feat of magic unicorns in their prime would do to impress a crowd, all while not being able to see.

“Can you believe that idiot?” she said, still mad. “I bet he was going to ask for Royal Guard to go on that expedition too. Like I’m supposed to put them at risk for a bunch of flash bulbs?”

“I think you’re selling The Guard short.”

“No Spike, the sad thing is I’m not. The Guard doesn’t get the best flyers anymore. Why do you think all of Fleet Foot’s and Rainbow Dash’s records haven’t been broken? It’s because The Royal Guard and even The Wonderbolts are not first choice anymore.” She turned her head to yell at the guard, but turned the wrong way. “Yeah that’s right! I know all about The Nomads!” she said to nobody.

“Twilight he’s on your right, not your left.”

She spun her head to her right. “You’re here because you couldn’t qualify for The Nomads, is that your story?”

The young guard said nothing but Spike could he was hiding something.

“Can you believe it, Spike? Any Pegasus that’s worth a flying feather doesn’t even consider service for Equestria anymore. The Royal Guard is being upstaged by a – a – a jumped up Cloud Gang!” Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Who in the hoof does Rainbow Dash think she is?!”

“Twilight –“

“I know Spike, I know. To be honest though, I don’t believe it. Well, she might be dead now, but the way you were told all those years ago? No body, no funeral? Scootaloo disappeared near the same time, did you know that? No. This is all planned.”

“Enough politics,” Spike said. “You’re getting upset.”

She sighed. “You’re right.”

Spike rested his head on the balcony so his breath would warm his sister.

“Ah,” she said in a refreshed tone. “I think my vision’s coming back. Is the sun setting?”

“Ehyup.”

“I wish my room was facing the sunset.”

“Well, you’ll enjoy a nice moonrise.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “You know I think that’s the real problem. Celestia and Luna are gone and the Sun and Moon are getting on fine without them. So all the ponies are forgetting, they think their rule was all a trick. The Canterlot Unicorns are the worst too, they are certain they should be running things. You notice how many of them are tagging along calling themselves ‘advisors’? I haven’t met a single one that couldn’t be replaced with a decent book in my library. Yet you bring up the true wisdom of Celestia and they treat her like she was, was. Darn it! What was her name, that stage act that came to Ponyville? When Snips and Snails nearly got us all killed?”

“Trixie.”

“Yeah they treat her like she was Trixie. It’s like the old seahorses say: ‘Anypony can man the helm when the seas are calm’, and the unicorns have been sailing along not a cloud in the sky, and they think that makes them good leaders. They are so arrogant too! Can you imagine what would happen from just a parasprite outbreak with one of these snobs in charge?”

“Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

The guard chuckled. Twilight shot a look at the Pegasus, and then laughed in agreement.

“Ugh! Why am I so grumpy?!”

“Well you were just blinded without warning.”

“That’s probably it.”

“And you’ve been away from your friends for far too long,” Spike added.

Twilight leaned forward and put her hoof on Spike’s nose. “I know,” said Twilight. “I really do miss them all.”

“Well come on down and visit Applejack, she’d love to have you. Or we could have a little party at my place. I can’t remember the last time you’ve been to your room Rarity set up for you.”

Twilight scoffed. “Yeah I’m sure they’d let me do something like that. Did you see how much effort went in to trying get my doctor to agree to just sitting outside?”

Spike growled.

“What?” Twilight insisted. “Spike you can’t hide your thoughts from me, I know that growl.”

“Welllllllll”

“Come on.”

“Twilight, I really don’t like what’s happening to you. You regressed back to being the little unicorn you were before you moved to Ponyville. All work and no friends. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but aside from me, Applejack’s the only friend you got left.”

That last part stung Twilight.

“Also your Doctor didn’t agree to anything you just threw him out.”

She was supposed to laugh at that last part but didn’t. Twilight Sparkle sat there watching the moon rise. “Spike,” she finally said. “I’m very old. You don’t notice because you’re a dragon. I can’t just fly off to visit friends like I was still a teenager. Do you have any idea what it is like to have all of Equestria depending on you? When we were young it was easy, just swoop in, save the day, get a pat on the head by the Princess, and go home. No we have to do actual work. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy had families and jobs. I’m Steward of Equestria, so I have to do everything I can so their families are safe and comfortable.”

“And what was Rainbow Dash doing for work?” Spike challenged.

“Ask the spy,” Twilight said pointing at the Pegasus Guard.

The Guard stood at attention ignoring the accusation.

“Yeah, I may be old but I’m not stupid,” she said to the Pegasus.

“Twilight, I’m not asking you to run away and buck apples for the rest of your life. I’m saying you should just take a little vacation with friends.”

“But I don’t want a vacation. We all have to move on, Spike. You’re life is just beginning, mine’s at an end.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Oh come on, Spike! Four of us are gone! How much longer do you think the two of us have left?”

That last part stung Spike worse than what he said to his sister. Twilight knew it and patted her little brother on the nose reassuringly.

“I’m just preparing you, Spike. You’ve seen how everypony reacts to you. When we’re gone, I don’t think you will be too welcome among ponies.”

“I’ve noticed,” Spike said sadly.

Twilight leaned out of her chair and hugged the dragon’s long snout. “Don’t worry, I’m not gone yet.” She said cheerfully as she sat back down.

“I certainly hope not,” Spike said “and if you don’t mind, I would like to stay with you here every day from now on.”

Spike got his head closer and nuzzled Twilight Sparkle.

~~~~~~~

Spike shot his head closer and attacked Silver who teleported above the dragon’s head. The Great Dragon lunged again and Silver ducked, as he swung she teleported to another spot in the air close to Spike. It gave Silver the advantage she needed. Spike flailed wildly at the princess as she appeared and disappeared around him. It disorientated Silver, yet if she stopped for an instant she knew that Spike would kill her. As he swung Silver noticed he was tiring. Silver began to teleport less, flying around the dragon’s lunges and his snapping jaws. Silver flew above the dragon’s bared teeth as he missed another bite and violently crashed between Spike’s eyes horn first.

In an instant she was in the curing spell. Silver saw a massive grey cloud with a faint red light in the center of it. The red jewel from before. Fighting through the grey was worse than the blizzards that have frozen the land. Tumultuous grey clouds swirling, it felt like loneliness. Closer she say the jewel was a large heart shaped ruby. Silver touched it with her horn.

“You’ll live longer than any of us, Spike,” Celestia said. “Please take care of Rarity, and when she’s gone don’t be angry. Remember the good times with her, and Twilight and your other friends. Keep us in your heart. But most of all, be happy.”

A flash of white blinded the princess. When her sight returned she was staring directly at Spike. He was no longer grey and recognized her, and smiled. The dragon’s wounds caught up with him, his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

“NO!” Silver screamed as Spike fell to earth.

I flew too high, she cursed herself as she flew down after him.

“Spike! Wake up!”

She couldn’t catch him, he fell too fast. Silver could only watch as the giant dragon’s limp body crashed onto the desert. Silver landed by The Great Dragon’s head.

“SPIKE!” she cried.

His eyes were closed.

“Oh great! You killed him” Discord said with annoyance. He was covered in mud and limping. “Looks like I’ll have to finish you off myself.”

Silver was shocked to the ground a searing pain stabbed her heart. She did even see the attack, and Discord was still far away limping towards her. The princess was immobile she couldn’t even flap her wings. Discord was getting close now, an evil grin on his muddy face.

Green flames engulfed Discord who screamed in agony, the dirt baking on his skin. The spell he used to hurt the princess faded, she flew up away from the firestorm. The desert floor was alight from Spike’s fire now. Discord swirled in the middle of the storm screaming. Spike slumped onto the ground his chin crashing onto a large desert rock.

“Spike?!” Silver flew over to him.

He lay there struggling to breath.

“Spike?”

The dragon opened his eyes.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” she said. “I flew too high-“

“Don’t.” Spike wheezed looking at the princess’s necklace. “Don’t ever blame yourself. Think only good thoughts now. Whatever happens whatever he says or does remember only the good times we had and our friendship.”

The dragon’s eyes closed.

“Spike? SPIKE?!”

~~~~~~~

“Spike?”

Spike turned to see a yellow version of Granny Smith.

“Ah knew it was you,” the old mare said. “Ah mean who else could it be?”

“Applebloom?” Spike was a little stunned. “Has it really been that long?”

“Well not all of us can age as well as you. My stars you’re big!” the old mare laughed. She got real close to Spike to tell him a secret. “My kin saw you when you landed here, they’re all hiding in the storm cellar.”

As Applebloom laughed, Spike found it hard to join in.

“Oh, what’s the matter sweetheart?”

Spike fixed his eyes on Applejack’s grave.

“They’re all gone now,” he said.

Applebloom sighed. “I know. It must be hard for you.”

“Me? She was your sister.”

She was going to say the she is not alone, but didn’t want to hurt the poor dragon.

“So,” she said. “Still living in that nice spot in the Everfree Forest?”

Spike nodded, then snaked his head up to Applebloom. “But I did have to smash through that tiny door you made.”

It took a minute for Applebloom to remember, and then she cackled at the old memory. Spike tried to laugh but could only smile. It was nice to talk to one of his old friends, even if they weren’t that close. But it felt odd. He might as well been talking to a familiar rock outside of the library in Ponyville. Applebloom seemed barely real, like this was all a memory.

“Oh Spike, that is a hoot!” Applebloom laughed a bit more.

“Glad I gave you a laugh.”

Applebloom put her hoof on the lonely dragon’s cheek.

“Aw. You were always such a nice dragon. Even when you got all big and scary, you had such a great heart. Not everyone could tell, but Ah remember when a timid little thing like Tinsel saw it.”

Spike didn’t recognize that name. He thought maybe the old mare was getting things jumbled in her head.

“You remember Tinsel, dontcha? She was Cottonwood’s wife, quiet as church mouse she was. Poor filly didn’t have much a home life growin’ up. Her Dad left when she was born and Momma didn’t like her because she weren’t a unicorn. Well Ah don’t know how Fluttershy’s youngest met her or anything like that, Ah only got to see her after they was married. But boy did Tinsel love Fluttershy and her kin. When my brother died, she stayed with Fluttershy, even made Cottonwood move the two of them in to his Momma’s house so she could keep an eye on her Mother-in-Law all day.”

Applebloom chuckled to herself about that. Spike smiled, he remembered that little pony now and could never imagine her asserting herself.

“Well, you know when Fluttershy passed on, that poor filly just shut down. Not cryin’ or even mad, she just walked around not making a sound. She wouldn’t talk to any of us, and when more of us tried to talk to her she just withdrew even more. Cottonwood told us all to leave her alone, somethin’ about her past I guess. He was certain she wouldn’t talk to anybody and this big crowd just scared her. She talked to you though, she even started to feel again. We were all amazed by it, Ah was worried she would never talk again.”

Applebloom could see it in Spike’s eyes that his thoughts were somewhere else.

“You can talk to me ya know?”

“I don’t know what to do now,” he said to himself forgetting Applebloom was by his side.

“Hmm,” she pondered. “Well, you’re a dragon! Go on and mix it up! When is the next migration? A big strong dragon like you ought to make a real show at something like that.”

Spike looked up at the moon, it was midnight.

“I don’t know if I want to leave.”

“Oh don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine.” Applebloom looked up at the dragon. “That’s not it is it? You just don’t want it to end.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your life here. With us. Ah can certainly understand, it was a lotta fun and Rarity was one in a million, but ya can’t jus’ dwell on it. You need to move on. There will be plenty of time to look back on the good ol’ days when your mah age.”

“I am your age.”

Applebloom hit the dragon’s leg. “You know what I mean!”

The dragon swallowed, he has been thinking of this very thing for some time now. Just start over. Considering how long he’ll live he can do that. Who knows maybe he’ll meet a dragon that isn’t as stupid as the ones he’s met so far? Maybe even a mate?

“It sounds like a good idea Applebloom. You really think I should just leave?”

