My Mother ( Rewrite)by Dragonfan101Chapters1: An Unexpected Reunion2: Bonding With Mom3: The Dragon Village4: Exploring The Lands5: The Hatching Grounds6: Seeing A Friend7: A Special Place8: Recovery9: Primal Rage10: The Choice1: An Unexpected ReunionSpike had been walking through the forest for a bit at this point, he had been traveling to the Dragon Lands to see this Migration that he's heard about, while Twilight and the other's wanted to come too, he had to go alone since the dragons don't take it too well with ponies entering they're territory, so he had to go it alone. So what was Spike doing right now? Simple. He was heading to the Dragon Lands to see a special Migration that's happening today. Where dozens of dragons will be going to meet at one spot, while Spike doesn't know much more about it since his time around Dragons has been extremely small, giving him not much to learn about, he's still very eager to see what he'll find there, and hopes it'll be a good time that doesn't get him into something that's too extreme. Spike was pretty interested with what he's gonna learn about the dragons at the Migration, he hasn't learned much about them at all, but has only heard about how they act like brutes from others, but Spike was wanting to hold out and believe that there's a strong culture to his kind. But while he was excited to go to to this by himself and see the what it holds, there was something he was hoping would happen while he was there. He was hoping he'd find his parents, his real parents. While Twilight and her family have been a great family don't get him wrong, he still wasn't sure about how he can accept not having real birth parents, or how his egg even ended up with Twilight. There was never a clear answer given, and that kinda made Spike an orphan, because he's pretty sure the dragons would see him as an orphan if he didn't know his parents, and it may cause concern for him. But Spike just didn't know what happened, and that's what he's hoping to know when he's there, while Twilight and the other's are a great family, he was always worrying if he'd never meet his birth parents, or go through something that would define him as his own person, other then just a Number One Assistant. He just hopes that whatever he finds here, will help him into further understanding of what happened. As for Spike right now, he was finally on the border's of the Dragon Lands, he could tell already, there was smoke filling the sky and was starting to block out the sunlight a bit, the grassy green forest area he was walking through was giving away to a rocky, rough looking area with dozens of mountains and volcanos far in the distance, and at the very edge of it all, he could see dozens of Dragons flying around or simply going about, they all were here for the migration, and it made Spike curious on what he's gonna be seeing. "So these are the Dragon Lands? They're.. in a rougher shape then i thought.." Spike told himself while making his way down to the completely new place, a place that's far different from the home he's used too. Spike looked around the place for quite a bit, he was making sure he wouldn't upset any of the dragons since they may not be friendly, but while he was doing that, he also was trying to take in what he was seeing. There were tons of Dragons of different shapes, sizes, and color's. Some were able to breath more then just the typical green fire he can, and some could breath purple or yellow fire, while Spike thought it would be because it was inheritance, Spike also noticed they had specific gems alongside them too, while gems are a delicious treat to them, it also could help with how they're fire color is used, like how Spike's fire breath is always green after all the emeralds he eats, or it could be both who knows. "Wow.. so many.." Spike said in awe looking around still, a lot of these dragons did look pretty large, tough and imposing, like a real serious threat if you'd mess with them, it was quite a lot to see for the first time, it really let him see the difference from the ponies, and it made him wanna stay away from them to not cause any trouble. But as if fate was laughing at him, he accidently bumped into another large dragon when he wasn't looking. Spike stumbled the ground and tried to quickly get back up, but the dragon quickly turned around and looked really angry, but he didn't see Spike yet from the looks of it. "Hey! Watch where your going!!" The dragon yelled in a booming voice which already scarred Spike, not even 5 minutes in these lands, and he may have just gotten into trouble with a resident. "S.. Sorry!!" Spike said already shivering from fear, the Dragon looked around trying to find his voice, since it looked like he didn't see him, but after a quick realization, the dragon looked down to where Spike was, and his anger quickly turned to concern seeing Spike was shaking in fear. "O.. oh my.. i.. i am so sorry about that. I thought you were so much larger, i didn't think you were a child! Please forgive me little one." The dragon apologized with a regretful tone, Spike's fear was soon calming down since the dragon looked honest, and sincere. "It's.. it's okay.. sorry about that too, i was just.. lost in my thoughts.." Spike said rubbing his head, the dragon offered his claw up to help him up just to help this some more. "Are you okay hatchling? What are you doing out here like this? It's not exactly the best place for a hatchling to be out by himself right now... or most of the time honestly.." He said helping Spike up while he quickly tried thinking of an explanation. "I'm.. fine.. i was just too curious to see what was happening here, this is really the Dragon Migration?" Spike asked looking over the land where dozens of dragons were going around. "Yeah, this is the place, but that doesn't answer my other question. Why are you here? Alone. Where is.. your mother or father?" he asked looking around for any dragon that looked like him, Spike was starting to feel a little sad being asked that, he can't say that he was raised by Twilight, it would just make him more concerned, so Spike had to try his way around it. "I.. don't.. have.. parents.. i was.. raised alone for most of my life.." Spike admitted which made him look really really shocked to hear that. "What?! How can you have been raised alone?! No parent should abandon there child! Ever!" He said quickly putting Spike near him for protection. which was confusing a bit. " How were you able to make it on your own hatchling? No offense, but your a bit.. too weak looking to have survived being alone possibly.." He said hesitantly looking at Spike's small body, which was a bit true. "I.. i managed to find a safe haven where i can take care of myself in the forest nearby. I was a pretty smart one when by myself, and i was able to adapt and survive during my time there.." Spike said already regretting he had to lie like that, but hopefully it won't cause concern if he knew about the ponies? "You.. you were out on your own?.. Without a parent, guide.. or friend to help?" He asked looking down in his eyes, Spike felt a bit sad being asked that even more, while he had Twilight and the others, he never had his real parents, and wasn't able to fully experience being a dragon. "No.. i.. didn't have anyone, i don't think i was abandoned without reason, i think my parents did it for something that may protect me, but i don't know for sure.. i was.. hoping that this place could help me find my mother or father.. and maybe i could finally get some answers about what happened." Spike said looking around at the dragons too. The Dragon looked regretful for him, why shouldn't he honestly? Even if he just met Spike, he's still a mere child to them, and a child being raised alone would be something that's pretty sad. "May i also ask, how did you hear about the Migration? I don't think any hatchling who was on his own could just hear about it right?" The Dragon asked bringing him to a small spot where no dragons were at right now, so they could have more privacy. "I saw a bunch of Dragons heading in this direction just today, and i was able to hear something about the Dragon Migration from some of the smaller ones. It caught my interest, and i was hoping i could find my parents by coming here.." Spike said trying to come up with an excuse, he hated lying, it was something he never wanted to do, but he had to for this little moment, and hopefully never again. The Dragon took a moment to process that since it looked like something new he's dealing with, but he also looks like he has some ideas on what to do. "So.. your out here.. on your own? Without.. any proper way to find your parents?" He asked again looking down at him. "Uh.. yes.." Spike admitted a bit nervous still. "Child.. if your alright with it, i'm willing to help you find her, no child should ever be without a parent, it is a cruel world to not know who your family even is." He offered which surprised Spike since this just came out of the blue. "Really?! Your wanting to help me?!" Spike asked really shocked about his sudden offer. "Of course child, i'm not one to let other's who are so small like you suffer alone, you deserve to have someone besides you while your here at least." He explained which made Spike feel really grateful. "T.. thank you! May i ask what your name is?" Spike asked not being told it yet. "Right, forgive me. My name is Nathen, and what is yours hatchling?" Nathen introduced looking down at him. "I'm.. i'm Spike, nice to meet you.." Spike said as Nathen kept him close for safety. "It's nice to meet you two Spike, please come with me, i know a few places where we can possibly find your mother." Nathen said moving along with Spike following closely behind. "Lead the way Nathen." Spike said already feeling pretty glad to know him, compared to the other mean looking dragons, he looked like a much kinder one, and it made him a bit interesting. Spike proceeded to follow Nathen through the Dragon Lands closely, looking around the place, it was barely anything like Canterlot or Ponyville at all, there was no grass to be seen, there were lava rivers that flowed through most of the land into hot springs that some dragons were relaxing in, and volcanos and mountains were mainly the only things in sight, there was no buildings, castles, or even small houses for living in, all except from some caves being seen in the distance, which must be some of these dragons homes. While Spike followed Nathen, he got a good look at him, Nathen was really tall, around 15 feet to be exact. He had dark blue scales with light blue spines on his back that went down to his tail which looked like his own a bit, his eyes were a cyan blue that looked like a glowing gem when it could be seen, and he did have visible scars on him that may have been from multiple fights, seeing a full sized dragon like him just made Spike wonder what he's gonna be like when he ends up around his age. But while Spike was thinking to himself, Spike decided to ask Nathen to learn a bit more about who he is. "So.. Nathen? May i ask.. what do you usually do around here?" Spike asked wondering what his life was like. "Well.. there's not much i can really describe, i'm a few hundred years old at his point, i mainly live around the hot spring areas of the Dragon Lands because it's one of the best spots. I often go out to collect multiple gems from caves and coves, i like to rest a lot within the hot springs themselves, because they're SO relaxing. And I mainly just like to fly around these lands, admiring what.. little there is to see here, i sometimes go out of the borders to just think to myself, there's just a lot to think about life and you need time to process it." Nathen explained continuing to walk beside him which was really interesting. "Yeah, there's always moments where you'll just think about what your doing, and wonder if it's what you wanna do for the rest of your life, or go beyond it and get even better. That's a question i've been wondering to myself for a while now too." Spike said understanding this already. "Really? That's quite the knowledge for a hatchling as young as you." Nathen said interested as most hatchlings don't understand that thing at such a young age. "Yeah well i'm a bit smarter when having to be on my own for a while.. but do you have any other people to talk to? Any family you go to see?" Spike asked more curious, but that question made him flinch a little being asked that. "I.. mainly like to live alone, i don't really have many to talk with, i wasn't much one to try and interact after.. an incident earlier in my life, it's nothing to be concerned about right now. But i just mainly like to be by myself at times, just wondering what my position in life is.." Nathen said looking down a bit which was concerning Spike, he obviously had something in his past that wasn't the best memory, but he decided to leave it alone for now, and continue on to something else. "That's.. really interesting to know, i can understand one wants they're alone time..." Spike said still feeling regret for this little lie he just did, but he shouldn't focus on it too much right now. As the two made they're way through the lands, Spike was starting to feel a little worried that they may not find his mother and father, or just one of them. While Spike wanted to learn a bit more about his kind, this may be his only chance he has to find them. Soon enough though, Nathen led Spike to what looks like a hatching ground, and Spike could tell it already. There were dozens of small dragons around the place, playing with whatever they thought was a toy, and there were dozens of large dragonesses watching over them with smiles, meaning they're the hatchlings mothers obviously. "Here we are Spike, this is the Hatching Grounds, tons of mothers bring they're eggs here for hatching, and when they do hatch, they often return here to have them play a bit and try to bond with other small dragons. It may not be the best place for bonding, but it's something at least." Nathen explained while Spike looked on with a growing sadness. Seeing the hatchlings playing around with they're mothers, having them nuzzle and hold them close, it was a true sign of motherly affection, and while Twilight and her family often did the same, it just didn't hit as hard when seeing this, he never got to really feel a kind of love from his birth parents, and it just made him wish that more and more. "Spike, are you okay?" Nathen asked seeing his sad expression. "I'm.. alright Nathen, i just never really got this kind of feeling before, the feeling of a mother and son, it makes me both glad these hatchlings have they're mothers, but also makes me sad if i never meet her.." Spike said feeling more sad seeing this. "Hey, it'll be okay, she or your father must be around here somewhere. Let's take a look." Nathen said coming down to the ground with Spike. "Let's hope we can find them." Spike said looking around for any dragon that may look like him. There were what Spike could count right now, hundreds of dragonesses around the place, and they all came in various shapes and sizes. Some were a lot smaller but had longer windy body's, and some looked like they were from different environments, like icy mountains, or tropical forests. This Migration must spread far and wide if various dragon types can show up here, but they just didn't look like him. The two of them searched around for about half an hour at this point, and they were finding anything yet, and it was making Spike feel more sad. "Nathen, are you sure we may find her around here? I don't see a dragon that looks like me.." Spike asked with a sad expression not seeing someone like him. "Don't worry Spike, these things take time. We'll find her, we just have to be patient." Nathen said in a calm tone which made Spike let up a bit. "Right, just have to be patient." Spike repeated while walking with him still. The two continued walking through the place a bit more, seeing whatever dragoness they could find. But they soon came upon a group of dragonesses talking with eachother, they all looked like they were talking about how they would raise they're child if they had one, and it made them both curious and maybe they knew if they saw a dragon like Spike. With them both thinking this, the two walked over to the group hoping they knew something. "Um, excuse me ladies, have you seen a dragon that looks like this hatchling?" Nathen asked which got they're attention. They all turned to him and saw both him and Spike beside eachother, they all quickly looked concerned being asked that. "I don't think we have, but aren't you his parent?" A white dragoness asked looking at them. "Um.. no.. i'm just helping this hatchling around. He's.. without a proper parent right now." Nathen admitted which shocked them all. "You don't have a parent?!" They all asked at once instantly moving around him which surprised them both. "Um.. yes.. i've been.. on my own for a bit now.." Spike said nervously while they all looked concerned. "Oh you poor thing, how could you be alone for so long?" The white dragon asked picking him up suddenly, Spike looked around the 4 dragons and saw they're concerns. "Why would you be out on your own like this? You should have a parent with you at all times hatchling." Another said taking him next, and this dragon looked strangely like Rarity for some reason. "How could a cute little thing like you be left alone like this?" A red and orange dragoness asked taking him next, they all didn't seem to mind trading some time for him strangely. "It's a crime something special like you are so alone, perhaps a little adoption is on order.." The Cyan dragoness said rubbing his head which was making Spike a bit nervous. Spike quickly looked back at Nathen and made a mouth movement to help him which Nathen quickly agreed to. "It's okay girls, i'm just helping this hatchling find his mom. I was just helping him around." Nathen said quickly taking him back which made them a bit disappointed, but they could understand it. "It's a honorable thing for someone to help a child like this, that's very unique of you." The white one said slyly at him. "Your a strong one already from what i can tell, i already like you." The cyan one said with a sly face too which did make Nathen a bit nervous. "Um.. thank you ladies, but we were just hoping if you had a hint, sorry for bothering your time." Nathen said putting Spike back down. "Oh it's no trouble, in fact, this is quite interesting. Hold on a minute.." The white and purple one said getting a closer inspection of him, she took a small look at his scale and eye color, and she seemed to recognize it somehow. "I think i did see a dragon with your scale and eye color actually." She declared which made them surprised but hopeful. "Really?! Do you know where she is?" Spike asked hoping she knew, she put a finger on her chin to think about it for a quick second. "I think i saw her near that area, she was looking pretty sad, and didn't have an egg on her." She said pointing in a specific direction, and she also sounded like Rarity, which makes Spike think that either Rarity used a spell to become a dragon somehow, or that this is just something really convenient. "Thank you so much ladies. We'd best see if it's her. Come on Spike." Nathen said bringing Spike to him and starting to walk off again. "Thank you so much!" Spike shouted to the dragons who smiled slyly at him. "If you don't find her hatchling, just know we'll be happy to take you in if you need someone, and we'd be VERY glad to do so." The red and orange one said sweetly which made Spike chuckle nervously a bit. "Uh.. thanks! I'll be glad to let you know!" Spike said quickly leaving with Nathen while the girls chuckled at his little expression. After that little talk, it gave them one small hint to see if Spike's mother is here, even if they couldn't find his father, his mother can be just as important. The two went in the direction quickly, it gave them a small hope to see if it's her, and if not.. who knows what may happen? "Hey.. Nathen.. i just wanna thank you for helping me with this, i didn't think there would be someone willing to help me like this.." Spike said looking up at him who smiled hearing that. "Your welcome Spike, i wasn't just gonna let a hatchling be alone, whether he has a parent or not. Heck, if anything, if we don't find them, i'll be happy to adopt you. I have plenty of space in my cave that i can make something to your liking, if we don't find her, i think i'll adopt you." Nathen said honestly which made Spike more surprised. "Really? You'd.. adopt me if we.. don't find her?" Spike asked shocked at his sudden offer, but Spike would be glad to be taken in by him with how nice he is. "Of course Spike, but that's IF we don't find her, there's still a chance. Come on, i think we're almost there." Nathen said looking ahead while Spike was just feeling amazed. The two continued through a bit longer until they came upon a large open area, but unlike most of the area's they went through, there was a smaller number of dragonesses around here, while they did have a child with them, some didn't, and were looking a bit sad. It made Spike feel sad for them too if they didn't have a child yet, but it made him hope they would get one of they're own one day. The two of them looked around some more to try and find one that looks like Spike. "Do you see her anywhere?" Spike asked looking as far as he could, Nathen looked around a bit to the right until he saw something, or rather, someone. Just a bit off in the distance, he could see what looked like a large purple dragoness that's a bit bigger then him, she had a purple spine with a scale color that looks like Spike's, and she had a wingspan that was larger then her own body, and she also had a light pink underbelly and had emerald green eyes.. "Spike.. i think.. i see her.." Nathen said pointing in her direction, Spike looked over to that direction too and looked shocked seeing her, she was looking into a small pond looking at herself, she looked really sad and alone, like she had no one with her, it made them both sad to see this, and maybe it could be her.. "I.. think that is.. let's see if it is her.." Spike said hopefully, the two of them quickly made they're way down to her to see if it's true. It was a small hope, but something that could be true. After a bit more walking, they made they're way to the dragoness who hadn't noticed them yet, and Nathen decided to step up first while Spike went behind him. "Um.. Ma'am, are you okay?" Nathen asked concerned for her, this finally got her attention as her earfins perked up a bit, she turned to his direction and looked a bit surprised seeing him, but just sighed in response. "No.. not really, i'm not really in the mood for a talk right now.." She said turning back to the pond, she was clearly upset about something, but they wanted to help her. "I can see your upset ma'am, but i don't wanna just leave you alone like this, can you please tell me what's wrong?" Nathen asked wanting to help her, she looked at him again and clearly saw he wasn't wanting to leave without help, it was a nobel thing to do, and it made her interested. "I'm.. just out here trying to find my child.. it was taken from me years ago when i wasn't able to save it.. i had hoped that he would find his way to freedom.. and try and find his way home.." She explained which worried the two of them, but it gave Spike a little hint to what could've happened to his egg.. "What did this egg look like ma'am? I know it's rude to ask, but maybe i could help with it." Nathen asked again wanting a bit more detail. "It was small egg, it was purple with darker purple spots. It was the most valuable treasure i could ever have.." She explained holding out her claws, like she was trying to hold something that wasn't there in them, that made Spike looked more surprised, as that description sounded like the very egg he hatched from. "I'm.. really sorry to hear that, it must be hard.. i know how that is.." Nathen said regretfully which made her interested a bit more. "You do?" She asked looking at him who was just thinking about it too. "Y.. Yes, but i'd rather not talk about it right now. I have something that i think could interest you.." Nathen said looking to his side where Spike was hiding. "And what would that be?" She asked curiously, Nathen looked at Spike and used his tail to bring Spike in front of her, he and Spike both looked hopeful thinking this could be her, so they gave it a shot. The dragoness took her sight to Spike almost instantly, and her eyes widened immediately on seeing him, she took a very close look at him. Spike had very similar scale colors to her, the green eyes.. tail.. and that spine shape reminded her of someone she once knew.. "Who.. might you be little one?" She asked leaning down to him, Spike was getting more nervous seeing her, there was something in his gut telling him this may be her.. "I'm.. Spike.. it's nice to meet you.. are you.. feeling okay?" Spike asked concerned for her, she didn't take her eyesight off him for one second, Nathen moved out of the way a bit and hoped this would be it. "I'm.. alright.. but.. where are you from little one?" She asked again really interested with him. "I.. came here to try and find my parents.. i was raised on my own after i hatched, i didn't know why i was left alone. But when i saw the dragons heading this way, i was hoping i could find them.." Spike explained which really surprised her, how could a hatchling like him survive on his own? Even if it was true or not, that little explanation made her realize something. "Your.. an orphan? You don't have your father.. or mother with you?" She asked laying down to keep this talk up and Spike didn't want it to end either. "No.. i don't.. i mean Nathen was willing to adopt me if we didn't find my parents.. but we wanted to see if we could find them.." Spike said looking over to him which made the dragoness feel more concerned. Suddenly out of nowhere, the dragoness went a bit closer to him, seemingly too close and he felt some air move around him, was she.. smelling him? But after that little sniff, that made her look really surprised after the fact. "Could.. it be..?" She thought to herself while looking at him. "Um.. are you okay?" Spike asked while she was still shocked until she regained focus. "Child.. do you.. know your scent? One of best ways for a child to find they're mother or father.. is if they have the same scent.." She asked which made him confused. "Scent?" Spike asked before taking a sniff of himself, he had bathed recently so he didn't smell bad at all, but it's really meaning something else. After looking at her, he slowly came in and took a small sniff of her two, and realized something.. "We.. have the same scent?!" Spike thought with huge shock realizing this. The two both looked at eachother with huge surprise after this.. and it may mean one thing.. "Child.. what.. was your egg like? What color was it?" She asked wanting one last answer. "It was.. purple.. with.. darker purple spots.." Spike answered truthfully which made her look even more shocked, and Nathen looked extremely surprised, but also was feeling relief in realizing something. "It's her.." Nathen thought to himself as the two looked at eachother with shock. "S.. S.. son?" She asked starting to have tears in her eyes. "M... Mother?" Spike asked tearing up as well, not even a second later, Spike suddenly found himself scooped up in her claws and was being nuzzled all over. "It's you!.. It's really you! My son! My precious hatchling!" She said in pure joy while crying a waterfall. "Mother.. it's really you! I never thought.. i'd be able to meet you!!" Spike said giving her a strong hug while she held him close. "Son.. my.. Flamestar.." She said keeping him to her chest while Nathen smiled lovingly seeing this, he was actually able to help find her, and he felt pure joy seeing them like this. After a few more minutes, the two stopped hugging so they can speak to eachother. "Mom.. it's really you.. like.. really you?" Spike asked completely amazed at this. "It is.. it's me.. i know it is.." She said forming a loving smile on her. "But.. if it's you.. then.. where's.. my father?" Spike asked not seeing another dragon that looked like her, her earfins went down and she had a look of sadness being asked that. "He's.. no longer with us.. he passed away from an illness that he couldn't recover from.. you.. were the only thing i had from him.. and now.. i finally have you back.." She said sadly which made Spike look sad knowing this, but at least this means she has something back. "What's your name.. mother?" Spike asked not knowing it yet. "My name is Skystar my son.. and while i already have a name for you, what do you like to call yourself?" Skystar asked curiously. "My name is Spike.. Is.. Flamestar.. my birthname?" Spike asked wondering what it meant. "Of course.. it was a beautiful name.. for a beautiful child.." Skystar said rubbing his head which made him tear up even more. "I love that name.. you can call me either one.. i love them both.." Spike said hugging her chest again while she didn't let him go. She soon turned back to Nathen who was smiling at seeing this, and her smile turned to a one of gratitude. "Thank you so much for all of this sir, i haven't met a drake like you in a long time.. i don't know how i could repay this.." Skystar said gratefully while he walked up to her. "It was my pleasure ma'am, and please, my name is Nathen. You don't need to repay anything, I was just glad to help you two reunite. Especially seeing this touching scene.." Nathen said looking at them both. "Nathen, thank you for all of this.. i really owe you for this.." Spike said gratefully too while he smiled at that. "It was my pleasure Spike, just know, if you two ever need some help, or someone to talk too, i'll be glad to spend time with you both. I'll always be there if Spike needs someone to take care of him." Nathen said looking at Skystar who smiled even more hearing this. "If there's any drake i'll be willing to put my son's hands in, it's you. I may have met you just now, but i can already see a great person in you." Skystar said looking in his eyes which made him a bit nervous, but also more proud of himself. "Thank you for this Skystar. I'll leave you two alone, if you ever need to find me, i'll be near the hotsprings, i'll be easy to find." Nathen said backing up from them a bit before he spread out his wings. "Thank you for this Nathen, i promise we'll see you again soon." Spike said holding onto his mother who held him too. "I know we will Spike, see you soon." Nathen said before he took off into the air at extremely fast speeds, they both watched him fly off until he was gone, which left the two alone finally. After a few moments of silence, Skystar turned to Spike who was wondering what to do next. "Son.. would you like to come to my cave? Would you like to come home with me? And be my child once again?" Skystar asked hoping he would say yes, and it was a pretty obvious answer. "Of course i will mom! Nothing would make me happier then to be with you again!" Spike said not a second later, and she smiled lovingly at him and kissed his forehead in response. "Thank you so much my hatchling, i promise i'll take care of you, you ready to go son?" Skystar asked holding him close while she was spreading her huge wings. "Of course mom, let's go." Spike said holding on tight, Skystar smiled even more. And with one quick motion, she took off into the sky's at extremely fast speeds even Rainbow Dash would be surprised by, Skystar headed into the far mountains in the distance, towards a village she lived in, the sun was setting at this point, since where she lived didn't have this smoky sky most of the Badlands have, and it's instead a place where a dragon can really settle down. Spike was already feeling tired after just a short time of flying, and was beginning to fall asleep which Skystar noticed. "Tired my child? You don't have to hide it, i think it's important you get some sleep." Skystar said holding him tight enough to not lose him, but also so she could help him be more comfy while Spike yawned shortly after. "I think some sleep is for the best.. i'll see you tomorrow.. right mom?" Spike asked hoping this wasn't a dream. "Of course you will, sleep well son, we have a lot of catching up to do." Skystar said rubbing his head which was making him more tired. "Good night mom.." Spike said finally falling asleep while she kept flying, but she wasn't loosening up a signal bit. "Good night my son.." Skystar said lovingly as she flied into the mountains far ahead while the sun was setting, and the night sky was beginning to show. Skystar held onto him tightly while she made her way back to her village, they will really be thrilled to know she found her son, she still couldn't believe it herself. After all these years, she finally found him.. or he found her to be exact. It was a feeling of joy she hasn't felt in so long, both to him, and to the drake that helped him, Nathen. Skystar had made it to her village just as the sun was gone, and the sky's were full of stars. She was pretty late making it back home compared to when she usually does, but it was more then worth it for what she has now.. Skystar carefully put Spike in her tail while she landed down in front of her cave, it was at the top of a high mountain above her village, where the residents were most likely asleep by now. Skystar made sure no one was here for a quick moment before entering her cave finally, and closing a door that was handmade that was large enough for her. Skystar's cave was full of pink crystals which illuminated the place, there were tons of gems within the walls, and dozens of rooms where she had different things to do here, her home was practically it's own crystal cave which made it just more amazing, she lived alone here for a long time, but now she won't have to anymore. After a little bit more walking, she soon went into her own room and made sure the door was closed, her kind has more civilized way's of living then compared to most dragons, and she was no different. She looked ahead and saw her enormous pile of gold and gems and a window at the top of the room with the moon shining through it, she was quite the collector in her prime, she always wanted to make sure her home would be the best it would be for her child.. and her former mate.. But she still had one thing with her now, her son. Skystar had went over to her pile and curled herself around them to make her comfy. She put Spike near her snout so he would be the first thing she sees when she wakes, to give her the hope that this isn't a dream either. "Good night my child.." Skystar said before kissing his head while Spike was fast asleep with a smile on his face. "I promise i won't lose you again..." Skystar told herself before going asleep herself while holding him close, she finally had her hatchling back, and was not wanting to lose him.. ever again.. Author's Note Hey guys i hope you liked this! This as the title implies is a rewrite of my first story, My Mother. It was the story i ever wrote, and while i felt great being able to finish it at the time, i wanted to make a rewrite of it to help show how far i've come as a writer. While the chapter's may not be as long as this, i'll try and do more to it, adding in more talks and interesting stuff with Spike's mom and Nathen, and making sure the Mane 6 are only in the story when necessary, because while they weren't in this first chapter like my last one, i felt like the chapter would be stronger if it focused on Spike's thoughts, and him finding his mom, so i just made that small cut. I've come a long way as a writer, and while i'm not the best writer ever, i'm just trying to write something that people like, i don't think i'll ever make a perfect story, i'm just glad that i am making story's that you enjoy and want to see more of. And i promise i'll make things the best they can be, i have plenty of ideas and have planned this story out ahead, so i hope you like what i have ahead for it , thank you all for reading this, and i hope you enjoyed it, i hope you look forward to more soon! 2: Bonding With MomSkystar had slept the night away with Spike without any trouble, with the comfort of eachother by their side, they didn't need to wake up at all, it was a perfect night between the two of them and they slept like rocks. Skystar still couldn't believe it, she had actually been reunited with her long lost child, a child she never thought she would see again after an.. incident that happened that caused her to lose him.. He looked so much like a hatchling still, but she already could see a bit of maturity in him, if he really was raised on his own, he learned really well during his time alone, not that she's wanting to let him be alone again.. ever. This was a feeling of pure joy and happiness she hadn't felt in years, since he was.. taken.. she barely had anything to do when it happened. She was mostly living alone in her crystal cave most of the time, and sometimes went out to try and process her grief. She had spent years trying to find him, and with no clue as to where her egg was.. she was almost giving up hope that she'd ever find her child.. But thank the Dragon Lords she held onto it, she hasn't felt so much joy and relief in a decade, the very feeling of her son by her side again, it let her finally have the chance she's always wanted, to be a parent. She had learned a ton of interesting things after he was taken, it was a way to try and find him and bring him home, it took years to learn all she knows, but with what she knows now, she won't be letting Spike out of her sight again. For Spike's thoughts on this matter while he slept, he couldn't be more happy either, what felt like a 1 in a million chance was something that payed off, by going alone and trying to learn more about the dragons as the migration. While he just wanted to learn more about his own kind since Equestria doesn't know much, he also was hoping for some chance of finding his family. And not only did he not only meet a kind dragon in Nathen who helped him through the place, but he also helped him find his mommy.. after all these years, he really found her. Even though she's holding back the details on what happened to him, he didn't mind it right now. All he wanted right now was to spend time with his mom, as much as she wants, and something tells him it's gonna be a LONG time. But while Spike was happy to be with his mom again, there was one thing he almost forgot about. Twilight. He said he would probably be back by the days' end, and now that he was found by his mom.. and taken back home that is really far from Ponyville, she and the other's will no doubt start to get worried. So Spike was worrying on how he can explain all of this, sending a letter may be out of the question since it may just cause more concern to them in wondering if she's his real mom or not, he's not sure if they can handle the fact that Spike found his real mother.. and may be wanting to stay with her... he just hoped that what comes in the future, he and the other's can accept it and find a way to be happy. And so the night had passed over the Badlands, the sun was starting to rise on the horizon of a view of the sea far off from the village, and the sun rays were reaching over the large dragon village that was surrounded by the mountains, some lights that were different colors were turning off after the sight, meaning the dragons were waking up, or just didn't want to be disturbed. And the same was no different for Skystar. The sun was rising to her window within her large room, while it was mostly full of gold and other treasures, there were things that looked like shelves and tables around too, ponies aren't the only one who live a civilized life style. The ray's were hitting Skystar's eyes finally and she grumbled as she was waking up. "Morning already?" Skystar asked herself opening her emerald green eyes, and what she was greeted with was a really cute sight. She saw her son was still in her tail, curled up and sleeping soundly, like nothing was wrong what so ever. The sight of him made her wake up instantly in both relief and surprise, it wasn't a dream after all. Skystar yawned a bit while beginning to stand up, while her son just stayed asleep, he's a heavier sleeper then her. But that didn't bother her one bit, in fact, it was adorable to her. It made her smile lovingly seeing him in her soft grasp, him finally being here is something she's wanted for so long.. "Good morning my child.. welcome to your new home.." Skystar told the sleeping Spike while rubbing his head, Spike only turned a little bit to try and sleep still, it made her chuckle a bit even more. While she wanted to bond more with him, she needed to let her child rest. So she decided to go out and make something to eat, while keeping him firmly in her tail for safety. Skystar went out of her room and walked through the crystal cave once again, she looked around and sighed at the sight she was greeted with every day, this cave was a unique place in the village, despite it being a popular choice for many of the dragons living here, she was given it after everyone learned what happened to her child, and they only wished the best for her after it happened, and hopefully she would find him again. And thankfully, she did. It would only be a few more steps until she went in to an area that looked like a kitchen, despite them not having as much resources as the ponies did, the dragons still had they're ways of handling they're way's of living, like having a proper way to have water flow into their homes, or ways to cook and make food. They were simple but small things that made things easier for them. Skystar went over to a large pot that was on a counter, and she knelt down below to see a small placement of wood to heat it up. But instead of using her breath to light it up, instead she brought her claw to it, and with a special motion, her claw lit up in a green fire that looks just like Spike's, and all she did to lit it was hovering it above the wood for a few seconds before it lit up to get some heat going, she then pulled away and put it out with a fist clench. This was one of the many things she could do with her fire, and she had interesting things to tell her son when he wants to learn more. And not wasting any more time, she started getting to work on making something to eat for them, to help them bond more and try and get used to this. Spike grumbled a bit as he was finally waking up, he was starting to smell something delightful after a little bit, and while the light of the sun could've waken him up, this smell did. "Wha?.. where.. am I?" Spike asked opening his eyes to adjust, but what he was greeted with was a bit surprising. He thought he would just wake up back in the Tree library he always did, ready to do more stuff out there today with Twilight like usual. But instead, he was greeted with a tail wrapped around him, and he looked up to see a large familiar figure cooking something.. "Mom? What are you doing?" Spike asked tiredly while waking up still, this got her attention quickly and she turned a bit and saw Spike was finally awake which made her happy. "Oh.. good morning my hatchling, did you sleep well?" Skystar asked bringing him to her for some more nuzzles, and Spike didn't mind it one bit. "I slept well mom, where are we? Is.. this your home?" Spike asked looking around the room, and was already amazed by the sight of the dozens of crystals in the walls and floors, it was like a new crystal cave to explore that was like the one he and Rarity did from time to time. "Yes it is my son, this is my home, or more accurately.. our home. I hope you like it son.." Skystar said putting him down finally, Spike took a moment to get back to walking after sleeping for a while, he looked around with amazement seeing the place he was in, it was like a perfect place for any dragon to want to live in, with tons of different furniture that was mainly made of well designed rocks and shapes, while it wasn't as amazing as Canterlot Castle, it was still a really amazing sight to see. "Wow.. this place is.. amazing mom.. you really live here?" Spike asked with awe turning back to her who chuckled a bit. "Of course my son, i've been wanting something that will help us live our best lives, i promise you'll love it here Flamestar." Skystar said rubbing his head a little again, and while that was sweet to hear. She did say it like she wanted to have him stay here, and while he was willing to do so to finally be raised by her, there was still an issue he had to figure out first, but that can wait till later. "I.. look forward to it mom.. so what are you making?" Spike asked looking at the pot which had something in it. "Oh that's just some toasted eggs and bacon, we have tons of food like this in the village, i've taken my own time learning how to cook." Skystar said turning back to the food which was almost done. "Wow.. that's really awesome to know.." Spike said still shocked which made her giggle even more. "You'll find there's more to me then meets the eye son, you can count on that." Skystar said putting the food on a plate that handled it well. But to Spike's shock, when Skystar went down to put the Green fire in the wood out, she somehow was able to absorb the fire into her hand! Spike had never seen any dragon be able to do that with they're fire before. "How.. how did you do that?!" Spike asked completely shocked with seeing that. "Just a special skill I've learned.." Skystar said proudly before leaning back up to him. "Come son, let's have our meal, and i think we should go to the village, they'd be thrilled to know i have you back.. finally.." Skystar said again while moving to a stone table, Spike didn't waste a second more and quickly went up to it too. Spike sat right next to her while they ate, and while Spike can eat by himself fine, Skystar was trying to feed it to him like a baby.. but to be fair.. this is the first time he's done this with her.. "Open wide son.." Skystar said holding more food, while Spike didn't want to spoon-fed like that, he compiled and opened up for it which made her giggle even more seeing it. "There you go.." Skystar said while she and Spike ate at their food together, while it was a bit of a weird way, it was still something none the less, and Spike was just interested in knowing more about her. The two ate like that for a bit longer, the food was really well done to say the least, while Spike doesn't eat meat, the bacon was actually really good, and it makes him wonder how well she can make other foods too, and if he can surprise her enough by cooking himself, maybe the two can have another thing in common and cook together. After that little meal, they both sighed in relief while she put the plates away, Spike was stuffed just from the meal alone, she knew how to make something, but he shouldn't let that thought cloud his questions, he still had some he wanted to ask. After finishing that little meal, she went back to him and picked up in with her claw again, she looked at him with a loving smile while Spike was smiling back, not even one day with her, and he's already feeling like he needs more time here, even if it worries Twilight. After that moment, the two walked around the cave together so Spike could know where to go, there was a few interesting rooms to list one, one of them looked like a library as well, there were dozens of books within that room on a bunch of shelves, there were red and purple carpets nicely made to add some decoration to it, and the next looked like a small bed room, and there was a little crib in the room with some more books besides it.. which meant one thing.. "Mom.. is this.. was this my room?" Spike asked while they walked into it, Skystar looked sad again being asked that, but she can't keep it from him. "Yes son.. this was.. your room when you were an egg, when you hatched I was gonna put you to sleep here every night, and sleep besides you for your safety. That was.. before you.. were taken.." Skystar said looking regretful, while Spike wanted to know WHO took him, this was not the best time to ask, and tried to comfort her. "Well.. if it makes you feel better, I think sleeping with you for a while will be best for both of us, we both need to spend more time with eachother, and i think that would be a great start." Spike said putting his claw on her arm to help her, she looked down at him a before smiling a bit once again. Her son was every bit of happiness she was needing right now. "Thank you my child, you'll be sleeping well with me every night, I promise you that." Skystar said in a protective tone, even if Spike was finding that tone a bit worrying, she just found him, and needs some time to relax more. "Thanks mommy.. I still can't believe i'm actually here.. with you.." Spike said while they were walking out of the room again. "Me neither son.. but i couldn't be more happy.." Skystar said once again as they kept walking. While Spike looked around the crystal cave and admired what he was seeing, there were other things he was wondering still, he wondered how this village he's in is, and what she mainly does in life.. and how she can.. control her fire like that. "Hey.. mom.. may I ask.. what do you mainly do around here? Even when I was.. gone.. I'm sure you did somethings interesting right?" Spike asked looking at her again who was a bit surprised to be asked that, but this will help build up they're trust, even if it's not the best answer. "To be honest son.. after you were taken.. I never really did much after that.. while before that, I was a skilled treasure collector and fighter, I was admired by a lot of dragons within this village, I was always there to help when they needed it, and it made me proud for who I am.. but once I lost you.. I just wasn't the same.." Skystar said looking down once again having some tears, it's a tough thing to talk about, but Spike wants to help her. "Mom.. what.. happened to you?" Spike asked coming up to hug her who quickly returned it. "I.. I fell into a primal rage... the feeling of loss.. grief.. sadness... and anger.. it was just.. far too much for me.." Skystar said looking at her claws while Spike was confused. "Primal Rage? What's.. that?" Spike asked worried hearing that. "It's.. a state where a dragon is in a uncontrollable rage, when a dragon loses something that is so valuable to them, so precious, something that they loved dearly.. it makes them fall into a state that makes them furious and nearly unstoppable , a state where they can't be reasoned with.. like a monster.. I wasn't any different.. after I lost you.. I fell into that state, and I.. almost destroyed the village as a result, I was only able to come back after our village elder used a spell that put me out of it. The only way to put a dragon out of they're primal rage state is to either defeat them in a fight, which is extremely hard to do. Or use a spell that can bypass they're emotions." Skystar said while she went to look out a window, Spike did too and could see the large village from just below them, and Spike was just worried to hear this. "What happened after that?" Spike asked worried about this still. "After I was restored.. the village did everything they could to help me, despite me almost destroying it.. they understood what happened, they were both sad to know you were taken, and also infuriated to know it too. Even before i found you yesterday, there were still dragons out there searching for you, even if they didn't recognize you as my son, they were willing to help me.. it was something that I would never forget.." Skystar finished wanting to move on from this topic, Spike felt really sad to hear that, even after meeting her, learning something like this is pretty sad to know. "I'm.. really sorry to hear that, I promise I won't let you fall into that state again.." Spike said giving her another hug once again. "Thank you my child.. thank you.." Skystar said hugging him once again. After that moment once again, the two started to walk through the place once again, Spike was interested to know that fact that dragons had such a state of rage, if they couldn't be stopped.. they could destroy an entire town, while Spike lost control of himself when he went crazy with greed, this was something different. It made him worry about what would happen if this sorta thing happened again. But one thing he was also interested it was his mom's ability's to control fire, he'd never seen a dragon be able to to do it and wondered what it was like. But before he could ask her that question, she asked him something else first. "Son.. I must ask.. how did you survive on your own? We're you really alone for all this time?" Skystar asked looking down at him, while Spike did hate having to lie like this, she may not approve of him being raised by ponies, or would let him give a full explanation if he did, so having to find something, he mainly decided to tell her how he felt not going without her for so long, even if he had someone like her. "I.. mainly did.. I wasn't really wanting to see what the other dragons are like, because I was just afraid of what they were like, I may not know much about my kind, but I have heard that they're well feared, strong, powerful, and menacing if you make them angry, and I.. didn't want to take that risk, even if it did give me an option of being adopted." Spike said really regretting this lie, he hated doing this so much, and Twilight would tell through a lie easily, but his mom seemed to believe it somehow, not because she's stupid, but concerned and worried for him. "Oh you poor thing.. i can't believe i wasn't able to find you sooner.. i should've done something to find you.. I could've told Torch on what happened, or asked for a way to track you down.. I just.. didn't know what to do, i was so lost in my grief and sadness, I couldn't think of a proper way to find you sooner.. if I found a way sooner.. you would've been here before you even hatched.." Skystar said with huge regret, this was really showing how hard it was for her losing him, and it was making Spike worry more on how Twilight and the other's would react to it. But there was one thing he needed to do right now, and that's give her the comfort she needs to feel better. "It's okay mom.. I know you were going through a tough time.. and I understand it, don't think this makes you a bad mother. You were just in a state where it was too much, and that does tons of bad things to others, but when you push through it, it shows that your far stronger then you think. And you still being here, it shows how strong you really are." Spike said rubbing her head a gain, and she smiled once again hearing that, it was a speech she really needed to hear. "I love you my son.. don't you ever forget that.." Skystar said looking in his eyes once again. "I love you too.. mom.." Spike said while the two of them had another moment. So after that moment, Spike decided to ask his question, seeing her absorb her own fire like that is so interesting, and it makes him wonder how she learned it. "So um.. mom.. think you can explain to me on how you were able to absorb your fire like that? I don't think i've ever heard of such a thing." Spike asked looking up at her who perked up hearing that. "Oh, that's an interesting story son, come with me." Skystar said moving along to the library with Spike following behind curious to know. The two went into a large open area that had tons of bookshelves all over the room, Spike could count at least 10 of them, it was impressive seeing a room hold these many books.. but then again.. he lives in a tree library. Skystar went over to a specific shelf to pick out a certain book, and after a few seconds, she pulled a strange emerald green one out. "I learned some special fire spells from this book." The Secrets Of The Flame" It was a special book i found during my time as a collector, and while i could've sold this thing for a really high price given how ancient it looks, i decided to see what it has for myself, and i do not regret seeing what it has." Skystar said showing him the cover, it had an emerald green color to it like the rest of the book, but there was a strange flame symbol on the center, that looked like an elemental symbol of fire, wherever she found this, it must've been an ancient place. "W.. what have you learned from this thing?" Spike asked amazed seeing it, Skystar simply flipped open the book to find a few things she learned. "Well, I did learn to manipulate my fire around me, and use it for more then fire breathing. I learned to bend it to my will, and use it to give me an advantage in fighting. I don't know who made this thing, but whoever did, he was a skilled dragon to learn it." Skystar said showing him a page that had a dragon moving the fire around in a circle by using his hands which was something amazing to see. "And I also learned to manipulate my fire in combat, and one of the moves I learned was being able to form my fire around me like a tornado, and I would spin around so fast the tornado would blow the opponent far away with a strong blast." Skystar said showing him another image of a dragon forming a tornado of fire around him, it kinda looked familiar somehow, he just can't declare what it is. "And the most recent one I learned was to absorb my fire back into me, after shooting a blast at an opponent, I can absorb it back, and it would form around me to create some extra layers of defense, it's a great move for self defense, and when your opponent try's to attack you, the fire will burst out from you and blast your opponent away. These are some of the most unique fire spells I've ever seen, and i've only learned 10 of them at this point." Skystar finished before closing the book while Spike was in pure shock to know this. "Do you.. think I'll be able to learn these cool things like this?" Spike asked already wanting to know some of this which made her chuckle a little. "Perhaps one day son. There's one thing you should know about these spells. You'll have to have grown your wings in order to have the fire strong enough to manipulate. I was lucky enough to have had my wings before I was even a teen, so since that's the case, you may grow yours by your next birthday or so. Even if the experience of growing them.. won't be that pleasant." Skystar said shuddering at how her process went. "I can't wait.." Spike said already feeling nervous about that thought, whatever she went through to get her wings, he'll most likely experience it the same way. "I got something to show you son, consider this a first lesson in controlling fire." Skystar said with a loving smile while she held out her claw. "And.. what would that be mom?" Spike asked eager to see what she was gonna do. She chuckled in response, and with a simple finger snap, a small bit of fire appeared in her claw which amazed him. "Whoa.." Spike said amazed looking at the perfect green flame in her claw. "Now for the best part son.." Skystar said as she went to one of the crystals on the wall which confused Spike a little. But his confusion turned into amazement from seeing what she did. With a special gesture, she somehow inserted the flame into the crystal, and turned it emerald green! And to top it all off, the green color somehow spread through the whole cave, lighting it up in a gorgeous emerald green color that made Spike's jaw drop in amazement, Skystar giggled again in seeing this, and the two looked around the cave which was now glowing bright green. "So.. what do you think son?" Skystar asked slyly looking at him, Spike barely had words to describe it.. but he tried his best with it. "It's.. completely.. radiant.." Spike answered which made her laugh seeing his cute face. "Oh I'm so glad to be showing you this son, and don't forget, your time will come too when you get your wings." Skystar said taking one of his hands while Spike regained focus. "They can't come any sooner.." Spike said walking through the place once again. And so, after that little lesson, Spike and his mom went through the halls again, and Skystar was getting the idea to head to the Dragon Village, it was still early in the morning by now, and a little air is something they all need right now. "Son, would you like to come to the village with me? I think it would be a great idea for you to see what our culture is like." Skystar offered which already excited him. "Are you kidding?! I'd love to see it! Whatever you have to show me mom, I'll be glad to come with you!" Spike said excitedly which made her really happy. "If that's the case, come along my son, the village will be glad to see that I've finally gotten my child back." Skystar said as they went to the door, Spike may have his worries about what happened with his egg all those years ago right now, as well as how he can explain this with Twilight, but he has a little idea on how to put her worries at ease. He just hopes that whatever he and his mother will be doing today, it'll be just another minute of them finally spending time together as mother and son.