//------------------------------// // First Flight // Story: Spike's Shadow // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// Sombra had definitely enjoyed having money of his own. It made him feel in control of things again, at least for a short time. Having the ability to obtain things for himself was something Sombra hadn't realized he had missed so much. Sombra had dictated things he thought he wanted to Spike, as Spike knew Ponyville like the back of his hand. They had no trouble finding anything, and Sombra even got discounts at certain stores thanks to Spike's membership cards. By sundown, Sombra had spent a little over a fourth of his new-found wealth. Spike had seemed more than willing to carry everything, asking nothing more than for Sombra to find things that would make him happy. Which was a bit of a chore for Sombra, as he had never had a mind for possessions before. In the end, Sombra purchased a deceptively deep thermos (for carrying coffee), a silver pocket watch, a fair number of books, various sundries and other hygiene products, a proper wallet for Sombra's remaining bits, a set of black-canvas saddlebags to carry his things, several varieties of gourmet coffee, and a pair of reading glasses with chain (and a protective imitation tortoise-shell case). Sombra awoke the next morning, only to find Spike already gone. His bed had been left unmade, although that was hardly a surprise. Though Spike kept an immaculate household his bedroom was something of an exception. Sombra often got the impression Spike cleaned his private quarters merely because Sombra was near. Sombra grumbled, forced to get up and turn off Spike's alarm clock himself. Afterwards, Sombra headed to the bathroom to get a shower. After taking an especially long shower to try out his new products, Sombra began the arduous process of drying his coat, mane, and tail. Sweetie Belle's assessment of Sombra had been unfortunately accurate. Sombra's fur was all thick, soft, and plentiful, or in layman's terms: fluffy. It took Sombra ages to dry himself with no magic. Fortunately Lyra had gifted Sombra her hair-dryer, stating he needed it far more than she did. Once dried, Sombra briefly returned to the bedroom and grabbed a particular book from among the number he had purchased the previous day before heading upstairs. Once upstairs, Sombra placed the book on his back, allowing him to speak while transporting the tome. It didn't take Sombra long to find Lyra, who was currently eating her own breakfast. Lyra noticed his presence, offering him his coffee mug, full of piping hot java. Sombra gladly accepted it, already enticed by the delightful aroma. "It's the caramel-flavored stuff you bought. I don't drink coffee, but Spike said to make you a pot while he's trying to fly. There's a half a breakfast quiche on the stove for ya." Lyra informed Sombra. Sombra had something he wished to do, but as always the enticing scent of Spike's home-cooking won out. Sombra took a few moments to eat, and of course peruse the morning paper. Without meaning for it to happen, an hour had escaped Sombra's notice. After depositing his dishes in the sink Sombra headed outside with the book in tow. Upon exiting the house, Sombra found Spike quite easily. While not in the air, Spike was actually quite a ways up from ground level. Spike was atop a very tall spire of earth, looking down uncertainly with his wings outstretched. Sombra found himself only vaguely surprised, continuing to drink his coffee for a moment before confronting the situation. "I fear the answer is obvious, but what exactly is the purpose of the tower?" Sombra shouted up to Spike. Spike looked back down to Sombra, clearly more than a little embarrassed. "I uh, I kinda thought that if I got enough altitude something in my brain woulda clicked or something. All it really accomplished was me using like, a third of my mana to feel and-or look stupid." Spike replied. "That would seem a decent summary of the situation, yes. But come down here, I have something that might be of help to you." Sombra responded. With great interest, Spike slammed his palm onto the floor of his little tower. Within a few seconds the tower dissolved into loose soil, leaving a mound of soft dirt instead of a pile of chunks. Spike seemed to be improving, at least in that aspect of his growing magic skill-set. Sombra turned his head and grabbed the book from his back, placing it in front of him on the porch. Within a minute, Spike had walked back to meet Sombra. Spike eyed the book curiously, picking it