Dragonflight
"Oh," Spike muttered, letting his paws rest on the table, his head having naturally trained on the ceiling after the proclamation.
"Oh," he said again, rolling the sound around his maw and letting it drop from his lips. He couldn't make his eyes lower to gaze at any of the ponies around him, and he was just barely able to keep his breath even and slow.
"Yeah, I get that," he said, nodding and looking up at the ceiling. "I mean, that's the obvious reason, isn't it."
He stood up from the table, slowly, and nodded again.
"I'm going to my room for a bit," he said lightly, before looking down at the table where his paws had been resting, and at the crescents that had been taken out of the slab of crystal. He raised his left paw, and forced the digits to unclench, powdered rock sieving through his fingers and trickling onto the tabletop.
"Sorry," he said, still looking above the heads of every pony in the room, before he moved to leave. He started to lower himself to four feet, but paused when he remembered the reason he usually tried to walk at the same height as everypony around him.
"Guess it doesn't make a difference," he muttered as he rose to his two hind legs, standing a little taller than Discord would be.
"Goodnight," he said again, before his legs started mechanically moving him towards the door.
He stopped when a light weight settled against him, wrapping her hooves around his waist as she squeezed. He waited until he felt her stop, then let a claw wander over and trail along her hair a couple of times, petting her like he would a cat.
"Be careful, Fluttershy," he said, finally looking down into a pair of red and blue waterlogged eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm a monster, after all."
Gently, he placed his paws underneath either of her forelegs and picked her up, moving her to the side. Setting her down as gently as he could, he walked to the door, opened it, and left.
ꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞ
Cadance's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes snapped to the drake. His eyes had wandered to the undecorated ceiling, his head leaning to look higher up.
"Oh," he said, almost experimentally. She watched as the first of his tears welled at the bottom of his eyes, as it started to flow like a river down his cheek to drip from the bottom of his jaw.
"Oh," he said again, rolling his jaw as he did so, almost like a snake getting ready to unhinge and eat, and she could hear the splintering of rock as his paws gripped the table. Feeling a deep shame in her heart, Cadance let a bit of magic siphon into her horn, readying a spell in case his draconic side made its appearance.
"Yeah, I get that," he said, and she felt her heart break as he started nodding towards the roof. "I mean, that's the obvious reason..." he said, mumbling the rest of his sentence. Slowly he stood up from the table, still nodding.
"I'm going to my room for a bit," he said, almost starting to choke on the words at the end, his eyes blinking rapidly as the saltwater streamed down his face. She watched him take a step before raising a paw to his face, letting the glittering dust fall from his palms as the other paw at his waist also opened.
"Sorry," he muttered, under his breath. He started to hunch, letting his forelegs stretch before him, before pausing. He considered something for a moment, still talking to himself, before he straightened, walking towards the door on two legs, much like Discord had.
Fluttershy, who had been stricken up to this point, shook her head lightly before she ran over to the door, blocking his way.
"Spike, wait!" she cried, tears trickling down her face as well. "Please, we can talk about this, please-"
But he continued to walk closer to the door. As he neared, she reared up on her own hind legs and took a shaky step forward, gently coming to rest against his mid stomach and wrapping her forelegs around him.
Cadance relaxed a bit when his paw wandered over to her head, petting her slowly.
"Please Spike, let us talk about this," Fluttershy cried into his stomach, and Cadance felt her heart rise when he finally looked down into her eyes.
"Be careful, Fluttershy. I don't want to hurt you.
"I'm a monster, after all."
Cadance felt her own tears come as he picked Fluttershy up, moved her out of his way, and walked through the door. She watched Fluttershy look physically struck by the words, before she curled up into a ball, her own sobs muffled by her tail.
Cadance looked down the table, and Rarity withered further upon her gaze.
"Congratulations, Generosity," she said, edging into her Royal Diction tone. "You have broken a hero of the realms, and one who thought he was your best friend. Congratulations."
Then she left her seat, striding over to the door. She paused by Fluttershy, nosing her way through her tail to touch their muzzles together.
"Come now dear," she said, quietly. "He needs us right now."
Snuffling, her sobs slowed, before the yellow mare nodded, shakily coming to her hooves. Without looking back into the dining room, the two left after one who held both of their hearts in different ways.
ꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞ
Spike entered the room he'd been given, his thoughts racing but only coming up with three words.
You're a Dragon
He looked listlessly around his room, at the one small bag he had for general toiletries and showering items he still had packed on the bed, and the community service form from Clear Sights next to it.
You're a Dragon
He picked up the community service form, looking it over and remembering that one of the Princesses had asked him to learn how to control his transformations, to find a trigger for them that he could use whenever he needed it.
You're a Dragon
"If I'm a monster, I may as well be a useful monster," he whispered to himself, crumpling the form and dropping it to the bed.
