“Ok, so let me see if I understand this, you ended up with Grogar defeated and becoming the kings and queens of all our races. Fine, I get that,” Twilight said as she looked at the six rulers before taking a breath to continue. “But that still doesn’t explain how there isn’t any mention of Grogar throughout our history or any mention of your father for that matter. I mean by the sound of it, your father quite literally saved the world from Grogar and freed all the races. How could there be no record of such a creature? And then there’s this chamber and the fact you are all standing in front of us, why was this chamber needed? Why not just pass the story down instead of making this place and keeping it all secret?”
The six rulers giggled for a moment before Lilith said, “Yes, Twilight Sparkle. We became rulers after Grogar’s defeat. However, the story doesn’t end there. About a week after father put the crowns on our heads, everyone wanted to have a coronation for us to make it all official. I still remember that day. After the boring part was over we came out of the newly built castle as Kings and Queens. We had never seen such a gathering before. It felt like every creature in the world was there, but we didn’t care. There was only one creature we wanted to see. Our father, he was standing amongst the crowd with a smile, watching us. He had refused to take part in the ceremony, saying that he was just like everyone else and would watch from the crowd. We six felt differently on the matter. He had saved us all and asked for nothing, even turning down the chance to rule. So with smiles on our faces we made our way through the crowd of bowing creatures till we stood in front of him.”
“As he smiled at us, he said, ‘I’m so proud of you, my chil-‘. He stopped, closed his eyes and bowed his head to us with a chuckle and continued, ‘Forgive me, I mean congratulations your majesty’s’. That was the last straw,” Lilith said as she looked around the room. “I was so angry, I mean what would make him think he would have to lower his head to us. We were his children. We all understood in that moment what needed to be done. As we looked around at the crowd and then nodded to one another. We removed our crowns and placed them at his feet to the gasps of some of the creatures around us. As he opened his eyes and lifted his head, the look of confusion on his face was priceless,” Lilith said with a giggle.
“As we lowered our heads to him I said, 'You bow to no creature, for you are the hero that freed us all and although you may have refused to wear the crown. You are now and forever more the one true king.' Everyone started to bow to him as cheers of long live the true king and long live the hero rang out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen our father go so red in the face as he looked around and told everyone to stop bowing,” Lilith said with a giggle.
“After that began the golden age of peace, everyone was living happily. Our father even accepted the castle and made it his new home with the understanding that no creature was to ever bow to him or call him king. He hated the idea of being treated so differently. He always said he only did what any creature would do for their children,” Mist said with a smile.
“Of course, we lived with him for awhile, but every creature has to grow up and leave the nest at some point,” Ulysses continued. “Some of the creatures wanted to spread out and make new homes and see the world. As time went on, we six went our own ways leaving to explore the world. That is how places like Griffonstone, Hippogriffia and the Dragon Lands came to be. Father being father though, found a way for us all to keep in touch and stay a family, he made a round table in his throne room and placed a seat for each of us round it saying that it had to be round as no creature was better than another. From the smallest to the biggest, when we sat at that table all had an equal say. He made it a rule that once a week we would gather to discuss how to better help each other and the creatures we now governed. But if you ask me, I think it was just so he could make sure we were eating right. Hehe. Lilith never went far from home though,” he said with a smile.
Lilith chuckled and said, “Well, the ponies were happy where they were and so it made sense to have a castle built in the one place. I felt the safest right here in the woods. After all, the woods was where we grew up and where we met our father. I even married the stallion that stood on that stage with us and started the rebellion against Grogar and his gargoyles,” she said with a smirk as she looked at her daughters.
“What!?!” Said Celestia and Luna.
“Mother, you mean to tell us that, that stallion from that day you helped free that village was father?” Luna asked shocked.
