//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Tale of Two Dragons 
// by Kind of Brony 
//------------------------------//

	"A little brother, Amy!? A little brother, and you didn't think to tell me about him!? What is wrong with you!?" Lore Finder tried to whisper, though, in her anger, it was barely below speaking level. "That is it, no more secrets! You are going to tell me everything, or so help me, I will never speak to you again! Do you hear me Amethyst Thistle!? Now, why did you not think to tell me about this!?"
Amy, cowed into silence during her friend's anger, gulped before whispering back, "Because... Spike and I are related by blood only... We both had our own lives to live, and I had no right to be part of his. There was never any reason to tell you about a stranger I was never going to meet."
The mare didn't say anything right away, instead leaning in close and staring right into her friend's eyes. Amy held the gaze for a few seconds before she dropped her head. It was then that Lore spoke, "Horse feathers."
Amy jerked her head up, shocked to hear Lorey say the pony equivalent of a vulgarity, "W-what?"
"That's horse feathers and you know it," she clarified before hovering in the air and grabbing Amy's head between her front hooves. Ignoring the protests, she dragged the dragoness over to the archway between the kitchen they were in and dining area. Making her look into the room, Lore pointed a hoof at the young dragon contently munching away, greatly enjoying the lettuce, cheese, and tomato sandwich and small bowl of assorted gems. "You're going to try and tell me you feel nothing for him? Nothing at all?" she asked.
Amy responded quickly, "What? Of course I care for him!"
Lore let go of her friend's head and they both retreated into the kitchen. With a sigh, Lore said, "Good, I was just making sure you weren't still lying to yourself; I could tell from the way you looked at him that you cared," the mare gave her friend a stern glare and continued, "Which is why I want to know why you've been avoiding him like the dragon flu all this time."
The dragoness once again looked away, wringing her hands as she answered, "Lorey... I-I did something real bad to him before I met you... There's no way he'd want anything to do with me."
Lore quirked an eyebrow, "Really? He doesn't seem too upset right now, so unless you foalnapped him and brought him here, I find that hard to believe... You didn't, did you?"
"Of course not! I don't even know how he got here yet," Amy growled. While they had intended to get question the little drake when the two siblings had first arrived, the younger's stomach released one of the loudest growls they had ever heard and he had swayed on his feet. It was Amy who caught him as he fell backwards, dropping her things and instantly bombarding him with questions of what was wrong.
When his eyes had fluttered open, he signaled for the older dragon to come closer. The dragoness did so, bringing her ear close to his lips, and he whispered, "Need... food."
Had it been anyone else, she would have let his head drop to the floor and walked away for scaring her. As it was, she immediately looked to Lore Finder and told her to make the young dragon a meal as she picked him up like a baby and rushed him to the small dining table. She propped the limp dragon in a seat, telling him he'd be okay and that food was coming.
It wasn't just her sisterly instincts driving her to get sustenance into her little brother, but also her own childhood memories. Amethyst Thistle knew better than anyone what it was like to be a baby magic dragon without enough to eat; she felt that way quite often when she herself was young, after all.
It was a few minutes later when Lore came flying out of the kitchen to place a sandwich, bowl of gems, and glass of water in front of the young dragon. The moment the food was placed, Spike's nose started sniffing at the air and shortly his expression changed from slack, head tilted back, eyes closed and tongue hanging from an open mouth to fully alert. His eyes snapped open and he launched forward, taking the first bite out of the sandwich without even picking it up before devouring it in a blur of teeth and claws.
Both girls watched in amazement as the feeding frenzied dragon climbed across the table on all fours to the bowl of gems, before burying his face into the crystalline contents and filling the air with slurps and crunches. As soon as it began, it was finished and the calmed dragon fell onto his rump and rubbed his stomach with a satisfied sigh. As he drank from the glass of water, he told Lore how much he appreciated the meal, asking politely for another helping.
Lore was the first to recover, simply stating that he would become sick eating so fast before retreating back into the kitchen to fulfill his request. Amy, not knowing what to do, followed her and soon after found herself being berated by an irate pegasus once she got done bringing Spike his second serving. The only good thing to be noted was that the young dragon ate his second meal at a far more sedate pace.
Now Amy and Lore were both wondering what exactly the kid was doing in Ford Junction and wanted to get some answers. "So, let's go talk to the little guy," Lore said, stating what both were thinking.
Amy gulped and nodded, still nervous about what Spike must think of her, but knowing they had to do this to figure out what to do next. Amy remained where she was, standing hesitantly in the shadows of the kitchen until Lore rolled her eyes and pushed her out. Her call of "Hey! Watch the tail!" attracted the younger dragon's attention, and the two soon found themselves staring at each other.
Lore flew past her friend and took a seat adjacent to Spike, but the dragons didn't notice. It was Amy who broke the silence, giving a single wave of her hand and nervously saying, "H-hey, how's it going?"
Spike swallowed the food in his mouth, sandwich still gripped in his hands, and responded, "Fine."
"Good, good, I'm glad," the dragoness said as she made her way to the seat across from him, his eyes never leaving her as she sat down. "So, how's the food?"
"It's pretty good, the gems are a nice touch," he answered with a small smile.
It was Lore who responded to this, "Yes, Amy tends to spend quite a bit of time here, so I've found it convenient to keep a few low quality gems on hoof to prevent whining at meal times."
Amy's face lit up with a bright blush and she looked indignant. "I do not whine, and I do not eat here all the time! You're making me sound like a moocher!" she exclaimed.
The pegasus smirked, "Really? I'm honestly surprised you haven't asked me to make you sandwich too since you've been here."
The dragoness made to retort, but a loud gurgle erupted from her abdomen and caused the red in her cheeks to spread over the rest of her. Her mouth remained open as both her friend and the younger dragon stared. Finally, she said, "I can't help it! I haven't eaten since the night of the ceremony!"
Lore sighed, got up, and made her way to the kitchen without a word while Spike looked at the older dragon in sympathy. "You too, huh?" he asked before pushing the bowl of gems. "Here, I'm good on these."
