//------------------------------// // Session // Story: Spike: Proof of Concept // by SoullessDCLXVI //------------------------------// Spell Cast and Twilight eyed the young drake who was delicately eating his meal, movement still a difficult endeavor. "Spike?" Twilight called his name softly, trying not to startle him. All he did in response was wince. "Allow me, Twilight." Spell gently put a hoof on Twilight's back reassuringly. Twilight sighed and nodded in defeat. "Okay, Spell. Please help him." "I'll do what I can." Twilight turned and made her way to the couch by the window. Pulling the newly updated encyclopedia for the letter S out of her saddle bag she committed herself to finding all the new additions by hoof. It would help to keep her from eavesdropping on the conversation in the next room. -||-||-||-||- "Hello, Emerald. How are you feeling today?" Spell Cast used the moment with the dragon's back to her to quickly cast the recording charm on a gem hidden in her saddle bags. "I'm not feeling too good, who are you?" Spike asked when he finally bothered to look at her. Spell Cast, also finally managing to look at Spike, was a bit unnerved by her creation. It was a bit macabre, really. Sure, it was just an infant. But it was a talking infant. A walking, talking, infant who by all accounts had a well developed and unique personality. And a- ugh- crush on a pony. It was just too weird. And it was all her doing. Her "masterpiece". And like any good artist, at least any artist she considered decent, she wasn't about to allow an inferior product on display if she could fix any errors. Eventually, Spike grew tired of the new pony's staring, as evidenced by his dismissive words as he slowly and shakily made his way from his chair. "Well, anytime you want to introduce yourself feel free to let me know. I'll be doing the vastly important task of sleeping on Fluttershy's couch." "I'm sorry, Emerald. My name is Spell Cast. And I'm going to be spending some time with you for a couple of weeks. Get to know you better. See if I can help you with anything." "She speaks. Neat. May I ask, why is some strange mare going to be hanging out with me for a couple of weeks out of the blue? And why does it sound like I don't have a choice in the matter?" "Well, uh..... I've been hired to--" "Psychiatrist eh? Well, lucky you. You caught me when I'm too weak to be anything but calm, so ask away. I assume patient doctor conf- confident- er, privacy, is still a thing?" Spike reversed his direction, climbing back onto his seat. With a hefty and slighly annoyed sigh he relaxed into the chair. "Well, you might want to close the door then. I think talking to a stranger that can't repeat what I say may be ca...thar..., ugh, relaxing." "It's confidentiality, and cathartic. And the answer to the first one is yes." Spell's horn glowed and the door behind them closed with a soft click. The space between the door and around the windows glowed briefly as a soundproof spell locked their conversation away from prying ears. "So, Emerald. How has your week been so far??" "It's been shit." Spell Cast gasped. "Emerald!" "What? You have no authority over me and unless I directly threaten others or myself you can't repeat a thing I say. And like I said, my week so far has been shit. So you'll excuse me if I cuss a little." Spike never moved as he said this. His voice tired and bored. Spike's head was nearly upside down as he draped it over the back of his chair. Spell Cast wasn't comfortable with the language, but she didn't argue with him in the hopes he might reveal more about himself than a three word summary. "Could you, go into more detail?" "Sure. Why not. Let's see, well, the first four or five days I spent in my room. I was either thinking about Rarity or reading. Then, one day I go to use the toilet and Twilight beats my face in. Odd behavior, I think. She doesn't usually abuse me, at least not directly. Next thing I know all the random and super annoying body pains I've been feeling just, forgive the pun, spike out of nowhere. Then I'm asleep for two more days. When I wake up I get a steak, a needle in my arm, and a head doctor. That help?" "You seem upset." Spell Cast wasn't really sure what Sound Mind would say here, but she remembered from a play she had watched that psychiatrists often used simple phrases to get more detailed responses. "I... am in a lot of pain right now. It, literally, hurts everywhere Miss Cast. I don't have the energy to be polite. And on top of that Twilight bothered to get yet another doctor just because I want