Chapter 4: The Dragon Lands
A few years ago, journeying into the Dragon Lands would have been considered extremely dangerous for any pony. Not only was the terrain extremely rough and there were volcanoes dotting the landscape, but the dragons had been fierce territorial beasts. The first few excursions into the forbidden lands had to be done with the aid of disguises so as not to become a dragon’s next snack.
However, through the efforts of Spike, with a little help from Rarity and Twilight, relations had improved and ponies could now journey into the Dragon Lands as they wished. However, the rocky terrain and volcanoes still made the area undesirable for ponies to visit, except if they wanted the help from a dragon.
As Twilight, Spike, and Rarity approached the border, they saw it was guarded by a giant red dragon. Although “guarding” was a term used lightly. The great beast was lying on a rock and appeared to be sleeping. However, as the three companions came closer, they could see that his eyes were open slightly and watching them.
As the ponies approached, he began to stretch out, revealing his great size of forty meters. “Who goes there!” his voice boomed, however he was not shouting.
The wind from the dragon’s voice hit the ponies like a gust of hot wind. Their manes were blown straight out before settling down on their backs.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is Spike and Rarity,” Twilight introduced herself, “We have come to ask for the assistance of Dragon Lord Ember.”
The dragon regarded them for a second. “Proceed,” he answered, “Follow this path down and enter the cave to the right at the end. You will find her there.”
“Thank you, sir,” Twilight responded with fortitude and respect. She knew the dragons appreciated strength. As long as she and the others maintained an heir of dignity, she suspected they would have no trouble entering.
However, as Twilight, Spike, and Rarity passed by the great dragon, the dragon seemed to pause and sniff the air in confusion. As Rarity passed by his tail, he lowered his head and began sniffing Rarity from behind.
Rarity noticed this almost immediately and turned her head to face the dragon. “How rude!” Rarity shouted in outrage. Then with both of her back hooves, she kicked the dragon in one of its nostrils.
The dragon let out a small cry of surprise at the sudden attack. He pulled his head back and began to rub his nose. However, he made no attempt to scold or reprimand her. In truth, he seemed more confused than anything else.
“Honestly!” Rarity growled, “These dragons need to learn some respect!” She then proceeded to march away with her nose held high in disgust.
Twilight and Spike were both surprised by what just happened. They saw the dragon return to lying down, but he still kept one eye on them. He seemed to be trying to ponder something.
“That didn’t seem like typical dragon behavior,” Twilight observed, she then turned to Spike. “Have dragons ever sniffed a visitor like that?”
“Not that I know of,” Spike replied with a shrug, “Maybe he sniffed her perfume.”
“Well…I was trying a new brand,” Rarity admitted as she fluffed her hair. She then looked back at the dragon. “I just never thought it would attract someone like that.”
“I think it smells like the sweet scent of a Fire Ruby.” Spike chipped in. He had to admit that there was something about Rarity’s aroma that seemed special.
“Oh?” It took Rarity a moment to remember that Fire Rubies were a favorite among dragons. As she realized this, her cheeks blushed a slight red. “Thank you, Spike.”
Twilight took a moment to sniff the air. “It doesn’t smell that different to me.”
“Honestly darling. You just lack the experience in such things. When we get back, I shall take you on a tour to show the finer tastes of a lady,” Rarity replied.
Twilight wasn’t sure to take what Rarity said as an offer or an insult. She was familiar with perfumes, though not to the extent as Rarity. For now, she decided to let the matter drop and concentrate on the quest at hand.
However, as the three companions pressed further into the Dragon Lands, it seemed like Rarity’s perfume was attracting more attention than they wanted. Whenever they passed by a dragon, the dragon would start sniffing the air and peer down at them, or more specifically, at Rarity. But like the first one, none made an attempt to stop them or slow them down. Instead, they appeared more curious than anything else. Some even followed at a distance.
This did not go unnoticed by the ponies.
“Rarity. I really think your perfume is attracting the wrong crowd,” Twilight said as she saw the number of dragons following them grow.
