//------------------------------// // Run To The Hills // Story: Consort of The Sun // by PrometheusDark //------------------------------// The streets were empty, as per the usual at this time of night. The clock struck twelve when he left the library, though how long ago that was he was unsure. The dragon simply wandered, forever a seeker of what was not there. He would wish and plead, but what he truly desired was not given. Love, true love, he sought it endlessly, though it was never found. Spike had grown over the years to be quite the dragon, though whether this was a blessing or a curse depended on who he asked. Some feared his mighty fangs, claws and wings, some wished they had them. He wasn't too sure of himself as of late, he was thankful he had the freedom of flight, but when he flew overhead he would scare any who were below. Twilight had tried to convince him he was just over-thinking this, but he saw the terror in their eyes as he walked through the market that day, and it crushed him. He had known these ponies all his life, and they knew him just as well, but still they feared him? He wasn't all that fearsome, he thought. Sure, he had grown quite large compared to an average pony, standing a good foot taller then Big Macintosh when he walked on all fours and his claws and fangs worried even Twilight, but he was a vegetarian, and he would never think about hurting a pony. He huffed, a small wisp of smoke leaving his maw. Spreading his wings, he took flight, shooting into the air like a bullet from a rifle. Ponyville was suddenly feeling very small and suffocating to him, even though he left the library for some fresh air, he needed fresher then that. The wind felt good on his scales as he flapped his massive wings, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling and the freedom of flying. He stayed like this for Celestia knows how long, it was a simple pleasure, but simple pleasures were usually the best. When he finally opened his eyes again, he was far away from Ponyville. Spike stopped his speedy flight and simply idled in the air, trying to get his barrings. He was very close to Canterlot, but not over it. He could see the lights of the city from where he was, piercing the darkness of night like so many spears. Now, Spike was known for being impulsive, so the idea to fly over to the castle in Canterlot didn't seem like a bad idea at the time. He did just that, gliding through the sky, over the castle walls, his dark purple scales blending with the night sky. No one would mind, he thought, if he just stopped by. He wasn't sure what he suspected, it was very late and everypony would be asleep, and of course that was the case. The city streets were just as empty as Ponyville at this hour. Spike tucked his wings in and sped toward the ground, the once comforting wind roared in his ears as saw the street growing closer and closer. His wings shot out again, and he banked up before he hit the pavement, gliding a short ways before touching the ground. The streets of Canterlot weren't as cramped as Ponyville's, being built much larger to accommodate many ponies at once. It was a comforting thought that he could walk down a road unmolested for his size, though he doubted it was the case. The palace loomed over the city, and he made his way toward it. He passed Pony Joe's on the way, a 'closed' sign hung on the door. It was still the small family owned business he remembered it being, though he hadn't been inside in quite a while. The castle was very close now, and he could see the guards. They watched him approach with apprehension until they got a better look at him. Spike gave a wave as he passed by, unhindered by them. He was always welcome in the palace, he grew up there and every guard knew him. As Spike wandered through the expansive halls and corridors of the castle, he felt himself drifting down memory lane. Back when he was still small and adorable, everypony accepted him without question. He remembered times when Twilight would read to him at night, and Celestia would tutor him in all subjects. He remembered hating math, but it was something he was fairly skilled at. He wasn't sure how long he had been wandering through the castle, but eventually he found himself out in the gardens. The flowers were bright and colorful, though sparse. There were statues all about, each carved with striking attention to detail. He recalled countless parties happening here, each better then the last. Spike eye lids felt heavy and he wondered just how long he'd been wandering around. He couldn't stop a yawn from escaping his maw, he suddenly was very tired. His wings ached and he doubted he'd make it back to Ponyville tonight. He walked over to a bench and climbed onto it, laying across it and taking up the whole surface. He just hoped Twilight wouldn't worry to much when she woke up to find him gone. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. She crawled through the tall grass, rifle in hoof, slowly as she could manage while still moving. She couldn't be caught, if she was she was as good as dead. She heard a snap of a twig somewhere to her left and she instinctively turned to look. There, not 5 feet away, was a stallion with a rifle of his own, his uniform didn't match her's, it was the enemy. If she tried to turn her rifle, she'd be spotted, so she quietly set it down and reached for her handgun. She pulled it from it's holster and pointed it at the stallion, looking down the sights, aiming for his head she was just about to pull the trigger when she heard a gunshot not her own. The screen went to gray-scale, and the purple mare dropped her control, lest she throw it out of rage. The kill-cam came up. “Surely you jest?!” Luna cried at the TV, “A sniper?! The camping lout!” She ranted as she slid off her couch and trotted across the room to switch off the console. The system powered down at the touch of a button. Princess Luna would never speak like such in dignified company, or any company really, but she was a completely different mare while she was gaming. She cantered over to the balcony, needing some fresh air to calm her nerves. She was very much a evening pony, her job demanded it. Raising the moon wasn't something you did during the day. The springtime air blew through her mane as she stepped out into the cool night. As chance would have it, her balcony overlooked the garden, and as she tore her eyes away from her beautiful night sky, she was planning to admire the flowers the gardener had recently planted. What she didn't expect was to see a dragon down there, resting on a bench. She felt a fear climb up her spine, she needed to tell somepony! If Luna was a night owl, then Celestia was an early bird. She slept, regularly, from 10 to 5. Unless, of course, awoken by her little sister. This was one such night. “Tia, Tia! Wake up, there's a dragon in the garden!” Luna cried, pounding on her elder sister's door. It was only seconds, though it felt like hours to the hysterical Luna, before the door flew opened to show a none-too-please looking Celestia. The tall, white mare's mane was an absolute mess, and her eyes had bags under them. Luna would've laughed at her appearance if she wasn't busy panicking. “What is it, sister?” Celestia's tone was forced kindness, she was usually kind of cranky when she didn't get enough sleep, if it had been anyone else they'd probably be chewed out by now. “There's a dragon in the garden!” Luna cried, causing Celestia to sigh, it wasn't that she didn't believe her sister, but she did have a rather overactive imagination. “Are you sure it wasn't just a trick of the moonlight?” Celestia questioned, desperately wanting to return to sleep. “Positive!” Luna affirmed, tugging at her sister's leg with her front hooves. Celestia would need to take a look herself, so off they went. It wasn't long before they reached the garden, and just as Luna said, there was a dragon. Spike slept on the bench, unaware of the princesses that had found him. Of course, Celestia recognized Spike immediately. Luna, on the other hand, hadn't seen the dragon since he was young, and didn't realize it was indeed the dragonling she had met on a few occasions. “What do you believe he is doing here?” Luna spoke, her voice returning to it's regal normalcy. Her eyes were narrowed to slits out of suspicion, though when she heard her sister's musical laughter, they widened. “What is so funny?” She interrogated, looking at her sister from the corner of her eyes. “Dear sister, this dragon is harmless. Don't you remember him?” Celestia patted her younger sister with her hoof. “Dig deep.” Luna looked down at the slumbering nightmare. He was purple and green, odd coloring for a dragon. Now that she was closer, he looked familiar. His scales held a dull shine brought on by the pale moon above, his claws and fangs terrifyingly large, but he looked so peaceful. She looked up at her sister after scanning the dragon for a good minute. “I do not know this dragon, sister. Who is he?” She asked, genuinely confused. “Why not ask him yourself?” The elder mare proceeded inch closer to the sleeping drake and raised a hoof to his shoulder. Luna was about to protest when she started to gently shake him. “Five more minutes, Twi.” Spike murmured, he still felt very tired. When he heard the melodic laughter he hadn't heard in a long time, a laugh that definitely wasn't Twilight's, his eyes snapped open. He was confused, where was he? This was certainly not the library. It wasn't long before it came rushing back, the events of the night. “Good morning, sleepy head.” He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Celestia's voice While that wasn't physically possible, it was very possible to fall off the bench. Which he did, much to his embarrassment. He rubbed his sore side and looked