Finding Your Place

by Jake The Army Guy

A Clear Choice- Part Two

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In a scenic stretch of woods somewhere in Equestria, the peaceful tranquility that defined the country was on full display. The only sounds to be heard were those indicative of harmony: the rustle of the wind between broad leaves, the quiet snuffling of foraging creatures, the bright chirping of spring birds serenading prospective mates. The violent retching of an earth pony guard recovering from his first long-range teleport.

Spike shook his head, clearing the last remnants of magic-induced cobwebs, then looked down at the heaving Jeckel. "Uh, you okay, dude?"

In a lull between the spasms, the poor guard looked up at him, a thin trail of snot and bile hanging from his lips and nose. "Oh... Oh, dear Celestia..."

"Yes?"

Jeckel apparently only remembered the company he was in at that moment, evident by the horrified pall on his face. He looked up at her for a few moments, lower lip trembling, before his cheeks bulged again. He turned, checked his target area, nodded a quick confirmation to himself, the vomited again.

Celestia smiled to Spike. "Well, it seems our escort is currently... occupied, Spike."

"I want my mommy," came a shaky voice below her, followed quickly by another set of heaves.

"Corporal Heckel, would you mind remaining here and tending to your brother?"

"Yes, ma'am," he grunted, roughly patting Jeckel on the back several times. "Bring it up, ya big baby."

Celestia nodded. "Very good. Spike? Walk with me." Without waiting for a response, she turned and began trotting away through the woods.

Spike shrugged, then turned to his escorts. "You two gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be fine."

"I can taste my spleen..."

"Gotcha." Spike left the two and followed after Celestia.

The woods around him was budding with life. The remnants of winter and autumn still littered the ground, though the forest was quickly breaking down the sea of brown leaves and needles into fertile soil. Tiny green sprouts covered every tree, wisps of dead vines still trying to choke the returning life.

 As he danced through the maze of trees, nimbly maneuvering his muscular body between the larger ones while crushing the weaker saplings beneath him, an odd feeling crept into his mind: a kind of warmth, like the first drink of hot chocolate after a day of playing in the snow, slowly working from his belly out to his extremities. His pace quickened, partly out of wanting to catch up to Celestia, but mostly due to the giddy energy winding up his nerves. "So, what are we doing out here, princess?"

"Making up for lost time," she called over her shoulder. He was moving quickly, but the dense wood kept him from reaching the more nimble pony. Spike made to speak, but Celestia continued, never slowing her march forward. "Tell me, Spike, what do you know of dragons?"

The question gave him pause, but he quickly recovered, still trying to worm through the trees. "We're devilishly charming?"

Her lack of response said volumes.

He snorted and continued. "They're cold, greedy monsters who don't care about anything and only feel anger."

Celestia's steps faltered for an instant before she recovered. "You truly believe that of your own kind?"

"Based on what I've seen, yeah."

"Oh, and what have you seen, pray tell?" Her pace quickened. "A group of impudent teenagers just as ignorant of their culture as you, and one you met not minutes after gorging yourself on his hoard." She stopped, looking over her shoulder at him. "Hardly basis for an objective view, yes?"

"I, uh... I guess."

"It's not surprising that one dragon tried to kill you. Dragons are never more fierce and powerful then when their hoards are threatened." She turned back to the front, again moving forward. “Remember that, young dragon.”

"And that's why they suck so bad. Who would care so much about jewels? I mean, I like gemstones as much as the next guy, but–"

"You see, Spike, a hoard need not be trinket or treasure. A dragon's hoard is that which he holds dearest to his soul. That which he covets above all else, even his own well being. It is that which he would fight for, die for." Her voice fell. "That which he would kill for."

Spike tensed. "Kill? I could never kill anything."

"And that is what makes you so special, child."

When Celestia continued walking, Spike followed. "Okay, so then what? What are they really like?" Though the mood was still somewhat sour, his tone was light, eager. That feeling from before had grown, a pleasant tingle to a consuming warmth. And is it me, or do these woods look real familiar...

"The truth, child, is that dragons are wise and noble, creatures of unparalleled passion. Some of the world's most talented artisans have been wyrms. The pearl and onyx thrones my sister and I sit upon were carved by He of The Badlands, an ancient friend whom I still converse with."

Spike grunted, pushing a tree out of his way with a loud crack. "If he's such a good friend, why don't you use his name?"

"I don't know it."

Spike blinked. "What?"

Her steps never even faltered. "In Draconic culture, a name is considered a dragon's first possession, and is hardly ever shared. Most commonly, a dragon is referred to by their territory."

“Hmm, makes sense, I guess.”

Celestia continued her purposeful march. “You were right about one part of your assessment of them, however.”

“And that was?”

“They’re antisocial nature. Dragons have no true friends. The ones that I know, though I consider them friends, would list me as no more than an acquaintance of opportunity. They associate with me because of what I can give them, not because they actually care for me. Once they believe I have ‘outlived my usefulness,’ they cut all contact.”

"Wait, what about Ambassador Sharptooth?"

Celestia chuckled quietly. "Sharpie is a... unique case. Much like yourself."

"Oh, well I guess—" Finally, he could take it no more; Spike stopped, standing beneath a large tree. "Okay, what are you doing to me?"

Celestia stopped as well. "What do you mean?" Her back was to Spike, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I mean, for some reason I feel... happy! Like I just left one of Pinkie's parties! Like... like..."

"Like your itch has finally been scratched?"

Spike's eyes went wide, his grin faltering. "Where are we?" he asked quickly.

Celestia gave her usual sly smile. "The western edge of the Everfree."

"So, that means that—" Whatever he was going to say next morphed into a gleeful cry as he turned and ran off, bowling over saplings and shrubberies.

Leaves and twigs flew into the air as Spike bounded towards the tree line. Now, he could see it: the familiar trees, the terrain, the distant yet discernible scent of apples and earth. Spike all but exploded out of the woods, nearly all his teeth showing his grin. A massive open field sprawled before him, short blades of grass just regaining their emerald sheen, ending in a sheer drop off. A craggy cliff face stood to his right, maybe three times his height.

Spike ran full tilt towards the edge, earthshaking footsteps marring the ground. The whole world had faded away, his vision narrowed and focused. It was an odd feeling, one that he hadn't felt before, like the most indulgent sugar rush. Right now, all that mattered was the voice in his head, no longer a whisper, but a loud scream, urging him forward. He skidded to a halt, gazing over the edge with wide eyes and a beaming smile. "Ponyville!"

Off in the distance, far enough away that he couldn't make out individual ponies but close enough for him to pick out their homes, Ponyville stood proud, gleaming like an ancient treasure in the midday sun. Spike could swear that he saw glinting flare coming from the buildings, that even the dull bricks of city hall beamed and glinted.

So enraptured by the view of his home, he forgot about Celestia behind him until she spoke. "This is the longest you've been away from Ponyville since you and Twilight moved there, yes?" Her voice was faint and distant, the entirety of his being engrossed by what sat before him.

"Uh, yeah, uh-huh." He never even looked away.

