//------------------------------// // Royal Business // Story: Like Something's Missing // by Icecane //------------------------------// The rhythmic tapping of Spike's foot against the library floor was the only sound to be heard as the young dragon awaited Twilight's return. “How long does it take to take a pile of mail to the post office?” Spike asked himself, turning to the nearest window in hopes of seeing a glimpse of a lavender coat approaching. The dragon's peaking excitement was quickly turning to impatience. With his senses sharpened to their limit, the front door of the library barely made a squeak as Twilight came through before Spike was aware she was near. Her voice called out to him as she stepped through the threshold. “Spike I'm-” But the mare didn't get to finish, instead feeling her hooves drag across the ground while a baby dragon pulled on her tail in the direction of the train station. “Ok ok ok, let's go,” Spike hurriedly said, his eyes locked onto the large locomotive. Twilight stifled a giggle at the dragon's behavior, not having it in her to remind him that the train wasn't due to leave for another thirty minutes. After purchasing their tickets, finding their seats, and waiting the grueling few minutes of the train making its final preparations, Spike and Twilight were off to Canterlot. The early morning trip brought only a few other ponies, leaving their ride with little disturbance. As the wheels chugged onward, following the tracks they were set on, Spike gazed out of the window to see the far off sight of pristine white walls and a towering castle. All he could do was stare at the wondrous city, his anticipation high for what information might be hidden within. Twilight kept her nose in the old tome she had brought with her in her saddlebag, preoccupying herself with her definition of 'light reading'. Despite her wavering confidence into how reliable the information within might be, the tome did offer insight into how dragons were looked at by ponies long ago. Many of the dragons mentioned were written as though she were reading a ghost story. Though a deafening silence was within the car, baring only the expected sounds a rushing hunk of metal against a metal track would create, Spike found comfort in it. As he looked upon Canterlot with expecting eyes, the memory of the dragon's last visit to the city came to him. Shortly after, the train charged through the first tunnel on its way to the station, throwing them into darkness and making it all the easier for the assistant to reminisce. Spike merrily walked down the street leading toward his destination. A smile etched on his face as he took one last chomp on the sprinkled treat he had gotten. The young dragon made it a point to stop by Pony Joe's doughnut shop whenever he visited the capital. Though he had grown to love the pastries that Pinkie Pie and the Cakes could make, there was no beating the delectable treats he had grown up with during his time living in Canterlot. With his self-given treat gone, Spike's mind was freed to look up at where he was headed, the pearly white walls of the castle looming over him. Even though he was entering the house of royalty, the young dragon didn't lose a single step in his stride while passing by the guards who manned their posts diligently. The echoing of every footfall and the smoothness of the floor beneath him was all Spike could take in while he passed through the massive hallways the castle held. Only the occasional passing guard or castle worker broke the solitude created from his trek, always receiving a warm greeting from whoever he came across. Not a soul stopped the purple dragon as he marched through the castle, Spike knew the way well, having taken the path many times before. Soon enough, he reached the imposing doors he had set off to find, a pair of guards standing like statues beside it. Only as the dragon approached did their stoic demeanor shift into a warmhearted welcome. Spike merely nodded his acknowledgment to them as he passed them by, opening the ornamental door and shutting it behind him. The room was just as beautiful as it usually was, draperies hung onto the ceiling and cascaded down, the finest looking decorations clung to the walls and several large windows looked outside to catch the light of the sun as it was in the perfect position for the current time of day. But these minor details were only noted by Spike for a short time, his focus being drawn to the center where a tall, white coated mare sat in her regal beauty, a small table laying in front of her. Princess Celestia was as patient as ever, her calming mood never changing in the slightest as she smiled softly at the dragon before her. “Hey, Princess,” Spike said with a beaming smile, formal greetings were never his strong suit. “Good evening, Spike,” Celestia returned, unaffected by the dragon's choice of words. “I hope there were no problems during your trip from Ponyville.” “Oh, there weren't any problems... Sorry about being a little late though, I guess I was a bit sidetracked.” A light laugh left the princess as she stared at the purple dragon. “The sprinkles of your wandering tell all.” Spike then noticed the doughnut topping still clinging to his lip. With an embarrassed smile, the dragon was able to lick them away quickly. Celestia simply nodded her approval of the dragon's quick cleanup and gestured toward the small seat that was across from her own. Not needing another request, Spike sat down before the princess, his eyes immediately being drawn to the mouth watering spread of gems that lay in front of him. Remembering his manners quickly however stopped him from simply snatching