Spike wakes up finding himself in a strange and horrible place beyond what he could imagine. A land, full of dragons joyfully enslaving, torturing, and even killing humans. The innocent dragon eyes are filled with tears, "Where am I? What is this place? Twilight!?" he tries to stand but can't keep his balance, he sees that he still a dragon but his form has changed to more like a salamander being more easily capable of moving on all four.
The overwhelmed dragon is trying to process what's happening when a shadow looms over him and a voice shouts to him, "Move!" before he could react the cloaked figure shoves him to safety avoiding being stepped on.
The Dragnight leads Spike around the feet of the massive beast, hiding behind barrels and crates, and running past cages of humans into slim alleyways, "Wait we got to save them."
The cloaked mare turns her head, "Are you crazy?! We got to make sure we survive!"
"No! We got to do something." Spike runs back to the cage but is stopped and carried away before he gets there. The situation gets worse when the dragon spots him and slam its fist at the tiny dragons,
the mysterious pony grabs Spike saving him again, "Your insane! What were you thinking?"
"I had to do something. I cou..." Spike gets a look at the mare face and sees she is not a mare at all. "Wait, you're a dragon?!"
The two-run past a few more roads and alleys the black dragoness helps the wingless drake up walls and swing from different kinds of cloths and finally crawling into a small hole into a room, "Yes I was sucked into your world and decided to disguise myself as a pony to avoid attention. Now I'm back here with a helpless drake, great!"
"Well sorry, I come from a peaceful world without murderous insane dragons." the drake looks around the room finding all kinds of random objects shuffled around.
The black dragon goes through her stuff, "Well believe it or not I want to go back there too. I hate this place, constantly watching your back always put in danger just to find food and surrounded by creatures that would love to kill you just because they can."
"I'm so sorry." Spike looks up to face her. "Uhh thanks for saving me."
The Dragoness goes through a bundle of cloths of different assortments, "Don't think too much of it. I don't even know why I did it."
"Because you're not like the other dragons, you care for others."
"Tell that to the humans out there. There are some extra fabrics around gather it and make a bed for yourself."
"You say don't care but you are allowing me to stay. Oh let me introduce myself I'm Spike." he tries to walk towards her but is having trouble balancing.
"It's easier to walk on all fours, two when you need to reach something. As for why I'm allowing you to stay. You are not a threat to me and I can use you. But first I need to teach you how to survive."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you see any food in here?" the black dragoness looks through cabinets shelves and holes only pulling out a rotten fruit she throws away.
"What are we going to do?"
"I told you I'm going to teach you how to survive. First, you need to learn to walk. Stay here and get used to your new form, I'm going to search for food."
"But it's dangerous out there let me go with you."
"I lived my life here I know how to get around while avoiding trouble you can't even walk properly. I'll be back." Dragnight leaves.
"Ok Spike, you're in a strange cruel messed up world in a distorted body and your only ally has left you alone. I hope she's ok out there." images of the humans appear in his head. "No got to get it out of my head. I should get used to this new body."
later that day Dragnight returns with a bag, "I'm back I manage to some food. How's it going with your new body?"
"Better I think I'm getting used to it. what do you have in there?"
The dragoness pulls things out of the bag, "I got some fruit, vegetables I even got beef. I haven't had any since before I ended up in the pony world, I don't know how you lived there with a non-meat diet."
Spike is holding a gag, "First it's called Equestria second you eat meat? like animal meat?"
"Yeah what else would it be? What do dragons in your world not eat meat?"
"No! I eat gems."
"Really how does that work?" She takes a bite into the beef cut. "Well more for me you can have the other stuff."
Spike tries to look away, "I think I'm going to throw up."
"Better do it far from here. Dragons can track the smell."
"I hate this world!"
Dragnight lays in a hammock, "Be thankful you weren't born here. Now we're stuck here and there's no way of going back."
"That's not true! Twilight and the others will find some kind of spell to get here and return us here!"
"Calm down. You don't want any dragons to hear you. Seriously I don't want to look for a new hiding place it was hard enough finding this one."
