Dear Spike,
I'm writing you this letter to tell you the story of your parents. I know that I promised to tell you, tell you but this, I guess, will have to do.
It's not a happy story but you need to know what happened to them.
I met your parents completely by accident.
I was on one of my world spanning travels and I got caught in an unexpected downpour. At the time I was near the base of a mountain so I looked around for a cave in which to dry off and sleep for the night as it was getting late. I did eventually find a cave. As I approached the cave, though, I saw a strange glow coming from deep within.
Curiosity over took my better judgement and I wandered into the cave to find source of the glow. When I found it I was stuck with awe. How can I describe the awe in which I felt in that moment? I can't. The sight is still so amazing that I find anything else of color to be dull and lifeless.
It was the most amazing sight I had ever seen but I had didn't get any time to enjoy it. For in that moment I heard the sound that would bring chills up anypony's spine. The roar of a very, very, very ticked off dragon. (I know I'm driving you nuts teasing you about what I saw. Get over it. Who is telling this story?) It seems that I had stumbled into a cave of a dragon. Well not a dragon but a pair of mated dragons.
You know the best way to dry yourself off? Dragon fire. It's also the best way to have flambe pony.
Funny thing when you panic, you don't always think straight. If I had the decency of a normal pony I would have ran out of the cave but alas in my panic I actually ran further into the cave.
Why they spared me I'm not sure. Not that I'm complaining (burnt fur is no fun), but they wouldn't let me leave either. I don't know how long I was held prisoner in that cave. Weeks. Months, maybe. All I know was that it was sometime before I was able to gain enough of their trust for them to allow me to leave. (Trust me you don't want to know what I had to eat during that time. It still makes be ill to this day.)
***
Your parents were odd for dragons. They had something very unique for a hoard...
You want to know what they hoarded, I know you do.
It was the cave system itself. Yeah, yeah, I know, you're already thinking: That's pretty dumb hoard. Yes, I know. I also know that you are thinking dragons hoard gems and other shiny objects (usually made of gold) because those items always complement a dragon's scales... (except maybe a brown colored dragon)
It was what the cave structure was made of that made it a hoard. The walls ceilings and floors were comprised of gems. And not just ordinary gems but gems that even I have never seen before. Glowgems.
What are glowgems?
They are gems just like any other gems except they seemed to glow with light. That light would reflect off of the facets of the gems creating a kaleidoscope of colors that washed all over the cave. Another unique property was that all the colored light produced would wash out all other color but what was being produced. I think you might find this ironic: It was also always moving, shifting. (You would think with all that moving color that it would make even one such as I nauseous but for reason that I still can't fathom I did not.)
As such don't ask me the color your parents scales or spines for I have no idea. To me all I could see was a rainbow of color. I can tell you this: You have your father's spaded tail but you mother's soft, round spines.
***
Those bucking glowgems!! If I ever see another one it will be too soon.
They are the reason for your parents deaths.
It wasn't until it was too late that I discovered how unstable those gems were.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It was like any other time that I would visit and I made a point to visit often. Always on a dark, cloudy night to conceal my approach. Three years had past from my last visit and I had finally found the one thing in which I hope I could barter for the tiniest sliver of glowgem. A rainbow crystal! I was hoping to be able to study the glowgems. (They never allowed me to use my magic while I was inside the cave.) A long shot I can assure you. Even with a rainbow crystal.
I was about three miles from the mountain when I heard the humble of an underground explosion. I ran like I never ran before that night. As I got nearer and nearer to the mountain I could feel and hear more explosions.
As I skidded into the cave I saw your father in a protective stance over your mother. Glowgems were embedded deep within his back and arms; pain etched across his face. As I gaped at the sight another explosion rocked the mountain as a series of glowgems exploded in pure magical power.
I knew then what was happening!
I pleaded with your father to get him and your mother to safety but my pleads fell on deaf ears. He was determined to stay even as the exploding glowgems ravaged his body. I could tell he was dying and there was nothing I could do. I was barely able to shield myself at that point.
You know what tears me up inside every time I think of that moment? It wasn't the fact that the life was draining from his eyes. No, it was what I saw within. Not fear, anger, or even despair. Those I could have handled. No it was calm acceptance. You mother was a different story. She had hope in her eyes. Easier to handle in someways; in others, even more difficult.
Even as your father's body went limp your mother never moved. I also pleaded with her to leave but like your father she wouldn't move. I suppose it was to be excepted as the cave was their hoard and a dragon doesn't abandoned their hoard. Even if it would kill them. With softest touch of her claws your mother... Your mother... She clamped my jaw shut! She then gently tilted my head downward. It was then that I noticed your egg. In that moment I knew what was being asked. What was being pleaded. My only reaction was to nod. Your mother's smile at that moment the most bittersweet smile I have ever seen. It still chokes me up.
Did you know that with your mother's final breaths she named you? Yeah its awful but listen: Oh what a beautiful sound it was. Never before have I heard a dragonic song. She sung your name over you. Sung! She poured hope into your name.
Only after her life left her did I finally snap out of my trance. And not a moment too soon I might add. I had just barely escaped the mountain with you via teleporting when a massive explosion rocked the mountain. A flash of light came from it so blinding, so strong that even with my magic shielding me I could feel my fur singe.
It was quite a while before I released my magic and felt it safe enough to look upon once was the home and hoard of your parents. Complete devastation for nearly a mile. The mountain had collapsed leaving only a few scattered glowgems (which I later disposed of) and a smoldering crater.
You know the rest of the story of your egg and how Princess Celestia blah blah blah...
And there you have it Spike. That is the tale of your parents. I so wish it wasn't so tragically sad. I wish it had been different. But most of all, I wish, I wish I could have told yu
bfbefor it was to lat.
Tear drops fell onto the parchment smearing the ink. With a heavy sigh the parchment was lifted up with a rainbow glow and place upon the fire. The fire quickly consumed the letter turning it to ash. A bit of it however managed to temporary escape the roaring inferno falling to the floor of the fireplace. A small flicker of a flame slowly burning all that remained.
The final words to burn were Dear Spike.