Spike’s Awakening
By Shivy-Erebus
The loud rumbling that had been emitting from the cave atop of the high mountain finally ceased. Inside the dark cave was a large dragon; the light that shone through a crack in the cave caught a purple reflection off his scales. Green spikes grew out of his head and back, all the way down to his tail. He was curled as tightly as a dragon his size would allow. His bed of various treasures and gemstones was a cozy bed for him; as the light shone, though, it caught the shining jewels and rebounded the light right into his eyes. The dragon grumbled at the sudden light and peeled open his emerald eyes.
The dragon realized how stiff he was, curled like that. He forced himself into a sitting position, bones cracking at the new movement. Various gems and precious metals clung to his arm and side as he sat up, eventually unsticking themselves and falling into the glittering pile. He stretched his arms over his head and gave a great yawn; green fire spewed out of his mouth as he accidentally burped, and a furled up piece of paper fell to the ground.
He glanced at the paper casually, but the understanding washed over him almost immediately. He picked up the furled paper- he had to hold it in between his index finger and his thumb, for it was way too small to hold regularly- and looked for the seal. Sure enough, it had the C that represented Celestia’s seal. The dragon was amazed; he hadn’t received a letter from her in what…a century?
It was too dark to read the letter in the cave, so he decided to go outside. His hip and leg bones snapped as he stood on them, and his ankles cracked as he walked towards the entrance of the cave. His eyes were so adjusted to the dark, so when the entrance came into view the light was almost unbearable. The dragon growled slightly at the intense glare, his eyes narrowing to only slits. Despite the blinding, he was careful not to crush the letter that was stashed in his palm. That made his walking wonky, padding with three feet and one hollow fist.
He exited the cave, almost shocked at the brilliance. At first, the dragon couldn’t see anything; only a deathly white light. Only after a few moments did it start to fade; when his sight was restored, the view he once knew was changed drastically. His eyes widened from slits to take in the atrocity that had happened: that which was once lush and green was brown and shriveled. Smoke billowed from various parts of the forest that were in flames. The flora- and fauna, it seems- had been utterly destroyed.
Something in the dragon’s head clicked, and he turned his head to face the little town that had once been Ponyville. That was the most devastating of all; the buildings were covered in soot and were smashed, crumbling and destroyed. What had once been his home was in ruins.
The letter was forgotten. He uncurled his fist and bounded down the mountain, desperate to reach Ponyville. The rocks that stabbed at his feet didn’t bother him, and the dirt that flew into his eyes was only a small inconvenience. The dragon blinked over and over, hoping that the catastrophe was just all imaginary. He wanted to see the trees thick with leaves. The squirrels, birds, bunnies and ducks, all out and about, playing and eating. Flowers of all kinds sprouting from the ground- that’s what he wanted! Because it was spring. It felt like spring, anyway.
He reached the end and stared around the charred tree trucks and stumps. He grumbled at the fact that he was no longer small enough to run beneath them; he was forced to go through them. Large snaps sounded as he thundered through the burnt forest. This pained him deeply; another thing clicked inside his head. His dear friend, Fluttershy, wouldn’t have approved of this behavior.
If Fluttershy was still around, of course. Due to his bounding, the purple dragon reached the town in only a few minutes. Usually, he would have entered a grand park, completed with a fountain and oh so many flower beds. But now, he was met with dead patches and a cobblestone pathway. The fountain had disappeared.
He marched on, looking at the achingly familiar spots where he had been when he was young. He saw the patch where a bench had been, where he had the best times of his life. It was all coming back to him now- Fluttershy with Angel, with a basket filled with flowers. He grumbled with content. He could almost see her now, followed by songbirds and bunnies that cherished her soft voice and gentle spirit. She would accept their company as easily as she accepted him. His belly twisted as he remembered her gleeful squee, the genuine kindness in her green-blue eyes.
The dragon exited the park and tromped on. By memory, he knew he was officially entering the town. He was towering over the demolished buildings- the homes where his friends had lived, all gone or worn down. The patches where plants and flowers sprung were all just nothing.