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter! I felt like i could make Skystar more interesting in this story by adding a few more things to her character, so i think her being able to control fire, as well as explaining that she went into a state of rage once he was taken would be a good start, that will be important later just to let you know, i have a few more things to add to her character, as well as Nathen, with what i know now i feel like i can do something cool with them, and help make things in the story make a bit more sense. Speaking of which, while i know Spike only went to the Dragon Lands to learn more about his kind, and not find his parents. I felt like adding this thing to his character would help, because while he is like 11 at this point, he's far smarter then most dragons and would understand more complex topics, and i'm sure he'd see some struggles with showing the others he's capable of being more then just an assistant. I just think adding these things will help the story flow and make things a bit better, even if it may not be part of the original episode with why he went, so i hope you can understand that. Thank you all for reading this chapter and look forward to more! 3: The Dragon VillageSpike had followed his mom to the exit of her cave, while this morning was already a lot for him, what Spike's in for next is something else, he still couldn't believe he's actually with his mother, his real mom. And she's really interesting to see with her fire magic, it made him just wonder what else she knows, and what she can do with it. After their little agreement, Skystar led the way out of her cave, which was pretty large and open, it was a place where one could get lost without proper knowledge of the layout, and Skystar knew every inch of it. After they're little walk, Skystar led them to the exit, which was a door that was finely decorated in gold and red colored wood, and she opened the door with a simple turn or the knob, and the door opened which greeted Spike with a light that blinded his vision for a moment. But once his vision came back, he saw his mother looking down on him, and made a little motion with a smile to see the view. Spike smiled back at her and walked out with her, and what Spike was greeted with was pretty amazing. While the Badlands he went through were mainly baron, full of nothing but smoke, ash and lava rivers, this place was pretty different. Here he actually saw the sun was in a bright blue sky with no clouds in sight, Skystar's cave looked like it was the tallest in the mountains around the village, and just below, he could see a large town that seemed to be full of dragons, Spike could see some of them flying out of they're caves to get their day started, he could see staples that sold food, more then just meat and gems, he could see what looked like stores and schools for the hatchlings, and saw a large dragon statue within the very center of the village which was surrounded by a beautifully carved circle with water in it, it looked super ancient, and Spike was just in complete awe of what he was seeing. "Whoa..." Spike said in awe looking over the view, Skystar chuckled at this reaction and looked down too. "It's beautiful, isn't it son?" Skystar asked starting up another talk. "It's.. amazing.. i never thought the Dragon Lands would have culture like this from what i saw earlier.." Spike said really amazed at this sight, he can only imagine how Twilight is gonna react to this. "Yes, it is something else. While most of the Dragon Lands are baron and don't have much to see, places like this are where more civilized dragons come to live. Dragons like me and you, we prefer to be more thoughtful of our actions, while other dragons living around don't think before they attack, or take something from others." Skystar said sounding a little disgusted at the thought of brutes. "What do you mean by that mom?" Spike asked looking up to her again curiously. "What i mean is, there are people like me and you who don't wanna do rash actions to others, while most of the dragons in our lands don't care about it, and they just take what they want, even if they don't know who or what they're taking from. I was always cautious of where i got all my treasure and possessions, but the dragons i'm talking about just like to do whatever they want without thought of the consequences. It's places like these that help our kind grow more naturally, and learn about our history, religion, and culture." Skystar said having her claw move to the village. "Wow.. that's.. really interesting to know.." Spike said really interested with this explanation. After a few more minutes of looking over the view as the sun rises above Skystar's own cave, Skystar was feeling ready to go. "Well, you ready to see your home son?" Skystar asked again while he was lost in his thoughts, but soon regained focus being asked that. "Of course mom, let's see what there is." Spike said looking to a long path that led down her mountain, it did have hand rails on it for some reason, but it was most likely for safety for anyone who wanted to climb up and not fly here. "Believe me son, there is a lot to see." Skystar said leading him down the path carefully, Spike had a look of surprise when following her, and was just wondering what else there was to see in this village. The two made they're way down the path which didn't take much time, Spike was already impressed with this village from the sight of it alone, he didn't think the dragons could make living spaces that reminded him of his own home. But when they got down to the village, Spike was even more impressed. Spike could see very well that a ton of the houses and homes were mostly made from carved stone and organized decoration. He could see dozens of staples with items being sold from them, not just food, but other stuff made for a living space. From basic foods, to some furniture, and even some more pots and pans for cooking and other things like that. Spike looked around more and saw other places in this village while walking besides her, he could see what looked like a small school that had dozens of parents and hatchlings going inside for the morning, if made him wonder what they taught at a dragon school. To his left he saw what looked like a river that went out of the village and towards the west of the village, and he could see some dragons fishing in it and getting stuff for dinner. Looking around a bit more, he could see dozens of lanterns hung around most of the houses, and they had different colored flames lit in them to help bring more color to it. It was honestly just as impressive as Ponyville, he never thought he'd see another village like this since he's been so used to the stuff he's seen with Twilight, but this is something amazing. "Wow..." Spike said in complete amazement looking around the place while Skystar chuckled at his reaction. "Impressive isn't it son? Wanna know something interesting? This village is over 200 years old, it was one of the first ever built to help give our kind some proper education and help us learn and move past our brute ways. While there aren't that many in the Dragon Lands right now, lord Torch has ordered for some more to be made, he's getting tired of the constant fights and bickering that the dragons get into for the most pitiful reasons, so pretty soon, we're gonna be seeing more villages like this, it's to help us move to a better future in hopes of being seen more as rude beasts." Skystar explained looking around as well. While Spike was fascinated with this info, he was wondering who this Torch was, and wanted more info on him too. "That's amazing.. and.. who's this Torch? Is he like.. the leader of our kind right now?" Spike asked looking back up at her. "He's one of the leaders of our lands, there are different areas that are ruled by different dragons all over this land son, and they are meant to represent they're respective dragon type, for example, you and me can be considered Earth Dragons, while there are other dragons who like to stay within the water's, or icy mountains, it makes them live and grow differently compared to us here." Skystar explained while Spike kept listening on. "Torch is the Dragon Lord, and whoever has that position commands the Earth Dragons, and when the Dragon Lord is ready to step down, the way to become the next is to go through a series of challenges to get a special item called the Bloodstone Scepter. It will give you the authority to command all the dragons of your respective kingdom, while the other rulers have they're own ways of ruling they're territory. It's a tradition that's been passed down for generations." Skystar explained some more while they came in front of the large dragon statue in the center of town, and Spike was in complete awe hearing all of this. "Wow.. to think.. you can just make whatever rules you want with it.." Spike said amazed at this. "It is something else son, but there is also something you should know. The Bloodstone Scepter chooses who's worthy, and whoever try's to use it's power, it's dependent on what the wielder does with it. But, if the wielder try's to abuse his power, by initiating attacks on innocent villages, or even trying to start a war with the rest of Equestria, the Bloodstone Scepter will no longer obey it's master, and the wielder will suffer the more and more they try to wield it's power, but if the wielder goes too far with it, the scepter will drain the user's life from him, and kill the one who's used it's power. Leaving another to try and prove himself if they're worthy of it's power, and makes sure that kind of incident doesn't happen again." Skystar said sounding upset at the thought of it, while Spike was fascinated by this still, it made him wonder how she knew it, was it because this happened with a previous wielder, or it's a well known thing for her kind? "Wow mom.. that's.. a lot to take in, so much dragon history, and i haven't even been here a few hours yet.." Spike said chuckling nervously at this news. "I'm sorry if that was overwhelming son, but it's something critical that all dragons should know, because if they don't, using such a position of power for they're own selfish purposes, would get them killed from it. I'm telling you this because i don't want this to happen to you if you ever wield that scepter one day son, Lord Torch won't hold onto his position forever, and to me, when that day comes, I have to make sure that no one uses that power to cause harm to others, and if they try.. I'll rip them apart for trying to destroy our kinds legacy.." Skystar said with a scary growl which was worrying Spike a bit, but he could see it's just for their safety, and it helped him understand a bit more. "Don't worry mom, that won't happen, and I promise we'll stop it from happening." Spike assured while he rubbed her arm which helped calm her down a bit. "Thank you son, forgive me for that. I just hope you understand how important this is to know, even if it's a bit much for your age." Skystar said hopefully while Spike understood it completely. "Don't worry mom, i do, why won't we just explore this village a bit more? I'm sure there's more interesting stuff to find here?" Spike asked looking around the place. "Of course, follow me son, there's a lot i think you'd like from this place." Skystar said walking ahead a bit which made Spike follow next to her once again. Spike continued to follow his mother closely, all the while he just kept looking around the village, to think that there would be places like Ponyville in the Dragon Lands wasn't on his mind, but with how little they know about the dragons, something like this is helping a lot. Not to mention that he did just learn some important history from his mother, and this would definitely be important to remember for the future. As Spike followed his mother, he couldn't help but notice some dragons were turning they're attention to the two, they all were seemingly surprised to see Spike with Skystar, but that made him realize something, she did say that these dragons supported her after he was "Taken" away from her, and they must be surprised to see that Skystar found her child again. Skystar had started to notice this too and kept her son a bit closer then usual. "It's alright son, if you remember what I told you earlier, these dragons are really kind and helped me through my grief when i lost you." Skystar said softly which calmed Spike down a little. "Right, that's good to know. I'm glad to see that they were here for you when you needed it most." Spike said smiling at the dragons who were walking to them with interest. The dragons began to surround the two and they could hear small conversations about who Spike is, one of the dragons went up to Skystar with interest while wondering who Spike is. "Morning Skystar, You seem in a much more positive mood then we last saw you." The dragon greeted which made her shake her head a bit, but she understood why. "Morning Ash, I'm glad you noticed. I'm just showing my long lost son, around the village, I finally found him just yesterday, and I had to take him back home." Skystar replied looking down at Spike who was a bit nervous while the other dragons were surprised to hear that. "Wait.. your.. her son?!" Ash asked shocked looking down at him too, he was a bit gray with his scale color, but also had red eyes that were like a ruby, and a little scar going over his eye, but he seemed friendly after this moment. "Um.. yeah.. my name is.. Spike, or Flamestar as my mother named me. It's.. nice to meet you?" Spike asked a bit nervous on how he would respond. But his expression soon turned to one of happiness and relief, and the same was with the other dragons too since they know this. "Skystar actually found her son! This is.. this is amazing news!" Ash said with amazement while the dragons were going all around the two wondering how this happened. "How did you find him Skystar?" A pink dragon asked amazed seeing him. "He's so cute! He really resembles you!" A Sapphire blue dragon said next looking at Spike with an adorable face. "You actually found him! It's a miracle!" A scarlet dragoness said amazed as well seeing him while Skystar smiled at all of them. "I know, i still can't believe it either, I was just showing him around our home, and his new home too. It's a nice way for mother and son to bond after years of being separated.." Skystar said moving Spike to her with her tail while he chuckled nervously at that. "Yeah, it's something we both thought would be really fun together.." Spike said still nervous on how far this is gonna go. "Oh this is so great to hear! We need to let the elder know about this!" Ash said quickly running off to somewhere which confused Spike. "The elder?" Spike asked looking at his mother who wasn't that worried about it. "It's nothing to worry about son, our elder has had dragons search for you since you were taken from me, and now that your here, it's best he greets you." Skystar explained with a hint of aggression when she mentioned him being taken from her. "Okay but.. WHO took me from you mom? Was it another dragon?" Spike asked really wondering what happened to him. "No.. another dragon stealing ones egg would be a death sentence if it was found out, no dragon steals ones child from the other, unless that dragon has permission to be a guardian, if one steals from a parent, that will have them be forever shames and hated by his own kind and family. So no, it wasn't a dragon, and I do not want to go more into about it right now son, it's just too soon for me, when I'm ready to tell you, I'll let you know, okay?" Skystar asked a bit worried for him, but Spike could understand this, but was still worried about what happened with him. "O.. okay mom, sorry for asking that again.." Spike said while Skystar hugged him again suddenly. "It's okay son, let's just enjoy this moment together okay?" Skystar asked holding him close, Spike didn't really want to do anything to make her upset again, so he just leaned into her hug hoping for the best. After a little bit of waiting, they saw Ash come out of an old large house not to far from them, but behind him, was a really large dragon who was twice Skystar's size, he had black scales with purple eyes, and he looked extremely tough and strong with the battle scars he's showing, and the fact his tail looks like a blade, but he also had a calm look to him when moving to them, like one that was both wise and strong. "Son, this is our village elder, Scorch. He's one of the strongest elders alive right now, and has been watching over the village since it's founding." Skystar introduced while Scorch smiled respectfully at them. "Skystar, it is great to see your out of your cave today, I heard the news from Ash, did you really find your son?" Scorch asked hoping this was true, Skystar smiled at that question and held Spike up in one of her claws. "Yes, I really did. This is my son, Flamestar, or Spike as he calls himself. He was able to find his way to the Dragon Lands, and had help from a kind drake who helped him find me. And since then, i haven't let him out of my sight.." Skystar said nuzzling Spike lovingly again while he chuckled at that. "It's nice to meet you, it's a huge honor to be meeting someone like you sir." Spike said respectfully looking up at him. "I'd say the same for you Flamestar, Skystar has been in such a state after what happened, and she rarely came out of her home, with you here now, I hope this is a sign you two will be spending more time out here together, we have plenty of places that would be great for you two to bond." Scorch said looking around the village proudly while Spike was interested too. "Thank you, that's really great to know. I'm sure me and mom would love to spend some time around here right?" Spike asked again looking at her. "Like you need to ask son." Skystar said while she was hugging him to her chest again which made Spike a little embarrassed while Scorch chuckled at the sight. "I'm really happy you managed to find your son Skystar, and with what you know with your fire magic, I know you'll be able to keep him safe. A strong mother like you, will be able to raise her child the best she can." Scorch said looking down at her who smiled at that. "Thank you Scorch, I learned plenty of skills, and no one will dare threaten me or my son, if they do, they will regret it.." Skystar said with a bit of a growl while forming more fire in one of her claws while the dragons watching were amazed at the sight. "Calm down mom, no one's gonna try that, and when I'm old enough, I'll be able to learn it too, we'll be able to protect eachother together." Spike said positively which calmed her once again, while she was NOT wanting her son to get into any fights, it's something that may inevitably happen. "That won't be for a long time son, but I'll make sure to never let a thing hurt an adorable child like you.." Skystar said again nuzzling him once again. "I'm glad to hear that Skystar, I hope this will mean you'll be up for more training soon, with you in a better state now, I think it will be a great time for you to learn some important lessons again." Scorch said hopefully while she was a bit worried hearing that. "What lessons mom?" Spike asked again looking at her. "He's.. meaning lessons on leadership, since I'm the strongest dragon in this village next to Scorch with my fire skills and ability's, he's been wanting to teach me more stuff about leading others. In case he ever steps down or passes, he's wanting me to take his place as the village elder, since what I know is so different compared to what the other dragons know.." Skystar said nervous when explaining it which worried Spike a bit. "I'm.. sure you'd do a great job if you took that position mom, and I promise i'll be there to help you when you need it." Spike said trying to comfort her. "Thanks son, but I feel like it's way too soon, I just found you after so long, and I'm wanting to spend at least a few months with you before doing something like this. I don't want to get too busy to the point we won't get to spend time in other places around the Dragon Lands. I want to show you what we know, and teach you the ways of our kind, so you can grow to be a strong dragon that will be a great drake when fully grown. I just want to make up all the time I've lost with you.." Skystar said sounding sad again while holding him close, Scorch felt a bit bad seeing this, and figured it was too soon to ask this. "Forgive me Skystar, but I clearly see you need your time with him. You don't have to worry about anything, spend as much time as you need with him, and when your ready for more lessons, I'll gladly help teach you." Scorch said respectfully while giving her a bow. "Thanks Scorch, I'm glad you understand. And if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some more time with my son right now, but I'll let you know when I'm ready." Skystar said bowing respectfully too. "Of course Skystar, please take all the time you need, have fun you two." Scorch said while he turned away from them and went back to his house, the other dragons saw they needed they're time too and left them to give them time. Skystar sighed in relief after they left, and she put Spike back down so they can talk properly. "You okay mom, you seem a bit uneasy right now?" Spike asked seeing her expression, but she soon regained her focus and looked happy again when looking at him. "I'm perfectly fine son, I'm just trying to think of what we can do next. We have all day ahead of us, and I'm trying to think of something we can do together.." Skystar said rubbing her chin while thinking of something, Spike decided to do the same thing and tried getting an idea. "What if.. we go explore more of the Dragon Lands together? I saw just a bit of it yesterday, but seeing more with you would be a great time, does that sound nice?" Spike suggested which made her smile hearing that. "My son has a bright mind, just like his father. I love the sound that son." Skystar said sweetly which made him smile again hearing that, especially with hearing about his father. "I'm glad to hear that mom, you ready to go now?" Spike asked looking up at the sky's. "Of course, it's still early, but it's best we get some air." Skystar said before she picked him up with her claw again and put him on the back of her neck, Spike hugged it tightly while Skystar spread open her large wings again. "You ready to go my son?" Skystar asked making sure he's up for this. "Of course mom, let's have some fun together." Spike said confidently, Skystar smiled hearing that and with one quick motion, she took off into the sky's at fast speeds again while Spike held on tightly, the other dragons watched them leave with smiles and hoped they had a great time together, knowing that Skystar has her son back.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know this was a bit shorter compared to the last two, but i think simply giving the Dragon Village some time to help explain the history of Dragons and how it works can help move things along nicely. I will have them do more stuff at the village later, but for now I'm gonna have the two explore what interesting things I could make with the Dragon Lands, while this mainly was just expedition and explaining stuff instead of Spike and Skystar bonding, i think this could help flesh out the Dragons a bit more, and I'll do more with them in future chapters so i hope you don't mind. Thank you all for reading this and hope you look forward to more! 4: Exploring The LandsAfter Spike and Skystar left the village, they took off to explore they're home, it wasn't just a way Spike and Skystar could bond more, but also for Spike to learn a bit more of the Dragons, while he did learn a more from seeing the Migration and what the village held, he was eager to see more of the Dragon Lands, especially with his mother with him. Skystar flew through the skies of the dragon lands really calmly, Spike could feel the winds brushing past him as they flew over the area, it was a feeling Spike loved a lot, and he hoped that when he gets his wings, she'll do this way more with him too, Spike looked down and looked amazed with what he saw. He could see the previous areas he was at before when he arrived, while the lands didn't look as populated as they were before, they were still having a large number of dragons, and Spike was really interested to see what more there is to this place, while he did always like Ponyville, he rarely knew about what his kind was like, other then them kinda being brutes with selfish desires, it was the only thing dragons were known for to the ponies, but that's because they didn't get that many chances to learn about them. Spike took in the sight he was seeing with awe, while this was mainly a baron and extremely large volcanic land, there were some cool sights Spike was able to see, and he couldn't help but admire it, he's only seen a small part of the dragon lands, and was hoping to more about their religion and race. As they kept flying through the sky's together, Skystar looked up at him to make sure he's okay. "You okay son? You haven't spoken for a bit?" Skystar asked which took him out of his thoughts, he peaked his way down to his mom while still holding onto her back, and smiled looking at her. "I'm okay mom, I'm just really amazed with what I'm seeing, I've never seen something this high up, even if the lands are pretty volcanic.. this is still something amazing to me.." Spike said looking back at the lands, Skystar chuckled hearing that, and could understand his thoughts. "That's understandable son, we've barely scratched the surface of what these lands hold, and believe me when I say, there is a lot more to our home then meets the eye son, it's far more then a volcanic land, this is only a small part of it." Skystar explained which interested Spike hearing it. "What more is there? There's only some volcanic lands from what I'm seeing right now." Spike asked looking back down once again. "That lies beyond these parts of the land son, and our history goes further, just watch son." Skystar said while she continued to fly through the dragon lands, while Spike only thought they were exploring what's currently known for the dragon lands, to his surprise, he saw Skystar was heading towards the sea that wasn't to far away. "Where are we going mom?" Spike asked while she was flying over the border that led to the ocean. "A place where our kind is more then meets the eye, there are tons of islands out from the main lands, and that is where the really interesting parts comes in." Skystar explained which surprised Spike hearing that. "Well, let's see what lies beyond I guess.." Spike said already looking out into the sea. "Believe me son, you've barely seen anything.." Skystar said before she flew even faster across the ocean while Spike held onto her. Spike kept flying with Skystar for what felt like half an hour, they were pretty much flying over the sea at this point, and the main lands Spike's known are far away now, Skystar kept flying calmly as the sun was high above them by now, if he's right, then Celestia must've had it by mid day, so they had a lot more time to explore. While Spike didn't think they'd come across something for a while, something did. In the distance, Spike could barely make out what looks like large islands in the distance, they were small from where they are right now, but the closer they got, Spike was looking more amazed as they got closer, it was like they're own section of the dragon lands despite how far off it is. "Whoa.. what is this place?" Spike asked in awe as they were coming to the islands by now. "These are the Divided Islands son, they are a large group of islands that go far off from the main lands, and this is where we see more variety in terms of dragon kind.." Skystar explained as they were coming across one of the largest ones, it looked like a tropical jungle of sorts, there were large waterfalls in multiple areas, mountains that were extremely tall, and Spike could see some dragons within the trees of the jungle. "What kind of dragons live here?" Spike asked while they were coming closer to the jungle. "These dragons are known as wind dragons, they prefer to stay in environments that is more habitable then where we're from, unlike me and you, they've learned to fly on they're own, as they're name implies, they manipulate the wind currents around them to help them fly without trouble." Skystar explained as Spike could finally see what these dragons looked like. These dragons were pretty different compared to him and Skystar, they're body's were a lot more noodle like and not a single one of them had wings, they had strange horns on they're heads and spines that went down they're long body's, and Spike could even see some of them breath lightning! "How can dragons breath different breaths?! I thought we were only limited to fire and the different colors we have from it?" Spike asked really surprised while Skystar flew over the area. "It depends on the environment and adapting to it, when some dragons like these grow up in places that have more bizarre weather effects, they can learn to adapt to their harsh force, and learn to use that as they're own breath, this place does often get a lot of storms and harsh winds, so the dragons living on this island adjusted to it, and made homes and learned to move through it without much trouble, unlike us where it would be way harder if that happened." Skystar explained proudly while Spike just couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Have any dragons learned to breath more then just fire? Maybe even be able to use both fire or lightning?" Spike asked wondering if that's true. "That could be learned by dragons who are extremely determined, while I learned to use the fire around me like I showed you, I haven't learned lightning or ice, but I prefer it that way, it's places like these that make each dragon type stand out, and I think knowing how to use my fire is enough to make me stand out." Skystar said forming fire in her hands again while Spike tried processing this. "I never thought there was so much to learn, and we're only on the first island.." Spike said looking over the tropical area while Skystar was just leaving the place. "There is a lot to learn son, and the next island will show you just how much more advanced we are." Skystar said as they finally left that large island, she flew over it pretty easily, and the residents didn't seem to mind them flying by. Spike continued to hold onto his mother while she flew over to the next island which was quite a distance away, it took another 30 minutes to reach it which did bore him a little, but what he saw next was just as amazing. Skystar now was entering what looked like a more rock like island, it was extremely large and looked more like they're village, but there was a lot different compared to it, Spike could see what looked like houses and temples made within the mountains and caves themselves, Skystar flew a lot lower then normal so Spike could see it in more detail, Spike could see a lot of hotsprings around the area, followed by a lot of towns and places that looked like Canterlot or Ponyville, there were dragon statues in the center of all these towns, but it was really amazing to see what more there is to this place. "This is one of the most ancient parts of our lands son, these dragons are Earth dragons like us, they've learned to carve the walls and mountains around them to make they're own homes, they are strong and tough, but they are far more civilized then any dragon you'll see in the main lands, aside from Nathen maybe." Skystar explained as Spike could see so many ancient structures that looked thousands of years old, this kind of information could drive Twilight crazy with how much there is.. "Mom, I have to ask, how much have you explored from these places? What more is there to see here?" Spike asked really amazed with what he was seeing. "I've explored almost all there is to see, there's a reason I have such an impressive pile of gems and gold, along with the other books and collectables I've hoarded, it's exploring places like these that rewards you with what you find, and for me, learning all about our culture and kind is the best of all for me." Skystar explained smiling at that. "Totally agree on that.. but I should also ask.. where did you find that book that taught you those spells anyway? I don't think it would be easy to find something like that right?" Spike asked interested with how she got it which did give her a little concern. "That's something more complex, but I do remember the temple I found it at, it's on this island, and I think I'm the only one who knows where it is, we'll be there shortly." Skystar declared before she suddenly flew even faster and began heading towards the mountains. Spike once again waited as Skystar flew to these mountains that were just ahead, he has to admit his mom is a really interesting person, being able to know such things even most dragons wouldn't be able to is certainly something special, but with what she knows, it's honestly like she's a history teacher more then anything, but Spike wasn't minding that at all, he's glad to learn more about her and his kind. Eventually, Skystar had made her way to the mountains, and was heading to an open hole that looked like a tunnel. "Hold on tight son." Skystar warned as she flew even faster, Spike gripped her neck tightly and he braced himself as they were inches away from the hole. Skystar formed her fire in her hands and the fire began to spiral around them, the fire somehow was able to cover both of they're bodies in an instant, Skystar and Spike's body's were mainly a green flame right now, but something tells me it's for the best. Skystar flew as fast as she could till she finally made it to the hole, and she flew directly into it. they entered what looked like a really complex cave, there were tons of crystals on the walls and different paths to go through, but Skystar was going in a specific path that shows she's been here before. Spike could feel the fire shielding them from something, he didn't know what it was at first, but that was until he felt a large chill fly past him, that's when he realized. The temperature in this place must be really cold, which explains the fire shields. Skystar continued flying through the place as fast as she can, she knew the tunnels of this place, and was making it through with ease, she kept flying through the place for a while until she finally reached a light at the end, Spike closed his eyes as they flew directly into it, and Spike suddenly felt the chill around him vanish, when Spike opened his eyes, he immediately looked shocked to see where they were. They were in a huge cave that was so large, it would look like it's own underground village, there were tons of ancient columns and structures with dragons of different types carved in, and the place was lit in a strange emerald green color that matched both they're eyes and fire breath. "Whoa.. what is this place?!" Spike asked amazed while Skystar finally landed on the ground, the floors were decorated with these strange green tiles, but that should help with this place and how ancient it is. "A really old place, a place that I don't think has a name, it's been well hidden from what I know, and I think me and you are the first dragons to visit this place in a long.. long time.." Skystar explained looking around the cave with awe as well. "How.. how did you know we needed those fire shields?" Spike asked as the fire had left by now which left them to look normal again. "The first time I came across this place, I felt a really cold chill when entering the place, a place that would make a dragon pass out or even die if they stayed in it for too long. Our kind is mainly cold blooded, and something tells me the strange freezing winds from those tunnels were intentional. But I don't know who made this place honestly.." Skystar said while they started to walk around the strange place. "How.. did you ever come across this place?" Spike asked really interested with all of this. "It was sometime when I was alone.. after you were taken from me.. I needed some time away from home for a bit, I traveled to this island to try and process what was happening, I was flying across these mountains until I saw that entrance at that spot in the mountain, while I had a lot of trial and error when going through those tunnels, I finally found the proper path that led me here." Skystar explained even more recalling her first time coming here. "But how did you push past those freezing tunnels? I don't think I would make it past them if it wasn't for those shields?" Spike asked again with curiosity. "I am way more durable then most dragons when it comes to temperatures that are freezing, I did have struggles when moving through them, but I soon pushed past it all and made it here, it was a tough trial, but my will to keep going, and to find you again is what allowed me to push through it." Skystar said with a loving smile looking at him which made Spike chuckle hearing that. "I'm happy to know how strong my own mom's will is.." Spike replied with a smile while the two continued making they're way through this place. This place felt strangely ominous as they walked through it, despite how ancient it is.. Spike couldn't help but get a strange feeling from this place, the strange emerald color illuminating from the cave thanks to the crystals around them, the strange dragon statues carved into the walls that looked like they were watching over him, and he just felt.. strange when they moved through this place. "Do you.. think these Dragon Lords knew about this place?" Spike asked hoping she knew, but she looked concerned and weary when they moved through here too. "I don't know honestly, but it might be. I don't think any other dragon has been to this place before, and It just fascinates me when I visit this place, it's so.. ominous.." Skystar said looking around the place too, even on the ceiling, they could see what looked like stars and constellations carved into the ceiling, this would definitely be a place Celestia and Luna would be really interested with. "You said you found that book here right? Where exactly did you find it?" Spike asked again feeling a bit uneasy even more. "There's an open room just up ahead, it should be just around this corner." Skystar said as they turned another green column and saw a door just ahead, the two continued to walk through this ancient place and looked around in case of any dangerous stuff here. They soon entered the room, and now they came into a strange purple room that looked to be the same color of they're own scales, the more Spike went through here, the more uncomfortable he felt, it was like he was going through a place he never should be in, and something tells him he shouldn't come here again.. "What.. is this place?" Spike asked again having no idea what it is. "I don't know son, I looked through all our history books, and found nothing on this place, but this is where I found that ancient book, it was so special looking, and different from any book I've seen, I knew I had to see what it held.." Skystar said as they were near a large pillar now, there was an empty space at the very top, but it must've been where the book previously was.. "Who do you think made this book? Is there more to this place and that book then we think? Just.. what reason is there for this temple to be here?" Spike asked looking at the empty space with her. "No clue son, but after I picked the book up, I noticed something really strange on one of these walls.." Skystar said turning to a nearby wall. "W.. what would that be mom?" Spike asked turning in her direction. "This.." Skystar said as they walked up to another ancient structure, Spike had a look of confusion for what he was seeing, he saw what looked like a huge carved tree in the wall, there was one large line that went directly upwards, but this was followed by strange branches that went off from the main line, and the top of the wall showed a lot of twists and turns with the lines, was it meant to represent the Tree of Harmony and the Elements? "What does this mean?" Spike asked walking up to it with her. "I don't know, especially with what these symbols are.." Skystar said dragging a claw to the end of one, this showed a weird symbol of what looked like a tornado, and it was above one of the branches across. "There's one of these symbols at the end of each branch, but I have no idea what they could mean.." Skystar said confused herself while they looked at each one. While they couldn't make out what they meant, Spike saw a few that interested him, one had what looked like a black and white symbol at the end, and another had a strange sword with a purple hilt near the very top of the tree, and another branch had what looked like elemental symbols over it, they all circled around that one, and Spike juts couldn't figure it out what it meant. "Who do you think made this place mom? Do you think it was the.. ponies who made it?" Spike asked interested, but he heard her make a slight growl hearing that word. "I highly doubt it son, while they have they're own history, I doubt they could've made it in a place that belongs to us dragons, especially when we look above us.." Skystar said before Spike looked above them too, Spike looked more surprised with what he saw, he saw two huge dragons carved into the ceiling, but what was even weirder was that they were in a green and purple color, and had highly advanced armor around them, and now that Spike takes a closer look, he could barely make out these dragons were looking over the branches.. like they were watching over them all.. Spike's felt he was getting more tense the more time he was here, and he think's it's time they go. "Mom.. I think it's best we go.. while it's cool we saw this place, I don't think I'm ready to know more about it.." Spike said really wanting to leave. "Your right son, I shouldn't have brought us here, while the books origin is unknown, it is certainly something far different, let's head back to the main lands, there's a lot more I'd like to show you." Skystar said picking him up again. "Yeah.. good call.." Spike said as they left the room finally, he looked back at it one more time with interest, he didn't know what they meant, but something tells him that it ties into something far larger.. Skystar had finally made it back out of that mountain after taking off again, Spike sighed in relief as they saw that place becoming smaller and smaller the further they get away from it. "That place was really strange mom.. I don't think any dragon will ever know what that place means." Spike said still fascinated by that place. "Me neither son, it's best we stay away from that place for a long time, there's something I just don't like about it, even with the book I got from it.." Skystar said suspicious of it. "I hear that mom.. so.. what do you wanna do next?" Spike asked wondering where they're going. "It's best we head back to the main lands like I said, while I do wish to show you more of the Divided Islands, that can wait for a bit longer, especially after we just went through that place, I have a few errands I need to run, some shopping and small stuff like that, but there's a hatching ground where I know you'll be safe, while leaving you by yourself is something I don't ever want to do again, it'll only be for a few minutes, and that should be enough time for us both, right?" Skystar asked hopefully as they were finally leaving the island. "Yeah, that sounds fine, and we're gonna explore more of the lands together after that right?" Spike asked hopefully. "Of course, there's more to our kind then those.. pony's think.. and showing you it all is something I'm more then happy to do." Skystar said flinching at the thought of them which concerned Spike a little. "Just know, whatever we're gonna see next, I'm here for you mom.. I promise.." Spike assured rubbing her head which made her calm down a lot. "Thank you my child, I promise I'll show you more of these lands soon." Skystar assured which did make him eager to know more. "I look forward to it mom.." Spike said with a smile as they finally headed back to the main lands, Spike was just glad to have learned more about his kind, even with if it was small, it gave him something he won't ever forget, and hoped things get better from here on.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know this chapter is a bit shorter then the last 3, but I could only come up with so much when it comes to fleshing out the dragons, this is the first time I've tried giving a lot of detail into something like them, and I think I'm doing a good job, I also wanted to add something like that temple to show just where Skystar got that book, while the temple will only be seen and talked about in this chapter. I think trying to explain it where it came from, and it tying into something else is the best call right now, even if it won't come up again in this story, sorry if some may not like it, but this is the first original story I've done in a while, even if it's just a rewrite, but I hope you liked what I had for this chapter. I know the mane 6 hasn't appeared in this story yet, but I want to focus on Spike bonding with his mom and Nathen more, and I think chapter 7 or 8 is when I bring them into the story, depending on how far I get into it, so I hope you don't mind thank you all for reading this and hope you look forward to more! 5: The Hatching GroundsAfter Spike and Skystar did some exploring around the Dragon Lands and learning more of their kinds history, Skystar began heading back to the mainland's with her son to do some important things, she was gonna drop Spike off by the hatching grounds for a bit while she attends to a few errands, it wouldn't be long for her to get what she needs, and while she doesn't want anything taking her son again, she can trust the dragons who look over the hatchlings at the grounds won't let him go missing again. Spike meanwhile was just interested with what he learned with Dragon's, he didn't think there was so much variety to their species, and seeing them breath different stuff then just fire, or live in tropical or cold environments, it's fascinating, and Spike wishes to know more soon. But while he was glad to learn more about his own kind, there was something about that temple that just didn't feel right, it was like Spike should never go there.. and yet.. there may be something back there.. that holds something far more important for everyone.. but that's for another day hopefully. After flying back to the mainland's for about an hour, Skystar and Spike were approaching the hatching grounds, Spike could tell it was the place since it did have a lot of small dragons and other children playing around the place while some dragons were watching over them, it was interesting to see that there were places like these, and Spike was all the more interested in seeing more of it. Skystar landed down on the ground after a while of flying, and she helped Spike down so he could have some time to adjust to his surroundings, Skystar stretched out her large wings and yawned a bit because it was a bit tiring flying all the way back here. "Well, here we are son, you've been here before thanks to Nathen, but these are the Hatching Grounds, these are where most small ones tend to play with eachother, and try to form bonds, while dragons tend to have trouble forming relationships, we've been trying become more civilized, and bonding with others is one of our main steps to take." Skystar explained while Spike looked around the grounds with interest, while he did come here just yesterday, he saw there was still a lot of baby dragons, some were small like him, and it did show that Spike could make a friend or two here, that's something Twilight would like to hear about when he gets the chance to tell her. "I didn't know dragons were trying to do so much with developing themselves, the village and the different islands were amazing to see, and to know that they're trying to do this too, that just shows how hard our kind is trying.." Spike said a little proud of what he's seeing which made Skystar smile a bit. "Lord Torch has been trying to move on from the barbaric side that we had embraced for so long, a lot of dragons are adjusting to it well, while others are struggling a bit, but he hopes we'll all be just as civilized as the other species in Equestria, even like those.. ponies..." Skystar said as she looked really upset when saying that word. "What's wrong mom? Why do you flinch whenever you say that?" Spike asked as this gave him some worries on what her thoughts on the ponies are seeing this, she soon noticed her attitude and calmed down a bit to try and move on. "Forgive me son, but it's not something I'm wanting to go to in depth on, I know a mother shouldn't keep her secrets from her child, but I've just had some.. experiences with them that's made me see them in a.. less then positive way, I'll explain all of this one day.. but for now.. let's just not talk about it.. okay?" Skystar asked hoping they can move on for now while Spike was still concerned. "Uh.. sure mom.. whatever you say.." Spike replied as he was still worried on what she was meaning with that.. But after that small talk, Skystar led Spike to one of the larger areas of the Hatching Grounds, Spike could see a large number of hatchlings around, and there were a few adults keeping watch over them in the sky's. Skystar made sure Spike was in a proper place that would let him be safe while trying to have fun the best she can. "Alright son, I'm gonna leave for a bit, I'll be back before you know it, I just hope you have fun and even make a few friends here, and hopefully have fun too, please be safe while I'm gone my son." Skystar said hopefully while she gave Spike another hug which he returned, feeling hugs from her just felt so special to him, and he always enjoys it. "I'll do what I can mom, see you in a bit, be safe yourself alright?" Spike asked while she smiled at him and began to back up a little. "I'll be back soon, just try and hold out for a while, and I'll see you in a bit son, I love you.." Skystar said as she began to spread her wings again and got ready to take off. "I love you too mom.." Spike said while waving goodbye, Skystar smiled seeing that and quickly took off into the sky's at fast speeds, how she learned to travel so fast is something he's only left to wonder. Spike sighed as he saw her leave into the sky's pretty fast, and he was finally left alone for a bit, he'd been by her side most of the day by now, he almost thought he wouldn't have time to think to himself, but now he did, and tried to think of what to do while he waits for her to come back. "Let's see if there are any other dragons I could make friends with.." Spike thought to himself as he turned to the grounds and began to walk through it, hoping he could find someone to make a friend with. Spike proceeded to walk around the place for a bit, he looked over all the hatchlings that were around the place, Spike could see there were some hatchlings playing with rocks, or they're own little toys they're parents got them, he didn't see any act of aggression from the younger ones, but he had some weird feeling they're just wanting to spend time and enjoy what they have before growing up. Spike thought about what to do when he talks with Twilight again, with his mother now back in his life, and learning a bit on why he was alone in those woods, he has to find a way to have them properly meet her and the mane 6, but from the sounds of it, Skystar may not like the ponies that much at all, and it made him worried on what exactly she has against them. "How can I explain everything to Twilight? How can I properly have them meet without causing concern or worry from the both of them?" Spike thought to himself as he didn't know what to do, even if he did get to know his mother more, he still did lie about what he's done since he hatched, and while it isn't believable to some, others can believe it, and Spike felt regret for it. "What do you have against them mom? Can I even help you with it? Or will it be something I have to wait months.. or even years to find out?" Spike asked again as he kept looking for anyone to talk too, he was starting to feel his pressure building up in him, as he hasn't been in a situation like this before, one where he may have to choose one family, or the other. While Twilight and the others have been a great family to him, Skystar is his real mother, and what she went through after she lost him was so sad, and it made him afraid if she falls into a Primal Rage again.. and may harm them.. But as Spike kept thinking to himself about what to do, he accidently bumped into another child, they both stumbled over and quickly fell down as a result, and groaned a little. "Hey, watch where your going!" The child said annoyed while Spike tried helping it up. "S.. so sorry, I was just thinking to myself, I didn't mean to bump into.. you.." Spike said as he finally got a look at the hatchling, she was a small orange dragoness that was just an inch taller then him, she had a strange pink hair on her head, and was orange and yellow, and she looked to be just a bit older then him, but she did look a bit annoyed still after bumping into her. "Well you need to watch where your going dude , you can't just think to yourself when out like that, your lucky I'm not too mean, otherwise another dragon could do some pretty nasty stuff if they do get angry." She said with a smirk which made Spike a bit nervous. "Noted, I've had a stream of luck I guess.." Spike said nervously while rubbing his neck, but the small dragon only laughed a bit and Spike was a bit confused. "I'm just kidding, I ain't mad, I can understand it was an accident. After all, you look a bit too gullible to have done that on purpose." She said looking at Spike's expression which was confusing even more, but it was a bit relieving to see she wasn't mad. "Um.. thanks, my names Spike, and you are...?" Spike asked not getting her name yet. "Smolder, nice to meet ya kid.." Smolder introduced while they shook claws, Spike did feel relived to see there were more friendly dragons out there, and what Skystar's said about them must be true if she isn't aggressive like other dragons. "Nice to meet you too.." Spike said as they pulled away for a bit, and they felt a bit awkward as they didn't know what to say next, but wanting to try and talk with her more, he decided to ask a few questions. "Soooo... what are you doing out here? Were you brought here for playing with these other kids too? Or.. what?" Spike asked looking around the grounds with her, she only shrugged her shoulders and had a casual look to her. "Eh my brother needed to take care of a few things back home, dude left his own crew recently cause he was tired of them, but on the plus side, it gives me and him more time to bond as a result." Smolder said with a small smile, almost as if she was glad he left them. "You have a brother? And why'd he leave his.. crew if he had one?" Spike asked while the two of them sat on a nearby rock to talk a bit more. "He's got a bit of a temper, but he's also pretty nervous when it comes to getting along with others, as for that former crew of his.. he was tired of them.. basically forcing him to do things he didn't want, he has his own talents and hobbies that he wants to do, but the crew found them stupid and made fun of him for it, I'm the only one he told about this, and while our parents would whip those guys butts if they found out.. coming to me to talk it out.. and discuss what to do just made me more glad to be his sister you know?" Smolder asked while she looked up at the sky and they both saw it was pretty sunny right now. "I may not have a brother or sister, but I do know it's important to talk to your siblings when your in situations like that, especially when it's with people your not really wanting to spend time with if they make you do bad things, so leaving them is the best choice in my opinion if he couldn't convince them to stop. I already can tell he's wise for doing it." Spike said with a smile which made her chuckle a bit. "Yeah you can say that, while he's not the brightest bulb around, he does make smart choices every now and then, and it just gives him more time to spend with me, and I'm sure our parents will be glad about that, even if they have they're own things to do out there." Smolder said waving her claw around while he kept listening on. "Hey, family means everything, even if I literally just met you, hearing something like that makes me glad to know he's doing stuff that makes his life better, spending time with those kinds of people never works out well, and it shows your better off without them." Spike said as he's had lessons on this kind of stuff before. "Totally agree on that, so what about you? I don't think I've ever seen you around before?" Smolder asked as she hasn't seen him come here at all. "Oh, that's because my mother brought me here to bond with others, she's a bit protective and all, but she had some stuff to do, so this gave me some time alone, and maybe I could make some friends here." Spike explained while they watched some dragons fly around the place. "I can understand the overprotective parent bit, thought it may be a bit tough for making friends since Dragons aren't used to doing friends, but Torch's recent orders of us trying to change for the better has had us try events that.. isn't so violent like we used to do. Ugh, I can only imagine how many competitions they put eachother through, it's probably best Torch ordered for these changes.." Smolder said a bit relieved that they're gonna be changing in the future. "And.. how do you feel about that? I'm glad to know dragons are trying to be more civil, and less violent and all, but what about you?" Spike asked looking at her. "I'm honestly glad about it, because dragons won't get into fights they can't win, while we may be " Big, strong and scary" we often get carried away with who we mess with, and that results in some pretty bad stuff when we can't fight back. So dragons trying to evolve more is something I'm interested with seeing." Smolder explained which made him a bit glad to hear too. "Hey, we all have to grow over time right? We can't stay the same forever." Spike said as this was a well known fact to all of them. "Yeah, that's true. Your kinda smart to understand this for you age little guy, I like that." Smolder said with a smirk which made Spike chuckle a bit. "My mother knows how to raise me.. and she's got plenty to keep teaching me.. I'm sure of that.." Spike said as he knew his mom had a lot of plans to raise him probably. "Sounds like a strong mother, what's she like?" Smolder asked wanting to know more about them both. "Even I don't know much right now, she's still mysterious and that, but I'll explain what I can..." Spike replied as he began to explain what he knows about his mom, and Smolder listened on as they wondered what she's doing right now. Skystar flew for quite a bit after leaving her son at the Hatching Grounds, while she was worried if something was gonna happen to him, she had her hopes he'll hold out, and hopefully make a friend there, she flew all the way over to a marketing area that was near the south side of the Dragon Lands, while it was mainly all rocks and stuff carefully carved to help sell stuff, it was a pretty lively marketing area, and Skystar often came here for her own supplies when she needed them. Skystar landed on the ground that was just a bit away from the entrance of the place, Skystar could see tons of dragons going about they're day, and buying what they need, food, furniture, books, and some stuff from they're homes, it was pretty basic to say the least. Skystar sighed seeing this place and began walking through it, she did need some stuff for dinner and a few history books for Flamestar, since she was finally a mother again, she needed the proper stuff to raise him. Skystar made sure she had enough gold on her since it's like they're currency here, and was looking around the place to find what she needs. "What could help interest my son with learning?" Skystar asked herself while she looked around the place, there were some rivers nearby the place that had fish being pulled out by some sea themed dragons, and she saw some larger market houses that had some jewelry on display for fashion. "My son may be interested in clothing..." Skystar said aloud while she made her way to the small shop, while she wanted to homeschool her son for a while to get to know him more, she had to start making plans on setting him up for school, the village has a lot to teach they're young ones, and Skystar has a few ideas on what he's gonna start learning once she properly sets things up. But while she thought to herself as she was gathering the things she needs, a familiar voice caught her ears. "Skystar! How are things going?" The voice asked which got her attention, she quickly turned around and looked a bit surprised with what she saw, but also smiled with it too. She saw a group of dragonesses walk up to her, they had smiles seeing her while they also had supplies of they're own, it was the same group Spike and Nathen encountered yesterday, and she was good friends with them for some time now. "Hey girls, been a while, it's great seeing you." Skystar greeted while they all shook claws and chuckled a bit. "Sure has been, we haven't seen you in a months, but glad to see your alright." The Cyan one said as they took this moment to catch up with eachother. "I've been just fine Wave, glad to see you haven't changed either." Skystar said to her who laughed a bit. "This is the first time I've seen you out here in a while, what's changed?" The white one asked as she hasn't been doing much exploring like they've known her to do. "Something.. really special happened yesterday.. something that just.. made me feel so much joy in a long time.. It's hard to explain Pearl." Skystar said looking at her, and they were all interested to hear this. "What happened Skystar?" The red one asked curiously as they walked through the markets to get they're stuff together. "I.. finally found my son yesterday.. after so long.. I finally found him.. he came searching for me during the Migration.. and.. I've never felt so happy Ruby.." Skystar answered which made them gasp in surprise, but also joy too. "You found your son?! That's such great news!" Wave said gleefully while they hugged her a bit, Skystar chuckled a bit as they did this, it was nice to know her friends were glad to hear she's found her son. "Thanks girls, I've been doing what I can to reconnect with him, he's still really young, but he's getting along with me really well so far, and I can't tell you how glad I am to have him back.." Skystar said with relief while they all smiled hearing that. "We're really happy to hear that Skystar, how did he find you? Did you bump into him during the Migration?" The white and purple one asked curious with how this happened. "Not exactly Diamond, he came up to me with another kind drake, Nathen was his name, and they were looking for his mother, and I was just so lucky to have encountered them, I can't tell you how worried I was if I was never gonna find him, and thanks to that drake.. I finally have him back.." Skystar said while they looked surprised hearing that. "Wait, is Nathen that cute blue dragon that had that little purple dragon with him?" Diamond asked recalling what they saw with them. "Yes, that's him. Did you meet him there too?" Skystar asked as this sounded like the case. "Of course! They came up to us asking where you were, while we didn't recognize he was your son, I had an idea it may be you, so I made sure to point them in your direction, and I'm so glad I was right." Diamond said as they were paying for some more books at this point. "You really helped him find me? I don't know how to thank you girls enough for that, it means.. so.. so much to me." Skystar said as she was really surprised they encountered Spike yesterday. "It was no problem Skystar, but perhaps you can repay it with us having to take care of him when he needs to be looked after? I'm sure my son and daughter would like to spend time with him? Smolder especially.." Ruby said as she knew she would be happy to have a new friend. "He was a really cute child, I'd love to spend more time with him, I was this close to adopting him Skystar, and I would have never let him go if I did." Pearl said slyly while the others chuckled at that. "We're just saying we'd like to spend more time with you two, with you two together again, I think us spending time as a group would help us get along more." Diamond said while they kept moving through the markets and other dragons just let them go along. "I think that's a great idea, whenever you girls have the time, feel free to come to the village, you know where my cave is, and I'll be glad to have us spend time together." Skystar said which made them really happy hearing it. "We'll be coming to your home often then, we look forward to it Skystar." Wave said with a gleeful look as they all had a lot of fun ideas to spend time with them. "That sounds great girls." Skystar said as she was buying some fish and extra stuff for dinner tonight now. "So Skystar, where is the little guy now? He's safe right?" Pearl asked a bit worried while they didn't see him with her. "Don't worry girls, he's at the Hatching Grounds for a bit, once I'm done with this, I'll head back to bring him home, and I have to start planning out how to start properly raising him." Skystar assured which made them a bit relieved to know it. "I think my daughter's there right now actually from what my son told me, would be pretty great if they became friends if that happened." Ruby said as she remembered her son telling her this before she left the cave for shopping too. "That would be really fun to know, we could set up play dates if that's true." Skystar said chuckling a bit which made them all giggle hearing it. "Your still the great dragon we know you as Skystar, I'm sure it will be a fun time." Pearl said while they were finishing up with the rest of the shopping finally. "I'm sure it will.." Skystar said hopefully as she was preparing to leave, but Wave came in to ask her something before she did. "Skystar, while we're glad you have your son back and everything.. how are you gonna handle it after what.. happened?" Wave asked recalling what happened after he was.. taken.. "It's a lot to think over.. but I'm gonna start with adjusting my cave to have him live there.. then I'm gonna see what I can do about setting up for him to go to school.." Skystar said as she herself didn't have everything planned out yet. "That's a good start Skystar, but what if.. something happens again? What if he.. gets.. taken.. again?" Ruby asked worried for what happened, because the last time it happened.. it did not go well at all. Skystar got a bit upset after being asked that, and she noticed a large rock just a bit away from the markets, and decided to make an example of what's gonna happen. "If someone try's to take my son again.. like those.. monsters.. did..." Skystar said clutching her fist while she went up to it, the others were concerned for her being. "Skystar?" Diamond asked worried while they followed her, Skystar soon came upon the really large rock, it was about twice her own size, and she had a look of anger looking at it. Skystar soon brought her arm back and made a loud angry cry as she literally punched the boulder with ease, this punch was so strong, despite the boulders' size.. it completely shattered from the punch which sent rocks flying all over the place, they were all really shocked at her strength, they knew she was strong before, but this display let them know not to mess with her, even the other dragons near the markets were really shocked with her huge strength. "Then they will pay for harming him, when a mother loses her child, it's like losing a part of them, and that mother won't stop until she has him back, I'm sure you girls know this by now." Skystar said clutching her claw as that didn't hurt her at all. "Skystar.. don't you think that's a bit much? We all understand this feeling, but what if they don't harm him? And doing an action like this.. may cause you to be looked at.. in a bad way?" Pearl asked really worried for what could happen, Skystar tried calming down after being asked that, and knew it would be bad if she rushed to conclusions like that. "I may go to far in areas, and I'm trying not to do that. I don't even know my own strength thanks to those spells I've learned, but I'm gonna try keeping control of myself, so I don't fall into a Primal Rage again, because if I do.. I could cause worse damage then the last time I did.." Skystar said as she formed more fire in her hands, and they were in awe of seeing her use fire like that. "There's more ways to answer things then just violence Skystar, you know that. So if your son goes missing again.. try to keep your cool, and don't fall into a rage again.. please? It may make him afraid of you if that does happen." Diamond warned which was a true fact, Skystar took a deep breath and sighed in relief, and she began tightening the bags she had that held the stuff she got. "I'll what I can girls, there's a lot I need to do now that I have him back, and I should get to them.. but know I'll do what I can girls, it was great talking with you all again, hopefully we can spend time at my home together when you can." Skystar said as she was about to leave. "It was great talking with you too Skystar, just take things easy alright? Tell your son we said hi." Wave said as they all had to leave too. "We'll be coming to visit when we can, it was great seeing you Skystar, we're glad to hear you've found your son again." Ruby said as they were all relieved to hear that, Skystar smiled at that and spread her wings again and began to take off. "Thanks girls, see you later." Skystar said before she took off into the sky's back to the Hatching grounds, the girls were worried on what would happen if Spike goes missing again, but just hoped she doesn't go to far if it does.. Back with Spike and Smolder, they were still talking about a lot of stuff while in the Hatching Grounds, Spike got to know a good bit about Smolder with the time he's had, and found her pretty fun to hang around with. "So your brother's into poetry? That's a pretty cool hobby." Spike said with a smile as she just told him what he's into. "Yeah, he's been getting real into it recently, and he's had a fun time, and now that he doesn't have those jerks with him, he'll be able to find his passion." Smolder said chuckling a bit as they looked at the baron place together, the two stayed silent after that and tried to think of what else to say, but a loud thud shook the ground, and Spike turned around to see Skystar had finally made it back, and was looking around for him. "Well, looks like I gotta get going now, it was nice meeting you Smolder, would you like to hang out again some day?" Spike asked turning to her before he left. "Of course, your the first dragon I've talked too that's been interested in what I do, I'll be glad to spend more time with you, I'm glad I got to meet you Spike." Smolder said with a smile while they shook claws one more time. "I look forward to it, it was great meeting you Smolder, see you later." Spike said as he began heading back to her. "It was great meeting you too, see ya soon!" Smolder said waving goodbye while she went to her brother who had also just arrived. Spike went up to Skystar who saw him come up to her, she looked relieved to see he's alright, and picked him up with one of her claws. "Did everything go alright while I was gone son?" Skystar asked while she put him on her back. "It went great actually mom, I made a friend while you were gone, she seems pretty cool, and I'm hoping to spend more time with her when I get the chance." Spike said as he pointed over to Smolder, Skystar recognized her as Ruby showed her before, and smiled knowing he made friends with her. "Well, I'll be sure to take you here again when she's here, I have a good feeling you'll get along more in the future." Skystar said as she began to leave with him again. "I do too, so are we heading back home now?" Spike asked as it was getting pretty late now. "Of course, we've had a lot to see today, so it's best we go home and rest, I think we should see Nathen tomorrow, he said he was near the hotsprings, so I think it would be fun to see him again." Skystar suggested while she remembered where he was. "That sounds really fun mom! I'll be glad to see him again! And I'm sure he'll be happy to see us too." Spike said agreeing to this plan. "Sounds like a plan then, we'll head out early tomorrow, and try and bond with him. I'm just glad this day went so well.." Skystar said while she began taking off into the sky's again. "Me too mom.. me too.." Spike said with a smile as they headed back home, while Spike was glad to have learned so much today, he still needed to find out how to break this news to Twilight, and since Skystar may have a bit of a grudge against them.. he's gonna have to think of something that could help.. but she may not take this news easily if she knows.