Spike awakens a period of hibernation to find his world... changed.
Years before, after becoming a little older and hopefully a bit wiser, Spike fell into a state of hibernation, a common occurrence for a young, growing dragon. His cave sat undisturbed for far longer than he thought, though.
When he finally wakes up, there's... something different about this world.
How will his time asleep have changed his relationships with every pony he knows? With the pony he... loves?
All credit to cover image goes to Rameslack. Please give their work a look-see.
Complete rewrite of Heritage, featuring no rape. Rating may still change though. (If you want the original Heritage for some reason, it can be viewed either here or on Fanfiction.net.)
There was a cave jutting out of the side of a mountain, similar to any of the other numerous caverns dotting the landscape. However, unlike the others, within these cold stone walls lay a slumbering beast that would have been an odd sight indeed to see. Most cave-dwelling species, be they bears, wolves or some of the more nocturnal manticores, usually only spend the day or a short time of the year in the cave. This creature, on the other hand, had been sleeping nonstop in this cave for years. During this time, unlike other creatures, it had not awoken once; it had no need for food or water in this state, and while it was for all intents and purposes dead to the outside world, it was far from defenseless. A powerful spell lay over the cave’s entrance, only to be broken once the beast inside awoke from his long sleep. It had been cast by an alicorn of incredible power, a bearer of a series of powers that held sway over the lands of Equestria.
Deep within the dark, dank cave, the slumbering form began to stir. Joints popped like popcorn after having not moved for nearly half a decade, limbs that had rested for years stretched like a cat’s, and from the throat of this mighty beast, there erupted a small bout of green flame. Scales of an iridescent purple covered the creature from head to toe, with long spines running all along its back and talons protruding from both toes and fingers. The great tail that extended from its hindquarters ended with a powerful spade, a useful tool for digging up the gems it favored as a delicacy.
“Mmm, what a nap,” the dragon groaned, and opening its green eyes, it blinked in the darkness. This was no problem for Spike, as a dragon was gifted with a sight to rival that of any creature, and as such could see in the pitch dark as if it were merely a cloudy day. He looked behind him and frowned slightly. “Still no wings; darn.” Well, at least he was a bit bigger than when he had entered the cave; if his memory served him right, he was now likely a head taller than Big Macintosh.
Indeed, Spike the dragon had not known of his species’ reliance on sleep to grow, as dragons were creatures of the Earth in more ways than one. To sleep surrounded by the flesh of the planet was to be asleep once more in the womb of the fiery molten core that gave birth to them. To emerge older and larger was to show the world how Earth rewarded her children, as the very essence of the planet is what made dragons grow quickly in a natural manner. This process could be further accelerated by greed, rage and countless other emotions, but the fact remained that only through sleep surrounded by rock could a dragon truly grow in heart, mind and body.
This was what Spike had learned many years before, after finally meeting a very old dragon on a diplomatic mission with Twilight Sparkle. He had never met a leviathan so at odds with what he thought of when he heard the word “dragon”. This giant was of a gentle nature that exceeded even its enormous size, and the wisdom it carried with every syllable spoke of a life measured not in years, or decades, or even centuries, but millennia. It held no pride in its voice, save for the pride in bestowing information on others; no prejudice clouded his mind when he gladly spoke with Twilight Sparkle. It was a dragon unlike any other, and only after meeting him had Spike began to understand something.
He was a dragon raised by ponies, and thus perhaps one of the most unique creatures on the planet. He had learned to accept this as he had been growing up, but after experiencing the loss of a crush to him simply outgrowing it, Spike began to learn the truth. He didn’t need to be as much like a pony as he could; all he had to do was be himself, and who he was on the inside was all that mattered.
Perhaps that was why he began to see Zecora in a new light after one of her visits. She too was unique; a different creature from the ponies of Equestria. While they no longer reacted to her presence with fear and suspicion, Spike had known Zecora would never be fully accepted by the ponies of Ponyville for a very long time yet. Perhaps it was the fact that she spoke in rhyme or lived outside of town; these qualities were enough for her to be unofficially known as the town hermit.
Spike didn’t it like that as he grew up; he didn’t see a hermit whenever he was around Zecora. He saw an exotic beauty, a lonely soul who was content with what she had, but still yearned for more. Everypony yearned for something in their life, and Zecora, though she never admitted it to him while he was younger, obviously sought companionship. She had friends in the Elements of Harmony, and with their own friends and relatives, but she yearned for a different kind of companion. Alone in her hut, not fully accepted by society, she had been living a life filled with loneliness, a life she had come to accept as her lot in life.
That was why, after his first molt and subsequent growth spurt to a size similar to her own, Spike had asked Zecora out on a date. She had refused him at first, due to her being busy making a potion, but Spike was nothing if not persistent. After asking a few more times over the ensuing weeks, the zebra had finally relented. The date had gone as well as could be expected; rain had ruined the wildflower display Spike had wanted to show her, and Twilight would not stop following them around like some overbearing mother hen. She was still overprotective of Spike at that time; in fact, it was she who had cast the spell on his cave, if only to help protect him.
Still, for a disastrous first date, Spike had found Zecora to be an excellent conversationalist, even if her rhyming would still throw him for a loop every now and then. So, he asked her out again the next week, and the week after that; they shared in many dates, most of them rather good, and a few bad enough that they both laughed at the mere memory of them. Spike really took a liking to the tea she brewed, and Zecora was always looking to make some potion with him, though more often than not anything they made out of dragon scales or such blew up in their faces. They laughed at that too.
