A Ray of Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

How to Raise Your Dragon

“Okay, spit,” commanded Twilight. Ray spat into the petri dish she held out. “Good. Now, open wide.” He did so again and she carefully examined the inside of his mouth. “Hmm. Good.” She made a few notes. “Okay, try not to blink.” She shone a penlight in his eye and check his pupil dilations. “All normal here.”

“Uh, no offense, Twilight, but do we really need to do this?” asked Ray.

“I like to be as thorough as I can,” she responded in a clipped voice, making another note.

“But I just went through this yesterday.”

“Ray, you know what you agreed to,” she said sternly. “I’m in charge of these examinations, so just keep quiet, do what I tell you and we can get through this as quick as we can.”

“Fine.” A moment of silence while she prepared the saliva sample under a microscope. “What happens if doing what you tell me involves speaking?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Right, sorry.”

She sighed and continued to examine the sample. Maybe she should have at least laughed a little. She knew he was just trying to use humour to diffuse the tension. But in the wake of the news a week ago, she still found it difficult to be as relaxed around him as she used to be. As anypony would hearing something like that.

The meeting they’d had about what should happen with Ray after what he told them had been a very heated one. Rainbow had been one of the most outspoken in her negative opinion on Ray’s crime of how dangerous he appeared to be to all of them. Twilight couldn’t blame her. She’d already been shaken once with the revelation of Wrath in Ray’s mind. Now once again, a pony she’d considered ‘cool’ had shattered her image of him again with the confession of murder. Twilight hoped Rainbow would someday come to terms with that.

Applejack had been one of those who spoke in defence of Ray. He’d been angry over the deaths of ponies close to him. Anypony would be angry in that situation. Add to that Wrath’s influence and she staunchly said she didn’t blame him for what had happened. She’d also shocked them by adding that if she had been through the same things he had, under the same circumstances, or if any of them had, they would have acted the same way.

Rarity’s stance had been rather on the fence. While she too had sympathy for Ray and how he’d felt at the time, she found it difficult to look past the fact he’d committed murder. Everypony got angry, but that didn’t condone killing somepony out of that anger. A little like Rainbow, she feared what might happen if his anger were to be turned toward any of them, although she never said that directly, avoiding the question when prompted further and giving no definite answers.

Pinkie Pie had reacted similarly, though in a much more distressed fashion. She still loved Ray, as she did all of them and any of her friends, but she expressed a fear of him. Then, she became ashamed of herself for being scared of one of her friends and considered going to Ray and making him feel better. But then how could she make him feel better when he’d killed those ponies? Maybe what they did was mean, but they must have had lives, friends and family too. Did that make Ray bad that he killed them or was it okay because they’d killed the ponies he was travelling with?

In the end, Pinkie had burst into tears and confused remarks, then ran out of the room in a state. Rarity, who appeared just as uncomfortable with the discussion, had gone after her.

Fluttershy had been mostly quiet throughout the proceedings. There was no hiding that she was scared. But when they’d prompted her to speak, she tentatively expressed her view. In her tending of animals, she had taken into care many, many creatures most would consider to be violent and extremely dangerous. With tender love and care, she knew there were whole different sides to these matters than what may meet the eye. Though she was scared of him, she announced that she would stand by Ray. If it came down to a form of custody, she said she would take him in herself. Then she blushed at the implication and fell silent.

Dusk had, as they all expected, had been in full defence of Ray. He could have kept secret of what he did from them, but he admitted to it, something that he did despite how they might react to it. He also brought up that Ray had killed Chrysalis too, in a similar circumstance; that he had gotten angry at her for what he had done to those he cared for and lost control. Yet they didn’t seem to hold that against him. They were hard-pressed to think of a good argument against that point.
Spike had been a little surprised to be included in the proceedings. He’d listened at first to what everypony else had said before he took his turn. This had been when Pinkie and Rarity had come back into the room, the former still a bit of a mess. He had made the point that, being a dragon, he was just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than Ray. During his greed rampage, he could have trodden on somepony or eaten them. The others didn’t hold it against him just because he lost control and that was much more recent. It wasn’t fair to be judging Ray by the same standards and for something that had happened five years ago, something that wasn’t even entirely his fault.

Twilight tried to take an objective standpoint, since they would be deferring to her for a final decision. From the start, she had stated that regardless of the circumstances, he’d committed murder. A very serious crime in Equestria, punishable by lifelong imprisonment. But hearing them all make their points and because of her own feelings on Ray, she found it hard to remain objective. He was still their friend and they’d defended him before when they’d learned of how potentially dangerous he was. It was only now that they fully grasped the scope of how hazardous he could be. But that wasn’t his fault. They’d given him love, care and a home. They’d given him friendship. The blame wasn’t solely on him for his crimes, something they all knew.

She said all of this when eyes turned to her for her opinion. In the end, she didn’t have the heart to sentence him to Canterlot. When she put forward the motion, they’d all voted against it. Even Rainbow did, though rather reluctantly and with great difficulty. She suggested instead that his examinations in the library become daily rather than weekly and with the exception of the evenings, unless circumstances made it so, that they should have at least one of them stay with him at all times. The vote was carried unanimously.

Now, Ray had to report to the library at eight-thirty promptly before going to the farm with Applejack for work. Needless to say, Ray had been relieved and thankful for this turn of events. But there was hardly a celebration for it. Everypony left with heavy hearts and conflicted feelings. It would take time for them to relax around Ray again. He seemed to accept that, but he wasn’t exactly happy for it.

It was only her doing the examination today. Dusk and Spike were out with Rarity and the phoenix Spike had been caring for. Looking at Ray, she could feel pity well up inside her. The expression he wore wasn’t that of a ruthless killer, but of a disheartened friend, wondering if he’d ever be able to make up for the horrible thing he’d done.

“Ray.” He looked up sharply, while she remained with her back to him at the microscope. “I don’t like that you killed. Just so we’re clear. But I understand why it happened. It was before you met us. You’ve had Wrath in your head your whole life and he’s made it much more difficult for you. Spike was right. It’s not fair for us to judge you for what happened five years ago or for the circumstances that brought you there. What happened… it doesn’t make you a bad pony.”

She waited for him to say something. However, he stayed silent. He must have felt she had more to say, so she continued. This time, she turned around to look at him.

“But I want to warn you right now. While you’re not wholly responsible for what happened, it has served to remind us what you’re capable of under Wrath’s influence. So, I’m only going to say this once: if you’re responsible, indirectly or otherwise, for anything like that happening to anypony in Ponyville, any of my friends or Dusk, I’ll be the first to take action to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Understand?”

“I… I do,” he nodded. “Believe me, I’d hand myself in if anything like that happened with any of the others. But I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt any of them.”

“I hope so,” she replied sadly, returning to her studying. “I really do.”

---

Dusk stood at the edge of Ponyville while he watched Spike standing not too far off. They had come along to bear witness to a rare and touching event. After all of this time, the little one was finally going to be growing up. It had been some time since they’d found him and now he was taking his first steps towards true maturity. He was at last going to spread his wings and fly.

“Come on, Peewee! You can do it!” encouraged Spike.

After months in his care, the baby phoenix was reaching a stage of maturity. He was much larger now, about the size of a pigeon and his wings had grown large enough for him to take off. The adolescent phoenix seemed nervous of the prospect, but the presence of his surrogate parent was a comfort.

“I’m right here with you, buddy,” assured Spike. “Go on. Make me proud.”

The phoenix cawed a grateful sound and spread his wings. Spike started a run with Peewee on his arm. Peewee tried to jump and fly, but his wings flapped unevenly and he quickly latched back on to Spike’s arm. He tried again, but much the same result ensued.

“You’ve almost got it! Come on Peewee, show ‘em what a real phoenix can do!” urged Spike.

The third time was much more successful. There was another little stumble, but his wings managed to get into the right motion. He took off into the sky, again with minor losses of control, but he kept himself in the air, soaring majestically around them.

“Alright, Peewee!” cried Spike. “Yeah, I knew you could do it! Look at him go!”

“Good work, Spike!” cheered Dusk. “I knew he’d have it in him, thanks to how well you’ve raised him.”

“Aw shucks, you’re embarrassing me.” There was a pause. “Well, I didn’t say stop.”

Dusk chuckled and rubbed the top of Spike’s head. “It won’t be much longer before he’s fully grown, if I remember the books Phoenix Wing sent you.”

“Maybe Philomena would like to meet him,” suggested Spike. “I’ll bet she’d like another phoenix playmate to have.”

“I’m sure she would,” said Dusk. “I’d say we’ve done fine work for the little one. Though he isn’t so small anymore.”
“Yeah…” Spike watched him wistfully. “It’s kind of weird, seeing him so big now. Seems like yesterday he was the size of a fire ruby.”

“We all have to grow up someday, Spike. One of the inescapable facts of life,” said Dusk. “Though it sounds strange that you’re talking like an old pony when you’re still only just taller than my knee.”

“Hey, I won’t be small forever!” he insisted. “I’m gonna be bigger one day too, then we’ll see who comes up to who’s knee!”
“In time, Spike. But no matter what, you’ll always be my little brother,” said Dusk sincerely. “And Twilight’s too.”