“Ehyup! It’s the raight thing to do.”

~~~~~~~

“NO! NO! NO!” Discord hollered through the flames. “This is all wrong! I freed you!”

He stomped out of the fire still burning and too furious to care. Silver unaware paced around Spike’s head trying to wake him up.

“Everyday with you ponies and dragons and zebras! I’ve had it!”

Discord spun Silver around and grabbed her by the throat lifting her up over his head.

“I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!”

Silver struggled to breathe. Discords arm was still of fire burning her as he strangled her. She kicked and flapped her wings but could not break free. She started to black out, all she could think was Spike.

“Think only good thoughts now,” Spike told her.

She thought of The Great Dragon. Thought of how he taught her, his honesty no matter what questions she threw at him. Thought of the kindness he had shown her, and Zecora, and Crescent, and all of the ponies he let stay with him. She thought of how he could always make her laugh. Thought of his generosity as Spike let her and all the other ponies use his library. And she thought of the dragon’s loyalty, to his old friends, to Rarity, and to her. Only good thoughts.

Silver felt the magic within The Elements of Harmony again. White light engulfed her. Discord’s grip failed, the flames stopped. Silver focused the magic towards her attacker. Discord didn’t holler or cry, he just stopped where he was.

Before Silver stood a large statue, Discord had been turned to stone, a grimacing monument choking the air. The statue fell over in the mud. It’s done.

“Spike?” she gasped. Silver turned back to the dragon. “Spike?!”

The Great Dragon opened his eyes.

“Well,” he said he said with a wounded smile. “Look at you.”

Silver had noticed. The necklace of orbs around her neck had become ornate jewels, and she was wearing a crown. As she touched the tiara her mane felt different. In the reflection of Spike’s giant eye she say her mane and tail had become a shimmering cloud of silver stars. And something on her flank, she looked to see an ornate circle of jewels pink, red, orange, green, yellow, and blue with the background of a sun.

Silver looked back to Spike. He was in very bad shape, he tried to stand but his legs just moved back and forth along the ground moving sand and slush. One of his wings was broken and could not contract. The Princess could see Appleloosa off in the distance.

Spike, stay awake. I’ll get help!”

The dragon weakly nodded. Silver flew off to town.

Spike lay there in the sun in too much pain to move. He looked around with his eyes only. The clouds had parted, it’s warmer than it has been in a long time. In fact it’s a beautiful day. He can see where he burned Discord, that sand had been baked into glass. And standing on that glass was a tiny buffalo looking right back at him. The young bison looked confused over the dragon’s presence. Galloping came from the town which alarmed the buffalo.

“Stay,” Spike told the little thing.

The buffalo held its ground as the town approached with Silver flying up front. None of them even noticed the young buffalo. She commanded the ponies to clean up around the dragon, asking for a tally of his wounds. Spike noticed that armored Pegasus, Windstorm, was with them. He along with some others came in front of the dragon the statue of Discord.

“Silver?” Spike said.

“I’m here.” She flew up in front so Spike he could see her. The young filly looked resplendent adorned with the elements and her starlight mane, but with the face of a worried child.

“Where did you get them?” Spike asked as he looked at The Elements of Harmony.

“The Pegasus were carrying them, Princess Luna gave them to Rainbow Dash.”

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh Blessed Luna, it all makes sense now.”

Windstorm flew up to present himself to Spike. “You fought fiercely, sir. I salute you.”

Spike coughed out a laugh.

“I was instructed to stay at Apuliza and report,” the Pegasus continued.

“Spike,” Silver said touching his face. “Tell me what you need, I’ll get it from your home.”

“Do you know where Cloudsdale is?” he asked Windstorm.

“Yessir.”

“That’s where Discord was hiding. Two unicorns are trapped in one of the old buildings there. I -.” Spike groaned from an unexpected pain. “I need to know they’re safe.”

Windstorm saluted and flew off. Spike looked at Silver finally.

“I almost had him Your Majesty,” Spike said. “It was quite a fight.”

“Spike, we need to get you well,” Silver pleaded. “Tell me what you need?!”

“It’s alright, Your Majesty.”

“Stop calling me that!” Silver tried to hug the giant dragon. “Just stay with me. Please?”

Spike smiled. “As long as I can, Your Majesty.”

The ponies had cleared out all the filth and brought planks to cover the ground surrounding the dragon. All the while Spike stared at the little buffalo. A cloud approached from the north, the Pegasus Nomads were flying together in herd so dense it blocked the noon sun. A number of them were carrying ponies from Spike’s place, some had chariots even.

As they landed in the wet sand the herd spread out, those of higher rank and those familiar to the Princess and Spike ran to meet them.

Aerlies flew in front with General Powerglide alongside him. When he saw Silver’s transformation he bowed before he could look surprised. News traveled through the large crowd, and the ponies began celebrating. Around the dragon though the mood was different. Those who could help make the dragon as comfortable as possible while others reported to the Princess the goings on.

“All of the sudden, the ponies went back to normal,” Aerlies told the Princess. “Once we all got situated the General told us where you were. We came to help you fight.”

“The clouds are clearing up everywhere,” General Powerglide added. “You did it, Your Majesty.”

“Where’s Etiquette and Little Twilight?” Spike asked.

“We intercepted Windstorm on the way here. I sent my fastest flyers to Cloudsdale.”

Spike groaned again, his eyes closed.

“Spike?!” the Princess cried.

Spike didn’t respond.

The Princess held onto the dragon’s nose and wept. As she cried her horn touched the dragon. The Princess was awash with light, the ethereal state she used to cure ponies. She felt a familiar magic in the dragon and saw the heart shaped ruby again. In an instant she was back in the normal world. Spike breathed.

The Princess was elated. “I can cure you Spike!”

Spike moved a bit, and felt the pain paralyze him. “No,” he said. “It’s not necessary.”

“B-But I have to! You’re my best friend!”

“Silver,” he finally said. “How much longer do you think you could give me? What would the cost be for that magic?”

“But I felt it, the magic I in you. I-I think it’s part of the Elements of Harmony just like you said.”

“I don’t want this magic anymore, use it for something else. The chaos has been here for long time until today. You’ll need all the magic you can get to make things right.”

Two Pegasus soared in, one carrying Etiquette, the other carrying Crescent. The other ponies parted for the four. Etiquette rushed over to Spike. Silver hung her head, saddened.

“You made it,” Spike said with a smile.

Etiquette was horrified at Spike condition and could barely talk. “T-Thank you,” she forced out before crying.

The dragon looked at Crescent. She her potion-made wings hung limp on her sides, the ointment Zecora used to change her coat has been fading, so she was a bluish purple now.

“I liked you better as a purple pony,” he said to her.

“Are you going to get better Spike?” she asked meekly.

“I don’t think so,” he whispered still smiling. “But it will be warm enough that you won’t need me.”

Crescent didn’t smile back, she looked more scared and confused.

Spike closed his eyes and let out a long breath. The wind from it washed over Crescent and as it did her wings flapped and she lifted herself into the air before she realized it. The crowd was amazed except for the Princess.

“Spike?! SPIKE!”

Crying she touched her horn to the lifeless dragon. She saw the heart shaped ruby again, its light was dimmer than before. She tried to wake the dragon back up, but nothing happened. The light of the ruby was nearly gone. She took the spirit gem before it completely faded, absorbing it into her form. The world went back to normal. Before her Spike lay still.

The Princess fell to the ground crying. The others stayed by the Princess but at a distance, letting her grieve. All but the tiny buffalo. In the excitement no one even noticed her as she silently watched. Now she walked up beside the Princess. The Princess saw her and hugged the buffalo nuzzling her as she cried. After a while she stopped crying, but held onto the little buffalo with her wing.

“Are you the new Pony Princess,” the little buffalo asked.

The Princess nodded.

“My name is Far Eyes,” the buffalo said. “What’s your name?”

The chaos has been here for long time until today. You’ll need all the magic you can get to make things right. She heard Spike say in her mind.

“Princess – Harmony,” she said.

Epilogue

Firemane marched imperiously towards the fountain. The unicorn knew a crowd was watching him silently in the darkness. Only the torchlight shone on the statues in the center of the fountain made him visible.

“Why is he wearing that cloak over his armor?” Princess Harmony asked.

“Watch,” Brickhouse said.

Brickhouse’s voice was so close to Boulder’s its uncanny. The Princess thought she may tell the old Guard Captain about his ancestor someday. Once Firemane reached his target he started the fire at the end of his horn, his magic skill that got him into a great deal of trouble before Brickhouse dragged him into The Royal Guard.

The hood of his cloak covered his horn and it caught fire. Firemane spun around, Harmony first thought something went wrong and he was trying to put out the fire. As he spun his entire cloak went up in flames swirling around in a disc of fire that rose above him. The guard’s ceremonial armor now visible shinning in the fires light. He shot the cloth towards the globes which burned in a way that resembled a flaming dragon with wings stretched out in flight. The burning cloth flew into the globes above the fountain incinerated by the rest of unicorn’s fire. The globes now lit shined on the cheering crowd, even Princess Harmony was impressed. The firelight spread through the University lighting the halls as they have for centuries.

“He’s been practicing that for months,” Brickhouse told the Princess over the roar of the crowd. “Every other morning rotation that dumb colt would be leaving his shift with his mane burnt or some other such thing. I normally don’t like him showing off, but it’s for the Celebration.”

The crowd was still cheering as Firemane took his place in line with the other guards desperately trying not to smile. The Great Dragon Hall was filled with ponies here for the Dragon Day Celebration. It started out centuries ago to honor Princess Harmony’s old teacher, the kind dragon that has over the centuries became the stuff of legends. The ponies of Equestria have rebuilt their world and now have lived in comfort for centuries, few are even aware of those dark years. Except for this day, when ponies celebrate being able to learn again is the old dragon honored. Yet even for those not in school, or in the far of reaches of the land still use a number of sayings in everyday life stem from Spike’s time with the ponies of Equestria.

“The Dragon’s Choice”, is a term popular with those in The Royal Guard. It refers to a commoner who obtains a command usually an earth pony, like Brickhouse. It originates from when General Powerglide tried to assume command the Royal Guard, but no one would accept her choosing to side with Aerlies Red who was of course hand-picked by Spike. Princess Harmony sometimes gets tired of correcting ponies who thought Aerlies Red was an earth pony. In the end, Aerlies command worked out well. And for the sake of harmony in the new world, Powerglide stayed on as Lieutenant and advisor to the Pegasus farmer.

“A Green Storm”, origin is self-explanatory, with farmers it is now used to describe a very bad storm.

“Zecora”, a traitor, slang that the Princess doesn’t approve of. As much as she objects to the folk tales about her other teacher, they still creep into the ponies’ culture.

And then there’s “The Dragon’s Breath”. Usually used by unicorns to describe a prodigy in magic. As in: “That foal must have had the Dragon’s Breath wash over her.” That term is from the miracle that happened when the foals that slept in front of Spike to be warmed by his breath during The Long Winter. In later years all had offspring with exceptional abilities of one kind or another. On the rare occasion when another princess is born they can trace their bloodline of those little ponies that spent their nights being warmed by the dragon’s breath. It also comes from the sad day Spike died, when his dying breath caused Crescent’s wings to work. The day Spike gave Princess Harmony a sister.

It all had to have come from the magic within Spike. He theorized it was from The Elements of Harmony but now that the Princess is older she has her doubts. The heart-shaped jewel she saw in his soul was powerful, familiar even, but not identical to The Elements of Harmony. It had to have been something else. A magic she needs to investigate.

Princess Shade quietly came alongside Princess Harmony and her guard. Harmony smiled without looking at her. Everypony else is so much shorter, Princess Harmony knows when her sister is nearby. She’s the only one who stands at the same height as her. Shade’s violet coat from her youth as Crescent has grown slightly darker, her black mane changed to a pitch black cloud spotted with stars. Brickhouse’s head reached only to the shoulders of two he’s sworn to protect.

“I thought you didn’t want to be here,” Harmony said. “You told me the parade always makes you cry.”

“I heard the crowd,” the night Princess said. “Did Firemane do his trick?”

“It was amazing!”

“I’ve seen him practicing. He was upset about being assigned to light the globes every night on top of his guard duties. You know how he is.”

“A spoiled delinquent who wants to be a hero,” Brickhouse said.

Shade laughed. “So to cheer him up,” Shade continued. “I would sometimes tell him stories about Spike. He was only interested in the stories of battle, but enough sunk in that he took his duties seriously.”

