Deep in once lively depths of the Diamond Dog Mines, A hooded figure treks through the seemingly endless tunnels. He sighs as he hits another fork in his path. He raised his torch to better see the crude map he carried.
“Those Dogs really need to improve their skills. The writing is illegible and these drawings are near useless! Guess I’ll just have to rely on my own bad luck.” He put the map away and went down a path at random. Thirty minutes passed and the figure questioned what he was supposed to be learning from this when he finally hit something. Or rather, he stepped in something. “If this is what I think it is, somepony is being burned when I get out of here.” He raised his foot and bent down to see a sticky white substance on his foot.
“It’s close.” He burned the substance away and kept down the tunnel, noticing more and more of the substance appearing on the ground and walls. The end of the tunnel expanded into a large crevice where giant webs were sticking everywhere and several large pods were hanging from the ceiling. The figure glared at the pods, at the sight of the ones who had tried to save their home but failed. “I’ll return you home.” He whispered and walked closer when a blood-curdling roar shattered the silence. He rolled forward as a web shot at where he had been and covered the exit. He growled and looked up.
“Okay ugly, you want me now come and get me!” A one-eyed, eight-legged, spider-like creature smashed to the ground and roared at the intruder. Its eye glowed red and drool dripped from its tusks. It was clear that any wisdom or sense it once had was gone. It rushed at the intruder and tried to smash him with its front legs but he dodged side to side quickly and flipped backward. “Come on. that's all you got?”
It stomped its legs into the ground, causing some rocks to fall from the ceiling and forced the intruder on the defensive. The monster began to spit some green globs at him, hitting the worn brown cloth he wore as a hood. The moment it touched the cloth, it began to burn. The intruder threw off the cloth, revealing a dragon with dark purple scales and emerald spikes. His eyes looked at his hood and he frowned.
“Acid, I got to be careful or that stuff will burn some of my scales.” Spike turned as he felt the monster rushing him again and jumped, opening his wings and shoving his torch deep into the surprised beast’s eye. Spike hesitated for a moment as he saw it wither in pain.
“You can not stop, you can not freeze, you have a duty and you must meet it. Thus is the way of the Dragon.” Spike took a deep breath and dived at the beast, slashing at its chest and blowing fire at its mouth causing the acid remaining to catch on fire.
“Pain is a constant of life, you will suffer it and you will deal it. Thus is the way of the Dragon.” The blinded creature managed to smack Spike away with a leg and lifted a boulder, throwing it in the direction where it had heard Spike hit the ground.
“Never give an enemy an inch or you’ll find yourself dying alone in the gutter. Do you still draw breath? Then stand and fight. Thus is the way of the Dragon.” Spike shook his head and jumped to his feet, punching the boulder, smashing it, and grabbing two of the shards. He flew at the monster and stabbed the shards into two of the beast’s legs, pinning them into the wall and ground respectively. Spike slid under the creature while slicing two of it’s back legs with his claws and spun out of the way as it fell. He walked slowly to the front of the helpless grounded creature, it’s eye glaring at him with pain, rage, and… something else reflecting back at the dragon. The beast closed its eye and a tear ran down its face.
“Show honor and respect to the defeated, for they fought and lost as warriors. The end may yet become a new beginning for them.”
“Thus is the way of the Dragon. Farewell Ahgg and I hope you find your deserved peace.” Spike lamented before smashing his fist into its closed eye, finally ending the creature’s long life. He removed his dirty claw and paused for a moment, looking at his fallen foe. He patted it’s head and left to dig a grave.
. . .
Spike groaned as he finally exited the mines and held a hand to block out the sun. An ancient-looking Diamond Dog stood waiting for him, leaning on his cane and two guards at his side. Spike bowed his head to the dog and held out a pointy green hat with a bell attached to the top.
“It is done, Ahgg has been put down and here is the proof.” The ancient grabbed the hat and gave it to one of his guards.
“You are truly the warrior I was told. I thank you for your help in regaining our ancestors’ home and for reclaiming the Crown of the King of Grundles. I must ask if you found anything in your investigation into Ahgg’s behavior?”
“You honor me Alpha.. I believe that it was your race’s activities that started Ahgg’s insanity. It seems that in a bout of greed instead of trying to find and earn their gems, a choice few tried to use explosive gas. They flooded Ahgg’s home with it and destroyed her mind. In her last moments, I believe she regained a bit of her sense…” The dog put a hand on Spike’s shoulder, patting it reassuringly and sighing deeply.
“You are a true hero my boy and you did the right thing. No creature deserves such a fate and I will find who did this I promise you. How may my people repay you?”
“No, I don’t do this for rewards, I do it because it’s the right thing to do.” The dog chuckled and smiled.
“Ahh to be young and so self-righteous. A reward is not wrong, to expect one is wrong. I see you’ve lost your hood, allow me to give you this. The dog removed the cloak he wore and gave it to Spike. It was soft silk with exquisite design and tiny diamonds were sewn into the cloth. It had been long since Spike saw something like it.
