Upheaval: Legacy

by Visiden Visidane

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Gore, Dark, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike
Length: 30904

Spike travels to the Western Barrier Land to reconcile with his heritage.

After the siege of Bastion City and the theft of the power of sunlight, Spike takes on Prince Terrato's offer to train under the kirin, Seethe Scale. He must travel to the Western Barrier Land to gain the strength to help his friends.

Once there, however, Spike soon realizes that there is more for him to contend with in this harsh environment than developing his abilities.

Published 2015-01-08 20:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-06-03 03:39:43 UTC

A Vital Task

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 1: A Vital Task

It started with a familiar tingle around her unicorn horn, the gentle and persistent hum of a communication spell trying to reach her. Seethe Scale knew who it was. Long distance communication was a difficult spell to master, even for the veteran unicorns of the Legion. To reach her lonely, isolated lair with this spell, even from the nearest city, required a lot of energy. Among the few who could accomplish this, only one pony would ever do it to talk to her.

Seethe Scale rose from her treasure pile, picking out the gold coins and small gems that inevitably got stuck in her fur and scales. She licked her lips and ran her tongue across her fangs to remove any bits of her last meal still caught among them. She smoothed out her unruly mane with a claw before activating the spell.

A magical image of Prince Terrato’s head and shoulders appeared on the wall of the cave. The spell provided its own illumination, brightening the normally dark lair. The gold coins glinted and the gems sparkled. Terrato’s fiery mane, the lurid red of wrath dragon flame, added to the light.

“Seethe Scale,” Terrato said. “It’s been a while.”

It had been a while; twenty years in fact, since he gave her direct orders. Twenty years since she had been useful. For dragons, that was barely a minor wait. For a kirin, it was only slightly more bothersome. The years were a monotonous blur, the end of one barely distinguishable to the beginning of another.

Nevertheless, Seethe Scale hoped for orders at last. Watching over the city of Wallforge and fighting off the very rare rogue dragon may serve Equestria, but every legionnaire stationed there did the same. A personal meeting with the prince entailed a task meant specifically for her, something only she could accomplish. She wanted such a task. She needed it.

“Yes, your highness,” Seethe Scale replied.

“I have an important mission for you,” Terrato replied.

Seethe Scale’s heart quickened, but she kept her face impassive. She didn’t want the prince to see she was eager. That might appear that she was presumptuous enough to want him to do something.

“I’m placing a young dragon under your care,” Terrato went on. “His name is Spike. He’s a little stunted given that he’s spent all his life with ponies, but he wants to aid his friends as best he can. He’ll need to be in fighting form. Among other things.”

Seethe Scale suppressed a puzzled frown. Dragons did not merely grow with time. They needed certain triggers, certain environments, even certain meals. A dragon raised by ponies would certainly find it difficult to get what was needed to grow properly. But was she the best agent for this job? Her own journey with her abilities had been fraught with difficulty and had been taken almost entirely alone. And she was a kirin, not a dragon.

“This won’t be a problem, will it?” Terrato asked.

“Not at all,” Seethe Scale said. Of course it wasn’t. He was sending a dragon to live in her cave for a while. Dragons don’t live together. Her hoard, small as it was, looked vulnerable, tempting, individual baubles easily slipped between claws. Her gut refused the offer, but she refused its demand. It wasn’t going to be a problem.

“Good,” Terrato said. “I’ll have him sent over. As for those other things...”

Seethe Scale’s ears perked. There was more to this. Good. She could do more than be a nursemaid to a dragon hatchling trying to better himself. This Spike was not on the receiving end of a random bout of kindness. He had a purpose. And if he had a purpose...

“Spike is the dragon that Himfadora has been waiting for,” Terrato said. “Offer him to her cause on the condition that he must inherit everything from both his parents.”

Outwardly, Seethe Scale merely bowed her assent. The envy dragon, Himfadora, searched for a remnant of the long dead dragon queen and this hatchling was it. This hatchling of Reinfadora and Drellhadar would serve as a beacon for dragon dissenters against the Draco’dim. How much power he would actually have would be unsure, but he would hold influence. The prince’s aims were slightly clearer now.

“I’ll get into the details as his time with you progresses,” Terrato said. “Take some time to observe him, see what he needs to improve. And Seethe Scale...I may want some use from him, but I need him alive and well.” His eyes narrowed. “Above all else, keep him safe.”

Seethe Scale bowed again. She did not question why this Spike remained a hatchling despite the long period of time between his parents’ demise and his appearance now. The prince and his sibling held great magic. That was all there was to it. One question tugged at her though. Spike’s connection to Reinfadora was easily obvious in its usefulness, but what would his connection to Drellhadar serve? The malformed one had no recognizable influence. Quite the opposite, dragonkind hated him. He was a hideous creature that had somehow gained a place by Reinfadora’s side even though he nearly never showed his face outside his laboratories. Inheriting whatever legacy he had scattered throughout the Western Barrier Land might actually diminish this Spike’s potential, but, perhaps, what Drellhadar worked on in his lair may be worth it.

Seethe Scale frowned. Perhaps her perspective was not even correct with this. Perhaps, Reinfadora’s influence wasn’t the main goal to begin with. Perhaps the prince only played power games with dragonkind only for what Drellhadar accomplished.

Such speculation could come later, however. For now, Seethe Scale had to prepare. Her cave was not much compared to a typical dragon’s lair, but she was only half dragon and an unattractively small lair ensured that she didn’t have to be bothered by young, brash dragons stupid enough to think they could bully her out of a potential home.

Her hoard was modest, the sort one might find in the vault of a particularly wealthy Barrier Lands noble. That was fine as well. Seethe Scale was still enough of a dragon to need a hoard, but she did not need an excessively large one. Half dragon instincts or not, however, she wasn’t going to part with a single coin or bauble that she had acknowledged as part of her hoard. Not to an entitled Draco’dim, and not to some pony-raised hatchling with a pedigree.

She had to gather a few things: torches perhaps, in case this Spike still had trouble with dark caves, some soft things if he was used to beds. They will go eventually, but having them for transition should help. Perhaps she could hunt down a few coins and gems so he could have a little hoard of his own. That might encourage him not to take from hers so she wouldn’t have to eat him.

Then there’s food...she supposed, he could just subsist on gems. This was what was likely his pony friends relied on to sate his appetite. Seethe Scale ran a claw through her own hoard. The cold metal and stone felt good on her scales. She picked out a particularly large sapphire and looked at it. No. His first meal should be a statement. He was still a pampered Heartland hatchling who was raised by ponies. His well-meaning foster parents tried to protect him from some of the more savage realities about his kind, but their efforts had stunted him as well. He was sent to her, not just so she could babysit him. The prince’s intentions were quite clear. She was going to bring him to her world. And she wasn’t going to spare him.

So meat it was. Winter would make hunting a bit difficult. Many animals had already dug into their dens to hibernate or fled to warmer climates. The ursans had been taking a more cautious approach with their patrols lately. Otherwise, she could swoop down, scatter one, and carry a few slightly scorched pieces back to her cave. Perhaps she’d find an ordinary bear still gorging itself just a little longer before hibernation. No, bear might be too tough. She’d have to settle for something smaller and tenderer. This hatchling probably hasn’t developed all of his teeth yet.

Seethe Scale spread her wings by her lair’s entrance, letting the fleeting rays of the winter morning’s sun warm her scales slightly. The Western Barrier Land’s winter landscape looked as it always did each year. The firs were dusted with white, the ground was a snowy expanse, thin wisps of black smoke rose from the nearby city of Wallforge’s many, many chimneys.

She sniffed the air, thankful not to catch the whiff of either dragon or pony. She had more important tasks now than slaying criminals or fending off intruders. She did catch the far off scent of potential quarry: boar. Not a bad start. Hopefully it was a young one, or has young. She could start the hatchling with something that easy and work him up: young boar first, then adult, then something like a bear, or even an ursan. Eventually he’d have to try dragon. Perhaps she could squeeze in pony in there too. It was harsh, even cruel, but he had to understand.

With that last thought, Seethe Scale took flight, the draft from her wings blew back the loose snow from her cave’s entrance. It was best that she met this Spike face to face first, and then plan out his stay. All she could hope for at this time was that he proved to be cooperative, more for his sake than hers. After all, in the end, the prince’s task would be fulfilled. She’d ensure that no matter what kind of hatchling Spike was. Spike could only choose to make things easy or hard for himself.

Half Dragon

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 2: Half Dragon

The journey to the Western Barrier Land had been long and arduous for Spike. Cirrus Wing, his pegasus escort, was far from the chatty sort, and the long periods of silence were as tiring as actual walking. To maintain a quick pace, they stopped only for meals and brief periods of rest. Spike wondered why Prince Terrato had not simply teleported him, but could not work up the courage to actually ask. Perhaps his trip was simply not important enough to waste a lot of magic on. He knew enough of teleportation spells from Twilight. Even short trips could be exhausting. A long one could knock you out. And teleporting someone else? It made sense that the prince would rather send a legionnaire.

The landscape was beautiful, especially with the view from Cirrus Wing's back. The vast, rolling, snow-covered plains of the Northern Barrier Land gave way to steadily steeper hills, then to the forested mountains of the Western Barrier Land. Winter had also arrived to this place, covering the tall pines and firs with white.

After a few hours, a city sprawled across the side of one mountain finally came to view. This must be Wallforge. A lot of the trees around the place had been cut down. There were bare, rocky areas that looked like they had been quarried. Just like the previous city he had been flown over, the buildings were mostly stone and close to the ground. A closer look revealed the multitude of stairs that led up and down the city streets. With the mountain’s form, the city was as much vertical as it was horizontal, a trend observable in pretty much all of the Western Barrier Land he had seen so far.

A squad of six pegasi emerged from one of the many watchtowers around the city. They were heavily barded, much more so than the pegasi from the north. Spears, each nearly twice as long as a pony, were strapped across their backs.

“Halt! Who are you, and what’s your business here, pegasus pony?” the lead pegasus asked. His companions quickly surrounded Cirrus Wing.

“Flight Sergeant Cirrus Wing of the Northern Equestrian Legion,” Cirrus Wing replied with a salute. “Under the prince’s direct orders, I am escorting this dragon to Seethe Scale for training.”

After some scrutiny, the lead pegasus nodded, then ordered his ponies to fly by Cirrus Wing’s side. “We've been expecting you,” he said. “I’m Patrol Leader Shale Skin. Land by the northern gates, we’ll have an escort take you to her lair by ground.”

“What’s wrong with flying?” Cirrus Wing asked.

“Seethe Scale won’t like catching a whiff of dragon flying close to her lair," Shale Skin replied. "She’ll put a dozen of her arrows through you before you can come close enough to tell her you mean no harm.”

With a nod, Cirrus Wing banked towards the northern gates along with the other pegasi.

“Doesn't Seethe Scale live in the city?” Spike asked.

“Thank the prince, no,” Shale Skin replied. “She’s scary enough from a distance. Besides, she hates crowds.” He paused, then took a better look at Spike. “Not as much as she hates dragons, though. Are you sure about this? Even a squad of lancers won’t be enough to stop her if she decides she’d rather eat you than train you.”

Spike quivered. For all his talk about wanting to do this for his friends, he was terrified of being separated from them. There wasn't a single friendly face for miles. He had desperately hoped that this Seethe Scale would be a friendly, personable sort who would help ease his loneliness and fears, but Prince Terrato said that the kirin tended to brood a lot. Now, the pegasus’s words confirmed that his “teacher” was a dangerous one. He clenched his fists, as if his resolve lay in his claws and he refused to let go. “Let’s do this,” he said.

They landed outside the northern gates. At ground level, Spike could see into the city. It was late morning when he got to this place, and everypony was out working. The ponies outside were mostly earth ponies with a few pegasi and an occasional unicorn. Nearly all of them were involved in hard, physical labor. He had guessed right about the quarries. In addition to the paved streets, long, winding rails crisscrossed the place so train carts of stone could be wheeled about with ease. Even though it was winter, ponies still worked the quarries, pounding away at rocks or hauling about loads of them. At a distance, he spotted mine entrances as well as work areas to turn the broken stone into bricks. Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys, whether it was from the workshops or the residences. The most prominent feature in the city, however, was the giant stone statue of Prince Terrato at its center, visible even from where Spike was. The prince reared up, his face turned towards the sky and his wings spread wide as if protecting the city beneath him.

“Taking in the sights?” Shale Skin asked. A hint of pride tinged his voice. “Wallforge is one of our prince’s favorites: a city of hard labor surrounded by the things he governs. We supply building stone to all corners of the Barrier Lands. We've also got a few gem mines so there’s no shortage of greed or gluttony dragons looking for an easy meal.” He looked towards the mountain’s peak. “The city may not show it very much, but we’re glad to have Seethe Scale around.”

After a few minutes of waiting, a green-coated earth pony stallion approached them. He was pulling a large wagon full of assorted sacks behind him .

“That’s Mudslide over there," Shale Skin said. "He does deliveries to Seethe Scale’s lair. He’ll escort you for the rest of the way. Take care, Spike." He and the rest of his patrol departed.

When the wagon came close enough, Cirrus Wing helped Spike climb inside, then explained to Mudslide all the necessary details. He then nodded towards Spike. “I've done my duty here,” he said. “Good luck, dragon.” He flew towards the city. Spike waved a claw after him before fixing his attention on Mudslide.

“Looks like I got an interesting package to deliver to ol’Seethe,” Mudslide said with a grin. He chewed on a long blade of grass as he spoke. “You just sit tight back there, little dragon. Oh, and don’t touch the small sack of gems. She won’t appreciate it.”

Mudslide expertly navigated the wagon through the stony, sloping path while Spike sat on an unoccupied space inside it. Around him, the sacks jingled and clanked. He was sitting next to the aforementioned sack of gems, the baubles glinting temptingly at him. He did as Mudslide told him, though. He needed to make a good impression on Seethe Scale, and eating what was likely her food was not the way to do it. To control himself, he looked at the other sacks. The one behind him contained a dozen or so metal spears. Each had a broad and wickedly barbed head. “Why does she need so many spears?” he asked. “Does she break them often?”

"Those aren't spears, little dragon,” Mudslide replied. “They’re arrows. My sister has the honor of forging them for her. A couple of those in the right spot will bleed a dragon out.”

With a shudder, Spike inched away from the sack of “arrows”. He looked at another sack which didn't contain such ominous tools. This one contained various grasses, flowers and herbs. “What about this one?” he asked. “More food?”

“Whoah! Careful with those. They’re poisonous. She uses them for her arrows.”

Surrounded by poison, dragon-slaying arrows, and gems that he shouldn't touch, Spike hugged his knees and stayed at the farthest corner of the wagon. As the trip went on, the slope began to steepen and the air began to get colder. They were really out in the wilderness now. The path they were following was barely a dirt trail, and the tall trees had given way to scraggly bushes and grass. Despite the rugged terrain, all Spike had to contend with were a couple of bumps. After a couple of hours of travel, they finally stopped in front of a large entrance to a cave.

“We’re here, little dragon,” Mudslide said.

Spike was more than happy to jump off the wagon to take a look around. The first thing that he noticed was the smell. An unfamiliar, but incredibly wonderful, aroma wafted from deep inside the cave. His mouth watered and his nose tingled.

“What is that smell?” he asked. He took a deep breath, and wiped a trail of drool from his chin.

Mudslide sniffed at the air, then wrinkled his nose. “She must be cooking up something again,” he huffed. He unfastened the wagon from his back, then stood at the entrance. “Seethe Scale?” he called out. “It’s me. I've got your deliveries here!”

“Leave them at the usual spot, Mudslide,” somepony answered from within. Spike listened carefully. Seethe Scale had a powerful and deep voice tinged with huskiness, and a hint of feminine softness. Though her words were loud, she sounded like she was subduing herself.

She could smell him from where he was. The sharp scent of dragon pierced the pleasant odor of roasting meat. Her claws tensed. The wrath roiled in her guts, the spines on her back rising nearly uncontrollably. No, this wasn't a good way to start things. She clenched her jaws tight, making sure that the wrath didn't explode without her consent.

Intruder. He wants your lair. He wants your hoard. Kill him.

“I also have a little dragon here with me,” Mudslide called out. “A Wallforge patrol said that he’s here to train under you.”

She knew that already. She tried to say something, but the wrath would make sure that the only thing that came out of her mouth was a torrent of flames.

Kill. Him.

A few moments passed before she could compose herself. 'You have orders,' she reminded herself. She swallowed the wrath, the effort leaving her insides to sting. “Leave them at the usual spot, Mudslide,” she said.

A few small rocks rolled into the cave when Mudslide dragged the wagon to its usual niche by the cave entrance. “Just stand there with the wagon, little dragon," he said. "I’m off to Wallforge. See you around…I hope.”

It took all Spike had not to follow Mudslide down the trail. He was alone now. Alone on a mountain before the home of a scary kirin. He held on to one side of the entrance and tried to peer deeper into the cave. A red orange glint was the only sight in the darkness. There had to be small fire farther in. Minutes passed while he just stood there, slowly being tortured by the delicious smell and his own apprehension.

“Come inside,” Seethe Scale finally said.

Spike wasn't sure if he should be relieved or be frightened some more. After a few tries, he finally got one foot in front of the other and towards the fire. There was probably pony with dragon scales in there, ready to jump out of the shadows and eat him. He didn't know where she could be hiding. It was her cave. She was likely bigger than him, stronger, and more experienced. He was so dead.

He shook his head. No point in worrying about that now. He was here. He asked to be here. Prince Terrato said Seethe Scale would help. The prince was a lot of bad things, but he was pretty straightforward and had no reason to lie. Fear aside, Spike followed the aroma to a strange lump of…something attached to a metal bar over the fire. The shadows past the flames flickered just a bit too much to be just the fire. Seethe Scale was definitely there. He squinted, but still couldn't see anything clear. “Um…hello?” he called out.

“You must be hungry after your trip. Go ahead.”

The voice sounded like it was whispering, but it was still so loud. A roar would likely shake this very cave.

Spike stared at the thing that was cooking by the fire. It did smell delicious, but he had never eaten something so strange. There was a pile of gold coins and jewelry by the edges of the fire’s light. “Um…can I have some gems instead?" he asked. "I’m also fine with some vegetables, even hay.”

How dare he. He just asked for some of her hoard. She let him into her cave and offered him a meal. That was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than any welcome he would get in another dragon's lair, and the first thing he did was stare at her hoard and ask for some.

Dirty little thief. Can't even hide his grasping urges. He comes as a guest, but he'll wait until I'm asleep before stealing.

