The Dragon Lord Legacy
Spike’s Week: Day 2-3
Power through our Will
The forest held an eerie calm, something Spike never really experienced before. Having the terror of the Everfree as a short understanding of how it works, this really threw him in for a loop. Not only that, but the leader of the deers, going by the name of Styr Kalen, had accompanied them to the valley below.
His mothers moved behind him while he walked alongside the deer. Spike couldn’t help but stare at the small orbs of lights at the end of his antlers. They didn’t jump up and down with every step, staying motionless.
“Your presence here is a peculiar one, Spike.” Styr spoke, his voice masculine but gentle. He sounded quite old, though he didn’t show it. “I haven’t seen a dragon with pony magic in a long time, not since my predecessors.”
That made Spike blink. “How can you know that? I mean, about your predecessors?”
The deer shook his head, the orbs jiggled lightly. A soft ring echoed from each one. “These orbs are more than just lights. They are a symbol of leadership as well as holding all the wisdom and memories of those before me. For thousands of years, we have lived and hid in the world. We are far and few, with those around in the forest being the last, true deers of intelligence and free roam in the lands.”
Spike looked back, watching as his mothers followed behind, though Zynthia looked nervous being in the area, while Eliynsa kept trying to reassure her. Feeling their unease, Spike refocused on the stag.
“I-I haven’t met deer in Equestria, though they are almost like nomads to ponies. Hiding in far away lands, holding magic no one can understand.” He paused before adding. “You said that you… err your predecessors haven’t met someone like me in a long time. How long ago was the last one?”
One of the stag’s antler orbs glowed brightly though briefly before shimmering down. “A dragon much like you, though very different, was encountered about 1000 years ago. Though the dragon is long gone now, it was one of the biggest enigmas we have ever had.” He then motioned with his head forward. “But you are now the biggest one we have now.” He stopped in his tracks, with Spike stopping by him. From the forest, they were led to the center of the valley, where Spike could tell all sorts of wildlife would live here. The sounds of various animals were loud and strong, mixed with high and lows of everyday life. He turned to the dragonesses.
“The lands here are free game, though I ask that whatever you hunt, you make it quick and nothing suffers.” His tone was strong, firm on his words. It spooked Spike that his mothers bowed to him as he did, though it might be out of respect.
“Never shall they suffer, never shall we hunt for sport.” Zynthia replied, keeping her head low. Eliyinsa kept it low as well. The stag nodded before turning to Spike.
“The lands here are as magical as we are. Respect it, young Spike. It can teach, it can reveal, and it can perhaps show you something that you were not aware of, including learning more about yourself.” Spike nodded meekly, before following his mothers’ lead and bowing to him. Styr gave a bow back and with that, he headed back into the forest, his magic taking hold and he blended and disappeared from view.
Once gone, the trio of dragons made their way through the open. In truth, this was beautiful and it reminded Spike of the open country of Equestria. Untouched, unaffected by the influences of modern times and inventions. The world would grow without the interference of technology or ponies, left to its own devices. The air was ever crispier here, the whole valley smelled wonderful. It was a wonder that no dragons have found this area.
“Must be more magic,” He thought out loud. In truth, he wanted to sit here and watch it all. Celestia’s sun high in the sky, warm and bright, with the sapphire sky just as beautiful to match.
It was here that his mothers stood on either side of him, though they also enjoyed the view.
“It is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” Eliyinsa stated, her voice filled with warmth as the surrounding area.
“Never have I encountered a more wonderful place then that here.” Zynthia agreed. “It makes me wish we could live here.”
That had Spike look up at her. “Why not?”
His momma snorted, amused. “It’s impossible, my son. Can you imagine? A dragon living in all this… green?”
“I did.” He answered, though he held back any tone. “I enjoyed it all.”
“And now that you live in the Dragon Lands, how does it compare?” She added in.
There was a pause from him before he shook his head. “Both have their pros and cons, there shouldn’t be a reason why I can’t have two homes.” He didn’t wait for them to answer. Spike took an immediate walk towards the valley. There were two large mountains that ran parallel next to each other, giving the valley a very closed off feeling, like a hidden realm from the world. He focused on the beauty this held, rather than his mother’s comments towards his family.
Zynthia had been trying her best to get on his good side and even though they loved each other, it was hard to understand what the other was thinking, let alone what were the right words to say.
“Give it time,” her beloved lightly spoke to her. “He’ll turn around.”
Zynthia only gave a small snort, following close behind him. The area around was large, so there would be plenty of room to run, fly or even hide to catch an animal, so it wouldn’t be a problem for them.
Speaking clearly, she walked alongside Spike. “First lesson when it comes to hunting is understanding your area. See where your prey frolic, where they mingle or join into a single area. They always want to stay near their food source as well as where water is available.”
Spike gave a nod and began to scan the surrounding area. There were a few rivers that ran through the valley, though no visible herds yet. “Are we looking for anything in particular?”