Two years of dating, laughing, being the best of friends and for the residents of Ponyville, the cutest and oddest couple in town. Then, on the eve before Spike had scheduled himself for a two year dragon nap, Zecora had invited him to her hut to wish him luck. It had been a chilly January day, so the fact that her hut had been warm made the visit all that more enjoyable. They had talked long into the evening, laughing at all the memories and all of the fun they had had together. He really had enjoyed her company and she his, for he had filled a hole in her life and she had done the same for him.
That was when the alcohol had been brought out. Spike had never had it before, and didn’t know how much of an effect it had on dragons, but, one thing led to another, and... the two of them had ended up making love. It had been sweet and though it had lasted all night, it had been far too short, but in the end it remained so memorable experience that Spike would never forget, even if somepony tried to make him. It had been his first experience, and after they had finished, Zecora had told him it had also been her first. She then sang sweet nothings in his ear, promising to keep their union a secret until they were ready for anypony else to know. That was why, after Twilight sealed him in his cave with a heartfelt goodbye, the dragon had felt a minor pang in his heart for not telling her. But he had given Zecora a Pinkie Promise, and as such, would not tell until they were both ready to tell everypony else.
Which was why, as he emerged from his cave, he was surprised to see something. The spring before he went to sleep, Zecora had planted a small wildflower garden outside of the cave entrance, so that when he emerged two years later, the flowers would be in bloom for him to see. Only... there was no simple garden in his field of view when he emerged and the spell protecting the cave vanished. The garden’s edges had long since elongated, stretching out a good many yards past where the plants must have originally been. It looked as though it had been untended for a while, but not for very long; a few years, perhaps, but then again, wasn't he supposed to have been asleep for only two years?
Only question came to Spike’s mind when he saw this. “Just how long was I asleep?”
Setting off at a brisk pace, he headed for the place he could think of: Ponyville. Twilight would be there, and she would have the answers he’d need. She always had the answers, and it would be good to see her again; to see everypony again.
The fact that Ponyville seemed deserted was the first thing Spike noticed. He remembered when he was younger how all the ponies had hid from Zecora out of fear, and how he had then foolishly thought the reason had been zombies. He had long since learned that true zombies were rather impractical, seeing as the animal kingdom was more than prepared to deal with walking piles of delicious rotting flesh. Thank Celestia for Twilight’s lectures on biology; ants and flies alone would devastate any zombie outbreak.
Still, for a town that never seemed to change and always had been bustling with life in his younger days, its empty streets did give the dragon a very odd feeling. Not so much déjà vu, but more along the lines of confusion. Spike could hear movement outside of his line of sight; doors slamming, windows shutting, bolts locking. There were ponies still in town, but what were they doing? Preparing for a storm?
“There’s not a cloud in the sky,” he muttered, glancing up into the great blue yonder. What had these ponies so on edge? He didn't stink, did he? As he passed more buildings, he continued to hear the same noises; shutters shutting, doors locking, chairs being pressed up against doors. It was all so surreal that he almost walked right past the library. Finally arriving at his destination, the dragon stopped at the great wooden door, the color a bit more faded than he remembered but still with all the knots and scratches from his younger days. Strange, how it looked so small to him now; he’d narrowly miss bumping his head if he walked through it. He knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Still no answer, though he did hear the rustling of a few curtains from inside. Somepony was inside, that much was sure, but he couldn’t see them.
“Twilight? Are you in there?” Spike asked.
Following the sound of several bolts unlatching, the door creaked open slightly. “Might I help you?” a voice asked, a voice that still sounded the same after however many years he had been gone.
“Twilight?” Spike asked again. “Don’t you recognize me?”
“I’m not sure if we’ve ever met before,” the voice said, the door opening just a tad wider. “How do you know my name?”
She didn’t remember him? He hadn’t changed that much during his hibernation, so... seriously, how long had he been asleep?
“Twilight, do you still keep your romance novels in that false bottom of your dresser?”
There was a moment of silence, and then the door flung wide open. “Spike?! Oh, Spike it is you!” the purple alicorn cried out, jumping up and wrapping her hooves around his neck in a big hug. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Spike immediately the hug. “Hey Twilight,” he said. “What’s up with the town? You’re the first pony I’ve seen since I woke up.”
“We’re on high alert, Spike,” the librarian said, letting the dragon slowly lower her to the ground. “Some of the spotters saw a great beast headed our way; hey now, that must have been you!”
“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘great beast’,” Spike said with a nervous chuckle. He was a little hurt that she hadn't recognized him right away, but then again, he must have looked much more different to them than he did to himself. After all, they hadn't seen him grow in his cave; neither had he, of course, but he knew he was... him. “Why a high alert, though? I don’t remember those being ever put in place before.” There hadn't even been an alert when he had gone on his infamous "greed growth" rampage.
“Everypony’s on edge, Spike, ever since... oh, wait a minute, first things first.” Producing a speakerphone and walking past Spike, Twilight called out. “The alert is over, everypony. The 'great beast' was just Spike coming back from his hibernation. Please return to your normal activities; the alert is over, I repeat, the alert is over.”
