The Draconic Twins: Combat is Magical

Spine leapt out of the way as Ace shot several more icicles at her. This is the third time this week they've dueled, properly, and he had yet to let her get close enough to do anything to him since that first match where she showed she had the ability to summon her flames without going into a berserker-like rage, unlike when she first unlocked it three years ago now.

"Come on, Ace! Thought you were a Griffon of pride!" Spine taunted, smashing her flaming fist into one of the blades of flying ice, melting and shattering it as she did.

"Fuck off, brat! My fur STILL smells like charcoal from the first time!" He countered, flapping his wings again and sending another volley at her, even though he was starting to grow weary as his mana reserves began to run dry and his wings began to show signs of frostbite. An unfortunate side effect of using too much ice magic without a way to reheat himself.

Spine, as she had the last two times, leapt through the volley, effortlessly dodging through the deadly ice spears as she snuffed her magic out. Her draconic heritage gave her an innate resistance to fire magic, but if she used her fires for too long she would feel drained and her scales would be blackened from the exertion. That, and she wanted to save as much as she could so she could take him on when he finally came down at her with those annoying ice daggers of his.

With an annoyed squawk, he dove at her with his claws, coating them in ice this time to fight her claw to claw. The change in tactic caught Spine off guard at first, letting him land a hit in her stomach and knocking her up into the air. His domain.

'SHIT!' Spine thought, as she quickly summoned her fires to fight him as best she could. Ace leapt up after her and maneuvered around to slam both his icey fists into her back, sending her cratering back to the ground and diving at her prone form.

The sharp rapping of a bell caught them off guard.

Ace stopped just short of breaking the rules Far Sight had set down, flapping back a few paces and letting his ice, which had littered the field with how much he tried to pin Spine with icicles, melt away. Spine, for her part, rolled over with a groan, her back and stomach hurting her the most as she tried to get up, only to wince and gasp in shock as she felt a few scales crack and fall off from her gut. Luckily, she was shedding anyways so the fact they fell off was more from that than anything else. The cracking, however, was unfortunate, and unexpected, as she had intended to sell her entire first molt to a local blacksmith for a few extra bits.

She carefully gathered up her discarded scales with a defeated sigh and began making her way to the exit of the arena. As she left, she recalled that she had asked for a day off to go see her family later that day, and smiled widely.

"Wow, you were great!" Spike had his hands thrown into the air above himself. "You were all, bcoaw, roar!" He brought down his hands in a badly phantomed dive, his claws displayed. "And he was all, "No way, fwooosh!" He wiggled his fingers in an attempt to emulate coldness. "That was amazing!"

Spine chuckled and hugged her little brother still smiling as she did, “Yeah, well… When you spend a few years fighting with a griff, they tend to pick up on your quirks and techniques. Remember that, little bro.”

"Griffons learn your moves if you shove them off, got it," Spike took notes in a little pad, showing he'd learned far more from Twilight of the three siblings he had to select from. "Still, that was great! The way you were all jumping around like that. Didn't you get dizzy?!"

"Of course she wouldn't." There was Far Sight, joining them. "Your sister's a special case."

"Huh?"

"She's your twin, ain't she?"

"Well, yeah?" Spike rubbed behind his head, looking baffled.

Spine gently hit his shoulder with a laugh, “Well that’s what makes the three of us special, Spike. Twilight is a master of the arcane arts, Far Sight is still refining my fighting techniques, and you’re learning from the best of both worlds, right?”

"I'm doing my best." Spike brought his hands together in a little boyish clap. "I'm not that good though. You're, uh, I hate to keep saying it, but amazing!"

"She's an old soul," advised Far Sight. "What? Don't look at me like that. You wear it on your sleeve in the open, don't be surprised when an old hand notices."

"Sorry…" Spike inclined his head faintly. "What's that?"

Spine’s smile faded a little as she turned to Far, then to Spike and said, “I died in my old world. Twilight saved me from what comes after and brought me here, either on accident or on purpose, I don’t really know. But when someone says I act older than I look, just know that they’re right about it, and have a good laugh by joking with them, eh?”

That actually catches Far by surprise. "Huh, I more meant you were… I go for the reincarnation route, but didn't, uh, think it counted other worlds."

Spike was left even more gobsmacked. "Woah, my sister's from another world?! Neat!" He threw up his hands, easily sliding into deciding it was entirely a cool thing. "What's it like?!"

