Draconian Prince

by OmniXN

Rating: teen
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance
Length: 11798

10 years after Twilight's coronation, Spike journeys to Draconia in search of his lost past. Spike will have to fight fierce monsters, learn powerful magic, take part in an epic war, and worst of all... escape love-crazed Draconian girls!

10 years after Twilight's coronation, Spike journeys to Draconia in search of his lost past. Spike will have to fight fierce monsters, learn powerful magic, take part in an epic war, and worst of all… escape love-crazed Draconian girls!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-31 05:21:28 UTC

Prologue

-1000 years ago-

Within the great archives of Canterlot's palace sat a lone alicorn. Stacks of books as high the shelves were piled around her. A dim candle lit the room as the young alicorn added another book to a nearby stack with her magic as she floated over three more to take its place.

"When was the last time you had any sleep?" asked a voice from the doorway. "Last time I had checked, it was your sister that had inherited the nocturnal lifestyle.

Most ponies would not dare to speak to a princess so nonchalantly. Starswirl however was not like most ponies.

"Starswirl you hath arrived! We had requested for thy presence nearly 27 minutes and 44 seconds ago!" said Celestia. Her eyes were dry and bloodshot from weeks of study while her mane was wild and unkempt from negligence. "Never mind, what doth thou suggest? We hath studied every scroll in thy library and have yet to-"

Starswirl raised his right hoof and silenced her. "Celestia, you must calm down. It is obvious that you are agitated since you have changed your speech to that of the Olde Canterlot dialect."

Celestia blushed a bit. "We...I apologize. Old habits die hard I suppose. Especially when I am focused on something so intensely." Celestia turned back to her books, going over page after page of myths and lore. "It's just that I am so close, I can feel it!"

Starswirl trotted over to Celestia and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I understand your frustration. But if there is anything that I have learned over the years, it is that nopony can learn everything. Just when you think you know it all, something new shall emerge." He looked over all of the books that had been piled on top of each other. He had thought of the many hours that she had wasted all alone. "However, that may not apply to you. You have all the time in the world, a luxury that I do not have. Do not spend an eternity attempting to solve an impossible puzzle. Sometimes, the answer will reveal itself. All it takes is a little time."

"You're right as always, Starswirl," Celestia sighed as she started walking towards her chambers. "And I do have to wake up in time to raise the sun."

Although Starswirl knew how hard Celestia was studying, he had yet to have heard about what she was researching about. "What are you searching about in those dusty old books anyhow?" asked Starswirl.

"Oh nothing," Celestia replied as she casually trotted towards the archive doors. "I was just researching about the dragon egg that was left at the castle door."

"D-d-dragon egg! You found a dragon egg?! I must study it immediately!" Starswirl shut the doors on Celestia's face as he began fumbling around for writing materials. "I need to be alone! I need books!" Starswirl levitated stacks of books around him and furiously turned page after page of information.

"Starswirl! Starswirl, calm down!" Celestia yelled as she hoof-slapped Starswirl across his face. The books stopped levitating and fell to the floor all at the same time. "I've already read every book in this library and there is almost no information about dragons at all!"

Starswirl shook his head and regained his composure. "Oh. Yes, of course. Let me see the egg. I've learned quite a bit about dragons during my journey through their land."

Celestia nodded as she teleported them into a large, circular room with stain glass windows shining down upon them. in the center of the room sat a glass case, and within the magically reinforced glass lay a small, spotted, purple egg.

"Are you certain that this is a dragon egg?" asked Starswirl.

"Yes, the egg's magic is Draconian. It also came with a note written in the Draconian language," said Celestia. "Why? Is there something strange about the egg?"

Starswirl turned to face Celestia and spoke low and carefully. "This is no ordinary dragon egg. Not only are dragon eggs typically plain and white, but they are usually much bigger. However, there is no doubt that this egg is of draconic origin. “Before I say anything else, I need to know. What did the letter say?"

Celestia had never heard Starswirl talk in such a manner. He was usually very calm and lighthearted. But the moment he had laid his eyes on the egg, his attitude and expression darkened. "The note simply contained a single word. Magic. What do you think it means, Starswirl?"

"Heck if I know!" Starswirl laughed. "Magic...hmm." Starswirl waved his horn as magic trailed across his horn's path. His eyes glowed white as he began levitating off of the ground. Wind blew violently around Starswirl's dense, magical aura and the glass case shattered under the intense pressure. When Starswirl had stopped rising, he shot a beam of blinding light at the egg. Celestia had to shield her eyes for the light was bright to look at. When the light dimmed, Celestia turned her head and saw Starswirl lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Starswirl!" Celestia cried as she went to Starswirl's side to help him up.

"I'm fine, just fine," coughed Starswirl as he steadily rose. "I'm just not as young as I used to be is all. More importantly, how is the egg?"

Celestia turned around and gasped at the size of the crater where the glass case and the floor used to be. The egg however remained unharmed "What did you do Starswirl? What kind of spell did you cast?

"Oh that was no spell," laughed Starswirl. "I had just shot that egg with pure, concentrated, Arch-Mage level magic. And it's still in one piece!"

"Y-y-you..." Celestia stammered.

"Yeeees?"

"WHAT HATH THOU DONE!! THY MAGIC COULD HAVE DAMAGED IT!!" Celestia shouted in the royal Canterlot voice. "W-w-what would you have done if it was cracked, or damaged or..."

Starswirl promptly zipped Celestia's mouth shut with a spell as he rubbed his ears with his hooves. "Before you deteriorate my eardrums any further, let me ask. Did you ever attempt to hatch the egg as well?"

Celestia threw Starswirl a glare as she unzipped her mouth. "YES, I did. And like you, I had failed. Then again, I did not simply shoot the egg to oblivion."

"Will you give it a try?" Starswirl asked.

"NO. There's no point. My magic is not yet as powerful as yours."

"Well then, we have reached a dead end. I cannot hatch the egg and you cannot hatch the egg either. And we are the most powerful ponies in Equestria," Starswirl said.

"Then what should we do? Celestia asked. "The only thing that I could find out about the egg was that it was Draconian."

"And now you know that the egg can survive an atomic explosion! Hahahaha!" Starswirl clutched his sides as he laughed until he began coughing.

"Starswirl! Do not strain yourself," Celestia said as she patted him on the back to relieve his coughing.

Starswirl shrugged her off. "Bah, I'm not old just yet! I still have the energy of a full grown manticore! Just...let me catch my breath."

Celestia and Starswirl sat together in silence. Celestia glanced back at the egg at the bottom of the crater.

"So...what now? The egg is impenetrable, and we cannot study it any further," Celestia said. "I don't know what I'm going to do with it."

Starswirl pondered this for a minute. "Celestia, are you not opening a school for gifted unicorns?" asked Starswirl.

"Well, yes...but what does-"

Starswirl interrupted her. "This egg will not open for you, and it won't open for me. And if we can't open it, then we may as well use that to our advantage."

"Starswirl, what are you talking about?"

"I propose that we give those youngsters a test of my own. If they want to be accepted they have to hatch the egg, right in front of the teachers."

"Starswirl, that's not fair! Even I couldn't hatch it and I'm an alicorn! What chance do foals have?" Celestia asked as she stood up. I will NOT accept a test that is designed to make the children fail.

