//------------------------------// // "Breaking the (S)mold" // Story: Spike's Family Chronicles // by frenettek314 //------------------------------// *NOTE: The majority of this story takes place as a flashback extension of "School Daze". There will however be a noted time skip near the end to the "present".* When you send your student to Ponyville, have her form a group of life-long friends. When your student surpasses her predecessors, make her a princess. When the princess and her friends save Equestria from a magic-stealing centaur, give her a castle. And when said princess becomes the princess of friendship, she'll eventually open up a friendship school. At least, that's the string of logic that Spike and the others seemed to follow, as evidenced by Princess Twilight Sparkle quickly scanning her last minute checklist before she would soon open the doors to the first friendship school Equestria has ever seen. While he had known Twilight since he was practically a hatchling, he would've never had predicted this would be the next step in the alicorn's reign. It seemed like just yesterday where he and the other elements of harmony ventured beyond Equestria to discover the key(s) needed to defeat Tempest and the Storm King. It was an adventure with high stakes, exotic locations, and of course, new friends. But it was during said journey where Twilight had come across a startling truth. There were many creatures beyond Equestria; some she had only heard of in her academic research. And yet, it was with this discovery that Twilight (and eventually the others) concluded that there was an opportunity to spread the magic of friendship, and to hopefully create new allies and opportunities for Equestria. After all, ponies could learn a lot from other species. And it was with this thought in mind that had Spike fully on-board with Twilight's rather sudden idea. Not only could he get the chance to befriend other creatures, but maybe he could finally encounter other (willingly friendly) dragons! With only moments away, Spike was practically jumping in anticipation. A bright future for Equestria, for his family, and maybe even himself. Friendship could finally spread for future generations to co... "Welcome to the School of Friendship! I'm your headmare Twilight Sparkle. Please follow Guidance Counselor Starlight to sign in and get your class assignments. Then we can show you your living quarters." Twilight's voice finally called out, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Huh. Since when did Twilight open the door?" he thought to himself, concluding he must've tuned everything out, before gaping at the wide variety of students the new school had to offer. "Ooh! Students certainly traveled from far and wide to attend our school!" Rarity remarked. She certainly wasn't kidding. The dragon could see yaks, hippogriffs, griffons, changelings, and... Spike gasped as his eyes found a pair of dragons jaunting through the halls, one of them looking very familiar. "But dragons are better than this! Why am I here?" an older orange dragon whined, being dragged to her "punishment" as she referred to the crystalline structure she was sure was mocking her. Life was funny for the young dragon. One minute you were living near a pool of lava and challenging the other kids around to contests of brute strength, the next minute you were called by your ruler to attend a "namby pamby pony school". Smolder hated this. She hated this a lot. Ever since Ember won the gauntlet of fire and became the dragon lord, she subtly and gradually shifted the dragon culture to be more "accommodating" and "open-minded". Which was fine for her, but she herself was perfectly happy living her own life away from other (and not as cool) creatures. Even if she felt like she had no choice but to be alone... But that doesn't matter. What she wouldn't give to have Torch return to his reign at this very moment. She wouldn't be forced to step foot into this colorful overload of a kingdom. "Because as Dragon Lord, I'm ordering you to be here!" challenged the more mature one in question, but she was all the sudden discovered by Spike, running to her with obvious excitement. "Dragon Lord Ember!" The dragon in question popped her head around to find out who was calling to her, before her hardened gaze softened considerably, a natural smile forming on her face. "Hey, Spike! Come meet Smolder." Ember beamed, though she did find herself stumbling a bit upon the younger dragon hugging her waist. She still had a long way to go before she was comfortable with physical affection. Thankfully, the hug came to a natural end as Spike turned to greet the newcomer before he found himself blinking in confusion. "Wait, wasn't there only one a second ago?" "Uh, which one is Smolder?" Ember quickly whipped around only to find that there was indeed a second, taller dragon standing there. Though, for some reason, this one seemed awfully shy and anxious. Before Ember or Smolder could retort however, a certain king came flying in with a look of worry. "Ocellus! What did we talk about?" The new dragon suddenly transformed to reveal a much smaller changeling. The two older dragons were shocked to say the least, for the shape-shifting insects were not often encountered by dragon-kind. Then again, dragons typically didn't possess a lot of "love" anyways. All the more reason for the friendship school to exist. Even