A Friendly Dragon

‘…Where… where am I?... The last thing I remember I was crossing a river to get away before the girls saw me, then I-,‘ Spike’s head throbbed with pain as he laid on the shore he’d washed up on.

‘at least they didn’t find me.’

“Hello, hatchling. Are you okay?” A booming but feminine voice startled Spike, who whipped around to see a massive yellow dragoness looking down at him.

“GAAH!”

‘Well, you finally get free from Twilight’s hoof and you get eaten by a dragon. Yeah, this might as well be how it ends. Told you it was dangerous here.’

Spike cowered in fear before the massive predator. “Ma’am, please! Don’t hurt me, I’m just trying to find a new home!”

The dragoness recoiled a bit at the panicked pleading. “Hurt you?!” She leaned down slowly, trying to get eye-level with the whelp.

“Why would I hurt you? You look like you’re only a year or two younger than my own baby girl. Three at the most,” Her large eye shone with concern. “And what do you mean a ‘new home’? Where are your mom and dad? Aren’t you staying with them?”

‘Wow, going for the low blow without even realizing it.’

Spike looked down as he felt his eyes water at the questions. “I don’t have a mom or dad… I thought I…,” Spike trailed off as he felt a lump form in his throat. “I thought I had a mom… but then she had a baby- hic- a r-real baby, and things got worse-”

He recalled serving drinks when Skylight was born.

“-and worse-“

How Twilight’s family gave Skylight presents they never got for him.

“-and worse-“

How no one noticed that they were leaving him behind.

“-and worse and worse and worse!”

Spike collapsed with his hands over his eyes as he sobbed in front of the strange dragoness.

Spike didn’t register the way the dragoness’s shadow fell upon him, or the hot breath on his scales.

But he did notice the gentle rubbing of something warm and smooth against his head frill. Spike had been nuzzled before by quite a few ponies. As such he had come to associate the feeling with soft fur, making this experience very alien.

But not unwelcome.

The dragoness said nothing. Rather, an odd rumbling came from her chest that reminded Spike of a cat purring. It carried not through the air but the ground and Spike’s own flesh where her snout met his head.

To his own surprise, the rumbling instilled in him a sense of calm. Instincts that he never knew he had told him that he was safe here.

Slowly, his tears dried up and his breathing began to even out.

‘What… what was that…?’

“Do you feel better, little one?”

Spike looked up slowly, his frill eliciting a small giggle from the much larger female.

“*sniff*- I think so…”

The dragoness gave him a maternal look as she lowered her head back down to look him in the eye.

“Good. Now, what do you mean your mom had a ‘real baby’? I know that newborns need more attention than most kids so they take most of their parents’ attention, but that’s an odd way to put it.”

“I was hatched by a unicorn mare as part of a test,” The dragoness’s eyes widened at that tidbit. “I always saw her as my mother, but then she got pregnant and had a foal.”

Spike scowled as he recalled Skylight.

“Her family got gifts for him that they never got me, I had to take care of him all night while his mother slept, and then… when both of us got hurt-,” Spike’s eyes scrunched up as tears welled up once again.

“Look,” he grit out through clenched teeth,” I realized that I was just a servant kept around to do chores, not a member of the family. I decided enough was enough and left. I just want a new home and to actually live my life.”

“That’s… awful,” the dragoness said softly after a long pause. What more could she say. “But why are you in the Everfree? This place is a death trap for a whelp your size.”

“I know it is, that’s why I thought it was a good direction to escape in. Hey, don’t give me that look, I didn’t encounter any predators, I know what I’m doing.”

The dragoness looked thoughtful at that. Her tail circled around quietly, blocking Spike in a circle. “Young one, there isn’t anything but more forest and predators for miles around. If you continue, you’ll be eaten for sure. How about I bring you back with me?”

“Back where?”

“To the dragon lands.”

Spike cringed at the mention of living with other dragons.

‘Yeah, you tried living with other dragons before. Didn’t work out too well.’

Spike rubbed the back of his head and avoided the dragoness’s gaze. “Look, Ms…?”

“Caldera Ironscale. Mrs. Caldera Ironscale. What’s your name, little one?”

“I’m Spike. Mrs. Ironscale, I tried to get along with other dragons one time, during the migration. It didn’t work out that well. They made fun of me for being smaller and weaker than them and I kept losing all the games like King of the Hoard and tail wrestling.”

Caldera looked puzzled at that.

“Those don’t sound like baby dragon games; they sound like something much older dragons would play with each other. Were they bigger than ponies?”

Spike looked down in thought. “Yeah, I was only as tall as their legs.”

Caldera’s eyes softened further and she gently nuzzled Spike once more. “Well of course you didn’t get along too well. Teenage dragons don’t tend to like hanging out with those much younger than them. Have you ever even met another dragon your age and size?”

“…No…”

“Well, would you like to?”

Spike curled up on himself as he continued to think.

‘You might as well try. You’ll die out here.’

Spike balled his claws into fists and looked Caldera in the eye.

“I would like that very much, ma’am.”

Caldera smiled as she gently picked up Spike. “I’m so happy you agree. I don’t think I could live with myself if I left you on your lonesome,” Her smile widened even further. “I’ll introduce you to my daughter when we get there. Her name’s Smolder. She's a bit cold like most dragons her age, but I'm sure you'll get along great soon.”

Author's Note

I DM'd Synthetic Soul if I could write this. He just wanted me to clarify this is a fanwork.

This is an AU where Twilight and the other didn't find Spike.

Caldera is an OC created by QueenCold - Hobbyist, Digital Artist | DeviantArt