Zynthia gave a small shake of her head. “Whatever you want, whatever you desire, Spike. Just be sure that you know enough of the creature you are going to hunt, whether it's bigger than you, well protected or poisonous.”
“You told me… that when we are hungry, we are at our most vulnerable, at our weakest.” He looked towards the distance where he saw a group of animals herding in the distance. “Will the hunger always outweigh the will to make the right decisions?”
That had Zynthia pause. In truth, she always felt that instincts outweighed many things, but intelligence could go beyond that. However, desperation plays a part in vulnerability and inability to conjure coherent thoughts. She took a deep breath, taking in the rich air that tickled her nostrils and filled her lungs with the freshness she only experiences a few times a year. “Intelligence Spike, can be both blessings and curses. Too much, you are overwhelmed by the vast knowledge of the universe and the weight would be too great; too little and you become feral or primal, going mostly on instinct. We are intelligent but we may go feral. We can think thoughts complex, but still feel stupid to fall into our urges. Whether hunting, mating, hoarding or everything else, we have the capacity to have choice.”
She smelled wild boar, avoiding not to hunt another cervaine again. Though the boar were tougher to kill with thick skins and large tusks. For Spike, it would be a challenge, but it would prove what could happen when nature retaliates when in danger.
She began a slow walk to her prey, keeping her head lower than usual, her mate doing the same. Spike followed, feeling his heart quicken, with the unease of the hunt about to begin. Already he could smell the wild life in the area, thick with their scents that dwelled in his lungs. A small tingle of something tingling at the back of his mind, perhaps instinct kicking in. He never had that feeling before but now… He was aware what he was about to do, to take part of and his body was preparing itself.
“I want you to tell me Spike-” his mother asked, lowly of her voice and keeping her footsteps light. “-when you lived amongst your ponies, that instinct you feel right now, have you never had it?” He stopped. How could she tell?
“How-”
“Your nostrils are flaring-” she explained, keeping her eyes forward, but still seeing him from her peripheral side. “-your tail has stopped moving side to side, your hunched like us, trying not to be seen and your breathing has slowed.” She stopped in her tracks as did he. He looked over himself to find that he had been doing exactly like she said he was. He hadn’t noticed, so did that mean there were times that he did this when he was with his family?
“I-I never noticed…” he answered truthfully, though he felt a small piece of dread run up his spine. Not only was he aware of his almost feral like stance, but now he could feel his sharp teeth always displaying. His voice was low but he could feel the small growl at the edge of his throat creeping in. “I-Is this what the feeling of a hunt is? Do you lose control?” He asked Zynthia.
The scarlet dragoness looked down at him, her eyes showing an almost feral like look. Her slit pupils were sharper than before, her face betraying no emotions; although cold and calculating were probably the closest he could describe her features. The aura around her put fear into Spike’s heart, for he had never seen his mother like this.
But just as menacing and terrifying his mother displayed herself, that feral look and feeling around her disappeared. Her warm aura returned, her face softened in features and she looked more like herself than ever before.
Spike found that odd, feral tingle in his mind disappear and he realized then and there, he was in control. Speaking softly, as a mother could, she leaned in close. “As long as you know and remember who you are, you will always be in control, Spike. You will always be able to stop yourself, even at your most desperate hour, your mind will and can remember that you have a choice.”
Eliyinsa has been quiet the whole time, letting her mate instruct their son. In truth, this was one of the few lessons she had no part in. She wanted to be the part where he learns what it means to be a dragon, in the natural, smart way. Her mate was teaching him the base of instinct and control. Hunting, hiding, feeding and growing; they are Zynthia’s teachings.
But they were in question, being questioned by their son. It bothered her a bit that their son was far more intelligent than most whelplings his age, but at the same time, it filled her with pride that the level of sophistication that he had.
Spike was too smart to be around other dragons, yet he did not behave like them. His emotions ruled over instincts and while that is all well and good, it troubled her to know that should it come down to him hunting or fighting another animal to survive, he would lose. This hunt was what he needed… hopefully. She followed slowly and quietly after them, wanting to attract less attention for her son’s first hunt.
His prey was forward, his mind was set and he had managed to track a small group of warthogs separating from the main group and heading into the forest nearby, a perfect place to ambush.
He pushed on, leaving his mother behind, dropping to all fours into a feral beast, sprinting lightly on the ground. He spread his wings out, but kept them flat to not alert them. Instinct told him the wings would help keep him steady while leaving his feet light and cause little disturbance around him.
The forest drew near, the large pigs were going deeper. His eyes locked onto his target, his body became tight but remained agile for he was ready to pounce. He heard the soft but deep steps of his mother, both of them coming in close and right behind him. Keeping her voice low and hushed, she spoke to him within ear shot.
“Keep your eyes on them, watch their patterns, wait until you have a clear opening when their backs are turned.” He did, seeing that they were scanning their areas still. The boars probably were used having little to no predators to deal with, which is why it was weird for them not to see the large red and black dragonesses in their views.