She looked to Far Sight with a knowing look before turning back to Spike, “It’s… A hard world. No magic, everyone’s always fighting, and ki- hurting others… It’s a bad world, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the bad place when you die here. It’s really not a place you want to go to at all.”

Far Sight brought down a vast hand onto Spine's shoulder. "It's easy to look back and say it's all good or all bad. Either way, that isn't here and now. Speaking of that, there are a few things you got wrong, and I bet you could name a few if I give you a chance." He grinned, eagerly awaiting her reply.

She cocked an eyebrow, then recalled her old teacher and smiled warmly, “Yeah… There is one person I knew back there that was fairly nice… His name was Gwang Gi and he owned a kickboxing school. I would always come to him when things were rough, or when my boyfriend at the time decided to break up with me from over the phone, a long range device used to talk and message others. Anyway, he was always there for me, whether it was a day or two apart, or even a few months in between, he always had a shoulder for me to cry on.”

Far Sight gently flicked his student right across the nose. "Glad to hear you've got some good memories in there, but I asked you a question."

"She didn't mess up anything!" enthusiastically cried Spike. "It was all woosh bkaw!" He pantomimed the fight as best he could, looking quite happy about it.

She giggled and nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I got pretty cocky, thinking Ace would still be the bullock he is and come at me with his old ice daggers. Not only that, I could’ve avoided more of the ice if I had used the earlier ones for cover rather than as ramps to land a few cheeky blows. Add to that, the fact that I’m shedding some of my scales right now, and I really shouldn’t have egged him on in the first place, right, teach?”

"That's a start," he rumbled. "But you're learning, and that's what it's all about. When things get serious, it can be hard to take a moment to really think about things." He pointed, one finger at either dragon. "That goes for either of you. You fighting for your life, it's hard to think 'how could I do that better?', why you gotta do it whenever you can."

"Woah." Spike busily scribbled more notes. That day was so educational! "Are you going to be my teacher like my sister?"

Far bellowed in laughter. "Little one, your talents do not fall in mine. You have a bright future, but it won't be these hands that shape it." He grabbed Spike by the sides and lifted him up with a squeak, tossing Spike right up into the air to catch a moment later, the little boy laughing with joy at the exploits.

Spine giggled at their antics before leaping up onto Far Sight’s head. “Hey, Far Sight, much as I love hearing little Spike laugh, we should probably get going. Mom, Dad, and sis are probably worried with sis being more worried about the schedule than anything else.”

Far gently let Spike slide to the ground. "Very well. As much as I delight in tormenting Spike--" He did not look tormented. "--I dare not risk the ire of that mare." Not that she had shown any hint of posing any real threat to him. "See you later. Good spar."

“Thanks, teach. I’ll be back tomorrow, right?!” Spine called out as she and Spike hurriedly ran off to find their parents.

Far waved at them for the brief moment before he was gone, apparently not arguing her claim, and soon out of earshot if not sight entirely. None stood between the scampering dragon youth and the freedom of outside. "I'm still amazed they let you learn here," noted Spike. "Don't you get scared?"

“On occasion, yeah… I do sometimes get scared that I’ll fail when you guys need me most…” Spine said as she told him her deepest fear for now.

"As if!" He waved the idea away like the nonsense he saw it as. "My sister's got a super old soul!" He was oblivious to how that sounded. "She can take on anything!"

Spine hit his shoulder, scowling faintly. “Rule one of talking to females, no calling them old.”

Spike blinked as he drew out his pad to make a note of the sage advice. "No… calling… mares old…" Sure, not quite right for a dragon, not that he knew the word for a female dragon. "You gonna show off your moves to Shining? I bet he'd love to see 'em!"

“Snrk! Shining Armor? The stallion that’s a master of shield magic? Nah, I’d never be able to touch that colt,” Spine said with a faint smile, even as she ran right into said stallion.

"Looks like you just did," came the good natured tone of the great stallion, smiling down at his little dragon siblings. "What are you two talking about down there? Mom thought I should check in on you."

"We're not late," complained Spike with a little pout. "I was just watching her fight, and she's great at it, like you are!" He pointed up at him as if accusing him of some wrong.

Spine snickered as she shoved Spike playfully, “Oh hush, you! Spike was saying I could take you on, Shining.”

Shining let out an equine snort. "You and Twilight both, huh? All my sisters dream of beating me some day." He buffed his chest with the flat of a hoof. "But you're going to have to train twice as hard to even have a chance."

Spike stuck out his tongue as the smug Shining Armor. "Mom said being sure of something is how you mess up. Actually, didn't your teacher mention that too?"