up to get a closer look. "The Big Book of Bats: The Encyclopedia Chiroptera? I thought you bought the complete Daring Do?" Spike asked skeptically. "Indeed I did, among other things. There is an entire chapter on flight, including mechanics. Needlessly complicated diagrams and all." Sombra explained. Spike eagerly thumbed through the first few pages, looking for the index. "Detailed flight mechanics. Page three-hundred and seventy-six. Sombra, you mind reading it aloud while I try it out?" Spike asked, a pleading look in his eyes. Sombra nodded, turning to page three-hundred and seventy-six. From there it was a matter of sifting through the useless drivel, and finding something genuinely important. Eventually, it got to actual flight, not just prattle on how the bat was the only mammal capable of true flight. Other than intelligent species such as ponies, gargoyles, and possibly griffons who were equally split between avian and mammal parts. "Firstly, bats stretch the tendons where the biceps and triceps meet the skeletal structure of their wings, allowing for take off. Energy is gained through vertical movement. While in sustained flight, bats do not flap their entire wings like birds, instead they flap the fingers of their wing's 'hands' to keep in the air, all the while using specific occasional motions to aid in turning and adjusting the patagium for angles of ascent and decent." Sombra droned. Spike tried flexing the muscles Sombra listed, finding it surprisingly easy. Though until now the nature of the musculature wasn't something Spike had checked or even thought to add to the equation. Even feeling out the bones in his wings was surprisingly easy. Additionally, Spike felt rather stupid for not trying to use the hand-like parts of the wings as if they had fingers, finding they were indeed like big, gloved hands. Everything seemed rather natural now that Spike had a better understanding of what he was working with. Spike crouched, getting a feel for the muscles he was about to use. The wing muscles, chest muscles, and shoulder muscles that all needed to work in unison. As well as the muscles in his arms and legs, which he intended to use to help lift-off. Once Spike took a calming deep breath, he closed his eyes, and he jumped. Knowing what he now knew, Spike did as instructed, and he took to the air. Once Spike opened his eyes, he was literally flying. He wasn't all that high up, and he wasn't going very fast, but it was a start. As soon as Spike tried to turn he found himself falling immediately. Even as his face hit the dirt, Spike was smiling like mad. Sombra casually strolled over to the point where Spike was currently half-buried in his own yard. Sombra was standing over Spike within a few minutes, next to one of Spike's wings, which were both still free of the ground. Without warning, Spike's front half burst from the ground. "That. Was. Awesome! I am literally rigid with excitement." Spike laughed. "Classy. Hopefully you avoided injuring your brain just now. You sounded like Lyra just then." Sombra said flatly. "My skull is harder than diamonds and a few inches thick. Dragon's don't eat gems and metals just because we think they taste good." Spike countered, running his claw over his spines to be certain they were still aligned properly. Running a cursory check, Spike found himself no worse for the wear. Though the landscape of his yard was becoming increasingly chaotic the more tricks Spike learned. There was also very little soreness left in Spike's muscles, thanks to Peewee's continual contributions to the cause. Spike decided it best to get right back to work, and without bothering to warn Sombra, took off. Sombra was bowled over by the initial gust of wind Spike's powerful wings produced, leaving him on his back with his legs in the air. Sombra was unharmed, if a tad cross. Sombra laid down on the spot for a moment, watching Spike's shaky second attempt at changing direction during flight. Spike seemed to be getting the idea, but still came quite close to destabilizing on a number of occasions. Up and down appeared to be Spike's strong-suits, while turning caused him to falter and very nearly crash again. Still, definitive progress was now being made. Eventually, Spike landed once more, this time using his arms and legs to control himself as he hit the ground. It seemed another thing that would need to be figured out alongside turning, otherwise Sombra's safety would be in question. Obviously the bat book could only help so much, as bats didn't have long limbs to think about in