Upheaval: Legacy
Chapter 6: Spike and Seifralhadar
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
Spike paused and rubbed his chin with the quill's feathery end. Was he even starting off right? Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy might feel left out. He didn't want to write six individual letters, but he wanted to say something to all his friends. At least, his six most important ones. And should he address her with her full name? That might come off too formal. She might think that his time away from her had caused him to become distant emotionally as well.
Dear Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity--
Too long.
Dear Everyone,
Now, that sounded like he forgot their names.
Dear Elements of--
No. He wasn't going to call them that. Maybe Prince Terrato would. Maybe most of Equestria, especially the Legion would. But they were more to him than that thing they do that everypony in a fight seemed to need.
Spike stared at the blank scroll until the ink finally dried on his quill. He couldn't even get past the opening line, and he wasn't even sure of what he was going to say. With a sigh, he put aside the letter writing for later. Again.
A luminescent butterfly, the only light source in Seethe Scale's lair at the moment, alighted on the scroll. Spike didn't know why, but it always felt as if these things were mocking him even as they guarded his life. "I will get it done," he told it. He looked at the others fluttering above him. "You'll see." Their only response was a brief flicker in their glow, as if they were giggling.
Spike stared at the blank scroll. It would be a lot easier if he was replying, instead of being the first. Then, he could focus on answering the stuff his friends had to ask and say. How long has it been anyway? He was sure that it had been a month. That was his time marker. He promised himself to write a letter after his first month and write one for every month after.
It wasn't like he sorted out this letter-writing with them or anything. But, surely, a month was long enough? A month was certainly enough for him to miss them. Maybe they had written, but the letter was having a hard time getting here. After all, Seethe Scale was very reclusive. Spike frowned and glanced about briefly. Maybe a letter had arrived and Seethe Scale was just withholding it thinking that he shouldn't be talking to his friends. It might be in some hidden spot in this cave.
The frown gave way. Maybe they had just forgotten. A lot could happen in a month especially with the barrier coming down, Black Rose stealing Princess Celestia's power, and the reunification. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he had been forgotten in the scuffle. He glanced at the blank scroll again. Maybe he shouldn't send a letter. They should have enough on their plate without having to bother to reply to him. He sighed. Well, he supposed that he'd eventually meet them. They can see for themselves what he's been up to.
Spike stretched an arm out, his gaze tracing a path from his shoulder to the his claw. With each look, the more he was sure that he was growing. It was nothing like the dramatic change from that one time, but he supposed that this one would be permanent. Was it a few inches since he first started here? It just didn't feel right, even at this pace.
With ponies, growing was an assured, gentle pace. Fret as they might about it, the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't need to worry about not growing up or getting their cutie marks. They were guaranteed that. Dragons weren't apparently. Dragons were so immersed in proving their strength that they couldn't even get on with their natural life cycle without passing some hidden, unexplained test. At least, that was what Seethe Scale said. Since he was small and had not grown as much as Twilight had since they first met, Spike guessed that the kirin might be, kind of, in the right.
Spike looked to the entrance. Seethe Scale was taking her time. It was late morning, almost noon even. Looks like no meat for breakfast, a prospect that was still perfectly fine with him. He stretched his arms to the floor and "walked". This was the surest sign that they had grown. He would have never been able to do this if he was still the same size as before. It was still an awkward waddle at best. His arms touched the floor while his head was still raised enough to see in front, but was just an inch or so not there yet. Seethe Scale told him to practice anyway. He was going to develop more for this sort of movement. Might as well get the hang of it early. He made his way towards one of the many hidden niches that Seethe Scale allowed him to use for his stashes.
His hoard was a bit bigger now. Some of the Old Guard had actually sent tribute to the lost son of Reinfadora in the form of little piles of gold and gems. Spike wasn't convinced. These were probably leftovers, bits and pieces not good enough for the Old Guard's hoards. Seethe Scale mentioned this earlier as well. Younger dragons might be less choosy with what they add to their piles, sometimes even including large chunks of quartz or even foal's gold. Older dragons turn their noses up on anything but the best. Spike's growing hoard was mostly middle-tier gemstones: emeralds, amethysts, sapphires and the like. Perfectly fine for snacking as far as he was concerned, especially now with no meal from Seethe Scale in sight. He popped one into his mouth, and relished the satisfying crunch. He was getting hungry quite frequently these days.