with word spreading about the hive's reformation, and her friendship with Thorax, Ember was still taken back by their new appearances to say the least. "Is that what's going to happen to us?" Meanwhile, Smolder was baffled for a completely different reason. Her upbringing wanted to think of this changeling as "weak" or "pathetic", but some part of her found the being...cute? She quickly shook her head to bring herself back to reality. Complex emotions could be processed later. As a new conversation quickly began - an overactive hippogriff in awe by the mysterious shape shifter - the trio of dragons took this opportunity to bid Thorax a quick farewell before they wandered off to continue their own chat. Spike decided to lead the two to his own private quarters, which they were immensely grateful for. When they had reached his room, he decided to start the initial revival. "Sorry about that. Lot of creatures out there." he offered sheepishly. Thankfully, Ember eased his nerves by offering a polite shake of her head. "It's not your fault. I didn't realize how many creatures were coming." The two shared a quick chuckle, before the dragon lord remembered her original point. "Oh, yeah. Back to before. Spike, meet Smolder." Spike smiled in Smolder's direction, offering her an open claw to shake. "Very nice to meet you. Welcome." Smolder regarded his gesture with confusion before skeptically shaking his claw in return. Where did this kid come from, and why was he so...friendly? "Saaaaame. But, uh, how come I've never seen you in the Dragon Lands before?" Ember found her smile slowly faltering, realizing where this conversation was headed. Her eyes began darting in awkward tension. Unfortunately, fire-breathing couldn't save her out of this predicament. Though, Spike, in a more oblivious state, took the bait with seemingly no alarm. "Oh, that's because I was raised here in Equestria." Ember's face fell even more as Smolder's perplexed expression quickly shifted into a shocked trance. One could practically see the gears in the orange dragon's head turn. "Wait... you mean... you were raised by ponies?" Spike's optimism slowly began to fade, replaced by a sense of incoming dread. Hopefully this conversation was not going to go that route. "...yyyyyeah...?" "Smolder." Ember sternly warned, but it was far too late. The bombshell was dropped. "Are you their slave or something?" she grunted accusingly. "Smolder!" Ember yelled. Even dragons should know when something was going too far. And Smolder had just flew past that line. Meanwhile, Spike could only deliver a grimace. Of course he wasn't a slave! Just because he wasn't raised with the rest of the dragons didn't demerit his value. "No! I was hatched in Canterlot, and that was when I met Twilight. Ever since then, I've been her assistant." "Slave." Smolder tried to correct, an eyebrow raised. How naïve this poor child was in her eyes. "Smolder!" Ember yelled again; but this time, instead of looking furiously at her young subject, she worriedly focused on a slowly angered Spike, her claws raised up to her muzzle in a less than confident poise. It was funny. There was once a time where Ember would care less about others' feelings. Now, she wouldn't know what to do if this young creature never forgave her. Of course, she tried to cover her pride as much as possible. "No! I'm not a slave! I have my own life, my own interests, my own everything!" If Spike were younger, he may have more so contemplated what the dragon in front of him was saying; but now, he knew better than to question his status. He knew Twilight respected him. Cared for him. Loved him. Smolder slowly stepped forward, her narrow gaze locking on with Spike's. She was going to wake this dragon up and get both of them out of there. "Tell me, do you do favors for these ponies?" Spike's glare softened for a split second in confusion, wondering how to proceed. "Yes?" Smolder continued. "Do you run errands?" "Yes?" "Clean? Cook? "Yes?" "Smolder. Don't." Ember practically pleaded. If this were any other conversation, she would smirk at the irony of the Dragon Lord begging. "Then you're their slave. Congratulations." It was then when Spike had finally had enough. Marching up to the expecting taller dragon, he reached out his claw to point at her, their faces mere inches from each other. "I don't care what you say, you're wrong. I choose to do those things because I like doing them. I especially like doing them for the ponies who are my friends!" Unfortunately, his opposed was unaffected, simply scowling in indignation. "Real dragons don't do friends." Ember was now ashamed for bringing Smolder along. She knew that dragons had the chance to improve, just as Spike had once taught her, and Smolder was definitely in need of learning a thing or two if this was how she openly acted in front of others. This could be a new beginning for future generations of dragons, and yet she regretted who she chose to represent their home. Whether this meant Smolder needed lessons now more than ever was none of her concern, as Ember wanted to quickly reprimand her and apologize profusely to her closest friend. But before she had the chance to, the door to the bedroom quickly opened, revealing a bewildered alicorn. "What's going on in here?!" And just like that, the Dragon Lord herself secretly wanted to crawl into a mouse hole and never come out. Judging by the