"But that's the beauty of it! We know that they will fail, but they won't. But what is important is what comes after. How will they react? What kind of ponies are they? By putting them through an impossible test, we will be able to see how those youngsters tick!"

"But what about the egg itself? It needs to be tested!"

"What better way to test the egg than with the imaginative minds of children? They have more unique ideas in one day than you and I can count. It's perfect!" said Starswirl.

The more Celestia thought about it, the more it made sense. Starswirl had obviously thought this through. "Alright Starswirl, you win. I will accept your proposal and make this a standard test for new students. But only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to cast spell number 25 on you again. And you don’t get to shave it off until the egg is hatched!" Celestia said with a smirk.

"Deal," Starswirl said with a smile.

Chapter 1 - ...What?

10 years after Twilight's coronation-Dear Princess Celestia,

A lot has happened in the past 10 years. Twilight became a princess, Applejack founded the Apple Family Corporation, Rainbow Dash became the captain of the Wonderbolts (everyone knew it would happen anyway), Rarity rose to stardom as both a world class designer and model, Fluttershy settled down with Big Mac and opened a new animal clinic, and Pinkie Pie took over Sugarcube Corner. The Crusaders even found their cutie marks!

Everyone we know has grown so much... everyone except me...

Spike looked up from the scroll and stared at the mirror in his room. His limbs had grown significantly longer and he was now 8 feet tall when standing on two legs. His tail and spines grew longer and sharper with each passing day. But the biggest change in Spike was his enormous wings. His wingspan was easily as wide as Princess Celestia's. Yet... he was still the same old Spike. Spike turned back toward the scroll and continued to write.

I'm bigger now. I'm older, stronger, and even grew wings, but I haven't changed at all. I mean, I don't know anything about myself! What are dragons capable of? What do dragons do at my age? And... where are my parents?

Spike took on last look at the letter, crumpled it up, and threw it into the ever growing pile of failed attempts. "AAARGH! It just doesn't sound right! How do I ask this without making it sound so awkward?"

Spike had been thinking more and more about his family ever since he had moved back to Canterlot with Twilight. He was hatched from an egg and was raised by Twilight, but where did the egg come from? He needed answers soon or he was going to go insane.

Twilight and Celestia would be back from Neighsia any minute now, and Spike had promised himself that he would ask Celestia the next chance he got. *ruuumble* But right now, his stomach was making the rumblies... that only breakfast could satisfy.

Spike went out the door and walked over to the kitchen, where his breakfast was waiting for him. “Mmmm, sapphire pancakes with emerald syrup, my favorite!” Spike tied a napkin around his neck, threw his fork and spoon behind him, and ate the pancakes whole.

The doors to the kitchen opened up to reveal a familiar lavender alicorn with Celestia standing beside her. “Glad to see that your appetite hasn't changed,” Twilight giggled.

Spike recognized the voice instantly. He quickly flew out of his chair and tackled them to the ground. "Hey Twilight! Princess Celestia! Welcome back!" Spike said as he gave them both a powerful hug.

"Nice to... be back... Spike," Celestia said as she struggled for breath.

"Spike! Can't breathe!" Twilight said as her face began to change into an impressive shade of red.

"Oh, sorry," Spike said sheepishly as he released them. "Now that I'm not so small anymore, I don't know my own strength."

Spike was amazed at how much more Twilight looked like Celestia with each passing day. She had grown to be a bit taller than Cadence, and her ethereal mane had begun to sparkle and flow in the celestial winds.

Twilight was fascinated with Spike's growth as well. "Spike, you've gotten even bigger! You must be at least 8.67 inches taller than last month." Twilight circled Spike, lifting his tail, spreading his wings, and measuring his spines. As Twilight was taking notes on Spike's growth, he was mentally building up the courage to ask his question to Celestia.

"Uhh, Princess Celestia? I have something to ask you," Spike said as he looked down at his feet.

"What is it, Spike?" Celestia asked with a smile.

"Well, I'm not sure how to ask this." Spike said as he shifted uncomfortably. C'mon Spike, you can do this. He looked up, took a deep breathe, and asked, "where did I come from?"

At that moment, it seemed to Spike that the temperature had dropped a few degrees. Celestia's happy demeanor was quickly replaced with a look of sadness. Twilight stopped calculating the amount of lift that Spike’s wings could generate to look up at Celestia. They all stood silently for what seemed like an eternity and the tension was killing him. Finally, Celestia broke the silence.

"Let's talk about this somewhere private," Celestia sighed as she opened the doors. Celestia started trotting towards the throne room as Spike and Twilight walked beside her in silence.

When they walked inside, Celestia closed the double doors. The brilliant multicolored lights from the stain glass windows lit up the room. Each window represented an important chapter of Equestria's history, and Celestia had the feeling that today's events would warrant a new window.

Celestia turned around to face them and sighed. The time has come. Celestia knew this day would arrive, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a good way to explain herself. “Spike, it has been over 1000 years since I had received your egg. Well, found is the better term…”

“Found? What do you mean you found me? Dragons don’t just leave eggs lying around,” Spike said.

Well, I'll just give it to him straight. "Spike, your egg was left at the castle gates in a basket.”

Spike was crushed. “W-what do you mean it was left in a basket?" This doesn't make any sense. Dragon's are extremely protective of their children. My parents wouldn't just leave me! But if they did... "Does this mean…”

“Yes, I don't know where you came from.”

Spike simply stood there for a while. The gears in his head were turning, trying to comprehend what he had just heard as Twilight waved a hoof in front of his frozen face.

"Princess, I don't understand. What do you mean you don't know where he came from?" Twilight asked. "I mean, didn't everypony in your 'School for Gifted Unicorns' have to pass the entrance exam?" Twilight remembered the day she hatched Spike's egg like it was only yesterday. She was so happy when Celestia accepted Twilight as her protégé. In fact, she was so excited that she forgotten to ask. "Where did you get all of those dragon eggs?"

"Twilight, there was only one dragon egg, and it was Spike's. If everypony in the school had to hatch a dragon egg, there would be hundreds of baby dragons walking around in Canterlot." Celestia said.

"But that doesn't make any sense! If nopony passed the test, then how were there so many students?"

Celestia smiled. "It wasn't passing the test that was important."

Twilight quickly caught on. "You mean... It was meant to make us fail?"

"Well, yes and no. I was hoping that the egg would be hatched whenever somepony took the test, but they would have been accepted into the school regardless." Celestia looked at Spike as she continued. "Even Starswirl and I had attempted to hatch Spike's egg and failed. But Starswirl had thought of using the students to crack Spike's impervious shell. We even had a little wager on it," Celestia giggled.

"What was the wager?"

"I got to cast the instant-beard spell on Starswirl and he couldn't shave it off until Spike was hatched." Celestia started laughing painfully, tears trickled down as she continued. "He had made it a point to always keep his word. And since then, he was known as 'Starswirl the bearded'. Oh, I miss him so much."

Twilight nuzzled Celestia's neck to comfort her. It was obvious that Celestia was still not over Starswirl’s disappearance, but Spike still needed his answer. "Princess, what does this mean for Spike?"