Rarity groaned at the thought. She would gladly admit that she adored being admired by hundreds of ponies. She even liked the attention of one small dragon. But a crowd of dragons! In her mind she made a note that she would return the perfume and get a full refund.
After following the path further down, and attracting even more dragons, the three companions finally reached the cave Ember was said to be located in. As they entered, they found themselves inside a large cavern that could easily fit a dragon as big as Torch, with room to spare. Fortunately, Ember’s azure blue scales made it easy for the ponies to spot her. She was hovering near one of the cavern walls making dragon marks using the Bloodstone Scepter.
“Greetings, Dragon Lord Ember,” Twilight called.
Ember turned around from her duties and looked down. A smile fell across her face and she quickly abandoned her work on the rock face to greet them. “It’s been a while. What brings you three here?”
“We were hoping you could help us in the investigation of a missing pony.” Twilight responded.
“I’ll do what I can,” Ember replied, “but I really don’t think you will find many…ponies…Hmmm,” Ember trailed off as her nose detected a scent in the air. She then took a moment to study Rarity.
“Is something wrong,” Rarity asked.
Ember shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she replied quickly, “But like I was saying, you won’t find any ponies here.”
“We don’t think she’s here now,” Twilight clarified, “But she may have visited here fifteen years ago.”
“Fifteen years ago?” Ember burst out laughing, “No pony in their right mind would have come here. You remember how it was.”
It was hard for Twilight to forget. “I do,” Twilight responded, “But I was hoping you might have heard the name Grey Shire.”
Ember scratched her chin in thought, but stopped after a few moments. “Sorry. But dragons never wanted to become friends with ponies back then.”
Twilight sighed in disappointment.
“What about Spike? Can you tell us anything about him?” Rarity asked.
Ember placed a hand on her forehead and scoffed as she heard the request. “Ugh! Not again!”
Twilight, Rarity, and Spike shared a look with each other before turning back to Ember. “Again?” they all said together.
Ember made a long sigh. “After I was made Dragon Lord, my father requested that I search our records to find which family Spike had come from. I must have poured over every rune in all twenty record halls trying to find his family.”
“Dragons have record halls?” Twilight asked in surprise. Normally whatever information she got from dragon kind was passed from word of mouth or firsthand observation. She didn’t think dragons had scrolls due to their fire breath and the volcanoes.
“You’re in one now,” Ember laughed as she tapped the Bloodstone Scepter against the ground. Dragon magic swirled around the scepter and poured into the ground. A moment later, the scratches on the walls and stalagmites began to glow orange. The cavern was completely covered in rune carvings.
Twilight, Spike, and Rarity were amazed by what they saw. It took Twilight only a moment to realize that the runes were actually arranged in a type of family tree. However, this family tree covered every dragon that lived.
“A family tree of every dragon! This is so interesting!” Twilight quickly materialized her notebook and began taking notes with glee.
“Wow!” Spike was completely amazed as well. Not only did he learn more about his kind, but he saw his chance to find out where he came from. “Where’s my family’s rune?” he said excitedly.
A look of sorrow permeated Ember’s face. “That’s just it. We never found which family you belonged to.”
As Ember said this, the runes faded, leaving only the scratches on the walls.
“Never…found my family?” Spike felt his heart sink as he heard this.
Ember took her scepter and pointed it to a single stalagmite located in the corner of the room. A rune on the stalagmite glowed with a dragon symbol that represented Spike’s name. However, there were no other runes connected to it. “I created this rune after I was made Dragon Lord.”
“But…then...” Spike tried his best to suppress the tears in his eyes.
Rarity saw Spike’s pain and ran to his side. “Oh Spiky Wiky,” she said as she hugged him. However, this did little to cheer up the little dragon.
Twilight could only imagine what Spike was feeling. But she was not ready to give up. “There must be some other clue,” she said to herself. She then turned to Ember. “What about dragons that have ventured beyond the Dragon Lands. Could he be related to one of those?”