to be treated like a pony. So yeah, I'm going to be a little short." Spell Cast hid her near chuckle very well, surprising both herself and Spike, if the look he gave her was anything to go by. "What do you mean, "treated like a pony"?" Spike cringed. "I don't think I could be clearer. I can find no fewer nor shorter words to dumb that down for you." Spell Cast flustered at the condescending words of her 'patient', but forced herself to remain calm. "What I mean is, do ponies not treat you like a pony normally?" "Most of the time they do, but every now and then they feel it has to mentioned that I'm a dragon. And it hurts everytime. Like, "Hey look at the freak" and "I bet he's going to eat us all in a few years." I know they don't all think that, but it's kinda what it seems like everytime somepony points out what I am. I mean, I'm not an idiot. I know I'm a dragon. At least on the outside. But I forsook that part of me over a year ago. Once I knew what dragons were like I knew I was different. Even they had a tough time deciding if I was one of their own. So I'm a pony. Where it counts. I just figure if I can stop doing things that are dragon like, maybe ponies will stop seeing me as a baby monster, and just see me for who I am. Is that such a big deal?" "It is when it affects your health, Emerald. The pain you're in now is because of massive damage to your stomach, intestines, liver, and kidneys. All because you tried to eat vegetables and refused gemstones." "Wait, really? You mean I have to eat gemstones? I thought they were just like, desserts. Aw, Faust that sucks. Guess I can just eat them in secret, I guess." -||-||-||-||- It had been a year since Basil had begun tracking the strange infant that the ponies stole. It had been a difficult process, often taking to actually talking to the ponies. Basil didn't like talking to ponies, sure they were nice enough but one could only hear "Ah! Dragon! Run!" so many times before it grates. And then there were the guards and "hero" ponies. He almost wished they would run in fear too. But more often than not they tried to kill him. It was.... annoying. He had learned based off the descriptions of the child's captors that he was chasing after bearers of the elements of harmony. Some of the very mares that defeated both Nightmare Moon and Discord. He wished he could thank them, Discord's idea of a volcano was not fun at all. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, they were kidnappers. He hoped that they would see reason. They seemed amicable enough when they convinced him to leave the cave he was in just a year and a half ago, if a little odd. Letting his gaze drift beneath him he saw the town of Ponyville. His destination. He circled lazily downwards and aimed for the cottage on the outskirts of town. It's distance from the town proper and closeness to the Everfree suggested a local detached slightly from society. And one of immense bravery. The Everfree forest was an uncomfortable place for dragons. Very dangerous for ponies. When Basil knocked on the door with his massive claw as lightly as possible to avoid its destruction he expected a massive warrior mare, maybe even a stallion to answer. He most certainly did not expect the one who did answer. -||-||-||-||- "Well, do you have any gems? This really hurts." "Sorry, Emerald. But even if I did, you can't have any. Too much too fast would hurt you." "But then, if I don't have any I'll--" "That's what the IV is for." "Oh. Well, guess I won't take it out when you're not looking then." Spell smiled at the little dragon. He was cute as a button. Like a strange mix between an eight year old and a fifteen year old. If she ignored the creep factor that was a talking baby, that is. KNOCK KNOCK "I guess this the end of our session today, Emerald. It looks like Fluttershy's home, though why she'd knock on her own door is beyond me." a thought seemed to go through Spike's mind briefly before his face lit up. "Maybe, it's Rarity!" With speed and appropriate groans and moans of a very old pony Spike made his way to the front door, oblivious to the unusual shadow the windows cast on the floor. When he opened the door the brilliant smile on his face that showed even through his pain was replaced by a scowl. And then he slammed the door shut. Spell Cast, having seen the large dragon, only managed to lift an eyebrow in response. She had heard things were active in Ponyville, but it hadn't even been six hours and already a massive dragon had politely knocked on the door. . . . . . ...She was going to like it here.