Amy was a bit hesitant, but she reached forward and pulled the bowl towards her. Without Lorey there, the dragoness was uncertain on how to proceed, and so fell back on small talk, grabbing a ruby from the bowl before saying, "You know, it always used to bug me when I saw gems like these selling for pittance. Non-dragons think they're worthless just because they're not pretty enough to make into jewelry, like the cloudiness and cracks change what they are."
With this, she popped the gem into her mouth and crunched down on it. She shut her eyes and savored the taste of ruby, not unlike raspberry, as it washed over her taste buds. "But to us dragons, they're more than just rocks to look at, ya know? They're food... sustenance," she finished, swallowing the treat.
It was at that moment that Lore came from the kitchen, plate in hoof as she lazily flew back to her seat and placed it down in front of her friend. "I should start charging you for all that you eat here," mumbled the pegasus before adding, "So, why didn't you eat on the train ride home?"
When asked, Amy looked to Spike a moment before letting her head drop. "I... I left Canterlot in kind of a hurry, and didn't pack anything for the trip," She answered, ashamed that she had once again run away from Spike, especially now that she knew he had still wanted to talk to her. Thinking about it, the dragoness realized something, and looked up again. "Why'd you say, 'You too,' when I said I hadn't eaten since the night I'd left? Surely you ate on the trip here, right?" she asked before rising up a little more in her seat. "Actually, where's Twilight? I doubt she would have let you come all this way alone."
Spike's eyes started to dart back and forth and he brought his claws together to tap against each other, instantly setting off alarm bells in the heads of the females, who both recognizing the obvious tell from Amy's youth. "W-well, you see, the thing is, I asked Twilight to stay behind because she... she was still upset with you, and all. And as for the not eating thing, well that was because the train ponies lost my luggage. I'm sure you know how it is, ha ha ha... ha ha... ha" the young dragon explained, pasting on a smile.
The hesitant explanation only made their alarm bells ring louder and Amy leaned forward. "Spike, is there something you're not telling us?... I promise, neither Lore nor I will get angry at you."
Spike chuckled nervously again. "W-what? I'm seriously telling you the truth. When I told Twilight and the princesses that I wanted to come see you, they agreed. Bought me a ticket and every-Urp!"
Amy leaned back, eyes widening a little bit when Spike lurched forward, claws coming to cover his lips and cheeks bulging. "Are you alright Spike?" she asked as he seemingly swallowed down what was in his mouth. "You look a little... sick."
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Can you tell me where your bathroom is, Miss Lore?" he asked as he jumped down to the floor.
"I told you you'd get sick eating that fast," Lore said with a small smirk before pointing down a hallway. "It's the last door on the left."
He started running in the direction she pointed and managed to get out, "Tha-Urp, Thank you," as he went. Before the young dragon even made it half way through the room however, another strong lurch came to him, and for a moment, both Amy and Lore feared the young dragon was going to puke on the floor. He managed a few more steps before what had been trying to force its way out of him finally got its way, and it wasn't what the girls expected.
A belch of green fire burst out of Spike's mouth before materializing into a rolled-up piece of parchment. The young dragon didn't make any move to grab it as he groaned in resignation. It was Amy who voiced the obvious question as she got up from her seat and started walking towards him, "Spike... what just happened, and what's with the scroll?"
The young dragon snatched up the scroll and turned to them with same the nervous smile as before. "Uh, this is just a letter from the girls, you know, checking up on me."
This got a raised eyebrow from Lore Finder, who had also gotten up to get a better look at the oddity. "You can have letters sent to you by fire?"
"Yeah, and send them," Spike answered absently as he backed his way towards the hall.
Lore turned to glare at her friend and smacked her across the head. "So I'm just not worth keeping in contact with, hmm?"
"Ow! What's the big idea!? I can't do that!" Amy exclaimed as she rubbed her head. "I don't even know how he does!" She pointed to the spot Spike had been, only to become aware he wasn't there anymore. Looking around, she saw him tip-toeing though the opening of the hallway. "Hey Spike, where are you going?"
The young dragon stiffened and turned. "Oh, I was just going to go read this... In private, is all."
Lore narrowed her eyes for just a second before giving a small smile. "Actually, do you mind reading it out here? I mean, you still haven't told us much about your presence here, maybe this letter will be a good starting point."
"I'd really rather not, because... Um." Spike's eye where wandering around the room as if searching for the right words before his shoulders slumped and he said, "Fine, I'll read it in here." With that, he made his way to the table, head down.
Lore's smile grew a little wider before she and Amy returned to their chairs. Though Amy was less than happy with her friend seemingly upsetting the young drake, she was glad the mare was there to question him, knowing she herself would not be able to do so. When Spike had clambered back into his chair, he brought the parchment in front of him and unrolled it. Amy watched his eyes scan across the page once before he closed them with a whisper of, "Oh, Twilight."
The dragoness couldn't help but become curious, and voiced as such, "What does it say?... If you don't mind me asking, that is."
Spike looked to her for a few seconds and then shifted to Lore Finder, who was also sporting a look of curiosity, even if she were trying to hide it. The young dragon took a deep breath, held it a moment, and then released it before unrolling the scroll across the table. Both mare and dragoness leaned in to get a better look, and saw one sloppily written sentence in the middle of the paper.



Please come back Spike.



When she saw the plea, and what looked suspiciously like tear stains atop it, Amy looked to the young dragon, "Spike... please tell me you didn't run away."
Spike flinched and cracked one eye open to look at her. "I... can't do that."
No one said anything as two of them stared at the third, who in turn stared at the floor. Amy took a deep breath as if to say something, but froze. Doing this three more times with the same result, Lore finally yelled, "You ran away from home! What were you thinking!? Do you have any idea how worried you've made your family!?" The mare pointed at the letter and added, "This 'Twilight' is obviously distraught beyond measure!"
Both dragons flinched under the scolding tone, the older through habit and the younger because of guilt. Amy agreed with her friend, knowing that Twilight Sparkle had probably turned Canterlot upside down by now looking for her ward, but she couldn't bring herself to reprimand him for his actions. All she could muster was, "Why would you do such a thing, Spike?"
Spike looked at her. "Because, I still needed to talk to you, and I knew Twilight wouldn't want me to... She really is mad at you."