Still, they remained still and as low as possible, using the trees to hide them enough. Their ears kept twitching to the left and right, still picking up what they could out of instinct or habit.
As he watched on, he saw that alongside of the boars, there were also a few younger ones, frolicking with the older ones.
“The young ones maybe easier to catch, but the parents will react much more aggressively.”
A snort left him. “Why wouldn’t they? If I wanted to attack the smaller ones, I think that applies to any species.” He then realized what he said, stopping his movement. He was about to attack… a family, with the intent to feed on them. Was that why ponies were afraid of dragons? Was that the fear that was brought on by thousands of years?
“Spike?” His momma looked at him from her low point. “What is wrong? You’ve lost your hunting stance.”
Eliyinsa pulled right up, her eyes flashed purple and immediately the boars fell to the floor asleep. Spike blinked, seeing this happening in front of him. He turned and saw the last glimpses of the violet coloring in his mother’s eyes disappear.
“What did you do?” He asked, it came out almost demanding. Eliyinsa gave him a glance before focusing on the hogs.
“They are merely asleep, son. We want them to still be here when you hunt them.”
“I’m not sure that I can go through with this-”
“Don’t be soft,” Zynthia chitted with displeasure. “I brought you here so you can hunt, so you can rely on instincts and let yourself lose.”
Spike felt a bit of a rile stir in him. He moved away from them, facing them as he turned his back towards the boar. “I don’t need to be let loose, I just want to be me without having to kill anything to do so. Hunting is something I can’t do!”
Eliyinsa rolled her eyes while Zynthia scoffed. “That’s ponies talking for you, Spike. They do not know everything about you. What you need is to be a proper dragon.”
“I am a proper dragon!” He yelled, his voice now high. Both females were startled at his sudden change in attitude. His upper lip twitched, a growl threatening to leave him. “What the ponies did was make me who I am!”
“But they also took away your hunting instinct, something you will need in the future.” Zynthia tried to counter, though it wasn’t as strong as before. “They have manipulated you to forget your true-self and-”
“Enough!” He roared loudly, scarring away any wild life that was in the area. His mothers recoiled at the sudden boost in volume, though it was more of the the shock that really sent them back.
Spike glared at his mothers, a small growl leaving his throat. His gaze at them was bitter but he stood on his legs with his head held high, his leer focused on them and his voice stronger than before.
Both were disturbed by his sudden turn in attitude, though both held strong on their words. “Spike, we are only trying to-”
“Steer me away from my family!” He growled at them. The forest had gotten silent. No wind, no animals lingered from his shout, scaring them away. He stood away from them, almost too angry to be near them. “I am tired of you trying! You took me in so you could no longer feel guilty about what happened to the trials! You tore into my mind when I didn’t want it! You fought me when I was no bigger than your claws!” He yelled, as angry tears began to run down his muzzle. “I was just twelve and you threw me around like a ragdoll!” Puffs of smoke left his nostrils, creating a dark fume of smog around him.
Both his mothers flinched at the past actions, not even bother trying to defend themselves. Yet Spike chose to drill the pain even further. “I didn’t care that you took me in when I was in a coma! I didn’t care that you filled my head with your needs of wanting to be my mothers! I didn’t even care that you have been manipulating me since I awoke!”
This sent a sharp stab at their hearts, both almost physically struck by the words. Spike had targeted their hidden intentions, although it was never their full attention to manipulate him. They dared not deny it, but were staggering to respond.
He sniffed, wiping away his tears. “I just wanted to have a family here in the dragon lands. I wanted to have some… good interactions with dragons as a family, not to try and rip me away from my other one!” His knees were weak and he felt himself slipping onto his haunches, casting his head down. “I don’t want to defend what my pony family has done to me or at me anymore. My life there has been wonderful.” He looked up at them, sadness showing in his face. “Why can’t you see that?”
It was painful to watch him cry, it was worse when his pain was caused by them, again. They didn’t know whether to approach or leave him be. As is, they pushed past his boundaries already and now it was looking like anything else they might try, would just ruin whatever small amount of respect he had for them.
Eliyinsa sat on her haunches, realizing there was nothing else to do. She stared silently at her son, waiting for him to finish his tears. Zynthia watched her mate from her side and she too sat, feeling sorry for him.
None of them paid attention to the time that flew by, with Spike still sobbing to himself, while the two females tried to find some way to get back into his good graces.
The sun was starting its descent and the forest was starting to settle down. Spike had managed to calm down. He felt drained, more than ever. Perhaps the lack of food, perhaps the emotional turmoil, perhaps… his heart was just trying to rest. He didn’t even feel like eating.
He knew his mothers had remained in the same spot, feeling their loving eyes on him. Without looking up, he finally spoke to them, though his voice dulled and weak.