"Unlike Canterlot, where you spent all your time with Twilight and nopony else, you were out, around the ponies."

"Uh-huh."

"You did what few dragons have ever done: made true friends. Not acquaintances of convenience, but actual, meaningful connections." She slowly made her way to his side. "You care for them, not because of something you may get back, but because they matter to you."

Spike just nodded absently.

"Instead of baubles or coin, you simply desired to spend time with them. You probably know the town better than those who have lived there all their lives."

"Yeah."

"Tell me about it."

Spike shook his head, finally tearing his eyes away to look at her. "Huh?"

She smiled at him. "Tell me about Ponyville."

"Oh, where do I even start!?" There were crocodiles that would be jealous of the amount of pearly whites visible in his mouth.

"Well," he said, turning back to face the town, "Mister Davenport recently expanded his store again. Quills, Sofas, Parchment, & Ink is now the biggest business solely operating in Ponyville, now that Rarity expanded the boutique to Manehatten and Canterlot. And speaking of Rarity, she and Hoity Toity just debuted their first official collaborative fashion line in Canterlot. She said early orders alone have more than paid for the price of opening a shop there."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! She's almost reached the top of the fashion game, but she refuses to move from Ponyville. Heh, said she wanted to show the elites that 'fashion knows no zip code.' "

"Oh, my," Celestia said through a grin. "It sounds like your town is prospering quite nicely."

Spike nodded. "Oh! You reminded me, Mayor Mare finally lost reelection. Her approval rating had been dropping for years, and the recent accusations of corruption probably sealed the deal."

With each word he spoke, every memory he recalled about the town, the electric tingle in his limbs grew stronger, his words coming faster. Yet for some reason, though his mouth raced, a strange sense of calm flooded his veins; a serenity that he had not felt in months.

Celestia grinned at his enthusiasm. "And what of the ponies? How are they?"

"Well, with Apple Bloom busy with her apprenticeship, Big Mac asked his cousin Braeburn to come and help tend the farm, at least until Rainbow Dash foals this summer." Spike leaned in conspiratorially. "Now, you didn't hear this from me, but apparently Braeburn has been spending a lot of his free time with a certain pink party pony. Swapping recipes, if you know what I mean," he said with a waggle of his eyebrow ridges.

She giggled. "I won't tell a soul."

"Good. AJ said she doesn't want anymore of her friends marrying into her family."

"And the rest of your ponies?"

Spike smiled again, though this one seemed more beaming with pride than affection, eyes still locked on the town below. "Fluttershy is just a few credit hours away from finally earning her degree in veterinary medicine. That way she can be an actual licensed animal caretaker. She even has a little apprentice now! Apparently, Pound Cake loves animals almost as much as she does. Little guy got his cutie mark not a week before we left! Butterflies, just like Shy! Tell me that ain't fate!"

"Spike..."

"But the pride of the Cake house is Pumpkin. She'll be applying to your school in the summer. Oh, I'm supposed to put in a good word for her. I don't think she needs it, though. She was self-levitating when she was a month old!"

"Spike..."

"And you are never gonna believe this one! Snails, the dopey, lanky colt that was bullied and Silver Spoon, the snooty filly that picked on him? Married last summer! Bought a home out near Froggy Bottom Bog, and now he tends the animals and she gives etiquette lessons to the local fo—"

"Spike!"

He shook his head, just now noticing that Celestia had moved behind him. "Huh?"

She smiled. "Look at your arm."

"My arm? What do—" Spike looked down, and lost his speech. Spike had spent most of his life in the company of a scientist, so the first thing that popped into his head was a Haycob's Ladder. At regular intervals, a thin ring of blue electricity flowed from his shoulder down to his fingers. Slowly, as if he was afraid the movement would snuff out whatever miracle was happening, he brought his hand in front of his face. As the arcs reached his fingertips, they danced in between them like a spiderweb before flowing out of the tips and releasing a few sparks, before the process repeated.

He stared, slack-jawed. "Wh—what's go—"

The ground beneath their feet rumbled from the overwhelming force of the roar behind them. Celestia and Spike spun; off in the distance, tree tops shook and swayed from something very big pushing its way through the sense foliage. Deep, rumbling footsteps shook the earth, inky smoke swirled angrily from the trees.

Spike and Celestia shared a look, then turned just in time to see several trees get ripped from the ground, casually batted aside by the impossibly large dragon that stalked towards them with thunderous footfalls. A miasma of choking smoke belched from his nostrils, almost concealing the murderous rage in its eyes.

Celestia quickly jumped in front of Spike, her wings flared. "Stay behind me, child." Her tone was cold and even.

Spike couldn't bring himself to argue. His legs had turned to lead weight as his wide eyes recognized the dragon that came to a halt not ten meters from them. Massive claws clenched at the earth, teeth the size of a full-grown pony bared, as the green dragon that had almost killed him as a whelp glared at him.

No one moved for what seemed like an eternity. Celestia's horn glowed softly, leveling a calm gaze at the dragon. However, the dragon wasn't looking at her; it seemed to be looking through her directly at Spike. The seething hatred in his eyes bit at some dormant nerve in Spike, a long-forgotten instinct now awake and screaming at him that he had performed some grave insult towards the towering wyrm. He gulped.

Celestia demurely cleared her throat, taking the tiniest of steps forward. "Greetings, noble dra—"

Later on, Spike would be amazed at how fast the hulking dragon was. At the moment, he could only feel the sharp gust of wind as the dragon backhanded Celestia, swatting her away as one would a fly. Before Spike had even registered that she was gone, she slammed into the large cliff face to the right, burrowing deep inside, leaving only a dusty hole.

"Celestia!” Spike lunged towards the wall, but a massive claw slammed down in front of him. Terrified eyes slowly turned back to the seething dragon. Bale fire licked from his maw, and Spike was sweating from the proximity.

The dragon leered at Spike. "I remember you." The guttural growl reverberated in Spike's head, almost a pressure wave instead of actual sound.

"Hey, brimstone breath!"

The giant green dragon whirled his head around, a trail of thick smoke in its wake. Behind them, near the demolished tree line, stood a lanky earth pony in Royal Guard armor that seemed a size too big for him. Jeckel glared at the imposing creature with hard eyes, a look somewhat offset by his ever present grin. "Why don't you pick on somepony your own size, you... um, you... you overgrown iguana!" For emphasis, he pawed at the ground, digging a small trench.

A low, rumbling snarl came from the dragon. He turned back to appraise Spike, snorting as he did so. An effortless flick of his wrist sent Spike flying into the cliff, leaving a sizable crater in the rock. The dragon roared in fury and turned to the earth pony Guard.

The dust hasn't even begun to settle before Spike sat up, groaning and rubbing his head. He looked up and his heart skipped. The massive dragon had reared up onto his rear legs, head thrown back, loosing a plume of fire into the air so hot that Spike could barely see through the blistering heat. To his horror, Jeckel had not budged from his spot. His left forehoof pawed at the ground again, though this time he left behind a noticeably large trench. "Jeckel, run!"