Lilith giggled and said, “Yep, he sure was. We became great friends over time and friendship turned to love. Although I thought it was never going to happen at one point thanks to father. I mean really what kind of father sneaks around following his daughter on her first date? I was a full grown mare, a hero, a queen even. I think I could handle one date,” Lilith said as she folded her hoofs in fake annoyance. “I mean don’t you think threatening to kill him if he ever made me cry was a bit much? I’m surprised your father didn’t run to the hills.”
“Come now, Lilith, you know as well as us that father was just making sure you wouldn’t get hurt. He’s always been protective of us,” Mirage said with a giggle. “Besides, it all worked out in the end right?”
“Wow, I never knew that’s how you and father met. You and father would never tell us when we asked as children,” Celestia said with a smile.
“Yes, well I would have liked to of told you sooner than today but that would have meant having to tell you everything and I couldn’t do that.” Now looking at everyone with a sad smile on her face, Lilith said, “The day I found out I was pregnant with you was the happiest day of my life. But what followed was the greatest pain I had ever known.”
Everyone looked at her and the other five rulers as they all began to worry seeing the sad looks appear on their faces, none more worried than Celestia and Luna.
“What do you mean mother? What happened?” Luna asked with a concerned look on her face.
“I had planned to surprise everyone with the good news, knowing that we had a meeting coming up. I asked your father and the doctor not to tell anyone so I could tell father and my siblings first. They agreed and the day of the meeting soon arrived, we siblings had always met up just outside of the village where our father's castle was, so we could go together. It became something of a ritual for us to always be together when entering the castle for our meetings. But something was wrong that day, as we stood on the outskirts of the village we couldn’t see the castle.”
"Of course we raced right there but as we made our way past all the creatures that were gathered there, there was nothing but an empty space where his castle once stood. All the creatures looked worried and scared. We managed to calm them down and we asked if anyone had seen what happened but more importantly if anyone had seen our father. A few had said they saw him the night before but no one had seen him since. That's when a voice from inside the crowd spoke up and said 'I saw him this morning right before the castle disappeared.'"
Lilith looked around the room at everyone then continued, "To our surprise, a little unicorn colt with no Cuite Mark and wearing a saddle bag stepped out of the crowd and bowed to us. After telling him to stand, we asked him what happened. He said 'I was minding my own business and was on the way to school when he gave me a smile and called me over. I couldn't believe that he was talking to me. I mean he was a true hero and the reason we were all here and free I was so happy I couldn't help myself and had to ask him for his autograph', the little colt was so happy at getting his autograph it was hard not to smile. Then his smile left his face as he used his magic to open his bag and floated a scroll over to us, along with the very box that once held the crown the creatures offered him."
"The scroll was long and personal to us." Scintilla said, then she continued, "But what I will say is that he said in his letter that he knew Grogar would one day return and that he had put into motion a plan to ensure that the creatures of this world would be safe. He then asked us to make it so that any mention or hint about Grogar or himself be destroyed or hidden. Then he asked us to make a promise to be passed down through the generations that if Grogar was to ever show signs of returning that those who the promise was passed down to would come to this chamber that we had built so that we could pass on the story. Of course, no creature is truly immortal, so we used magic to leave a little bit of ourselves here for when the doors would open."
"Wait a minute!!! Are you saying you're ghosts," Pinkie said as she ran over to Lilith and the others before touching Lilith and saying, "But I can touch you and can't see through you!?!"
Lilith and the others giggled as Pinkie went and sat back down by her friends, waiting for an answer.
Lilith said, "Hmm I never really thought about it to be honest. I would say more like magic copies of ourselves which is why we're not see-through and have a solid mass with all our memories and feelings. Anyway, like Scintilla was saying, our father had asked us to make this promise and we had to fulfill it. He had never asked us or any creature for anything and he had done so much for us all that we had no right to refuse him. The box he left behind had the key to how to defeat Grogar once and for all."