Slowly, all around Ponyville, doors, windows and cellars began to open and ponies started to walk back outside, cautiously at first. Many kept glancing towards the sky or to the forests in the distance, as if expecting to see something approaching. Most, upon seeing Spike, visibly relaxed; the reports must not have been very clear, seeing as Spike was nowhere near what one might call a “great beast”. Maybe a moderate or even better-than-average beast, but no “great” beast, and most knew that one day the town dragon would return. That was probably why most waved to him; now that they knew it was him, it was easier for them to recognize him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you Spike; you’re quite a bit bigger than when I last saw you,” Twilight said with a small, sheepish grin. “Also, your scales weren’t that shiny before, nor were your spines that curved back. Still no wings though?”
“Yep, still no wings,” Spike said, glancing at his wingless back; someday he would fly. “Hey, Twilight, you said you and everypony else were on edge about something; mind if I ask why?”
“Of course, Spike; there’s been rumors of a fight between two rival changeling hives in the far east, and we’re worried one of them might belong to Queen Chrysalis,” Twilight said. “She’s never forgotten what happened to her back in Canterlot, and from what our reports have told us, one of the hives has taken over the other. If Chrysalis has emerged victorious, both her power and the strength of her hive could be well above what she used in Canterlot, and that means she could be planning her revenge as we speak. So, in light of these events, we’ve started taking precautions by way of royal decree.”
“What kind of precautions?” Spike asked.
“The princesses passed a decree stating that everypony is to become more involved with one another, both to promote friendship and harmony while still helping to keep an eye out for changeling infiltrators. Magical checkpoints are now at every major city and town; Canterlot even has a bubble shield up to prevent changelings from entering again, though now it’s far less obvious,” the alicorn librarian said. “That one was my idea; altering Shining Armor's spell to be nearly invisible was very tricky. We also have early warning systems in place at every town, village and fort, so that if there is an invasion, we’ll be much better prepared than last time. Every pony is doing their part in some way; regularly visiting friends and family to make sure they are all right, stocking supplies in case of emergencies, helping to build up our infrastructure. Some of the older unicorns have been practicing defensive magic like shields and such all over the kingdom, and every town center has a bunker-like fort of sorts for ponies to hide if worst comes to worst.”
“Wow,” was all Spike could say. That was a lot of things to do, but then again, from what he could remember Twilight's history lessons, this was a rather tame version of what other kingdoms had done in the past. It could be that the princesses didn't want to appear as though they were preparing for war, but only that they were preparing for trouble. Had things had really become that bad in the time he was gone? Speaking of which... “Hey, Twilight?”
“Yes Spike?” the princess asked, closing the library door behind her.
“Just... just how long have I been asleep? The wildflower garden outside my cave is larger than I thought it would be after just two years.”
Twilight’s ears dropped slightly. “Spike, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but... you weren’t asleep for just two years. The truth is, you’ve been asleep for five years.”
“Five years?” the dragon exclaimed. “I thought I was supposed to be asleep for two! That’s how long you said I would be sleeping for!”
“Well, here’s the funny thing about dragons,” Twilight said slowly. “When they are young, there is no real “set time” for them to sleep. Older dragons, like that one Fluttershy convinced to leave, do have a set time to sleep; around one hundred years. Younger dragons have more of a range to their times; one to five years, on average. We just thought you’d be in for a two-year nap, seeing as you were slightly younger going into your first sleep than most dragons are. Only after you didn’t wake up at the two-year mark did we realize you’d be asleep for longer than that, since my spell also measured your heartbeat and we knew you didn't, you know... die or something.”
Spike didn’t say anything for a few moments. “So... that’s why that garden is so much larger? I’ve really been asleep for five years?”
“Give or take a few months,” the purple alicorn said. “Come on, we have to tell the girls you’re back. I’m sure Pinkie Pie is dying to finally start your-,”
“Waking up from hibernation party!” a bright pink pony screamed, jumping out from behind Spike’s back. Both Twilight and Spike jumped at the sound of her voice, though the fact that Twilight jumped into Spike’s arms instead of him onto her back showed that she was the quicker thinker. If he had jumped onto her, he might have crushed her.
“Pinkie Pie? How did you get here so fast?” Twilight asked. “Better yet, how come we didn’t hear you?”
“Oh, silly Twilight, don’t you ever learn? My Pinkie Sense told me it was Spike coming into town, and not some big meanie-pants beast coming to gobble us all up!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Besides, I just got here to tell you I have the party all set up!”
“Wait... you already set up the party?” Spike asked, gently setting Twilight down for the second time that day.
“Yep!”
“You sent out the invitations?”
“Nope! I already personally invited everypony that wanted to come. The party starts at five, so don’t be late!” With that, the pink party pony set off towards Sugarcube Corne, bouncing happily as she always did; it seems some things never change.
“How did she-,”
“She’s Pinkie Pie, Spike; trying to figure her out is like trying to explain non-Euclidian geometry to Rainbow Dash.” She sighed at Spike’s nonplussed look. “Like trying to have Rarity teach Applejack how to properly fold napkins.”
“Ohh,” Spike said knowingly; he remembered the lessons. “Right; gotcha. So... who is all going to be at the party?”
“Whoever Pinkie invited,” Twilight said. “Come now, we need to give you a bath. You haven’t touched water since you went in that cave, and I’m sure you’d like to be nice and clean for your party.”
“Too true,” the dragon said. “I feel like I’ve got some moss under some of my scales.”