“I don’t want you to talk about them anymore. I don’t want you to fight their ways on how they raised me.” He looked up at both of them, eyes stained red and cheek scales carved by tears. Once more, the two mothers saw a hatchling in front of them, physically but with the mentality of an adult. “They raised me, I am who I am because of them. I am no one without them.” He sniffed. He shook his head, facing down again. “My life is and forever shall be, with those ponies. You won’t ever change that.”
Both dragonesses remained silent, accepting that. He lifted his head back up, focusing on them with a strong glare. “As for what you’ve been doing to me-” The duo females stiffened, feeling a sudden twist in their hearts, the fear of rejection playing into their minds. Spike stayed stoic, seeing their tensity, studying their features. He took it in, inhaling deeply, letting in the fresh air of the environment around him before exhaling. “I was aware that you have been manipulating me to a point,” Both were about to refute this but Spike cut them off before they could. “You love me and that is not fake, I know. But… you have been trying to control me in a way.” His eyes focused on Eliyinsa mostly. “If not indirectly then just simple words or phrases. Please stop, I can’t trust you if you continue to do this.”
He swallowed some saliva, feeling his mouth dry before continuing. “There shouldn’t be any reason to control me, like others and I am wondering what it will take for me to regain your trust.”
For a moment, none of the two responded, not sure how to, but Eliyinsa lowered herself to her front legs, trying to get on his level. Her intelligence and role as an Adviser didn’t really prepare her for trying to gain back her son’s trust. So she tried her best in stressful and taxing times like this.
“What would you like from us, Spike?” Her voice betrayed her worry and her eyes carried the guilt that she had for him.
He blinked, seeing his mother stare at him at this level. Zynthia also laid to his level, though she being taller than her mate had to really lower her head. Now that they were almost eye to eyes, he slumped a bit.
“What I want is that you trust that ponies raised me good and right, that is it.” Both nodded, albeit hesitantly, keeping their silence. He gave a small sniff before rising up to his feet and standing up, so now that they were evenly at eye level. His eyes dried up and he became more focused, regaining his composure. “No more secrets, no more hiding things from me. I want to know that I can trust… the only few dragons that I care for.”
They both were apprehensive of sharing their secrets but, they knew there had to be a point to release them. Giving a single nod, Eliyinsa spoke evenly. “No more secrets, from here on out.” She paused. “You may ask but I, including your mother, still have a few we must take to our deaths. I am sorry but I just wish to spare you the pain of knowing everything, as well as compromising the peace we have with our kind amongst each other.”
Spike could understand that not all secrets could be revealed, but it would put him at ease if he could learn some more from them. Thinking, he thought of one that came to mind right away, to test out how far he could go.
“Your abilities, have you been controlling me or anyone I know since I woke up, or maybe even prior?”
This was no secret but a demand for the truth. Eliyinsa shook her head almost right away. “No son, my abilities haven’t been used on you since…” She paused as a bit of guilt was raised through her at the recent times. “Well, they have only been used to help you go to sleep when you were stressing out and to regain your memories. Outside of the instances on those, I haven’t used them on you or anyone else.” That he could believe, seeing as he remembered those instances, feeling somewhat safe with that knowledge. “As of now, you should know when someone is trying to enter your mind, Spike. When the first time I entered your mind, you felt a bit of a sharp jab in your head?” He nodded. “That will let you know if anyone, any creature is trying to enter or control your mind. Building a resistance to it should grow as you do.”
That was news, even better if he could keep his mind from being read by others, so that was something worth liking from his mothers. Though that begged the next question.
“Are there others like you?”
This, he saw some serious hesitation, along with an inward cringe from her. That was definitely a ‘yes’, but what kind of response that followed would be the answer he sought.
After a few moments of silence, along with inward turmoil on how to answer, she finally spoke with much hesitancy. “There… are a few Spike. The few have abilities much like my own and even fewer that are known publicly. Abilities like this are a danger to not only other dragons and creatures but to those with the abilities themselves. All of them however are only female. But one in every ten-thousand dragons.”
Well, there goes that theory that he could try to develop some mental control. The number count was odd though.
“Ten-thousand?” he questioned. “But aren’t there only like fifty-thousand dragons or so in the dragon lands?”
She nodded. “Yes, around that, which is why they’re very few. I am but one of the few that are open and publicly known of my abilities. Others are either in hiding or not living in the dragon lands.”
Another nod from him, understanding that situation too, though that begged the question, “Why do you have a brace on your tail to inhibit your abilities?”
“That is a secret I have to keep with me,” was the immediate response. She shifted her form, trying not to show much signs of discomfort, as well as keeping the brace out of view. “But… for your sake, I will tell you that, without it, my abilities would be far more powerful and uncontrollable. We already told you before that my abilities were dangerous to not only myself but as did my sire and dam. They were the ones who brought it up to Torch during his early years of ruling.” She paused as she tried to think of an example. “My abilities without the brace is the same way we control the lava flows that run under the nesting grounds. We have rocks that allow a certain amount of lava to spill over. Too much and the overflow may burst a leak somewhere and potentially damage the eggs or wash them away.”