“Coo-ee! Hello, you two!” They looked to see Rarity approaching. “How are my favourite library assistants today? Goodness, is that Peewee?”

“Yep!” said Spike proudly. “Not too bad, huh?”

“I should say so,” cooed Rarity. “What a remarkable sight, how much he’s grown. It’s a wonderful thing to happen, considering…”

She trailed off, but Dusk could tell from the look on her face what she was talking about. Or rather, whom.

“Admittedly, Rarity, I’m still a little shocked too about Ray,” said Dusk. “But it’s all in the past now.”

“I-I know, but…” She paused. “The events might be in the past, but the implication remains with us.”

“Which is?”

“That given the proper cause, he is capable of murder,” she answered. “I know you might not like it, Dusk, but it’s the truth.”
“But why should that worry you?” asked Dusk. “Are you going to give him cause?”

“Certainly not!” she replied sharply. “But what if he doesn’t need a proper cause? What if he just needs to get angry and that’s all it takes? Any one of us could be at risk!”

“Rarity, that’s not going to happen,” he insisted. “And you know it’s Wrath that’s pushing him to those extremes. Getting angry alone doesn’t do it. As long as he wears the necklace, he can keep him under better control.”

“But how does that make him any less dangerous?” she retorted. “We’ve seen as well that that necklace can be pushed to a limit, as Discord demonstrated. Someday, we might discover that limit. How can we live, knowing something that life threatening is hanging over our heads?!”

“So, he’s a thing now, huh?” They were both surprised at the tone Spike was taking. “Is that how you saw me, after what happened on my birthday?”

She faltered. “Spike… i-it isn’t like that. It’s not the same.”

“Isn’t it though?” he asked. “Like I said, something worse could have happened when my greed got the better of me. You all might have seen me as some dangerous dragon and I still could be, if it ever happens again. But you still saw me as your little Spikey wikey. You didn’t see me as a rampaging monster. Why can’t you do the same for Ray?”

Dusk smiled proudly at Spike’s stance while Rarity began to look uncomfortable, clearly trying to find a way to prove Spike wrong. She couldn’t. In the end, she conceded.

“You’re right,” she murmured. “I’m sorry, Spike. This whole affair, it… still has me on edge. I think it’s fair to say the same of all of us. But your point is well made.”

“It’s fine, I get it,” he nodded. “You all need some time to take this in and come to terms with it. But just… don’t blame him completely for it.”

“Of course.” She smiled proudly. “You may not have grown any bigger in size, Spike, but you’ve certainly grown in other ways.”

His cheeks went red. “Y-You think?”

“I do indeed,” she said sincerely. “It would be rather strange to see you grow up, I must say. You’ve been such an adorable little dear from the first day we met that seeing you get any bigger would be… well, it would take some getting used to.”

“Twilight told me about when he first hatched, back when she was eight. He was no bigger than one of the books in the library. Thirteen years later and not much has changed,” chuckled Dusk.

“Yeah well, just you wait,” warned Spike. “One of these days, I’ll start growing a little more. Then, like I said, we’ll see who’s bigger than who.”

“Now, now, Spikey,” said Rarity. “Don’t try to grow up too fast.”

“Hey, if it happens, I can’t help it,” he shrugged. His laughing was stopped when he clutched his stomach. “Ow, ow, ow… that hurts.”

Rarity was at his side in a second. “Spikey wikey? Are you alright?”

There was a flapping of wings and Peewee landed nearby. He crowed to Spike, looking concerned.
“I’m okay…. It’s fine, nothing to- ow, ow, ow, ow!” He clutched his stomach again and fell on his knees. “Okay… maybe not completely fine.”

“What is it?” Rarity asked. “What’s happening?”

“Stomach pains,” Dusk answered quickly. “Spike’s been getting them on and off for a while.”

“What? You mean these have been happening for a while? The one from reforming Discord wasn’t the only one?”

“I only just discovered this yesterday,” Dusk told her. “Spike told me they’ve been happening for some time. They come and go at irregular intervals and can be in effect in the same way. He insisted to me that there was nothing to worry about.”
Those last words were directed pointedly at Spike, who was getting back to his feet.

“Well, they’re not. See? This one’s already gone.” He tried to smile to lighten the tension, but he failed. “Look, come on. How bad can a stomach ache be?” He suddenly belched up green fire. Quite a bit of it. “Uh, that happens sometimes too. Maybe it’s just bad gas?”

“I’d like to believe that, but I doubt it if it’s been going on this long,” said Dusk. “Why haven’t you told Twilight about this?”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal!” he insisted. “We’ve had so much bigger stuff going on recently, I didn’t think that my aching tummy was something to get worked up about. I figured you and Twilight would just tell me to stop snacking so much and they’d go away.”

“Clearly, they’re not. Spikey, you’ve got to swear to us that the next time you get one, you’ll tell Twilight at once. Promise us, please?” begged Rarity.

He nodded. “Yeah, I think you might be right. If I do get another one, she’ll probably notice anyway. I’ve been lucky so far where my fire is concerned, but it’s only a matter of time before I burn something or accidentally send either of you to Celestia.”

“So, that’s a promise?”

“It’s a promise, Rarity,” he swore. “I’m sorry I’ve not told you until now and making you worry.”

“That’s alright, Spike,” she said with a smile. “Perhaps you’re right and these are just some silly little thing that’ll be gone within a month, but I’d rather know for definite.”

“Thinking about it, me too.” Peewee cawed again. “Oh hey, don’t worry, Peewee. I’m fine now, see?”
The phoenix cooed, not looking entirely convinced by Spike’s assurances. That’s what Dusk thought anyway, because neither was he.

---

Dusk arrived a little earlier than usual the next morning. Every now and again, though more frequently of late, he would forgo breakfast at his house and go eat it with Twilight and Spike. The dragon’s eggs and hay bacon were hard to resist in the morning, as was the good company of his fellow librarians.

However, the sight that greeted him wasn’t the two of them sitting down to breakfast. The first thing his senses picked up wasn’t the mouth-watering smell of hay bacon, but the frantic sounds of Twilight rapidly talking upstairs and books being flicked through. When he joined them in their room, he ducked when a book Twilight discarded almost hit him in the head.
The usually organised room was in a state of chaos. Twilight was using her magic to look at as many books at once as she could. When it wasn’t the one she was looking for, she tossed it away with a groan and increased panic. Spike was sitting on the stairs and, as Dusk feared, was clutching his stomach. On occasion, he belched a torrent of fire.

“Dusk! Thank goodness!” About twenty books levitated toward him. “Quick! Read these!”

“Wait, what?” was all he had time to say before he was buried under them. He stuck his head out. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Forget me! Worry about Spike!” she cried. “This morning, he started getting these stomach pains and he can’t stop belching fire! Now, hurry up and help me find something in one of these books!”

“Twilight, calm down.” He climbed out of the pile and approached Spike. “How long has this one been going on for?”

Twilight suddenly stopped. “Wait… this one?”

“S-Since early this morning,” he answered. He belched again and Dusk took a step back. “F-For about… half an hour a-and it won’t go away. I-I’m getting sudden pains and that’s when-“ He cried out and belched again. “That happens…”

“This one? This one?!” Twilight was seething. “You mean these have happened before and you didn’t even tell me?!”

“As far as I know, not on this scale,” replied Dusk. “Twilight, you really need to calm dow-“

“Don’t you tell me to be calm, mister!” she snapped. “You both knew and you were keeping this from me?! How could you do something so stupid?!”

“Don’t be like that,” he said sternly. “I only learned this yesterday and back then, they didn’t look like they were getting this serious. I assumed that Spike would have told you.”

“Well, he didn’t!” she shouted. “How could you not have told me?! Either of you?! I have half a mind to-!”

“Twilight!” Dusk grabbed her shoulders. “Please, just calm down. You’re only going to exacerbate the situation by panicking about it. We need to keep clear heads about this.”

“But-!”

“We’ll find out what’s wrong with him, but we won’t be able to do it like this.” He gazed at her intently. “Look at me. Listen to me. Calm. Down. Think about this carefully and clearly.”

He kept talking to her in this manner until, eventually, the panic in her eyes began to fade. Her breathing returned to a normal pace and her features relaxed.

“Okay… okay. I’m calm. I’m fine,” she repeated like a mantra. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine. Now then,” he said, “we know we’re not going to find a solution by randomly going through every book we have in the hopes of finding it. Do we still have those books on dragon physiology that Phoenix Wing sent us?”

She nodded. “We do, but now that I think about it, it might be better for somepony else to have a look at him.”

“Or somezebra?”

“Exactly.” She levitated Spike onto her back and encased him in a magic bubble so his fire wouldn’t be damaging anything. “Come on, Spike. Let’s get you to Zecora.”

They galloped at full pelt into the Everfree Forest. Zecora was at first taken aback at the sudden intrusion, but recognised the emergency. She quickly found one of her brews and got Spike to drink it. After a minute from drinking it, his random fire belches stopped but he still clutched at his stomach.

