It was about five years ago. Pyro, his sister, Lucendia, and I came upon a small Zebra village. We had been travelling for days and needed somewhere to rest, given that the locals were hospitable enough.
“So we’re here. Now what?” Lucie asked.
“We ask whoever is in charge if we can stay for a few days. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to accommodate us,” Pyro replied snarkily.
******
“Tell me more about Pyro…” Rarity asked softly
“Where do I begin… He was a dark blue with a golden underbelly. Always so prideful, loyal, and ready for a challenge. I looked up to him as if he were my older brother. No matter what we did or where we went he knew what to do.” Even more tears began to well up in his eyes.
“I see… What about Lucendia?”
“She was my mate at the time. She looked much like her brother, but her scales were a warm lavender, and her eyes were a blazing blue that would glow like the moon.”
“That's.... Quite a description...” she felt a surge of insecurity. “What happened next?”
“After we arrived a few villagers spotted us and took us to the chief.”
******
We were led into the largest hut on near the bottom of the mountain they lived under. He welcomed us in with honor and praise.
“Welcome to our humble village. What services can we offer to you, our lords of fire?”
“Lords of Fire? I kind of like that,” Lucie whispered smugly.
“Grand Chief?”
“Abioye.”
“We have been traveling for quite some time, we need a place to rest.”
“Of course, anything for legendary creatures such as yourself.” With a stamp of his hoof we were led to three pre built huts directly next to his. While he was presenting them to us I noticed he kept observing me. Whenever I was looking away he watched me closely. It was as if he were evaluating and studying me. I told Pyro and Lucie but they dismissed it as ‘he’s just watching us do to our Legendary status’. But it was why he was surveying me so closely that led to what I did…
******
“Spike, I know it is painful for you to talk about this. If you don’t want to say anymore I understand.” Rarity comforted. Spike said nothing, he kept his eyes on the moist grass below them.
“I’ll be okay, If I don’t get this off my chest now it’ll tear me apart.”
******
So the next day I was going around the village just to see what it had to offer. Zebras are traditional folk who don’t like to meddle with technology. They want to lead simple lives with their families, or so that is what I was told. Yet the whole time I felt a creeping pair of eyes on me. I suspected the chief, but I was surprised and relieved to find who was trailing me. Little Zebra foals were trying to sneak up behind me and get a touch at my scales. I never know why but younglings love me, no matter what they are.
They chased me around, poked at my teeth, and I took them on a few flights, after all of the fun was over Chief Abioye approached me with two zebras dressed in gold rings.
“Salutations Dracon Spike.” he bowed.
“Oh uh. S-Salutations Chief Aboye.”
“Ah-bi-oh-ye,” he corrected.
“Of course sir, my apologies.”
“No need to apologise.” he stared at me with a creepy smile while tapping his staff. “How are you finding my quaint little village?”
“It’s nice,” that was all I could say. Between his constant surveillance and the foals , I began to have mixed feelings.
“I am glad that you are enjoying your rather short time here.” he looked around. “Where are your friends?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since last night.”
“That’s a shame. You are all very close?”
“Yeah, they're my family.”
“But you look nothing like them.”
“They took me in when I was younger.”
“I see, I see.” he walked me around the college until we reached a trail that went up the mountain. Hours later we reached the trail end. Never before have I seen a more beautiful sight. The sun driven by Celestia setting over a golden sea, while the clouds poured out of the glistening water. I became lost in the view, going over what I thought was most beautiful in the world.
******
He turned away hiding his obvious blush. “Oh, just imagining a view so pristine simply does not give it justice!” Rarity fawned.
“I really wished you could have seen it...”
“That can wait for another time, I'm still needed here in Equestria,” she leaned against him snuggling into his scales. “Care to finish your story?”
“Oh, r-right! Well, we were at this viewpoint they used to track incoming travelers...”
******
I was lost in the view, then I felt a sharp pain come from my back. I turned and one of the zebras had his hoof on my back. “There was a mosquito,” he reassured. I wanted to tell him that my scales were too thick, but he looked a might dim so I let it slide.
“It was nice to get to know you Dracon Spike.” Them just like that they were gone. I didn't see anypony going back down the mountain. That's when I really became suspicious. I flew down to find Pyro and Lucie. I saw Lucie surrounded by most of the females in the village. When I leaves they were whispering giggling and glancing at me.
******
“Ooh, so they were preparing Lucie for you?”
“Yeah...” he said sorrowfully.
“It's nice to know that someone out there loved you the same way you love them...”
“Well I- wait. What?” he picked up on the sadness present in her tone
“It's nothing dear, please continue...
“Well, they parted away from her.”
******
I can't lie. She was stunning. They decorated her in rubies and sapphire, accented with gold jewelry. I know what you're thinking, and no I didn't want to eat her. But, that was the most attractive that I had ever seen her. Is it wrong to say that you love someone who is like a sister to you? If it is, that moment felt so right. She batted those glowing blue eyes at me, begging me to come closer. I listened to their call, we came closer and closer until our snouts touched. She looked into my soul and I hers. We danced flirted and soon we went into her hut and well...
******
“You did the ‘thing’?” Rarity asked in shock.
“Well, yeah. I'm old enough to know how things work down there.”
“I just figured that you'd wait until marriage.”
“When there's a sexy dragoness begging you for it, there is no waiting,” he said while pridefully puffing or his chest.
