//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: A Burning Flame In My Soul // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Having gotten the engagement ring from Rainbow Dash, Spike decided to head over to the Grand Forge to ask one of the smiths there for help in making his God's Blessing for Ember. Spike had already prepared most of the materials for a God's Blessing from every jewel that represented the entire pantheon of the dragon faith and the birthstone of Ember herself. The only thing missing was to create the chain in a unique metal known as platinum, which was only ever found in the dragon lands and was their most precious metal. So much so that it was only ever seen in one specific mine and was considered sacred to many dragons since Bahamut, the top dragon god, was known as the Platinum Dragon God-King. Because of this, platinum was only used for religious or sacred creations, which God's Blessings fell under. Spike had only trusted one smith to deal with this task: Blitz of the Blackjaw Clan. One of Ember's first true dragon friends, he proved to be a loyal companion and aid to Ember throughout her reign while training himself in the ways of blacksmithing. After passing his clan's final trial to become a fully qualified blacksmith, Ember assigned him to the Grand Forge, home to many blacksmithing dragons who created anything the Dragon Lord required for themselves or the kingdom. Blitz was not only talented enough to make a God's Blessing but could be trusted to keep it a secret from everyone.  However, there was a problem. "What do you mean you can't make one for another four months?!" Spike yelled in disbelief.  Blitz sighed as he took off his apron and walked around his anvil to get some water. After guzzling down three glasses, he wiped the sweat from his brow before answering. "We're out of platinum." "How? We get shipments of new platinum every month from the Platinum Mine," Spike asked while scratching his head. "Turns out an entire horde of Gas Spores made a nest in one of the new tunnels. Some jumpy idiot got spooked and blasted fire at it, which caused it to explode," Blitz answered while shaking his head in disbelief. "And when a Gas Spore dies, it unleashes a toxic cloud that even we dragons could fall prey to in a matter of days if not carefully treated. And when one Gas Spore dies, the others react by spraying more of their toxic fumes to defend themselves. At least a dozen dragons got hit and needed intensive care, but they should recover fine. However, the tunnels are filled with toxic gas, which takes weeks to clear out. Even then, it's going to take even more time to carefully get rid of those things without causing them to explode or be scared." "Great," Spike moaned as he facepalmed. "Just my luck." "Hey, it's only for a few months," Blitz said as he put his hand on the younger dragon. "Once the mine gets cleared up and we get a fresh shipment of platinum, I'll get right on your request. Although, I'm rather surprised you want to do one this early in your relationship. Most dragons wait until they're three hundred years old before even thinking of having a God's Blessing with someone." "Afraid me and Ember will put you and Aquafire to shame if we become Life Mates first?" Spike asked with a grin as Blitz blushed and scratched his neck. "How is she, by the way?" "She's good. She should be back in time to join us in heading to Canterlot for the celebrations," Blitz said before pausing and asking with a hopeful tone. "There will be chocolate, right?" "Considering that Pinkie Pie and her family are in charge of the celebrations? If we don't see chocolate, then that will be a sign of the End Times coming," Spike chuckled as the two dragons left the forge room and walked through the steel halls of the Grand Forge. They could hear the sounds of hammers, boiling water, and burning fires everywhere, but both dragons calmly walked down the giant halls while nodding to any passing dragon, big and small.  "Aquafire will be disappointed it will not be held at Mount Aries again," Blitz said. "She loved the water down there." "Eh, knowing Pinkie Pie, she'll make some big pool for the hippogriffs to use. That or borrow a dozen or so fountains from the city," Spike said with a shrug. "She did that one time in Ponyville when Princess Skystar came to visit." "I still don't get half the things she does. Especially since she's in her mid-forties," Blitz said as he rolled his eyes. "She even knew my birthday when it came up a year after meeting her and sent me a chocolate cupcake with a candle. Not that I'm complaining, but how does she do that?" "You'd think after twenty years you'd just simply nod and move on like the rest of us," Spike pointed out as they exited into the open courtyard of the castle. "You gonna bring your fiance with you to the celebrations?" "Nah, she's not into parties and things of that nature," Blitz said with a shrug. "Honestly, she rarely likes coming out of her home." "And yet you've come to like her just as much as Aquafire," Spike said with a knowing smirk." "Well," Blitz smirked and blushed a bit, "it helps that we can even date in the first place, thanks to her." If it were a stranger hearing this, they would have been confused by the fact that Blitz had a girlfriend and a fiance who was not the same dragon. Before Aquafire's confession when they thought they were going to die twenty years ago, Blitz had been engaged to another dragoness that would be his mate when he got older. Of course, Blitz and Aquafire had grown to love each other and tried to get the agreement to end, but both parties refused.  