She could almost imagine this Spike plucking a gem from her hoard and popping it into his mouth. Likewise, she could almost imagine wringing him by his little neck until he snapped in two.

Seethe Scale rose slightly, keeping barely at the edges of the fire light. He couldn't see her from the way he glanced about. As she had guessed, he didn't even have his darkvision. Her wrath accused swiftly, as expected. Her only response was to continue staring. The prince told her to keep Spike safe. His orders trumped any accusation from her wrath.

Spike was...of the same size as a typical hatchling. That was about as close as he could get to Seethe Scale's usual experience with dragons, hatchling or otherwise. He was a little pudgy by the mid-section. Clearly, this one did not lack for meals. His light purple scales and his green spines were clean, unmarked, even a bit glossy. Somepony had taken to grooming him well, or had at least taught him how to. They also looked soft, barely tested. His claws were just as flawless.

A dragon faced tests even while still in its clutch with its brothers and sisters. A dragon parent was willing to share only so much of its meals. Siblings competed for food, entering murderous power plays to monopolize their resources. A typical dragon hatchling had no compunctions about bullying or tricking rivals. By the time hatchlings were old enough to leave the cave, which didn't take long given dragon preferences for solitude, the clutch of a dozen eggs would have dwindled to three or four. From the looks of him, Spike would not have survived Reinfadora's clutch. He would not have survived an ordinary dragon's clutch. Seethe Scale doubted that he was even high in the pecking order among his pony siblings, if he had one.

The eyes though. His eyes caught Seethe Scale briefly. A dragon, even a very young one, had that unmistakable gleam of opportunism in the presence of riches. He had asked for some of her hoard, but the look in them as he did so lack any sort of spite. The wrath judged too quickly indeed. This one was not going to take anything without permission. That's why he asked. He just didn't trust the meal she offered.

'He came here to aid his friends,' Seethe Scale thought. Such a thing would never cross a dragon's mind. It was...admirable. She still wasn't going to share her hoard, however. Her wrath briefly cooled, she stayed in the shadows and quietly watched.

The only reply to his question came from Spike's rumbling stomach. He considered just picking up one of the gems scattered nearby, but he was afraid that Seethe Scale would jump him if he so much as made the attempt. Finally, he gave in to his curiosity. The thing stuck by the fire did smell delicious, and there really wasn't any reason for Seethe Scale to poison him. He tore off a hank and stared at it. It was blackened and crispy on the outside, but still tender and pinkish on the inside. It bubbled with some sort of oil and came apart in strips when he tore it up a bit. After one more moment of hesitation, he popped a strip into his mouth.

The sudden burst of flavor nearly made him choke. Whatever this stuff was, it was one of the tastiest things he had ever eaten: savory, juicy, tender, a little bit sweet, and a little bit salty. He bit into the rest of the hank, then dug into the lump, unmindful of the open flame. Oily juices covered his claws and ran down his chin while he ate. With a slurp and a smack of his lips, he licked himself dry before sitting down to let his stomach settle. That was the best meal he had had in a while. Gears started to turn in his mind. A little salt and pepper to help with the taste. Some herbs too. Would it taste just as good if he stewed it?

“Full?” Seethe Scale asked.

“Yes,” Spike replied. “What is this stuff? It’s so delicious! Is it some kind of special dragon food?”

“It’s boar.”

Spike stopped. “Excuse me?” he asked. “Did you just say--”

“Boar. I picked a young one so you can chew easily…you’re welcome.”

Spike slowly turned his attention back to the thing roasting over the fire. What had looked so appetizing and savory now looked like a still-bloody, charred corpse. His stomach suddenly felt as if it was full of sludge. Boar! He had been eating with so much gusto, and calling it delicious! He pointed towards where Seethe Scale’s voice came from. “You tricked me!” he cried out.

“No.”

“I wouldn't have touched this thing if you told me it was boar!”

“I didn't say it was vegetables either. Your nose and your tongue told you it was good food and you believed them.”

Spike pulled his tongue out and wrung it like a filthy washcloth. His own body had betrayed him. He should have just eaten those poison herbs from earlier.

“Are you done?”

Something big slid against the stone floor. Instinctively, Spike stepped back just as a stream of fire burst from the shadows. He fell flat on his belly, his claws over his head. Even though the flames didn't even come close to touching him, he could feel the heat of their passing. That didn't feel right. He was capable of touching even open flames. Why would he find a passing whiff of dragon fire hot? When he looked up, the cave was much brighter. The flames had lit several torches along the walls.

“Stand up.”

The ground beneath Spike vibrated slightly as Seethe Scale moved. He did as he was told quickly. With the cave now properly lit, he could finally get a good look at his likely companion for the next six months. At the sight of her, he fell on his tail in an instant.

Spike had spent his entire life being around other creatures bigger than he was. Looking up to ponies was nothing new, but he could not have expected this. Seethe Scale towered above him, easily four or five times the size of an average pony. Her head and neck were that of a pony’s with a slightly more pronounced and reptilian snout. Her long, straight mane was pale lavender, almost white near the roots. Three horns sprouted from her head; two curved gracefully to the sides of her skull while a third one pointed upward from her forehead.

Despite the name, Seethe Scale was mostly covered with fur. She had a luxurious, long, white coat that gave way to equally white scales past her knees and on her long, dragon tail. Her forelegs ended in a pair of claws while her hind legs ended in hooves. A pair of dragon wings were carefully folded to her sides. Heat, stronger than the fire in the cave, radiated from her.

“Introductions,” she said, her tail flicking about lazily. “My name is Seethe Scale.”

Seethe Scale stared at Spike quietly and expectantly. It took a minute of him just staring in awe before he finally realized that he should answer with his own introduction. “It’s…uh…what was it?” He cast about his mind until he found what he was looking for. “It’s Spike! That’s right, my name is Spike.”

Seethe Scale lowered her head so that her snout was only a few inches from Spike. At this close, he realized that the smoky smell in the cave was not merely from the fire, but from her as well. She sniffed a couple of times before pulling back. Her breath was hot against his face, like a dry summer breeze, only muskier. “You smell correct,” she said. “I see the wisdom in our prince’s decision now. Dragon in body and pony everywhere else…you’re just as much a hybrid as I am.” She walked farther into the back of the cave. Despite her enormous size, she moved quietly and gracefully.

“Let’s start.”

Dragonkind

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 3: Dragonkind

"Spike..."

The very familiar voice shook Spike out of his lethargy. "Huh?" he mumbled.

"Spike, pay attention,"

That was Rarity's voice. Spike realized that he was sitting on a bed in a brightly lit and elaborately decorated room. He recognized the bunch of pony mannequins grouped by one corner and the sewing machine that sat on a nearby table. The bed sheet was decorated with a diamond pattern, as were the walls. "Rarity?" he asked. "What's going on?"

"I brought you here, remember?" Rarity replied. Spike's claws went to his tail for comfort. She was staring at him rather seriously.

"W-well, what is it then?"

"Spike, I'm quite aware that you have certain...feelings for me."

"What? But how did you-- I didn't get to say it that time so what could have--"

A hoof stopped his spluttering protests. "Recently, I've become aware that I'm starting to feel something similar."

Spike's jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Which is why I brought you here in the privacy of my bedroom so we can explore these feelings properly rather than embarrassing ourselves out on the street or some such thing."

"Oh...uh...sure, Rarity. I don't mind talking about my feelings and--" Spike shuddered and stopped when Rarity's face moved closer to his. She placed both front hooves on his shoulders and gently pushed him on his back.

"Talking wasn't what I had in mind..."

Spike found himself unable to speak. The room faded into darkness while Rarity's face came closer and closer and...faded into black as well.

Spike still lay there expectantly until reality settled in. He wasn't on the nice, soft bed of the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria. He was laying back-first on a hastily put together pile of ursan furs. He remembered why it was so dark. He was in the deepest part of Seethe Scale's cave. The far away entrance provided the only bit of light.

With a groan, Spike rose reluctantly from his bedding, and looked around. It was useless of course. He was in complete darkness. He had been so for the greater portion of his first week. For the first couple of days, he relied on the torches positioned along the cave, but they eventually burned out, and he couldn't find any replacements. When he asked Seethe Scale about getting more, she didn't even bother to reply. He had started gathering bits of dead branches from the woods nearby, but the few he collected were far from enough to illuminate the enormous cave.

Indeed, his first week with Seethe Scale could be summed up perfectly by stumbling in the dark. He wished that she was an angry, cursing sort of teacher like Doctor Redbrand, or Mage Captain Owlsight. Even that would be something. Seethe Scale didn't shout or growl at him at all, but that was because she would barely even talk to him. He could count on one claw the number of times she would say anything in a day. She hadn't even bothered to set any rules about her lair. The fear of touching something he shouldn't touch or saying something he shouldn't say all but rendered him paralyzed around her.

Instead of talking, Seethe Scale spent hours just lying in the dark. Prince Terrato had mentioned that she “got a little broody at times”. The prince had obviously understated that aspect. Seethe Scale brooded nearly all the time next to her small hoard of golden coins and jewelry.

If she wasn't doing that, she was out getting food. She came home with meat most of the time, but winter had already settled and most of the wildlife had gone into hibernation or migrated. On a few occasions, Seethe Scale came back with pickled vegetables from Wallforge. Spike relished the chance to eat something more familiar. Meat was…delicious, he had to admit that. He also had to admit that his pointed teeth were more at home with tearing through meat than grinding plants or gemstones, but he still favored the familiar comforts of food he had grown up with.

That small comfort did little to make his stay with Seethe Scale any more pleasant. He continued to wait for some kind of instruction on her part, but the week passed with him awkwardly trying to pass the time. That had to end. This morning, he was going to talk to Seethe Scale and straighten things out.

Seethe Scale stretched her wings near the entrance, letting the sunlight warm her after a good night's sleep. The first couple of sleepless nights proved the most difficult. It was only now that she was able to rest well.

Spike had no reason to steal from her. He was isolated in her lair, a long way away from any of his friends. If he stole from her, she would find out and he would have nowhere to run. Even if he made it to Wallforge before she crunched him between her jaws, he would not find safe harbor there. She was a servant of the prince despite being outside the Legion. She had enough clout in the city to have the guards hand him over if he came to them. Young as he was, even Spike would know that taking from her hoard would be suicide.

That knowledge did nothing to calm her nerves whenever it was time to sleep. He was right there, snuggled against the ursan furs she got for him. Her hoard was within easy reach. His scent unbalanced the normal odors in it, and the disruptive, tiny sounds of his breathing made her fur bristle. She could barely stand him, and he was not doing anything particularly offensive.

So she stayed silent throughout the first few days, for both their sakes. Before working on his development and the business involving his inheritance, she first needed to be able to stand him: presence, then talking to him.

Clearly this arrangement did not sit well with her charge. Spike approached her, as he had tried for several times during this week. Surprisingly, his eyes were more determined than ever. “Um…excuse me,” he said. She didn't respond. She could at this point. Before, even approaching him made her want to eat him. Now, she could speak without exhaling fire. However, she wanted to see how far his determination could carry him. He had been trying to talk to her all week. That was his pony-ness reacting. He needed to talk to someone. It didn't have to be anything important as long as he got some words out. She didn't. He shouldn't either.

"Hey,” Spike yelled. “Down here!”

A bold move. A hatchling wouldn't dare. He may quarrel with siblings, but he wouldn't dare with an adult. Was he merely reckless? Had his frustration simply boiled over, or did he have an innate understanding that she was not going to harm him over small matters? Seethe Scale faced Spike. “I heard you,” she said.

“Listen, um…” Spike grabbed a hold of his tail. He did that whenever he needed reassurance, but couldn't get it anywhere else, which was often. He looked away from her stare, his claws trembling just a bit. “I understand if you don’t like me and don't want me in your cave. If you don’t want to have anything to do with me, just say so. I can just go away and find my way back to the Northern Barrier Land.”

Seethe Scale couldn't reply right away. He was partly right, at least right for the first few days. What left her silent though, was that he really seemed to mean his offer. This little hatchling was going to trek back to the Northern Barrier Land just because she didn't want him around. He expected no sense of obligation from her. He must know that she was under orders to help him, but he demanded nothing. “What makes you think that I don’t want you around?” she asked.

“Well, I feel like an unwanted guest in your cave for one thing,” Spike replied. “I just came here to grow stronger. If you don’t--"

“What I feel or want doesn't matter,” Seethe Scale replied. “The prince has given me the task of helping you, and I will do so.”

“But we haven’t done anything in a week! How is just standing around a cave supposed to help me?”

Seethe Scale tilted her head slightly, and took a closer look at Spike. He was the full dragon, but it seemed that he was already used to her presence. “You’re upset,” she said.

The proximity of her head took Spike aback. This close, she could count his pristine teeth. Her own visage reflected on his eyes, his irises focused on her maw. “W-well…maybe a little,” he replied.

Seethe Scale pulled back. There were going to be a lot of things she would have to keep from Spike, whatever truths that wouldn't go against her orders, she may as well share. “I needed some time to get used to having you in my cave,” she replied. “Just getting used to your presence and scent has been surprisingly difficult.”

“We could still talk right?” Spike asked.

“The process goes two ways. I had to get used to sharing my cave with another and you had to get used to some degree of isolation.” Seethe Scale walked out of the cave. Spike followed behind her, taking three steps to match each one of hers. “You've spent too long being a pony. Ponies are day-active herd creatures. You share their love of conversation and need for a great deal of light. I've spent too long living like a full dragon. When you first entered my cave, my first instinct was to kill you before you got anywhere near my hoard. I was hoping that we can spend some time adjusting; you as a dragon, me as a pony.”

“Did it work?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale glanced behind her and caught the ghost of a smile struggling into his lips. He must be glad that all the awkward waiting had some purpose behind it after all. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I haven’t killed and eaten you. That has to be worth something.”

Once more, Spike looked at Seethe Scale's jaws. “Don’t worry," he said. "It’s worth a lot. But did we really need an entire week for th--” He caught himself. “N-not to question your methods or anything!”

“Interesting,” Seethe Scale said. “Does a week seem that long to you?”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Well, yeah. Seven days is pretty long.”

Seethe Scale snorted. “For a pony.”

“Huh?”

Seethe Scale flexed her wings some more. She was about to go out hunting, but she changed her mind. The meal could wait. She sat by the entrance of her cave and gestured for Spike to sit nearby. “A week is nothing to a dragon,” she said. “One reason it bothers you is because you’re in pony time. Slow down and try to perceive things more as a dragon.”

Spike sat just a few feet from her, his arms crossed over his chest. Seethe Scale noted the defensive posture. Spike was proud of his upbringing, even if it did leave him stunted and uncomprehending. He was likely to meet any comment on ponies with this posture, if not more. “And what’s the other reason?” he asked.

“You’re waiting for lessons the way ponies teach them,” Seethe Scale replied. “You’re not here for lessons like some foal in a pony school.”

Before Spike could say anything, Seethe Scale’s ears perked up and her nostrils flared. Somepony was walking the trail to her lair. This was not an appointed time. Wrath flared up again. This time, she let more of it bubble out. She had held it back so much during these past few days, enough so that it started to hurt physically. A little show of it would ease her within and deal with these unwanted guests. She jumped towards the trail and glared down it. “That’s far enough,” she growled.

Spike walked over to see who had arrived, but her heat aura quickly made him recoil. He backpedaled from her for several feet before curiosity got the better of him again. His claws outstretched to protect him from the worst of her emanations, he perched on a nearby rock to take a look.

“G-greetings, mighty Seethe Scale!” somepony said from down the trail. It was a group of five ponies; two of whom were pulling a wagon behind them while the other three led the way. The lead pony, a green unicorn with a long, curly mane of bright yellow had stepped forward to speak for their group. Though he stumbled with his opening words, he carried himself with a degree of confidence.

“Deliveries have been already made,” Seethe Scale said, her tone low and dangerous. “I don’t like ponies being this close to my home.” She snorted a brief stream of dark red flame from her nostrils. The snow around her was already melting. If they made her worse, the soil would start to char and any scattered twigs and leaves would burn.

“We mean no disrespect,” the lead pony said. He bowed low to emphasize his point and the others followed his example. “We are here on behalf of Mayor Gold Plate.”

Gold Plate. The name boiled the blood. While his predecessor maintained a respectful distance and silence, Gold Plate seemed to have come upon the idea that she was a useful tool. This was not the first time she had to deal with his overtures. Seethe Scale glanced briefly at Spike. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to let too much wrath out. It would be hard to teach him anything if he was constantly huddled in a corner screaming. “Leave,” she hissed. She dug a claw into the hard ground, leaving deep furrows as she took a step forward.

“We will, mighty Seethe Scale,” the lead pony said. He gestured towards wagon behind him. At once, the two ponies who were not pulling the wagon trotted over and removed its cover. Underneath was a sizable pile of gold coins and jewels. Nearby, Spike wiped some drool off his mouth. “All we ask is that you accept this tribute from the mayor in honor of your constant vigil over Wallforge.”

What swill. Seethe Scale looked the wagon over, a low growl resounding within her throat. It was a good pile, a worthy addition to her hoard if she chose to accept it. But she wasn't going to. She kept track of the days. Wallforge elections were coming up. What better way to garner support than to have the approval of the reclusive kirin that protected the city? It would be something that no other mayor had achieved. If only because none of them were stupid enough to pester her.

“I said leave,” Seethe Scale said. They unfastened the wagon, and departed hastily after one final bow. The messengers, at least, understood when she did not want attention. She grabbed hold of the wagon, and placed the entire thing in front of Spike. She may as well make use of this ill-conceived campaigning idea. She would be more at ease if Spike had a small hoard of his own. “It’s yours,” she said. “Eat what you want and bury what’s left somewhere outside my cave.”

Spike’s mouth watered some more as he clambered over the wagon. He took a particularly impressive sapphire and was about to pop it into his mouth when he looked over to Seethe Scale. She relaxed a little as she watched the trail to her home. “Are you sure I can have this?” he asked.

“Yes."

“But why? Those ponies gave these to you for watching over them!”

“No,” Seethe Scale said. "They didn't. You want a lesson, Spike? Learn this one well. As your strength grows, so will the number of those who want to use it." She watched with interest as Spike inspected his new hoard. There was no knowing look on his face. Perhaps the ponies that raised him were of a far better sort than Gold Plate's ilk. They had not taken advantage of what he was and what he would eventually become. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Great,” Spike replied. “Thank you for giving all of these to me!”

