The Dragon Lord Legacy
Spike’s Week: Day 3-4
Guidance by our Hope
Spike stared out nervously over the cliff before him. He peered over, seeing the long and possibly lethal drop of his doom. He gulped loudly before pulling back and was about to run away but was blocked by Ember, as well as Smolder and Amethyst.
“Um… why do I have to do this now?” he whined. His mothers were also there but mostly to observe.
“Because if you don’t learn now, you’ll never get it,” Ember stated. “There are a lot of lazy dragons here that never learned how to fly or became too fat and lazy and are forever grounded.” Her gaze softened and she pulled close to him. “Last thing I need is a lazy, fat hoard mate.”
It took him a second to realize what she meant by ‘hoard mate’ and not ‘member’, like she had called the other two. He briefly looked at Smolder and Amethyst, who were to the side doing their own thing. It felt weird knowing that he had two other dragons being ‘shared’ with Ember. He knew it was only temporary at the beginning, to save herself from being overloaded with Bloodstone energy. But he had come to suspect that almost a year with them, they were a lot closer to her then perhaps he was. He only had a few days with Ember and perhaps got a little frisky, but according to Ember, they have had experiences on multiple levels with one another for the last couple of months.
He questioned why he was still part of her ‘hoard’ if she already had two females that could serve the purpose of remaining as a Dragon Lord.
She laid a gentle palm on his shoulder and gave him a smile. ‘Love’, was the answer. She still loved him and that was all he needed to know. “Well, then I guess I’m going to have to learn eventually.” He paused and looked to either side of his wings, giving them a stretch. “Though I still don’t know how I flew the first time.”
“Fight or flight instinct more or less kicked in,” Came the response from Ember. A grin appeared over her snout. “Your fear, driven by your mothers mention of mating, certainly made you run or in this case… fly faster than you could realize.”
He blushed at that, only for it to grow as Amethyst and Smolder teased him.
“Spikey got scared that his mommas’ were gonna teach him the nasty!” The pink dragoness taunted.
His mothers were smiling at the tease, knowing it was very true. Ember didn’t add to the teasing, but she kept her grin and loved seeing Spike so red.
Feeling very flushed, he decided now would be a good time to jump off the cliff… without opening his wings. Though in truth, he already knew everything that happened. After all, he and Ember played with one another before claw. Still, he didn’t like trying to understand the mating habits of any creature, though his more aged body seemed to disagree with him.
Since he first saw Ember when he regained his memories, it was like his body was aflame. His heart fluttered, his eyes glazed over her form and flashed memories of their physical encounters would play in his mind. Even now, being near her had drawn some inner feelings that he longed for; something he had never had with Rarity. Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was because of their bonds together or perhaps ‘love’ was the real reason, regardless his heart was where it was at.
Turning away, he looked back over the cliff and at the ocean. Worst case, he would land painfully on the open ocean, which would be a bit softer than lava but still hurt no less. Best case, he would open his wings and glide and possibly face plants into the side of the cliffs or in the ocean. Opening his wings, he waited for the draft of air to come, just like they instructed. Ember pulled right up close, though she put an arm around him to prevent him from being blown back.
“Remember, you have more muscles than ponies, so you have to use those muscles,” she explained, running her claws across his spine and right between his wings. “First concentrate on gliding, then when you feel that draft on your wings, flap once and you already are flying.” She then stood next to him at the edge. “I’ll be with you when you jump.”
“And we’ll be here to watch you face plant in the water or in the cliffs!” Cheered Amethyst.
A moment passed and a small rock thunked off the back of her head and nearly knocked her down. Amethyst let out a perfectly reasonable swear that echoed loudly to the surrounding area. She rubbed the area of impact, hoping that a bump hadn’t formed; she also dared to look at which mother she just pissed off. Smolder gave a glance back, not wanting to receive the same treatment. When none came, a wink was offered to her.
Not hesitating a moment more, Ember shoved Spike off the cliff, earning a yell in surprise before she jumped alongside him. Both Smolder and Amethyst quickly made their way to the cliff to see the outcome.
Spike yelled as he fell, his body spinning out of control. Emer was falling/flying by him with the same speed. “Level out and open your wings!” She yelled at him.