He looked over to the window, striding over and unlatching it quickly. He threw himself out without looking, coming to a rolling stop in a large garden in the middle of the castle. Instead of an area with the trees he was used to, this one was filled with beds of pretty, well-scented flowers.
You're a Dragon
He stopped trying to block those words. He stopped trying to not hear them, again and again.
You're a Dragon
You're a Dragon
You're a Dragon
He let himself feel the true weight of those words, and the cold tears he now felt flowing from the corners of his eyes.
"I'm a Dragon," he whispered, and then shivered as the magic came over his pelt. He felt his joints straining again, and his scales flexed as his body readied itself to grow again.
But he was aware this time, and he knew what he wanted, and he focused the building power into the muscles on his back.
Immediately he felt twin spots of searing pain, and he grimaced as the bones first formed, then shot out of his back, covered in thin pebbled skin. The limbs formed quickly, but they left an ache in his back that caused him to whine as his head dipped to the grass below him.
You're a Dragon
"I'm a dragon," he whispered, the pain subsiding as he let the magic go.
He straightened his neck, lifting his head into the air as he flexed the old, familiar muscles.
"I'm a Dragon," he whispered again, before crouching down and flinging himself into the air, much like Rainbow Dash had taught him all those years ago. His back flexed, and he felt the new nerves in his fresh wings sing as the tips scraped the ground, then lifted him higher and higher over the castle.
ꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞꭞ
Cadance rushed around a corner, right into a guard speaking into his stone.
"My Lady!" he yelped, before pointing to a window. "Above the castle!"
"What!?" she asked, rushing over to the window and throwing it open, not bothering with the latch that shattered under the pressure of her hooves. She poked her head out and looked up, gawking at the deep indigo wings that stretched much too large for a creature the size of her little brother in the middle.
Then, with a flap, he disappeared into the sky.
She threw herself from the window, her own wings unfurling as she sped into the sky, intending to fly him down herself.
When she reached the level he'd been at, she gasped as she saw him far, far in the distance. She watched the massive set of wings flap once more before he dipped behind one of the mountains to the south.
Moments later Fluttershy joined the princess, panting a little with the effort she was putting into her wings.
"Where?" she asked, looking all around them for Spike.
"Gone," Cadance whispered, letting her wings beat slower as she descended. "He's gone."
Sorry for the bit of repetition at the start, it just felt right to show it from two different sides. Hope you guys enjoyed the two days in a row, I make no promises but hopefully this caffeine can keep it going 
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See my previous comment for my reaction.
damn that was wow...
That hardly seems fair. Wasn't she brought up there specifically for the purpose of talking this out?
9966492
That wasn't especially a talk. Yeah, it was how she felt, but Cadance wanted to talk with Rarity separately first. And besides, how do you think it would feel for someone you considered a friend that they were afraid of someone for the way they were born?
I think Cadance actually held back a bit, although she definitely said more than a professional would. I dunno. I think it rides
9966498
There was obviously a failure on all sides to let this confrontation happen before they were ready. Rarity may carry the most blame, but it's not like a talk with Cadence would have changed the ultimate outcome.
I think that would suck, but it's not that simple. I'm still not sure how exactly this works, since Rarity has never demonstrated these feelings either canonically or in the story. Wherever this came from, if it only manifests at the level of an intimate romantic relationship, there has to be more to it than simple racism.
As for Cadance, she's right to feel upset, but her comments here are shallow and spiteful. Rarity is obviously deeply distraught and ashamed of whatever-this-is, and kicking her while she's down is in poor taste.
9966576
That's a lot of fair. Next chapter should be between the three ladies then, flesh out Rarity's reasoning and Cadance's reaction. Plus I think Rarity and Flutters will need to reconcile as well
This situation puts me in a bit of a bind. On the one hand I have a deep distaste for rarity in general, she's my least favorite of the mane 6 by a /wide/ margin, but the degree of hate being thrown at rarity is excessive to say the least. First off, Rarity never stated she was afraid of Spike, only afraid of loving him, and I'm afraid to say that such a fear is incredibly valid. Look at her profession, she makes clothes, and half of her work is wining and dining with the elite so they're more likely to buy her work. In her profession /appearances are literally everything/, and ponies have been demonstrated repeatedly, both in canon and in this fic, to be /extremely/ xenophobic. It would actually be /plausible/, not just possible that a marriage to Spike would cause catastrophic damage to Rarity's business and by extension her life. Spike has done a lot, as the crystal empire notes repeatedly yet for some /strange/ reason, despite being essentially family to the leaders of the country Spike's exploits (saving the crystal empire, installing a friendly dragon lord etc) never seem to get /any/ traction or recognition for some strange reason. Just my two bits in on this conversation
9966641
Sorry, but literally the opposite.
