CHAPTER I: BRITTLE STEEL
It had been a week since Spike had awakened from his long sleep, and he was still getting his strength back. His friends were helping him with encouragement and therapeutic exercises, though at times, Twilight swore Applejack had nearly popped some of the little dragon's bones out of their sockets. AJ was a tough filly and sometimes didn't recognize her own strength. But all in all, everyone was pleased with his progress, and he appeared to be coming back even stronger.
The only problem with his recovery seemed to be a dull throb in Spike's side whenever it rained. It wasn't really painful, but it was an annoyance, but Twilight surmised even that would fade as he got bigger.
"Maybe you'll be able to tell when a storm's coming, like some of the elder ponies can." She teased.
Spike affected an older voice. "That's right, by crackey! And I know what to do with little whippersnapper mares so's they don't ferget it!"
Twilight found that their dynamic had changed. She was treating Spike more like a younger sibling now than her best friend. If she was working on a spell she thought Spike be interested in, she would have him pause in his duties and come help her, or simply watch as she crafted and weaved the magical energies. Spike was much more attentive to her, bringing her snacks or a cold drink whenever he thought she was working too hard, but neither of them mentioned the difference. It was just a new stage in their relationship and they were both comfortable with it.
Spike had been aiding Twilight with a potion, sprinkling in ingredients when she told him to while she magically stirred the small pot. He jerked back at one point when the mixture popped a small red cloud that smelled like pine shavings and Twilight giggled. "Sorry. I didn't expect that to happen. Interesting effect, though..."
"What's it supposed to do?" Spike had been so eager to help with the concoction that he din't know whether it was an invisibility potion or just something to grow hair on an egg (the latter maybe just so Twilight could see if it could be done).
"Twilight shrugged. "It's just a little something I've been experimenting with. Well, trying to improve on, actually, and I think I might have added juuuust the right amount of spruce moss..." She was calculating now, and Spike hushed. She'd tell him when....
There was a knock at the door and Twilight said she had the mixture in hand, so Spike went to answer it.
He opened the door on Rainbow Dash, who was looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Just the dragon we were here to see!" She cried happily. Spike stood aside to let her in and paused. He looked outside, and there was no other pony there.
"Uhm. Dash?" He asked, not turning from the door.
Dash turned and let out a little laugh. "It's okay to come in, nopony's gonna jump out at you! You'll like him, I promise!"
After a moment, a huge pink eye eased around the outside of the door jam. It blinked as it took Spike in, up, down, back to center and hesitated still, as if trying to decide. Then a pony's head appeared, a mare with a charcoal coat and a mane of fabulously bright red. She was biting her lower lip nervously and seemed ready to dart back if anypony, or dragon, made any sudden moves.
Spike stood still, maintaining his welcoming posture, and Dash waited with him, letting the girl decide. Finally, she mustered herself and stepped inside the door and revealed her small winged pegasus nature. Her cutie mark was a set of pink bee's wings that Spike remembered seeing around town, as he made a habit of noting the symbols, but it wasn't until he saw the light yellow hue that frosted the tips of her wings that he realized who she was.
"You must be Honeywing." He smiled politely. "Please come in. I've.. I've been waiting to meet you." He swept his arm inside in a welcoming gesture.
She took a couple of more hesitating steps inside and offered a weak smile. "And you're... Spike."
"Uh huh." When she was fully in, he shut the door.
Dash looked to Honeywing. "And this is the Library. Big place, and books on just about everything. Spike keeps everything neat, when he's not waiting on Twilight hand and foot."
"It's a good thing he doesn't have to worry on about my hearing, though." Twilight said from upstairs, looking down on them.
Dash laughed. "Hey, Twi."
"Hello." The purple mare said as she walked down the stairs. "And this is... Honeywing, is it?"
The mare nodded an affirmitive and looked about the room, still nervous.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle. We never got to formally meet, I'm afraid. Welcome to the Library. Please come sit down, I'll fetch us all some cider."