"Little dragon?" came a tentative call from outside the cave. That wasn't Seethe Scale, but Spike recognized the voice and the use of name.
"Mudslide?" he called back. "What are you doing here? I thought you finished deliveries for the week."
There was a pony standing by the entrance. Spike couldn't make out any details with the light obscuring his darkvision. He was definitely sure with the voice though.
"Yeah, I was," Mudslide replied. "I'm not here for ol'Seethe though. It's you."
Spike brightened a bit. Well, at least somepony did remember him. "Really? That's--" A second figure obscured the entrance further.
Okay, this wasn't right. He could believe that a pony he only met once came to visit, especially when Seethe Scale allowed that pony to approach without getting hostile. There was no way that this other pony should be anywhere near here, especially with Seethe Scale not around.
"You okay, little dragon?"
Mudslide spoke with affection, but all the warmth in that nickname leaked out for Spike. He tensed, and raised himself on his legs. This wasn't the time to be practicing. "I don't think your friend should be here, Mudslide," he called out. "Seethe Scale's coming back, and she won't like having so many ponies near her home."
"Don't worry," Mudslide said. "We won't be staying long."
When a third head block the light coming from the entrance, Spike was already prepared for the worst. He glanced at his so-called guardians. These butterflies repelled the attack of a grown pride dragon. A few ponies should be nothing to them...right?
As if sensing his thoughts, the butterflies fluttered towards his back, putting him between them and the ponies by the entrance. They danced about there in their typical mocking way, silently giggling at his increasingly dangerous predicament.
"What are you doing?" he whispered harshly. "My father created you to be protectors, right? Protect me!"
One butterfly answered by briefly alighting on his nose before taking off again.
"Hey, little dragon?" Mudslide called out. "Come on out, and have a chat! Ol'Seethe won't like it if we go inside her cave, right?"
"I...uh..." Spike desperately tried to catch one of the butterflies, already thinking of tossing the wretched things like rocks at these ponies if things got hairy. They fluttered out of his clumsy swings, one even lightly brushing against his claws just to mock him. "I can't!" he replied. "I...uh...I got s-some stuff that Seethe Scale wants me to do here. I can't really leave it so...uh...thanks for visiting, Mudslide, maybe I'll visit you some other time instead, okay?"
"Come on, little dragon," Mudslide said. He was doing his best to sound friendly and affectionate, but his voice sounded too sticky with fake warmth. "I came all the way to see you. You're not going to make me waste a trip up the slope, are you?"
"I'm really sorry," Spike said. He hid behind a large rock and peeked out to keep watch of the entrance. "At least you didn't come alone, right?"
"Losing time, Mud, don't want that kirin catching us here," a gruff voice whispered harshly.
Somepony stepped into the cave. That lone hoofstep echoed with all the loudness of a thunder strike in Spike's mind. He looked again to the butterflies, but they did nothing but watch him. Maybe they needed something more drastic to happen. Some ponies approaching was certainly not as big a deal as a pride dragon about to crush him. His stomach sank. Of course. These ponies wouldn't be a threat to mighty Drellhadar. They would be so low to him that his creatures wouldn't even recognize them as danger. He could just imagine the cruel, mocking face of his supposed monstrous father, amused by the thought that one of his hatchlings can't even fend off some ponies. He wouldn't let his creatures do the work. A dragon had to prove his strength.
"Thanks, dad!" Spike muttered. "No Seethe Scale, no butterflies, so much for guardians!" His claws dug into the rock against him so hard that they penetrated. It likely didn't matter if he hid. His heart was beating so loudly, they could just follow the sound. Was he really going to fight by himself? He had grown, but they were still bigger than him, and outnumbered him. He put a hand on his chest, as if that would help slow his breathing down and steady his heart. 'Okay, hold on. Let's look at what I have over them.'
