Homegrown Blades

by TheMessenger

Chapter 3

The two mares stood before a large opaque wall of glass, different in color and texture than the crystal of the surrounding walls. Gold and silver runes carved into the glass shimmered in the light the came from the line of cannons aimed at them. While Rainbow watched the cannons uneasily, Twilight Sparkle ignored them completely as she approached the glass. The unicorn hadn't said a word since Moon Dancer's orders, but Rainbow Dash felt the cautious gaze Twilight shot at her the entire trip to this isolated chamber.

Her horn alit, and the runes began to glow red, then green. Finally, they disappeared, and shortly after so did the glass, revealing the sleeping dragon curled up on the center of the floor. His closed eyes squeezed tightly in protest as light invaded the room. The lids surrendered and separated, exposing the emerald green orbs behind them, punctuated by a black line that sent a chill down Rainbow's spine.

The odd feeling disappeared as the dragon slowly forced himself to sit up. Rainbow hadn't realized how small Project Twelve had been when she saw him earlier, and her treasonous mind began to sprout worrisome questions. The dragon sitting before her, groggily rubbing his eyes, was no more than child, barely the size of a filly. She could still see the chubby growth of baby fat in the dragon's cheeks, limbs, and stomach. Had this tiny creature in front of her truly destroy the hulking metal behemoth that was Project Fifty Three? Could something so pathetic really grow into the something as fearsome and power as the dragons from the storybooks? For the first time in years, Rainbow began to wonder if she had been too rash, too quick in her decision.

That's when the dragon suddenly sneezed, spewing out a stream of green flames . Rainbow instinctively stepped back. "Well, at least you can breath fire. That's a start," she muttered.

Twilight stepped into the spartan room, decorated only by a small toy chest and a collection of picture books and a couple of large chapter books. "Did I wake you, Spike?" she said softly, pressing her nose against the dragon's cheek, only to swiftly pull back when she noticed Rainbow's stares.

The dragon blinked several times before finally recognizing his surroundings and the unicorn next to him. "Twilight! You're back," he cheered, leaping onto his feet.

Rainbow took another step back. "He can talk?"

The dragon turned to pegasus at the edge of the room's entrance. He tilted his head in confusion. "Who's that?" he asked.

Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat. "Spike, this is Lt. Rainbow Dash, from the Wonderbolts. She wanted to see you, for, um, some reason." She walked toward Rainbow and gestured to the dragon. "Lieutenant, this is Project Twelve."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Spike?" she said questioningly. Twilight's face began to glow red.

"It's a nickname she came up with." Everyone turned to find Moon Dancer slowly approach. Twilight's blush grew fiercer as the dragon hid behind her. "Despite knowing better, it would appear that she's developed a personal interest in the subject."

At the director's words, Twilight's head lowered. The dragon gave her a pat on the side in a confused attempt to comfort. She quickly brushed away the dragon's hand. "Is there something you need with Sp- Project Twelve?"

"Lt. Rainbow Dash has convinced me to hand Project Twelve to the EUP for military application," Moon Dancer answered curtly.

"I-I don't understand. Why would the military need Project Twelve for?"

"You don't need to understand, Ms. Sparkle. I need you to begin preparations for--"

"We want him as a weapon," Rainbow said, cutting Moon Dancer off.

Twilight visibly paled. She stepped forward, putting herself between the Wonderbolt and the dragon. "Y-you're not serious. You can't be serious. Spike, Project Twelve, he's not designed for fighting, not trained."

"From what I've heard, he can handle himself pretty well," Rainbow Dash said, walking forward. "He'll be more useful on the battlefield than wasting away in experiments."

"Step aside, Ms. Sparkle, or I will have you removed from this agency," Moon Dancer threatened. Twilight flinched, but she refused to budge from her position. She lowered her head and pointed her horn forward, forcing Rainbow Dash back. Moon Dancer's own horn started to glow.

"What's going on?"

The dragon had been peeking out from behind Twilight. He tried to move forward, fighting against Twilight's attempts to keep him behind her. "Why are you angry, Twilight? I don't get it. What's going on?"

Rainbow breathed deeply. "You know about the war with Sombra, right?"

"War?" The dragon's eyes widened. "There's a war going on?" he asked, looking to Twilight for answers. "Like a fight? Really? Cool!"

Cool. Rainbow Dash swallowed. War, cool? It was a mentality shared by so many recruits before their first true experience of bloodshed. It was why she joined the Wonderbolts. Her left wing began to ache, but she knew massaging the metal was pointless, as worthless as hunting phantoms. "Yeah, with an evil king."