Harmony could only image the tales she told him. Shade has always been affable to a fault. Very few would strike up a conversation with a dragon even if they were told he was friendly. Shade probably walked the guard all around the University telling him what it used to look like. And what it was like in those sad days when ponies would hide in a dragon’s lair to avoid the cold.

It’s been The Equestrian University for centuries; both Harmony and Shade still call it Spike’s Place from time to time. The Great Dragon Hall used to be Spike’s bedroom. The stone floor worn in a circle where he slept now surrounds a fountain placed where Rarity’s bed once was. In the center of the fountain is a small marble island with two statues locked in battle. Discord himself, petrified as he was strangling Princess Harmony so long ago, now holding a statue replica of Spike. It is now a portrait of Spike’s battle from The Day of The Green Storm, but its purpose is deeper than a historical monument. When the statue of Spike was created, Harmony took the heart-shaped ruby she absorbed from Spike’s soul and placed it within the statue. Now Discord is frozen in stone wrapped in a statue imbued with the very magic that hurt him. Hopefully he will never break free from that.

Most of the other rooms have buildings and streets now. Spike’s bedroom is the only one of his rooms left open as a grand entrance to the school below and the castle above. It also is proof to the younger generations The Great Dragon existed. They can see where he slept, they can see the size of hall leading outside, and if that doesn’t convince them, Spike footprint has been preserved in stone where he stomped his foot in anger.

The old rooms where Spike’s friends would stay have been converted to link to the castle so both Princesses can visit the University using their own private route. Very few of those rooms have been preserved with the exceptions of placards indentifying the historical significance of the rooms as they related to Spike’s friends and each room named after the pony it was originally built for. The three have been watching over the ceremony from the balcony of The Rainbow Dash Room.

The band started playing and the crowd began to sing along with the tune.

“Majesties, if you will excuse me?” Brickhouse said and trotted out of the room and downstairs to take place in front of his troops.

“Oh here it comes,” Princess Shade said.

The Royal Guard assembled in front of “the dragon”, a purple and green float. A facsimile of Spike made just for Dragon Day Celebration. No way near as large as Spike, the first one was a scale replica of The Great Dragon, resulting in the embarrassing problem that it was too large for the troops to pull. This one like all the other models since is smaller than actual size to fit through the streets and to be more manageable for the poor guards pulling it. It’s designed with two main platforms, one being the head for the two Princesses to ride. Harmony never realized the impression she made on her subjects as she rode on Spike’s nose. She and Spike just took it for granted; to the refugees staying at his home, it was a wonder that she will be remembered for forever. The other is the tail which will carry the new students into the university. A tradition unintentionally started by Spike himself as he brought the foals to Docket’s school that day. There are far too many inductees nowadays so only a few are selected by lottery to join in on the celebration this way.

“Are you OK?” Harmony asked her sister half in jest knowing her disposition.

Shade nodded and smiled but a little choked up.

“Then you should join me then.”

“Actually,” Shade said. “I want to take my old spot.”

As the band finished their song, the two Princesses Flew out to their places on the dragon float. The students were awed as Princess Shade joined them. She greeted the intimidated pupils warmly and talked with them till they began to relax in her presence. Harmony could tell Shade was telling them of the first ride, how she and all the other foals had no idea where they were going. Most everypony romanticizes that time and Shade paints a prettier picture than Princess Harmony. After all Crescent was just a little foal back then. Silver, even though just a few years older, saw the grimness of those days.

“Make way for the Princess!” Brickhouse bellowed. The traditional announcement, an exact quote of Spike’s, which begins the parade. Harmony remembered Aerlies Red’s voice cracking during the first celebration when he tried to shout over the crowd. The troops pulled the dragon along, both Harmony and Shade waved to the crowd.

Harmony looked back at Shade to check on her. As she expected she was tearing up, the students with her forgot their nervousness and sought to comfort her. No doubt she’s remembering her young days in this cave.

The troops pulled the dragon to main entrance of the university where the faculty stood outside to greet them. The students from the dragon’s tale will be brought in, then the other students following in the parade. A nice informal mixer is held to get everyone comfortable before the boring welcoming speeches and class assignments are announced, during the mixer it is the Princess’ duty to inspect the school and library.

As the students were brought down they crowded around Princess Shade enthralled with her tale.

“-he showed up with my mother, right on the balcony of the tower Discord had locked me in. My mother climbed off of Spike and gave me a big hug. Then Spike said ‘Go back inside until its safe’ and flew right at Discord who didn’t even know Spike was there.”

“I heard he swooped down and chomped on Discord and breathed fire with Discord still trapped in his jaws,” a colt energetically said.

“Yes, that’s about all I saw. Oh I don’t want to talk about that, it was scary! Spike was so sweet all the other times. That’s how I like to remember him.”

Harmony felt a twinge of jealousy watching her sister. Being so gentle Shade is a natural when comes to treating with her subjects. After one meeting they are drawn to her. A few more for the night shift I suppose, Harmony thought. She politely fought her way through the crowd of little ponies to talk to her sister.

“Could you do the inspection, Shade?” Princess Harmony asked her sister. “I need to talk privately with someone.”

Shade knew her sister’s plan. They have talked about this before in the Twilight hours.

“So now we have to prepare ourselves,” Shade said flatly.

Harmony nodded. “I’m certain its time.”

Shade took a deep breath and smiled. “We had a good run.”

“And it’s not over yet,” Harmony said returning the smile.

Princess Harmony politely excused herself from the College Board and the two sisters parted. Away from the library the noise of the crowd dwindled. Harmony thought to herself she’s never been in the school when it was this quiet. It made her want to sneak down the hall as she did when she was still just Silver creeping into Spike’s cave for the first time. But she didn’t want to scare the old Professor she came to see.

The classroom is unlike any others in the University. Yes, the room itself is structured in an amphitheater design, but it is so cluttered with artifacts, souvenirs, prints, paintings, rugs and sculptures the chairs are barely visible. Professor Wit is so revered among his peers and University Staff he is allowed a great deal of leeway.

Princess Harmony still thinks of him as little Quick Wit, the annoying inquisitive magical prodigy she personally taught so many years ago. One day she became so fed up with the little grey unicorn’s hyperactivity she assigned him to read Spike’s memoirs. A huge and sometimes ponderous autobiography published after The Great Dragon’s death Spike titled: “A Dragon Among Ponies”. She was hoping for just some peace and quiet as the little colt struggled with a book far beyond his current level of learning. Instead it changed the unicorn’s life. Quick Wit became enthralled with the great beasts and his interest grew to the study of all the more exotic life in Equestria. As he focused his studies on this subject he got his mark, a dragon flying over a star.

After graduating he spent a few years as an adventurer travelling to the far ends of the earth studying dragons in the wild, learning more about dragons than any pony in history. He published his own memoirs the titled: “A Pony Among Dragons”. Quick Wit was welcomed back to the University where he took up a job teaching part time and obtained several grants to continue his expeditions and research projects. He became a Professor, earned tenure, and is now the leading scholar in The Equestrian University; who is now the dottering old Professor too busy preparing for his first lecture of the semester to even notice Princess Harmony has entered his classroom.

The Princess could see very little of the bright eyed little unicorn in the version mumbling to himself today. His orange mane now white with age, wrinkled, and mangy from the burns he has suffered. Professor Wit lost all of his magic years ago when his horn was shattered. It was the incident that burned half of his body and almost killed him. All of his scars come from his most ambitious project.

The old unicorn finally noticed The Princess, he smiled a toothless grin and began to feebly bow.

“Oh stop,” Harmony said and hugged her former student. “When will you let me heal those scars of yours, Witty?”

“The answer is still never, Your Majesty,” said the Professor with a smile. It was a trait Harmony admired in this grown up version of Quick Wit. He wants his students to know that even though they live in a world that would not be here without The Great Dragon, dragons themselves are cruel and dangerous. All other dragons are not friendly and cannot be tamed, even though some have tried.

Old Prof. Wit had collected several abandoned dragon eggs over the years he would show them to Princess Harmony and Shade after each expedition. One in particular piqued the interest of both Princesses, a yellow egg with red spots. Just seeing it made Harmony’s horn hurt like the time she saw Spike fly overhead. There was something that can only be described as potential in that egg. Princess Harmony asked to keep that egg which Quick Wit presented to her as a gift. For years both Harmony and Shade tried to hatch the egg in hopes of unlocking the potential and perhaps the next Spike, but to no avail. Eventually they decided to give up and simply kept the egg they were both strangely drawn to.

Professor Wit on the other hand had similar goals. He was once one of the most renowned magicians among unicorns and had a wide cache of eggs that he tested. Most were failures either not hatching, killing the poor dragon inside the egg, one exploded into a fully grown dragon that flew away. But one he managed to hatch properly into a quirky pink and blue baby dragon he named Theory Know-How. Raising the dragon himself was a learning experience he still considers his greatest achievement. He followed Twilight Sparkle’s example and made sure not to spoil the dragon, being kind and firm with the creature. Quick Wit instructed Theory Know-How on several chores to keep him busy and employed the pink dragon as his personal assistant. They developed a report over the years and what Quick Wit thought was a friendship. Quick Wit taught everything he could to the dragon that despite his comic appearance was very bright. He considered the dragon to be a colleague and would assign Theory Know-How to teach classes when the Professor was too busy, much to the horror and sometimes the amusement of his students. As the dragon got older and larger his demeanor never changed. Theory Know-How was polite to everyone with poise of a gentlecolt. Then one day in The Great Dragon Hall, the adolescent dragon was admiring the statue of Discord and Spike in battle and must have had dragon epiphany of some sort. He looked at the unicorn that raised him with the same look he has given the Professor a million times in his life.

“Quick Wit,” the dragon said with a semi-formal tone no different than if Theory was ordering from a restaurant. “I think I’ll kill you today.”

Professor Wit remembers nothing after that. Days later he came to with Harmony at his bedside. The Royal Guard’s quick response saved his life. Both Princesses and The Guard fought the dragon and drove him off. Professor Wit, broken and scarred, insisted he remain this way. He coped with the loss of his magic by reminding himself the earth pony students he has taught over the years get along just fine without magic. His burns he kept as penance. As he healed he wasn’t sure if he should even teach again, it wasn’t until his teacher, the Princess, asked him personally. On his first day back, the yellow and red egg he gave to the Princesses was on his desk under glass.

“A day you learn something, anything, is never wasted,” he always told his new students. “And you learn most from your failures. Just try not to fail every day.”

It’s a nice way to break the ice. But Prof. Wit still isn’t sure he learned anything from Theory Know-How. Princess Harmony thinks otherwise.

“I’m assuming this isn’t part of your official visit?” he asked the Princess.

“No, I’ve been thinking about a few things. And thought you might be able to help.”

“Oh? About what?”

“Dragons of course,” Harmony said with a smile.

Prof Wit laughed a little, Harmony joined in. Her eyes drifted to the egg on the Professor’s desk.

“I just don’t know what went wrong,” the old grey pony said staring at the yellow and red egg along with her.

Harmony knew full well what was haunting him, to the Professor the only thing that has remained from his experiment are the scars, for someone as like the Princess it could have been yesterday.

“If you had the chance would you want to ask him?” she asked.

“Hmm, I don’t think he will ever come back,” he sighed. “If I was still young and foolish I would go looking for him. But I don’t think Theory would give me an answer that satisfied me. He’s dragon after all.”

“So was Spike.”

Quick Wit nodded. “Quite a riddle that one was. If not for that footprint in the hall and you and your sister having known him, I would assume Spike never existed. Just another storybook legend, like Sombra.”

“I was thinking of the differences in how Spike was raised compared to Theory,” Harmony said. “What do you think was the reason he attacked you, when Spike was so - nice?”

The old Professor raised his eyebrows slightly amused. “Forgive me Your Majesty, but I have never seen you be so blunt.”