The sudden skittering of loose stones across the ground followed by a muffled cursing quickly brought up his first advantage. It was quite dark by his portion of the cave. There were no torches. He could see, but they couldn't. The pony with Mudslide was another earth pony, as big as Big Macintosh, and muscular. This one wasn't some delivery pony. He had long, hooded cloak on, and something was sheathed by his side. They might bring a light though, but that would take up a hoof, a mouth, or some concentration for magic.
He had his dragon fire. He was particularly proud of his dragon fire. He used it to hold off Nightmare Moon's blackened flames for a few seconds. The other pony sounded a bit tentative and Mudslide didn't sound too eager either. Maybe he could scare them off, or at least hold them back until Seethe Scale arrived. First, he was going to stall. "What do you really want, Mudslide?" he asked.
"That's kind of complicated, little dragon," Mudslide said. "I was really hoping I could just keep watching Ol'Seethe and making a few reports. Didn't expect orders from up top. So it's not like I "really want" to have to do this. I just sort of have to. No hard feelings, right?"
Spike's claws dug deeper into the rock. "Up top?" he asked. When the hoofsteps grew louder, he moved to another hiding spot while hugging the cave's wall. "That's obviously not the prince! Who're you working for?"
"No more talking, Mudslide!" the other pony snarled. He rushed towards Spike's location.
There was no more time for planning or hiding. Spike could only do the first thing that came to mind when faced with sudden, imminent danger. He sucked in a lungful of breath and blew.
Green flames erupted. For an instant, every coin and bauble in Seethe Scale's hoard glimmered. The charging pony cried out, and fell back. Spike stumbled back, too frightened to look directly at what he feared would be a pony burning in agony. Instead, the flames died out swiftly when the pony began beating his hooves against his body. "Ashes and soot, he had to try, didn't he?" the pony growled.
"Come on, little dragon," Mudslide said. He had entered the cave as well. He paused briefly and pulled out a torch from his saddlebag. A moment more and the two had a light. Mudslide was careful to not even look at the hoard. "First thing you think of when going after a dragon is fire, right?"
"Yeah, he knows," the other pony said. He slowed down to a walk, but he still came after Spike. "But he's a dragon. They always got to breathe fire."
"Stay back!" Spike said. A butterfly landed on the tip of the spines on his head, and stayed there. The others weren't even in sight.
"Kid," the other pony growled. "We've gone so far as to invade the lair of a kirin to get you. We're not backing out now." He pulled out a blade from his harness with his mouth. The curved knife, merely a foot long from hilt to tip, had a very faint glow of green. The mere sight of it made Spike's scale's prickle.
The other pony took another step forward. That was it. At that moment, Spike crouched low for a fraction of a second and rushed. He had to accept that he wasn't going to have any defenses for this fight. If he didn't go on the attack now, he was done for. He reached for the strange-looking knife with his right claw while he swiped at the pony's eyes with the left. Hopefully, one of those attacks would distract this intruder from the other.
The other pony moved the knife away briefly, then ducked low before swinging for Spike's heart. His claw clamped onto the blade. The sharp stinging pain, ran from his claw all the way to his shoulder. He would have let go from the shock, but fear of death overcame any hurt. His arm shook from the strain of holding the pony back. His other claw was free to strike, however. His claws dug deep just above the pony's eyebrows, and gouged down. The pony tilted his head just enough to save his eye, but blood streamed from the cuts, forcing him to close it anyway.
"You lizard!" the other pony growled. "You have to do this the hard way!"
"Of course I will!" Spike yelled. His right claw stung so badly that he was afraid that the blade was starting to cut the bones. The blood was making the blade too slippery to hold on to for much longer. He grit his teeth and gripped harder. He grabbed a hold of the pony's face with his free claw, digging each digit into the flesh. "Dragon, remember? Always have to do things the hard way!"
"Mudslide!" the other pony yelled. "Forget the torch! Grab him!"
For a moment, Mudslide looked hesitant. Spike followed his eyes. They didn't go to his torch. He wasn't worried that he might drop the thing and force the fight into the dark. He was looking at the struggle. Spike saw a chance. He winced as another stab of pain lanced up his arm, but he had to say something before things got worse.