It was Lore who spoke next, her stern expression softening a little at the young dragon's confession, "Well, there's nothing for it, we're going to write a letter to Twilight explaining that you're okay and that we'll ensure your safe return to Equestria." When she said this, Spike went to argue, but the mare stopped him, "No buts young drake. You did something wrong, and you are going to set it right."
Spike sighed, but agreed. The next few minutes were spent by the young dragon writing a letter explaining that he was with Lore and Amy and that they would get him back home. When he had finished he burned the scroll to send it.
"How is it that you do that?" Lore asked in fascination. "It must be infinitely useful."
Spike shrugged and said, "Not really, I can only send things to Princess Celestia, since she was the one who put the enchantment on my fire in the first place."
It was Amy who asked the next question, "Enchantment? How did she do that?"
"I don't really know the details, just that she did it to me when I was still just a baby," he answered.
"I wonder if something can be set up with Amy, I'll have to look into it," Lore mumbled before returning her attention to young dragon. "So, while you're answering questions truthfully, would you like to explain how exactly you managed to get here by yourself?"
Spike chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's not really that important is it? I mean, I'm here, and that's all that matters, right?" Lore narrowed her eyes and said "Spike", but he cut her off there with a frantic wave of his hands in front of him. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you! Just don't scold me again! You're worse than Twilight!"
Lore smirked and looked over to Amy. "I've had a lot of practice," she said before she turned back to him. "Now, go on."
The young drake started slow, but picked up speed as went. "Well, I guess it started right after Amy finished telling me what happened to our parents and I got a little... emotional... Anyway, she left the room and Twilight came running in..."

~8~

"Hush, Spike, it will be alright. I won't let her hurt you anymore," Twilight soothed as she rubbed a hoof along his back. Spike just continued to cry into her chest, the fur there becoming matted by tears. She didn't hurt me... she's the one who's hurt. How could the world be so cruel to someone?
The young dragon would have said as much, but the revelation of just how broken Amethyst was, how much she hated herself, had really struck him. It was painful to know that she had thought of... hurting him, but she was a kid who had just lost everything; a desire to lash out was understandable. He himself had tried to frame an owl and run away when he felt he was losing his place in the world, so he could only imagine what he would do if Twilight was taken from him.
For near as long as he could remember, he had always had the thought in the back of his mind of how hard his life had been being a dragon abandoned in Equestria. He wholly, arrogantly, believed that the occasional stare and lingering uncertainties were a curse upon his life, often ignoring all of his blessings. He had always had a place and ponies to call home, as well as food and all the love he could ever need. All the while, Amethyst Thistle, his sister had suffered alone through the destruction of all that she knew and held dear.
She had saved him; had given, him the life he had now, and all she could think about were her mistakes. Spike knew he had to talk to her more, had to show the dragoness that they could still be brother and sister. He already forgave her for her confession, now he just had to help her forgive herself. It was with this thought that his body relaxed and, against his will, fell asleep. The last of his sobs turned into soft, even breaths to restore the energy the emotional outpouring had taken with it.
His eyes ached when he awoke several hours later, his face still stained with tears of sadness and shame. He pushed himself up with one claw while the other came to his head, groaning in discomfort when his skull pounded in response to the sudden movement. "Spike? Are you okay?" asked a familiar voice to his side. With a turn of his head, the young dragon saw Twilight giving him a concerned look. "You... well, you cried yourself to sleep earlier," she explained as her horn lit up and she began to pour him a glass of water from a pitcher. "Here, drink this; it will make you feel better."
Spike blushed a little at the statement, but took the offered cup and drank deeply from it, just realizing how thirsty he was. Removing it from his lips with a sigh, he looked around and croaked, "W-where am I?" once the words got out he rubbed his sore throat, "And why do I feel like I have a hangover?"
The unicorn opened her mouth to answer, but went rigid and narrowed her eyes before asking, "How do you know what a hangover is, Spike?"
"Hmm? Oh, I learned about them at Shining Armor's bachelor party," he answered as he took another sip of water to soothe his throat.
Twilight stared blankly for a moment as the young dragon tipped back his cup before she exploded, "What!?" The sudden outburst caused Spike to spit-take fabulously, the fine cloud of mist being the perfect medium for a rainbow. This went unnoticed by Twilight however, and she continued her tirade, "What in Celestia's name happened at Shiny's bachelor party that would expose you to such a thing!?" Her yell soon devolved into talking to herself, "I swear, next time I see Shiny, I'm going to... going to... guh!"
Spike had caught his breath as the unicorn tossed her hooves up in frustration. "Wow, calm down Twilight! Nothing bad happened! We just went to the arcade and played games all night."
She looked at him with suspicion. "... Then how do you know what a hangover is?"
Without missing a beat, he answered, "One of Shining's friends, Broad Sword I think, was telling me about his own bachelor party. He said that he 'Got so smashed that he couldn't stop hurling the next day and couldn't walk for three after that.' His fiancé was so mad at him that she made him sleep in a dog house. So I asked a few questions, and that was it." Twilight continued to stare at him, making the young dragon a little uncomfortable and causing him to hold a claw up. "I swear, dragon's honor."
Finally, she leaned back with a sigh and grumbled, "I'm still going to have to find this Broad Sword and have a long discussion about what is and isn't appropriate subject matter for minors," before speaking louder, "What you're feeling is the product of mild dehydration, by the way."
Spike nodded his head and finished off the last of his water, trying to think of how to ask this next question. Eventually, he decided upon the direct route. "So... where's Amy?"
Twilight scowled. "You don't have to worry about her, Spike. She left the castle not long after you fell asleep, and that was a few hours ago. If she knows what's good for her, she's probably already far away." She took Spike's cup to fill it again and said under her breath, "Good riddance."
Had her eyes been focused on him at that moment, she would have noticed his look of building panic. As it was, his outburst made the mare jolt and drop the pitcher and glass, "She left!?" The young dragon was now on his feet, jogging in place atop the bed. "She can't just leave! There's still so much to talk about!" Spike moved right in front of Twilight and grabbed her cheeks between his hands. "Where is she!? Where'd she go!?" he asked, his muzzle touching hers and their widened eyes locked onto each others. "Come on! Tell me!"