“He’s been like that since this morning,” explained Twilight. “Apparently, this has been going on for a while as well, but it only got this bad today. Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

“I would first say this to you, that I am experiencing déjà vu,” said Zecora.

“Déjà vu?” Twilight repeated.

“Indeed.” She gazed sagely at them. “Spike is starting to mature. Of this, I am quite sure.”

“M-Mature? Oh no, not again!” cried Spike. “I-I’ve been controlling my greed, I swear!”

“This has nothing to do with greed, but it is a different kind of need,” she replied. “First, a question for which an answer you must provide: when did you first feel this pain inside?”

“Uh…” Spike grimaced in thought and discomfort. “I-I guess after we rescued Sombra and the Empire. I-It was pretty far in-between when I did and didn’t and when I did, it didn’t really hurt much. I figured th-they were just because of something I ate and they would pass. They did but they always c-came back. Every time, it hurt a little more a-and I started to get them more. When I started to get more, th-that’s when I started belching more fire when I didn’t mean to as well.”

“As I thought,” she murmured.

“Zecora, what exactly is going on with Spike?” asked Dusk. “Will he be okay?”

“So far as I can tell, yes, if all goes well.”

“But what does that mean? You said this wasn’t because of his dragon greed this time. Then, what is it?” he persisted.

“Throughout the time in this place I’ve been, though the fact you may hate, much conflict Ponyville and Equestria has seen, especially of late. This, I dread, may be a precursor for dire times ahead,” she added somberly.

“Perhaps, but what does it mean for Spike?” persisted Twilight.

“Because, come what may, you and your friends are in the fray. And with you all taking part, Spike is there beside you, in its heart. From the fight he’s never far, as proven by his scar. Every time he endures injury or maim, so burns brighter his inner flame. Spike needs to be tough, and as a child, his form is not enough.”

“His inner flame… that’s what gives him his fire breath?” asked Dusk.

“Yeah.” It was Spike who answered. “It was in o-one of the books Phoenix Wing sent me on dragon anatomy. All dragons have it. As we grow older, it burns brighter and lets us breathe more powerful flames.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “So he is maturing, like he was when he was being greedy. But you said it had nothing to do with greed?”

“Indeed.” Zecora looked at Spike. “Spike, please answer true. How old are you?”

“Um, thirteen,” he answered. “Fourteen this year.”

“There is that then, too. Now, answer this. In all the battles you fought, what was the one thing you truly sought?”

“Um… to help Twilight. And Dusk and Rarity. Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Ray. Everypony,” he answered. “I wanted to help protect my friends and Ponyville. A-And the Crystal Empire and Canterlot.”

“And there is your answer,” said Zecora simply. “A dragon’s body can be made to grow by some inner need or want they know. To protect their hoard, this is usually greed but this desire is much purer indeed.”

“So… Spike’s body is growing because he wants to help protect us?” Twilight smiled warmly. “Oh Spike…”

“Hey, I’m your number one dragon assistant,” he said. “Can’t be that in a fight with stubby legs and tiny arms. Even my body knows it, apparently.”

“And what now then?” asked Dusk. “Do we just wait for this to pass and eventually, Spike will become a teenaged dragon?”
“No. When dragons truly mature, the pain is difficult for even them to endure. They must first temper their fire before their bodies begin to stand higher. This feat can be done with one thing alone: a substance known as Dragonstone.”

“Dragonstone. I’ve never heard of that,” confessed Twilight.

“Few who are not dragons have. The place it’s formed, the only place it can, is in the dragon homeland. Find it, consume it like you would a tasty gem and you will see what will happen then. It will temper your inner fire as it burns, while your body’s need to grow is spurned. Then so will begin your adolescent days, brought on in a far less painful way.”

Dusk dreaded asking this last question. “What happens if we don’t get him the Dragonstone and leave him as he is?”
Zecora’s face was a grim one. “Then his inner fire will burn greater and will burn higher. His body will find it difficult to contain, but it will cause him great pain. Some dragons have tried to prove their worth and forgo the stone for their rebirth. However, those who do are not guaranteed to thrive and most… do not survive.”

“The pain will become too much to handle? You mean… he’ll…?” Twilight couldn’t finish her question, but Zecora merely nodded. “No… no…”

She bowed her head and pulled Spike in a hug. He returned it gratefully, looking terrified. Dusk couldn’t blame him. He joined their embrace, the three librarians together.

It was Twilight who pulled out. Though she looked distressed, she covered it with a mask of determination.

“We need to move,” she said, her voice trembling a bit. “Dusk, you take Spike back to the library and make sure he’s somewhere comfortable. Take a letter to the Princess. Inform her of the situation and get her to contact Phoenix Wing immediately. Detail what we’re looking for and say we need his help to find it.”

“At once.” Dusk levitated Spike onto his back. “What will you do?”

“I’ll inform the others. They’ll want to know about this. Also, when Ray comes in for his examination, tell him it’s postponed for today until this is resolved. Got that?” He nodded. “Then what are you still here for? Go!”

Dusk didn’t need to be told twice. Galloping at full pelt once more, he whisked Spike back to the library. He quickly wrote a letter to Celestia and had Spike send it off. He clutched his stomach again after he did.

“Ouch! That hurt a lot more than it should have,” he groaned.

“Then we should avoid sending any others.” He tucked him in Twilight’s bed. “You just focus on getting some rest, little brother. I’ll get you some ice cream, see if that doesn’t help.”

“I’m feeling better just thinking about it,” he laughed reluctantly. “You know, I heard how your body goes through changes when you get older. Some of them even hurt. Didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“Dragon puberty certainly seems unforgiving,” noted Dusk. “I’ll go get some for you. Strawberry?”

“You know it. Hey, Dusk?” Dusk turned at the rather desperate tone in his voice. “I’m… I’m scared.”
Dusk responded with another hug. “You’re not the only one. So am I.”

---

The time passed slowly for Spike. Twilight teleported back about ten minutes after they got back. She went up to see Spike before, looking agitated. She stayed with him for a long while, talking with him, reading through some of his favourite comics with him, casting spells and giving him the potion Zecora had used to alleviate his pain. Not long after, their friends started to trickle in. Most of them couldn’t stay long because of their work, but they all made sure to wish Spike well.

Ray congratulated him on finally being able to grow a few inches. Applejack said she was looking forward to seeing how strong he’d end up being. Rainbow offered to give him flying lessons if he actually grew in wings. Pinkie promised to throw him a Welcome to Your Teenage Years party and left him a cupcake. Fluttershy had offered her own tender love and care for a while, doing what she could to alleviate Spike’s discomfort.

But the best part was when Rarity came by. She was straight up the stairs and at his bedside in seconds. She carried saddlebags with her.

“There’s my little soldier!” She set herself beside the bed and hugged him. “Oh Spikey, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. How are you feeling?”

“Um, okay,” he mumbled with a heavy blush. “A lot better now…”

“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She began to rummage through the bags. “I’ve brought plenty of gems for little snacks, some of my homemade onion soup that you like and some components for face masks with cucumbers and soothing cream. It’ll be like a trip to the spa and I’ll be the one providing your treatment!”

Spike stared in amazement. She was willing to do all of that… just for him?

Twilight was stunned too. “That’s… very generous of you to offer, Rarity. But what about the Boutique?”

“I closed it for the day. As soon as I heard of Spike’s condition, I gathered all of this and came as quickly as I could. I have to deal with what’s important right now,” she said firmly. “Never fear, Twilight. My little Spikey wikey shall be neglected no longer!”

“Oh. Okay then.” She shifted a little awkwardly. “I’ll… be downstairs with Dusk then. Call me if you need anything.”

She trudged down the stairs, glancing furtively back as she did.

“Oh dear. Is she alright?” asked Rarity.

“I think she’s just worried. She’ll be fine,” dismissed Spike. “Can I have some of those gems now, please?”

She giggled. “Not all at once. We don’t want you making your stomach worse than it already is.”

What followed was Spike’s idea of heaven. Rarity gave him small handfuls of gems to eat. She fed him some of her onion soup from a flask, which tasted delicious. Then, she made him a facial mask and even gave him a hooficure. It was complete and utter bliss.

But even then, it was hard to ignore the continued sensation of burning in his chest. A constant reminder that added to his own worries that he’d begun to have about this whole thing.

“So, Spikey,” said Rarity after his treatment was finished, “how are you feeling about finally growing up?”

“Okay, I guess,” he replied in an attempt at a casual tone. “Kind of weird that it’s happening around the same time Peewee was, huh?”

“Yes, that was my thought too. But I don’t think that’s all that’s on your mind.” She smiled lovingly at him. “You can tell me, Spike. I’d be surprised if you weren’t a little worried.”

He sighed. There was no hiding this. “I… I’m afraid to grow up. Like, really afraid.”

“Spike, that’s perfectly natural. Every young child experiences some fear of-“

“No, it’s not just that. It’s worse for me.” He hugged his legs. “Remember what happened the last time I grew up?”

Rarity’s expression turned fearful. “I do. But it won’t be like that, I’m sure. It’s not because of your greed this time. This is just you naturally getting older.”