Shining shot Spike a sour look, but getting physical with Spike wasn't something he was about to do. "It ain't bein' overconfident when you know it's true," he huffed out.

Spine nodded in agreement as she said, "Indeed. I at least know that it won't be for a few years, at best, before I can beat you as you are now. But by then, you'll have gotten stronger as well, so it would've been pointless for me to train for how you currently are."

Spike rubbed behind his head with building confusion, his fingers working in the air as if working quiet mathematics. "So if you… and then… um…" He looked to his sister. "So how do you catch up?!"

"Simple. You train for how he will be, not how he is. Same thing for archery, lead your target," was her reply. "That aside, how's Twiggles? Last I heard she almost blew up another alchemy lab…"

Shining inclined his head. "Oh, you didn't hear? She's learning up a storm. She and that Moon Dancer filly won the science fair."

"She's been nuts about that," mused Spike, nodding vigorously. "Her study on the different, what was it, 'frequencies of creature magic' really turned heads."

Spine smiled warmly as she continued walking with her brothers. "Sounds like she's doing better now than back then. At least she didn't blow up the gymnasium this time, right?" Spine laughed merrily at the memory of that first fair, which Twilight had immediately been banned from using anything even REMOTELY explosive in her future projects after managing to get a little bit of sodium and water to somehow turn an entire gym black.

Shining shook his head. "We all have our moments, but she bounced back and then some. I'm really proud of her." He reached out and planted a hoof on Spine's head even as they moved. "Just like I'm proud of you. You're doing great, I hear."

"Yeah, well… Wasn't until earlier this week I learned how to tap into my magic without needing to be suicidally pissed off… Remind me to thank Bluey for that tip later, would ya Spike?" She said as she looked between her two brothers, their family just a few blocks away by this point.

Spike tilted his head, only to brighten into a big smile. "Oh, right! Blueblood! His butler came by with a big stack of comics for you." He spread his hands really wide to demonstrate. "I mighta read a few. You don't mind, right?"

Spine smiled and shook her head. "Nah. I don't mind! Hey, how is Mom and Dad doing…? I know I don't come home as often as I could…"

"Do I hear a little dragon," came Velvet's sing-song from the direction of further in the house, hoofsteps carrying her closer. "There you two are!" She spread out her hooves to accept the presence of her two dragon children.

Spine and Spike both smiled widely and ran into Velvet's open hooves. Twilight smiled faintly at seeing her family get together for another day while Spine gushed about how her training was progressing. Spike, in turn, kept trying to exaggerate how well she was in the sparring match, while Spine kept talking it back down, even going so far as to downplay how well it went.

"I wouldn't believe it," whispered Shining, not so well, to his dad, Night Light. "If she wasn't doing well, you know he'd send her packing."

Night nodded, though with less certainty. "That would be a little mean." Not a very stalwart hearted soul, he instead smiled at his gathered family. "But I am glad everypony's all together! Such a rare treat, and right on schedule."

Twilight clapped her book closed, drawing Spike's attention, and a raised eyebrow from Spine. "And if we plan to stay on schedule we should probably get going, right? Besides, it's been too long since me and my lsbff got to play together!"

Spine snorted as she tried to avoid laughing at how silly Twilight was being, and only just barely managed to succeed before retorting, "How'd the first science fair go again?" To which Twilight shot a weak beam of magic at Spine, who just stood there as the magic washed over her.

Spike crossed his arms. "Hey, no fair. Those zaps sting. How'd you do that?!"

Spine winked at him in response and was about to answer when Twilight interjected, “It’s because of how she hatched… Remember that story of how I got accepted into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns? Well… As it turns out, she was the only one that wasn’t affected-”

“I was, just not to the level of everypony else in there.”

“-So that likely has something to do with it.”

Spike scratched at a cheek. "Huh, still not fair." Despite that, he dashed off to partake of games, ready to have a good time with the rest of the family.

Velvet came in with a big tray that wafted with tasty food, setting it near the center of things where anyone who wanted some could get at it. "Let the games begin!" she hooted, almost bouncing in place.

Spine smiled evilly as she picked up the one game that every family hated to see back on Earth… Monopoly. Twilight had the best money management, seconded by Night Light, but the one that everyone really needed to worry about, was Velvet, who was the most aggressive, and Spine, who was notorious for trading up from nothing.

Despite the various strong personalities at play, the family time was filled with laughter and calls as especially bad, or good, moves were made. The family bond was strong enough to survive a competitive board game, and the end of the session came with the one pony nobody expected with a smug grin on his face. "Finally." Long had he waited for that day.