That was a useful analogy, though he has never seen the nesting grounds, he had to bring that up later. “So… it's an inhibitor to control your abilities?” She nodded, hoping that was the end of that question. It was not.
Spike relented. “I think I get that, though Torch said it was a regret he had when he placed it on you during your teenage years, wouldn’t that make you way younger then Zynthia if she was a successor before Torch won the Gauntlet of Fire?”
Zynthia snorted, a bit dramatically, feigning mock of the age mentioned. “It is rude to ask a female her age, son.” This was a small way to light up the tension between them, which did earn a small smile from him, as well as a scoff. “And while I am older than Torch, keep in mind, I was not a Dragon Lord, rather a successor to one. My time was short however, as I had no real interest in keeping the title for long. So Torch was immediately the new Dragon Lord. Eliyinsa was younger than him but not by much.”
“Then… does that mean that you were there to see her getting the bind put on?”
“Yes, though it was her and her-” An immediate growl erupted from Eliyinsa as she snapped at her mate, that caused Spike to jump back in surprise and for Zynthia to be cut off. Despite her intelligence, it was a habit that she would go on and on. Eliyinsa was growling intently at her, a deep and angered scowl was present.
Spike recovered from the sudden reaction, staring unsure of Eliyinsa. Why did she growl? What didn’t she want Zynthia to say? Before he could ask, her scowl morphed into regret and disappointment, looking at him. She shook her head. “That is the end of my secrets, Spike. I cannot reveal any more about my abilities or my past.”
He had never heard his mother so… disturbed by her past, let alone snap at anyone, let alone her own mate, for potentially revealing something. This haunted him to know that his mother didn’t trust him revealing her past, more than him trying to trust her with anything else.
“...You won’t reveal your past, your abilities, yet you want me to trust that you are not using them on me or anyone else? What is it that makes you afraid of telling me?”
Eliyinsa chose to remain silent, though she gave a quick glance towards her mate from the corner of her eyes to do the same. Zynthia looked upset with herself for almost revealing it. Spike felt a bit betrayed that the two he held close now, where willing to lose his trust for the sake of keeping a secret. He couldn’t blame them, for he understood. Celestia had kept it a secret that Nightmare Moon was actually her sister Princess Luna. She also kept other secrets from others to protect them, like the statues housed the Mad Spirit of Chaos. She kept dark magic, the Alicorn Amulet, and huge assortments of knowledge out of public view. The biggest was probably knowing that Twilight would have ascended to Alicorn status earlier.
Perhaps this is what this situation was to them both; Torch included. Whatever her past holds, maybe to not only protect others but to keep their only loved ones safe. This still bugged him though that he was not being told of everything though. He hated being left in the dark, more so that yeah, Eliyinsa had it right that Twilight and Celestia do keep stuff from him, and he was annoyed with it.
But he couldn’t force his mother to reveal it. At least, not without an ultimatum. Would he dare go that far, just to get his mother to reveal something so dire to him? Would he push past their already breaking limits that may drive them apart?
The wind blew through the forest, shaking the trees with a light rustle and breezing the grass below them. The sun’s rays beamed down at them warmly, almost like their home would with the lava pit. Fresh and crisp air filled their lungs with the wondrous and beautiful scents of nature. The river running right behind them sounded melodic and calming, tickling their ears to an extent. It seemed as though nature was at peace and it wanted them all, to be in peace.
Zynthia was the first to speak, though she tried to think her words carefully. “Spike?” He looked up at them, his face lacking any real emotion. The crimson dragoness spoke slowly, but with much ease in her voice. “Whatever we can do to make it work, please just let us know. While our past should remain in the past, it should not stop you from trusting us. We want what is the best for you. While we do not like how the ponies raised you, we trust that they did a wonderful job. You are right in the regard that you would not be who you are without them. Our job as Elders should be to see what others don’t. We are smarter than your typical dragon and we must demonstrate this by letting you show us how good your life is with those ponies.”
She wanted to brush against him, but she wasn’t sure if they were there yet. He actually had moved back further when she had snapped, keeping their distance further than she was comfortable with. Pushing her discomfort out of the way, she further elaborated.
“While I still find certain things in your memories about them uncertain, I am willing to admit that we dragons are not perfect as well, especially parents.” She inhaled and exhaled deeply. “My sire and dam have all but forgotten I was their daughter once the brace was on, they were willing to move away from home to avoid me, but that is something I don’t want to do with you. Rather, we don’t want to drive you away with our distrust of your previous caretakers. Perhaps we could meet in a way where we can feel satisfied by how you were handled and destroy any lingering doubts that they raised you right.”
That was a relief for Spike, though he already had planned for them all to meet by the week’s end, it felt comforting to know that they were willing to do so for his sake and throw away their distrust.