Her mouth moved on its own, divulging the information while her brain tried to catch up to the situation, "I don't know; the princesses told me she left and that it'd be best if we leave her be."
Spike growled a little at the news, but didn't let it stop him from moving. Every second spent sitting on his tail was another second she could get further away. He jumped down from the bed, all traces of weariness washed away by adrenaline as he dashed out of the room.
Twilight stared after him a moment, jaw slack before it snapped shut and she tensed. With a call of "Spike!" she was out the door and on his tail. Spike didn't hear her calls for him to stop or give a second thought to the surprised ponies he passed, both guards and castle staff, as he ran down the halls, memories guiding him to the main entrance to the castle. He was forced to dodge a few armored ponies whose first instinct upon seeing a purple blur running from Princess Celestia's personal protégé was to grab it.
Even so, he had finally reached the main entrance, the lobby-like area being trafficked even now by ponies working to keep the castle spic, span, and running smoothly. That was as far as he got before he was enveloped in a pink aura and lifted up into the air. "Let me go Twilight! I need to find her before she leaves and I lose her!" the young dragon exclaimed as he flailed about in the air, only to accomplish sending himself in a lazy spin.
Twilight walked up, panting from the sudden burst of physical activity. "I'm not letting you run around the city streets at night, Spike... Especially not to find her."
"But Twilight, this could be my last chance to see her! It took ten years the first time, I can't wait that long again!" Spike explained frantically, giving Twilight a pleading look as she righted him in the air and turned him to face her.
"And that fact alone should be more than enough for you not want to see her again!" Twilight shot back. "She abandoned you Spike! Why do you want to see her so badly?"
When the young dragon heard her voice begin to quiet, he settled down and really looked at her. What he saw made him wince a little; her head was tilted, a frown pulling at her lips, and her eyes full of confusion and hurt. "You don't know what we talked about," he said, looking down and to the side.
The mare's head tilted a little more. "No, but whatever it was must have been horrible to leave you... like that, and for her to runaway afterwards." The unspoken question joined the other; wouldn't that make you want to see her even less?
"I... Listen, Twilight, It's kind of hard to explain, but... I don't blame her for what she did, and I don't want her or anyone else to either," said Spike slowly, not sure how much of what he had learned he should share with the unicorn. "That's why I need to see her so badly; so that I can tell her that I forgive her and... that we can still be family."
Twilight's face twisted up for a moment into an expression the young dragon couldn't identify before it turned serious. "Regardless of what you think you have to do, it doesn't change the fact that you don't even know where to find her," she argued as she placed a calmed Spike down.
"Is it safe to assume this discussion is about Amethyst Thistle?" a voice asked from behind the two of them, causing Twilight to whirl around and Spike's head to jerk in its direction.
"Princess Celestia! What are you doing here!?" the lavender mare asked before her eyes widened a little further. "Not that you're not allowed to be in your own castle, I just thought you'd be asleep by now... Not that you should be or anything! It's just, it's Princess Luna's time to rule... Not-!"
"Calm yourself, Twilight, you haven't offended me," Celestia eased with a small chuckle as she made her way over to them, her golden shoes clicking against the polished floor with each step. "And I am usually retired to my chambers by this time, but tonight hasn't been the usual sort," she said before gaining a wry smile. "Besides which, I would be hard pressed not to be drawn to the disturbance a unicorn and dragon causes whilst running through the castle."
Now that the alicorn was closer, Spike could see faint bags developing beneath her eyes, made more noticeable by her alabaster coat, and that her mane wasn't flowing with the same vigor he was used to. "Are you alright, Princess? You don't look so good," Spike stated to the utter horror of the mare next to him.
"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, earning a defensive "what" from the young dragon. "That was incredibly disrespectful!"
"It's alright, I'm sure I'm not looking my best right now," Celestia sighed. "Today has been quite long and emotionally tiring. The royal dentist having to be called in for some late night work has kept me awake much longer than I have grown accustom to since Luna's return."
Spike couldn't help but be a little intrigued by her words even when there was so much else on his mind. "Why would you call a dentist at this time of night?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head and quirk of an eye-ridge.
Now standing in front of the two, the sun princess waved her wing, giving a signal to the staff and guards, most of which had followed after the commotion, in the immediate area to leave and then waited until the silent command was completed. It took less than a minute for the other ponies to clear out and Celestia to release another soft sigh, "The dentist is here to tend to Luna. As for why... let's just say Amethyst Thistle was none too pleased with my sister and I for what we had done."
Twilight was the first to puzzle out what her mentor alluded to, and yelled, "She attacked you?!"
The young dragon at her side jolted at that and looked at Celestia's guilty expression in shock. He didn't know how to respond to the revelation, caught between disbelief that the older dragon would do such a thing and sadness at imagining the emotions driving such an action.
He tried to say something, though he didn't know if it would be an apology or a question, but the solar alicorn cut him off. "I do not hold any ill will towards Amethyst for her actions and neither does Luna." A flash of regret crossed her regal features and she added, "Her anger was justified and I knew the potential consequence of my actions. To hold tonight's events against her would be unfair."
Twilight gaped like a fish. "B-but she hurt Princess Luna... Enough for a doctor to be called. Is she really not going to be punished for that?"
A small smile pulled at Celestia's lips. "While I'm sure Bright Smile would appreciate you thinking of him as such, the dentist was summoned to fix Luna's teeth, not a life threatening injury." The smile faded away as she looked straight into her student's eyes. "Tell me, Twilight, do you truly believe Amethyst should be punished for what she did?" she began, "It was I who claimed to be her friend one day and then deceived her the next." She shook her head slowly. "No, to punish her for something we caused would not be justice, it would be the act of a tyrant."
Twilight looked torn, face scrunched up as an argument was held withing her before she released a puff of air. "I understand, Princess," Twilight said, then looked to the side a bit petulantly and saying under her breath, "But assault is still a crime."
The tired smile returned to the princess's face as she shook her head again, this time in amusement. That smile faded a little when Spike finally found his voice, however quiet it was. "Do you know where she is now? Twilight told me she left the castle," the young dragon questioned. "Please, Princess, I have to talk to her."