“...didn’t need to know that, Spike,” Twilight said. As the pair of them walked inside the library, a thought crossed Spike’s mind. “Hey, Twilight?” “Yes, Spike? I still have the lavender soap you liked to use.”
“Oh, thanks, but no, that’s not what I was going to ask. Twilight, have you... seen Zecora around Ponyville?”
“Oh, she comes into town every now and then for supplies of some kind or another,” the alicorn said as she turned on the faucet to the tub. “She usually doesn’t stay for very long, and after the first few months into your hibernation, she stopped coming by. We just thought she was sick or spending her time outside your cave. She came back after a year, and was much friendlier than before. I still don’t know what you did Spike, but you made her very happy. Are still thinking of going out with her?”
“Well, yeah, of course,” Spike said as he slowly lowered himself into the bathtub, so as to avoid sloshing the water over the sides. The warmth seeped into his scales and he sighed, happy to feel the scent of the lavender soap waft into his nostrils. “Ahhh, this feels great.”
“Yes, well, you still need scrubbing, and I have just the tool to do it,” Twilight said, and as she approached the bathtub, Spike saw something held aloft by her magic he hadn’t seen in a long time.
“No, nooo, not the steel wool! I thought I got rid of that years ago!”
“Yes Spike; you need a good scrubbing, and after you’re dry, the belt sander will finally have some use again.”
“I think you overdid it with the scale polish, Twilight,” Spike muttered as he walked to the party, looking like his scales had just received a fresh coat of wax. He didn't mind smelling like lavender, but the belt sander had been a bit much; Twilight had always been too rough with it, and now, it seemed, some things never change.
“Come on, Spike, I think you’re exaggerating. I didn't use that much; just more than I did last time because, well, you're bigger is all.”
“Ponies can see their reflections in my ass,” the dragon said as they walked down the street. “That is not normal.”
“Spike, didn’t I ever teach you not to use words like that?”
“Twilight, I’ve heard both you and Rarity use those words plenty of times whenever one of you were talking about Prince Blueblood.” He'd also heard and learned many other words from them and the others, including some he had had to later look up in the dictionary.
“What? I always thought I was alone when I vented!” Twilight exclaimed, a blush quickly staining her cheeks. "All those times, I wasn't that loud, was I?"
“Twilight, I lived with you for years; you were never alone,” the dragon said. “And yes, you were always that loud, even when you were screaming into your pillow. Tell me, has anything changed with you? I’ll be asking the others the same at the party, but I wanted to hear from you first.”
“Well, since I’m technically a princess, I had to take over a lot of responsibilities that I didn’t have as just the Element of Magic,” she replied. “Firstly, dealing some of the rich and powerful ponies in Canterlot; instead of coming to Celestia and Luna, they’ve come to me with deals and possible investments. I’m not rich, remember; even with all the bits I make in my position, at the end of the day, I can’t just go throwing it all at the next big idea some pony has. I have to save it for a rainy day; invest it in things with small but sure returns, like farming and construction.”
“Construction?” Spike asked. He understood farming, seeing as a massive portion of Equestria’s population did nothing else but farm, but building stuff?
“Of course! Don’t you remember how many times things were destroyed or broken over the years? Your rampage, that Ursa Minor, the changeling invasion, the parasprites, etc; those events all cost bits to replace or fix, and as such, construction is a very good investment. There’s always a need for it anyway.”
“I guess I never thought about it like that,” he replied. “So, what part did you play in this whole “prepare for the worst” mood the kingdom’s in? Besides altering your brother’s shield spell a bit, I mean.”
“Well, with whatever bits I could spare, I invested in pegasus patrols along our borders, although the cloud forts they requested seemed a tad expensive at first,” the alicorn said. “While the Wonderbolts do only accept the cream of the crop for their ranks, they do dole out their members as the occasional flight instructor for training, and what with the sudden need for it, they’ve been busier than ever building up our air force. Not to mention how many of Celestia’s guards have been assigned to help train militias in many of the border cities and towns. If it wasn’t for our excellent trade and alliance treaties, the griffins and minotaurs might think we were preparing for a war.”
“Well, aren’t you? Preparing to defend yourself from a war, I mean,” Spike said as they finally arrived at Sugarcube Corner. As per usual with Pinkie Pie’s parties, there were streamers, balloons and confetti everywhere.
“Yes, but let’s not talk about that now; it’s party time,” Twilight said as her magic opened the door for them. Almost immediately, a party cannon went off, and out shot the same bright pink pony from before.
“Surprise!” she yelled, only this time many other voices accompanied her own. “Welcome back Spike!”
The fact that the noise of the party cannon had only caused Spike to dig his talons into the ground outside was a testament to how much he had been preparing for a possible party cannon greeting. Still, he managed to smile as he walked inside, Twilight following him as she soothed out her mane again. Pinkie was not so much random as she was unpredictable, or at least, most of the time; whenever it came to parties, she was indeed predictable. It was part of her talent, after all; hosting parties and generally making ponies feel better about themselves.
Inside of Sugarcube Corner... well, it was as festive as any one of Pinkie Pie’s parties could be. the smell of fresh-baked goods wafted out of the kitchen, and for the first time in years, Spike felt the pangs of hunger rumble through his stomach. Food of all kinds lined the cloth-covered tables, there was soft yet festive music playing in the background, and the place was packed with familiar faces of all kinds. There were some games being played off in a few corners, and everywhere ponies were eating, chatting, and generally already having a good time.