up at his unexpected company. The princesses looked down at him, Celestia let herself chuckle at his misfortune. Spike's face burned with humiliation as he righted himself and stood. “Hello, Spike. May I ask why you're here at this time on night, and without Twilight?” Celestia's question was reasonable, though Spike wasn't too sure of the answer. As soon as her sister spoke the name, Luna realized just who she was scared of moments before, memories of those few times they met came rushing back. She didn't know Spike too well, but she knew he was nothing to be afraid of. “I'm not sure myself, Princess.” Spike spoke, his voice telling just how tired he was. “I was just out for a walk when I found myself here.” He looked away out of shame, he could tell she wasn't angry with him, much to his relief, but he also didn't want to give away what was troubling him, these things weren't the Princess's problems, they were his. “So, Luna. Do you recognize him now?” Celestia nudged her sister, earning a blush of agitation from the blue alicorn. Luna didn't really want him to find out that she didn't know who he was at first, such things were embarrassing. “Yes, sister. He is Twilight Sparkle's assistant.” She spoke carefully before turning and trotting back toward the castle. “I will retire to my room, if nothing is needed of me.” Spike watched her go, as she disappeared through the large wooden doors he returned his attention to Celestia, who's smile shifted into a frown. He knew instantly that she caught him, she knew something was wrong, and she was going to try to fix it. “Spike, do not lie to me, you know better.” She scolded like a mother would her foal, which, in essence, was the case, given she had a hoof in raising him. Spike did know better, but that didn't stop him from trying. “Nothing's wrong, Princess.” He forced a smile, it wasn't very convincing. He knew that his lie didn't work when she just glared down at him, even though when standing he was almost as tall as her, she still seemed to tower over him. “I just had a bad day, is all.” He grumbled, trying his hardest to avoid eye contact. “Then tell me all about it, over a bit of breakfast.” Spike didn't touch his food, that wasn't to say it was bad, quite the contrary, he hadn't seen a meal like it in ages. He felt sick, his stomach churned in all the wrong ways, not that there was a right way. It was explanation time, and this time he wasn't just talking to Twilight, he was talking to the leader of a nation. “Okay, Spike. Tell me what happened to make you so down.” Celestia was relaxed, her mask she wore around politicians off and her worried frown taking it's place. “It's just, well, everypony in Ponyville is scared of me.” He spoke slowly and quietly, “I can't fly during the day, because they see me and think I'm going to start breathing fire down on them. I can't go to the market anymore without getting stared at. Even my friends think I'm a freak, all of them.” He let it out, all of it, much to Celestia's surprise. She knew someponies would be against a dragon living within their town, but she hadn't thought how bad it would get, or just how it would effect the dragon in question. Spike shook with anger and sadness, tears streaking down his face as he continued. “Fluttershy ran from me when I looked at her the other day. Twilight told me I just surprised her, but I know better, since Rarity did the same thing.” That had hurt the most. Rarity, the love of his life, was terrified of him. It only made it worse that he couldn't blame her. Spike felt a comforting hoof touch his arm, rubbing it in small circles. He leaned into it, allowing Celestia to embrace him. “I know what it's like, Spike. To be feared and you don't know why.” The goddess comforted. Her body was warm, he found, her coat soft as silk. He was enjoying the hug quite a bit and her words made him feel much better, even if it wouldn't last long, he at least had somepony who understood. “Why don't you stay here for a while, in the castle?” She suggested, the idea striking her out of random. She could tell he needed a vacation, even if it was only a few miles away from the place he was trying to get away from. Plus, Celestia would very much enjoy the company of somepony, or dragon, who wasn't a stoic guard or a blood-sucking politician. “I'd like that.” Spike answered, his voice slightly slurred from the exhaustion that was overtaking him. He found himself drifting into sleep at a rapid pace. Celestia closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness of her subject. It wasn't often she got this close to her charges, the last time it happened was probably when Twilight was younger. She found her eyes had closed on their own accord and when she opened them, she saw the dragon had fallen asleep, she smiled at that. Even though she wanted to stay there for a while longer, she had a job to do. It was time to raise the sun.