Author's Note
Quick note, I've put this image here because I was originally intending to use it as the cover image but due to technical difficulties I wasn't able to make it happen, so I decided the next best thing was to include it in the chapter until (hopefully) I can use it for the cover image.
Prologue
Sludge hung his head in shame, after everything he and Spike had been through that day he had begun to regret more and more that he had lied about being his father just for the sake of comfort, which is why he now felt sick to his stomach upon seeing Spike's emotional turmoil after he decided to confess his lie. "So... you mean you're not my father? You just... you lied so that you didn't have to live in a cave or something?" Spike was on the brink of tears.
Sludge nodded and said "Yes Spike, please believe me when I say that I wish I hadn't done that, it was selfish, lazy and I didn't give a seconds thought to your feelings because I figured... well, you can't exactly miss what you never had, the only reason I wanted to stay was because for the first time I felt what it was like to have soft pillows and duvets, somewhere warm to sleep at night, an abundance of food and... I guess it just all went to my head. Can you ever forgive me? I'll even go back to the dragon lands if you want, even though doing all that stuff with you was really fun despite not being your dad, I'd like to at least be able to say I was your friend if you can accept my apology"
Spike thought it over, Sludge did sound very sincere in his apology and even though Sludge wasn't his dad, he had still been willing to do all that fun stuff with him, plus it was nice having another guy dragon around so he could talk about guy dragon stuff. Spike said "OK Sludge, I accept your apology. However... I think I'd like you to stay, instead of going back to the dragon lands why don't you just live in the castle?"