“Thank you… a friend of mine once made something like this.”
“The Diamond Dogs haven’t been the most open group in the world but we do have some knowledge we can offer.” Spike put on the cloak and bowed again before he started to leave, but then he stopped and turned.
“I do have a request actually… I ask you to attempt to talk to Princess Celestia, King Thorax, and Dragonlord Ember about more trade. I believe we all can benefit from each other and that the Diamond Dogs have much more than clothes tips to give.” The Alpha stared at the dragon and nodded. Spike smiled and waved before flying off.
. . .
Spike arrived at a peak of a mountain and strolled into a large cave while stretching.
“Hiya old drake, you still alive or is this place finally mine?” His snarky question echoed back with no answer. The inside of the cave opened into an enormous library with a large hourglass in the center. “Ignitus? It’s me!”
“I hear you young Spike, now stop yelling.” A calm voice ordered as a large red-scaled dragon with golden horns, frills, and spikes emerged from the hoard room. “And no, when I die you are not allowed to take my cave, I actually want my legacy to endure.”
“Wow, you do remember that I was a librarian right?”
“You were an assistant.”
“Who did more of the library work than the librarian.” He grumbled while Ignitus chuckled and coughed. “Are you okay?”
“Still breathing. I assume you completed your mission.”
“You said to not come back until I did.”
“Since when do you listen to me?”
“Good point.” Spike showed his cloak and held out a vial of blood and a tusk. “I completed the kill and Ahgg fell with honor. Here is the blood you needed and a fang so you have something to remember her by.”
“Ahgg. The poor fool, I hope she finds her peace. Thank you, Spike, for your help and for your sentiments. You’ve now found and fought several of the great old ones, now only three remain. When you came to me you were half dead and weak but now I would say you are one of my greatest accomplishments.”
“Pfft don’t take so much pride in yourself old drake I was always gonna be this awesome!” Spike flexed and Ignitus rolled his eyes before smiling.
“I see that attitude of yours is still much unchanged, so stubborn.”
“That stoic calm stuff you do isn’t me, besides if I did start being quieter then who would annoy you?”
“Why, that would be a tragedy.” The hourglass in the center of the room flipped and the two dragons stopped their bickering. Spike sighed and looked down.
“Another one?”
“We’ll see. I have some things I wish to talk to you about but it may have to wait.” Ignitus walked over to the hourglass and after a few minutes it flipped and he sighed. “It doesn’t seem like it is another of the ancient ones, instead it is because your actions have drawn the attention of royalty.” Spike frowned and crossed his arms.
“Royalty?”
“Princess Celestia wishes to meet with you.” Spike grew weak in the knees but didn’t falter and instead just looked away.
“You know I can’t go back…”
“That is what I wanted to talk to you about.” Ignitus walked towards the hoard room and Spike followed. “You’ve grown so much under my watch and I trained you as well as I could. So many times I tried to send you away and even admit to having given you missions that should have killed you, yet you somehow were victorious every time.” Ignitus shook his head from the shame of his actions. “I tried so hard to not get so attached to you as I did to my last student. I always believed that the way of the Dragon would die with me but now our legacy lives through you. I hid from my kind and vowed to never show my secrets to the world outside. How foolish I was…”
“Was? You’re leaving?”
“You are. Ten years ago, you left Equestria to find yourself and become someone that you could be proud to be and I believe you’ve achieved that. I want you to go home and show the world who we are. To show them all our way.”
“You told me that the world would never accept us… they didn’t accept my father…”
“I did say that. I believed that no one could change our fate but maybe I was wrong. If I had to place my trust in anyone I’m proud to say it’s you.” Ignitus smiled and bit his hand, making several of his fingers bleed. He drew a symbol on Spike’s forehead and the young dragon gasped feeling stronger. “Welcome to Clan Azar.” Spike smiled and rubbed his eyes while looking up, now being the heir to one of the ancient dragon clans. “My clan and their strength now live on through you. Use the power wisely.”
“I will… thank you, Ignitus.”
“It’s time, young one. You may leave one of the marks here so you may always return and maybe you should bring home someone.”
“Just made me part of your family and you’re already trying to marry me off?”
“Just because I know you can’t take care of yourself forever.”
“Thanks for the faith old drake. Hey… the last of the great old ones. They’re in Equestria aren’t they?”
“Yes… if you truly wish to continue down this path then I will inform you of when I have news.”
“I do.” Spike bowed and then walked to a small corner of the room, away from the mountain of riches and treasure to where a small futon laid with a pillow. A book was lying forgotten nearby and an old saddlebag next to it. He reached into the bag and pulled out a picture of a large group of ponies all together with a younger Spike smiling. He touched the picture as a tear fell on the frame. “I’m coming home girls… I’m coming home…”