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter! I know this chapter was mainly just more talking and learning about dragons and stuff, but I also wanted to include more character stuff with Spike and his mom, while Skystar does care for her son, she's had experiences that may make her not take news like this well, and if you've red my original story, I'm sure you know how it goes, but don't worry, I'll make sure things are resolved in the end! Sorry the mane 6 hasn't appeared in the story yet, but hopefully with what this story's provided so far, it helps explain why, I just hope you can hold out for a bit longer until we see them again, thank you all so much for reading this and hope you look forward to more! 6: Seeing A FriendAfter Spike and Skystar finished up their day yesterday, they went back home to eat and then rest for they're next trip today, they were going to see Nathen and see how he's doing since they last saw him, they were still really grateful for him helping them reunite and it showed Spike that there are kind drakes out there who are willing to help him when he's alone. While Spike is still worried about how he's gonna tell his mother the truth that he was raised by ponies, surely she'll be able to understand in a good way that it's all good for him, but then again she did show that she may have a grudge against them, and Spike is starting to believe it does tie into his egg being taken before he was born, and he can only wonder when he's gonna be able to find out what really happened, he just hopes it doesn't mean Celestia or anyone else stole him and brought him to Celestia for that experiment Twilight needed, because that would really infuriate his mother if she found out.. and she seems to have huge strength hidden behind her calm and caring appearance, and her fire powers only strengthen that fact. But after that day, they went back home and went to rest, and after another night of rest, they felt the sun rise within Skystar's cave once again, Skystar groaned and began opening her eyes once more, and like yesterday, Spike was curled up next to her for comfort, and she smiled lovingly whenever he was with her like this, it helped her feel so much more whole compared to what she felt like when he was taken from her. While she wants to sleep some more, she's wanting to see Nathen soon and decided to help wake her son up. "Wake up son, it's morning now, we've got a big day ahead of us." Skystar said while rubbing his head a bit, this made Spike groan a bit and he finally began opening his eyes too, he yawned a bit and saw Skystar looking down at him with a smile. "Mom? Is it morning already?" Spike asked while stretching his arms a bit, Skystar chuckled a bit and started getting up herself. "Yes it is son, but we won't be staying here all day, we're going to be seeing Nathen, remember?" Skystar asked while she helped him up. Spike took in a moment to regain his focus and remembered what happened yesterday, he met a cool dragon named Smolder, he and his mother explored more of the Dragon Lands yesterday, and they agreed to see Nathen at the end to spend more time with him. "Yeah, right, It'll be nice seeing Nathen again, you think he'll be alright when we see him?" Spike asked curious while they were both waking up still. "I think so, I think he'll be a bit more liked then most dragons if they know he helped you find me, so it'll be fine son. I'll go ahead and make breakfast before we go, I'll be done in a bit son." Skystar said as they began going out of her room and through her crystal cave again. "What should I do? I can help if you'd like?" Spike offered which she smiled at, but she wanted them both to take in some time to themselves. "I'll handle it myself son, you can look around the cave for a bit so we can think over what we're gonna do when we meet Nathen, okay?" Skystar asked which Spike could understand. "Alright mom, I'll try waking up fully before we leave." Spike said as they began going into separate rooms to think. "I'm sure you will, love you my Flamestar." Skystar said with a smile before she went into the kitchen to start cooking. "Love you too mom.." Spike said with a smile too while he went to think to himself. Spike walked through the cave for a bit to try and think about all of this, even though he's been glad to spend time with his mother here, he still needs to find a way to tell her the truth, he hated lying to anyone, because lies like this lead into situations that we can't get out of, Spike didn't know how to break it to her or Twilight about what's happening, if they do find out about what's happened.. Spike may have to choose between who he'll be raised by, and Spike doesn't want that to happen, he can have both family's.. right? Spike took in the time to think about all that's happened, Twilight was the one who hatched and raised him like his own mother, even though she often struggled with things she needed help with, that's just one of the things that made Twilight who she is, and helped her grow, and she had her friends alongside her to go on adventures whenever it happens. But on the other hand, Skystar is Spike's birth mother, and she's suffered with being alone and not having people to talk too because of her depression, and given she fell into this.. Primal Rage after she lost him, Spike fears what will happen if things go bad. Spike sighed to himself as she went into the room that had all the books Skystar showed him yesterday, he didn't know how to tell them this, and he can't just send a letter to Twilight, because that may have them come to get him back, which could lead to Skystar growing furious and tracking him down. "Why can't I just tell them this? Why did I have to lie like this?" Spike thought to himself while he looked around the bookshelves, he just didn't know what to do, and was really struggling how to come up with a solution. "If I told them I was raised by ponies, they may have seen it as them stealing me which would've caused more tension.. but if I didn't.. I never would've found my mother.. and learned all that's happened.. ugh! Why is this so hard?!" Spike thought with frustration as he didn't know what to do. But his thoughts were soon stopped when he noticed a certain green book that Skystar showed him yesterday, Spike looked interested with it and went up to it himself. "This book let her learn the ability's to control fire, she said she's only learned a few, but does she know more then what she said?" Spike asked while he carefully picked the book out, he just looked at it's unique cover and design with interest, he's never seen a book like this, and the fact Skystar found it in that strange cave makes it more interesting. "What kind of book can just help one learn fire spells like this? Is there more to this book then meets the eye?" Spike asked while he flipped through the pages. He took in every ancient drawing he could see, there were so many drawings of a dragon using their fire as a spell or ability, from forging it into their own swords or arrows, making a tornado of fire around them, and using it to absorb strong attacks, but that's when Spike noticed one thing.. the dragons on the pages looked like the same two dragons they saw in those caves, the ones that looked over all those branches. "Did these dragons.. make this book? If so why did they leave the book here? Was it for my mom to find it? Why?" Spike asked while he took in every page he could find, there were what could be hundreds of different spells in this book, and if Skystar's learned most of these, she may be far stronger then most of the dragons around, even Celestia or Luna may struggle against her if she used these on them.. "Who made this book? Why was it left there.. and why do I feel.. a connection to it?" Spike asked while he rubbed the cover, there was just something about this book that he didn't know yet, and under all these spells there is, something tells Spike there's something far more important then meets the eye.. "Son! Breakfast is ready!" Skystar announced which shook him out of his thoughts, he looked back at the exit and then to the book one more time and knew he had to go. "Coming mom!" Spike shouted while he quickly put the book back in it's place like nothing happened, he then ran to the kitchen to make sure she wouldn't catch on him looking at that book. Skystar had put the plates on the table again just as Spike had come in the room, she noticed Spike and smiled seeing him come in here. "Hey son, did everything go alright for you?" Skystar asked while they sat next to eachother again. "Yeah mom, everything went fine, did you think of what we could do when we see Nathen today?" Spike asked while they both began eating again, and like yesterday, it was really good, Skystar did know how to cook that's for sure. "Well, Nathen said that he was near the hotsprings of the Dragon Lands, and that's where we're gonna start, and maybe after spending some time with him, he may be up to go to a special spot in the Everfree Forest I know of, only I know of it, and I think all of us would have a fun time there." Skystar explained which Spike was interested in. "How did you find that place mom?" Spike asked curiously as the Everfree forest isn't the safest place for most to travel through. "It was during the time I was.. without you, and when I found it.. it was one of the first places I've seen in a long time that had me feel relaxed, and I'm sure you'll both love it when you see it son." Skystar said softly while flinching a bit during the first part of that sentence. Spike felt a bit sadder hearing that, it just showed how much she struggled without him during the time he was gone. "It sounds like a nice place.. you think Nathen will be alright to come with us during that trip?" Spike asked wondering if he would be interested. "I'm sure he will son, he's a kind drake, and I'm sure he'll be glad to spend time with you. I still can't believe he actually helped you find me.. I can't tell you the joy I felt when I finally had you in my claws again after so long.." Skystar said while she brought him closer to her again. "Yeah.. he really helped us both so much, and we barely knew him at all, he said he was willing to adopt me if we didn't find you... and if he did end up taking me in.. it makes me wonder if I would've ever found you.." Spike said while he remembered what Nathen did for them. "I'm sure he'd make a great father if he adopted you, I wouldn't have minded if he did, as long as he took care of you. And I don't think he would've given up on finding me knowing how long you were alone. I think we still would've met up at one point, just not as soon.." Skystar assured while they finished up they're food once again. "Hard to believe we would've never met up.. I'm just really glad we found eachother thanks to him.." Spike said with a smile as they both really needed moments like this to appreciate eachother. "I am too son, you ready to go to see him?" Skystar asked while she put the plates away for later, and they both began to leave the kitchen and headed to the exit together. "Of course mom, let's go see a friend." Spike said eager to go, Skystar smiled at this and gently picked him up again. "Then let's go to the hotsprings." Skystar said as they went out of the cave together, and Skystar soon took off into the sky's again, and they headed out to see Nathen and hoped he was doing alright. Spike and Skystar continued to fly across the Dragon Lands again, they headed to the hot spring area that Nathen said he lived around, Spike always liked hot springs with how relaxing they are, dragons also use lava pools to relax because it's mostly the same thing but they just prefer it, even when entering the area, Spike and Skystar could see a lot of steam around the area, looking below them they saw dozens of hot spring pools below, some dragons were relaxing in them, and it looked like this was one of the more popular areas to relax in. "Wow, to think Nathen lives here, it's really cool to see how dragons adapt and live in environments like this.." Spike said really amazed with what they're seeing right now. "I agree son, it's showing how us dragons adapt and live in different areas, most species tend to stick to one area or so, because it's the most livable for them, but for us dragons, we like to adapt to surroundings like this, ice cold mountains, or even the sea itself, we all just like to find what's the best place to live for us, like how I like to live within the mountain by our village." Skystar explained while they flew over the place and continued searching for Nathen. "That's really cool mom, where do you think Nathen is?" Spike asked as they tried searching for him, Skystar looked below some more and looked over all the dragons that were there, but she soon found a certain large blue dragon relaxing in the hot springs near a cave. "I think that's him." Skystar said as they quickly flew down to him to see if he's doing alright. Nathen was relaxing in the hot springs like there was no tomorrow, he was laying on his back while floating in the water, and just took slow and calm breaths, he always loved this place, it was one of the places that really helped him relax, but his relaxing was soon stopped when a loud thud landed nearby him which made him open his eyes. "How long was I in there?" Nathen asked while he tried regaining focus, he got back on his feet again and looked near the edge of the hot springs, but he had a look of surprise when he saw Skystar and Spike were there to see him. "Hey Nathen, how you doing?" Spike greeted while the two walked up to him. "Spike! Skystar! It's great to see you here!" Nathen said while he quickly got out of the pool and shook the water off of him. "It's good to see you too Nathen, how've you been since we last saw you?" Skystar asked while the 3 came near eachother to talk. "I've been good, just mainly been relaxing, enjoying what I can in life, and doing some training every now and then to keep my strength up." Nathen explained while he was near Skystar, they were about the same height for comparison, but Skystar's huge wings made her a bit larger as a result. "That's good to hear, we're glad you've been handling it well after we last saw you." Spike said with a smile while the group went into the hotsprings again for relaxing, and talking. "Thanks kid, so what about you two? You been handling things alright since you reunited?" Nathen asked hoping they were doing good here. "It's been wonderful Nathen, I haven't felt so much joy with my son by my side in so long, you have no idea how grateful I am for this still, it's just been.. really amazing.." Skystar said softly while staying in between the two. "Yeah, it's been really great! I learned some more about dragon kind yesterday when we flew around the lands, I didn't think there was so much to our kind, but now that I know this, it makes me just wanna know more!" Spike said eagerly which made them both chuckle a bit. "Glad to hear you both have been handling it well as mother and son, so what brings you here? Come to relax in the hotsprings as well?" Nathen asked while sinking into the water a bit more. "We actually came to see if you'd like to spend time with us, we're gonna be heading to a special spot I know later today, and I was hoping you were in for a good time there?" Skystar asked which surprised him for a sec, but he smiled at the offer and already felt like he had to go. "Of course! I haven't spent time with people in a while, but your alright with that? I don't wanna get in the way of you two spending more time together to make up for what was lost." Nathen asked making sure they were alright with it. "We don't mind it at all Nathen, it's why we came here, and It'll only make things more fun for us if you come." Spike assured which did relieve him a little. "Well, as long as your both alright with it.. I'll be glad to come with you both, I've been in this spring a bit too long without going out somewhere else." Nathen said while he stretched out his wings too. "I'm glad to hear that Nathen, I haven't spent much time with anyone else since I got my son back, and you coming with us will make things better for us." Skystar said with a smile which made him feel proud a bit. "Thanks Skystar, it's hard to believe you went so long without him, seeing you two together again after so long, it just gives me so much joy." Nathen said with a smile which they both liked to hear too. "Hey, we wouldn't have reunited if it weren't for you Nathen, I still can't thank you enough, we both can't.." Skystar said gratefully again which made him smile even more. "Thanks you two, would you like to come in my cave for a bit? It's best we have some time to prepare?" Nathen asked while pointing near a large cave entrance just by the hotsprings. "I think it's best we rest a bit before we head out, but it'll be a fun day either way." Skystar said as they started getting out of the hotspring. "Yeah, we'd be glad to take a few to prepare, it'll only give us more time together after all." Spike said while they stretched out they're bodies again. "Glad to hear it you two, come on, friends are always welcome here." Nathen assured while they started making they're way to the cave. "So Dragons do friends too?" Spike thought to himself while wondering what they're gonna do, Spike still has a lot of stuff to tell, but he should at least try enjoying what he has right now. Spike and Skystar followed they're way into the cave with Nathen, looking around the place, Spike could see it's a good place to live, there were different paths that led to other rooms in the cave, there were plenty of gems on the walls and even some furniture for holding items, Spike could see a kitchen to his right, a large bedroom with a horde or gems to the left, and ahead of them was a spare room for anyone who needed some space. "Wow, this place is really nice Nathen, you live by yourself here?" Spike asked while they looked around the place with interest. "Yeah, I've had this cave for decades now, I've always stayed here because it's the place I feel the most comfortable with. I don't get any thieves trying to steal my gems, and I always keep the place in shape to keep myself busy." Nathen explained while Skystar looked around for anyone else here. "This cave seems large enough for multiple dragons, did you ever have anyone else with you when you got this place?" Skystar asked hoping he did, but Nathen's smile soon started to fade being asked that, which meant they hit a sensitive question for him. "I.. mainly like to live alone here, while I would gladly take in any child who needs a home, I've mainly been.. alone here for a long time.. and it's one of the few places that still helps me relax.." Nathen said while he was looking a bit sad, even though they didn't want to go deeper into this, they needed to help they're friend out with what he's going through. "Nathen, please tell us why, I know we shouldn't be getting into your space like this, but we both know what it's like being alone, I do, please tell us what's happened.." Skystar asked while coming near his side, he sighed being asked that, he didn't want to have to talk to them about this, at least not for a long time, but now they see he has a problem of his own, and needs to explain it. "It's.. something that's hard to explain you two.. while I lived alone here for a long time.. it wasn't.. always like this.." Nathen explained while he went over to a shelf, and Spike could see a photo on the thing while Nathen picked it up. He had a sad look on his face and even had a tear come down, and when Spike and Skystar looked at it too, they saw Nathen was with another dragoness who looked a lot like him, they were in front of the cave and were smiling together, they didn't have an egg on them, but they looked happy together. "Nathen, who's that?" Spike asked taking a closer look at it. "That.. is.. was.. my mate.. Sapphire.. she was the best thing that ever came into my life.. and she was what really made my life whole.." Nathen said softly while he started to cry, they could tell something sad happened to him during his time with her. "What happened Nathen? What happened to her..?" Skystar asked looking at it too. "She.. passed away from a terrible illness.. she couldn't recover from it.. no matter what I did to find something to help her.. she just.. passed on.. and I was left alone.. I didn't have a child to raise.. and I didn't feel like I was good enough for another dragon after she passed.." Nathen explained which made them feel remorse for him when hearing this. Skystar looked really sad being told that, and it was so similar to how she lost her former mate, and then lost her son.. "I.. can understand this pain.. I lost my mate too because of something similar, but I feel like you had it easier.. while you didn't have a child to raise.. I did.. and when I lost my Flamestar.. I never felt like I could be a proper mother.." Skystar said with regret while they all took in this moment. "You two huh? What happened with you after you lost him? For me.. no matter how much I tried to brush it off.. try to relax to take my mind off it.. no matter what I did.. the memory of her passing is something I can't forget.. and I don't think I.. ever will.." Nathen said sadly while he was crying from the thought, he remembered the day he met her, he saved her from a gang of bad dragons who almost attacked her for any gold she had, but he stepped in and saved her life, and since then, they spent so much time together to the point they became mates, and it was the happiest time Nathen ever felt during his life.. "It's hard to describe it.. even after I lost my son and fell into depression.. I couldn't find anything that could help me get better, no matter what gold I collected, the dozens of combat skills and fire spells I've learned, or the support my village gave me, I never truly recovered from it.. even when I have my son with me now.. I'm just.. afraid if something will take him from me again.." Skystar said while looking at her claws, they were shaking a bit, and she could only make a green spark of fire to prove her point. Spike felt awful hearing what's happened to them both, Spike knows it's hard for someone to accept a loss.. but there are just times when it can't be accepted. "Mom.. Nathen.. I'm really sorry for what's happened.. to think you went through so much loss.. and especially when mom lost me.. it's hard to properly describe how much regret I feel for this.." Spike said while he gave his mother another hug who began to cry too. "It's impossible to get over the loss of someone you love son.. losing you is like losing a part of myself.. my Emerald meant so much to me.. and when he died.. I never knew if I could properly raise you if you did hatch.. and even if I have you back.. even I'm struggling to figure out how to plan everything out with you back in my life.. after so many years of you being gone.." Skystar said while hugging him too, Nathen needed the support too, and they all had a group hug to comfort eachother. "I didn't think there would be someone who's known what I felt.. but hearing that you went through so much like I did.. even worse then me.. I can't truly say how sorry I am for all of it.." Nathen said regretfully while they helped eachother with their loss. "Me neither Nathen.. but knowing you went through the pain I did.. it only makes what you did with me seeing my son again.. it just makes me see why your mate loved you.. and I'm glad to know even if she died.. she died with a perfect mate.." Skystar said softly while Nathen smiled softly again hearing that, he hadn't heard something like this from anyone in a long while, and hearing this from her made things so much nicer to hear. "Thank you Skystar.. Spike.. having someone like you here.. it's what I've needed for a long time.." Nathen said gratefully while they all looked at eachother. "Hey, you did a lot for us even when just meeting us, it shows us how kind you are, and we can't let a friend be in a state like this.." Spike assured as well while Nathen wiped away the tears from hearing that. "Thank you so much, I didn't want others to feel this same pain.. so knowing you two have eachother again.. it only makes me more glad I met you.." Nathen replied with a smile while Skystar stopped crying too. "I can't say again how much I appreciate you for this, a kind drake like you doing this for others, it only makes me wish I met you sooner.. so we could help eachother with our loss.." Skystar said while she rubbed his head a bit. "Yeah, but what's important now is that we're together again, and we have you to thank Nathen. We only wish to help you in return." Spike assured again while smiling too. "Thank you, both of you. I'm sure over time, the more we spend time with eachother, the closer we'll be." Nathen said gladly as they all stopped crying after this comfort. "Your welcome Nathen, I think we'll have a great time together too, we'll head out for the spot I know in the Everfree Forest soon, it'll be a great time for us to bond." Skystar said getting a little eager to go. "That sounds great! With you two here, I think we'll all have a great time together." Spike said with a thumbs up which made Nathen chuckle. "Whatever makes you both happy, I'll gladly come with you, let's just take in a moment to rest, then we'll head out in a bit alright?" Nathen asked while they started moving to a living room of sorts to relax. "Sounds good guys.. I can't wait.." Spike said as they went to take in some time together, even with Spike's problem right now, seeing his mom and Nathen bond over a loss like this is really great to him, and he only hopes he'll help them out more in the future.. that is.. until he properly finds out how to explain this to both them, and Twilight and the others.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know I may not have done Skystar's and Nathen's relationship as well as I did in my original story, but I'd like to take things a bit slower and have them grow more from friends to eventual lovers, if I make a sequel story to this I'll focus more on their relationship and Spike living with them, but for now I hope this small change isn't too much for you. Also I have a question for you all, who do you think should voice Skystar and Nathen in the show? I have a few ideas of who it could be but I'd like to hear from you guys, I just hope you all liked this and hope you look forward to more! 7: A Special PlaceAfter Spike and Skystar had they're little talk with Nathen and understood the pain he was going through, they did what they could to comfort him with what they could do, Spike felt really bad to know Nathen went through so much similar to what his mom went through, and he only wished he came to this place sooner, but at the same time, he still didn't know how to properly explain everything to them both. Despite him reuniting with his birth mother and spending time with her, learning about their kind and such, Spike was still raised and is family to Twilight, and Spike knows she must be really worried for him since he hasn't sent a letter in 2 days by now. He felt the lie he has finally catching up to him as the consequences for it are not gonna be pretty, Spike didn't know what to do, he needed to tell his mom and Nathen the truth, but if the story of him being stolen relates to her grudge against the ponies, it makes Spike even more worried about what's gonna happen, and with Skystar's skills, she may be a big problem to his family back home if she goes.. to far off the edge when Spike goes missing again. Spike was in the living room alongside Nathen and Skystar, they were taking in this moment to relax before they headed out for the Everfree Forest, how Skystar knows about this place is beyond him, but he is interested about seeing it, but again.. the thoughts of what to do can't stop leaving his mind. "How do I tell them this? How do I explain that I was really raised by ponies?" Spike thought to himself while he looked at the two who were focusing on something else. "My mom went through so much without me, she fell into that Primal Rage state she mentioned before, and she spent so many years without her child, him. And no matter what spell she learned, or skill with strength she gained, she never got over the guilt of losing him, and Nathen understood that pain.. "If I go missing again, and they find out that I end up back in Ponyville.. will they grow furious upon finding out?" Spike thought with fear as he knew Skystar had some huge strength hidden within her, and she may cause some real damage if she finds out. "What do I do.. how do I break this to them both? Will they still care for me even if I did lie..?" Spike asked while he was so deep in his thoughts, all of this weight fell on him and he didn't know how to push it away, he felt so heavy and his mind just didn't get over it, he was so afraid of what's gonna happen, and knowing Nathen knows this pain, he may be with Skystar to get him back if he goes back without them knowing.. "Ugh.. why did I have to lie? Why couldn't I just tell them the truth? Even if they assumed the ponies stole me.. they at least would know how I survived and not that it was on my own.. why did I lie? How can I solve this?" Spike asked again as he was shaking from the thoughts of the consequences, and that finally got Skystar and Nathen's attention after some thinking of they're own. "Son, are you alright? You look really worried about something?" Skystar asked which finally snapped him out of his thoughts, he looked up and saw Nathen and Skystar were worried for him, and tried calming down to not cause concern. "I'm.. alright, just lost in my thoughts.." Spike admitted while the two looked at him. "You sure kid? You seem worried about something else, do you.. wanna talk about it?" Nathen asked knowing there was something wrong. Spike looked at the two of them and tried finding something to say, despite how much he's worried about what they'll feel like when they know the truth, Spike needed to find a right time to tell them all of this, and tried finding a way around the answer. "I'm okay.. I was just worried about what may happen when we go to the forest, just worried if we're ambushed by Timberwolves, or if something happens during our time there.." Spike said making sure he doesn't hint at his real thoughts, but Skystar only shook her head hearing that. "You don't have to worry about a thing son, I am far stronger then I was when I lost you, I can destroy a mountain if I start tapping into my powers, and if I fall into my Primal Rage state.. let's just say whoever or whatever tries harming you.. they will not make it out with more then a few dozen body scars.. really deep.. painful body scars." Skystar said with a bit of a scary tone which did worry Spike even more. "Yeah, don't worry about it kid. I have plenty of combat experience myself, I know more then just brute strength in my fights, and my lightning only helps me with what I know." Nathen said as he took a small breath and blew a little bit of blue lightning from his mouth which surprised him knowing he can use lightning instead of fire. Spike looked at them both and saw they had no worry at all, and that they'll be able to handle a potential attack, but that only worried him even more if his friends try taking him from them.. "Well, that does relieve me a little knowing you two are well trained for this situation.." Spike said nervously not knowing what to say next, but Skystar saw there was something else he wasn't saying to them. "Son, I can tell there's something else your thinking about, please don't hold anything from us, I'm your mother, and I don't want my son to feel worried or pressured about anything, please tell me what's wrong." Skystar said while she kneeled down to him, Spike could see she knew he had something to hide, but wanted to hold off a bit longer until the times right. Spike sighed as he tried to think of something, but that's when he remembered what she's been hiding from him this whole time too, and decided it's best he and Nathen both hear out what her problem with the ponies are. "Mom, the truth is.. I'm just worried about you, after my egg was stolen, you went through so much pain and loss without me there, and given that you have a grudge against the ponies.. I'm guessing that they have some involvement in it.. don't they?" Spike asked which caught her off guard, but Nathen was surprised to hear that knowing this. "Why would the ponies be involved with Skystar's egg? I know that they wouldn't try to do that, they know the risk of stealing eggs from us, they would never try to do that." Nathen said brushing that off as he's seen what the ponies are like, but Skystar's expression soon turned into one that slowly turned to anger the more she heard that word. "Ponies are nothing but heartless monsters who care for themselves..." Skystar said quietly while growling a bit, but they didn't hear that fully. "What was that Skystar?" Nathen asked not hearing that, but she soon looked more angry and glared at them both to make sure they hear this fully. "Ponies are nothing but heartless monsters who only care for themselves!!!" Skystar shouted in a booming voice which actually shook the cave from the volume, Spike and Nathen were both really shocked with her sudden rage, and she herself noticed this and tried calming down. "I.. I'm so sorry I shouted like that.. It's just.. the thought of them.. it makes my blood boil with what they did.." Skystar said while clutching her claw, they both were really worried for her, and Spike's fears grew even more as the truth was starting to be revealed. "Mom.. please tell us.. what really happened with my egg?" Spike asked while he rubbed her head, she looked at both of them and saw they needed to hear what really happened, she's kept this from her son long enough, and he needed to know the full story. "I can't hold this from you anymore son, and it's important you know this too Nathen, please gather around, and listen closely.." Skystar said which made them come closer, Skystar took a deep breath and began to explain everything about what happened. "The ponies were the ones who stole my egg in the first place, they took the only thing that I had left, they took a part of me away, and after that day.. I never forgave them for what happened." Skystar revealed as the camera zooms into her head and we see a memory of what happened play out. Skystar was within a different cave compared to what she had now, she was on the ground and was badly bruised, she was breathing heavily and saw the two pony's grabbing her egg and taking it from her. "No! That's my egg!! It's the only thing I have left! It's my family!!" Skystar shouted with rage and sorrow while she tried getting back up, but her injuries were slowing her process, and the ponies smirked at the sight of it. "Oh so sorry miss dragon, we'll make sure your egg is fully safe when we take it! We searched too long for one of these, and we aren't gonna give it back little dragon!" One of them mocked which made her more furious. "The boss has been needing an egg for something important, and this egg will fit that bill! Too bad you won't ever see what becomes of it!" The other mocked as well which made her growl with fury, Skystar tried pushing through the pain she had, and stood against them one last time. "Give me back my child!!" Skystar screamed while she lunged directly at them both one last time, but one of them was a unicorn and it's horn began glowing the closer Skystar got to them. "See you around, you pathetic dragon." The unicorn mocked before they suddenly vanished before her which made her crash into the wall as a result, but Skystar quickly got up and looked around the cave with horror, her egg was gone, stolen by those ponies for something selfish. "No! No!!! This can't be real!!" Skystar screamed with anger and fear while she tried finding where they were, but she couldn't smell a trace of where they were, and had a look of horror realizing what's happened, her child was kidnapped, and she didn't know where to find him.. "No! NO!!! MY CHILD!!!!" Skystar screamed with anger as her eye pupils shrunk down, her claws were shaking with anger and flames began to appear around her body, Skystar growled with pure rage and fury as she felt the pain of her only family left being taken from her, and what's worse.. she had fallen into a Primal Rage state as a result. "I WILL BURN DOWN EVERY LAST PONY VILLAGE THERE IS! I WILL FIND YOU MONSTERS ONE DAY!! AND YOU WILL KNOW MY PAIN!!!" Skystar screamed as she made a huge scary roar of fury which echoed through the entire village, this caught the attention of every dragon living there, and they had a look of fear knowing what's to come next. We finally cut back to present time, Skystar had a tear come from her eye as she remembered that terrible day, she explained everything that happened, and Spike and Nathen were in compete shock of all they just heard. "So.. it's.. true? Ponies really stole me when I was an egg? And you.. fell into a Primal Rage because of it?" Spike asked sadly while she tried not to break down. "Yes.. I felt so much anger after you were taken.. I didn't know what to do after it.. once I finally snapped out of my Primal Rage state.. all I felt was pain and regret for not being able to save you.. and during the years I didn't have you.. I learned so much about fighting that I can never lose a fight again, it was all to protect you if I ever found you again.. but you were gone for so long.. I was so afraid of what really happened to you.. if they smashed your egg.. or if you were used for something.. far worse.." Skystar said while she gave him a tight hug. "Mom.. I'm so sorry to hear this.. I know why you were holding this back from us now.. I'm so sorry for what happened.." Spike said with regret while returning the hug. "To think you fell into such a state after losing you son.. It reminds me a lot of how I felt when I lost Sapphire.. I'm so sorry Skystar.. we shouldn't have had you talk about this.." Nathen said regretfully while he tried helping her too. Skystar looked at them both and had some tears in her eyes, she hated that memory so much, but having to tell this in front of them makes her feel more regret, but now they know the truth.. and why she hates the ponies because of it.. "It's okay you two, you now know the truth, why I held back on telling the truth for a while, I just hope that now that you know.. we can move on from it.. and now that I have my son back, I can make up the years I lost you.. and finally be the mother I never got to be.." Skystar said while she kissed Spike's head again, he felt awful hearing this, and knowing that the ponies stole him from her.. "I'm sorry this happened to you mom.. but what's important that we know what happened now, I'm sorry you went through so much pain from this.. but I promise you this won't happen again.." Spike assured while he looked in her eyes. "You.. really mean that son?" Skystar asked hoping he meant it. "Of course mom, I don't want you to go through that pain again.. we both don't.." Spike said while he hugged her tightly still. "Spike's right Skystar, what matters is you have him now, and we won't let you go through this pain again, what happened back then is awful yes, but what's important is that we should be grateful for what we have now." Nathen assured while he rubbed her head too. Skystar looked at them bot hand saw they cared for her after what happened, and with what happened then, shouldn't matter right now, she has her son again.. and that's what really matters.. "Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would've done without you, especially you my son.." Skystar said while she started to cheer up from this talk. "It's alright mom, how about we head out now, try to take our minds off of this talk?" Spike suggested as he felt it was the best time to go right now. "Spike's right, let's go out and have a fun time, I'm sure it'll help us all after learning about this." Nathen said agreeing to this too, Skystar smiled after hearing this, and saw it was a good idea to go now. "Your right, let's all head out now, I'm sure we'll all feel better after we have some time to relax." Skystar said while she put Spike on her back again, they began to head to the exit and hoped for the best of what's to come next. "I'm sure we will mom, after learning all this, we need some time together to get over it." Spike said while they finally exited the cave together, and Skystar and Nathen spread out they're wings again. "It's best we all do son.. after all this.." Skystar said before she and Nathen took off into the sky's together, Spike had a lot to think about as they traveled again, and was just worried on what to tell them now that he knows the ponies stole him from her.. Spike traveled with Skystar and Nathen for quite a bit after taking off from the Dragon Lands, they went to the Everfree forest like Skystar said, Spike looked down and just remembered the times Twilight and her friends had to go through here to defeat Nightmare Moon, it was a real test for them all that night, but it's what helped form the friendship they all have now. But Spike couldn't help but worry even more knowing that the ponies stole her egg now, if she found out Spike was raised by them, she may think that they were the ones who stole him, and it would make things even worse. Learning all of this really took a hold on Spike's mind even more, this didn't help him with the guilt of the lie he made to avoid getting into trouble, but all of that resulted in him digging a deeper hole that he may not climb out of, but he had at least hoped they could find a way to resolve this in a peaceful way.. if Skystar would listen to them that is.. But after a while of flying, Skystar and Nathen were soon landing down near a certain spot in the forest, Spike snapped out of his thoughts again and looked ahead to where they were. "Is this where the spot is mom?" Spike asked while they looked around for it, Skystar slowly made her way forward a bit, and moved some branches and trees out of the way to help them move forward. "Just a few more steps son.." Skystar said while she kept pushing the trees out of the way, Nathen helped Skystar with this and they began moving through the place without much trouble, Spike was worried if any Timberwolves were gonna attack, but Skystar and Nathen said they could handle it, so he shouldn't worry about it hopefully. But after a few more minutes of moving through the place, Skystar pushed another tree out of the way one more time, and they saw a light just ahead of them, and once they stepped through it.. Spike's eyes widened in a sight that was really amazing to him. They emerged in a large open area within the forest, there was a huge pond within the center, a cliffside with a waterfall that helped fill the pond with fresh clean water, the sun was shinning down over them, and they could see some flowers and pure green grass around the place. "Wow.. you.. you come here mom?" Spike asked amazed with what they're seeing. "Yes son, I found this place a few years ago, it's a place that I often go to for relaxing, sometimes it's for training too, but I mainly like to spend time by myself here, in a forest like this, a place like this is just so special to me.." Skystar said with a smile while they came to the pond. "Wow.. this place is amazing Skystar.. no wonder you've kept it a secret.. this place is so nice.." Nathen said while looking around the place too. "Thank you, you two, but now that we're all here, why don't we all try having some fun together? We have a long day ahead of us." Skystar asked while Spike hopped off of her, and they all smiled at the really beautiful place around them. "That sounds great, let's have some fun!" Spike said eagerly as they all spent time together and had a fun day. Spike, Nathen and Skystar spent the next few hours at this special place, they all had a lot of fun doing some little games and doing things to bond with eachother, they often swam with eachother in the pond and did some fun tricks, Nathen did a crazy move and jumped off the cliff and into the pond which created a huge splash of water as a result, but Nathen was just fine from it since he was far tougher then most people. Skystar just looked so happy being able to spend time with her son, she's wanted this feeling for so long, and it's given her so much appreciation for what she has now. But even though Spike was having a lot of fun with them both here, Spike still couldn't get over this lie he's told, and he feels like it's finally catching up to him, he doesn't know how to break this to them, and felt more and more pressured the longer he held it back, he didn't know how to break it to them.. and felt more worry for keeping this from them. But after a few hours of playing with eachother, enjoying the place they were in, and having fun as a family of sorts, Spike, Skystar and Nathen needed a little break, and were laying on the ground after spending time together. "Wow.. that was really fun.. I haven't felt this much joy in so long.." Spike said with a smile while they looked at the sky together. "It wouldn't be the same without you two, I never truly could experience this place and it's joy it brought me without you both, and now that I have.. I want to keep coming back here far more often.." Skystar said as she felt really relaxed from all they've done today. "Tell me about it.. and the hotsprings back home will only make this day even better when we go back.." Nathen said agreeing to this too, Spike smiled knowing that they all had fun together, but to know he had to go back home and spend another day without telling them the truth just gave him more and more guilt.. Skystar took a deep breath and began to stand back up after a few more minutes, and she looked at the sky and felt ready to go. "I think we've spent enough time here, I think it's best we head back to Nathen's cave and rest a bit more, then me and my son will head back to my village, I gotta start figuring out how to properly have my son live with me now.." Skystar said while the others got up too. "Yeah, we've had a fun day together, but it's best we all go back and rest.." Nathen said ready to go too, Spike looked at them both and saw they wanted to leave, but Spike looked back at the forest and knew how much closer he was to his real home.. and felt more regret for not telling Twilight what's happened. "Son, is everything alright?" Skystar asked again while Spike looked out in the woods, he felt too much guilt for what he said to them, and he can't hold back this lie anymore, Skystar went through a lot because of the ponies, but if she knew the truth.. perhaps she may change how she views the ponies.. so.. with a deep breath.. Spike finally decided to reveal the truth. "Mom.. Nathen.. while I'm glad I've spent so much time with you today.. the truth is.. I have something else I need to tell you.. since you both confessed something personal.. It's best I do this too.." Spike said sadly while he prepared for what he had to say. "And what would that be kid?" Nathen asked while he was getting a bit worried, Spike looked at them both and prepared for what's to come with revealing the truth. "Mom.. Nathen.. the truth about how I found out about the Migration.. it's.." Spike was about to finally tell the truth, but loud growls suddenly stopped him from telling everything. Skystar's senses quickly went off and they quickly turned around into the trees, and from the shadows within, they saw dozens of eyes begin to appear within them, along with growls of anger which began to scare Spike. "What.. what are they?" Spike asked while staying close to his mom, Skystar growled in response and Nathen got ready to fight, the monster's came out of the shadows, and they all saw that there were dozens of Timberwolves emerging from the shadows, who must've found them after another daily hunt. "Timberwolves!!" Skystar screamed with rage as they all roared at them. "Spike! Get back!" Nathen shouted as one lunged at him, but Nathen quickly ducked under the attack and delivered a strong tail swipe to knock it back to the others. This made the other's more angry, and they all began charging at the tree with the intent to harm them. Skystar began growing more angry seeing them try to harm her son, she was not gonna lose him again, and had to fight them off. "Get away from my son you monsters!" Skystar screamed as she raised her fist and delivered a strong punch to one of their heads, this sent the wolf in the air for a moment and Skystar used that moment to grab the wolves tail and slam him down repeatedly with huge aggression. Nathen took a deep breath and shot a stream of lightning at another group who yelped in pain from the shock of it all, Nathen roared at them all and made a high jump into the air and charged up lightning into his fist, he had trained to use his lightning in ways too, and had some special moves he could use as well. "Lightning Burst!!" Nathen screamed before he smashed his fist on the ground and that created a huge shockwave of lightning that burst around the area, Spike got pushed back from the blast and was blown into the cliff, Spike screamed as he went directly to the wall and hit his head directly on it, and Spike's body fell to the ground from the impact, and groaned in pain. Skystar grabbed one wolf by the legs and roughly grabbed it's neck, she then jumped high into the air and did a backflip while she put her knee near the wolves back, Skystar roared with rage while she went flying back down, and she landed on the ground with one foot while kneeing the Timberwolf in the back extremely hard that they could hear a bone breaking from the result, The wolf howled with pain before Skystar threw it back into another group, and she saw even more of them were coming out. "Let's see you make it out from this.." Skystar said with rage while she made some fire appear in her hands again, she began to form the fire around her body and she began to make it into a weapon of sorts, Nathen stood behind her and awaited the result of the attack she's about to use. Spike groaned with pain as he tried getting back up, that hit hurt his head really badly because of how strong that impact was, Spike's vision was blurry and he only could see Skystar and Nathen fighting the Timberwolves, and was about to pass out. "Mom.. Nathen..." Spike said weakly while he tried to move, but felt too weak to keep moving, but he suddenly felt a shadow go over him, and looked above him with worry hoping it wasn't another Timberwolf, but to his surprise, he saw a lion was looking at him with concern, and he recognized this lion, it was one of the lions Fluttershy took care off with the other animals she loves, Spike himself even helped this one with an injured leg. The lion saw Spike was injured, and he needed to be taken somewhere where he can get help. "Wait.. my mom.. and Nathen.. they're still there.." Spike warned while the lion picked Spike up with it's mouth, it quickly turned tail and began to run back to Ponyville which worried Spike even more. "No.. mom.. she'll freak out from this.. and Nathen may take it just as bad.. no.." Spike said weakly as he passed out from the pain while the lion took him back home. Skystar finished preparing her move and the fire around her formed into an large flaming arrow, Skystar aimed it at the entire group and growled with anger. "Arrow of Fury, make these monsters pay." Skystar said before she shot the arrow directly at them, the wolves didn't even have time to react before the arrow came directly between all of them, and it made a huge explosion of fire which took down every single Timberwolf in an instant, the flames could be seen from the sky with how powerful it was, and Skystar wasn't phased by it at all while Nathen was in pure shock seeing them all being taken down in an instant. "Whoa! That was amazing! Where did you learn that?!" Nathen asked amazed with what she just did. "I have my own moves, you have yours too, but I'll be glad to show you them sometime." Skystar said proudly which he liked the sound off. "That sounds like a good idea, but let's not forget Spike, we should probably go now." Nathen said as they looked over the defeated wolves. "Your right, son, are you al.. right?" Skystar asked before she noticed something, Spike wasn't here, and they both started to get worried. "Son?! Are you there?!" Skystar shouted while they both looked all over the area for him, but they couldn't find where he was, and Skystar began to freak out. "No.. no!! This can't be happening, not again!!" Skystar screamed with fear while her heart was beating very fast. "Don't worry Skystar, we'll find him, we just need to find something.." Nathen assured while they tried finding a clue as to where he is.. but that's when Skystar noticed a strain of pink hair on the ground.. she and Nathen were both interested seeing this, and they went over to it and picked it up. "What is it?" Nathen asked while Skystar took a sniff of it for the scent, but once she recognized it's scent, Skystar's eyes widened in shock, but it soon turned to anger and she began to growl with rage. "Ponies!!!" Skystar shouted with fury which shocked Nathen, but if this was really true, and Spike was kidnapped by them.. He saw the ponies were really thieves for this. Nathen felt a huge amount of rage building up in him, Nathen began to look furious upon hearing this, and they both began to growl with fury. "I will not let you all take my son again!!" Skystar screamed as her fist lit on fire and that burned the string of hair in an instant, Skystar and Nathen both had they're breaths began to swell, and they felt so much anger they haven't felt before, and with one loud stomp, Skystar and Nathen made a huge roar of rage which echoed through the entire forest, and they were not gonna stop until they get Spike back.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter and I hoped you liked it! We're finally gonna be heading into the last act of the story, I have some ideas on how to make it more interesting then in the original, but I hope you all don't mind any extra changes I'll make like Nathen being able to use lightning instead, it'll make him stand out more, but with all that being said, I just hope you liked this chapter and look forward to more! 8: RecoverySpike felt his head pounding as he was finally waking up after taking that tough hit on the head, he groaned in pain as he was finally opening his eyes, he didn't know how long he was out, but he had a feeling he was out for a bit, Spike felt his head stir as he finally was waking up. "Where.. am I?" Spike asked himself while he finally opened his eyes, he did his best to focus his vision to see where he was, but when he finally could, he realized where he was, he was in a medical room, but it was in Ponyville.. "Oh no.." Spike said with fear as he quickly got up from the bed, but that made his head hurt a little since he took a bit of a hit, but he tried pushing through it in order to keep moving. "I gotta tell the other's what's happening, my mom is gonna freak out when she finds out I'm here.." Spike thought with fear while he hopped out of the bed, he tried making his way around the room after gaining his bearings, his thoughts were racing through him with each step he took, if he vanished like this suddenly without his mom knowing, she will freak out, and if she finds out Spike's with the ponies, she may go berserk with what happened with her in the past. "I shouldn't have waited so long to tell her, now the whole town may be in danger." Spike said with worry while he quickly rushed through the halls to find the exit. "I need to let the other's know what's happening, I have to tell them what's happened!" Spike thought with worry while he made his way down even more, he soon saw the exit to the place just up ahead, and made a rush for it. "Gotta find Twilight, gotta let the other's know now!" Spike said with worry until a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. "Spike! Wait!" It shouted which made him come to a halt, he recognized that voice, he quickly turned to where it came from and saw Twilight was in the lobby waiting for an update on his injury. "Twilight!" Spike said with relief while she came up and gave him a tight hug. "Spike! Where were you?! We were so worried if something bad happened!" Twilight said holding him tightly while Spike tried coming up with something to say. "Twilight.. I.." Spike tried to speak, but she kept going on about what's happened since he was gone. "We didn't know if we could find you, you weren't sending any letters to me or Celestia, and I was growing worried sick, what happened to you? Did those dragons hurt you?" Twilight asked extremely worried which made Spike back off a bit. "Twilight, please be quiet, I need to tell you and the other's something really important." Spike said while he tried making his way to the exit. "Why? What happened Spike? You don't have to rush things, you should take your time and rest." Twilight advised while she tried to stop him, but Spike's fears of what his mom will do didn't leave him. "No, I need to let you, Celestia and Luna, and the others know what's happened, now!" Spike shouted which caught her off guard a bit. "Why, what's happened?" Twilight asked worried while she tried helping him out. "Something incredibly important, we all need to meet up and talk about it, we can't waste another minute!" Spike said seriously while they started going through the village together. "Okay.. if it's that serious.." Twilight said as they made they're way to gather the others, Twilight didn't know what's happened right now, but if Spike's this worried, it may be something really bad. After Spike and Twilight left the nursery Spike was at, he and Twilight went to get the others, Spike knew he had to tell Celestia and Luna about this too, as this was something all of them should know, he still couldn't believe all of this is happening so fast, 2 days ago he met his mother finally, and now he's in a rush to warn the others of what she may do if she finds out he's here, if she goes berserk in her ways to get him back, there will be a lot of trouble to be made because of it. But soon enough, Spike and Twilight gathered the rest of the Mane 6, and went to Twilight's tree to discuss what's happening, they all were worried for Spike since he went missing for 2 days after he left for the Migration, and didn't know how to ask what happened, Twilight had finished writing a letter for Celestia and Luna to meet them here, and she sent it off before finally turning back to Spike who prepared to tell them all that's happened. "Alright Spike, we're all here now, what happened to you? I tried sending a letter, but it never went through, why?" Twilight asked with worry while they all sat on the couch to hear this story. "You were missing for days Spike, did those dragons do something bad to you?" Applejack asked with concerned if that was true. "You couldn't have written us a letter to tell us what happened? Where were you?" Rainbow Dash asked as well while crossing her hoofs. "Those dragons aren't too scary are they?" Fluttershy asked a bit nervous of what he's seen. "Do they like parties?" Pinkie asked which made the others look at her with confusion for a moment before turning back to him. Spike kept being bombarded with questions from them and started to feel overwhelmed. "Girls, one at a time please, I can't explain what happened with these all being asked at once." Spike said while raising his hands, they all calmed down a bit and asked one at a time to know what happened. "Sorry darling, so what happened to you? We were worried sick about you." Rarity asked concerned while Spike tried to explain this the best he could, and sighed as he prepared to reveal what he's seen. "It's, a lot to explain, but.. I'll try and make it simple, during my trip to the Dragon Lands, I.. encountered something I thought I'd never find, or more accurately.. someone.." Spike said calmly as he looked out the windows for any signs of Skystar and Nathen, and thankfully, he didn't see them yet. "And.. who would that be Spike?" Twilight asked with concern for this. "Twilight.. the reason I was gone for a few days.. the reason I didn't contact you or anyone else.. is because well.. I.. finally met my mother, my real one, the one who had me when I was an egg... I met her at the Migration thanks to the help of another kind dragon named Nathen, and I wanted to spend more time with her, and.. I learned a lot that's extremely important..." Spike explained which made them all gasp in shock. "Wait.. your.. mother?!" Rainbow Dash asked with shock hearing that be revealed. "You.. actually met her?" Fluttershy asked with worry hearing this. "What's she like Spike?" Applejack asked with interest to know hear this major reveal. "How.. how do you know she's your real mother? Does she look like you? Are there signs the egg she had, was the one I hatched you from?" Twilight asked as she didn't want this to be a trick. "It is her Twilight, she's shown me what her egg was like.. it was mine. Her name's Skystar, and she's got.. some special skills no dragon can use, she can control her fire, use them for stronger attacks that none of us could learn. She's extremely strong, and with our new friend Nathen, she's almost had what she lost.." Spike said regretfully while he tried figuring out how to explain how she.. lost him.. "How can she control fire Spike? I don't think I've ever heard of a dragon being able to do it, then again.. we don't know much about dragons to begin with... even after centuries of them existing.." Twilight asked fascinated to hear something like that. "It was.. from something special she found, but.. that's not what's really important, a few hours back, Skystar, Nathen and I got ambushed by some Timberwolves, they were able to fight them off with extremely strong moves, Nathen can even breath lightning! But I got caught in the crossfire, and I passed out from it, but that's when one of Fluttershy's lions found me, and brought me back here for recovery." Spike explained which fascinated them all. "A dragon breathing lightning? That's.. awesome!" Rainbow Dash said amazed to hear they can do more then just fire. "That explains why you came to me unconscious, but this is great news right? You found your birth mother, all we need to do now is properly explain to her what's happened." Twilight said as she thought this was good news, but Spike looked more worried hearing that. "No, Twilight, it's.. not good news, in fact.. it's really bad.. if she finds out that I'm with all of you.. she'll go berserk to get me back... especially since she just got me back after so many years..." Spike said sadly which made them all concerned again. "Why? Does she have a problem with us ponies?" Applejack asked a bit upset to hear that. "Your not to far off from that Applejack.. but.. it's the reason why she hates you all that makes this bad news.." Spike said as he felt extremely guilty to tell them all of this. "Why? Why does she hate the ponies? What did we ever do to her?" Rarity asked getting more worried for this. Spike was about to answer until they heard a knock on the Tree's door, and wondered who it may be. "That must be Celestia and Luna, they got here faster then I thought." Twilight said as she went to open the door, and she was right, Celestia and Luna had arrived after getting the letter from Twilight. "Celestia, Luna, it's great to see you! Sorry for having to bring you both here like this.." Twilight said respectfully as they came in the place. "We came as soon as we got the letter Twilight. Did you all really find Spike again?" Luna asked with concern after recalling the detail that Twilight described. "They did, I'm back you majesty's... " Spike said respectfully while they towered over him with their size. "What happened to you Spike? We thought you were going for just a day or so when we heard about the Migration, what happened to you?" Celestia asked as they all sat down to listen to him. Spike proceeded to catch Celestia and Luna up on what he told Twilight and the others, from him meeting his mother for the first time, to the time he's spent with her, and how he got back here after being missing for a few days. They were just as shocked as Twilight and the others to hear this, perhaps even more surprised to know he found his real mother, and he then told her about how she hates ponies.. but not why. "This.. is a lot to take in Spike, while I'm glad you found your real mother, we all are, to know she has a grudge against us is concerning." Luna said with worry as Spike explained everything. "Yes Spike, no dragon can just control they're fire like the way you described, she could be very powerful if she knows too much, but to know you actually met her, it's something I never thought would come.. and.. I'm sorry to say that.." Celestia said regretfully while Spike looked down sadly. "It's okay girls, now.. as to the reason why she hates ponies.. it.. ties back into how Celestia " Found" my egg in the first place" Spike said while using found in quotation marks. "What is it Spike? How did she lose you when you were an egg?" Celestia asked while getting worried the more he went on.. "The reason she lost me.. was because.. her egg was stolen by ponies after she lost her former mate, my father, and since then, she's hated the ponies ever since." Spike revealed which made them all gasp with horror. "What?! Why would ponies steal you from her?!" Pinkie asked furious to hear that reason. "Who would even want to steal a dragon egg?! Stealing an egg is like stealing a part of the mother, and if the dragons found this out.. it could cause massive problems for all of us!" Luna said as she already hated whoever stole Spike's egg. "That.. explains so much.. I knew there was a reason.. but.. this.. this is so.." Celestia said with shock and anger as she finally knew why he was found. ""It's a lot to take in, I know, but we don't know why they stole it, my mother described it by saying.. someone hired them to steal me, but who?" Spike asked as he was getting suspicious who hired them, and Celestia got more furious to know this is why. "I never would hire anyone to steal an egg, I am Equestria's ruler, and I would not want it to fall into war if that happened!" Celestia said with anger as she knew the risks of what would happen. "Sorry you all have to hear this, but it's to help explain why Skystar will be furious to find out I'm with you all again, it's why I held back on contacting you, because I didn't want you to try and get me back, or sneak into Dragon territory to find me, and if she found you, she would not have let you off easily." Spike said sadly as he felt awful for knowing how this all came to be. "This is all very upsetting to know, and to know your mother.. hates all of us because of it, we can't apologize enough for it. And now that we're all here.. it's best we all know the truth.." Luna said sadly while Spike kept looking out the window with worry. "It's been a lot to take in girls, I've learned so much about our kind, my mother, and what she went through without me, to see her fall into such a state after I was taken.. it makes me wish I found her way sooner then I did.." Spike said regretfully while Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder. "We're sorry to hear all of this Spike, it's a lot for us to hear too, but now that we know the truth, we need to figure out a way to tell her and that friend of her's about me raising you, maybe that'll make her forgive us for what happened?" Twilight asked hopefully while they turned back to the others. "I'm not so sure about that, the last time my egg was stolen, mom fell into this state called a Primal Rage, a state where a dragon is so furious and out of control, it can cause massive damage to anyone or anything it comes across, she almost destroyed her village when I was taken, if she find her way back after the elder calmed her down, she would've only felt more regret for harming innocent people. And now.. the same thing may happen to Ponyville.." Spike said with fear as he saw the ponies going about they're day, not knowing what's to come next.. Celestia had a look of fear hearing that, a Primal Rage is something she knows is hard to deal with, and they can't just talk to her now if that's the case. "If.. that's true.. then we need to get the other ponies somewhere safe! If your mother and that friend of hers is on her way, then there's no telling what damage they'll cause!" Celestia said with worry while they all started to leave the tree. "Are you sure there's no way we can talk to them Spike? I do not want this to break out into a massive fight." Luna asked with worry while Celestia ordered the ponies to head to nearby caves and safe houses for what's about to happen. "No, she tried that with those thieves, she only resorted to violence when they refused and took me away, she won't go down easy, she knows how to fight extremely well, and.. I don't want her to hurt any of you because of this.." Spike said regretfully while all the ponies of the town were really worried with what Celestia is telling them to do. "It's not your fault Spike, whoever took you from her is the one responsible, we'll find those monsters soon and they'll be properly punished for their crimes, if they don't answer to me, they'll answer to your mother." Celestia said as she already was thinking of a punishment for them. "How do we know we'll even find them? Or if they're still around? Stealing a dragon egg isn't something one can just brush off and say" Hey I stole a dragon egg, now I'm gonna go about my life" that is something no one could be forgiven for." Rainbow dash said while she flew above them. "We will find them in time, and I will make them feel the wrath of our might when that happens. But now we need to get the ponies out of the town, the risk of them getting hurt is to great right now." Luna said as multiple ponies were being teleported out of the town. Spike had a look of guilt and worry the more he looked around the place, it was in a state of fear and worry and all the people were leaving the place to stay safe, if he hadn't gone to the Migration in the first place, none of this would've happened. "This.. is all my fault.. I never should've gone there in the first place.. even if it means I never met my mother.. we all wouldn't be in this mess..." Spike said with guilt while he sat down for a bit, the others felt awful to see him feeling like this, and tried to help him through this. "It's not your fault Spike, in fact, the fact we all know how this happened is a good thing, because we all finally know how we got our special purple dragon. You've done a lot for us here Spike, and while it is awful to know how you ended up with us.. knowing the truth makes things better for all of us now, and I know we can fix this." Twilight assured while sitting next to him, but Spike still didn't know how to feel about it. "I know but.. sometimes things are better left unsaid.. If this didn't happen.. I don't know if I ever would've even met her.. but.. if this is all true.. I don't know how to properly describe the guilt I feel for this.." Spike said with tears while he looked over the village. "Spike, don't think that, while it is bad to know what happened to your mother. You were able to give her the happiness she hasn't felt in years, she never would've felt it if you weren't so brave to go on your own, I know we'll make it through this, no matter what happens, we're still your family, even when you know your real mother. And we all should be there for eachother.. always." Twilight said while she gave him another hug, and Spike returned it to try and process this. "You really think we'll make it through this Twilight?" Spike asked with worry as the place was evacuated finally. "I'm positive Spike, we'll find a way to help your mother, even if she's in this Primal Rage state, we'll make it through this, I promise." Twilight assured while she rubbed his head which made him smile a bit finally. "Thanks Twilight.. I'm glad to have been with you for my whole life.." Spike said gratefully as they went up to the others, and now, all they had to do was wait. "Spike, you said she's extremely skilled, but do you know how powerful she really is?" Celestia asked as she looked down at him again. "Not really, she said she only knows a few fire spells, but I feel like she knows far more then she told me, and with what I saw.. we're all gonna be in a lot of trouble if she goes all out.." Spike said with worry while they looked at the sky together. "Then we won't hold back either, we'll find a way to calm her down, we can't let this all end in a bad way. And it won't." Twilight said hopefully right before they heard two really loud dragon roars in the sky, everyone looked scarred as they heard that and looked at the sun, and saw two dragons were flying below it, and they're shadows were the only things that they could see.. "This is gonna get dicey..." Luna said with fear as they all braced themselves for a big fight that's about to break out.