Once more, wind blew through the forest and it seemed as though his troubles had somewhat been blown away along with the wind. But there were still lingering doubts in his mind. Their past remained questionable but easily forgettable, if it didn’t interfere with their future as a family.
Speaking of, he knew he had to add this in. “I hope you realize that I will go back to Equestria at some point to stay.” This showed a look of defeat to pass over his mothers, but they nodded in acceptance, stirring clear of any verbal responses. That was assuring, though he still had to figure out what the full range of the Bloodstone Scepter, Ember and how long they were able to stay in Equestria for. He would have to ask Ember or read up on it later.
For now, he felt that now was a time to leave. Standing up, he slowly made his way towards his mothers, though he knew they made progress, there was still some tension here. “Can we go back to the cave?”
Zynthia cocked her head to the side, confused by the response. “But you have yet to eat son? We need to get you to at least try-”
“I lost my appetite.” It wasn’t sharp, but it did sting a little at his tone. He moved passed between them, heading back the way they came from. “I just want to relax now.” Not waiting for their responses, he began to walk towards the open area where they could take off.
Zynthia and Eliyinsa looked at each other, feeling the unease between them. Zynthia felt defeated at this missed opportunity to teach him to hunt, while Eliyinsa felt torn at having to keep secrets from Spike but also continuing to add more distance between them. He didn’t even call it ‘home’, but ‘cave’, as it was someplace to be and not welcoming at all. Choosing not to wedge the gap between them further, they followed him out to the open field to make their way home.
Spike moved past the trees and foliage of the forest until the open view of the valley came to sight. However, what he didn’t expect was Styr Kalen and a few of his herd members at the center of the plains. It was like they were expecting them.
Coming up to right in front of them, the trio stood in the center of the plains, ready to fly back home.
Styr approached Spike, casting his gaze at the young drake. Wisdom filled his hazel eyes, that much Spike could see, though it remained harrowing how a deer like him, who share the same height as him, as well as be smaller than his own mothers, seem so big and intimidating. His voice came strong, but calming.
“The forest speaks, for it tells me that three of you are in some trouble. Not with your hunts, not with your food, and not with your appetite. Your troubles lie within each other.” He bounced his head side to side, jiggling the orbs on his antlers, causing a low humming to emanate from them. They glowed softly, where Spike swears he could hear whispers from them as well.
Styr looked past Spike towards the two towering dragonesses. Both carried their burdens of their troubles, though it showed much with their crestfallen faces.
“You three clearly have been given some insight by the forest on your troubles.”
Spike gave a back glance towards his mothers, then focusing back at Styr.
“How does the forest know of our troubles? Is the forest and valley magic?”
“As magical as you are, young Spike.”
The threw off Spike, momentarily giving the stag a look of uncertainty as well as astonishment. “I… I don’t have magic,” Spike stated, unsure of his own words, though he meant it. “How can I be-”
“Creatures of all kinds, whether intelligent or not, are magical. Certain areas like this have magic as well, though in difference to you and I.” The deer nodded, one of his orbs glowing brighter than the others, this one close to the edge of his horns. “We have magic that branches into many forms, many types, and many ways. My kin, as you are aware of now, have magic with the forests and nature itself. Your kin, have magic in fire manipulation as well as the gifts of transformation through emotions and physical maturity.”
Okay, that made sense that magic was involved for him. Dragons getting greed growths did seem magical, though as for fire manipulation, he was sure it meant breathing fire, right?
“You doubt that you have more to your magic than just the ones you know of?” The stag asked, seeing the partial confusion on Spike’s face.
Spike to his credit, shook his head. “I mean, that aspect makes sense. That all living creatures have some form of magic, but… it is just as normal magic for me as the forest is to you?”
It came out as a question, rather than an answer, for he wasn’t sure himself.
Styr gave a small nod. “While that is true, your magic exceeds far more than your kin normally carry.” Spike was about to ask what that meant, but Styr beat him to the punch. “That is for you to find out, young Spike. Your future is very peculiar and uncertain, with claws in two different worlds, perhaps it is up to you to unite them.”
Spike felt that there was something here for him to listen. Celestia had once shown her to a better life by making friends and looking where it brought her. Maybe this was his guidance to something like Twilight only… from a deer. He gave a bow, with nothing more to add.
The giant steer lowered his giant antlers in return. Both rose back up and the deer began to recede back to their homes. His mothers came to his side, watching them go. He felt odd now, like something was given, then taken, then given back. Perhaps it was… enlightenment in a queer way. He wasn’t sure what to do with this new found information about having more magic than normally. Then again, he hung around and grew up around the most powerful ponies in Equestria.
His mother was a near demi-goddess who raised him from hatching. Twilight was by him the whole time the whole time as well, along with her older brother and Cadence. Was that the source of all his magic?
“A-Are you ready to leave, son?”
