//------------------------------// // Night Terrors // Story: Another Hatchling // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// By the time Spike brought Rainbow back to Ponyville, it was already quite late and the sun was well down. Everypony decided to spend the night at the castle, as they were all eager to hear more of Spike's story. They also accepted Rainbow's assertion that she overstrained her wings trying to keep up with Spike in an endurance flight. She happily endured the teasing from Applejack over her competitive zeal. As everyone curled up for the night, most slept easily, happily seeing Spike still himself, just more so. For one, however, sleep was greatly troubled. Twilight smiled happily as she walked down the path in the Everfree Forest, little Spike at her side as he balanced the basket of things she was gathering on his head, his chubby cheeks puffing with breath as he pushed himself to keep up with her. She laughed at his antics, leaning in to nuzzle him. "You know, you can ride on my back if it'd make it easier," she teased. "No need!" he replied breathlessly. "I'm good! I can handle myself! You don't have to worry so much!" He flashed her a thumbs up. Chuckling, she continued down the path. Seeing something in the undergrowth, she leaned over to investigate it, only to hear something tumble to the ground. Turning, she saw the basket on its side, its contents spilled, and no sign of Spike. "Spike?" she called out worriedly. "Spike!" She spun, searching for any clue where he might have gone, but found no sign. Desperately, she spun back to what she'd been investigating, only to see a large beast raise out of the ground and charge. Screaming, she ran for it. "Spike!" she called out, fear and worry thick in her voice. "Where are you?" Something purple and green struck from the air like lightning, knocking the creature pursuing her end over end into a tree. Spike, his wings spread wide and the sunlight glinting off his armor, landed beside her. "You okay, Twilight?" he asked, looking her over. "Spike?" she asked, shocked. "I...I'm okay, but-" "That's good," Spike replied easily. "You can make your own way out, right?" "My own way?" she asked, confused and afraid. "Spike!" Turning, Twilight saw Samus, her eyeshield concealing her face, beckoning. "Hurry up, Spike!" she called, her voice gentle and kind, yet somehow menacing to Twilight. "We've got a mission to complete!" "Coming, Mom!" Spike called out, and Twilight wilted internally at his words. He turned back to her. "See you later." He turned to leave. "Spike, wait!" Twilight called out. "What if it's dangerous? What if you get hurt? What if-" "You don't have to worry, Twilight," Spike replied easily. "I'm not a baby anymore. I can take care of myself. I don't need you looking after me anymore. "I don't need you anymore." Twilight fell back, stunned and hurt by his words. "S-spike..." she called out weakly, tears in her eyes as he raced out of sight with Samus. Turning, she saw the overturned basket. The unusual gemstones she had collected now contained images inside. Spike as an infant, sucking his tail as he looked up adoringly at her. Feeding him his first meal of gemstones powdered with egg shell. Teaching him not to chew on ponies' tails. One stuck out to her most painfully. "Mama!" Spike said happily. Young Twilight chuckled. "That's not how you say Twilight, silly." She leaned in to nuzzle him as she continued to teach him to say her name. The gems crumbled and dissolved as the creature that had pursued her - now a monstrous serpent - slithered over them, crushing the discarded memories callously as it wrapped itself around her. Twilight didn't resist, tears falling from her eyes. "Spike..." she cried, waiting for the end as the pressure from the serpent's coils became overpowering. A bright blue light flooded the forest, and the coils relaxed around her, letting her free her head and wings. "What has brought such a vision to your nightly dreams, dear Twilight Sparkle, to drag me forcefully in?" Luna asked curiously, coming in to land gently beside the now limp serpent. "Princess Luna?" Twilight asked, shocked. "Then...I'm dreaming?" "Indeed," Luna replied, walking up to Twilight. "Pray tell, what has you so distressed?" Twilight sighed sadly. "Well, Spike's finally back-" "Huzzah!" Luna proclaimed. "That is most wondrous news! For the entire month your dreams have been filled with nightmare visions of what fate may have befallen him, but now he is safe home and all is well!" She noticed Twilight's haunted expression. "All is...not well?" Twilight sniffled a bit. "He's...different. Somehow, the spell that went wrong sent him through time and space so that...he's been raised from hatching for the past 18 or so years by someone else...someone else he now calls Mom." Luna blinked. "I...see. But he's returned to you, has he not?" "And brought her with him," Twilight replied. "And she's nice. She's an adventurer, a member of a new species - a cross species, at that - and she has so much she could share with us. ...I can't hate her, or blame her. This would be so much easier if I could." Luna stared at Twilight for a time, lost in thought. Then she took a glance at something just out of sight, then smirked. "Indeed. She does sound a most wondrous mother figure for Spike. Certainly better equipped than you to handle the maturation of such a powerful creature as a dragon. Why, what possible reason could Spike have to seek you out if he has her?" Twilight wilted in on herself. "I know what you mean-" "What possible reason," Luna interrupted. "Perhaps, before allowing yourself to sink in despair, you should ask yourself...if his life out there was so wonderful, why did he come back here? Why did he return to you? And perhaps...why have the slack coils of your dream beast not vanished?" "Eh?" Twilight asked in confusion, glancing down at the coils...noticing for the first time that they were purple and green. As her eyes started to open, she found herself staring at purple and green scales coiled comfortingly around her, supporting her in a perfect sleep position. Her eyes trailed up the coils until they reached the base of Spike's tail, trailing up his entire body. He was huge now. Bigger than Samus, bigger than Celestia. As big as the Chozo Statues Samus had shown them pictures of. He squatted with his back against a wall, his wings mantled around his lap where Twilight was curled up. His claws were cupped, and a familiar orange sphere was braced in them. "It looks like both my mothers needed comfort tonight," he whispered softly. Twilight looked up at him. "You...you're so grown up now," she said softly. "You...you don't need me anymore..." Her eyes beaded with her tears. Snaking his head forward slowly on his long neck, Spike planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. "But you still need me," he said softly, comfortingly. Pulling his head back, he began to sing. The song wasn't in any language Twilight knew, but the sense of comfort, of family, of closeness the words carried permeated through any language barrier, as though the message of the song were more psychic than vocal. Smiling softly, Twilight slowly drifted back to sleep, far more comfortably than before. Applejack had been heading to the bathroom for a glass of water to settle her stomach, having eaten something that hadn't agreed with her during dinner. Passing by Twilight's room, she had noticed the door ajar and peeked in to see what was wrong. She had witnessed Spike giving his comfort and promise to Twilight, easing Twilight's anguish. Hearing the soft lullaby and seeing Twilight slip back into slumber, only one thought found its way into her mind. He'll make a great father someday... "...woof," forced its way out of her mouth. Blushing brightly in embarrassment, she rushed off back to bed, not noticing Pinkie standing nearby, her head tilted curiously.