“You mean Exiles,” Ember asked, slightly perplexed.
“Exiles? What are those?” Twilight asked.
“Not all dragons can grow big and strong like Torch. There are small dragons, like myself, who will never grow any larger than this,” she said, emphasizing her size. “They usually have only two options. They can stand up for themselves or runaway to other lands. I chose to stand up for myself.”
“And the ones that ran away?” Twilight asked with hesitation.
“They can return, but they have to prove they are willing to stand up for themselves,” Ember explained. She then tapped the scepter on the ground again. A few runes around the cavern lit up, but not many. “These are the ones who became Exiles,” Ember explained, “but none seemed to match Spike’s age.”
“Actually, Spike is not an Exile,” Twilight corrected Ember.
Ember looked at Twilight in confusion. “But…How can that be?”
“He was an egg when we first found him. He was brought to me and I used my magic to hatch him,” Twilight said proudly.
“WHAT?!” Ember shouted angrily.
Twilight backed away from Ember. “Ah…Did I say something wrong?”
“No dragon egg has ever been taken from the hatching grounds! No Dragon Lord has ever lost an egg, especially my father!” Ember growled.
Twilight remained silent so as not to provoke Ember. She was getting the distinct impression that losing an egg was an insult to the Dragon Lord’s pride.
“What about an Exile? Can’t they still lay eggs?” Spike asked.
Ember looked at Spike, then shook her head. “Without the lava grounds, an egg will not hatch. It is forbidden by Dragon Lore for Exiles to have children for this very reason.”
“But what if Spike’s mother was an Exile?” Twilight asked.
Ember stood in thought. She doubted any dragon would break tradition. But the thought of her father losing an egg was far worse. If the ponies were right…Ember raised her scepter into the air.
The runes showing all the Exiles began to fade away. However, as the room dimmed, three runes still glowed upon the cavern walls.
“There have been three female dragons in our lifetime that have gone into exile. Two stood up for themselves and returned,” Ember explained, she then pointed her staff to a single glowing rune near the ceiling. “The last one, Ash, was undergoing her first molt and it was presumed she was eaten by a Roc."
Spike took a moment to look at the rune. A small kindle of hope sparked within him. “Could that be my mother?”
Ember snorted as she heard this. “Highly unlikely. She was a grey dragon that was small, weak, and probably too young to lay eggs.”
“But it is possible, right?” Twilight asked in an adamant tone. She was determined to find the truth about Spike’s history.
Ember remained silent again as she looked at the rune in thought. “How many eggs did the ponies have again?” she asked.
“Just Spike’s,” Twilight answered truthfully.
Ember gave the idea more thought. “I suppose it’s possible, but still highly unlikely.” Ember admitted after a brief moment. She then turned to face the ponies. “Twilight. I need to know where Spike’s egg came from. The dragons consider their eggs sacred and it would be a dishonor to my father if one was lost on his watch.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “I’ll do everything I can and let you know.” She then walked over to Rarity and Spike’s side.
“Do you really think this Ash is Spike’s mother?” Rarity asked.
Twilight had her doubts. If what Ember said was true, then Ash was too young to be Spike’s mother. And then there was the pony named Grey Shire. How did she fit into all of this? “I don’t know. Let’s just head back for now,
Rarity nodded in agreement.
“Ah…Twilight. What do we do about them?” Spike asked as he pointed at the entrance.
Twilight looked toward the entrance of the cavern and saw a number of dragons peering in. For a brief moment, she wondered if Ember’s outburst had attracted all the dragons to the cave. Was she and her friends in danger? “Ember. Is there a reason why the dragons are looking at us?”
“Hmm,” Ember looked at the entrance. “Oh that,” she said casually. She then turned her attention to the dragons at the entrance. “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!”
The dragons jumped in surprise and immediately began to scatter. In less than a second, the entrance was free and the path was clear.
Ember let out a small laugh. “My apologies. They’re just curious. They’ve never seen a pony that’s been given a Mark.”