Jeckel didn't even flinch. He just stamped his hoof down again, this time leaving a crater in the hard earth, several cracks spiderwebed out from the epicenter. He lowered his head and closed his eyes as the dragon finished its battle cry and balled up its fist, raising it high in the air. Cold ice filled Spike's veins as the massive dragon swung on the skinny pony. Spike squinted and turned away, not wanting to see his friend pulverized

Even though he looked away, Spike could hear the incredible impact of the enormous fist. What surprised him, though, was the sound that accompanied it: not the wet squishing sound he had expected, but a low, yet impossibly loud crack, like a tree splitting in half, followed by a deep, rumbling howl of pain that shook Spike's bones. Looking back, Spike had to physically shake his head, just to be sure of what he saw.

The dragon was recoiling in pain, grasping his claw. Even from the distance, Spike could see several jagged bones jutting out from his cradled fist. But what really made Spike doubt reality was the sight at the dragon's feet: Jeckel, standing tall and unharmed, at the epicenter of a massive impact zone, large fissures and cracks spidering out from beneath him.

As the dragon cradled his broken claw, Jeckel reared up on his hind legs, braying loudly, before slamming them down with thunderous force. His hooves dug several inches into the hard ground, and he charged forward. Spike could feel every hoof fall, see the massive craters left as the skinny earth pony raced towards the looming giant; and if he squinted, he could have sworn that Jeckel's icy blue eyes were glowing ever so slightly.

The dragon looked down just in time to see Jeckel lower his head and ram into his massive leg. A deafening crack, and the dragon was sent tumbling, the diminutive earth pony impacting him with the force of a being a hundred times his size and weight. With another loud roar, the dragon tumbled over the cliff, landing below with an earth-shaking boom.

Jeckel cricked his neck to the side, looking down over the edge. “Humph, serves you right, ya big meany.” He blew a raspberry, then turned around, his dopey grin once again on his face.

Spike finally shook the stupid from his head. “What in the hay was that?!”

Jeckel shrugged. “Earth pony ma—glk!!”

From behind him, a massive green fist clenched his body, along with a sizable chunk of earth. The hulking form of the dragon leapt back onto the plateau, massive wings propelling him at mind-bending speeds. Once back on the ground, he brought the helpless guardspony up to his face, glaring at him. He then turned his attention to his other hand, jagged bone still jutting through the skin, as a green glow surrounded the damaged claw. A few sickening cracks along with a disturbing sound, like wet meat slapping and grinding together, and the bones forced their way back into place, the flesh and scales sealing up before their eyes.

Wound repaired, he turned his attention back to Jeckel. “Filthy equine...” Jeckel’s eyes bulged out as the drake slowly applied more pressure, grinning all the while.

Down on the ground, Spike spun around and began to dig through the rubble. As much as he wanted to help his friend, he knew he stood no chance against the great beast. The thing had casually batted aside both him and a living goddess; his pitiful excuse for a flame wouldn’t so much as char the hulking drake’s scales.

Another guttural cry made him stop and spin around. Once more, Spike found his jaw agape. What he could only describe as a lasso made of blue lightning wrapped around the dragon’s wrist, sending untold amounts of energy into its muscles. In a fit of spasms, he dropped the gasping Jeckel. The guard’s body fell like a rag doll, only to be caught by a blue aura and eased down to the ground.

Heckel dissipated the lasso and stepped towards the dragon, horn and eyes blazing as his brother lay unconscious, “Nopony beats up on my brother but me!” His horn sparked, and a barrage of tiny bolts of energy flew towards the dragon with lethal velocity.

Roaring in frustration, the dragon shielded his face with his claw, the countless bolts showering his scales with sparks and leaving them charred and smoking. He leaned into the barrage and raised his foot, bringing it down right on the unicorns head. 

The foot caught nothing but dirt. Moving so fast that Spike swore he teleported, Hekel dashed away from the giant claw, coming to a halt on the other side of the enraged dragon. He whipped his head around in a circle, loosing the electric lasso once more, aiming it towards the drake's foot.

By the time the dragon realized he did not have to scrape unicorn off his foot, the lasso had wrapped around his other foot. Heckel gave a hard jerk of his neck. The dragon let out a surprisingly high-pitched yelp as he was dragged to the ground.

Heckel did away with the lasso and dashed back to his brother’s side, looking down at Jeckel with his usual scowl. "How many times do I have to tell you? Wait until you know your opponent is down before you talk sh—"

"Look out!"

At Spike's warning, Heckel instinctively raised a shield around himself and his brother, only moments before a wall of flame consumed them. The dragon was back on all fours, roaring loudly. Heckel grunted under the strain, the impossibly high temperatures of the dragon's flame pushing him to his limits. The instant the inferno died, Heckel fell limp to the ground, the shield evaporating.

"Insufferable pests!" The dragon snarled, staring down at the two guards.

Behind him, Spike was still frantically digging through the rubble, effortlessly tossing away boulders while choking on the thick blanket of dust permeating the air. A thin coat of mud formed on his scales, the cloud of dirt mixing with his sweat as shaking claws searched the debris. "Celestia?! Come on, come on." He threw another large boulder out of the way. "Celestia!"

Celestia, now free from the crushing weight, gasped and coughed. Spike reached down and helped her to her hooves. "Nrgh, this... this wasn't supposed t—" A shadow passed over them. "Spike!"

With a golden glare of her horn, Spike was violently flung across the field. Before he even landed on the soft grass, a harrowing scream pierced the air. He struggled to find his breath, struggled to his feet and looked. "No!"

The mighty dragon stood before Celestia, an angry yellow fire in his eyes. A dark green and black cloud had engulfed Celestia, lifting the solar goddess off the ground and suspending her in the air. Inky black tendrils wrapped her body, pulling on her ethereal mane and plunging into her eye sockets. Her shrill cries echoed across the field, reflecting some all-encompassing pain, and all the while, the dragon watched with a dangerous smile playing across his scaly lips.

"Maybe this will teach you to br—ugh!"

A purple and green cannonball slammed into his side. Both dragons tumbled to the side, already exchanging blows. Celestia fell limply to the ground, thin wisps of black smoke rolling off her body. Her ethereal mane was gone, replaced by pink strands of dirty hair. She struggled to get up, but fell flat in her belly, groaning.

The two dragons rolled across the open field in a deadly embrace, snarling and exchanging blows. The air rang with the crunching of iron-hard scales clashing over and over. The larger dragon surged his muscles, timing just right to effortlessly toss Spike off of him. In an impressive show of draconic agility, Spike flipped mid-air, using his wings to land on all fours, then dropped his shoulders, flexed his wings, and shifted his weight forward, just like Shining taught him. "Don't touch her!"

The other dragon flipped over as well, his long tail curling around to his side, burning eyes glaring cold hatred at Spike. "You dare to invade my territory and give me orders?"

"I didn't invade anything! We were just talking!" he said, slamming his tail in the ground.

The other dragon roared and swiped his massive claw at Spike. He dodged, but only just; he felt the razor-sharp claw cutting the wind behind him. Spike leapt back to his feet, eyes locked on the dragon as they slowly circled around the open field.

