//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: First Signs 
// Story: Beyond Possibilities 
// by The Grimm Reaper 
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	I couldn't wrap my head around it; since last week, I'd been getting a strange feeling in my head. It was a painful feeling, but that wasn't what made it strange. No matter where I turned, the pain would shift to accommodate the original direction, like a compass. Only problem was, there was nothing in Equestria's Draconic Biology books that had any record of such symptoms, not that those tomes would be expected to be of any assistance. The more valid description would be to say tome, as in singular. Very little was known about Dragons, and I was of no help, given I was raised by Ponies.
It wasn't a bad lifestyle per-say, certainly more enjoyable that what I'd experienced during one of the Great Dragon Migrations. For years, I held no love for my own kind after what those teenage dragons subjected me to, and for years more, I feared that such behaviour would become a part of my own nature as I grew. But I was pleased to discover that my lifestyle among Equestrians had matured me, ironically prematurely. Of all the ponies in my life there was one I could thank for raising me to be who I was. That pony's name was Twilight Sparkle. She was for all intents and purposes, my mother, having used her own magic to hatch me as part of a school entrance exam. But despite the fact that she raised me, she was still very young herself. So to me she was more of an older sister.
Nevertheless, my personality was based off of her own, at least all the good bits. I was certainly a lucky dragon to have her in my life. Being with her lead me to the pony of my dreams, Rarity. Easily the most beautiful out of our circle of friends. While I admit, I found the others appealing to some extent, none could shine brighter than a gem like Rarity. Her opalescent white coat and that rich Royal Purple mane and tail styled in extravagant curls. No matter how much I grew up, she would always take my breath away. Her younger sister, Sweetie Belle wasn't without her own attractive traits, but I'd rather hear their cat, Opal scratching against a blackboard than hear Sweetie's high pitched voice whenever she got excited.
Rainbow Dash. As acrobatically varied as a Rainbow, and about as difficult to dissuade from her path as a speeding arrow. Certainly beautiful in that tomboyish way, with her slender figure that allowed for aerodynamic manoeuvrability. Certainly a great role model, especially for Scootaloo, a late bloomer in terms of flight. Both were very attractive and certainly a great catch for any lucky stallion.
Applejack, ever the hard worker and honest to a fault. Virtually the physical opposite of Rarity. Where my dear (imaginary) marefriend despised getting dirty so much so it verged on a borderline phobia, Applejack had grown up around it. Being a farmer, it was near impossible not to get covered in mud, even if she was an Apple Farmer. Her younger sister, Apple Bloom; cute enough to steal even the heart of Cupid himself. She seemed disinterested in romance, yet enjoyed my company. I knew what that meant.
Pinkie Pie. What could I say about her? If crazy could be made cute, it was Pinkie Pie. Her randomness and outward innocence prevented even the meanest of ponies from being angry with her for more than a few seconds. High maintenance, but probably worth it. Only an insomniac would be able to handle her waking hours.
Finally, there was Fluttershy. She had a special relationship with Rarity, much the same way Rainbow Dash had with Applejack. They'd become best friends in a manner that didn't seem to be more or less important that the relationship they all had with each other and me. Beatifically speaking, Fluttershy and Rarity couldn't be more opposite. Where Rarity's beauty was aided with cosmetics and synthetic designs, Fluttershy was natural. I had to admit that she was even more beautiful than Rarity, however, something about the white mare prevented me from recognising that.
I loved each and every one of those mares in my own way, but I couldn't rightly see a future with any of them, even my sweet Rarity. That revelation hurt the most. All I could do was admire the unique traits all the mares had that I grew to love about them. I knew that even after all but Twilight were dead and gone, I would love them until the end of time, just as Twilight would.
What disturbed me morally was that I also placed Twilight in that category. Chronologically speaking, she would have been the best choice to start an intimate life with, but the fact that she was like a sister to me seemed more like an obstacle than an actual excuse. After all, she was beautiful too. Something about her dexterous nature and her innocent and inexperienced gait was alluring. The thought of another stallion taking her hoof in marriage, whether it be for political gain or true love angered me equally. All these thoughts regarding my closest friends had entered my mind for the past few weeks. I chalked them up to being the source of this strange migraine that travelled in a specific direction. From what I could tell, it wasn't some sort of travelling instinct. I had no impulse to travel in the direction the migraine pointed, so the only logical explanation was that it was related to the dilemma I'd been facing recently.



"Hey Spike! You look troubled, something up?" a familiar voice said. I looked up from the ground and spotted a pale grey-blue pegasus with a strawberry blonde mane and tail fashioned similarly to Rainbow Dash. A lot of Pegasi seemed to have closely resembling styles. Another feature that made Fluttershy Unique. I recognised the Pegasus. A notable feature being her misaligned eyes. It always saddened me somewhat to see her as I knew the torment she got because of those eyes, not to mention the teasing her daughter got.
"Hello, Ditzy. Have you finished your Mail deliveries for the day?" I asked. The Pegasus grinned at me and nodded, landing right in front of me.
"Sure have. I've got some time before School breaks out. Can I join you?" she asked. I gave her a kind smile and shifted along the park bench to give her room. I found myself without anything to do that day and so I decided to just let myself gather my thoughts in the fresh air. What better place than the park?
I patted the bench beside me to indicate for her to sit down. She did so, leaving little room between us. I always liked Ditzy. She wasn't shy around anypony. She leaned into me and sighed contentedly.