As Spike mingled and said hello to everypony for the first time in five years, he felt a nagging suspicion that he was forgetting something. There was something not here, something he had overlooked while he talking with everypony.
Oh well; he was sure it’d come back to him in a while. It was nice to catch up with everypony again and see what they had all been up to.
Rarity was still as beautiful as ever, and now ran a large fashion distribution line with her Canterlot partner, Coco Pommel. They had clothes of all kinds being sold in stores everywhere, from the fanciest and most expensive to the cheapest and downright plain. The fact that Rarity was making and selling plain clothes as often as she was fancy dresses absolutely blew Spike’s mind. It seemed she had finally came to understand that fancy or expensive didn’t always mean better, which the dragon was glad to hear. That, and she had also designed a few now-famous dress patterns based off of his scale patterns, something he had definitely not been expecting.
Applejack was still working on the farm with her brother, which had grown a bit larger in his five year absence. Now Applejack had a partner in farming, with some of the south fields being tended to by Carrot Top and her family. In fact, Applejack had really branched out in her overall number of different crops: beets, corn, wheat, asparagus and even barley. Still, apples were what she grew the most of, and to Spike’s surprise, Granny Smith was still alive and kicking. Maybe she was immortal or something? Nopony knew what eating zap apples for... however old she was, could do to one’s system.
Rainbow Dash was still as much the athlete as she ever was, although the fact she had been hired on to train other pegasi in patrolling around the countryside had become a never-ending source of pride. That, and the rave reviews she got from some magazines on her stellar aerial performances for several charity functions made her really happy, something Spike was happy for as well. Plus, she had been featured as a recurring character in several Daring Do novels, though the fact that her hero had included her had been more embarrassing for the cyan-colored pegasus than anything.
Pinkie Pie had been so busy making sure everything was right for the party that Spike barely even saw her for the first part of the party. After finally managing to corner her with a tray full of baked goods, Spike had been able to find out that Pinkie Pie no longer worked at Sugarcube Corner. No, now she was a partner to the business and was helping the Cakes raise their twins to eventually take over the business once they were old enough. She had also hired on Derpy as a delivery pony for their goods, which had greatly increased sales in the surrounding towns and villages. Derpy was paid a fair portion of the profits, along with a five pound blueberry muffin at the end of the month as a bonus.
Fluttershy was still taking care of animals, though she surprised Spike when she told him she had become an aunt the year before. Her older sister, a faraway pony by the name of Hoverfly, had given birth to a beautiful little filly whom she had named Flutter. Spike could tell the pegasus was really glad to see him, though the fact she was even more shy than usual went to show she still had that fear of dragons inside her. Plus, he was a good deal bigger than her now, and maybe she wasn’t seeing him as a baby anymore, but as an actual dragon. Still, he really enjoyed her hug; she always did give the best hugs.
With the party in full swing and Spike gorging himself on some sapphire cupcakes made especially for him, his mind kept wandering around, as did his eyes. Off in the corner, with several much younger colts and fillies, the infamous Cutie Mark Cursaders were eating cupcakes and drinking some lemonade. He had heard from several sources that the three had finally managed to find their own cutie marks, but still ran the small club they had founded in order to help others find their marks. From the number of young ponies talking with them, it would seem the idea of a club devoted to helping others find their special talent had really caught on, and according to Fluttershy, there were now chapters of the Cutie Mark Crusaders all over the country, from Los Pegasus to Manehattan to Baltimare and Cloudsdale.
Personally, Spike was glad that the trio had found their marks, and yet... there was something missing from this party. Something he should have been remembering for a while now, something just on the tip of his tongue...
There was a rather loud knock at the door. Several heads turned as Pinkie Pie opened, her customary greeting stopping halfway. “Welcome to the... oh, hi Zecora! I see you were able to make it after all!”
“Yes, Miss Pie, I was glad my schedule could be cleared,” the zebra mare rhymed as she walked inside, looking around. “I am late, it seems; just as I feared.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, the party’s still going on and there’s still plenty of cake and ice cream and games and-,” Pinkie said, only for Twilight to shove a cupcake in her mouth to cease her chatter.
Spike and Zecora stared at one another, neither daring to say a thing as the zebra approached. The whole party seemed to slowly grind to a halt as everypony’s eyes focused on the zebra and the dragon’s wordless exchange. Spike had always known Zecora to be beautiful, but... the years had been very kind to her, kinder than he had thought. Her mane, usually so upright and tidy, fell down to her back in neat curls, and her tail had the same kind of styling. Her pelt was clean, much cleaner than when he had first met her, and her gait was relaxed, something he had not noticed until well after they had started dating. Her body... wow, the years really had been good to her. She was just as trim as she had been when he had gone to sleep, only... her rump was a little larger and her hips seemed a bit larger as well; had she been eating more? Had she also polished her rings? The rings around her leg and neck were much more shiny than when he last saw her; had she made herself up to look pretty all for him?
That thought made Spike feel all giddy inside. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and neither could half of the party-goers, most of whom were thankfully mares. Unable to tear himself away from her gaze, feeling as though her eyes reaching into his own, Spike watched as Zecora drew closer, and closer, and closer...
SLAP
Spike reared back as the zebra’s hoof collided with his face, his sudden imbalance causing him to roll out of his seat and onto the floor. There was a collective intake of breath as the room fell dead silent; even the background music seemed to fade away into nothingness.