“Oh my. It's getting rather warm out here.” Spike looked to the moon and let out a deep grumbling breath. “Are you okay?”
“The next day, is a day I don't like to remember...”
******
I spend most of my day with Lucie and Pyro planning out what where we needed to go next. After rounding up the supplies that we needed, Chief Abioye invited us to a feast celebrating our visit and our departure. After living with dragons and eating mostly gems and meat, the vegan food nearly made me sick to my stomach. As I logged around the hut I noticed that the Chief's assistants were missing. I didn't think on it until they invited me outside. As I walked out of the hut, they threw a muzzle on me, tied my wings down. I tried my best to struggle, to scream, but they sedated me with some foul smelling potion.
I woke up in a dark room. I yelled for Pyro and Lucie. The only response was my echo. Not knowing where I was or if I was even conscious I walked forward. I found a barred wall in front of me. I stumbled back and found another barred wall. They put me in a cage, trapped in this dark dank room. Then hoofsteps came from behind me, as candles lit the enclosure. “Hello Dracon Spike.”
“Abioye! Let me out now!”
“I can't do that, just yet. I need you my little puppet.”
“What the hell are you talking about you sick little horse!”
“Watch your disrespectful tongue! I know how to kill your kind dragon. A spear made of obsidian.” He pressed it to my chest. “To. The. Heart.” Never before had I ever felt pain so intense. As the spearhead touched my flesh it burnt like the hottest fire. “You are strong dragon. Very strong. And you will be the perfect weapon to use against my enemies.”
“What makes you think I'll help you?” I held my chest. I could still feel the spear driving into my heart.
“Your compliance is not a factor, you will do as I say.”
“I'm no puppet Abioye!” Then the room went dark. He started to glow as he chanted and danced. A blinding light filled my vision, and I saw you.”
******
“Y-You saw me?”
“Yes. I saw you and everyone I left here, but you were all so angry. Yelling at me, telling me that you'll never accept me. All I am is a slave destined to be nothing more. And that's when it hit me. I left because that's the fate I didn't want, but I walked back into it. I was following whatever Pyro told me to do... I was as much as his puppet as I was everyone else's...”
“Spike, you aren't anyone's toy. You're your own dragon. You are you, and no pony can take that away.”
“I wish you were there to tell me this five years ago,” he fought to hold back tears. “W-What he made me do next.” he began to sob. “He used me to kill everyone.”
******
After Abioye took control over me he told me to prove my worth by killing Lucendia and Pyro. He held my on a chain as is I were a rabid dog until we emerged somewhere outside the village. Then he muttered “kill”. I flew into the center of town and began to burn everything. Some of the villagers tried to stop me and I... Their screams were bloodcurdlingly horrid. Pyro came out first. The look he gave me was one of pure horror and sorrow. I could see that I broke his heart. We swore to not be like our kind, to not harm innocent beings, to help the helpless.
“Spike, please stop this!” In my mind I was screaming for him to save me, but on the outside all it translated to was a deafening fire filled roar. “Spike, brother please! I don't want to hurt you!”
“That's too bad, because I want to kill you!”
“So be it...” I lunged at him, fire filling my claws. He stepped to the side grabbed my tail, and threw me into the ground. While I tried to recover he punched and clawed me repeatedly. I couldn't feel it, the pain. I was poisoned, all I wanted to do was kill. And he was my target. I kicked him off me and went for his throat. Just as my jaws snapped he moved and swiped me with his claw, sending me into a hut. Lucendia appeared behind Pyro. She came over to me in a vain attempt to calm me. I took hold of her throat, punched her countless times and threw her to the side.
That was when the chief cave running cheering. “Yes, yes Spike! Kill them all, leave no one alive!”
“Y-You... You're behind this?!” Pyro yelled in pained disbelief.
“Yes! He is the ultimate weapon! Not even you can stop him!” he cackled.
“Spike, can you hear me? You have to fight this. Look at Lucie, the village. Please, I know you're stronger than this.” His words, they hit me like a tidal wave. I knew I was stronger, I knew what I meant to him. But I couldn't break free... “Spike, please...”
“Spike, kill him! NOW!” I tried to fight, but his magic was too strong. I charged after Pyro like a mindless rabid animal. I but him, punched him, cut him. Hurt him in every way imaginable. He was weak, I took him by the horn and breathed my hottest fire directly onto his face. “Good job, Spike now finish him.” I was going to rip his throat out when Lucie tackled me.
“Why are you doing this?!” she cried
“Get off me!”
“Why, Spike why?!”
“LET! ME! GO!” I don't want to say what I did next... It still makes me sick to my stomach... After I got her off me, I turned my attention back to Pyro. He was barely breathing, sobbing silently. I didn't know what to do. I killed my mate, killed so many innocent zebras, and I broke my brother. I raised my claw, memories of all the times we had came flooding back, then it was over.
******
He looked down at his claw, then back to the moon. “After I killed him, I turned to Abioye. The last thing I did before his magic left me, was rip him in half...”
“O-oh my goodness!”
“I know, you're terrified of the monster I've become... I don't blame you... I came back here expecting to run away from my past, but it's stuck to me. And there's no way to get it off...”
“S-Spike-
“Goodbye Rarity...” he opened his wings and flew away into the night.
“I don't think you're a monster...”