addition to their wings. Fortunately, the one person on the planet who could likely further instruct Spike was emerging from the treeline. As Sombra got to his hooves, Zecora joined him as a very proud-looking Spike walked over to them. "Morning Zecora. Did you see me? I actually flew for a couple minutes straight!" Zecora nodded, a motherly smile on her muzzle. "Indeed. I saw you take your first trip up there, but I saw a flaw in your form with my stare. Your tail must follow the rest of you, snaking through the the same path you do." Zecora informed Spike. Spike took a look back at his tail, finding he couldn't recall what it had been doing during flight. The sheer euphoria of it all seemed to have made Spike lose his head for a time. It made sense that his neck and tail needed to be more in sync with the rest of him, meaning he literally needed to snake through the air while minding his wing-fingers. "I think I get it. I need to start the turns with my head, then the wing-fingers, and just follow through, so long as I remember to use my tail as an extension of the rest of me." Spike thought aloud, trying to decipher Zecora's advice. Zecora nodded, giving him confirmation. Spike took to the air once again, experimenting with his new, modified posture. Sombra watched Spike complete a lazy circle, an unimpressive, but important hurdle in Spike's progression. While Spike continued to practice, Sombra decided to attempt to become used to Zecora's speech patterns. "So... Spike's progress. How prepared do you think we will be, eleven months from now? You are the only one of us to ever see Dootha's true power, and thus likely the only one able to give an accurate estimate." Sombra asked Zecora, not fully certain he wanted an answer. Zecora looked straight forward, as if she saw through the mortal plane and into the beyond. It was possible, as the true extent of Zecora's power was impossible to know. She was an immortal of sorts, and likely the most knowledgeable being alive today. "There is no way that my tired eyes can see for Spike to triumph, but it is quite far from my mind that he should just give up. I have seen countless stories unfold in a similar nature, but if asked to decide the winner I would have often lost that wager. "The law of the underdog is something you grow to understand if you live as long me. The worse the odds, often means the greater the victory will be." Zecora explained, a small, but noticeable smile on her face. Sombra wasn't sure what to make of that, but Zecora seemed confident in Spike. That was at least something Sombra could agree with. Spike's magic was unlike anything Sombra knew of magic, and it seemed that even though he stumbled Spike was growing stronger by the day. Sombra looked up to see Spike, seeing Peewee had joined him in the air. Spike seemed to be having quite a time, and had already began picking up speed. Sombra was becoming even more confident that Spike could safely transport both of them into the floating temple. Which was a vital step in ensuring their safety, and the safety of the world. "Oh hey. The big guy's actually doing it." Sombra and Zecora turned around, seeing Lyra standing there with a camera. "Yes, once Spike figured it out he quickly got the hang of it. I imagine that if Apple Bloom comes through with her carrier device we should be ready to reach the temple." Sombra mused. "Sweetness." Lyra said casually, sitting down beside Sombra and Zecora. The trio of equines watched Spike and Peewee fly, taking interest in the occasional falter or risky maneuver. After several hours, Spike and Peewee called it a day, having exhausted the stamina Spike had left after summoning up the earth pillar. "Today was a good day. I need to build my flight muscles a little more, but I get the gist of what to do now. A couple more days of magic phoenix tears and flight practice, and we should be ready." Spike informed his friends. Zecora reached into her saddlebags, fishing around for something or other. Eventually, she seemed to find what she was looking for. She produced an odd, worn, leather roll and a silver flask. Once she unfurled the roll across the ground, it was revealed to contain six vials secured by individual holsters. Two red, two blue, and two green. "Oh. My. Gods! Those look just like the potions from Legend of Epona! Red is health, blue is mana, and green is cure! Right?" Lyra asked Zecora enthusiastically. Zecora looked a bit confused, but nodded her head, signifying Lyra was correct. She obviously had no idea what Lyra was talking about, but