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! Sorry if this chapter didn't give us enough time to catch up with the mane 6, but I'm trying to make sure all of them are balanced out to help with the story. While Celestia and Luna were the ones that fought them in the original story, this fight will be more intense with how Skystar has fire powers and Nathen can use lightning, I'll try and get creative with it in ways that also makes sense, but I promise you this will all turn out well in the end, thank you all for reading this and I hope you look forward to more! 9: Primal RageSpike and the rest of his friends stood ready as they could see Skystar and Nathen approaching the village, even from this distance, Spike could tell his mother was furious, and she was not gonna hold back if he isn't given back easily. Spike knows Skystar has some hidden strength within her, she's tried hiding it for the time he's known her, and now she's about to truly show what she can do. Spike gulped nervously at the sight of them flying down to the village, Spike felt his heart racing and felt fear the closer they got. Celestia and Luna stood in front of all of them and had a serious look, they knew they were in for a fight, and it wasn't gonna be an easy one. "Twilight, you take Spike and the others and find a place to be safe, I don't want anypony getting hurt during any of this." Celestia ordered while they were surprised to hear that. "Wait, you can't fight them with Luna by yourselves! We need to stay here and help!" Rainbow Dash said not wanting them to get hurt. "She looks really mad Celestia, do you really think you can take her if she falls into this.. Primal Rage?" Fluttershy asked shuddering at that name. "We've dealt with strong threats like this before girls, we know how to handle it, I know we can handle it, but it won't be easy. " Luna assured while she saw Nathen sparking up with lightning in the distance. "My sister's right, we're strong enough to take them, but you all are too risky to have here, you need to find somewhere safe, now!" Celestia ordered again as the two roared over the village once again. "O.. okay.. we'll leave you too it, just promise you'll come out of this safe?" Twilight asked hopefully while everyone was heading somewhere to hide. "We will Twilight, we won't fall here, not today." Luna said confidently while Spike was still really scared for them. "Celestia Luna, please try and calm them down, Skystar is still my mother, I don't want her to lose any sense of reason like she did before, I'm the one she wants, and.. if this goes to far, I'll have to give myself up, it'll be to protect you, I'm sorry but, just please be careful with them, okay?" Spike asked hopefully while he began backing up. "Don't worry Spike, we'll make sure this all turns out well in the end, now go!" Celestia warned as their shadows were towering over them all, Spike gulped again at this sight and quickly ran off with Twilight and the others for safety. Celestia and Luna sighed at the sight of them leaving, and turned back to the two dragons who were about to arrive. "Sister, do you really think we can calm them down? A dragon is extremely hard to fight when they're at the peak of they're rage, and with Skystar's said powers, she will not be easy, nor will Nathen." Luna asked wondering if they can beat them. "I know we can Luna, we've been at the verge of defeat before, but there's always some hope it'll turn out well in the end. We must do our best to convince them we didn't harm Spike, even if Spike was... kidnapped as an egg, we have to convince his mother we're not the ponies who did it." Celestia said while looking upset at the thought of him being taken. "And what if we make it out of this? Where are we gonna find those thieves who took Spike's egg? How will they be punished? Will they answer to us? Or will they answer to an angry mother who went through years of loneliness without her child?" Luna asked while she saw Skystar was growling at the sight of them. "They will answer to Spike's mother, I'm sure she will want to give them some payback for what they did, while I don't usually allow this kind of thing, what they did.. is unacceptable, this could cause a war between Dragons and Ponies if it escalates, though, I think I may already know what happened to them." Celestia said while she closed her eyes, she remembered when she found Spike's egg in the forest, it was all alone and had no one with it, and if it really was stolen, the thieves must've lost it. "Really? What do you know about them?" Luna asked curious to know, but Celestia decided to finish this talk later. "I'll explain it all later, for now, we need to calm Spike's mother and her friend down, get ready Luna, they're about to arrive!" Celestia warned as they were only a few feet away from the entrance now. "Understood sister, let's give it our all." Luna said seriously as the two dragons finally landed down on the ground. They created a crater from the strong impact of the landing, they had a furious look on them, they tracked down where Spike's scent went after they found out he was taken by ponies, and they were here to get him back. They're breaths were surrounding they're bodies, Nathen's body sparked up with lightning the closer they made they're way to the two rulers, and Skystar burned the ground from the heat of her flames, her eyes were glowing a brighter green then before, and her powers were ready to be unleashed if she doesn't get what she came for, her son. The two dragons marched to the two rulers with looks of anger, they weren't gonna let someone close to them be harmed by the ponies after he was taken, and Skystar was not gonna hold back if they refuse. They stood across from the two Alicorns, they all had a serious look on them, no one spoke for a few moments as the town was empty, it was for the best for any damage that may be caused, but soon, one of them started to speak. "I'll give you this one warning, pony, give me back my son, and we'll leave without harming anyone. We aren't gonna let you monsters harm him anymore, more then you've already done!" Skystar demanded while clutching her claws. "You took him from us when we were trying to protect him, where is he?!" Nathen shouted with anger while the two princesses kept a brave look on them. "We didn't harm him Skystar, we know who you both are, and you need to believe us, we are not your enemy, we're friends with your son, and we were helping him recover!" Celestia argued while Skystar growled at the thought. "Lies! You ponies stole him from me when he was but an egg! You've most likely manipulated him into thinking your his friends, when really, your the reasons he and I were separated for so long!" Skystar shouted in a booming voice which echoed through the area. "What kind of monsters like you, steals a egg from they're mother?! I'd never except something like that from you both! Considering your supposed to be Equestria's rulers." Nathen mocked looking at them. "We're not monsters, we didn't manipulate him, whoever stole your egg, it wasn't us! We've been keeping Spike safe with us since he was hatched! We never knew why he even ended up here, if I had known the truth, I would've brought him back to you right away!" Celestia countered again, she didn't want them to break out into a fight, but they didn't look convinced. "You should've brought him back to our kind the moment you found him as an egg! You know the risks of an egg being stolen, but instead of returning my son to our home, where I could've found him sooner, you kept him, and raised him to be, like you!" Skystar insulted while she clawed at the ground. "You never knew the full story behind him Skystar, if you just listen to us, we can find a way out of this! We do not want to fight you!" Celestia begged while they were getting even closer to them both. "I've tried keeping myself calm for a long time, trying to move on from what you did, but this happening twice is the last straw! You all don't know what I went through without the only thing, I had for a family! All my misery, my pain, everything I went through without my son, it was all.. because of YOU!" Skystar screamed before she lunged at Celestia and tackled her through the wall while Nathen charged at Luna. "We're taking Spike back, whether we have to burn this town to ash or not!" Nathen screamed before he slammed Luna to the ground. They both tried pushing them back as they saw they're rage building up in them, they knew they had to fight now, and sighed sadly that they have to do this. "We won't let you harm anypony here!" Celestia shouted before she used her magic to blind them both for a brief moment so they could escape. Luna and Celestia flew up in the air while Skystar and Nathen recovered, and they growled seeing them free. Skystar made a battle cry as she shot multiple fire blasts from her hands and they homed in on Celestia, Celestia created a barrier to block the attacks for just a moment, but Skystar used that moment to lunge at her and she charged up her claw with fire. "Why did you take my son with you?! Why didn't you bring him to where he really belongs?!" Skystar asked with fury while she broke down the barrier which shocked Celestial, Skystar grabbed Celestia by the leg and threw her directly into Luna who was trying to block some lightning blasts from Nathen, Nathen lunged at them and his tail sparked up with lightning. "There's a reason us dragons and ponies have always stayed away from eachother! Because you all are afraid of us! No matter what threats you've faced, you know you're too afraid to face off against one of us!" Nathen mocked while he slammed his tail on the ground which caused some large chunks of the ground to rise up from the ground. Celestia and Luna quickly got up while Skystar charged at the large chunks, and she roared while she punched them all directly at them. "Sister watch out!" Luna warned just before she shot through each one, but Skystar emerged through the rubble of one of them and roared at them both, Skystar lit up her fist with flames and delivered a strong punch to them both which sent them flying through a few houses from the sheer power. Celestia and Luna rolled across the ground after they burst through the walls, they coughed roughly after taking the hit, and saw the damage that was caused. "Spike wasn't kidding when he said Skystar was strong!" Luna said with shock while Nathen burst through the houses and brought them down from his power, his lightning was trialing behind him, and Nathen ran at them with fast speeds. "Brace yourself!" Celestia shouted as Nathen jumped in the air with his lightning swirling around him, and with a roar of fury, Nathen smashed his fist on the ground which created a powerful shockwave of lightning which almost knocked them back. Celestia and Luna tried to figure out how to fight them, but they were acting so fast they didn't have time to plan it out, Skystar roared at them both while she flew at them from the air, Skystar's fire swirled around her again and she spun her body around until she created a tornado of fire all around her. "What sort of move is that?!" Celestia asked while she used her magic to block the attacks, but Skystar's own spells were strong enough to push her back, even with the spells protecting her. Skystar spun around them all in her tornado form while Nathen flew around in the air, Celestia and Luna kept an eye on them both and tried coming up with a plan. "Luna, I got an idea! Keep them a good distance from us!" Celestia shouted while she charged up her magic again as Skystar charged at them again. "Got it!" Luna replied while she saw Nathen charging up his fist, Celestia and Luna both used they're magic and waited for the right moment as they were about to strike them both, but at the right time, they both teleported away just as they landed they're strikes, but that made them hit eachother from the move which knocked them down a bit. Skystar growled with irritation and she felt her rage building up even more, her body was shaking with rage, and her fire was building up even more. Celestia and Luna teleported a great distance away from them and they were far in the sky's of the village. Skystar and Nathen soon recovered from they're hits and saw them a good distance away. "You will pay you thieves!!" Skystar screamed before she had her fire cover her body and she launched herself directly at them like a rocket, Celestia and Luna quickly moved out of the way of her attack and they saw her go flying to a nearby mountain far away, but when she hit that mountain, it made a explosion of green fire that left a huge crater on the side of the mountain which shocked both of them. "Where did she learn these spells?!" Celestia asked wish shock while Nathen roared at them from behind, they couldn't turn around fast enough while Nathen punched them both in their chests with his lightning, Nathen followed this up by swiping them down with his tail and he slammed them down with great power, Celestia and Luna both went flying back to the ground and they landed down with a strong impact. They both quickly got up again and saw both dragons were still coming for them. "We can't hold back on them for this Luna, we need to take them down before they go off the edge!" Celestia shouted while she charged up another blast. "We need to act fast! Spike's mom can't keep her composure for very long!" Luna warned as they saw Skystar's pupils were shrinking, she roared at them both and formed her fire into an arrow like before, she shot the arrow at them both and Luna quickly shot a beam of light at it to destroy it, but that created a powerful flame blast as a result with the damage it could do, Celestia continued charging up her magic and saw Skystar fly through it with fury, Skystar's body was being covered with flames and she made another roar while she lunged at them both. "Please stop this Skystar, your son would not want you to be like this!" Celestia begged before she shot a strong blast at Skystar which stopped her in her tracks, and knocked her down to the ground. Skystar didn't respond to this at all, she just made a ferocious growl of fury and the flames were coming from her mouth. "Give.. me.. back.. my.. Flamestar!!!" Skystar screamed before she shot a powerful fire blast at them both, they quickly teleported out of the way of the blast which flew past them, and that destroyed a few more houses and caused a fire to start spreading. Skystar felt her rage hit her peak, she couldn't keep herself calm anymore, she felt her rage take her over, the only thing she felt was fury, her flames completely surrounded her and she made a terrifying roar of rage. Celestia and Luna saw what's happened to her, and had a look of fear. "Oh no.. it's.. happened..." Luna said with fear while Skystar lunged at them both. "She's fallen into a Primal Rage!" Celestia shouted before Skystar punched her square in the face and sent her to a tree in the distance, Skystar roared at her before she charged at her again as her flames glowed even brighter, they hoped wherever Twilight and the others were, they were alright... Meanwhile with Spike and the rest of the mane 6, they were hiding within Twilights tree for safety, they all looked scared about what's happening, and they could hear the fight going on outside, and knew it was a rough one, Spike felt nothing but regret for what's happened, and saw this was his fault for not telling them sooner. "This is all my fault.. I should've told my mom and Nathen the truth about what happened, if I told them this so much sooner, none of this would've happened!" Spike said with regret while he looked out the window, he saw Skystar in the air and was fighting off their friends, she formed her fire into swords somehow and began slashing down multiple houses with ease. "Spike, I know this looks bad, but this is Celestia and Luna were talking about, I'm sure they can handle it.." Twilight assured while hoping they'd be alright, but with how bad things are now, she's not so sure of it either. "No.. it's not okay, I didn't tell anyone about what's happened out of fear of something worse happening, but with how things are now, I just made it worse for all of us, this isn't okay Twilight, it just isn't.." Spike said sadly while he heard Skystar's roar from outside. "Spike, you shouldn't beat yourself down like this, we're all gonna have to go through tough situations in our lives, nothings ever easy, I know you were just doing it to protect us, you shouldn't be ashamed of it." Applejack assured as well while they all looked at him. "I don't know girls, you've all handled things so much better then me, I don't know if I can calm her down, it's me she wants, and she may destroy this whole village just to get me.. I don't know how to handle it.. it's just.. it's so much.." Spike said with tears while a loud sound was heard outside which worried them even more. "We've all handled things in our own unique way Spike, we all were able to do it by taking a look at what's happening, and finding the solution to stop it, look at your mother, if she's really doing this because she wants you back, it shows she's doing this because she loves and cares for you, just like how I do. Your still just a child Spike, I know this pressure is a lot for someone so young, but you've shown us all how much you can handle yourself. You were able to find your mother Spike, even with the help of another Dragon, you found her, I don't think any of us could've done that. You were just trying to keep us safe, even with what we're in now, I know things will get better." Twilight assured once again while they looked out the window, Spike could see the green fire in the distance, and sighed knowing his mom and Nathen are still fighting they're friends. "Twilight, one of the things I'm afraid of if this does turn out alright, is a choice I may have to make, either to go with mom back to her home, or stay with you. I don't know what to do if I'd be asked that, mom's been through so much without me, and I don't want her to be alone anymore, but you raised me and took care of me, you both are my family, and to choose who I wanna stay with, I don't know if I can do it.." Spike said with regret while she looked sad hearing that, she knew this day would come one day, but it's his choice in the end. "Spike, I know it's all a lot for us, even when I took care of you, I always had a feeling you might have to leave me one day, but I know you can take care of yourself out there, whether you choose me or your mom, know that I will always be with you. No matter what, we all go through tough choices in our lives, but that only helps shape us into a better person, and now, it's up to you to decide what to do." Twilight assured while she gave him a hug once again, Spike felt more relieved hearing that from her, and with the sounds of a battle still happening outside, he got an idea on how to stop this. "Twilight, thank you. I have an idea on how to stop this, but I need to know, do you trust me?" Spike asked while he looked at the door ahead of them. "Of course I do Spike, what do you have in mind?" Twilight asked curiously, Spike had a serious look and knew what to do, without a second thought, he bolted to the door and ran out of the tree to find them, Twilight and the others had a look of shock seeing his sudden move, but Twilight had a feeling he'll be alright. Back with the fight with Skystar and the others, Celestia got punched down to another tree after taking a powerful punch from Skystar, Luna was about to go help her, but Nathen slammed down on her body and pinned her down. "You did this! You couldn't just leave it alone!!" Nathen screamed while he tried clawing at her, Luna summoned a barrier around her and tried holding his attacks off, but they were fast and strong, and they were already starting to break through it. "You need to stop this Nathen! Your friends fallen into a Primal Rage, she could hurt you and even herself if she goes to far! Look!" Luna shouted while turning to her sister, Nathen finally snapped out of his rage upon hearing that and had a look of shock hearing that. "What?!" Nathen asked shocked to hear she's in that state, Nathen turned around and saw Skystar was punching Celestia on that tree repeatedly, she roared with pure rage and would not stop attacking, Celestia tried shaking her off, but her strength was too much to push past, and she just kept being hit repeatedly. "No.. no.. Skystar! You need to stop this!" Nathen screamed before he finally got off of her and tried to stop Skystar, Skystar only roared in response and finally stopped punching Celestia, instead she grabbed her head and threw her directly at Nathen with fast speeds, Nathen raised his claws and caught her just before he was it, he saw Celestia was really hurt from the attacks, and had a look of horror realizing what's happened, he was so deep in his rage, he didn't think of the disastrous affects this would have. Celestia coughed weakly and tried getting back up again, her body hat tons of burnt marks and scars on them, Skystar didn't hold back on her attacks during that beating she took, and she saw just how strong Skystar was when not holding back. "Sister! Are you okay?!" Luna asked with fear while she tried helping her up. "I'm.. I'm okay, I'll be alright, I've taken worse hits before.." Celestia said while coughing a bit, Nathen saw just how bad this all was now, Skystar was taking her rage out on the village, Nathen remembered the sadness and pain he felt when he lost his mate, he didn't want Skystar to completely lose herself. "This, this is my fault.. I should've kept myself in check! If I didn't give into my rage, we could've avoided this!" Nathen said with regret while he looked down sadly, Celestia and Luna saw he finally understood they're arguments, and tried to help him too. "It's okay, we understand it was so you can get Spike back, we know how important family is." Celestia assured while he looked at them with shock. "So.. you really never harmed him did you? You really were trying to help him after he was taken here?" Nathen asked while they heard Skystar roar in the distance, and she finally took her attention to them, her flames swelled even more, and she began flying at them all. "Yes, we never intended to harm him, we never harmed him at all, whoever stole Skystar's egg, had nothing to do with us! We aren't like those ponies Skystar told you about, we need to make her see this too!" Luna said as Skystar was about to strike again. "I see that now, we need to calm her down! But how?!" Nathen asked while Skystar was creating a strong fireball in both her claws, and began making it bigger and bigger the more she charged it, but all of that rage she felt suddenly stopped for a moment, when he heard a familiar voice call her. "Mom! Stop!!" The voice screamed which had her look shocked hearing it, the flames she had began dying out upon hearing that voice, and she recognized who it was.. Spike's.. Celestia, Luna and Nathen heard that voice too and turned to where it came from, and they had a look of shock when they saw Spike had come to help, he had a look of fear seeing her state, and was hoping his voice could finally calm her down. "Spike?! What are you doing here?!" Celestia asked shocked while they quickly went up to him. "I came here to calm my mom down, she just wants me back, we all saw how badly things were going, and I was able to convince Twilight to let me try to talk her out of this!" Spike explained while Skystar landed on the ground, she still had some rage in her, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. "Spike, you need to go, it's too dangerous for you!" Luna warned while Skystar marched to them to get him back. "Kid, I know you care for your mother, but she's too dangerous right now, I don't want you to get hurt if she's not in control" Nathen begged as well, Spike didn't listen to these warnings and turned to his mother, he had an idea on how to calm her down, and he may be the only one to do it. "She needs her son guys, I'm the one thing that gave her joy after years of being alone, she needs me, I have to help her.." Spike said as he began marching too her. "Spike.. are you sure you wanna do this?" Celestia asked worried as he kept his focus on her. "I'm sure, I know what I need to do." Spike said while he took a deep breath, they saw he had one idea on how to stop her, and sighed and let him try to help her. Spike slowly made his way to his mom as she kept growling at him, Spike reflected on the times he spent with her in just these few days since he reunited with her. Spike felt so happy whenever he was with his mom, she was always trying to do her best with being one after they were finally reunited, it thanks to Nathen they finally found eachother, he felt a single tear come from his eye as he saw his mom in front of him. "Mom.. I know your worried for me, I know you just want me back, but you need to look at yourself too, your my mother, you've lost so much, but even with the pain you went through, you pushed through it and were able to be a stronger person because of it. And even after all you went through, you and me.. finally found eachother after so long.." Spike said softly while he came to her head, she still looked a bit angry from all that was happening, but Spike leaned his claw to her to help. "I never thought I'd meet you, but I always had a hope I would, and with the time I've spent with you, I've seen how much you care for me, how much you love me. Every second I spent with you was a second I cherished and loved, and I only want to spend more time with you.. your my mother Skystar, no matter what happens, I'm always here for you.." Spike assured while he was right upon her. Spike smiled softly when he was in front of her and held up his arms. "I love you mom.." Spike said calmly before he finally gave her a hug and held her chest, this one little move of care and love, it made all of the rage Skystar feel fade away, she felt her flames finally calm down, she could finally think properly again after falling into a Primal Rage, her pupils returned to normal, and her breathing became slow and calm, she finally was able to focus again after losing herself, and she felt something familiar hugging her, and when she looked down, she saw her son hugging her close, and looked shocked seeing him. "Son.. are you.. okay?" Skystar asked worried while he looked up at her, he only smiled in response and tried helping her. "I'm fine mom.. I'm more then fine, I'm just.. so glad your back to normal, I was so worried if something bad would happen.." Spike said with tears while he held her close, Skystar finally looked around the village around her, she had a look of horror seeing the damage she's done to the place, and in the distance, she saw Nathen, and Celestia and Luna, she saw Celestia and Luna were hurt a lot, and realized it was because of her.. "Son.. what.. have I done... what kind of mother does this?" Skystar asked with tears while she felt her guilt overtake her, she hugged her son close as well and tried to process what she's done. "It's okay mom, we'll all help you.. I promise.." Spike assured as she saw Twilight and the others come out of the tree, they all looked worried for her, and she didn't know what to do. "Son.. I'm so sorry for this.. I was too focused on getting you back.. I didn't know what else to do when I found out you were taken by.. them.." Skystar said while she looked at the ponies in front of her, and they all felt sad hearing that from her. "We all know it was because you care for me mom, I promise I'll explain what's happened to me, I should've told you the truth from the beginning.." Spike said regretfully while Nathen came up to them too. "It's okay kid, we're all here now, I think it's best we all try and focus on what's important, there's a lot we need to do here." Nathen assured as well while he hugged Skystar too who was still crying a bit. "It's best we all try to, mom, Nathen, let's all take a moment here, okay?" Spike asked while Skystar looked around the village with regret, this was just like how she lost her son the first time, she almost destroyed her home from rage, and it's happened a second time now, and she hoped there was a way to make up for all of this. "Okay son.. I.. I really need this moment.." Skystar said regretfully while she tried processing what's happened, while they were able to calm Skystar and Nathen down finally, they had one more thing to do, and hoped she could understand what's really happened. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! We're almost finished with the story here and I think I've done a good job with it, I know I didn't show off many of Skystar's ability's that she said she knew over the story, but I feel like I can show more of it in a sequel story when I make one, I wanted to have things be more emotional in this chapter, and I hope that even with the fight that happened, Spike helping his mom was able to help with it, I hope you all don't mind this little change and just hope you had fun with it. Thank you for reading this chapter and have a great day guys! 10: The ChoiceAfter Spike had managed to calm down Skystar after she fell into a Primal Rage, Spike and the others brought her and Nathen back to Twilight's tree to talk things out, the village was still damaged after the battle that happened, but the pony's who lived here were finally coming back after being told everything's alright now, and they were looking to rebuild the place after what's happened. Skystar felt so much regret for what happened, she only wanted her son back, but she didn't think of the innocent people who would get hurt once her rage took her over, it was just like what happened back at her own home, and she felt awful for what's happened, even with her sons assurance, she doesn't know if this can be brushed aside after all of this. Celestia and Luna were hurt from the battle that happened, but they were able to heal themselves a bit after all had calmed down, Skystar and Nathen were tough to take on together, but it showed the two princesses how capable they are, and could protect Spike when he needs it. But soon enough, Spike and the others gathered around to talk about what's happened, they had a lot to explain to them both, from Spike being raised by ponies, to how he ended up with them in the first place, and trying to make things up with his mom and Nathen, they both looked regretful for what they've done, and the mane 6 were worried on where to start too, but Spike was the first one to step up again, and he got ready to explain to them what's happened. "So, I know there's a lot we need to talk about, I'm sure we all need to start small here right?" Spike asked looking at everyone who nodded in response. "Yes, I think that's the best option son, we'd all best start with answering eachother's questions." Skystar said calmly while looking at them all. "It's a good start, so it's best we start from the beginning, it's.. time I told you the truth mom, about how I know everyone here.." Spike said regretful that he had to keep this from her for so long. "I'm ready for it son, please tell us what's happened." Skystar said as she waited for an explanation. Spike sighed one more time before he began explaining everything to them. "The truth is mom, I was never alone before I met you at the Migration, I was.. raised by Twilight and her family, she and her friends here have taken care of me for a while, I was just.. so afraid to tell you all of this knowing you hate the ponies, but.. I should've told the truth from the beginning, I'm sorry I lied to you like this mom.." Spike said regretfully while she was sad to hear that too. "No.. son.. I understand why, you were just looking out for your friends.. I may have done worse harm to them if I knew.. it's my fault I put that pressure on you, I'm.. sorry son.." Skystar said regretfully as well. "It was both our faults, but it's.. best we all know the truth now, and now that you know, I just hope you won't go berserk like that again, I was a little unsure if I could calm you down, but I'm glad I was able to.." Spike said with relief while everyone stayed silent. Nathen had some questions himself, if Spike's egg was kidnapped by ponies, then how did he end up here exactly? "I have a question I'd like to ask, Skystar said you were taken from her by other ponies when you were an egg, yet you were raised perfectly fine and well here, but how was that possible?" Nathen asked which was an important question, and Celestia knew the answer a bit. "I believe I can explain that." Celestia said as she walked up to them both, she reflected on where she found Spike's egg and what she saw there, and tried explaining it the best she could. "The day I found Spike's egg, it was alone and abandoned in the woods, there was no one with it, I thought it was lost, I never thought it could've been stolen, but I had a strange feeling Spike's egg wasn't there for something simple.." Celestia explained while Skystar listened closely. " I searched for any signs of a mother or father that could be searching for it, but after hours of looking, I found one thing that could only hint at what happened.." Celestia said as she remembered what may have had Spike's egg been there in the first place. "What is it? Did you happen to find the very thieves who took it?" Skystar asked while getting a little upset at the thought of them. "I.. think I did, but what I saw was a scary sight, I only found the remains of what looked like a carriage that carried Spike's egg that went through the Everfree Forest, the thing looked like it was destroyed in an attack, and right besides it.. it.. looked like the remains of pony's who were attacked by Timberwolves, or something.. much worse.." Celestia said regretfully which made them all gasp in shock. "Wait, so.. the ponies who stole me.. they were.. dead when you found them?" Spike asked shocked to hear that reveal. "They were, I didn't know why they had an egg with them when they went through the forest, but if the reason really was because they.. stole you, then I think this was a form of.. cruel justice that came to them." Celestia answered while Skystar felt a bit glad knowing they got what was coming to them. "At least that means they couldn't steal anything else and cause more harm.." Skystar said a bit relieved to know that she didn't hire them or anything. "But, that still doesn't answer another thing, they were supposedly working for someone right? Who hired them to steal that egg?" Rainbow Dash asked suspicious of who it was. "I don't know, stealing Dragon eggs is a huge crime, whoever hired them must've offered a big reward if it was brought to him, or her, but who it was, we do not know.." Luna said sadly while everyone tried processing this answer, but Skystar had something else to ask that she was curious about as well. "But, Celestia, if you knew this dragon egg was alone, why didn't you return it to the Dragon Lands where it could be properly hatched?" Skystar asked not knowing why that was. "It was because I needed the egg for a little project I assigned Twilight, I was hoping she could find a way to hatch Spike's egg with her magic, it was a way to see how she could raise one, I know that may not be good enough for you, but I wanted my student to see what she could do when having someone to take care of." Celestia answered while she turned to Twilight. Twilight looked at Skystar who was surprised hearing that from her, and she tried to help more with this too. "Hatching Spike was one of the best things I've done Skystar, he was the best brother I could have with my family, I took care of him ever since I hatched him, he was always really helpful, cute, and an amazing person to have with me. I'm sorry this all happened to you Skystar, but.. I hope now that you know this, it helps you understand why we raised him with us.." Twilight said hopefully, Skystar looked at everyone and saw how much these ponies meant to him, they were the family he had when she wasn't there for him, even though she wanted him back so bad, he may have been happier without her here, but now that she knows everything, she felt better knowing he was really safe with them. Skystar smiled a bit knowing the truth, she was just glad her son was happy during the time he lived with them, they took care of him in ways she only wished she could've, and couldn't be more grateful for it. "If this is really true.. then I'm glad to know he was taken care of when I couldn't, I'm sorry for freaking out like this.. If I had kept myself calm and tried being more civilized about this.. this fight could've been avoided.." Skystar said regretfully while she looked around the village, there were ponies rebuilding the place already after the fight they had, it may take a while, but it looked like it would be repaired in a month or so. "Thanks Skystar, but I should be apologizing too, you were just worried if your son was gonna be hurt or not, and you only wanted him back, with your experience with our kind in the past, it made sense, but I hope that this means you can forgive us for what's happened, and we can move on from it." Twilight said hoping she would, and she took a deep breath hearing that. " I think I'm willing to move on, whoever stole my egg was far different from you all, I can tell that already. You all were there for my son when he needed it, and I thank all of you for that." Skystar said gratefully which they all smiled at. "Your son always helped us when he could Skystar, you can count on that." Pinkie said with a wide smile while everyone chuckled a bit. "Even with the silly things he did, he's still Spike, a great friend we'll always have fun with." Rarity said proudly which Spike smiled at from hearing, everyone had a relieved look since they know things are all good now. "Even with the short time I've known you Spike, I can tell how much you care for everyone here, that's something to be proud of little one." Nathen said proudly looking at him too. Skystar looked around the place and saw how much this meant to him, he was raised around ponies, they were the ones who made him the kind and caring dragon he is today, he had so much that made him who he is, no matter what happened, he was always the kind and caring child he's known as, but that then had Skystar's mind question one thing, even with all of this resolved, he had to choose something that she knows would be a lot for him, but it's a choice that will shape him to who he wants to be. "Son, there's something I need to ask you. Something important." Skystar said as she looked down at him again. "What would that be mom?" Spike asked a bit worried hearing this, Skystar calmly went up to him and prepared to ask him a life changing question, it was something she needed to ask, and she couldn't keep it away, and they were all sure they knew what it was. "Son, while I'm glad you had a family to raise you here, make you who you are today, there's one thing we need to know. That question is.. who are you going to stay with? I may be your mother, but I know you have a family of your own here, they've done so much for you, while I've only started raising you again, while I want to raise you and be a mother again, I want to know what your thoughts are, do you wish to come home with me and Nathen, be raised like a dragon? Or do you wish to remain here and be with your friends?" Skystar asked while she looked at the Mane 6 and princesses, they were all shocked that she asked that, but it was a question that was really important, and it needed to be asked. Spike was surprised being asked that, and had a nervous look again since he and Twilight discussed this earlier. "Do.. I really have to choose? You can't just stay here with us? I'm sure there's plenty of places around here you could live in?" Spike asked nervously while looking around the place. "I'm.. still not comfortable enough to live with the ponies, even after our issues here are resolved, my past experiences with them, it makes me more unsure if I can live by their side." Skystar said regretfully which everyone could understand. "It's alright Skystar, even if he doesn't choose, know that I'll be with you too." Nathen assured which made her feel better a bit, but they all turned they're attention back to Spike who was nervous on what to do. "I.. I don't know who to choose, you went through so much without me mom, I don't want you to continue feeling more of it without me, and on the other side.. I don't know if I can just leave my friends like this, what if they need me? Or get hurt? What if there's a major threat that hurts you all?" Spike asked worried for them all. They all had a calm look being asked that, and Twilight went up to him to calm him down a bit. "Spike, we know it's sudden to be asked this for you, but I promise you, we'll be fine, we've handled big threats like Nightmare Moon before, I'm sure that we'll be fine too, and plus, I think if you go with your mom, she can help you learn to become a stronger dragon too, she can teach you those cool spells she learns that will help you fight. You always have been family to us Spike, but it's important you choose, who you want to be." Twilight assured while smiling softly. "You.. you really mean that Twilight?" Spike asked a bit unsure still. "Of course, your still family, no matter what." Twilight assured once more while Spike looked at everyone. All these people meant so much to him, Twilight and her friends had always been able to do wacky stuff when it happens, but when things get serious they always have eachother, and for his mom and Nathen, while they are strong together, Spike himself wasn't able to do much when crazy stuff like this happens, if there's a bigger threat that eventually comes, Spike will need to know more then he does, Twilight's taught him many things that made him a smarter dragon then most others, but on the physical side, he needs work. He saw there's no wrong choice with either answer, and while he wants to stay with his friends, if a big threat comes, he wants to be at their side, and help them when it matters. After some heavy thinking, Spike took a deep breath and finally gave his answer. "I.. think I'm wanting to stay with my mom and Nathen, I don't want you all to get hurt if a strong threat comes, I wanna be able to help you all out, and help show how much of a person I am on my own. My mom's been through so much without me, and I don't want her to be alone anymore." Spike answered honestly, this made Skystar smile lovingly and she scooped him in her claws once again, and nuzzled him all over like the first time they met. "Thank you, thank you so much my Flamestar!" Skystar said with tears as she held him close. "Flamestar?" Fluttershy asked curious on what that name meant. "It's his birth name, she was gonna give him that when he hatched, he's fine with being called either one, but Flamestar is a great name for him." Nathen said proudly as the mother and son hugged eachother closely. "That is a beautiful name.." Luna said with a tear coming from her eye as they watched them smile at eachother. Spike and Skystar kept hugging eachother for a few more moments until she finally let go of him, and put him back down so he could get ready. "So, I guess this means I gotta start packing my stuff up huh?" Spike asked a bit sad to know he's gonna be leaving them. "We'll leave by morning son, it's best we all take in some time to say our goodbyes." Skystar suggested which was a good idea. "Yeah, I like that idea, come on Spike, we'll get everything ready." Twilight asked while she went to the tree ahead of them. "Sure thing Twilight, let's all get ready guys, it's gonna be bit till it's all packed.." Spike said with a small smile while he followed her in. "I'll go help the other people around the village, it's best we make up for the damage we caused." Nathen said while he went to help repair some of the damage. "It's what he wants, so it's best we get ready too, come on girls, let's take some time to get ready." Applejack said while she and the other mane 6 went to do their own thing too. Skystar sighed at the sight of all of them leaving, but she was glad to know everyone is alright with this. After that important talk, everypony went to get ready to say their goodbye's to their friend, they all needed time to process this before he leaves tomorrow, Pinkie went back to the bakery to make some extra treats for him and his mother, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy needed to help the other ponies rebuild the village after it took such damage, and Rarity went to her own home to think about it too. It was a tough moment for all of them right now, but it will be alright in the future. Skystar had still felt guilty about the damage she caused to the place, it reminded her of what happened so much back when she lost her son the first time, it makes her worried if this sort of thing happens again, she mainly stayed outside Twilight's tree and rested near the entrance for tonight, she just preferred seeing the night sky, but she couldn't sleep over the feelings of guilt that she had right now. "Should I really be taking him with me? What if this only puts him in more danger? He's still very young.. and he needs to wait a bit longer for proper training, there's so much I need to do, but.. can I do it even after all of this?" Skystar asked herself while she looked at the moon, it was high in the night sky by now, and it's light shone over the village, it helped her feel more peaceful looking at it, even if Nightmare Moon was banished there for a thousand years. She kept thinking about all this to herself a bit more till she heard the door open a bit, she looked to her side and she saw Twilight was checking on her, she looked a bit nervous coming up to her, but she was also worried for her since she's not asleep yet. "You doing alright out here Skystar?" Twilight asked hopefully while she sat next to her, Skystar sighed again and looked back out at the sky again. "I'm alright, I'm just keeping watch for any threats, how about you? Is my son alright?" Skystar asked wondering how he's doing. "He's sound asleep, we packed up the rest of his stuff and it's all ready for tomorrow, or.. later today since it's midnight." Twilight said nervously which made them chuckle a bit while looking a bit awkward, Skystar didn't know what to say right now, and one of them had to speak up first. "So.. how are things going for you? You have any plans for when you bring Spike back to your home?" Twilight asked wondering what she's gonna do to raise him. "I.. have some plans I need to do, I'm gonna start looking for a school for him to go to, while he might be homeschooled for a bit to make up for our lost time together, he's gonna need his education on our kind. After that, Nathen had a talk with me about potentially moving in, I really like that idea, he'll be able to support Spike when I'm out, and he'll always have someone with him.." Skystar explained while thinking it all over. "That sounds really great, I've always wanted to learn more about your kind, hopefully Spike will be able to tell me what he's learned one day." Twilight replied while looking a bit eager, and Skystar chuckled a bit hearing that. "You've done so much for my son, the least I can do is help you learn more about our kind, I know from the looks of it, our kind seems like big brutes who horde stuff to themselves, but when you look deeper into our history, there's far more to us then meets the eye.." Skystar said a bit proudly while she formed more fire in her hands again, and Twilight was amazed with her ability to control fire. "Yeah, you all seem to know more then we do at points, how did you learn to control fire anyway?" Twilight asked curiously while she put it out again. "It was a special book I found at an ancient temple, far off from the main lands, there's something more to that place I can tell, though, if your hoping to learn some of these yourself, I'm afraid only us dragons can, and I do plan to teach Spike some of them when he gets his wings, his fire will be strong enough for him to use by then." Skystar explained which fascinated her more. "Wow, that.. sounds like a lot.. I'm glad to know he'll have his mother besides him, to keep him safe during all that.." Twilight said with a small smile, Skystar only smiled a bit hearing that and looked away a bit. "Yeah.. to keep him safe..." Skystar said while sounding a bit sad, and that finally let Twilight catch on what she's thinking. "Skystar, what's really wrong? I know it's something else.. are you worried about what may happen when Spike comes to live with you?" Twilight asked while she put the pieces together herself. "Yes.. I don't know if I can properly handle things after losing him twice, while I know you were all protecting him.. if something like this happens again, I may completely go crazy again, I don't wanna hurt him.. he's the one thing I had from my former mate Emerald, he would be so proud to see what Spike's become today.." Skystar said with a small tear while thinking of him. "He sounds like a great father, just like how you'll be a great mother, I know raising a child isn't easy, I was practically his mother for some time, while he always did silly things, it made us laugh together, spend time as a family, and truly grow closer, he's more then just a number one assistant to me, and if he really wants to leave with you, and become his own person, it'll only make me more proud of him." Twilight said as she looked back in her home and remembered the nights she and Spike spent together here. "You really think I'll be able to take care of him? Look at what I did to this place Twilight, what if I'm too dangerous for him? What if it's really best if he stays with you?" Skystar asked while she looked over the village again, Twilight saw she was unsure if she was safe for Spike, but if Spike saw he would be safe with her, she needs to see it too. "Skystar, while you did cause a lot of damage to the place, we all know it was out of your love for your son, we've faced bigger threats like this before honestly, and if you think your too dangerous, your overthinking things. This strength of yours will help you keep him safe, like any mother should for her child, no matter what happened here, we all will be able to move on from it, I know you can too, your a good person Skystar, and a caring mother, we all know you are,." Twilight assured while patting her shoulder, Skystar felt a bit better hearing that again, and felt more relieved knowing he could be safe with her. "Thank you Twilight, not just for this assurance, but for everything, you made my son who he is today, and I only hope I can raise him just as great as you have.." Skystar said gratefully which Twilight smiled at once again. "Your welcome Skystar, I know you will, you sleep tight now alright? I'll see you in a bit, just do me one thing, take care of him when he goes with you, I just want him to live the best life he can have.." Twilight asked while they looked at the night sky together. "I promise you I'll keep him safe.. no matter what..." Skystar promised with a confident look, they gave eachother a small hug to help assure one another, and after that, they simply waited for the morning to come, so they could all say they're goodbyes for now. The sun had risen not too long after they woke up, they slept the rest of the night away peacefully and knew what today was, after waking up, Spike packed the rest of the stuff he had here, from any comics he had, to important math or history books, and any small toys he had with him, he felt sad knowing he's gonna be leaving his friends today, but it won't be forever, he'll be able to see them again, and hopefully he'll be a stronger drake like his mom and Nathen. And so, after all was gathered, Spike and Twilight met up with the others, and went to the entrance of the village where Skystar and Nathen were waiting for them, they had anything Spike packed up strapped up for travels, and were about to leave. "Do you really wanna go Spike? There's still more time for you to stay if you want?" Rarity asked while she had tears in her eyes, seeing him go was hard, and there was very little she could do right now. "I'm sure Rarity, my mom and I have a lot of time to make up together, and with Nathen here, I'm only more excited to see what's to come." Spike said softly while everyone came up to give him a hug. "You can come back anytime you'd like Spike, we're always here for you." Applejack assured with tears of her own. "You are the cutest dragon I've ever met Spike, and no one will make me change my mind.." Fluttershy said sad that he has to leave as well. "It's awesome being friends with a dragon, I hope when you get wings, we'll go out on races when we can." Rainbow Dash said hopefully which made him chuckle a bit. "I'd love that, it sounds really fun." Spike said while thinking about how awesome that would be. "Don't forget to come here whenever it's your birthday, same with your mom and Nathen, I'll throw the best parties you'll ever have!" Pinkie said in a happy voice while also crying a bit too. "Thank you, all of you, I'm so glad I got to be friends with you all, I only hope you take care of Twilight for me too." Spike said hopefully while they separated from eachother. "We will Spike, you just have fun with your mom alright?" Applejack asked while she rubbed his head a bit. "You can count on me for that AJ, you all can for that." Spike said with a chuckle as he looked over his friends, and smiled seeing the friends he's been with for a while. Twilight came up to give him one last hug before he leaves, he held her close and they cried while holding as long as they could. "Be safe out there Spike, know I'll be there for you in an instant whenever you need it, just send me a letter, and we'll all be there for you." Twilight said with tears as things really are changing today. "I promise you I will, same goes for you, if any threat shows up again, let us know, my mom and Nathen will help in anyway we can, and when I'm strong enough, I'll fight besides you too." Spike assured as they finally separated again. "I will Spike, just have fun out there, I love you Spike, don't you ever forget that." Twilight said as Celestia and Luna came up to him too. "Your a strong dragon Spike, I hope that when you grow up, you'll be happy with whoever you choose to be." Celestia said sadly as Spike was making his way back to his mom and Nathen. "It was nice knowing you for the time I did Spike, I'll always look over your dreams to keep you and everypony else here safe, take care little one." Luna said with a tear coming down her face which made Spike more sad hearing this from them. "Thank you so much, all of you, you are the best family I could ever have, I'll never forget that." Spike said gratefully while his mother picked him up once again. "I promise I'll take good care of him, know that I am sorry for the damage I've caused, and I promise I'll make it up by being the best mother I can, I'll make sure we visit every once in a while, but until then, I hope all of you stay safe." Skystar said hopefully as she put Spike on her back. "We'll always be there for you when you need it, I hope we all can spend time together in the future, you all seem really fun, and I'd like to see what else there is to this place, I'll take care of Spike too, I promise." Nathen assured as they finally spread they're wings and got ready to go. "I just hope you all have a great life, take care of eachother, and we will too." Twilight said while they all were crying at the sight of them leaving. "We will Twilight, see you soon.." Spike said with tears of his own as he waved goodbye, everypony else waved goodbye too as Skystar and Nathen both finally took off into the skies, and began heading back to their home. "You think he'll be okay without us Twilight?" Rarity asked while she cried heavily while still waving goodbye. "I know he will, he'll always have us, we'll see him soon, I hope he has a great time with them.." Twilight said with a smile as they all saw them leave together. Spike had tears coming from down a lot as he saw Ponyville fade away the further they got from it, it was sad he's gonna be leaving, but he knows he'll see it again soon, and he'll have more then he had before now. "Son, are you alright?" Skystar asked a bit concerned for him. "I know it's hard that we have to leave, but we can turn back if you want?" Nathen asked while looking back too. "I'm fine guys, I'm just glad this all turned out well, and whatever comes next, with you two with me, we can really be the family we all need for eachother.." Spike said as he turned back forward, and saw the sun rising over the horizon. "We will kid, we'll be a great family together, count on that." Nathen assured while giving a thumbs up. "Things will only get better from here my Flamestar, know that whatever comes next, I'll be by your side, we both will." Skystar said with a smile while she kept flying calmly, and Spike smiled proudly while wiping away one of his tears as they kept going. "Thank you Nathen, mom. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us all.." Spike said with a smile as they all flew back home, Spike was so glad everything turned out well in the end, and hoped whatever comes next, will only be greater for them all.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this story! The rewrite of this story is finally done, I'm so glad so many of you liked what I did for this story, I know it's not perfect and has flaws to it that I apologize to those who don't like it, but I wanted to try and expand upon my first story, and help show how far I've come as a writer, I'm not even a year into this writing thing, but I feel like I improve upon each story I make, and I'm so proud to see them finished, and I'm glad so many people like it. I hope you all liked what I did here, while there are some things that the other had that may be better, I just hoped that anything I added here helped move the story along better, I do plan to make a sequel story that will tie up any lose ends and expand upon Nathen and Skystar's characters, but for now, I hope this story was great for you all since it has Spike meet his mother, I plan on making a few more stories where he meets his mother, and I hope there will be more story's like this too, I still wish Spike got a major character arc where he found his parents, he had so much potential as a character, I just hope that whatever I do with him in my future story's is something you'll all look forward to! Thank you so much for reading this story and have a great day guys!