up the first sapphire he spotted to devour. Instead, he sat idle as the decorated teapot that was in the center of their table developed a golden glow and lifted into the air to pour into the two cups that were set for them. “So,” Celestia said as she poured the tea, “how have things been in Ponyville lately?” “A little quiet,” Spike replied, nodding a thanks as a filled teacup floated into his grasp. Without needing any other encouragement, the dragon brought the cup to his lips and took in the drink. His tongue and throat burned as the scalding liquid poured down his gullet. “Mmm, this is really good, even hotter than last time too.” “I'm glad you enjoy it,” Celestia said happily, “it's an old recipe that uses emberpetal seeds to heat it.” To Spike's surprise, he watched as the princess lifted her own cup to take a sip, steam still trailing up from the burning liquid. Since he was a dragon, such a fiery warmth was easy for him. A pony however would surely suffer painful burns from attempting to drink it, but the princess seemed unaffected. Then again, Spike knew how magically powerful she was, learning a long time ago it was a simple enough explanation for most things. Though his first visit was looked at as odd, Spike was quick to grow accustomed to his meetings with the princess. It was almost like a vacation, leaving for Canterlot on his own with the simple explanation of 'royal business' for the princess. Twilight always seemed to accept it and was none the wiser that the little dragon simply shared tea with her mentor. As it was for all of his previous visits, there were no interruptions as Spike sat down with Celestia and talked about the weeks that passed since his last visit. The warm tea flowing down their throats making the experience all the more enjoyable as he recounted the tales that occurred almost daily in the humble town. Though Princess Celestia already knew much of the escapades that occurred, the constant reports making sure of that, there was a fresh perspective and detailed touch that Spike added. Hours passed by with little interrupting them besides the occasional serving pony who brought in a fresh pot of tea. Spike was always surprised with the amount of time that was spent with them simply chatting and enjoying the company of the other, unable to see how a busy ruler would be able to make such time. But make it she did. “Oh goodness,” the solar princess giggled, trying to stop herself from laughing too hard, Spike having just finished telling her of Twilight's paranoia after a visit from her future self. “That certainly does explain the attire.” “Yeah, she tossed the suit out after that,” Spike muttered, attempting to not remember the stomach ache he suffered shortly after, “said she never wanted to see it again.” Having told of nearly everything worth mentioning, Spike looked out the window to see the bright orange coloring of the sky, the sun dropping down over the horizon. “You know,” Celestia said, matching the dragon's gaze on her fiery sun, “the Great Dragon Migration is coming soon. It's a wondrous event that occurs only once every few decades.” “Oh I know,” Spike said, his excitement being picked up by a topic he had been enamored with since he learned of it. “Twilight's been planning for it for like a month, she's got the perfect spot figured out to watch it too.” “I hope it's a safe one,” Celestia responded, eying Spike intently, “those dragons can be very temperamental during such a long trip.” “Oh yeah,” Spike nodded with enthusiasm. “We dragons are a force to be reckoned with alright.” The sun princess had to stifle a laugh as the small assistant struck his toughest looking pose, looking no more threatening than a young foal. “It's a good thing you're such good friends with ponies then,” the princess humored, her warm smile never faltering. Despite the greatness Spike showed however, the purple dragon nearly jumped out of his scales as a powerful blast of thunder exploded just outside the window. The once vast skies were gone, replaced with a blanket of grey clouds that spanned the entirety of the sky. The light tapping of raindrops repeated ceaselessly as the windows were struck with the falling moisture. Again and again, more thundering booms sounded off while yellow flashes accompanied them. “Oh dear,” Celestia murmured, looking out the window herself to see the storm, “I must have forgotten about the last minute storm the pegasi planned for the area.” Spike continued to stare out to the heavy downpour, seeing his return home becoming a little moist. “Of course, you'll be free to stay here for the night as it runs its course.” “Stay here?” Spike repeated, a tone of uncertainty in his voice. The young dragon could remember the last time his 'royal business' was prolonged due to a storm. He had returned home the following morning to find out that Rarity, the unicorn of his dreams, had actually stayed the night within his tree home, having a slumber party with Twilight and Applejack. Spike held a chip on his shoulder for days, steaming over such a missed opportunity. “I can't allow you to venture off in such weather,” Celestia concluded, finalizing her decision with a nod, “you would undoubtedly catch a cold.” “Okay, I guess you're right,” the dragon said begrudgingly, knowing he stood absolutely zero chance in arguing with the princess. “Spike, Spike,” Twilight urged, jostling the daydreaming dragon with her hoof. “Huh... wha?” Spike mumbled, blinking several times before his vision refocused. “We're here,” the unicorn stated, nodding toward the station where the train was now stopped at. “Oh,” breathed Spike, hardly able to realize that his simple walk down