"Ignorant hatchling!" The large dragon loosed an immense cloud of smoke. "Do you know nothing of your own traditions? Did you not learn your lesson all those years ago when you had to be saved by a pony?" His body jerked to the side, bringing his massive tail to bear.

Spike never even saw the blow coming. The sinewy tail slammed into his side with a loud thwak, sending him sprawling to the side. He grunted in pain each time his limp body bounced across the field, until he finally came to rest and jumped back to his feet, ignoring the cries of pain from his body. "I didn't know it was your territory. I don't even know your name!"

"And now you ask my name? How can you be so ignorant of your own culture?!"

Spike snorted, trying to stall the dragon. He knew he didn't stand a chance against the massive drake by himself. "Okay, no names? Fine, I'll call you Greeny, how's that?"

The dragon—now Greeny—roared and leapt at him, claws outstretched. Spike nimbly rolled to the right, but wasn't fast enough.

"Gah!" A long ribbon of crimson streaked across his left side from leg to leg. Spike fought the urge to clench at the wound, resuming his combat stance as Greeny rounded on him, snarling.

"Oh, I understand now." His eyes narrowed, tiny slits burrowing into Spike. "No wonder you couldn't feel the boundaries I laid around my territory. You don't just cavort with ponies. You live amongst the wretched creatures!"

"Don't talk about them like that!" Spike lunged at the dragon, claws and teeth bared.

"Ha!" Greeny easily saw the telegraphed attack and leapt to the side, simultaneously swinging a massive fist down on top of Spike, batting him out of the air and slamming him into the ground with crushing force.

"Guah!" Spike felt the air violently ripped from his lungs, his head bouncing off the ground. He fought to his elbows. "Nrgh, your mother..."

Greeny lumbered towards him, his every footstep shaking the ground beneath him. "Life surrounded by soft flesh has left you blind to even instinct. Those accursed equines ruined you. You were dead before you even left the shell!" His foot lashed out, sending Spike sailing through the air and impacting the cliff wall with a sickening crunch.

Spike slowly rolled onto his back, a thin river of green blood trickling from his mouth. He had to get up, had to fight back, had t—

A large green foot pressed down on him, sending shooting pains down his chest. Greeny now stood on his hind legs, sneering down at Spike. The smaller dragon gasped for air, his claws feebly trying to push the impossibly heavy weight off and bring in much-needed air.

"Pathetic. I'd be doing you a favor by killing you now. Better to die a dragon than live as a lost whelp."

"W-Why—nrgh—why are you d... doing this? I... I didn't—" Spike's words turned into a pained wheeze. Greeny twisted his claw, sneering cruelly at him.

"You're very existence is an affront to me! Living down in that pony village, so close to my territory and not even aware of my claim." He snorted flame and smoke into the air. "I let you be, you were but a whelp. But now, now you bring equines into my woods!"

Spike coughed. "B-but, Zecora—"

"My arraignment with the shaman is none of your concern, hatchling. All you need to know is that now you are a threat to my territory, and so I am going to kill you."

"I don't even w... w-want your—"

"Even worse!" he roared. "You, a dragon, and you don't even feel that pull, the drive to slaughter any and all threats to your hoard!" His eyes narrowed. "Do... do you even have a hoard?"

Spike merely groaned.

"Pathetic," he spat. "A dragon with nothing to protect. No wonder you're so weak. I hope you enjoyed your life amongst the equines, whelp, because now you die, and your pony bodyguards, as well."

"No!" Spike surged his muscles, lifting the immense claw just enough to bring his teeth to bear.

Greeny howled in pain, falling backward. As soon as he landed, he leapt on all fours, rounding to face Spike. "Ah, have some fight in after all, eh, hatchl—"

In the brief time it took Greeny to turn around, Spike was right in front of him. With a loud snarl, Spike delivered a vicious uppercut, earning a satisfying crack and a moan of pain as the dragon fell over, landing on his side.

Spike flapped his wings hard, landed on top of the dragon, and began to rain down savage blows. "You! Won't! Hurt! Them!" Each word accompanied a thunderous crack, Greeny's face scales denting and deforming.

Greeny answered with a gout of fire. Dragons have been known to bathe in lava, but dragonfire burned with an intensity rivaled only by solar plasma. Spike flinched away, feeling his scales char and crack. He rolled off the dragon's neck, pawing at his face.

“Oh, and who’s going to stop me? You? Ha! You’re not even a proper dragon!”

Spike roared and charged, head low. Only scant meters between them he pounced, jaw open. Greeny dodged the attack, sliding out of the way, leaving nothing but the sheer drop off to stop Spike.

Once more, Spike surprised Greeny with his agility. As soon as he passed the large dragon, Spike drove a claw into the earth, using it as a pivot point to slingshot his body around to deliver a wrenching drop-kick to the other dragon's face.

Spike grinned as Greeny clutched at his bleeding snout. "Ha! Enough of a dragon to kick your a—"

A tidal wave of green scales slammed into Spike. The two dragons tumbled over the edge wrapped in a deadly embrace. Low, rumbling grunts of pain came from both as they repeatedly bounced off the cliff wall, trading vicious punches the entire way down.

Between blows, Spike peered behind him and blanched; the ground was approaching at dizzying speeds, and the massive dragon was on top of him, poised to crush him under countless tons of weight.

"Nrgh—grah!"

His muscles surged with strength he didn't know he had, and Spike gave his wings a mighty flap. Combined with a violent twist of his body, he and Greeny traded positions nanoseconds before they hit ground.

The earth for miles around groaned from the impact. The instant they landed, Greeny gave a loud gasp, the air violently forced from his chest, and Spike pressed the advantage, firing off several lightning fast punches to his snout. To his dismay, the dragon recovered quick, flinging Spike overhead and sending him rolling across the earth.

"Ugh." Slowly, Spike crawl back to his feet. Greeny was already bearing down in him. Spike's eyes narrowed, teeth clenching through the pain. "I'm n... not gonna let you hurt them."

"Why?" Greeny's jaw flexed, and a fireball launched towards Spike. He dove out of the way, but could still feel the heat from the projectile. Greeny never stopped his advance. "What do they matter to you?"

"They're my friends!"

Greeny balled up his fist. "Ha! And that is why you lose, whelp!"

A green blur filled Spike's vision, then the world flashed red. "Ugh!" Spike flew backwards, droplets of blood flung from his maw.

Greeny was close behind, picking him up by the scruff of his neck, lifting him to eye-level. "You fight for foolish things, pony things. A dragon, a true dragon, has no need for petty concepts like friendship."

Spike growled and let loose a torrent of green flame, but the large dragon didn't even flinch, a predatory grin spreading across his face as the fire did him no harm. "You have lived your life among equines, therefore you think like an equine. You feel like an equine." Without so much as a grit of effort, he slammed Spike down to the ground.

"Guah!" An audible crack accompanied a blinding pain lancing through Spike's chest.

"Do you know why I'm beating you, hatchling?"