1: An Unexpected ReunionSpike had been walking through the forest for a bit at this point, he had been traveling to the Dragon Lands to see this Migration that he's heard about, while Twilight and the other's wanted to come too, he had to go alone since the dragons don't take it too well with ponies entering they're territory, so he had to go it alone. So what was Spike doing right now? Simple. He was heading to the Dragon Lands to see a special Migration that's happening today. Where dozens of dragons will be going to meet at one spot, while Spike doesn't know much more about it since his time around Dragons has been extremely small, giving him not much to learn about, he's still very eager to see what he'll find there, and hopes it'll be a good time that doesn't get him into something that's too extreme. Spike was pretty interested with what he's gonna learn about the dragons at the Migration, he hasn't learned much about them at all, but has only heard about how they act like brutes from others, but Spike was wanting to hold out and believe that there's a strong culture to his kind. But while he was excited to go to to this by himself and see the what it holds, there was something he was hoping would happen while he was there. He was hoping he'd find his parents, his real parents. While Twilight and her family have been a great family don't get him wrong, he still wasn't sure about how he can accept not having real birth parents, or how his egg even ended up with Twilight. There was never a clear answer given, and that kinda made Spike an orphan, because he's pretty sure the dragons would see him as an orphan if he didn't know his parents, and it may cause concern for him. But Spike just didn't know what happened, and that's what he's hoping to know when he's there, while Twilight and the other's are a great family, he was always worrying if he'd never meet his birth parents, or go through something that would define him as his own person, other then just a Number One Assistant. He just hopes that whatever he finds here, will help him into further understanding of what happened. As for Spike right now, he was finally on the border's of the Dragon Lands, he could tell already, there was smoke filling the sky and was starting to block out the sunlight a bit, the grassy green forest area he was walking through was giving away to a rocky, rough looking area with dozens of mountains and volcanos far in the distance, and at the very edge of it all, he could see dozens of Dragons flying around or simply going about, they all were here for the migration, and it made Spike curious on what he's gonna be seeing. "So these are the Dragon Lands? They're.. in a rougher shape then i thought.." Spike told himself while making his way down to the completely new place, a place that's far different from the home he's used too. Spike looked around the place for quite a bit, he was making sure he wouldn't upset any of the dragons since they may not be friendly, but while he was doing that, he also was trying to take in what he was seeing. There were tons of Dragons of different shapes, sizes, and color's. Some were able to breath more then just the typical green fire he can, and some could breath purple or yellow fire, while Spike thought it would be because it was inheritance, Spike also noticed they had specific gems alongside them too, while gems are a delicious treat to them, it also could help with how they're fire color is used, like how Spike's fire breath is always green after all the emeralds he eats, or it could be both who knows. "Wow.. so many.." Spike said in awe looking around still, a lot of these dragons did look pretty large, tough and imposing, like a real serious threat if you'd mess with them, it was quite a lot to see for the first time, it really let him see the difference from the ponies, and it made him wanna stay away from them to not cause any trouble. But as if fate was laughing at him, he accidently bumped into another large dragon when he wasn't looking. Spike stumbled the ground and tried to quickly get back up, but the dragon quickly turned around and looked really angry, but he didn't see Spike yet from the looks of it. "Hey! Watch where your going!!" The dragon yelled in a booming voice which already scarred Spike, not even 5 minutes in these lands, and he may have just gotten into trouble with a resident. "S.. Sorry!!" Spike said already shivering from fear, the Dragon looked around trying to find his voice, since it looked like he didn't see him, but after a quick realization, the dragon looked down to where Spike was, and his anger quickly turned to concern seeing Spike was shaking in fear. "O.. oh my.. i.. i am so sorry about that. I thought you were so much larger, i didn't think you were a child! Please forgive me little one." The dragon apologized with a regretful tone, Spike's fear was soon calming down since the dragon looked honest, and sincere. "It's.. it's okay.. sorry about that too, i was just.. lost in my thoughts.." Spike said rubbing his head, the dragon offered his claw up to help him up just to help this some more. "Are you okay hatchling? What are you doing out here like this? It's not exactly the best place for a hatchling to be out by himself right now... or most of the time honestly.." He said helping Spike up while he quickly tried thinking of an explanation. "I'm.. fine.. i was just too curious to see what was happening here, this is really the Dragon Migration?" Spike asked looking over the land where dozens of dragons were going around. "Yeah, this is the place, but that doesn't answer my other question. Why are you here? Alone. Where is.. your mother or father?" he asked looking around for any dragon that looked like him, Spike was starting to feel a little sad being asked that, he can't say that he was raised by Twilight, it would just make him more concerned, so Spike had to try his way around it. "I.. don't.. have.. parents.. i was.. raised alone for most of my life.." Spike admitted which made him look really really shocked to hear that. "What?! How can you have been raised alone?! No parent should abandon there child! Ever!" He said quickly putting Spike near him for protection. which was confusing a bit. " How were you able to make it on your own hatchling? No offense, but your a bit.. too weak looking to have survived being alone possibly.." He said hesitantly looking at Spike's small body, which was a bit true. "I.. i managed to find a safe haven where i can take care of myself in the forest nearby. I was a pretty smart one when by myself, and i was able to adapt and survive during my time there.." Spike said already regretting he had to lie like that, but hopefully it won't cause concern if he knew about the ponies? "You.. you were out on your own?.. Without a parent, guide.. or friend to help?" He asked looking down in his eyes, Spike felt a bit sad being asked that even more, while he had Twilight and the others, he never had his real parents, and wasn't able to fully experience being a dragon. "No.. i.. didn't have anyone, i don't think i was abandoned without reason, i think my parents did it for something that may protect me, but i don't know for sure.. i was.. hoping that this place could help me find my mother or father.. and maybe i could finally get some answers about what happened." Spike said looking around at the dragons too. The Dragon looked regretful for him, why shouldn't he honestly? Even if he just met Spike, he's still a mere child to them, and a child being raised alone would be something that's pretty sad. "May i also ask, how did you hear about the Migration? I don't think any hatchling who was on his own could just hear about it right?" The Dragon asked bringing him to a small spot where no dragons were at right now, so they could have more privacy. "I saw a bunch of Dragons heading in this direction just today, and i was able to hear something about the Dragon Migration from some of the smaller ones. It caught my interest, and i was hoping i could find my parents by coming here.." Spike said trying to come up with an excuse, he hated lying, it was something he never wanted to do, but he had to for this little moment, and hopefully never again. The Dragon took a moment to process that since it looked like something new he's dealing with, but he also looks like he has some ideas on what to do. "So.. your out here.. on your own? Without.. any proper way to find your parents?" He asked again looking down at him. "Uh.. yes.." Spike admitted a bit nervous still. "Child.. if your alright with it, i'm willing to help you find her, no child should ever be without a parent, it is a cruel world to not know who your family even is." He offered which surprised Spike since this just came out of the blue. "Really?! Your wanting to help me?!" Spike asked really shocked about his sudden offer. "Of course child, i'm not one to let other's who are so small like you suffer alone, you deserve to have someone besides you while your here at least." He explained which made Spike feel really grateful. "T.. thank you! May i ask what your name is?" Spike asked not being told it yet. "Right, forgive me. My name is Nathen, and what is yours hatchling?" Nathen introduced looking down at him. "I'm.. i'm Spike, nice to meet you.." Spike said as Nathen kept him close for safety. "It's nice to meet you two Spike, please come with me, i know a few places where we can possibly find your mother." Nathen said moving along with Spike following closely behind. "Lead the way Nathen." Spike said already feeling pretty glad to know him, compared to the other mean looking dragons, he looked like a much kinder one, and it made him a bit interesting. Spike proceeded to follow Nathen through the Dragon Lands closely, looking around the place, it was barely anything like Canterlot or Ponyville at all, there was no grass to be seen, there were lava rivers that flowed through most of the land into hot springs that some dragons were relaxing in, and volcanos and mountains were mainly the only things in sight, there was no buildings, castles, or even small houses for living in, all except from some caves being seen in the distance, which must be some of these dragons homes. While Spike followed Nathen, he got a good look at him, Nathen was really tall, around 15 feet to be exact. He had dark blue scales with light blue spines on his back that went down to his tail which looked like his own a bit, his eyes were a cyan blue that looked like a glowing gem when it could be seen, and he did have visible scars on him that may have been from multiple fights, seeing a full sized dragon like him just made Spike wonder what he's gonna be like when he ends up around his age. But while Spike was thinking to himself, Spike decided to ask Nathen to learn a bit more about who he is. "So.. Nathen? May i ask.. what do you usually do around here?" Spike asked wondering what his life was like. "Well.. there's not much i can really describe, i'm a few hundred years old at his point, i mainly live around the hot spring areas of the Dragon Lands because it's one of the best spots. I often go out to collect multiple gems from caves and coves, i like to rest a lot within the hot springs themselves, because they're SO relaxing. And I mainly just like to fly around these lands, admiring what.. little there is to see here, i sometimes go out of the borders to just think to myself, there's just a lot to think about life and you need time to process it." Nathen explained continuing to walk beside him which was really interesting. "Yeah, there's always moments where you'll just think about what your doing, and wonder if it's what you wanna do for the rest of your life, or go beyond it and get even better. That's a question i've been wondering to myself for a while now too." Spike said understanding this already. "Really? That's quite the knowledge for a hatchling as young as you." Nathen said interested as most hatchlings don't understand that thing at such a young age. "Yeah well i'm a bit smarter when having to be on my own for a while.. but do you have any other people to talk to? Any family you go to see?" Spike asked more curious, but that question made him flinch a little being asked that. "I.. mainly like to live alone, i don't really have many to talk with, i wasn't much one to try and interact after.. an incident earlier in my life, it's nothing to be concerned about right now. But i just mainly like to be by myself at times, just wondering what my position in life is.." Nathen said looking down a bit which was concerning Spike, he obviously had something in his past that wasn't the best memory, but he decided to leave it alone for now, and continue on to something else. "That's.. really interesting to know, i can understand one wants they're alone time..." Spike said still feeling regret for this little lie he just did, but he shouldn't focus on it too much right now. As the two made they're way through the lands, Spike was starting to feel a little worried that they may not find his mother and father, or just one of them. While Spike wanted to learn a bit more about his kind, this may be his only chance he has to find them. Soon enough though, Nathen led Spike to what looks like a hatching ground, and Spike could tell it already. There were dozens of small dragons around the place, playing with whatever they thought was a toy, and there were dozens of large dragonesses watching over them with smiles, meaning they're the hatchlings mothers obviously. "Here we are Spike, this is the Hatching Grounds, tons of mothers bring they're eggs here for hatching, and when they do hatch, they often return here to have them play a bit and try to bond with other small dragons. It may not be the best place for bonding, but it's something at least." Nathen explained while Spike looked on with a growing sadness. Seeing the hatchlings playing around with they're mothers, having them nuzzle and hold them close, it was a true sign of motherly affection, and while Twilight and her family often did the same, it just didn't hit as hard when seeing this, he never got to really feel a kind of love from his birth parents, and it just made him wish that more and more. "Spike, are you okay?" Nathen asked seeing his sad expression. "I'm.. alright Nathen, i just never really got this kind of feeling before, the feeling of a mother and son, it makes me both glad these hatchlings have they're mothers, but also makes me sad if i never meet her.." Spike said feeling more sad seeing this. "Hey, it'll be okay, she or your father must be around here somewhere. Let's take a look." Nathen said coming down to the ground with Spike. "Let's hope we can find them." Spike said looking around for any dragon that may look like him. There were what Spike could count right now, hundreds of dragonesses around the place, and they all came in various shapes and sizes. Some were a lot smaller but had longer windy body's, and some looked like they were from different environments, like icy mountains, or tropical forests. This Migration must spread far and wide if various dragon types can show up here, but they just didn't look like him. The two of them searched around for about half an hour at this point, and they were finding anything yet, and it was making Spike feel more sad. "Nathen, are you sure we may find her around here? I don't see a dragon that looks like me.." Spike asked with a sad expression not seeing someone like him. "Don't worry Spike, these things take time. We'll find her, we just have to be patient." Nathen said in a calm tone which made Spike let up a bit. "Right, just have to be patient." Spike repeated while walking with him still. The two continued walking through the place a bit more, seeing whatever dragoness they could find. But they soon came upon a group of dragonesses talking with eachother, they all looked like they were talking about how they would raise they're child if they had one, and it made them both curious and maybe they knew if they saw a dragon like Spike. With them both thinking this, the two walked over to the group hoping they knew something. "Um, excuse me ladies, have you seen a dragon that looks like this hatchling?" Nathen asked which got they're attention. They all turned to him and saw both him and Spike beside eachother, they all quickly looked concerned being asked that. "I don't think we have, but aren't you his parent?" A white dragoness asked looking at them. "Um.. no.. i'm just helping this hatchling around. He's.. without a proper parent right now." Nathen admitted which shocked them all. "You don't have a parent?!" They all asked at once instantly moving around him which surprised them both. "Um.. yes.. i've been.. on my own for a bit now.." Spike said nervously while they all looked concerned. "Oh you poor thing, how could you be alone for so long?" The white dragon asked picking him up suddenly, Spike looked around the 4 dragons and saw they're concerns. "Why would you be out on your own like this? You should have a parent with you at all times hatchling." Another said taking him next, and this dragon looked strangely like Rarity for some reason. "How could a cute little thing like you be left alone like this?" A red and orange dragoness asked taking him next, they all didn't seem to mind trading some time for him strangely. "It's a crime something special like you are so alone, perhaps a little adoption is on order.." The Cyan dragoness said rubbing his head which was making Spike a bit nervous. Spike quickly looked back at Nathen and made a mouth movement to help him which Nathen quickly agreed to. "It's okay girls, i'm just helping this hatchling find his mom. I was just helping him around." Nathen said quickly taking him back which made them a bit disappointed, but they could understand it. "It's a honorable thing for someone to help a child like this, that's very unique of you." The white one said slyly at him. "Your a strong one already from what i can tell, i already like you." The cyan one said with a sly face too which did make Nathen a bit nervous. "Um.. thank you ladies, but we were just hoping if you had a hint, sorry for bothering your time." Nathen said putting Spike back down. "Oh it's no trouble, in fact, this is quite interesting. Hold on a minute.." The white and purple one said getting a closer inspection of him, she took a small look at his scale and eye color, and she seemed to recognize it somehow. "I think i did see a dragon with your scale and eye color actually." She declared which made them surprised but hopeful. "Really?! Do you know where she is?" Spike asked hoping she knew, she put a finger on her chin to think about it for a quick second. "I think i saw her near that area, she was looking pretty sad, and didn't have an egg on her." She said pointing in a specific direction, and she also sounded like Rarity, which makes Spike think that either Rarity used a spell to become a dragon somehow, or that this is just something really convenient. "Thank you so much ladies. We'd best see if it's her. Come on Spike." Nathen said bringing Spike to him and starting to walk off again. "Thank you so much!" Spike shouted to the dragons who smiled slyly at him. "If you don't find her hatchling, just know we'll be happy to take you in if you need someone, and we'd be VERY glad to do so." The red and orange one said sweetly which made Spike chuckle nervously a bit. "Uh.. thanks! I'll be glad to let you know!" Spike said quickly leaving with Nathen while the girls chuckled at his little expression. After that little talk, it gave them one small hint to see if Spike's mother is here, even if they couldn't find his father, his mother can be just as important. The two went in the direction quickly, it gave them a small hope to see if it's her, and if not.. who knows what may happen? "Hey.. Nathen.. i just wanna thank you for helping me with this, i didn't think there would be someone willing to help me like this.." Spike said looking up at him who smiled hearing that. "Your welcome Spike, i wasn't just gonna let a hatchling be alone, whether he has a parent or not. Heck, if anything, if we don't find them, i'll be happy to adopt you. I have plenty of space in my cave that i can make something to your liking, if we don't find her, i think i'll adopt you." Nathen said honestly which made Spike more surprised. "Really? You'd.. adopt me if we.. don't find her?" Spike asked shocked at his sudden offer, but Spike would be glad to be taken in by him with how nice he is. "Of course Spike, but that's IF we don't find her, there's still a chance. Come on, i think we're almost there." Nathen said looking ahead while Spike was just feeling amazed. The two continued through a bit longer until they came upon a large open area, but unlike most of the area's they went through, there was a smaller number of dragonesses around here, while they did have a child with them, some didn't, and were looking a bit sad. It made Spike feel sad for them too if they didn't have a child yet, but it made him hope they would get one of they're own one day. The two of them looked around some more to try and find one that looks like Spike. "Do you see her anywhere?" Spike asked looking as far as he could, Nathen looked around a bit to the right until he saw something, or rather, someone. Just a bit off in the distance, he could see what looked like a large purple dragoness that's a bit bigger then him, she had a purple spine with a scale color that looks like Spike's, and she had a wingspan that was larger then her own body, and she also had a light pink underbelly and had emerald green eyes.. "Spike.. i think.. i see her.." Nathen said pointing in her direction, Spike looked over to that direction too and looked shocked seeing her, she was looking into a small pond looking at herself, she looked really sad and alone, like she had no one with her, it made them both sad to see this, and maybe it could be her.. "I.. think that is.. let's see if it is her.." Spike said hopefully, the two of them quickly made they're way down to her to see if it's true. It was a small hope, but something that could be true. After a bit more walking, they made they're way to the dragoness who hadn't noticed them yet, and Nathen decided to step up first while Spike went behind him. "Um.. Ma'am, are you okay?" Nathen asked concerned for her, this finally got her attention as her earfins perked up a bit, she turned to his direction and looked a bit surprised seeing him, but just sighed in response. "No.. not really, i'm not really in the mood for a talk right now.." She said turning back to the pond, she was clearly upset about something, but they wanted to help her. "I can see your upset ma'am, but i don't wanna just leave you alone like this, can you please tell me what's wrong?" Nathen asked wanting to help her, she looked at him again and clearly saw he wasn't wanting to leave without help, it was a nobel thing to do, and it made her interested. "I'm.. just out here trying to find my child.. it was taken from me years ago when i wasn't able to save it.. i had hoped that he would find his way to freedom.. and try and find his way home.." She explained which worried the two of them, but it gave Spike a little hint to what could've happened to his egg.. "What did this egg look like ma'am? I know it's rude to ask, but maybe i could help with it." Nathen asked again wanting a bit more detail. "It was small egg, it was purple with darker purple spots. It was the most valuable treasure i could ever have.." She explained holding out her claws, like she was trying to hold something that wasn't there in them, that made Spike looked more surprised, as that description sounded like the very egg he hatched from. "I'm.. really sorry to hear that, it must be hard.. i know how that is.." Nathen said regretfully which made her interested a bit more. "You do?" She asked looking at him who was just thinking about it too. "Y.. Yes, but i'd rather not talk about it right now. I have something that i think could interest you.." Nathen said looking to his side where Spike was hiding. "And what would that be?" She asked curiously, Nathen looked at Spike and used his tail to bring Spike in front of her, he and Spike both looked hopeful thinking this could be her, so they gave it a shot. The dragoness took her sight to Spike almost instantly, and her eyes widened immediately on seeing him, she took a very close look at him. Spike had very similar scale colors to her, the green eyes.. tail.. and that spine shape reminded her of someone she once knew.. "Who.. might you be little one?" She asked leaning down to him, Spike was getting more nervous seeing her, there was something in his gut telling him this may be her.. "I'm.. Spike.. it's nice to meet you.. are you.. feeling okay?" Spike asked concerned for her, she didn't take her eyesight off him for one second, Nathen moved out of the way a bit and hoped this would be it. "I'm.. alright.. but.. where are you from little one?" She asked again really interested with him. "I.. came here to try and find my parents.. i was raised on my own after i hatched, i didn't know why i was left alone. But when i saw the dragons heading this way, i was hoping i could find them.." Spike explained which really surprised her, how could a hatchling like him survive on his own? Even if it was true or not, that little explanation made her realize something. "Your.. an orphan? You don't have your father.. or mother with you?" She asked laying down to keep this talk up and Spike didn't want it to end either. "No.. i don't.. i mean Nathen was willing to adopt me if we didn't find my parents.. but we wanted to see if we could find them.." Spike said looking over to him which made the dragoness feel more concerned. Suddenly out of nowhere, the dragoness went a bit closer to him, seemingly too close and he felt some air move around him, was she.. smelling him? But after that little sniff, that made her look really surprised after the fact. "Could.. it be..?" She thought to herself while looking at him. "Um.. are you okay?" Spike asked while she was still shocked until she regained focus. "Child.. do you.. know your scent? One of best ways for a child to find they're mother or father.. is if they have the same scent.." She asked which made him confused. "Scent?" Spike asked before taking a sniff of himself, he had bathed recently so he didn't smell bad at all, but it's really meaning something else. After looking at her, he slowly came in and took a small sniff of her two, and realized something.. "We.. have the same scent?!" Spike thought with huge shock realizing this. The two both looked at eachother with huge surprise after this.. and it may mean one thing.. "Child.. what.. was your egg like? What color was it?" She asked wanting one last answer. "It was.. purple.. with.. darker purple spots.." Spike answered truthfully which made her look even more shocked, and Nathen looked extremely surprised, but also was feeling relief in realizing something. "It's her.." Nathen thought to himself as the two looked at eachother with shock. "S.. S.. son?" She asked starting to have tears in her eyes. "M... Mother?" Spike asked tearing up as well, not even a second later, Spike suddenly found himself scooped up in her claws and was being nuzzled all over. "It's you!.. It's really you! My son! My precious hatchling!" She said in pure joy while crying a waterfall. "Mother.. it's really you! I never thought.. i'd be able to meet you!!" Spike said giving her a strong hug while she held him close. "Son.. my.. Flamestar.." She said keeping him to her chest while Nathen smiled lovingly seeing this, he was actually able to help find her, and he felt pure joy seeing them like this. After a few more minutes, the two stopped hugging so they can speak to eachother. "Mom.. it's really you.. like.. really you?" Spike asked completely amazed at this. "It is.. it's me.. i know it is.." She said forming a loving smile on her. "But.. if it's you.. then.. where's.. my father?" Spike asked not seeing another dragon that looked like her, her earfins went down and she had a look of sadness being asked that. "He's.. no longer with us.. he passed away from an illness that he couldn't recover from.. you.. were the only thing i had from him.. and now.. i finally have you back.." She said sadly which made Spike look sad knowing this, but at least this means she has something back. "What's your name.. mother?" Spike asked not knowing it yet. "My name is Skystar my son.. and while i already have a name for you, what do you like to call yourself?" Skystar asked curiously. "My name is Spike.. Is.. Flamestar.. my birthname?" Spike asked wondering what it meant. "Of course.. it was a beautiful name.. for a beautiful child.." Skystar said rubbing his head which made him tear up even more. "I love that name.. you can call me either one.. i love them both.." Spike said hugging her chest again while she didn't let him go. She soon turned back to Nathen who was smiling at seeing this, and her smile turned to a one of gratitude. "Thank you so much for all of this sir, i haven't met a drake like you in a long time.. i don't know how i could repay this.." Skystar said gratefully while he walked up to her. "It was my pleasure ma'am, and please, my name is Nathen. You don't need to repay anything, I was just glad to help you two reunite. Especially seeing this touching scene.." Nathen said looking at them both. "Nathen, thank you for all of this.. i really owe you for this.." Spike said gratefully too while he smiled at that. "It was my pleasure Spike, just know, if you two ever need some help, or someone to talk too, i'll be glad to spend time with you both. I'll always be there if Spike needs someone to take care of him." Nathen said looking at Skystar who smiled even more hearing this. "If there's any drake i'll be willing to put my son's hands in, it's you. I may have met you just now, but i can already see a great person in you." Skystar said looking in his eyes which made him a bit nervous, but also more proud of himself. "Thank you for this Skystar. I'll leave you two alone, if you ever need to find me, i'll be near the hotsprings, i'll be easy to find." Nathen said backing up from them a bit before he spread out his wings. "Thank you for this Nathen, i promise we'll see you again soon." Spike said holding onto his mother who held him too. "I know we will Spike, see you soon." Nathen said before he took off into the air at extremely fast speeds, they both watched him fly off until he was gone, which left the two alone finally. After a few moments of silence, Skystar turned to Spike who was wondering what to do next. "Son.. would you like to come to my cave? Would you like to come home with me? And be my child once again?" Skystar asked hoping he would say yes, and it was a pretty obvious answer. "Of course i will mom! Nothing would make me happier then to be with you again!" Spike said not a second later, and she smiled lovingly at him and kissed his forehead in response. "Thank you so much my hatchling, i promise i'll take care of you, you ready to go son?" Skystar asked holding him close while she was spreading her huge wings. "Of course mom, let's go." Spike said holding on tight, Skystar smiled even more. And with one quick motion, she took off into the sky's at extremely fast speeds even Rainbow Dash would be surprised by, Skystar headed into the far mountains in the distance, towards a village she lived in, the sun was setting at this point, since where she lived didn't have this smoky sky most of the Badlands have, and it's instead a place where a dragon can really settle down. Spike was already feeling tired after just a short time of flying, and was beginning to fall asleep which Skystar noticed. "Tired my child? You don't have to hide it, i think it's important you get some sleep." Skystar said holding him tight enough to not lose him, but also so she could help him be more comfy while Spike yawned shortly after. "I think some sleep is for the best.. i'll see you tomorrow.. right mom?" Spike asked hoping this wasn't a dream. "Of course you will, sleep well son, we have a lot of catching up to do." Skystar said rubbing his head which was making him more tired. "Good night mom.." Spike said finally falling asleep while she kept flying, but she wasn't loosening up a signal bit. "Good night my son.." Skystar said lovingly as she flied into the mountains far ahead while the sun was setting, and the night sky was beginning to show. Skystar held onto him tightly while she made her way back to her village, they will really be thrilled to know she found her son, she still couldn't believe it herself. After all these years, she finally found him.. or he found her to be exact. It was a feeling of joy she hasn't felt in so long, both to him, and to the drake that helped him, Nathen. Skystar had made it to her village just as the sun was gone, and the sky's were full of stars. She was pretty late making it back home compared to when she usually does, but it was more then worth it for what she has now.. Skystar carefully put Spike in her tail while she landed down in front of her cave, it was at the top of a high mountain above her village, where the residents were most likely asleep by now. Skystar made sure no one was here for a quick moment before entering her cave finally, and closing a door that was handmade that was large enough for her. Skystar's cave was full of pink crystals which illuminated the place, there were tons of gems within the walls, and dozens of rooms where she had different things to do here, her home was practically it's own crystal cave which made it just more amazing, she lived alone here for a long time, but now she won't have to anymore. After a little bit more walking, she soon went into her own room and made sure the door was closed, her kind has more civilized way's of living then compared to most dragons, and she was no different. She looked ahead and saw her enormous pile of gold and gems and a window at the top of the room with the moon shining through it, she was quite the collector in her prime, she always wanted to make sure her home would be the best it would be for her child.. and her former mate.. But she still had one thing with her now, her son. Skystar had went over to her pile and curled herself around them to make her comfy. She put Spike near her snout so he would be the first thing she sees when she wakes, to give her the hope that this isn't a dream either. "Good night my child.." Skystar said before kissing his head while Spike was fast asleep with a smile on his face. "I promise i won't lose you again..." Skystar told herself before going asleep herself while holding him close, she finally had her hatchling back, and was not wanting to lose him.. ever again.. Author's Note Hey guys i hope you liked this! This as the title implies is a rewrite of my first story, My Mother. It was the story i ever wrote, and while i felt great being able to finish it at the time, i wanted to make a rewrite of it to help show how far i've come as a writer. While the chapter's may not be as long as this, i'll try and do more to it, adding in more talks and interesting stuff with Spike's mom and Nathen, and making sure the Mane 6 are only in the story when necessary, because while they weren't in this first chapter like my last one, i felt like the chapter would be stronger if it focused on Spike's thoughts, and him finding his mom, so i just made that small cut. I've come a long way as a writer, and while i'm not the best writer ever, i'm just trying to write something that people like, i don't think i'll ever make a perfect story, i'm just glad that i am making story's that you enjoy and want to see more of. And i promise i'll make things the best they can be, i have plenty of ideas and have planned this story out ahead, so i hope you like what i have ahead for it , thank you all for reading this, and i hope you enjoyed it, i hope you look forward to more soon!
2: Bonding With MomSkystar had slept the night away with Spike without any trouble, with the comfort of eachother by their side, they didn't need to wake up at all, it was a perfect night between the two of them and they slept like rocks. Skystar still couldn't believe it, she had actually been reunited with her long lost child, a child she never thought she would see again after an.. incident that happened that caused her to lose him.. He looked so much like a hatchling still, but she already could see a bit of maturity in him, if he really was raised on his own, he learned really well during his time alone, not that she's wanting to let him be alone again.. ever. This was a feeling of pure joy and happiness she hadn't felt in years, since he was.. taken.. she barely had anything to do when it happened. She was mostly living alone in her crystal cave most of the time, and sometimes went out to try and process her grief. She had spent years trying to find him, and with no clue as to where her egg was.. she was almost giving up hope that she'd ever find her child.. But thank the Dragon Lords she held onto it, she hasn't felt so much joy and relief in a decade, the very feeling of her son by her side again, it let her finally have the chance she's always wanted, to be a parent. She had learned a ton of interesting things after he was taken, it was a way to try and find him and bring him home, it took years to learn all she knows, but with what she knows now, she won't be letting Spike out of her sight again. For Spike's thoughts on this matter while he slept, he couldn't be more happy either, what felt like a 1 in a million chance was something that payed off, by going alone and trying to learn more about the dragons as the migration. While he just wanted to learn more about his own kind since Equestria doesn't know much, he also was hoping for some chance of finding his family. And not only did he not only meet a kind dragon in Nathen who helped him through the place, but he also helped him find his mommy.. after all these years, he really found her. Even though she's holding back the details on what happened to him, he didn't mind it right now. All he wanted right now was to spend time with his mom, as much as she wants, and something tells him it's gonna be a LONG time. But while Spike was happy to be with his mom again, there was one thing he almost forgot about. Twilight. He said he would probably be back by the days' end, and now that he was found by his mom.. and taken back home that is really far from Ponyville, she and the other's will no doubt start to get worried. So Spike was worrying on how he can explain all of this, sending a letter may be out of the question since it may just cause more concern to them in wondering if she's his real mom or not, he's not sure if they can handle the fact that Spike found his real mother.. and may be wanting to stay with her... he just hoped that what comes in the future, he and the other's can accept it and find a way to be happy. And so the night had passed over the Badlands, the sun was starting to rise on the horizon of a view of the sea far off from the village, and the sun rays were reaching over the large dragon village that was surrounded by the mountains, some lights that were different colors were turning off after the sight, meaning the dragons were waking up, or just didn't want to be disturbed. And the same was no different for Skystar. The sun was rising to her window within her large room, while it was mostly full of gold and other treasures, there were things that looked like shelves and tables around too, ponies aren't the only one who live a civilized life style. The ray's were hitting Skystar's eyes finally and she grumbled as she was waking up. "Morning already?" Skystar asked herself opening her emerald green eyes, and what she was greeted with was a really cute sight. She saw her son was still in her tail, curled up and sleeping soundly, like nothing was wrong what so ever. The sight of him made her wake up instantly in both relief and surprise, it wasn't a dream after all. Skystar yawned a bit while beginning to stand up, while her son just stayed asleep, he's a heavier sleeper then her. But that didn't bother her one bit, in fact, it was adorable to her. It made her smile lovingly seeing him in her soft grasp, him finally being here is something she's wanted for so long.. "Good morning my child.. welcome to your new home.." Skystar told the sleeping Spike while rubbing his head, Spike only turned a little bit to try and sleep still, it made her chuckle a bit even more. While she wanted to bond more with him, she needed to let her child rest. So she decided to go out and make something to eat, while keeping him firmly in her tail for safety. Skystar went out of her room and walked through the crystal cave once again, she looked around and sighed at the sight she was greeted with every day, this cave was a unique place in the village, despite it being a popular choice for many of the dragons living here, she was given it after everyone learned what happened to her child, and they only wished the best for her after it happened, and hopefully she would find him again. And thankfully, she did. It would only be a few more steps until she went in to an area that looked like a kitchen, despite them not having as much resources as the ponies did, the dragons still had they're ways of handling they're way's of living, like having a proper way to have water flow into their homes, or ways to cook and make food. They were simple but small things that made things easier for them. Skystar went over to a large pot that was on a counter, and she knelt down below to see a small placement of wood to heat it up. But instead of using her breath to light it up, instead she brought her claw to it, and with a special motion, her claw lit up in a green fire that looks just like Spike's, and all she did to lit it was hovering it above the wood for a few seconds before it lit up to get some heat going, she then pulled away and put it out with a fist clench. This was one of the many things she could do with her fire, and she had interesting things to tell her son when he wants to learn more. And not wasting any more time, she started getting to work on making something to eat for them, to help them bond more and try and get used to this. Spike grumbled a bit as he was finally waking up, he was starting to smell something delightful after a little bit, and while the light of the sun could've waken him up, this smell did. "Wha?.. where.. am I?" Spike asked opening his eyes to adjust, but what he was greeted with was a bit surprising. He thought he would just wake up back in the Tree library he always did, ready to do more stuff out there today with Twilight like usual. But instead, he was greeted with a tail wrapped around him, and he looked up to see a large familiar figure cooking something.. "Mom? What are you doing?" Spike asked tiredly while waking up still, this got her attention quickly and she turned a bit and saw Spike was finally awake which made her happy. "Oh.. good morning my hatchling, did you sleep well?" Skystar asked bringing him to her for some more nuzzles, and Spike didn't mind it one bit. "I slept well mom, where are we? Is.. this your home?" Spike asked looking around the room, and was already amazed by the sight of the dozens of crystals in the walls and floors, it was like a new crystal cave to explore that was like the one he and Rarity did from time to time. "Yes it is my son, this is my home, or more accurately.. our home. I hope you like it son.." Skystar said putting him down finally, Spike took a moment to get back to walking after sleeping for a while, he looked around with amazement seeing the place he was in, it was like a perfect place for any dragon to want to live in, with tons of different furniture that was mainly made of well designed rocks and shapes, while it wasn't as amazing as Canterlot Castle, it was still a really amazing sight to see. "Wow.. this place is.. amazing mom.. you really live here?" Spike asked with awe turning back to her who chuckled a bit. "Of course my son, i've been wanting something that will help us live our best lives, i promise you'll love it here Flamestar." Skystar said rubbing his head a little again, and while that was sweet to hear. She did say it like she wanted to have him stay here, and while he was willing to do so to finally be raised by her, there was still an issue he had to figure out first, but that can wait till later. "I.. look forward to it mom.. so what are you making?" Spike asked looking at the pot which had something in it. "Oh that's just some toasted eggs and bacon, we have tons of food like this in the village, i've taken my own time learning how to cook." Skystar said turning back to the food which was almost done. "Wow.. that's really awesome to know.." Spike said still shocked which made her giggle even more. "You'll find there's more to me then meets the eye son, you can count on that." Skystar said putting the food on a plate that handled it well. But to Spike's shock, when Skystar went down to put the Green fire in the wood out, she somehow was able to absorb the fire into her hand! Spike had never seen any dragon be able to do that with they're fire before. "How.. how did you do that?!" Spike asked completely shocked with seeing that. "Just a special skill I've learned.." Skystar said proudly before leaning back up to him. "Come son, let's have our meal, and i think we should go to the village, they'd be thrilled to know i have you back.. finally.." Skystar said again while moving to a stone table, Spike didn't waste a second more and quickly went up to it too. Spike sat right next to her while they ate, and while Spike can eat by himself fine, Skystar was trying to feed it to him like a baby.. but to be fair.. this is the first time he's done this with her.. "Open wide son.." Skystar said holding more food, while Spike didn't want to spoon-fed like that, he compiled and opened up for it which made her giggle even more seeing it. "There you go.." Skystar said while she and Spike ate at their food together, while it was a bit of a weird way, it was still something none the less, and Spike was just interested in knowing more about her. The two ate like that for a bit longer, the food was really well done to say the least, while Spike doesn't eat meat, the bacon was actually really good, and it makes him wonder how well she can make other foods too, and if he can surprise her enough by cooking himself, maybe the two can have another thing in common and cook together. After that little meal, they both sighed in relief while she put the plates away, Spike was stuffed just from the meal alone, she knew how to make something, but he shouldn't let that thought cloud his questions, he still had some he wanted to ask. After finishing that little meal, she went back to him and picked up in with her claw again, she looked at him with a loving smile while Spike was smiling back, not even one day with her, and he's already feeling like he needs more time here, even if it worries Twilight. After that moment, the two walked around the cave together so Spike could know where to go, there was a few interesting rooms to list one, one of them looked like a library as well, there were dozens of books within that room on a bunch of shelves, there were red and purple carpets nicely made to add some decoration to it, and the next looked like a small bed room, and there was a little crib in the room with some more books besides it.. which meant one thing.. "Mom.. is this.. was this my room?" Spike asked while they walked into it, Skystar looked sad again being asked that, but she can't keep it from him. "Yes son.. this was.. your room when you were an egg, when you hatched I was gonna put you to sleep here every night, and sleep besides you for your safety. That was.. before you.. were taken.." Skystar said looking regretful, while Spike wanted to know WHO took him, this was not the best time to ask, and tried to comfort her. "Well.. if it makes you feel better, I think sleeping with you for a while will be best for both of us, we both need to spend more time with eachother, and i think that would be a great start." Spike said putting his claw on her arm to help her, she looked down at him a before smiling a bit once again. Her son was every bit of happiness she was needing right now. "Thank you my child, you'll be sleeping well with me every night, I promise you that." Skystar said in a protective tone, even if Spike was finding that tone a bit worrying, she just found him, and needs some time to relax more. "Thanks mommy.. I still can't believe i'm actually here.. with you.." Spike said while they were walking out of the room again. "Me neither son.. but i couldn't be more happy.." Skystar said once again as they kept walking. While Spike looked around the crystal cave and admired what he was seeing, there were other things he was wondering still, he wondered how this village he's in is, and what she mainly does in life.. and how she can.. control her fire like that. "Hey.. mom.. may I ask.. what do you mainly do around here? Even when I was.. gone.. I'm sure you did somethings interesting right?" Spike asked looking at her again who was a bit surprised to be asked that, but this will help build up they're trust, even if it's not the best answer. "To be honest son.. after you were taken.. I never really did much after that.. while before that, I was a skilled treasure collector and fighter, I was admired by a lot of dragons within this village, I was always there to help when they needed it, and it made me proud for who I am.. but once I lost you.. I just wasn't the same.." Skystar said looking down once again having some tears, it's a tough thing to talk about, but Spike wants to help her. "Mom.. what.. happened to you?" Spike asked coming up to hug her who quickly returned it. "I.. I fell into a primal rage... the feeling of loss.. grief.. sadness... and anger.. it was just.. far too much for me.." Skystar said looking at her claws while Spike was confused. "Primal Rage? What's.. that?" Spike asked worried hearing that. "It's.. a state where a dragon is in a uncontrollable rage, when a dragon loses something that is so valuable to them, so precious, something that they loved dearly.. it makes them fall into a state that makes them furious and nearly unstoppable , a state where they can't be reasoned with.. like a monster.. I wasn't any different.. after I lost you.. I fell into that state, and I.. almost destroyed the village as a result, I was only able to come back after our village elder used a spell that put me out of it. The only way to put a dragon out of they're primal rage state is to either defeat them in a fight, which is extremely hard to do. Or use a spell that can bypass they're emotions." Skystar said while she went to look out a window, Spike did too and could see the large village from just below them, and Spike was just worried to hear this. "What happened after that?" Spike asked worried about this still. "After I was restored.. the village did everything they could to help me, despite me almost destroying it.. they understood what happened, they were both sad to know you were taken, and also infuriated to know it too. Even before i found you yesterday, there were still dragons out there searching for you, even if they didn't recognize you as my son, they were willing to help me.. it was something that I would never forget.." Skystar finished wanting to move on from this topic, Spike felt really sad to hear that, even after meeting her, learning something like this is pretty sad to know. "I'm.. really sorry to hear that, I promise I won't let you fall into that state again.." Spike said giving her another hug once again. "Thank you my child.. thank you.." Skystar said hugging him once again. After that moment once again, the two started to walk through the place once again, Spike was interested to know that fact that dragons had such a state of rage, if they couldn't be stopped.. they could destroy an entire town, while Spike lost control of himself when he went crazy with greed, this was something different. It made him worry about what would happen if this sorta thing happened again. But one thing he was also interested it was his mom's ability's to control fire, he'd never seen a dragon be able to to do it and wondered what it was like. But before he could ask her that question, she asked him something else first. "Son.. I must ask.. how did you survive on your own? We're you really alone for all this time?" Skystar asked looking down at him, while Spike did hate having to lie like this, she may not approve of him being raised by ponies, or would let him give a full explanation if he did, so having to find something, he mainly decided to tell her how he felt not going without her for so long, even if he had someone like her. "I.. mainly did.. I wasn't really wanting to see what the other dragons are like, because I was just afraid of what they were like, I may not know much about my kind, but I have heard that they're well feared, strong, powerful, and menacing if you make them angry, and I.. didn't want to take that risk, even if it did give me an option of being adopted." Spike said really regretting this lie, he hated doing this so much, and Twilight would tell through a lie easily, but his mom seemed to believe it somehow, not because she's stupid, but concerned and worried for him. "Oh you poor thing.. i can't believe i wasn't able to find you sooner.. i should've done something to find you.. I could've told Torch on what happened, or asked for a way to track you down.. I just.. didn't know what to do, i was so lost in my grief and sadness, I couldn't think of a proper way to find you sooner.. if I found a way sooner.. you would've been here before you even hatched.." Skystar said with huge regret, this was really showing how hard it was for her losing him, and it was making Spike worry more on how Twilight and the other's would react to it. But there was one thing he needed to do right now, and that's give her the comfort she needs to feel better. "It's okay mom.. I know you were going through a tough time.. and I understand it, don't think this makes you a bad mother. You were just in a state where it was too much, and that does tons of bad things to others, but when you push through it, it shows that your far stronger then you think. And you still being here, it shows how strong you really are." Spike said rubbing her head a gain, and she smiled once again hearing that, it was a speech she really needed to hear. "I love you my son.. don't you ever forget that.." Skystar said looking in his eyes once again. "I love you too.. mom.." Spike said while the two of them had another moment. So after that moment, Spike decided to ask his question, seeing her absorb her own fire like that is so interesting, and it makes him wonder how she learned it. "So um.. mom.. think you can explain to me on how you were able to absorb your fire like that? I don't think i've ever heard of such a thing." Spike asked looking up at her who perked up hearing that. "Oh, that's an interesting story son, come with me." Skystar said moving along to the library with Spike following behind curious to know. The two went into a large open area that had tons of bookshelves all over the room, Spike could count at least 10 of them, it was impressive seeing a room hold these many books.. but then again.. he lives in a tree library. Skystar went over to a specific shelf to pick out a certain book, and after a few seconds, she pulled a strange emerald green one out. "I learned some special fire spells from this book." The Secrets Of The Flame" It was a special book i found during my time as a collector, and while i could've sold this thing for a really high price given how ancient it looks, i decided to see what it has for myself, and i do not regret seeing what it has." Skystar said showing him the cover, it had an emerald green color to it like the rest of the book, but there was a strange flame symbol on the center, that looked like an elemental symbol of fire, wherever she found this, it must've been an ancient place. "W.. what have you learned from this thing?" Spike asked amazed seeing it, Skystar simply flipped open the book to find a few things she learned. "Well, I did learn to manipulate my fire around me, and use it for more then fire breathing. I learned to bend it to my will, and use it to give me an advantage in fighting. I don't know who made this thing, but whoever did, he was a skilled dragon to learn it." Skystar said showing him a page that had a dragon moving the fire around in a circle by using his hands which was something amazing to see. "And I also learned to manipulate my fire in combat, and one of the moves I learned was being able to form my fire around me like a tornado, and I would spin around so fast the tornado would blow the opponent far away with a strong blast." Skystar said showing him another image of a dragon forming a tornado of fire around him, it kinda looked familiar somehow, he just can't declare what it is. "And the most recent one I learned was to absorb my fire back into me, after shooting a blast at an opponent, I can absorb it back, and it would form around me to create some extra layers of defense, it's a great move for self defense, and when your opponent try's to attack you, the fire will burst out from you and blast your opponent away. These are some of the most unique fire spells I've ever seen, and i've only learned 10 of them at this point." Skystar finished before closing the book while Spike was in pure shock to know this. "Do you.. think I'll be able to learn these cool things like this?" Spike asked already wanting to know some of this which made her chuckle a little. "Perhaps one day son. There's one thing you should know about these spells. You'll have to have grown your wings in order to have the fire strong enough to manipulate. I was lucky enough to have had my wings before I was even a teen, so since that's the case, you may grow yours by your next birthday or so. Even if the experience of growing them.. won't be that pleasant." Skystar said shuddering at how her process went. "I can't wait.." Spike said already feeling nervous about that thought, whatever she went through to get her wings, he'll most likely experience it the same way. "I got something to show you son, consider this a first lesson in controlling fire." Skystar said with a loving smile while she held out her claw. "And.. what would that be mom?" Spike asked eager to see what she was gonna do. She chuckled in response, and with a simple finger snap, a small bit of fire appeared in her claw which amazed him. "Whoa.." Spike said amazed looking at the perfect green flame in her claw. "Now for the best part son.." Skystar said as she went to one of the crystals on the wall which confused Spike a little. But his confusion turned into amazement from seeing what she did. With a special gesture, she somehow inserted the flame into the crystal, and turned it emerald green! And to top it all off, the green color somehow spread through the whole cave, lighting it up in a gorgeous emerald green color that made Spike's jaw drop in amazement, Skystar giggled again in seeing this, and the two looked around the cave which was now glowing bright green. "So.. what do you think son?" Skystar asked slyly looking at him, Spike barely had words to describe it.. but he tried his best with it. "It's.. completely.. radiant.." Spike answered which made her laugh seeing his cute face. "Oh I'm so glad to be showing you this son, and don't forget, your time will come too when you get your wings." Skystar said taking one of his hands while Spike regained focus. "They can't come any sooner.." Spike said walking through the place once again. And so, after that little lesson, Spike and his mom went through the halls again, and Skystar was getting the idea to head to the Dragon Village, it was still early in the morning by now, and a little air is something they all need right now. "Son, would you like to come to the village with me? I think it would be a great idea for you to see what our culture is like." Skystar offered which already excited him. "Are you kidding?! I'd love to see it! Whatever you have to show me mom, I'll be glad to come with you!" Spike said excitedly which made her really happy. "If that's the case, come along my son, the village will be glad to see that I've finally gotten my child back." Skystar said as they went to the door, Spike may have his worries about what happened with his egg all those years ago right now, as well as how he can explain this with Twilight, but he has a little idea on how to put her worries at ease. He just hopes that whatever he and his mother will be doing today, it'll be just another minute of them finally spending time together as mother and son.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter! I felt like i could make Skystar more interesting in this story by adding a few more things to her character, so i think her being able to control fire, as well as explaining that she went into a state of rage once he was taken would be a good start, that will be important later just to let you know, i have a few more things to add to her character, as well as Nathen, with what i know now i feel like i can do something cool with them, and help make things in the story make a bit more sense. Speaking of which, while i know Spike only went to the Dragon Lands to learn more about his kind, and not find his parents. I felt like adding this thing to his character would help, because while he is like 11 at this point, he's far smarter then most dragons and would understand more complex topics, and i'm sure he'd see some struggles with showing the others he's capable of being more then just an assistant. I just think adding these things will help the story flow and make things a bit better, even if it may not be part of the original episode with why he went, so i hope you can understand that. Thank you all for reading this chapter and look forward to more!