Celestia wiped her tears. "It means that Spike will not find the answers to his questions here. There are very few ponies that know much about dragons. And even fewer that know dragons personally. If Spike wishes to find out about his family and his origins, then he will have to travel to Draconia to find them."

Spike was still soaking in the information from their conversation. It wasn't that it was difficult to comprehend; it was just that Spike got way more than he bargained for. If Spike heard her right, Spike was dropped off and abandoned at Celestia's doorstep, and he would have to travel through the lands of terrifying, fire breathing, 100 times his size, dragons to find out whether his family was alive or not. So while Spike had a million more questions to ask, he had just enough brainpower left to ask one more.

"...What?"

Chapter 2 - The Journey of a Thousand Miles...

Spike burst open the doors and ran out as Twilight chased after him. “Spike, wait! Let’s just calm down and think about this rationally!” Twilight had to jog alongside him in order to keep up. “Spike, please don’t be upset. I know you’re angry and confused but-“

“What’s there to be confused about?” Spike snapped back. “I was abandoned, used as a test subject by Celestia, and she kept all of this a secret from me since the day I was hatched! Everything seems pretty clear to me!”

“Spike, please listen,” Celestia pleaded as she caught up with him. “I didn’t want to tell you until you were ready! Just slow down for a minute and allow me to explain myself properly.”

They had all reached Spike’s room when he had turned around to face them. Both his eyes and face were tinged with red. “You explained yourself just fine! If going to Draconia is the only way I’m going to get any answers, then that's what I'm going to do. So if you don’t mind, I have to start packing.” Spike stepped inside the room and slammed the door.

After a moment of silence, Celestia sighed. “His reaction was both expected and understandable. It was my mistake for keeping the truth from him for so long. I just wish there was a way to tell things honestly without it being so painful.”

Twilight nodded. “Although I wish you hadn't hidden this from us, you did the right thing. He is hurt, but I’m glad that you told him the truth. I’ll take things from here, princess.”

“Thank you, Twilight. I will explain the rest when he is ready to listen. I’ll be in the throne room.”

Celestia began trotting to the throne room as Twilight waited in front of the door. After a few minutes, Twilight knocked and slowly opened the door. The room was completely messy as books and papers littered the floor. She walked in slowly so as not to disturb Spike as he packed his belongings. Spike sniffled and wiped his face occasionally as he gathered materials into a small bag. Twilight trotted up behind him.

“Spike, are you ok?” Twilight asked as she wrapped her wing around him.

“I’m fine! You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’ll be going soon anyways.”

“Spike, I always worry about you. Especially with this crazy plan of yours! Are you going to just waltz into Draconia and wander around aimlessly? Draconia is the most dangerous continent in the world!”

“Well what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wonder who I am for the rest of my life?”

Twilight nuzzled Spike's face. “I didn’t say that. I just think that there’s a better way to go about this. Maybe we can go set up a meeting with their king or bring some escorts with you. Anything Is better than going about this alone!” Twilight had never dealt with a situation like this before, and would have preferred that Spike stayed with her. But she knew that she had to let him go and support him as much as she could. “Spike, please. Let me help.”

Spike softened up a bit. It wasn’t like it was Twilight’s fault or anything. She was the one who hatched him after all. “Oh, alright. Can you help me get ready, Twilight?”

Twilight smiled and gave Spike a big hug. “Of course, Spike. That’s what I’m here for.”

After they finished packing, Twilight asked Spike to forgive Celestia so that they could talk. Spike reluctantly agreed and promptly made their way to the throne room where Celestia was waiting for them.

“Hello, Spike.”

“Um... hi, Princess Celestia. I’m sorry for yelling at you and-“

Celestia raised her hoof. “No, Spike. I should be the one to apologize. I’ve kept secrets from you for far too long. It’s about time that I told you everything. No secrets.” Spike nodded and was ready to listen. “When I had first found you in a basket, I did not know what you were. Research had shown that you were in fact a dragon egg, but what confused Starswirl and I was how… strange your egg was.”

“Strange? How so?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, do you remember what Spike’s egg looked like before you hatched him?”

Twilight thought back to the day of the test. “I believe the egg was fairly small, lavender, and was dotted with purple spots.”

“You’re memory is as sharp as always, Twilight. However, that’s not how a typical dragon egg looks like.”

"What was so different about my egg?” Spike asked.

Celestia pulled out a book from a nearby drawer and opened it to reveal a picture of a large, white egg. “Dragon eggs are plain white and can be as large as a full grown pony. Not only did Spike’s egg differ in size and color, but was nothing short of indestructible.”

Twilight was puzzled “You mentioned that neither you nor Starswirl could hatch Spike’s egg, but I hatched it when I was just a filly. That can’t be right! No matter how talented I was, I was nowhere close to your magical abilities.”

Celestia nodded. “I was just as confused about it as you were. But as Starswirl always said, all the answers came with time.” Celestia floated a letter over for Twilight to read.

“This is written in the Draconian language but… there’s only one word. Arcaniss?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion.

“It is translated to the single word 'magic'.” Celestia stated. "When you used the Elements of Harmony to save my sister, I was able to understand how you were able to hatch Spike’s egg. You, Twilight, the element of magic, were destined to hatch Spike. I was reluctant to leave Spike with you in the beginning, but I’m glad that I did. You have done an excellent job raising him.”

"So that means that this whole time, I was waiting for Twilight to be born to hatch me? That's awesome!" Spike said.

“But it’s time for him to go now… isn’t it?” Twilight sighed.

“Indeed. Spike must now begin a journey, one that will undoubtedly be filled with obstacles and dangers awaiting him. But I know that his time with you has prepared him to overcome any challenges that he will face. After all, it wasn’t a coincidence that you hatched him.”

Twilight tried to keep herself composed but failed as tears began to well up in her eyes. Spike was caught off guard and looked over at Twilight worriedly, unable to think of what to say or do next. Spike settled with going over to Twilight and giving her a hug. “C'mon, Twilight. It’s not like I’m going to die or anything. I’ll be ok, I promise.”

Twilight hugged Spike back. “Is that a Pinkie Pie promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Spike said as he did the motions.

Twilight wiped her tears and let Spike go. “Ok. Make sure you don’t break that promise, or Pinkie and I will gallop all the way over to Draconia to punish you.”

Spike gave a little laugh. “Hehe, yeah I know. And Pinkie would really do it too. Don’t worry about a thing, I learned from the best after all.”

Twilight gave Spike one last hug. “And don’t you forget it.”

Celestia gave Twilight and Spike some time to say their goodbyes as she set up a chariot for Spike. When Twilight finished talking with Spike, she walked over to Celestia.

“Princess, couldn’t I accompany him? Or maybe you and I could meet with the king to discuss Spike’s situation.”

Celestia shook her head. “We haven’t spoken to Draconia’s royal family in over a thousand years. But the last time that we did, we agreed to never interfere with one another. That means having royalty on Draconian soil is out of the question. Even my guards can only go as far as the border.”

“But what about that dragon that was hibernating in an Equestrian mountain? Or how the dragon migration goes right over Equestrian territory?”

“The dragon that was trespassing on Equestrian land was acting as an individual and did not serve in the Draconian military. And the dragon migration was already factored into the treaty.” Celestia answered.

“I see. Is there nothing else I can do to help Spike?”