"Why are you doing this, Mudslide?" he asked. "You working for some Draco'dim?" His eyes narrowed. "Or is it Black Rose?"
"H-hey, Log Jam, we were just going to keep him somewhere he wasn't going to be trouble until this Old Guard fell apart, right?" Mudslide asked. "What's with the knife?"
Log Jam answered with a long, throaty, and vicious growl. "Shut up, you moron, and hold him! We're losing time!"
"But--"
Spike cut off Mudslide's hesitant reply with a loud cry. The pain was becoming too much. He gripped Log Jam by the neck with his free claw, and strained as hard as he could to topple the pony over. His fingers slightly slipped against the now noticeably slick fur. Log Jam appeared to be covered in some kind of oily salve. It was probably what protected him from the fire.
Spike had grown just a little bit, and that growth came with some strength and leverage. He would have never been able to do this when he first came to this place.
Of course, the instant he might be able to, he was instantly assailed by a life-or-death situation as his first test. Twilight only needed to pass an aptitude test to get into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Even when she joined the Equestrian Legion, she only needed to cast a spell on a training dummy. Oh, but that's not good enough for dragons is it? As soon as he got a bit more muscle in his arms he had to start wrestling assassins.
Log Jam was no pushover, however. His shoulders strained and his neck muscles bulged. He glared at Spike, despite some blood running down one of his eyes. His fierce looked even worse thanks to the flickering shifts between darkvision and normal sight. "Dragon, once I break free, I'm gonna gut you, and turn you into a purse!" he growled.
Spike could barely make out the words, what with the knife in his assailant's teeth garbling them. Mudslide still hadn't joined in. Things may be looking up already. If only these miserable butterflies weren't as wishy washy. His arms shook from the effort and his fingers were steadily slipping away from the blade. He breathed another gout of flame, this time directly into Log Jam's face. There was no way that he had that oil in his eyes.
A split second after the flames erupted from his mouth, Spike was already wishing that Log Jam would close his eyes, drop the knife, and back up. He didn't want to roast anypony's eyeballs. He just didn't want to get hurt!
Fortunately, Log Jam did close his eyes at the last moment, and tore himself free. The blade slid past Spike's claw one more time, cutting so deep that it must have struck bone. His other claw must have been buried deeper than he anticipated. The tips gouged out bits of flesh when Log Jam forced it. Spike barely noticed though. He whimpered and held on to his injured claw. His fingers were limp. Maybe the muscles were too damaged. Maybe it just hurt too much.
There was no time to nurse the cut, though. With another growl, Log Jam was on his hooves. Blood poured from the deep gouges on his face, running down one eye, leaving trails on his snout, and mingling with the blood Spike left on his weapon. "This was supposed to be just business, dragon," he said. "But you just made sure that I'm going to enjoy--"
A dull thud put an untimely stop to Log Jam's threats when Mudslide's torch found a home on the back of his head. The flame sputtered and nearly went out at the impact, but continued to burn. The strange knife stopped glowing when it clattered to the ground.
Spike stared at Mudslide in confusion. He was panting heavily and his head was starting to feel a little light. With the immediate danger gone, the sudden exertion and blood loss was now catching up. He didn't relax just yet, however. In response, Mudslide gripped the torch with a hoof and sighed. "Sorry, little dragon. For what it's worth, I didn't come here to kill you. Wouldn't have come at all if I knew he wanted to."
"Then...what...what...did..." Spike had to stop to catch his breath. He pressed his wound tightly to keep it from bleeding and leaned against a rock to keep from falling over. "What...did you come here for?"
Mudslide took a step forward. "Hey, you're pretty messed up, little dragon, lemme--"
Spike pressed up against the wall. While he still cradled his injured claw, he sucked in a large gulp of air, ready to unleash a defensive burst of dragon flame. At this, Mudslide backed up. "What did you come here for?" Spike asked again. He glanced briefly around the cave. There had to be something in here to stanch the bleeding. Something flew towards his face. He nearly let out the flames, but stopped himself when a bit of cloth, a handkerchief or a rag of some sort, landed on his shoulder. With one more suspicious glance at Mudslide, he took the cloth and pressed it against the wound.