"So, my tall draconic friend, what seems to be troubling you?" she asked. Ditzy was by no means stupid. In fact she was rather smart, smarter than most. But her modesty overshadowed that intelligence. Combine that with her poor sight and the clumsiness was like a wrapper. The candy that was her intellect being the treat inside.
"To be honest, I don't know. Over the past month, I've been thinking about my closest friends the same way I think about Rarity." I began.
"So you're falling in love with different aspects of your friends?" she asked. In a way, she was right, but that wasn't the problem. I'd been thinking of my future with them, either individually or as a group, and I just couldn't see it.
"No, that's not it. It's like my mind is preventing me from seeing a romantic future with anypony, like they're not meant for me. Or I'm not meant for them."
"Like you and them are a mismatch?" she offered. She was somewhat right. It was more like something was blocking the match, showing me cons instead of pros.
I sighed wondering what to do. "I've tried to imagine what it would be like with them all, either individually or together, like a herd. But there's nothing. It's like Writer's Block." I said. Ditzy said nothing as she seemed to analyse the information I'd given her.
"Just out of curiosity, was I among those you've considered?" she asked. I could tell she was teasing me, but I wondered how she'd take the answer? Would she be uncomfortable to know I'd thought about her in a romantic sense? Would she be offended? Would she be flattered? Would she be upset that I couldn't see a future with her just like the rest? I decided to just tell the truth. It hadn't led me astray yet.
"Yes. I've thought about you and me. How could I not? You've been such a good friend to me over the years. And I just adore Dinky. But the result is always the same. I see nothing in regards to the future." I watched Ditzy's smile widen as she closed her eyes.
"It's nice to be considered. You're a very sweet dragon, Spike, and I love you very much, just as all your other friends love you. But just as a friend. I'll admit there'd be a lot of advantages to marrying a dragon. Even after I'm dead you'd be able to look out for Dinky, even though she'd be a full grown adult and probably married with kids of her own. Still... You know what I mean?" she asked. I chuckled at her and leaned down to her.
"Well my aged wife, give us a kiss." I teased. She giggled before actually complying with the command. It was a mock kiss between friends, and we knew it. We laughed together before going back to the topic at hand.
"Husband?" she began, eliciting another chuckle from me. "When you say you can't see a future with any of us, do you mean something happens to break apart the relationship as is the standard for such a statement, or is it something else?" she asked. I considered the question and what she meant by it.
"I try to picture it, but all I see is black. I get nothing, no good possibilities turned bad. I try to imagine it and my mind just stops until I give up. Like trying to answer a question, but you can't think beyond the question itself."
"Hmm. Try to picture a future with a dragon." she said.
"What?" I asked, confused by the odd command.
"I'm just guessing, but perhaps it's an instinctual thing. Maybe as you get older, your mind is subconsciously narrowing your field of potential partners to dragons." she said. I thought about it and it made sense. I'd had the urge to join the migration, not just to discover more about my origins, but because it felt like it was bred in me. Maybe this was too. Problem was, I didn't know any dragons.
"I'll try to imagine you as a dragon then see where we go from there." I said. Ditzy giggled.
"Just remember I have a daughter, so make sure the sex isn't loud enough to wake her." she teased. That statement alone caused me to stop everything and just laugh. Ditzy sat up as I lost control of myself and fell on the ground in a fit of laughter. "Is the sex starting now?" she teased further.
After a minute of laughter, I managed to lift myself back onto the bench and smile at her. "Man, I wish you were the exception to this whole ordeal." I said, leaning back on the bench.
"Keep flattering me like this, Spike and I really will fall for you." she said. I pulled her closer and let her lean against me again as I closed my eyes and went back to doing what I was doing before, picturing Ditzy as a dragon. A long, sleek body with grey scales and a golden underbelly, horns and spines. Those amber eyes staring at me. She was smiling at me, blinking a couple of times in that flirtatious manner I'd seen Rarity do with customers. "Getting anything?" Ditzy asked. My smile grew wider as I began to fantasise about me and the draconic Ditzy together, her daughter morphed into a dragon as well. The three of us a happy family.
"Yeah, I'm getting some-OW!" that migraine that pointed in a specific direction suddenly grew in a large burst and broke my fantasy. I grabbed my head and pressed against it as hard as I could, trying to stop my brains from exploding.
"Are you okay?!" Ditzy asked, worry infused into her voice.
I didn't answer at first. The pain in my head was throbbing. It took another ten seconds before it began to subside, and another ten after that for it to return to normal."Y-yeah... just got... blocked by this strange migraine that's been hurting for the past week." I replied.
"Strange how?" she asked.
"No matter which way I turn, the pain seems to stay pointed to a specific direction, like a compass." I replied. Ditzy seemed to consider everything for a moment before sighing.
"Sorry, Spike, but I'm completely stumped. All I can recommend is to wait it out, and avoid fantasising about us pretty mares." she said, leaving me with a grin.
"Very funny." I said with mock anger. She giggled at me and leaned towards my muzzle.
"Bye, husband." she said before giving me another smooch. As she flew off in the direction of the school, I watched her leave. I'd been kissed before, but Ditzy was the first one to ever truly kiss me like that; warm and friendly, but with no true love in it. Pecks on the cheek were normal for me, but a true and genuine kiss on the lips left me wanting. It meant very little in terms of romance, but I wanted romance, just not from anypony I knew.