“You've already done everything you could. The only thing you can do now is pray to Faust that Spike finds the answers he is looking for and comes home before he gets caught up in anything dangerous."

"Don't count on it," Twilight laughed. "With Spike's luck, he'll be chased home by Ursa Majors before dinnertime!"

"Hey, give me more credit! I'm a lot bigger now. I can handle myself." Spike said as he puffed out his chest.

"Oh, we're only teasing, Spike. Of course you'll be ok. The only things chasing after you will be dragon girls going after my handsome little dragon." Twilight said as she noogied Spike's head.

Spike rubbed his sore head. "Geez, do spontaneous noogies run in the family or something?" Spike was glad that he had Twilight to take care of him. He didn't know what he would do without her. I guess it's time to find out. "Thanks for everything, Twilight." Twilight didn't say anything but simply smiled.

Spike turned to Celestia. "I'm ready to go."

Celestia nodded. "Spike, meet Swift Wing and Blue Angel. They are the fastest pegasi in the royal guard and they will take you to the Draconian border by chariot. With their combined wing-power, the ride should take about 12 hours. If you ever happen to meet my old friend, Fewihl Itov, in Draconia, ask for her guidance. From then on, I'm afraid you'll be on your own."

"F-fewir.. what?"

"Most dragons called her Fewi," Celestia said amusedly.

"Fewi, got it. Thank you for everything princess. Take care of Twilight while I'm gone."

"Of course," Celestia said.

Spike jumped onto the chariot. "I'll be back before you know it. See you soon, Twilight!"

"Bye, Spike! Don't forget to write to me every day!"

How could I forget? More than half my bag is stuffed with parchment and quills. Spike waved goodbye as Swift Wing and Blue Angel pulled the chariot and started flying towards Draconia.

When Spike was out of view, Celestia wrapped her wing around Twilight who began crying on Celestia's shoulder. Come home soon, Spike.

Spike kept his eyes on Canterlot until it was too far away to see. When Canterlot was too far to see, he turned towards the two guards. "So... you guys ever had sapphire pancakes with emerald syrup?" Spike asked.

Blue Angel replied cheerfully. "No, but it sure sounds interesting! How do gems taste? Us ponies have a hard time chewing the stuff so we wouldn't know."

Spike was glad that he had someone to talk to during the ride. "Well, the higher purity a gem has, the better the texture is. The taste of the gems depend on how you mix them together."

"Well that's interesting, isn't it, Swift Wing?"

Swift Wing kept a neutral face and only grunted in response.

"Sorry about my friend here. He just got out of the academy and he still does things by the book. Isn't he adorable?" Blue Angel said as she prodded his shoulder.

"Stop it, Angel. Princess Celestia called for us personally to do this job, and I'm not going to let her down." Swift Wing said as he shrugged her off.

Blue Angel chuckled. "Aww, you're no fun. So Spike, have any good stories to tell? Being the only dragon in Equestria must mean that you led an interesting life."

The last time he had told his life story was when he met Fluttershy. It felt good to have someone listening to him for a change. "Well, l started out as a cute little purple egg," Spike began.

"Uuugh..." Swift Wing groaned.

"Hey, that's exactly what Twilight said! Now where was I? Oh yeah..."

Chapter 3 - ... Begins all wrong

“… And that’s the story of my life,” Spike concluded.

Swift Wing and Blue Angel had been pulling the chariot for the past ten hours. If they were tired, then they were very good at hiding it. Spike hadn't even seen them break a sweat. And the ride was especially bearable since Spike had someone to talk to. Blue Angel had listened to all of his stories about Twilight and her friends with unbelievable amounts patience and attention.

“You have some very interesting friends, Spike,” Blue Angel said with a smile. “What made you leave them behind to go on this little  adventure of yours?”

“Well that’s a long story. But I can tell it to you if you want.”

“I’d love to hear ALL about it,” Blue Angel said.

Swift Wing was losing it. He could handle the royal guard academy. He could handle walking around the streets of Canterlot for weeks on end with nothing to do. Heck, he could even handle fighting Timberwolves, Manticores, and Hydras if he was called to do so. But pulling a royal chariot alongside a guard that drives him crazy (in both terms) to take a dragon to the border of the most dangerous continent on the planet, while listening to his life story for TEN HOURS STRAIGHT was too much.

“Ok, THAT’S IT!” Swift Wing yelled before he dive-bombed towards a clearing in the forest below.

“WHOOOOAAAA!” Spike and Blue Angel screamed as they headed straight for the ground. At the last minute, Swift Wing pulled up hard and landed the chariot with a big *thump*. Spike flew up from the impact, and landed face-first onto the chariot’s cold steel floor. Blue Angel slowly stood up from the ground and shook her head to clear the dizziness.

“What was THAT for!?” Blue Angel demanded. “You could’ve gotten us killed!”

“I just flew thousands of miles from Canterlot with a Mare guard that doesn’t take her job seriously and a dragon that spent the last TEN HOURS describing his life from BIRTH! I think I’m entitled to take a short break.” Swift Wing said.

“Yeah, not if your breaks get us KILLED first! We were just enjoying a little conversation. You could have joined in too if you weren’t such a stick in the mud. I mean he is a DRAGON! And not just any dragon, but a dragon that lived with Princess Celestia’s personal protégé for the past 20 years. Show a little respect.” Blue Angel retorted.

“Why don’t YOU show some respect to our duties? We’re here to escort Spike to the border, not to talk incessantly. Grow up a little and take things seriously for a change.”

“First of all, I’m a year older than you. Second, there is nothing wrong with talking to someone during a 12 hour trip! I mean, you obviously didn’t want to talk, so you shouldn’t be complaining.” Blue Angel said with her face turned and her nose up in the air.

“I wasn't complaining, I WAS DOING MY JOB!”

Blue Angel and Swift Wing continued to argue as Spike was waking up from his semi-unconscious state. He stood up with one arm on the side of the chariot for support and stared for a moment until he realized that they were arguing. And it was starting to get out of hand.

“STOP ARGUING RIGHT NOW!” Spike’s roar was loud enough to rival the Royal Canterlot voice but had a slightly more menacing tone to it. Needless to say, Blue Angel and Swift Wing shut their mouths. “Yelling at each other is not going to solve anything! Let’s all just take a deep breath, and talk like civilized ponies.” Spike waited until he saw the two of them nodding their heads and continued. “Now, start apologizing.”

Swift Wing had his head down but kept his eyes on Blue Angel as he kicked the ground. “… I’m sorry for losing it just now. I wasn’t really mad at you two or anything. It’s just that I’m having some problems at home and I lashed out at you to vent it out. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Blue Angel gave a smile. “It’s cool. It was partly my fault for not paying attention to how you were feeling during the trip. And I said some things that I'm not proud of either.” A small grin appeared on her face. “Besides, it was worth it to see you break your bearings. I heard that you were the biggest stickler for the rules since Commander Hurricane. And I never say no to a challenge.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Swift Wing chuckled. “By the way, that was an impressive roar, Spike. It had me frozen solid.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I couldn’t stop shaking in my armor!” Blue Angel laughed. “And while that was an impressive roar, there are probably a lot of dangerous creatures that know we’re here thanks to you. So let’s get moving before we become Timberwolf chow.