"Minfadora, sent us here to take care of this 'new threat' behind the Old Guard," Mudslide said. "I thought that meant just hiding you away so the older dragons don't have anything to rally behind. Nopony told me anything about offing you. I swear on my mother's grave, I thought we were just going to take you to some secret place until all these angry dragons calmed down."
"They're dragons," Spike muttered. "That's the norm."
"Guess that's true," Mudslide said. He lifted the still unconscious Log Jam onto his back.
"Why are you even working for the Draco'dim?" Spike asked. "What would a pony get from helping them?"
Mudslide shrugged. "Money? Dragons are pretty stingy, but even pay that's peanuts for them's worth a lot."
"But you're betraying Equestria!" Spike snapped.
Mudslide snorted. "Am I?" he asked. "Look, little dragon, the Draco'dim don't care about Equestria. I serve the Legion; I do my deliveries, and I put in my hours in the quarries. So what if I make a lot of money on the side? It's a lot more compared to my salary. All I got to do is watch ol'Seethe whenever I make a delivery, then tell a pony, who'll tell a pony, who'll tell some dragon what I saw. Where's the betrayal in that?"
The pain in Spike's claw subsided a bit, not so much because it was getting better, and more because Mudslide touched a different kind of nerve. "So it's okay because its dragons," he said bitterly. "You wouldn't even think about doing this if the Draco'dim were plotting against ponies."
"Hey, don't take it personally, little dragon," Mudslide said. "It's not like I hate dragons. It's just...well, we take care of our own, right? Look, I'm taking Log Jam, and we're getting out of here. Forget the pay, we're not going to have anything more to do with you, okay?"
The distant light of the entrance suddenly disappeared. Mudslide inhaled sharply when he noticed this, then whimpered. Spike knew what it meant as well. It was Seethe Scale's massive form that blotted out that light, and sealed any attempt to leave this place for the ponies.
"No deliveries for today, Mudslide," Seethe Scale said softly as she neared. Spike squinted at the sight. Seethe Scale lumbered towards them with an uneven gait. The stench of blood wafted from her, and her loud, heavy breaths were unmistakable. "And you know better than to come in here."
"H-hey, Seethe," Mudslide said. His voice trembled along with the rest of him. "I was...I was just--"
Seethe Scale's gaze focused on Log Jam. "Ah, I see," she said. "No wonder Minfadora was more interested in keeping me occupied than trying to kill me. Only two of you? To hide your movement perhaps. Any bigger and patrols might find you suspicious." She looked at Log Jam and sniffed. "Rock Salamander oil infused with Dragon Spine grass to protect against flame." She exhaled slowly. A rush of warm breath ruffled Mudslide's mane and reached Spike. "Useful for minor fire spells and the assault of hatchlings. You know wrath dragon flame pierces even dragon scale, don't you? I suppose you weren't here to assassinate me."
"I'm sorry, Seethe," Mudslide replied. "Things got out of hoof, is all."
"I'm sorry too," Seethe Scale replied. She reached out with a claw and grasped Mudslide by the neck. "I thought I found a few trustworthy ponies in Wallforge. I suppose your sister won't be making me any more arrows once she finds out."
"Wait," Spike said. He wanted to shout, but he could barely make it to normal speaking. He stumbled forward and grabbed a hold of Seethe Scale's claw. "It's over. He's just some hired goon. Please, just let him go."
"He entered my lair," Seethe Scale growled. Her grip tightened until the tips of her massive claws began to sink. Mudslide could only groan and stare. "He stared at my hoard, he betrayed my trust, he attacked my charge."
Spike tugged at the claw, then stopped when something failed to change. "The cave's not getting hotter," he said.
"What of it?" Seethe Scale asked. "I don't need my heat aura for this."
Spike struck her arm with his uninjured fist. "It means you're not angry," he yelled. Or, at least, he tried to yell. "You're not mad that he tricked you! You just think you have to do this because of dragon stuff!"
Seethe Scale raised one of those ridge of horns that served as her eyebrows. "Dragon stuff...is that what you call it?"