“But how do we know nothing bad will happen when I do?” he asked. “Maybe I won’t grow that big, but what if I change in a different way? Remember Garble and his gang? They were teenagers and their idea of fun was smashing defenceless phoenix eggs.”

“Spike, you’re not like them,” she insisted.

“How do we know I won’t be? Dragons are naturally aggressive and Twilight’s told me about how teenaged ponies can act rebellious and stuff like that. It could be the same for me, but I’ll just be really angry and be like they were.” He buried his head in his arms. “I don’t wanna be like that. I don’t wanna do something that’ll hurt anything or anypony. What if it’s you guys? What if… what if it’s you?”

That was his biggest fear. When his greed had consumed him, Rarity had been one of his targets. He was scared of acting like that again but this time, there’d be no chance of reversing his growth. It would be permanent. If he acted like that, he would have to leave Ponyville. He’d be too dangerous to stay. He didn’t want that…

“Oh, Spike.” She offered a comforting smile. “Don’t fret so much about this. We don’t know what will happen when you get older. We do have a little hint though, thanks to that mirror.”

“Oh yeah. I’d… kinda forgotten about that,” he admitted.

“I haven’t and I remember you looked like a very noble young dragon,” she said proudly. “I think we’d all feel a lot safer knowing such a being is watching over us.”

“Not if I’m acting like a total jerk,” he muttered.

“Spike, stop it,” she said firmly. “It’s silly to let yourself worry like this. Perhaps your adolescence will bring on a little more aggression. As you say, it’s natural for teenagers to experience such feelings. But I do very strongly think that even though your body will change, your heart won’t. You’ll still be my little Spikey wikey.”

He brought his head back up. She was smiling warmly. “You… really mean that?”

“I really do.” She gave him another hug. “You’re already my little hero. You’re just going to be bigger.”

He couldn’t hold back a little laugh. “Yeah. That’ll be odd, being taller than you. I’ve always had to look up to you.”

They both jumped at the sound of Twilight’s raised voice.

“No! No, it won’t! Nothing will be fine!”

“Why do you say that?” they heard Dusk ask. “There’s no need to-“

“Don’t take that patronising tone with me, Dusk Noir!” she shrieked. “You think that just because you think you know what’s going to happen that I can ignore what’s happening to Spike?! Do you?!”

“Of course not.” His own voice rose a bit. “But losing our heads over it isn’t going to help either.”

“Who’s losing their head?! I’m not losing my head! Look at mine! Still attached to my neck!” There was a brief pause, and Spike imagined her gesturing to the area. “But you must be losing yours if you think everything’ll just be hunky dory when this is over!”

“I fail to see what the problem is here. We know what’s happening and we know how fix it. We’re not going to lose Spike, he’ll just be growing up.”

“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?!” Spike’s heart panged when he heard her sobbing. “Who knows what’ll happen now he’s really starting to mature?! How big will he grow? Will his diet change? Will his mood and feelings? He may not be able to stay in Ponyville! He may have to leave! DON’T YOU REALISE THAT?! I don’t want to lose him! I don’t want to lose him… not Spike… not my little brother…”

Spike was stunned at this outburst. He only barely acknowledged Rarity hugging him to comfort him. All he could hear was Twilight’s words echoing in his head while she sobbed downstairs

To know that Twilight was this terrified of him becoming a teenager really shook him. It only made the fears he confessed to Rarity seem even worse. It made him feel a little better to hear what Dusk said to her next. He had to strain his ears to hear the following words, but he was able to make them out. Whilst comforting her, Spike heard Dusk say something about how he wouldn’t change too much.

“Even when he was going on a full blown rampage, he was reminded of who he was inside and that he was our friend. He’s not going to forget that because his voice will get deeper and he’ll grow a few more inches,” he said.

“Dusk, be serious!” she snapped. “What if it’s worse than that?! What if-?!”

“Worrying about the future before it’s actually happened again?” he asked pointedly. “Twilight, I understand your worries, I really do. But until we know for certain what’s going to happen to Spike, getting worked up isn’t going to do anypony any favours. But I can tell you this for certain: he won’t forget who is friends are or where he belongs. You know he won’t. He won’t leave us. Have faith.”

Twilight hiccupped and sniffed. Her sobs became less and less frequent.

“I really hope you’re right,” she said in a softer tone. “But… a big part of me says you are.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” chuckled Dusk.

“Thank you, Dusk. I’m sorry for… for…”

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured. “Like I said, I understand.”

Spike looked at Rarity. She was smiling softly at him. Apparently she’d been able to make out their conversation as well. Spike felt the beginning of tears in his eyes. When Rarity hugged him for comfort, he hugged back, gripping as tightly as he could. It remained like this for a while, with Spike holding Rarity like he would never let go.

---

They received the letter from Celestia and the reply from Phoenix about an hour later. He told them to meet him at the border of the Badlands, where he would escort them to the dragon’s maturation grounds. Celestia sent her own aid in the form of a pair of royal chariots to take them there. As much as she wanted to, she wasn’t able to join them but she did wish them luck and asked for an invitation to the party afterwards.

The chariots arrived swiftly. They were instructed only to bring them to the border. The reason for this was the same one as why only five of them were going. Phoenix advised them that too large a group of ponies would attract the wrong kind of attention from the dragons. As such, the group consisted of Spike, Twilight, Rarity, Dusk and Rainbow Dash. Since they had the most experience in the Badlands, it only made sense.

They all said their goodbyes to the rest of their friends, letting Spike have most of the attention.

“We’re sorry we can’t come with ya, Spike,” Applejack said sincerely as she hugged him. “But we’ll be ready an’ waitin’ by the time ya get back. Ah’ll give ya hoof wrestle ta test yer strength.”

“You’re on,” said Spike. “You’ll never match my new dragon muscles!”

“Don’t count yer apples ‘fore ya buck ‘em,” she warned. “Y’all take good care-a him an’ yerselves now, ya hear?”

“No sweat, AJ,” dismissed Rainbow. “Any dragon tries to mess with us, they’re gonna have to go through me first.”

“Considering you’re going to the Burning Badlands, I think there’d be quite a bit of sweat,” remarked Ray.

“Yeah. I guess.” Rainbow’s expression hardened and Ray’s smile faltered. Pinkie’s, however, didn’t.

“I get it!” She giggled and snorted. “Good one, Ray.”

Ray laughed awkwardly, but Dusk could tell he was pleased he managed to get that. Pinkie, at least, appeared to have come to terms with his confession and simply looked happy to remain his friend. As Dusk suspected she might do.

“It’s so strange,” said Fluttershy. “I can’t believe you’re growing up, when only a couple of years ago you were the first baby dragon I’d ever seen.”

“Soon, I’ll be the first teenage dragon you’ve ever seen.” Spike hugged her. “I hope I won’t be too scary for you, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, Spike. No matter how big you grow, you could never scare me. You’re my friend,” she replied kindly.

“Yeah, you’re always gonna be our friend, Spike.” Pinkie swept him up in one of her signature hugs. “Remember that when you’re brooding up in your room about how unfair life is, dyeing your spines black and listening to maretallica.”

“Not in my Treebrary he isn’t!” called Twilight.

“Yes, momma Twilight!” she called back. “I’ll bake you a special cake with gems for your party when you get back.”

“Sounds… great…!” he gasped through her hug. “Uh, Pinkie? I-“ Another squeeze resulted in an involuntary belch of flame. “Too tight…!”

“Oops! Sorry!” She quickly set him down. “Good luck, Spike. We’ll be here when you get back!”

“We will.” Ray offered a hoof to shake. “Good luck, Spike. Hope your puberty isn’t as bad as mine was.”

“I dunno.” Spike patted his stomach and winced a bit. “We might be evenly matched there.”

“Don’t even think of making a competition out of this,” Ray joked. “Can you shake my hoof then please? Standing on three legs this long is a little awkward.”

Spike chuckled and did so. “Thanks, Ray. You’re a great guy, you know that?”

“Um… thanks. Same to you.” He rubbed the back of his head and stepped away.

Their farewells finished, they climbed onto the chariots. Twilight and Spike took one, while Dusk and Rarity shared the other. Rainbow was content to fly alongside them, saying she could use the workout. They waved to the others until they were specks in the distance.

“Now, this is much better than last time,” said Rarity. “At least we’re not carrying a cumbersome yet still fabulous dragon costume on this trip.”

“That is indeed thankful.”

“Dusk, you didn’t even wear it.”

“No, but I did help carry it. And maintaining that magical disguise wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either.”

“Nor was having three ponies in the same costume,” she countered. “Like when you tried to fly in it Rainbow, remember? Rainbow?”

Even though she was flying next to them, Rainbow didn’t appear to have heard a word of their conversation. Instead, she looked as if she was engrossed in thought. A rather troubling thought, it seemed.

“Rainbow?” tried Dusk. “Are you alright?”

“Huh?” She snapped her head up. “Uh, yeah, whatever you said, Dusk.” She returned to contemplation.

“You know, the thought just occurred to me as to your purpose in coming,” said Rarity in a teasing tone. “Looking forward to seeing Phoenix again, Rainbow?”

