//------------------------------// // Chapter 65: Spike's Journey Part 1 // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// I knew the day would come. I told myself that I had to do this after the Equestria Games. I had to leave for my journey. I had to save Griffonstone and Starlight Glimmer. This had to be done. I didn’t know how long it would be before Tirek arrives, but I wasn’t going to wait around until then. The evening before my big day, I packed my backpack with water, gems, comic books, rope, a helmet, a compass, a sleeping bag, bug spray, a first aid kit, paper, and a pen.  I got out a map and circled the locations I would visit. My first stop would be at the Dragon Lands to catch up with Smolder and Garble. My second destination would be Griffonstone to find that idol. I don’t know if it will restore the town, but at least the griffons will get it back. My final stop would be Starlight’s village. I just needed to find that stone and convince Starlight that Sunburst still remembers her. “Spike?” Twilight’s voice asked. “What are you doing?” “Planning my journey,” I replied. “I told you I would leave after the Equestria Games.” “I know, but this is all so soon. It’s only been a day after the games.” “I’m aware of that.” I sighed. “I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.” Twilight bit her lip. “I’m just worried about you. This is just like when you left for the Dragon Lands. But now you’re going to unknown territory. There’s no telling what’s going to happen to you.” “I know what I’m doing, Twilight,” I said. “I’ll send you a letter every evening. I suggest you do the same.” Twilight sighed. “I will.” The next morning, I got up at the crack of dawn. I packed a black hoodie in case of colder climates. I also packed my toothbrush and toothpaste. I collected some of my bits and put them in a pouch. Knowing griffons, this would come in handy. I put my backpack on, kissed Twilight goodbye, and left the library. I didn’t take two steps out of Ponyville when I saw Rainbow Dash stopping in front of me. “Hey, Spike,” Rainbow greeted. “Where are you off to so early?” “The Dragon Lands and beyond,” I replied. “Uh, is Twilight aware of this? Wait, are you running away? I didn’t know kids still did that these days.” “I’m not running away. I’m just going by myself on this journey. And I already told Twilight about this weeks in advance.” “But you’re going all alone. Don’t you want a companion or something?” “No. I don’t. You are all my best friends, and I love to have you around, but I need to be on my own. I’ll return soon. Trust me, and don’t follow me! Seriously, I don’t want you or the others following me under some pathetic disguise.” “Alright. Just...good luck out there, Spike. And don’t be afraid to come back if things get too rough for ya.” Rainbow flew back into Ponyville. I took a deep breath and continued walking. When I reached the hills, I turned around to see Ponyville being the size of my palm. I could hardly tell if the windmill was moving from where I was standing. The sun had already peaked fully from the horizon. I resumed my path.  I got out my compass and map to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I still had a long way to go before I reached the Dragon Lands. The path I took became less familiar the farther I went. Which made sense considering I was following a group of migrating dragons in the sky the last time I left Ponyville by myself.  The road then turned to the right and looked like it was going straight in that direction for a while. That meant I had to diverge from the path if I wanted to head to the Dragon Lands. I walked to the forest ahead. Once I got to the edge, I made an arrow on the tree pointing inwards. That way if my compass wasn't working, I could use the trees to know where I’m going.  I walked into the lush forest, making arrows on every twentieth tree I passed. My compass told me I was still heading southeast. I took a breather by a small river up ahead. I sipped some of my water and munched on a few gems. I looked up at the sky. The sun was already at the top. I guesstimated the time to be around noon. I was walking for about five hours now. As I sat on a nearby rock, I could hear a rustling noise behind me. I quickly spun around. "Who’s there?" I asked. A squirrel popped out of the bushes. It cleaned its face for a moment and hopped away. "Just a squirrel," I said. I wiped some sweat from my forehead. "Boy, it's hot out." It was a good thing I didn't put my hoodie on. The summer sun was really beaming down. It was hot, even for August. At least I was near a river. I took off my backpack and swam for a bit. The water felt so cool and refreshing. The current was noticeable, but it wasn’t too strong to pull me away. The water itself was clear, maybe even more than the river back in Ponyville. After my lavish “skinny dipping,” I used the sun's rays to dry myself off.  