"Calm down. Calm down! Do you know what I been through? I have been sucked into a hole in the sky, landed in another world in a strange body, witness humans get killed and eaten and I nearly gotten stomped on all in the span of five minutes and you want me to calm down!"
"Urg. Ok, you come from a peaceful world of talking pastel ponies, you're not used to all this but remember this is my home I have been trying to survive on my own my entire life. So don't expect me to be all nice and cuddly."
"Urg, I'm going to bed." Spike uses the pile of cloth as a bed and goes to sleep. That night Spike has nightmares of being chased by the dragons, he gets grabbed by one and thrown into its mouth, "Ahh!" Spike wakes up and looks around too see Dragnight is already up. "You're up early, I think."
"Heres a lesson when your trap in Dragnia, get as little sleep as you can, and when you do sleep keep and ear open. There's some leftover fruit over there, I'm going out scavenging I'll be back with more food and anything else I can get my hands on."
"Can I come?"
"Yes and you can watch the dragons kill more humans right before they catch and kill you."
"Ok, I'll stay here." Spike stays in the hideout as Dragnight crawls through the exit. "Way to go, Spike, you're staying here where it's safe and she is out there risking her life just so we can have something to eat. I wish Twilight was here." he sits there and starts thinking, what would Twilight do. "She would take charge and be there for her friend." he rushes through the exit chasing down his friend, "Dragnight! Wait up!"
The black dragon sees her friend and loudly whispers, "Spike! what are you doing?!"
"I'm Coming with..." before Spike could finish he spot a dragon hovering over him.
"Hello, little one what are you doing here?"
"Uh, hello there I'm Spike. I'm new here can you help me?" Spike says nervously.
"Why sure let me show you my fist." the dragon swings his fist.
Before he gets hit Dragnight pulls him out of the path, running into the streets. "Are you an idiot!? What were you thinking coming out here?!"
"I couldn't stand just stand around while you risk your life."
"Well, now we're both about two die because you decided to play the good guy." the two run down the street with a full-grown dragon following them swiping his claws at them. The two little dragons slide, jumping, and ducking to avoid dying. The large dragon breaths in and breaths fire out. "I hope you're fireproof because I'm not."
"Actually yes."
"Good, then you could hold that shield." as the flames get closer Dragnight jumps up to grab a shield giving it to Spike to hold it behind them. Using the force of the fire to propel them forward into the main road, smacking into a red dragon's toe and knocking them off the shield then hitting the large red dragon's other foot.
"What was that?" The red dragon raises his foot, Dragnight grabs spike and runs under before getting spotted. When the red dragon puts his foot down the small dragons quickly hide behind some barrels. The red dragon sees the other large dragon, "Hey did you throw something at me?!"
"Oh, shut up I'm busy."
Another dragon shows up, "Hey did one of you steal my human shield?!"
"Why would I care about some dumb shield."
Spike and Dragnight look upon the dragons' argument as it turns into a fight. "Let's get away while their distracted." the two run off into another side street keeping low and to the side behind any object.
"Ok so what now?"
"Well since it's too dangerous to go back now. I'll have to take you with me. I should teach you how to scavenge at some point I just wish you have more time to get used to your new body and were taught the basics of survival. Do exactly as I say and no talking back! Ok, first you need to learn the layout of the land. I only know a small area of Dragnia even if I did I can tell you the outside world isn't any friendlier to dragons."
"If you don't mind me asking but how do you know that if you never been out there?"
The dragoness takes a moment to answer, "You seen what the dragons are like why would they trust us just because we're young and small, Plus there are humans that are just as rotten."
"That may be true but there's got to be good ones willing to give us a chance and we can show them we're not like these other dragons."
"You're too optimistic and it's still too dangerous for us to try to escape. Dragnia is large I don't know how long it'll take to leave we'll need supplies and I lost my maps, meaning there's no way of keeping us from getting lost. It's better if we stay here where it's familiar."
"We can't just stay here forever this place is terrible. Don't you want to be where your happy, where you aren't always scared for your life, a place with friends?"
