//------------------------------// // Travel Talk And Trust // Story: Spike's Shadow // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// The morning after Sombra was inducted into Spike's circle of friends he was treated to breakfast, though he noticed Spike was less cheery than his usual self. The task of venturing to the location of the diamond dog clan to fetch the amber seemed to be bothering him. Sombra offered to accompany Spike to view the diamond dogs for himself, but also because Sombra was mildly uncomfortable with being alone at the moment. Sombra knew he had a relatively long time until Dootha was to awaken again, but it was a thought that was never far from the forefront of Sombra's mind. Lyra had left shortly after scarfing down her breakfast, saying she was going to a 'jam-session' with some friends. Sombra had gotten laughed at when he asked what type of jam they were making, which he still didn't understand. Zecora had returned to her hut in the woods, saying she needed to meditate in order to pinpoint the location of Spike's next objective after the amber. Spike had agreed to let Sombra come along, so long as he wore his armor for protection. Sombra found the stipulation fair enough, but Sombra deigned not to wear his cloak or crown. They were symbols of his past that Sombra cared little to keep on his person. The armor still served a functional purpose, and was also Sombra's only real possession now. Unlike Spike's regular social attitude the dragon was largely silent as the two cut through Ponyville. It wasn't until they began leaving the town proper that Sombra considered starting up a conversation with Spike. Sombra found Spike's silence unnerving. Though Sombra would rather be skewered alive than admit it, Spike was his only trustworthy confidant, as well as Sombra's source of confidence and moral. Walking amongst the sparsely distributed houses, Sombra tried to come up with a topic of interest unrelated to the uncertainty of their intertwined fates. Considering Sombra had no knowledge of anything beyond evil magic and tyranny it took him awhile. Finally, Sombra decided that asking a question was the best course of action. Sombra could then glean a somewhat better understanding of proper social discourse by example, now that he had a mind to try and be civil. "If it is agreeable to you, would you care to indulge me while we walk?" Sombra asked, hoping Spike would be reciprocal. Spike turned to look at Sombra, a surprised expression on his face. "Uh... You wanna ask me a question about something?" Sombra nodded, unsure if Spike would mind. "Sure. Ask away." Spike replied. Sombra breathed an internal sigh of relief at the carefree response. "I am somewhat curious as to how you came to be raised by an alicorn princess, despite being a member of a vastly different, likely substantially more powerful species much younger than the dragons." Sombra inquired. Sombra was relieved to see Spike smile at the question. Unbeknownst to Sombra, Spike had merely been keeping silent because Sombra seemed to enjoy silence. Spike had been thinking that after Luna forced him into Sombra's personal dreamland, and the subsequent outburst, he owed Sombra some quiet. "Well, like every dragon I started out as an egg. Not that I remember it or anything." Spike began. Sombra was relieved to see that he hadn't overstepped any bounds. Though now Sombra was worried that Spike's story was going to be a great deal longer than he had bargained for. Regardless, Sombra had initiated and whatever unknown code of loose ethics he possessed implored Sombra to see it through. "My biological mother was named Nabi. She was born with a weak heart, and she unfortunately didn't make it through laying my egg. First-blood dragons can't reproduce very often, and each generation has met their end before their time. So as far as family goes, it's just those I care for. "Zecora watched over Nabi in her last moments, and then took me from Nabi's cave in the lowlands at the border of what's now the Griffon Empire. She risked life and limb to bring me to Celestia and Luna something like twelve-hundred years ago. Celestia and Luna didn't fully believe Zecora's tales at the time, but Luna took my egg anyway and cared for it since she was lonely. "Zecora instructed Luna on how to care for me when me egg was ready to hatch, but unfortunately before then some problems arose." Spike revealed. Sombra nodded, rather pleased with himself. Thanks to Spike's books, Sombra possessed a cursory knowledge of the most famous villains other than himself. "Luna became so envious of Celestia's following that she summoned up a demon and let it take possession of her. The resulting entity was known as Nightmare Moon, yes?" Sombra interjected. Spike nodded, a slight