“Sounds good to me,” Spike said. Swift Wing and Blue Angel re-attached their straps, and flew out of the forest. Little did they know, they were already spotted and were being hunted down as they spoke.

“So… about those problems at home you were talking about. I know it’s none of my business, but is it ok if you tell me about it?” Blue Angel asked.

“Me too,” Spike said. “I know it’s kinda personal stuff, but having a friend to talk to is always better than keeping things to yourself. At least that’s what Twilight taught me.”

Swift Wing thought for a moment. “You know what? If it’s you guys, I wouldn’t mind sharing a bit. But it’s not a very fun story to listen to.” Swift Wing took a deep breath before continuing. “My dad was a royal guard just like I am and my mom took care of me while he was on duty. My father was kind father and a great stallion and I looked up to him. Problem was, he had trouble following orders. He was laid back, loose, and didn’t give his full effort when he did his guard duties. On the day of the wedding between Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, he was ordered to lead the patrol at the borders of Canterlot. Like I mentioned before, he had a problem with following orders. He thought that nothing would happen with the Prince’s shield in place so he took his unit out to go drinking instead. And you know what happens in rest of the story.”

Spike and Blue Angel nodded slowly. No one could forget that fateful day ten years ago.

Swift Wing’s tone became a little darker. “The changelings broke through the shield and wreaked havoc without any guards to protect Canterlot. Many ponies died and they took over Canterlot so easily. My father realized his mistake and ran out to fix everything by himself. The story ends with him being ambushed and killed. When my mom heard the news, she was absolutely crushed and didn't come out of the house anymore. Since then, I vowed to make amends for my father's mistake by being the best royal guard I can be. That meant I had to do things by the book, and without making any mistakes.

Spike and Blue Angel remained silent for a bit before Blue Angel spoke up. “So is that why you blew up at me when I was talking to Spike? Because I was goofing off and my actions reminded you of your father?”

“No matter what the reason, it still doesn’t make my actions acceptable,” Swift Wing said. “No matter how much you annoy me or remind me of him, it doesn’t give me the right to yell at you.”

“Well, I already forgave you so don’t worry about it.”

“No. I have to make it up to you somehow. I’ll take your chore duties for a year, publicly humiliate myself, or do whatever you want. Whatever sick, twisted, or sadistic plans you have for me, I’ll accept them willingly.”

Blue Angel blinked. “Just what do you think I was planning on asking?”

Swift Wing shook his head. “No matter what kind of painful activity I could think of, it would be nothing compared to the insane, Faust-forsaken, torture that you could-“

“TAKE ME OUT TO DINNER!” Blue Angel shouted. As soon as she realized what she had said, she began blushing profusely. “I mean, a dinner would be fine,” Blue Angel said, barely above a whisper.

Swift Wing whipped his face around to stare at her. “A-are you serious? You’re not going to make me write my name in Celestia’s cake frosting or make me go streaking in public?”

“Ponies walk around naked all the time!”

“So that IS what you wanted!”

Blue Angel face-hoofed. “Just what kind of rumors about me are floating around anyways? What could I have possibly done to have gossip like that spread? I don’t want you to do my chores, I don’t want you to go streaking in public, I just want you to take me out to a nice place for dinner when we get back.”

Swift Wing eyed her cautiously. “So… no evil ulterior motives that end with me begging for mercy before I go missing for weeks on end, only for somepony to find me working nonstop in your secret crystal mines to pay for your taxes?"

"... Are you serious?"

"..."

"No."

"Then it's a date!" Swift Wing said cheerfully.

Spike listened to the whole conversation and was confused as hell. "What just... I don't even..."

Swift Wing winked at Spike. "And that's how it's done."

Blue Angel was just about to mention that it wasn't a date until Spike started shouting. "Guys, something's following us, and it doesn't look friendly!" Spike's suspicions were confirmed when a giant fireball hit the side of the chariot.

"AAAHHHH!" Swift Wing's left wing had caught on fire. With Swift Wing moving around frantically, the chariot violently span out of control and lost altitude until it hit the ground and crash landed into the dirt.

"Whoa!" Spike yelled as he flew out of the chariot and tumbled on the ground. He landed on his left arm and cried out in pain. His left arm stung and suspected that it had been dislocated. He would have liked to lay on the ground a little longer to wallow in his pain, but stood up and ran over to Swift Wing and Blue Angel to help them out of their straps. The fire on Swift Wing's left wing had been put out during the landing, but much of the coat and muscle had been burned off. Spike could even see some of his wing's bone. Blue Angel, however looked only mildly injured.

"Oooh. What just happened?" Blue Angel asked as she stood up groggily.

"Angel, quick! Help me out with Swift Wing!" Spike ordered. Blue Angel snapped out of her daze and helped Spike pull Swift Wing away from the chariot. She gasped when she saw the burns on his wing.

"Swift Wing! Are you ok?!" Blue Angel shouted as she bent down and shook his body. "Please, say something!"

Swift Wing opened his eyes and gave a weak cough. "Am I... still sexy?"

"Swift Wing, you're alive!" Blue Angel hugged him tightly as she cried. "I thought you were dead!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Easy on the wings!" Swift Wing yelped. Blue Angel let him go so that she could look over his injuries. Beside his burnt wing, he only had some minor cuts and bruises. "What happened just now?" asked Swift Wing.

"That thing behind us shot a big ball of fire and hit the chariot," Spike said. Whatever it is, it isn't far. We need to get going right away."

Blue Angel lifted Swift Wing onto his hooves and supported him with her shoulder. "I'll help Swift Wing keep up with us. We'll need you to lead the way, Spike."

Spike nodded. "All right, just let me get my bag from the chariot and we can get going." Spike ran towards the chariot until another giant ball of flame obliterated it and the bag. Spike was completely blown back by the sheer force of the explosion.

"Spike! Run away NOW!" Swift Wing yelled.

Spike shook his head, and looked up. Big mistake. Spike was staring into the eyes of a terrifying, fire breathing, 100 times his size... Dragon.

Chapter 4 - A Guard's Resolve

Spike couldn't move. He knew he had to run, but also knew that he would die if he tried. Somepony was yelling at him to run, but he couldn't hear them. The only sounds he could hear were the dragon's breathing, and his own heartbeat.

The dragon was enormous, about the same size as the dragon that was taking a nap in the mountain 10 years ago. But this dragon wasn't interested in napping. He wanted to slaughter them all. His dark-red scales and yellow spikes were battered and torn, his teeth and claws were long and razor sharp, and his eyes were the color of blood.

"I am Vargach Ezouke of the Aryte tribe. Although in your language, my name would be Battle Scar. I have been ordered to kill anything that trespasses on Draconian soil. For your actions against my prince, I shall burn you all to ash."

"Oh, I wonder if Spike is ok. Maybe I should send him a letter." Twilight said aloud as she paced back and forth.

"Twilight, you must have faith in Spike. As you have said, the only things chasing Spike will be Draconian girls," Celestia said calmly.

"I know, but it's been nearly 12 hours! He must be at the borders by now. I just can't help but be worried about him. Maybe just one quick letter..."

"Spike is no longer a baby dragon and can handle himself just fine. From what I'm told, he had enough parchments to last him months. He will write back, Twilight."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Thank you Princess. That makes me feel much better." But what is this tight feeling in my chest? Please, Spike, write to me soon. Let me know you're ok.

