//------------------------------// // Ch.1 Anniversary // Story: The Origin Chronicles Vol. 2 // by SmokeShadow95 //------------------------------// Spike was not in a good position. Right now he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Literally. He had his back to the door and a giant boulder the size of an ursa minor was rolling down toward him. Combine that with the fact that he was holding two rock slabs at arms length that wanted to crush him and he was not in a good place at all. He knew he should have brought some pony, any pony down here with him. He knew the value of friendship and not doing things alone, yet he did things by himself all too often. He sighed at his lack of foresight and eyed the boulder rushing toward him. It was closing fast. He would only have one shot. If he missed, he would be crushed under the weight of a giant boulder. If he was even a second late, he would be flattened in between two rock slabs. His muscles strained as he lessened the strength he was putting against the two rock slabs. He only needed a little bit of room to work with. It took more strength to hold them back without slipping than to just hold them. He repositioned himself. Now he had his back to one of the slabs and his feet pressed against the other. The boulder was coming in closer and closer. He managed to get his right hand free and a small glow appeared around his claws. He shot his hand out and the glow shot along with it. The lights of his glowing claws dug into the earthy ground for just a moment before Spike yanked them back. He retracted his claws with great force and the ground came with it. A wide piece of the ground erupted up and faced Spike. It was inclined enough to ward off the boulder and it also came in between the two slabs. He could see that it would not hold, though, and he had to move. Instantly he was away from the slabs and the boulder. In a flash he was away and through the open doorway that he was trying to get through before he sprung those traps. He lay on the stone floor of the room for a moment, breathing heavy. Then he stood again and found his prize. At the very center, on a small podium, sat a statue. It was not the statue he was after, however. What he wanted was what was on the statue. The statue itself was a of a dragon. This dragon stood tall and proud. Probably a high ranking official in the army, Spike thought. Around the wrists of this dragon statue were two bracers. Spike eyed them greedily. They were beautiful. Gold plated bracers with gems running down the length of each of them. They were emblazoned with symbols of an era long since past and gone. Spike moved up to grab them, but stopped himself. If the traps outside were that deadly then the traps in here could only be worse. Right? It made sense to him, and so he stopped to think. Not a moment later he heard a tremendous crash. The boulder must have obliterated his little rock ramp. Well, there went his way out. He was too far underground to just blast his way through the ceiling. As he stood there pondering his options he did get one idea. He clasped his hands together and summoned forth a small group of parasprites. “Find and disable any and all traps,” He ordered of them. They darted off in all directions looking for traps. They stopped every now and then to devour a pebble or two. Good thing they were spelled so that they could not multiply or else that would most certainly be his end. After an hour of searching and eating the parasprites finally finished off all the traps. Spike approached the statue confidently and grasped the bracers. He quickly took them off the statue and stepped back, just in case their was a hidden trap. And just as he thought, Spike felt a tremor under his feet as one final trap was set off. “Note to self: Parasprites are useless,” He said before he fell. The tremor beneath his feet gave way to a rumbling that took out the floor under him. The floor practically disintegrated and he fell down into a river that was raging underground. He had no idea there was a river down there. He struggled to keep his head above the surface of the rushing water as he traveled down the river. He had no idea where this was taking him, but he knew it was away from that place and that was all he needed to know. He kept a tight grip on the bracers as he went. He did not want to lose them. This was one of the only significant finds he had uncovered about the era of dragons and dragon magic. He could not let it slip through his fingers. After more than a few close call moments down in the underground river Spike finally saw a light. It was coming from downstream. The closer he got the brighter the light became. Was it a way out? He had to know. Not that he had much choice in the matter. He was being carried toward the light anyway. One other thing he noticed was that he was picking up speed. Great. He was not going to like this. He took the deepest breath he could as the river rushed him to the light. He shot out the side of the cliff with a rush of water and screaming. He got one last look and found out he came out the top of a waterfall. It was shaped like the mouth of a dragon. Spike counted himself lucky he did not meet one of the sharp rocks that made up the teeth of the dragon. As he finished that thought another one came to him. If the cliff face was that far away, where was he? Cautiously, he looked down. He immediately wished he hadn't. He was in the air, falling down toward the ground at high speed. Great. As he fell Spike closed his eyes. He had to focus. He had all this power at his disposal, all the power of a Dragon Mystik, and yet he knew of nothing that could save him here. Except one thing. It was not magic, but it would have to work. He needed all his focus. He flexed the muscles in back and shoulders. Come on. Work! He screamed the words in his head until they worked. Wings shot forth from his back and his fall slowed. The wings were still new to him and he still had not gotten used to them. This must be what Twilight felt when she got her wings. Spike tried flapping his wings a bit. His