Thank goodness it’s a dry heat today. I put my pack back on, crossed the river without getting wet, and went on with my travels. I dabbled a bit of bug spray around my neck just in case I ran into any pesky insects, especially mosquitoes. I bet even Fluttershy would dislike them. It was hard to keep track of where I was going, even with the compass and tree-marking. All I remember was that the Dragon Lands were in the southeast, and if I found the ocean, I went too far. The forest itself was no different to the other forests I came across back in Ponyville. While I passed a few clearings, it felt like I was going in circles. I sat at a nearby stump and wondered if I was lost. I checked my compass, and it was working fine. I haven’t encountered a tree I already marked either. I know the Dragon Lands aren’t a brisk walk from Ponyville, but they can’t be this far out, can they? I sighed. I was about to grab a few gems to eat, when I heard the sound of squawking followed by a red and orange figure zooming by. It left a few feathers in its wake. I suddenly recognized the creature. “A phoenix! That must mean the Dragon Lands are nearby! I better follow it.” I jumped off the stump and followed the phoenix as fast as I could. After jumping over many branches and roots, I caught up with the phoenix just in time to see it land in a nest above the trees. I looked around and noticed a path nearby. I was willing to bet the gems in my backpack it was the path to the Dragon Lands.  I double-checked my compass and took the path up to the mountains. Once I got up there, I could see a bunch of dragons flying around. I was definitely in the Dragon Lands. Finally. I climbed the mountains until I was at the top. I searched around for Garble or Smolder. The problem was I didn’t know where they lived. I didn’t see Garble with those teenage dragons, and I doubt Smolder would be throwing rocks like last time. I tried asking around, but none of the dragons knew where my friends were or even acknowledged my existence. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get any help talking to the dragons. Just when I was close to giving up, I heard the faint sound of bongo drums. That must be Garble! I slid down the hill, and I saw Garble playing the bongos with Smolder listening to him. “Brother and sister, red and orange, going together like...ugh! I did it again!” Garble placed his head on the bongos. “I was trying to avoid the word ‘orange.’” “‘Sister and brother, orange and red, going together like butter and bread,’” I said as I walked up to them. Garble jerked his head up. Smolder turned her head to me. “Hey, it’s Spike!” Smolder exclaimed as she stood up. “Good to see you again.” “Same,” I said as I gave her a fist bump. “Glad I could find you two.” “What are you doing here, Spike?” Garble asked. “Are any of your pony friends with you?” Garble peeked from above the rocks. “Nah, I’m by my lonesome...for real this time.” “I sure hope so.” “Why? You got something against ponies?” “Not that. Ponies rarely come here,” Smolder said. “We don’t want any of them to get attacked by the others. So why are you here? Still trying to find your parents?” “No. I gave that up a while back. I actually came for a different reason.” “Such as?” “You know Griffonstone, right?” Garble shrugged. “I’ve heard of the place. Never been there. From what I’ve been told it’s full of greedy griffons. Always wanting your bits no matter what. Why do you ask?” “Because...” I sighed. “This may sound crazy, but I’m planning on helping them.” “What?!” Smolder and Garble asked in unison. “Now, hear me out, okay? I was helping Twilight do some research on Griffonstone, and we found out that the place fell apart a long time ago. We don’t know why, but we believe it had something to do with an idol getting stolen. Twilight assigned me to help Griffonstone out by finding this idol.” That was a lie, but I don’t think Garble or Smolder would believe me if I told them the truth. “Why would she do that?” Smolder asked. “Because even though Griffonstone is full of grumpy griffons, it does not deserve to be in such a state of despair.” “I mean, why would she let you do this alone? You don’t even have your wings. Why couldn’t she get that rainbow flying pony to do it?” “Because she has full trust that I alone can do this. I have actually made a name for myself back in the pony lands. I saved a wedding from a group of changelings, I helped save Ponyville from the Lord of Chaos, and I even saved the Crystal Empire.” “Wait, what?!” Garble nearly dropped his bongos. “The Crystal Empire?!” “You’ve heard of the place?” “Only in folklore,” Smolder replied. “Dragons would rumor of a place made entirely of gemstones, but the fact that a place exists is mind-blowing!” I noticed her drooling. “Sorry, but the Crystal Empire isn’t what you think,” I said. “You’re not allowed to eat any of the crystal structures, or ponies for that matter. But they do make and serve interesting gemstones if you ever get interested. I had some myself during the Equestria Games.” “The Equestria Games?” Garble asked. “Yeah, of course. The Crystal Empire was the host this year. Did dragons ever compete in them? I didn’t see any.” “I doubt it. We never got any information about the events.” “That’s a shame. If you guys won any gold medals, they would’ve sung your anthem.” “You know our anthem?” Smolder asked. “Not really. I, personally, memorized all of the anthems for the competing teams ahead of time even though I wasn’t going to sing them. I also memorized those who weren’t competing just in case. But I never found yours though. How does it go?” “Well, it’s a very old tone,” Garble replied. “It was written in an old language by dragons. It went something like this...” Garble