Seethe Scale continued to quietly observe. He was such an odd creature. Not even a hint of suspicion over his sudden gain. Not even a question as to what the catch was. That was sheer delight on his face, not the craven gleam that any dragon would look at a free pile of gold with. He tried to focus on eating, but her scrutiny clearly weighed down on him. He glanced nervously at her several times before finally turning around. “Um…do you need something?” he asked.

“Your temperance is surprising,” Seethe Scale said. “Do you not feel any urge to collect more treasure after gaining such a large hoard?”

Spike's eyes widened. “What? Oh, no, I’m done with that! One hoarding spree is enough for me.”

Seethe Scale leaned on a claw. She hadn't expected such an answer. He may still look like a hatchling, but this would certainly add to her estimation of where his physique should be. “I see…did you grow at an alarming rate during that time?” she asked.

Spike nodded. “I turned into a real monster for a day.”

“Tell me how it all happened.” Seethe Scale walked over and lay down just a few feet away from Spike. He related the whole incident, which involved a fire ruby, unicorns, a panicked village, and torn cloaks. Seethe Scale found herself listening intently. It was an account of life within the barrier as well as how the ponies there reacted to a dragon. She wasn't too shocked at both the devastation he caused and the defense it provoked.

One thing caught her attention though. “This Rarity…do you love her?” she asked.

Spike’s jaw dropped briefly. “No!” he protested. He clamped both claws on his mouth. “I mean, how’d you-- I mean, why’d you say that?”

Seethe Scale almost smiled, a pleasant memory of her own coming to her thoughts. What do dragons see in ponies? What sparks that attraction for a creature so different in shape and form? “The tone you take and the look on your face say it all,” she replied. “You may as well wear a shirt with her face on it.”

“That’s not a bad thing is it?” Spike asked. He shifted about and repeatedly glanced at her. It was so easy what was on his mind. “I mean, I’d understand if you don’t like the thought of it because…well…”

He tiptoed around the issue as if it mattered, but Seethe Scale was more curious than offended. He held affections towards a pony, but didn't undergo lust phase. Why not? Dragon aggression could turn a precocious crush into a vicious perversion. Yet, rather than become something to turn him to a monster, Spike's affection became his strength. “Why should what I think matter?" she asked. "Are you going to force yourself on this Rarity and make her bear a kirin foal?”

“What?" Spike glared. "Of course not! I would never think of doing such a thing to her!” For the first time since he came to her lair, he not only met Seethe Scale's gaze, but held it angrily. The strength this mare granted him was admirable.

Seethe Scale's eyes narrowed briefly. But it must be at a cost. Why greed? The straightforward answer pointed to a dragon's typical need to acquire a hoard. But, as he narrated in his rambling tale, it was clear that Spike had no hoard to call his own, and the finest gem he acquired went to Rarity instead. Perhaps the greed is not merely his.

Seethe Scale shook her head. No need to judge harshly. Not right now, at least. Regardless of how she did it, this Rarity aided in preventing the birth of another Lust dragon. That was more than enough to give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Rarity was far from the only one who needed Spike to do things.

“Decide for yourself what to make of your feelings," she said. "Spend more time understanding your dragon aspect, then look at your relationships. I will say this, however. This Rarity has been a good influence to you. She’s taught you to control your gluttony, lust, and greed. From your story, you've successfully overcome your Appetite Phase thanks to her.”

The indignant glare melted into a half-lidded smile, likely fueled by thoughts of this Rarity. That lasted for a few seconds before the rest of what she said came to him. “What’s this Appetite Phase?” he asked, eyes wide now.

Seethe Scale turned her thoughts from this Rarity for now. Perhaps there was room during Spike's stay for a more more pony-like style of lecturing. “It’s the first of the phases that dragons go through in their life time. Dragons in this phase are overcome by lust, gluttony, or greed, whichever resides within them the strongest. If your greed had defined you strongly enough, you would have remained a Greed Dragon for the rest of your life.”

“What about the other phases?” Spike asked.

“The Expression Phase tests your pride, wrath, or envy. If you are still not defined by these things, you will go through the Apathy Phase, which guarantees that you’ll turn into a Sloth Dragon.”

“Is that it?” Spike asked glumly. “Are dragons always defined by bad things?”

“Supposedly--” Seethe Scale stopped herself. No need to bring in that myth. Spike would strive for the impossible. He clearly did not appreciate the future forms she had outlined for him. She couldn't blame him. Pride, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Greed, Lust, and Gluttony, were not things any dragon, let alone one raised by ponies, looked forward to. But dangling hope in front of him would only lead to frustration.

“Supposedly what?” Spike asked.

“Don’t concern yourself too much about these things. They will come in time, and what sort of dragon you are will be revealed.” Seethe Scale stood up, and flapped her wings. She had a hunt to attend to, and a meeting. Now that he had his own little hoard, she knew Spike would leave hers alone. “I have to go,” she said. “Stay in the cave as always.” She flew off afterwards.

Although still confused, Spike popped the first gem into his mouth, and savored the crunch against his teeth. He grabbed a handful of gems to snack on, then began looking around for a good hiding place. He doubted that there would be any thieves willing to risk approaching Seethe Scale's home, not after seeing how she treated ponies who wanted to give her things. But he wasn't going to risk this bounty. This was going to be his own treasure to guard. It was nowhere near the size of Seethe Scale's hoard, but it was his. For the first time in his life, Spike felt just a bit more...dragon-y.

It was already sunset when Seethe Scale returned. During that time, Spike had kept himself busy burying his new loot all around the cave. He had decided to hide his treasure well in several spots. Hopefully, if he kept his new loot hidden, Seethe Scale wouldn't suddenly change her mind and take it back. The frozen ground was difficult to dig up, even for his practiced claws. He didn't dare place a single coin inside the cave though. He didn't even dare step into the deepest recesses of the place.

He had also reflected upon how Seethe Scale behaved around ponies. By the time she arrived, he had questions already rehearsed. He stood by his space in the cave and quietly watched her, trying to find some kind of sign that it was a good idea to speak up.

“Um…Seethe Scale?” he finally ventured to say.

Seethe Scale lay down by her bed, really nothing more than an elevated section of rock, before looking at Spike. “How is your vision?” she asked.

“It’s fine, thanks, I just--” Spike paused. Fine? He looked around. He should be completely blind in this cave, but he wasn't. Seethe Scale lay there in plain sight. Well, sort of plain sight. Her fur was white as before, but her mane was also white, as well as the nearby gold coins and gems. Behind her was mere blackness, it thickly outlined every single object. It was as if he was staring at the world through a very well detailed monochrome sketch. “W-what’s going on?” he asked. “I can see in the dark, but it’s all weird and gray!”

“Hatchlings develop that much earlier,” Seethe Scale said. “Yours was hindered by spending too much time out in the light. Did you think that dragons would prefer the darkness of caves if they had to rely on illumination?”

“This is…” Spike looked around, and walked forward. He could see even the pebbles by his feet in detail. “This is pretty cool,” he said.

“A week spent well,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike leaned forward, claws itching to do something, whatever it was that was in Seethe Scale's regimen of dragon training exercises. “So what are we going to do next?” he asked.

“Sleep.”

It was barely dawn when Spike was awake and walking about the cave, marveling at his new-found ability. He picked up a pebble, and inspected it, picking out individual grooves and niches on it just for fun.

“Cute,” Seethe Scale said softly from behind him. She stretched out from her bed and stared at him. “You’re acting like a hatchling given his very first bauble.”

Spike tossed the pebble away in embarrassment. “I can’t help it,” he said. “I've never been able to do something like this.”

“Darkvision has its uses.” Seethe Scale rose and flexed her wings.. “You’re lucky to still be able to develop it.”

“So what are we doing now?” Spike asked.

“We're going out. I’m taking you with me this time. Before we go, we must go over a few rules.”

Spike sat, and listened eagerly. The mention of rules was one more familiarity he could take comfort in. “What are they?” he asked.

“Anywhere outside my cave, I will call you ‘Seifralhadar’. You must answer to this name only. The ponies you've encountered in Wallforge have been similarly warned.”

“What’s wrong with ‘Spike’?” Spike asked.

“It’s not a dragon name. If the Draco’dim find out, you’ll die along with whoever gave you that name.”

This new worry quickly crushed any enthusiasm Spike had. “Draco-what?” he asked. “Who are they, and why should they care about my name?”

“They are currently the strongest and most influential group within dragonkind,” Seethe Scale said. “We shouldn't have too much trouble with them with the Heartland purge underway.”

“So they’re sort of the dragon rulers and-- hey, what do you mean by 'Heartland purge'?”

Seethe Scale looked grimly towards the outside of her cave. “With the barrier down, the Draco’dim are extending their influence towards the Heartland. A purge is already on the way.”

“And by 'purge' you mean--”

“Yes, killing.”

Spike paused, outrage temporarily taking away his ability to talk. He remembered all the dragons he had encountered in the Heartland. None of those encounters had at all been pleasant, but for them to be killed just didn't seem right. “We've got to stop them,” he said. “Equestria would never allow dragons to be killed just like that!”

“You’re wrong,” Seethe Scale replied. Her emotionless tone ran counterpoint to Spike’s angry words. “Equestria would allow it. The Draco’dim’s methods may be harsh, but Equestria stands only to benefit from their actions.”

Spike's mouth hung open for a few seconds. “What? Why?”

“The Draco’dim enforce many rules," Seethe Scale replied. "Among them is the rule of not eating ponies, and leaving their settlements alone so long as they don’t monopolize resources. Without the Draco’dim, the Legion would have to deal with more than just your occasional rampaging greed dragon.”

“So all of Equestria will just let these Draco’dim kill as many dragons as they like?”

“Yes.”

Spike stamped his foot as hard as he could. The barely audible thump only made him angrier. “But that’s not right!”

Seethe Scale answered with a snort. “Right for whom? It’s right for ponies to not want to be eaten.”

“What about the dragons?”

“What dragons do to each other is not Equestria’s concern.” Seethe Scale moved closer towards Spike. There was nothing threatening about her movement, but Spike still felt the urge to back up a bit before looking up at her "You’re right, however. The Draco’dim’s continued existence will only continue to hurt dragonkind as a race.”

“Then why do you just let it happen?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale snorted again. This time, a brief gout of flame escaped her nostrils. Spike caught a whiff of smoke in the air. “I’m not a dragon. Why should I be bothered if the dragons destroy themselves?” She gazed at Spike intently. “Let them settle this issue among themselves.”

“I am a dragon,” Spike said, his tone low and defiant, his arms crossed against this chest.

“Are you sure? It was only yesterday that you could even use your darkvision.” Before Spike could retort, Seethe Scale’s unicorn horn glowed slightly. “I need to be alone,” she said. “Go outside and prepare yourself. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Spike left the cave in a huff, whatever goodwill that had showed in his face when Seethe Scale arrived now gone. Once he was out of sight, she pointed her unicorn horn at a cave wall. Unicorn magic did not come easily to her. Indeed, she normally suffered from mild headaches, even with basic spells like receiving the prince's magical communication. The projected image of the prince looked at her a few seconds later. “Your highness,” she said reverently.

“Seethe Scale,” Terrato said with a smile. “How is your new ward progressing?”

“Faster than expected,” Seethe Scale replied. "He has a strong will under that timidity. I believe he will respond to what will be asked of him"

“Good as I am asking a lot.” Terrato’s eyes narrowed as he went on. “Some chosen should have arrived in Wallforge by now, have you noticed?”

The last trip to Wallforge confirmed it. Seethe Scale did not like mingling with a great many ponies, but, even from afar, it was easy to notice the fuss over the new arrivals. “Yes, your highness.”

“Luna’s taken a page from my book by having her own personal eyes among them,” Terrato said. There was a tinge of admiration in his tone as well as more than a hint of annoyance. "It’s possible that she may try to contact you as well. I don’t want my sisters to get wind of your other task. Not yet.”

Seethe Scale knew little of the prince's sisters, but she had no interest in serving them. They were not there when her life was ransomed, and she was no citizen that she had to owe loyalty to all of Equestria's rulers. “She will learn nothing save for Spike’s condition, your highness,” she said.

“Good. What of the others involved?"

“Nazhadar and Himfadora have already agreed to your propositions, your highness. I am making headway with the others, but Spike’s progress will be crucial.”

“I’m counting on you, Seethe Scale.”

The image disappeared and Seethe Scale walked out to meet her "ward”. The dragon kept his eyes on her. Though he was still a little angry, she noticed something in his gaze that wasn't there when he first entered her cave: trust. “Let’s go,” she said.

Parents and Purpose

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 4: Parents and Purpose

“Ponyville!” Spike cried out. He couldn't believe it was finally time. The snow from the worst winter ever was finally melting, his training was complete, and he was finally allowed to return to his friends. He soared past Everfree Forest, admiring the enormous shadow he cast on the trees below. With a graceful flourish, he landed in the middle of the village, expecting a great many “oohs” and “aahs” from the ponies all around.

A horrible and deep wail blared from village square's sirens followed by the screams of every pony who caught sight of him. “Wait!” he told them. “It’s me! It’s Spike! I’m not going to hurt any of you!” He cringed as his voice came out as vicious roars. Something struck the scales on his chest. He looked down and saw a crossbow bolt fall away. Several more followed.

“Seifralhadar!” Seethe Scale was suddenly right next to Spike. She roared at the panicking ponies and the line of legionnaires that had formed up. “It’s us against them!”

“No!” Spike roared. He raised a claw to stop her, but it was too late. She exhaled a great blast of fire, consuming the entire line legionnaires. They screamed only briefly before collapsing. Their molten armor ran across the ground while their bodies sizzled and smoked. Every nearby house with their wooden doors and their thatched roofs caught flame. The screams grew louder and more frantic.

Big Macintosh neighed loudly, and jumped past the flaming wreckage of an apple cart. He rammed into Seethe Scale so the other ponies could escape. She rumbled deeply in her chest, then lifted him with both claws. Stoic as Big Macintosh had always been, even he had to cry out when sharp dragon claws sank deep into his flesh.

“Stop! Seethe Scale, don’t eat Big Mac! Don’t eat him!” Despite Spike's pleas, Seethe Scale bit down on Big Macintosh’s head, and pulled. His neck stretched and tore. Blood spattered all over Seethe Scale’s white fur, and dripped from the bits of torn muscle and few remaining ligaments still attaching the head to the rest the body. Throughout the gruesome scene, Ponyville’s siren continued to drone on and on…

Spike groaned and opened his eyes. The dream was already receding, but that awful droning noise continued. Seethe Scale was already up. She moved to the very back of the cave, the one place that she didn't allow him to explore, and took something. “What’s going on?” he asked. “What’s that awful noise?”

“Alarm,” Seethe Scale said. “A rogue dragon is approaching Wallforge.”

The mention of a dragon attack may as well have been a bucket of ice water hurled into Spike’s face. “What am I supposed to do?” he asked. He already feared the answer. He wanted to see firsthand how the Barrier Lands reacted to dragons, but Seethe Scale was likely going to ask him to stay in the cave while she dealt with the problem.

“You’re coming with me,” Seethe Scale said. “You need to see this.” She lowered her shoulder so Spike could climb to her back.

The feel of Seethe Scale's coarse hair between Spike's fingers suddenly made him realize that this was the closest he had been to her since they met. The nearness only made her size more apparent. She was undoubtedly a giant among ponies. Her fur made it difficult to notice, but she was very strong; a veritable wall of sinewy muscle, coarse fur, and toughened scales. His dream lingered within the recesses of his mind. Even Big Macintosh, the biggest and strongest pony he knew, would be a mere colt compared to her. Even alone, it wouldn't take much for Seethe Scale to demolish Ponyville and slaughter its inhabitants. ‘Or me either…’ he thought.

Still, a full-grown dragon would dwarf Seethe Scale. The Legion relied on her to kill ‘rogue dragons’, but he doubted that she did her job by matching her foes brawn for brawn. That was where her weaponry came in, he supposed. On her back, he moved a few inches aside as she slung a bow across her shoulders. It had to be a bow from the shape and from what other ponies had said. The weapon was made from a white, flexible material that curved into a graceful crescent shape. Even unstrung, it maintained its curve. Seethe Scale grabbed hold of the great roll of dragongut attached to one end, then stretched it over to form the string. “Is…is that how you hunt dragons?” he asked. The continuing siren forced him to raise his voice.

“Yes."

“What’s it called?”

“The pony who crafted it called it ‘Dragonslayer Greatbow’. I just call it ‘Father’.”

“Father? Why?”

“His bones. His gut.” Seethe Scale attached an enormous quiver full of the barbed arrows to the belt she was wearing, then unfolded her wings. "Spike?"

"Yes?"

"If it helps you sleep better, I promise not to eat Big Mac."

"Uh...thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate it too."

“Hold on.” Seethe Scale flapped her wings a couple of times, then took off. In an instant, Spike was clutching desperately at hanks of her fur as a cold winter draft blasted him in the face. He closed his eyes on instinct, before bits of grit flew into them. “Over there,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike forced his eyes open, and followed Seethe Scale’s claw. Snow-capped trees covered the icy expanse of the Western Barrier Land’s terrain, turning it into a tapestry of whites and greens as far as he could see. Wallforge was only a short flight away, easily spotted with its massive gray walls, and the smoke from its hundreds of chimneys. It was the dragon approaching the city that held his attention.

The dragon was huge, easily adult-sized. It walked on the ground with six legs, a single one able to crush a house with a step, despite the pair of wings on its back. Its long, serpentine body was covered in dark green scales and divided into two segments from the way its legs were positioned.

“Gluttony Dragon,” Seethe Scale rumbled. “There is no negotiating with this one.”

“What are gluttony dragons like?” Spike yelled over the draft.

“The name should tell you everything,” Seethe Scale said. She banked to her left, to get a good spot that had a view of the dragon’s side. “This one is liable to stuff the entire city in its gullet, walls and all, if it’s not stopped.”

Spike looked at the gluttony dragon’s serpent-like head. Unlike other dragons he encountered, it didn't have any horns, spines, or a crest. “It’s got a pretty small head to fit an entire city,” he said. “Do its jaws work like a snake’s?”

“You’re looking at its talking mouth,” Seethe Scale said. The gluttony dragon reared up. Two pairs of its legs remained on the ground while the foremost pair spread out as if it was going to embrace the city.

Wallforge's pegasi squads flew around its attacker in formations. They swooped in, slashing with their enormous, curved blades. Several dove head-first, and stabbed the dragon's back with their spears. The dragon let out a hiss and tried to swat the pegasi away, but its slow swings found nothing but air. There were more ponies along the walls, wheeling forward ballistae and catapults. Lightning flashed as several unicorn magi unleashed their magic. An enormous arcing blast flew from behind the walls, slamming into the dragon's back hard enough to make it wince.