Spike started to offer, but Twilight shushed him. "I'll handle it. I trust you're the one she's here to see."
Spike didn't protest any further and led them to the table, where he pulled the chairs out for the mares. Dash sat with no pretense, Honeywing with a bit of apprehension.
"Honestly, he's about the nicest creature in Ponyville. You'll see." Dash reassured her.
There was a moment of silence, and Spike started, "Your family w-works in glass, don't they?"
"Uhm. Yes, they do."
"Twilight used to get potion bottles down there. When I was smaller I used to break them a lot. I was really clumsy back then."
She started to smile a little, trying to be polite. "I... I hope you got better..."
Spike nodded. "Oh, yeah. Now I'm just kinda clumsy."
Dash roared and Honeywing stifled a giggle.
Twilight had come in with the cider and glasses and began magically pouring, listening to the three talking. She joined them and all four fell into a halting conversation that began to have fewer and fewer lapses as it went on.
Honeywing was amazed at how much her thoughts had changed about Spike as they talked. She was still a little fearful, but it was a fear of what he would turn into, not the way he was now. He was courteous, polite and funny, and he was genuinely upset at having scared her so badly. He and the other mares were full of stories that were delightful and breath taking. She thrilled to the tale of the Crystal Heart and laughed in spite of herself at Spike's tragic rendition of the Cloudsdale Anthem just a short while later. Spike had reddened at first, but at the end of the story, he gave a high pitched impression of Pinkie Pie's follow-up to the painful song: "Nailed it!", and Dash and Twilight pealed laughter.
Honeywing found herself opening up about her family's long history in glassware and glassblowing, the latter she lacked the magic skill for and the former she lacked a talent for. She was an excellent flyer with a great deal of arial grace, and even Dash had to admit she might give her a challenge one day. They talked about the ponies that Honeywing and the others both knew, and about the other four of Spike's best six buddies. She thought Rarity was a queen of fashion, if a little full of herself (she bit her lip when that had slipped out, but the others laughed heartily), that Pinkie was had to be the most fun-loving pony ever, that AJ was one of the toughest ponies around and that Fluttershy just had to be the kindest-hearted filly ever, or that was what she heard. The others smiled and nodded, and from there, the conversation turned to more mundane topics about town.
It was Dash who noticed the shadows on the floor growing long and looked out the window to see where the sun was. "Uh oh. This has been fun, guys, but I dragged Honeywing away from some work for this."
The charcoal mare looked up in surprise and exclaimed. "Goodness, I got that last delivery to make! My dad's gonna send out a red alert if I don't get home soon!"
"Yeah, I gotta go too." Dash said. "Tell you what, I'll take that last delivery for you so you can get home. It's my fault you were out so long. Deal?"
Honeywing considered. "Sure. Thanks, Dash!"
"Don't mention it. Glad you came, though?"
"Oh, yes!" She nodded. "It was a great time! I'm glad I got to meet you, Miss Sparkle!"
Twi smiled. "Miss, is it? I think you can just make it Twilight, Miss Wing."
"All right!" She turned to Spike. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Spike." She offered a hoof.
Spike took it with a beaming grin. "I'm glad to have met you as well. I'm relieved you're still not scared of me."
"Not a bit." She smiled and started to the door. "And I wouldn't worry about what Brighthorn and his buddies are saying. They're just bluster and breeze."
Dash cringed and Twilight gave her a glare. Spike's jaw was dropped.
Honeywing was out the door and Twilight hissed quietly to Dash. "You didn't tell her?!"
Dash answered back in an equal low tone. "I didn't think about it! I had to practically drag her to get her up here!"
"What did she mean?" Spike asked. "What's Brighthorn been saying?"
Twilight calmed herself. "It's okay, Dash. I'll talk to him. You go with her."
Dash sighed. "Okay. See you, Spike. Twilight." She went out the door, a little dejected.
Twilight looked at Spike, who was still looking at her confusedly. "Come on, have a seat."