Celestia looked at him as he took a step forward, desperation in his eyes. She lowered her head down closer to his level as she spoke, "I believe it would be best if you didn't speak with her," Spike actually bared his teeth a little at this and the alicorn hastily added, "Yet! I don't think she should be pushed into anymore confrontations unless they're on her terms."
The young dragon calmed a little, but there was still some heat in his voice when he questioned, "Why not? Nobody seemed to care about that before, and I really need to talk to her before she... she disappears," he quieted as he continued. "This could be my... our only chance to make things right between us."
Celestia looked guilty as she spoke her next words, "Yes, for all intents and purposes, we did force her into the situation, but that was a calculated risk." When both student and dragon looked confused, the princess elaborated, "From what I had gathered, I knew Amethyst's fears would prevent her from willingly agreeing to meet with Spike, regardless of if those fears were well founded."
She directed the next part to Twilight, "If I recall, there have been situations since your relocation to Ponyville that were similar, Twilight. Your encounter with the showmare is one such example; your fear of what your friends would think of you if you showed them your talents prevented you from doing so until the situation forced your hoof, and afterwards you found your fears were unfounded."
Twilight blushed a little, but Spike was the one who responded, "But it's not the same! She probably thinks I-I hate her, or something!"
Celestia quickly placated, "I understand your fears, Spike, but I truly believe giving her some time, even just a short amount, would be for the best. Let her return home, return to her friends and sort her thoughts out." When the young dragon still seemed against the idea, she made a suggestion, "We can send a letter to her through her friend, Lore Finder, and arrange a meeting then. Once she understands that you wish to speak with her, not with words of hatred, but with those of kindness, even after her confessions, I'm sure she will agree to it."
When he didn't respond right away, Twilight gave her opinion, "That sounds reasonable. It will give you time to organize your thoughts... and decide if you really still want to talk to her." That last bit was nearly growled under her breath and earned her a sharp look from her little brother. "Sorry, I know you don't like me being mad at her. I'll try and get to know her."
Spike glared a second longer before his shoulders slumped. "I get it, Twilight... And I also understand what you're saying, Princess... I guess I can wait," he looked to Celestia, "But I still want to know where she is in the city."
The solar alicorn, though initially confused by the question, still smiled upon hearing the young dragon agree to hold off on pursuing his blood sister. "I'm glad you're willing to wait; I'm sure some time to recuperate and prepare yourselves will do both of you some good. Now, as for her current whereabouts, I'm afraid I don't know. All I do know is that she will be heading home to Ford Junction by train in the morning," she said, waiting to see Spike grudgingly nod his understanding before she lifted her head and looked around.
Celestia's smile grew a little more and she chuckled, "Now, I suppose it's about time we conclude this impromptu meeting and let the castle staff resume their work."
At this, both Spike and Twilight looked around and soon noticed that the various entries into the lobby had ponies nervously standing in them, unsure if they should take another way to their destinations or simply wait for their highness to allow them passage.
This realization caused both dragon and unicorn to blush. "Uh, I think you're right. Twilight, let's go back to our room," Spike said, receiving a squeaky "yeah" as a response.



Once she had managed to stutter out a farewell to her teacher, Twilight wasted no time in teleporting both herself and Spike back to their room, leaving a bemused Celestia and confused ponies in her magical wake. The two then spent some time in awkward silence before eventually deciding to hit the hay. For the unicorn, this was fairly easy, and, within half an hour, she was sound asleep. This left Spike to lay awake with his thoughts.
Despite what the princess had said, the young dragon could not quell the fear that every second spent within the confines of the castle, Amethyst got further away and once she was gone, he'd never see her again. Many scenarios began to play through his mind of what could go wrong with Celestia's plan; the one from tonight went far from splendidly, after all.
What if she didn't return to Lore Finder, and instead wandered off into the wilderness somewhere? Or, even if she did not completely disappear, what if she went on another adventure? It could take years for her to return to her pegasus friend, which equated to years before he could speak to her again. This was assuming, of course, that she returned from her adventure in the first place.
The mere thought sent shivers down his spine. The world was a dangerous place, especially outside of Equestria, and she had a group of full-grown, psycho dragons on her scaly tail. There was a chance, however much he wished it weren't so, that she could get seriously injured or worse while traveling the globe. I have to see her. Soon... No matter what the others say.
This small thought was like a spark igniting a wildfire inside his heart, and those flames served to cook up a crazy plan inside his head. I could go and wait at the train station, she'll have to go there eventually if she's taking the first train out in the morning... But that gives her a chance to run, not to mention I may not have time to really talk to her before her train departs. The young dragon was now sitting up as he tried to put together a plan of action in the dark.
He snorted a little at that, as if missing the train to talk to her little brother when he pops up out of nowhere would be very high on her list of anxieties. No matter, there still wasn't much reason to inconvenience the dragoness any more than she was already going to to. Then what? I can't talk to her at the train station... Maybe on the train? He shook his head in the negative. No, that probably wouldn't work, I don't the bits to get on.
His eyes widened as an interesting thought came to mind. What if I don't need bits... I could sneak on. He shook his head more vigorously than before. No! That's practically stealing... but then again, it's just a train ride, I won't be hurting anything and it does solve most of my problems. Amy will make it home on time, and she'll have her friends with her like the princess said. She'll probably be less nervous with them around, I know Twilight being here helped me out.
A sudden stab of guilt struck him and Spike looked to his left at the other bed in the room, currently occupied by a lightly snoring unicorn. Twilight. Can I really just run off on her like this? I mean, I'll come back, but she'll be really worried. Maybe we should just go together, pay for the tickets and stuff. The familiar fear began to rise up again. We'd probably end up taking a different train though, and it could be too late if we do it that way.
Maybe he was being a bit irrational, fearing the difference one train ride could make, but this was his future, and it depended almost entirely on him being able to reach Amethyst Thistle. It was possible, however unlikely, that she could get beyond his reach in that short amount of time between train departures.
No, this time, I'll go it alone. With this mental declaration, the young dragon crawled to the edge of the bed and gently lowered himself down, feet dangling a moment before he dropped to the floor. He winced at the sound his toe nails made when he landed and waited with hunched shoulders for any sign that he had been heard. When he was sure Twilight had not been woken up, he released a quiet sigh and smiled.