Spike could only gasp and wince as the dragon’s chest quivered, then split open from the base of its neck all the way to just above its middle pair of legs. Hundreds upon hundreds of dagger-like teeth lined the resulting flaps of flesh and the maw itself. The gaping jaws displaced its front claws so that they were almost parallel at its back. Great gobs of yellowish slime dripped from the cavernous mouth, hissing and smoking wherever they landed.

“That’s the feeding mouth,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike clutched at his own chest. “Thank Celestia I didn’t turn into a gluttony dragon!” he said.

Seethe Scale landed on an outcropping of rock, still a good distance from the monstrosity as it continued to lumber onwards. The gluttony dragon was so bent on eating the city and fending off its attackers that it hadn't noticed them. Spike shivered and held on to Seethe Scale tightly. The dragon was so big that it plunged them entirely in its shadow. Seethe Scale lifted her enormous weapon, and plunged the spike on its base into the rock. Her shoulders tensed, and her arms bulged as she nocked an arrow. The silence of the whole encounter was disturbing. The gluttony dragon didn't roar or thrash, and the city’s defenders were so far that all that could be heard from them were a few distant shouts. For a moment, Spike watched breathlessly as Seethe Scale kept her bow taut and aimed. There was a loud thrum and the arrow was gone.

The gluttony dragon suddenly thrashed about. It didn't cry out, but a violent growl escaped its gigantic maw. Seethe Scale’s enormous arrow stuck out of its skull. Great clumps of soil, mixed with boulders and tree trunks, flew around them. One tree sailed over Spike, then splintered when it struck the rocks behind him. Seethe Scale didn't even budge. She fired a second arrow. This one punched through the gluttony dragon’s neck, leaving a hole that a pony could crawl through in its wake. Hot blood rained on both of them, soaking Seethe Scale’s white fur an ugly crimson, and forcing Spike to wipe the slick liquid from his eyes. Another tree flew towards them. Seethe Scale simply opened her jaws and exhaled a blast of flames. Spike coughed and choked as a cloud of ash engulfed them. A loud crash sent more snow and dust rising and, when Spike finally cleared his vision, the gluttony dragon had disappeared under all the debris it raised.

Spike tried to lean in and see, but his arms trembled so badly that he could barely maintain his grip. He let out a small cry when his claws slipped and he started to slide off Seethe Scale's back. His legs kicked on instinct, but they found no purchase. Seethe Scale shifted slightly, letting him get his balance back.

“Calm down,” Seethe Scale said. “It’s dead.”

The ponies circling above them cheered while the cloud settled. Spike strained to see what should be a massive corpse, but he couldn't even make out a silhouette. Seethe Scale leaped from her spot, and glided gently towards the center of the cloud. When everything had settled at last, Spike finally spotted the body.

Instead of the corpse of the rampaging monster, the body of a juvenile that couldn't be past its early teens lay on the torn ground. He gagged when he saw the stubbly wings, the gangly legs, the badly ripped neck, and the half of the face that was still there. The arrows were nowhere to be seen.

“Gluttony phase,” Seethe Scale said. “Not a true adult. A dragon of the correct age would have noticed us at least.”

Spike seized the fur around the kirin’s neck, and tugged at them hard to make her look at him. “You knew?” he shouted. “You knew that it was just some kid going through a phase, and you shot him dead?”

“Yes.”

Spike pounded Seethe Scale's back with both fists. “Why?" he cried out. "Wasn't there some other way? Couldn't you have done something to change him back? I survived my appetite phase! Why couldn't he?”

“Different dragon, different circumstances,” Seethe Scale grunted. She walked over to the corpse, and picked it up.

Spike gripped the fur tightly. “What are you doing now?” he asked. He inhaled sharply and held it, already expecting the answer.

“Breakfast.”

Spike's jaw dropped. “You’re going to eat him?”

“Yes.”

“That’s disgusting!” Spike snarled. "You're disgusting!"

“For a pony," Seethe Scale said. "For a dragon, being eaten by another dragon is the most honorable way to have your corpse treated.” Seethe Scale glanced at the city behind her. “The opposite is to have your remains turned into construction material. If you’re finding yourself sick, think more like a dragon.”

Spike folded his arms and glared at Seethe Scale. She was right. Of course she was right. She knew everything there was to dragons while he knew nothing at all. He was the full-blood while she was the half-breed, but he was the angry and ignorant one while she lectured him. He hated it. He hated every bit of knowledge she imparted to him with her cold, unchanging face and her terse way of talking. Dragons were awesome and majestic when he was sitting by the sidelines of their great migration with all his pony friends. The more he found out about his own kind, the more their savagery appalled him.

The pegasi legionnaires had landed all around them and more ponies were coming out of the city. She grunted and flexed her wings. A low, rousing chant emerged from the gathered ponies. They pounded their hooves on the ground in unison while a few reared up to cheer her.

“Seethe Scale!"

"Seethe Scale!"

"Seethe Scale!”

Seethe Scale flinched. Staring. Staring everywhere. Ponies with their big, soulful eyes just looking and looking. Their cheers melded into an incoherent drone. Their faces blurred into a mass of judging eyes. She covered her face with a wing, and took a step back.

There was once an abomination with no place in this world.

“What’s the matter?” Spike asked.

“I don’t like crowds,” Seethe Scale muttered. She flapped her wings and rose to the air with the dead dragon in her claws. The gathered ponies below them cheered even louder. Some of them even galloped after her.

“They just wanted to show their thanks,” Spike said. Some of the outrage had died out of his voice. Perhaps genuine concern moved him, but Seethe Scale suspected that he just wanted to move on. The sight of her discomfort likely looked better than the sight of a dead dragon.

Seethe Scale had put several miles between her and those stares when she replied. “I don’t want their thanks,” she said. “I don’t protect Wallforge for Wallforge’s sake.”

“Then, why do you protect Wallforge?”

“Wallforge is one of the prince’s favorite cities,” Seethe Scale replied. "It contributes greatly to the foundation of the Western Barrier Land's defenses. It's plain, it's strong, and its ponies work long and hard. But it's often beset by rogue dragons and ursan agents."

“You’re doing all of this just for Prince Terrato?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale lowered his voice. “The prince ransomed my life from the Draco'dim at a great cost. Every day, I must prove that he made a wise investment.”

Spike said nothing else after that. He shifted on Seethe Scale's back and let out a little groan of disgust as she dug into her meal. The young bones crunched between her powerful jaws. This one...wasn't very good. The truth was, Seethe Scale wasn't particularly fond of dragon flesh. The bones were too hard, the scales tended to get stuck between teeth, and the flesh was not as savory as boar or bear. She had planned on a breakfast of gems today, but the slaying of one so young deserved the best way of disposing the body.

It was a good quarter of an hour after Seethe Scale had finished the last of her gristly breakfast, but Spike seemed more uncomfortable than ever. She could feel his heart thumping against her back, and his grip on her fur was tight. He must have realized now that she wasn't flying home. “So…uh…where are we going?” he asked.

“The lair of Himfadora,” Seethe Scale replied. “She’s an envy dragon who wants to meet you.”

The farther they flew, the more rugged the landscape became. They flew past a frozen gorge, then plunged into a valley so deep that the sun’s rays barely made it through. Here, foliage gave way to jagged rock formations. They flew between the sheer walls of a narrow corridor of rock and until they came upon the entrance of a cave. The size alone should tell Spike what he should be expecting.

“Remember my warnings,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. ‘Seifralhadar,’ he thought. ‘So long as I’m out here with Seethe Scale, my name is Seifralhadar.’ Some of his frustration returned. Why should the Draco’dim even care what his name was? Why were they willing to kill dragons for petty slights like this? Having them be the closest thing to dragonkind’s rulers was wrong no matter how he looked at it. Not allowing dragons to eat ponies didn't make things alright. He clenched his fists tightly, the ends of his claws digging into his palms so hard that he might draw blood.

Spike looked around impatiently after a minute passed. Dragons were a fiercely territorial lot, as Seethe Scale had explained, easily provoked into a rage by trespassing. The respectful way was to wait at the entrance until their host detected their scents and gave them permission to enter.

“The half-pony is back I see.”

The loud, hissing voice came from the innermost recesses of the cave. If Seethe Scale hadn't mentioned that the dragon they were going to meet was a “her”, he wouldn't have figured it out from the voice.

“And she has an actual dragon with her. Is he the one to make the claim?”

“Yes,” Seethe Scale replied. “This is Seifralhadar.”

“What?” Spike asked loudly, his eyes wide as he stared at Seethe Scale. She didn't even blink at his question.

Neither did the dragon in the cave it seemed. “Enter,” Himfadora called out. Seethe Scale took a step forward, but Spike remained where he was.

“Tell me what this whole ‘make the claim’ business is all about first!” Spike said when Seethe Scale looked at him.

“If you loiter out here, Himfadora will take it as an insult,” Seethe Scale replied. “She’ll sting you, and you’ll die. More from bursting like a too full water balloon than from any effect of the poison.”

Spike ground his teeth. “You’ll explain inside right?” he asked.

“You have not even bothered to tell him, half-pony?” Himfadora said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to tell who is worse: Afralhadar or Terrato. Everything will be explained in time, Seifralhadar. Now, come inside.”

Spike forced himself to be mollified for now. What was this claiming business? Was it part of his disguise just to hide from the Draco’dim? His resentment towards Seethe Scale’s terse methods returned. If she had her way, the world would be reduced to yes or no questions. His darkvision took over when the light from the entrance failed.

Unlike Seethe Scale’s naturally-formed cave, Himfadora’s lair was clearly carved out of the surrounding rock. The floor was smooth, as were the walls. Gigantic rounded pillars rose around them, each one easily fifty feet high. Spike caught a glimpse of the piles of coins and gems as he walked farther in, but he made sure not to look at them. Dragons distrusted their kind most of all when it came to treasure. One covetous creature knew the mind of another one all too well. He followed the loud breathing and looked up.

Himfadora reclined on a raised marble slab that looked over her entire hoard. Darkvision made it impossible to tell what color her scales were. She was very sleek for a dragon of her size and her scales were fine, like a snake’s. A majestic, spined crest, each spine about five feet from root to tip, ran down from her forehead to her tail, which coiled on itself several times before hanging down the slab. It had to be twice as long as the tails of other dragons he had seen. It ended in a great stinger, similar to that of a scorpion’s.

“I expected a slightly bigger dragon,” Himfadora said. “But that may be because of your pedigree. If you listen to the stories, one would expect Reinfadora’s hatchling to come out of his egg fully grown.”

“Seifralhadar has spent all his life fending for himself in the Heartland,” Seethe Scale said. “His growth has been delayed.”

“But now that the pony prince has assigned him to your care, he’s going to be better I take it?” Himfadora said. “The others won’t take well to the idea that he is pony-grown.”

“Just hold on!” Spike yelled. He clapped his own claws over his mouth at the outburst, but being surrounded by creatures so much bigger than him made it feel as if anything less would not be heard. “What do you mean Reinfadora’s hatchling? What’s going on?”

Himfadora stretched herself out lazily, and let out a hiss. “We’ll get to the details later. First, we make sure that we’re not wasting our time and pinning our hopes on a worthless hatchling.” She snaked her head down towards Spike. “Did you really think that the pony prince sent you here out of the kindness of his heart? He needs you to accomplish things, and I am going to make sure that you are up to the task. After all, it’s my neck on the line if you aren't.”

Spike looked to Seethe Scale again. “Seifralhadar will prove himself,” she said. “I believe in him.”

Himfadora rose from the marble slab, and walked deeper into the cave. Spike nearly jumped at eerily swift motion. Himfadora moved on her thin limbs like a big spider suddenly scuttling about. “Follow me, I know just the place for him to prove himself,” she called out after them.

“Prince Terrato said that I’m here to grow stronger,” Spike said. “He’s using me, isn't he?”

“Of course he’s using you,” Seethe Scale replied. “Just as he’s using me, Himfadora, and the others.”

Spike stomped a foot. “What for?" he asked. "Why didn't he just tell me from the start?”

“Equestria will need allies soon. Your friends and his sisters would not have agreed to burden you with this task. You are a hatchling to them. The prince needs you to be more.” Seethe Scale followed after Himfadora. Spike grabbed a hold of her fur in response. She stopped, and looked at him, her eyes glowing gold in the darkness. “Earlier, you protested against the way the Draco’dim ruled. Here’s your chance to do something about it.”

The challenge left Spike silent. It was true that that something had to be done about the Draco’dim. But what could he do? He was barely more than a hatchling. “Is it because I’m this Reinfadora’s hatchling?” he asked quietly. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. He was torn between wanting to believe just to have something about his possible origins and viewing the whole thing as just some elaborate lie by either Prince Terrato or this Himfadora.

“Yes.”

Seethe Scale picked him up with a claw, and settled him on her back as she walked. The deeper recesses of the cave resembled the hallways of a palace. Or a tomb. Himfadora did not believe in keeping her hoard in one enormous, arrogant pile. There were little rooms carved into the sides of the cave, each holding small, meticulously organized piles of treasure. With Himfadora far ahead, Spike ventured a better look. One room held neatly stacked coins, another held carefully shelved diamonds. If Twilight turned into a dragon, her cave would probably resemble this. Except with labels on each room.

"Why all the organization?" he whispered.

"Envy dragons resort to nuancing in the perpetual hoard competitions in their mind," Seethe Scale said just as softly. "Perhaps you have a bigger hoard than them, but they have more diamonds, or more coins, or more decorative goblets. Anything to 'win'."

Spike frowned. Envy dragon didn't sound like something he wanted to be either. So scratch two from the very bad list of what he'd grow up into. Maybe he'd have a better idea if he knew his birth parents. As they went deeper and deeper into the cave, Spike tried to picture what his actual mother would look like. The only image that ever formed was Princess Celestia. He welcomed the inability. It was true that he had always been curious, but that had always been all it was: a mild curiosity. He needed no other family than the one he actually grew up with. “Just who was Reinfadora?” he asked.

“Reinfadora," Seethe Scale said. The reverence was unmistakable in her voice. "Draco’hraz, Draco’riina, Draco’shur Saryll…”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Uh…I don’t understand a word of that.”

“You should get used to those words at least. Reinfadora: Dragon Scourge, Dragon Queen, Dragon of Sin.”

“D-did you just say ‘queen’?”

“As close as there could ever be one among dragons,” Seethe Scale replied. "Reinfadora's name carries a great deal of influence. Even today."

Spike leaned closer to Seethe Scale's face. “What happened to her?” he asked softly.

“Sickness,” Seethe Scale said. “Even a mighty sin dragon can fall to a bad infection. It was a humbling experience for all of dragonkind. So much so that many refused to accept it. Many dragons turned on her mate, Drellhadar, thinking that he had cooked up something in his laboratories that killed her.” Seethe Scale eyed Spike closely. “He was your father.”

“And what was he like?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale hesitated. “Drellhadar the Malformed...a hideous creature supposedly, born almost blind, with neither scales nor hind legs. Only a milky white skin and a mass of tails that dragged him to where he wished to go.”

“What kind of dragon was he?”

“No one is sure. Drellhadar’s early life was a secret, and he didn't fit with the other categories of dragon.”

“So my mother is the queen of dragons and my father was deformed monster…”

Before Seethe Scale could reply, the two of them finally caught up with Himfadora. She was perched over great hole in the ground. Spike tried to look at what could lie within, but even his darkvision failed him.

“Below is the entrance to one of Drellhadar’s laboratories,” Himfadora said. “Some of the guardians he created are still active. They are meant to recognize him and those who carry his blood. If you are truly his and Reinfadora’s hatchling, they will acknowledge you.”

“And if he’s not?” Seethe Scale asked.

Himfadora grinned, revealing a row of broken, but still sharp teeth. “Drellhadar delighted in killing intruders in violent and horrific ways.”

“Seifralhadar will pass with no trouble,” Seethe Scale said. She turned towards Spike. “You can do this.”

Spike edged closer to the hole, and shuddered. “I-I don’t know. Why do I even need to do this?”

“The prince needs you to be a seed of influence among dragonkind,” Seethe Scale said. “The dragons need you as a symbol to rally behind and overthrow the Draco’dim’s tyranny. You need to harness your origins to help your friends. Find the balance.”

Spike held on tightly to Seethe Scale’s fur as she jumped down and winged her way through the darkness.

Seethe Scale and Lanfadora

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 5: Seethe Scale and Lanfadora

For all the decades she had spent hunting down dragons, Seethe Scale had always relied on one trait they shared as a race: their utter unsociability. Though they tolerated the rare gathering of large numbers of their own kin, dragons were naturally suspicious of one another and would not stand for living anywhere within miles of another dragon’s lair. This made hunting and killing them much easier. Though they were powerful individually, Seethe Scale could always count on their utter refusal to call for help. Even the Draco’dim only came together for extremely rare situations and never more than two at a time.

Standing within this gigantic cavern, Seethe Scale counted herself lucky that this was the case. A unified dragon assault would easily tear through a realm, leaving only fire and ashes in its wake. Here she was with four prominent dragons outside the Draco’dim, about to do something that might lead to that end. Nevertheless, the prince asked her to do this, and she would see it through to the end. She surveyed the cavern, taking note of each dragon that had defied its instinctual distrust of its kin just to be here. They were so deep inside the mountain that no light penetrated this cave.

First was Himfadora, the envy dragon who helped bring this group together. She perched on top of a great stalagmite, her long, sinuous tail coiling around it. From the way she surveyed the others, she seemed to have naturally assumed that she was the leader of this group.

To Himfadora's right was Nazhadar, a sloth dragon, nearly her opposite in every way. While Himfadora was sleek and long, Nazhadar was compact and heavily built. She glowered over the others from her perch while he huddled into his niche within the rock. Her crest rose proudly, running from her head, down her spine, and to the tip of her tail. The thick, bony plates that covered him from snout to tail made him seem part of the mountain. Sloth dragons were often derided by the rest of their kin as strongly resembling turtles. They would have taken umbrage over such remarks, if they didn't think it was too much of a bother to do so.