“No!” she snapped. “I mean uh, yes. Wait, no! Uh… oh, who cares?”
Dusk and Rarity exchanged a look. Dusk took the initiative.

“What’s troubling you, Rainbow? Has something happened?”

“What’s it matter to you?” she retorted sharply.

“Rainbow, there’s no need to take that tone,” chastised Rarity. “We’re simply asking what the matter is, darling. Has something happened?”
Rainbow appeared conflicted at this question. A couple of times, she started to speak but stopped herself and clamped her mouth shut with her cheeks faintly red.

“I… guess you could say that,” she finally said. “It’s uh… kind of hard to explain.”

“Take your time,” advised Dusk. “You can tell us, but you don’t have to.”

“Nah, I will. Just…” Again, she became quiet while she tried to find a starting point. “We broke up. If you can even say that.”

“You did? When did this happen?” asked Rarity.

“A few weeks back,” she replied. “We kept in touch since we met, but it was pretty sparse. I have my job and his is pretty time consuming anyway. In a letter he sent a while ago, he dropped the ball. He considers himself ‘married to his work’ and we can’t exactly see each other a whole lot. So, he thought it was best to end it.”

Rarity placed a hoof to her mouth. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I told AJ. I talked to her about it after she sussed something was up when we were racing one time. I made her promise not to tell anypony. I mean hey, it’s me. Can’t let word be getting around some stallion dumped me, right?” she said with a bitter laugh.

“Oh.” Dusk grimaced sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear that, Rainbow.”

“Eh, no biggie. Just gonna be weird seeing him again, you know? After that went down.” She flashed them a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it. How bad can it be, right?”

Dusk felt it best not to answer that. He knew personally this wasn’t the first time a stallion rejected her. At least she wasn’t under the influence of a fairy this time, and hopefully things would be less awkward. He made a mental note to talk to her about it at another time.

After a couple of hours flying, with about two fifteen minute breaks in between, they saw the orange skyline and the barren, blackened plains of the Burning Badlands. Dusk glimpsed a bright red figure getting closer to them. The muscled, scarred form of Phoenix Wing flew up to them and guided the Pegasus chariot pullers where to land.

They quickly left the chariots and told the guards to wait for their return. Phoenix told them of a small village about ten minutes flight from where they were they could rest up and wait for them. They saluted and flew off.

“Nice seeing you all again,” he said once they left. “Good timing too. You’ve joined us just in time for the cold season.”
They all looked toward the Badlands, which looked just as volcanic as it had been when they were there last time.

“Well, as cold as this place gets,” he added.

“Ha ha ha ha! That’s funny!” Rainbow’s laughter was stiff and awkward. “Like, really!”

“Um, thank you, Rainbow.” Phoenix’s voice dropped to a murmur and he was trying to look at anywhere other than at Rainbow. “You’re… good?”

“Oh yeah, yeah. Good. Great even, yeah. Psyched to be here. Totally. You?”

“I’m fine, yes.” Silence hung horribly afterward. “Right, not meaning to sound rude, but let’s not waste time with small talk. We have a job to do, so let’s get to it.”

“Good idea!” Twilight said at once. “Let’s get going! Phoenix, why don’t you tell me about your research?”

While they set off as a group, they were all walking in pairs. Twilight engaged Phoenix in conversation, Rarity walked with Spike rested on her back and Dusk hung at the back with Rainbow. He started to speak to her, but she muttered something about flying to keep a lookout and took off.

Dusk shook his head. It looked like that talk was going to have to wait.

---

The group followed Phoenix’s lead. Their path took them to the entrance of a large cave that appeared to go down into the earth. Phoenix advised them to be cautious and they started to stick closer together as the light from the burnt orange sky became dimmer the deeper they went. Eventually, Dusk, Twilight and Rarity had to provide light from their horns.
Spike would have felt a little more afraid of the dark, but he was more concentrating on the burning in his chest to worry about anything else. Plus, he was riding on Rarity’s back, so that was something too.

It had been rather hard sitting next to Twilight on the way here. She’d asked him if he was doing okay and how he was feeling, but he hadn’t felt like talking. Knowing how she felt didn’t make him feel good. She’d stayed quiet too and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was thinking about what would happen after.

He’d remembered something else that only added to his anxiety. When he’d seen a vision of his fears in the door at the Crystal Empire. The one of Twilight telling him she didn’t need him anymore and for him to leave. She might have said last night she didn’t want to lose him, but was that just talking about him now, as a baby? Once he grew up, would she see him as gone forever? Would her fear of him force him out of the library to be on his own in the cruel world? Would the town join her and the rest of their friends?

Spike only just managed to fight back tears. He didn’t really have a choice. Like Zecora said, he had to grow up to help protect them. It was either this or let this burning chest get worse. They’d come this far. They had to see this through to the end. Even if he didn’t like what might happen when they got there.

“Here it is!” Phoenix called.
Spike perked his head up. He gazed out with the others at what stood before them. At the end of the cave they’d walked was a carving of a mighty dragon sat on his haunches and towering over them. His wings were folded against his chest and his head was held tall, noble and proud. The horns curved and his claws were as big as they were.

“The great dragon Rumble,” Phoenix told them. “One of the few to hold the title of dragon king, from what little history the dragons keep of themselves.”

“Well, this is a fine piece of architecture to be sure, but how does it help us?” asked Rarity.

“It’s the entrance to the Maturation Grounds. Only the inner fire of a dragon approaching maturity can open the path.” He nodded to Spike. “Touch the statue.”

Spike took note again of how big the statue was. Hoping nothing bad would happen, he placed a claw on the statue.
A vibration surged throughout the statue from the point where Spike touched it. The cave rumbled as the eyes of the dragon began to burn. The fire that sparked into existence burned many different colours. Though they didn’t move in any way, Spike could tell that they were looking at him.

“Young dragon.” A deep voice reverberated around the stone walls. “Do you seek the path to greater heights beyond your childish years?”

“Um…” Spike nodded vigorously. “Y-Yes, I do.”

“And these others? They are of your brood?”

“They are,” he said at once. “They might not be dragons, but they are.”

“Yes. I can sense the bonds you share with them.” With a cracking of stone, the statue of Rumble rose from its haunches and stood on four legs. It revealed the entrance of a passage he was concealing. “Proceed.”

Spike glanced back at Phoenix. He nodded and took a few steps back. With a gulp, Spike nervously stepped inside. He was comforted to hear the hoofsteps of his friends close behind him. He jumped when he heard rumbling stone behind them and whipped around to see that the statue had sat back down, concealing the entrance once again and plunging them into darkness.

“Hold on a moment.” Dusk sent a colour orb ahead of them while Rarity and Twilight lit their own horns. “Right, on we go then.”

“I’ll stick closest to that light,” volunteered Rainbow and flew ahead. “Just in case anything sneaks up on us.”

Spike’s nerves didn’t ease up as they progressed. The rather low ceiling of the tunnel and the closeness of the stone walls made it seem like the mountain was closing in around them. He shivered a little and flinched when something touched him. It was only Rarity.

“Keep calm, Spikey. We’re all here with you,” she assured.

He sighed with relief. That did make him feel a little better.

“So, how do you feel about this whole thing, Spike?” Rainbow asked. “Becoming a teenager’s gotta be pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged. “It’s gonna be pretty weird though, being a little bigger and probably stronger too.”

“That just means you’ll be able to reach the higher shelves easier and carry more books,” noted Dusk. “That means you’ll have even less excuse for slacking.”

“Yeah, no more mid-day napping for you,” added Twilight. “It’s fine when you’re a baby, but soon you’ll be a big boy.”

“What? Aw, man,” he moaned. “Being a teenager’s gonna suck. Hey, but that means I can stay up late. I can eat more before I get sick. And read those comics you don’t let me buy.”

Twilight frowned. “I’ll… think about it.”

“That means no,” Spike groaned. “Hey, I just realised something else. I’m gonna have to get a bigger bed. My basket won’t fit me anymore.”

“Are you kidding? Twilight should let you have your own room,” suggested Rainbow.

“Hey, that’d be kind of cool!” agreed Spike. “How about it, Twilight? Can I have my own room?”

“I suppose that would be fine, if we can make some more space,” conceded Twilight. “But are you sure you don’t want to share a room with me anymore?”

“Twilight, I don’t think you would. You know how teenagers have to have a little… time to themselves?” Rainbow said with a smirk. “You know, to learn some new things?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Twilight spent a few minutes looking at Rainbow who smirked and raised her eyebrows. Suddenly, she blushed. “Rainbow! Don’t talk about things like that!”

“What? Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy a little private time when you were that age,” she snickered.

“No!” Her cheeks went bright red. “That’s completely inappropriate!”

“Oh yeah? What about you, Dusk? I know how teenage guys can be.”

Dusk looked away, tilting his hat over his eyes. “I am not talking about this.”

“Don’t expect me to either,” added Rarity, her cheeks noticeably red. “A lady doesn’t discuss such personal matters. Especially when there’s stallions present.”