3: The Dragon VillageSpike had followed his mom to the exit of her cave, while this morning was already a lot for him, what Spike's in for next is something else, he still couldn't believe he's actually with his mother, his real mom. And she's really interesting to see with her fire magic, it made him just wonder what else she knows, and what she can do with it. After their little agreement, Skystar led the way out of her cave, which was pretty large and open, it was a place where one could get lost without proper knowledge of the layout, and Skystar knew every inch of it. After they're little walk, Skystar led them to the exit, which was a door that was finely decorated in gold and red colored wood, and she opened the door with a simple turn or the knob, and the door opened which greeted Spike with a light that blinded his vision for a moment. But once his vision came back, he saw his mother looking down on him, and made a little motion with a smile to see the view. Spike smiled back at her and walked out with her, and what Spike was greeted with was pretty amazing. While the Badlands he went through were mainly baron, full of nothing but smoke, ash and lava rivers, this place was pretty different. Here he actually saw the sun was in a bright blue sky with no clouds in sight, Skystar's cave looked like it was the tallest in the mountains around the village, and just below, he could see a large town that seemed to be full of dragons, Spike could see some of them flying out of they're caves to get their day started, he could see staples that sold food, more then just meat and gems, he could see what looked like stores and schools for the hatchlings, and saw a large dragon statue within the very center of the village which was surrounded by a beautifully carved circle with water in it, it looked super ancient, and Spike was just in complete awe of what he was seeing. "Whoa..." Spike said in awe looking over the view, Skystar chuckled at this reaction and looked down too. "It's beautiful, isn't it son?" Skystar asked starting up another talk. "It's.. amazing.. i never thought the Dragon Lands would have culture like this from what i saw earlier.." Spike said really amazed at this sight, he can only imagine how Twilight is gonna react to this. "Yes, it is something else. While most of the Dragon Lands are baron and don't have much to see, places like this are where more civilized dragons come to live. Dragons like me and you, we prefer to be more thoughtful of our actions, while other dragons living around don't think before they attack, or take something from others." Skystar said sounding a little disgusted at the thought of brutes. "What do you mean by that mom?" Spike asked looking up to her again curiously. "What i mean is, there are people like me and you who don't wanna do rash actions to others, while most of the dragons in our lands don't care about it, and they just take what they want, even if they don't know who or what they're taking from. I was always cautious of where i got all my treasure and possessions, but the dragons i'm talking about just like to do whatever they want without thought of the consequences. It's places like these that help our kind grow more naturally, and learn about our history, religion, and culture." Skystar said having her claw move to the village. "Wow.. that's.. really interesting to know.." Spike said really interested with this explanation. After a few more minutes of looking over the view as the sun rises above Skystar's own cave, Skystar was feeling ready to go. "Well, you ready to see your home son?" Skystar asked again while he was lost in his thoughts, but soon regained focus being asked that. "Of course mom, let's see what there is." Spike said looking to a long path that led down her mountain, it did have hand rails on it for some reason, but it was most likely for safety for anyone who wanted to climb up and not fly here. "Believe me son, there is a lot to see." Skystar said leading him down the path carefully, Spike had a look of surprise when following her, and was just wondering what else there was to see in this village. The two made they're way down the path which didn't take much time, Spike was already impressed with this village from the sight of it alone, he didn't think the dragons could make living spaces that reminded him of his own home. But when they got down to the village, Spike was even more impressed. Spike could see very well that a ton of the houses and homes were mostly made from carved stone and organized decoration. He could see dozens of staples with items being sold from them, not just food, but other stuff made for a living space. From basic foods, to some furniture, and even some more pots and pans for cooking and other things like that. Spike looked around more and saw other places in this village while walking besides her, he could see what looked like a small school that had dozens of parents and hatchlings going inside for the morning, if made him wonder what they taught at a dragon school. To his left he saw what looked like a river that went out of the village and towards the west of the village, and he could see some dragons fishing in it and getting stuff for dinner. Looking around a bit more, he could see dozens of lanterns hung around most of the houses, and they had different colored flames lit in them to help bring more color to it. It was honestly just as impressive as Ponyville, he never thought he'd see another village like this since he's been so used to the stuff he's seen with Twilight, but this is something amazing. "Wow..." Spike said in complete amazement looking around the place while Skystar chuckled at his reaction. "Impressive isn't it son? Wanna know something interesting? This village is over 200 years old, it was one of the first ever built to help give our kind some proper education and help us learn and move past our brute ways. While there aren't that many in the Dragon Lands right now, lord Torch has ordered for some more to be made, he's getting tired of the constant fights and bickering that the dragons get into for the most pitiful reasons, so pretty soon, we're gonna be seeing more villages like this, it's to help us move to a better future in hopes of being seen more as rude beasts." Skystar explained looking around as well. While Spike was fascinated with this info, he was wondering who this Torch was, and wanted more info on him too. "That's amazing.. and.. who's this Torch? Is he like.. the leader of our kind right now?" Spike asked looking back up at her. "He's one of the leaders of our lands, there are different areas that are ruled by different dragons all over this land son, and they are meant to represent they're respective dragon type, for example, you and me can be considered Earth Dragons, while there are other dragons who like to stay within the water's, or icy mountains, it makes them live and grow differently compared to us here." Skystar explained while Spike kept listening on. "Torch is the Dragon Lord, and whoever has that position commands the Earth Dragons, and when the Dragon Lord is ready to step down, the way to become the next is to go through a series of challenges to get a special item called the Bloodstone Scepter. It will give you the authority to command all the dragons of your respective kingdom, while the other rulers have they're own ways of ruling they're territory. It's a tradition that's been passed down for generations." Skystar explained some more while they came in front of the large dragon statue in the center of town, and Spike was in complete awe hearing all of this. "Wow.. to think.. you can just make whatever rules you want with it.." Spike said amazed at this. "It is something else son, but there is also something you should know. The Bloodstone Scepter chooses who's worthy, and whoever try's to use it's power, it's dependent on what the wielder does with it. But, if the wielder try's to abuse his power, by initiating attacks on innocent villages, or even trying to start a war with the rest of Equestria, the Bloodstone Scepter will no longer obey it's master, and the wielder will suffer the more and more they try to wield it's power, but if the wielder goes too far with it, the scepter will drain the user's life from him, and kill the one who's used it's power. Leaving another to try and prove himself if they're worthy of it's power, and makes sure that kind of incident doesn't happen again." Skystar said sounding upset at the thought of it, while Spike was fascinated by this still, it made him wonder how she knew it, was it because this happened with a previous wielder, or it's a well known thing for her kind? "Wow mom.. that's.. a lot to take in, so much dragon history, and i haven't even been here a few hours yet.." Spike said chuckling nervously at this news. "I'm sorry if that was overwhelming son, but it's something critical that all dragons should know, because if they don't, using such a position of power for they're own selfish purposes, would get them killed from it. I'm telling you this because i don't want this to happen to you if you ever wield that scepter one day son, Lord Torch won't hold onto his position forever, and to me, when that day comes, I have to make sure that no one uses that power to cause harm to others, and if they try.. I'll rip them apart for trying to destroy our kinds legacy.." Skystar said with a scary growl which was worrying Spike a bit, but he could see it's just for their safety, and it helped him understand a bit more. "Don't worry mom, that won't happen, and I promise we'll stop it from happening." Spike assured while he rubbed her arm which helped calm her down a bit. "Thank you son, forgive me for that. I just hope you understand how important this is to know, even if it's a bit much for your age." Skystar said hopefully while Spike understood it completely. "Don't worry mom, i do, why won't we just explore this village a bit more? I'm sure there's more interesting stuff to find here?" Spike asked looking around the place. "Of course, follow me son, there's a lot i think you'd like from this place." Skystar said walking ahead a bit which made Spike follow next to her once again. Spike continued to follow his mother closely, all the while he just kept looking around the village, to think that there would be places like Ponyville in the Dragon Lands wasn't on his mind, but with how little they know about the dragons, something like this is helping a lot. Not to mention that he did just learn some important history from his mother, and this would definitely be important to remember for the future. As Spike followed his mother, he couldn't help but notice some dragons were turning they're attention to the two, they all were seemingly surprised to see Spike with Skystar, but that made him realize something, she did say that these dragons supported her after he was "Taken" away from her, and they must be surprised to see that Skystar found her child again. Skystar had started to notice this too and kept her son a bit closer then usual. "It's alright son, if you remember what I told you earlier, these dragons are really kind and helped me through my grief when i lost you." Skystar said softly which calmed Spike down a little. "Right, that's good to know. I'm glad to see that they were here for you when you needed it most." Spike said smiling at the dragons who were walking to them with interest. The dragons began to surround the two and they could hear small conversations about who Spike is, one of the dragons went up to Skystar with interest while wondering who Spike is. "Morning Skystar, You seem in a much more positive mood then we last saw you." The dragon greeted which made her shake her head a bit, but she understood why. "Morning Ash, I'm glad you noticed. I'm just showing my long lost son, around the village, I finally found him just yesterday, and I had to take him back home." Skystar replied looking down at Spike who was a bit nervous while the other dragons were surprised to hear that. "Wait.. your.. her son?!" Ash asked shocked looking down at him too, he was a bit gray with his scale color, but also had red eyes that were like a ruby, and a little scar going over his eye, but he seemed friendly after this moment. "Um.. yeah.. my name is.. Spike, or Flamestar as my mother named me. It's.. nice to meet you?" Spike asked a bit nervous on how he would respond. But his expression soon turned to one of happiness and relief, and the same was with the other dragons too since they know this. "Skystar actually found her son! This is.. this is amazing news!" Ash said with amazement while the dragons were going all around the two wondering how this happened. "How did you find him Skystar?" A pink dragon asked amazed seeing him. "He's so cute! He really resembles you!" A Sapphire blue dragon said next looking at Spike with an adorable face. "You actually found him! It's a miracle!" A scarlet dragoness said amazed as well seeing him while Skystar smiled at all of them. "I know, i still can't believe it either, I was just showing him around our home, and his new home too. It's a nice way for mother and son to bond after years of being separated.." Skystar said moving Spike to her with her tail while he chuckled nervously at that. "Yeah, it's something we both thought would be really fun together.." Spike said still nervous on how far this is gonna go. "Oh this is so great to hear! We need to let the elder know about this!" Ash said quickly running off to somewhere which confused Spike. "The elder?" Spike asked looking at his mother who wasn't that worried about it. "It's nothing to worry about son, our elder has had dragons search for you since you were taken from me, and now that your here, it's best he greets you." Skystar explained with a hint of aggression when she mentioned him being taken from her. "Okay but.. WHO took me from you mom? Was it another dragon?" Spike asked really wondering what happened to him. "No.. another dragon stealing ones egg would be a death sentence if it was found out, no dragon steals ones child from the other, unless that dragon has permission to be a guardian, if one steals from a parent, that will have them be forever shames and hated by his own kind and family. So no, it wasn't a dragon, and I do not want to go more into about it right now son, it's just too soon for me, when I'm ready to tell you, I'll let you know, okay?" Skystar asked a bit worried for him, but Spike could understand this, but was still worried about what happened with him. "O.. okay mom, sorry for asking that again.." Spike said while Skystar hugged him again suddenly. "It's okay son, let's just enjoy this moment together okay?" Skystar asked holding him close, Spike didn't really want to do anything to make her upset again, so he just leaned into her hug hoping for the best. After a little bit of waiting, they saw Ash come out of an old large house not to far from them, but behind him, was a really large dragon who was twice Skystar's size, he had black scales with purple eyes, and he looked extremely tough and strong with the battle scars he's showing, and the fact his tail looks like a blade, but he also had a calm look to him when moving to them, like one that was both wise and strong. "Son, this is our village elder, Scorch. He's one of the strongest elders alive right now, and has been watching over the village since it's founding." Skystar introduced while Scorch smiled respectfully at them. "Skystar, it is great to see your out of your cave today, I heard the news from Ash, did you really find your son?" Scorch asked hoping this was true, Skystar smiled at that question and held Spike up in one of her claws. "Yes, I really did. This is my son, Flamestar, or Spike as he calls himself. He was able to find his way to the Dragon Lands, and had help from a kind drake who helped him find me. And since then, i haven't let him out of my sight.." Skystar said nuzzling Spike lovingly again while he chuckled at that. "It's nice to meet you, it's a huge honor to be meeting someone like you sir." Spike said respectfully looking up at him. "I'd say the same for you Flamestar, Skystar has been in such a state after what happened, and she rarely came out of her home, with you here now, I hope this is a sign you two will be spending more time out here together, we have plenty of places that would be great for you two to bond." Scorch said looking around the village proudly while Spike was interested too. "Thank you, that's really great to know. I'm sure me and mom would love to spend some time around here right?" Spike asked again looking at her. "Like you need to ask son." Skystar said while she was hugging him to her chest again which made Spike a little embarrassed while Scorch chuckled at the sight. "I'm really happy you managed to find your son Skystar, and with what you know with your fire magic, I know you'll be able to keep him safe. A strong mother like you, will be able to raise her child the best she can." Scorch said looking down at her who smiled at that. "Thank you Scorch, I learned plenty of skills, and no one will dare threaten me or my son, if they do, they will regret it.." Skystar said with a bit of a growl while forming more fire in one of her claws while the dragons watching were amazed at the sight. "Calm down mom, no one's gonna try that, and when I'm old enough, I'll be able to learn it too, we'll be able to protect eachother together." Spike said positively which calmed her once again, while she was NOT wanting her son to get into any fights, it's something that may inevitably happen. "That won't be for a long time son, but I'll make sure to never let a thing hurt an adorable child like you.." Skystar said again nuzzling him once again. "I'm glad to hear that Skystar, I hope this will mean you'll be up for more training soon, with you in a better state now, I think it will be a great time for you to learn some important lessons again." Scorch said hopefully while she was a bit worried hearing that. "What lessons mom?" Spike asked again looking at her. "He's.. meaning lessons on leadership, since I'm the strongest dragon in this village next to Scorch with my fire skills and ability's, he's been wanting to teach me more stuff about leading others. In case he ever steps down or passes, he's wanting me to take his place as the village elder, since what I know is so different compared to what the other dragons know.." Skystar said nervous when explaining it which worried Spike a bit. "I'm.. sure you'd do a great job if you took that position mom, and I promise i'll be there to help you when you need it." Spike said trying to comfort her. "Thanks son, but I feel like it's way too soon, I just found you after so long, and I'm wanting to spend at least a few months with you before doing something like this. I don't want to get too busy to the point we won't get to spend time in other places around the Dragon Lands. I want to show you what we know, and teach you the ways of our kind, so you can grow to be a strong dragon that will be a great drake when fully grown. I just want to make up all the time I've lost with you.." Skystar said sounding sad again while holding him close, Scorch felt a bit bad seeing this, and figured it was too soon to ask this. "Forgive me Skystar, but I clearly see you need your time with him. You don't have to worry about anything, spend as much time as you need with him, and when your ready for more lessons, I'll gladly help teach you." Scorch said respectfully while giving her a bow. "Thanks Scorch, I'm glad you understand. And if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some more time with my son right now, but I'll let you know when I'm ready." Skystar said bowing respectfully too. "Of course Skystar, please take all the time you need, have fun you two." Scorch said while he turned away from them and went back to his house, the other dragons saw they needed they're time too and left them to give them time. Skystar sighed in relief after they left, and she put Spike back down so they can talk properly. "You okay mom, you seem a bit uneasy right now?" Spike asked seeing her expression, but she soon regained her focus and looked happy again when looking at him. "I'm perfectly fine son, I'm just trying to think of what we can do next. We have all day ahead of us, and I'm trying to think of something we can do together.." Skystar said rubbing her chin while thinking of something, Spike decided to do the same thing and tried getting an idea. "What if.. we go explore more of the Dragon Lands together? I saw just a bit of it yesterday, but seeing more with you would be a great time, does that sound nice?" Spike suggested which made her smile hearing that. "My son has a bright mind, just like his father. I love the sound that son." Skystar said sweetly which made him smile again hearing that, especially with hearing about his father. "I'm glad to hear that mom, you ready to go now?" Spike asked looking up at the sky's. "Of course, it's still early, but it's best we get some air." Skystar said before she picked him up with her claw again and put him on the back of her neck, Spike hugged it tightly while Skystar spread open her large wings again. "You ready to go my son?" Skystar asked making sure he's up for this. "Of course mom, let's have some fun together." Spike said confidently, Skystar smiled hearing that and with one quick motion, she took off into the sky's at fast speeds again while Spike held on tightly, the other dragons watched them leave with smiles and hoped they had a great time together, knowing that Skystar has her son back.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know this was a bit shorter compared to the last two, but i think simply giving the Dragon Village some time to help explain the history of Dragons and how it works can help move things along nicely. I will have them do more stuff at the village later, but for now I'm gonna have the two explore what interesting things I could make with the Dragon Lands, while this mainly was just expedition and explaining stuff instead of Spike and Skystar bonding, i think this could help flesh out the Dragons a bit more, and I'll do more with them in future chapters so i hope you don't mind. Thank you all for reading this and hope you look forward to more!
4: Exploring The LandsAfter Spike and Skystar left the village, they took off to explore they're home, it wasn't just a way Spike and Skystar could bond more, but also for Spike to learn a bit more of the Dragons, while he did learn a more from seeing the Migration and what the village held, he was eager to see more of the Dragon Lands, especially with his mother with him. Skystar flew through the skies of the dragon lands really calmly, Spike could feel the winds brushing past him as they flew over the area, it was a feeling Spike loved a lot, and he hoped that when he gets his wings, she'll do this way more with him too, Spike looked down and looked amazed with what he saw. He could see the previous areas he was at before when he arrived, while the lands didn't look as populated as they were before, they were still having a large number of dragons, and Spike was really interested to see what more there is to this place, while he did always like Ponyville, he rarely knew about what his kind was like, other then them kinda being brutes with selfish desires, it was the only thing dragons were known for to the ponies, but that's because they didn't get that many chances to learn about them. Spike took in the sight he was seeing with awe, while this was mainly a baron and extremely large volcanic land, there were some cool sights Spike was able to see, and he couldn't help but admire it, he's only seen a small part of the dragon lands, and was hoping to more about their religion and race. As they kept flying through the sky's together, Skystar looked up at him to make sure he's okay. "You okay son? You haven't spoken for a bit?" Skystar asked which took him out of his thoughts, he peaked his way down to his mom while still holding onto her back, and smiled looking at her. "I'm okay mom, I'm just really amazed with what I'm seeing, I've never seen something this high up, even if the lands are pretty volcanic.. this is still something amazing to me.." Spike said looking back at the lands, Skystar chuckled hearing that, and could understand his thoughts. "That's understandable son, we've barely scratched the surface of what these lands hold, and believe me when I say, there is a lot more to our home then meets the eye son, it's far more then a volcanic land, this is only a small part of it." Skystar explained which interested Spike hearing it. "What more is there? There's only some volcanic lands from what I'm seeing right now." Spike asked looking back down once again. "That lies beyond these parts of the land son, and our history goes further, just watch son." Skystar said while she continued to fly through the dragon lands, while Spike only thought they were exploring what's currently known for the dragon lands, to his surprise, he saw Skystar was heading towards the sea that wasn't to far away. "Where are we going mom?" Spike asked while she was flying over the border that led to the ocean. "A place where our kind is more then meets the eye, there are tons of islands out from the main lands, and that is where the really interesting parts comes in." Skystar explained which surprised Spike hearing that. "Well, let's see what lies beyond I guess.." Spike said already looking out into the sea. "Believe me son, you've barely seen anything.." Skystar said before she flew even faster across the ocean while Spike held onto her. Spike kept flying with Skystar for what felt like half an hour, they were pretty much flying over the sea at this point, and the main lands Spike's known are far away now, Skystar kept flying calmly as the sun was high above them by now, if he's right, then Celestia must've had it by mid day, so they had a lot more time to explore. While Spike didn't think they'd come across something for a while, something did. In the distance, Spike could barely make out what looks like large islands in the distance, they were small from where they are right now, but the closer they got, Spike was looking more amazed as they got closer, it was like they're own section of the dragon lands despite how far off it is. "Whoa.. what is this place?" Spike asked in awe as they were coming to the islands by now. "These are the Divided Islands son, they are a large group of islands that go far off from the main lands, and this is where we see more variety in terms of dragon kind.." Skystar explained as they were coming across one of the largest ones, it looked like a tropical jungle of sorts, there were large waterfalls in multiple areas, mountains that were extremely tall, and Spike could see some dragons within the trees of the jungle. "What kind of dragons live here?" Spike asked while they were coming closer to the jungle. "These dragons are known as wind dragons, they prefer to stay in environments that is more habitable then where we're from, unlike me and you, they've learned to fly on they're own, as they're name implies, they manipulate the wind currents around them to help them fly without trouble." Skystar explained as Spike could finally see what these dragons looked like. These dragons were pretty different compared to him and Skystar, they're body's were a lot more noodle like and not a single one of them had wings, they had strange horns on they're heads and spines that went down they're long body's, and Spike could even see some of them breath lightning! "How can dragons breath different breaths?! I thought we were only limited to fire and the different colors we have from it?" Spike asked really surprised while Skystar flew over the area. "It depends on the environment and adapting to it, when some dragons like these grow up in places that have more bizarre weather effects, they can learn to adapt to their harsh force, and learn to use that as they're own breath, this place does often get a lot of storms and harsh winds, so the dragons living on this island adjusted to it, and made homes and learned to move through it without much trouble, unlike us where it would be way harder if that happened." Skystar explained proudly while Spike just couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Have any dragons learned to breath more then just fire? Maybe even be able to use both fire or lightning?" Spike asked wondering if that's true. "That could be learned by dragons who are extremely determined, while I learned to use the fire around me like I showed you, I haven't learned lightning or ice, but I prefer it that way, it's places like these that make each dragon type stand out, and I think knowing how to use my fire is enough to make me stand out." Skystar said forming fire in her hands again while Spike tried processing this. "I never thought there was so much to learn, and we're only on the first island.." Spike said looking over the tropical area while Skystar was just leaving the place. "There is a lot to learn son, and the next island will show you just how much more advanced we are." Skystar said as they finally left that large island, she flew over it pretty easily, and the residents didn't seem to mind them flying by. Spike continued to hold onto his mother while she flew over to the next island which was quite a distance away, it took another 30 minutes to reach it which did bore him a little, but what he saw next was just as amazing. Skystar now was entering what looked like a more rock like island, it was extremely large and looked more like they're village, but there was a lot different compared to it, Spike could see what looked like houses and temples made within the mountains and caves themselves, Skystar flew a lot lower then normal so Spike could see it in more detail, Spike could see a lot of hotsprings around the area, followed by a lot of towns and places that looked like Canterlot or Ponyville, there were dragon statues in the center of all these towns, but it was really amazing to see what more there is to this place. "This is one of the most ancient parts of our lands son, these dragons are Earth dragons like us, they've learned to carve the walls and mountains around them to make they're own homes, they are strong and tough, but they are far more civilized then any dragon you'll see in the main lands, aside from Nathen maybe." Skystar explained as Spike could see so many ancient structures that looked thousands of years old, this kind of information could drive Twilight crazy with how much there is.. "Mom, I have to ask, how much have you explored from these places? What more is there to see here?" Spike asked really amazed with what he was seeing. "I've explored almost all there is to see, there's a reason I have such an impressive pile of gems and gold, along with the other books and collectables I've hoarded, it's exploring places like these that rewards you with what you find, and for me, learning all about our culture and kind is the best of all for me." Skystar explained smiling at that. "Totally agree on that.. but I should also ask.. where did you find that book that taught you those spells anyway? I don't think it would be easy to find something like that right?" Spike asked interested with how she got it which did give her a little concern. "That's something more complex, but I do remember the temple I found it at, it's on this island, and I think I'm the only one who knows where it is, we'll be there shortly." Skystar declared before she suddenly flew even faster and began heading towards the mountains. Spike once again waited as Skystar flew to these mountains that were just ahead, he has to admit his mom is a really interesting person, being able to know such things even most dragons wouldn't be able to is certainly something special, but with what she knows, it's honestly like she's a history teacher more then anything, but Spike wasn't minding that at all, he's glad to learn more about her and his kind. Eventually, Skystar had made her way to the mountains, and was heading to an open hole that looked like a tunnel. "Hold on tight son." Skystar warned as she flew even faster, Spike gripped her neck tightly and he braced himself as they were inches away from the hole. Skystar formed her fire in her hands and the fire began to spiral around them, the fire somehow was able to cover both of they're bodies in an instant, Skystar and Spike's body's were mainly a green flame right now, but something tells me it's for the best. Skystar flew as fast as she could till she finally made it to the hole, and she flew directly into it. they entered what looked like a really complex cave, there were tons of crystals on the walls and different paths to go through, but Skystar was going in a specific path that shows she's been here before. Spike could feel the fire shielding them from something, he didn't know what it was at first, but that was until he felt a large chill fly past him, that's when he realized. The temperature in this place must be really cold, which explains the fire shields. Skystar continued flying through the place as fast as she can, she knew the tunnels of this place, and was making it through with ease, she kept flying through the place for a while until she finally reached a light at the end, Spike closed his eyes as they flew directly into it, and Spike suddenly felt the chill around him vanish, when Spike opened his eyes, he immediately looked shocked to see where they were. They were in a huge cave that was so large, it would look like it's own underground village, there were tons of ancient columns and structures with dragons of different types carved in, and the place was lit in a strange emerald green color that matched both they're eyes and fire breath. "Whoa.. what is this place?!" Spike asked amazed while Skystar finally landed on the ground, the floors were decorated with these strange green tiles, but that should help with this place and how ancient it is. "A really old place, a place that I don't think has a name, it's been well hidden from what I know, and I think me and you are the first dragons to visit this place in a long.. long time.." Skystar explained looking around the cave with awe as well. "How.. how did you know we needed those fire shields?" Spike asked as the fire had left by now which left them to look normal again. "The first time I came across this place, I felt a really cold chill when entering the place, a place that would make a dragon pass out or even die if they stayed in it for too long. Our kind is mainly cold blooded, and something tells me the strange freezing winds from those tunnels were intentional. But I don't know who made this place honestly.." Skystar said while they started to walk around the strange place. "How.. did you ever come across this place?" Spike asked really interested with all of this. "It was sometime when I was alone.. after you were taken from me.. I needed some time away from home for a bit, I traveled to this island to try and process what was happening, I was flying across these mountains until I saw that entrance at that spot in the mountain, while I had a lot of trial and error when going through those tunnels, I finally found the proper path that led me here." Skystar explained even more recalling her first time coming here. "But how did you push past those freezing tunnels? I don't think I would make it past them if it wasn't for those shields?" Spike asked again with curiosity. "I am way more durable then most dragons when it comes to temperatures that are freezing, I did have struggles when moving through them, but I soon pushed past it all and made it here, it was a tough trial, but my will to keep going, and to find you again is what allowed me to push through it." Skystar said with a loving smile looking at him which made Spike chuckle hearing that. "I'm happy to know how strong my own mom's will is.." Spike replied with a smile while the two continued making they're way through this place. This place felt strangely ominous as they walked through it, despite how ancient it is.. Spike couldn't help but get a strange feeling from this place, the strange emerald color illuminating from the cave thanks to the crystals around them, the strange dragon statues carved into the walls that looked like they were watching over him, and he just felt.. strange when they moved through this place. "Do you.. think these Dragon Lords knew about this place?" Spike asked hoping she knew, but she looked concerned and weary when they moved through here too. "I don't know honestly, but it might be. I don't think any other dragon has been to this place before, and It just fascinates me when I visit this place, it's so.. ominous.." Skystar said looking around the place too, even on the ceiling, they could see what looked like stars and constellations carved into the ceiling, this would definitely be a place Celestia and Luna would be really interested with. "You said you found that book here right? Where exactly did you find it?" Spike asked again feeling a bit uneasy even more. "There's an open room just up ahead, it should be just around this corner." Skystar said as they turned another green column and saw a door just ahead, the two continued to walk through this ancient place and looked around in case of any dangerous stuff here. They soon entered the room, and now they came into a strange purple room that looked to be the same color of they're own scales, the more Spike went through here, the more uncomfortable he felt, it was like he was going through a place he never should be in, and something tells him he shouldn't come here again.. "What.. is this place?" Spike asked again having no idea what it is. "I don't know son, I looked through all our history books, and found nothing on this place, but this is where I found that ancient book, it was so special looking, and different from any book I've seen, I knew I had to see what it held.." Skystar said as they were near a large pillar now, there was an empty space at the very top, but it must've been where the book previously was.. "Who do you think made this book? Is there more to this place and that book then we think? Just.. what reason is there for this temple to be here?" Spike asked looking at the empty space with her. "No clue son, but after I picked the book up, I noticed something really strange on one of these walls.." Skystar said turning to a nearby wall. "W.. what would that be mom?" Spike asked turning in her direction. "This.." Skystar said as they walked up to another ancient structure, Spike had a look of confusion for what he was seeing, he saw what looked like a huge carved tree in the wall, there was one large line that went directly upwards, but this was followed by strange branches that went off from the main line, and the top of the wall showed a lot of twists and turns with the lines, was it meant to represent the Tree of Harmony and the Elements? "What does this mean?" Spike asked walking up to it with her. "I don't know, especially with what these symbols are.." Skystar said dragging a claw to the end of one, this showed a weird symbol of what looked like a tornado, and it was above one of the branches across. "There's one of these symbols at the end of each branch, but I have no idea what they could mean.." Skystar said confused herself while they looked at each one. While they couldn't make out what they meant, Spike saw a few that interested him, one had what looked like a black and white symbol at the end, and another had a strange sword with a purple hilt near the very top of the tree, and another branch had what looked like elemental symbols over it, they all circled around that one, and Spike juts couldn't figure it out what it meant. "Who do you think made this place mom? Do you think it was the.. ponies who made it?" Spike asked interested, but he heard her make a slight growl hearing that word. "I highly doubt it son, while they have they're own history, I doubt they could've made it in a place that belongs to us dragons, especially when we look above us.." Skystar said before Spike looked above them too, Spike looked more surprised with what he saw, he saw two huge dragons carved into the ceiling, but what was even weirder was that they were in a green and purple color, and had highly advanced armor around them, and now that Spike takes a closer look, he could barely make out these dragons were looking over the branches.. like they were watching over them all.. Spike's felt he was getting more tense the more time he was here, and he think's it's time they go. "Mom.. I think it's best we go.. while it's cool we saw this place, I don't think I'm ready to know more about it.." Spike said really wanting to leave. "Your right son, I shouldn't have brought us here, while the books origin is unknown, it is certainly something far different, let's head back to the main lands, there's a lot more I'd like to show you." Skystar said picking him up again. "Yeah.. good call.." Spike said as they left the room finally, he looked back at it one more time with interest, he didn't know what they meant, but something tells him that it ties into something far larger.. Skystar had finally made it back out of that mountain after taking off again, Spike sighed in relief as they saw that place becoming smaller and smaller the further they get away from it. "That place was really strange mom.. I don't think any dragon will ever know what that place means." Spike said still fascinated by that place. "Me neither son, it's best we stay away from that place for a long time, there's something I just don't like about it, even with the book I got from it.." Skystar said suspicious of it. "I hear that mom.. so.. what do you wanna do next?" Spike asked wondering where they're going. "It's best we head back to the main lands like I said, while I do wish to show you more of the Divided Islands, that can wait for a bit longer, especially after we just went through that place, I have a few errands I need to run, some shopping and small stuff like that, but there's a hatching ground where I know you'll be safe, while leaving you by yourself is something I don't ever want to do again, it'll only be for a few minutes, and that should be enough time for us both, right?" Skystar asked hopefully as they were finally leaving the island. "Yeah, that sounds fine, and we're gonna explore more of the lands together after that right?" Spike asked hopefully. "Of course, there's more to our kind then those.. pony's think.. and showing you it all is something I'm more then happy to do." Skystar said flinching at the thought of them which concerned Spike a little. "Just know, whatever we're gonna see next, I'm here for you mom.. I promise.." Spike assured rubbing her head which made her calm down a lot. "Thank you my child, I promise I'll show you more of these lands soon." Skystar assured which did make him eager to know more. "I look forward to it mom.." Spike said with a smile as they finally headed back to the main lands, Spike was just glad to have learned more about his kind, even with if it was small, it gave him something he won't ever forget, and hoped things get better from here on.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know this chapter is a bit shorter then the last 3, but I could only come up with so much when it comes to fleshing out the dragons, this is the first time I've tried giving a lot of detail into something like them, and I think I'm doing a good job, I also wanted to add something like that temple to show just where Skystar got that book, while the temple will only be seen and talked about in this chapter. I think trying to explain it where it came from, and it tying into something else is the best call right now, even if it won't come up again in this story, sorry if some may not like it, but this is the first original story I've done in a while, even if it's just a rewrite, but I hope you liked what I had for this chapter. I know the mane 6 hasn't appeared in this story yet, but I want to focus on Spike bonding with his mom and Nathen more, and I think chapter 7 or 8 is when I bring them into the story, depending on how far I get into it, so I hope you don't mind thank you all for reading this and hope you look forward to more!
5: The Hatching GroundsAfter Spike and Skystar did some exploring around the Dragon Lands and learning more of their kinds history, Skystar began heading back to the mainland's with her son to do some important things, she was gonna drop Spike off by the hatching grounds for a bit while she attends to a few errands, it wouldn't be long for her to get what she needs, and while she doesn't want anything taking her son again, she can trust the dragons who look over the hatchlings at the grounds won't let him go missing again. Spike meanwhile was just interested with what he learned with Dragon's, he didn't think there was so much variety to their species, and seeing them breath different stuff then just fire, or live in tropical or cold environments, it's fascinating, and Spike wishes to know more soon. But while he was glad to learn more about his own kind, there was something about that temple that just didn't feel right, it was like Spike should never go there.. and yet.. there may be something back there.. that holds something far more important for everyone.. but that's for another day hopefully. After flying back to the mainland's for about an hour, Skystar and Spike were approaching the hatching grounds, Spike could tell it was the place since it did have a lot of small dragons and other children playing around the place while some dragons were watching over them, it was interesting to see that there were places like these, and Spike was all the more interested in seeing more of it. Skystar landed down on the ground after a while of flying, and she helped Spike down so he could have some time to adjust to his surroundings, Skystar stretched out her large wings and yawned a bit because it was a bit tiring flying all the way back here. "Well, here we are son, you've been here before thanks to Nathen, but these are the Hatching Grounds, these are where most small ones tend to play with eachother, and try to form bonds, while dragons tend to have trouble forming relationships, we've been trying become more civilized, and bonding with others is one of our main steps to take." Skystar explained while Spike looked around the grounds with interest, while he did come here just yesterday, he saw there was still a lot of baby dragons, some were small like him, and it did show that Spike could make a friend or two here, that's something Twilight would like to hear about when he gets the chance to tell her. "I didn't know dragons were trying to do so much with developing themselves, the village and the different islands were amazing to see, and to know that they're trying to do this too, that just shows how hard our kind is trying.." Spike said a little proud of what he's seeing which made Skystar smile a bit. "Lord Torch has been trying to move on from the barbaric side that we had embraced for so long, a lot of dragons are adjusting to it well, while others are struggling a bit, but he hopes we'll all be just as civilized as the other species in Equestria, even like those.. ponies..." Skystar said as she looked really upset when saying that word. "What's wrong mom? Why do you flinch whenever you say that?" Spike asked as this gave him some worries on what her thoughts on the ponies are seeing this, she soon noticed her attitude and calmed down a bit to try and move on. "Forgive me son, but it's not something I'm wanting to go to in depth on, I know a mother shouldn't keep her secrets from her child, but I've just had some.. experiences with them that's made me see them in a.. less then positive way, I'll explain all of this one day.. but for now.. let's just not talk about it.. okay?" Skystar asked hoping they can move on for now while Spike was still concerned. "Uh.. sure mom.. whatever you say.." Spike replied as he was still worried on what she was meaning with that.. But after that small talk, Skystar led Spike to one of the larger areas of the Hatching Grounds, Spike could see a large number of hatchlings around, and there were a few adults keeping watch over them in the sky's. Skystar made sure Spike was in a proper place that would let him be safe while trying to have fun the best she can. "Alright son, I'm gonna leave for a bit, I'll be back before you know it, I just hope you have fun and even make a few friends here, and hopefully have fun too, please be safe while I'm gone my son." Skystar said hopefully while she gave Spike another hug which he returned, feeling hugs from her just felt so special to him, and he always enjoys it. "I'll do what I can mom, see you in a bit, be safe yourself alright?" Spike asked while she smiled at him and began to back up a little. "I'll be back soon, just try and hold out for a while, and I'll see you in a bit son, I love you.." Skystar said as she began to spread her wings again and got ready to take off. "I love you too mom.." Spike said while waving goodbye, Skystar smiled seeing that and quickly took off into the sky's at fast speeds, how she learned to travel so fast is something he's only left to wonder. Spike sighed as he saw her leave into the sky's pretty fast, and he was finally left alone for a bit, he'd been by her side most of the day by now, he almost thought he wouldn't have time to think to himself, but now he did, and tried to think of what to do while he waits for her to come back. "Let's see if there are any other dragons I could make friends with.." Spike thought to himself as he turned to the grounds and began to walk through it, hoping he could find someone to make a friend with. Spike proceeded to walk around the place for a bit, he looked over all the hatchlings that were around the place, Spike could see there were some hatchlings playing with rocks, or they're own little toys they're parents got them, he didn't see any act of aggression from the younger ones, but he had some weird feeling they're just wanting to spend time and enjoy what they have before growing up. Spike thought about what to do when he talks with Twilight again, with his mother now back in his life, and learning a bit on why he was alone in those woods, he has to find a way to have them properly meet her and the mane 6, but from the sounds of it, Skystar may not like the ponies that much at all, and it made him worried on what exactly she has against them. "How can I explain everything to Twilight? How can I properly have them meet without causing concern or worry from the both of them?" Spike thought to himself as he didn't know what to do, even if he did get to know his mother more, he still did lie about what he's done since he hatched, and while it isn't believable to some, others can believe it, and Spike felt regret for it. "What do you have against them mom? Can I even help you with it? Or will it be something I have to wait months.. or even years to find out?" Spike asked again as he kept looking for anyone to talk too, he was starting to feel his pressure building up in him, as he hasn't been in a situation like this before, one where he may have to choose one family, or the other. While Twilight and the others have been a great family to him, Skystar is his real mother, and what she went through after she lost him was so sad, and it made him afraid if she falls into a Primal Rage again.. and may harm them.. But as Spike kept thinking to himself about what to do, he accidently bumped into another child, they both stumbled over and quickly fell down as a result, and groaned a little. "Hey, watch where your going!" The child said annoyed while Spike tried helping it up. "S.. so sorry, I was just thinking to myself, I didn't mean to bump into.. you.." Spike said as he finally got a look at the hatchling, she was a small orange dragoness that was just an inch taller then him, she had a strange pink hair on her head, and was orange and yellow, and she looked to be just a bit older then him, but she did look a bit annoyed still after bumping into her. "Well you need to watch where your going dude , you can't just think to yourself when out like that, your lucky I'm not too mean, otherwise another dragon could do some pretty nasty stuff if they do get angry." She said with a smirk which made Spike a bit nervous. "Noted, I've had a stream of luck I guess.." Spike said nervously while rubbing his neck, but the small dragon only laughed a bit and Spike was a bit confused. "I'm just kidding, I ain't mad, I can understand it was an accident. After all, you look a bit too gullible to have done that on purpose." She said looking at Spike's expression which was confusing even more, but it was a bit relieving to see she wasn't mad. "Um.. thanks, my names Spike, and you are...?" Spike asked not getting her name yet. "Smolder, nice to meet ya kid.." Smolder introduced while they shook claws, Spike did feel relived to see there were more friendly dragons out there, and what Skystar's said about them must be true if she isn't aggressive like other dragons. "Nice to meet you too.." Spike said as they pulled away for a bit, and they felt a bit awkward as they didn't know what to say next, but wanting to try and talk with her more, he decided to ask a few questions. "Soooo... what are you doing out here? Were you brought here for playing with these other kids too? Or.. what?" Spike asked looking around the grounds with her, she only shrugged her shoulders and had a casual look to her. "Eh my brother needed to take care of a few things back home, dude left his own crew recently cause he was tired of them, but on the plus side, it gives me and him more time to bond as a result." Smolder said with a small smile, almost as if she was glad he left them. "You have a brother? And why'd he leave his.. crew if he had one?" Spike asked while the two of them sat on a nearby rock to talk a bit more. "He's got a bit of a temper, but he's also pretty nervous when it comes to getting along with others, as for that former crew of his.. he was tired of them.. basically forcing him to do things he didn't want, he has his own talents and hobbies that he wants to do, but the crew found them stupid and made fun of him for it, I'm the only one he told about this, and while our parents would whip those guys butts if they found out.. coming to me to talk it out.. and discuss what to do just made me more glad to be his sister you know?" Smolder asked while she looked up at the sky and they both saw it was pretty sunny right now. "I may not have a brother or sister, but I do know it's important to talk to your siblings when your in situations like that, especially when it's with people your not really wanting to spend time with if they make you do bad things, so leaving them is the best choice in my opinion if he couldn't convince them to stop. I already can tell he's wise for doing it." Spike said with a smile which made her chuckle a bit. "Yeah you can say that, while he's not the brightest bulb around, he does make smart choices every now and then, and it just gives him more time to spend with me, and I'm sure our parents will be glad about that, even if they have they're own things to do out there." Smolder said waving her claw around while he kept listening on. "Hey, family means everything, even if I literally just met you, hearing something like that makes me glad to know he's doing stuff that makes his life better, spending time with those kinds of people never works out well, and it shows your better off without them." Spike said as he's had lessons on this kind of stuff before. "Totally agree on that, so what about you? I don't think I've ever seen you around before?" Smolder asked as she hasn't seen him come here at all. "Oh, that's because my mother brought me here to bond with others, she's a bit protective and all, but she had some stuff to do, so this gave me some time alone, and maybe I could make some friends here." Spike explained while they watched some dragons fly around the place. "I can understand the overprotective parent bit, thought it may be a bit tough for making friends since Dragons aren't used to doing friends, but Torch's recent orders of us trying to change for the better has had us try events that.. isn't so violent like we used to do. Ugh, I can only imagine how many competitions they put eachother through, it's probably best Torch ordered for these changes.." Smolder said a bit relieved that they're gonna be changing in the future. "And.. how do you feel about that? I'm glad to know dragons are trying to be more civil, and less violent and all, but what about you?" Spike asked looking at her. "I'm honestly glad about it, because dragons won't get into fights they can't win, while we may be " Big, strong and scary" we often get carried away with who we mess with, and that results in some pretty bad stuff when we can't fight back. So dragons trying to evolve more is something I'm interested with seeing." Smolder explained which made him a bit glad to hear too. "Hey, we all have to grow over time right? We can't stay the same forever." Spike said as this was a well known fact to all of them. "Yeah, that's true. Your kinda smart to understand this for you age little guy, I like that." Smolder said with a smirk which made Spike chuckle a bit. "My mother knows how to raise me.. and she's got plenty to keep teaching me.. I'm sure of that.." Spike said as he knew his mom had a lot of plans to raise him probably. "Sounds like a strong mother, what's she like?" Smolder asked wanting to know more about them both. "Even I don't know much right now, she's still mysterious and that, but I'll explain what I can..." Spike replied as he began to explain what he knows about his mom, and Smolder listened on as they wondered what she's doing right now. Skystar flew for quite a bit after leaving her son at the Hatching Grounds, while she was worried if something was gonna happen to him, she had her hopes he'll hold out, and hopefully make a friend there, she flew all the way over to a marketing area that was near the south side of the Dragon Lands, while it was mainly all rocks and stuff carefully carved to help sell stuff, it was a pretty lively marketing area, and Skystar often came here for her own supplies when she needed them. Skystar landed on the ground that was just a bit away from the entrance of the place, Skystar could see tons of dragons going about they're day, and buying what they need, food, furniture, books, and some stuff from they're homes, it was pretty basic to say the least. Skystar sighed seeing this place and began walking through it, she did need some stuff for dinner and a few history books for Flamestar, since she was finally a mother again, she needed the proper stuff to raise him. Skystar made sure she had enough gold on her since it's like they're currency here, and was looking around the place to find what she needs. "What could help interest my son with learning?" Skystar asked herself while she looked around the place, there were some rivers nearby the place that had fish being pulled out by some sea themed dragons, and she saw some larger market houses that had some jewelry on display for fashion. "My son may be interested in clothing..." Skystar said aloud while she made her way to the small shop, while she wanted to homeschool her son for a while to get to know him more, she had to start making plans on setting him up for school, the village has a lot to teach they're young ones, and Skystar has a few ideas on what he's gonna start learning once she properly sets things up. But while she thought to herself as she was gathering the things she needs, a familiar voice caught her ears. "Skystar! How are things going?" The voice asked which got her attention, she quickly turned around and looked a bit surprised with what she saw, but also smiled with it too. She saw a group of dragonesses walk up to her, they had smiles seeing her while they also had supplies of they're own, it was the same group Spike and Nathen encountered yesterday, and she was good friends with them for some time now. "Hey girls, been a while, it's great seeing you." Skystar greeted while they all shook claws and chuckled a bit. "Sure has been, we haven't seen you in a months, but glad to see your alright." The Cyan one said as they took this moment to catch up with eachother. "I've been just fine Wave, glad to see you haven't changed either." Skystar said to her who laughed a bit. "This is the first time I've seen you out here in a while, what's changed?" The white one asked as she hasn't been doing much exploring like they've known her to do. "Something.. really special happened yesterday.. something that just.. made me feel so much joy in a long time.. It's hard to explain Pearl." Skystar said looking at her, and they were all interested to hear this. "What happened Skystar?" The red one asked curiously as they walked through the markets to get they're stuff together. "I.. finally found my son yesterday.. after so long.. I finally found him.. he came searching for me during the Migration.. and.. I've never felt so happy Ruby.." Skystar answered which made them gasp in surprise, but also joy too. "You found your son?! That's such great news!" Wave said gleefully while they hugged her a bit, Skystar chuckled a bit as they did this, it was nice to know her friends were glad to hear she's found her son. "Thanks girls, I've been doing what I can to reconnect with him, he's still really young, but he's getting along with me really well so far, and I can't tell you how glad I am to have him back.." Skystar said with relief while they all smiled hearing that. "We're really happy to hear that Skystar, how did he find you? Did you bump into him during the Migration?" The white and purple one asked curious with how this happened. "Not exactly Diamond, he came up to me with another kind drake, Nathen was his name, and they were looking for his mother, and I was just so lucky to have encountered them, I can't tell you how worried I was if I was never gonna find him, and thanks to that drake.. I finally have him back.." Skystar said while they looked surprised hearing that. "Wait, is Nathen that cute blue dragon that had that little purple dragon with him?" Diamond asked recalling what they saw with them. "Yes, that's him. Did you meet him there too?" Skystar asked as this sounded like the case. "Of course! They came up to us asking where you were, while we didn't recognize he was your son, I had an idea it may be you, so I made sure to point them in your direction, and I'm so glad I was right." Diamond said as they were paying for some more books at this point. "You really helped him find me? I don't know how to thank you girls enough for that, it means.. so.. so much to me." Skystar said as she was really surprised they encountered Spike yesterday. "It was no problem Skystar, but perhaps you can repay it with us having to take care of him when he needs to be looked after? I'm sure my son and daughter would like to spend time with him? Smolder especially.." Ruby said as she knew she would be happy to have a new friend. "He was a really cute child, I'd love to spend more time with him, I was this close to adopting him Skystar, and I would have never let him go if I did." Pearl said slyly while the others chuckled at that. "We're just saying we'd like to spend more time with you two, with you two together again, I think us spending time as a group would help us get along more." Diamond said while they kept moving through the markets and other dragons just let them go along. "I think that's a great idea, whenever you girls have the time, feel free to come to the village, you know where my cave is, and I'll be glad to have us spend time together." Skystar said which made them really happy hearing it. "We'll be coming to your home often then, we look forward to it Skystar." Wave said with a gleeful look as they all had a lot of fun ideas to spend time with them. "That sounds great girls." Skystar said as she was buying some fish and extra stuff for dinner tonight now. "So Skystar, where is the little guy now? He's safe right?" Pearl asked a bit worried while they didn't see him with her. "Don't worry girls, he's at the Hatching Grounds for a bit, once I'm done with this, I'll head back to bring him home, and I have to start planning out how to start properly raising him." Skystar assured which made them a bit relieved to know it. "I think my daughter's there right now actually from what my son told me, would be pretty great if they became friends if that happened." Ruby said as she remembered her son telling her this before she left the cave for shopping too. "That would be really fun to know, we could set up play dates if that's true." Skystar said chuckling a bit which made them all giggle hearing it. "Your still the great dragon we know you as Skystar, I'm sure it will be a fun time." Pearl said while they were finishing up with the rest of the shopping finally. "I'm sure it will.." Skystar said hopefully as she was preparing to leave, but Wave came in to ask her something before she did. "Skystar, while we're glad you have your son back and everything.. how are you gonna handle it after what.. happened?" Wave asked recalling what happened after he was.. taken.. "It's a lot to think over.. but I'm gonna start with adjusting my cave to have him live there.. then I'm gonna see what I can do about setting up for him to go to school.." Skystar said as she herself didn't have everything planned out yet. "That's a good start Skystar, but what if.. something happens again? What if he.. gets.. taken.. again?" Ruby asked worried for what happened, because the last time it happened.. it did not go well at all. Skystar got a bit upset after being asked that, and she noticed a large rock just a bit away from the markets, and decided to make an example of what's gonna happen. "If someone try's to take my son again.. like those.. monsters.. did..." Skystar said clutching her fist while she went up to it, the others were concerned for her being. "Skystar?" Diamond asked worried while they followed her, Skystar soon came upon the really large rock, it was about twice her own size, and she had a look of anger looking at it. Skystar soon brought her arm back and made a loud angry cry as she literally punched the boulder with ease, this punch was so strong, despite the boulders' size.. it completely shattered from the punch which sent rocks flying all over the place, they were all really shocked at her strength, they knew she was strong before, but this display let them know not to mess with her, even the other dragons near the markets were really shocked with her huge strength. "Then they will pay for harming him, when a mother loses her child, it's like losing a part of them, and that mother won't stop until she has him back, I'm sure you girls know this by now." Skystar said clutching her claw as that didn't hurt her at all. "Skystar.. don't you think that's a bit much? We all understand this feeling, but what if they don't harm him? And doing an action like this.. may cause you to be looked at.. in a bad way?" Pearl asked really worried for what could happen, Skystar tried calming down after being asked that, and knew it would be bad if she rushed to conclusions like that. "I may go to far in areas, and I'm trying not to do that. I don't even know my own strength thanks to those spells I've learned, but I'm gonna try keeping control of myself, so I don't fall into a Primal Rage again, because if I do.. I could cause worse damage then the last time I did.." Skystar said as she formed more fire in her hands, and they were in awe of seeing her use fire like that. "There's more ways to answer things then just violence Skystar, you know that. So if your son goes missing again.. try to keep your cool, and don't fall into a rage again.. please? It may make him afraid of you if that does happen." Diamond warned which was a true fact, Skystar took a deep breath and sighed in relief, and she began tightening the bags she had that held the stuff she got. "I'll what I can girls, there's a lot I need to do now that I have him back, and I should get to them.. but know I'll do what I can girls, it was great talking with you all again, hopefully we can spend time at my home together when you can." Skystar said as she was about to leave. "It was great talking with you too Skystar, just take things easy alright? Tell your son we said hi." Wave said as they all had to leave too. "We'll be coming to visit when we can, it was great seeing you Skystar, we're glad to hear you've found your son again." Ruby said as they were all relieved to hear that, Skystar smiled at that and spread her wings again and began to take off. "Thanks girls, see you later." Skystar said before she took off into the sky's back to the Hatching grounds, the girls were worried on what would happen if Spike goes missing again, but just hoped she doesn't go to far if it does.. Back with Spike and Smolder, they were still talking about a lot of stuff while in the Hatching Grounds, Spike got to know a good bit about Smolder with the time he's had, and found her pretty fun to hang around with. "So your brother's into poetry? That's a pretty cool hobby." Spike said with a smile as she just told him what he's into. "Yeah, he's been getting real into it recently, and he's had a fun time, and now that he doesn't have those jerks with him, he'll be able to find his passion." Smolder said chuckling a bit as they looked at the baron place together, the two stayed silent after that and tried to think of what else to say, but a loud thud shook the ground, and Spike turned around to see Skystar had finally made it back, and was looking around for him. "Well, looks like I gotta get going now, it was nice meeting you Smolder, would you like to hang out again some day?" Spike asked turning to her before he left. "Of course, your the first dragon I've talked too that's been interested in what I do, I'll be glad to spend more time with you, I'm glad I got to meet you Spike." Smolder said with a smile while they shook claws one more time. "I look forward to it, it was great meeting you Smolder, see you later." Spike said as he began heading back to her. "It was great meeting you too, see ya soon!" Smolder said waving goodbye while she went to her brother who had also just arrived. Spike went up to Skystar who saw him come up to her, she looked relieved to see he's alright, and picked him up with one of her claws. "Did everything go alright while I was gone son?" Skystar asked while she put him on her back. "It went great actually mom, I made a friend while you were gone, she seems pretty cool, and I'm hoping to spend more time with her when I get the chance." Spike said as he pointed over to Smolder, Skystar recognized her as Ruby showed her before, and smiled knowing he made friends with her. "Well, I'll be sure to take you here again when she's here, I have a good feeling you'll get along more in the future." Skystar said as she began to leave with him again. "I do too, so are we heading back home now?" Spike asked as it was getting pretty late now. "Of course, we've had a lot to see today, so it's best we go home and rest, I think we should see Nathen tomorrow, he said he was near the hotsprings, so I think it would be fun to see him again." Skystar suggested while she remembered where he was. "That sounds really fun mom! I'll be glad to see him again! And I'm sure he'll be happy to see us too." Spike said agreeing to this plan. "Sounds like a plan then, we'll head out early tomorrow, and try and bond with him. I'm just glad this day went so well.." Skystar said while she began taking off into the sky's again. "Me too mom.. me too.." Spike said with a smile as they headed back home, while Spike was glad to have learned so much today, he still needed to find out how to break this news to Twilight, and since Skystar may have a bit of a grudge against them.. he's gonna have to think of something that could help.. but she may not take this news easily if she knows.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter! I know this chapter was mainly just more talking and learning about dragons and stuff, but I also wanted to include more character stuff with Spike and his mom, while Skystar does care for her son, she's had experiences that may make her not take news like this well, and if you've red my original story, I'm sure you know how it goes, but don't worry, I'll make sure things are resolved in the end! Sorry the mane 6 hasn't appeared in the story yet, but hopefully with what this story's provided so far, it helps explain why, I just hope you can hold out for a bit longer until we see them again, thank you all so much for reading this and hope you look forward to more!