"Y-yes but what can we do? I mean I have to constantly pull you out of danger we can't just go on some trip to an unknown destination for who knows how long."
"Your right, it's obvious I'll be dead without you. How about this once I learn how to survive here then we can make our way out of here and if we find my friends we can return to Equestria together."
"I'll think about it. You still need to familiarize yourself with everything out here, every street, every building, every nook and cranny, everything."
"Got it." the two reach the main market place with huge stands and a massive assortment of everything from food, weapons, clothes, toys, strange objects even people. "Wait are they selling humans?"
"Yes, dragons come here to barter for things there incapable to take for their own, and humans are treated as either slaves, pets, or even food."
"The more I learn of this place the more horrifying it becomes."
"You haven't seen the half of it and hopefully you won't. Come on follow me." They sneak under the dragons, "Luckily most dragons don't pay attention to what's right beneath them but you still need to be careful and be as quiet as possible."
As they sneak around Spike can't help but look at the humans, "Dragnight." she shooshes him. "Is it possible there's a way we can help them?"
the dragoness blankly looks at him, "There are so many things wrong with what you just said.."
"But."
"Save it for when we get back to the hideout. Let's go." they travel past stand after stand, "Take note of anything you like and wait for the right opportunity and." She swiftly takes a gem from a stand. "Something to add to your collection."
"You just stole that."
Dragnight's eye starts twitching, "Please tell me that the dragons from your world aren't this good two shoes. Yes, I stole it how do you think I get this stuff? I'll be killed just for talking to them. When will you get it in your head this isn't Equestria and these dragons are nastier then anything you have dealt with in your entire life and if you want to survive you will need to throw away your morality."
"Your right these dragons are far worse then the dragons back home and are far eviler then any villains I encountered but your wrong about throwing away my morality because if you actually believed that you wouldn't have saved me."
Dragnight sighs, "Well you're still going to learn to take what you want or you won't eat and I mean it, nothing grows here and all food and such belongs to dragons. So you will need to compromise your virtues to survive."
Spike strongly stares at her until his stomach growls, "I guess your right but I'm only taking what's necessary."
"Agreed. You eat gems then you can eat this, we don't want your stomach giving us away." she tosses the gem to Spike and moves on to other stands. "There should be a stand that has food and water up ahead."
A scent catches Spike's attention, "What's that smell?"
"That's the smell of meat. You never smelled cooked meat before?"
"No meat! I can't even think about eating another creature."
"It's already dead plus you're a dragon it should be natural for you. Then again you're from a sappy pony world of rainbows and smiles. Fine, you can continue to eat fruit, veggies, and nuts, while I"ll grab some meat. Dragons really hate having their meat taken so we have to wait for another one dumb enough to try to still some." She waits for a dragon to come over to the meat stand, the small dragons run behind them, and once an argument breaks out they pack away some meat and run off. While running Spike can't stop looking at their gain, "Are you sure you don't want a bite?"
"No. I'm good." the two dragons continue their scavenge, meanwhile Dragnight teaches Spike of the variety of food that can be found in the world and Spike teaches her about the food of his world. "Then of course there's all the apple recipes from Sweet Apple Achers."
"They all sound delicious. I wish I could try some."
"Well, you could have, if you didn't hide in the Everfree forest and got to know the ponies."
"Well, it should be obvious I'm not a people person."
"Well good thing they're not people they're ponies."
"Dragnight gives him a weak punch, "You know what I mean."
"Well, you can try again when Twilight and others find us. You know I still don't feel right about stealing all this."
"Really? You're still on that, you didn't even take anything, whatever we should head back now before it gets too dark. I'm going to do some scouting, stay hidden."
Spike hides behind some barrels, slumping against a wall thinking, "I hope twilight gets here soon. Huh?" over at a stand is a staff drawing Spike's attention, like it is calling him. Spike sneaks over and tries reaching for the staff to small to reach. "How does Dragnight climb up these. Spike looks to his claws and digs them into the wood slowly climbing up until he reaches to top, he then reaches for the staff. "Almost there."