"Twilight, Twilight, it's just like in the book," the dragon squealed excitedly as he tugged on the unicorn's mane. "An evil king that kidnaps a princess and, and takes over the land and--"

"Spike, please," Twilight hissed. "This is serious. They--" She swallowed. "They want you to fight."

"Me, fight? You mean they want me?" He turned to Moon Dancer, then to Rainbow Dash. "Really?"

"Lt. Rainbow Dash believes your nature as a dragon will be of assistance." Moon Dancer sniffed. "I, am hesitant to agree, but in light of recent developments--"

"I heard what you did to that metal giant, kid." Rainbow grinned. "You're what we need."

"R-really?" The dragon hopped from one foot to the next. "Y-yeah, okay, I--"

Twilight grabbed the dragon and held him tightly. "Don't say it. It's not okay!"

"But Twilight, they need my help," the dragon said. "I'll be a hero, like the knight from the book and--"

"SHUT UP! THIS ISN'T A STORY!"

Twilight's scream echoed through the entire room. Something wet struck the dragon's nose gently. He looked up into the mare's watering eyes. "T-Twilight?"

"T-this isn't a story," she whispered, her voice shaking. She held the dragon tightly as if to steady herself. "Heroes don't always win in real life. You might never come back, ever. We might never see each other again."

"If Sombra wins, none of that will matter."

Both Twilight and Spike turned to the mare who had spoken. Rainbow Dash approached slowly as she continued to speak.

"Sombra won't stop with just the Crystal Empire. He's had his sights on Equestria for forever, and as soon as he can he'll move on to our homes, enslaving every stallion, mare, and foal. Heck, dragons too, probably. He'll tear the two of you apart the moment he gets the chance." She jabbed a hoof at herself, tapping on her chest. "Why do you think I'm still fighting? Yeah, I know it's dangerous. Yeah, maybe I'll never see my friends and family again, but as long as I'm fighting I know Sombra won't take them. You want to lose that mare holding you?"

The dragon gasped and broke out of Twilight's grasp. "Of course not! H-he'd better not touch Twilight."

"Well, want to help us make sure?

"I--"

Twilight's touch silenced him. She shook her head and with unsteady limbs, pulled the dragon close. She held him there and showered him with tears. The dragon stopped fighting. He reached out and grabbed hold of the crying mare as he too began to shake. Rainbow Dash stopped, unwilling to approach any closer. She fought the creeping urge to escape the room, to put distance between them and her.

Here, there was no door to muffle the sobs. Here, she could hear them all too clearly.

The two separated. They shared one more look before Twilight turned away, letting her forelegs drop to the floor. The dragon turned to Rainbow. "Do, do you really want my help?"

Despite everything, she hesitated. The dragon's answer, she could see it in his features. All she had to do was say so, and he was hers.

She nodded. The dragon rubbed his face against his arm furiously and sniffed. His arm lowered, his hands clenched into fists.

"Okay. When do we go?"

*

After the fourth one, Rainbow stopped trying to suppress her yawns. It was too earlier for most ponies to be up and about anyways. Still, though the pegasus continued to grumble and curse under her breath as she leaned against the palace gates, Rainbow knew she had nopony to blame for being up at such an ungodly hour other than herself.

"Come on," she muttered, glancing around. "Where are they?"

Just as she considered looking for an open cafe for coffee, the gates slid open. Through them approached Dr. Moon Dancer and a walking bundle of rags. Rainbow started for a second before noticing a pair of green slitted eyes peeking through the top of the bundle. "Uh, what's with the mummy costume?"

"A horrifically disfigured relative is easier to explain than a dragon," Moon Dancer said, her tone as brisk and cool as the dawn air. "You are certain you wish to take Project Twelve by train? We could send it more securely through our channels."

"You already talked about all the paperwork that goes into that. That route would take at least a week. This way's faster." Rainbow Dash tried to look past the two. "Is, uh, Twilight not seeing us off?"

"It would be best to minimize the number of witnesses here. Ms. Sparkle agrees." At Moon Dancer's answer, the bundle of rags seemed to shrink. "In any case, there's just one last item to deal with. Project, er, Spike?"

The dragon looked up, surprised. Rainbow watched as Moon Dancer stripped away the cloth around the dragon's head and neck before pulling out a small gray choker with blue and orange etching. "Ms. Sparkle wanted you to have this," she said softly. "It belonged to her late brother."