princess's facial expression, she had at least heard a good portion of the conversation. So much for an alliance. Before Spike or Ember could reason with Twilight though, the rebellious orange dragon decided to swing around the already burned bridge. "Forget this! I don't care if you're a Dragon Lord or not, I'm not going to sit in this 'friendship school' and become a brainwashed PONY LOVER!" And with that, Smolder quickly used her wings to fly out of the room...and hopefully finding her way out of this darned castle. The three remaining creatures stood shell-shocked at the sudden outcome, lost on knowing what to do. But all three thought the same thing: "What if this friendship school doesn't work out?!" Normally, underneath the Ponyville Bridge sat the gentle stream of water that travelled across the town and beyond. However, there was a temporary guest sulking near the water flow. A rather bright and orange visitor. "Stupid town, stupid school, stupid Ember!" Smolder growled out loud, picking up a nearby pebble and flinging in into the murky depths of the water. "Why do things need to change? Everything was perfectly fine before!" "Were they?" came an authoritative voice she was all too familiar with. Smolder, in a startled jump upon hearing the new voice, quickly turned around to find the trio of Dragon Lord, small pony/dragon, and alicorn. A group she thought she had long since ditched. She sent them a glare as she went back to avoiding them. "How did you find me here?" Twilight allowed herself a tiny smirk as she boldly took a step forward. "Well, there aren't too many orange dragons hanging around Ponyville..." she quipped, before her features subsided into a slight melancholy, "...and I hope that changes soon." The dragon in question snorted in annoyance. "Fat chance. There is no way I'm letting you change who I am." The trio felt their hearts sink slightly, finally beginning to understand why she was so upset, as they glanced at each other with worry. "Smolder, no one here is forcing you to change. The only one who can let that happen is you." Twilight reasoned in a sickly sweet sympathetic tone. No matter how sweet her voice sounded though, Smolder was determined to remain unfazed. "Why am I here, then?!" Ember was about to respond before she was interrupted. "Besides the fact that it was an order from the Dragon Lord." The dragon leader's voice went silent for a second, before rediscovering what she wanted to say, taking the opportunity to sit a few feet away from her subject. "Because I think this is a good thing for you. Because I know this would be good for a lot of future dragons, and I believe you're the model they'll go by." Smolder quickly turned her head back around to confront her ruler, not caring in the moment about titles. "Dragons aren't nice to other ponies, dragons don't hang out with inferior creatures, and dragons certainly don't do friendship!" Much to her surprise however, the response to that was met with a weak chuckle, Ember forming a sheepish, yet knowing smile that she swore she had never seen before. "Funny. I used to feel the exact same way." Seeing no immediate objections, she decided to press on. "I was only ever concerned with myself; who I am and who I felt I had to become. I used to think that meant closing yourself off and focus on getting stronger, but the moment I let others in, I'm now stronger and happier than I ever was. I became my own creature." Ember turned around to acknowledge the familiar Equestrian duo she was all too thankful for. "And while I'm still getting used to admitting things like 'feelings', I owe my title as Dragon Lord to these two... plus, Rarity, of course." The pair found themselves gratefully smiling in return, before an irritated voice brought them back to the conversation at hoof. "But dragons aren't supposed to rely on others! Dragons need to be strong, fearless..." "Dragons don't need to be anything!" Smolder found herself staring wide-eyed once again, curiosity making herself silent once more. She definitely hadn't expected the Dragon Lord to proclaim that. "Once I won the gauntlet, I realized that a dragon isn't some single term to live by, much like we've been taught for centuries now. In fact, those 'strong' and 'fearless' dragons almost killed me then. Including your brother." While her brother's façade was not of a surprise to her, Smolder still found herself ashamed by what she had just heard. Perhaps Ember had quite the authority after all. "The dragons have been bitter and hostile creatures for so long, and for what?! To have no allies, to know very little of the outside world, to face threats alone?" "But we've been just fine!" Smolder found herself countering. "Have we?" came a pointed question in retaliation, freezing her to the spot. Twilight and Spike merely eyed each other in shock, before returning to Ember's cold and calculated glare. "Tell me, Smolder. Do you enjoy where you're at right now? No friends, nothing to do besides competitions 24/7, no one around when you need them? Do you enjoy that?" For the first time in quite a while, the orange dragon felt herself visibly shaken. Her mind coming to realization with the words being spoken. She thought she hid her mild displeasures well, but clearly not good enough. She just did what she felt was right, what she felt she needed to do, but Ember had read her like a book. Was this really what she wanted? To