6: Seeing A FriendAfter Spike and Skystar finished up their day yesterday, they went back home to eat and then rest for they're next trip today, they were going to see Nathen and see how he's doing since they last saw him, they were still really grateful for him helping them reunite and it showed Spike that there are kind drakes out there who are willing to help him when he's alone. While Spike is still worried about how he's gonna tell his mother the truth that he was raised by ponies, surely she'll be able to understand in a good way that it's all good for him, but then again she did show that she may have a grudge against them, and Spike is starting to believe it does tie into his egg being taken before he was born, and he can only wonder when he's gonna be able to find out what really happened, he just hopes it doesn't mean Celestia or anyone else stole him and brought him to Celestia for that experiment Twilight needed, because that would really infuriate his mother if she found out.. and she seems to have huge strength hidden behind her calm and caring appearance, and her fire powers only strengthen that fact. But after that day, they went back home and went to rest, and after another night of rest, they felt the sun rise within Skystar's cave once again, Skystar groaned and began opening her eyes once more, and like yesterday, Spike was curled up next to her for comfort, and she smiled lovingly whenever he was with her like this, it helped her feel so much more whole compared to what she felt like when he was taken from her. While she wants to sleep some more, she's wanting to see Nathen soon and decided to help wake her son up. "Wake up son, it's morning now, we've got a big day ahead of us." Skystar said while rubbing his head a bit, this made Spike groan a bit and he finally began opening his eyes too, he yawned a bit and saw Skystar looking down at him with a smile. "Mom? Is it morning already?" Spike asked while stretching his arms a bit, Skystar chuckled a bit and started getting up herself. "Yes it is son, but we won't be staying here all day, we're going to be seeing Nathen, remember?" Skystar asked while she helped him up. Spike took in a moment to regain his focus and remembered what happened yesterday, he met a cool dragon named Smolder, he and his mother explored more of the Dragon Lands yesterday, and they agreed to see Nathen at the end to spend more time with him. "Yeah, right, It'll be nice seeing Nathen again, you think he'll be alright when we see him?" Spike asked curious while they were both waking up still. "I think so, I think he'll be a bit more liked then most dragons if they know he helped you find me, so it'll be fine son. I'll go ahead and make breakfast before we go, I'll be done in a bit son." Skystar said as they began going out of her room and through her crystal cave again. "What should I do? I can help if you'd like?" Spike offered which she smiled at, but she wanted them both to take in some time to themselves. "I'll handle it myself son, you can look around the cave for a bit so we can think over what we're gonna do when we meet Nathen, okay?" Skystar asked which Spike could understand. "Alright mom, I'll try waking up fully before we leave." Spike said as they began going into separate rooms to think. "I'm sure you will, love you my Flamestar." Skystar said with a smile before she went into the kitchen to start cooking. "Love you too mom.." Spike said with a smile too while he went to think to himself. Spike walked through the cave for a bit to try and think about all of this, even though he's been glad to spend time with his mother here, he still needs to find a way to tell her the truth, he hated lying to anyone, because lies like this lead into situations that we can't get out of, Spike didn't know how to break it to her or Twilight about what's happening, if they do find out about what's happened.. Spike may have to choose between who he'll be raised by, and Spike doesn't want that to happen, he can have both family's.. right? Spike took in the time to think about all that's happened, Twilight was the one who hatched and raised him like his own mother, even though she often struggled with things she needed help with, that's just one of the things that made Twilight who she is, and helped her grow, and she had her friends alongside her to go on adventures whenever it happens. But on the other hand, Skystar is Spike's birth mother, and she's suffered with being alone and not having people to talk too because of her depression, and given she fell into this.. Primal Rage after she lost him, Spike fears what will happen if things go bad. Spike sighed to himself as she went into the room that had all the books Skystar showed him yesterday, he didn't know how to tell them this, and he can't just send a letter to Twilight, because that may have them come to get him back, which could lead to Skystar growing furious and tracking him down. "Why can't I just tell them this? Why did I have to lie like this?" Spike thought to himself while he looked around the bookshelves, he just didn't know what to do, and was really struggling how to come up with a solution. "If I told them I was raised by ponies, they may have seen it as them stealing me which would've caused more tension.. but if I didn't.. I never would've found my mother.. and learned all that's happened.. ugh! Why is this so hard?!" Spike thought with frustration as he didn't know what to do. But his thoughts were soon stopped when he noticed a certain green book that Skystar showed him yesterday, Spike looked interested with it and went up to it himself. "This book let her learn the ability's to control fire, she said she's only learned a few, but does she know more then what she said?" Spike asked while he carefully picked the book out, he just looked at it's unique cover and design with interest, he's never seen a book like this, and the fact Skystar found it in that strange cave makes it more interesting. "What kind of book can just help one learn fire spells like this? Is there more to this book then meets the eye?" Spike asked while he flipped through the pages. He took in every ancient drawing he could see, there were so many drawings of a dragon using their fire as a spell or ability, from forging it into their own swords or arrows, making a tornado of fire around them, and using it to absorb strong attacks, but that's when Spike noticed one thing.. the dragons on the pages looked like the same two dragons they saw in those caves, the ones that looked over all those branches. "Did these dragons.. make this book? If so why did they leave the book here? Was it for my mom to find it? Why?" Spike asked while he took in every page he could find, there were what could be hundreds of different spells in this book, and if Skystar's learned most of these, she may be far stronger then most of the dragons around, even Celestia or Luna may struggle against her if she used these on them.. "Who made this book? Why was it left there.. and why do I feel.. a connection to it?" Spike asked while he rubbed the cover, there was just something about this book that he didn't know yet, and under all these spells there is, something tells Spike there's something far more important then meets the eye.. "Son! Breakfast is ready!" Skystar announced which shook him out of his thoughts, he looked back at the exit and then to the book one more time and knew he had to go. "Coming mom!" Spike shouted while he quickly put the book back in it's place like nothing happened, he then ran to the kitchen to make sure she wouldn't catch on him looking at that book. Skystar had put the plates on the table again just as Spike had come in the room, she noticed Spike and smiled seeing him come in here. "Hey son, did everything go alright for you?" Skystar asked while they sat next to eachother again. "Yeah mom, everything went fine, did you think of what we could do when we see Nathen today?" Spike asked while they both began eating again, and like yesterday, it was really good, Skystar did know how to cook that's for sure. "Well, Nathen said that he was near the hotsprings of the Dragon Lands, and that's where we're gonna start, and maybe after spending some time with him, he may be up to go to a special spot in the Everfree Forest I know of, only I know of it, and I think all of us would have a fun time there." Skystar explained which Spike was interested in. "How did you find that place mom?" Spike asked curiously as the Everfree forest isn't the safest place for most to travel through. "It was during the time I was.. without you, and when I found it.. it was one of the first places I've seen in a long time that had me feel relaxed, and I'm sure you'll both love it when you see it son." Skystar said softly while flinching a bit during the first part of that sentence. Spike felt a bit sadder hearing that, it just showed how much she struggled without him during the time he was gone. "It sounds like a nice place.. you think Nathen will be alright to come with us during that trip?" Spike asked wondering if he would be interested. "I'm sure he will son, he's a kind drake, and I'm sure he'll be glad to spend time with you. I still can't believe he actually helped you find me.. I can't tell you the joy I felt when I finally had you in my claws again after so long.." Skystar said while she brought him closer to her again. "Yeah.. he really helped us both so much, and we barely knew him at all, he said he was willing to adopt me if we didn't find you... and if he did end up taking me in.. it makes me wonder if I would've ever found you.." Spike said while he remembered what Nathen did for them. "I'm sure he'd make a great father if he adopted you, I wouldn't have minded if he did, as long as he took care of you. And I don't think he would've given up on finding me knowing how long you were alone. I think we still would've met up at one point, just not as soon.." Skystar assured while they finished up they're food once again. "Hard to believe we would've never met up.. I'm just really glad we found eachother thanks to him.." Spike said with a smile as they both really needed moments like this to appreciate eachother. "I am too son, you ready to go to see him?" Skystar asked while she put the plates away for later, and they both began to leave the kitchen and headed to the exit together. "Of course mom, let's go see a friend." Spike said eager to go, Skystar smiled at this and gently picked him up again. "Then let's go to the hotsprings." Skystar said as they went out of the cave together, and Skystar soon took off into the sky's again, and they headed out to see Nathen and hoped he was doing alright. Spike and Skystar continued to fly across the Dragon Lands again, they headed to the hot spring area that Nathen said he lived around, Spike always liked hot springs with how relaxing they are, dragons also use lava pools to relax because it's mostly the same thing but they just prefer it, even when entering the area, Spike and Skystar could see a lot of steam around the area, looking below them they saw dozens of hot spring pools below, some dragons were relaxing in them, and it looked like this was one of the more popular areas to relax in. "Wow, to think Nathen lives here, it's really cool to see how dragons adapt and live in environments like this.." Spike said really amazed with what they're seeing right now. "I agree son, it's showing how us dragons adapt and live in different areas, most species tend to stick to one area or so, because it's the most livable for them, but for us dragons, we like to adapt to surroundings like this, ice cold mountains, or even the sea itself, we all just like to find what's the best place to live for us, like how I like to live within the mountain by our village." Skystar explained while they flew over the place and continued searching for Nathen. "That's really cool mom, where do you think Nathen is?" Spike asked as they tried searching for him, Skystar looked below some more and looked over all the dragons that were there, but she soon found a certain large blue dragon relaxing in the hot springs near a cave. "I think that's him." Skystar said as they quickly flew down to him to see if he's doing alright. Nathen was relaxing in the hot springs like there was no tomorrow, he was laying on his back while floating in the water, and just took slow and calm breaths, he always loved this place, it was one of the places that really helped him relax, but his relaxing was soon stopped when a loud thud landed nearby him which made him open his eyes. "How long was I in there?" Nathen asked while he tried regaining focus, he got back on his feet again and looked near the edge of the hot springs, but he had a look of surprise when he saw Skystar and Spike were there to see him. "Hey Nathen, how you doing?" Spike greeted while the two walked up to him. "Spike! Skystar! It's great to see you here!" Nathen said while he quickly got out of the pool and shook the water off of him. "It's good to see you too Nathen, how've you been since we last saw you?" Skystar asked while the 3 came near eachother to talk. "I've been good, just mainly been relaxing, enjoying what I can in life, and doing some training every now and then to keep my strength up." Nathen explained while he was near Skystar, they were about the same height for comparison, but Skystar's huge wings made her a bit larger as a result. "That's good to hear, we're glad you've been handling it well after we last saw you." Spike said with a smile while the group went into the hotsprings again for relaxing, and talking. "Thanks kid, so what about you two? You been handling things alright since you reunited?" Nathen asked hoping they were doing good here. "It's been wonderful Nathen, I haven't felt so much joy with my son by my side in so long, you have no idea how grateful I am for this still, it's just been.. really amazing.." Skystar said softly while staying in between the two. "Yeah, it's been really great! I learned some more about dragon kind yesterday when we flew around the lands, I didn't think there was so much to our kind, but now that I know this, it makes me just wanna know more!" Spike said eagerly which made them both chuckle a bit. "Glad to hear you both have been handling it well as mother and son, so what brings you here? Come to relax in the hotsprings as well?" Nathen asked while sinking into the water a bit more. "We actually came to see if you'd like to spend time with us, we're gonna be heading to a special spot I know later today, and I was hoping you were in for a good time there?" Skystar asked which surprised him for a sec, but he smiled at the offer and already felt like he had to go. "Of course! I haven't spent time with people in a while, but your alright with that? I don't wanna get in the way of you two spending more time together to make up for what was lost." Nathen asked making sure they were alright with it. "We don't mind it at all Nathen, it's why we came here, and It'll only make things more fun for us if you come." Spike assured which did relieve him a little. "Well, as long as your both alright with it.. I'll be glad to come with you both, I've been in this spring a bit too long without going out somewhere else." Nathen said while he stretched out his wings too. "I'm glad to hear that Nathen, I haven't spent much time with anyone else since I got my son back, and you coming with us will make things better for us." Skystar said with a smile which made him feel proud a bit. "Thanks Skystar, it's hard to believe you went so long without him, seeing you two together again after so long, it just gives me so much joy." Nathen said with a smile which they both liked to hear too. "Hey, we wouldn't have reunited if it weren't for you Nathen, I still can't thank you enough, we both can't.." Skystar said gratefully again which made him smile even more. "Thanks you two, would you like to come in my cave for a bit? It's best we have some time to prepare?" Nathen asked while pointing near a large cave entrance just by the hotsprings. "I think it's best we rest a bit before we head out, but it'll be a fun day either way." Skystar said as they started getting out of the hotspring. "Yeah, we'd be glad to take a few to prepare, it'll only give us more time together after all." Spike said while they stretched out they're bodies again. "Glad to hear it you two, come on, friends are always welcome here." Nathen assured while they started making they're way to the cave. "So Dragons do friends too?" Spike thought to himself while wondering what they're gonna do, Spike still has a lot of stuff to tell, but he should at least try enjoying what he has right now. Spike and Skystar followed they're way into the cave with Nathen, looking around the place, Spike could see it's a good place to live, there were different paths that led to other rooms in the cave, there were plenty of gems on the walls and even some furniture for holding items, Spike could see a kitchen to his right, a large bedroom with a horde or gems to the left, and ahead of them was a spare room for anyone who needed some space. "Wow, this place is really nice Nathen, you live by yourself here?" Spike asked while they looked around the place with interest. "Yeah, I've had this cave for decades now, I've always stayed here because it's the place I feel the most comfortable with. I don't get any thieves trying to steal my gems, and I always keep the place in shape to keep myself busy." Nathen explained while Skystar looked around for anyone else here. "This cave seems large enough for multiple dragons, did you ever have anyone else with you when you got this place?" Skystar asked hoping he did, but Nathen's smile soon started to fade being asked that, which meant they hit a sensitive question for him. "I.. mainly like to live alone here, while I would gladly take in any child who needs a home, I've mainly been.. alone here for a long time.. and it's one of the few places that still helps me relax.." Nathen said while he was looking a bit sad, even though they didn't want to go deeper into this, they needed to help they're friend out with what he's going through. "Nathen, please tell us why, I know we shouldn't be getting into your space like this, but we both know what it's like being alone, I do, please tell us what's happened.." Skystar asked while coming near his side, he sighed being asked that, he didn't want to have to talk to them about this, at least not for a long time, but now they see he has a problem of his own, and needs to explain it. "It's.. something that's hard to explain you two.. while I lived alone here for a long time.. it wasn't.. always like this.." Nathen explained while he went over to a shelf, and Spike could see a photo on the thing while Nathen picked it up. He had a sad look on his face and even had a tear come down, and when Spike and Skystar looked at it too, they saw Nathen was with another dragoness who looked a lot like him, they were in front of the cave and were smiling together, they didn't have an egg on them, but they looked happy together. "Nathen, who's that?" Spike asked taking a closer look at it. "That.. is.. was.. my mate.. Sapphire.. she was the best thing that ever came into my life.. and she was what really made my life whole.." Nathen said softly while he started to cry, they could tell something sad happened to him during his time with her. "What happened Nathen? What happened to her..?" Skystar asked looking at it too. "She.. passed away from a terrible illness.. she couldn't recover from it.. no matter what I did to find something to help her.. she just.. passed on.. and I was left alone.. I didn't have a child to raise.. and I didn't feel like I was good enough for another dragon after she passed.." Nathen explained which made them feel remorse for him when hearing this. Skystar looked really sad being told that, and it was so similar to how she lost her former mate, and then lost her son.. "I.. can understand this pain.. I lost my mate too because of something similar, but I feel like you had it easier.. while you didn't have a child to raise.. I did.. and when I lost my Flamestar.. I never felt like I could be a proper mother.." Skystar said with regret while they all took in this moment. "You two huh? What happened with you after you lost him? For me.. no matter how much I tried to brush it off.. try to relax to take my mind off it.. no matter what I did.. the memory of her passing is something I can't forget.. and I don't think I.. ever will.." Nathen said sadly while he was crying from the thought, he remembered the day he met her, he saved her from a gang of bad dragons who almost attacked her for any gold she had, but he stepped in and saved her life, and since then, they spent so much time together to the point they became mates, and it was the happiest time Nathen ever felt during his life.. "It's hard to describe it.. even after I lost my son and fell into depression.. I couldn't find anything that could help me get better, no matter what gold I collected, the dozens of combat skills and fire spells I've learned, or the support my village gave me, I never truly recovered from it.. even when I have my son with me now.. I'm just.. afraid if something will take him from me again.." Skystar said while looking at her claws, they were shaking a bit, and she could only make a green spark of fire to prove her point. Spike felt awful hearing what's happened to them both, Spike knows it's hard for someone to accept a loss.. but there are just times when it can't be accepted. "Mom.. Nathen.. I'm really sorry for what's happened.. to think you went through so much loss.. and especially when mom lost me.. it's hard to properly describe how much regret I feel for this.." Spike said while he gave his mother another hug who began to cry too. "It's impossible to get over the loss of someone you love son.. losing you is like losing a part of myself.. my Emerald meant so much to me.. and when he died.. I never knew if I could properly raise you if you did hatch.. and even if I have you back.. even I'm struggling to figure out how to plan everything out with you back in my life.. after so many years of you being gone.." Skystar said while hugging him too, Nathen needed the support too, and they all had a group hug to comfort eachother. "I didn't think there would be someone who's known what I felt.. but hearing that you went through so much like I did.. even worse then me.. I can't truly say how sorry I am for all of it.." Nathen said regretfully while they helped eachother with their loss. "Me neither Nathen.. but knowing you went through the pain I did.. it only makes what you did with me seeing my son again.. it just makes me see why your mate loved you.. and I'm glad to know even if she died.. she died with a perfect mate.." Skystar said softly while Nathen smiled softly again hearing that, he hadn't heard something like this from anyone in a long while, and hearing this from her made things so much nicer to hear. "Thank you Skystar.. Spike.. having someone like you here.. it's what I've needed for a long time.." Nathen said gratefully while they all looked at eachother. "Hey, you did a lot for us even when just meeting us, it shows us how kind you are, and we can't let a friend be in a state like this.." Spike assured as well while Nathen wiped away the tears from hearing that. "Thank you so much, I didn't want others to feel this same pain.. so knowing you two have eachother again.. it only makes me more glad I met you.." Nathen replied with a smile while Skystar stopped crying too. "I can't say again how much I appreciate you for this, a kind drake like you doing this for others, it only makes me wish I met you sooner.. so we could help eachother with our loss.." Skystar said while she rubbed his head a bit. "Yeah, but what's important now is that we're together again, and we have you to thank Nathen. We only wish to help you in return." Spike assured again while smiling too. "Thank you, both of you. I'm sure over time, the more we spend time with eachother, the closer we'll be." Nathen said gladly as they all stopped crying after this comfort. "Your welcome Nathen, I think we'll have a great time together too, we'll head out for the spot I know in the Everfree Forest soon, it'll be a great time for us to bond." Skystar said getting a little eager to go. "That sounds great! With you two here, I think we'll all have a great time together." Spike said with a thumbs up which made Nathen chuckle. "Whatever makes you both happy, I'll gladly come with you, let's just take in a moment to rest, then we'll head out in a bit alright?" Nathen asked while they started moving to a living room of sorts to relax. "Sounds good guys.. I can't wait.." Spike said as they went to take in some time together, even with Spike's problem right now, seeing his mom and Nathen bond over a loss like this is really great to him, and he only hopes he'll help them out more in the future.. that is.. until he properly finds out how to explain this to both them, and Twilight and the others.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! I know I may not have done Skystar's and Nathen's relationship as well as I did in my original story, but I'd like to take things a bit slower and have them grow more from friends to eventual lovers, if I make a sequel story to this I'll focus more on their relationship and Spike living with them, but for now I hope this small change isn't too much for you. Also I have a question for you all, who do you think should voice Skystar and Nathen in the show? I have a few ideas of who it could be but I'd like to hear from you guys, I just hope you all liked this and hope you look forward to more!
7: A Special PlaceAfter Spike and Skystar had they're little talk with Nathen and understood the pain he was going through, they did what they could to comfort him with what they could do, Spike felt really bad to know Nathen went through so much similar to what his mom went through, and he only wished he came to this place sooner, but at the same time, he still didn't know how to properly explain everything to them both. Despite him reuniting with his birth mother and spending time with her, learning about their kind and such, Spike was still raised and is family to Twilight, and Spike knows she must be really worried for him since he hasn't sent a letter in 2 days by now. He felt the lie he has finally catching up to him as the consequences for it are not gonna be pretty, Spike didn't know what to do, he needed to tell his mom and Nathen the truth, but if the story of him being stolen relates to her grudge against the ponies, it makes Spike even more worried about what's gonna happen, and with Skystar's skills, she may be a big problem to his family back home if she goes.. to far off the edge when Spike goes missing again. Spike was in the living room alongside Nathen and Skystar, they were taking in this moment to relax before they headed out for the Everfree Forest, how Skystar knows about this place is beyond him, but he is interested about seeing it, but again.. the thoughts of what to do can't stop leaving his mind. "How do I tell them this? How do I explain that I was really raised by ponies?" Spike thought to himself while he looked at the two who were focusing on something else. "My mom went through so much without me, she fell into that Primal Rage state she mentioned before, and she spent so many years without her child, him. And no matter what spell she learned, or skill with strength she gained, she never got over the guilt of losing him, and Nathen understood that pain.. "If I go missing again, and they find out that I end up back in Ponyville.. will they grow furious upon finding out?" Spike thought with fear as he knew Skystar had some huge strength hidden within her, and she may cause some real damage if she finds out. "What do I do.. how do I break this to them both? Will they still care for me even if I did lie..?" Spike asked while he was so deep in his thoughts, all of this weight fell on him and he didn't know how to push it away, he felt so heavy and his mind just didn't get over it, he was so afraid of what's gonna happen, and knowing Nathen knows this pain, he may be with Skystar to get him back if he goes back without them knowing.. "Ugh.. why did I have to lie? Why couldn't I just tell them the truth? Even if they assumed the ponies stole me.. they at least would know how I survived and not that it was on my own.. why did I lie? How can I solve this?" Spike asked again as he was shaking from the thoughts of the consequences, and that finally got Skystar and Nathen's attention after some thinking of they're own. "Son, are you alright? You look really worried about something?" Skystar asked which finally snapped him out of his thoughts, he looked up and saw Nathen and Skystar were worried for him, and tried calming down to not cause concern. "I'm.. alright, just lost in my thoughts.." Spike admitted while the two looked at him. "You sure kid? You seem worried about something else, do you.. wanna talk about it?" Nathen asked knowing there was something wrong. Spike looked at the two of them and tried finding something to say, despite how much he's worried about what they'll feel like when they know the truth, Spike needed to find a right time to tell them all of this, and tried finding a way around the answer. "I'm okay.. I was just worried about what may happen when we go to the forest, just worried if we're ambushed by Timberwolves, or if something happens during our time there.." Spike said making sure he doesn't hint at his real thoughts, but Skystar only shook her head hearing that. "You don't have to worry about a thing son, I am far stronger then I was when I lost you, I can destroy a mountain if I start tapping into my powers, and if I fall into my Primal Rage state.. let's just say whoever or whatever tries harming you.. they will not make it out with more then a few dozen body scars.. really deep.. painful body scars." Skystar said with a bit of a scary tone which did worry Spike even more. "Yeah, don't worry about it kid. I have plenty of combat experience myself, I know more then just brute strength in my fights, and my lightning only helps me with what I know." Nathen said as he took a small breath and blew a little bit of blue lightning from his mouth which surprised him knowing he can use lightning instead of fire. Spike looked at them both and saw they had no worry at all, and that they'll be able to handle a potential attack, but that only worried him even more if his friends try taking him from them.. "Well, that does relieve me a little knowing you two are well trained for this situation.." Spike said nervously not knowing what to say next, but Skystar saw there was something else he wasn't saying to them. "Son, I can tell there's something else your thinking about, please don't hold anything from us, I'm your mother, and I don't want my son to feel worried or pressured about anything, please tell me what's wrong." Skystar said while she kneeled down to him, Spike could see she knew he had something to hide, but wanted to hold off a bit longer until the times right. Spike sighed as he tried to think of something, but that's when he remembered what she's been hiding from him this whole time too, and decided it's best he and Nathen both hear out what her problem with the ponies are. "Mom, the truth is.. I'm just worried about you, after my egg was stolen, you went through so much pain and loss without me there, and given that you have a grudge against the ponies.. I'm guessing that they have some involvement in it.. don't they?" Spike asked which caught her off guard, but Nathen was surprised to hear that knowing this. "Why would the ponies be involved with Skystar's egg? I know that they wouldn't try to do that, they know the risk of stealing eggs from us, they would never try to do that." Nathen said brushing that off as he's seen what the ponies are like, but Skystar's expression soon turned into one that slowly turned to anger the more she heard that word. "Ponies are nothing but heartless monsters who care for themselves..." Skystar said quietly while growling a bit, but they didn't hear that fully. "What was that Skystar?" Nathen asked not hearing that, but she soon looked more angry and glared at them both to make sure they hear this fully. "Ponies are nothing but heartless monsters who only care for themselves!!!" Skystar shouted in a booming voice which actually shook the cave from the volume, Spike and Nathen were both really shocked with her sudden rage, and she herself noticed this and tried calming down. "I.. I'm so sorry I shouted like that.. It's just.. the thought of them.. it makes my blood boil with what they did.." Skystar said while clutching her claw, they both were really worried for her, and Spike's fears grew even more as the truth was starting to be revealed. "Mom.. please tell us.. what really happened with my egg?" Spike asked while he rubbed her head, she looked at both of them and saw they needed to hear what really happened, she's kept this from her son long enough, and he needed to know the full story. "I can't hold this from you anymore son, and it's important you know this too Nathen, please gather around, and listen closely.." Skystar said which made them come closer, Skystar took a deep breath and began to explain everything about what happened. "The ponies were the ones who stole my egg in the first place, they took the only thing that I had left, they took a part of me away, and after that day.. I never forgave them for what happened." Skystar revealed as the camera zooms into her head and we see a memory of what happened play out. Skystar was within a different cave compared to what she had now, she was on the ground and was badly bruised, she was breathing heavily and saw the two pony's grabbing her egg and taking it from her. "No! That's my egg!! It's the only thing I have left! It's my family!!" Skystar shouted with rage and sorrow while she tried getting back up, but her injuries were slowing her process, and the ponies smirked at the sight of it. "Oh so sorry miss dragon, we'll make sure your egg is fully safe when we take it! We searched too long for one of these, and we aren't gonna give it back little dragon!" One of them mocked which made her more furious. "The boss has been needing an egg for something important, and this egg will fit that bill! Too bad you won't ever see what becomes of it!" The other mocked as well which made her growl with fury, Skystar tried pushing through the pain she had, and stood against them one last time. "Give me back my child!!" Skystar screamed while she lunged directly at them both one last time, but one of them was a unicorn and it's horn began glowing the closer Skystar got to them. "See you around, you pathetic dragon." The unicorn mocked before they suddenly vanished before her which made her crash into the wall as a result, but Skystar quickly got up and looked around the cave with horror, her egg was gone, stolen by those ponies for something selfish. "No! No!!! This can't be real!!" Skystar screamed with anger and fear while she tried finding where they were, but she couldn't smell a trace of where they were, and had a look of horror realizing what's happened, her child was kidnapped, and she didn't know where to find him.. "No! NO!!! MY CHILD!!!!" Skystar screamed with anger as her eye pupils shrunk down, her claws were shaking with anger and flames began to appear around her body, Skystar growled with pure rage and fury as she felt the pain of her only family left being taken from her, and what's worse.. she had fallen into a Primal Rage state as a result. "I WILL BURN DOWN EVERY LAST PONY VILLAGE THERE IS! I WILL FIND YOU MONSTERS ONE DAY!! AND YOU WILL KNOW MY PAIN!!!" Skystar screamed as she made a huge scary roar of fury which echoed through the entire village, this caught the attention of every dragon living there, and they had a look of fear knowing what's to come next. We finally cut back to present time, Skystar had a tear come from her eye as she remembered that terrible day, she explained everything that happened, and Spike and Nathen were in compete shock of all they just heard. "So.. it's.. true? Ponies really stole me when I was an egg? And you.. fell into a Primal Rage because of it?" Spike asked sadly while she tried not to break down. "Yes.. I felt so much anger after you were taken.. I didn't know what to do after it.. once I finally snapped out of my Primal Rage state.. all I felt was pain and regret for not being able to save you.. and during the years I didn't have you.. I learned so much about fighting that I can never lose a fight again, it was all to protect you if I ever found you again.. but you were gone for so long.. I was so afraid of what really happened to you.. if they smashed your egg.. or if you were used for something.. far worse.." Skystar said while she gave him a tight hug. "Mom.. I'm so sorry to hear this.. I know why you were holding this back from us now.. I'm so sorry for what happened.." Spike said with regret while returning the hug. "To think you fell into such a state after losing you son.. It reminds me a lot of how I felt when I lost Sapphire.. I'm so sorry Skystar.. we shouldn't have had you talk about this.." Nathen said regretfully while he tried helping her too. Skystar looked at them both and had some tears in her eyes, she hated that memory so much, but having to tell this in front of them makes her feel more regret, but now they know the truth.. and why she hates the ponies because of it.. "It's okay you two, you now know the truth, why I held back on telling the truth for a while, I just hope that now that you know.. we can move on from it.. and now that I have my son back, I can make up the years I lost you.. and finally be the mother I never got to be.." Skystar said while she kissed Spike's head again, he felt awful hearing this, and knowing that the ponies stole him from her.. "I'm sorry this happened to you mom.. but what's important that we know what happened now, I'm sorry you went through so much pain from this.. but I promise you this won't happen again.." Spike assured while he looked in her eyes. "You.. really mean that son?" Skystar asked hoping he meant it. "Of course mom, I don't want you to go through that pain again.. we both don't.." Spike said while he hugged her tightly still. "Spike's right Skystar, what matters is you have him now, and we won't let you go through this pain again, what happened back then is awful yes, but what's important is that we should be grateful for what we have now." Nathen assured while he rubbed her head too. Skystar looked at them bot hand saw they cared for her after what happened, and with what happened then, shouldn't matter right now, she has her son again.. and that's what really matters.. "Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would've done without you, especially you my son.." Skystar said while she started to cheer up from this talk. "It's alright mom, how about we head out now, try to take our minds off of this talk?" Spike suggested as he felt it was the best time to go right now. "Spike's right, let's go out and have a fun time, I'm sure it'll help us all after learning about this." Nathen said agreeing to this too, Skystar smiled after hearing this, and saw it was a good idea to go now. "Your right, let's all head out now, I'm sure we'll all feel better after we have some time to relax." Skystar said while she put Spike on her back again, they began to head to the exit and hoped for the best of what's to come next. "I'm sure we will mom, after learning all this, we need some time together to get over it." Spike said while they finally exited the cave together, and Skystar and Nathen spread out they're wings again. "It's best we all do son.. after all this.." Skystar said before she and Nathen took off into the sky's together, Spike had a lot to think about as they traveled again, and was just worried on what to tell them now that he knows the ponies stole him from her.. Spike traveled with Skystar and Nathen for quite a bit after taking off from the Dragon Lands, they went to the Everfree forest like Skystar said, Spike looked down and just remembered the times Twilight and her friends had to go through here to defeat Nightmare Moon, it was a real test for them all that night, but it's what helped form the friendship they all have now. But Spike couldn't help but worry even more knowing that the ponies stole her egg now, if she found out Spike was raised by them, she may think that they were the ones who stole him, and it would make things even worse. Learning all of this really took a hold on Spike's mind even more, this didn't help him with the guilt of the lie he made to avoid getting into trouble, but all of that resulted in him digging a deeper hole that he may not climb out of, but he had at least hoped they could find a way to resolve this in a peaceful way.. if Skystar would listen to them that is.. But after a while of flying, Skystar and Nathen were soon landing down near a certain spot in the forest, Spike snapped out of his thoughts again and looked ahead to where they were. "Is this where the spot is mom?" Spike asked while they looked around for it, Skystar slowly made her way forward a bit, and moved some branches and trees out of the way to help them move forward. "Just a few more steps son.." Skystar said while she kept pushing the trees out of the way, Nathen helped Skystar with this and they began moving through the place without much trouble, Spike was worried if any Timberwolves were gonna attack, but Skystar and Nathen said they could handle it, so he shouldn't worry about it hopefully. But after a few more minutes of moving through the place, Skystar pushed another tree out of the way one more time, and they saw a light just ahead of them, and once they stepped through it.. Spike's eyes widened in a sight that was really amazing to him. They emerged in a large open area within the forest, there was a huge pond within the center, a cliffside with a waterfall that helped fill the pond with fresh clean water, the sun was shinning down over them, and they could see some flowers and pure green grass around the place. "Wow.. you.. you come here mom?" Spike asked amazed with what they're seeing. "Yes son, I found this place a few years ago, it's a place that I often go to for relaxing, sometimes it's for training too, but I mainly like to spend time by myself here, in a forest like this, a place like this is just so special to me.." Skystar said with a smile while they came to the pond. "Wow.. this place is amazing Skystar.. no wonder you've kept it a secret.. this place is so nice.." Nathen said while looking around the place too. "Thank you, you two, but now that we're all here, why don't we all try having some fun together? We have a long day ahead of us." Skystar asked while Spike hopped off of her, and they all smiled at the really beautiful place around them. "That sounds great, let's have some fun!" Spike said eagerly as they all spent time together and had a fun day. Spike, Nathen and Skystar spent the next few hours at this special place, they all had a lot of fun doing some little games and doing things to bond with eachother, they often swam with eachother in the pond and did some fun tricks, Nathen did a crazy move and jumped off the cliff and into the pond which created a huge splash of water as a result, but Nathen was just fine from it since he was far tougher then most people. Skystar just looked so happy being able to spend time with her son, she's wanted this feeling for so long, and it's given her so much appreciation for what she has now. But even though Spike was having a lot of fun with them both here, Spike still couldn't get over this lie he's told, and he feels like it's finally catching up to him, he doesn't know how to break this to them, and felt more and more pressured the longer he held it back, he didn't know how to break it to them.. and felt more worry for keeping this from them. But after a few hours of playing with eachother, enjoying the place they were in, and having fun as a family of sorts, Spike, Skystar and Nathen needed a little break, and were laying on the ground after spending time together. "Wow.. that was really fun.. I haven't felt this much joy in so long.." Spike said with a smile while they looked at the sky together. "It wouldn't be the same without you two, I never truly could experience this place and it's joy it brought me without you both, and now that I have.. I want to keep coming back here far more often.." Skystar said as she felt really relaxed from all they've done today. "Tell me about it.. and the hotsprings back home will only make this day even better when we go back.." Nathen said agreeing to this too, Spike smiled knowing that they all had fun together, but to know he had to go back home and spend another day without telling them the truth just gave him more and more guilt.. Skystar took a deep breath and began to stand back up after a few more minutes, and she looked at the sky and felt ready to go. "I think we've spent enough time here, I think it's best we head back to Nathen's cave and rest a bit more, then me and my son will head back to my village, I gotta start figuring out how to properly have my son live with me now.." Skystar said while the others got up too. "Yeah, we've had a fun day together, but it's best we all go back and rest.." Nathen said ready to go too, Spike looked at them both and saw they wanted to leave, but Spike looked back at the forest and knew how much closer he was to his real home.. and felt more regret for not telling Twilight what's happened. "Son, is everything alright?" Skystar asked again while Spike looked out in the woods, he felt too much guilt for what he said to them, and he can't hold back this lie anymore, Skystar went through a lot because of the ponies, but if she knew the truth.. perhaps she may change how she views the ponies.. so.. with a deep breath.. Spike finally decided to reveal the truth. "Mom.. Nathen.. while I'm glad I've spent so much time with you today.. the truth is.. I have something else I need to tell you.. since you both confessed something personal.. It's best I do this too.." Spike said sadly while he prepared for what he had to say. "And what would that be kid?" Nathen asked while he was getting a bit worried, Spike looked at them both and prepared for what's to come with revealing the truth. "Mom.. Nathen.. the truth about how I found out about the Migration.. it's.." Spike was about to finally tell the truth, but loud growls suddenly stopped him from telling everything. Skystar's senses quickly went off and they quickly turned around into the trees, and from the shadows within, they saw dozens of eyes begin to appear within them, along with growls of anger which began to scare Spike. "What.. what are they?" Spike asked while staying close to his mom, Skystar growled in response and Nathen got ready to fight, the monster's came out of the shadows, and they all saw that there were dozens of Timberwolves emerging from the shadows, who must've found them after another daily hunt. "Timberwolves!!" Skystar screamed with rage as they all roared at them. "Spike! Get back!" Nathen shouted as one lunged at him, but Nathen quickly ducked under the attack and delivered a strong tail swipe to knock it back to the others. This made the other's more angry, and they all began charging at the tree with the intent to harm them. Skystar began growing more angry seeing them try to harm her son, she was not gonna lose him again, and had to fight them off. "Get away from my son you monsters!" Skystar screamed as she raised her fist and delivered a strong punch to one of their heads, this sent the wolf in the air for a moment and Skystar used that moment to grab the wolves tail and slam him down repeatedly with huge aggression. Nathen took a deep breath and shot a stream of lightning at another group who yelped in pain from the shock of it all, Nathen roared at them all and made a high jump into the air and charged up lightning into his fist, he had trained to use his lightning in ways too, and had some special moves he could use as well. "Lightning Burst!!" Nathen screamed before he smashed his fist on the ground and that created a huge shockwave of lightning that burst around the area, Spike got pushed back from the blast and was blown into the cliff, Spike screamed as he went directly to the wall and hit his head directly on it, and Spike's body fell to the ground from the impact, and groaned in pain. Skystar grabbed one wolf by the legs and roughly grabbed it's neck, she then jumped high into the air and did a backflip while she put her knee near the wolves back, Skystar roared with rage while she went flying back down, and she landed on the ground with one foot while kneeing the Timberwolf in the back extremely hard that they could hear a bone breaking from the result, The wolf howled with pain before Skystar threw it back into another group, and she saw even more of them were coming out. "Let's see you make it out from this.." Skystar said with rage while she made some fire appear in her hands again, she began to form the fire around her body and she began to make it into a weapon of sorts, Nathen stood behind her and awaited the result of the attack she's about to use. Spike groaned with pain as he tried getting back up, that hit hurt his head really badly because of how strong that impact was, Spike's vision was blurry and he only could see Skystar and Nathen fighting the Timberwolves, and was about to pass out. "Mom.. Nathen..." Spike said weakly while he tried to move, but felt too weak to keep moving, but he suddenly felt a shadow go over him, and looked above him with worry hoping it wasn't another Timberwolf, but to his surprise, he saw a lion was looking at him with concern, and he recognized this lion, it was one of the lions Fluttershy took care off with the other animals she loves, Spike himself even helped this one with an injured leg. The lion saw Spike was injured, and he needed to be taken somewhere where he can get help. "Wait.. my mom.. and Nathen.. they're still there.." Spike warned while the lion picked Spike up with it's mouth, it quickly turned tail and began to run back to Ponyville which worried Spike even more. "No.. mom.. she'll freak out from this.. and Nathen may take it just as bad.. no.." Spike said weakly as he passed out from the pain while the lion took him back home. Skystar finished preparing her move and the fire around her formed into an large flaming arrow, Skystar aimed it at the entire group and growled with anger. "Arrow of Fury, make these monsters pay." Skystar said before she shot the arrow directly at them, the wolves didn't even have time to react before the arrow came directly between all of them, and it made a huge explosion of fire which took down every single Timberwolf in an instant, the flames could be seen from the sky with how powerful it was, and Skystar wasn't phased by it at all while Nathen was in pure shock seeing them all being taken down in an instant. "Whoa! That was amazing! Where did you learn that?!" Nathen asked amazed with what she just did. "I have my own moves, you have yours too, but I'll be glad to show you them sometime." Skystar said proudly which he liked the sound off. "That sounds like a good idea, but let's not forget Spike, we should probably go now." Nathen said as they looked over the defeated wolves. "Your right, son, are you al.. right?" Skystar asked before she noticed something, Spike wasn't here, and they both started to get worried. "Son?! Are you there?!" Skystar shouted while they both looked all over the area for him, but they couldn't find where he was, and Skystar began to freak out. "No.. no!! This can't be happening, not again!!" Skystar screamed with fear while her heart was beating very fast. "Don't worry Skystar, we'll find him, we just need to find something.." Nathen assured while they tried finding a clue as to where he is.. but that's when Skystar noticed a strain of pink hair on the ground.. she and Nathen were both interested seeing this, and they went over to it and picked it up. "What is it?" Nathen asked while Skystar took a sniff of it for the scent, but once she recognized it's scent, Skystar's eyes widened in shock, but it soon turned to anger and she began to growl with rage. "Ponies!!!" Skystar shouted with fury which shocked Nathen, but if this was really true, and Spike was kidnapped by them.. He saw the ponies were really thieves for this. Nathen felt a huge amount of rage building up in him, Nathen began to look furious upon hearing this, and they both began to growl with fury. "I will not let you all take my son again!!" Skystar screamed as her fist lit on fire and that burned the string of hair in an instant, Skystar and Nathen both had they're breaths began to swell, and they felt so much anger they haven't felt before, and with one loud stomp, Skystar and Nathen made a huge roar of rage which echoed through the entire forest, and they were not gonna stop until they get Spike back.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this chapter and I hoped you liked it! We're finally gonna be heading into the last act of the story, I have some ideas on how to make it more interesting then in the original, but I hope you all don't mind any extra changes I'll make like Nathen being able to use lightning instead, it'll make him stand out more, but with all that being said, I just hope you liked this chapter and look forward to more!
8: RecoverySpike felt his head pounding as he was finally waking up after taking that tough hit on the head, he groaned in pain as he was finally opening his eyes, he didn't know how long he was out, but he had a feeling he was out for a bit, Spike felt his head stir as he finally was waking up. "Where.. am I?" Spike asked himself while he finally opened his eyes, he did his best to focus his vision to see where he was, but when he finally could, he realized where he was, he was in a medical room, but it was in Ponyville.. "Oh no.." Spike said with fear as he quickly got up from the bed, but that made his head hurt a little since he took a bit of a hit, but he tried pushing through it in order to keep moving. "I gotta tell the other's what's happening, my mom is gonna freak out when she finds out I'm here.." Spike thought with fear while he hopped out of the bed, he tried making his way around the room after gaining his bearings, his thoughts were racing through him with each step he took, if he vanished like this suddenly without his mom knowing, she will freak out, and if she finds out Spike's with the ponies, she may go berserk with what happened with her in the past. "I shouldn't have waited so long to tell her, now the whole town may be in danger." Spike said with worry while he quickly rushed through the halls to find the exit. "I need to let the other's know what's happening, I have to tell them what's happened!" Spike thought with worry while he made his way down even more, he soon saw the exit to the place just up ahead, and made a rush for it. "Gotta find Twilight, gotta let the other's know now!" Spike said with worry until a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. "Spike! Wait!" It shouted which made him come to a halt, he recognized that voice, he quickly turned to where it came from and saw Twilight was in the lobby waiting for an update on his injury. "Twilight!" Spike said with relief while she came up and gave him a tight hug. "Spike! Where were you?! We were so worried if something bad happened!" Twilight said holding him tightly while Spike tried coming up with something to say. "Twilight.. I.." Spike tried to speak, but she kept going on about what's happened since he was gone. "We didn't know if we could find you, you weren't sending any letters to me or Celestia, and I was growing worried sick, what happened to you? Did those dragons hurt you?" Twilight asked extremely worried which made Spike back off a bit. "Twilight, please be quiet, I need to tell you and the other's something really important." Spike said while he tried making his way to the exit. "Why? What happened Spike? You don't have to rush things, you should take your time and rest." Twilight advised while she tried to stop him, but Spike's fears of what his mom will do didn't leave him. "No, I need to let you, Celestia and Luna, and the others know what's happened, now!" Spike shouted which caught her off guard a bit. "Why, what's happened?" Twilight asked worried while she tried helping him out. "Something incredibly important, we all need to meet up and talk about it, we can't waste another minute!" Spike said seriously while they started going through the village together. "Okay.. if it's that serious.." Twilight said as they made they're way to gather the others, Twilight didn't know what's happened right now, but if Spike's this worried, it may be something really bad. After Spike and Twilight left the nursery Spike was at, he and Twilight went to get the others, Spike knew he had to tell Celestia and Luna about this too, as this was something all of them should know, he still couldn't believe all of this is happening so fast, 2 days ago he met his mother finally, and now he's in a rush to warn the others of what she may do if she finds out he's here, if she goes berserk in her ways to get him back, there will be a lot of trouble to be made because of it. But soon enough, Spike and Twilight gathered the rest of the Mane 6, and went to Twilight's tree to discuss what's happening, they all were worried for Spike since he went missing for 2 days after he left for the Migration, and didn't know how to ask what happened, Twilight had finished writing a letter for Celestia and Luna to meet them here, and she sent it off before finally turning back to Spike who prepared to tell them all that's happened. "Alright Spike, we're all here now, what happened to you? I tried sending a letter, but it never went through, why?" Twilight asked with worry while they all sat on the couch to hear this story. "You were missing for days Spike, did those dragons do something bad to you?" Applejack asked with concerned if that was true. "You couldn't have written us a letter to tell us what happened? Where were you?" Rainbow Dash asked as well while crossing her hoofs. "Those dragons aren't too scary are they?" Fluttershy asked a bit nervous of what he's seen. "Do they like parties?" Pinkie asked which made the others look at her with confusion for a moment before turning back to him. Spike kept being bombarded with questions from them and started to feel overwhelmed. "Girls, one at a time please, I can't explain what happened with these all being asked at once." Spike said while raising his hands, they all calmed down a bit and asked one at a time to know what happened. "Sorry darling, so what happened to you? We were worried sick about you." Rarity asked concerned while Spike tried to explain this the best he could, and sighed as he prepared to reveal what he's seen. "It's, a lot to explain, but.. I'll try and make it simple, during my trip to the Dragon Lands, I.. encountered something I thought I'd never find, or more accurately.. someone.." Spike said calmly as he looked out the windows for any signs of Skystar and Nathen, and thankfully, he didn't see them yet. "And.. who would that be Spike?" Twilight asked with concern for this. "Twilight.. the reason I was gone for a few days.. the reason I didn't contact you or anyone else.. is because well.. I.. finally met my mother, my real one, the one who had me when I was an egg... I met her at the Migration thanks to the help of another kind dragon named Nathen, and I wanted to spend more time with her, and.. I learned a lot that's extremely important..." Spike explained which made them all gasp in shock. "Wait.. your.. mother?!" Rainbow Dash asked with shock hearing that be revealed. "You.. actually met her?" Fluttershy asked with worry hearing this. "What's she like Spike?" Applejack asked with interest to know hear this major reveal. "How.. how do you know she's your real mother? Does she look like you? Are there signs the egg she had, was the one I hatched you from?" Twilight asked as she didn't want this to be a trick. "It is her Twilight, she's shown me what her egg was like.. it was mine. Her name's Skystar, and she's got.. some special skills no dragon can use, she can control her fire, use them for stronger attacks that none of us could learn. She's extremely strong, and with our new friend Nathen, she's almost had what she lost.." Spike said regretfully while he tried figuring out how to explain how she.. lost him.. "How can she control fire Spike? I don't think I've ever heard of a dragon being able to do it, then again.. we don't know much about dragons to begin with... even after centuries of them existing.." Twilight asked fascinated to hear something like that. "It was.. from something special she found, but.. that's not what's really important, a few hours back, Skystar, Nathen and I got ambushed by some Timberwolves, they were able to fight them off with extremely strong moves, Nathen can even breath lightning! But I got caught in the crossfire, and I passed out from it, but that's when one of Fluttershy's lions found me, and brought me back here for recovery." Spike explained which fascinated them all. "A dragon breathing lightning? That's.. awesome!" Rainbow Dash said amazed to hear they can do more then just fire. "That explains why you came to me unconscious, but this is great news right? You found your birth mother, all we need to do now is properly explain to her what's happened." Twilight said as she thought this was good news, but Spike looked more worried hearing that. "No, Twilight, it's.. not good news, in fact.. it's really bad.. if she finds out that I'm with all of you.. she'll go berserk to get me back... especially since she just got me back after so many years..." Spike said sadly which made them all concerned again. "Why? Does she have a problem with us ponies?" Applejack asked a bit upset to hear that. "Your not to far off from that Applejack.. but.. it's the reason why she hates you all that makes this bad news.." Spike said as he felt extremely guilty to tell them all of this. "Why? Why does she hate the ponies? What did we ever do to her?" Rarity asked getting more worried for this. Spike was about to answer until they heard a knock on the Tree's door, and wondered who it may be. "That must be Celestia and Luna, they got here faster then I thought." Twilight said as she went to open the door, and she was right, Celestia and Luna had arrived after getting the letter from Twilight. "Celestia, Luna, it's great to see you! Sorry for having to bring you both here like this.." Twilight said respectfully as they came in the place. "We came as soon as we got the letter Twilight. Did you all really find Spike again?" Luna asked with concern after recalling the detail that Twilight described. "They did, I'm back you majesty's... " Spike said respectfully while they towered over him with their size. "What happened to you Spike? We thought you were going for just a day or so when we heard about the Migration, what happened to you?" Celestia asked as they all sat down to listen to him. Spike proceeded to catch Celestia and Luna up on what he told Twilight and the others, from him meeting his mother for the first time, to the time he's spent with her, and how he got back here after being missing for a few days. They were just as shocked as Twilight and the others to hear this, perhaps even more surprised to know he found his real mother, and he then told her about how she hates ponies.. but not why. "This.. is a lot to take in Spike, while I'm glad you found your real mother, we all are, to know she has a grudge against us is concerning." Luna said with worry as Spike explained everything. "Yes Spike, no dragon can just control they're fire like the way you described, she could be very powerful if she knows too much, but to know you actually met her, it's something I never thought would come.. and.. I'm sorry to say that.." Celestia said regretfully while Spike looked down sadly. "It's okay girls, now.. as to the reason why she hates ponies.. it.. ties back into how Celestia " Found" my egg in the first place" Spike said while using found in quotation marks. "What is it Spike? How did she lose you when you were an egg?" Celestia asked while getting worried the more he went on.. "The reason she lost me.. was because.. her egg was stolen by ponies after she lost her former mate, my father, and since then, she's hated the ponies ever since." Spike revealed which made them all gasp with horror. "What?! Why would ponies steal you from her?!" Pinkie asked furious to hear that reason. "Who would even want to steal a dragon egg?! Stealing an egg is like stealing a part of the mother, and if the dragons found this out.. it could cause massive problems for all of us!" Luna said as she already hated whoever stole Spike's egg. "That.. explains so much.. I knew there was a reason.. but.. this.. this is so.." Celestia said with shock and anger as she finally knew why he was found. ""It's a lot to take in, I know, but we don't know why they stole it, my mother described it by saying.. someone hired them to steal me, but who?" Spike asked as he was getting suspicious who hired them, and Celestia got more furious to know this is why. "I never would hire anyone to steal an egg, I am Equestria's ruler, and I would not want it to fall into war if that happened!" Celestia said with anger as she knew the risks of what would happen. "Sorry you all have to hear this, but it's to help explain why Skystar will be furious to find out I'm with you all again, it's why I held back on contacting you, because I didn't want you to try and get me back, or sneak into Dragon territory to find me, and if she found you, she would not have let you off easily." Spike said sadly as he felt awful for knowing how this all came to be. "This is all very upsetting to know, and to know your mother.. hates all of us because of it, we can't apologize enough for it. And now that we're all here.. it's best we all know the truth.." Luna said sadly while Spike kept looking out the window with worry. "It's been a lot to take in girls, I've learned so much about our kind, my mother, and what she went through without me, to see her fall into such a state after I was taken.. it makes me wish I found her way sooner then I did.." Spike said regretfully while Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder. "We're sorry to hear all of this Spike, it's a lot for us to hear too, but now that we know the truth, we need to figure out a way to tell her and that friend of her's about me raising you, maybe that'll make her forgive us for what happened?" Twilight asked hopefully while they turned back to the others. "I'm not so sure about that, the last time my egg was stolen, mom fell into this state called a Primal Rage, a state where a dragon is so furious and out of control, it can cause massive damage to anyone or anything it comes across, she almost destroyed her village when I was taken, if she find her way back after the elder calmed her down, she would've only felt more regret for harming innocent people. And now.. the same thing may happen to Ponyville.." Spike said with fear as he saw the ponies going about they're day, not knowing what's to come next.. Celestia had a look of fear hearing that, a Primal Rage is something she knows is hard to deal with, and they can't just talk to her now if that's the case. "If.. that's true.. then we need to get the other ponies somewhere safe! If your mother and that friend of hers is on her way, then there's no telling what damage they'll cause!" Celestia said with worry while they all started to leave the tree. "Are you sure there's no way we can talk to them Spike? I do not want this to break out into a massive fight." Luna asked with worry while Celestia ordered the ponies to head to nearby caves and safe houses for what's about to happen. "No, she tried that with those thieves, she only resorted to violence when they refused and took me away, she won't go down easy, she knows how to fight extremely well, and.. I don't want her to hurt any of you because of this.." Spike said regretfully while all the ponies of the town were really worried with what Celestia is telling them to do. "It's not your fault Spike, whoever took you from her is the one responsible, we'll find those monsters soon and they'll be properly punished for their crimes, if they don't answer to me, they'll answer to your mother." Celestia said as she already was thinking of a punishment for them. "How do we know we'll even find them? Or if they're still around? Stealing a dragon egg isn't something one can just brush off and say" Hey I stole a dragon egg, now I'm gonna go about my life" that is something no one could be forgiven for." Rainbow dash said while she flew above them. "We will find them in time, and I will make them feel the wrath of our might when that happens. But now we need to get the ponies out of the town, the risk of them getting hurt is to great right now." Luna said as multiple ponies were being teleported out of the town. Spike had a look of guilt and worry the more he looked around the place, it was in a state of fear and worry and all the people were leaving the place to stay safe, if he hadn't gone to the Migration in the first place, none of this would've happened. "This.. is all my fault.. I never should've gone there in the first place.. even if it means I never met my mother.. we all wouldn't be in this mess..." Spike said with guilt while he sat down for a bit, the others felt awful to see him feeling like this, and tried to help him through this. "It's not your fault Spike, in fact, the fact we all know how this happened is a good thing, because we all finally know how we got our special purple dragon. You've done a lot for us here Spike, and while it is awful to know how you ended up with us.. knowing the truth makes things better for all of us now, and I know we can fix this." Twilight assured while sitting next to him, but Spike still didn't know how to feel about it. "I know but.. sometimes things are better left unsaid.. If this didn't happen.. I don't know if I ever would've even met her.. but.. if this is all true.. I don't know how to properly describe the guilt I feel for this.." Spike said with tears while he looked over the village. "Spike, don't think that, while it is bad to know what happened to your mother. You were able to give her the happiness she hasn't felt in years, she never would've felt it if you weren't so brave to go on your own, I know we'll make it through this, no matter what happens, we're still your family, even when you know your real mother. And we all should be there for eachother.. always." Twilight said while she gave him another hug, and Spike returned it to try and process this. "You really think we'll make it through this Twilight?" Spike asked with worry as the place was evacuated finally. "I'm positive Spike, we'll find a way to help your mother, even if she's in this Primal Rage state, we'll make it through this, I promise." Twilight assured while she rubbed his head which made him smile a bit finally. "Thanks Twilight.. I'm glad to have been with you for my whole life.." Spike said gratefully as they went up to the others, and now, all they had to do was wait. "Spike, you said she's extremely skilled, but do you know how powerful she really is?" Celestia asked as she looked down at him again. "Not really, she said she only knows a few fire spells, but I feel like she knows far more then she told me, and with what I saw.. we're all gonna be in a lot of trouble if she goes all out.." Spike said with worry while they looked at the sky together. "Then we won't hold back either, we'll find a way to calm her down, we can't let this all end in a bad way. And it won't." Twilight said hopefully right before they heard two really loud dragon roars in the sky, everyone looked scarred as they heard that and looked at the sun, and saw two dragons were flying below it, and they're shadows were the only things that they could see.. "This is gonna get dicey..." Luna said with fear as they all braced themselves for a big fight that's about to break out.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! Sorry if this chapter didn't give us enough time to catch up with the mane 6, but I'm trying to make sure all of them are balanced out to help with the story. While Celestia and Luna were the ones that fought them in the original story, this fight will be more intense with how Skystar has fire powers and Nathen can use lightning, I'll try and get creative with it in ways that also makes sense, but I promise you this will all turn out well in the end, thank you all for reading this and I hope you look forward to more!
