The trio of one unicorn, an alicorn, and a dragon trekked through the Everfree in the light of early morning. It was especially dim in the forest thanks to the cover provided by the trees. Spike was leading the group as his sight wasn't hindered by the lack of light. Twilight was bringing up the rear, she had enough magic to handle anything so long as she could detect it in time. Trixie was in the middle for safety, as she was the weakest of the group.
"How exactly do we know where we're going?" Trixie asked from behind Spike.
"I've met the dragon of the Everfree before, he almost ate me once. His cave is this way. He's the only dragon here, he'd never allow another within his territory. So, I figured it has to be him." Spike replied without taking his eyes off of the path before him. His was able to travel fairly quickly, despite the weight of the hammer he carried. Twilight had helped his sling it to himself with a chain enabling him to remain on all fours, but still have quick access to the weapon.
"Then why are there two dragons up ahead?" Trixie asked pointing to two mountainous forms ahead. They were just coming into view, they lay battered and beaten at the entrance of the green dragon's lair. The trees thinned here allowing more light and a better view.
The green dragon of the Everfree was most definitely the larger form, but he seemed the most gravely injured. Slashes marred his body deeply, but looked insignificant compared to the worst wound. There was a deep puncture wound in his chest, presumably going all the way into his heart. It was definitely made by the spade of the golden dragon's tail which was dyed red. As they drew nearer it was plain to see he was not breathing. Beside him lay a dragon of a breed Spike had not seen before, it had golden scales and a pale blue underbelly. Upon it's head was a crest of four points, it looked a bit like the fossils of a dinosaur Spike had seen in a museum. It had three spines on each cheek and one small horn at the top of it's nose. It seemed to be breathing, but seemed to be having difficulty with it.
"She's beautiful." Spike said stopping dead in his tracks, taking in the scene.
He had never been face to face with a female dragon before, he wasn't into females anymore, or dragons, but from an objective standpoint she was quite a sight. Even the injuries across her form did little to diminish her beauty. She shined like a freshly minted bit. Truly gorgeous in the early morning sun despite her imperfections.
"She? The gold one or the green one?" Trixie asked unsure of the genders of the dragons. Spike was the only dragon she had ever met, and the wounds covering the both of them made her too uneasy to look at them for long.
"The gold one obviously, how can you not tell the difference?" Spike asked as astounded as if Trixie was asking what color the sky was.
"Well excuse me, I've never seen a grown dragon before." Trixie said in a huff.
"Few of your kind have ever seen me and lived to tell of it." The golden dragon said through no small amount of pain. Trixie instinctively ducked behind Spike for safety.
Spike had been taught how to speak to an elder dragon by Luna. She had supposedly had far more interactions with them than his mother. It was wise to mind yourself when talking to a dragon, especially if you were below the age of two-thousand. Luna was the only pony dragon's held in high regard, as they respect only power. As for Celestia, she was always a diplomat and avoided conflict with them.
"Twilight, Trixie let me do the talking. Otherwise I can't guarantee we'll get out of here." Spike said stepping toward the behemoth that was the lady dragon. The pair nodded and retreated a safe distance.
"You bear the hammer that cracked the skulls of many of our kin, and you smell of the magics of ponies and the mad god. Who are you hatchling?" The golden dragon asked as she opened an enormous blue eye. Spike knew he was not permitted to ask her name, a sacred trust among elder dragons, but since she had far more power than him she was allowed to demand his.
"I am Prince Sullivan Amadeus Equestria, knight protector of these lands, son of the White Flame and nephew of the Star Bearer." Spike replied placing a claw over his chest as he used the names his people called the royal sisters.
"The White Flame is your mother? And the Star Bearer entrusts you with her weapon? Such an oddity you are. You are the last thing I would have imagined seeing in my final hour." She said with a threateningly toothy grin.
"Do you mean to say you are dying?" Spike asked, concerned for the giantess.
"Indeed I am hatchling, I have divorced my husband and come out of it victorious. Regrettably he has caused my end as well." She said lifting her side just enough to show Spike her mangled underbelly.
Though the damage done to the rest of her was minor, the internal injuries she had sustained would end her soon. Spike knew there was no amount of magic in the world that could save a pony from that sort of injury, let alone a dragon. He had to pry himself from these thoughts to focus on her words.
"Divorce? I am unfortunately lacking in knowledge of the customs of our kind, but is this the norm for such things?" He asked trying to hide disgust.