Realizing this at the fear of the moment, Spike straightened himself out in the air and threw open his wings, a couple of stories before he had hit the water. However the sudden opening caused his body to whiplash and strain his muscles to near the point of his wings snapping at the joints. He slowed his fall and managed to angle himself up, avoiding the water but still was heading towards the cliff.
Ember had caught up to him fast enough to latch onto his back and angle him back up, avoiding the cliff. His mate managed to avoid their demise and flew them both back up the cliff.
Spike felt disappointed in himself as she safely brought them up safely to where they started. Amethyst and Smolder alongside his mothers’, waited for him.
Landing with a grunt, Spike got to his feet, with Ember still holding him. She didn’t let go, which told him something.
“At least you opened your wings when you could.” Her voice came out comforting but it didn’t help his self-esteem. His mother Elyinsa offered her comforting words next.
“No need to feel ashamed, son. While you did not fly, you did however stop yourself from getting hurt. That’s more than most hatchlings and even adult dragons who have never flown before, can manage.”
That offered some comfort but he still felt the sting of the fall on his wings. He rolled his shoulders. “Still… I freaked out instead of reacting on time.”
“What you failed at today, you will succeed at tomorrow.” Eliyinsa offered. “Don’t forget, your body grew those wings in your sleep, with your mind not processing what was happening to your body yet.”
His eyes managed to catch the eyes of those around him. Ten pairs of eyes showed that he had the support, the care and the love he needed to push on. He wouldn’t nail flying today, but he would make sure not to give up in their eyes. With a hard nod and a grunt, he spoke out with determination. “Alright, let's do it again!”
All through the morning, Spike had pushed himself to learn how to fly. Each take off or flight, had him constantly crashing or getting saved by Ember, Amethyst or his mothers. Each time, his wings locked up or he felt even a bit off in his flight time, his imminent rescue was assured.
When the sun reached its high point, his final flop to the ground made him give up; he gave a roar of frustration and released a jet of flame from his maw, spewing it at the sky in rage. The others saw his anger had finally reached its end and decided to call it quits.
“Ugh, why can’t I bucking get this right?!” He roared to no one in particular. While they may not know the swears, they knew of his anger as he stomped the ground with smoke exiting his nostrils. He kept his head down, trying not to look at what he thought, would be disappointment in the eyes of those around him.
Normally, one would not approach an angry dragon, yet Ember did so because she knew Spike. She knew that he needed her there and now. Standing right in front of him, his eyes had managed to focus on the sapphire blue form before him, his anger still high but slowly subsiding.
She stepped up close to him, trying to make his emerald eyes match her amber ones. “Spike?”
He inhaled deeply, letting his anger lessen, trying not to let his emotions lash out the one he loved. Slowly, his eyes ran up her legs, to her belly, making its way up.
Finally his eyes met hers and when they did, he did not see disappointment, rather he saw sympathy and care. He then looked past her to see the same features on his mothers and his hoard mates.
To their eyes, he wasn’t a failure. He wasn’t a disappointment, he was just Spike. Finally, his anger wavered and he slumped onto his hunches. “Sorry for lashing out.” His voice was defeated but calm. Ember gave a small nod.
“It’s alright Spike. No one expects you to learn everything in a single day, let alone flight.”
He didn’t say anything, rather he turned away from her and looked towards the ocean. He made his way towards the cliff edge and sat at the edge. At first Ember thought he was going to jump again, yet when he just sat there, her assumption was he was now thinking.
She turned towards his mothers and the others. Eliyinsa, being the smartest dragon around, acknowledged Spike’s dilemma. “Speak to him, allow him to open up. Perhaps then we can see what causes him to fall.” She then motioned for her mate and the other two hoard members to follow. “Come you two, they need some time to figure this out.”
The pink and orange dragonesses followed without complaint, though it was Smolder that kept glancing back to them. She followed the Elders, speaking to the smartest of them, as they pulled further away. “Why isn’t he able to fly? Most dragons who gain their wings fly within a day or two.”
Eliyinsa looked down to the smaller of the bunch. “It is a psychological impact for him, not a physical one, Smolder. Forget not, he was nearly a year under a coma, with memory of anything but us for two days, and… we have been neglecting him in our own ways. Our days have been more on how to be more dragon and less pony.” A bit of distance between was set and she looked over her back to the two, seeing Ember sitting down by him and pulling in close. “Perhaps his heart will allow him to heal him and open his wings, better than we can. I fear that our presence may still be affecting him.”
Ember sat near him, letting her own legs dangle off the cliff. Spike made no motion or sound towards her, allowing her to sit and look out over the ocean before them. Nothing was said between, letting the sound of crashing waves on jagged rocks was the only noise between them.
Spike wanted to say something, anything but he was still in turmoil with himself. Ember decided to speak to him though her eyes towards the ocean. Her voice was calm, steady and remained ideal to Spike’s predicament.
“...I didn’t learn to fly until a week after I gained my wings.” Spike blinked at that, hearing this from her. His eyes slowly turned towards her, trying to match the amber colors of hers. She saw him from her peripheral vision but kept it focused on the horizon before her. “I tried and tried and tried for many days to try and fly but could never get it.” She paused, clicking her tongue before continuing on. “I growled, I roared, and I punched every rock I could because I couldn’t fly. At one point, I kicked a rock on my hundredth attempt and I broke a toe claw.”
Spike saw the memory and pain flash through her eyes, her eyes wince while he began painting a vivid picture in his mind as a young Ember was trying desperately to fly.
A sharp inhale filled her nostrils before she expelled it. “I broke down and cried. I broke down in every possible way you could think of. It was… a horrible feeling, Spike. To know that no matter how hard you try, it will never be enough.”
Finally, her amber eyes met his emerald and she gave him a smile. “I would have torn the world if I could never fly.” Spike believed her, he knew enough to know that. Perhaps, this is where her anger comes from. She lifted her right leg and showed him one of her top left toe claws. While it had fully reformed, a jagged outline had formed near the middle where a lightning crack had formed towards her digit. She gave the toe a wiggle. “It healed but not my anger.” She then opened her wings, letting them stretch as she continued her story. “As I was crying, it was my father that came to me, trying to coax my anger and tears.”
Spike remained silent, letting her story go on. By now, his anger and frustration was all but gone. He instinctively moved closer now, feeling more comfortable with her now. Her wings brought him close, finally feeling his anger had abided. “At first, my father;” Pausing, she gave a small chuckle. “You know how he is.” Spike gave a small smile in return nodding.
“Yeah, loud and… proud.”
She nodded, keeping her smile but then it dropped. “He… wasn’t like that when he found me crying. Instead, he cared for me, he quelled my pain, my anger, and my tears. He held me in his giant claws, holding me close to his head and telling me everything was going to be alright.” Her head laid against his shoulder and her gaze went out to the ocean. “My mother had just fallen asleep and my father didn't think she would go this early into her sleep but she did. He didn’t want to believe that his mate would sleep so soon, let alone just me hatching only a decade prior.”
“He was… lost, alone and he didn’t know how to handle it. His father was a tougher dragon than him, berating him, making everything out to be that there are only two dragons in the world. ‘The Strong and the Weak.’ But he only acted like that when other dragons were around, but not me.” Her sapphire scales glittered and bounced sunlight, just like the ocean did when clear waters were seen.
“He nursed me to health, licking my wounds and my anger.”
A soft spasm gave from Spike, causing her to pull away and look at him. It took Spike an incredible amount of effort not to burst out laughing about hearing that, as the corners of his mouth threaten to turn up.
It was a story that sounded too hard to believe and if it weren’t for the fact that he was receiving a stare from her, he would be falling head over tails upon hearing that. Instead, he swallowed his compulsion and breathed in deeply, releasing it and the tension and shook his head.
“Sorry. It’s just that… it’s hard to see your father as…”
“Soft? Kind? Loving?” She asked, tilting her head.
Spike didn’t trust himself to answer so he just nodded.
She blinked and agreed. “Yeah. I thought so too, for many years, he was like that, but only around me was he the kind, loving, soft dragon I know and love.” She sniffed, leaning back to his neck and laying it there once more. “It is why I understood why he didn’t want me to do the Gauntlet of Fire. He didn’t want to lose another loved one. Despite who may have won, as long as I was safe, he didn’t want me to get hurt.”
Spike understood that, though from a father’s perspective, it made him wonder why Celestia and Twilight never did that for him. His doubt was quickly pushed away when Ember asked another question.
“So did you not have any father figures in your past?” Ember asked, pulling close to him. He thought for a moment, knowing what this was pertaining to. The upbringing was mostly done by females in his life, though he actually did have one that came to mind, putting a smile on his face.
“I did,” he answered with a light mirth on his features. “My older brother Shining Armour.” The image of the white stallion with light blue mane entered his mind. Ember was a little perplexed that he mentioned an adoptive brother and not father, but she let him speak. “Shining Armor was just as much of a brother and father figure to me as his own dad was to him. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Twilight’s and Shining’s Parents were amazing to me as well, but it was Celestia and Twilight who did the mommy work, while Twilight’s mother helped her when she couldn’t. Shining was the one who taught me how to be polite, how to be chivalrous and how to properly treat mares, err… females.”
He paused as he thought of all the lessons he could learn from his older brother. “I learned what it meant to be a good creature to anyone, especially to those who may need it the most.That you would do your best to protect those who couldn’t.” The memory of Shining protecting Twilight from bullies for being a nerd, or from Spike getting harassed because he was a dragon. Then it switched to the times he remembered he pushed to get a date with Cadence. “Ever since he was a teen, he had been trying his hardest to impress Cadence -” He quickly added to it. “-Another princess in Equestria, and trying to seek her affections. She was the popular mare, being surrounded by jerk stallions and uptight fillies that were just trying to gain favors. The stallion she was with didn’t much care for her personally, just her title.”
Spike shook his head, remembering to try to keep the story brief. “Anyways, Shining spent years chasing her, but never trying to be a creep or desperate. He just treated her like a mare should be treated, not like a trophy or a status to be gained.”
Ember knew that ponies were not like dragons when it came down to mating rituals and standards, but she never understood it until now what they would do to try and impress their mates.
Spike shifted, bringing his claws close to hers. “If there was anything he would do anything-” He wrapped his claws around hers and looked her in the eyes. “-to impress the mare that he loved with all his heart.”
Her own heart warmed upon hearing that, moreso that he did it with eye contact and his claws around hers.
“And… how long did it take for him to get with her?” Was her question. Spike snorted, not wanting himself to laugh out loud.
“It took him a hot while to do anything really effective but just the fact that he made that effort for her was the reason she eventually fell for him.” He paused, then added. “And it helped that Cadence was Twilight’s foalsitter.”
“Foal-sitter?” Ember asked, somewhat confused by the concept. “She… sat on her?”
A warm laughter left him and he never felt more relieved in his life at being by the side of one of the most beautiful females in the world.
All others be… not really forgotten but not held a candle close too.
For the next two hours, Spike talked and Ember listened, vice-versa, pushing their bonds closer. In truth, it was the first time in almost a year that Ember had been with Spike, let alone talk to him about his life. Prior to the trials, it was more trying to get him used to dragon culture and the way things would be as her ‘Consort’. Now they had time to truly speak whatever they wanted to. Spike’s life story came more from a tall tale than a normal history. From being raised by a princess, to being raised by one of the smartest equines in history, to saving the world, an empire and so on.
She knew of most of it, but his history was not a brag or boast, neither great achievement nor a talent. He spoke of it all as if it were nothing to him and while most dragons would say the same, he didn’t have the cocky attitude. He merely skimmed over his heroic deeds and focused more on the lively aspects of his life. To any other dragon, it would be considered the boring parts of his story, but to her they were worth hearing about it.
With the sun already beginning its descent in the sky, turning into late afternoon, Ember had learned a fair amount of Spike’s life now, something she neglected when they spent their first week together months back. But now that she had him back, she felt more complete and her heart was whole. However, there was something that needed to be done. Without warning, she sat up from the ridge and stood tall over Spike.
“I think you should come meet my mother.” She stated with merit. Spike looked up at her, not knowing where this came from, though he felt like this was due to the fact that he only ever met her father, not her mother. According to her, she had woken up two months ago, though she was still slow due to lack of malnutrition. Her father had been bringing her animals to feed on to regain her energy faster than gems ever would.
He slowly stood from his ridge, steady and slow to not fall off. As he rose to match her height, there was a glimmer in her eyes, a show of excitement. In normal circumstances, anyone that is told to meet the parents of their lover, a sense of fear or dread would fill their hearts. Either because they feel like their expectations would not be met by the parents or that they would look stupid in front of them.
Spike felt none of those things to Ember. He already knew of Torch, him being the true parent you should fear, and the over protective nature he had for his daughter, yet Torch’s expectations of him were better, the very week he arrived here. Even today, Spike is talking to Torch like any other dragon, though the intimidation factor was now merely due to the size differences.
Ember’s mother was a different story. The way Ember and Torch had praised her mother was… almost like the ways ponies would speak of Celestia. In dragon standards, Saphira was too nice, giving and caring, even before she got to the Dragon Lands.
Spike had little to worry. “Okay. But why?”
Ember gave a light shrug. “I figured that if we are going to Equestria to see your family, it's only fair you see the rest of mine.”
That made sense. If he wanted Ember to meet those who raised him, he should see the one that raised her. A nod was his reply. “Sure Ember, I’ll see your mother, though I just hope I don’t need anything to impress her.”
Ember gave him a war smile. “You already did. Just by being who you are.” She then opened her wings. “Come on, I'll show you.”
She flapped her wings and was airborne immediately. Spike gave her a look.
“Uh, Ember?”
Ember looked at him and instantly remembered his predicament. She gave a sheepish look and quickly landed with a thud.
“Right, sorry.”
A smile of his own reached him. “It’s alright. Maybe not today, but there will be a day I do.” That brightened her heart, knowing for sure that her mother would love to meet him for sure.
After making sure his mothers knew where he was going and letting her hoard mates go do their own thing, Ember guided Spike to her parent’s cave. While it wasn’t the closest thing, it still took a good hour to get there. Ember opted to take Spike there by wings but refused. Not out of embarrassment, but rather he didn’t want to be a burden of carrying him to a far place. She may be strong but she did have her limits.
A chain of mountains south of the main heart of the Dragon Lands with a few active volcanoes going on. According to Ember, this is where the largest and oldest of dragons lived. A sort of retirement area.
Upon reaching the base of them, Spike did allow her to take him to the cave top of a mountain top. The mountain was bigger than Ember’s own, and the sheer fact that he actually had to look up high meant an impossible journey to the top. Large dragons could get there in seconds, but for Ember it was five minutes, counting his weight.
As they approached the top, Spike noticed that unlike her own cave, the parents of Ember had hollowed it out on their own. Ember was naturally formed, albeit given some of her own luxuries when she took on the mantle of Dragon Lord. The cave had carve markings from digging as well as giant pillars holding up parts of the cave. What pushed this further claw-made, was a stream of lava coming from deep within the cave, showing that a trench had been built for a reason.
The cave lit up with the glowing lava, illuminating the way toward the back. While it seemed like any other cave to Spike, outside the large spacious overhead, he saw some considerable amount of effort into the pillars. While they were thick, some looked like they could easily be knocked down with a hard enough swipe, leading to an easy cave in.
“Hey, those are not going to fall, are they?” His voice echoed through the cave, establishing his fear of the pillars.
Ember gave a shake of her head. “No, not without some effort at least.”
He blinked and gazed past her eyes to see something. “Effort?”
Ember stopped in her tracks, causing him to stop as well. Her amber orbs looked from the corner of her eyes to him. A pinch of sadness was there, but it didn’t seem to really affect her. She then looked towards the closest pillar to them and laid a gentle palm on it.
“It’s set up like this for the day we eventually enter eternal sleep Spike. The day we will close our eyes and never see the skies again. When the day comes, we build our caves in these mountains to spend the rest of our times here, resting. These pillars are set up for them to be purposely collapsible for when we need to be buried.”
She turned to him, a passing of the inevitable curse of life was present upon her mind. “When a dragon, either a family member, a friend or anyone just out of sheer respect, comes to them during their sleep, it is to bury them within here, and let the cave flood with lava. The pillars are chain-collapsed and the dragon in here is left at the center, where the lava will fill the cave. While we don’t die directly from it, eventually it will fill over our bodies, inside and out, where it will harden and be entombed.”
She swallowed some saliva, where a tear threatened to form in her ducts. “My father… had this built when my mother fell asleep. I thought that I would have to bury my mother before I could be as big as her.” Through the tears however, a smile broke. “But she is awake now, recovering but she is awake. I hate coming in here a lot, being reminded of what one day may be, but I know that I don’t have to worry about it for now.”
Spike felt… conflicted a bit, knowing he was entering a cave, designed as a tome. He never knew that many caves could be set up like that, but he also knew death awaited everything, including the long lived. The concept of death was nothing new though each sentient creature had their own way of being rested. The ponies were no different.
Earth ponies were buried in the ground with either tomestones or flowers over their graves. ‘To return to the earth in which we were born from,’ was their motto. Pegasi are either burned by fire or encased in thunderstorm clouds, where the lightning eventually turns them to ashes. Their ashes are then blown away by the family members. Unicorns took on many ideals like being buried, magically incinerated, have their remains being turned into artifacts and placed in areas of importance or magically encased in a crystal, preserving the body forever.
Death was not much of a subject that comes up, yet here it was and it didn’t bother Spike. At least, not anymore. Sleeping for a year may not feel like death, but nearly being killed with magical overload had a pretty close feeling.
His thoughts were interrupted by the voice from deep within.
“Ember, is that you?” The voice was her father, though it was… not booming to say the least. Actually it was quite calming which surprised Spike once more of Torch’s ability to hold his powerful lungs back.
Ember answered back immediately. “Yes father, it's me.” She paused then turned to Spike. “I brought Spike here as well.”
A soft muttering was heard before another voice answered.
“Oh, please do come in, my little Teardrop! I can’t wait to see him.” The voice was… beautiful and soft. Even from this distance, Spike felt the calming voice from Ember’s mother.
Ember’s mood seemed to instantly pick up, a jump to happiness covered her features. Her demeanor was high in hope and she almost seemed to vibrate in place. Not waiting any longer, Ember pulled Spike deeper into the cave, almost flying towards her parents. It reminded Spike much of how Pinkie Pie would drag somepony to their ‘Welcome to Ponyville Party.’ While Ember was no Pinkie, her joy was close to it.
As he was moved/dragged deeper into the cave, Spike could feel an aura of calmness deeper in. It was much like his mothers’ cave, where it felt lively. Again, caves and pony homes were vastly different in design, yet the feeling of liveliness was still possible.
Upon breaching the main center and large interior of the cave, Spike was instantly grazed by two large dragons. One was Torch, who Spike thought seemed more peaceful and less grumpy. His face was without a single line of anger, grouchiness or even stoicness; impossible it may seem to be, he looked more active and joyous like his daughter.
And right next to him, with her back towards him, Spike saw her. Ember’s mother. A beautiful sapphire dragoness, scales so blue, it matched the cleanest oceans that reflected most light. While Ember’s scales were the same color, her mothers almost blinded with an impossible gleam. Perhaps due to the low light of the surrounding lava was why it was not as strong.
When her head turned towards them, her eyes didn’t exactly match her scales rather, a soft maroon color were her colors that stood out more than her scales. While Ember took the horns and amber colored eyes from her father, she definitely took everything else from her mother. The spines of deep navy blue, to her smooth figure that reminded him of his own mother, Eliyinsa.
Spike felt her maroon eyes catch his and he was instantly filled with warmth and tranquility.
“Hello, Spike.” Oh… if Fluttershy was a dragoness, this would be what her voice would be like. While not shy or really timid, the calm, gentleness as well as the gentle warmth that left her breath, really made her the shy pegasus’s dragon counterpart. “My daughter and my mate have told me much about you.”
As tall as his own mother was, she lowered her head towards him, getting a closer look at him. Spike didn’t feel the intimidation from her like he did with other dragons, nor showed signs of any negative emotions. Approaching closer without hesitation, he was a few feet away from her giant head, staring into the eyes of the beautiful dragoness before him.
“It’s nice to finally meet the one who has changed the hearts and minds of those I love.” Ember pulled in close, pressing against him. Torch leaned down and near his beloved, his eyes staring at Spike with gratitude. The dragoness then brushed her snout at him, surprising Spike at the interaction. While it did not bother him the least, it was assured that he was fine when Ember brought herself just as close to her mother.