“What was that for?” Spike asked, rubbing his cheek.
“That, my dragon, was for the five year wait,” Zecora said, closing in on him. However, instead of striking him again, she leaped in and planted a great big kiss on his lips. Spike, surprised by this sudden shift in attitude, merely played along as best he could, kissing her back without trying to make it feel forced.
When they drew apart, the shock that had lined the faces of all the partygoers had transformed into either knowing smiles or confusion.
“And... and that?” Spike asked, out of breath. “What was that for?”
“That, my love, was for spiking my heart rate,” Zecora smiled, her breathing a bit rapid as well. “Too long I was without you, but no longer. Come, sit we me; we have many thoughts to ponder.”
Helping him to his feet, Spike and Zecora glanced over at the rest of the partygoers, who seemed intent, upon noticing their combined gaze, to start partying some more.
“So... five years,” Spike said as he and Zecora found a nice little corner all to themselves. “I can’t begin to say how much I’m sorry. I wish I had known just how long I was going to sleep. If I had, maybe I could have postponed it, or... or something.”
That sounded nowhere near as lame in his head than when he spoke it.
“It is fine that you could not control your sleep, but I must tell you, for many months alone I would weep. By myself in my hut I was, with your friends alone to see; without you, I felt as if I could no longer be happy.” Zecora was rather calm as she spoke, but her words carried with them a tone that she had indeed cried without Spike in her life. He really must have meant much to her, and although she wasn’t laying it on him as thick as she could have, Zecora was clearly trying to make Spike realize just how much he had messed up. Their whole relationship could be in jeopardy over this.
Spike felt so ashamed, even though he had had no control over just how long he would be asleep. “I wish I didn’t have to be like this; like a dragon sometimes,” he said softly. “I’d have been there with you; five years is quite some time in a pony’s life, while for me... it’s just another drop in the bucket that is life.” He paused. “Thank you, by the way, for the wildflowers; they were lovely outside my cave.”
Zecora shook her head and kissed him gently on the cheek where she had struck him; clearly she didn’t want Spike to apologize for his biology any more than she wanted him to feel like everything was his fault. “Ah, yes, I had hoped the flowers would be in bloom after the snow. After all, some gifts may die, and yet others can grow,” the zebra said, placing one of her hooves on Spike’s hands. “Your friends, they still do not know of that night; should we tell them, or will it give them a fright?”
“It’s all up to you whether or not they will find out; you’ve have five years to tell them, and I wasn’t in any condition to spill the beans. I’m okay with telling them if you are.”
“Yes, I believe it best that they know of our last night’s fun in the sack; excuse me, I’ll be right back.” With that, the zebra walked off and out the door, leaving Spike alone and a little embarrassed. Night in the sack? Was she that desperate for a rhyme that she had to include that? Or maybe that was all she could focus on? It’d been five years since they’d slept together; maybe she wanted some more dragon...
“Spike, mind telling me what that was all about?” Twilight asked, causing Spike to nearly shed his scales in fright.
“Twilight! How did you sneak up on me like that?” he asked, clutching his chest.
“I’ve been taking lessons from Pinkie Pie; you’d be amazed on how long you can be out of a rich pony’s meeting before somepony notices,” the purple alicorn said. “But that’s beside the point; is everything good between you and Zecora?”
“I... I think so. She just went to get something, though I have no idea what it is,” Spike said as the door to the bakery opened again. In walked Zecora, with a small saddlebag resting on her back. As she walked towards Spike, the dragon’s eyes zoomed in on the saddlebag; there was something moving in there...
“Spike, I have something for you,” the zebra said, stopping by the table and turning to the side. “I’m sure you’ll know in one, two-,”
“Three!” a voice said, and out from the saddlebag jumped a tiny filly, her short braided mane flopping behind her as she jumped up onto the table. “Whoops! Sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile, looking back at Zecora. “I was supposed to come out when you said ‘three’, wasn’t I?”
“It’s okay, Nella; tell the dragon here who you are,” Zecora said softly.
“Oh, right,” the little filly said, clearing her throat and standing straight up to look at the dragon before her. She didn't even seem afraid of Spike, which was rather confusing, as most ponies were scared of him when they first met him. “Hi! My name’s Nella, and this is my mommy, Zecora. How are you?” She even squeaked on the words “hi” and “you”, in so cute a voice that off in the distance, Sweetie Belle was having a small flashback to the days of her youth.
Spike didn’t reply at first; all he could do was look between the little filly on the table and Zecora. Beside him, Twilight had a mixture of confusion and adoration covering her face; little Nella was downright sweet, what with her big green eyes, her little black and white stripes, and her adorably short legs. She couldn’t have been more than four years old.
“Zecora?” Spike asked finally, looking closer at Nella as a sinking feeling filled his gut. “Is... it she-,”
“Yes, Spike,” the zebra said as her daughter started fidgeting on the table, obviously unsure why the dragon wasn’t talking to her. “This is Nella; our daughter.”
The party kept on going, as most of the ponies had decided to not watch the proceedings. However, one voice rose above the din, and it wasn’t Spike’s.
“What?” Twilight asked again, looking back and forth between Zecora, Nella, and Spike, who kept squirming where he sat. The party had long since ended, and they were all back in the library, at Twilight’s impossible-to-refuse request; more like a demand if anything. “When did this happen?”