“I’m sorry, it’s important.”

The Professor clucked his false teeth pondering. “Spike was simply a different dragon, different from all others I would say.”

“Witty, your hubris is getting the better of you. It just can’t be that.”

“Look at the size of Spike, Majesty. I have never seen an adult dragon of the size of him. Dragons are timeless beings such as yourself, but also simple. They are cruel and greedy, and somewhat lazy. For The Great Dragon to turn out the way he did he must have been under a very powerful spell.”

“My sister and I are not timeless,” Harmony snapped.

The Professor was a little shocked at the Princess’ scolding. “I-I’m sorry Majesty.”

Princess Harmony clenched her eyes shut forcing herself not to cry. “No, I am sorry. I shouldn’t be angry with you. Never with you. Everything you said was correct.”

“Majesty? What’s wrong?”

Harmony opened her eyes and sighed. “The Elements of Harmony, I know you know of them.”

“Yes. You used them against Discord, and your Sister used them during The Changeling War.”

“’A talisman of great magic’ Spike called them,” Harmony smiled at the old memory. “He knew so much. He told me he helped use them one time.”

“Well that must be it then!” Quick Wit cheered in an annoying eureka moment.

“No it’s not. Poor Spike was a baby when he was touched by them, he had no idea how they work. Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Magic. The Magic comes from the host, not The Elements. But,” the Princess’ voice trailed off. “But The Elements of Harmony choose the host, a-and eventually leave.”

“Leave?”

She nodded. “They will soon stop working for me and my Sister.”

“Majesty –“

“I feel them drifting away from my control, Witty. I feel the connection with The Elements of Harmony fading. Princess Shade feels it too.”

The weight of Princess Harmony’s words fell hard on the old Professor, someone as old as he is not comfortable with change. And this he fears is a drastic change.

“What will happen to you and your Sister when the connection is completely lost?”

The Princess shrugged. “We will grow old and die.”

Professor Wit gasped.

“It won’t happen for a long while, Witty,” she said to reassure him. “Right now we have to plan for the future.”

Quick Wit nodded, more to reassure himself. “And you think the future is in dragons?”

“Maybe. This has happened before. The Elements left Princess Celestia and Luna to choose another. Celestia helped guide the way, and Spike was part of that. Eventually what he learned guided me.”

“A good plan,” the Professor said. “If only we can find a dragon willing to be raised for such a task.”

“Oh Spike didn’t know of any plan, he just grew up with us. He certainly didn’t plan on falling in lo-“ the Princess’ eyes grew wide, the puzzle solved. “Witty! That’s it! Love!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“You taught Theory Know-How everything, but did you love him?”

Quick Wit shrugged. “I suppose I did.”

“Witty, please. I know you. I was there. I mean did you love him like he was your own flesh and blood?”

The Professor should be insulted, but the puzzle was being solved in his mind as well. “Not like my children, no. I treated him like a ward.”

“Did he love anypony at all?”

“No. He was never that close to any of us.”

“But Spike did feel love! He was loved by friends, his adopted sister, he loved Rarity; he loved them all so much he was sick with heartache when I met him.”

“And Theory Know-How never felt love,” Quick Wit added.

Both were too wrapped up in solving the equation to realize the darkness of the situation the old Professor left for his pet dragon. He raised him, taught him, but didn’t love him. He put the dragon on display as a monster without even noticing. No one could ever be accepted in that environment, especially a dragon. The Princess and the Professor went quiet for a moment both staring at the egg.

“Maybe that’s why my Sister and I couldn’t hatch that egg?” she asked herself staring at the yellow and red egg. “I-I don’t know if I could love that dragon the way it needs. Shade and I were both hoping for a replacement for Spike. I don’t think either of us would want to care for a baby dragon.”

Quick Wit sighed. “I suppose neither of us is qualified.”

“No we’re not. We need somepony with no ambitions for herself or the dragon. A caring and innocent soul who will only see a baby dragon that needs loving care. I can help, but none of us can get too involved.”

“I think I lost you, Majesty.” Prof. Wit said with a smile.

“The Elements of Harmony have decided to choose another, that someone will have to be properly trained to protect the realm, and as the years pass someone will have to protect her.”

“I see.”

The Princess raised her head as she has during formal proclamations for many centuries. “A new acceptance test will be added for all students this year. All ages will participate. The one who hatches that dragon egg will be personally taught by me.”

An Unannounced Guest

She stepped as lightly as she could in the cave, but the corridor was so wide she swore she could hear every footstep for miles. It no longer felt like a dirty cave floor, her hooves felt the hard finish of a walkway, which made her steps even louder. The light from outside was nearly gone. The breathing ahead of her grew louder. She was told stories of snoring dragons that could cover miles with a cloud of ash. But this one was a very quiet sleeper. Like a wind a rhythmic as ocean waves.

A pony could sleep soundly right next to him, she thought. Strange as that thought was. What pony would sleep in the same room with a dragon? What dragon would allow that?

It grew warmer in the pitch black as the sleeping dragon’s breathing grew louder. She paced her hoof falls with the sound of the creatures breathing. What am I doing? I need to wake him when I find him. I should call out to him from outside. Then she remembered the first time she saw the dragon. His wings were so big he cast a shadow over the whole town. What would a monster that big do to an intruder yelling at his very doorstep? But staying outside wasn’t an option either, the beasts from the forest were dangerous for a little filly all alone. I’ll go inside and find a place to sleep nearby, and introduce myself in the morning.

But now it was getting too dark to see. She paced herself against the wall of the large hallway. Decorative pillars separated every few paces, conveniently place where she could bump into. Then she noticed the dragon’s breath had stopped. The pony held her breath.

“WHO’S THERE?” a deep and loud voice boomed from the hot darkness. In a panic the she dove behind one of the pillars. Fear stabbed her heart as if it were ice. “YOU THINK YOU CAN SNEAK UP ON ME? SHOW YOURSELF!”

The pony swallowed dryly and tried to speak, but couldn’t. She peaked around the pillar into the darkness. Ahead of her were two giant red disks reflect what little starlight survived the journey down the cave.

“You’re lucky I am partial to unicorns,” the dragon said.

Again she said nothing, she couldn’t. Then she realized the hood her cloak had fallen off her head when she scrambled to hide. All she could think of is the words of her Father: “Always keep yourself hidden. If He finds out what you are, He’ll take you away.” She gasped as she saw the giant eyes getting closer.

“How small you are. I bet you haven’t even gotten your mark yet.”

“N-no.” the pony admitted, shrinking back from the approaching eyes. “A-are you – are you going to eat me?”

“Are you a gemstone?”

“No.”

“Then I think you’re safe.”

She let out a sigh of relief.

“Where are the others?” he asked.

“Others?”

“In your group, who put you up to this?”

“There’s no one else, I came on my own.”

“You found this place all by yourself?”

“Well, not really. The White Mare of the Forest told me how to get in.”

“She’s not a mare. Her coat is white because she’s older than I am. Centuries ago you would have noticed she’s……different.”

“I came here when I saw you fly over my town.”

“I wonder how’s she’s still alive?” The dragon mused. “She’s not that special. Why is it she’s still here and everyone else is gone?”

“I – uh. Don’t know.”

“Yeah me neither. What was that about a town?”

“You flew over my town a few weeks ago. I’m from Apuliza.”

“You mean Appleoosa. The word Apple and Loose with an A on the end.”

She never heard anyone pronounce it that way, but she thought its best not to correct a dragon.

“When I saw you fly overhead my horn hurt. And I knew I had to find you. So I left home and made my way here.”

“All by yourself?”

She nodded.

“Well aren’t you a brave little filly.” he groaned. She heard giant sinew stretching and the dragon’s huge lungs inhale. “I should be a proper host for such a guest.”

Flames burst through the darkness swirling in a glass globe high above, the fire spread through tubes that became visible as they danced their way to other globes, swirling in them as the flames spread. In seconds the dragon’s lair was lit with a bright inviting light. And it was nothing like the little pony could have imagined. Like the ballrooms she read in stories of the old days. Marble polished alabaster white, with brick tastefully spread about, arraigned in an enormous circular room domed with gold and silver. The fire globes hung from the ceiling like chandeliers, along the walls were steps and balconies too small for a dragon, but perfect for a pony. And several rooms pony sized as well. The fire was still lighting its way through the dragon’s home. (Certainly not a liar.) Past giant arched doorway even more rooms, these ones dragon sized. Gorgeous decorations could be seen in the other rooms and seemed to go beyond the little pony’s sight. Her face lit up as the room brightened, she had never seen something so beautiful.

And she was about to tell him so. That is until she saw her host in the light. The dragon was stretching and yawning like a cat after a lazy sleep. She’s been told a dragon could swallow a full grown pony whole, but a pony could fit in just one nostril of this dragon. His first great yawn bared teeth taller than the pony gaping at this terrifying creature. He stretched his full length his forelegs in front and tail stretched into the one of the other room far off in the distance. All the blades from the top of his head trailed down to the tip of his tail, stood up. She thought they were much larger than necessary, and very sharp from what she could tell. Then there were his wings. As stretched like that he unfurled his wings and flapped them once. Enormous even for a dragon, she’s seen paintings of dragons in flight, and usually the pictures are an exaggeration. But none of them matched the outrageous intimidating proportions of this dragon’s frame. Even the arrowhead shaped tip of his tail was 10 times her size.

As the dragon groggily got composed she thought of something else, something very out of place. For such a fierce and horrific looking monster, this place is kind of - girly. Very neat, very pretty; even his gems were out of sight rather than the large pile on the ground the dragon sleeps on in all the tales she’s been told. This dragon had a large bed, if that’s what it could be called. A giant circle of warn stone in a circle where the he has curled up for every night for hundreds of years. In the middle of the worn circle a decorative pony sized bed the dragon made deliberate effort not to step on but with the ease of centuries of practice.

“So what’s your name young filly?” the dragon asked.

“Silver.”

“Silver?”

“Because of my mane!”

“I see.”

Silver noticed she said that too cheerfully and with too much pride. Silver immediately felt remarkably silly. “I was raised by earth ponies,” she confessed.

“Kinda figured.”

“It’s just a nickname really; my parents said I’ll have to choose my own name when I get my mark.”

The dragon growled. “Never heard of that tradition.”

It wasn’t tradition. It was her parents’ insistence. But she couldn’t reveal too much about herself to the dragon. Not yet. “Always keep yourself hidden,” her Father’s voice repeated in her mind. The two stood in front of each other awkwardly silent.

Silver cleared her throat. “I was in the center of town when you flew over. You put everypony in a panic when you did.”

“That so?”

“Yeah then some out-of-towners recognized you because you’re wings are so big.”

“Do tell?” the dragon smiled slightly.

“Bigger than normal I’m told. How did they get so big?”

The dragon scratched his chin. “You know anything of how dragons grow?”

Silver shook her head.

“Well, they say greed is our nature. That’s fairly close. I describe it as dragons live off of Greed and Need. Our wants make us so large; almost always our wants are for a large hoard of treasure. They usually get too big to move around from place to place. So their Need makes their body grow wings, they sprout out of their back in a second and can fly with them right away. But their Need is almost always to get from place to place. So that’s all the wings they need.”

“So why are yours so much bigger?”

“I needed to save someone,” said the dragon.

“Did you?”

“Save her? Of course I did, made quite an impression on her too.” The dragon smiled. “Those were good times. Simple and frivolous, but I wish they never ended.” In the light, the dragon’s pupils became slits with the dark green iris taking up most of the eyes. The dark unfeeling eyes of a reptile, but Silver could tell from his brow this story made him sad. “They work great though,” he said lightheartedly. “I’m faster than any dragon, and I never get tired when I fly!”

Silver smiled. “I heard allot of stories about you on the way here.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh. When you flew over those out-of-towners said you were the one who burned…… Him.”

The dragon grimaced, he knew who she was talking about.

“That why He’s got scars now, and you’re the only one He is afraid of. And when I was traveling here, I stayed with a family of Pegasus farmers of all things, they said you’re the reason there’s no chaos in this valley. And one time He sent FIVE grey dragons to the valley to drive you out. But you beat them.”

He growled at that. “It was nine dragons, five got away. And He is the one who turned them grey.”

“Some ponies live just outside the valley, they’ve seen you too. One day, when He was tormenting the ponies, you appeared on the mountaintop nearby and opened your wings. That was enough for Him to skulk off and leave them alone for the day. And since he can’t beat you that’s why there’s no chaos in the valley. So he forbade ponies from moving into the Old Village here.”