Across the cavern from Himfadora was Drezhadar, the oddest one to be involved in this meeting. It was common enough knowledge among dragons that not every pride dragon supported the Draco’dim, but to find one who actually wished their destruction was rare indeed. The youngest among them, Drezhadar was smaller than the other dragons in the cave. What he lacked in size, he made up with sheer arrogance. Typical of pride dragons, his enormous four horns curved around each other to crown him. That he could keep his neck straight was remarkable. Even through darkvision, there was a gleam about his scales that promised splendor if seen in the light. This was not the first time Seethe Scale had encountered Drezhadar. She knew of that his scales gleamed gold. Even now, they demanded that everyone’s attention should be given to him. He held himself so confidently that he appeared on the same level as Himfadora despite sitting on the floor.

Then, there was Seifralhadar. Even mentally, Seethe Scale used that name for him this time. Spike the pony-born was not needed today. Today, he needed to be the last surviving hatchling of Reinfadora, the heir to Drellhadar’s works and, most of all, Prince Terrato’s agent within the dragons. He was behind her, taking shelter behind a large rock. It was difficult not to have some sympathy. He looked barely able to even stay in this cavern, let alone to stand among his kind.

As if to further mock Seifralhadar, several small, blue-green butterflies surrounded him. They fluttered about with their brightly luminescent wings as if he was the most tantalizing flower in all of Equestria, occasionally alighting upon him with impunity. These were the fearsome guardians of Drellhadar’s laboratory, the only occupants of that desolate hole in the ground.

Seethe Scale had expected something more sinister, something more fitting for all the stories of Drellhadar the Malformed. She wasn't disappointed yet. While these butterflies looked harmless, there was certainly an air of mystery around them. For one thing, it was impossible to count them. They “winked” in and out of existence as they fluttered around. There could be three or four of them. They also refused to leave Seifralhadar despite every efforts from the two of them. For the two days after that visit, they stayed by him, never needing any food or rest. They evaded claw and tail swipes with remarkable ease, and followed him everywhere. Seifralhadar had suggested dragon fire in desperation, but she cautioned against it. Who knew what would happen if these things were attacked with dragon flames?

“Everyone is here,” Seethe Scale told her charge. “It’s time to begin.”

Seifralhadar put on a brave face despite his shaking legs. He looked at her briefly, eyes asking for strength. It was Seethe Scale who found herself frozen. He was her charge; a responsibility given by the prince. But those eyes...she had experienced those eyes before. Not seen them. But where? Suddenly, she was conscious of the face she showed him, torn between keeping her distance and trying to lend him that strength he needed. The instant was gone, and she had to wonder what he saw. He looked as if he had composed himself as he slowly began to emerge from his hiding place.

For Spike, the past few days have been the most bizarre yet in his time with Seethe Scale. What he had hoped would be a journey into becoming stronger for his friends had turned into this complicated foray into the world of dragons. Not only that, he was going to enter it through the most dangerous way possible. The other dragons loomed over him from different directions. No matter where he looked, he found armor-plated scales, poison stingers, slashing claws, and rows and rows of pointed teeth. What was he supposed to do before such mighty creatures?

He had hoped to be surer after he visited Drellhadar’s laboratory; surer of his identity, and surer of his purpose here. He had expected something like Twilight’s laboratory back home, with oddly shaped bottles left and right, as well as a mountain of books he could go over to learn more about his father. Against all odds, he had even hoped that Drellhadar would have some kind of journal which would mention him. Instead, he was faced with an expanse of crystal. Everything, from the floor, to the walls, to the ceiling, was of the same material. The place would have been enough to make Rarity faint...and possibly foam at the mouth. Enormous spires of them jutted out of the ground in great formations that resembled snowflakes. As beautiful as the place was, however, it was also empty.

Save for the butterflies.

Spike had no idea where these things had come from. He had been terrified of meeting the guardians that supposedly still patrolled the laboratory. His mind conjured images of animated, dragon-shaped, stone statues and monstrous skeletons of unknown creatures. He had encountered no such things. Were these butterflies truly the deadly guardians of Drellhadar’s laboratory? And did their persistence indicate that he was Drellhadar’s son? Why did his father pick these? Either their graceful, fluttering forms disguised their immense power, or Drellhadar may be the one dragon Fluttershy wouldn't be scared of.

“Everyone is here. It’s time to begin.”

Seethe Scale’s words put an end to Spike’s speculations, throwing him back once more to the terrifying situation he was about to deal with. Just one of the dragons gathered in the cavern could crush him with a step. He looked to Seethe Scale, hoping she had something help him be at ease.

For a second, there was some kind of odd look on Seethe Scale's face, her impassive stare cracked, the horned ridges that were her eyebrows crinkled just a bit. She looked...lost. For that brief moment, it felt as if both of them were frightenedand alone. When this suddenly crossed Spike's mind, the impassive stare was back on.

Oddly heartened by the sight anyway, Spike put on as brave a face as he could, and stepped forward. Seethe Scale walked by his side as he presented himself before the gathered dragons.

“This is the one I have been talking about,” Himfadora said. “Look, Drellhadar’s creations circle him in recognition. He is truly the last son of Reinfadora!”

Nazhadar snorted. His voice rumbled and echoed within his massive, armored chest. With his eyes closed, it was as if he was talking in his sleep. “Bah! All I smell is a hatchling. What can we do with him? The Draco’dim need but one look to double over laughing.”

“If they do that, then I’ll start killing them while they’re distracted,” Drezhadar snapped. For such a proud and massive sight, he had an unusually high-pitched voice that made him seem boyish. He looked to Himfadora. “This is a dangerous gathering you have set up. I’m listening, but you better have more than just butterflies to prove that we can stand behind this hatchling as the dragon queen’s heir.”

Himfadora sneered. “Crush him then."

“What?” Spike cried out. “Hold on! Wa--” Spike looked desperately to Seethe Scale. She didn't look as if she even heard the exchange. He ran for it. He was done with this cave and he was done with these dragons. He was going to run all the way to the Heartland if he had to. Drezhadar drew himself to full height.

Spike got a single step forward when a heart-crushing wave of dread slammed into him. He gasped, and tried to clutch his chest, only to find his body rigid. He couldn't even turn his eyes.

“Typical pride dragon,” Himfadora said. “Can't catch anything you don't freeze with terror first. If nothing else, impressive control for one so young.”

Spike's heart hammered in his ears so loudly that his skull throbbed. A bit of a draft from Drezhadar's claw blew past him. He would have closed his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn't move.

One of the butterflies fluttered in front of Spike, its wings bathed in a steadily intensifying glow. His eyes watered, but he still couldn't close them. The brightness seared away his darkvision, leaving only a painful field of white. The light flashed, then flew from the creature like a spell from a unicorn.

Drezhadar’s pained roar shook the cavern violently. The fear broke, and Spike shut his eyes, pressing his claws softly against his eyelids in agony. He scrabbled against the stone floor to avoid a possible second claw strike. It was Seethe Scale’s that grabbed him by the shoulders, and held him close. Her fur was warm, especially in this cold, dank cave. He grabbed on to that fur tightly. Her heart, in contrast to his, was slow and steady. Wasn't she even worried that he was being attacked? Or was she so sure that he was going to be fine?

“Relax,” Seethe Scale said in her voice flat, almost pitiless. “It’s over.”

A minute passed before Spike’s darkvision recovered. His heart continued to pound and his legs wobbled. He had to balance himself with his tail. When the commotion both within the cave and within him had died down, the butterflies had gone back to just circling him. Drezhadar hunkered down, cradling his smoking right claw with his left one. Spike stepped back from Seethe Scale. She may not mind him being so close, but these other dragons would probably laugh at him for being so scared. He didn't know what he needed them as, but he knew it wasn't scornful of him.

“Are they still ‘just butterflies’, Drezhadar?” Himfadora hissed.

“Curse that scaleless wretch!” Drezhadar growled. “Curse him and his monstrosities!”

“Well, I’m convinced,” Nazhadar said. His slow rumble made him sound like he had just woken up. “Before we even continue, I must say that to have Lanfadora around is suspicious.”

The name threw Spike off. Lanfadora? Which one would that be? Seethe Scale had already told him all their names. It was only when he looked to where all their eyes went did he realize what was going on. Lanfadora was none other than the kirin next to him. He looked to her worriedly. He may doubt her different motives and her lack of concern left him feeling cold inside, but she was still the closest he had to an ally in this dark, frightening hole in the ground. Alone, there was no way he could face these dragons.

“The half-pony is here as Seifralhadar’s protector, sent by the pony prince,” Himfadora replied.

“Exactly,” Nazhadar said. “She is Equestria’s agent. We do not need interference from the ponies.”

“Reinfadora brought the ponies into this, Nazhadar, are you going to question her wisdom?" Himfadora asked.
Nazhadar looked as if he was trying to burrow into the cavern’s floor. “Of course not,” he grumbled. “I’m sure that the dragon queen did what was best, but I doubt she would approve of the dragon-slaying Lanfadora being so close to her last surviving hatchling.”

“Reinfadora killed more dragons in her last years than the half-pony could hope to kill in her lifetime,” Himfadora said. “She would approve of her son being around one so ruthless.”

There was a sense of familiarity in Himfadora's hiss when she spoke Spike's supposed mother's name. Her teeth looked worn, some were even broken. With her rasping tone she sounded like someone’s grandmother. Himfadora could be old enough to have known Reinfadora personally.

Drezhadar tapped the stone floor with a claw. “We are wasting time talking about the abomination,” he said. “Seifralhadar is the issue here.” He looked at Seethe Scale. “Although, we can start off with what the pony prince has to say about this whole issue.”

Seethe Scale continued to speak in that that distant tone Spike was accustomed to. Perhaps he had just imagined that odd flash of emotion from her. “The prince has brought Seifralhadar to this group so that he may, in turn, receive your aid in a future conflict.”

“Of course,” Nazhadar said. “Why else would the pony prince bother with us?” He raised himself up, and craned his short neck out as far as it could towards Seethe Scale. “He doesn't think he’ll get some of us to join his Legion does he? That would be a bother.”

“Hold,” Drezhadar said. He raised a claw for silence. Nazhadar looked at him indignantly, but said nothing. “You said 'future conflict'," he said to Seethe Scale. "Equestria is already fighting Wolvengard, Ursinium, and Ophidus. What else can it pick a fight with?”

“The prince does not expect any dragon to fight at his command,” Seethe Scale replied. ”Nor anything mundane like supplies.”

“Then, what does he want?” Drezhadar asked. “And who does he want us to aid him in fighting?”

All three dragons leaned closer towards Seethe Scale. Spike swallowed and grabbed a tuft of her fur again. Even at this distance, their breaths reeked of scorched flesh. He could have sworn there was a large bone stuck between Nazhadar’s teeth, and he didn't want to know what it belonged to.

“All the prince asks is that Seifralhadar be allowed to inherit everything from his parents,” Seethe Scale said. “Both of them.”

“You’re dodging my other question, abomination,” Drezhadar said. “Who are we fighting if not the wolven, the ursans, and the ophidites?”

“Ponies.”

The three other dragons in the cavern were forgotten. Suddenly, that dream Spike had before came back to him: Seethe Scale attacking Ponyville, the screams at the sight of him, the carnage… “Seethe Scale?” he asked.

Seethe Scale didn't even look at Spike. “But, you’re all getting too far ahead,” she said. “You have the Draco’dim to deal with, and the prince has decided to help you.”

“Just as he’s helping them spread their influence in Equestria’s center,” Nazhadar said.

“Enough meandering,” Himfadora hissed. “I know what your prince wants, half-pony. You must have scoured the laboratory I showed you in hopes of finding it, only to come up with nothing.”

"I know exactly where it is," Seethe Scale replied. "Seifralhadar will claim it, he simply needs help."

“I will not agree to pushing on with our plans until I know,” Drezhadar snarled at Himfadora. “What ponies is she talking about?”

“The half-pony speaks of the strangers,” Himfadora said. “Terrato does not want our aid against the ponies of Equestria.” She smiled. A trickle of drool dripped down her lips. “He means his kin; the same kind of pony as the Stranger. As for the inheritance…” Himfadora snaked her long, sinuous neck towards Spike. “The prince wants this hatchling, who is undoubtedly more loyal to Equestria than to his own kin, to inherit Drellhadar’s work.”

“And, what’s that?” Nazhadar asked.

Himfadora’s only reply to that question was a wide, broken-fanged grin. Spike shuddered. Drezhadar sneered, and Nazhadar muttered something to himself. “I don’t know,” Himfadora said. “I served Reinfadora as a confidant, second only to Drellhadar himself, but I never knew what that monster was up to.” Her grin widened. “Isn't it such a gamble? The pony prince might know. He and his sisters were entrusted with this hatchling weren't they? Perhaps they know more about Drellhadar’s work.”

“Gamble?” Drezhadar roared. His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a growl. “Might I remind you that we are staking our lives on this? You may be near the end of yours, Himfadora, but I won’t let you throw mine away over gambles!”

“And might I remind you of what we stand to gain!” Himfadora said. Her tail twitched, the stinger flicking back and forth. “Even the way he is, Seifralhadar can reawaken the old loyalties that Afralhadar and his ilk have tried so hard to smother. This is the time we have been waiting for, the time to challenge the Draco’dim rule.”

Himfadora lowered her voice.

“I've spent centuries studying Drellhadar, trying to understand why Reinfadora kept him so close when . I never came close to answering either question. But I know one thing. Drellhadar never cared for dragonkind one way or the other. I may not know what he had been working on up to that moment he was slain, but I do know that it does not concern us. Drellhadar would not stoop so low.” She let out a snort.

Spike gagged. It was as if hundreds of years of rot wafted out of Himfadora's nostrils. If this wasn't what a tomb smelled like, it had to be close.

Drezhadar turned his gaze back to Spike. “That may be, but what of his son? Tell me, Seifralhadar, what do you think of your kin? Do you share your father’s disdain?”

Spike found nothing to answer to that. It wasn't even a matter of how similar he was to a dragon he never met, or if Drellhadar was his father or not. What did he feel about dragons? He was certainly impressed by the size and power of his race, but whenever he encountered them…

“Seifralhadar has spent most of his life within Equestria,” Seethe Scale said. “He has not been with other dragons long enough to form a proper opinion.”

“That’s going to change soon,” Drezhadar said. He was smiling now as well. “Very well, let’s set aside Equestria's agendas.” He turned his great horned head towards Seethe Scale. “Have you told him what we require of him as the son of Reinfadora and Drellhadar?”

“No,” Seethe Scale said.

“What else can you expect of Terrato's pets?” Nazhadar asked. “You've only told him what the ponies need.”

“Enough with the half-pony!” Himfadora hissed. She looked at Spike, her smile back in an instant. “Drezhadar is right, Seifralhadar. It’s time we looked to you. You've heard enough vague ramblings from a bunch of dragons.”

“Y--”

Spike stopped, then composed himself. He was still afraid of so many things: of not just these dragons standing before him, of the fate they promised, of Seethe Scale leading him down a path farther and farther from his friends. He was afraid of Terrato, and for everypony back in the Heartland. Yet, he did understand that showing those fears now would only make sure that they came to be. He stood as tall as he could, forced his legs to stay still with all his might, and lifted his head so that he met Himfadora's stare. “About time,” he said as loudly as he could. “I've been standing around here while the three of you talked over me, and I want answers!” He quailed inside as all three dragons bristled at his insolent tone. This was insane, he was going to get himself eaten, and probably Seethe Scale too. But he couldn't stop now. This was the right way to deal with them. If he simpered now, they'd never respect him. He pointed at them defiantly, and spat the words out before he could choke on them. “If you don’t make things clear, I’ll…I’ll send these butterflies at you!”

Drezhadar tensed, his claws dug into the stone. Nazhadar stared wide-eyed while Himfadora’s shoulders began to shake. She laughed, her dry, half-wheezing voice echoing all around them. Eventually, she settled down. “My sincere apologies, dragon prince,” Himfadora said. Spike searched for the mockery between those words. He didn't find any. “I will make amends right away.”

Spike relaxed his jaw, but he remained upright and alert. Nazhadar and Drezhadar didn't look very approving, but that derisive look in their eyes was gone for now.

“The pony prince has made the claim that you are the last hatchling of Reinfadora and Drellhadar,” Himfadora said. “You have entered one of Drellhadar’s laboratories, and lived. His creatures acknowledge and protect you. This will be proof enough to any dragon who still holds on to the old loyalties.”

“Proof enough for what?” Spike asked.

“To bring together enough dragons to challenge the Draco’dim,” Drezhadar said. “You must have seen some form of their tyranny already, Seifralhadar. The Draco’dim trample upon your precious Heartland, imposing their will through a mountain of scaled corpses. Their insanity must end. They treat all of dragonkind as pride dragons. In doing so, they rob true pride dragons of what makes us unique and superior. Their posturing has rendered our race weak as a whole.”

“But, if you all hate the Draco’dim so much, why won’t you all come together by yourselves?” Spike asked. His boldness surprised him. He wasn't even stammering. These huge dragons were talking to him as someone they needed.

“You do not know your kin well,” Himfadora said. “If you could bring us together that easily, we could have taken the entire world as our own by now.” Her eyes narrowed. “No, dragons are selfish and belligerent. So long as our hoards are safe, we can’t care less about our kin. Of course, there are exemptions. Afralhadar is a freak of nature; a dragon gifted with the ability to communicate with his fellows, and bind them with a small, but deciding thread of unity. With Reinfadora dead, that was enough for them to exert their domination.” Himfadora’s voice rose. The disgust she spoke the Draco’dim’s name with was replaced with a sense of awe and nostalgia. “His work will be nothing compared to what you will accomplish. There are many dragons who still remember Reinfadora’s time. They may not care much for their fellow dragons, but they will fight for even just a hint of her presence. By hint, I mean you. Make the claim and you will gather those who remember those days. They are some of the oldest dragons around. We can bring an end to the Draco’dim.”

“But…” Spike let the hasty word trail off. He didn't want to do it. He wanted to help his friends and Equestria, not dragonkind. But even he could see how this could be an advantage. He had come to the Western Barrier Land to be of a better help to his friends. He had hoped to do so by gaining strength for himself, but having other dragons come to aid Equestria would certainly be just as important. He looked to Seethe Scale, who nodded at him, silently telling him to do what he felt he should do. “I…If I do this, will these dragons follow me, and do as I say?”

“To a degree,” Himfadora said. “It all depends on how much of Reinfadora’s reign they see in you.”

“And, if we beat the Draco’dim, will they help Equestria if I ask them to?”

“They certainly won’t mind protecting the realm that sheltered the dragon queen’s last hatchling,” Himfadora replied with a shrewd smile. “At least, they’ll go as far as dragon gratitude will take them.”