"What do you think your doing tiny?" the owner of the stand has his eye up to Spike.
"Uh, I can explain." The staff rolls into Spike's hand, "Are you serious?"
"I won't let a shrimp steal from me!" the dragon slams his fist at Spike,
The purple dragon lets go of the stand and start running. As the shopkeeper dragon chases him, Spike does his best not to trip, "I should have waited till I have gotten a better handle of this body!" claws slam down one after the other with enough force to lift Spike in the air, he tries his best to keep on his feet as he curses to himself of why he did what he did. A hand slams down on Spike, he manages to slip past the fingers.
Spike runs past other dragons, dodging swinging of tails, dragon bites, and stomps. The shopkeeper dragon shoves the other dragons out of the way then start throwing things. Barrels, crates, and an assortment of items launched at the small dragon. The items break on impact when they hit the ground debre flies through the air.
Spike breath becomes heavy running for what feels like hours as he jumps over the toes of dragons, his sweat nearly causing him to slip as he climbs on top of crates, the pounding of his heart can be heard as he swinga from signs going to one stand to another. Hopping from one merchant stand to another Spike passes by the angry owner that attacks him with an arm swing witch is avoided with a quick duck, another arm slam down Spike rolls forward getting back on his feet he is met with claws with quick reactions he escaped with only a scratch on his cheek.
"I can do this. I can do this!" suddenly he is smacked through the air into a cage. "Ouch why did I take this anyway?!" suddenly there's a feeling that something is touching his shoulder. Turning his head he sees a human shriveled down to the bone, his eyes shot red and appearance of bulging, his hair fallen out leaving only a few strands, and his mouth wide open dry and winkled, his bony hand placed on Spike's shoulder seems to be trying to grasp it. Spike can't muster the words to describe how scared he felt but even more so of how sad he felt for this man. "Are you ok? Can I help you?"
"D-d-die."
"W-what?"
"D-die you filthy dragon." the man's hand grab on Spike's neck trying to strangle him but doesn't have the strength. Before Spike could process what was happening the man took his last breath.
"Aw look at that he died. Now I have to find another one. He was once a proud warrior, thought he could slay me, now look at him. Better run now before he catches you."
the shopkeeper dragon has defeated the dragons in his way and is back to chasing Spike. Spike shakes his head and runs off but is soon caught in the shopkeeper's fire breath with the human's owner also getting hit. "Hey watch where you're breathing!"
"You better not get in my way too."
"Just get the kid and go."
"Hey, where is he?" The shopkeeper points to the other dragon, "Look what you did!"
"What I did? It was your fire!"
The two dragons start fighting as Spike hides behind the corner, breathing heavily, takes a quick look around, and sneaks away to find Dragnight in front of him, "Ahh!"
"Sheesh stop screaming you just got away from him, do you want to be running for your life again."
"Dragnight you found me." Spike hugs his friend.
"Now you're hugging me. I never thought there be a day where I see a dragon hugging, but in all seriousness What happened, I come back to find you're being chased across town and it seems like you stole something what happen to only taking what we need?"
"I know, I just, it was calling me. Grr, I don't know. I'm sorry."
"Well, you showed you really are fireproof and so is that staff. You said it was calling you maybe it's magical. Good catch let's head back."
The trip back was quick and uneventful, when they got there they stored away they ate and stored the rest of the food, as for the staff Dragnight tried to figure out what it can do to no prevail concluding that if it was calling Spike then it would only let him use it if it was indeed magical. Spike tried to figure it out but couldn't he was also mad at it, blaming it for causing the trouble with the shopkeeper and making him break his own rule. "Grr, this stupid thing! Why did I even take it?!"
"I don't know but now you're stuck with it. It would a shame to go through all that and come out with nothing. Maybe you can use it as a back scratcher?"
"Haha, I'm going to bed." Spike jumps into the pile of cloth. That night his dreams were haunted by what the man said and try to do but also to what the human owner said and how nonchalantly he talked about what he did to the man. The apathy towards the man's death was chilling. There were no tears that night not because he was trying to stay strong but because he couldn't feel anything.