"W-wow." As Moon Dancer fastened the collar around the dragon's neck, his eyes shimmered with tears. "S-she could have said goodbye."

"Ms. Sparkle is a very busy mare. You know this." Moon Dancer sighed. "Could you run over to the guard at the palace entrance and see if I dropped my watch? I've must have replaced it."

The dragon raced off to the entrance. Once he was a safe distance away, Rainbow turned to the director with a inquiring look. "I know I only met known her for, like, less than a day, but that doesn't look like the type of thing Twilight would've given him."

Moon Dander simply nodded. "It's a contingency. We do not know how Project Twelve will react in a real combat scenario. It's quite possible it might just start rampaging indiscriminately or even turn against the EUP." She suddenly grabbed a Rainbow Dash's foreleg and forced a golden bangle around it.

"Hey, what's the big--"

"If it gets to that point, break all four crystals," Moon Dancer instructed, pointing at the differently colored diamonds jutting out of the gold. "They'll only break from direct pressure from your hoof specifically. Then say the project's name." She released Rainbow's hoof.

Rainbow Dash raised the bangle to examine it. "Break the crystals, say its name. Got it." She lowered the hoof just as the dragon reappeared in the distance.

"S-sorry," he breathed when he arrived, bending over with his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "The, the guard, he said that, that, um--"

"No worries, it's fine," Moon Dancer said dismissively. "Oh, and here." She gave Rainbow a sealed Manilla envelope. "A summary of all vital information regarding Project Twelve. Some details have been omitted, security reasons, but I'm sure your superiors will find it useful. Now, you'd better get going soon." She held out her hoof, and Rainbow Dash took it. "Good luck, to the both of you."

And with a final nod, Dr. Moon Dancer walked off, back toward the palace. Rainbow stared down at the hoof she shook, the same one with the bangle. "Alright, kid," she said, tucking the envelope away safely into the pocket of her uniform, "time to get a move on."

The city was just as quiet as the day Rainbow arrived. Well, except for the second set of footsteps tapping along behind her. Sometimes they would suddenly increase in number and volume as the dragon rushed to keep up with her long hurried strides. At other times, they'd fade away, forcing Rainbow to stop, turn around, and wait for the dragon to waddle to her side. The cloth disguise wasn't helping matters, and eventually, they tore away the bottom half, giving the dragon's little legs more room. The odds of running into another pony in this city at this hour were in their favor, Rainbow reasoned.

Still, they made slow progress through the city. As much room as they now had to swing, the dragon's legs were still tiny compared to Rainbow's. His attempts to match her pace left him breathless and wheezing, so Rainbow eventually slowed herself to the increasingly unbearable crawl of a leisurely stroll.

"At this rate, we'll miss the first train out of here," Rainbow said, partly to herself and partly to the dragon. "There's a ten minute wait between each train, and I don't want to have to wait, alright?"

There was no answer. Rainbow turned around. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes swept the streets for the dragon. "What the heck are you doing?" she shouted when she found him some distance away staring into the display window of an old store.

The dragon jumped and sprinted toward her. "Sorry, I just saw--"

"I told you, we're running late, and you had the gall to window shop?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, grabbing at her mane. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Window shop?" the dragon repeated, his head slightly tilted to the side. "Was that a window shop?" He pointed at the store he had loitered in front of.

"No, window shopping means, uh, you know." Rainbow fumbled through her words as she tried to form an explanation. "It's, looking at stuff that's on sale but not actually buying anything."

"Oh."

They continued onward, but this time Rainbow kept an eye on the dragon. As they walked, she noticed his head turned to face all different directions. A faded old sign would catch his attention, then a glass bottle rolling by, then a pair of dusty ponniequins abandoned in a closed boutique. Rainbow Dash would clear her throat irritatedly, and the dragon would focus on moving forward, but only for the thirty seconds that would pass before something else stole his attention.

"Um, Rainbow Dash?" he began. "What are those poles for?"

"What poles?" Rainbow followed the claw the dragon was pointing toward a street lamp. "That? It gives off light so ponies can see when it gets dark."

"Why aren't they giving light now?"

"Well, they're probably all shut down since nopony's around to keep them running," Rainbow Dash explained. "Besides, even if they were still working, it's not dark enough."

The dragon's eyes widened. "You mean it gets darker?"

"Yeah." Rainbow stared. "What, you've never seen night?"