"Yeah," Spike said. "Because he went inside your cave, because he looked at your stuff, and attacked me, you think you have to kill him, but you don't. He's just some nobody that the Draco'dim paid to watch you. He's not a danger now that you know what he is. It's just...it's just...you're afraid he's going to go around saying he got to do all those things to you, and lived, isn't it? That's dragon stuff, like what the Draco'dim do!"
Seethe Scale's grip loosened slightly, and Mudslide took a great gulp of air. "This is important to you," she said.
Spike nodded, then stopped halfway. Even through darkvision, there was no mistaking Seethe Scale for a full dragon. She had a pony's muzzle, just slightly distorted, like she was a pony transforming into a dragon only to be interrupted a quarter of the way through. "You too," he said. "You told me, didn't you? I needed to be spend more time as a dragon, and you as a pony. Be more pony now, Seethe Scale."
Seethe Scale hurled Mudslide and his load towards the entrance. "Begone,"she said. "I do not wish to find you in Wallforge, Mudslide. Or the Western Barrier Land for that matter."
Mudslide struggled to his hooves. "S-sure," he said. "I'm sorry, Seethe, I really am."
"His companion might try again," Seethe Scale said. "Perhaps not under Minfadora's employ, but the Draco'dim will use his need for revenge."
Spike stepped back and fell on his tail as his legs gave out from under him at last. "I'll take him on again," he said. "I'll be bigger and stronger when he tries the next time."
"Your claw," Seethe Scale said. Spike extended his injured claw and winced when she grasped it with the tips of her own enormous claw. "The cut is deep," she said. "I have some salve to help. A pity your guardians aren't interested in protecting you from ponies."
Spike stared at the butterflies that had resumed fluttering around him. He had been resentful at first, but it was probably for the best. These creatures would have blasted Mudslide into nothingness. Was that the real reason, they didn't attack? Had they sensed that he just wanted to drive his attackers away? He winced when Seethe Scale removed the bit of cloth he had pressed against the wound. The edges were caked with nearly dried blood, and stuck to his claw briefly.
The brief pain turned to a surprisingly pleasant sensation. The very tip of Seethe Scale's claw, smeared with some kind of salve, gently rubbed against the wound. It only took a single claw to apply the medicine. At least, Spike hoped that was medicine. It felt good at least. "So...what happened?" he asked.
"Minfadora, one of the younger Draco'dim, ambushed me on my way back from Wallforge," Seethe Scale said. "She counted on surprising me with such directness." Her eyes narrowed. "It almost worked."
"Why would she surprise you?" Spike asked. "It's pretty obvious that the Draco'dim won't like you just for being a kirin. Now, you're working with the Old Guard."
"The prince ransomed my life to Afralhadar a long time ago," Seethe Scale said. "That was supposed to guarantee that none of them would attack me. Pride dragons can be crafty, but they wouldn't demean themselves by breaking their word. Normally, anyway. If she had succeeded, the Draco'dim would have covered it up. Now that she's failed, they will probably shun her."
Spike snorted. "Dragons," he said. "They have to look good and strong, but they do bad things anyway."
"You have a low opinion of your own kind," Seethe Scale said. "Or is that only because you are constantly comparing them to another race?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Spike replied. He refused to look at Seethe Scale's face. He knew that she'd have some annoying, knowing look.
"Before anything else, I have news that concerns you," Seethe Scale said. She looked towards the cave's entrance. "Black Rose is no longer a threat."
Spike's eyes widened. "You mean...they did it? They got Princess Celestia's power back?" He pumped a fist, temporarily forgetting that doing so hurt. "Yes!" A wave of relief came over him. He wished he was there. He had helped that evil mare steal Princess Celestia's power, he wanted to be there when they took it back. Knowing that things were restored however, still felt good.
"There's more," Seethe Scale said. "It appears some of your friends have business in the Western Barrier Land. The prince mentioned three: Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. It might be possible to encounter them if we come close to the Delve."
Spike's heart started racing again. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbo--
Rarity.
He had consigned himself to not seeing them again for a long time. A brief meeting. Just a few minutes would do. Just hearing their voices would do. He wished Twilight was with them, but it would have been a miracle if just one of them had shown up. "Can we go meet them?" he asked.
