Ember continued to hold Spike, trying her best to comfort her friend. Her mind raced for something to say, some words that will let him know he wasn’t the monster that he thought he was. Her eyes widened as she remembered a talk she had with Twilight some time ago. Still holding the young drake, Ember spoke over her muffled sobs, “Spike, I think you’re brave.”
Spike quieted his crying slightly and pulled back from her chest. He looked up at her with confusion as he wiped his eyes free of tears.
Ember looked at his face, “The white unicorn, Rare-teeth, told me…”
“Rarity,” Spike corrected finally getting his face cleaned.
“Right, Rarity. She told me about what you did in the Crystal Empire. How they call you ‘Great and Honorable, Spike the Brave and Glorious’,” Ember held up her hands as if framing those words.
Spike continued to look confused, wondering why she was bringing that up.
“And I think they are right, I think you are brave and honorable.”
Spike looked down at his hands in his lap, “Maybe once, but after what I almost did, how ca....” He was stopped as Ember put a claw on his lips.
“Let me finish, then you can tell me what you think, OK?” Spike nodded his head and she removed her claw. “When you saved me from drowning during the Gauntlet of Fire, and when you stood up to dragons stronger and larger than you in order to get the scepter, I thought you were very brave.”
Ember took a breath as she thought out her next words, “I didn’t realize at the time how well that word describes you though. I talked with Twilight before you left, about how I didn’t understand how someone who wasn’t strong or big and who was obviously scared could be so brave.”
She looked down into Spike's eyes, “Do you know what she said?”
Listening intently, he shook his head. “She said that it’s precisely because you're small and not as strong that you are brave. That it’s easy to do the right thing when you’re not afraid. Bravery doesn’t come from not having fear but doing what needs to be done despite your fears. When she told me that I realized that you were the bravest dragon I had ever known.”
Spike’s eyes widened at the compliment and his cheeks slightly reddened. He opened his mouth to mumble some mix of ‘thanks’ and ‘I’m not that great’, but she continued before he could.
“I think being honorable works the same way. That just like you need to have fear to be brave, you need to have temptation to be honorable.” Ember waved her hand, gesturing around the room, “You hide from your friends because you were tempted and feel guilty that you considered taking an offer that would hurt them, but you’re ignoring the most important part: you turned it down.”
“But I still almost took it! I desperately wanted the world they were going to give me, so it doesn’t matter that I turned them down, because I still thought about accepting a lie over my real friends and family!” Spike frantically interrupted, before shrinking from Ember’s glare.
“I thought we agreed to let me finish,” Spike quickly nodded his head and apologized.
“Now then, that is why you can’t yet add wise to those list of titles. What you do is what matters most, not what you were tempted to do. Spike, I don’t think you are honorable because you never thought of doing something selfish or wrong, but because, even though you are tempted, you still do what’s right. You’re brave because you were scared but overcame your fear and acted anyway, in the same way, you are honorable because you were tempted yet turned it down to do what you knew to be right.”
Ember used a claw to raise Spike’s chins so he was looking into her eyes, “Spike, you were offered everything you could ever want, your heart's greatest desires, and all you had to do was say ‘yes’. But you didn’t, and instead acted in as selfless a manner that not just anydragon could by giving it all up because it would have been wrong. It would have been a great temptation for anydragon, including myself, and I can only hope that I would have had a noble enough soul to make the choice you did.” Spike’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open.
Ember looked at him with caring eyes and a large smile, “You are small, and get scared, and sometimes want to do things even if they would be the wrong thing to do. But you don’t, and that’s all that matters. To me, Spike, you really are ‘the Brave and Honorable’ and anydragon who says otherwise is gonna have to fight me.” She gave him a slight smirk and poked his chest with a claw, “Even if that dragon is yourself.”
Spike burst into a smile and a quick laugh before tackling into Ember. After recovering from almost falling over from the surprise hug, Ember brought her arms around and returned it. After a few minutes of them holding each other, with Spike shedding more tears though this time from relief, they broke apart.
Lifting Spike off her lap and pulling herself up, she looked down at her friend, “I won’t force you to, but I think you should tell your friends about what happened. Or at least Twilight, if you can’t tell the others.”
Spike reflected on her words for a moment, staring blankly ahead as he ruminated before turning into a determined stare. “You’re right, I should stop hiding this from those who care about me. I’m not lesser for wanting it even if I do feel like I am. Keeping it inside is like a poison and it’s best to let it out before it hurts me and my friends more,” the dragon sighed in defeat. “But it won’t be easy.”
Ember’s smile grew and she let out a small chuckle, “Maybe you will get that ‘wise’ title sooner rather than later.” They both laughed and the room felt much brighter and less constricting. Holding out her claw to the drake, “I’ll be there to lend support if you want.”
Spike took her claw in his and smiled back, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Nodding her head, Ember turned to leave when she felt Spike keep her from moving forward. She turned back in confusion.
“Thank you, Ember, for being a great friend,” Spike said with unwavering sincerity.
This time it was Ember’s cheeks that glowed red before she let out an awkward laugh to hide her embarrassment. She looked away as she spoke, “Well, like you ponies say, friendship beats magic.”
Spike let out a loud laugh, “Close enough, let’s get going before Twilight or my mom paces a groove into the floor.”
Both dragons left the room claw in claw, ready to keep moving forward and leave those doubts and worries behind.