//------------------------------// // Duel of the Fates // Story: Differences // by The Dashie //------------------------------// The sounds coming from my light based blade were enough to unsettle anypony that was not used to them. The sense of battle was also unsettling. For a minute or two, all that occurred was Twilight and myself staring each other down and the bronies chanting "Duel of the Fates!" in succession. Their chanting did die down, but it was only replaced by a new chant; one of a more...musical...nature. The way it sounded was gibberish, but it gave out a sense that the fight should commence; a song of battle. It sounded a lot like... Korah. Matah. Korah. Rahtahmah. and continued with a steady but low beat. It filled me with power; filled me with a longing to fight, and so I gave in to my longing. With a purposeful roar, I charged full speed at Twilight, my blade at my side;her doing the same, and upon reaching her, our blades met at last. Screeching and sparking like fire, we were locked in a hold; a test of power. We separated, only to clash again. The bronies that were not chanting were cheering. The feeling of battle, which I had not felt before, was intoxicating. It could only be described as intoxicating, as the cadence and rhythm of our parries become almost metronomic. One stance after another. Another fixture of holding the sword only to be countered by the other's. Clash after clash. We could not best the other. Only tire them out. The duel of the fates become more than that. It become a duel of determination; of who's will was stronger. The first to tire would be the first to fall; I just hope it wouldn't be me. Purple and green struck each other countless times. I thought it would never end. We had been clashing for what seemed like hours when I felt it. The unrelenting power inside me. Most would have called it cheating as the field on which we battled had changed. I called it Lady Justice's way of telling me to win, and giving me a gift to help me do so. That's right. My wings finally came! They weren't some puny baby wings you would expect for new wings. They were size-proportional, dragon-sized, strength-filled wings. With these new wings, I was able to take the field by advantage. She did have wings, yes, but even after having them for five years, she had still used magic to get around. Those wings became only a symbol to her; a symbol which defined her as royalty. Next thing I see is Twilight looking at me in shock and as I looked closer she was...crying. My foe, which at this point was fighting me to the death, had realized her demise. "Ha! You see, Twilight? Wings aren't so bad. Maybe you should have learned to use yours." What she said next both moved me and shocked me. "I'm so proud of you, Spike." "What?! Is that what you have to say? Draw your sword, Twilight! Let's finish this! You may be proud of me, but I'm not. I'm just a lowly dragon in a society of ponies. This is my time to prove I can be a dragon. This is my time when I...will...rise!" and with a thundering roar, I charged at her head-long, willing to risk it all to prove myself. I struck with ferocity, unrelenting in every blow I delivered. She was not even trying to gain ground, she was only parrying my blows. She was trying to tire me out, letting me give it my all, then as soon as I stopped she would strike. I broke from my assault, panting as I had put everything into my blows. "I see your tricks, Twilight. Anger me then chop me down once I cool. Very clever." "I wasn't attempting that, but it could have worked. Spike, why are you so mad?" "You bitch! The fact that you have the gall to ask me that shows how naïve you are. You are the reason I am mad! The fact that you have treated me like a slave all these years. Who wrote your letters? Me! Who cleaned your house? Me! Who did a lot of your chores when you were a filly? Me! Who did all that, Twilight? I did! Alone! You thanked me only when my duties were public, and you never once thanked me if your friends weren't around, and ever since you became a princess, you haven't even been speaking to me. What am I to you, Twilight? Am I just your little servant? Your little Spikey-Wikey that you can get away with pushing around? Well, let me do a little report of my own. Dear Twilight, he died years ago, five to be exact! You showed me kindness and cherishment, yes, but only so that I didn't see what you were really doing: buttering me up to so that I would serve you forever." "You seem to know everything Spike. Tell me, have you forgotten that I was the one that hatched you; the one that gave you life?" "Ha! You didn't give me life. You only cracked my shell. The one who gave me life was my mother, my real mother, who I was stole from by your princess. Have you ever thought about that, Twilight? I could been a regular dragon, with dragon friends and a dragon family, possibly a dragon girlfriend, living a dragon life. I could have had all that, but you tore that away from me. Now do you know why I am mad? Your kind has never seen my kind with respect or kindness. It's about high time I did something about it." "Am I the bane of your existence then? Well then, let me finish my job!" With this she charged at me, blade ready to kill me, but she fell short of her goals, as with quick reflexes, I had pierced her in the stomach. I looked...and she looked and we knew the deed was done. She fell grasping her gut, trying to stay alive for as long as possible. The other Bearers of the Elements did not waste a second as they all came charging at me head long, and in what I can only describe as a dragonic rage, I cut them all down, one by one. Each was mercilessly carved. Dying as they came in range. Once I awoke from this rage, I saw before me six dead ponies, each of which I had a special connection to. I only stood in shock of my actions. "What have I done? They weren't supposed to die. They were just supposed to see that I didn't plan to take any more of Twilight. They weren't supposed to die. Nooooooooooooooooooo!" Celestia looked down from her conflict with Luna, and saw the ghastly sight of six dead ponies and one dragon, who had killed them. She had fire coming out of her eyes, and whatever balance their was in her and Luna's strength was obliterated. "You have killed my subjects, now I will crush you!" As I anticipated my death, a familiar whirr came to my ear. One that I had only heard when I was with The Doctor. Celestia was only inches from me, when she was stopped. She came close to me, but never enough to touch me. I wondered at this as she tried to utterly destroy me, but then I looked behind me and there stood the TARDIS. Apperently, it has the ability to protect those in it's range. Its doors flew open and I, along with Princess Luna, were sucked into it. It then began its whirring once again, meaning w were getting a first class trip somewhere. Luna, being new to the TARDIS, had a lot of questions. "Spike, what is happening? Where are we going?" "Believe me, Luna. I have no earthly idea." "Earthly?" Her lack of knowledge of human words could only put a smile on my face. As the whirring stopped, the doors of the TARDIS opened, revealing a new scenery. Now it was my turn to be unknowledgable, and for Luna to know everything. She looked around in wonder of where the TARDIS had landed us. "We don't know how that box did it, but we are in the past in the land of Veros." "Umm, Luna? Where and when are we, exactly?" "Oh Spike. Don't you see? We are in your homeland!" "My...homeland?" "Yes, Spike. We are where your specific species of dragon live and breed and, back in the day, we loved getting to know every dragon's name." "Really? That's really interesti..." "What? What is it Spi...oh. Oh! I see... Love at first sight." She knew exactly what was going on, because my eyes were on one really cute dragon who was getting gems from a deposit nearby. "What's her name?" "We know it, but why don't you go learn it, Romeo?" I didn't think twice about it. I went right over to her and started to look at her up close. I couldn't think of what to say, but, "Hi." "Hello." "Umm, uh." "May I help you with something?" "No, no. I just wanted to tell you that you're very pretty." "Really? You think I'm pretty?" "Yeah. Has no one told you that?" "Not really, no. Are you sure Jura didn't put you up to this?" "No, not at all. I don't even know a Jura. You are really pretty though." "Thanks. You're pretty cute too." "Oh, gosh." And I blushed so hard, it was visible, and I knew so because then this very attractive dragon began giggling. My name is Spike. What's yours?" "I've been called many things, but you may call me...Vakim." "And that's how I met your grandmother." Spike said with a face of reminiscence. "Grandfather, what happened next?" his grandson asked eagerly. "Well, that my dear boy, is a new tale all on its own." Spike said with a grin.