then cleared his throat and began to sing deeply in a slow tempo. “Pah yein Dovah Himdah. [All hail the Dragon Lands.] Pah yein dovah nahlii. [All hail the dragon beings.] Mu kent kos mul, mu kent kos boziik. [We must be strong, we must be bold.] Dovah Himdah, mu fen ni mah. [Dragon Lands, we will not fall.]” I was bewildered. “Wow...that’s...really impressive. Never heard dragons use that language here, though.” “It used to be a common language in the Dragon Lands, but it died out even before our grandpa was born. The only way dragons remember it these days is because of the anthem, and even then only a few can translate it.” “That’s very interesting,” I said. “Maybe I can tell Twilight about it when I get back.” “I’m still skeptical over this saving Griffonstone thing,” Smolder said. “Do you really think you can help them?” “Hey, one of my friend’s friend is a griffon. She may have been mean during her visit to Ponyville, but if what Twilight and I read is true, then she’s been going through a lot. Retrieving that idol might help the griffons or at least put them on the right track. There’s also another thing I must do: I need to save a pony.” Garble put his hands up. “Hey, dragons don’t kidnap ponies anymore. That hasn’t happened in, like, forever.” “Not from the dragons. From herself.” I sighed and hoped they would believe my next story. “There’s a pony out there who will do crazy things. I’m trying to find her and convince her to change her ways before it’s too late.” “Do you even know who she is?” Smolder asked. “Or where she lives for that matter?” “Her name is Starlight Glimmer. She used to be friends with one of the ponies of the Crystal Empire. From what he told me, she escaped their hometown sometime after he got his cutie mark. Now he’s worried she got the wrong idea, so I’m making sure to clear things up.” “So what? You’re trying to fix some pony relationship?” Garble asked. “Why? Don’t you think the mare moved on by now?” “No, I’m sure of it. With an event like that, I wouldn’t move on either. That’s why I’m doing this.” “How do you even know if she’ll trust you? I mean, if a kid came out of nowhere and told me that my old childhood friend still liked me, I wouldn’t believe them.” “There’s no shame in trying, though. If she doesn’t believe me, I can always show her.” The sun had already touched the western horizon. The sky looked like a giant lava pool. “Looks like it’s getting late,” I said. “I better be on my way.” “Wait! Spike!” Smolder called out. “Why don’t you stay with us for the night?” “Smolder!” Garble rebutted. “Traveling at night is a bad idea, and I doubt Griffonstone is over the hill, Gar-Gar. Besides, he’s probably tired from all that traveling he’s done. He had a leg cramp last time he came here, remember?” “But does he really want to live in a cave when he’s probably gone soft sleeping on pillows?” “I wouldn’t mind,” I said. “I’d sleep on a hard surface regardless. And...I’ve wanted to see how dragons live.” “See?” Smolder asked. Garble groaned. “Fine. But you’re carrying him, Smolder.” “Alright then.” I got on Smolder’s back as Garble picked up his bongos and flew off. Smolder and I followed close behind. After a few minutes of flight, we landed in front of Garble and Smolder’s home. The entrance was about three times Garble’s height.  “This is it,” said Smolder. I hopped off Smolder entered the cave behind her and Garble. We came up to a rather spacious room. It was almost bigger than the main room in the library. A stone table and chairs sat in the middle of the room. A sofa that was also made of rocks sat at the edge of the room. The “kitchen” had a giant oven like in an old pizza parlor, a stone counter, a cabinent, and a fire pit with a cauldron in its center. There were also a few decorations, such as a patterned rug, a picture of a bowl of gems, and a small chandelier. It felt like I was in Bedrock. “Wow, nice cave,” I complimented. “Yep. This is where Gar-Gar and I live,” said Smolder. “Just make yourself at home. Bathroom’s down the hall...” “And stay out of our hoard rooms!” Garble concluded boldly. “Hoard rooms?” I asked. “Oh, are they like dragon bedrooms?” “Uh, no,” Smolder replied. “We have normal bedrooms. A hoard room is a room where we store our treasure and stuff.” “Wait, so you never actually sleep on the pile?” “No,” rebutted Garble. “I don’t know how the grown-ups are used to it. I tried that once and I felt like somedragon’s been poking me with swords all night.” “What’s in a dragon’s hoard?” I asked curiously. “Bits? Artifacts? Gems?” My stomach growled when I said that last part. I clutched my stomach in embarrassment. “Speaking of which,” said Smolder. “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll get you something to eat.” She went over to the kitchen. She filled up three bowls with gems from the cabinet. She then placed them on the table. Garble and I sat down with her and ate our meal.  Smolder swallowed. “To answer your previous question, it’s a combination of all three.” “Where do you guys get the stuff?” I asked.  “Our parents sometimes give it to us, but Gar-Gar’s been looking for his own source of income.” “Oh, dragons have jobs?” “What? You think we lived in a cave?” Garble realized what he just said. “Don’t answer that! It was rhetorical.” “Yeah, dragons have a variety of jobs here,” said Smolder. “Some protect the land from dangerous threats while others trade gems with the diamond dogs.” “You and the diamond dogs work together? I didn’t know that,” I said. “Reluctantly. From what I’ve heard, we’re pretty much on neutral standings. It’s a ‘don’t bother us and we won’t bother you’ kind of situation.” “Huh. So what’s your dream job, Gar-Gar...I mean, Garble?” “Well, I’ve been wanting to join as one of the dragon lord’s bodyguards.” Garble rubbed his chin. “Maybe then I could finally get a chance with his daughter.” “Never gonna happen, Gar-Gar,” Smolder singsonged. “Hey, you’re just jealous.” “I’m not jealous!” “Then what about your crush? You think he’s gonna know—” Smolder blushed. “You shut your mouth!” I didn’t know why, but I found their sibling arguments funny instead of infuriating. I guess it was because they weren’t debating so loud, which was good since I forgot my whistle. “Say, is there a place where I’m supposed to sleep? Or can I sleep anywhere here?” I asked after finishing my bowl. “Well, you’re welcome to sleep on the couch,” said Smolder. “It’s pretty much the same compared to our beds.” After dinner, I set my backpack next to the sofa. I was about to go to the bathroom to brush when I noticed Smolder and Garble leaving the cave. “Hey, I know it’s none of my business, but where are you two going?” I asked. “To wash up,” said Smolder. “Do you want to come?” “Uh...I guess so.” “Then come on.” I left my pack and essentials aside and followed the two dragons out of the cave. I got on Smolder’s back once again, and we flew off into the night. “Where are we going?” I asked. “I noticed you guys didn’t leave with any towels or soap or anything like that.” “Seriously, Spike,” said Garble. “You’ve been around ponies for too long.” We arrived at a nearby dormant volcano. Lava pits were everywhere along with dragons of all shapes and sizes occupying them. “Uh, oh,” said Smolder. “I hope we can find a good spot.” “We will,” said Garble. “Look! There’s one right there!” Garble zoomed down to a small pit of lava. Smolder and I quickly followed him. By the time Smolder landed and I got off, Garble dipped himself into the lava with a resounding sigh. He sank lower and lower until the magma reached his shoulders.  “See, Spike?” Smolder asked. “This is how dragons wash themselves. With lava.” Garble scooped up a bit of lava and poured it over his head. “Oh, I get it,” I said. “The lava burns away any dirt from your bodies.” Smolder nodded. “Just don't get any in your eyes or down your throat. It doesn’t do any permanent damage, but the lava might sting your eyes a little and swallowing it feels like drinking a very hot beverage without cooling it.” “Ouch.” Smolder and I slid into the lava, giving off the same type of sigh as Garble. I picked up some lava with my hands and rubbed it against my face. So this is just like a public bathhouse. I had a feeling dragons used lava to clean themselves. Now I know. After a few minutes of bathing, the three of us were clean. We flew back to the cave and prepared for bed.  I went to their bathroom to brush my teeth. Garble and Smolder told me while they personally brush their teeth with a toothbrush, adult dragons just used their claws to get out any bugs and stuff. I asked them about cavities, and given their reaction, it was safe to say while dragons do contract other diseases and illnesses, tooth decay wasn’t one of them. When I came into their bathroom, they only had a sink, a mirror, and a toilet. The sink was just a bucket of water. As for the toilet...let’s just say they used lava and leave it at that. I’m starting to miss indoor plumbing. After I brushed my teeth, I unrolled my sleeping bag on the couch. That’s when I realized I should send a letter to Twilight. I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from my backpack and wrote my letter. “Dear Twilight, I hope that this letter gets to you well. My journey has been going great. I was able to meet up with Smolder and Garble from the Dragon Lands. We chatted for a bit, and I learned a lot more about dragon culture.  Dragons have jobs here like being bodyguards and trading treasure. They also have neutral interactions with the diamond dogs. Dragons live in caves, but I found out smaller dragons like Garble and Smolder have something called ‘hoard rooms’ for their treasure instead of sleeping on it like adult dragons. Their caves have rock-like furniture, which is rather impressive. As for their hygiene, while they don’t have the luxury of indoor plumbing like we do, they have unique yet effective ways of getting cleaned. For example, they participate in public baths via lava pools, as all the dirt and grime just burns right off. While I like that, I’ll just stick to showers and baths with soap and water. Smaller dragons also brush their teeth like ponies do, but since dragons don’t get cavities, the grown-ups just pick their teeth with their claws. Anyway, Smolder and Garble let me stay at their place for the night. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. Be sure to keep me posted about what’s happening in Ponyville. Signed, Spike, your #1 assistant” I rolled up the piece of paper and blew my fire breath upon it. It disappeared in a poof. I yawned as I layed down in my sleeping bag. In a few minutes, I was fast asleep.