“Twilight, I’m just as surprised as you are,” Spike said, glancing over at Zecora and the squirming little filly sitting behind her mother. The fact that Zecora had chosen to spring upon him the mother of all surprises
“I said, when did this happen?” Twilight asked again, gesturing at little Nella.
“Leave my daughter out of this,” Zecora said. “She is pure, so her part in the matter, please dismiss.”
“Zecora, I’m afraid I just can’t ignore the fact that you and Spike have had a foal together,” the purple alicorn said. “Nor can I just not know how it all happened. It is my duty as a princess to know these things.”
“It happened the night before I went into hibernation, Twilight,” Spike said softly. “You know Zecora and I had been going out for around two years by then. We talked, we laughed, we shared in our good memories together... and then we opened up a bottle of wine. Zecora had been saving it, just for a special occasion like this, and so we started drinking.”
“Wait, you two got drunk?” Twilight asked. “Spike, you’ve never had alcohol in your life!”
“I didn’t until that night,” he said, glancing over at Zecora. Reaching out, her gently grasped one of her hooves in his hand and gave it a squeeze. Little Nella behind him gave a look of silly disgust, as if holding hooves were the grossest thing ever. “It didn’t take long before we, well, you know...”
“Yes, I don’t need to hear the details, especially with a foal present,” Twilight said with a sigh. “What I wish to know is why neither of you told me and why I had to find out today, at a party, that Spike was a father!”
“I wished for him to have some time back before he was told,” Zecora said softly. “My intentions were pure and honest, though appearing cold. It was a secret between him and I; our union was ours alone to know, so please don’t pry.”
“We were worried about how most of you might react, but to be frank, we weren’t exactly sure why we had done it ourselves,” Spike said. “I mean, it was amazing, but we’d just been dating, and we hadn’t discussed any sort of physical relationship, and, well... it just kind of got out of hoof. Not that there was anything wrong with that,” he added quickly, glancing in Zecora’s direction. “Neither of us had any idea the events of that night could lead to something... else.”
“Indeed it is true, neither of us knew what that night’s actions would bring, but I must say, for our moment together, it was quite... fitting,” the zebra said. “Twilight, you must understand that I am much older than thee; several more years down the road, and I might not have been able to have a colt, or a filly. Nella is a gift to me more precious than gold; a mother’s love for her daughter is fierce, I hope you have been told.”
Twilight sighed; she was getting the answers she wanted, but they weren’t really making the situation any more pleasant to deal with. “Okay, okay, you two have had a foal together,” she said finally, rubbing her temples with one free hoof. “Now that I know, there’s a lot of ponies who need to know, namely my friends and the princesses.”
“How soon will they know?” Zecora asked. “With this information, we would not wish to distress them so.”
“I’m not sure, but within the week; Celestia will have to know as well, Spike,” Twilight said. “You know that she needs to know; there hasn’t been a dragon hybrid within Equestria’s borders in centuries.”
“So?” Spike asked. “What does that have to do with anything?” Personally he thought Celestia might simply adore little Nella; she certainly did seem to be extra happy whenever she saw little ones. Luna wasn’t quite so excited, as she didn’t have as much experience with younger ponies like Nella, but then again, she could have developed the skills during his absence.
“There are those who don’t like it when ponies mix,” Twilight said. “Most of them being stuffy old-timers who don’t like pegasi marrying unicorns and such, but most of the time they aren’t too vocal about it. Only when there’s some sort of scandal do they come out of the wordwork, but in a short time they fade away again. However, little Nella here could give them and those like them an opportunity to push for a few new laws that have been sitting around, gathering dust for years. She's not only from a zebra, but a dragon too, and that could have these "purist" ponies in an uproar.”
“Laws? What kind of laws?” the dragon asked, almost instinctively putting his hand out to protectively shield Nella. The little zebra giggled and jumped over it and back, as if it were a game.
“Registration laws,” Twilight said. “They’re terrible dreadful things, but they would require all hybrids or those of mixed parentage to be registered; Nella, the Cake twins, and any other ponies like them. It would also require any ponies wishing to be married to another race to fill out a ton of paperwork and also be put on a list. It’s all very totalistic, if you ask me, which is why Celestia has been against its use for centuries, ever since the very first ponies put in into the political ring. Only now, with the first dragon hybrid living in Equestria for the first time in hundreds of years, they could conceivably have enough weight to put enough pressure on Celestia to pass such a law.”
“We cannot let that come to pass,” Zecora said. “Our Nella will not be singled out by those brain-addled fools in the upper class.”
“I can only hope so, but she and those like her may be the keys to their demise,” the alicorn said. “If we can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nella and those like her do no harm to society, but contribute to it, then we might have enough support to destroy the unpassed law completely.”
“But... if that happens, won’t those who supported the law be angry with us?” Spike asked, feeling incredibly protective all of a sudden. If some pony tried to hurt little Nella...
Wow, a father for a day and he was already thinking of burning to ash any pony who might try to do her wrong. Whether these were dragon or father instincts, he couldn’t tell; likely a combination of both.
“They may, but seeing as a new law is put on the table for discussion rather quickly after the previous one is either accepted or rejected, they should forget about it rather quickly. My biggest concern for Nella right now making sure she’s properly taken care of, and-,”
Zecora cut the alicorn off, peculiar look filling her eyes... pride. “I have raised Nella alone, for four years of her life,” the zebra said, the room suddenly feeling a bit darker as her mystic side began to show. “Do not tell me I am an unfit mother because I am nopony’s wife.”