Spike could barely form words. "T-t-this isn't D-Draconian land. T-the border is over 10 m-m-miles from-"

Vargach roared in his face. His tremendous roar made Spike's seem like only a whimper. "This land is no longer Equestrian property. The prince has sent me to claim this land for Draconia. If you want to take this land back," Vargach leaned in closer to Spike's face, "you'll have to fight me."

Spike was frozen solid. He could smell the blood of all the creatures Vargach had killed. Every dent, tear, and cut on his body was obviously the result of countless battles. To him, Spike wasn’t even a threat.

Vargach waited for a reply. "... I shall take your silence as a gesture of defeat. Do not worry young dragon and ponies, I'll shall kill you all as painlessly as possible." Vargach smiled. "At least, as painless as burning alive can be. Hahahaha!" Vargach took in a deep breath, ready to roast Spike alive, when Swift Wing tackled Spike out of the way.

Vargash let loose his torrent of flames, the grass and trees instantly burst into fire. All of the plants and rocks that weren't directly hit by the flames, melted into the ground.

Spike looked back to see where Swift Wing was until Blue Angel picked him up and flew away from the dragon 's flames as quickly as she could.

"Hey, put me down! Swift Wing is still back there!"

Blue Angel didn't turn to look at him but kept her attention on dodging the trees. "He's fine. He's distracting the dragon while we escape."

"His left wing was burnt!" Spike yelled.

"But not his legs," Blue Angel responded. "He can handle himself.  We need to make use of the time that he’s giving us. When I get you to the border, he will regroup with me and we'll escape together."

“He can’t distract him alone, it’s too dangerous! We NEED to go back!”

Blue Angel ignored him. She knew that it was probably too late for Swift Wing, but the sooner she finishes her job, the sooner she can go back to help him. Spike continued to twist and turn until finally, she let go and Spike tumbled onto the ground. Blue Angel held him down with her hoof and looked him in the eyes.

“Listen, Spike. Guards like us were prepared for this sort of thing since we signed up. We knew the dangers and we value our missions over our lives. If you really want to help, then let me get you to the border so that I can come back as quickly as possible to help Swift Wing. Please, Spike, let us do our jobs.”

Spike shrugged her off of him and spread out his wings. "At least let me fly on my own. I have wings too you know."

Blue Angel nodded. They flew towards the border in silence.

"Hmph," Vargach grunted. "They got away. It makes sense, sacrificing the weakest member to save themselves." Vargach looked over to the burnt, black pegasi that was permanently melted into the earth. "But I have a feeling that the mare will come back," Vargach chuckled. "I just have to wait."

Spike and Blue Angel flew out of the forest. They landed a few feet from the entrance and looked out at the vast land in front of them. Looking down, they could see the individual forests, mountains, and wastelands of Draconia. Altogether, the land was more than half the size of Equestria and the view was just as breathtaking. Blue Angel turned to face Spike one last time.

"This is where I take my leave," Blue Angel said to Spike. "It's been fun talking to you, Spike."

Spike looked at her worriedly. "Don’t talk like that! You're making it sound like I won’t see you again. Promise me that you’ll stay alive."

"Don’t you worry about me. I’ll need to stay alive if I’m ever going to go on that date." Blue Angel unstrapped a small bag on the side of her armor and pulled out a parchment and a quill. “Write to Celestia and tell her what happened. That’s the best way you can help us right now."

Spike took the parchment and the quill. "Ok. Thank you, Blue Angel. I'll see you when I get back."

"Take care, Spike." Blue Angel gave him a quick hug and flew back into the forest.  Blue Angel had to hurry. Swift Wing was definitely not in any condition to be running around. She knew her chances of saving him were slim, but there was always hope. When Blue Angel was able to see the crash site, she landed.

Blue Angel gasped. She was too late, for right in the middle of the clearing was Swift Wing's corpse. She flew over to him and wept. “You big idiot… you dunce… I love you.” She wanted to cry a little longer, but she had some business to take care of. She wiped her tears, stood up, and started yelling. "VARGACH! I'M RIGHT HERE! COME GET ME!” She looked around but didn’t see him. "VARGACH! ARE YOU AFRAID TO FACE ME?!"

"Yes, yes. I heard you the first time.” Vargach flew in from the sky and landed right in front of her, the earth shaking from the impact. "I knew you would come back," he said with an evil grin.

"And I knew you would be waiting," she snapped.

"Oh? And what were you planning on doing when I showed up?"

Blue Angel smiled. "I'm going to fight you."

Spike started writing as soon as Blue Angel left.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Blue Angel needs your help! We were attacked by a huge dragon named Vargach Ezouke. The chariot blew up, Swift Wing’s left wing was burnt badly, and the dragon said that the Prince sent him! He claimed that Equestria’s land belonged to the Prince and that trespassers were to be killed. Blue Angel and I escaped when Swift Wing distracted him. I’m at the border now and I’m sending you this letter as she is flying back to help. Send some back-up immediately! Please, respond back to me as soon as you can!

Spike

Spike took a deep breath, and set the letter on fire, sending it to Celestia. Don’t worry Blue Angel, help is on the way.

“Aagh!” Blue Angel shouted. She was able to dodge another stream of flames but the tips of her wings were singed. Despite the pain, she flew around the large dragon to buck and bite him with every chance she had but didn’t seem to be doing any damage to his tough exterior. She was so focused on dodging his claws and fireballs that she didn’t see his tail coming down upon her until she slammed into the ground.

“Did you really think you could stand a chance against me?” Vargach laughed. “I’ve led entire armies to battle, with me on the front lines. What could you possibly do?”

Blue Angel spit blood out of her mouth before she responded. “I can distract you… long enough for Spike… to get further away,” she said between breaths. “He’s probably sent the letter by now. You should start praying to Faust that Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia don’t rip you apart limb from limb.”

“The little dragon sent a letter did he?” As soon as he said that, Vargach’s stomach began rumbling loudly. The sound got louder and louder until finally he belched deeply and a small letter materialized from the smoke.

Blue Angel’s eyes widened. The letter had the seal of the royal guards! It was the same parchment that she had given Spike to write on.

Vargach opened the letter and held it up for Blue Angel to read. “Oh I’m sorry, is this the letter you were talking about?” He gave one last, twisted laugh before he burned Blue Angel alive.

Spike looked back at the forest entrance. He was really worried about the two guards but knew that he couldn’t waste the time they gave him. The only thing Spike could do now was move forward. *Ruuumble* Spike placed his hand on his stomach. Spike had been so scared that he didn’t realize that he was starving! Spike looked around and saw a trail that led into a smaller, thinner forest than the one he just came out of. He was getting a little sick of seeing forests, but forests meant berries, and berries meant a happy stomach.

Spike walked along the trail and entered the forest cautiously, his eyes ever vigilant. He needed to remain sharp so that he could spot both potential dangers, and food. *Rustle* “What was that?” Spike whipped around to find the source of the sound, but didn’t see anything but an empty trail. “Heh, probably just a squirrel or something,” Spike chuckled nervously. He continued walking for another 5 minutes or so before he heard another rustling sound. *Rustle* “Who’s there?” Spike yelled as he whipped around for the second time. Again, he saw nothing but a clear path. “I gotta calm down. I’m starting to imagine things,” Spike grumbled. When he turned around to continue walking, he became face to face with a pink dragon hanging upside down from a tree branch.