Surprisingly, Blitz's fiance proposed that Aquafire be allowed as a "second mate" in their union should their relationship still be strong by the time they came of age to become mates, as agreed in the agreement. Pologmeny was technically not illegal in the Dragon Lands, but it was rare since all parties needed to agree to it. After some long talks from all of their families, it was decided that Blitz and Aquafire could date and become mates when the agreement came to be. Ember later sealed the deal with an order while opening more polygamy laws for the public. The three had tested the waters together by going on dates together, and it was awkward, but it worked out. However, when they had sex together for the first time? Despite loving his girlfriend, Spike couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of that glowing smile on Blitz's face after he returned from that night.  The two then paused upon hearing the sounds of fighting in the sky and looked up to see a streak of rainbow being chased by a male orange scaled Scale Guard who was doing their best to try and catch up. Rainbow Dash, way far ahead, soon turned around and shot back at an even faster speed, much to the Scale Guard's surprise. They could not defend themselves in time as the pegasus kicked them so hard they spun around in the air before Dash grabbed one of their wings and used it to pull them closer for a second buck to the face.  Dazed, the Scale Guard tried to clear his head before swiping his claws around but hit nothing but air. He saw that Rainbow Dash wasn't in the general vicinity when he looked around.  "Up here, Rookie!"  The Scale Guard barely had time to react as Rainbow Dash dived bombed from below and pressed her total weight against her opponent's back. Combined with the power of gravity and her speed, Dash was strong enough to bring the rookie dragon down to the ground in a face-wincing crunch. A small crater lay in the dirt as Rainbow Dash quickly jumped out and dusted herself off while the Scale Guard moaned while slowly coming out and laying on his back to catch his breath and wince. "And I thought...ponies... didn't hit as hard..." the Scale Guard huffed. "Rule number one, kid," Dash said with a grin. "Never underestimate your opponent. Especially one as awesome as me." Spike and Blitz walked over while spotting Smolder and a few other Scale Guards approaching from the other side. Folding her arms, Smolder snorted and glared at the wincing rookie that lay on the ground. "Congratulations, Rookie. You're dead. That crater would be your grave in a real battle, and I'd have to wear ceremonial clothing to your funeral while making a speech about how great of a soldier you were while your parents cried their tears out over the loss of their son. What did you learn today?" "That ponies hit harder than they look?" The rookie asked, but it earned him only a smack. "That I shouldn't underestimate my opponent even if they don't look tough." "Exactly," Smolder said as she pointed to Rainbow Dash. "This pony here was once part of the Wonderbolts and has defeated evil beings that would make you crap whatever jewels you had for lunch. She's got enough experience that I'm not even close to her skill or talent, and I learned under her. If this were a real fight, you'd be dead."  She turned to the rest of her rookies. "Always know the strength of your opponents. Pegasi are great fliers and can manipulate anything in the air to their advantage. Unicorns are magic users and, despite our resistance to magic, can make some powerful spells when combined that could still hurt us. Earth ponies are also strong enough to snap necks with their kicks and can take a good beating thanks to their stamina and endurance. Griffins have gunpowder which can pierce even our hide. Changelings can sneak in and slit your throat while designed as your best friend. Yaks have mastered sieging and can tear a castle apart. Hippogriffs are undefeated in water combat and can drag you to a watery grave. And Kirins have a fire that can even burn us despite our high fire resistance." Sighing, she began to pace in front of them. "We dragons are good, powerful, and can kick plenty of butts. But we're not invincible, nor should we be arrogant. We need always to keep a calm head. Especially since we're Scale Guards meant to protect Dragon Lord Ember. If she dies because of your mistakes, I'll be sure to personally sign your execution warrant before carrying out the deed myself and piss on your grave as a final insult. Crystal?" "Crystal, Ma'am!"  "Good, now hit the showers, everydragon. I think you all got your rumps kicked enough for one day," Smolder said, nodding to her troops, who saluted and flew away. "Damn, you could give Spitfire a run for her money," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle as she walked over to Smolder and put a hoof on her shoulder. "You've grown up a lot since I first saw you at the Academy. Angry, cocky, and full of herself. Kinda like I was before I grew up." "Well, you and the others helped me out," Smolder replied, doing her best to hide her blush. "Besides, your classes were the most fun." "That's because you creamed everycreature in dodgeball," Spike said as he shook his head. "How does the training go overall?" "They got potential, but they're far from ready," Smolder said with a huff. "I'm thinking of giving them a tour of The Wall after we come back from Canterlot. Let them see how real soldiers deal with being on the front lines against grave threats." "That's the place where you dragons defend your borders against the behemoths, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrows raised. "I've never seen one before. Are they really as bad as dragons say they are?" Smolder and Blitz shivered and nodded while Spike remained just as interested. Despite being here for twenty years, he had never seen a behemoth, but he knew what they were from all the dragons' tales. They were demonic creatures