A lone building caught his eye; it was practically just a pile of wood and metal now, but the raw memories played through his mind, over and over. It was the place to get fresh sweets, served hot and fresh. It was a festive place, built as a gingerbread house with a cupcake on the very top. Inside would smell so sweet, you could practically taste the frosting on your tongue already. It was the home of his other best friend, Pinkie Pie.
He walked to the pile and sat in front of it, scanning it with his emerald eyes. Even though his eyes are focused, his mind was distant. The dragon remembered the crazed party pony, who knew every single thing about every single pony in Ponyville. She had the bubbly spirit that cheered even the most malicious beings- her hair matched her moods, too. Her giggly voice and warm-heartedness was carved into the dragon’s soul- he could never forget the laughter she brought.
Eventually, his attention was snapped back to the pile of rubble in front of him. It only brought more heart wrenching pain, so he stood and began to walk on. More burnt houses and shops lay in smithereens on the street; the dragon got many blisters from the wood. All the pain faded to another small inconvenience when he caught sight of a half-standing building.
The dragon rushed towards it, his heart dropping into his stomach. The building that had once been the home to a princess had become demolished as well; the various metals and wood had been strewn in a large perimeter around the main rubble. The top was completely gone, while the middle was a mere few planks of wood. The base was still barely there, a very thin layer that held up the planks. Inside was nothing- only ash.
But the dragon knew better. Sweet, dignified Rarity would’ve hated the mess that her boutique had become. His heart churned as he remembered her beautiful curled mane and tail, how her blue eyes shone with pride at a fashionable ensemble. His hands trembled when he remembered how she had kissed him once-no, twice- and was, from then on, her “Spikey-Wikey”. But that was okay. He longed to hear her British accent, calling to him. She was so generous, too, giving up the most precious of things for her friends’ happiness. Yes, she was truly the most generous unicorn in Ponyville.
The dragon, or Spike, let out a growl at the grief that was building inside him. His precious Rarity wasn’t here either, along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. His heart was twisting in ways he had never felt before- it was so awful. Spike stood and turned away from the demolished boutique; maybe if he didn’t look at it, the heartbreak wouldn’t be so horrible. But even as he marched on, he felt the numb grief still gnawing at his insides.
Spike trudged on. His interest peaked when he caught sight of a dirt road that led away from the town. Another click of the brain, and he was jogging as well as a dragon can down the road. Usually, he would’ve begun to smell the ripe apples from the trees. As he jogged, he noticed all the trees were broken off, or completely gone.
He slowed from his jog to a walk as he neared the abandoned farmhouse. Unlike all the other buildings in Ponyville, it remained intact. The only damage it received was from time and weather; it was coated with a thick layer of ash and soot, like most of the destroyed buildings.
Spike tromped up the dirt path to the farmhouse, where he sat and stared. Applejack, one of his other long-gone friends, worked this farm all her life. The memories replayed in his mind of the orange mare with the cowgirl hat, and her proud Southern accent. Applejack had to be the most dependable pony in all of Ponyville; she was always willing to help anyone in need. The fruits she labored to grow were the perfect example of her personality. She grew them with time and patience, hard work and diligence, making them perfect. That was her honest way.
Spike stared at the farmhouse a little while longer before getting up. He began to walk towards Ponyville again, putting a slow distance between him and the dead apple orchard. The dirt road seemed to wind longer than he had remembered; he looked up at the murky sky, looking at the wispy brown clouds as they were blown along.
Another click in the brain- Spike could remember seeing the blue sky, with a sudden dash of rainbow that streaked it. His brash yet caring friend, Rainbow Dash, was a sight to behold. She was the symbol of speed in Ponyville, the fastest Pegasus to come out of Cloudsdale. Her wind-blown mane was always recognizable from a distance, with the vibrant colors of the rainbow accompanying it. Her dark pink eyes challenged others almost immediately to a test of strength or agility, along with a wide, mischievous grin. Despite her arrogant side, she was the definition of loyalty, never once leaving her best friends hanging. A loyal Pegasus she was.