The dragon shook his head. "Twilight told me nighttime's when we get to see stars and moon. Does it get dark at night?"

"How have you never seen night?"

"I'm not allowed outside the facility, and it's always bright there."

"Well, uh." Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "You know how it gets dark when you close your eyes? It's kind of like that, but brighter, I guess. You've seriously never been outside before?"

"Twilight tells me a lot though, so it's not all bad." The dragon looked around. "I thought the city would be louder, with more ponies."

"It was. Probably will be again after the war. There's still a few places in Canterlot that are still pretty lively."

"Really? Where? Can we go see them?"

Rainbow Dash covered her chuckle with a cough. The dragon's enthusiasm was becoming infectious. "As much as I'd love a good cup of joe, or heck, what I wouldn't do for a pint of cider, we've got a schedule to keep, remember?"

"Oh, right." The dragon stared down at the ground.

"Hey, the city isn't going anyway. If I'm still kicking when Sombra's out, I'll show you around."

The dragon looked up, beaming. "Really?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, or at least knew, a mare who was a local, let me in on a few insider secrets." Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head. She could see the train station in the distance. "Come on, come on, we're almost there!" she said, running forward.

"Wait, I--"

There was a thud behind her. Rainbow Dash peeked over her shoulder and nearly screamed out in frustration. The dragon had fallen flat in his face. She pivoted, using her momentum to spin herself around, and galloped back. The dragon barely had time to register what was happening before Rainbow flipped him up into the air and caught him on her back.

"Hold on!" was the only warning the dragon got before Rainbow Dash charged toward the station. As the dragon clung on as tightly as he could, Rainbow braced herself for the conductor's final call, for the shrill whistle of the train. Her right wing was already spread and read, but the left was as slow as ever, still against her side. It had been a while, could she still sprint into a takeoff? Had she ever been able before with this other wing? Her uniform would make it difficult, the heavy fabric designed for appearance, not flight or function, but maybe--

"Look out!" was the only warning the dragon managed to give before they crashed. Three groans could be heard from the mess of limbs and boxes and scattered tools.

"Watch where you're going," came the groggy voice of a stallion. He was lain at the very bottom of the pile, covered in dust. A small denim cap that matched his overalls covered his eyes.

Rainbow was the first to recover and escape the pile. She first pulled the dragon out before moving to the stallion. "Watch where you're standing," she retorted, helping him up before turning to the dragon. "Come on kid, looks like we haven't missed the train yet. Get moving."

"The train's not going anywhere, miss, so help me with this mess you've made," the stallion grumbled as he kicked at the fallen boxes. He gave Rainbow Dash a quick glance and raised an eye brow. "What's a Wonderbolt doing here?" His tired gaze turned into a glare. "You're not deserting, are you?"

"If I was, why would I be heading back to the arctic outpost, huh?" Rainbow snorted. "What do you mean the train's not going anywhere."

"Exactly that. The engine car's got a broken axle that's being repaired, so you've got a half hour before you can leave," the stallion in denim explained.

"You're joking!"

"Afraid not, so you might as well make yourself and clean this mess up, you and your..." The stallion stared at the small figure bent over, reaching for a discarded hammer with its claws. It's top was mostly hidden by strips of linen, but he could make out an oddly shaped snout and a green fin sticking out of the cloth. He could see a hairless tail as well. The stallion's eyes wandered to the legs, only two. They lacked hooves, ending instead in a set of clawed toes.

"What the heck are you?"

Before Rainbow could intervene, the dragon stood up and waved. The rest of the rags loosened and fell away.

"I'm Spike. I'm a dragon."

Comments

[CHIMMIE Star gamer]

This story looks relly good hope to see more chapters soon ^_^

[Grey Goat Gal]

This is pretty good so far, can't wait to see more!

[Walabio]

Although the the dragon-killing device having belonged to Shining Armor is a rouse to get Spike to wear it, I suspect that Shining Armor really gave his life for Equestria in this alternate timeline.

[Starsword]

I have a huge ethical problem with how they are treating poor Spike. This collar which can insta-kill him at a whim will almost certainly be plot relevant later on and I'm not keen on Spike dying. After all, he IS a living thing with thoughts and emotions just like ponies. I have difficulty believing such cruelty could exist in Celestia's kingdom unless it was somehow done without her knowledge. In any case, I'm always up for a well written story taking place in a darker/edgier version of the shop's official canon. Write on, my friend, write on! (: