//------------------------------// // 14: Oh, the times they're a-changin'... // Story: Son of a Dragon // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// Time passed, and with it came new situations for Spike and Smolder. “Hi mom, it’s me again,” Spike said in front of his mother’s grave again. Years had passed since he married Smolder, and he’d grown stronger. His wings had reached their full expanse, and his body now rippled with muscle. He was long and lean, like some large cat built for speed. “It’s been a while, I know. But things have happened, things you wouldn’t believe. Right… so, well remember when I came here last? Of course you? How could you forget?” Spike chuckled. “Well, Gallus got married to that hippogriff he’s been pining over for years. Really, I suppose it was mutual pining. There was this whole blackening of the bride thing, I was rather enthusiastic at the whole deal. Meant I could dish out some well deserved revenge to the guy after my own wedding. Fair’s fair right? Of course, we got drunk… again, and Gabby got herself even more blackmail material. Well, at least this time we made it to 3:00 in the evening before we passed out. Night was a bit of a blur, honestly. Pretty sure I did some pretty stupid shit.” Spike smiled fondly in remembrance.  “I’m a father now, or I’m going to be very shortly. I remember the last time I came here, I was a nervous wreck. I knew I was going to be caring for eggs but I didn’t know much else. Is it a stereotype, the whole nervous father deal? Probably is. In any event, yeah I’m a fair bit more confident now. I’ve got my own father to take after. Just gotta do what dad did… Okay, yeah, he didn’t raise me from egghood like you guys, but he kept me on the straight and narrow. He’s a good dad, well granddad now I suppose.” Spike smiled again, yeah his dad was a bit of a goof but he knew what he was doing.  “I… yeah, I can’t believe how fast life’s moved on since you passed and I got adopted. It seems like only yesterday that I was putting you in the ground. Now… I’m about to be a parent myself! It’s… yeah, wow. I’m married, my best friend’s married, I’m about to be a father and I’m a Beast Maker in training. Swamps aren’t exactly my favorite place to hang out, but I suppose there are worse places to live. I mean, once you get past the humidity, the flies and the wild boar -yummy!- it’s actually not that bad. Word to the wise though, careful with your house. Wood’s wood and… well, needless to say, it doesn’t mix with flame. Am I rambling? Yeah, I’m rambling, aren’t I? Spike was now watching the sun set over the cliffs and canyons, the sun reflecting off his horns and spines. The passing of a day, the passing of an age. In a few hours, a new day and a new age for him. He chuckled, wow he didn’t know he could get quite so poetic. “Mom was disappointed, I guess, that she didn’t get to be the one to watch her son follow in her footsteps. But I’m just not interested in being a Peace Keeper. Seen too much violence in my life. I want to give back to the world this time, and create a bit of life here and there. Y’know?” Spike sucked in a breath even as a portal opened behind him.  “Thanks for listening to me again, mom. I’m glad I have someone to talk to. If only you were here to see this for reals…” With that, he was gone again. He was immediately hit by a blast of humidity, the air sticky and heavy with it. A low glow illuminated the darkened hut, bird calls coming from somewhere out in the swamps. Fireflies danced outside, as soft rain pitter-pattered atop the hut’s rooftop. Outside was a castle, long since abandoned.  Well, at least that’s how it used to be. Even now, small flickers of illumination were visible from the highest tower. There used to live a wizard in this castle, one who kept the local residents in a state of fear. Now it’s new owner was far more benevolent, if not still sorta grumpy.  The swamps were hardly lonely, isolated as they were from the rest of the Beast Makers realm. So isolated, you had to take a portal just to get there. Coming in from the treetops wasn’t adviseable, really given how thick the treeline actually was. You were likely to get your limbs tangled in tree branches and vines if you even attempted such a feat. And trust me, getting pulled out by the local siren was frankly a blow to the pride.  Honestly, Spike hadn’t known when Sonata Dusk moved in. But she added some local color to the swamps, her singing voice heard early in the evening and early in the morning. She was a bit of a gossip, but nobody really minded. She was… infectiously fun in certain ways. Even if Smolder hadn’t figured it out yet, and the fireflies were a bit spooked of her.  Well, to be entirely fair, if your swamps were paying residence to a massive sea serpent and you were about only a few feet tall… you’d be a bit spooked as well right? But really, she was harmless. Made a good neighbor, and she kept the alligators and piranhas under control. So it was a win-win scenario all around right?   “Pleasant eventide A warm firefly flies beyond the dragon.” Spike uttered as he returned home, small candles illuminating his way. A gift from the locals to welcome him to their swamps. He sighed, oh right. There was that little piece of enchantment in the air. For whatever reason, Spooky Swamps had this odd bit of magic about it, causing you to speak in haiku about two to three times a day. It made for… well, it made for some interesting conversations to say the least. He cast a glance outside, Sonata leaping out of the moat waters snatching an alligator off the shorelines. Her maw was soon caked in mud and blood. Well, okay, Sonata was a mostly pleasant neighbor but some of her table manners left a bit to be desired. “Steamy eventide A huge, bloody serpent eats the alligator.” Spike recited and sighed. Sometimes this place really grated upon the nerves. The morning was just as steamy and humid as the prior evening. Spike found himself stretched out across the floor, wings lying at his side. With a groan, he pulled himself up off the floor and strode through the house.  He was surprised to find that like last night, Smolder was nowhere to be found. A brief moment of panic overtook him. His mate… his mate, where was she? Could the Scale Hunters have gotten to her, snatched her while he was out? No, no, enough of that. She was fine, she had to be. The gnorcs hadn’t been seen in a decade and a half, and the Scale Hunters were a nightmare of the past. A sound like a low bellow rang through the air, and Spike looked outside. Already, Sonata was up and about, her humming filling the air. Her melodic song brought life to the swamps, creatures joining in with their own tunes. Spike, for a moment however brief found himself listening in. Then he was reminded that Smolder was missing. “Worrisome morning A pregnant mate missing A singing siren,” Spike recited and swore profusely. At any other time, he would have been amused about how the latent magic in the air made the swears into a rhyme. But not right now. “Language!” Sonata chided wagging her flipper. She poked her head inside the castle, her fluke splashing the murky waters below. “You know, I was having a perfectly pleasant morning until you had to ruin it!” Somehow, Sonata was immune to the latent enchantment. Maybe it was her powers of sirenhood, -was that even a word?- making her naturally lyrically inclined. “Sorry, it’s just…” Spike mumbled.  “Oh, Smolder knew you’d be coming back late,” Sonata said rolling over onto her back and resting up against the castle wall. She waved a flipper dismissively. “She said for you not to worry, as she knew you would. She’s just visiting the family out over in Treetops, that’s all. She said for you to take several deep breaths, and not panic.” “Thanks ‘Nata,” Spike said. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.” “Oh, probably worry yourself half to death?” Sonata said. “I mean, I’ve heard it’s a thing. You should have seen my Uncle Phil. He was a worry-wort to the extreme. Oh yeah, sure he was a satyr but he was still my uncle you know. And qualified nervous wreck!” “Solitary fort A calming serpent rambles watching the dragon.” Spike recited and Sonata giggled. “Hey, you’re getting pretty good! One of these days, who knows, you may be able to give Garble a run for his money!” Sonata jingled. Spike could only groan. Though really, life nowadays wasn’t all just fretting over where your wife was and learning how to control your Beast Makers abilities. Oh no. See, as it turns out there were lands beyond that of the dragon realms. Take, for example, say Equestria. A world where the Sun and Moon followed their own laws and magic practically buzzed in the air. Spike, the first time he stepped onto the continent felt it in his bones and rushing through him like a hurricane. He nearly doubled over just because of how much of it there was. It was swimming in magical power.  But there was something more, something else. Something he could never quite put his finger on. Everyone was so naturally friendly, compared to dragons who at times would rather be left well enough alone. Spike had met Equestrians before, such as that time with Trixie but… but this was different. This was something else. Here he was sitting on their front porch, in their garden and invited into their home like a guest. It was… very odd. But turns out, there was a reason they were so friendly. It wasn’t because of his father, or at least his adoptive one. It was because his flesh and blood parents were apparently born and raised in Equestria by their Princess of the Sun two to three hundred years ago.  To see their prodigal son return, in a manner of speaking, was… well, it was like his parents had come back from the dead really. And Spike hated every minute of it. He didn’t want to be known for his parentage. He’d gotten enough of that crap being known as Spyro and Cynder’s adopted son. He didn’t want to go through all of this again.  He hated it, the whispering and the pointing and the fame and all of it. He wasn’t their prodigal son returning from the dead. He didn’t want to be. He wanted to be treated as his own drake. But sadly, for the time being, he’d just have to grin and bear it. There were a few who treated him as his own man. Take for example, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Or simply Princess Cadence for short. Princess of Love, and currently regent of the Crystal Empire. She was… she was a character at times, and as her title indicated she was sometimes laser-focused on the power of love. Hopeless romantic, to be certain. But more importantly, she simply didn’t care one bit about your status or your title. In her words: “Love surpassed all things. It knew no boundaries nor did it know borders. Motherly, platonic, romantic. All were equal in love’s eyes.” And for that, Spike was forever grateful. He held a unique role in Equestrian society. Thanks to his status, he was both Realm-Given and Equestrian. He was the bridge between the two societies.  Which was exactly why he found himself at the most boring dinner party known to dragonkind. It wasn’t all bad, Cadence was there to provide her own... unique form of entertainment. “Honestly,” Cadence said in a low whisper, taking a bite out of her salad. “Auntie Luna should really get a move on, her biological clock is ticking. Tick tick ticking! She’s not getting any younger really, and after coming back from the Moon, you’d think she’d attend to her own needs.” “I mean, how do you know she doesn’t?” Spike said, his face mildly flushed. He really didn’t want to talk about this. He’d gotten used to Cadence’s little rambles, sorta but that didn’t mean he liked hearing them half the time. “Pretty sure love making falls under the banner of things done in the dark… Just sayin’.” Cadence swatted him gently. “Excuse me! It also falls under things done under my Auntie’s sun, and yet you don’t see one of her many titles being Goddess of Love!” “...point,” Spike admitted. “Good, glad we’ve reestablished I’m the only one with Goddess of Love as their title,” Cadence said with a small affirmative nod. “My point still stands though, Auntie Luna is well over a thousand years old. You’d think that’d be more than enough time to get laid.” Spike had to suppress a snort. Cadence looked at him quizzically before her eyes narrowed. “Well, if you’re going to mock…” she muttered. “It’s not that, hardly!” Spike said, holding up his claws defensively. “It’s just… well, nobody… well, nopony I suppose would be this carefree around me normally. It’s all Spike the Great and Glorious, and all that rot! It gets rather annoying after a time.” “Yes, well, prodigal son returning and all that,” Cadence grumbled in distaste. “Honestly, just because we’re famous doesn’t mean we don’t have lives of our own. Oh, let me tell you when I first ascended I couldn’t get any measure of peace. Did I tell you how I met my Shiny? He treated me as just another pony to guard. Wouldn’t let me sneak out to go clubbing or anything like that. ...at least without a personal guard. Oh let me tell you, it’s really hard to have ‘fun’ when you’ve got two or three gold-clad guards intimidating party-goers right and left.”  Her tone was one of annoyance, but it was obvious by the light in her eyes it was a very fond memory. This was another reason Spike couldn’t help but like Cadence. She wasn’t afraid to drop the royal facade around him and shoot the shit. She was a completely different pony around him, compared and contrasted with her public persona. Spike suspected only Luna, Celestia and this Shining she often talked about were the only others to see this other side of her. She was crass, completely vulgar and at the moment didn’t have to conform to the expectations of the populace at large. And quite honestly, Spike couldn’t ask anything more out of his friend. “Crystal Empire A loving princess rambles with the dragon,” Spike recited before groaning once more. “...sorry, some part of a certain enchantment is still lingering on. It gets old… real fast.” “I can imagine,” Cadence said. “Granted, poetry is the language of love. You should try serenading your mate with it.” “She hears it every day, even recites some of it. Needless to say, it’s long since lost its novelty,” Spike drawled and Cadence couldn’t help but laugh at how simply ‘done’ the drake sounded. “Crystal Empire A done dragon drawls A princess listens,” Cadence teased and couldn’t help but grin at Spike’s audible groan. “You’re enjoying my pain aren’t you?” Spike asked, and Cadence nodded. “Oh, most certainly. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t get to mock the shit out of you at times!” Cadence said. “Oh, such words!” Spike said, his tone light once more. “Whatever would your ponies say if they caught you acting so scandalous?” “Oh please, they know just how ‘scandalous’ I can be. Just ask the castle maids!” Cadence couldn’t help but say. Spike hung his head, his face flushing a bright shade of crimson once more. “...I set myself up for that one, didn’t I?” “Oh, totally!” Cadence said, her voice absolutely dripping with sympathy. Spike groaned as his head met the table. Cadence’s eyes found themselves wandering, looking back at Luna. She was eying a castle guard with the sort of gaze only a pony who hadn’t got some in generations could eye them with. She was gnawing on her pen in a way that was probably illegal and… ooof, if Cadence wasn’t married… Good God! It wasn’t exactly the world's best-kept secret that Celestia’s many lovers had been Royal Guards. It stood to reason, then, that Luna had probably taken a few of her lovers from the same batch if you will. Cadence could, personally, totally agree with that sentiment. It was simply her bad luck that her husband was out of town at the moment at that conference in Manehatten. Otherwise, both would have probably taken an early leave from dinner.  But, alas, he wasn’t here so Cadence was limited to imagining and fantasizing. Well, that and keeping her long-suffering friend company. So she observed and she wondered and she suffered in silence. Damn her and her heat. Damn that!  “Shit…” Cadence mumbled to herself as she watched the guard follow Luna’s gaze and cast eyes upon her -admittedly- finely toned flank. It would be a bit before they could act on such desires -Cadence took pride in her adopted auntie having to suffer like she- so, for now, it was just mutual pining. For now, anyways. Cadence suspected in about an hour and a half nobody would be getting any sleep. Irony, really.  “Good God, I must be really sex-starved…” Cadence thought. “Oh well, toys only get you so…” Any further mental rambles were cut off from shouting. Cadence’s ears perked up. She caught one word -and from the look on Spike’s face, she knew he did as well- amongst the chaos. Changeling. It had been several years since Princess Cadence had even seen a changeling. Not that she had any intention of ever going out to look for one, really. She still had the nightmares. Green fire, laughter. Crystal caves, buzzing. The cycle of which was still burned into her mind. Green fire, laughter. Crystal caves, buzzing. Green fire, laughter. Crystal caves, buzzing. Green fire-laughter-crystal caves-buzzing. Cadence shook away the memories. That was years ago. No need to get caught up in old memories. No need at all… Let it be said, Spike had heard plenty from Cadence about the changeling hoards. He’d heard his own fair share of rumors as well. How they infiltrated your very society, and sowed distrust and turned your families and friends against you. Typical pony propaganda.  Spike didn’t mind ponies per se, hell he was a friend of a few of them. But he had noticed several unsettling trends about them. Chief of which, due to their herd animal mentality was to fear that which was new to them. That which was strange and different. It had taken a long time before the pony race was able to trust dragons. Granted, the dragons hadn’t exactly helped matters much in that regard, several of them striking out on their own and spreading fear and panic. Spike hated stereotypes. He considered himself a relatively open-minded sort. He considered the possibility that not all changelings were like how pony propaganda portrayed them. Just as how not all dragons weren’t like how pony fear-mongers portrayed them. He was also a fairly observant sort or at least liked to consider himself one. It came with the territory of being a dragon. You needed to have an eye for small details, such as the faintest twinkle of a gem deep in the mines. Or the feeling of magic in the air when creating a new beast, being careful not to pour too much into your creation.  So he observed the way ponies were running, and which direction they were running to. He also observed the fact that one pony seemed to be heading in the opposite direction as everyone else. Interesting. Annnnnnnnnd, oh crap. That pony had noticed he’d noticed. And now he was making a break for it. Damn. Okay, let’s be fair here. If you saw a dragon running after you, a dragon you probably saw dining with the Crystal Empire’s elite then you’d be a bit nervous, understandably so. So yeah, Spike could totally get why this guy was running.  Not once did he consider the fact that maybe this changeling was an infiltrator. Not once did he even consider that possibility. Blame his dad for that. He told him to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. As much as his dad loved a good scrap or two, it was really only towards anyone who actually deserved it. Gnasty Gnorc, Ripto, the Sorceress, Red. They’d all struck first, and his dad had only gone after them in retaliation. Eventually, Spike managed to corner the changeling.  “Um… okay, I guess I caught you,” Spike said trying to make himself seem as non-threatening as possible. Which, granted when you were a dragon with teeth like knives and wings like a hurricane was… fairly difficult. Oka,y so yeah, admittedly it was a work in progress. He’d figure it out one day. “So… um, I guess you’re going to eat me now?” the changeling asked bracing himself. “At least make it quick!” “Eat you?” Spike blinked in confusion before throwing back his head in a laugh. “...eat you? W-Why would I eat you?” “Well, I mean you’re the dragon friend of Princess Cadence and I’m the even threatening Changeling who wants to suck all love from the Empire, so why shouldn’t you?” the changeling remarked in a small voice. Were all changelings this thin? Spike didn’t know. He hadn’t seen many changelings to make the comparison. “I mean, that’s your role and that’s mine so…” “I’m not going to eat you,” Spike said. “...I don’t think you’d taste very good anyways. Had crickets once at my uncle-in-law’s family dinner, tasted… horrible. Besides, some of my neighbors are fireflies and pretty sure if I ate a bug they’d be pretty offended!” “You’re neighbors with… fireflies?” the changeling asked, gathering up a bit of courage and taking a few nervous steps forwards. “Yeah, it’s a bit odd at first, but they’re really very nice to talk to. You just gotta get used to all the haikus and stuff, right?” Spike said, the changeling seeming to feel more and more at ease with him with each passing moment. That was good. There was no need for a conflict here. Let it be said, as much as Spike didn’t like his job as ambassador to dragon kind at times he took it very seriously. He was the bridge between his realm and Equestria. He had to be. He had to show Equestria that not all dragons were bad. That not all dragons were greedy flamethrowing monsters. That most dragons were like them, and that ponykind had only really experienced a few bad eggs. “Haikus?” the changeling asked. “Oh, yeah. It’s basically a magical enchantment cast upon where I live. You have to speak in haikus two to three times a day, like you physically have to. It’s impossible to subvert the enchantment. Well, almost impossible,” Spike went on feeling more and more at ease with his present company. “I’ve seen Sonata do it, but she’s a siren so she’s already naturally lyrically inclined so…” “Wait, you know a siren?” the changeling asked. “But… but they’re all homewreckers, seductresses!” “And all changelings are supposed to be love-eating monsters, aren’t they?” Spike pointed out, and his new companion had the decency to look ashamed of himself. “But you’re not like them… are you?” “Most aren’t like how ponies think of us. Not really. Me especially. From the moment I first split my egg in the nursery hive, I knew all I wanted to be was a friend,” the changeling said hanging his head, his wings buzzing nervously. “Sadly… the hive doesn’t exactly allow you to make friends. I’m sure there are others like me, -there have to be!- but they’re all too scared to speak up.” “What makes you so sure?” Spike inquired. “It’s… just a feeling,” the changeling went on, inside his mind hearing a brief flash of maniacal laughter, before pushing the memory away. No, she wasn’t here. She wasn’t here. She was far away. He was far away. “You remember that attack on Canterlot, a few years back?” “I’ve heard of it, yeah, it made waves even in the dragon realms. Most were surprised Queen Chrysalis was so bold, attacking Princess Celestia in her own castle,” Spike trailed off before he realized. “You… you were there weren’t you?” “Yeah, I was. I’m not proud of it, but I was there,” the changeling admitted, hanging his head in shame. “I was part of the attack on Canterlot during the Royal Wedding, but I'd never seen true friendship like that! And I couldn't just steal it and feed on its love. I wanted to share it! But I’m forbidden to. By her. By the Queen. By… by… Chr… well, you know,” he said taking several deep breaths. Spike laid a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you alright?” “Sorry, just… memories,” the changeling said, taking several more deep shuddering breaths. “She’s not here, thank the Hivemother. T-Thank her. A-After that, I knew I couldn't live with my kind anymore. I set off looking for love to share, but…” “Nobody would have you, would they?” Spike sitting down and wrapping a wing around the changeling. He noted just how frighteningly thin his new friend -yes, friend. He couldn’t be anything else- was. And for the first time, Spike realized exactly why.  “Y-Yeah, and the worst part? And there's so much love in the Crystal Empire right now. There’s always so much love here! It's what drew me here! But it's drivin' me crazy! I… I can’t even feed! Not… not like that! I… I want to be different, to change if you will. But…” the changeling whispered, sounding close to tears. “Then take mine,” Spike said. “I’m sure the love of a friend would sustain you, right?” “You… you and me, friends?” the changeling asked. “But you’re a dragon, and… and you’re supposed to be greedy!” “And you’re supposed to be a love stealing monster, so there!” Spike said. “I’ve always hated labels. They’re way too… labely.” “T-Thank you,” the changeling said, feeling the warmth of Spike’s love for him, for everyone wash over him. It felt like the sun, not too overbearing but a gentle warmth like that of a fresh summer’s day. “My… my name. It’s Thorax.” “Pleased to meet you Thorax,” Spike said. Of course, this was right about the time Princess Cadence found them. Princess Cadence considered herself a fairly reasonable sort, but when she found Spike sitting next to a changeling -Green fire-laughter-crystal caves-buzzing- of all creatures? Not to mention what the changeling was doing -Green fire-laughter-crystal caves-buzzing- she had to assume the worst. “Step away,” Cadence said, drawing a blade. “Or I shall relieve that head of yours from its shoulders.”  Spike would not let this stand. “No, you step away,” Spike said. No, not said. Ordered. Right now he wasn’t Cadence’s friend, he was Thorax’s. “His name is Thorax, and he’s a friend.” “S-Spike?” Cadence asked, two guards arriving and pointing their spears at their enemy. “Have you…?” “If you’re going to ask if I’ve lost my mind, I’d consider myself quite sane. Now step away and put down the sword,” Spike said firmly. “Thorax is my friend. I don’t want to fight you on this Cadence, but rest assured I will. My status as dragon ambassador to the Crystal Empire be damned.” “But he’s a changeling!” Cadence argued, the words sounding weak in her mouth even as she said them. Memories threatened to spill over, old wounds threatened to re-open. But she pushed them aside. That was then, and this was now. “He’s a love-sucking monster!” Thorax practically wilted under her harsh words.  “But I am a dragon, correct? But I am supposed to be a monstrous brute, correct?” Spike asked. What he was going to say next was probably going to hurt. Actually, Spike knew it would. But it had to be said all the same. “Love surpasses all things. It knows no boundaries nor does it know borders. Motherly, platonic, romantic. All are equal in love’s eyes. Should a changeling be any different?”   At this, Cadence looked ashamed of herself. Spike was… absolutely right. Letting the sword fall to the ground with a clatter, she gestured to her guards. They looked at her in confusion, and Cadence glared at them. Carefully, cautiously, they put down their spears. “Thank you…” Spike said. “Now, can we have some proper introductions? Cadence, meet my new friend Thorax. Thorax, meet my old friend Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Or Princess Cadence for short.” “H-Hello,” Thorax said nervously, stepping closer to the Princess of Love. His legs wobbled in fear, but he gathered up his courage and stepped forwards. If Spike trusted her, so should he. For a moment, he eyed the sword and for a moment he wondered if all this was just a ruse. Was Cadence simply making him let his guard down? Was she… No, none of that! Spike trusted her, and so should he. And Cadence smiled at her. No, it wasn’t an ‘I’m going to kill you and enjoy every second of it’ kind of smile. It was a genuinely warm, loving smile. And then she spoke. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Thorax.” Thorax’s legs found themselves giving out from under him. Spike let out a shout even as the darkness welcomed Thorax. He let out a gasp of: “So hungry…” before he went under. Spike rushed towards him, Cadence close behind. “THORAX!”