They did, and Twi said. "I was hoping all this would just blow over before you got strong enough to go out. Doesn't seem likely, though. Spike, do you know Brighthorn?"
Spike shook his head. "Not personally, no. I just know his family's got a lot of pull all through Equestria. I've heard his mother's in Celestia's court."
Twi nodded. "In that you heard right. I'm not surprised you've never met him, he doesn't really like any creatures besides ponies. Anyway, he's been rallying to have you banished from Ponyville ever since you... ever since the greed incident."
Spike's head hung. "I guess that last dragon incident didn't help, huh?" He looked back up Twilight. "But doesn't he know that wasn't me? I mean, ME me?"
Twilight's eyes darkened. "The bad thing is... I think he does."
Spike's brow furrowed. "Huh?"
Twilight looked him in the eyes. "I think he does know the truth behind it all. He's just not going to tell anypony else that. HIS version sounds better for him."
"He's-- he's lying about me?" Spike was incredulous.
"I'm afraid so. We just thought it was just going to go away like the last time he tried, but it hasn't. We didn't want to tell you because it might upset you while you're still mending. Once we realized it was getting worse, we started thinking of how we could stop it. As you said, his family has a lot of sway. Princess Celestia can't intervene, because that might lose her some support if she stands out against one of her court's family members. A VERY out-spoken family member, and I wouldn't want to risk asking her after all she's done for us. I think with a little more time, I can come up with a plan."
"I hope so." Spike was still a little melancholy. "I really hope so."
Twilight smiled. "I will come up with something, Spike. Meantime, I just want you to avoid him, all right?"
"I will, Twi."
In a town the size of Ponyville, this was much easier said than done. After a few more days, Spike started venturing out on both errands and for exercise, not to mention a chance to steal time with Rarity. They did have a dinner scheduled for that weekend, and Spike wanted to be sure their plans were completely perfect and that nothing would disrupt them. At least, that was what he said, but Rarity saw right through that and was flattered by his attention, managing time to give him a few nuzzles on the sly, usually right behind his ear.
Nuzzles were, as Spike would attest to until the end of days, a very underrated form of affection, and Rarity's were even more perfect than he had ever dreamed of them being. Her gentle rubbing on his neck and her warm breath in his ear rendered him incapable of thought, and when he'd returned the favor, she giggled like a tickled foal, reddening and giving him a wink. These were small shows of affection, but both of them liked the pace they had set for their relationship without having said a word about it. They did take short walks when Rarity took a break from her work, usually around the fountain, but sometimes across some of the bridges where they would stop halfway and talk as they watched the other ponies going about life in Ponyville.
But Brighthorn was watching them, too, and his hate for the little dragon grew deeper as the days went on.
Brighthorn didn't like other creatures, as Twilight had said. But even she didn't know the depth of it. He was contemptuous of all ponies beneath his class, and his dislike for other creatures was far beyond so simple a term. He loathed them and if he had his say in it, such creatures would not be banished from Equestria... he wanted something more permanent. Normally, irrational hatred like his was a result of ignorance and often boiled over into outbursts, but Brighthorn was different: he was intelligent and cunning, with a charisma and outward rationale that drew the ear. He could make ponies listen with a smooth, calm voice that lent itself to reason, and them unable to sense the venom he was actually feeding them. He had ruined many ponies he felt offended him through his deceptions and subterfuge, and to see a beast so far beneath him wandering the streets as if it BELONGED there....