“Huh? I don’t get it,” said Spike. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Don’t you dare answer him!” Twilight said at once.

Rainbow snorted. “Fine, take all the fun out of it. But at least think of giving him space when he starts to bring girls home. Or guys, whichever.”

Spike knew exactly what she meant by that. But he still smiled while he blushed. Having his own room to be alone with somepony didn’t sound so bad.

“I'm sure there'll be none of that. Spike is a perfectly respectable young dragon and I’m sure he will continue to be so in his adolescence. As long as you’re not anything like those awful ruffians we met last time,” said Rarity. “I couldn’t bear to think of you behaving like that!”

“Agreed. They certainly weren’t the most pleasant of individuals,” said Dusk.

“Bunch of stinking jerks,” grumbled Rainbow. “Wish I could have shown ‘em what I thought of them with my hooves.”
Spike nodded absently, but said nothing. So, now the feelings of everypony else were clear too. Was growing up really what his inner wants needed of him? If it was for this…?

“Spike?” Rarity’s voice brought him out of his reverie. “Is something the matter, darling?”

“Uh… just…” He tried to find the right words. “Rarity, I-“

“Hey, I think I see something glowing up ahead!” Rainbow darted up the tunnel and rounded the corner. “Whoa! Guys, get up here! You gotta see this!”

They all quickened their pace to join her, standing in awe of the sight before her. When they arrived, they saw exactly why.
The whole cavern was filled with gems. Every kind of precious stone imaginable. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, crystals. The sight alone was enough to make Spike’s mouth water. Not only that, but there was treasure too. Gold cups, silver plates, pearl necklaces, crowns, tiaras, chests filled to bursting with bits.

“Would you look at all this?” Rainbow’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “It’s like something out of a Daring Do story!”
“But where’d this all come from?” wondered Twilight. “If this is a hoard, where’s the dragon it belongs to?”

“I think we should just be glad there’s no sign of him or her,” said Dusk.

“Oh my word,” gasped Rarity. “This is gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!”

“It is a very beautiful sight,” agreed Dusk while he examined a crystal. “But let’s not forget why we’re here.”

“Of course, of course,” said Rarity quickly. “I suppose one of the items in here must be the Dragonstone and we simply have to find it. My, but there are a lot of them.”

“Then I suppose it’s good there’s five of us here,” put in Twilight. “Everypony spread out and look around. Remember, we’re looking for a chunk of obsidian rock. It’s black and it’ll be really warm.”

The group dispersed around different parts of the cavern with Spike waddling off on his own. Even with all of them looking, they would have a hard time finding the Dragonstone among all of this. But he had to try. Plus, they wouldn’t be coming away empty handed. Maybe he’d be allowed to take a few things as keepsakes. Grab a couple of gems for snacks. Or a lot of them. Not like there weren’t any to spare…

He shook his head. He couldn’t let himself be distracted. He had to stay focused. Try to ignore all of these jewels and treasure and gems glinting beautifully like so many stars. There wasn’t even anypony around guarding them…

His eyes spied a very fat ruby, sitting on a pile of coins. He glanced around to check he was still alone. They’d been travelling for a while. Maybe a little snack wouldn’t hurt.

Spike swiped the ruby and bit into it. It was delicious and he soon gorged the whole thing down. He was even surprised to feel that his stomach felt a little better. That was just what he needed. Satisfied, he resumed his search.

While rooting around, he came across a tiara. It was adorned with amethysts, brilliantly purple like Rarity’s mane. She would really like it. Maybe he should keep it for her…

He grabbed it and put it on his head for ease of carrying it. Again, the burning in his chest reduced. Maybe it was just knowing he’d done something nice for a friend. Perhaps if he found similar treasures for the others too.

He spotted a cup with a griffin shaped on it. Since Rainbow was a Daring Do fan, she might like that. So, he took that. And maybe Dusk would like this new crown instead of his old hat. This golden ornament of a pony would make a great decoration for Twilight’s study desk. It was no trouble. He was finding it easy to carry them all and his chest wasn’t hurting anywhere near as much as it was.

He felt like he deserved a few rewards for himself too. That sceptre set with a sapphire looked pretty cool. These jewelled rings looked really awesome. And what about this collection of silver plates, this chest of coins and this golden Minotaur bust? Just little things for him, it was fine. Hey and that silver mirror looked really nice.

Then, he saw his reflection and screamed.

He was bigger now. So big that he had to bend down to see his face. His arms were laden with all of the treasure he’d been swiping. He hadn’t even realised it…

“Spike?” He heard hooves fast approaching and whipped around to see Twilight approaching. “Spike, what’s- oh no! Spike, what have you done?!”

“T-Twilight! I’m sorry, I was just…” His gaze was drawn to a collection of emeralds. They looked so tasty and they could be his…

“Spike, snap out of it!” Twilight’s magic aura surrounded the bust he’d grabbed. “Put those down!”

“No!” He held onto it for all he was worth. “No, it’s mine!”

“Listen to me, Spike! Remember what happened last time?”

“No, shut up! It’s mine! You can’t have it!”

He could see what she was doing. She just wanted it for herself. Well, tough. He’d found it first and he wasn’t letting
anypony else have it.

“Spike…” Her voice was softer now and she tried to get closer. “Spike, this isn’t you. You’re better than-“
She gasped when he growled at her to scare her off. She didn’t run, but she backed off. Good. This was his treasure and she wasn’t getting it.

“Twilight? Spike? What’s going on?” More hooves and the flapping of wings met his ears as the others arrived. Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Oh crud, not again!”

“Everypony, stay back!” ordered Twilight. “Don’t get too close. Spike, let’s talk about this.”

“No! Can’t have it!” he shouted. “Mine! All mine!”

“Spikey wikey, please!” begged Rarity. “Don’t do this. We’re your friends, remember?”

Friends? Were they his friends? It felt like… no! They weren’t friends, they were thieves! They wanted to steal his shiny treasure!

“You said you didn’t want to let this part of you take over again,” said Dusk. “It’s happening now. You have to fight it, Spike. Rise above it.”

“I… no!” he shouted, though his voice didn’t sound as deep as before. “Th-They’re mine! M-Mine!”

“Come on, Spike. As cool as all this treasure is, you don’t need it,” insisted Rainbow. “You know you don’t. Put all that stuff down and let’s get back to what we came here for, huh?”

Spike could feel the treasures getting heavier in his arms. He could have sworn the others were getting bigger than him.
“You won’t hurt us, Spike.” Twilight was stepping closer to him. “You don’t want to. This isn’t you, it’s just your greed talking. Don’t give in to it. You’ve never been greedy. Just because you’re a dragon doesn’t mean you have to be hoarding treasure like this. Besides, I thought you already had something more precious than gold and jewels.”

He looked into her eyes. Like her, he felt like they were begging him not to do this. All of them were. The part of him that insisted they were just trying to take what was his was growing quieter and quieter the more this fact sunk in. These were his friends. They’d never steal from him and nothing on this earth could ever replace them. How had he forgotten that?
Everything Spike was holding fell to the floor with a loud clatter. He glanced back in the mirror and felt a measure of relief when he saw he was back to his normal size, though the burning in his chest started to return as well. But then that relief was replaced with guilt and fear. Just moments ago, he’d been much bigger. All because he’d given in to the same feelings he’d had on his birthday and almost let something repeat that he’d never wanted to happen again.

“Twilight… R-Rarity… guys, I…” He couldn’t even look them in the eye out of shame. “I’m sorry!”

His head down, he ran off. He ignored their cries and kept running. He ran out of the cavern into another passage. He vaguely noted the sound of scraping stone behind him again and the deep darkness replacing the light shining off the treasure, but he didn’t care. So what if he was trapped in some other part of the cave? Maybe it was better on them if he was.

They didn’t need an accident waiting to happen like him around. He didn’t deserve them as friends. Not when he’d almost forsaken them for a few crummy pieces of treasure. Even though it was pretty tasty…

That shame came back the moment he had that thought. Even now, he couldn’t control his greed. Even though he was just a baby dragon, even though he’d been raised by ponies his whole life, it seemed that he was still as greedy and fierce as the rest of his kind. He’d been wrong about his decision in the migration. This was where he belonged.

“Finally realised the truth, huh Peewee?” a familiar voice taunted.

He whirled around and felt fear grip him. Emerging from the shadows were the forms of Garble and his gang of teenage dragons. They leered at him with their mean faces, baring their fangs in mocking grins.

“N-No!” He scrambled away. “Not you again!”

“Aww, would you look at that?” Suddenly, even though he’d been far away, Garble was right in front of him. “He missed us.”

“He won’t have to worry about that for too long,” sneered another one. “Soon, he’ll be hanging out with us again.”

“W-What? No I won’t!” he protested.

“Sure you will.” Garble and the other dragons started to circle him. “You’re well on your way to being a teenager. Just like us.”

“No! I’m not like you!” Spike cried. “I won’t ever be like you!”

“Oh yeah? You forget what just happened back there?” Garble snorted and smirked. “You just need to make the final push. Then, we can show you what it really means to be a dragon.”