smile on his face. It was good to see Sombra was caught up on at least a few things, which made the story easier. "Right. But before Luna became Nightmare Moon she put my egg in stasis so the newborn me wouldn't be in the middle of a war between immortals. Celestia was unable to break Luna's spell because Luna had put precautions in place to make sure Celestia couldn't do so herself. After hearing about my potential from Zecora, Luna wanted to be sure Celestia couldn't use me as a weapon. "Around ten years before Luna's banishment ended, Celestia decided to kill two birds with one stone. She began showing my egg to foals with great potential, hoping one could be strong enough to break through the stasis spell and hatch me. "A foal with that much power was bound to be the next element of magic, and then I could grow up to fulfill my destiny with Zecora's tutelage." Spike continued. "And then your mother and her companions used those rainbow-gems to destroy the nightmare-demon." Sombra remarked, sounding somewhat envious. Spike nodded, though the look in his eyes told Sombra there was something else to the tale. "Yeah, the nightmare was defeated. But why not ask Luna about it sometime? She'll tell you the epilogue. It'd be rude to tell you everything without her permission." Spike finished, seemingly dropping the matter. Sombra was about to complain but Spike had anticipated that and cut back in at the last second. "Anyway, my mother, Twilight Sparkle was too young to care for me since she was only seven herself. "I was raised by Celestia and nursemaids until I was three. Dragons mature quickly, so by that point I could speak, walk upright, read and write at the level of a seven year old foal, and perform simple tasks. For the next fourteen years I became Celestia's herald and Twilight Sparkle's personal assistant, scribe, and best friend." Spike continued. Sombra recalled Spike's section in the book he had read the previous day. It had said something to that effect, but Sombra hadn't realized how new of a development Spike and his mother's dynamic shift was. "That would mean you and your mother have only seen each other this way for only eight years then?" Sombra asked for clarification. Spike smiled, glad to see Sombra had at least paid attention yesterday. "Yeah, almost nine. Truth be told, it might not have happened at all if things hadn't gone the way they did. I was going through a bit of a rough patch in life, but we sorted it out eventually." Spike revealed. Sombra wondered precisely what had troubled Spike, as he seemed quite difficult to shake. Even the revelation of Sombra playing unwilling host to his foe didn't shake Spike as much as it should have. Sombra supposed Spike had already come to terms with having been forced into a role others had decided for him, and otherwise Spike's life seemed pleasant enough anyway. "Forgive me if I have trouble imagining what you might call a rough-patch. All things considered you seem to be a rather happy individual, at least on the surface. I have no people skills however, so I could very well be wrong." Sombra replied. Spike stopped walking and looked out at the vacant land outside Ponyville they were approaching. His stare seemed to look a great distance beyond what Sombra could see. "I'm happy, for the most part. There are some things that get to me, but I try not to think about them. So long as everyone I care about is happy and healthy it's usually enough." Spike answered, sounding a lot less sure of himself than moments ago. It was hard to see Spike's expression all that clearly due to the angle Spike was facing, but Sombra somehow got the impression that not only was Spike answering Sombra, but Spike was also reminding himself of it. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Spike seemed to realize he had been holding them up. "Heh... Sorry. I was lost in some memories. Uh... trying to remember my last encounter with the diamond dogs." Spike fibbed, apparent even to Sombra. Sombra was curious, but he reasoned that Spike was entitled to keeping his private thoughts private. The lie would actually most likely serve Sombra better at the moment as Sombra had only the vaguest notions of what a diamond dog was. As Spike began walking again Sombra too took a step forward, intent on asking about the dogs. Instead however Sombra's face met with a noticeably solid wall that didn't seem to exist. Sombra fell backward onto his rump and collapsed onto his right side, caught entirely unaware by the invisible obstacle. Spike withheld a laugh at the sight, and instead picked Sombra up and righted him. "Whoops, sorry about that. The collar slipped my mind. Let's go ahead and get rid of that." Spike apologized. Sombra was a tad angry, but in truth he himself had forgotten all