He growled again.

“They say you’re the oldest dragon ever. And you were alive during The Good Times, before Chaos. They even got a name for you.”

“What’s that?”

“The Great Dragon”

He let out a thunderous roar. Silver was too scared to run, she just stood there trembling. Yet a few seconds later she heard the roar turn into a belly laugh. She never saw a dragon laugh before. Or roll onto its back kicking its legs in the air. He cackled uncontrollably breathing out fiery air that heated the great room. It was getting rather stuffy in the enormous room; Silver wanted so much to take off her cloak. “Keep yourself hidden” she heard again. It seemed like forever before the dragon calmed down enough and got back onto his feet.

“Now THAT name I like!” he chuckled.

Silver laughed a little with him. “My name’s stupid,” she said about herself.

“I’ve heard worse names.”

Silver thought this is the right time to tell the dragon why she’s here.

“May I ask you something?” she probed meekly.

“I know what you’re going to ask and the answer is No.”

With that the dragon walked into one of the other great rooms. Silver galloped behind him. “What did you think I was going to ask?!” she panted to the dragon now out of sight who was obviously ignoring her. The dragon was moving things in the other room, and then began making a crunching sound. She finally made her way to the dragon to see him having a midnight snack. “You got a kitchen?! Dragons don’t have kitchens!”

“WELL I DO!” he barked without looking up from his bowl of gems.

“What did you think I was going to ask?”

The dragon smacked and chomped. He smacked his lips. “You were going to ask me to defeat…….Him. And that is far too dangerous.”

“Why?”

“Not for me if that’s what you think, foal.” The dragon’s voice had a more bitter tone now. “If I did defeat Him, my Greed would take over. And I would rule this world.” He snaked his head right up to Silver. “You would NEVER want a Dragon as your King!”

And after such an intimidating display, the dragon picked up the empty bowl, walked on his hind legs to a giant sink, and washed it with a waterfall of soapy water and an enormous frilly cloth. Silver just had to say something.

“For a dragon as big and scary as you, you sure have allot of dainty looking things.”

Without looking he shrugged. “I didn’t make them,” he said then walked off into another great room.

Silver angrily galloped after him. “That’s not what I was going to ask you!” The dragon was silent, Silver stopped running to catch her breath. “I was going to ask if you will teach me!” She yelled as loud as she could, her tiny voice cracking.

The dragon’s head slowly peeked around the corner. A mirror of what Silver did in the dark not that long ago.

“Where I live there are only but earth ponies. No one knows anything about magic.”

“I’ve only seen magic,” the dragon said. “I don’t know how to cast spells.”

“But the valley,” Silver pleaded. “The Chaos is never there because of you!”

“That’s not because of any spell.” The giant beast sighed, and lumbered back into the kitchen. “When I told you about a dragon’s greed, I said almost always it’s driven by our want for a large hoard treasure. I said almost always because – well because depending on the way a dragon is raised he can cherish something more than jewels & gold.”

“Like what?”

“Learning, Friendship, Love.” With that the dragon turned back into the other room, but mercifully laid his tail spike flat on the ground for Silver to climb on, then gently picked her up carrying her along with him. “All my friends lived here. I cherished them more than any jewel.”

The dragon carried Silver high in the air to see the paintings along the walls of this room. Mostly the paintings were of the same group of ponies, some with ponies and a dragon at different stages of growth. Silver could only imagine it was the one carrying her. He stopped at a picture of a white unicorn and stared at it quietly.

“They’re all gone now,” he sniffed. “They all lived in this valley. And my memory of them is what I treasure most. You see little filly, the whole valley is my hoard, and I protect it. If He even dares to take that from me….”

The dragon was getting choked up; he violently shook his head away from the painting of the unicorn. But held Silver so gently she could very well be standing on solid ground. Silver felt awful. I’m the greedy one, she thought. She wanted to hug him impossible as that is. Silver laid down brushing her head and neck against the dragon’s tail.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

The dragon snorted loudly, it echoed through the cavernous home. “It’s OK. I can help you in another way. I collect books; I’ve done so since I was young. I have a library, you could learn magic from there. Nice to meet a unicorn that wants to learn her skill rather than play it by ear, not that anypony can get any decent schooling these days. What’s your specialty?”

“From what I can tell, everything.”

Everypony else is impressed when they hear that. The old dragon took Silver at her word as if that’s a frequent occurrence for him.

“Over here,” he said and walked her into the largest room so far. The walls were lined with shelves and shelves of books. Scaffolding and ladders fit for a pony to reach every volume. “I organized them myself. When you’re done reading put back every book where you found it.”

“This is amazing!” Silver marveled.

“Thank you. It was a lot of work, but keeping busy is good at my age.” He dropped Silver off at the magic section. “It’s very late, I suggest you get some sleep and start tomorrow. How long will you be staying?”

“Forever!”

The dragon scoffed, but could see it in Silver’s eyes. “You’re serious.”

She nodded. “This is what my horn was telling me, when it made me follow you. The Magic inside me wants me to be here.”

“I don’t think I’m that generous, little filly.”

“But I have to! I need to learn everything I can. Mom and Dad said I was special and was brought into this world for a special purpose!”

The dragon shook his head. “Silver, unicorns are born into pony families all the time. I’ve seen it.”

“I know that. But I’m very different, and when I’m older I got to face…..Him.”

The dragon reared back with genuine concern. “That’s insane, why would your parents put an idea like that in your head?!”

Silver threw her cloak off and stretched out her wings. Something she’s never been able to do outside her parents’ house. The dragon’s eyes widened. She liked that, nothing seemed to impress this old dragon as much. She flew up to his face to meet him at eye level.

“When I was born my parents kept me hidden so I would be safe. They told me the stories of old about the two sisters that ruled during The Good Times. My Dad said I could defeat Him and end the Chaos.”

The dragon blinked with a look of shock on his face.

“I’m still really young,” Silver added. “And I got so much to learn, so I need a safe place be where He won’t find me.”

The dragon smiled.

Silver was filled with confidence. “If you help me, I promise I’ll bring The Good Times back to Equestria. And ponies will be able to come back to your valley again, you could have more friends.”

“I think I just found a one,” the dragon said. “Well!” The dragon clapped his massive hands together the shock making Silver flutter backwards a few feet. “If you’re going to stay here THAT long we’ll have to find a room for you. I’ve got 5 suites more that suitable for a special little pony such as yourself. Might I suggest the room with paintings of constellations on the ceiling, its prefect for a young princess who needs to study. AND it has a door that leads right to the library!”

The Great Dragon bowed formally. Silver bowed in return, playfully.

“Thank you, Mister….”

“Call me Spike,” the Great Dragon said. He saw the look on Silver’s face. “I told you I’ve heard worse names.”

They both laughed.

Memorable Flights

“Oh, Rainbow DaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash?!”

She heard the booming voice from above the thick cloud cover. Singing like the innocent call from a game of hide and seek, but with a deep menacing sounding voice that would terrify other ponies. It was not the best way to be woken up from a nap.

I should have guessed he would show up when a big storm is scheduled, she thought to herself.

Rainbow Dash peered above her at the dark grey ceiling of clouds not expecting to see anything, but listening. She could hear Spike’s giant wings flapping, the sound growing faint. Rainbow flew up closer to the clouds with her back to the ground, waiting. She could run, but it’s been so long she actually wanted to see the attack. Then the flapping stopped.

Through the clouds burst a huge purple and green dragon with the eyes of a killer, but brandishing a mischievous smile. Rainbow noticed he’s grown even larger since the last time she saw him. As her old friend dive-bombed towards her, he opened his mouth as if to swallow her whole. So marveled by the sight she almost forgot to duck out of the way. The sound of Spike’s jaws snapping shut was so close it was like a thunder clap. Rainbow looped towards the south flying fast away.

“Where are you going?!” Spike roared.

She sped off in a straight line, hearing the loud flapping getting closer. As proud as she was, Rainbow refused to admit the dragon was gaining on her. Until she felt the heat from Spike’s breath.

Jeeze, I must be getting old, she thought.

She cut a 90 degree turn towards the ground. Spike followed but far behind. She let him get closer just to loop around him some more, to annoy him, then shot down again. Rainbow knew the way Spike would act, he is a dragon after all. He would get frustrated and fly extra fast to catch up, not thinking about the consequences. It worked perfectly, Rainbow Dash picked a perfect spot to crash her old friend. Just a few feet away from the ocean surface Rainbow Dash cut into another 90 degree turn as the giant dragon splashed down. She laughed out loud at this, so hard she forgot about the tidal wave Spike’s fall caused.

Rainbow Dash nearly drowned, washing up on the shore of Poney Island near Manehattan. Along the boardwalk beachgoers were galloping away, as wave subsided they panicked even more. A large shadow came from the sea behind her and before she could fly off she was pinned down by one of Spike’s massive claws.

“Gotcha!” he said with a growl. His dragon instincts making this more than just a game.

“Lemme go!” Rainbow pleaded, fighting against the claws that pinned her to the sand.

“No. You are going to have to talk to one of us, and I decided it would be me.”

“What? There’s nothing to talk about. Great seeing ya! Goodbye!” she said and frantically tried to wriggle her way out between Spike’s fingers.

“Come on Rainbow Dash! Why are you avoiding all of us?”

“I’m not!”

“Oh yeah? How many kids does Pinkie Pie have?”

“Um. Sssssssseven-ish?”

“Ha! Try a higher number.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish I was. They’re all like her too. Except for Peachy of course, she’s always been way too serious.”

“Yeah she’s a grump,” Dash laughed.

“See?! You’re missing out on a lot. And we miss you. Look, all I want to know is why.”

Rainbow Dash stopped struggling. “I’ll tell you if you let me go.”

“Forget it! You won’t fool me with that again.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot I did that,” she said chuckling.

“Ha ha ha. Now tell me. What’s bugging you.”

Rainbow Dash started to curl up underneath Spikes claw as if she could hide from him that way.

“Nothing,” she said.

“Did we do anything to upset you?”

“No.”

“Have you, met somebody you think we might not like?”

“No.”

“Are you in trouble in some way?”

“No.”

"Because if you are, Twilight and I can help. Just let me know and we’ll think of something.”

“NO!” Rainbow popped her head out from underneath Spike’s claw. “Why do you think I would need your help?!”

He was taken aback by her change in demeanor, he must be onto something. “I’m just saying we can help, what is it?”

“You know that is so typical of the two of you! ‘Oh lets help dumb old Rainbow Dash! And even if she says she doesn’t need any help, that’s because she’s too darn stupid to figure that out herself!’ I can think for myself you know!”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“No, you never do! Yet that’s what happens, every time! But you know what?! I AM figuring out! My tiny little Pegasus brain came up with its own widdle plan, and it doesn’t involve you!”

“So you are in some kind of trouble.”

“I didn’t say that!”

A crew of ten Pegasus flew to the shore from the above the ocean.

“Rainbow Dash!” One of them shouted. “Are you still alive?!”

“HELP!” Rainbow Dash squealed. “He’s going to eat me!”

“What?!” Spike was shocked. The Pegasus began kicking him and throwing rocks. Spike unhurt, or even phased glared down at Rainbow Dash. “Oh real nice.”

Rainbow Dash stifled a laugh. The melee continued. Spike just kept a vexed expression on his face as he held Rainbow Dash down.

“I’m not going to fight them. And I’m not letting you go.”

“You won’t eat me you big mean dragon! My friends will save me, and the guards from Manehattan will be here any minute now!”

“Oh so that’s your plan.”

“Would be a shame if The Steward of Equestria found out about what’s going on. Some strange dragon attacking innocent defenseless ponies, causing tidal waves along the beaches of Poney Island. Why I wouldn’t let a beast like that anywhere near Canterlot!”

Spike looked at his old friend and saw only a stranger. “When did you become so cruel, Rainbow Dash?”

Her sly grin disappeared. “Spike, I’m sorry. Just let me go. Please? I know you want to help, but I really don’t need any. It’s a secret I got to keep, and something only I can do. I want to see you all again, I mean it. But I have to do this – thing – my way.”

Spike slowly lifted his claw up off of her. “Rainbow Dash. I love you. We all do.”

“And I love all of you.”

The Pegasus heard that and stopped attacking giving each other confused looks. Rainbow Dash flew up to eye level of Spike. She looked at him with tears in her eyes but smiling, then flew close and kissed him on the cheek.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” she whispered then put her tough voice back on as she flew away. “It was fun having one last go around with you Spikey. Even if you still can’t handle tight turns.”