“Mark? What Mark?” Twilight asked.
“The bite mark on Rarity,” Ember said, “I think Spike bit her.”
Spike bit Rarity?!
Immediately an image formed in Twilight’s head of Spike becoming feral and biting Rarity on the leg while Rarity screamed in fear. In response she quickly turned on Spike. “You didn’t actually bite Rarity, did you?” Twilight demanded.
“What?!” Spike gasped in surprise at the accusation, “No! I never would do that!”
Twilight then looked to Rarity who looked just as confused at the accusation. Quickly Twilight calmed herself, realizing she let her imagination get the better of her. Spike would never bring harm to Rarity. In fact, he was more likely to put himself in harm’s way rather than see Rarity become injured. “Sorry. I guess I got carried away,” Twilight apologized.
Ember stood in thought for a moment after witnessing this. “Actually, it’s more like a ‘love bite’. Male dragons do this when they wish to court a female dragon.” she countered. She then walked over to Rarity and began sifting through her coat.
“Huh?! What are you doing?!” Rarity cried, “Stop that!”
It did not take Ember long to find the Mark on Rarity’s neck. “There it is,” Ember said casually as she gently pushed away the hair so all could see.
Twilight and Spike gathered around and looked at the spot Ember was showing. To their surprise, there was a small black mark on Rarity’s skin.
“Rarity. When did you get that?” Twilight asked out of concern.
Rarity broke out of Ember’s grip and turned to face Twilight. “Honestly. It is nothing more than simple blemish,” Rarity countered. However, as she thought back, she began to recall that the Mark was in the same place Spike had bit her in the cabin. Doubt began to creep into her head. “It is a blemish, right?”
Ember gave a smug look towards Rarity. “It’s a Mark. It releases a scent we dragons can detect. I suppose you could say it’s like a…” Ember tried to think of the proper words for it, “It’s a type of bonding between dragons.”
“Bonding?” Twilight’s jaw dropped as she heard this, “You mean like an engagement?!”
Ember scratched her head as she tried define it. Until recently, ‘friendship’ and ‘love’ were not in a dragon’s vocabulary. “I’m not sure. It’s just how male dragons claim female dragons.”
Twilight felt her parental instincts kick in. Quickly she turned her head and stared Spike down. “SPIKE!”
Spike cringed in surprise. Nervously, he tapped his fingers together as he tried to back away from the ever growing presence of Twilight. “Wait! I didn’t know about the Mark! I mean…It just sort of happened,” he pleaded.
“Just sort of happened?!” Twilight growled as she closed in on Spike.
Ember gave a small laugh at Spike’s dilemma. “Of course. The Mark only stays as long as the female has consented to the bonding,” Ember added.
Twilight’s eyes shot open in surprise. She then turned her gaze to Rarity. “RARITY! What exactly happened in the cabin?” she growled slowly in a menacing tone.
Rarity gave a sheepish grin as she sat on her haunches and tapped her front hooves together. She felt as if all eyes were on her now. “Um…A lady never reveals her secrets,” she stuttered weakly.
Twilight gave a snort before composing herself and turning to Ember. “Thanks for your help,” she politely said.
Ember nodded as she tried to suppress a laugh.
Twilight then turned to both Rarity and Spike. “It’s time for us to go,” she said in a polite, yet somehow ruthless tone, “And you’re going to tell me EXACTLY what happened.”
X X X X X
Twilight and Spike did not return to the Castle of Friendship until late that night. However, instead of turning in for the night, Twilight found herself sifting through the reports about Spike’s egg in her study. Yet she found herself unable to concentrate on the words as she looked through them. Her mind was still focused on Spike, Rarity, and the Mark on Rarity’s neck.
How did she miss something like that?