"Really? where is it now mother? If we can find it, we will be able to put a stop to Grogar," Celestia said as Lilith just smiled at her before saying with a giggle, "You and Luna are wearing them on your peytrals, our family's jewels. You remember when I gave them to you both I told you that they may not look like much but they are the most important thing to our family and you should never take them off. Now you know why," she said with another giggle to the shock and surprise of everyone in the room.
"So all this time the key to beating Grogar has been around our necks," Celestia said as she looked down at the gem on her peytral.
"But wait, I can only see the gem on Celestia's peytral," Twilight said as she looked at Celestia.
Lilith giggled and used her magic to remove Celestia's purple gem from her peytral and then did the same for Luna, removing a black gem as she did this she looked at Twilight and said, "Things are not always what they appear to be. Sometimes things can be hidden in plain sight. You just have to know where to look."
Lilith then floated the two gems in front of her and in a flash of white light making everyone cover their eyes the two gems became one, now looking like a purple gem with a bright white light shining in side.
"What is this?" Twilight asked as everyone looked at the new gem now floating in front of Lilith.
"Our family's greatest treasure and the key to stopping Grogar," Lilith said with a smile. "But before we go any further, I think it's time for you to come out of hiding, don't you little one."
As everyone looked confused at her, Spike held his breath and stayed as still as he could hoping that Lilith was talking about someone else.
"Hmm, very well. guess we have to do this the hard way."
After Lilith said that a white light flashed before Spikes eyes making him close them. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in between the six old rulers and Twilight and the others.
"Spike! What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in Ponyville?" Twilight asked while looking at the little purple dragon now in front of her.
Spike sheepishly chuckled and waved his claw at her and said, "Hi everyone." After seeing Twilight giving him a more serious look, Spike sighed and said, "Look Twi, I know you asked me to stay in Ponyville and I get why, I really do. But I just had this really bad feeling and I just had to come." He then looked at the floor and continued, "The thought of anything bad happening to you or any of our friends was too much to take, I just had to come. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."
"Oh Spike, I'm not mad." Twilight said as she pulled him into a hug, "It's just the thought of anything happening to you scares me."
"I know Twi, it's the same for me," Spike says as he hugs back.
Hearing giggles coming from behind him, Spike breaks the hug and turns around to see Lilith and the other five old rulers sitting side by side with smiles on their faces as they look at him. Before Spike has a chance to say anything, Lilith floats the gem over to him and places it in his claw and said, "This is for you."
Spike looks confusingly at her and said, "Why are you giving this to me? I can't accept this."
As he stretches his claw out to try to give it back to her, he continued to say, "Besides I thought this was your family's greatest treasure and the key to defeating Grogar?"
Hearing Spike say that made the six old rulers burst into laughter which confused Spike even more. Lilith stepped forward and placed a hoof on the claw holding the gem and gently pushed it back in to Spikes chest and said, "Forgive my poor word choice, what I meant to say was, I'm returning this to you, Father!"
WHAT!!!!!
Everyone said in unison, completely shocked at what Lilith had just said before Spike looked at her and said, "That's not possible, you've got the wrong creature. Everyone knows I'm still just a baby dragon and that Twilight hatched me for her exam. Besides, you yourselves said that your father was able to use magic and had a Cutie Mark. Everyone knows only ponies have Cutie Marks and I can't even use magic. All I can do is send stuff by fire breath and even that took me awhile to get down so I can't be your father."
"Oh, tell me Spike, when did we say at any point that our father was a pony?" Lilith said with a raised eyebrow, she then continued to say, "In fact, the reason my husband's sister and her little friends made that flag was to show those that saw it that even though you had no Cutie Mark like a pony. They saw in you love and a hope for a brighter tomorrow. You inspired and encouraged all around you to be better and to stand for what they believe in. Maybe it helps to think of it in the same way as what the CMC did for Gabby the griffon when she wanted a Cutie Mark."