memory lane would make the long trip go by so quickly. Without another word, the dragon hopped onto the mare's back before they took off out of the train and into the Canterlot streets. The usual hustle and bustle of Equestria's rich, famous and generally superiority complexed filled the air. Noses pointed upward while short, elegant strides were taken by the ponies dressed in the most formal of attire. To say the scholar and dragon stood out would be an understatement, but the pair had made many ties through their years of citizenship and felt right at home with the familiar sights. There was no time for sightseeing however, a task was set and both companions were eager to see it through. Twilight's own curiosity was swimming with questions about the ancient dragon they were intent on researching, her studious side showing itself as the thought of learning about such a little known subject was sounding better and better. The guards attending the castle gates never faltered their stationary positions, even as the lavender unicorn trotted through with the eager dragon on her back. There were however a few curious glances by the castle attendants as they passed by, all wondering what business the faithful student had whilst her mentor was away. “Do so quickly then,” a voice echoed through the halls of the castle, holding a tone of restrained command. “I would much rather have the possibility taken away so it doesn't happen again.” It took no time for the two to locate the source of the voice. Walking down the very same hallway they were in, the dark blues of Luna's coat and mane easily stood out against the light colors of the castle décor. Two rather officially dressed stallions stood at her side, following their princess as she gave her orders. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle,” the nightly princess greeted upon noticing the mare approach, “and young dragon Spike as well. What a pleasant surprise.” “Greetings, Princess Luna,” Twilight replied. Spike nearly toppled off of the unicorn's back as she bowed down in respect to the princess' presence. “No need for that,” Luna said, suppressing a light chuckle, “such formalities are an exception for one such as you, Twilight. Pray tell, what brings you to the castle? Surely you know of my sister's departure.” Twilight nodded her answer to the princess as she developed a more casual stance. “Of course, by the way though, how have things been with running the castle?” Luna developed an uneasy smile as she heard the question, small beads of sweat forming on her brow as a glance was cast between the two ponies next to her. “Well...” she hesitated, “things have been fine... Only two fires have started since Celestia's leaving, they were put out with excellent speed and precision however. And Celestia may need a new bed in her chambers for... a reason. But other than that, most daily duties have been accomplished without incident.” “That's good to hear,” Twilight said with her own expression of unease. “Well, Spike and I have actually come to visit the archives. We've learned of a book that might offer us some insight into something, and we are certain that if it's anywhere, it will be here.” “Ah,” Luna replied with a nod, “well, you don't need to ask me for permission. The archives are always open to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have many tasks to complete before the moon must rise.” Twilight nodded and stepped aside as the princess continued down the hallway, beginning to speak to one of the stallions as she distanced herself. The librarian and dragon could faintly make out the princess discussing something along the lines of flammable milk, unable to discern the real meaning of the words. Nothing else stood in their way as Twilight and Spike walked into the castle grounds to find the standalone structure that rose up to nearly the same height as the castle itself. The archives were an immense structure, built to house the many scrolls, books and tomes of pony history and spells. Inside, the pair immediately felt themselves dwarfed by the sheer size of their search, it dawned on them that they had no idea where to start looking for the Dragonium. “Maybe we can ask a guard?” Spike suggested, his uncertainty dimming quickly by his overpowering resolve. It didn't take long to find a paroling guard, his armor a brilliant gold to show his daytime shift. “Oh, hello, Miss Sparkle,” the guard greeted to the mare as she approached him. “What brings you to the archives? Trying to,” he stifled a chuckle, “'stop time' again?” “No,” Twilight muttered, glaring down at the floor. The lavender mare had forgotten that her nighttime escapades on the grounds that fateful Wednesday night had become a joke amongst the entire guard. “We were actually wondering if you knew what wing would have the books about dragons in it.” “Dragons, huh?” the guard muttered, scratching his chin in thought. “I remember Princess Celestia coming by only a few days ago and taking a dragon book before... I think it was the Bestiary wing.” “B-bestiary?” Spike breathed. The young dragon knew what the wing was for, keeping all information that had to do with real or mythical creatures that inhabited Equestria. Anything from the fiercest manticore to the cuddliest squirrel would be within. “Sorry kid,” the guard added, noticing the dragon's saddened expression, “it's not as though dragons are a civilized lot.” “Well, thank you,” Twilight said before setting off for the Bestiary wing. With Twilight's knowledge of the layout the archives had, it didn't take long for the duo to find the right wing. An iron gate served as the door. Despite the seemingly impenetrable security, the gate was not locked and allowed them to easily enter. “Wow,” Spike said, seeing the large room before the gate. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls and floors. A second floor was raised up high to hold the immense quantity of books that the wide subject had. Several areas had racks that held onto aged scrolls. Besides the immense quantity of literature, the room held little else in terms of decoration, save for a few statues of mythical creatures that provided visual representation. “We should split up,” Twilight said, her eyes traveling across the large room. “We'll have a better chance at finding the section on dragons if we both look.” Spike nodded and slid off her back before climbing the stairs that led to the upper floor. With her assistant doing his own search, Twilight took slow steps as she passed by the different sections that made up each shelf. One thing that always annoyed her about the archives was the lack of real organization. Most sections were simply placed whenever they were added to the archives long ago, no way to find anything easily without having prior knowledge of the location. “Hm,” Twilight huffed, reading the section names as they fell under her gaze. “Sea Serpents... no, Phoenixes... no, Merponies... no, Hairless Apes... Celestia forbid.” Hours passed by slowly while Twilight walked through the maze-like pathway of shelves. Having covered nearly the entire first floor and hearing nothing of Spike, the unicorn was beginning to feel that the guard's advice was wrong. “Twilight!” Spike's voice called. “Come here!” Not needing any other acknowledgment, Twilight's horn glowed brightly and she was enveloped in a sudden flash. Teleporting to the second floor, the unicorn rushed off through more shelves toward the source of Spike's call. Soon enough, she caught sight of the purple scaled assistant beckoning her over. “Did you find something?” she asked upon reaching him. With an elated smile, Spike pointed up to a shelf of books, the sign clinging just above it reading 'Dragons'. “Doesn't look like much.” Twilight frowned at the small selection. Only a single row of books were there and leaving much to be desired at first glance. Pushing their appearance out of the way, Twilight enveloped them all in her magical glow and lowered them down to see their titles. Her frown only increased as the books flew passed her gaze, none of them were the one they were looking for. As the unicorn's frustration slowly built up, Spike looked about the room somewhat aimlessly. It was through his wandering that something caught his eye. Curious, the little dragon walked away and turned the nearby corner. Spike looked up at what he saw, his eyes widening as he was struck with amazement. “I think I found something,” Spike said, his voice returning to Twilight as she placed each book back in its rightful place. The unicorn turned to find her assistant had wandered off and again followed the sound of his voice, turning the same corner he did. “Ah!” Twilight yelped, jumping back as she came face to face with a roaring dragon. After several moments of heavy breathing and sweat induced fear, Twilight eyed the dragon before her and glared. “Why would anypony put this here?” The dragon in question merely kept it's fierce gaze on her, unresponsive as it's stone form could only stand idle. Though much smaller than a normal dragon for space reasons, the statue was incredibly detailed, it's large jaws opened wide to reveal the many sharp teeth waiting to be used. Spike stood underneath the statue, looking up at it as he was consumed in the shadow it cast. Just at the base of the statue, the baby dragon noticed something standing upright. Approaching it, he realized it was a case, having a wooden frame and stand with a glass top. Inside, a tome waited patiently for a reader, protected within the visual prison. “Look at this,” Spike said, his wonder emanating from his voice. Twilight huffed in agitation but still walked over to her assistant and the case he was peering into. Upon seeing the old tome, she was shocked by how strange it looked. The cover wasn't made of a typical material used in making books, it looked more like a hardened cloth of some kind, even small tattered ends ran around the edges as though it had been torn. Even the pages didn't seem to be the right type of paper, looking thicker and holding a visual texture to it. Another peculiar sight on the cover was in the center, a thin metallic plate was fixed into it, depicting the silhouette of a dragon's head. Twilight also noticed the sheer size of the tome, looking much bigger than the universal size that most books used in writing, as though a normal sized book was hit with an enlarging spell. 'Dragonium' was the title, written in a silver stylized font. “So this is it,” Twilight muttered, examining the book. It certainly was a sight, the studious unicorn had never seen anything like it. “How are we supposed to use it?” Spike wondered aloud, not seeing any way to open the case. Twilight gave her assistant a flat look before enveloping the tome with her magic, turning the cover over to the first page. “Oh, yeah... magic.” It didn't take long for their eyes to become glued to the pages. Unlike what they had seen, it held an extensive and insightful knowledge about dragonkind. Charts showing their maturity growth, illustrated works on dragon nests, a detailed map showing the Great Dragon Migration and the stops they took along the way, there was even a well explained portion on caring for dragon hatchlings. But Twilight's rational mind quickly overpowered the scholar inside her, ignoring the unholy tantrum she