"Yes, my mate thought I was unfaithful to him, though I rarely left the den. He believed our child looked too little like him. He refused to believe she merely takes after my mother." She said with a roll of the eyes. It bothered Spike greatly that death was so easy to accept for her. Her words raised an important question however.
"Child? Is she unharmed?" Spike asked looking around the clearing. Hopefully the baby was alright.
The she-dragon moved her arm weakly and stretched it out toward Spike. Slowly, the enormous clawed hand opened revealing a single white and teal egg. It seemed perfectly untouched by it's parent's life and death struggle.
"I was expecting her to be... hatched, before such drastic measures would be warranted." Spike said trying to keep up the formalities through his surprise.
"That is of no matter, neither of us had any white. She will be white, as evident from the shell she resides in, that was enough to raise his suspicions. I regret that she will grow cold and expire without me, even though I won out against my former mate." The golden dragon said sadly as a few boiling tears fell from her eyes.
Spike was deeply saddened by the turn of events, he had not dealt with much death in his short life, and here before him a whole family was needlessly dead or dying. He knew little about his kind, but knew this wasn't right in his heart. It was definitely too late for the parents, but there seemed to be hope for the child.
"I could take her and raise her for you, I know I'm young, but I don't wish to see her life end before it begins." Spike said dropping to his knees, as was customary when asking something of a dragon elder.
The golden dragon seemed genuinely surprised by Spike's offer. Spike could understand that, dragons were a brutal race, and cared little for anything other than wealth. Even if there was a life at risk it was unlikely a strange dragon would aid another without selfish motive. She closed her eyes and contemplated his words. After a brief moment, she reopened her eyes, presumably having come to a decision.
"You are unlike any other dragon I have met, you seem to genuinely care for others and live in harmony with the ponies, I can smell them on you. You are full of magic, far more than any your age has right to, and yet you keep it in check. You restrain your greed with ease, any other would have left me to die and took the riches from the cave behind me already. You will be a force to be feared to those that threaten your lands in ages to come. I believe your words, but cannot entrust my child to one so young." The dragon said seemingly disappointed.
"Why? If you know I will care for her, why not entrust her to me?" Spike said angrily, his composure lost, all he wanted was to save the unborn dragoness.
"You yet lack the means to care for her, and you are not yet strong enough to protect her. You live with the ponies who have numerous predators, danger will never be far away. There is a way to change this, but the pain may break you." The dying mother said in a tone that reflected the gravity of the situation. Her words somehow carried a weight that Spike could feel upon his shoulders already.
"What would I need to do?" Spike asked uncertain he would like the answer.
"You must stand before me and feel my fire, my last breath. It is a ritual that can only be performed by one on their death bed. A small part of me will feed your magic and you will change. You will learn what I have to teach you, and you will have the means, and power to nurture and protect my spawn. It will be painful, it will force it's way through your scales, and on into your heart." The aged dragon said with a voice that obviously knew of pain.
"If I can save her life, I'll take the pain." Spike said throwing the hammer aside, bracing himself to face the flames.
"Then you are a soul kinder than any of us before you, I pray my daughter will grow to be the same in your care." The dragon said with the saddest smile Spike had ever seen.
He silently prayed all would be well, he still had a life to build with Macintosh, and a baby yet to be born depending on him. He knew Twilight would take the egg if he failed, but hatching one dragon was an incredible feat in itself, another would likely be impossible. His mother had once told him his egg was growing cold when it was used during Twilight's test. He had been found in an abandoned cave only a week before, she herself hadn't managed to hatch him in that time, proof of the difficulty.
The great dragoness took in a deep breath, though it clearly pained her. A second later Spike's world was consumed in flames of blue. It was beautiful until the burning started, dragons aren't accustomed to burning, as all natural heat was nothing but a comfort to them. Spike had never been burned by another dragon before either. All he knew was that this fire was seeping into his core, and that he had never felt so terrible. He could feel the power seep into him, It was far more terrible than anything he had ever felt, but he gritted his teeth and barred it. There was a life on the line.
After what felt like an eternity the pain stopped, replaced by familiar warmth. Along with it came sudden understandings, knowledge of his kind both great and terrible. He opened his eyes in time to see the flames enshrouding him change from blue to a familiar green. In another moment the flames dissipated, showing Spike the world he knew again. He could feel his body grow again, not as much as a growth spurt would force him to, but a fair bit. He estimated he was about two and a half feet taller. His insides felt different as well, he could tell his inner fire was much hotter than before. He felt more powerful in general now, the mother dragon's power had given him much.