A witty reply died on Spike's tongue. The sickening sound of grinding gravel from inside him was deafening, every breath sending a fresh stab of pain down his chest.

"It is not because I am bigger and older than you. Although, that helps!" Greeny lashed out with his foot. Spike cries out as he sailed through the air. He bounced across the ground, amazed that the pain was worse each time before he mercifully came to a rest on his belly.

He could feel Greeny approach, each thunderous step sending yet another jolt of white hot pain through his ruined body. Everything hurt: it hurt to breathe, to move, to blink.

Rotten, scalding breath fell in his neck. "It is because I fight to protect my hoard, my territory from an outsider. My strength, my magic, is fueled by the very nature you shun in favor of these soft ponies. Even the highest order unicorn Mage could not hope to match the pure, unyielding fury of a dragon's heart! It is something a... heh, a dragon-shaped pony like you could never understand."

Spike's only response was a wet cough, the act only increasing his agony, green blood trickling from his mouth.

"I can see it in your eyes, smell it on you. You fight the greed, not knowing what you reject. That greed, that power has driven gods to their knees!"

Spike tried to move, but the pain in his belly was too great, an impossibly sharp knife stabbing his insides with every movement.

"A dragon defending what is his is unstoppable!" He drove his knee into Spike's back.

"Gaaggh-haow!" He had run out of words to describe the pain. It was everything: his insides, outsides, his entire reality, but the worst was in his mind. Part of him knew that the large dragon was right. He had no hoard, nothing to protect anymore. He owned nothing of any value, denying himself all but necessities to ensure the safety of his loved ones. Even they were above him; his mother was immortal, and his sister was safe in her care. His friends were—

"F-f-fr—friends." A dry croak escaped blood-caked lips. Spike looked up; there, now a mere few kilometers away, stood Ponyville, still glimmering and pure in his swollen eyes. A shaky claw reached out to the town, trembling fingers straining.

"Oh, so this is where you run to, eh?" Greeny grabbed the back of Spike's head yanking it up to properly face the town. "This is where those tiny creatures ruined you, turned a mighty dragon into a quivering mewel?"

Spike mumbled something. In the distance, he could just make out several ponies in the edge of town gathering, no doubt because of the presence of the great drake above him.

"These are the creatures you live among? Pathetic." Greeny snorted one last time before looking down on Spike contemptuously. "I will kill you," he knelt down, bringing his massive head close enough that Spike could smell the rotted meat from the large dragon's last meal, "and then I will descend upon that accursed village and end the pest problem once and for all."

Even underneath hundreds of tons of dragon, Spike tensed. "No."

A deep, rumbling chuckle left the dragon's smiling maw. "Yes. It is our way, a way you will learn before you die. A dragon invades my territory, I kill him and destroy what is his."

His.

The word resonated in Spike's mind. Some tiny spark, buried under a lifetime of propriety and etiquette, flickered.

"And since you have no hoard, I will simply have to destroy whatever it is you do care about."

Greeny's words were like a hot wind, the tiny spark in his mind suddenly spurned into an angry flame. From some deep, forgotten corner of his mind, images and words flashed before Spike's eyes.

 Sweet Apple Acres turned to ash, a weeping mare mourning the loss of her family.

Spike’s eyes narrowed.

"And there is not a single thing you can do to stop it, pony."

Sugarcube Corner in ruins, the charred bodies of two earth ponies feebly trying to shield their adolescent foals from death.

Thick black smoke belched from Spike's nostrils, the tingling from before now an angry buzz rattling every fiber of his spasming body. A series of loud cracks came from his chest, the pain lessening with each heaving, furious breath.

"Mmm... mmi—"

Town Hall ripped from its foundation, Market Street filled with burnt remains of stands, the grass stained with blood.

The spark in his mind was now a raging inferno. Green flame licked from between clenched teeth, tufts of choking smoke billowing out with every sharp gasp he breathed.

"Oh? Something to say, hatchling?"

The torrent of emotions inside him, Greeny's arrogant speech, Celestia's words from before; all of it swirled and danced in his mind as a boiling fury built in his gut. All of it came together in one simple word, a word he had denied himself for so long for fear of becoming a monster, now such a pure and true thing that is bubbled from the depths of his soul, rolling off of his forked tongue like the sweetest of emeralds.

"M... m-mine."

Spike planted his arms and began to push his body up.

Carousel Boutique in shambles...

"Th—they're mine!"  A bright blue glow built up in Spike's eyes.

The dragon blinked. "What?" He pressed down harder on Spike's struggling form, but he still rose, his muscles trembling with newfound strength.

... a ruined corpse on the ground, once immaculate ivory fur stained with blood...

"They're mine!"

The dragon cried out in pain and shock; tendrils of blue electricity flowed from Spike's eyes, encompassing his whole body, as Spike reached up and grabbed Greeny's arm pulling it from his neck with otherworldly strength.

... and next to her, a slightly smaller body with a curly purple mane.

"They're mine, and you can't have them!"

The thunderous crack of electricity was lost under the dragon's howl of pain. Lightning lanced through Spike's claws and into the dragon atop him. Every muscle in the dragon’s body spasmed under the torrent of electricity. Spike roared again, his muscles surging with strength borne from somewhere primal in his mind, and flipped the impossibly large dragon over him like he weighed nothing.

Greeny cried out as he tumbled end over end, finally coming to rest nearly a hundred meters away. Spike heard him mutter something underneath his breath—most likely a threat of some kind—not that Spike would have cared even if he could understand it. His conscious mind was no longer in control, rational thought pushed to the back of his mind by something primal and forgotten. All he could see and hear were flashes, memories of his town, his ponies.

Standing next to a large apple tree with all his friends as Rainbow Dash, the toughest pony he knew, wearing a frilly blue dress, cried tears of joy while Big Macintosh recited his vows.

An odd feeling built up in Spike’s claws. Something beneath him, deep in the ground, felt like it was pulling him down. He could feel the other dragon charging towards him; not just the physical vibrations of his thundering footsteps, but in his very soul, his essence, he felt the incoming blow. Acting on some instinct, Spike reached down and grabbed firmly on that alien pull.

Greeny roared and lunged at Spike with his mouth wide, ready to cleave the glowing dragon in half. The sunlight glinted off of his massive fangs as he chomped down on Spike.

Crack!

Purple blood and jagged shards of teeth fell to the ground. Greeny recoiled, howling in pain as his jaw met with magically-enhanced scales, the power of the Earth itself coursing through Spike's body. With another roar, Greeny lashed his fist out at Spike.

Spike never even felt the blow. The ground beneath him cracked and fractured, a billowing cloud of dirt and debris flying, but the only other effect was Greeny pulling back his now bleeding fist. He stumbled back, already focusing his magic on his injured claw. "I'll rend the flesh from your bones!"

Doctor Whooves receiving the Neighbel Prize for his study on chroniton particles.

Spike felt it again, but this time is wasn't pulling him down... no, now the alien feeling was reaching up to him. Spike’s heaving breath caught, and he reached into the aether around him, pulling towards this new power. Flame and smoke belching from his mouth, he yelled and yanked up on whatever it was.

