Dragon Scars

Spike’s eyes were wide as he ran, his pony sister running close behind him as they traversed deeper and deeper into the Everfree Forest, a bit of blood dripping from the open wound on his arm. His shirt was a tattered mess, ripped open from the front, revealing the scars on his chest, and his jeans fared no better, being mangled and torn below the knees, making them look like a strange pair of shorts, showing the many scars on his legs as well. Neither one looked back as they ran, both fearing that their pursuers would close in on them if they did. They only let themselves catch their breath once they reached a clearing within the Forest.

“I think…” Twilight began, panting hard. “We gave them the slip. For now, at least.”

The clothes of the purple unicorn were also a mess, but weren’t as destroyed as her adopted brother’s. Her shirt had a few tears and rips in it, but nothing too detrimental. Her skirt was torn from the knee, up, making it look like a fancy skirt, rather than a traditional frilly and flowy skirt that she normally wore. Her mane - a dark magenta color, with a purple and pink stripe running through it - which was usually well kept and ran straight down her back, now looked like she had a fight with her pillow and lost badly, and her eyes were red and puffy, indicating that she’s been crying for hours for what was to come. Even her normally pristine lavender coat was dirty and frayed in places.

Spike silently placed a comforting hand on his big sister’s shoulder and smiled sadly, a few tears escaping from his eyes. “We both know this is the best option for us. I’m able to get away, and you won’t be in any trouble with Princess Celestia.” He told her, wincing at her name. He knew he wouldn’t be able to heal the scars the ruler of Equestria dealt to him, physical, mental, or emotional, but, he didn’t care, so long as he was able to escape the torturous hell that was his current life.

Twilight nodded and pulled him into one final hug, nodding silently. “I know. I send you through a portal to an alternate world where Celestia is kind and benevolent to all creatures, after you set fire to the surrounding area. When Celestia’s guard comes to find me, I tell them that you turned against me, and I had to kill you to save my own life.” She replied, choking on ‘kill you’, a few fresh tears escaping her eyes once again.

After a few more seconds, Spike backed up and looked at his sister, drinking in her looks as if to remember her. He knew she was doing the same, wanting to remember his light green spines, running from the top of his head, down to the spade tip of his tail, his purple scales, which shined brightly along the back of his wings whenever he flew around to carry her from place to place. His lime green scales which ran from his chest and along the underside of his tail, and his piercing emerald green eyes, which always seemed to radiate care and love for her.

Taking one last quick glance at her, Spike sucked in a deep breath and nodded to Twilight, who began charging her magic. Channeling his flame sack to mix the liquid into his lungs, he blew a furious flame, which quickly engulfed the trees and plants around him, taking great care that nont of the flames he blew hit his sister. Once he deemed the surrounding area to be sufficiently alight, he halted his fire breath and gave one last smile to Twilight before she cast the teleport spell on him. As the magic swirled around him, Spike heard Twilight speak her last words to him.

“Goodbye, Spike. I love you.”

*****

Spike hated nightmares. They were a constant in his life, and they only served to deepen the scars within his mind. And it was always the same exact nightmare.

Spike lay at the hooves of Celestia’s throne, battered and bruised, unable to move his limbs as he stared up at the frighteningly beautiful goddess. And her loose white dress only served to make her seem more godly to him, especially with her multicolored mane and tail which always seemed to flow on invisible currents. Her fingernails were pristinely maintained and polished, and the gold jewelry and horseshoes she wore always shined in her sun.

“You are lucky my faithful student speaks so highly of you, beast.” Celestia spat out at him. “Otherwise I would kill you here and now. However, you’re only living on borrowed time and luck, and one day, your luck will run out. And I will be there to kill you myself when it happens.”

A guard walked up to the ruler calmly, his armor glinting as he saluted to her before leaning in and whispering into her ear. Celestia nodded and looked down at Spike disdainfully. “Be glad I am leaving on another hunting trip today, little salamander, for I am cutting our time together short, but when I return, it will be that much longer.” She informed him as she stood up. “I will make every last dragon pay for letting one of their own rape me so long ago.” She growled out, kicking him in the stomach before leaving through a secret hallway behind her throne.

***

Spike groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He could hear faint voices around him, growing in volume until he could make out what they were saying to each other.

“....make any sense. Dragon’s are supposed to have scales as tough as armor, so why does this one have so many scars.” A voice that sounded like Twilight asked.

“Well, it says here that if a dragon is young enough, very powerful magic can harm a dragon’s scales, but they gain a natural resistance to it the older they get.” A new voice replied. Spike mentally amended that if one knew how to bypass the natural resistance, than they could harm any dragon, no matter their age.

“Forget the scars, look at his clothes! They’re simply garish!” Another voice called out in a fanciful tone.
“Ah kinda have ta agree with ya on this one, Rares.” A voice with a southern drawl replied. “It looks like he done lost a fight with a pack o’ timberwolves.”

“Hey, you have to admit, the scars are kind of cool. It shows how tough he is.” A tomboyish tough girl voice added in.

“Ooh! Maybe he’s running away from somepony.” A somewhat high pitched voice guessed in a hyper manner. Rather accurate guess. Spike thought to himself.

Giving out a stiff groan, he slowly opened his eyes to see who the owners of the seven voices were. He was surprised when he saw Twilight, the other five element bearers, and a new mare all staring right back at him, and he felt like he might start crying right then and there.

“T-Twilight?”