I guess it's going to be my turn to go head first into something while you stay behind. The smile began to slip from his face as he tiptoed across the room and to the door. He opened the door just enough to squeeze through, giving a silent thanks to whoever was in charge of keeping the hinges oiled, and slipped out, stopping only long enough to look at Twilight one last time. Sorry Twilight, but I'll be back soon.



Luckily, the halls had been lit well enough by softly glowing stones embedded in the walls for him to navigate with ease, making his haphazard plan easy to carry out. He had decided that, if he were going to be staying hidden on a train, that a little food would be needed for the trip. With that in mind, the young dragon had snuck his way to the kitchen, careful not to be seen by anypony, grabbed a couple of apples and wrapped them in a fancy napkin.
With provisions in hand, he proceeded to sneak out of the castle, a surprisingly easy feat as the patrolling guards atop the castle walls didn't seem very attentive, and made his way through the streets of his birth place. The young dragon was slightly surprised when he saw the moon near the horizon, as it meant dawn was not far off. I guess I spent more time lying in bed than I thought.
This realization only served to hurry his feet as it meant Amy's departure was closer than he had suspected. As he went, he saw a few ponies wandering the street, mostly teens enjoying the night life, but he paid them as much attention as they did to him. The added speed did its job and he soon found himself at the Canterlot Pony Express train station. Spike slowed as he neared, looking around for a spot to hide until the train arrived.
It was in this search that his eyes fell upon one of the many benches for waiting ponies to rest on. More important however, was the benches current occupant. The familiar brown cloak and size would have been telling enough, but a long, purple, reptilian tail removed any doubt. "Amy," the young dragon breathed before slamming a claw over his mouth and looking around frantically. He scurried behind a metal trash can and pressed his back against it. The seconds dragged on as he kept his ear fins perked. When no sounds of stirring reached him, he looked around to see her still there, unmoved.
Huh... well I guess that answers where she went... Now I just have to figure out what to do about it. The thought crossed his mind to go over and talk to her, but the memory of Celestia's words and why he had planned to follow her in the first place stopped him. Should I really go through with this now that she's right there? Does she really need to be home for this to work? He shook his head of the thought, determined to do what was best for his sister. If that was leaving Equestria so that she could have the support of her friends, then that was what he was going to do.
"That still leaves me with nothing to do for the next couple of hours," Spike mumbled to himself as he stared at the sleeping dragoness across the station. He tore his gaze away and began looking around for somewhere to stay out of sight. Besides the benches, trash cans, and ticket booth, the area was pretty open. The young dragon tilted his head back in frustration and got an answer to his hiding spot problem. The idea caused him hesitation and he chewed his bottom lip as he tried to decide if he was really willing to do it. With a sigh of resignation he tied his makeshift bag of provisions around his wrist and began to climb up the side of the trash can, thankful Canterlot ponies were frivolous enough to not settle for simple ones.
Let no one say I'm not committed to this. Spike's claws easily found perches on the extravagant engravings around the bronze-colored surface of the stationary can, and he soon found himself leaning over the top. He was happy to see that it was mostly empty, the bag probably being replaced before sunset, there only being a few glass bottles and an assortment of balled up papers. With one last glance at Amy, the young dragon pulled himself the rest of the way up and threw his legs over the edge before dropping down to the crinkle of plastic.
His temporary hide-out was not too deep and he could still reach the edge if he jumped high enough. With nothing else to do, Spike pushed the bottles aside and sat down, grabbing a clean wad of paper and setting it behind his head to rest against while he waited.



*Wooh, woooh!* "Ahhh!"
The young dragon looked around frantically, bottle brandished to defend himself. When he remembered where he was, his head shot upwards, and his eyes were forced shut by the light. Did... did I really fall asleep in the trash?... Twilight must never know. Spike climbed to his feet, dropped his weapon, and bent his knees. With all of his might, he jumped and grabbed hold of the lip of the trash can.
Breathing out, he strained his stubby arms to pull his head over the edge. He was immediately assaulted by the sight of technicolor ponies boarding and disembarking from a train. His heart sped up as he tried to spot his target. When he finally spotted the tall, hooded figure of Amy, he sighed in relief.
"Ahem" the sound caused Spike to turn and look at a unicorn stallion currently watching him with a raised brow.
"Eh, haha. Hey there," the young dragon said. "Uh, I hate to ask, but do you think you can help me out of here?"
In truth, he probably would not have thought to ask if his brain wasn't still starting up from sleep, but he was glad he did. The stallion didn't say anything and rolled his eyes, but his horn glowed and Spike soon found himself deposited on the ground and a piece of trash taking his place in the can. He was a little surprised the pony didn't seem to question why a dragon was in the trash, but shook it away and focused on Amy.
The dragoness was moving slowly to the locomotive, and Spike was a little worried to see a slight limp in her step, but he knew he didn't have time to worry about it. He hid behind a beam as he watched her board the train, confirming that it was the one he needed to sneak onto. Scanning the scene, he saw an earth pony lifting luggage up from a cart so that another could above could pull them into the baggage car.
Narrowing his eyes in determination, Spike put together the next phase of his plan and prepared to initiate it. He took one last glance to see Amy disappear into the train, and knew it was time to act. Utilizing all the stealth skills at his disposal, the young dragon wondered if the scale tight, full body suit Twilight had once made him wear would have helped in his sneaky exploit, but, after some thought, figured it would make him standout even more.
Ignoring the few glances he got, Spike ducked, rolled, and crawled his way behind the luggage cart, glad the ponies that mattered didn't see him. Tensed and ready, he waited for the earth pony to grab the handle of a particularly large suitcase and started dragging it to the car. Spike moved in tandem with the suitcase, staying low and out of sight in its shadow. When the pony stopped and prepared to throw it up to the one inside, the young dragon got ready.
As the suitcase was tossed, Spike leapt, side by side with it, and landed on his belly within the car. The sound of his landing was hidden by the much louder one caused by the suitcase, but he wasn't in the clear yet. Ignoring the desire to gasp and catch his breath, the dragon scooted across the floor towards the first nook he saw. The relative darkness of the place and the worker ponies' displeasure for the monotonous work kept Spike hidden as he squeezed between a crate and trunk.