“Okay,” Spike said. The words left his mouth with a sense of finality. ‘Sorry, Twilight,’ he thought. ‘Maybe I won’t be back by this spring. But, I promise, I will be back.’

This time, all three dragons in the cavern smiled.

It was evening when Spike entered Seethe Scale's cave with her. Before that, it was a long and silent flight for them, making their way back from the hidden meeting place of what Himfadora called “the Old Guard”. Drezhadar wasn't too keen on the name applying to him, but grudgingly accepted that it was somewhat appropriate.

Seethe Scale had not bothered to look back when Spike jumped off from her shoulders. “Get some sleep,” she said. “There’s much to do tomorrow.”

“Not yet,” Spike said. He folded his arms across his chest, and stayed by the entrance.

Seethe Scale turned around and stared at him. “What do you want?” she asked.

“So far, all we've been doing is what you and Prince Terrato want to do,” Spike said. He stomped a foot for emphasis. “What about what I want to do?”

“What do you want to do?” Seethe Scale asked.

“I want to become stronger to help my friends!”

“You have become stronger.”

“Stronger so I can help everyone else but them!”

Seethe Scale pushed aside some gold coins and gems, then reclined on the resulting space. “You understand,” she said. “You may complain about it, but you already understand. Amidst all the others using you, you’ll find a way to use them in return. You've made it plain enough when you agreed to Himfadora’s plans.”

“I don’t want to use anyone,” Spike shot back. “I just want to help my friends!”

“And Himfadora wants to bring back some semblance of her glory days,” Seethe Scale said. “And the prince wants you to help with his plans. And I want to help the prince. Everyone wants to do something, and no one is going to just stop to help you out. If you want to help your friends, you find a way to take what you need.”

“Is that how dragons do things?” Spike asked. “No wonder they can’t beat the Draco’dim. All they have to do is work together, and they could solve this problem.”

Seethe Scale snorted. A blast of hot air, like a dry desert breeze, blew past Spike. “Like ponies?” she asked.

The question brought Spike to a stop. He shook his head, and concentrated on finding the words again. He refused to let Seethe Scale just end this conversation. “Yes,” he said. “If that’s how you want to put it, like ponies!”

“Is that what your pony friends taught you?” Seethe Scale asked. “Dragons should just do what ponies do? Dragons should share, be nice, and live in tiny houses in villages so they can be good neighbors?”

Spike didn't answer. The butterflies fluttering all around him didn't seem to be too bothered by the growing hostility from Seethe Scale, but he was. Was the cave getting hotter, or was he just imagining it? Because it certainly felt like it was getting hotter.

“What did they tell you about your greed phase?” Seethe Scale asked. “Did they say it was wrong? They may as well have told you that growing up was wrong.” She spat in derision. Spike fumed at the gesture. Seethe Scale didn't spit on the ground. She just spat on his friends. “What do they know of dragons? What do they know of going through the phases, of the different dragon varieties, and the dragon way of life?"

Seethe Scale's voice suddenly softened, her scowl giving way for a moment. "What do they know of living in a world that's too small, too short-lived, and easily burned?" Her voice trailed off. For a few seconds, she was silent. Then, the fierce expression was back along with the derisive tone. "Your friends have done nothing but force you to live their way of life or be cast out. They’re hardly better than the Draco’dim, and I add 'hardly' because they haven’t killed and eaten you for not being pony enough!”

“Don’t you talk about my friends like that!” Spike shouted. He lunged at Seethe Scale, claws and fangs out.

She didn't even move. His claws and teeth found no purchase against her thick and coarse fur. He stepped back and blew flames at her claws and hooves. Still, she remained motionless. “Is that wrath?” she asked.

“You bet I’m angry!” Spike said. “You take back what you said about my friends!”

“I didn't ask if you were angry!” Seethe Scale hissed. The last vestiges of her impassive face crumbled into a very deep scowl.

Spike stepped back, his heart racing even faster than when Drezhadar threatened to squash him. Several bright red spines, each about a couple of feet long, rose from the middle of her back. They vibrated, similar to the rattling some snakes did. Her eyes glowed red and smoke began to rise from her nostrils. And the heat...he raised his claws to protect his face. His scales didn't do anything against this sort of heat. It was worse than being inside a smithy or even standing so close to a pool of lava.

“I asked you if that's wrath." Seethe Scale's claw closed in on a rock and lifted it. "Do you feel it boiling in your insides, hotter than your own dragon fire? Do you feel it take over your arms and legs? Does it cover your sight with red haze?" Her grip on the rock tightened until cracks started to appear. "Do you feel that even something like a rock deserves it when you destroy it?" The rock crumbled in her grip. She hurled the fragments against the cave wall hard. "Wrath, not anger." Her hiss rose to a snarl. "Learn the difference!” She turned to the side and exhaled. Flames erupted from her mouth and blasted one side of the cave.

Spike cried out. The discomfort turned to scorching pain as white-hot fire struck stone. He had never felt fire like this, not even the time when Nightmare Moon’s tainted flames struck him. He fell on his belly and tried to crawl away when the cave wall glowed, then slid to the ground as bubbling red goop. When Seethe Scale closed her mouth, a great, smoking depression of partly melted stone marked one of her cave’s walls. She walked over to him, the spines along her back already receding. “Do you feel anything remotely resembling that?” she asked.

“N-n-no,” Spike said. One butterfly landed on his nose, as if mocking his fear.

Like the last glowing traces of a dying bonfire, all trace of emotion faded from Seethe Scale’s face. “I see,” she said. She walked back to her hoard, and reclined.

Spike shook his head. “Wait…wait! What just happened?”

“Today, you just discovered that you were a prince among your kind and that you now have potent guardians watching over you. Yet, your pride did not swell to great proportions. Just now, I provoked you as much as I can. You grew angry, but not to the point I was testing for. You are approaching your expression phase, Spike, and I just determined that you have neither a heart full of pride nor a heart full of wrath.”

“That’s it?” Spike asked. “It was some kind of a test?”

“Yes,” Seethe Scale replied. “One that was impossible to give if I told you.”

Spike sighed. “Okay, I understand that part. But, please, give me something.”

Seethe Scale looked at him softly for a moment. "Please, give me something," he said.

This was a sensitive task, one that the prince would not even include his sisters. She did not know all the details herself. To share anything with Spike could spell disaster. She could lose the prince's trust. She could lose her place.

“The prince didn't lie when he said he would help you grow stronger,” she said. “You want to help Equestria. Giving you more means helps him. But that only counts for what you would gain from Reinfadora and from your own development. Drellhadar..."

Despite his earlier terror, Spike now walked closer, eyes focused on her. Seethe Scale measured each word. Silence would be so easy. For the mission, it would be better to just stay silent. For Spike, however...she had put him through a great deal today.

"Drellhadar had nothing to do with dragons," Seethe Scale said. "Whatever you are to inherit from him will not help your development, and it will not help dragonkind."

"Then what was he up to?" Spike asked. "And what does Prince Terrato want from it?"

"What it actually is, perhaps only the prince knows nowadays," Seethe Scale replied. "But you've heard it from Himfadora, it is something to be obtained." Seethe Scale paused. "The prince called it 'Drellhadar's Ban'. That is what we're looking for. It was not in the laboratory in Himfadora's lair. I'm sure it's in his main laboratory within Reinfadora's lair."

"So let's just go get it," Spike said. "Why'd we have to look at the one at Himfadora's?"

"Reinfadora's lair now belongs to Afralhadar, strongest of the Draco'dim," Seethe Scale replied.

Spike held his tail close. "Oh," he said. He looked up, eyes still hopeful. "What's it supposed to do then?"

Seethe Scale looked towards her lair's entrance, towards the direction the Alicorn's Perch, where the prince resided when he was by himself. "You heard Himfadora. He wants it in his arsenal when it's time to deal with his kin. I suspect, it will grant him something he's wanted for a long time."

“And what’s that?”

“A way home.”

Spike looked at the floor, unsure of how he should react to that. “Well,” he said. “Thanks for trusting me that much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Spike headed for the bundle of furs he used for a bed. “Seethe Scale?” he asked. “You didn't mean what you said about my friends right? That was just a test?”

Seethe Scale turned away. “What do I know about ponies?” she muttered.

Spike and Seifralhadar

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 6: Spike and Seifralhadar

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Spike paused and rubbed his chin with the quill's feathery end. Was he even starting off right? Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy might feel left out. He didn't want to write six individual letters, but he wanted to say something to all his friends. At least, his six most important ones. And should he address her with her full name? That might come off too formal. She might think that his time away from her had caused him to become distant emotionally as well.

Dear Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity--

Too long.

Dear Everyone,

Now, that sounded like he forgot their names.

Dear Elements of--

No. He wasn't going to call them that. Maybe Prince Terrato would. Maybe most of Equestria, especially the Legion would. But they were more to him than that thing they do that everypony in a fight seemed to need.

Spike stared at the blank scroll until the ink finally dried on his quill. He couldn't even get past the opening line, and he wasn't even sure of what he was going to say. With a sigh, he put aside the letter writing for later. Again.

A luminescent butterfly, the only light source in Seethe Scale's lair at the moment, alighted on the scroll. Spike didn't know why, but it always felt as if these things were mocking him even as they guarded his life. "I will get it done," he told it. He looked at the others fluttering above him. "You'll see." Their only response was a brief flicker in their glow, as if they were giggling.

Spike stared at the blank scroll. It would be a lot easier if he was replying, instead of being the first. Then, he could focus on answering the stuff his friends had to ask and say. How long has it been anyway? He was sure that it had been a month. That was his time marker. He promised himself to write a letter after his first month and write one for every month after.

It wasn't like he sorted out this letter-writing with them or anything. But, surely, a month was long enough? A month was certainly enough for him to miss them. Maybe they had written, but the letter was having a hard time getting here. After all, Seethe Scale was very reclusive. Spike frowned and glanced about briefly. Maybe a letter had arrived and Seethe Scale was just withholding it thinking that he shouldn't be talking to his friends. It might be in some hidden spot in this cave.

The frown gave way. Maybe they had just forgotten. A lot could happen in a month especially with the barrier coming down, Black Rose stealing Princess Celestia's power, and the reunification. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he had been forgotten in the scuffle. He glanced at the blank scroll again. Maybe he shouldn't send a letter. They should have enough on their plate without having to bother to reply to him. He sighed. Well, he supposed that he'd eventually meet them. They can see for themselves what he's been up to.

Spike stretched an arm out, his gaze tracing a path from his shoulder to the his claw. With each look, the more he was sure that he was growing. It was nothing like the dramatic change from that one time, but he supposed that this one would be permanent. Was it a few inches since he first started here? It just didn't feel right, even at this pace.

With ponies, growing was an assured, gentle pace. Fret as they might about it, the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't need to worry about not growing up or getting their cutie marks. They were guaranteed that. Dragons weren't apparently. Dragons were so immersed in proving their strength that they couldn't even get on with their natural life cycle without passing some hidden, unexplained test. At least, that was what Seethe Scale said. Since he was small and had not grown as much as Twilight had since they first met, Spike guessed that the kirin might be, kind of, in the right.

Spike looked to the entrance. Seethe Scale was taking her time. It was late morning, almost noon even. Looks like no meat for breakfast, a prospect that was still perfectly fine with him. He stretched his arms to the floor and "walked". This was the surest sign that they had grown. He would have never been able to do this if he was still the same size as before. It was still an awkward waddle at best. His arms touched the floor while his head was still raised enough to see in front, but was just an inch or so not there yet. Seethe Scale told him to practice anyway. He was going to develop more for this sort of movement. Might as well get the hang of it early. He made his way towards one of the many hidden niches that Seethe Scale allowed him to use for his stashes.

His hoard was a bit bigger now. Some of the Old Guard had actually sent tribute to the lost son of Reinfadora in the form of little piles of gold and gems. Spike wasn't convinced. These were probably leftovers, bits and pieces not good enough for the Old Guard's hoards. Seethe Scale mentioned this earlier as well. Younger dragons might be less choosy with what they add to their piles, sometimes even including large chunks of quartz or even foal's gold. Older dragons turn their noses up on anything but the best. Spike's growing hoard was mostly middle-tier gemstones: emeralds, amethysts, sapphires and the like. Perfectly fine for snacking as far as he was concerned, especially now with no meal from Seethe Scale in sight. He popped one into his mouth, and relished the satisfying crunch. He was getting hungry quite frequently these days.

"Little dragon?" came a tentative call from outside the cave. That wasn't Seethe Scale, but Spike recognized the voice and the use of name.

"Mudslide?" he called back. "What are you doing here? I thought you finished deliveries for the week."

There was a pony standing by the entrance. Spike couldn't make out any details with the light obscuring his darkvision. He was definitely sure with the voice though.

"Yeah, I was," Mudslide replied. "I'm not here for ol'Seethe though. It's you."

Spike brightened a bit. Well, at least somepony did remember him. "Really? That's--" A second figure obscured the entrance further.

Okay, this wasn't right. He could believe that a pony he only met once came to visit, especially when Seethe Scale allowed that pony to approach without getting hostile. There was no way that this other pony should be anywhere near here, especially with Seethe Scale not around.

"You okay, little dragon?"

Mudslide spoke with affection, but all the warmth in that nickname leaked out for Spike. He tensed, and raised himself on his legs. This wasn't the time to be practicing. "I don't think your friend should be here, Mudslide," he called out. "Seethe Scale's coming back, and she won't like having so many ponies near her home."

"Don't worry," Mudslide said. "We won't be staying long."

When a third head block the light coming from the entrance, Spike was already prepared for the worst. He glanced at his so-called guardians. These butterflies repelled the attack of a grown pride dragon. A few ponies should be nothing to them...right?

As if sensing his thoughts, the butterflies fluttered towards his back, putting him between them and the ponies by the entrance. They danced about there in their typical mocking way, silently giggling at his increasingly dangerous predicament.

"What are you doing?" he whispered harshly. "My father created you to be protectors, right? Protect me!"

One butterfly answered by briefly alighting on his nose before taking off again.

"Hey, little dragon?" Mudslide called out. "Come on out, and have a chat! Ol'Seethe won't like it if we go inside her cave, right?"

"I...uh..." Spike desperately tried to catch one of the butterflies, already thinking of tossing the wretched things like rocks at these ponies if things got hairy. They fluttered out of his clumsy swings, one even lightly brushing against his claws just to mock him. "I can't!" he replied. "I...uh...I got s-some stuff that Seethe Scale wants me to do here. I can't really leave it so...uh...thanks for visiting, Mudslide, maybe I'll visit you some other time instead, okay?"

"Come on, little dragon," Mudslide said. He was doing his best to sound friendly and affectionate, but his voice sounded too sticky with fake warmth. "I came all the way to see you. You're not going to make me waste a trip up the slope, are you?"

"I'm really sorry," Spike said. He hid behind a large rock and peeked out to keep watch of the entrance. "At least you didn't come alone, right?"

"Losing time, Mud, don't want that kirin catching us here," a gruff voice whispered harshly.

Somepony stepped into the cave. That lone hoofstep echoed with all the loudness of a thunder strike in Spike's mind. He looked again to the butterflies, but they did nothing but watch him. Maybe they needed something more drastic to happen. Some ponies approaching was certainly not as big a deal as a pride dragon about to crush him. His stomach sank. Of course. These ponies wouldn't be a threat to mighty Drellhadar. They would be so low to him that his creatures wouldn't even recognize them as danger. He could just imagine the cruel, mocking face of his supposed monstrous father, amused by the thought that one of his hatchlings can't even fend off some ponies. He wouldn't let his creatures do the work. A dragon had to prove his strength.

"Thanks, dad!" Spike muttered. "No Seethe Scale, no butterflies, so much for guardians!" His claws dug into the rock against him so hard that they penetrated. It likely didn't matter if he hid. His heart was beating so loudly, they could just follow the sound. Was he really going to fight by himself? He had grown, but they were still bigger than him, and outnumbered him. He put a hand on his chest, as if that would help slow his breathing down and steady his heart. 'Okay, hold on. Let's look at what I have over them.'

The sudden skittering of loose stones across the ground followed by a muffled cursing quickly brought up his first advantage. It was quite dark by his portion of the cave. There were no torches. He could see, but they couldn't. The pony with Mudslide was another earth pony, as big as Big Macintosh, and muscular. This one wasn't some delivery pony. He had long, hooded cloak on, and something was sheathed by his side. They might bring a light though, but that would take up a hoof, a mouth, or some concentration for magic.

He had his dragon fire. He was particularly proud of his dragon fire. He used it to hold off Nightmare Moon's blackened flames for a few seconds. The other pony sounded a bit tentative and Mudslide didn't sound too eager either. Maybe he could scare them off, or at least hold them back until Seethe Scale arrived. First, he was going to stall. "What do you really want, Mudslide?" he asked.

"That's kind of complicated, little dragon," Mudslide said. "I was really hoping I could just keep watching Ol'Seethe and making a few reports. Didn't expect orders from up top. So it's not like I "really want" to have to do this. I just sort of have to. No hard feelings, right?"

Spike's claws dug deeper into the rock. "Up top?" he asked. When the hoofsteps grew louder, he moved to another hiding spot while hugging the cave's wall. "That's obviously not the prince! Who're you working for?"

"No more talking, Mudslide!" the other pony snarled. He rushed towards Spike's location.

There was no more time for planning or hiding. Spike could only do the first thing that came to mind when faced with sudden, imminent danger. He sucked in a lungful of breath and blew.

Green flames erupted. For an instant, every coin and bauble in Seethe Scale's hoard glimmered. The charging pony cried out, and fell back. Spike stumbled back, too frightened to look directly at what he feared would be a pony burning in agony. Instead, the flames died out swiftly when the pony began beating his hooves against his body. "Ashes and soot, he had to try, didn't he?" the pony growled.

"Come on, little dragon," Mudslide said. He had entered the cave as well. He paused briefly and pulled out a torch from his saddlebag. A moment more and the two had a light. Mudslide was careful to not even look at the hoard. "First thing you think of when going after a dragon is fire, right?"

"Yeah, he knows," the other pony said. He slowed down to a walk, but he still came after Spike. "But he's a dragon. They always got to breathe fire."

"Stay back!" Spike said. A butterfly landed on the tip of the spines on his head, and stayed there. The others weren't even in sight.

"Kid," the other pony growled. "We've gone so far as to invade the lair of a kirin to get you. We're not backing out now." He pulled out a blade from his harness with his mouth. The curved knife, merely a foot long from hilt to tip, had a very faint glow of green. The mere sight of it made Spike's scale's prickle.