continue her dull life in solitude? She could say she was a "superior dragon" all she wanted, but would that ever change? Wait... did she just admit she wanted change?! After despising it for so long?! Who was Smolder anyways? "I... I've been fine..." she mumbled, now finding herself unable to meet her leader's eyes. But with the sudden appearance of two comforting claws - one for each shoulder - she felt her sight guided back to an unexpected caring grin. "You shouldn't be 'a dragon', and you shouldn't be 'fine'. You should be Smolder." The dragon felt the corners of her eyes filling up with her moisture. On any normal day, she would resist the urge with all her might. Today wasn't a normal day. "B--but... I... I don't want to be a disgrace to my species." "Oh man, does that hit close to home." Everyone had paused their participating/observing of the conversation to let their eyes fall upon an almost sage-like Spike, who had remained quiet up until this point. Now though, he knew the time was right, slowly marching over to nestle in between the other dragons. "Earlier, when you asked me about being raised in Equestria. The fact of the matter is my egg was discovered outside the woods of Canterlot, far away from any crevasse of the dragon lands. That meant that whoever my parents were abandoned me." Both Ember and Smolder found themselves dumbfounded, neither having any prior knowledge of Spike's origin besides the fact that he was raised by ponies. While Ember had begun pondering the possibility of abandonment, she would've never thought he was this self aware. "But then, when Twilight hatched me, she became the parent I never had before. She taught me to read and write, to play, to learn, all this stuff I never would've had otherwise." Spike took a brief pause in his monologue to gaze upon the captivated alicorn, bringing a warm smile to his cheeks. "She's everything to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way." No matter how many times he offered sentiments or appreciation, Twilight couldn't help but discover a cascade of tears and a large, beating heart inside her chest every time. Spike turned back around to directly acknowledge Smolder, presenting her a knowing look with a hint of pride. "And everything I do is because I like doing it, or is a reflection of the fact that I was gifted such abilities. I used to think I was wrong, but I'm not a 'typical dragon' and I'm not a slave. I'm Spike." Ember found herself in awe by his speech, growing a newfound appreciation for her friend. It may have come at the cost of desperately trying to hold onto her pride, but it was well worth it. "And you're pretty cool, Spike." she stated, though in a warm tone that made him know she was grateful. "And that's what we want you to be. To let other dragons have the chance to be themselves." Twilight felt this was the moment to step in and provide her own thoughts. "I didn't create this friendship school to forcibly change anyone, or to tell others what to do. I created it so that creatures - even those beyond Equestria - could learn and enjoy having friends." She took another step forward, making sure she graced Smolder with a welcoming smile. "But more than that, I want to give every creature the chance to be who they want to be, and to let them discover the friends who will support them in doing that." "And if you like doing 'dragon stuff' that's fine. Just because Ember and I are friends doesn't mean she no longer loves burning boulders to smithereens." Spike quipped, earning him a playful shove (and perhaps a minor blush) from the Dragon Lord herself. Ember took the time to grab onto Smolder's shoulders once again, hoping she came across as confident, but approachable. "Smolder. I know things may seem like they're changing. But I only want to change things for the better. For everyone." The orange dragon looked at the three shining creatures in front of her and couldn't help but feel moved. She had so desperately wanted to remain stubborn and unwilling, but with what they said and offered, maybe... "So...what if I decided to give the school a try?" she found herself sheepishly looking down, though a visible smile forming for the first time since she came to Ponyville today. Ember could only chuckle as she looked at her subject, reaching out with her claw. "Only one way to find out." Spike and Twilight, seeming to have developed the same idea, reached out with their own appendages, beckoning her to join them. Smolder looked at them once more, before she stood up with much more poise, eagerly using her claw to reach the others. "Deal." *Present Day (Set after "School Raze"):* For Smolder, this past semester was anything but boring. Perhaps recent events involving the takeover of Twilight's school and the near drain of all Equestrian magic played a part of it, but things turned out great in the end. Still though, neither her or any of her new friends would've suspected "sweet" and "innocent" Cozy Glow could create such a diabolical plan (with some help from a once speciesist Chancellor Neighsay, and the power-absorbing maniac that was Lord Tirek). Cozy Glow was so close to winning too if it hadn't been for the surprisingly quick thinking of Sandbar and the CMC. True, there were some close calls - fake betrayals included - but the ragtag group of students helped Equestria's saviors and teachers restore all magic. Once a collection of