about Twilight Sparkle's spell. Instead of complaining, Sombra lifted his neck as high as possible and let Spike undo the accursed accessory's buckle. Once finished, Spike removed the collar and lifted it into the air. With a short spurt of green fire the collar was consumed, the sparkling ash whisking itself away in the direction of Spike's home. Satisfied that his magic had done as intended, Spike returned his attention to Sombra. "I think we should still make you traceable. If Dootha does have followers still running around they might try and nab you at some point. If you're okay with it I can cast a spell on you that will allow me to find you anywhere, no matter what." Spike suggested. Sombra was immediately suspicious, but Spike hadn't tried to deceive him yet. Spike had actually been better to him than anyone else, despite being the container for his ultimate foe. Sombra decided if he was to make an effort to be nice, showing the dragon some trust would be a good place to start. "I... suppose. What sort of spell is it?" Sombra relented. Instead of answering right away Spike held out his right pointer claw. In a flash of green light it was cloaked in a violently flowing lime-green aura that almost seemed to be Spike's flames. Sombra was less confident once his mind made the comparison. His body was instinctively telling Sombra not to get burned. As soon as Spike began to reach for Sombra with his flaming finger Sombra instinctively closed his eyes. After what seemed like an eternity Sombra opened his eyes when nothing happened. Something had indeed happened though, as Spike had his aura-shrouded claw tip rested in the center of Sombra's forehead where his horn would have been. Still, Sombra couldn't feel anything at all. As soon as Spike lifted his claw it went out, and Sombra felt a mild tingling sensation. "Done. Now I can tell where you are whenever I need to, and I'll know if you're in danger. It's a spell traditionally used for particularly valuable items in a dragon's hoard, but I can make it work on anything. Truth be told, I've been thinking about using it on all my loved ones but I'd been instructed to keep my magic mostly secret until now." Spike explained. Sombra looked himself over, finding himself completely unaltered. It was rather comforting to know that someone actually cared for him to the point of being concerned of his safety. Sombra's mind drifted again, wondering how things might have been for him had he lived his life like a normal pony. Only once Sombra noticed Spike staring at him did his mind return to the matter at hoof. "So how long does such a spell last?" Sombra asked casually, ignoring the awkwardness. "Until I die or remove it, but first-blood dragons live until they get killed or succumb to disease or something along those lines. Even then Dramaal and Dootha are still hanging around though, so I dunno. Forever?" Spike replied uncertainly as they began moving again. Sombra and Spike continued making smalltalk for a time. Eventually the topic of the first altercation Spike had with the diamond dogs came back into play, causing Sombra to question how well their meeting with the dogs would go. After a time Sombra stopped walking, causing Spike to stop as well. Sombra examined his armor that he had reequipped before they left and then touched his forehead where his horn should have been. Spike could see the look of worry in his eyes. "If negotiations go south, do you think you could take the lot of the diamond dogs by yourself? Without my horn I will likely be of no help whatsoever in a fight, and from what you've told me there are quite a few of these things." Spike raised his claw to speak, but found it drooping a moment later. Sombra had made an excellent point. Spike could probably take a dozen or so but not all of them. Not without giving in to lesser natures and doing away with the dogs. Killing sentient creatures was taboo in the eyes of the law, and Spike's personal morals. Unless Spike felt genuinely fearful for his life, or felt that the lives of his loved ones were in imminent danger it was out of the question. Eventually they'd get the better of him, and then Sombra would likely be forced into slavery. Then Dootha would wake up in about a year, most likely causing the end of the world. Spike racked his brain, trying to come up with a more feasible plan. He was still new at magic and could only use fire. Which the most basic, and often the most powerful element most dragons could use. If Sombra were able to properly defend himself they might stand a better chance. Ding Ding Ding! Clamored the little, imaginary bell in Spike's mind. "Okay. I've got an idea. Just gimme a second." Spike told Sombra confidently. Much to Sombra's confusion, Spike lifted one of his arms to his