Chapters Spike sighed dejectedly as he trudged through the thick vegetation in the Everfree. It had been little over half an our since he ran away after trying to frame Owlicious. "Could this day get any worse?" he wondered aloud. That was a bad idea, because suddenly he tripped, and fell face first into a puddle of mud.
And if that weren't bad enough it started pouring. Not raining, pouring. Spike was soaked in a matter of seconds, even though the tops of the trees stopped as much rain from getting in. "Great!" he exclaimed, "Just great!" He picked himself up, and brushed off some of the mud.
He started to walk again, careful this time. The storm was terrifyingly strong, and drained Spike of his energy as he went on. He knew that if he couldn't find some shelter he would be finished. Just as his vision started to fade he pushed through the vegetation, and into a small clearing.
On the other end of the clearing was a rock wall, and the opening to a cave. He quickly walked over there, and collapsed. "Finally shelter." he said as he started to black out. What he didn't see, though, was a large green dragon inhabiting the cave.
"Spike!" Twilight called, "Spike!" It had been about a half hour since Spike had run off. She and Applejack were following his trail of ketchup footprints.
"Spike! Can y'all hear us?" Applejack called out. Twilight let out a sigh.
"I hope he's okay." she said.
"Ah'm sure he'll be-" Applejack was cut off by the sound of thunder. Suddenly rain started pouring down, pelting Twilight, and Applejack. "Quick we need ta find shelter!" Applejack said.
"But-" Twilight tried protesting.
"No buts." said Applejack, "We need ta get out of this storm."
"But, Spike." Twilight said. Applejack softened.
"Ah know you're worried 'bout Spike, but right now we need ta get out of this storm. Ah'm sure he'll be fine." Applejack told her.
"I- You're right. We'll look for him after the storm has passed." agreed Twilight.
"Let's get under there." Applejack said, pointing at the hollowed base of a tree. Twilight nodded, and followed her under the makeshift shelter.
"I just really hope he's okay." said Twilight.
"Me too." Applejack said.
--
Spike awoke to warmth, and the sound of rain. "Twilight." he said, thinking he was still in the library. Suddenly all of the memories of the day came rushing back to him, and his eyes shot open. He found himself laying in front of a fire. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. Suddenly he heard someone shifting.
"I see you are awake." a deep voice said. Spike turned around, and froze when he saw a giant green dragon.
"W-Who are you?" he stuttered.
"I am Reginald. Who might you be hatchling,?" the green dragon asked him.
"My name's Spike." Spike told him.
"And what reason did you have for being out in such weather?" Reginald asked him. Spike looked down at his feet.
"I... I ran away." he admitted. This seemed to pique Reginald's interest.
"Ran away? From what?" he asked.
"It's a long story." Spike told him.
"I have time." he said.
"Alright then. It all started a while ago." Spike started.
--
Twilight woke up with a jolt. She looked around her, and found that she was in her library. Was that all just a dream? She wondered. "Spike!" she called out, but instead of Spike coming up the stairs it was Applejack. "Applejack! What happened?" she asked.
"Don't y'all remember? We went searching for Spike, and got caught up in this big storm. You fell asleep so I brought you back here." Applejack told her.
"B-But what about Spike?" she asked. Applejack just sadly shook her head. Tears started to form in Twilight's eyes.
"Ah couldn't find him. We'll have ta search some more tomorrow." Applejack told her.
"B-But." Twilight choked out. Applejack shook her head again.
"Ah'm sorry sugarcube, but there ain't nothin we can do right now." Applejack told her. Twilight let tears roll down her face as she cried. Applejack was unable to do more than to lend a comforting hoof around Twilight. "Don't worry." she told Twilight, "We'll find him." They stayed like that until Twilight had finally cried herself to sleep. Applejack gently set her down, and walked off towards her own home.
--
"I see now." Reginald said, "You ran away because you were not appreciated."
"Yeah." Spike said.
"But I can sense great potential in you." Reginald told him. Spike perked up.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, but you shall have to have a teacher to learn how to harness such potential." Reginald told him, "I shall teach you."
"Really?" Spike asked, excited.
"Yes. But for now you must rest. Eat, then get some sleep." Reginald said, laying some gems in front of him.
"Alright!" Spike exclaimed before diving head first into the gems. Reginald let out a chuckle as he watched Spike. Soon enough the pile was demolished.
"Sleep now hatchling, for we start training in the morning." Reginald told him.
"Alright." Spike said, a little drowsy already.