He had tried, to no avail, to start a motion to have it banished after its first assault on the town, but he was met with a forgiving community that left him seething with an even greater hatred for the wyrm. He decided to withdraw from that fiasco, biding his time and waiting for another incident to occur, and his patience was rewarded. Due to the fact that most ponies were in a panic or ran at the first sight of the dragon clone, Brighthorn found that it was quite simple to get the information he wanted from the pegasi that had been trying to distract it, and after they flew off, the only witnesses were the six marefriends and the terrified pegasus that had nearly been stamped on. Afterwards, he listened to the gossip of the town and started to seed his poisoned stories among them, feeding the spark of distrust and fear. He was aided in the fact that the gentle hearts of the marefriends kept them from believing that the town would stand against the wyrm, as it had saved the town from its clone, but with the right lies told the right way, the opinion was swaying that it had been two battle maddened dragons fighting, not one protecting its home. He was winning the minds of some, and by the time Twilight realized how much damage he had actually done, he had enough ponies on his side that arguing with him would have been difficult. He had also cajoled a number of ponies with sway in the town with offers of influence and subtle threats of withdrawl of the same.
Spike was fixing a bouquet of violets for Rarity, varying heights by color and texture while he was walking when he was suddenly shoved into an alley by what seemed a strong nudge. Spike stumbled into the shadow and was about to apologize when he saw the white pelt and magenta mane that was unmistakably Brighthhorn.
"Oh. my." The unicorn said, looking at the strew of flowers on the ground. "Such a shame.... here, let me help you... " He stamped the flowers into the ground and flecked the mud onto Spike.
"There..." Brighthorn said softly. "Mud from a wyrm. Should she expect anything else?"
Spike looked at his gift to Rarity, then to Brighthorn, a rage building inside him that was tempered only by Brighthorn's next words.
"Go ahead, wyrm. Strike me with those filthy claws of yours. See what will happen to your friends when you do."
Brighthorn clopped Spike with his left hoof.
"You won't, will you? Come now."
Spike was clopped again, right across the jaw and turned toward Brighthorn. He was hurt, and his claws shone, but deep within he felt if he gave in...
Another clop across his jaw.
"That's what I thought." He looked at the hoof that had struck Spike with disgust.
"Humpfh" He sneered. "I shall have to have this hoof cleaned thoroughly. I can feel your filth on it."
Spike's thoughts were a whirl. He wanted so badly to strike out, but then he saw Twilight in his mind's eye, and Rarity, Applejack… all his friends. He knew why Twilight had wanted him to avoid this pony.
"That's right, wyrm." Brighthorn's eyes, the same color as his mane, narrowed as he looked down at Spike. "I got you right where I want you. It's taken a while, but now…" He pushed Spike against the wall, and that was the closest Spike came to tearing into him, but his will was faltering.
"I've seen you, wyrm. Walking the streets like you belong here. Like you're a part of this town. It makes me sick to think that you're allowed to even be here, much less without a muzzle on you."
Spike's thoughts were a jumble. He knew he had a great strength within him, but what would happen if he used it? He might end up doing more than hurting the pony, and what he was saying about him. He looked away, trying to straighten out his thoughts.
Brighthorn sneered again at the capitulation. "The great dragon…" He mocked, feeling his superiority over the small creature. "Crawl home like the worm you really are. You're filthy. Here. let me help clean you up."
He spat on Spike and turned on a contemptuous heel. "Be seeing you." And he left the alley.
Spike sat there for a while, staring at the ruins of his bouquet. His stomach was churning sourly and he felt tears of impotent rage building inside, along with another feeling that made him want to retch. It was a new feeling, and it was quite an unsettling one.
He had been embarrassed before, but that was a feeling that could be gotten over and even laughed at later. But this emotion made him want to cry.
It was humiliation, and Spike, who had saved Ponyville from a monstrous version of himself, had no idea how to stand against an arrogant pony who had destroyed his gift, spoke to him as if he were a stray, mangy dog, and had spat on him.
And the worst part was, he knew he couldn't tell anypony about it.
He ate very little at dinner that night and told Twilight it was because he was nervous about his upcoming date with Rarity. He managed to keep up enough of a front that she believed it, and she didn't notice how little he slept that night, even snuggled up next to him.
Author's Note
Wow. Didn't realize how hard it was going to be to write the bullying scene. I hope everyone who liked DragonWrath will enjoy this story, though its chapters are a going to be a bit further apart than the whole ensemble that the first one was. (Work, work, work)