He didn't make a sound as the two ponies finished loading the car and then went about unenthusiastically checking the cargo. When they had finally left, Spike gasped for air and coughed. Despite the rough landing, he was just glad to have made it on the train. Now I just have to not get caught on the way there... How am I going to avoid getting caught when the luggage starts to get switched off, or if Amy gets on another train? He shook his head and retrieved an apple from his food stash and started munching it. I'll figure it out then, I'm sure there won't be too many other trains on the way.



He was wrong. Very wrong. The trip did not go nearly as smooth as he wanted, and the young dragon found himself hungry, thirsty, and his nerves quite frayed by the end. At every stop, he was forced to play the most heart attack inducing-game of hide-and-seek of his life. He counted it as a blessing that the seekers didn't know they were playing.
On top of having to jump from nook to cranny as stuff was taken on and off of the train, he was also forced to exit out the door between cars and climb up the ladder to peek out over the locomotive to spot whether or not Amy was changing trains. The one time she did, he had to belly crawl across the top of the train to get to the new one. This also meant he had to re-enact his brazen exploits of day one when he climbed down to the platform so as to get onto the new train undetected.
If the stress wasn't bad enough, he had also discovered how woefully under-packed he was. He had finished the last of his provisions by lunchtime, and found his stomach being bit by the sharp fangs of hunger by nightfall. It wasn't until the sun began to set on day two that he realized he'd have to find new supplies instead of simply waiting it out. It was with remorse that he began to rummage through cargo in search of food. Though it wasn't much, mostly small gifts like candies and such, Spike found himself with enough food to at least get by with, and even found some sparkling water someone had decided to by a case of.
It was also around this time that the first letter of many over the rest of the trip came. In it was written the obvious questions of "What happened? Where are you?" and "Are you okay?" as well as questions of how they could help him get home. He didn't respond as he did not have any ink, and that seemed to only scare his friends as their next letter was more frantic. He could recognize Twilight's penmanship as she pleaded to whoever abducted him to return her little brother and that she'd give anything for his safe return. At this, the young dragon began to look for ink, but before he found any, the next letter came, and within it were harsh demands for his safety as well as threats to, of all people, Amethyst Thistle. It seemed Twilight had let her imagination get to her.
Upon reading things he'd never imagine coming from Twilight Sparkle, he no longer wasted time looking for ink and instead burned his cloth napkin, using the ash to scrawl out a simple message on the back of the letter and sending it back. He had to keep the message simple, not wanting to give away what he was doing in case Twilight found him before he reached Amy. He wrote that he was okay, that he left on his own, that he would return soon, and for her not to worry.
This didn't seem to pacify the unicorn as her next letter contained something he recognized from years of being the assistant to a mage, a tracking sigil. He burned the letter as soon as he set eyes on the thing, and hoped Twilight would get the message. He loved the mare, but he couldn't let her interfere in this.
It was with great relief that on the fourth day, he heard the announcement that the next stop would be Ford Junction. When the train had come to a stop, the young dragon wasted no time in sneaking off the train one final time. Getting past the minotaur and gryphon workers was child's play after all the practice he had gotten on the way, and he was soon hiding behind a trash can as he searched for his sister.
It was harder then back in Equestria as there were others matching her height here, but a purple tail peeking out from beneath the cloak of a hooded figure gave him his answer. Once she had stepped off the platform, he quickly made to follow her. Spike stopped when the street came into view, and saw the most non-ponies he had ever seen besides the great dragon migration. He snapped back to attention when Amy began to disappear into the crowd.
He ran after the dragoness, amazed how she managed to flow through the streets like water, and he found himself running faster to keep up with her. He bumped into the legs of others more times than he could count, and didn't want to remember how many times he had slipped between the legs of strangers. Ignoring the angry and indignant shouts, he saw Amy turn into an alleyway and he began to fear he would lose her.
The thought alone drove his stubby legs even faster as he to made it to the alley entrance. Any fear he had of losing sight of her was replaced with a fear for his well-being as he made the turn.
"Take thi-SPIKE!?"
Even over the sound of his own screaming, the crack of the staff impacting the ground could be heard, and he felt himself struck by bits of rock and dirt. He continued screaming as the dragon dropped her weapon as if it were of made of glowing iron. She hissed in pain as she let go of her bag and cradled her sore claw with her other arm. "What are you doing here!?" she hissed.
Spike had fallen at some point, but he was too busy screaming to have noticed. When he finally ran out of air, he realized he had yet to say anything. "What's with *gasp* people trying to *gasp* give me a heart attack *wheeze* lately? First *gasp* Discord and now you," the young dragon got out as he pat his chest a few times. If it was possible, Spike was sure his scales were going to turn grey when everything was over with.
"Don't try and change the subject!" Amy exclaimed before covering her mouth. Her eyes darted around before she uncovered her mouth and whispered harshly, "How did you get here!? Why!?"
Spike had to suppress wincing at that. Come on, Spike, you knew she wasn't going to be happy about this, don't back down now. The young dragon stood and mustered all of the determination he could, ready to show her that he meant business. "Because we weren't done talking yet, that's why," he answered, staring her straight in the eyes.
Her own widened before she shook her head, grabbed her things and rushed him. Before he knew it, he was tucked underneath Amy's arm like a sack of flower. "H-hey, what are you doing!? Put me down!" the younger dragon demanded, attempting to pull her strong arm from around his midsection.
"Be quiet, Spike! I need to get us somewhere safe, and we can't have people seeing you," she whispered.
Spike stopped his struggles as curiosity overwhelmed his indignation. "Why not?" he asked.
"I've earned some dangerous enemies over the years who would love nothing more than to get me out of the picture and some of them wouldn't hesitate to use you to do just that," she answered.
The young dragon tensed, being reminded of the dragons Amy had told him about. The idea of being used against his own kin made his stomach drop. What if me being here really does cause her trouble? He reprimanded himself as soon as the idea entered his mind. No, it's too late for regrets now, and there's no turning back. "Okay..." he whispered back before adding a little a little louder, "Just ask before doing stuff like that though!" He may have understood why secrecy was needed, but that didn't mean he had to like being treated like a piece of luggage without an opinion.