muscles strained and he managed a few flaps before spiraling out of control. He screamed as he neared the ground. He stretched his wings out as far as they would go and slowed just enough to attempt a landing. His feet touched the ground and that was all he needed. He relaxed his every muscle and collapsed on the ground. He lay in a slump for a moment as the pain in his back settled. That was going to be sore tomorrow. As he lay there he got the sensation that someone was trying to get his attention. It was a familiar and welcome sensation. He pulled the Night Calling Mirror out of his coat and held it up to his face. He was a little surprised to see Twilight's face appear in the mirror's surface. She had a big mirror like the one Luna had installed in her new castle. She hadn't used the mirror much and Spike was still a little surprised to see her in it. “Hey Spike,” She said happily, “Whoa. You look like you've been through the ringer. Are you okay?” “I'll just say I can sympathize with your new wings flying trouble,” Spike said with a groan. “Your new wings are acting up again,” Twilight replied, “Well get back to Ponyville. I'm sure Rainbow Dash would help you if you asked. Although, I am not sure if ponies and dragons fly the same. Eh. I'm sure she will help anyway. Not to mention the date that is coming up soon. Really soon.” “I know Twilight,” Spike groaned as he stood up, “The anniversary is coming up soon. I don't know why everypony insists on making such a big deal out of it, but I will be there.” “Spike, it is the anniversary of the day when you saved all of Equestria from a demented dragon king all by yourself. Of course everypony is going to make a big deal out of it.” “I did not do it all by myself,” Spike said, “It took all of us to defeat Galeek. You were there, remember?” “Yes, Spike, I remember,” Twilight said slyly, “You brought me and many other ponies there so that you could cast a spell that would work on Galeek. It was still you no matter how you say it.” “I suppose there is no arguing with you,” Spike responded. “What can I say? When I'm right, I'm right,” Twilight said with a smile. “Careful, or else you will start sounding like Rainbow Dash,” Spike said. “I heard that,” Rainbow Dash yelled in the distance. “Just get back here soon, Spike,” Twilight said. Spike promised to get back as soon as he possibly could and went to put the Night Calling Mirror back in his coat pocket. But before he could he saw that Twilight still had not left the surface of the mirror. “Um, Twilight, you still have something to say,” Spike asked. “No, no,” She said slightly embarrassed, “I just can't remember how to turn this thing off.” “You say 'The night released you' and then my name,” Spike told her. Twilight made a remark about Spike teaching her things for a change and then ended the call. He put the mirror back in his inside coat pocket and headed back to Ponyville. He headed back home. It took Spike three days to get back to Ponyville. That was good. He had just enough time to get back and prepare for the anniversary. He slept through most of the train rides there. He had to take three to get there in time. Equestria was a much bigger place than he had ever thought and he was learning that the hard way. He was welcomed by the Cutie Mark Crusaders first. The three young fillies were always super excited to see him. He always had a story of two to tell them. Applejack once said Spike's stories were the only way to get the three of them to stay still for longer than two minutes. Spike chuckled as he remembered the time. The three young fillies, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, all rushed up to him as soon as he got off the train. They were their usual selves and all started talking at once. “Ooohh. Show us a spell,” Sweetie Belle said eagerly. “Did you bring back anything really cool,” Scootaloo asked. “Can you tell us a story, please,” Apple Bloom pleaded. “Girls,” Spike said, “Aren't you forgetting some pony?” The three of them went silent as Spike said that. They all got a little red because they did indeed forget a pony. They parted and let the fourth young filly that was with them come up. It was the last member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Babs Seed. “Whoa,” She said, “You're really Spike the Dragon? When they told me they knew you I didn't believe them, but here you are!” “Am I really here,” Spike asked. Babs didn't understand what he was trying to say until she felt a tap on her flank. She turned around so fast that the air itself had to catch up. The other three turned with her to find Spike standing there. But he was just behind them. “Or am I really here,” Spike said. The four fillies were amazed at his spell, even if they didn't understand what just happened. Babs Seed and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders turned to where Spike was originally standing. Nothing. There was nothing there. Amazing! They turned back to where he had was after and found that spot to be empty as well. He was just gone. In the blink of an eye and the turn of a head he had vanished. “Ooh, I hate it when he does that,” Sweetie Belle said. “Does he do that a lot,” Babs Seed asked. “Yeah, unfortunately,” Apple Bloom said, “The last time he was here he used a jar.” “A jar,” Babs said questioningly. “Yep,” Apple Bloom said, “He said it was gift and when we opened it a giant puff of smoke came whooshing out. By the time it gone so was he.” “That was so awesome,” Scootaloo said, “I am so going to have to do that to some pony.” “Do you even know how to get smoke in a jar,” Sweetie Belle asked. “No, but I'm sure we can figure it out,” Scootaloo said. Spike watched them from his hiding place in the shadow of a nearby tree. He remembered his little smoke in a jar trick. He was laughing about that one for days. And it was plenty funny. Until Applejack got annoyed with him for messing with her little sister. Then she saw it and she started laughing. The smoke had turned Apple Bloom nearly black all over along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. But now he