“Hi there!” the dragon said cheerfully.

“AAAAHHHHHH” Spike sprinted for his life. He ran right past the dragon, and never stopped screaming. When he turned his head to see if he was being followed, he hit an obstructing tree, and blacked out.

Chapter 5 - Four dragons, One bed

“D-do you think he’s dead?”

“He’s a dragon! Hitting a tree won’t kill him.”

“Did you see how fast he was running? He must’ve been really scared!”

“Well excuse me for trying to be friendly. I didn’t see anydragon else trying to welcome him, so I decided to do it myself.”

“Y-yeah but, you were sneaking around, and that wasn’t very nice…”

“Well… I was going to go up to him but-“

“You chickened out after you got closer and saw how cute he was?"

"I-I didn't say that!"

"Well then, you wouldn't mind if I asked him out would you?"

"Hey! Leave him alone, he's sleeping!"

Spike's head hurt like crazy. There was a sharp pain in his forehead and a dull ringing in his ears that wouldn't stop. "Ohhh..." Spike groaned.

"Hey he's waking up!"

Spike slowly opened his eyes. The room he was in was fairly large with strange items decorating the walls and floor. There were paintings, horse shoes, dream catchers, you name it. The floor even had a pelt that looked strangely like a diamond dog's coat. But what had caught Spike's attention were the three dragons staring at him closely.

"Whoa!" Spike yelled as he fumbled out of the bed. When he fell to the ground, he felt a sharp jolt go up into his left arm. Spike gripped his arm tightly in order to ease the pain. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the eyes of the pink dragon from earlier.

"You know, it's considered very rude to run away from a cute dragoness when she is trying to introduce herself," the pink dragoness said with a pout. Her scales were a bright pink while her eyes and her spines were shaded with scarlet. She was taller than the other two dragons, but was still a bit shorter than him.

"Yeah right! You were the one avoiding him until he turned around and caught you red-handed," the dragoness behind her laughed aloud. She was completely teal except for her spines which slowly faded into a light turquoise at the tips, and her eyes were the same shade of blue as the sky. She stood a couple inches shorter than the pink dragoness but had larger, and a more powerful, pair of wings.

"P-please stop yelling at her. She was only trying to be friendly. Besides, it's not good to argue," the third dragoness said softly. Although she was scolding the turquoise dragon, it sounded more like an apology. Her eyes, scales, and spines were a very light blue color, and could almost be mistaken for white. She was easily the smallest of the three dragonesses, a whole head shorter than Spike. Her wings were proportionate with her body, but looked very thin and fragile. Spike wasn’t quite sure if the dragoness could even fly without breaking her delicate wings.

“W-wait. Who are you guys, and how did I end up here?” Spike asked.

The pink dragon put her hands on her hips. “Well, I was trying to say ‘hi’ when you ran off, and boy were you fast. I couldn’t keep up! You were all *woosh*, and you started screaming like *AAHHH!*, but then you hit a tree and fell to the ground and things got all quiet...”

“...”

“... Anyway, I couldn’t just leave you there so I lifted you up on my shoulders, and I brought you into town!” the pink dragoness finished with a smile.

Spike blinked. “Um... thank you?”

“You’re welcome!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I think you’re forgetting to mention the part where you were stalking him,” the teal dragoness reminded with a mischievous grin.

“I wasn’t stalking him! I was just looking for the right time to come out is all.”

“Yeah, cause the right time to come out is when you’re hanging upside down on a tree.”

“Hey, at least I tried. Where were you in all of this?” the pink dragon argued, slightly annoyed.

“That’s enough bickering for one afternoon, girls,” a powerful yet gentle voice called from the other room. Spike gasped when the giant dragoness stepped inside. Her scales and spines were a light tan color, while her eyes were dark brown. Her sharp spikes appeared to be both beautiful and deadly, and her face seemed to emanate kindness. “Are you feeling better?” she asked.

She’s bigger than Vargach! Even though Spike was slightly intimidated, he could sense that she was kind. “Y-yes, thank you for taking care of me,” Spike said as he stood up and held out his right hand. “I’m Spike.”

The dragoness took hold of his hand with two fingers and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Spike.  My name is Fewihl Itov, and I’m the owner of this home.”

Spike’s eyes widened in recognition. “Wait, you’re Fewi? That’s great! Princess Celestia told me to talk to you if we ever met in Draconia. She said you could help me.”

Fewi’s face brightened up. “You know Celestia? She is a very close friend of mine, though I regret not keeping in touch with her recently. How is she?”

“She’s doing well!” Spike laughed. “She and Princess Luna made up, and her kingdom is doing better than ever! Especially since Twilight became an alicorn.”

“There’s a new alicorn?!” Fewi gasped in surprise. “My, things certainly have changed since the last time I had visited. You stay right here, Spike. I’ll be going to the market so that I can get some materials to send Celestia a letter. In the meantime, why don’t you get acquainted with the girls?” Fewihl turned to the three dragonesses. “I expect you all to be at your best behavior. Especially you, Khana.”

The teal dragoness rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. I’ll try not to mess with him too much.”

Fewi smiled. “That’s all I ask.” Without another word, Fewihl left the room and went out the entrance. After the door was shut, Spike turned his attention to the other three dragons in the room, each of them staring.

He stared back, unsure of what to say. I guess I’ll just introduce myself. “Uh… hi. Sorry for running away before. I’m Spike.”

The pink dragoness smiled brightly. “Apology accepted. I’m Xena Tilek, a fire dragon! If you’re ever feeling down or want someone to talk to, I’m always ready to listen! And I would really like for us to be frien-”

Xena was pushed aside as the teal dragoness took her place. “Hey, I’m Khana Nepesk if you didn’t catch my name the first time. I’m a wind dragon, and in the air I’m untouchable! I bet you heard all about me from the other dragons since I’m the one who-”

Khana was pushed aside and Xena retook her original spot, this time with the light blue dragoness by her side. “Yes, yes. You broke the speed record for dragons in your age group. That’s very exciting, especially since you mention it all the time, but I’m sure Spike would like to be introduced to Nari first.” Xena motioned to the small dragoness. “This is Nari Jospril. She’s a little shy, but she’s very sweet. She likes to cook, clean, and is one of the few ice dragons still alive. Why don’t you say hi to Spike?”

Nari looked up from the ground to look at Spike, but brought her gaze back down before speaking. “H-hi Spike. I’m N-Nari, and...” Nari trailed off, failing to complete her introduction. Her entire body was shaking, obviously nervous of Spike. She continued to look down, even as Xena encouraged her to speak.

Khana jabbed Nari’s side with her elbow. “C’mon, Nari. Spike’s not gonna bully you. I can tell he’s different from the other dragons. I mean, didn’t you hear Fewi? Spike is pals with one of her best friends! He has to be a nice guy.”

Nari looked up, this time with confidence. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried again. “I’m Nari... and I’m sorry for being so shy. I-I’d like it if we became friends...” She looked down fearfully, afraid that Spike would pick on her for being so shy.