Amy didn't say anything as she shifted him to be better hidden under her cloak and began to run. It was not a pleasant trip for the young dragon as he was uncomfortably jostled and only had the cobblestone below to look at. In only a few minutes the dragoness made it to her destination, leaving a trail of upset citizens in her wake.
He had grown dizzy from the rough handling and didn't pay attention to the exchange of words between Amy and a second, masculine voice. By the time he had started to get the world to stop spinning, his transport was on the move again, the floor and lighting telling him they were now inside. The wind was nearly knocked out of him as Amy ran up multiple flights of stairs, making his abdomen bounce uncomfortably against her forearm.
Eventually, Spike grew bothered by the silence and parted the cloak like a curtain. "Where are we going?" he asked
It was then that she came to a stop in front of a door and answered, "To see a friend."
With that, she began pounding on the door until a male voice started shouting from inside the apartment and a female one asked "Who's there?"
"It's me, Lorey, I'm back." replied the dragoness.
He had already been interested in meeting one of Amy's friends, but became even more so at the mention of the name, "'Lorey'. Is she the Lore Finder I read about?"
That got a quirked brow from the older dragon and she asked, "You read about her?"
Before he could answer, the sound of the chain lock sliding stopped and the voice spoke, "Amy... Why is there a child out there with you?" Upon being asked, the dragoness froze, staring at the door and mouth working silently. "...Amy? Are you alright?" Lore inquired as she slid the lock the rest of the way and cracked open the door to reveal one magenta eye.
It was Spike, tired of his position, who answered, pushing the cloak aside, "I think she's just spacing out."
When the pony's eyes fell upon the little dragon under her friends arm, they widened and her pupils shrunk. "Wh-who are you?"
The young dragon would have answered right then and there, but Amy, finally recovering from her thousand yard stare, said, "Not out here," and pushed their way into the apartment.
Once they were no longer out in the open, Lore Finder repeated her question, this time the slight quiver replaced with an edge of steel, "Amethyst Thistle, who is that young dragon under your arm?"
Said dragoness looked between him and the mare a few times as she fumbled, "Well... You see, the thing is... He's... Ah, well, this dragon is my-"
"Hey, can you put me down already? I can stand, after all," said Spike, a little peeved at being cut off earlier. When she did so with a "Sorry", the young dragon wiped at imaginary dust from his torso to cover hide his nerves with false aloofness. Lore's question of "Who are you?" got Amy stuttering again, and Spike decided it'd be for the best if he just put it out in the open for the girl. "Hi, my name is Spike... and I'm her brother."
The room fell silent as the young dragon watched Lore, silently surprised by how lackluster her response was. Finally the mare spoke, "Huh, that answers a few questions... and raises many more."



...And the rest you already know," concluded Spike. The story, as long as it was, didn't take that long to tell, even with interruptions from the audience. When Amy heard the details of how he had made it to Ford Junction, she had wanted to get more food into him. It took both him and Lore to convince her he didn't need any, and to let him finish. He probably didn't have to relive the events of his and his sister's arrival to the apartment, but he had gotten lost in the story telling. Even so, he made sure not to bring up his near-fainting spell. After he saw Amy's reaction to when he mentioned not eating on the train, he didn't want to remind her of that.
"Wow," the dragoness began, "That's... something."
"Yes, that was something," the pegasus began, voice rising slowly. "That was the most asinine and irresponsible thing I've ever heard! What were you thinking!?"
Spike leaned back in his seat and whispered, "I just wanted to be closer to my sister, is all."
Lore blew a puff of air from her nostrils before settling down. "And I understand that, but surely you knew it would have been better to listen to Princess Celestia?... I assure you, Amy's far too much a pain in my flank to be gone for long, she'd have been here when both of you were ready."
Both dragons looked embarrassed, and the older one said, "Come on, Lorey, give the kid a break. We've all done stupid stuff when we were young... myself included."
Any response the mare had was interrupted by Spike cheeks bulging before he received another scroll via emerald fire. Habit had him snatching the message out of the air. The young dragon didn't say anything as he looked from the scroll to the other two occupants of the room. No prompting was needed for him to continue, and he unrolled the parchment to read it out loud.


Dear Spike,
Let me first say how relieved everypony is to hear that you are safe and with those who will take care of you. Now, I want you to know that, though we are upset about your rash decisions, you will not be punished for them. We simply want to ensure your safe return to us. Twilight has been climbing the walls worrying about you. It took my assurance that you would be both okay and home soon to prevent her from attempting to teleport across the kingdom.
We on this side have discussed what would be the best course of action, and have decided upon a plan. If all parties agree, then I will send another round trip ticket, this time for you and any others, so you can travel by train, escorted by an adult back to Equestria. If an escort cannot be acquired, then Twilight has agreed to come and escort you back herself.
I hope this proposal is to your liking and I hope to hear a response soon.
Your friend, Princess Celestia
P.S.
Twilight wants me to make clear that she would be more than happy to be the one to bring you back. Luna also wishes to inform Amethyst that she does not hold any ill-will towards her and would like to talk about what happened. This is a sentiment I share, and I hope to see you as well.


"Now I'm curious why Luna would feel the need to state that she is not angry with you," Lore began, turning narrowed eyes to her friend, "What exactly did you do to one of Equestria's co-rulers that would warrant such a statement, Amy?"
Spike had to think about it a moment before his conversation with Princess Celestia came to mind and he snapped a claw in understanding. "Oh yeah! You hit Princess Luna in the face! A dentist was even called to fix her teeth!" exclaimed the young dragon, oblivious to what he had just unleashed upon his sister with a mere slip of the tongue. He had left out that detail of the story as he didn't think it was necessary, but that didn't mean he didn't remember it.
Amy's head dropped in both shame and resignation as Lore went rigid. When the pegasus spoke it was in a deceptively calm tone, "You hit a Royal Princess of Equestria," Amy flinched under the statement, but did not refute it. "Well, there is only one thing I can say about that, Amethyst Thistle..."