various creatures who were forced to learn about friendship, saw their bond grow strong, strong enough to save the world. If that wasn't poetic justice, Smolder didn't know what was. And while her friends were disappointed that their heroism didn't equal graduation, if it meant the orange dragon could continue being with the best creatures she knew, then perhaps more lectures weren't such a bad thing after all. Of course, their efforts didn't go unnoticed. As Princesses Twilight and Celestia, along with the CMC (and hopefully reformed Neighsay), went onwards to discuss the previous mission, Smolder and her friends were walking back to their dorm rooms. She would've joined them if it weren't for a certain voice stopping her in her tracks. "Smolder!" There, alongside Spike, was a being she hadn't seen in a while. "Dragon Lord Ember!" she called out, quickly making her way to the others. "What are you doing here?" The noble leader only chuckled, setting upon her a genuine smile which had honestly felt good after today's events. "When I heard what was happening, I made my way over as fast as I can." Ember looked back at Spike with somewhat of a smirk. "Though, when I got here, I discovered everything turned out alright, in large part due to you and your friends." Despite Smolder's blush indicating that she wasn't used to such praise and compliments, especially from her kingdom's ruler, deep down she was incredibly honored and even a little touched. "I-it was nothing..." she awkwardly stumbled, shuffling her foot on the ground. "Yes it was." Ember countered, returning an even warmer smile than before. A true gift. "Even though you can't graduate just yet, you have no idea how proud of you I am . You've come so far, you've made some incredible friends..." She looked back towards Spike, motioning for him to stand next to the other young dragon. "...and just like I had told you both back when you stood up against Sludge, you're role models for the world of today and tomorrow." The Dragon Lord then set her claws upon her subject's shoulders, speaking in a rarely used soft, but grateful tone. "...but most importantly, you're becoming the 'you' that you want to be, the creature I knew you could. And that is the best thing anyone could ask for." Smolder found herself at a loss for words, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Her still stubborn pride tried desperately to hold back the tears threatening her eyes, but she was losing the battle. "E...ember... I.... thank you..." she finally choked out, before quickly rubbing her eyes, lest anyone see her in such a state. Ember, having become somewhat better at handling emotions, playfully chuckled and nodded, before turning back to Spike with a playful glare. "Though, the school really should've advertised 'psychotic fillies' in the brochure." Spike rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, though he still found himself with a knowing grin. "If we did that though, the school wouldn't have gotten students. Or at least the students we want going here." The three dragons partook in a round of boisterous laughter before it naturally subsided, the trio each remembering the first day they all met, and how much they've grown since then. Particularly Smolder. Ember looked at the two dragons again with a more confident expression. "So, as a special reward for totally showing that filly who's boss, I figured we could get some grub. You in?" Spike eagerly nodded. "I'll go see if Gabby wants to join. Smolder, you and Ocellus want to come?" She didn't need to be asked twice, giving a proud "thumb's up" before using her wings to take to her dorm and retrieving the changeling in question...who she may or may not have decided was cute after all. As she was gliding through the hallways though, she reflected on how much her time in Equestria has changed her so far. Once upon a time, Smolder had to be dragged just to set foot in this building, actively despising Ember as she did so. Now, she was immensely appreciative for what was the best decision of her life. Once an empty and shallow existence, trying to "fit in" with the other dragons through a partially fake bravado and a million strength competitions, was now a satisfying time filled with fun, magic, and adventure. Smolder could be herself, and she knew her 5 best friends (including her potential girlfriend) were always right beside her. Looking back, she couldn't believe how she used to tell herself that friendship was for the weak, that "real" dragons were emotionless warriors, and that any dragon who didn't fit that mold was worthless. That she was worthless. She had said and did things she certainly regretted, all for the sake of being who she thought she was supposed to be. But that all changed when she came to Ponyville and met her new family; including an amazingly friendly and kind dragon named Spike, who became like a brother to her. Her life had changed for the better, and while she wasn't sure what would happen next, one thing was for sure. She was definitely ready for next semester. Watching from behind, Spike couldn't help but feel a huge burst of pride upon seeing the transformed dragon before his eyes. He and Ember regarded each other with fond smiles, each subconsciously agreeing with the same statement. Twilight's friendship school was helping Equestria become a better place, and transforming lives one student at a time.