The other pony took another step forward. That was it. At that moment, Spike crouched low for a fraction of a second and rushed. He had to accept that he wasn't going to have any defenses for this fight. If he didn't go on the attack now, he was done for. He reached for the strange-looking knife with his right claw while he swiped at the pony's eyes with the left. Hopefully, one of those attacks would distract this intruder from the other.

The other pony moved the knife away briefly, then ducked low before swinging for Spike's heart. His claw clamped onto the blade. The sharp stinging pain, ran from his claw all the way to his shoulder. He would have let go from the shock, but fear of death overcame any hurt. His arm shook from the strain of holding the pony back. His other claw was free to strike, however. His claws dug deep just above the pony's eyebrows, and gouged down. The pony tilted his head just enough to save his eye, but blood streamed from the cuts, forcing him to close it anyway.

"You lizard!" the other pony growled. "You have to do this the hard way!"

"Of course I will!" Spike yelled. His right claw stung so badly that he was afraid that the blade was starting to cut the bones. The blood was making the blade too slippery to hold on to for much longer. He grit his teeth and gripped harder. He grabbed a hold of the pony's face with his free claw, digging each digit into the flesh. "Dragon, remember? Always have to do things the hard way!"

"Mudslide!" the other pony yelled. "Forget the torch! Grab him!"

For a moment, Mudslide looked hesitant. Spike followed his eyes. They didn't go to his torch. He wasn't worried that he might drop the thing and force the fight into the dark. He was looking at the struggle. Spike saw a chance. He winced as another stab of pain lanced up his arm, but he had to say something before things got worse.

"Why are you doing this, Mudslide?" he asked. "You working for some Draco'dim?" His eyes narrowed. "Or is it Black Rose?"

"H-hey, Log Jam, we were just going to keep him somewhere he wasn't going to be trouble until this Old Guard fell apart, right?" Mudslide asked. "What's with the knife?"

Log Jam answered with a long, throaty, and vicious growl. "Shut up, you moron, and hold him! We're losing time!"

"But--"

Spike cut off Mudslide's hesitant reply with a loud cry. The pain was becoming too much. He gripped Log Jam by the neck with his free claw, and strained as hard as he could to topple the pony over. His fingers slightly slipped against the now noticeably slick fur. Log Jam appeared to be covered in some kind of oily salve. It was probably what protected him from the fire.

Spike had grown just a little bit, and that growth came with some strength and leverage. He would have never been able to do this when he first came to this place.

Of course, the instant he might be able to, he was instantly assailed by a life-or-death situation as his first test. Twilight only needed to pass an aptitude test to get into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Even when she joined the Equestrian Legion, she only needed to cast a spell on a training dummy. Oh, but that's not good enough for dragons is it? As soon as he got a bit more muscle in his arms he had to start wrestling assassins.

Log Jam was no pushover, however. His shoulders strained and his neck muscles bulged. He glared at Spike, despite some blood running down one of his eyes. His fierce looked even worse thanks to the flickering shifts between darkvision and normal sight. "Dragon, once I break free, I'm gonna gut you, and turn you into a purse!" he growled.

Spike could barely make out the words, what with the knife in his assailant's teeth garbling them. Mudslide still hadn't joined in. Things may be looking up already. If only these miserable butterflies weren't as wishy washy. His arms shook from the effort and his fingers were steadily slipping away from the blade. He breathed another gout of flame, this time directly into Log Jam's face. There was no way that he had that oil in his eyes.

A split second after the flames erupted from his mouth, Spike was already wishing that Log Jam would close his eyes, drop the knife, and back up. He didn't want to roast anypony's eyeballs. He just didn't want to get hurt!

Fortunately, Log Jam did close his eyes at the last moment, and tore himself free. The blade slid past Spike's claw one more time, cutting so deep that it must have struck bone. His other claw must have been buried deeper than he anticipated. The tips gouged out bits of flesh when Log Jam forced it. Spike barely noticed though. He whimpered and held on to his injured claw. His fingers were limp. Maybe the muscles were too damaged. Maybe it just hurt too much.

There was no time to nurse the cut, though. With another growl, Log Jam was on his hooves. Blood poured from the deep gouges on his face, running down one eye, leaving trails on his snout, and mingling with the blood Spike left on his weapon. "This was supposed to be just business, dragon," he said. "But you just made sure that I'm going to enjoy--"

A dull thud put an untimely stop to Log Jam's threats when Mudslide's torch found a home on the back of his head. The flame sputtered and nearly went out at the impact, but continued to burn. The strange knife stopped glowing when it clattered to the ground.

Spike stared at Mudslide in confusion. He was panting heavily and his head was starting to feel a little light. With the immediate danger gone, the sudden exertion and blood loss was now catching up. He didn't relax just yet, however. In response, Mudslide gripped the torch with a hoof and sighed. "Sorry, little dragon. For what it's worth, I didn't come here to kill you. Wouldn't have come at all if I knew he wanted to."

"Then...what...what...did..." Spike had to stop to catch his breath. He pressed his wound tightly to keep it from bleeding and leaned against a rock to keep from falling over. "What...did you come here for?"

Mudslide took a step forward. "Hey, you're pretty messed up, little dragon, lemme--"

Spike pressed up against the wall. While he still cradled his injured claw, he sucked in a large gulp of air, ready to unleash a defensive burst of dragon flame. At this, Mudslide backed up. "What did you come here for?" Spike asked again. He glanced briefly around the cave. There had to be something in here to stanch the bleeding. Something flew towards his face. He nearly let out the flames, but stopped himself when a bit of cloth, a handkerchief or a rag of some sort, landed on his shoulder. With one more suspicious glance at Mudslide, he took the cloth and pressed it against the wound.

"Minfadora, sent us here to take care of this 'new threat' behind the Old Guard," Mudslide said. "I thought that meant just hiding you away so the older dragons don't have anything to rally behind. Nopony told me anything about offing you. I swear on my mother's grave, I thought we were just going to take you to some secret place until all these angry dragons calmed down."

"They're dragons," Spike muttered. "That's the norm."

"Guess that's true," Mudslide said. He lifted the still unconscious Log Jam onto his back.

"Why are you even working for the Draco'dim?" Spike asked. "What would a pony get from helping them?"

Mudslide shrugged. "Money? Dragons are pretty stingy, but even pay that's peanuts for them's worth a lot."

"But you're betraying Equestria!" Spike snapped.

Mudslide snorted. "Am I?" he asked. "Look, little dragon, the Draco'dim don't care about Equestria. I serve the Legion; I do my deliveries, and I put in my hours in the quarries. So what if I make a lot of money on the side? It's a lot more compared to my salary. All I got to do is watch ol'Seethe whenever I make a delivery, then tell a pony, who'll tell a pony, who'll tell some dragon what I saw. Where's the betrayal in that?"

The pain in Spike's claw subsided a bit, not so much because it was getting better, and more because Mudslide touched a different kind of nerve. "So it's okay because its dragons," he said bitterly. "You wouldn't even think about doing this if the Draco'dim were plotting against ponies."

"Hey, don't take it personally, little dragon," Mudslide said. "It's not like I hate dragons. It's just...well, we take care of our own, right? Look, I'm taking Log Jam, and we're getting out of here. Forget the pay, we're not going to have anything more to do with you, okay?"

The distant light of the entrance suddenly disappeared. Mudslide inhaled sharply when he noticed this, then whimpered. Spike knew what it meant as well. It was Seethe Scale's massive form that blotted out that light, and sealed any attempt to leave this place for the ponies.

"No deliveries for today, Mudslide," Seethe Scale said softly as she neared. Spike squinted at the sight. Seethe Scale lumbered towards them with an uneven gait. The stench of blood wafted from her, and her loud, heavy breaths were unmistakable. "And you know better than to come in here."

"H-hey, Seethe," Mudslide said. His voice trembled along with the rest of him. "I was...I was just--"

Seethe Scale's gaze focused on Log Jam. "Ah, I see," she said. "No wonder Minfadora was more interested in keeping me occupied than trying to kill me. Only two of you? To hide your movement perhaps. Any bigger and patrols might find you suspicious." She looked at Log Jam and sniffed. "Rock Salamander oil infused with Dragon Spine grass to protect against flame." She exhaled slowly. A rush of warm breath ruffled Mudslide's mane and reached Spike. "Useful for minor fire spells and the assault of hatchlings. You know wrath dragon flame pierces even dragon scale, don't you? I suppose you weren't here to assassinate me."

"I'm sorry, Seethe," Mudslide replied. "Things got out of hoof, is all."

"I'm sorry too," Seethe Scale replied. She reached out with a claw and grasped Mudslide by the neck. "I thought I found a few trustworthy ponies in Wallforge. I suppose your sister won't be making me any more arrows once she finds out."

"Wait," Spike said. He wanted to shout, but he could barely make it to normal speaking. He stumbled forward and grabbed a hold of Seethe Scale's claw. "It's over. He's just some hired goon. Please, just let him go."

"He entered my lair," Seethe Scale growled. Her grip tightened until the tips of her massive claws began to sink. Mudslide could only groan and stare. "He stared at my hoard, he betrayed my trust, he attacked my charge."

Spike tugged at the claw, then stopped when something failed to change. "The cave's not getting hotter," he said.

"What of it?" Seethe Scale asked. "I don't need my heat aura for this."

Spike struck her arm with his uninjured fist. "It means you're not angry," he yelled. Or, at least, he tried to yell. "You're not mad that he tricked you! You just think you have to do this because of dragon stuff!"

Seethe Scale raised one of those ridge of horns that served as her eyebrows. "Dragon stuff...is that what you call it?"

"Yeah," Spike said. "Because he went inside your cave, because he looked at your stuff, and attacked me, you think you have to kill him, but you don't. He's just some nobody that the Draco'dim paid to watch you. He's not a danger now that you know what he is. It's just...it's just...you're afraid he's going to go around saying he got to do all those things to you, and lived, isn't it? That's dragon stuff, like what the Draco'dim do!"

Seethe Scale's grip loosened slightly, and Mudslide took a great gulp of air. "This is important to you," she said.

Spike nodded, then stopped halfway. Even through darkvision, there was no mistaking Seethe Scale for a full dragon. She had a pony's muzzle, just slightly distorted, like she was a pony transforming into a dragon only to be interrupted a quarter of the way through. "You too," he said. "You told me, didn't you? I needed to be spend more time as a dragon, and you as a pony. Be more pony now, Seethe Scale."

Seethe Scale hurled Mudslide and his load towards the entrance. "Begone,"she said. "I do not wish to find you in Wallforge, Mudslide. Or the Western Barrier Land for that matter."

Mudslide struggled to his hooves. "S-sure," he said. "I'm sorry, Seethe, I really am."

"His companion might try again," Seethe Scale said. "Perhaps not under Minfadora's employ, but the Draco'dim will use his need for revenge."

Spike stepped back and fell on his tail as his legs gave out from under him at last. "I'll take him on again," he said. "I'll be bigger and stronger when he tries the next time."

"Your claw," Seethe Scale said. Spike extended his injured claw and winced when she grasped it with the tips of her own enormous claw. "The cut is deep," she said. "I have some salve to help. A pity your guardians aren't interested in protecting you from ponies."

Spike stared at the butterflies that had resumed fluttering around him. He had been resentful at first, but it was probably for the best. These creatures would have blasted Mudslide into nothingness. Was that the real reason, they didn't attack? Had they sensed that he just wanted to drive his attackers away? He winced when Seethe Scale removed the bit of cloth he had pressed against the wound. The edges were caked with nearly dried blood, and stuck to his claw briefly.

The brief pain turned to a surprisingly pleasant sensation. The very tip of Seethe Scale's claw, smeared with some kind of salve, gently rubbed against the wound. It only took a single claw to apply the medicine. At least, Spike hoped that was medicine. It felt good at least. "So...what happened?" he asked.

"Minfadora, one of the younger Draco'dim, ambushed me on my way back from Wallforge," Seethe Scale said. "She counted on surprising me with such directness." Her eyes narrowed. "It almost worked."

"Why would she surprise you?" Spike asked. "It's pretty obvious that the Draco'dim won't like you just for being a kirin. Now, you're working with the Old Guard."

"The prince ransomed my life to Afralhadar a long time ago," Seethe Scale said. "That was supposed to guarantee that none of them would attack me. Pride dragons can be crafty, but they wouldn't demean themselves by breaking their word. Normally, anyway. If she had succeeded, the Draco'dim would have covered it up. Now that she's failed, they will probably shun her."

Spike snorted. "Dragons," he said. "They have to look good and strong, but they do bad things anyway."

"You have a low opinion of your own kind," Seethe Scale said. "Or is that only because you are constantly comparing them to another race?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Spike replied. He refused to look at Seethe Scale's face. He knew that she'd have some annoying, knowing look.

"Before anything else, I have news that concerns you," Seethe Scale said. She looked towards the cave's entrance. "Black Rose is no longer a threat."

Spike's eyes widened. "You mean...they did it? They got Princess Celestia's power back?" He pumped a fist, temporarily forgetting that doing so hurt. "Yes!" A wave of relief came over him. He wished he was there. He had helped that evil mare steal Princess Celestia's power, he wanted to be there when they took it back. Knowing that things were restored however, still felt good.

"There's more," Seethe Scale said. "It appears some of your friends have business in the Western Barrier Land. The prince mentioned three: Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. It might be possible to encounter them if we come close to the Delve."

Spike's heart started racing again. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbo--

Rarity.

He had consigned himself to not seeing them again for a long time. A brief meeting. Just a few minutes would do. Just hearing their voices would do. He wished Twilight was with them, but it would have been a miracle if just one of them had shown up. "Can we go meet them?" he asked.

"Perhaps, but not right away. The Great Delve is a bit far from here. If it becomes necessary we can spare some time. Again, not as you are now, however."

"Why?" Spike asked indignantly. They were his friends. Why would he even need her permission? He pulled back, nearly burying the back of his head against her fur, when Seethe Scale suddenly moved her muzzle close to his face and sniffed.

"Because you stink."

Spike hugged his knees, but he glared at Seethe Scale. "Sorry," he said. "I'll wash off the blood, sweat, and this funny-smelling gunk from Log Jam later."

"Not that," Seethe Scale said. She moved her face away. "Water can wash away those things easily enough, but it won't do anything about that foulness in your breath."

"I can get a toothbrush from Wallforge," Spike said. "I think I have enough gold coins to..."

"No."

"Come on!" Spike said. "It's my money, and nopony's breath stinks that bad!"

"Haven't you been listening?" Seethe Scale asked. Her voice rose very slightly. She let out a snort that blew past Spike. He could smell blood and smoke in her breath. And she thought he stank. "You've smelled it in Himfadora's breath. That clinging foulness that follows her every word."

Spike crossed his arms. "No way," he said. "I'm not the tidiest, most groomed dragon around, but there's no way I'm even close to smelling like her."

"Perhaps not," Seethe Scale replied. "But she has had a lot of centuries to work on it. The source is the same, however. Or approaching the same in your case. Their spit contains slow-acting toxins which coats their fangs. It's not as bad as getting stung, but their bite can cause a lot of suffering."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "They?" he asked "What's this about 'they'?"

"Envy dragons," Seethe Scale said. "Your spit is starting to take on the smell. Like a barkeep still learning his mixes, the glands in your mouth are slowly shifting. Your next phase is close." She stared at him, lips grim and even. That was a typical Seethe Scale face, but her eyes had that gleam in them, as if she just saw him lose all his money in an accident. "Seifralhadar, you cannot wish to be a pony. It will only end in frustration."

"What?" Spike scoffed. "I'm not...that's way off! No offense, you're an awesome dragon-slayer, but you're not a super doctor who can tell me how I'm feeling."

"I'm no doctor, but I recognize these feelings easily enough." Seethe Scale stretched out a wing, and, to Spike's surprise, draped it over him. "You must let this go. You will not enjoy life as an envy dragon. Even Himfadora will tell you that."

"Or what?" Spike snapped. "Like being a sloth dragon is so much better, right? Or is it sin? That's what the Old Guard wants, I'll bet." He hugged his knees. "Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Joy, Kindness, Magic...and Sin. Perfect fit."

"No, it's not."

Spike snorted. "Thanks for noticing," he said.

Seethe Scale's wing pressed against Spike a little tighter. "You will not overcome this by either complaining, or attempting things that are beyond you," she said. Spike would have taken more umbrage, but her soft tone left him unsure. "Se-- Spike, you will fit. But it won't be in the way you imagine it. You must let this envy go, or you will lose any chance of fitting at all."

For a moment, Spike could almost take some comfort in that wing. He leaned against her briefly before muttering "Easy for you to say."

"No." Seethe Scale's voice trembled slightly. "It's not."

Spike decided to change the subject. "So was that all you heard?" he asked.

"One more thing," Seethe Scale said. "The prince has confirmed it. We are using Drellhadar's Ban."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Weren't we going to use it before?"

"Before, it was a contingency," Seethe Scale replied. "The prince wanted to go home, but he was fine with staying. He just wanted the option. Something has changed. Rather, something has happened. He has made it clear that the Ban will be used. More than ever, I must commit to acquiring it with your help."

Spike massaged his shoulders a bit and flicked his tongue inside his mouth. His spit didn't taste any weirder, but Seethe Scale must, at least, be right about his next phase. He wanted to see his friends, but not if he was just going to turn into an envy dragon before them. He sighed. So much work to be done. He looked to the cave's entrance. The Great Delve was it? So close. Even if it took a few days to get there, it was so much closer than the Heartland.

So close and so far.

Special

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 7: Special

Though he tried to make himself feel a little outraged or vindictive, Spike could only feel sorry for the dragon now placed before him. She lay breathing heavily at the center of Himfadora's lair. Her silver-scaled hide was covered with deep claw marks, both her wings had been snapped in two places, her right foreleg was a mangled, bleeding mess, and nearly all her claws had been broken. The most gruesome injury, however, was the stab wound by her right side, close to her hind leg. The surrounding scales were discolored with a sickly, green taint, kind of like that nasty coloration copper got when exposed outside for too long. The wound oozed a foul, dark green sludge, and the edges were covered with weeping pustules. The mere sight of it was enough to make Spike queasy. The horrid stench that wafted from it made him taste vomit by the back of his throat.

Spike moved forward, both to get a better look and to let the other dragons see him. He did so on all four limbs now. In the short week between Minfadora's attack and this day, he had apparently grown a little more. It was a great deal easier now to move like this. His forelimbs were longer and stronger. His front claws had grown to let him grip the ground better. Of course, his back had followed suit. Even his neck had lengthened to let him look ahead. If he had wrestled with a pony assassin now, he could probably hold his own much better. Given his luck, however, he'd probably be wrestling with a bigger dragon next.