"Goodnight." Reginald said as Spike drifted off to sleep. That night Spike had a dream. He dreamed of himself as a fully grown dragon with wings, soaring wherever he wanted to, and making other dragons cower in fear. Little did he know that this was a prelude.
He woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed. He stood up, and stretched himself. He saw that Reginald was still asleep, so he decided to have a little breakfast. Choosing a particularly tasty looking sapphire he sat down, and nibbled on it. When he was done he grabbed another gem.
He continued to do this until he heard Reginald waking up. He turned to see the dragon throw some gems into his mouth, and chew. When he was finished he turned to Spike, and spoke, "I see you are already awake. If you have already eaten breakfast we shall begin your training."
"Alright. Now start by telling me everything you know about dragons." Reginald told him.
"Everything?" Spike asked.
"Everything." he said.
"Well, uh..." Spike said as he tried to remember something, anything, he could use. Some small fact that he'd read or something. To his dismay he found he knew absolutely nothing about dragons. "I got nothing." he said.
"Nothing?" asked Reginald.
"Nothing." he said. Reginald let out a sigh.
"Very well. I suppose I shall start at the basics." he said, "Do you know what types of dragons there are at least?"
"No." Spike told him.
"I'm quite surprised, especially with what type of dragon you are." Reginald commented.
"What? What type of dragon am I?" Spike asked.
"I'll explain in a second. First there are fire dragons. They are red, and have the ability to control fire." Reginald explained.
"Wait. I thought all dragons could do that." Spike said.
"All dragons can use flames, but only fire dragons can control them." Reginald told him.
"So what type of dragon are you?" Spike asked.
"I'm getting there." he said. "The next type of dragon is the frost dragon. They're white, and are able to control the cold." he continued.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
"Frost dragons have the ability to control the cold, and can breath a flame so cold it can freeze almost anything." Reginald told him.
"Wow." Spike said.
"That brings us to our next dragon the earth dragon they're brown. These are probably the second strongest dragon physically next to the fire dragon. They are able to control the earth around them." Reginald said.
"Cool. So how many types are there anyways?" Spike asked.
"6 in all." Reginald answered, "That brings me to nature dragons they're green. That is what I am. We have the ability to control nature. For example." He flicked his claw, and suddenly a bunch of vines came into the cave, and wrapped around eachother til they formed a perfect copy of Spike.
"That's amazing." Spike said.
"Yes, but the only drawback is that most of us have to have nature to use our powers." Reginald told him.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked him.
"You see, most nature dragons use the power of nature itself. There was a forest outside, so I used it's power, but if I was in a place with no nature, say a desert, I wouldn't be able to use my powers." he explained, "But some very talented, and powerful nature dragons can create their own nature, and use it."
"Wow. That's awesome." Spike said.
"Well that brings me to the second rarest dragon type. The yellow electric dragons." Reginald said, "They have the ability to control lightning itself, but like nature dragons, if they're powerful enough, they can create their own lightning."
"I never knew dragons were so amazing." Spike said.
"Yes, we are something aren't we. An ancient race of powerful beings." Reginald said, "And that brings me to the rarest, and possibly the most powerful, dragon of all. Purple dragons, like you, are magical dragons." Spike's jaw dropped.
"M-Magical dragons?" he asked.
"Yes. Dragons like you are considered to be probably the strongest type of dragon there is, because they can use magic." Reginald told him. Spike's head was reeling from this revelation.
"Y-You mean I'm one of the most powerful types of dragon?" he asked.
"Yes." Reginald told him.
"Wow. I never knew." Spike said.
"Sadly I don't know much about magic dragons, but I do know a few spells you can learn." Reginald told him.
"Really?" he asked, excited.
"Yes." Reginald told him, "There's a basic transportation spell, and I know you have the ability to give yourself wings at will." Spike eyes widened.
"Really?!" he asked, "Can I really give myself wings?!" Reginald nodded.
"Yes, but that will have to wait. First we must train you physically." Reginald told him.
"What do you mean?" he managed to get out before he was tackled. He looked up to see the clone of himself standing where he'd just been.
"Never let your guard down." Reginald told him.
"What was that for?" Spike asked when he could breathe again.
"Like I told you we have to train you physically first." Reginald said, "Now try to dodge this time." With that the clone charged at him again.
--
Spike was sore all over. He'd never imagine that training would be this tough. And even worse he'd have to go through it again. Reginald had left a little while ago. Something about hunting, though Spike couldn't understand why. They had plenty of gems right there. Soon he heard the loud footsteps of Reginald.
Spike turned to see Reginald with two fish impaled on his claws. "Woah. What's with the fish?" Spike asked.
