A Growing Fire In My Heart

by Rated Ponystar


Chapter 4

Ember believed in the concept of keeping a promise. She had done so ever since her father promised to return from a battle against an invading behemoth army. He promised to return home alive and he did with many demon skulls to prove his worth. Ember believed that if one made a promise, one had to stick to it until the end.

Her promise to Spike to find more information about his parents wasn’t a lie. Ember had sent messages out to every dragon in the kingdom in search for information. While she did this, Spike had managed to master the flight exercises she suggested. It would still take some time for him to fly like any other dragon, but he could now continue his training without her help.

Yet, this made her sad. There was no reason now for Spike to stay in the dragon lands now that he had learned the basics. He was needed back at home to help with Twilight and her friends. He’d promised to stay a bit longer after their training so that he could at least wait until word of his parents had finally arrived.

He didn't have to wait long for the truth to come to light. Just as she feared, they were gone. They had died only a hundred years ago from old age; about four hundred years after Spike was found by Princess Celestia. A dragon egg without warmth from fire or a mother’s seating caused the egg to stay still and unmoving to time.

For all those hundreds of years until Twilight accidentally hatched him with her magic, Spike had slept without a means to make him hatch. An egg could be frozen for 1000 years and even the most simple of warmth could hatch the newborn as if nothing had happened.

Ember watched as Spike placed a bouquet of flowers at the entrance of their cave tomb; forever sealed so their bodies could rest. She demanded that none of her guard follow them, wanting to give her friend the peace he needed to make with those that brought him into this world.

“Hey... Mom... Hi... Dad...” whispered Spike, a small smile on his face as he looked up at the names of his parents that hung over the entrance. It was in draconic, the dragon language, and Ember had to translate it for him. “I wish that we could have met while you were still around... I would have loved to know about you both personally. I heard you were both warriors who fought in many battles against giant monsters and loved each other deeply... I wish I could have met you...” He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I hope you're proud of me. I’ve done a lot of things for my age. I’ve even saved an Empire and almost became the Dragon Lord. Pretty cool, huh?”

Ember bit her lower lip as a part of her wanted to just hug him then and there, but she resisted with all her might. She couldn’t interfere with this, even if she wanted to. Spike continued to talk to his parents as Ember stared at their tomb and her mind drifted to the conversation she and Spike had nearly two weeks ago. Is my mother also dead? Would she be proud of me as Dragon Lord?

She never thought about her mother. She was never around due to their customs of mating. Her father never spoke of her and he never once sought another mate. Yet the more she thought about her, the more she wanted to know her. I feel like a hatchling again, thought Ember with a slight smirk. It’s like I’m six years old again, waiting for Dad to tell me a story before I go to bed. I wanna know more...

Spike had often told her what it was like to be raised by Twilight as his mother. How she cared for him. Kissed him goodnight. Praised him for doing something nice while scolding him for doing something wrong. There was love in his words when he spoke about her. The love only a child would have for his mother.

My father loves me and I love him, yet it was always a harsh type of love filled with discipline ... but what does it feel to have a mother’s love? Thought Ember, closing her eyes and trying to imagine the feeling. Yet, she came up empty. He’s lucky... Ember stared at Spike as he laughed about something he did with the pets of his friends. He’s known what it’s like to have a Mom...

And a part of her would trade her Bloodstone Scepter for that feeling.

“... I promise I’ll come visit again someday,” said Spike, finishing his talk. He pressed his claw against their stone door and looked up at their names one more time. A tear dripped down from his cheek as he wiped it away. “Please watch over me.”

He slowly turned around and walked over to Ember who straighten up. She was about to open her mouth when he hugged her. She froze as her cheeks slowly turned red. This hug was... different. This was much different than the warm and cheery hug she always got. It was like she had just dived into molten lava that was cocooning around her in a protective and welcoming shell. Her heart wasn’t beating, but instead it felt like it was... singing. It was like roaring a breath of it’s own as Spike’s embrace made every scale in her body feel like it was enkindled with a spark from the gods themselves.

She didn’t know what to call this hug. Was it special? Something ponies did that Spike learned?

“Ember... thank you,” whispered Spike as he broke the hug, much to her disappointment. However, the smile he was giving Ember made her dismiss her worries and she just smiled back. “I swear, I’ll pay you back for this some day.”

“Spike, I did this because you’re my best friend,” said Ember, reaching down and patting his shoulder. “And I always keep a promise. I just want to know if you’re okay?”

Spike nodded before glancing at his parents tomb. “I’m fine. In fact, I feel great. Sure, my parents are gone, but I think I know they would be proud of me. And I’m not alone. I got Twilight, my friends, and... I got you.”

“Yeah, I got you too,” said Ember, doing her best to hide her rose colored cheeks again. “A-Anyway, let’s head back. We got dinner cooking.”

“We’re not having meat again, are we?” asked Spike, looking a bit greener than usual. He had tried eating flesh for the first time, but it was clear that his time with ponies made him, and his stomach, weary of eating such things.

“I have a diamond and emerald soup ready for you,” answered Ember with a laugh. “Don’t worry.”

***

She found her father where he usually was at this time at night: staring into the stars on the top of their mountain home. Ember sat on top of his giant head and he didn’t even flinch as he continued to stare at the stars. It was said that the greatest of dragons were rewarded by the gods by becoming stars so that they could shine forever in the night sky. A way for those below to look up to them and revere them for their greatness.

“Stars are really bright tonight,” said Torch.

“Yeah,” said Ember as she brought her knees closer and watched the stars twinkle.

“You going to be okay when your friend leaves for his home?” asked Torch, doing his best to hide his concern. Even though he was no longer Dragon Lord he still didn’t want to show too many “feelings” which made Ember roll her eyes.

“I’ll be fine, Dad,” answered Ember. “Spike and I will see each other again. We promised to do so.”

“Good,” answered Torch, huffing. “He’s a weird one. But he makes you happy so I guess he’s alright.”

Ember chuckled before clearing her throat and taking a deep breath. “Dad... what was my Mom like?”

There was a small shift in her seat before Torch found his voice. “You’ve never once asked me that question.”

“Because I didn’t care about it back then,” whispered Ember. She closed her eyes and thought back to when Spike was talking to his mother at her tomb. “Now I want to know.”

“... she was the only dragon I would have ever made my life mate,” whispered Torch, lowering his head in nostalgia. “She was smart like you. She was tough, wild... but she had a passion for learning and adventure. You’re more like her then me.”

“Why didn’t you marry her?” asked Ember, looking at her father straight in his eye. She saw him raise an eyebrow and she quickly corrected herself. “Sorry, I mean make her your life mate.”

“Because she had a dream,” answered Torch, sighing. “She wanted to see the world. Learn more about it. She craved adventure in her life. I could have demanded she stay and become my life mate, but I couldn’t do it...” He closed his eyes. “I... loved her too much to take her away from that dream. She promised me that she would always love me though. You are a product of that love. You are the one thing I have in this world that reminds me of her.”

“So... is she still alive?” asked Ember, bracing herself for such a reality.

“I don’t know,” answered Torch. “The last time I saw her was when she delivered your egg to me. She might be with the gods or she might still be adventuring. I don’t know. But I can tell you this.” A smile decorated his face. “She would be proud of you. Dragon Lord or not.”

Ember did her best to stop the tears threatening to overcome her, but one did slip. She managed to wipe it away before hugging her father who grumbled. “Oh hush. We’re having a moment.”

“Fine, but don’t tell anybody,” muttered Torch.

Ember just laughed as she continued to hug her father.