Spike looked up to see the sadden and crest fallen looks of the two dragonesses. In truth, no, he didn’t want to leave. He actually liked it here, the fresh breeze, the crisp air and the feeling of calmness now normally found anywhere in the dragon lands. But, he knew that they were overstaying their ‘welcome’, especially since now most of the herd that they had planned to hunt, had scurried far away from them.
Seeing them like this really didn’t bring him much happiness, but he also didn’t like how this week was turning out. Whatever problem they have, should be dealt with. Nodding quietly, he approached Eliyinsa, who already lowered herself and a wing to allow him to climb. His wings were still new to himself, so he wasn’t going to strain to fly back.
They did say to have them open on the rides to and from there so he could understand what it felt like to have a draft under the skin. With a few flaps of their wings, both females were airborne and they began their trip back home.
The flight was silent, outside of the flaps of wings and the rush of air, an uncomfortable silence lingered between the three of them. Every now and then Zynthia would look from her peripheral vision to check on him. Spike remained stoic, keeping his head forward and his thoughts in the clouds, trying to recover himself from today. Even with his stomach gnawing at him for some nourishment, he didn’t feel like eating. All of today ruined his hunger.
The trio arrived just by evening, as the sun was hitting the horizon. Arriving at their cave, Spike immediately jumped off Eliyinsa, landing with a small glide. The two dragonesses waited for him to walk forward, assuming towards their gems so he could eat, yet he moved straight towards the resting area where he immediately plopped himself onto the heated grounds. He curled up to himself and used his wing to shield his face from view. He inhaled deeply then, released, with much weight leaving his body.
Both females looked at one another, silently debating on what to do. Fear gripped their hearts, both unsure how to handle this. Clearly, a lot was revealed today and plenty more was held back. The verbal exchange felt like physical blows for them all, with a small gap forming between them. For all their wisdom, intelligence and years of experience, the two females feel so stupid for having let their own adoptive son get hurt again. This time, it was emotional and the distrust was the action causing the pain. Eliyinsa approached Spike, hoping not to anger him any more than need be. Zynthia went to their hoard, picking up a few tiny pieces of gems and brought them back over to Spike.
Eliyinsa laid by him, once more surrounding him with her forelegs, though it did nothing to stir him. However, when Zynthia came over and dropped the small amount of gems near him, the sound of them dropping on the floor roused him to lift his wing to see the offering.
“Please,” Eliyinsa said softly. “I-I know you say you don’t want to but… it would help you a bit if you did.”
Not wanting to argue, he simply pulled one of the gems with a claw back under his wing and into his maw. The sound of his crunching was heard but nothing else. He continued to do this until the few that were brought, quickly disappeared.
Swallowing the last fragments of the gem, he muttered ‘Thank you’, before staying silent once more. His wing provided a cover to not show his current emotions and it pained either of them to be kept out like this.
It was too early to fall asleep but they were all tired. Lowering her head to her forelegs near him, she pushed herself to try and comfort him. She gently brushed her snout over his body. He instinctively flinched, his whole body twitched on contact but remained silent.
“I am so sorry for hurting you Spike. None of this would have happened, should we have tried to understand your upbringing more.” No response, so she pushed on. “Our manipulation of your emotions should have been handled more openly. To show you how we could have been raised differently or like other dragons.”
Leaning in to her mate, Zynthia added her own input. “We also wanted you to be aware not all dragons were cruel or violent like you have believed in the past.”
A shift under his wing had his snout appear to speak. “I stopped believing that dragons were violent and mean when I came back with Ember. Even during the trials, when I was being… tested-” A small twinge of regret passed them all. “-I realized that you were only doing the best interest for Ember and me.”
“Do you regret all of this then?” Eliyinsa asked, her voice devoid of emotion. “Do you regret doing the trials? Do you hate where you are now?” She paused, her voice lowering more. “Do you hate us?”
For a long moment, he didn’t answer. The silence that hung between them was so still and so thin, the heated winds could fracture all that surrounded them. At some point, both females felt their hearts were about to give out, having failed their one and only hatchling, less than a year after having him.
When the tension couldn’t last any longer, Spike slowly unfurled his wing over him and looked up with his bright emerald eyes to the two females in his presence. Amethyst and scarlet eyes looked down at him, filled with sadness, worry, pain and perhaps most of all, fear. Dread of rejection, failure and the loss of their only son, to have him leave them would destroy their hearts and souls. It was something no parent should ever deal with.
And for that moment, Spike saw something so equine but universal in all creatures, in his mothers. It was the fact that even the biggest of creatures, the strongest, and those that dared not try and show emotions, can be brought down by the young.
Physically, Spike had brought Zynthia down to her legs but her will didn’t allow her to fall down until she laid dead. She would fight anyone until the end, to either protect or to destroy.
Eliyinsa on the other claw was prowess through her mind and abilities. She was the smallest dragon of the Elders, but she was smarter than most adult dragons combined. Her intelligence could rival Twilight’s if she went through the same education as she had. Spike knew that if she truly wanted, she could probably outwit Discord and perhaps even plan further than Celestia.