The interaction was slow, the care and tender feeling made his head swim with purrs coming from Ember and her mother. When it stopped, his face was flushed; he had no idea what had happened in that moment.
Seeing this, the dragoness known as Saphira gave a gentle purr of mirth at him. “That is me accepting you as my daughter’s mate. You helped her when she needed you the most. You beat the trials set up for you because you cared for her and lastly, despite what had happened to you, your heart still remains strong and caring for her and that is something no other dragon has done before.”
Spike finally got his bearings back and managed to look at Ember, seeing admiration and joy in her heart upon her mother’s approval. “Welcome to the family.”
Spike was amazed that Ember’s family, outside of his own, were the strangest and kindest dragons in the lands. What made that more so was the fact Torch was treating him so much friendlier than before. Perhaps because he knew of Spike already, perhaps because he wanted to be kind in front of his loved ones, or maybe it's because of them that his true colors revealed themselves.
Saphira on her own was the true oddity, at least compared to other dragons. Kind, gentle, not loud or even negative in any way. She didn’t seem to be the type to show negativity, even when something that would normally make dragons angry, she voiced her disconcert in a decent manner.
“So, you are being raised by the two mothers then?” She had asked. “And which one laid your egg?”
It seemed as though Ember and Torch forgot to mention that Spike had been abandoned or without a sire or dam, they only mentioned his arrival in the Dragon Lands, whom his mothers were and his fall during the trials. Both had tensed up, wondering if Spike would react negative towards her.
Instead, Spike felt a bit sad, that he had to retail the story but knew that it was easier. “None, I was found by ponies and raised by them. I was raised by the Princess of Equestria and became her adopted son. When I came here for the trials, I got overwhelmed and…” He didn’t say anymore.
A sad coo, much like his own mother had done once before, rumbled from the large dragoness. While they were not full of pity, sadness did fill her features. “You poor hatchling, never knowing your parents.” Once more, a bit of regret came from Torch and Ember for their negligence to inform Saphira of Spike’s backstory. The pity and reminder of his past must be tiring and even saddening to be repeated over and over again and again.
Spike gave a sigh, a sad smile to company with it. “I’ve… grown accustomed to it by now.” He wrapped a wing around Ember, pulling her close for comfort. While it was a daring move to do it in front of their parents, it further cemented how much they knew how loving and caring Spike was towards their daughter. Saphira in particular adored the way they held each other so close, comforting one another without the need of words, much like her and her mate. Spike’s claws wrapped around Ember’s own, which turned his sad smile into a comforted one. “But I am happy with the family I do have now.” He turned his focus to Torch and Saphira. “And I guess, my family is pretty big now, much bigger now.”
This melted the heart of both parents, almost basking at his positive and radiating outlook. In truth, he shouldn’t have to worry about the family he wasn’t born with, but the one he was raised by. Even with his past a mystery, he was appreciative of the family he had gained.
“That is more than most,” Saphira stated, smiling towards them. “You have done much with your past, in so few years then most dragons have done in their lifetimes.” She leaned in close to them. “Your history will be well known and I know that your future will be grand. With my daughter, your hoard, your pony family, and even us, we will be by your side until the end.”
Spike glowed with the praise and love he was receiving from Saphira. At this point, he knew that nothing could deter her from the fact that he truly was surrounded by friendly and loving dragons here. The room was full of love and comfort that he felt knew that from here on out, his life would get better…
“Though I hope when the time comes, will you be ready to provide my daughter with many eggs, yes?”
Spike’s face froze in a blank state between happiness and shock. Ember’s face flushed immediately red with embarrassment. “Mother!” she nearly roared. Torch just laughed at this, finding the two young dragons caught off by the question. While a smile was present on her snout, her face did show seriousness. “What? I just want to know if he is willing to mate with you many times?”
At this point, Spike was as red as Ember with embarrassment, his body slumping in the process. Ember began to plead to her mother. “Mother! Stop!”
Saphira snorted. “Well, are you going to allow him to mount you when you go into heat? I am not saying now, but I do wish to know when so I can count the days until you are ready to lay!”