“Yeah!” a chubby one put in. “Let’s go on another raid on a phoenix nest!”

“Or maybe try out how strong your fire breath is on a forest!” suggested a taller one. “Watching all those animals run out is hilarious!”

“Hey, what say we invite your friends to a barbeque?” suggested Garble. “They can be the main course!”

“No! I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

“Why not? It’s not like they’re gonna want you around anymore after that little display. And it’s not even the first time it’s happened!” guffawed Garble. “You really think they care about you?”

“Y-Yeah!” he insisted weakly. “They care! They’ve always cared and they always will!”

“That what you think?” Garble leaned right into his face. “You think they’re gonna be all happy and smiles when you grow up? You think just because you were raised by some namby pamby ponies that you’re anything like them? If you had a hard time fitting in before, you’ll never be able to now. Their little monster is gonna get a lot bigger and they’re gonna be a lot more scared.”

“T-They’re not afraid of m-me.” Spike wasn’t very convinced by his own words.

“They probably won’t even want you around after that,” continued Garble. “They’ll run you right out of town in case you get hungry and decide to get yourself a snack. After that, you’d better hope we let you hang out with us again. You’d be lucky to find any dragon who’ll want a little runt that stinks of pony so bad.”

Spike didn’t want to believe what he was hearing. But Garble’s words were striking home for him.

“You’ll be all on your own. Your pony friends won’t want you. The dragons won’t want you. You’re just gonna have to curl up in a cave somewhere and try to learn what it is a real dragon is meant to be like.” He grinned again. “And we’d be more than happy to help. Stick with us, Spike. We’ll show you a good time.”

Spike clamped his hands over his ears, trying to shut out their laughter while their words bounced around in his head. He didn’t want to admit that maybe they were right. Even if he was raised by ponies, he was still a dragon and that would be even more obvious when he was a teenager. He couldn’t even control his greed. Who was to say he wouldn’t be like other dragons when he grew up? Like Garble?

Maybe they would leave him or make him leave when they realised. He didn’t know anything about being a dragon except for what he’d learned from being with Garble. No dragons would want a dragon raised as a pony, so he’d have to become like the others. If he did that, he’d never see his friends again. But it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t true…
Suddenly, it hit him. It wasn’t true.

“You’re wrong,” he said quietly.

“What?” Garble leaned in again. “What was that?”

“I said you’re wrong!” he bellowed. “They do care about me! They’re always there for me and they always will be! They came with me all the way out here and last time too, when they stood up to you jerks! They were the ones who talked me down after I got greedy and they still wanted me around! They just did it again and I ran off because I was so caught up that I forgot that!”

Garble growled in anger. “You little…!”

“And even if they didn’t want me around, I’d rather live alone than become like you!” he went on. “If being a dragon means being like you, then I wish I was born a pony! But since I’m not, I’m gonna try my best to become a better dragon than you could ever hope to be and I know my friends are gonna be there with me every step of the way! They won’t abandon me. They’re my family. I’ll never, ever forget that.”

The gang of dragons all froze in place. Literally. They didn’t even move an inch. Their bodies started to become transparent, like they were ghosts. Gradually, they faded away into nothingness and Spike was left alone again.
But not for long.

“You have done well, young dragon.” Another visage of a dragon appeared before him. This one was also familiar.
“R-Rumble?” Spike gazed up at the ancient dragon. “B-But… how are you here?”

“I am not. Yet, at the same time, I am,” he responded cryptically. “I spent many years of my long life in this place. The ancient magic that resides here still carries a part of me long after my body returned to the earth. Think of me as an echo of who I once was.”

“O… kay. W-What about them?” he asked.

“They were manifestations of yourself, young dragon,” he answered. “Your doubts and your fears brought to life by the magic that resides in this place. Part of your final test.”

“Test? What test?”

“The same one as the cavern that holds my hoard poses. To test your true worth as a dragon. You see, many don’t make it to this room. When they come to this place seeking to mature, many of them succumb to their greed as you almost did. While they do grow, so does their greed and it fuels their inner fire. The many who do are dominated by it for the rest of their lives. But you, Spike, you didn’t. You overcame your greed and your fears. You are one of the rare few who has passed the test.”

“I… I am?” Spike was having a hard time comprehending this. “But… why set up this test at all?”

“To try to get dragons to realise something of true value and to best their more base needs and desires, as I failed to.” Sadness crossed his features. “But you have, Spike. You have shown the strength of spirit and trueness of heart of a noble dragon. As such, you have earned this.”

A light shone in the cavern. Placed on the ground before Spike was a small chunk of black rock. His heart racing, he picked it up. Even with his thick scales, he could feel the warmth radiating from it.

“The Dragonstone,” he whispered. “But it wasn’t just because of me I beat my greed…”

“Did I say the strength was entirely yours? Not many dragons are willing to draw it from any but themselves. As I said, you know the true value of something worth much more than everything I have in my hoard.”

Now, Spike could feel the pride of accomplishing his task. This was it. He’d found it.

The realisation hit him. All he had to do was eat this and he wouldn’t be a baby anymore. He’d change. Whether it was for better or worse, he had no idea. But it didn’t change how he felt.

“Rumble? I… I don’t know if I’m ready to grow up,” he admitted.

“Very few of us are,” replied the ancient dragon. “But it is what we all must face. And I know that you will face it admirably. Farewell, Spike. May you burn brightly.”

Like the other phantoms before, Rumble faded away. Spike stared at the spot he had been and then back down at the stone. For a long while, he was like this. He just had to take a moment because his chest burning wasn’t letting up.

“Well… here I go.” He raised the stone to his mouth. “I climb the stairway to maturity!”

He swallowed it in one gulp. Almost the moment he did, the fire that had burned so painfully inside him began to feel a lot more… pleasant. A warmth spreading through his whole body.

Just as he felt it take hold, he heard the sound of scraping stone again and turned around.

---

They’d tried to chase after Spike, but the moment he’d passed through the cave entrance the stone somehow sealed him inside and prevented them from following. Rainbow had tried to slam through it and Twilight and Dusk had tried to blast it aside with magic, but the stone remained resolutely blocking them without so much as a scratch. Even with their combined effort, it did nothing.

Just when they were starting to think of some other way to get through, the stone was gone and the cave entrance was back. They immediately rushed through, but stopped to cover their eyes at what was inside. They tried to walk closer, but the heat was too intense.

“What the heck?” Rainbow squinted through her hooves. “What’s up with this green fire? Where’d it come from?”
“Oh no! Spike? Spike!” Twilight called. “Can you hear me? Spike!”

There was no reply, other than the flames burning brighter. Dusk could just make out a silhouette at its centre, but it was so bright even that much was difficult. It continued to burn for a good few seconds, forcing them to wait.
Rather abruptly, it stopped. The sound of something heavy falling on the stone sounded in their ears. Twilight and Rarity were the first there.

“Spike! Spike! Oh my goodness…” Twilight pressed her hooves to her mouth.
“Bless my soul,” murmured Rarity.

Dusk looked down in wonder. Spike had certainly grown. His arms and legs had stretched so they were now almost as long as a pony’s body length. His snout was larger and his head spikes longer. His stomach lost much of its pudginess, though not all of it. His tail was long enough to wrap around his body. He even had a small pair of green, leathery wings emerging from his back, though they didn’t look like they’d allow him to fly.

He slowly started to stir. He faintly murmured something, but they couldn’t make it out. His eyes flickered open. They were just as big as the rest of him, though they had changed very little. It was still him.

“T… Twilight? I-Is that you…?” His voice was deeper too. But it was still light in tone and pleasant to listen to.

“Yes, I’m here,” she said at once. “Come on, let’s get you on your feet.”

They all moved to support him as he got up shakily. Rainbow grabbed under his arms and hoisted him up, though with some effort.

“Whoo, you’ve gotten heavier,” she gasped. “No more riding on our backs for you, eh big guy?”

“Guess not…” He hummed in his throat, leaning on Twilight for support. “Wow… my voice sounds weird. This all feels weird…”

“I share your sentiment.” Dusk noted how he stood a lot taller now. He was just above their head heights. “You found it then?”

“Yeah… I did.” He clutched his head, then jumped. “Whoa! My hand is huge!”

“Wait until you see the rest of you. How do you feel?” asked Rainbow.

“Kind of groggy, but I… I think I’m fine,” he answered. “My chest doesn’t hurt anymore. But… what’s this feeling in my back?”
“Have a feel.” Rarity’s voice was quiet, like she could hardly believe it.

Spike did so, his hands running across his wings. He felt them a few times. Shock turned to joy after a few moments.
“I… I have wings. I have wings! Alright!” He tried to flap them, but succeeded only in making them twitch a little. “Oh. Just another thing I’ll have to get used to.”

“Looks like you’ll have to grow into them more,” noted Rainbow. “Those flying lessons are still on for when they do.”

“Great!” He shifted awkwardly. “Um… how do I look then?”

“Awesome!” replied Rainbow.

“Very impressive,” put in Dusk. “We’ll find you a mirror so you can see.”
“Very magnificent,” said Rarity with pride. “Not that you weren’t before, but now it’s even truer.”