9: Primal RageSpike and the rest of his friends stood ready as they could see Skystar and Nathen approaching the village, even from this distance, Spike could tell his mother was furious, and she was not gonna hold back if he isn't given back easily. Spike knows Skystar has some hidden strength within her, she's tried hiding it for the time he's known her, and now she's about to truly show what she can do. Spike gulped nervously at the sight of them flying down to the village, Spike felt his heart racing and felt fear the closer they got. Celestia and Luna stood in front of all of them and had a serious look, they knew they were in for a fight, and it wasn't gonna be an easy one. "Twilight, you take Spike and the others and find a place to be safe, I don't want anypony getting hurt during any of this." Celestia ordered while they were surprised to hear that. "Wait, you can't fight them with Luna by yourselves! We need to stay here and help!" Rainbow Dash said not wanting them to get hurt. "She looks really mad Celestia, do you really think you can take her if she falls into this.. Primal Rage?" Fluttershy asked shuddering at that name. "We've dealt with strong threats like this before girls, we know how to handle it, I know we can handle it, but it won't be easy. " Luna assured while she saw Nathen sparking up with lightning in the distance. "My sister's right, we're strong enough to take them, but you all are too risky to have here, you need to find somewhere safe, now!" Celestia ordered again as the two roared over the village once again. "O.. okay.. we'll leave you too it, just promise you'll come out of this safe?" Twilight asked hopefully while everyone was heading somewhere to hide. "We will Twilight, we won't fall here, not today." Luna said confidently while Spike was still really scared for them. "Celestia Luna, please try and calm them down, Skystar is still my mother, I don't want her to lose any sense of reason like she did before, I'm the one she wants, and.. if this goes to far, I'll have to give myself up, it'll be to protect you, I'm sorry but, just please be careful with them, okay?" Spike asked hopefully while he began backing up. "Don't worry Spike, we'll make sure this all turns out well in the end, now go!" Celestia warned as their shadows were towering over them all, Spike gulped again at this sight and quickly ran off with Twilight and the others for safety. Celestia and Luna sighed at the sight of them leaving, and turned back to the two dragons who were about to arrive. "Sister, do you really think we can calm them down? A dragon is extremely hard to fight when they're at the peak of they're rage, and with Skystar's said powers, she will not be easy, nor will Nathen." Luna asked wondering if they can beat them. "I know we can Luna, we've been at the verge of defeat before, but there's always some hope it'll turn out well in the end. We must do our best to convince them we didn't harm Spike, even if Spike was... kidnapped as an egg, we have to convince his mother we're not the ponies who did it." Celestia said while looking upset at the thought of him being taken. "And what if we make it out of this? Where are we gonna find those thieves who took Spike's egg? How will they be punished? Will they answer to us? Or will they answer to an angry mother who went through years of loneliness without her child?" Luna asked while she saw Skystar was growling at the sight of them. "They will answer to Spike's mother, I'm sure she will want to give them some payback for what they did, while I don't usually allow this kind of thing, what they did.. is unacceptable, this could cause a war between Dragons and Ponies if it escalates, though, I think I may already know what happened to them." Celestia said while she closed her eyes, she remembered when she found Spike's egg in the forest, it was all alone and had no one with it, and if it really was stolen, the thieves must've lost it. "Really? What do you know about them?" Luna asked curious to know, but Celestia decided to finish this talk later. "I'll explain it all later, for now, we need to calm Spike's mother and her friend down, get ready Luna, they're about to arrive!" Celestia warned as they were only a few feet away from the entrance now. "Understood sister, let's give it our all." Luna said seriously as the two dragons finally landed down on the ground. They created a crater from the strong impact of the landing, they had a furious look on them, they tracked down where Spike's scent went after they found out he was taken by ponies, and they were here to get him back. They're breaths were surrounding they're bodies, Nathen's body sparked up with lightning the closer they made they're way to the two rulers, and Skystar burned the ground from the heat of her flames, her eyes were glowing a brighter green then before, and her powers were ready to be unleashed if she doesn't get what she came for, her son. The two dragons marched to the two rulers with looks of anger, they weren't gonna let someone close to them be harmed by the ponies after he was taken, and Skystar was not gonna hold back if they refuse. They stood across from the two Alicorns, they all had a serious look on them, no one spoke for a few moments as the town was empty, it was for the best for any damage that may be caused, but soon, one of them started to speak. "I'll give you this one warning, pony, give me back my son, and we'll leave without harming anyone. We aren't gonna let you monsters harm him anymore, more then you've already done!" Skystar demanded while clutching her claws. "You took him from us when we were trying to protect him, where is he?!" Nathen shouted with anger while the two princesses kept a brave look on them. "We didn't harm him Skystar, we know who you both are, and you need to believe us, we are not your enemy, we're friends with your son, and we were helping him recover!" Celestia argued while Skystar growled at the thought. "Lies! You ponies stole him from me when he was but an egg! You've most likely manipulated him into thinking your his friends, when really, your the reasons he and I were separated for so long!" Skystar shouted in a booming voice which echoed through the area. "What kind of monsters like you, steals a egg from they're mother?! I'd never except something like that from you both! Considering your supposed to be Equestria's rulers." Nathen mocked looking at them. "We're not monsters, we didn't manipulate him, whoever stole your egg, it wasn't us! We've been keeping Spike safe with us since he was hatched! We never knew why he even ended up here, if I had known the truth, I would've brought him back to you right away!" Celestia countered again, she didn't want them to break out into a fight, but they didn't look convinced. "You should've brought him back to our kind the moment you found him as an egg! You know the risks of an egg being stolen, but instead of returning my son to our home, where I could've found him sooner, you kept him, and raised him to be, like you!" Skystar insulted while she clawed at the ground. "You never knew the full story behind him Skystar, if you just listen to us, we can find a way out of this! We do not want to fight you!" Celestia begged while they were getting even closer to them both. "I've tried keeping myself calm for a long time, trying to move on from what you did, but this happening twice is the last straw! You all don't know what I went through without the only thing, I had for a family! All my misery, my pain, everything I went through without my son, it was all.. because of YOU!" Skystar screamed before she lunged at Celestia and tackled her through the wall while Nathen charged at Luna. "We're taking Spike back, whether we have to burn this town to ash or not!" Nathen screamed before he slammed Luna to the ground. They both tried pushing them back as they saw they're rage building up in them, they knew they had to fight now, and sighed sadly that they have to do this. "We won't let you harm anypony here!" Celestia shouted before she used her magic to blind them both for a brief moment so they could escape. Luna and Celestia flew up in the air while Skystar and Nathen recovered, and they growled seeing them free. Skystar made a battle cry as she shot multiple fire blasts from her hands and they homed in on Celestia, Celestia created a barrier to block the attacks for just a moment, but Skystar used that moment to lunge at her and she charged up her claw with fire. "Why did you take my son with you?! Why didn't you bring him to where he really belongs?!" Skystar asked with fury while she broke down the barrier which shocked Celestial, Skystar grabbed Celestia by the leg and threw her directly into Luna who was trying to block some lightning blasts from Nathen, Nathen lunged at them and his tail sparked up with lightning. "There's a reason us dragons and ponies have always stayed away from eachother! Because you all are afraid of us! No matter what threats you've faced, you know you're too afraid to face off against one of us!" Nathen mocked while he slammed his tail on the ground which caused some large chunks of the ground to rise up from the ground. Celestia and Luna quickly got up while Skystar charged at the large chunks, and she roared while she punched them all directly at them. "Sister watch out!" Luna warned just before she shot through each one, but Skystar emerged through the rubble of one of them and roared at them both, Skystar lit up her fist with flames and delivered a strong punch to them both which sent them flying through a few houses from the sheer power. Celestia and Luna rolled across the ground after they burst through the walls, they coughed roughly after taking the hit, and saw the damage that was caused. "Spike wasn't kidding when he said Skystar was strong!" Luna said with shock while Nathen burst through the houses and brought them down from his power, his lightning was trialing behind him, and Nathen ran at them with fast speeds. "Brace yourself!" Celestia shouted as Nathen jumped in the air with his lightning swirling around him, and with a roar of fury, Nathen smashed his fist on the ground which created a powerful shockwave of lightning which almost knocked them back. Celestia and Luna tried to figure out how to fight them, but they were acting so fast they didn't have time to plan it out, Skystar roared at them both while she flew at them from the air, Skystar's fire swirled around her again and she spun her body around until she created a tornado of fire all around her. "What sort of move is that?!" Celestia asked while she used her magic to block the attacks, but Skystar's own spells were strong enough to push her back, even with the spells protecting her. Skystar spun around them all in her tornado form while Nathen flew around in the air, Celestia and Luna kept an eye on them both and tried coming up with a plan. "Luna, I got an idea! Keep them a good distance from us!" Celestia shouted while she charged up her magic again as Skystar charged at them again. "Got it!" Luna replied while she saw Nathen charging up his fist, Celestia and Luna both used they're magic and waited for the right moment as they were about to strike them both, but at the right time, they both teleported away just as they landed they're strikes, but that made them hit eachother from the move which knocked them down a bit. Skystar growled with irritation and she felt her rage building up even more, her body was shaking with rage, and her fire was building up even more. Celestia and Luna teleported a great distance away from them and they were far in the sky's of the village. Skystar and Nathen soon recovered from they're hits and saw them a good distance away. "You will pay you thieves!!" Skystar screamed before she had her fire cover her body and she launched herself directly at them like a rocket, Celestia and Luna quickly moved out of the way of her attack and they saw her go flying to a nearby mountain far away, but when she hit that mountain, it made a explosion of green fire that left a huge crater on the side of the mountain which shocked both of them. "Where did she learn these spells?!" Celestia asked wish shock while Nathen roared at them from behind, they couldn't turn around fast enough while Nathen punched them both in their chests with his lightning, Nathen followed this up by swiping them down with his tail and he slammed them down with great power, Celestia and Luna both went flying back to the ground and they landed down with a strong impact. They both quickly got up again and saw both dragons were still coming for them. "We can't hold back on them for this Luna, we need to take them down before they go off the edge!" Celestia shouted while she charged up another blast. "We need to act fast! Spike's mom can't keep her composure for very long!" Luna warned as they saw Skystar's pupils were shrinking, she roared at them both and formed her fire into an arrow like before, she shot the arrow at them both and Luna quickly shot a beam of light at it to destroy it, but that created a powerful flame blast as a result with the damage it could do, Celestia continued charging up her magic and saw Skystar fly through it with fury, Skystar's body was being covered with flames and she made another roar while she lunged at them both. "Please stop this Skystar, your son would not want you to be like this!" Celestia begged before she shot a strong blast at Skystar which stopped her in her tracks, and knocked her down to the ground. Skystar didn't respond to this at all, she just made a ferocious growl of fury and the flames were coming from her mouth. "Give.. me.. back.. my.. Flamestar!!!" Skystar screamed before she shot a powerful fire blast at them both, they quickly teleported out of the way of the blast which flew past them, and that destroyed a few more houses and caused a fire to start spreading. Skystar felt her rage hit her peak, she couldn't keep herself calm anymore, she felt her rage take her over, the only thing she felt was fury, her flames completely surrounded her and she made a terrifying roar of rage. Celestia and Luna saw what's happened to her, and had a look of fear. "Oh no.. it's.. happened..." Luna said with fear while Skystar lunged at them both. "She's fallen into a Primal Rage!" Celestia shouted before Skystar punched her square in the face and sent her to a tree in the distance, Skystar roared at her before she charged at her again as her flames glowed even brighter, they hoped wherever Twilight and the others were, they were alright... Meanwhile with Spike and the rest of the mane 6, they were hiding within Twilights tree for safety, they all looked scared about what's happening, and they could hear the fight going on outside, and knew it was a rough one, Spike felt nothing but regret for what's happened, and saw this was his fault for not telling them sooner. "This is all my fault.. I should've told my mom and Nathen the truth about what happened, if I told them this so much sooner, none of this would've happened!" Spike said with regret while he looked out the window, he saw Skystar in the air and was fighting off their friends, she formed her fire into swords somehow and began slashing down multiple houses with ease. "Spike, I know this looks bad, but this is Celestia and Luna were talking about, I'm sure they can handle it.." Twilight assured while hoping they'd be alright, but with how bad things are now, she's not so sure of it either. "No.. it's not okay, I didn't tell anyone about what's happened out of fear of something worse happening, but with how things are now, I just made it worse for all of us, this isn't okay Twilight, it just isn't.." Spike said sadly while he heard Skystar's roar from outside. "Spike, you shouldn't beat yourself down like this, we're all gonna have to go through tough situations in our lives, nothings ever easy, I know you were just doing it to protect us, you shouldn't be ashamed of it." Applejack assured as well while they all looked at him. "I don't know girls, you've all handled things so much better then me, I don't know if I can calm her down, it's me she wants, and she may destroy this whole village just to get me.. I don't know how to handle it.. it's just.. it's so much.." Spike said with tears while a loud sound was heard outside which worried them even more. "We've all handled things in our own unique way Spike, we all were able to do it by taking a look at what's happening, and finding the solution to stop it, look at your mother, if she's really doing this because she wants you back, it shows she's doing this because she loves and cares for you, just like how I do. Your still just a child Spike, I know this pressure is a lot for someone so young, but you've shown us all how much you can handle yourself. You were able to find your mother Spike, even with the help of another Dragon, you found her, I don't think any of us could've done that. You were just trying to keep us safe, even with what we're in now, I know things will get better." Twilight assured once again while they looked out the window, Spike could see the green fire in the distance, and sighed knowing his mom and Nathen are still fighting they're friends. "Twilight, one of the things I'm afraid of if this does turn out alright, is a choice I may have to make, either to go with mom back to her home, or stay with you. I don't know what to do if I'd be asked that, mom's been through so much without me, and I don't want her to be alone anymore, but you raised me and took care of me, you both are my family, and to choose who I wanna stay with, I don't know if I can do it.." Spike said with regret while she looked sad hearing that, she knew this day would come one day, but it's his choice in the end. "Spike, I know it's all a lot for us, even when I took care of you, I always had a feeling you might have to leave me one day, but I know you can take care of yourself out there, whether you choose me or your mom, know that I will always be with you. No matter what, we all go through tough choices in our lives, but that only helps shape us into a better person, and now, it's up to you to decide what to do." Twilight assured while she gave him a hug once again, Spike felt more relieved hearing that from her, and with the sounds of a battle still happening outside, he got an idea on how to stop this. "Twilight, thank you. I have an idea on how to stop this, but I need to know, do you trust me?" Spike asked while he looked at the door ahead of them. "Of course I do Spike, what do you have in mind?" Twilight asked curiously, Spike had a serious look and knew what to do, without a second thought, he bolted to the door and ran out of the tree to find them, Twilight and the others had a look of shock seeing his sudden move, but Twilight had a feeling he'll be alright. Back with the fight with Skystar and the others, Celestia got punched down to another tree after taking a powerful punch from Skystar, Luna was about to go help her, but Nathen slammed down on her body and pinned her down. "You did this! You couldn't just leave it alone!!" Nathen screamed while he tried clawing at her, Luna summoned a barrier around her and tried holding his attacks off, but they were fast and strong, and they were already starting to break through it. "You need to stop this Nathen! Your friends fallen into a Primal Rage, she could hurt you and even herself if she goes to far! Look!" Luna shouted while turning to her sister, Nathen finally snapped out of his rage upon hearing that and had a look of shock hearing that. "What?!" Nathen asked shocked to hear she's in that state, Nathen turned around and saw Skystar was punching Celestia on that tree repeatedly, she roared with pure rage and would not stop attacking, Celestia tried shaking her off, but her strength was too much to push past, and she just kept being hit repeatedly. "No.. no.. Skystar! You need to stop this!" Nathen screamed before he finally got off of her and tried to stop Skystar, Skystar only roared in response and finally stopped punching Celestia, instead she grabbed her head and threw her directly at Nathen with fast speeds, Nathen raised his claws and caught her just before he was it, he saw Celestia was really hurt from the attacks, and had a look of horror realizing what's happened, he was so deep in his rage, he didn't think of the disastrous affects this would have. Celestia coughed weakly and tried getting back up again, her body hat tons of burnt marks and scars on them, Skystar didn't hold back on her attacks during that beating she took, and she saw just how strong Skystar was when not holding back. "Sister! Are you okay?!" Luna asked with fear while she tried helping her up. "I'm.. I'm okay, I'll be alright, I've taken worse hits before.." Celestia said while coughing a bit, Nathen saw just how bad this all was now, Skystar was taking her rage out on the village, Nathen remembered the sadness and pain he felt when he lost his mate, he didn't want Skystar to completely lose herself. "This, this is my fault.. I should've kept myself in check! If I didn't give into my rage, we could've avoided this!" Nathen said with regret while he looked down sadly, Celestia and Luna saw he finally understood they're arguments, and tried to help him too. "It's okay, we understand it was so you can get Spike back, we know how important family is." Celestia assured while he looked at them with shock. "So.. you really never harmed him did you? You really were trying to help him after he was taken here?" Nathen asked while they heard Skystar roar in the distance, and she finally took her attention to them, her flames swelled even more, and she began flying at them all. "Yes, we never intended to harm him, we never harmed him at all, whoever stole Skystar's egg, had nothing to do with us! We aren't like those ponies Skystar told you about, we need to make her see this too!" Luna said as Skystar was about to strike again. "I see that now, we need to calm her down! But how?!" Nathen asked while Skystar was creating a strong fireball in both her claws, and began making it bigger and bigger the more she charged it, but all of that rage she felt suddenly stopped for a moment, when he heard a familiar voice call her. "Mom! Stop!!" The voice screamed which had her look shocked hearing it, the flames she had began dying out upon hearing that voice, and she recognized who it was.. Spike's.. Celestia, Luna and Nathen heard that voice too and turned to where it came from, and they had a look of shock when they saw Spike had come to help, he had a look of fear seeing her state, and was hoping his voice could finally calm her down. "Spike?! What are you doing here?!" Celestia asked shocked while they quickly went up to him. "I came here to calm my mom down, she just wants me back, we all saw how badly things were going, and I was able to convince Twilight to let me try to talk her out of this!" Spike explained while Skystar landed on the ground, she still had some rage in her, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. "Spike, you need to go, it's too dangerous for you!" Luna warned while Skystar marched to them to get him back. "Kid, I know you care for your mother, but she's too dangerous right now, I don't want you to get hurt if she's not in control" Nathen begged as well, Spike didn't listen to these warnings and turned to his mother, he had an idea on how to calm her down, and he may be the only one to do it. "She needs her son guys, I'm the one thing that gave her joy after years of being alone, she needs me, I have to help her.." Spike said as he began marching too her. "Spike.. are you sure you wanna do this?" Celestia asked worried as he kept his focus on her. "I'm sure, I know what I need to do." Spike said while he took a deep breath, they saw he had one idea on how to stop her, and sighed and let him try to help her. Spike slowly made his way to his mom as she kept growling at him, Spike reflected on the times he spent with her in just these few days since he reunited with her. Spike felt so happy whenever he was with his mom, she was always trying to do her best with being one after they were finally reunited, it thanks to Nathen they finally found eachother, he felt a single tear come from his eye as he saw his mom in front of him. "Mom.. I know your worried for me, I know you just want me back, but you need to look at yourself too, your my mother, you've lost so much, but even with the pain you went through, you pushed through it and were able to be a stronger person because of it. And even after all you went through, you and me.. finally found eachother after so long.." Spike said softly while he came to her head, she still looked a bit angry from all that was happening, but Spike leaned his claw to her to help. "I never thought I'd meet you, but I always had a hope I would, and with the time I've spent with you, I've seen how much you care for me, how much you love me. Every second I spent with you was a second I cherished and loved, and I only want to spend more time with you.. your my mother Skystar, no matter what happens, I'm always here for you.." Spike assured while he was right upon her. Spike smiled softly when he was in front of her and held up his arms. "I love you mom.." Spike said calmly before he finally gave her a hug and held her chest, this one little move of care and love, it made all of the rage Skystar feel fade away, she felt her flames finally calm down, she could finally think properly again after falling into a Primal Rage, her pupils returned to normal, and her breathing became slow and calm, she finally was able to focus again after losing herself, and she felt something familiar hugging her, and when she looked down, she saw her son hugging her close, and looked shocked seeing him. "Son.. are you.. okay?" Skystar asked worried while he looked up at her, he only smiled in response and tried helping her. "I'm fine mom.. I'm more then fine, I'm just.. so glad your back to normal, I was so worried if something bad would happen.." Spike said with tears while he held her close, Skystar finally looked around the village around her, she had a look of horror seeing the damage she's done to the place, and in the distance, she saw Nathen, and Celestia and Luna, she saw Celestia and Luna were hurt a lot, and realized it was because of her.. "Son.. what.. have I done... what kind of mother does this?" Skystar asked with tears while she felt her guilt overtake her, she hugged her son close as well and tried to process what she's done. "It's okay mom, we'll all help you.. I promise.." Spike assured as she saw Twilight and the others come out of the tree, they all looked worried for her, and she didn't know what to do. "Son.. I'm so sorry for this.. I was too focused on getting you back.. I didn't know what else to do when I found out you were taken by.. them.." Skystar said while she looked at the ponies in front of her, and they all felt sad hearing that from her. "We all know it was because you care for me mom, I promise I'll explain what's happened to me, I should've told you the truth from the beginning.." Spike said regretfully while Nathen came up to them too. "It's okay kid, we're all here now, I think it's best we all try and focus on what's important, there's a lot we need to do here." Nathen assured as well while he hugged Skystar too who was still crying a bit. "It's best we all try to, mom, Nathen, let's all take a moment here, okay?" Spike asked while Skystar looked around the village with regret, this was just like how she lost her son the first time, she almost destroyed her home from rage, and it's happened a second time now, and she hoped there was a way to make up for all of this. "Okay son.. I.. I really need this moment.." Skystar said regretfully while she tried processing what's happened, while they were able to calm Skystar and Nathen down finally, they had one more thing to do, and hoped she could understand what's really happened. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this! We're almost finished with the story here and I think I've done a good job with it, I know I didn't show off many of Skystar's ability's that she said she knew over the story, but I feel like I can show more of it in a sequel story when I make one, I wanted to have things be more emotional in this chapter, and I hope that even with the fight that happened, Spike helping his mom was able to help with it, I hope you all don't mind this little change and just hope you had fun with it. Thank you for reading this chapter and have a great day guys!
10: The ChoiceAfter Spike had managed to calm down Skystar after she fell into a Primal Rage, Spike and the others brought her and Nathen back to Twilight's tree to talk things out, the village was still damaged after the battle that happened, but the pony's who lived here were finally coming back after being told everything's alright now, and they were looking to rebuild the place after what's happened. Skystar felt so much regret for what happened, she only wanted her son back, but she didn't think of the innocent people who would get hurt once her rage took her over, it was just like what happened back at her own home, and she felt awful for what's happened, even with her sons assurance, she doesn't know if this can be brushed aside after all of this. Celestia and Luna were hurt from the battle that happened, but they were able to heal themselves a bit after all had calmed down, Skystar and Nathen were tough to take on together, but it showed the two princesses how capable they are, and could protect Spike when he needs it. But soon enough, Spike and the others gathered around to talk about what's happened, they had a lot to explain to them both, from Spike being raised by ponies, to how he ended up with them in the first place, and trying to make things up with his mom and Nathen, they both looked regretful for what they've done, and the mane 6 were worried on where to start too, but Spike was the first one to step up again, and he got ready to explain to them what's happened. "So, I know there's a lot we need to talk about, I'm sure we all need to start small here right?" Spike asked looking at everyone who nodded in response. "Yes, I think that's the best option son, we'd all best start with answering eachother's questions." Skystar said calmly while looking at them all. "It's a good start, so it's best we start from the beginning, it's.. time I told you the truth mom, about how I know everyone here.." Spike said regretful that he had to keep this from her for so long. "I'm ready for it son, please tell us what's happened." Skystar said as she waited for an explanation. Spike sighed one more time before he began explaining everything to them. "The truth is mom, I was never alone before I met you at the Migration, I was.. raised by Twilight and her family, she and her friends here have taken care of me for a while, I was just.. so afraid to tell you all of this knowing you hate the ponies, but.. I should've told the truth from the beginning, I'm sorry I lied to you like this mom.." Spike said regretfully while she was sad to hear that too. "No.. son.. I understand why, you were just looking out for your friends.. I may have done worse harm to them if I knew.. it's my fault I put that pressure on you, I'm.. sorry son.." Skystar said regretfully as well. "It was both our faults, but it's.. best we all know the truth now, and now that you know, I just hope you won't go berserk like that again, I was a little unsure if I could calm you down, but I'm glad I was able to.." Spike said with relief while everyone stayed silent. Nathen had some questions himself, if Spike's egg was kidnapped by ponies, then how did he end up here exactly? "I have a question I'd like to ask, Skystar said you were taken from her by other ponies when you were an egg, yet you were raised perfectly fine and well here, but how was that possible?" Nathen asked which was an important question, and Celestia knew the answer a bit. "I believe I can explain that." Celestia said as she walked up to them both, she reflected on where she found Spike's egg and what she saw there, and tried explaining it the best she could. "The day I found Spike's egg, it was alone and abandoned in the woods, there was no one with it, I thought it was lost, I never thought it could've been stolen, but I had a strange feeling Spike's egg wasn't there for something simple.." Celestia explained while Skystar listened closely. " I searched for any signs of a mother or father that could be searching for it, but after hours of looking, I found one thing that could only hint at what happened.." Celestia said as she remembered what may have had Spike's egg been there in the first place. "What is it? Did you happen to find the very thieves who took it?" Skystar asked while getting a little upset at the thought of them. "I.. think I did, but what I saw was a scary sight, I only found the remains of what looked like a carriage that carried Spike's egg that went through the Everfree Forest, the thing looked like it was destroyed in an attack, and right besides it.. it.. looked like the remains of pony's who were attacked by Timberwolves, or something.. much worse.." Celestia said regretfully which made them all gasp in shock. "Wait, so.. the ponies who stole me.. they were.. dead when you found them?" Spike asked shocked to hear that reveal. "They were, I didn't know why they had an egg with them when they went through the forest, but if the reason really was because they.. stole you, then I think this was a form of.. cruel justice that came to them." Celestia answered while Skystar felt a bit glad knowing they got what was coming to them. "At least that means they couldn't steal anything else and cause more harm.." Skystar said a bit relieved to know that she didn't hire them or anything. "But, that still doesn't answer another thing, they were supposedly working for someone right? Who hired them to steal that egg?" Rainbow Dash asked suspicious of who it was. "I don't know, stealing Dragon eggs is a huge crime, whoever hired them must've offered a big reward if it was brought to him, or her, but who it was, we do not know.." Luna said sadly while everyone tried processing this answer, but Skystar had something else to ask that she was curious about as well. "But, Celestia, if you knew this dragon egg was alone, why didn't you return it to the Dragon Lands where it could be properly hatched?" Skystar asked not knowing why that was. "It was because I needed the egg for a little project I assigned Twilight, I was hoping she could find a way to hatch Spike's egg with her magic, it was a way to see how she could raise one, I know that may not be good enough for you, but I wanted my student to see what she could do when having someone to take care of." Celestia answered while she turned to Twilight. Twilight looked at Skystar who was surprised hearing that from her, and she tried to help more with this too. "Hatching Spike was one of the best things I've done Skystar, he was the best brother I could have with my family, I took care of him ever since I hatched him, he was always really helpful, cute, and an amazing person to have with me. I'm sorry this all happened to you Skystar, but.. I hope now that you know this, it helps you understand why we raised him with us.." Twilight said hopefully, Skystar looked at everyone and saw how much these ponies meant to him, they were the family he had when she wasn't there for him, even though she wanted him back so bad, he may have been happier without her here, but now that she knows everything, she felt better knowing he was really safe with them. Skystar smiled a bit knowing the truth, she was just glad her son was happy during the time he lived with them, they took care of him in ways she only wished she could've, and couldn't be more grateful for it. "If this is really true.. then I'm glad to know he was taken care of when I couldn't, I'm sorry for freaking out like this.. If I had kept myself calm and tried being more civilized about this.. this fight could've been avoided.." Skystar said regretfully while she looked around the village, there were ponies rebuilding the place already after the fight they had, it may take a while, but it looked like it would be repaired in a month or so. "Thanks Skystar, but I should be apologizing too, you were just worried if your son was gonna be hurt or not, and you only wanted him back, with your experience with our kind in the past, it made sense, but I hope that this means you can forgive us for what's happened, and we can move on from it." Twilight said hoping she would, and she took a deep breath hearing that. " I think I'm willing to move on, whoever stole my egg was far different from you all, I can tell that already. You all were there for my son when he needed it, and I thank all of you for that." Skystar said gratefully which they all smiled at. "Your son always helped us when he could Skystar, you can count on that." Pinkie said with a wide smile while everyone chuckled a bit. "Even with the silly things he did, he's still Spike, a great friend we'll always have fun with." Rarity said proudly which Spike smiled at from hearing, everyone had a relieved look since they know things are all good now. "Even with the short time I've known you Spike, I can tell how much you care for everyone here, that's something to be proud of little one." Nathen said proudly looking at him too. Skystar looked around the place and saw how much this meant to him, he was raised around ponies, they were the ones who made him the kind and caring dragon he is today, he had so much that made him who he is, no matter what happened, he was always the kind and caring child he's known as, but that then had Skystar's mind question one thing, even with all of this resolved, he had to choose something that she knows would be a lot for him, but it's a choice that will shape him to who he wants to be. "Son, there's something I need to ask you. Something important." Skystar said as she looked down at him again. "What would that be mom?" Spike asked a bit worried hearing this, Skystar calmly went up to him and prepared to ask him a life changing question, it was something she needed to ask, and she couldn't keep it away, and they were all sure they knew what it was. "Son, while I'm glad you had a family to raise you here, make you who you are today, there's one thing we need to know. That question is.. who are you going to stay with? I may be your mother, but I know you have a family of your own here, they've done so much for you, while I've only started raising you again, while I want to raise you and be a mother again, I want to know what your thoughts are, do you wish to come home with me and Nathen, be raised like a dragon? Or do you wish to remain here and be with your friends?" Skystar asked while she looked at the Mane 6 and princesses, they were all shocked that she asked that, but it was a question that was really important, and it needed to be asked. Spike was surprised being asked that, and had a nervous look again since he and Twilight discussed this earlier. "Do.. I really have to choose? You can't just stay here with us? I'm sure there's plenty of places around here you could live in?" Spike asked nervously while looking around the place. "I'm.. still not comfortable enough to live with the ponies, even after our issues here are resolved, my past experiences with them, it makes me more unsure if I can live by their side." Skystar said regretfully which everyone could understand. "It's alright Skystar, even if he doesn't choose, know that I'll be with you too." Nathen assured which made her feel better a bit, but they all turned they're attention back to Spike who was nervous on what to do. "I.. I don't know who to choose, you went through so much without me mom, I don't want you to continue feeling more of it without me, and on the other side.. I don't know if I can just leave my friends like this, what if they need me? Or get hurt? What if there's a major threat that hurts you all?" Spike asked worried for them all. They all had a calm look being asked that, and Twilight went up to him to calm him down a bit. "Spike, we know it's sudden to be asked this for you, but I promise you, we'll be fine, we've handled big threats like Nightmare Moon before, I'm sure that we'll be fine too, and plus, I think if you go with your mom, she can help you learn to become a stronger dragon too, she can teach you those cool spells she learns that will help you fight. You always have been family to us Spike, but it's important you choose, who you want to be." Twilight assured while smiling softly. "You.. you really mean that Twilight?" Spike asked a bit unsure still. "Of course, your still family, no matter what." Twilight assured once more while Spike looked at everyone. All these people meant so much to him, Twilight and her friends had always been able to do wacky stuff when it happens, but when things get serious they always have eachother, and for his mom and Nathen, while they are strong together, Spike himself wasn't able to do much when crazy stuff like this happens, if there's a bigger threat that eventually comes, Spike will need to know more then he does, Twilight's taught him many things that made him a smarter dragon then most others, but on the physical side, he needs work. He saw there's no wrong choice with either answer, and while he wants to stay with his friends, if a big threat comes, he wants to be at their side, and help them when it matters. After some heavy thinking, Spike took a deep breath and finally gave his answer. "I.. think I'm wanting to stay with my mom and Nathen, I don't want you all to get hurt if a strong threat comes, I wanna be able to help you all out, and help show how much of a person I am on my own. My mom's been through so much without me, and I don't want her to be alone anymore." Spike answered honestly, this made Skystar smile lovingly and she scooped him in her claws once again, and nuzzled him all over like the first time they met. "Thank you, thank you so much my Flamestar!" Skystar said with tears as she held him close. "Flamestar?" Fluttershy asked curious on what that name meant. "It's his birth name, she was gonna give him that when he hatched, he's fine with being called either one, but Flamestar is a great name for him." Nathen said proudly as the mother and son hugged eachother closely. "That is a beautiful name.." Luna said with a tear coming from her eye as they watched them smile at eachother. Spike and Skystar kept hugging eachother for a few more moments until she finally let go of him, and put him back down so he could get ready. "So, I guess this means I gotta start packing my stuff up huh?" Spike asked a bit sad to know he's gonna be leaving them. "We'll leave by morning son, it's best we all take in some time to say our goodbyes." Skystar suggested which was a good idea. "Yeah, I like that idea, come on Spike, we'll get everything ready." Twilight asked while she went to the tree ahead of them. "Sure thing Twilight, let's all get ready guys, it's gonna be bit till it's all packed.." Spike said with a small smile while he followed her in. "I'll go help the other people around the village, it's best we make up for the damage we caused." Nathen said while he went to help repair some of the damage. "It's what he wants, so it's best we get ready too, come on girls, let's take some time to get ready." Applejack said while she and the other mane 6 went to do their own thing too. Skystar sighed at the sight of all of them leaving, but she was glad to know everyone is alright with this. After that important talk, everypony went to get ready to say their goodbye's to their friend, they all needed time to process this before he leaves tomorrow, Pinkie went back to the bakery to make some extra treats for him and his mother, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy needed to help the other ponies rebuild the village after it took such damage, and Rarity went to her own home to think about it too. It was a tough moment for all of them right now, but it will be alright in the future. Skystar had still felt guilty about the damage she caused to the place, it reminded her of what happened so much back when she lost her son the first time, it makes her worried if this sort of thing happens again, she mainly stayed outside Twilight's tree and rested near the entrance for tonight, she just preferred seeing the night sky, but she couldn't sleep over the feelings of guilt that she had right now. "Should I really be taking him with me? What if this only puts him in more danger? He's still very young.. and he needs to wait a bit longer for proper training, there's so much I need to do, but.. can I do it even after all of this?" Skystar asked herself while she looked at the moon, it was high in the night sky by now, and it's light shone over the village, it helped her feel more peaceful looking at it, even if Nightmare Moon was banished there for a thousand years. She kept thinking about all this to herself a bit more till she heard the door open a bit, she looked to her side and she saw Twilight was checking on her, she looked a bit nervous coming up to her, but she was also worried for her since she's not asleep yet. "You doing alright out here Skystar?" Twilight asked hopefully while she sat next to her, Skystar sighed again and looked back out at the sky again. "I'm alright, I'm just keeping watch for any threats, how about you? Is my son alright?" Skystar asked wondering how he's doing. "He's sound asleep, we packed up the rest of his stuff and it's all ready for tomorrow, or.. later today since it's midnight." Twilight said nervously which made them chuckle a bit while looking a bit awkward, Skystar didn't know what to say right now, and one of them had to speak up first. "So.. how are things going for you? You have any plans for when you bring Spike back to your home?" Twilight asked wondering what she's gonna do to raise him. "I.. have some plans I need to do, I'm gonna start looking for a school for him to go to, while he might be homeschooled for a bit to make up for our lost time together, he's gonna need his education on our kind. After that, Nathen had a talk with me about potentially moving in, I really like that idea, he'll be able to support Spike when I'm out, and he'll always have someone with him.." Skystar explained while thinking it all over. "That sounds really great, I've always wanted to learn more about your kind, hopefully Spike will be able to tell me what he's learned one day." Twilight replied while looking a bit eager, and Skystar chuckled a bit hearing that. "You've done so much for my son, the least I can do is help you learn more about our kind, I know from the looks of it, our kind seems like big brutes who horde stuff to themselves, but when you look deeper into our history, there's far more to us then meets the eye.." Skystar said a bit proudly while she formed more fire in her hands again, and Twilight was amazed with her ability to control fire. "Yeah, you all seem to know more then we do at points, how did you learn to control fire anyway?" Twilight asked curiously while she put it out again. "It was a special book I found at an ancient temple, far off from the main lands, there's something more to that place I can tell, though, if your hoping to learn some of these yourself, I'm afraid only us dragons can, and I do plan to teach Spike some of them when he gets his wings, his fire will be strong enough for him to use by then." Skystar explained which fascinated her more. "Wow, that.. sounds like a lot.. I'm glad to know he'll have his mother besides him, to keep him safe during all that.." Twilight said with a small smile, Skystar only smiled a bit hearing that and looked away a bit. "Yeah.. to keep him safe..." Skystar said while sounding a bit sad, and that finally let Twilight catch on what she's thinking. "Skystar, what's really wrong? I know it's something else.. are you worried about what may happen when Spike comes to live with you?" Twilight asked while she put the pieces together herself. "Yes.. I don't know if I can properly handle things after losing him twice, while I know you were all protecting him.. if something like this happens again, I may completely go crazy again, I don't wanna hurt him.. he's the one thing I had from my former mate Emerald, he would be so proud to see what Spike's become today.." Skystar said with a small tear while thinking of him. "He sounds like a great father, just like how you'll be a great mother, I know raising a child isn't easy, I was practically his mother for some time, while he always did silly things, it made us laugh together, spend time as a family, and truly grow closer, he's more then just a number one assistant to me, and if he really wants to leave with you, and become his own person, it'll only make me more proud of him." Twilight said as she looked back in her home and remembered the nights she and Spike spent together here. "You really think I'll be able to take care of him? Look at what I did to this place Twilight, what if I'm too dangerous for him? What if it's really best if he stays with you?" Skystar asked while she looked over the village again, Twilight saw she was unsure if she was safe for Spike, but if Spike saw he would be safe with her, she needs to see it too. "Skystar, while you did cause a lot of damage to the place, we all know it was out of your love for your son, we've faced bigger threats like this before honestly, and if you think your too dangerous, your overthinking things. This strength of yours will help you keep him safe, like any mother should for her child, no matter what happened here, we all will be able to move on from it, I know you can too, your a good person Skystar, and a caring mother, we all know you are,." Twilight assured while patting her shoulder, Skystar felt a bit better hearing that again, and felt more relieved knowing he could be safe with her. "Thank you Twilight, not just for this assurance, but for everything, you made my son who he is today, and I only hope I can raise him just as great as you have.." Skystar said gratefully which Twilight smiled at once again. "Your welcome Skystar, I know you will, you sleep tight now alright? I'll see you in a bit, just do me one thing, take care of him when he goes with you, I just want him to live the best life he can have.." Twilight asked while they looked at the night sky together. "I promise you I'll keep him safe.. no matter what..." Skystar promised with a confident look, they gave eachother a small hug to help assure one another, and after that, they simply waited for the morning to come, so they could all say they're goodbyes for now. The sun had risen not too long after they woke up, they slept the rest of the night away peacefully and knew what today was, after waking up, Spike packed the rest of the stuff he had here, from any comics he had, to important math or history books, and any small toys he had with him, he felt sad knowing he's gonna be leaving his friends today, but it won't be forever, he'll be able to see them again, and hopefully he'll be a stronger drake like his mom and Nathen. And so, after all was gathered, Spike and Twilight met up with the others, and went to the entrance of the village where Skystar and Nathen were waiting for them, they had anything Spike packed up strapped up for travels, and were about to leave. "Do you really wanna go Spike? There's still more time for you to stay if you want?" Rarity asked while she had tears in her eyes, seeing him go was hard, and there was very little she could do right now. "I'm sure Rarity, my mom and I have a lot of time to make up together, and with Nathen here, I'm only more excited to see what's to come." Spike said softly while everyone came up to give him a hug. "You can come back anytime you'd like Spike, we're always here for you." Applejack assured with tears of her own. "You are the cutest dragon I've ever met Spike, and no one will make me change my mind.." Fluttershy said sad that he has to leave as well. "It's awesome being friends with a dragon, I hope when you get wings, we'll go out on races when we can." Rainbow Dash said hopefully which made him chuckle a bit. "I'd love that, it sounds really fun." Spike said while thinking about how awesome that would be. "Don't forget to come here whenever it's your birthday, same with your mom and Nathen, I'll throw the best parties you'll ever have!" Pinkie said in a happy voice while also crying a bit too. "Thank you, all of you, I'm so glad I got to be friends with you all, I only hope you take care of Twilight for me too." Spike said hopefully while they separated from eachother. "We will Spike, you just have fun with your mom alright?" Applejack asked while she rubbed his head a bit. "You can count on me for that AJ, you all can for that." Spike said with a chuckle as he looked over his friends, and smiled seeing the friends he's been with for a while. Twilight came up to give him one last hug before he leaves, he held her close and they cried while holding as long as they could. "Be safe out there Spike, know I'll be there for you in an instant whenever you need it, just send me a letter, and we'll all be there for you." Twilight said with tears as things really are changing today. "I promise you I will, same goes for you, if any threat shows up again, let us know, my mom and Nathen will help in anyway we can, and when I'm strong enough, I'll fight besides you too." Spike assured as they finally separated again. "I will Spike, just have fun out there, I love you Spike, don't you ever forget that." Twilight said as Celestia and Luna came up to him too. "Your a strong dragon Spike, I hope that when you grow up, you'll be happy with whoever you choose to be." Celestia said sadly as Spike was making his way back to his mom and Nathen. "It was nice knowing you for the time I did Spike, I'll always look over your dreams to keep you and everypony else here safe, take care little one." Luna said with a tear coming down her face which made Spike more sad hearing this from them. "Thank you so much, all of you, you are the best family I could ever have, I'll never forget that." Spike said gratefully while his mother picked him up once again. "I promise I'll take good care of him, know that I am sorry for the damage I've caused, and I promise I'll make it up by being the best mother I can, I'll make sure we visit every once in a while, but until then, I hope all of you stay safe." Skystar said hopefully as she put Spike on her back. "We'll always be there for you when you need it, I hope we all can spend time together in the future, you all seem really fun, and I'd like to see what else there is to this place, I'll take care of Spike too, I promise." Nathen assured as they finally spread they're wings and got ready to go. "I just hope you all have a great life, take care of eachother, and we will too." Twilight said while they all were crying at the sight of them leaving. "We will Twilight, see you soon.." Spike said with tears of his own as he waved goodbye, everypony else waved goodbye too as Skystar and Nathen both finally took off into the skies, and began heading back to their home. "You think he'll be okay without us Twilight?" Rarity asked while she cried heavily while still waving goodbye. "I know he will, he'll always have us, we'll see him soon, I hope he has a great time with them.." Twilight said with a smile as they all saw them leave together. Spike had tears coming from down a lot as he saw Ponyville fade away the further they got from it, it was sad he's gonna be leaving, but he knows he'll see it again soon, and he'll have more then he had before now. "Son, are you alright?" Skystar asked a bit concerned for him. "I know it's hard that we have to leave, but we can turn back if you want?" Nathen asked while looking back too. "I'm fine guys, I'm just glad this all turned out well, and whatever comes next, with you two with me, we can really be the family we all need for eachother.." Spike said as he turned back forward, and saw the sun rising over the horizon. "We will kid, we'll be a great family together, count on that." Nathen assured while giving a thumbs up. "Things will only get better from here my Flamestar, know that whatever comes next, I'll be by your side, we both will." Skystar said with a smile while she kept flying calmly, and Spike smiled proudly while wiping away one of his tears as they kept going. "Thank you Nathen, mom. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us all.." Spike said with a smile as they all flew back home, Spike was so glad everything turned out well in the end, and hoped whatever comes next, will only be greater for them all.. Author's Note Hey guys thanks for reading this story! The rewrite of this story is finally done, I'm so glad so many of you liked what I did for this story, I know it's not perfect and has flaws to it that I apologize to those who don't like it, but I wanted to try and expand upon my first story, and help show how far I've come as a writer, I'm not even a year into this writing thing, but I feel like I improve upon each story I make, and I'm so proud to see them finished, and I'm glad so many people like it. I hope you all liked what I did here, while there are some things that the other had that may be better, I just hoped that anything I added here helped move the story along better, I do plan to make a sequel story that will tie up any lose ends and expand upon Nathen and Skystar's characters, but for now, I hope this story was great for you all since it has Spike meet his mother, I plan on making a few more stories where he meets his mother, and I hope there will be more story's like this too, I still wish Spike got a major character arc where he found his parents, he had so much potential as a character, I just hope that whatever I do with him in my future story's is something you'll all look forward to! Thank you so much for reading this story and have a great day guys!