“Yeah, it was fun,” said Spike with a bit of a grin. “Hey Rainbow Dash, the Grand Galloping Gala is next month. You’re always invited, would you be willing to show up if I make sure no one makes a big deal about you being there or asks you anything? For old time’s sake.”

Rainbow Dash stopped her slow flight away. “Well it isn’t really my thing, but okay. Under one condition: I get to talk to ‘The Great Steward of Equestria’ in private at the end of the party.”

Spike nodded. “I got a better idea, you go talk to her right now in private so we can actually have fun together at The Gala.”

“Yeah, like that’s ever fun.”

Spike sat on the beach watching the Pegasus clique fly off together. And rain droplets began to fall.

“Please take care of-“

It was a pleasant dream Spike woke from, and a long and peaceful sleep. Something else he noticed, he didn’t ache anymore. And not just his lungs from breathing fire over the valley everyday that were feeling better, his muscles have stopped aching for a while now. He did notice Silver had already left Rarity’s bed without waking him. She’s gotten very good at teleporting. In front of him was a familiar scene. The winter storms have gotten so bad outside the cold has seeped into Spike’s lair. And as that happened a great number of the little ones have followed Crescent’s lead and slept I front of The Great Dragon’s nose. There must be thirty of them curled up together using the dragon as radiator with the little purple unicorn right up front. Spike nudged her awake, she blinked lazily.

“What have you been up to, little Twilight?”

She yawned with a smile. “I like that name.”

Spike laughed. The other little ponies began to wake. Some clumsily trotted away, not ready to face their fear of dragons no matter how warm and friendly they are. Some refused to wake up, the rest were thrilled their gigantic plaything finally woke up.

“Hi Spike!”

“Morning Spike!”

“Are you gonna stretch your wings out again Spike?”

“Heat up the valley again!”

“Tell us more about when you grew up in Ponyville, please?”

“Can I ride on your back next time you go flying?”

“Could you take me too?”

“And me?!”

“I got a better idea,” Spike said. “Everyone climb on my tail.”

He placed his giant spade flat on the ground, and the little ponies scampered onto it.

“Ready?”

The ponies said “yes” excitedly.

“Here we go!”

Spike lifted his tail high to the delight of the ponies. He skipped around his bedroom humming an old tune from his childhood while flapping his wings. The ponies below skattered as trotted he into his kitchen. Those not remotely underfoot stared quizzically, some laughed. The foals loved the attention, some calling to their parents so they see. Spike meandered to his destination which was a makeshift school just outside the market. Then Spike lowered his tail in front of the teacher.

“Here you go Cheerilee, your first students.”

“My name’s not Cheerilee, its Docket.” The humorless teacher said.

“Sorry, I forget sometimes. The similarities are uncanny.” Spike sarcastically said over the sound of groaning fillies.

“Crescent, Zecora told me she needed to see you,” Docket told her who happily left the group now stuck having to learn.

“Aw school?!” one of them pleaded with Spike.

“Never trust a dragon,” Spike answered then tip-toed into the library.

It was amazing how quickly the place filled up. All of the older unicorns were pouring through spell books learning their craft, along with earth ponies studying or just reading some nice fiction. Several had volunteered to be librarians keeping the place organized. Spike laughed to himself as he watched them using the ladders & shelves he built. All that time he spent wheedling miniatures, he did so to keep the place looking authentic, like the libraries he grew up in during his long life. He never imagined there would be ponies using them daily and taking every walkway for granted. Like a hobbyist whose favorite model ship is taken out to sea by tiny sailors.

Around the back of the library he found Silver. The total numbers of Royal Guard were up to twenty-three now. They would haunt poor Silver, never straying that far from her. A necessary presence, but still a daunting image for a little filly that never asked for this life.

She was talking to Ink & Pen who was very excited about something he learned. So enthralled with his discovery he didn’t notice Spike creeping up behind him. Spike lowered his head behind Ink leering at Silver who did her best to ignore The Great Dragon desperately trying to keep a straight face.

“From what I gather it was a very large structure,” Ink was saying. “Judging by the foundation it could have been fifteen floors maybe more.”

Spike crossed his eyes and jutted his forked tongue out the side of his mouth. Silver couldn’t contain herself anymore laughing right in Ink & Pen’s face. Confused Ink turned around and yelped at the sight of Spike mugging just inches away from him.

“Oh Spike! You startled me,” he said gaining his composure. “I think this might interest you too. I’ve been exploring the ruins above your home and have discovered something amazing. I think it was built by ponies. Not only that, but I think it was-“

“This was the first castle of Princess Celestia and Luna. It was abandoned roughly one thousand years before I was born.”

“Oh.” Ink & Pen looked defeated.

“Ink, you’re a nice unicorn. But if you want to know about something, ask me first before you waste too much time.”

“Yes, that - would probably be best.”

“OK, bye now,” Spike ordered waving his claw at the unicorn who skulked off. Spike sat smiling down at Silver, saying nothing just looking at her. Silver smiled back but was feeling very uncomfortable. “You know who you are the spitting image of? Trixie!” Spike laughed at that. “I haven’t thought of her in years, but that’s who you look like! A little Trixie with wings.” Spike laughed some more. Silver joined in laughing but still felt awkward. “Well I hope you are related to her, it would make her – very pleased with herself.”

“I learned another spell, Spike. Want to me to test it?”

“No!” Spike barked. “We are going to race!”

“What?”

“Outside. You. Me. In the sky. Right now!”

Silver didn’t know what to think. She liked the idea, but in these times he wondered if it was the right thing to do.

“Hey Aerlies! The two of us are going to go for a little flight outside the valley. You and the other guards are staying here.”

Spike marched away earnestly. Silver took flight to keep up. Something was different about Spike this morning. He was more playful than he’s ever been, as if his dragoness has faded. He didn’t even bat an eye at the five foals sleeping in Rarity’s bed as he marched outside. It was a still day, but bitter cold.

“It’s too cold for this,” Silver said.

“Oh, don’t be a wimp. Now here are the rules, on the count of three, we fly up above the clouds. The first one that gets to sunlight wins. Ready?!”

Spike crouched into a launch position, Silver did the same.

“One-“

Spike jumped into the air.

“TWOTHREE!”

“HEY!” Silver shot up after him.

Spike laughed his way into the clouds Silver flying faster than she ever thought she could. She caught up with his tail before losing him I the clouds. Determined, she slugged her way through the sleet and dark. The sunlight stung her eyes once through, Silver looked around and didn’t see Spike anywhere.

“I won,” she said to herself. She also thought it couldn’t have been that easy, and it wasn’t. Spike was hiding in the clouds underneath her.

“ROAR!” he said as he popped out of the clouds. “I’m a big mean dragon and I’m going to eat you!”

He snapped at Silver who flew out of the way too startled to even scream.

“There you go,” Spike said approvingly. “Now what do you got to do to defend yourself against a much larger opponent?”

Silver figured it out, these are flying lessons. “Not speed, you let me win.”

“Good. So what else.”

Silver flew closer to the dragon. “Try and bite me now.”

Spike tried and Silver looped around Spike’s head. She kept close flying just out reach of Spike’s attacks. Silver thought she was doing well, but noticed Spike was attacking much slower than he was when he face Discord. She stopped fighting.

“I’m not that good this, am I?”

Spike hovered in front of her. “No. I’m sorry Silver, you’re not cut out to be a dragon slayer.”

Silver laughed.

“Come on!” Spike shouted and flew away. Silver chased him.

They flew together carefree, the cold wasn’t as noticeable above the clouds with the sun shining. Silver looped around Spike who did the same. They raced a little but Silver knew she could never beat Spike. He slowed down so his massive head soared alongside the princess.

“Do you know why I said I felt sorry for the green dragon?”

“Nope.” Her old earth pony drawl coming back.

“Because he never had any friends. He’s been alone for as long as I can remember. Hiding in his cave, protecting his gems; no one to care for, and no one to care for him. I could never live like that, and thanks to you I don’t.”

Silver smiled.

“I’ve been figuring a few things out too. Many, many, years ago, when I was just a child, I wore one of The Elements of Harmony to combat Discord.”

Silver was shocked he said the spirit’s name so casually. She looked around in fear he might show up. Nothing.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Oh it was a disaster, but that’s beside the point. I don’t know where The Elements of Harmony came from, but it’s safe to assume they weren’t meant for dragons. I think it changed me somehow. Let me put it this way. When Celestia & Luna were the only bearers they lived for thousands of years, and were much larger than normal ponies. When my sister and her five friends were bearers, only then did the years wear on the Two Princesses. Changes like that weren’t that dramatic to my friends, but The Elements were distilled among the six of them. They’re all gone now, except for me. And if I may be so bold, I’ve aged pretty darn good. I’m the biggest, toughest dragon in the world with fire that can hurt Discord. I think I know the reason why.”

She wanted to shut him up the way he was spouting Discord’s name over and over like that. “What are you trying to do?” she pleaded.

“I’m calling him out that’s what I’m doing. Discord knows The Elements of Harmony can defeat him, but I think when I wore that one Element all those years ago, it gave me a bit of their power. So the next time he shows his face, I’m going to burn him till he’s nothing but ash.”

Silver was a little shocked at his attitude.

Spike did a barrel roll laughing. “You hear that Discord?! I’m not going to hold back at all next time! Because I don’t care what happens to me!”

“Spike stop!” Silver flew up and kicked above his right eye. Spike just laughed. “I’m serious! I care what happens to you! Why are you talking like that?!”

“Silver, its ok. It all makes sense now. I’m here to get rid of Discord, and you are here to rebuild Equestria.” Spike banked upwards. “DISCORD!” The roar echoed through the sky fading to silence. He hovered in the air with his arms folded. “Hmm.” He peered around with that keen-eyed look the dragon sometimes gives. Spike looked below him and gasped, his face lit up with glee. “Silver!” he whispered. “Jump on my head and hold on!”

She hurried on and Spike flew towards the sun.

“Silver, stomp on my head.”

Silver was confused by that request.

“Do it! I need to know I can feel it.”

She stomped her back hoof while holding on with her front legs.

“Good, I’m going to be flying really high so if you feel like you’re getting sleepy, stomp on my head just like that.”

He’s been acting so peculiar today, she wondered what’s in store for her now. Spike hovered very high in the sky. Silver felt that the air was thinner.

“Here they come, this is going to be great.”

Silver craned her neck to see what he was looking at. Then without warning Spike dove down chuckling the whole time. The speed he was flying at was amazing, Silver tightened her grip hoping the wind wouldn’t blow her off. At dive-bomb angle Silver could see where Spike was flying. There was a cloud above the storm clouds of an odd color. As they closed in on it she could tell it was a herd; Pegasus, thousands of them flying together. She never seen so many. Silver heard trumpets blare, they must have spotted Spike. He didn’t care he was laughing as he scattered the great herd. They all flew in a panic, a few spears were thrown that bounced off Spike’s hide. Silver heard a few of them yelling but Spike flew by so fast she couldn’t make out what they said.

“Oh look, these ones think they’re fast,” Spike said and veered towards a group that broke off. He got close enough Silver could make out the different flyers. “Only one Pegasus has ever outrun me in a long flight and none of you are her!”

One of the Pegasus looked back at the dragon then flew extra fast. Spike did the same flying up next to fleeing herd. As he did the few noticed Silver riding on the top of Spike’s head. And their jaws fell open. Silver smiled and waved. Spike noticed what was happening and slowed down with the pace of the shocked Pegasus. It was slow enough that Silver could fly along with them.

“So where are you headed?” Spike asked them.

“Uh – trying to get away from the cold.”

“Yeah well there’s only one way to do that, and you can’t get there by flying.”

“Why did you attack us?!” an armored Pegasus demanded.

“I didn’t attack you, you big toughy. I was just having some fun.”

All but the armored one were staring at Silver.

“Hey Windstorm?”

“What?!” the armored Pegasus snapped.

“That Pegasus there was riding the dragon’s head, and she has a horn too.”

Windstorm glared at Silver angrily. And when he realized what she was, he was so shocked he forgot to flap his wings and fell like a stone. Five other Pegasus dashed down to catch him yelling for him to wake up. Spike guffawed.

“Is this our new princess?” one of Pegasus asked Spike while still gawking at Silver.

“I am,” Silver said.

“She’s been staying with me,” Spike added. “Some of the older flyers know where I live. Tell them, things are going to get better. Tell them they need to stop running.”

Spike banked away, Silver followed. She could hear chattering as the great herd coalesced. She could only imagine what is going to happen now. The two shared a look, and then laughed.

“Where should we go now?”