"Besides if our father wasn't a dragon, then on the first day of our meeting you would of been dead if not badly burnt after all. I may of only been small back then, but do you think any magic could of saved any other creature if they weren't a dragon from a point blank flame to the face?" Scintilla said with a little chuckle before she continued, "Not to mention the village was at the foot of our home. We lived in our father's cave after all. I mean I had no problem living in a cave since, you know, being a dragon and all. Took the others some getting used to though."
"Bu...but it's not possible. Like Spike just said, I hatched him myself. I mean maybe Spike looks like your father or something? He can't be your father," Twilight said with a worried look on her face.
Lilith shakes her head and looked at Twilight and said, "I'm sorry. I know this must be a shock for you all. None more than you, Spike, but what we say is the truth. Besides, we spent many of our youthful days training with him in this baby form and we could never mistake those kind, caring eyes."
Lilith then looked at spike with a warm smile and said, "The eyes of a kind dragon that took in six children and raised them as his own. The eyes that cared so much he would do anything to keep us safe. The very same eyes of the dragon standing in front of us today that came here even though he was told not to, ready to keep the ones he loves safe."
"NO!!! I'm just a baby dragon," Spike said as he looked at the six old rulers with tears starting to form in his eyes before going on to say, "The creature you described in your story was a hero, strong, powerful, smart and brave. I...I'm just an assis-."
"SPIKE!!!!" was all he heard as he was cut off by Twilight as she wrapped her hooves around him with tears in her eyes before she said, "Did you already forget what I told you before little brother?"
Spike gripped the gem in his claw tighter and with tears running down his face, he asked, "Twi, what does all this mean?"
"I...I don't know Spike. I just don't know. I'm sorry," Twilight said as she tightens her grip on him.
"Tell me, Spike, haven't you ever wondered where you came from?" Mist asked while looking at him with a smile.
Spike breaks the embrace with Twilight and wipes the tears from his face and said, "I did for a little bit. It's not like I wasn't happy, it's just every now and then I used to wonder was I thrown away. Was I no good or did my family lose me and are they looking for me? It took me some time to realise that in the end it didn't matter. I had my friends, I had made my own family."
At hearing Spike say that, the other girls gathered round him and gave him a group hug. As his eye fell on Rarity, he could see her cheeks start to get a tint of red, which made him look to the floor in embarrassment.
As the embrace came to an end, Spike took a deep breath to calm himself and looked over at Celestia and said, "I know I've asked this in the past, but now I need to know, how is it I ended up as a test for unicorns at the School for Gifted Unicorns?"
Celestia takes a breath herself and said, "The truth is, Spike, one day a traveling merchant came to my castle and said he found a dragon egg whilst looking for gems. A small group of soldiers and I went to where he found you and tried for days to find any clues or dragons nearby that may be looking for a lost egg, when our search came up empty, I assumed that you were a dud and left behind, knowing how great dragons are at resisting magic I thought that you would be a great way to test the potential of up and coming unicorns." Celestia looked down at the floor to ashamed to make eye contact with Spike and said, "I never for a moment believed that you would ever hatch. The day your head came smashing through the roof after Twilight hatched you was one of the most shocking days of my life. As it showed me just how stupid I truly was." Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she said, "I swore that day that I would never make a mistake like that again and did everything in my power to keep you safe. Can you ever forgive me?"
Spike walked over to Celestia and put his arms around her neck and said, "There's nothing to forgive. You gave me a home. It is all because you took me in that I am the dragon I am today."
Celestia lifts her head up and pulls Spike into a hug as she begins to cry even more and said, "Thank you, Spike. You have no idea what that means to me."
Spike chuckled and broke the embrace then started to wipe the tears from her face and said, "You could of told me all this sooner you know instead of keeping it a secret all this time. It can't have been easy for you, It wouldn't change anything between us, you silly old mare."
Everyone but Twilight, Luna and the six old rulers gasped when they heard Spike call Celestia a silly old mare. Celestia for her part smiled and poked Spike's chest with a hoof and said, "That's Princess silly old mare to you, mister."