Spike reached the cobblestone streets of Ponyville again; the darkened town held the ghost of the once brilliant town it once was. Looking at the demolished buildings, he could see the faint outline of what they once were. He could imagine Sugarcube Corner and Carousel Boutique now, standing tall in their once-grand glory. They were some of the most popular places to visit in Ponyville, along with…
Spike’s trudge quickened until he was running at top speed. The ground shook underneath his heavy sprint, but he paid it no mind. He could already feel the worry and grief churning in his stomach as he ran; the road was muscle memory. Even after a thousand years sleep, he could never forget the road to home.
Spike’s breath became heavy as he started to recognize the area where his home had once been. The stone of emotion in his stomach churned nervously as he rounded the corner, and saw…
Nothing. There was a large hole where the library had been, as if the entire thing had been ripped from the roots. Spike tromped to it and sat down where the entrance would’ve usually been. He was way too big now, but he could remember walking inside, his stubby arms filled with every kind of writing quill and ink known to Equestria. A purple unicorn would hurry him inside, and they’d get right down to work.
That was Twilight, after all. She was the shining pupil of Princess Celestia, the leader of all the friends. She was the most talented unicorn in all the world; Spike’s mouth twisted into a pained grin as he remembered. Twilight Sparkle, skipping off to Sugarcube Corner; Twilight Sparkle, freaking out if she misplaced a single quill; Twilight Sparkle, who helped all of her friends whenever they needed it. She was the true meaning of friendship, that purple unicorn. Spike’s grin quivered as he felt his eye grow hot, a sensation he hadn’t felt in a very long time. A single tear ran down his cheek, dripping off his sharp jaw.
He remembered their goodbye like it was yesterday; it was the clearest memory Spike had. He had grown too big for Ponyville, and was starting to be rejected by others. Even Apple Bloom looked upon him repulsively. His once soft features had matured, sharpening and becoming more lethal. Twilight saw the signs, and when Spike started stealing and hording, knew what she had to do. She packed him a small pack of food, water, and a journal to write. It was so hard to leave Twilight, but she knew what had to be done. “You’re growing up, Spike,” she had soothed him as he cried for her to let him stay, “I would not let you go unless I knew you’d be okay. You’ll be okay.”
She was so gentle, so wise; Spike trusted her. He wrote for a while, but eventually stopped as his new lifestyle stole his attention. Guilt tugged at his heart along with so many other emotions, that it was all just a big wave of negativity. They were tugging and tearing at his dragon heart, which wasn’t covered in scales to protect it; it was so vulnerable, and it was hurting so bad. Spike found more of the hot tears rolling out of his emerald eyes, than he felt so tired.
He stood to his heavy feet, staring down into the hole. Nothing remained; Twilight was gone. Rarity was gone, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were gone. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, they were all gone.
Spike didn’t know any grief like this one. He gazed over the blackened, destroyed Ponyville, seeing past the rubble and onward. All black, burnt to a crisp. Nothing could survive here. Not even Spike.
He stood, despite the emotions that wanted to drag him down. Spike shook his head, trying to rid them of the tears that stung his eyes so. Yes, all his friends and family were gone, and Ponyville had fallen to ashes and ruin, but he was alive. This was his innate instincts telling him to move on; nothing’s here that could support him. Spike had learned a long while to submit to this instinct to drown out all the sorrow, so he submitted now.
Turning to the north, he sniffed the air. Maybe things near Manehatten weren’t so deathly. He started to pick his way around the ruins, but he couldn’t stop the twinge of deepest hurt in his chest. Spike just let his eyes go blurry with tears as he walked on.
~---~
A wind blew gently, but enough to send the furled letter tumbling down the steep hill. It rolled on and on, until it hit a small ridge. The seal snapped in half, unfurling the paper. It read:
Dear Spike,
We have no idea where you are, or if we’ll ever see you again. But, there’s an urgent matter that has come up: the Dark Haze has come again. A dragon is sleeping, and the smoke is overwhelming. I’m coughing as I write this.
Just, please, keep an eye out for any origins of the smoke. We cannot survive for much longer in this. We love you Spike, we hope you’re safe.
Your loving family,
Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, & Fluttershy