"My ponies!"

The dragon fell to all fours, sucking in a deep breath to roast Spike, but never got the chance. A thick pillar of earth shot up beneath him, smashing into his jaw in a vicious uppercut. The force of the blow sent him reeling back, his massive body landing on his back with a deep thud.

Apple Bloom beaming with pride as the local blacksmith gave her her very first shaping mallet.

"My town!" Flecks of whitish spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke. Spike's mind was ablaze with new sensations. It felt like a whole new set of limbs had suddenly sprouted from his body. He could feel the magic around him, sense all the ley lines, the very life force of the planet swirling around him. The odd pulling sensation returned, but this time from above. Reaching out with his mind, Spike aimed his blazing eyes at the slowly recovering dragon.

Greeny lay on his side, still reeling from the vicious hit. He turned to look at Spike, and his glowing yellow eyes widened. The relatively tiny dragon's body was blazing with ambient magic, his eyes a raging inferno of hatred. Greeny made to get up when a crack of thunder echoed above him. A mass of angry black thunderclouds was swirling and dancing over his head. Before he could react, the heavens ripped open, and countless bolts of lightning slammed into him. His massive body twisted and spasmed in agony, a pitiful cry coming from his bleeding, broken jaw.

"My ponies!" Spike's voice was thunderous, echoing across the earth for miles.

Through the pain, Greeny reached out and grabbed the thick pillar of earth from before. With strength borne of desperation and pain, he flung the large chunk at Spike.

Scootaloo whizzing over town square on her scooter, performing her first show with her newly formed extreme sports troupe.

Spike didn't really see the incoming rock; he couldn't really see anything through the haze of magic and burning fury.  He more felt it, the disruptions in the aether around him as it sailed towards him. Without thought, he threw up a claw. A shimmering green glow engulfed the large pillar, and it jerked to a halt midair, floating in a haze of magic.

The dragon blanched, bloodied jaw hanging wide open. "Wha... but, that's—that's unicorn magic!"

"Dragon-shaped pony," Spike muttered before roaring again and flicking his wrist. The rock sailed back towards the dragon faster than he could react. Another howl of pain saw the great dragon reel backwards again, this time falling on his back in a daze.

Lyra and Bon Bon coming home from the orphanage with their new little filly.

Spike did not hesitate. With a loud snarl, he leapt, covering the distance between them effortlessly and landing atop the drake's neck, his hind legs clamping down. As the large dragon gasped, Spike clenched his fists and growled, once more feeling the pull of some unknown magic, this time within his own body. Answering the pull, his fists erupted in greenish-white flame. "My town! My ponies!"

Spike brought his fists down, earning a satisfying crunch and a howl of pain from the elder dragon.

"Hatchling, w—"

"My town!"

Crack!

"Ugh! You will ne—"

Crack!

"My ponies!"

Spikes mind was a blank as he continues to rain down blows. All he could hear were memories of his town, his ponies. All he could see was the enemy beneath him that threatened them.

"Ngrragh!"

Greeny’s right eye was swollen shut, scales beneath and above cracked and broken, but Spike kept swinging. Vile snapping sounds, Greeny's scales cracking under the power of Spike's assault, were lost under the demonic, otherworldly roars from Spike.

“My town!”

Drops of blood flew every time Spike pulled his fists back, along with molten flecks of scales from Greeny's battered face.

“My ponies! Mine!”

Frothing spit built up at the corner Spike’s mouth. A dull ache throbbed from his fists, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t care. All that mattered was the threat to his town, his ponies. Over and over again, he pummeled the elder dragon, who was rapidly losing the strength to fight back, offering only an occasional claw to block the steady rain of blows.

Exhaustion began to pull at Spike's muscles, but he ignored it, pushing past the burning in his muscles and the throbbing in his fists. This new, feral part of his mind kept howling at him to push harder; to use this new-found strength and power to crush this interloper, but with each blow, old thoughts surfaced.

Aw, it's okay, Spikarooni! It doesn't matter how super big, super scary, super dragony you get! You'll always be our little dragon!

"Nrgagh!"

His blows began to lose strength.

Oh, um, no, I'm not scared of Spike. Even if he is bigger now, he's still the same sweet, gentle, funny little guy.

"Hah...hah."

The smoke billowing from his nostrils began to thin.

Hey, he ain't no monster! He's one of the nicest, loyalest customers I ever had!

"Nrgh—no..."

The flames that engulfed his fists evaporated into the wind.  

That beast is my little brother!

"No!"

And Spike couldn’t bring another blow.

Spike sat there for several moments, taking deep gulps of air. Slowly, he raised his hands to his face; they were caked in purple blood from Greeny, while his swollen, bruised knuckles oozed his own emerald tinted blood. Beneath him, the great dragon lay ruined, his once wicked muzzle now bent and deformed, the scales melted under the heat of Spike's fury. He didn't move; the only sign that he hasn't killed the massive drake was the quiet, gurgling breaths escaping his broken snout.

Though Spike stood still, his body was wracked with involuntary movement. His chest heaved as his body came down from an adrenaline high it had never experienced before. Every muscle in his body slowly released the steely tension they held.

After several more moments, Spike hopped off the dragon's twitching form and shambled away, taking shaky, unsure steps. He didn't know where he was going, he just knew he had to get away, away from the dragon struggling to breath through a broken face, away from the seething rage, the roiling in his gut.

Eventually, Spike's quivering legs could not hold him. He fell to his elbows and knees, clenching his eyes tight as he took shaky, gasping breaths. His brain was screaming, racing in circles: his old mind slowly returning, waves of guilt and shame that beat down on the newer mind, that urged him to finish the job. To turn around and kill the threat, to cut him, slash him, burn him, tear, rip, shred, claw—

A deep tremor surged from his belly. His entire body tensed, his chest heaved, and he vomited.

Spike spat the last of his breakfast, the taste and smell of the bile almost causing another wave of sick. "Nrraargh!" A scaley fist, still stained with blood, slammed into the ground.

Slowly, Spike turned away from the puddle of shame, crawling towards the now much closer Ponyville.

He sat there for what felt like an eternity, jaw trembling and fists clenching as the magic eked from his body. He could still feel it, in the far reaches of his mind: the boiling rage, the voice in his mind, screaming at him to deal with the threat to what was his, the bloodlust. He looked down at his shaking claws, then grunted in annoyance, wiping them on the dirt in an effort to clean the blood off. It didn't work.

It was odd: Spike could clearly remember what happened, everything that transpired, every word said between him and the other drake, but somehow he couldn't trace the emotional path. He had never been that angry before, had he?

No, there was once before. When...

"When Angel attacked Ponyville," he muttered.

"The first time your hoard was threatened."

Spike whipped his head around. "Celestia! You're... you're okay?"

She stood next to him , looking off towards Ponyville. Her wounds were healed, her ethereal mane waved in unfelt winds, even her horn was completely whole. She continued like he never spoke. "Yes, the town had been in peril before. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Trixie. But when Parchment sent poor Angel in to destroy the town, that was the first time Ponyville had been in true peril since you claimed it as yours." She reached a hoof to his shoulder. "You se—”

“Don’t you touch me!”