At this point Ember began to berate her mother in a steamy bashful rant, while Spike looked down and away from them. This was not the way he had thought this would go.
“Well, is there an issue?” Saphira asked so suddenly. Then her eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh, is it because he was raised by ponies that he doesn’t know how dragon mating works? The ritual or the stances? You know your father and I can willingly demonstrate that to him if he needs assistance.”
Ember was horrified that her mother just suggested that, while her father had a grin that really didn’t help the situation. Spike in the meantime was so flushed with embarrassment, he used his wings to hide his face, hoping that he wasn’t given another future lecture on how mating works. It was bad enough that he nearly got it from his mothers, but now from the parents of his mate?
“Spike, if you want we can help you two learn the best ways and outcomes on how to mate with our daughter.” Saphira ignored the screams and yells from her daughter, though the situation got worse when Torch added his own sense of humour.
“Spike, there is nothing wrong with admitting you know little of mating. Perhaps that is why you two couldn’t mate properly when you came here.”
Saphira almost squealed in delight. “You two tried to mate so early!? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Augh!” Ember roared in disdain, almost wanting to use the Bloodstone Scepter to silence her parents. Almost.
Spike just stayed hidden, hopefully trying to become a rock on the floor, unnoticed and forgotten. He could only endure the constant bickering between the trio, him being the fourth wheel of the conversation. The worst part was, he couldn’t leave because Ember was his ride down.
Perhaps the actual dealing with mating between the two of them was… inevitable. Though it pained him to admit that yes, he didn’t know how to mate and ponies did kind of ruin the standards of what he expected mating to be.
He may not know how it fully works, he felt that he and Ember could figure it out. The fact that he now had four parents that wanted to teach him how to mate was making the thought of the actual act… overbearing and tiresome. In fact, Ember seemed more embarrassed than him, as her parents continued to find ways of how to approach them about their time together.
Her mother suggested that, to him directly even though he was trying to hide, take her somewhere special where they could mate quietly and away from others.
Torch himself recommended showing feats of strength by dominating at the pits in fights, giving her a giant gem and then taking her in front of the whole audience.
Ember was so flushed, with embarrassment and anger, that she just opted to ignore her parents and went straight to Spike. “Come on Spike, let's go! Clearly my parents are of no help!”
Spike was pulled up and away, still trying to hide himself.
Her mother continued her teasing, though she could see the irritation began to affect her daughter.
“We will walk you out then! Are you going to try some of the maneuvers we suggested?”
“Augh! No, mother! We are leaving because Spike and I can’t take this conversation anymore!”
“Ohh, we just want to make sure you two have a safe and healthy relationship. We know you two are in love but mating casually or for eggs is still part of the process.” And yet she still continued despite the fact that Spike was literally being guided by his mate out of the cave because of the amount of red covering his face. At this rate, he would pass out.
Despite all that had just been dumped on him, Spike still felt normal with the fact that he had just built a quick, albeit awkward relationship with Ember’s parents. Torch on his own was a task and a half to try to work up to, mostly because he was the grumpy but overprotective father type.
Saphira was… the final piece of the puzzle that had his heart at ease because she had approved him before they even met. She was kind, far kinder than even his own mothers and while that would normally make a dragon seem weak, she alone managed to make Torch, one of the biggest dragons around, look so happy and calm. She brought out the innocent and almost pure side of Ember too.
Despite being completely red-faced in embarrassment, Spike saw that Ember was truly happy. That her mother was awake and well. That her father was warm and joyous, filled with love from the two most important females in his life. Lastly, she had him, her heart, her reason for being alive and becoming the strongest dragon in the lands.
He saw that she felt complete, she was invigored with hope, love and more. Perhaps with all of this happening, she would be willing to work with the Princesses back at home to create a bridge between ponies and dragons, to create a co-existence.
Spike was still a bit blushing madly as Torch and Saphira made lewd and detailed references of their own matings in the past, while Ember was exploding in embarassment, but a smile did form on his face, at the feeling that the future he had with Ember was going to get better… with a few hiccups on the way, but no future is perfect.
“...Then you have to brace yourself if he goes from behind!”
“MOTHER!”
Well… almost perfect.