Zecora didn't want to go off on a tangent with Lyra at the moment. "Yes, these are magical potions that I brewed. A precaution due to the unexpected trouble that last befell the two of you. The silver flask is for Sombra alone, holding a new batch of the healing brew that will allow him to mend flesh and bone." Zecora agreed, looking to Spike and Sombra. Spike agreed that the two-headed hell hound had been a surprise, but sincerely hoped that the temple didn't have something like it in store. Either way, it was probably a good idea to be prepared. Spike rolled the vials back up and held onto the little parcel carefully. Sombra took his flask as well, hoping he could avoid using it. Accelerated healing was a wondrous thing, but the hurt beforehand was better left avoided if at all possible. "Thank you, Zecora. Hopefully we won't need them, but I'm glad we have them if we do. I'm gonna pack some of the old-school mojo you've taught me about too, some of it's bound to help." Spike thanked Zecora sincerely. "Indeed. Thank you." Sombra added. Zecora nodded appreciatively, glad to be of help. After storing the potions inside, Spike returned to his friends on the lawn. Spike saw Celestia had begun lowering the sun, and his tired body craved fuel. Unfortunately, the hunger was a bit too impatient for Spike to cook anything tonight. "Now, I'm in a very good mood, so we're gonna all go out to dinner in town. Also partly because I'm too tired to cook. I'm paying, so let's go." Spike said, rallying his friends. Lyra hoof-pumped the air in excitement, seconds before teleporting onto Spike's back. "Full disclosure, riding a flying dragon through the air has been on my bucket-list since I could write. I'm rocking a powerful lady-boner right now. Let's fly before the rush wears off!" Lyra commanded, stamping her hoof on Spike's back. Spike face-clawed, craning his neck to look back at Lyra. "I'm not flying us to dinner. We don't have any safety equipment. The only one flying without any is me, because I could crash through a building and be relatively fine. You, Lyra have to wait until Apple Bloom brings her whatever-it-is." Spike replied. Lyra pouted, but nodded her head in understanding. Spike sighed, dropping one wing to the ground as if it were a boarding ramp. "That said, I can still give the three of you a lift the old-fashioned way." "You are soooo the best friend in the world. You care about my well-being, you feed me, and encourage my laziness. Why couldn't you be my Dad? You are infinitely more fun than either of my parents." Lyra responded, giving Spike's arm a powerful hug. "Probably because I'm a dragon, while you're a pony. And you're like, a full seven years older than me." Spike responded. "Semantics my good reptile. Semantics." Lyra quipped. Sombra watched the pleasant exchange, the feelings in his chest momentarily returning in a dull way. Sombra was fairly certain it was envy, no matter how much he was loathe to admit it. Spike and Lyra occasionally exchanged words that seemed like they would be taken wrong with anyone else, but ended up making the other laugh. Sombra accepted that he and Spike were friends, but Sombra wondered if he was a good friend. Spike was currently giving three of his friends a ride to a dinner he was paying for, expecting nothing in return. The only nice thing Sombra had ever done for Spike (or anyone), was buying him the book on bats. At the same time, Sombra couldn't do what Lyra could do. Sombra had no library of offensive slang terms at his disposal, nor a reference book of half-nonsense compliments and innuendos. Sombra wasn't even certain he could make such jokes if he wanted to, as such behaviors didn't seem like something Sombra could bring himself to do. He was far too reserved and quiet, at least while he was without his magic to give him confidence. "Hey Sombra, I think you'll like the place we're going. It's minotaur owned, so it's just big enough for me to enter. They have a huuuuuge drink menu. I think you're a mud-slide kind of stallion." Spike piped up as they were on their way into town. And just like that, Sombra remembered Zecora's explanation from the night of the diamond dog incident. Spike enjoyed doting on others, as was his nature. Sombra felt better that he didn't need to do much of anything, but still thought it would be something to work on while not assisting Spike with saving the world. "I suppose I could do with a drink. Though I should like to know what a 'mud-slide' is before I consume one." Sombra replied as he boarded the dragon express.