Celestia drew her hoof back like she burned it. “Spike, pl—”

“You planned this!” He rose to his claws, eyes still raging infernos. Slowly, he circled her, just as he had the other dragon; just as he had the other threat to his hoard. “That dragon’s cave is on the other side of the Everfree, and yet he just happens to know exactly when and where we show up?”

Celestia said nothing.

His eyes became slits. “Oh, of course you did! That’s what you always do, isn’t it? Princess Celestia, always with a piece on the board!”

Celestia flinched a bit. “Spike, you must understand—”

"That what?" He snorted a large plume of smoke into the sky. "That you got some huge dragon to attack me? That you risked my life, the lives of Heckel and Jeckel!”

"Your guards have already been teleported to Ponyville. They are fine."

“And you risk the lives of my town, my ponies, by bringing this dragon here! Was it necessary for them to be put at risk? Or did that just enhance the thrill for you?”

Celestia stiffened. “I do what I must for the safety and security of my subjects. They must learn to fend—"

Spike lunged at her, stopping so close that had it been any other pony, his breath would have burned their flesh. “They’re not yours, they’re mine!”

Celestia started. “Spike, they are still my subjects.”

A deep, rumbling chuckle came from behind them. Spike and Celestia both spun around. Greeny was slowly rising to his haunches. Ash fell from his hide like black snow leaving gleaming scales. A blinding green aura surrounded his face, the same wet sliding sound from before signaling his injuries healing. With a loud crack, his massive jaw set, and he glared down at him. “She did this to save your pitiful life, hatchling.” He turned to Celestia with an evil grin. "Why so glum, Day Bringer? Is this not what you wanted? His draconic instincts are now fully awakened.”

Celestia stepped forward, blazing white fury in her eyes. "This was not part of our agreement, He of the Everfree! You almost killed Spike! You attacked me, and—"

"You play games with dragons! I felt it necessary to remind you of what can happen when you do so."  He turned to Spike with a cruel grin. "And as for you, whelp, I still owed you for gorging yourself on my hoard all those years ago. Perhaps now you understand?"

The ground beneath Celestia began to char. “Do not let my many years of peaceful reign deceive you, wyrm. I have felled more dragons than you have ever met.”

“Rabid beasts from the Reign of Chaos, and even then you had your little sister with you. If you care to test your might against a mature dragon, you’re more than welcome to give the Lunatic a call."

Celestia stomped her hoof, a plume of white flame licking the ground. "You will not talk about my sis—”

"What did you mean, she did it to save me?" Spike stepped between the two ancient beings, glaring at Greeny.

He ignored Spike. "I speak however I plea—"

“Hey!” Spike felt that rage build up again. This time, he grabbed it. Spike raised his fist into the air. Greeny tensed as a green aura surrounded his snout. Spike yanked his claw down, dragging the great wyrm down to eye level. “Look here! You’re in my territory now, so you're going to answer my questions!” With a snap of his fingers, he released Greeny’s snout.

Greeny rose back up to his hind legs, lips curled, snout leaking smoke and flame. "That, hatchling, was your one.”

“Answer me.”

Greeny snorted. “I could feel it as soon as you stepped into my woods. Your magic was backed up, dangerously so. Let me guess: in recent weeks you have been restless, anxious, yes?" Spike slowly nodded. "With no way to release it, especially being separated from your hoard for so long, your magic was building up. You had to learn the nature of draconic magic quickly."

"What nature?"

Greeny rolled his eyes. "That unlike pony magic," he cast a scathing eye at Celestia, "dragon magic is controlled by emotion, not will. It comes from the heart, not the head. The strength of the pony is the mind, this that is where their magic stems from."

"And... and dragons are creatures of great passion," Spike said with a resolute nod.

 "But you, hatchling, you are something unique. Somehow you are able to use kinesis. Only unicorns can use that magic."

Spike kept his eyes hard. "Dragons are creatures of passion, ponies are creatures of thought. Just because you are unwilling to see it doesn’t mean everyone else is.”

Greeny bristled, his massive tail slamming against the ground. "I wasn't lying when I said the ponies ruined you," he sneered. "They've soured your magics, and your heart. A dragon caring so much for soft creatures. It is pitiful."

Spike growled, staring up at the dragon defiantly. "Yeah? Well, maybe I'm just a better dragon than you."

The drake's eyes went wide. Rearing up in his hind legs, he let loose an earth-shaking roar, then fell down, slamming his fists into the ground, glaring at Spike through a wall of heat and smoke. "You disgust me, you little thing! You live amongst soft flesh, you bow to pony goddesses, you use unicorn magic!" He bent low, coming so close to Spike that sweat began to be on his forehead. "You may look of dragon, but you reek of pony!"

Spike glared right back. "You know what? Yeah, I do. I may be a dragon, but I’m a pony where it counts." He smiled, keeping his steely gaze. “I’m dragon enough to beat you, but I let you live because I’m pony enough to know that I will not kill unless I have to.”

The two dragons stared each other down, seething anger and defiance smoldering behind slitted pupils. The air between the two popped and hissed from the ambient magic.

Eventually, Greeny snorted, turning his attention to Celestia. "I believe this satisfies my debt to you, Solumveyah."

Celestia's wavering mane flared brightly. "Satisfies?! How could you—"

"Both of your pony guards are alive and unharmed, and your..." he cast a disgusted glance at Spike, "son, is now aware of his nature." He turned a tight face to Celestia. "I fail to see how I did not live up to my end of the bargain."

She held his gaze for several seconds, mane flickering between its usual rainbow of colors and pure white. Finally, she closed her glowing eyes and took a deep breath. "That you did."

"Then say the words!"

She tightened her jaw, leveling a cool gaze. "Very well.  In accordance with the Pax Terras, as agreed upon by my father, King Radian, and the great dragon god Calcipher at the Dawn of All, I hereby absolve you of your debt, He of the Everfree."

As she spoke, a swirling green haze enveloped the dragon's head. Once finished, the haze dissipated, and the dragon shuddered.

He turned to leave, but stopped to glare at Spike. "I hope you learned your lesson well, hatchling. Here is your second: do not enter another dragon's territory without permission." His eyes narrowed. "If you set foot in my forest again, I'll feast on your flesh before I turn on your little equines."

Spike growled up at him. "And let me warn you. If you so much as look at my town or my ponies, you'll see just how dangerous a dragon-shaped pony can be. Got it?"

Standing back up, the drake glared hatred at Spike, but a smile slowly spread across his face. "Hmmph. There may be hope for you yet, whelp."  With that, the dragon turned and walked away, heading back towards the distant tree line of the Everfree.

Once he faded from sight, Celestia turned back to Spike. The young drake lay on the grass, staring at Ponyville through heavy eyes. She slowly walked next to him. "Spike, please know th—"

"Don't. Just... not right now, okay?"