from the Bad Lands that were monstrous in size and strength, with a horde of dangerous types ranging from pony-sized to creatures even bigger than an adult dragon. They had invaded and fought against the dragons many times, and each of their invasions was costly. The last one was around when Ember and Blitz had been little and barely remembered it, but even they could remember how frightened everyone was of such an invasion. "Trust me, Rainbow Dash," Blitz said with utter seriousness. "Behemoths are the one creatures that we dragons are afraid of because of what they can do and it's not just bad for us. They won't stop at the Dragon Lands. They'll go for anyone else afterward. All they care about is mindless destruction, but that's to be expected for a demonic race." "There are rumors that the scouts spotted a new Behemoth Overlord, which is worrisome," Smolder muttered with narrow eyes. "But then again, we get rumors like that all the time." "What's an Overlord?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Most Behemoths are single-minded creatures of destruction and razing," Blitz answered before turning serious. "A Behemoth Overlord is smart. Intelligent. Cunning. And ruthless. They lead a massive invasion force that can destroy even The Wall and invade the mainland when one exists. It's happened before. One was so bad we lost half our entire population. The good thing is if you kill the Overlord, the rest will retreat out of fear, but they're extremely powerful." "But thanks to the new warning system we have in place, we can prepare for any invasion before it begins," Smolder said as she stretched her arms. "Well, I'm tired of babysitting a bunch of FNG's. What do you say? We all get something to drink." "Something I can hopefully digest, please?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smile. "'Cause I know most dragon drinks can kill non-dragons, and I'm not looking forward to going home in a fancy box." "I think it would be more accurate to say you'd be going home in an urn, but relax, we got safe drinks for you," Spike replied as he and the others walked off to enjoy themselves. *** The good times lasted longer than usual as Rainbow Dash found herself in a drinking contest with some dragons at the bar and kept pushing herself until she finally collapsed. Since she was in the guest rooms, it fell on Spike to carry her to bed while she still muttered she could drink some more. Even after all these years, Spike thought, you're still Rainbow Dash.  Entering the room that she shared with Ember, he slowly entered the covers and gently pressed his head against the pillow before closing his eyes until he felt a warm embrace around his body and smirked. "Waited for me, huh?" "What can I say? I can't sleep without you," Ember whispered as she kissed him on the cheek. "Hmm, how was your day?" "Eh, not bad," Spike said as he pushed aside his disappointment in not getting a God's Blessing ready soon. "Yours?" "The usual crap," Ember whispered as she nuzzled against him. "Sometimes, being a Dragon Lord can be a pain." "Hey, we got the celebration to look forward to," Spike said as he held her close and smiled. "We'll be able to relax after all the ceremony stuff. Plus, it would be nice to see old friends again." "Yeah," Ember said before chuckling. "Still can't believe I'm friends with so many non-dragons. Thanks to you." "You made friends on your own, Ember," Spike pointed out. "Yeah, but you were the one who opened my heart to friendship," Ember said as she looked deep into her lover's eyes. "I'd never be the Dragon Lord or done all this if it wasn't for you not just because you saved my life but also because you gave up the position. All that I've dreamed of would have been impossible if not for you." She kissed him on the lips and whispered, "I love you, Spike." "I love you too, Ember," Spike whispered back as he slowly got on top of her and grinned. "Want me to show you?" "The Dragon Lord commands it," Ember said as they pulled the covers over them for some late-night fun. *** Far beyond the dragon lands, a young cloaked deer was waiting in line for passage onto the nearest public aircraft for travel. The closest one he could find was near the Griffin Republic, where he was able to beg enough money by pretending to be a poor orphan to gain the means to buy a cheap ticket. It technically wasn't a lie. His teacher, who had raised him as a son, was dead, and he had no other home to go to.  He had spent days out in the wilds, doing his best to hide and survive in fear of being hunted down by the dragons he escaped from. Once he was safe, he had to plan out his next move quickly. Tyranus Redskull would be making his move to the unknown continent to search for the missing legendary blade of the First Dragon Emperor. In many ways, it could be considered one of the most powerful relics of the old world to the point that anyone wielding it would hold the power of a demi-god. The First Dragon Emperor had been subject to much debate among scholars. Was he a noble warrior who did what he did to create the first true civilization in a chaotic and war-torn world that helped usher in the first actual age of peace? Or was he a brutal tyrant who spilled the blood of enough creatures to fill the oceans?  Regardless, the blade's power could not be in the claws of Tyranus Redskull, who sought to rebuild the ancient empire with war only on his mind. Knowing that he was running out of time, the young cloaked deer hoped to make it to Equestria in time before it was too late. Every day was closer to the comet's return, and if he didn't warn the leaders of the Alliance of Harmony soon, all would be lost.  Handing his ticket over to the conductor, he climbed aboard and prayed to all the gods that he would arrive at Canterlot soon.