This seems a little harsh when you consider that Spike got sentenced to learning how to control his strength and power because he didn't know how. He admitted himself at the quote unquote trial that he lacked control, and Rarity has seen him lose complete control of himself in the past. Dating someone is about the present and the near future, seeing if two people fit for something serious or if it's just for fun without the right characteristics to grow into something serious. But when you love someone it shapes your entire future, and I feel like Rarity is actually justified in being afraid of loving Spike given what we've seen of Spike himself and all other dragons in general.
I hope this doesn't turn into a lynch mob after Rarity, as it's clear she was suffering for a long time too. She didn't just go, "Oh, I hate dragons now" one day, she looks to have been wrestling with this idea for months.
Fucking right in the feels man! Great job!
This is interesting to be sure. I honestly don't hate Rarity for this. I feel that would be bland and wrong. Rarity didn't do anything out of hate or dislike of Spike. She had a road block in the relationship that she couldn't get past. She took the responsible route and ended it because she felt she couldn't see past it at the time. Does that mean they are doomed to fail than... or in the future no. But Just as Spike had some shit he needed.... and still do, need to work out so does she. If she can great, if not she is still a friend. Hating her for her feelings seem foolish. I think everyone around will see that, and like someone stated before, she has had traumatic experiences with dragons on a level none of the other girls had. It is normal for her to have some trauma from it.
I know many might not like it.... I feel this was a good thing. If there is one thing we know about Spike he tends to dismiss or neglect his dragon side. He prefer to be a pony, even the way he walked was to fit in with them more. But now.... even if the start of this is unhealthy he is confronting that dragon side of himself. He need to deal with this. He need to find peace for what he truly is. Drake can't always try to fit in and dismiss a part of himself. Yea he is a dragon.... own it, be it, he need to fill that picture of himself. He too peace that he wasn't like other dragons. But how much of 'being a dragon' did he see beyond some shitty teenagers. He see being a dragon as a bad thing. The ones I think he need right now is Ember and Smolder... ones to teach Spike that being a dragon doesn't make him a monster. That Dragons have their own culture, arts, and history. See that being a dragon isn't a bad thing and take pride in it even if others don't see being a dragon as a good thing yet.
9966664
Fair correction I did miss that bit though I think the rest of the argument holds up it just makes it significantly less likely that she was consciously thinking along those lines.
Oh boy, that was even better than expected
So she's a prey species who is afraid of a predator species. They ask, she answers. They get mad.
Don't ask questions you might not like the answer to if you don't wanna hear I say. Like others said, she is making a huge effort here and has been for a long time. Who know how hard it was for her to admit that. Seems very irresponsible to blame her for something as powerful as emotions, maybe even instincts and then leave her alone. Especially when she is already in great emotional turmoil.
Of course, none of this takes away from the devastation this brings to Spike. Not disputing that.
9967176
I'm the opposite i think.
I'm viewing this as fake drama after that JAG bullshit against Spike anyway.
9967176
To balance this out, I feel a sort of obligation to display this from Spike’s side-
The man was RAISED by this prey species, with this particular mare towering over him what is still a majority of his life. During this time, she hardly viewed him as an equal, more of a companion in the sense an absurdly loyal dog is. This fast forwards, and they end up dating- during this, she comes to accept him as equal in intelligence, and brings him into her person- to which one of her first responses to scream and hide after seeing something other than what she could describe as “like her-“ so much for a half decade of love and thoughtful thinking. He’s wired to accept that he was different, but before it was in a cute, oddball way- now she’s TERRIFIED. He isn’t equipped to understand that, but she gives the impression later that it’s all good. That she’s better. That terrified him almost as much as her- good thing it kinda sorted itself. Good thing she did love him for who he was, despite being different, being accepted by those around him rather than shunned. Of course, they broke up, and he coped- he found someone that was used to different, possibly was into different- so he was fine, right? Of course, then he goes and scares HER, too. But then she says that it’s all fine, too. He gets used to this idea, that he’s just scary on the outside, and that people genuinely love him for who he is deep down. He accepts that, too.
Well, until now.
With his second oldest founding pillar renouncing her acceptance, he feels that he was never accepted to begin with. What he is, down to the very core of his being, is something they just can’t love. He can’t trust Rarity, why trust Flutters? He cares for both, and they act similar around him, clearly Flutters is faking it too. He is a Dragon. He is a Dragon.
All acting like a Pony has gotten him is heartache, why not finally act like a Dragon?
I know you aren’t discrediting Spike in your argument, and that you likely knew all this already, but I repeat it all because Spike had a mental block preventing him from expecting that answer from Rarity- one he though just couldn’t be, but was the only thing, in reality, could ever be. Anyone that could’ve seen it coming froze up, realizing that them saying it would be no better than Rarity saying it. Honestly, this drama is written excellently because nobody in that room was innocent, yet no choice anyone could’ve made would let them be. The result is one angsty dragon, and a hell of a cliffhanger with a resolution potentially full of emotional intelligence. Let’s see where this ends up.
I find myself, reluctantly, impressed. Not Discord, not Nightmare Moon, not even Tirek could break someone by talking.