A Bridge Between Brothers

by Rammy


The Stranger

ബഐബഐബഐ Spike ബഐബഐബഐ

Two weeks after the Changeling invasion Twilight had finally calmed down enough to allow me to go out on my own and get away from her. After the invasion everypony had been on edge myself included but I can't stand being coup up like her for weeks on end. Well I could if she would stop babying me constantly. I swear sometimes she can get a bit too wound up. I was afraid I was going to have to send another letter to Princess Celestia...

Send another letter... I sighed as I idly ran a claw across the pond's surface. Is that all I am good for is writing, sending, and receiving letters... I can even protect my friends... am all I good for is a lowly servant!?

"Having an existential crisis young dragon?" A male voice called out, startling me.

I nearly jumped from the shock of being snuck up on. I looked around but couldn't see anypony. "Who said that?" I called as continued to look around. I thought I was alone and I'm sure I wasn't thinking outloud... was I?

"Try looking up young dragon."

I slowly looked up to see a large white stallion unicorn lounging across on a branch of the tree. I cocked my head trying to get a good view of the pony. Outside of Rainbow Dash I was not aware of any pony that like to lounge in a tree like that. I'm a bit surprised that the branch had not broken off given that he appeared to be larger then Big Mac, maybe even larger then Celestia. Hard to tell with him being under a blanket and all. But that wasn't the only thing that caught my attention about him. He had strangely colored eyes and horn. I don't think I have ever heard of a pony having two different colored eyes and horn. Maybe he was a colleague or family of DJ Pon-3. Or maybe he's just one of those strangely dressed ponies that were lined up outside of what Twilight said were 'nightclubs' in Canterlot. But then when I looked harder at the stallion's eyes I backed away in fright.

His eyes they were slitted like mine and just like... Chrysalis!

"Stay away from me changeling!"

"A changeling? Me?!" The stallion started laughed so hard that he struggled to remain on the branch. I growled out in annoyance. It wasn't funny changelings nearly killed Twilight! "Wow that is hilarious, but, no."

"It's. Not. Funny!" I shouted. I had to protect Twilight and the girls... somehow... or at least find a way to escape... but how?

"Then what are you going to do about it?" The stallion smirked at me showing off his... fangs. Not really helping me think he wasn't a changeling or some other monster...

Monster... just like me...

"So tell me young dragon why the existential crisis?" The stallion questioned again before I could get any more depressed.

"What makes you think I have an extent... excess... whatever you said crisis?"

"Well you are a young dragon happily living among ponies and yet you are out here moping about being a dragon among ponies.... right?"

How the hay does he know that?! Is he a mind reader or something? "How...?"

"Kind of easy to figure out. You are the only dragon in Equestria after all. It has to be difficult to not have others of your kind around."

"O really!? What makes you think that? You don't know me!" I clenched my first as I yelled up at the pony who seemed to be unaffected by my anger. What makes this pony think he knows anything about me much less dragons! No pony knows much about dragons... "I like ponies and besides they are all that I have ever known... I don't ever want to be around another dragon as long as I live!"

"Really? You don't want to be around your own kind? Ever?"

"Yes, ever!" I growled out, turning away to look back at my scaly reflection in the pond. "They're cruel jerks that only think of themselves and their hoards!"

"What makes you think that?" The stallion question crossing his forelegs.

I sighed as thought back to those times. "Well there was that dragon that attacked me, Twilight, and Owlowiscious after I, uh, ate some of his gems... I sweared that I didn't know they were his! I was just hungry from... running away... Then I met some teenage dragons on the Dragon Migration. They insulted my friends and tried to get me to smash a phoenix egg! And when I refused to that they tried to kill us!"

"From personal experience I can say that teens can be cruel no matter the race. And what did you expect from that other dragon? You stole from him. I would be mad too if you stole from me."

I was about to object but then I remembered that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were always getting after the CMC... and they are not yet 'teens.' And it was true that I had stolen those gems... accidentally... I also recalled that some ponies were quite... angry when I rampaged across Ponyville stealing literally everything I could grab. Maybe this stranger was right that dragons where similar to ponies except for one glaring detail...

"I guess so... but..."

"But what? What is really bothering you young dragon?"

"Well you see something happen recently on my hatchday... I never before then realized that I could get cool stuff just because it was my hatchdate. At first I was satisfied getting ponies to give me stuff but then I got greedy and being 'given' stuff wasn't enough and... I started stealing stuff. And all because I thought I deserved it... But the more I stole the more I had to have everything to collect and possess and not let anypony or anything take what was mine... before long I... I... I became a fifty hoof tall Rampaging... BEAST!"

I collapsed crying. My worst shame revealed to a total stranger... well not exactly. What I have not told anypony was I still feel that pull, to possess, to hoard. I can't tell them ever. Tell them that I have to be careful with everything I touch or look at. I don't want to be separated from my friends, from Twilight and I know that is exactly what will happen. Its so hard to not only day by day fight to not let the monster take over but to not tell them. My 'Rarity' doll helps a little as it reminds be of what really counts but I worry that one day it won't be enough.

"Interesting... but you don't look like a fifty hoof tall rampaging beast to me."

"Yeah..." I sniffed wiping the rest of my tears away. "A friend kind of snapped me out of it and I shrunk back to this."

"I see... how?"

"I don't really want to talk about it." I looked away in shame. It was bad enough that he got me to talk about that day but to talk about my ultimate shame... I will not.

"So then," The unicorn jumped down from the tree confirming my earlier assessment that he was at least as tall as Celestia. Sadly the blanket that was around him was actually a cloak which still blocked me from seeing his cutie mark... if he even had one. I suppose his large size eyes horn and fiery rainbow mane will be enough for Twilight or the royal guard to identify him. "Tell me, what are you going to do about it?"

"What is that suppose..." Why am I talking about this to a total stranger! "Who are you?"

"Don't you already know... Spike?" The unicorn smirked as he walked around the tree he had been lounging in.

Gah, this pony was as annoying... wait! I didn't tell him my name!

"Wait!" I cried out rushing around the tree after the unicorn only to find he was gone. I facepalmed. "And he's gone... Note to Future Spike: lay off the sapphires cookies as a midnight snack..."