had to get to the castle and prepare for the anniversary festival. This town and way to many festivals. But his was just a few days away, so he had to got and get ready. He reached Twilight's new castle without too much trouble. Mostly the ponies around town just stopped to stare at him as he walked by. He was still not used to all the attention he got, even after all this time. He simply smiled as walked by. He overheard a few mares standing by one of the shop windows talking. They were whispering to themselves about how dreamy Spike looked in his coat. He looked over to them and they all just smiled and waved a hoof. He was flattered, but they were not really his type. Before he knew she was there Rarity was upon Spike. “Goodness, dear,” She said, “Look at this coat, Spike. Why it is completely covered in dirt and who knows what else. And then there are the holes! What have you been doing? Spelunking in caves?” “Actually, yes. That is what I was doing,” Spike said. “Give it here at once,” Rarity said, “I will finish the coat you are going to wear at the festival and then I shall start fixing this one, if I can.” Spike knew all to well that Rarity was more stubborn than Twilight and Rainbow Dash when it came to fashion. Saying no to her when it came to what you were wearing was the same as wearing a meat suit into a den of timber wolves. Not a good idea. So he just took off his coat and handed it to Rarity. He took the mirror out of the pocket before handing it to her. She had seen it before, but just thought it was some artifact he had unearthed somewhere. In a way it was. It was over a thousand years old. She sauntered off with his coat, but not before taking a moment to admire Spike and all his muscles. She had to leave before she started drooling. The mares by the shop windows glared at her as she left and then turned their attention back to Spike. He was sure that they did start drooling. He just smiled at them and walked off. The next couple of days were a bit of a blur for him. They always were. Twilight went over a checklist with him -twice- to get him ready. He went through the motions. The day before the anniversary Rarity dropped off his new coat. She insisted that he wore a different coat to each anniversary. This one was no exception. This coat was purple. Dark enough to stand out against his scales, but bright enough to tell it was purple from afar. It was lined with thick black trim. Rubies and emeralds adorned the black trim. When the coat was closed across his chest beautiful white diamonds would form a letter 'S' on the coat. He noticed that Rarity had designed the coat with two slits in the back for his wings. Cool. If Rarity kept this up he would run out places to put these coats, even here in the castle. The day came for the anniversary and Spike was ready. It was possibly the biggest celebration Ponyville had, and it was all for Spike. Ponies came from all around to see him. They cheered and hollered and called out his name. The Mayor of Ponyville was on stage for a speech. “Ponies of Equestria,” She started, “Three years ago, on this very day, an evil came into Equestria. This evil wanted nothing less than the complete destruction of all ponies. But he would not get it. No. For one stood against him. Not a pony, but a dragon. A dragon that I am happy to say lives here in Ponyville. Spike! He battled and defeated the evil and now on this day, we celebrate that victory!” The Mayor went on with her speech, but Spike tuned it out. Had it really been three years already? It did not seem like so long ago. He remembered it like it was yesterday. In his mind it was still fresh. The Mayor finished up her speech and the festivities began. There were games and prizes and Applejack sold seemingly endless supplies of Apple family treats. Spike was obligated to walk around and talk to some ponies. It was his party after all. So that is what he did. He went around and spoke to a great many ponies. Mostly just a few words here and there. After hours of doing that the sun was going down, but the party was still going strong. It became an anniversary tradition the first year to party until the next day and then sleep the next two. Or at least that was how he did it. No pony seemed to notice how much he did not want to be there, except one in particular. “You look like you could use a break.” “Luna,” Spike said happily. Spike spun around to Luna. The sight of her put a huge smile on his face. He was always happy to see her. In the past three years they have become very close friends. Many ponies thought more was going on between them but nothing was ever brought up in front of Spike. The two friends hugged each other happily. They kept the embrace going for several moments before releasing one another. “It is good to see you Spike,” She said happily. “It is good to see you as well Luna,” Spike said, “Although, I must admit I am surprised to see you here. I thought Celestia required that you stay at the castle this time of year.” “She does,” Luna said with a giggle, “But I sneak out sometimes. I can still raise the moon from here. There is no need for her to worry. But enough about my sister. How was your latest adventure? I hear you went spelunking in some caves.” “I did. I found some ancient dragon temple, set off some traps, nearly died. You know, the usual,” Spike said with a sly smile. Spike and Luna talked for a while before she had to raise the moon. Spike had to take her to Twilight's castle to do that. She did not want to be seen by any other ponies. If that happened and word got to Celestia she would be in trouble. Spike was happy to. He wanted to get away from all the noise and crowded streets. The two friends continued to talk and spend time together all through the night. It was not until morning was almost upon them that Luna left. She had to get back to the castle and lower the moon before the sun came up. The two parted ways and Spike watched as she flew off. He watched her until she could no longer be seen and for a few moments after. He smiled. This was one anniversary party he would not forget.