“No, no, I’m sure that’s not what Twilight meant,” Spike said, placing his hand on Zecora’s shoulder, partially to restrain her and also to reassure her. “Right, Twilight?”
“No, no, of course I didn’t mean that,” the lavender unicorn said quickly. “I only meant that she needs to have more of a relationship with her father, and the community. This is the first time anypony has seen her, and soon there’ll be questions surrounding her... I just think it’d be best if she spent mmore time with her father in town is all.”
Zecora didn’t say anything to that, and some of the fire in her eyes did disappear, but her mouth remained turned into a frown. “To her spending more time with Spike, I do not object,” she said.
“Thank you for being so understand-,”
“But I wish for her to know about you, so that her curiosity remains unchecked,” the zebra continued, as if she had not been interrupted.
“Me?” Twilight asked.
“Her?” Spike asked in unison.
“Of course, she is like a sister to you, is she not? You two were still close, I had thought.”
“Well, yeah, Twilight’s like a sister to me,” Spike said slowly. “What does that mean?”
“It means, my dear dragon, that Twilight is Nella’s aunt. This is a fact in politics, twilight, you may not wish to flaunt.”
“Wait... that silly purple unicorn with the wings is my auntie?” Nella said, poking her head out from behind Spike’s back now. “Hiya auntie! I’m Nella!”
In the blink of an eye, the little spitfire zebra had bounded between her parents and rushed the purple alicorn, wrapping her legs around her neck in an adorable little hug. Twilight made no move, instead opting to seemingly freeze, her eyes wide and staring down at the little filly.
Then, something magical seemed to happen. It was either the fact that a little filly was hugging her, or that Twilight had just realized just what Zecora had said, but... she began to softly return the hug.
“Did you plan on that?” Spike whispered to Zecora as his “sister” gently nuzzle the top of Nella’s head, earning a sharp squealing giggle from the little pony.
“Perhaps I did, perhaps I did not,” Zecora said with a wink. “What I do know is, that your sister may now be spending time with her niece a lot.”
“Hey, Zecora... why doesn’t Nella have any dragon features?” the dragon asked softly as Twilight and Nella began to clap hooves together.
“It was the potions during my carrying time,” the zebra said. “They help to alleviate those with foal who are in the later years of their prime. Do not worry, for she is your daughter true; in time, I believe, teaching her of her gifts will be up to you.”
“Has she displayed any of my gifts?” Spike asked as little Nella gently poked at Twilight’s flight feathers, earning a few giggles from the normally boring librarian.
“When she was born, my hut shook with her cries, but months later when I tried putting her in a crib, you could imagine my surprise. With her teeth forming she had chewed right through the bars, and as later her eyes twinkled like the night stars. I feel she will grow more into your heritage, my dear, but I want you to help her, so her later power she doesn’t fear.”
“I’ll help her, don’t worry about it,” Spike said with a smile, leaning in and giving Zecora a soft nuzzle.
“Ew, mom, dad, that’s gross!” Nella said from atop Twilight’s head, where she had come to rest while examining her aunt’s horn. Spike and Zecora pulled away quickly, but the two of them kept glancing at one another out of the corner of their eyes.
“Hey, psst; Zecora,” Spike said.
The zebra nodded silently to him.
“Do you... do you want another one?”
“Spike, that would be most sublime, but with Nella around, I’m afraid we likely wouldn’t find time,” Zecora whispered back.
Well, she hadn’t said yes, but technically she hadn’t said no... “Well, what if, down the road, she hung out with her “auntie” for some time?” he asked.
“Then, sir dragon, I tell you this; the walls of my hut will be shaking with my bliss,” she replied, smiling as a very red blush came over Spike’s face. Well, that cinched it; he wasn't going to be a deadbeat dad while Zecora was around. She'd be running him ragged to help with Nella's upbringing, as well as, it seemed, running him ragged for... other things.
“Daddy, why is your face red?” Nella asked, clambering down from her aunt’s back. “Are you running a fever? Mommy usually has the best kinds of medicines for colds.”
“Yes, “daddy”, why is your face red?” Twilight asked, arching an eyebrow in amusement.
“I’ll... I’ll tell you later, sweetie,” Spike said to the little filly, giving her a small nuzzle on the head. “Right now, why don’t I show you around the library? This is where I lived before I met your mommy.”
“Cool! There’s so many books and stuff!” Nella yelled, squeaking on “stuff” as she rushed around, seemingly determined to inspect every little inch of the library’s shelves for two seconds before moving onto another part. She sneezed; "kinda dusty over here, dad."
“Twilight, do you think she’ll get a cutie mark, with her being half... me?” Spike asked.
“I’m not sure, but I do think that she would,” Twilight said, who seemed a tad irked that Nella had managed to find the one spot she herself hadn't been able to dust that day. “She seems to be mostly exhibiting her mother’s traits.”
“For now,” Zecora said. “Someday she may yet develop the taste for gem chow.”
Spike followed his rambunctious little daughter, already feeling as though his life, while it never could be the same, was only going to get even better. If only he could have been there for Nella in the earlier years; thankfully she was still young enough that he could still make a lasting impact on her life. He needed to be there for her, and she would undoubtedly, along with her mother, be there for him.
So it began; the first day of the rest of Spike’s life with his little daughter Nella and her mother, Zecora.