Celestia said nothing. She eased herself down, sitting next to Spike. The two sat there for what seemed like hours while Spike took deep, calming breaths. Before them, Ponyville sprawled out across the earth. It was still a small town, but it had expanded so much in recent years. Idly, Spike wondered just how large the tiny hamlet could get. He pictured a Ponyville far in the future, spreading as far as he could see, a hub of culture and economy. And inside, his ponies.

My ponies...

The term still sounded odd to his ears, but the more he thought of it, the more comfortable he was with the idea, and the more it made sense. Spike had a few meager possessions: a small comic book collection, one or two trinkets of sentimental value, so what did he truly care for besides his family? His ponies. They were more than friends, more than family; they were his. Every face in that sea of ponies was precious to him in some way, be it a treasured friend for years, or a kind face he would see on the street or in the library. As he pictured that Ponyville far in the future, he smiled. It would grow, and he would be there every step of the way.  

Celestia saw his face, and nuzzled into his broad shoulder. He resisted he at first, but after a few minutes he was leaning into her. "Spike, I—"

"I get it now."

She blinked. "Hm?"

"Why you call them 'my little ponies.' " His tone was even, his jaw tight. "They're like your hoard. More than just subjects, but something... deeper than that, further. You love them enough to let them fail. That’s why you plot like you do. You can’t just tell ponies things.”

“They must experience it first-hoof. That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

Spike let out a mirthless chuckle. “Well, today it almost did!” He turned to her, his lips tight, but his eyes soft. “Heckel and Jeckel could have died today. I could have died.”

“Spike, I...”

“These are my ponies, Celestia.” He could feel her tense, so he continued. “Oh, relax. I’m not saying I actually own them or anything. Like I told brimstone breath back there,” he jerked a thumb behind him towards the woodline, “I’m a dragon, but I’m also a pony. When I say they’re mine, I mean they’re mine to protect, to care for. I have a really long life ahead of me, right?"

"Very. I've never met a Drakenwvyrm that died of old age."

"Heh, right. So, I'm gonna be here for a long time, and I'm only going to get bigger." Celestia ran her hoof across his arm, and he continued. "There's not a whole lot I can do for them anymore. Can't really be a librarian's assistant without a librarian, can I?"

"Very true, however you were much more than that to them."

"Right. But one thing I can do is protect them."

Celestia quirked her eyebrow. "Protect them?"

Spike's eyes never left the town, deep thoughts and memories playing out in his mind. "Between the Everfree Forest, Froggy Bottom Bog, and the Elements of Harmony being smack-dab in the town, there's never a shortage of monsters or creeps trying to level the place. This... this new body of mine took a lot away from me, but it gave me the ability to fight those things. Just ask Greeny back there." He went silent for a minute, gathering his words. "The ponies in this town are good, pure, and I want them to know that they can rely on me, trust me. That they'll be able to trust their foals, grandfoals and so on to my care. That I'll be here to protect them.” He finally turned to face her, a bit surprised at the neutral expression she wore. “And that will never happen if you keep playing these little shadow games behind my back. Besides, some lessons... just aren’t worth the game, you know?”

She sighed, leaning into him a bit harder. She turned to look at him, once more scanning his body slowly. As she sat there, watching him look out upon his newly claimed hoard, words she’d said earlier echoed in her mind. A lump swelled in her throat. “Spike?”

“Hm?”

Her horn glowed, and she gently tilted his head towards her. “You two are so much more than subjects to me, you know that, right?” Her ears splayed against her head, her glowing mane dulled ever so slightly. “You and Twilight, you both mean so much to me. I know I don’t tell either of you this enough. Twilight can handle it better, she’s a grown mare, but you,” she sniffled, “for all your size and power, you’re still an adolescent. A... a child.” Celestia fought back a hiccup, bringing her forehead to his. “I love you, child. Never forget that.”

Spike let her hold him for a moment longer, then pulled back from the embrace. He turned back to the front, throwing his arm around Celestia and snuggling her close. “I love you, too... Mom.”

They enjoyed the view a little while longer before Celestia finally spoke the question on both their minds. “You know what you have to do now, yes?"

He shook his head. "I know, but... she needs me with her. I can't just abandon her like that."

"What she needs, child, is for you to be happy. You underestimate her, Spike. Twilight is a fine young mare. She will be okay. Even as we speak, she is forming new friendships." She smiled. "She is where she needs to be. You need to be, as well."

Spike looked to her, but upon seeing that smile, that knowing, sly smirk he knew so well, he shook his head and looked back to the front.  “Not yet, okay? I have to break it to her gently, or else things might get ugly.”

"Hehehe, okay.” Slowly, the two stood up, a symphony of loud cracks reminding Spike of his little scuffle. “Well then, noble dragon, shall we return to Canterlot?”

He smiled. "Sure."

"Don't forget us!"

"Gah!" Spike whirled around to find Heckel and Jeckel standing beside him, once-polished armor dulled and immaculate white fur scuffed, but very much alive and grinning and scowling respectively.

Spike's eyes darted between them. "How... how did yo... but I... what was all that?!”

The twins blinked, Jeckel’s head cocked slightly to the side. “Um, what was all what?”

“That! The whole uber-badass, ninja, I-can-kick-a-dragon’s-flank-without-breaking-a-sweat thing! Who... who are you?”

They shared a brief look, then turned back to face him.

“I’m Heckel.”

“I’m Jeckel!”

“We’re your body—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Spike said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, welcome back, noble guardsponies!" The twins saluted Celestia, who have a slight nod in return. "I trust Ms. Pie took care of you?”

At the mention of her name, Jekel let out a deep sigh, and Spike could have sworn he saw tiny hearts flickering in his eyes. “Oh, yes ma’am. What a filly...”

“Your Majesty,” Heckel said, leaning in close to her, “I will take any horrible detail you want to put me on, just please... never put me in the same room as those two ever again.” He shuddered, then rapped Jeckel on the head. “Snap out of it, Romeo!”

Jeckel shook his head, then turned to Spike. “Oh, Mister Spike, she wanted me to tell you that she was a bit miffed that you didn't tell her you were going to be in the area. Said she was gonna hunt you down and, um... 'try out her new party bazooka?' "

Spike and Celestia both chuckled. Heckel stepped forward. “Uh, she sounded pretty serious...”

“Ah, she’s just Pinkie,” Spike said with a dismissive wave of his claw. “It’s nothing.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, child.” Celestia gestured behind them with a hoof.

Spike arched an eyebrow ridge, looking to where she pointed. The townsponies had apparently decided it was safe, now that the giant, rampaging dragon was gone; a large group of ponies were rapidly approaching, two very recognizable ponies in the lead. Even at this distance, he could see Rainbow Dash huffing, her rotund, pregnant belly keeping her grounded. Next to her was Pinkie Pie, a manic smile on her face, murder in her eyes, and cradled in her hooves was what appeared to be a rather large pink rocket painted with balloons and streamers.

Spike stiffened, turning to Celestia. "You'll protect me, right?"

"Until my dying breath."

"... You can't die."

"Hmm... you're right. How fortunate for you."