She knew Spike had become smitten with Rarity the day he first lay eyes on her. On the other hand, she had always assumed Rarity saw Spike as a simple friend and nothing more. Rarity had pursued other stallions in the past, but she always returned to Spike. In a sense, Spike had become Rarity’s assistant as well as a close friend. But as Twilight though about it, that friendship had grown over time. Twilight could even remember a number of moments when Rarity tried to stand up for Spike when he was in trouble. It even got to the point where Rarity had gotten jealous whenever Spike saw other friends, especially girls like Gabby.
So how did she not realize the two of them were really in love with each other?
In fact, why should it bother her at all?
Perhaps it was jealousy or maybe parental instincts. Twilight was not sure. She had known Spike all his life. She was the one responsible for hatching and raising him. In a sense, she was like a foster mother to him. However, Twilight was not keen on the idea of being a mother and preferred to think of herself more as a doting sister. There rarely was a day when Spike wasn’t by her side.
As Twilight thought of that, she wondered if she really was jealous. Spike was spending more and more time with Rarity instead of her. Perhaps in a corner of her mind, she thought she might actually lose Spike. Her life would feel so empty without Spike at her side.
Was this how Rarity felt when she thought she lost Spike to Gabby?
Twilight began to imagine herself holding a record player over her head asking for forgiveness. It was an embarrassing thought and one she quickly pushed out of her mind. But she did feel that she should apologize for her temper.
Her thoughts were interrupted the next moment as she heard a light tapping at the study door. She turned her head to the source and saw Spike peering inside from behind the door. He appeared a little nervous about entering the room. “Hi Spike. Do you need something?” she asked in a casual tone.
Spike pushed the door open further with his body and walked into the room. In his hands he carried a tray with a small tea set on it. “I thought I might bring you some tea,” he replied from the door.
Twilight could see he was waiting for her permission to enter. She could only assume that he was probably scared or nervous to be around her now after what happened. “You can come inside.”
Spike moved towards the side of her desk. Gently he placed the tray on the desk for Twilight and took a step back. He averted his eyes as he tried to get his thoughts together. “I’m sorry about not telling you what happened in the cabin. Honestly, I-“
“No Spike,” Twilight quickly interrupted. She then let out a sigh. “If anyone needs to apologize, it’s me.”
“Huh?” Spike blinked in surprise.
Twilight found herself grasping for words, but she felt she had to apologize now. “It’s just…I guess I was caught completely off guard when Ember told me about the Mark. I never realized that you’ve grown so much.”
Spike’s head drooped a little as he looked at the floor. “Does that mean you don’t think I’ve grown up?” he said as he shuffled his feet.
“No! I mean…I…Ugh!” Twilight sighed in defeat. Her words had not come out the way she wanted them too. She placed a hoof on her forehead as she cursed herself.
Spike remained silent as he gazed at her.
“I guess what I’m saying is that I got a little overprotective,” Twilight responded.
“A little…” Spike grudgingly replied.
Twilight sighed again, “Maybe a lot. I don’t know why. I guess…I was afraid I was losing you.”
Spike’s face softened as he heard Twilight’s words. “You won’t lose me Twilight. I’ll always stick by your side. It’s just that…” Spike trailed off as he averted his gaze.
“You really love her,” Twilight smiled.
` “Yeah. And I believe she feels the same,” Spike confessed, “As for the Mark. I really don’t know what happened. She was so close and I felt like…well…I never felt that close to anyone like that until now.”
“You know this is not something to take lightly. According to Ember, you have ‘claimed’ her,” Twilight replied.
Spike wasn’t sure he liked the word ‘claim’ to describe his relation to Rarity. It sounded like he was hoarding her like treasure. But that was how the dragons interpreted the Mark. Even so, his feelings for Rarity were still true. “I know. And there is no one I’d rather be with,” Spike replied with sincerity.
Twilight could see in his eyes that Spike spoke with conviction from his heart. Whether she liked it or not, she needed to let go. “All right, Spike. I’ll give you my full support on this,” Twilight began. She then glanced to the side of her desk. “On one condition.”
“One condition?” Spike asked.
“You have to serve the tea you brought in,” Twilight teased.
“Deal!”
To Be Continued…