"Perhaps, but not right away. The Great Delve is a bit far from here. If it becomes necessary we can spare some time. Again, not as you are now, however."
"Why?" Spike asked indignantly. They were his friends. Why would he even need her permission? He pulled back, nearly burying the back of his head against her fur, when Seethe Scale suddenly moved her muzzle close to his face and sniffed.
"Because you stink."
Spike hugged his knees, but he glared at Seethe Scale. "Sorry," he said. "I'll wash off the blood, sweat, and this funny-smelling gunk from Log Jam later."
"Not that," Seethe Scale said. She moved her face away. "Water can wash away those things easily enough, but it won't do anything about that foulness in your breath."
"I can get a toothbrush from Wallforge," Spike said. "I think I have enough gold coins to..."
"No."
"Come on!" Spike said. "It's my money, and nopony's breath stinks that bad!"
"Haven't you been listening?" Seethe Scale asked. Her voice rose very slightly. She let out a snort that blew past Spike. He could smell blood and smoke in her breath. And she thought he stank. "You've smelled it in Himfadora's breath. That clinging foulness that follows her every word."
Spike crossed his arms. "No way," he said. "I'm not the tidiest, most groomed dragon around, but there's no way I'm even close to smelling like her."
"Perhaps not," Seethe Scale replied. "But she has had a lot of centuries to work on it. The source is the same, however. Or approaching the same in your case. Their spit contains slow-acting toxins which coats their fangs. It's not as bad as getting stung, but their bite can cause a lot of suffering."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "They?" he asked "What's this about 'they'?"
"Envy dragons," Seethe Scale said. "Your spit is starting to take on the smell. Like a barkeep still learning his mixes, the glands in your mouth are slowly shifting. Your next phase is close." She stared at him, lips grim and even. That was a typical Seethe Scale face, but her eyes had that gleam in them, as if she just saw him lose all his money in an accident. "Seifralhadar, you cannot wish to be a pony. It will only end in frustration."
"What?" Spike scoffed. "I'm not...that's way off! No offense, you're an awesome dragon-slayer, but you're not a super doctor who can tell me how I'm feeling."
"I'm no doctor, but I recognize these feelings easily enough." Seethe Scale stretched out a wing, and, to Spike's surprise, draped it over him. "You must let this go. You will not enjoy life as an envy dragon. Even Himfadora will tell you that."
"Or what?" Spike snapped. "Like being a sloth dragon is so much better, right? Or is it sin? That's what the Old Guard wants, I'll bet." He hugged his knees. "Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Joy, Kindness, Magic...and Sin. Perfect fit."
"No, it's not."
Spike snorted. "Thanks for noticing," he said.
Seethe Scale's wing pressed against Spike a little tighter. "You will not overcome this by either complaining, or attempting things that are beyond you," she said. Spike would have taken more umbrage, but her soft tone left him unsure. "Se-- Spike, you will fit. But it won't be in the way you imagine it. You must let this envy go, or you will lose any chance of fitting at all."
For a moment, Spike could almost take some comfort in that wing. He leaned against her briefly before muttering "Easy for you to say."
"No." Seethe Scale's voice trembled slightly. "It's not."
Spike decided to change the subject. "So was that all you heard?" he asked.
"One more thing," Seethe Scale said. "The prince has confirmed it. We are using Drellhadar's Ban."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Weren't we going to use it before?"
"Before, it was a contingency," Seethe Scale replied. "The prince wanted to go home, but he was fine with staying. He just wanted the option. Something has changed. Rather, something has happened. He has made it clear that the Ban will be used. More than ever, I must commit to acquiring it with your help."
Spike massaged his shoulders a bit and flicked his tongue inside his mouth. His spit didn't taste any weirder, but Seethe Scale must, at least, be right about his next phase. He wanted to see his friends, but not if he was just going to turn into an envy dragon before them. He sighed. So much work to be done. He looked to the cave's entrance. The Great Delve was it? So close. Even if it took a few days to get there, it was so much closer than the Heartland.
So close and so far.