Twilight inclined her head. "Wow… Good going, Shinie!"

“Can’t believe he turned my trade around on me like that!” Spine said with a hearty laugh.

Spike, who had been designated as the banker, smiled widely at his big brother.

Night Light looked over a spreadsheet with a thoughtful mumble. "Oh! Yes, if we want to be on time, we should be going now."

Velvet skewed an ear. "Already? My, how time flies." She rose to her hooves, turning as she did so. "I hope you're all ready for a treat for the senses!"

Spine cocked an eyebrow as she looked over to Twilight and Spike, both of whom were smiling in eagerness. “Um… How so…?”

Twilight sprang into the air, hooves pedalling a moment. "It's one of the magic times of year, why everypony got time off at the same time!" she exclaimed, bounding along with the others.

Spine hummed in thought, trying to figure it out when Spike decided to spill the beans, and rather loudly too. "IT'S HEARTHSWARMING EVE!"

Spine flinched away from her brother before fixing him with a slight glare as she said, "Don't yell in someone's ear, Spike. And what's so special about Hearthswarming?"

"What's so special?!" asked every single creature there, the entire family.

"The songs," started Twilight.

"The gifts," continued Spike.

"The regularly scheduled time together!" added Night Light with a solemn nod.

Velvet smirked faintly. "All fine things, but the best is throwing away the old. The entire city transforms, look!" She threw a hoof wide for Spine to behold the city, transformed for the holiday.

Spine's eyes went wide as she watched ponies, nobles and commoners alike, get together and sing various songs, help put up decorations and other Christmas time things. "It's a Christmas miracle… How have I never noticed this…?" was all Spine could say as she watched one noble who had slung insults at her earlier that week for not being a pony walk with a Griffon and an older dragon down the street, laughing and singing.

"Well you are a bit too focused on fighting, sis," came Spike's reply, a big smile on his face despite the snarkiness of it.

Twilight nodded firmly. "Even I have to put aside my study for days as special as this."

"Which we're going to miss if we don't get a move on." Night Light hurried his family along towards a gathering at a plaza, all number of creatures there of all varieties. "The show starts in…" His eyes scanned for a clock. "We have exactly enough time for one round of refreshments. Go!"

"Popcorn," eagerly shouted Spike, hand waving wildly.

Spine smiled widely as she held up a hand, and also shouted, "Popcorn too, please!"

Shining raised his hoof, "I'll take some punch."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Silly, that's not a snack."

"He didn't say snack. The punch here refreshes me every time. Check and mate."

Twilight scrunched her face, caught. "I'll take an oatdog."

Spine cocked an eyebrow at the pony pun, snickered briefly, then locked her smile down with a face full of popcorn while Shining sipped on his drink while looking away from his little sister to avoid laughing at her. Last time he did that, his mane turned to kelp.

The entire family had their snacks and drinks, and the crowd began to quiet as a pony strode onto the field. "Long ago, before there was an Equestria," she began narrating, and that was enough. Hooves pounded, hands clapped. It was time to see the quintessential holiday performance of Equestria.

Hours later, Spine was carrying Spike on her back, a small smile on her face as she followed her family back home. "This was fun… Um… I should probably explain that thing I said earlier… About Christmas…?"

Spike looked perplexed at the idea. "Never heard of it."

"Nor I," joined Twilight. "Something… more?" her attempt at using linguistics, failing entirely.

"Back on Earth there's this holiday called Christmas… My memories of it are fuzzy, slept since the last one I had, but everything that's happened today? It's like one big holiday movie- er… play. Everything that's gone on is the thing of fiction on Earth… folks putting aside grudges and hatreds and just… coming together…? Only time something like this happened was during a very dark time in their history, a time when the entire world was at war…" Spine shook her head to banish the ancient thoughts. "Sorry, long story short, I was surprised to see that the holiday was actually special here, and not just some marketing ploy to sell toys."

Night Light shook his head as he played vanguard for the family through the crowd. "Sounds like a Hearthswarming Tale, from the view of all the creatures enjoying it. Having a festive winter holiday must just be a universal thing."

"I thought you were still on the fence about that," nettled Velvet. "Now you believe her?"

"This is not a holiday for arguing," he countered with a serene smile. "And it's time to get home, enjoy some hot cocoa, and sing songs until we get tired."

Spine smiled faintly, "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like fun! Anypony mind if I dip off to Bluey's later? I wanted to get him something earlier but didn't know enough about the holiday."