Irreplaceable

by La Barata

Irreplaceable - Prologue

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY CAVE? AND WHY ARE YOU EATING MY GEMS?"
Hastily spitting out the long topaz gem he'd been sucking on, Spike's mind raced. The dragon was colossal, easily fifty, no, a hundred times his size, maybe even bigger. Scrambling to his feet, he began to backpedal as he attempted to reason with the snarling giant.
"Uh, Heya, bro! I didn't know this was your cave, and I didn't know these were your gems! But, we're cool, right? Woah, WOAH, we're like brothers, you know! Us against the world, right?!"
He looked about, seeking an avenue of escape. How had he gotten himself into this mess? He thought back to several hours ago, as a furious Twilight Sparkle had stormed out of the Ponyville library, that owl- THAT BLASTED OWL- sitting on her back. As she left, it had slowly turned hits head to watch him, those smug eyes letting him know full well that he'd lost. Twilight was HIS now, Spike had officially been replaced. Ever since that smug, condescending featherbag had flapped its way into his life, he'd had nothing but misfortune, culminating in the loss of his best friend. She was more than my best friend, he thought. She was like my sister. Almost like my mother. But she's gone now, replaced me with HIM. Spike's eyes and heart grew hard. If he was going out, it would be on his feet like a man, not babbling apologies like a coward. "You don't scare me!" he yelled, claws outstretched in a defiant address.
"So you're big... really big... And your claws're super sharp... and your tail... extra spiky..." Shaking away his trepidation, he again shouted his challenge.
"You don't scare me!"
Inhaling, he drew back and blast forth a plume of green flame.
"How d'you like that?!"
The great green and gold beast rose, rearing to its full height. It drew in a great breath, threw back its head and laughed. Its deep, throaty chuckle echoed throughout the cave.
"Well, little one. That is certainly a mighty roar you have there. You could almost toast a marshmallow with it." Reaching down, he gingerly lifted Spike with two claws. Placing him in the palm of his other hand, he raised him up to eye level.
"What is such a small and, if I may say so, fierce" here, the dragon chuckled again, sending wisps of smoke from its nose and mouth "young one doing out here on his own? Where is your clan?"
Spike's voice faltered as he answered.
"I- I`m alone. I don't have a clan. No family". His mind turned to Twilight and the rest, how they'd replaced him with that thrice damned buzzard.
"No friends.".
The dragon cocked an immense, scaly eyebrow.
"Is that so? How then, I ask, did you get here?"
Spike sat down, leaning against the other dragon's scaly fingers. Taking a deep breath, he began his story. He told him of his life, from his birth in Canterlot, as part of Twilight Sparkle's entrance exam to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, to the present day, his rejection and self imposed exile from Ponyville. The great beast listened to his story with interest, remaining silent throughout. As Spike finished his tale, the dragon spoke.
“You have suffered through much, young one. Our kind are not meant to be servants, nor are we pets. Although you took to your position willingly, and fought to keep it, you were still cast aside. You are blameless in this affair, it is all you were raised to know. To be raised in servitude...” He shook his head in disgust.
“Unforgivable.”
Spike shrugged his head, despondent.
“What can I do? Like you said, it’s all I’ve ever known. What do I do now?” A slow grin spread across the great beast’s fanged mouth.
“ I believe I know exactly what to do from this moment forwards. Tell me, young one...
Have you ever dreamt of the sky?”