face. Spike opened his jaws wide and grabbed onto one of his purple scales with his fangs. With a noticeable effort, Spike ripped the scale from his own arm. Sombra was slightly repulsed by it, but nonetheless watched Spike pull one of the smaller fangs from his bottom jaw. Sombra could see another fang through the gum and blood. It was clear that the fang wouldn't be missed for long. Then, while Sombra was off guard Spike plucked a jet-black hair from Sombra's mane. "OW! What the hell are you doing!" Sombra growled as he rubbed the sore spot on his scalp. "Gathering spell components." Spike replied casually as he used Sombra's hair to tie the scale and fang together. When the odd bundle was finished Spike lifted it high above Sombra and breathed in deeply. Sombra backed up several feet as it was clear what was about to happen. Spike unleashed a heavy torrent of emerald flames on the so-called spell components. Sombra watched as all the flames were drawn into the items, and their silhouette shifted and changed within the fire. Sombra could even swear he saw brief flares of magenta in the fire from time to time. When Spike stopped blasting fire into his claw Sombra was amazed to see the results of Spike's magic. Instead of the gross bundle of very personal items, Spike was holding a peculiar sword by the blade. It was a curved sabre with a blade that was split into two colors. The sharp edge was a pale silvery-white like Spike's fangs, and the dull edge a royal-purple like Spike's scales. The guard and pommel were joined, creating a hand-guard, or in Sombra's case, a mouth guard. The metal looked exactly like the metal of Sombra's armor. The grip was the same jet-black of Sombra's mane. It something of a work of art, and Sombra was rather speechless as Spike offered it to him. "Tada~ Now you can defend yourself. I'd say that ups our odds a bit, though I've never been that good at math." Spike joked proudly. Sombra hastily accepted the sword, taking the handle in his mouth as was the only way he could. Surprisingly, it's weight was perfect for him. It had a good sort of heft to it, but at the same time it wasn't unwieldy even with Sombra's meager physical strength. Sombra swung it, testing the feel. Yet again it seemed just right for him. Taking it out of his mouth, Sombra set it aside to talk. "I certainly didn't expect you to trust me with a weapon. I have tried to kill you before." Sombra mused, a somewhat skeptical look on his face. Spike shrugged, looking incredibly unthreatened. "Well if I don't prove I have faith in you how can I expect you to have any in me? And I know you're basically unkillable, but I don't wanna see you get hurt. I actually had a hard time thinking I'd played a part in blowing you to bits. I was sort of glad to see you were alive really, I'm not too fond of the idea of killing anyone." Spike explained. Sombra was aware that Spike had been young when he had been destroyed in the empire. It hadn't really been in Sombra's interest to care until now, but having gotten to know Spike a little, it made sense that Spike would fell terrible about the events that had transpired. Even if Sombra had been a villain, ponies were a rather innocent race and avoided killing in all but the most extreme cases. Spike who was raised by ponies had their mentality for the most part, even going so far as only going after creatures that threaten ponies for sustenance. It was more than likely Spike was feeling guilty, even though the events had taken place fifteen years hence. "I have no practice in swordplay, but seeing as it the first thing I've ever been gifted I will attempt to take care of it. It truly feels like it is at home with me in a strange way. ...Thank you." Sombra graciously told Spike, albeit awkwardly. Spike was glad that Sombra's rough exterior was getting easier to break, and rewarded Sombra with a pleased smile. "If I made it like I wanted it to be you won't have to worry. It'll be as sharp as my fangs, and as durable as my scales. It's my first time using that spell, mostly because I made it up on the fly, so I can't be sure. Just don't swing it around without reason, okay?" Spike explained. Sombra looked at the sword, finding it's appearance underwhelming if it truly held the physical traits of Spike himself. Nonetheless Sombra nodded, pledging to use the weapon wisely. Even though Sombra felt that his inexperience with melee weapons made him more of a liability than a potential warrior. After Spike helped Sombra fit the sword to a belt at the waist of his armor the pair resumed their trek. It wouldn't be long before they reached the wastes the diamond dogs called home. Hopefully the errand would go off without a hitch, but both Spike and Sombra had doubts they weren't keen on voicing for the time being.