All of this was useless to them when it came down to trying to raise and care for him. He was not their blood, he was not their adoptive parents since his birth and they were less qualified to try and get him to forget his other family.
But he knew that they were trying their best, despite some less than intellectual intentions here and there. He knew that if he was truly their blood born, they would have raised him with the right virtues, the right mindset and perhaps, make him a noble dragon amongst dragons. Others would respect or fear, just like the both of them.
Finally, he gained some insight to leave the anger away from his heart and looked at them with tired looks. “I-I don’t hate you, I could never hate you.” The look of relief washed over them, their whole body relaxing and it showed greatly. He could see moisture forming at their tear ducts, waiting to be released if he answered negatively. However, he knew that this would be a process. He lifted his head and rested it on the side of Eliyinsa’s arm, indicating his feelings.
“I-I just want us to focus on us.” He swallowed, his eyes looking at each of them. “I don’t want my past to come up, just like you don’t want yours to come up either. The ponies are my family, they raised me, they loved me and I will always return to them. But I want you to teach me stuff they couldn’t without you trying to push their memory and their knowledge away. Celestia raised me like any mother would,” He paused to let that sink in and both females gave a small decline of the heads, understanding that. He continued. "Twilight and her brother treated me like their little brother. I am smart, I am kind and I am… me because of them. No, not just them, but a lot of ponies in my life, many of which you have only seen glimpses of. I hope that the day we go back to Equestria, you can meet those who made me the dragon I am today. The dragon you are also trying to raise.”
His words were now burned into their minds and they knew that if they wanted to improve their relationship from here on out, they would listen and understand him more. No more secrets, no more manipulations and no more deceits, this was their goal.
“By my heart and soul, Spike,” Eliyinsa began, “I swear that we will do everything we can to be at peace with your past. We won't interfere with your history, we will not deny you of their influences and we will not try to let our emotions destroy what we have.”
Zynthia leaned down. “I swear as well, Spike.”
He sighed. “That’s all I ask.” He said nothing more and closed his eyes, letting his head rest on her arm. The two females finally accepted that this would indeed be their last conversation in his past and both reluctantly allowed sleep to consume them.
During the night, Spike’s dreams were filled with distorted colors, nonintellectual voices, and odd movements and jumps in his mind. Everything made no sense… except one.
“S-S-Spike?” The voice is familiar, not that hard to miss. He searched his landscape.
“Princess Luna?”
“Y-Your… mind is very clouded… Something… ! Who shielded....? I’m l-losing y-you! ‘C-Ca… Can’t r-reach yo…!”
He then heard silence, the scenery changed and suddenly, he was surrounded by a warm light, something akin to waking up in the morning; but this was much more. It was like the earliest memory of his younger days, when he was so young. A day where he would wake up, feeling safe and secure with the world around him. The comfort of wrath, surrounding him with uncoordinated shapes and colors. Nothing made sense, yet he was okay with that. He was warm, he was safe and he felt loved.
“My little emerald…” The voice, the beautiful voice of his mother. Why was it so… close to someone else’s voice? Why now could he hear it? The voice echoed, almost blended in with other voices. Why?
“My little emerald… I know that you can hear me, but you will not understand yet.” A small sigh left her. “I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter where you are… I will always love you. That I will always love that you were the first thing in my life I cared for. Keep it in your mind and your heart, that I will not be here to raise you, but I will always keep you in my heart, forever until the final sun burns out. Good Bye, my son, may this new life treat you grand.”
The dream stopped and Spike slowly became aware he was waking up. His eyes moistened, a sob threatening to leave his throat and his heart was beating rapidly. He looked around, finding himself back in the cave, though the smell of the wind told him it was the early hours of the morning. Spike looked up to see both of his mothers still asleep.
His birth mother, he heard her and remembered her voice. It sounded so close to the females in his life. A blend of Twilight, Celestia, Zynthia and Eliyinsa. Perhaps because he could only remember their voices and not place his mother’s exact voice?
Then how did he remember those words? Another sob came up. More tears spilled from his tear ducts; realization in his hazy sleepy mind told him that… he had a mother and that she loved him. She always had and always will. But she left him for a reason. He was an orphan, he was given up or abandoned.
Now, he had three mothers. One was an alicorn and the other two were dragons. He loved them all and his family. He was saved by them all and he was going to be amazing with them.
He moved closer to Eliyinsa’s chest and head, curling closely and tightly to her. He pressed his head against her jaw and rested it there. Sleep took him once more, although this time, happier moments between his pony mother and his dragon mothers played. Luna didn’t come back that night.
Mother instincts for Eliyinsa kicked in subconsciously as she moved her forearm around Spike to surround him, making him relive that safe and surrounded feeling of warmth and love. It was the first time since he had re-awakened, that the trio of dragons have never felt closer to each other than they did now.