"They're for you to eat." Reginald told him.
"What?!" he said.
"You need nutrients that gems cannot give to you." Reginald told him.
"Yeah, but do I really have to?" he asked.
"Yes, or would you prefer manticore instead?" Reginald told him.
"No thanks I'm good." he said quickly. Reginald quickly roasted them with his breath, and gave them to Spike, who hesitantly took a bite out of one. As he chewed he was surprised how good it was. He quickly finished the first fish, and then went for the second. In a matter of minutes all that was left were fish bones. Reginald let out a chuckle.
"So you like it?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Spike said.
"Don't worry, you'll soon learn to hunt." Reginald told him, "For now just get some rest."
Six months. It had been six months since Reginald took Spike in, and started training him. Spike had changed over these past six months. He had become a foot taller, and now had a stockier build from all the training he had been given. He had also mastered a few spells. He was now able to give himself wings, and could teleport objects, and himself.
Reginald had also helped him adapt his magic for combat. Right now Reginald was standing at the entrance of the cave, gazing towards the sky. "Come, look." he told Spike, "Today is a special day." Spike got up, and walked over to his side. He looked up into the air to see many dragons flying in one direction.
"What's so special about it?" he asked.
"Because there is a fight to see who will be the dragon heir." Reginald told him.
"Dragon heir?" Spike asked.
"Every five years a contest is held between young dragons to see who will be the successor to the dragon king." Reginald told him.
"D-Dragon king?!" Spike asked.
"Yes. If you are able to keep that title until the present dragon king dies you shall inherit the throne." Reginald explained.
"What? But why?" Spike asked.
"It's hard to explain." Reginald said.
"Oh. Okay." Spike said, falling silent. After a few moments he asked, "Are we going too?" Reginald shook his head.
"No. We must train you." he said, "But in another five years you should be able to enter the contest yourself."
"Okay." Spike said, dejectedly.
"Don't worry Spike, a contest is held every year to choose participants for the other one. This one divides you up into groups by what type of dragon you are, and then whichever ones come out on top are trained by the best teachers in the kingdom." Reginald said, making Spike perk up again.
"Really?!" he asked.
"Yes." Reginald said, "I'll train you for another one and a half years, and then you shall enter. If you win you shall be taught even stronger magic. But I guess I can take you to watch."
"Awesome!" he said.
"You ready to go?" Reginald asked.
"You bet!" he said.
--
It had been six months since Spike disappeared. Six long months. At first everypony had formed a search party to look for Spike, but as the days went on, and turned to weeks ponies lost hope, and stopped searching. Even her friends had given up hope. She had finally been forced to stop searching.
Not a day didn't go by she didn't think of her dragon assistant. Some nights she would even cry herself to sleep. She may be unable to search any more, but that didn't mean she'd given up hope yet. She still retained that small spark of hope that she'd been nourishing for so long. Today was the dragon migration, and Twilight, and her friends were going to watch it.
She heard a knock at her door, and she opened it to find an excited Rainbow Dash. "Hey Twi, you got everything ready?" she asked. Twilight nodded. She refrained from calling out Spike's name, a habit she'd broken, and levitated a bag over to herself.
"I'm ready." she said. She then followed Dash out of her library, and to a dug out trench where her friends, except for Fluttershy, were waiting wearing camouflage.
"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie called out.
"Hey Pinkie." Twilight said.
"To be honest I'm surprised you came. Especially after you know." Rarity said, making Applejack hit her.
"Don't talk 'bout that." Applejack told her.
"No. It's fine." Twilight said.
"You sure?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah." she said.
"Alright sugarcube if you're sure." Applejack said.
"So where are all the dragons anyways?" Dash asked.
"We probably got here early." Twilight told her. A good thing too. She didn't want to miss a second. If there was even a remote chance of finding Spike then she'd take it. Just then they heard a roar, and looked to their left. In the sky were dozens, even hundreds of dragons of all colors.
"Wow." everyone but Twilight said. She was too busy the whole time, looking for Spike, to admire the migration. Finally after an hour, and hundred of dragons the migration ended.
"That was awesome." Rainbow Dash said. Twilight didn't say anything. She couldn't. Her last hope at finding Spike had been crushed. Just as she was on the verge of tears though she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She looked up to see two dragons flying a little ways away from the others. One green the other purple.
Was that? Could it really be? Was that Spike? Twilight was almost 100 percent positive. Though he'd changed she could tell that was Spike. Without any warning Twilight suddenly galloped off after them, ignoring the cries of her friends. She had to see him again. She just had to.