Spike smiled and offered his hand to Nari, trying to look as friendly as possible. “Hi Nari, I’m Spike. I’m not sure what kind of dragon I am, but cooking and cleaning is my specialty too. And I would be glad to be your friend.”

Nari’s face flushed red after hearing Spike’s reply. She shook his hand with her own and quickly brought it back to herself. “T-thank you, Spike,” Nari said quietly.

“Alright, enough of all this formal stuff,” Khana said. She turned to Spike with a look of disbelief. “And what do you mean you don’t know what kind of dragon you are? It’s pretty important for you to know that kind of stuff.”

Spike shrugged his shoulders (which was really painful). “I was born and raised in Equestria, so I don’t know much about dragons.” As soon as his words left his lips, the three dragonesses gasped in unison. Uh oh, did I say something I wasn’t supposed to?

“You were raised in Equestria?” Xena asked. “That’s impossible! No dragons would raise their children outside of Draconia!”

“I wasn’t raised by dragons,” Spike replied. “My egg was left in Equestria, so I was hatched and adopted by a unicorn.”

“You were abandoned? That’s even worse!” Khana exclaimed. “What kind of parents would just leave their egg like that?” She instantly regretted asking such an insensitive question, as Spike’s happy demeanor was dropped immediately.

“That’s the reason why I’m here. To find out who my parents were... and why they left me.”

“O-oh... Sorry for asking that, Spike. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s fine.” Spike replied simply. Despite his answer, it was obvious that Spike didn’t feel like talking anymore.

Nari stepped forward. “I-it couldn’t have been all bad. You’re really nice, Spike. That must mean that the pony who adopted you took really good care of you.”

Spike smiled, breaking out of his stupor. “Yeah, I don’t regret being raised by her one bit.” Spike decided to crawl back into the bed and yawned. “Thanks again for letting me stay here, I’ll leave as soon as I get better.”

Khana spoke up. “Whaddya mean you’re gonna leave? You’re here to learn right? Fewi is the smartest dragon in the village! If anyone can teach you about dragons, it’s her.”

“Aren’t there any books I can read, or schools I could go to?” Spike asked.

“Dragons don’t have schools. Parents pass on their knowledge to their children personally. Besides, all of our books are written in Draconian. How would you learn from books you couldn't even read?” Xena asked.

“Yeah, just stick around for a while. Fewi can teach you how to read, and write, and even how to use your magic! She’s the one who taught us after all.” Khana added.

Really, are you sure? I wouldn’t want to be a burden...”

“I don’t think you would be a burden,” Nari said quietly. “It would be really nice to have somedragon helping me with the cooking and cleaning.”

Spike thought about their proposition. It would be pretty cool to learn from Celestia’s old friend. And everydragon here is really nice. Spike decided that it would be best for him to accept their offer. “All right, I’ll stay.”

“Woohoo!” Xena cheered. “Spike's going to stay! This is gonna be so much fun!”

“Yeah, and I’ll finally have someone to race around here."

“I hope you won’t mind living with us, Spike.” Nari said.

“Wait, what about your mom? Shouldn’t she get a say in all of this?” Spike asked. “This is her home after all.”

The girls looked at each other to see who would answer. Eventually, Xena stepped up and started explaining. “Spike, this is a foster home. Each of us lost our parents one way or another, and we all ended up here with Fewi. Besides, it’s not like she would have turned you away.”

“Oh... I see,” Spike said. “Sorry for bringing it up. I didn’t mean to-”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Khana interrupted. “We’re the ones who asked personal questions in the first place. Besides, we got over it.”

“Yeah, and we’re really glad we found this place. It’s like we’re all one big family!” Xena said cheerfully.

The sun outside began to set as Nari yawned. “Now that we have everything settled, I think I’m going to go to sleep.” Before Spike could protest, she crawled into the bed with Spike and shut her eyes. “Good night.”

“H-hold on! Why are you going into my bed?” Spike asked.

Xena grinned as she  jumped onto the bed on the other side of him. “Even though this place is a foster home, it’s not that big. Not many dragons lose their parents, so there was never any need for much space. Besides, this is a pretty big bed, so I’m sure we can all fit.”

“The problem isn’t whether we all fit or not. It’s a matter of personal space!”

Khana jumped onto the bed laughing. “Aww, are you embarrassed to be sharing a bed with three gorgeous dragonesses? Don’t worry, we’ll kick you out if you try to do anything funny. And by the way,” Khana leaned in and whispered in his ear, “we tend to cling to stuff while we sleep, so watch out.” Khana chuckled quietly to herself as she threw a blanket over her body and shut her eyes.

And with that, Khana, Nari, and Xena had all fallen asleep. Spike however, was wide awake, unable to relax. “Oh man, this is gonna be a long night.”

After spending an entire day, Vargach had finally finished mapping the area between Equestria and Draconia. Finally, I can get out of here. Vargach was about to send the map when he spotted a dragon flying towards him, a messenger pouch hanging by his side. Why would the prince send me a messenger when he could contact me with dragonfire? The dragon flew down and saluted Vargach.

“Greeting, General. I am messenger #19 from-”

“Just shut up and tell me why you’re here,” Vargach growled.

“Y-yes sir. The prince wishes for me to deliver the map personally.” Vargach simply glared at the messenger, demanding a more thorough explanation. So the messenger continued. “With rebel groups growing in size, letters sent by dragonfire are being intercepted more and more. For security reasons, the prince has entrusted me to- *yelp*”

Vargach gripped the smaller dragon by the throat and began squeezing. “Why would the prince entrust you with critical information like this? By the looks of it, you wouldn’t survive an ambush from a bunch of ponies, let alone rebel dragons.” Vargach lifted the dragon higher and tightened his grip, cutting through the messenger’s scales and causing blood to seep down his neck.

“P-please. D-don’t kill me,” the smaller dragon blubbered. He was lifted completely off of the ground, unable to breathe. The messenger tried his best not to squirm, knowing that it would only anger the general even more.

Vargach continued to glare at the struggling dragon for a few seconds, and let him go, dropping him onto the ground. "You're not worth the trouble," Vargach spat with disgust. The messenger didn't reply as he was too busy placing his hands around his neck, gasping for air. Vargach scoffed at the pitiful dragon and started walking out of the forest.

“G-general, where are you going?”

“I’m going to deliver the map myself,” Vargach yelled behind his back. And I have a couple of questions for the “prince”.

Notice to the readers

I'm really glad that so many of you liked this story but to be honest, I didn't think things through. So far, I have been winging every chapter, going with what made sense to me. I had a very basic storyboard, but that was it. If I continue to write chapters like I have been doing, this story will hit a dead end. And so, for everyone's sake, I will place this story on hiatus. This does NOT mean I will stop writing this story. I will continue to write on GoogleDocs until either...

A) I finish the story

B) I get well ahead in chapters and complete a detailed storyboard with everything planned out

I don't want to rush this. I want things to be thought out and well written because this is my first fanfic and I'd rather not start my writing career with a ditched story. I promise I'll work hard and that I won't abandon this. This story will be my priority and I'll get it to you guys as soon as I can. Thank you for reading.

If any of you guys are willing to help proofread/pre-read, then PM me or email me at OmniMagi@gmail.com