Silver looked around thinking of all the places she could visit. Then realized how tired and hungry she was. “Home I guess.”

“Appleloosa?”

Silver hadn’t thought of that as home for a while now. It made her heart ache. Since Spike opened up his home as a shelter she hasn’t seen her Maw or her Paw. She’s been doing so much and so much has been happening she hadn’t even thought of them. What if something happened to them? And then she thought of all her responsibilities and how much of her duties were shirked today fooling around with Spike.

“Which is closer?” she asked meekly.

“My place.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Your place then.”

The sun dropped quickly to let the world know who is still in charge. The flight home was long in the dark. Once at the valley, Spike ducked below the clouds and followed the light of his cave which seemed brighter. Silver flew beneath him to keep out of the snow. There was a unicorn guard waiting outside for them projecting light from his horn.

“Princess! Come quick!”

The two followed the galloping sentry, inside the tumult subsided and instead directed their unrest to Silver and the dragon.

“He took her!” Etiquette cried. “Please you must save her.”

The crowd parted revealing the Royal Guards holding Zecora under arrest.

“What happened?” Spike asked.

Aerlies stepped forward. “You Know Who showed up. He came here looking for the Princess, and Zecora gave Him Crescent.”

“What?!” Spike roared.

“He would have killed us all,” Zecora said calmly. “Someone was needed to take the fall.”

“HOW DARE YOU!” Spike roared stomping his foot and cratering the solid stone with a footprint, a deep crack shot in front of Zecora. She stood unafraid of the giant dragon, certain of her actions and resigned to her fate.

“Why did he take her? She looks nothing like me?” Silver asked.

“There are ointments and potions that work better than any spell in my keep. Some can change a pony’s color, others put a pony to sleep.”

Spike growled loudly, the crowd of ponies backed away from Zecora, the guards as well. “You do this to a guest in My House! A FOAL NO LESS!”

“I did what was needed to be done! I had to buy time to protect the little one.”

“She said He has been spying on us for some time,” a Boulder said. “From her room.”

“What have you told Him!”

“That you were bewitched by Celestia to guard us all, when another princess was born you would be under her thrall. The new princess arrived and you became her pet. It’s a plausible tale He would never question, I bet.”

“Very plausible,” Spike said. Celestia’s voice rang in his head.

“Please take care of-“

“I told him nothing till he gave me some things, impossible ingredients for a potion to grow wings.”

“Wings?!?!” Etiquette cried.

“They do not work as far as I know. To trick The Spirit I needed something for show.”

“What will He do to her?!” Ink & Pen asked.

“He will raise her as his own I suppose, poisoning her ear with lies, turning her into His slave. I’m sure that will take a while, which gives you the time to make sure all of us are saved,” she said while smiling at Silver. “He thinks by controlling her He can make Spike do as he’s told. Oh I wish I could be there them MY plan unfolds.” Zecora turned her smile to Crescent’s mother, knowing full well what magical skills she is capable of.

Etiquette fell upon Spike’s foot. “Please save her! My magic can find her for you! I always could.”

Spike stared down at the unicorn, unsure of what to do, then nodded. “Get Saddlesoap and Leatherworks in here. Tell them we need to make a saddle for me to carry Etiquette. Aerlies, see that room up top? That’s Rainbow Dash’s old room, there’s a flight suit under glass in there, bring it down here. She will need more winter clothes for this too.”

“What are you going to do?” Silver asked.

“Etiquette will be flying with me, and telling me where to go. I’ll save little Twilight and get rid of Discord once and for all.”

Zecora smiled approvingly.

“Don’t smile at me you old crone!” Spike barked. A puff of flames shot out with his words. “If it were up to me you would be a stain on my heel by now!”

“Then what should be done with her?” a guard asked.

“This is my house, but she’s your subject,” said Spike pointing at the princess. “You decide.”

All of the other ponies looked to Silver. Spike paced with rage waiting the small contingent he assigned with duties to return. This was the time when Silver had to be a ruler, and it is to pass judgment on one who helped her almost as much as Spike. One she promised to take care of.

“Don’t be afraid, dear Princess.” Zecora said in an assuring way. “I’m guilty, and I know you will be kind. I did the right thing, I’m sure you will find. Maybe not now, but in years to come, you’ll learn it is better to help nearly all even if you have to hurt some.”

“We can’t have fillies being poisoned and kidnapped, You Highness.” Boulder said.

“Years ago, I’m sorry to say, committed a great sin. When He attacked some unicorns fled to my forest and hid there within. They brought books of spells, they were very wise and brave. They sought to train and scheme to defeat the Chaotic Knave.”

Zecora wept a little.

“I think they could have done it, these new friends of mine. But I was worried about my home and what was happening to my kind. I-I betrayed these heroes, I made - Him - aware. I did so if he agreed that by homeland would be spared.”

“I don’t think that justifies anything,” Boulder quietly said to Silver. “She tried to fix a great evil with a lesser evil.”

Silver took a deep breath and raised her head. “Zecora. I banish you. You are no longer welcome here or in Equestria.”

Zecora face went from shock to sadness.

“Boulder, let her take whatever she can carry and see her out of one of the tunnels.”

The guard pushed the old Zebra along who slowly made her way to her room. Silver couldn’t watch. She turned to see Spike at the far end of his bedroom with the two ponies quickly fastening a seat for Etiquette. Etiquette herself has been dressing with a Wonderbolts uniform stretched over her with bundles of clothes on top of that. Only her horn left exposed. Spike’s head was on the ground for the ponies to work, he looked back at Silver with no expression aside of from anger in his eyes. It dawned on Silver that in this weather, exile is just a slow death sentence for the ancient zebra. It was too cruel to imagine, yet no one was questioning it.

This must be what it means to be a ruler, she thought.

Ink & Pen was hugging his wife, weeping while she promised to bring Crescent back. The saddle was done and tested violently by the two who crafted it along with some of the guards. Pulling at it in every direction possible. Silver knew firsthand how fast Spike could fly, and the saddle looked ready. They hoisted Etiquette up on the saddle and she strapped herself in. As soon as she got her goggles on Spike bounded for the exit.

Silver rushed over to them. “Spike? SPIKE?!”

The Great Dragon stopped.

“Whu – What do I do?”

“What you were born for, Silver. Choose your own name and rule.”

With that Spike was off. She looked at everyone gathered and thought of a hundred more questions for Spike. Where does she sleep now? The baroque bed was perfect when she was protected under a dragon’s wing.

Back to Twilight’s old room, she thought. Then what?

She flew over her subject not looking down. Her Captain followed.

“I need to eat something, and then rest,” she told Aerlies.

She felt very awkward and alone with Spike gone, and it had been only a few hours. She tossed and turned in Twilight’s bed. Too nervous to sleep dreading what it will be like when she wakes up. Already she misses the soothing wave-like sound of Spike’s breathing. Aerlies’ loud snoring outside her door wasn’t cutting it.

“Princess! Princess! They’re coming!” She heard the frantic braying as Notches galloped up the stairs.

She leapt out of bed, meeting Notches at her door. Aerlies had already jumped up from his nap.

“Your Highness!” Notches panted. “Boulder and me were escorting Zecora through one of the tunnels. We had to watch her for a while. Y’know, ‘cuz she’s so slow. Anyway, I see a light in the distance so Boulder went to check it out. And he said they were ponies, unicorns and earth ponies. Miss, they were all grey!”

“How many?!” Aerlies shouted.

“More than Boulder has ever seen in his life! I closed the hidden door to the tunnel so they shouldn’t find it. Boulder said he was going to go to the west tunnel, something he had to check on.”

“Not good enough,” Aerlies drawled out. His accent became thicker when he was upset Silver noticed. “We gotta fill those tunnels in. Git Jeb and Blocks to help you.”

“An army is coming?” Silver asked.

“Ah can’t think wut else it could be,” Aerlies said. “Sound the alarm!” He shouted to one of the guards.

“We don’t have an alarm!” he shouted back.

“Well wake everypony up!”

“What are you going to do?” Silver asked.

“Ah’m guessing if we seal all the tunnels up, that army will have to walk all the way around through Ponyville to get here. That will buy us some time, we do have the high ground with Spike’s doorway being the only way in.”

“You can’t fight them! It will just make the Windygos stronger!”

“We still have to fortifah this place. Ah learned that much from reading combat books in the library.”

“The Library!” Silver thought and leapt in the air, flying down towards the other ponies groggily getting composed. Ink & Pen wasn’t asleep. He was sitting by the great doorway to Spike’s book collection staring at the floor. “Ink! He sent an army at us!”

He gave no reaction.

“Ink & Pen. Please! We have to protect the library. Help my gather things to block the hallway.”

“He stole my daughter.”

“Spike will get her back, I promise. Just help me. If cursed ponies get in here, they could destroy everything.”

More of the volunteer librarians ran over. “Princess! We just heard!”

“We have to seal up the library!”

Without hesitation they ran off to get material before Silver could even tell them about the small warehouse of stones Blocks is so proud of. He even forced the Princess on a tour of them. Most everywhere ponies were clamoring. Aerlies doing his best to yell over the crowd, hurting his throat with every order.

News that Boulder was back grapevined through the crowd shouting at each other through the vast rooms The Great Dragon filled so easily. Silver flew over to see him. There’s a tunnel made in one of the rooms Spike said he never uses. A crafting room of Rarity’s that he left alone. Boulder limped up to stairs of the tunnel with Sneak Thief on his back. She was unconscious.

“You’ll never believe this,” he said. “But they’re after our food.”

“What food?!” one of the earth ponies from the Wheat family said. “Growing crops in this weather has been like ice skating uphill!”

“That’s what You-Know-Who convinced them to fight for. Poor Sneak Thief was on her way back from another scouting run and a group of ten chased her down.” Boulder sniffled a little, he took a shine to “Sneaky” since they first met. “I kinda lost it. Hurt a bunch of them pretty bad. More came so I picked her up and ran.”

“What do we do?” another asked.

“Give them what they want,” Silver answered. “They want food, right? We still got food stored in Spike’s pantry.”

“Then WE starve!”

“No,” Aerlies said. “It’ll buy us time. Give them the oldest stuff first, who knows maybe we’ll give ‘em all stomach aches! What we gotta do is make this place a fortress so they can’t just walk on in. Shoot when Spike was here no one would dare but we’re on our own now.”

“What are we buying time for?” a nurse asked while helping Sneak Thief onto a cot.

“We’re waiting for Spike. You’ve seen what he can do. And now thanks to that old zebra, he’s got a way to go right to wherever You Know Who is hidin’.”

In the doorway Silver saw one of the librarians waving at her. As she flew off to meet him she heard another one of her guards.

“Yeah and what if Spike fails.”

The earth pony pointed to the library so Silver didn’t bother to stop, flying straight there. The unicorn librarians we levitating blocks and bits of metal, building a great wall in the doorway. Ink & Pen had finally snapped out of it and was moving rocks as well. Silver saw the construction and took over, moving the large rocks ten at a time with greater ease than the adults. Her magic could pull away blocks out of the control of the fully grown unicorns. She removed the wooden planks replacing them with metal scraps and other junk for mortar. Silver used the fire spell she learned to light the globes in the cave, but this time with a recklessness that scared her subjects. Fire shot from her horn in a stream, heating the soft metal bits and melting them. She felt the magic in her stronger than before, so she burned the flames hotter than planned, making the wall stronger than the marble walls when she was finally done. The librarians and other ponies were in awe. A trio of her guards was equally impressed. Aerlies flanked by two of the burly earth ponies galloped in and were stopped dead by the tiny princess’ fire show.

“I think we need to have a re-vote,” one of the guards said.

Silver was still a little fuzzy-brained from the spell, it didn’t register what the guard said at first. “What vote?” she asked.

“Well, Your Highness,” Aerlies said. “A number of us were just talkin’. What if Spike can’t do it? What if he doesn’t come back? With all those grey ponies outside, and if He defeats Spike, well, you’ll be trapped in here. We can’t afford that.”

“So we all voted,” the guard said. “Us guards, Dr. Vet, Docket, we came here to get Ink & Pen in on it too with the other librarians. We’re voting that you leave.”

“For your own safety!” Aerlies added quickly. “Without Spike, you’re all we got.”

“If it’s all the same,” Ink & Pen said. “I vote for you to leave too Princess. No matter what happens, I want – Him –gone.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Aerlies said. “We’ll be fine.”

A guard cleared his throat. “But if you could, Majesty. Could you help us fortify the place before you go?”

“We do this right, we can get through this without anyone else gettin’ hurt, even the cursed ones. But we’d all feel a lot better if you get to a safe spot and hide.”

“No,” Silver said.

The faces of her subject sank. Ink & Pen was going to say something, but Aerlies blocked his mouth with a red wing. It gave Silver an idea.

“I won’t hide, but I’ll go get help.”