He looked to the gold dragoness who still wore her sad smile as her eyes closed for the last time. The egg lay in front of her, still in her outstretched talons, waiting for him. He could feel an invisible connection to it, as if it really was his child. Before Spike could go to it the mares rushed back to his side. They had been forced to watch the spectacle helplessly, dragon fire wasn't to be trifled with.
"Spike! Are you crazy? What if that had been a trap or something?" Twilight said scolding him.
"I had to do it, otherwise the baby would have died with her. I didn't know anything about taking care of it, and now I know everything I need to." Spike said as he walked off to claim the egg.
"Why are you bigger? I thought you couldn't grow more for twenty years?" Trixie asked looking him over.
"I grew because I needed to be bigger to hatch the egg properly." Spike said picking the egg up carefully.
"I'm not sure I follow." Twilight said tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion.
Spike didn't answer, instead he craned his neck down to his hands and carefully put it onto his tongue, avoiding his fangs. He lifted his head back up slowly and lifted it straight up as high as he could. The mares watched in horror as the egg could be seen traveling down Spike's esophagus as a large bulge. It ceased being visible when it got to the bottom, he had seemingly swallowed it whole. After rubbing his midsection gently he looked back to the slack-jawed mares.
"What?" He asked unsure of their surprised reactions.
"You just ate the baby!" Both mares bellowed at him causing him to cover his ear fins.
"What? I'd never eat anyone, especially not a baby! I'm just keeping it warm!" He said appalled at their insinuation.
"In your stomach?" Trixie asked skeptically.
"No, in my flame chamber, that's were my fire is produced. Apparently that's the main reason I needed her magic, my flame chamber is now just as developed as a dragon a few times my age would have." Spike said pointing to a spot opposite his heart.
"You know this how exactly? We were right over there, and I didn't hear her mention anything like that." Twilight said pointing to where she and Trixie had listened at.
"Dunno, but after the pain went away I knew stuff about dragons, like everything. For instance the male is supposed to warm the egg in the first place because males have bigger flame chambers." Spike said adopting Twilight's lecture tone and raising a clawed finger in a matter-of-fact way.
"That's cool and all, but does that mean you're pregnant?" Trixie said snickering to herself.
Spike's expression changed to an annoyed one quickly. He opened his mouth to chastise her but stopped when he came to a sudden realization.
"Oh buck, I'm pregnant with a stranger's baby." He said in a tone of desperation. He seemed pretty close to panicking at this point.
"Spike, calm down. Stress is bad for the baby." Twilight told her brother, entirely uncertain whether or not that was applicable to the situation. Regardless it seemed to ease Spike's nerves a bit, he didn't want to risk harming the child in some way.
"So, this is pretty high up there on the weird scale. I wonder how Macintosh is going to react to this." Trixie said genuinely curious.
"I'm not sure how to react to this. Ancient evils and magical disasters are way less complicated than... whatever you call this situation." Twilight groaned, already feeling the oncoming headache.
"We should figure out what to do with them, it wouldn't be right to just leave them here." Spike said as he looked to the defeated giants.
"Yes, sorry. You're right Spike, I wasn't thinking of them as people, I'm ashamed to admit." Twilight replied guiltily.
"We can't exactly bury them, it would take much more time than we have to do. They would be in a sorry state by then." Trixie said sadly as she tried averting her eyes from the fallen titans.
"According to what I know now, dragons cremate the remains of their loved ones. I guess we're more flammable when we're dead." Spike said grimly.
"Then shouldn't you do it? I mean your breathe fire and all." Trixie asked, stating the obvious.
"I can't make enough without endangering the baby, I could light a torch and use that, but we'd need to use some kind of accelerate on them." Spike replied as he clutched the spot where the egg resided safely.
With that, the group agreed to depart the forest to retrieve supplies from home. Before they left, Spike took a scale from each of the dragons. He planned to give them to the baby when she came of age. Spike had always wondered who his biological parents were, he intended to make sure his daughter wouldn't want for that. It would be difficult, but he had no desire to lie to her. When she was old enough she would know the truth. The immediate future however, seemed far more worrisome. He just hoped Macintosh wanted kids.