His stomach rumbled softly. This was despite a nice big breakfast before heading here. He looked towards the other occupants of the lair to see if they had noticed.

Back on her perch, Himfadora glowered over the prisoner with a gleeful, broken-fanged grin. Her long, sinewy tail flicked lazily behind her as if she were a bored cat. Spike could swear there was still some blood on that barbed stinger.

Drezhadar was there as well, chest puffed out as if he was the one who had dragged the prisoner in. The sight of a such a badly injured fellow pride dragon elicited nothing more than a sneer.

Nazhadar was nowhere to be seen. He probably thought that this was too much of a bother to attend. Instead, a couple more dragons, ones that Spike didn't recognize, watched. Enormous as this cave was, it was going to be pretty crowded at this rate.

Next to Spike, of course, was Seethe Scale, her injuries already mostly healed. When they first arrived, she had eyed the captive dragon with some hostility. The spines across her back vibrated briefly, and threatened to rise, but she spent another moment of staring and calmed down. Spike guessed, hoped, that Seethe Scale easily overcame the urge to fight with pity.

The poor, broken creature before them was Minfadora, the pride dragon who had sent pony agents to kill him, and personally attacked Seethe Scale. She looked around the same age as Drezhadar, at least as far as Spike could guess about pride dragon ages. Seethe Scale had mentioned that she was the youngest of the Draco'dim, which was probably why she was dumb enough to go for such a direct approach. Less than a week after that incident, Himfadora retaliated with an ambush of her own, incapacitating the younger pride dragon, and dragging her back to this lair. Spike stared at the envy dragon again. In pony terms, it would be if Granny Smith suddenly hunted down a mare a quarter of her age, beat that mare to a pulp, and dragged her back to Sweet Apple Acres by herself. That is, if Granny Smith had a deadly stinger for a tail.

Minfadora seemed resigned to her fate as well. The Draco'dim didn't seem inclined to rescue her. From the way all these dragons around them looked on hungrily, Spike was getting the feeling that he might have to.

The dragons weren't the only ones eager to attack. Drellhadar's butterflies fluttered above Spike in a far more excited manner than they were when he was fighting for his life. They pulsed with pale blue light, looking almost ready to explode with magical blasts at the slightest provocation. Spike frowned, and waved them off. 'Oh sure,' he chided them mentally. 'Pony assassins come after me, and you laugh them off. Broken down dragon that's not a threat, and you're ready for war.'

"You must already understand why I asked you to come here, Seifralhadar," Himfadora hissed. "This foolish lizard attacked you directly, and I have retaliated in your stead."

"In a way, Minfadora's attack aids us," Drezhadar said. "She has forced the Draco'dim to reveal that they see us a threat. Other dragons will take notice of this." He glanced at the two newcomers. "They already have."

"Then we don't need to hurt her anymore then, right?" Spike said. The widening of all the dragon eyes in the cave told him that that wasn't the expected response. Even the butterflies around him flared up. Seethe Scale, however, appeared to have been expecting it.

"She must be killed as an example," Drezhadar said. "We shall pick her bones clean today, then make a small monument with them on top of a mountain. Afralhadar and his ilk will get the message."

"And what's the message?" Spike yelled. "That we did exactly what they knew we were going to do?"

Drezhadar let out a long, throaty growl, and shifted from his spot. For a moment, Spike feared that he was going to lunge. When Drezhadar glanced at his foreclaw, however, Spike relaxed a bit.

"Seifralhadar makes a good point," Seethe Scale said. "The Draco'dim have shown no concern about rescuing Minfadora. That Himfadora was able to capture her so easily makes it clear that they have abandoned her to us. A message would be pointless. They expect that monument."

A raspy chuckle from Himfadora's perch drew their attention.

"You'll have to excuse Nazhadar," Himfadora said. "He sees much better than the Draco'dim, but he's still a pride dragon." She leaned over from the perch, snaking her head to stare at Spike. "I spared young Minfadora here, so you may decide what should be done with her. She attacked you after all."

Spike shifted his gaze towards Minfadora. Done with her? It looked like a lot was done to her already. "I--"

As if he had already sensed Spike's reply, Drezhadar leaned forward again. "The Draco'dim may no longer have any use for Minfadora, but that doesn't leave her powerless! " he said. "Even if a strong message is redundant, killing her now keeps us safe from any more plots from her in the future. Mark my words, Seifralhadar, a pride dragon will not forget this kind of humiliation. If she leaves this lair alive, it will be with revenge plans already in mind."

"Can't we just eat her for the sake of eating her?" one of the new dragons said. "I brought herbs to get rid of the envy poison's taste." Spike recognized the crest-less, snake-like head, and was thankful that the dragon was polite enough to keep his chest maw shut. His chest plates quivered slightly, however, and acidic drool already dripped on the ground.

"Nopo-- No one is going to eat her!" Spike said. "We're letting her go."

Drezhadar and the two other dragons growled, but Himfadora merely chuckled. "Seifralhadar has decided then," she said. She looked at Minfadora. "Off you go then, youngster," she said with a wag of a lone claw. "Next time you cause trouble, remember my sting."

"This is foolishness," Drezhadar muttered.

Minfadora, who had been content to lay there and wait for a deathblow, suddenly rose on her legs. Spike stopped himself when he took a step forward in some unconscious attempt to keep the injured dragon from straining herself. This was an enemy despite her pitiful state. If he was careless, she only needed one bite, even as she was. Minfadora was not posturing for some final attack, however. She stood tall, with her head raised and her chin tilted upwards. Spike winced, his shoulder blades aching at the sight, when Minfadora folded her tattered wings to her side as best she could. Despite her sorry state, and the foul stench coming from her poisoned wound, she stood as if she was a guest in the lair and at an equal position as any of the others in it.

"Don't believe for a moment that you can win me over to your side, Seifralhadar," Minfadora hissed softly. That was as loud as she could get without straining. "I was prepared to die for my failure, and I hold no gratitude for your 'mercy'. On the contrary, I will not forget this humiliation."

Himfadora answered with her hacking cough of a laugh. "Pride dragon, you may want to bark after you've escaped my lair!"

Drezhadar grunted, and flexed his own wings. "Do as you please, Seifralhadar," he said. "I haven't eaten because I expected a meal out of this 'trial'." He stalked out of the lair, then flew off.

The other two stared at Spike for a while, as if expecting him to say he was joking, or change his mind completely. He stared back silently until they also departed.

When they were out of sight, Spike let out a sigh and let his shoulders sag. "I messed up, didn't I?" he asked Seethe Scale.

"Not yet," Seethe Scale said. She continued to stare at the entrance to the lair. "That wasn't outrage on their faces when they left. Drezhadar and the others are not sure what to make of you. It was good that you spared Minfadora, Seifralhadar."

Spike's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. This was probably the first thing he had ever done that Seethe Scale approved of. "The others didn't think it was a good idea."

"Of course they didn't," Seethe Scale replied. "That's the point. Only you, of all the dragons in this lair, of all the dragons in general, would have chosen mercy. That marks you as special."

"And 'special' is what will keep your influence alive," Himfadora said. "Dragons will not follow someone so young so easily. Not even Reinfadora's hatchling. Drezhadar may not like it that his pride has not been satisfied, but he will respect that you have not gone out of your way to satisfy it." She looked towards Seethe Scale. "I had thought that you would advise Seifralhadar to let you burn your assailant, Lanfadora. Such restraint from a half wrath dragon."

"Seifralhadar does not answer to me," Seethe Scale said.

"At least not in front of so many dragons." Himfadora chuckled, then walked down her perch.

Spike swallowed, and instinctively held his breath. It was to no avail, however. Himfadora's hot, foul breath swirled around him. When the smell turned out to be not as bad as he remembered it, he had to shudder. He was getting used to it. Maybe it was because he was expecting it, and this was not the first time he spoke to Himfadora, but he had this creeping suspicion that it was because his body was developing that similar foulness. He crawled a few feet back, just to get away from the smell.

Himfadora chuckled again upon seeing him move on all fours. "Good progress," she said. "The half-pony can at least accomplish this much. That's a familiar smell coming from you, Seifralhadar, that and the length your tail is taking."

Spike let out a snort accompanied by a brief gout of flame. "It's nothing," he said. "Just a phase."

"I believe so too," Himfadora said. She was silent for a while, and it seemed that their conversation was over. Spike was even preparing to leave when Himfadora spoke again. "So, Seifralhadar, if it's not the envy phase for you, have you resigned to your fate as a sloth dragon?"

"No!" Spike snapped. "I like my naps, but I'm not going to be like Nazhadar who keeps saying everything's a bother." He dug his claws into the rocky ground. "I came here to help, not be lazy."

Himfadora chuckled again. "We've been expecting signs of your mother from you," she rasped. "But I see now that, perhaps, you are more like your father."

Spike's jaw tightened, and his claws dug even deeper into the ground. The defensive posture was but a small reflection of what he felt when Himfadora said that. "Wasn't my father a monster who created weird things and liked to hurt other dragons?" he asked. "I'm nothing like that!"

"Are you?" Himfadora asked. "You do not wish to be an expression or sloth dragon. I think you hold as much contempt for us as he did." She looked towards Seethe Scale. "That might be something to watch out for, half-pony, make sure his legs don't turn into tails."

"I will," Seethe Scale replied. She made her way towards the entrance before glancing over her shoulder. "Seifralhadar?"

"Wait," Spike said. As Himfadora had already started to walk away, he instinctively reached out. The sudden feel of her ancient scales against his claw sent a jolt running up his shoulder. He pulled back just as quickly as he reached out, resisting the urge to drag his claw against the ground. It felt as if that brief touch was enough to get...something on his claw, like clinging mold.

Himfadora turned around, and hunched over Spike. "Oh?" she said. "You wish to stay longer for something, Seifralhadar? How curious. You can barely disguise that loathing on your face when I'm close enough to smell." Despite this, she appeared to be still smiling.

"You know more about my parents more than anyone," Spike said.

"I do not know any ponies by name, Seifralhadar, you must be mistaken," Himfadora said with a sneer. "Ask your prince, he might know."

"I meant Reinfadora and Drellhadar!" Spike snapped.

"Ah." Himfadora chuckled. "You confused me there." She settled back on her perch. Though her eyes were still on Spike, there was a distant gaze to them as well. "You are a product of their union, undoubtedly. 'Parents' however, has meanings to it that does not work for them. We do not even have a word for it in our tongue. What is it you want to know?"

"What did they plan for me?" Spike asked. "I know what you have, and what the prince has, but what about them?"

"They had no plan," Himfadora replied. "Not that I am aware of. I remember that Drellhadar picked an egg from his half of the clutch, and gave it to the ponies. As was usual, he never told me why. Reinfadora was with him when he turned the egg over, but I don't think even she knew the full extent of his reasons. She likely went along as a formality for the ponies; to let them know that it was a decision both 'parents' accepted."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "His half? What's that supposed to mean? Wouldn't it be their egg? Why wouldn't she know?"

"When a clutch of eggs is lain, the female divides it in two," Seethe Scale said. "The male takes his half back to his lair, and the female does the same. They raise their halves independently. Or do as they please with them for that matter."

Spike opened his mouth in some futile protest, but he simply let out a sigh and let it pass. Dragons. Of course. Can't even be decent parents. He looked to Himfadora. "So, what did you know about dad's plans then?"

"Still looking for some semblance of affection from him, Seifralhadar?" Himfadora asked. "You won't find any. Drellhadar was a secretive recluse who care for nothing outside his work." She was silent for a while. "Even then, I did not understand why Reinfadora had any affection for him. I never doubted that he only saw her as a very useful resource, and she must have seen it too."

Spike didn't want to hear more. He really was an idiot, still hoping for some kind of warmth from either of his parents. They gave him away after all. Perhaps, that was the best thing they could have ever done for him. Still, there had to be some reason. If Himfadora couldn't tell what his father's plans were, maybe she could at least give some clues. "What about the other eggs then? On my mother's or father's side."

"I never saw any hatchlings leave Drellhadar's laboratory," Himfadora said. "I don't think he even let any of them hatch before he turned his instruments on them." She let out a snort, releasing another cloud of foul miasma into the cave.

Now, even Spike's sense of familiarity failed him. He staggered back, coughed, and spat. There was no point in being polite and acting like Himfadora didn't smell awful. She could see right through him anyway.

"Perhaps you can see the fates of your clutch-mates when you do find Drellhadar's main lair," Himfadora said.

"And my mother's half?" Spike asked. He clenched his jaw. "Let me guess, she made some scrambled eggs, and had them for breakfast."

"Two hatchlings survived long enough to leave her lair," Himfadora replied. Her mocking tone lowered to a grim hiss. "Afralhadar tracked them down, and ate them both after Reinfadora's death."

"But they were children of the dragon queen!" Spike said. "Why didn't the others support them? Why didn't you help them?" He pointed at her as he said that.

"Either Sanfadora or Nilhadar could have rallied their mother's supporters," Himfadora said. "That proved more a weakness. Because they were both able to, they naturally turned on each other first." Himfadora snorted. "Typical dragons after all. Nothing like their mother or father." She leered again. "Not like you at all, Seifralhadar. You've taken to the role with some reluctance, and none of the posturing. Perhaps that was Drellhadar's plan after all."

Spike suddenly looked away, not wanting the smug Himfadora see him struggle with this new information. Drellhadar, the monster who stood outside the phases that the rest of dragonkind had to go through. Drellhadar, who felt no affection for anything, who experimented on his unhatched children, who delighted in killing dragons using humiliating creatures, had somehow come to the conclusion that pony influence was needed for Reinfadora's heir.

Or at least that was what Himfadora said. He looked at her, now more suspicious than curious. She was an ancient envy dragon after all. She could easily twist the story however she pleased. Himfadora, on her part, seemed to have noticed the shift in his mood. She crouched slightly lower, and tilted her chin, as if inviting him to come at her.

Seethe Scale placed a claw on Spike's shoulder. "Seifralhadar," she said softly. "Drellhadar is dead. Don't let whatever reasons he might have had cloud what you wish to accomplish."

"He understood though," Spike said. "He knew that pony influence was needed. He looked down on dragons and up to ponies..."

"Just as you do," Himfadora said. Spike glared at her again, but all she did was chuckle. "Oh, but I should not provoke you so much. I have caught glimpses of those experiments. I assure you, Seifralhadar, I do not want to be part of them."

"Seifralhadar," Seethe Scale said again.

"We're going!" Spike snapped. He grabbed a hold of Seethe Scale's fur and pulled himself onto her back. Despite the impulsiveness of his move, she merely flapped her wings stoically.

It only took a moment for Seethe Scale's powerful wings to bring them out of Himfadora's, and Spike as all the more glad for it. He was sick of that cave with its perpetual gloom, the horrendous smell of stagnating poisons, and the constant reminder of how horrible dragons were. He could understand better now, why it was Seethe Scale who was asked to help him. "Hey, Seethe Scale," he said.

Seethe Scale raised her voice just to be heard over the whistling of the wind in their ears and the flaps of her wings. "Yes?"

"Did you really mean what you said to Himfadora? You're going to watch if my legs turn into tails?"

"That requires no watching on my part," Seethe Scale said. "My peripherals would be good enough to notice if you suddenly lost all your scales, and your legs transformed into tails."

"That's not what I meant," Spike snapped.

"I was joking."

"Oh yeah," Spike rolled his eyes "I should have noticed that. I think you need to meet my friends as much as I do. Pinkie, especially."

"You're frightened because of Himfadora's insinuations," Seethe Scale said.

Spike squeezed Seethe Scale's coarse fur just a little tighter. "Who wouldn't be?" he asked. "He liked killing dragons, he experimented on my siblings, and he didn't even care for my mother."

"He was dedicated to his work," Seethe Scale said. "Obsessed, certainly, but he achieved results that lasted long after reign of your mother."

"You're praising him?" Spike asked aghast.

"Why not?" Seethe Scale landed on a nearby outcropping of rock. Then, she turned her head to face Spike. "Do you think that he was a dragon-shaped blob of concentrated evil? Drellhadar's methods were ruthless, but they serve a purpose now. You can afford some shred of gratitude, Seifralhadar, it won't make you evil."

"What do you want then?" Spike asked. "Thanks, dad, for randomly picking my egg and experimenting on the others? Thanks for making killer butterflies that protect me when they feel like it? Thanks for being a monster that even other dragons hated and feared?"

"And yet you are alive for it, aren't you?" Seethe Scale asked. "You're alive because he chose to spare one egg. Because he gifted that egg to ponies. Because he designed the guardians he made to serve his children. Try as you might, Seifralhadar, you cannot make it so that all the good things you have received came from ponies and all the bad things you've received came from dragons."

"Why can't I?" Spike mumbled. "That's what's it looking like. Even he knew it so he sent my egg to ponies."

"Even if that were true, that means he recognized what dragons needed and acted upon it. No matter how small, there is something praiseworthy in what he accomplished at the end of it all. Give your parents some credit, Seifralhadar, and your race while you're at it. On the day you will lend your strength to your friends, it will be because of who you are; pony and dragon, the adopted child of the princess and the son of Drellhadar and Reinfadora."

Spike snorted and folded his claws over his chest, but he didn't answer to that.

"You still wish to meet your friends when they arrive in the Great Delve?" Seethe Scale suddenly asked.

Spike's eyes widened. "Yeah!" he said. "I think I'm getting the hang of this envy thing. "He swiveled his tail a bit, then held on to the pointed end. It was sort of starting to resemble a stinger, or not. It was most likely his imagination.

"You know that's not true," Seethe Scale said. "But we'll go as soon as we're able."

Spike was about to argue when the answer sank in. His eyes widened instead. "Really?" he asked. "That was easy."

"It is," Seethe Scale growled. Spike nearly let go of her fur at the sudden shift in her tone. "Far more easier that wiping ash from your claws or blood from your tail." Her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps, you think that the pony part of you that your father ensured will keep you from transforming. Then, let's put your confidence to the test. The Great Delve is capital to all of the Barrier Lands, a place you can see how wonderful these ponies you are so envious of are. It's also extremely secure and swarming with the Legion. If we go there, and you transform, you will be subdued, but not without somepony paying the price. Who will it be, Seifralhadar? Some bystander? A legionnaire? One of your friends? Go ahead, visit them. I'll fly you there myself if that's what you really want."

"I'll show you," Spike said through grit teeth. "I'll beat this envy phase. And I'll beat the next phase after that. You'll see."