was inwardly throwing at herself. There was a reason they found that book, and she was determined to get their answers “Ok,” Twilight breathed, finally feeling herself calm down to find what they were looking for. “Page three fourteen...” she eyed each page number intently until she found it. “'Serilex the Flightless.'” Twilight paused for a moment as she cleared her throat. “'A dragon of old who has appeared in several historical writings. Though a definitive time of existence has never been specified, Serilex has been considered one of the earliest known forms of the dragon species in all of recorded pony history. Like the few other ancients that are known, little is truly known about what this dragon was like. Theories claim that the ancients were no different than the dragons of today, hoarders of jewels and brutish creatures of fang and flame.'” Twilight stopped for a moment as Spike audibly gulped. “'However, Serilex holds a unique attribute, or deformity in this case, in comparison to it's brethren. As it's title suggests, the dragon is described as wingless. With that, this dragon has become an object of interest for many scholars throughout time, all seeking to find the fact from fiction.'” Twilight sourly noted the irony in the statement. “'Though only rumors, it is said that the famed Dragon Knight Typhoon searched for the history of this ancient creature. Whether or not he had accomplished his quest remains to be seen, his own history being left to the dust long ago.'” Twilight closed the old tome and stood idle for some time, processing the information that was given. “Even this book didn't have anything,” Spike moaned, turning away from the case in his growing disappointment. “Well,” Twilight interjected, “it does have something.” “What?” “A clue.” The unicorn sat down on her haunches as she her mind raced with thoughts. “Dragon Knight Typhoon... what an odd name... Perhaps a title? Dragon Knight...” Twilight began tapping her chin in thought, remembering an old scroll she had read once. “Knight was a title that the old pegasi tribe used long ago, before they became a single kingdom with the others... So this Typhoon must have been a pegasus scholar of some kind.” That realization explained why she had never heard of him. Twilight knew nearly everything there was about unicorn history, even most of earth pony history was locked away in the reaches of her mind, but the history of pegasi was always obscure to non-pegasus ponies. “The Cloudsdale archives would most likely have information on this 'Dragon Knight', it might even give insight into Serilex and if he found anything about him.” “Then it's off to Cloudsdale!” Spike shouted excitedly, already jumping onto Twilight's back to take off. The young scholar merely sighed as she levitated the dragon off of her and set him down so she could talk with him. “It's too late to go there today,” the unicorn said, pointing out the window to show the sun was near setting in the distance. Spike was shocked to see that their search had taken nearly the entire day away. “Besides, we will need Rainbow Dash's help if we want to get into the Cloudsdale archives and I'm sure she's off napping or hurting herself.” “Do we have to?” the dragon complained, his juvenile side showing clearly. “Yes, Spike,” Twilight said firmly, gesturing toward the exit before trotting toward it herself. With a stubborn huff, the dragon reluctantly followed his caretaker out of the archives. Only once did he stop, halting his exit to turn back to the dragon statue. Spike could clearly see the ferocity sculpted into the dragon's features, poised in a stance ready to attack, it forced a sigh from his depths as he wondered just how different one dragon can be from another. Twilight and Spike made it back to Ponyville in no time. One perk of being so welcomed in the castle was the kindness the guards showed them. It was no hassle at all for the royal chariot pegasi to give the two a ride home, cutting the time that would be spent taking the train significantly. It allowed the librarian to finish the chores that were put off for their trip. Putting missing books away, dusting the right shelves, cleaning the kitchens, anything to make the library as perfect as possible. Spike wasn't particularly happy about it, but he was quick to accept it and helped in the usual ways he did. With their chores finished and nothing else to do, Twilight called it a day and turned in for the night. Silent darkness seeped into the library, only broken by the occasional shuffle of bedsheets as Twilight shifted unconsciously in her sleep, locating the most comfortable sleeping position for herself. Spike however, simply laid back in his bed and stared into the bleak ceiling. The little dragon was far too excited to go to sleep, his mind was filled to bursting with questions and self-created answers. “I bet he was super strong and tough,” Spike thought, his imagination running wild. “He fought bad guys and monsters all the time, saving helpless ponies and earning their praise and respect. The coolest dragon ever. And he lived in a giant castle-cave, filled with tasty gems he could eat whenever he wanted, with nopony to say he would spoil his dinner. And he had a beautiful marefriend too, with a snow white coat... and a wonderfully purple mane...” A/N: Ya know, when writing this chapter, I was struck with the idea of a little spin-off of this. Luna watching over the castle. Seems like a nice idea. It would kinda be like when Wheatley took over Aperture in portal 2, with everything going very wrong very quickly... and the repetition of the phrase, 'I can fix this.' Maybe it would even end the same way...