~~~~~~~

Silver flew for days with no sign of any Pegasus. The little Princess brought enough supplies with her to stave off hunger, and she mastered sleeping on clouds, but her search became frustrating. She would peak below the clouds and then back above the weather without a single trace of the great herd. She followed the route she remembered from her flight with Spike from the other day expecting to cross paths as they hurried to Spike’s place. It angered Silver that they would still just fly away and not stand up for their home. Aerlies would never do that. He even volunteered to accompany Silver, but he seemed to be the most competent leader with Spike gone. And the bravest. Unlike this huge army of pegasus that ran away all day everyday for years. She flew angrily diving below the clouds and above scanning the horizon for anything.

Where did they go?! She thought.

She flew down below the clouds landing on a snow bank. Night had fallen in its usual abrupt fashion and for a change the weather was calm. She looked across the blanket of pristine snow, quite beautiful in fact, and saw a cactus half buried. And a lights off in the distance that were familiar.

“I’m home,” she said to herself.

Silver flew straight towards the lights, before reaching the town she remember old habits, covering herself up and walking in. The town itself wasn’t in as bad a shape as the others up north. A few buildings had been burned and fortifications built up around it. No trance of buffalo anywhere, she was sure that the unicorns had left as well. Aside from that the streets were familiar, yet abandoned. Everypony hid in their houses warming themselves by meager fires. She felt a pit in her stomach as she turned on Braeburn St, thankfully her house was still standing.

Silver didn’t bother to knock, she rushed in, startling her mother. As soon as saw her mother’s scared face, Silver flung off her cloak.

“Oh Silver,” her mother said. “You’re alive!”

They hugged for while her mother laughed and cried at the same time.

“Goodness! You’ve grown so big!” she said wiping the tears from her face.

It was true, Silver was the same size as her mother now. She never noticed her growth spurt while at Spike’s place. She was so tiny compared to him, and the other ponies didn’t know her. Here in the home of her childhood, she felt everything was smaller. And also quite dirty.

“Ooooh let’s see your cutie mark,” he mother squeaked. Even in these grim times she remained as cheerful as ever.

“I don’t have one yet.”

It was odd for her to say. With Spike and her subjects it didn’t really matter. Now that she’s home she’s just another filly. It felt good. Safe.

“Primrose, I’m back.” Silver’s father said, closing the door without looking.

She locked eyes with her daughter and stared for but a moment. Then grabbed her and hugged her tighter than he ever had before. He said nothing for a very long time, just holding her. Silver could feel him crying.

“Good to see you too Daddy,” Silver breathed out.

Her father laughed a bit but it was forced, he finally let her go. “I’ve been hearing stories, I thought you were killed by that dragon.”

“Spike?! He’d never do that!” She said. “He’s the best teacher I could ever hope for!”

“Ssssssspike.” Father repeated. “Well, I’m glad your instincts paid off.”

“It’s more than that.”

Silver used her magic to light up all the empty lanterns and started cleaning the place up. Her parents watched as brooms and cloth spun around on their own. They both began to laugh in disbelief.

“It’s nothing really, I’ve learned a lot more than that.”

They sat by the fire to talk, getting close to it for the warmth. Silver noticed as old mare sleeping on the couch.

“Who’s that?”

“Old Paula Red, a distant relative of ours. She’s been homeless since, the fighting. We’ve let her stay in your old room till it got too cold.”

So typical of her mother, Silver was certain her father said no a hundred times to that and is still saying no.

“Are things as bad up north as they are here?” her father asked grimly.

Silver signed. “Worse. Spike and I set up a shelter for ponies, but now. I-I need to find the Pegasus herd.”

“Silver there are hardly any Pegasus left,” her father said with confidence.

Silver shook her head. “No, there are thousands flying together, never staying in one place for too long. I’ve seen them. Like a flying city with – no city.”

Her father scoffed. The world freezing around them and here they are having the talk of child and parent when the child realizes the parent doesn’t know everything.

“Daddy, I’ve seen them. Spike showed me.”

“The Great Dragon is named Spike. That really is a silly name, like he’s a guard dog or somethin’.”

“He was raised by ponies. A unicorn adopted him from an egg she hatched. He lived with us his whole life. All of his friends were earth ponies or Pegasus. He even,” Silver laughed nervously “had a – wife – that was a unicorn.”

Her mother gasped in amusement putting her hoof over her mouth. “Scandalous!” she laughed. “I like it though. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Tell us more.”

Silver told her parents about Spike, and everything about his life the dragon shared. Also she told them about the history of Equestria, most of it forgotten over the many years under The Chaos. Silver talked about magic, and the friendship between all the ponies. She told them about Spike’s home, the library, the refugees, Zecora, and what Discord has been doing.

As she told her tale Paula Red woke up, she saw the silhouette of the lost daughter Primrose and Tumbleweed have told her about. Only now seeing her wings and horn as she told her parents fantastic tales of her adventures, and the mighty dragon that protected her. Paula Red smiled her head on the pillow watching Silver, listening to her story.

Silver noticed she was awake, and recognized her as the old mare that tried to save her from the mob of angry earth ponies.

“Ah knew Ah wuz raight. As soon as Ah asked your parents about their missing daughter Ah knew it wuz you Ah saw that day.”

Silver smiled.

“Ah’ve been looking all over for ya. Ah’ve got a gift you need. Mah granddaughter wuz gonna get it for ya, but the unicrons-” The old mare groaned as she dug through a satchel at foot of the couch. She removed a crystal, held it for a minute as if to hand it to Silver. When the princess reached for it, Paula Red threw it in the fire. A bright blue light, the same color of the crystal blinded everypony in the room. “That signal shot right out the chimney Ah reckon.”

“What did you do?” Silver asked.

“Don’t worry child,” she said sweetly. “Everything will fine. But Ah’m too tired to explain.” The old mare closed her eyes smiling as she rested.

“What was that?” he Father asked.

Silver didn’t have an answer. She thought of Zecora and her story of betrayal. There was a quiet knock on the door.

“Mmmmm, that was fast.” Paula Red said, still smiling. Eyes still closed.

Her Father and Mother looked at each other. Tumbleweed stood up inching to the door, Silver walked to the far end of the room, facing the door, preparing for either fight or flight.

“Who is it?” her Father asked.

“General Powerglide commander of the Pegasus Nomads.”

Tumbleweed opened the door. She marched in with two cold Pegasus at her side, all in resplendent military garb. She saw the princess and took her helmet off and bowed.

“Where have you been?!” Silver spat, the rage from her lonely search for the Pegasus breaking through.

The Powerglide did not expect that reaction.

“The ponies at Spike’s Place need help, they’re being attacked by an army of cursed ponies. Send support, but Don’t Hurt Any Of Them. If captured I might be able to cure them. Just fly down and grab the grey ones one at a time.”

One of the General’s Lieutenants looked at Powerglide asking for permission non-verbally. The General nodded. “Go.”

The Lieutenant flew off at a blinding speed. Silver’s parents were shocked a little by how easily their daughter gave commands now.

“Please come in,” Primrose said. “Can I get you anything General?”

“No thank you,” she said as warmly as the old, yet fit Pegasus could say. She looked at Silver, trying her best not to smile. “We’ve been waiting some time for you, Your Highness.”

Silver stood defiantly waiting for the General to get to the point.

Powerglide cleared her throat. “Um, yes! Well, I should tell you about us, then. First off allow me to apologize for being so – elusive. This has been the way of The Pegasus Nomads for centuries. Our founding goes back to The Good Times before the Chaos. Created by a very prominent Pegasus named Rainbow Dash.”

Silver recognized that name.

“You see when no other Princesses were being born, Great Princess Luna was disturbed by this. She focused her skills in magic on clairvoyance spells or premonition I suppose. I’m sorry I don’t know anything about magic. What she saw were dark times, a terrible future. So Great Luna worked to prepare the world, she foresaw that the next princess would be born to a family of earth ponies. Yet without the tools to set things right the new princess would be helpless. That’s when the Princess went to Rainbow Dash: The Element of Loyalty. Luna entrusted Rainbow Dash, and only her, with knowledge about the future, and made her promise to hold onto a keepsake. Rainbow Dash alone set up a network of earth ponies to keep an eye out for the birth of the next princess. In fact Paula Red’s grandmother was the first. Princess Luna went into great detail about what she saw, so Rainbow Dash thought the best way to keep something safe for so many years is to keep it moving. She selected only a few of the best flyers in Equestria to carry this burden. The ranks of The Nomads grew but only an elite few knew their real purpose. For all of the other athletes it was just a fun time to fly around all day. When the Chaos returned though, our ranks grew. So much so nearly all the Pegasus are with The Nomads. But as always, only a select few know of our real purpose. Only the top officers are in contact with our agents among the earth ponies, and only we carry the tools you will need. It has been this way for generations.”

The remaining Lieutenant reached into his saddle bag and brought out a black box.

“I present you with The Elements of Harmony. It is-“

“A talisman of great magic,” Silver finished. “It’s what I need to defeat Discord.”

The heart of everypony is the room skipped a beat the way she said His name so easily. Yet the General was also impressed how fearless her new princess was being. Silver used her magic to open the box and drew out the talisman. They were six silver orbs just as Discord described, yet someone had fashioned them into a necklace, probably for ease of transport. She took the necklace and placed it around her neck.

“Your time with The Great Dragon has certainly made you brave.”

“Knowledgeable. He taught me to be smart more than anything.” Silver looked down at the necklace she now wore, the presented herself formally to Powerglide as Etiquette taught her. “Thank you, General. I never imagined so many could be planning this day for me from so many years ago.”

Silver walked back to the couch to thank Paula Red, Powerglide did the same. The old mare laid there, eyes closed, smiling, but not breathing. The General sighed.

“Well,” the Powerglide said quietly “at least she died knowing her family’s mission has been completed.”

“Her grandmother was the first?”

Powerglide nodded. “Applebloom was her name.”

Silver didn’t recognize that name from any of Spike’s tales. She went back over to her parents and hugged them. “I have to go now,” she said quietly.

“Oh Silver,” her Father said. “When you were born we knew you would turn into something greater than just our daughter. Go now, make us proud.”

Silver kissed them and marched outside. The two Pegasus followed her. A crowd had gathered outside. The bright light rocketing out of the chimney peaked their interest. The spectacle of Silver strutting out of the house with two Pegasus soldiers at either side of her was too much to comprehend.

“General, please get to Spike’s Place and help them.”

“And what about you, Your Highness?”

“I think we both know what I need to do now.”

And with that Silver flew off. She flew as fast as she could into the snow covered desert, far away from anything so nopony would get hurt. She landed in a wide open plateau with quite a few red rocks peaking out of the snow.

“Discord!” she said. “DISCORD!”

Again nothing. She looked about at the night sky, and remembered something in one of the books in Spike’s library. With her back to the east she cleared her mind of every other though than one. Then slowly flew upwards, and as she rose, the sun rose with her. And for the first time in centuries, a normal day had started.

“Maybe that will get your attention, Discord!” she challenged. The storm clouds broke, and in the southern desert heat. The snow melted quickly. As she waited she thought of one last thing she took out the letter with the red bow around it, the one Spike had her write “Help” on and sent it to him. If he hasn’t caught Discord by now, he would want to be here for this.

Out of a puff of smoke Discord appeared.

“Alright! What’s going on here!” he shouted then gasped at the sight of the princess. “Another one!”

Silver felt the magic within the orbs of The Elements of Harmony they touched her before she could reach to them. She rose from the ground engulfed in a white light, she directed the power at Discord. It was a magic unlike anything she dealt with before, when the was done she was brought gently back down to earth.

Discord stood there, his odd hands at his hips tapping a hoof. “So what the heck was that?!”

Silver hit him with a lightning bolt and few to a safe distance. Spike’s advice rang in her head. “Never listen to anything he says. Just fight him.”

She couldn’t understand why it did work, but there was no turning back now.

“Ow!” Discord complained. “Hold on a second! You look exactly like the princess I took out of Spike’s cave. What are you twins?!”

Against her own judgment she paid attention to something Discord said. “Spike’s cave.”

She threw a fireball and teleported behind a rock. “What so you mean ‘Spike’?”

“Oh, so you won’t answer my questions, but I have to answer yours? And by the way, Ow Again!”

She teleported again to keep safe. Silver grabbed the necklace pressing the orbs against her horn. “Please work,” she prayed.

“You know darn well what I mean by ‘Spike’. That’s the dumb name Twilight Sparkle gave him years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years ago! You should know that, right?”

This isn’t working, Silver thought.Why isn’t this working?!

She heard the beating of wings so large it could only by one creature. Spike landed sending a shockwave of slush and sand out in all directions. Silver eagerly peaked out from behind a rock to greet him.

“Ah there’s Spike!” Discord said.

Silver looked at her teacher. The saddle that bore Etiquette is gone, and some of his spines have been damaged. And he’s bleeding as well. His last battle caused no cuts or even bruises, his hide was too strong for that Silver though. Yet here he was panting with exhaustion bleeding and bruised. His eyes showed no recognition of Silver at all yet he would not break away his stare, glaring at Silver the way a predator eyes prey. His teeth have been scorched and some blood trickled from his mouth, wether it was his own or from something else Silver couldn’t tell. But one thing Silver could see as soon as she laid eyes on him.

Spike had been turned grey.