"Oh, how careless of me, please forgive my manners," Spike said as he goes to bow and gives her a little wink before they both burst into laughter.
After they stopped laughing, Spike walks back over and stands in front of the six old rulers still holding the gem in his claw and said, "Ok, so let's say for a moment I believe what you're saying, just how is this gem the key to defeating Grogar?"
"What you still don't believe us?" Mirage asked looking at him. "Well, I guess if I was told all this with no memory of it ever happening, I would find it hard to believe too. But let me ask you one simple question; have you been having dreams with Grogar in them?"
Hearing Mirage ask that question, all Spike could do was nod and say, "I wouldn't say they were of Grogar, but the last few days I've had dreams or rather nightmares of a dark shape with the reddest eyes. It would talk to me like it was taunting me. That's what I was going to talk to you about this morning, Twi, but if that was Grogar I guess I got my answers now."
"Hmm, although you don't have your memories of our time together, it seems as though your subconscious was trying to warn you of his return." Ulysses said as he looked at Spike.
"Ok, but that still doesn't answer the question about this gem," Spike said as he looks at them all.
"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Spike," Grover said, making Spike focus on him with a confused look. "That gem cannot defeat Grogar. It never could."
"What? You've all been saying that that gem was the key to defeating Grogar. I heard you say it myself." Rainbow Dash said in annoyance as Fluttershy and Applejack try to hold her back.
"No, the gem is a key and what do keys do?" Lilith said looking at everyone.
Pinkie Pie starts bouncing up and down on the spot and raising her hoof, saying, "Ohhh!!! I know, I know. Pick me! Pick me!"
Seeing Pinkie happily bouncing around, Lilith pointed to her with a chuckle and said, "Ok, Pinkie Pie, what do keys do?"
"They unlock things!" Pinkie said with a giggle as she stops bouncing around.
"Correct, Pinkie." Lilith said giving her a big smile.
"Ok, so what does this unlock then?" Spike asks looking at Lilith.
"You, or rather your memories and abilities that you sealed in your subconscious," Lilith said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked as he looked at her a bit confused by her answer.
"Well to put is simply, you will get all your memories of our time together back. There is nothing to fear. This won't change who you are. After all you are you," Lilith said with a smile. "Think of it as having the question of where you came from answered."
"And if that's not enough for ya to want to get your memories back, think about what will happen if you don't do this. Grogar will return and go after everyone you care about all to make you suffer." Scintilla said as she looks at Spike.
"Scintilla, really. Did you have to say it like that?" Lilith now staring daggers at Scintilla as she just strugs the look off.
"What do I have to do?" Spike asked as he looks at the gem in his claw.
"Spike you don't have to do this," Rarity said as she gets closer to him, "We can find another way."
Spike looks at her and shakes his head before saying, "No, Rarity. I have to do this. If what they all said is true and as it stands at the moment we have no reason to doubt them, then this is the only way to keep you safe- to keep all of you safe. Besides, it won't change who I am. I won't lie though, I'm a little scared right now, hehe." He said as he rubs the back of his head with his free claw.
Twilight and the other girls stand next to Rarity and gather round Spike as Twilight said, "We're here for you Spike. We ain't going nowhere."
"Fear is good," Lilith said to the shock of everyone in the room, apart from the other rulers, as she smiled at them all and said, "What I mean is without fear there cannot be courage. For you need fear to get the courage to face and overcome your fears. That is something our father or rather you used to say to us Spike."
"All you have to do is put the gem to your forehead and close your eyes," Scintilla said as she looked at Spike.
Spike takes one last look at his friends and smiles before saying, "It's time to dragon up." After taking a breath and closing his eyes, he holds the gem to his forehead and a white light begins to go round his body. He starts to lift into the air before the white light begins to get brighter forcing everyone close their eyes. When the light finally died down everyone opened their eyes to see a purple dragon with green spikes about the same size as Celestia on all fours standing in front of them.