Spike smiled gratefully, but he didn’t look completely at ease. His eyes were on Twilight, who was taking time to consider her answer. Her face was unreadable as her eyes traced over him and gazed directly into his.

Finally, she smiled.
“You look like Spike.” A tear trickled down her cheek and she hugged him. “My little brother… I love you.”

“I love you too, big sis.” Spike returned the hug. He smirked. “We might wanna revise that though.”

“Oh no we won’t,” she insisted. “I’m still older than you.”

“Yeah, but not bigger.” He yawned, revealing his bigger teeth. “Wow, I’m bushed. Let’s go home.”

Twilight’s smile grew wider. “That sounds like a great idea.”

---

It hadn’t take Selena long to select her prey in the crowded bar. She’d seen that short little unicorn with red fur watching her all night when he thought she couldn’t see him. Whenever she looked at him properly, he would glance away.
She smiled at the knowledge that one of her oldest tactics had worked out so well. Such a small one wouldn’t be difficult to overpower and he was obviously taken enough by her looks. Getting him somewhere private would be foal’s play.

Selena locked her eyes on him, let a seductive smile make its way onto her face and glided towards him. She noted a few other heads turned to watch her, but she ignored them. Perhaps another time.

“Well, hello there,” she purred. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” he replied easily in a low voice. “I’d be glad of the company.”

“How kind.” She slid into the seat and gave him a half lidded look. “So, what’s a handsome fellow like you doing, sitting here all on his own?”

“Simply awaiting the company of a mare like yourself,” he answered.

“How charming,” she tittered. “Shall we get something to drink?”

“Why bother? We both know what we’re after. I have a room here, if you’d like to join me,” he offered.

“My, my, aren’t we forward?” She leaned in a little closer. “I like that in a stallion.”

She caught him shift awkwardly. “Yes. Um, follow me, please.”

He rose from the table and walked towards the stairs with Selena close behind. There were times when she liked to play around with her prey for a little bit before moving in for the kill, but this wasn’t one of those times. She was hungry and she was thankful for the chance of a direct meal. Even though this one didn’t look like he’d offer very much.

She was already going through what would happen in her head as they approached his room door. Get him on the bed and make sure she was on top. Pin him down and drain him dry. Pull his body into the bathroom, snap his neck and leave him in the shower to make it look like he slipped. Rest in his room for the night and depart out of the window in the early hours. Even if they did begin to suspect something, she’d be long gone before they figured out anything.

Besides, she had a feeling that this one wouldn’t be missed.

Selena stepped into the room first and waited until she heard the door close. He didn’t turn on a light, but she didn’t need it. She turned to face him and slipped off her robe, letting her wings spread.

“I hope you don’t mind this,” she cooed.

“Not at all,” he said with a smile. “In fact, you’re exactly what I was looking for.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.” She walked towards him, licking her fangs and running her tongue across her lips. “Well then, let’s not waste anymore time.”

“I completely agree.” His eyes flickered behind her and jerked his head.

Too late, she heard something move behind her. The moment she turned around, she was swept off her hooves by a leg knocking her to the ground onto her back. She would have gotten back up, were it not for a pair of blades that were pressed against her throat. Something twisted her around so she was on her belly and pinned her legs and wings down. The blade was still on her neck.

“I apologise for this, Selena,” the stallion said. At his side was a pony wearing a mask of an eerily smiling face. “However, due to your disposition, I simply felt precautions had to be taken.”

“You son of a diamond dog!” she hissed. “Let me go or I’ll-!”

“I’m afraid you’re not in any position to make threats, Selena.” He leaned in towards her. “As they say, I hold all the cards here.”

Her response was to hiss and snap at his muzzle. He jumped back, his smug composure faltering. But the sharp edge of the blade pressing a little deeper forced Selena to stop. She could barely move under the pin this pony had her in. As much as she despised to admit it, the stallion was right.

“Right. Well then, to business.” He attempted to regain his former confidence, but she could smell his fear. “I am Doctor Test Tube. My associates and I have come to you with an offer on behalf of my lord and master.”

“He presents me with an offer, but he sends you rather than see me himself?” she scoffed. “Who is he that he has such arrogance?”

“Somepony with great power and influence. One who knows what it is to be shunned and scorned, as do I,” he added. “I was like you, once. I too was considered an outcast, simply because of who I was.”

“I doubt that,” she muttered darkly.

“My experiments,” he continued, “and research into realms beyond was rejected because of narrow-mindedness and needless restrictions. But my master had no such reservations. Now, I am at last free to explore and he strives to create a world where I may continue to do so for as long as I please. Now, he extends the same chance to you. What he offers is a place among us. One where you won’t have to hide and conceal your true nature because society deems it monstrous. Where you can be truly free. Are you interested?”

Selena stared at him for a long while. Then, she laughed.

“What foolishness! By what means do you and your ‘master’ seek to bring about this new world?” she asked skeptically. “Do you think you’re the first to come to me and tell me that I can be free to be who I am without having to hide? You’ll have to do better than that.”

“How about this then? I know that you revel in being able to drain blood from ponies, despite that you don’t even need to. You’re a hunter, a killer. What if there were a way to make you even more proficient at what you are already a master at?”

Admittedly, this mildly intrigued her. “And how would you do this?”

“My master knows ways. Methods to enhance you. To sharpen your senses, your strength, your speed. You won’t need to seduce your target to drain them. You would be able to track them from many miles away, trap them with barely a struggle and swiftly leave again.” His self assured smile came back. “If you are dissatisfied, you will be free to leave and return to your nightly pursuits. Does that sound any better?”

Selena would be lying if she said his offer didn’t interest her a little. A large part of her insisted he was only trying to trick her, but another part said otherwise. The same part that remembered what a foolish little dragon and his stupid friend had cost her. If Tube could truly offer what he said he could, then perhaps she could make good on her unfulfilled wish to taste new blood.

Tube must have seen he was having an effect and pressed on. “Come now. You must know that if I had any intention other than to seek your cooperation, I could have ordered Slash here to simply slit your throat or dispose of you in a way that nopony would question your unfortunate death. As I’m sure you would have done to me. Somepony with your skills and mindset would be very valuable to us, Selena. Join us and you won’t regret it.”

He let his offer hang so she could consider it. He did have a point. She was always careful with her hunts that any deaths wouldn’t be associated with or traced to her. She never stayed in one place for long and it was usually in places where somepony might expect bad things to happen. She was nopony, merely a passerby who just happened to be there and who everypony forgot about.

But somepony had noticed her, it seemed. They’d gone to great strides to track her down and find her. It wasn’t to kill her or to arrest her. So could it really be they needed her for something, whoever they were? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But if there was at least a chance to make herself stronger or at some extra meals, it would be no trouble to investigate his claims. If something happened, she’d just slip away like she always did and take steps to ensure they never found her again.

“I accept,” she said. “Now, would you kindly tell Slash, was it, to allow me to stand? I think my legs are beginning to cramp.”
Tube considered and nodded. Immediately, the weight was gone and she was able to stand. She took note of the scent of Slash and her lookalike. They wouldn’t be sneaking up on her again.

“You’ve made a wise choice, Selena,” he assured her.

“We will see.” She flashed him a flirtatious smile. “I hope we will get along well, Doctor. I hate that we’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof like this.”

Her smile grew when she noted him shift awkwardly again. If nothing else, this would be an amusing distraction.

Comments

[SageBrony07]

Wow. I wasn't expecting Spike to grow up in this chapter. I was sad about Phoenix wing. I guess we are back to three available elements of harmony. Sad. I was hoping everypony would find a special somepony. I guess that is going to have to wait. I am surprised about another quick update. Thanks so much. Good luck with the next chapter. I can't wait. Maybe we can get another hearts and hooves day. If not, I understand. Good luck. I guess Fallen just got another pawn. How many is that. We got Tube, the twins, robocolt, Grace, Selena, and shaman Pony. Up in the air is the princess of the changelings and her guard. Lets see if Fallen can capture her. We will see soon. Thanks again for a good chapter.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

5600416 First of all, shaman pony? Who are you talking about?

Second of all, what guard? She never had a guard, and Sting is still with Fallen.

[SageBrony07]

5600541 Shaman pony is the first pony tube visited. As for Sting, he is loyal to his princess. Not to Fallen. If she sides against Fallen, I have no doubt Sting will join her.

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

5600552 Then you mean Osteo. In hindsight, I don't blame you for thinking of him as a shaman.

As for everything else, we shall see.

[Auto-Buscus]

I have to say, I gained a bit more love for Sparity in this chapter. Best Sparity showing BY FAR!

I'm a bit partial and biased toward Twilight, so the scenes where she worries and freaks out made me wanna cry and join the group hug with Dusk...

And aaaaaw crap, Selena just joined Fallen's team! What's one more right?

Also, good to see things have taken a 180 turn for Ray. Hope it turns around completely for him again real soon. Though his situation will never really be normal, at least he has his friends and Fluttershy! Way to stand by your man...er stallion, Flutters! :D

[SCI-FIWIZARDMAN]

5606525 Eh.... it's more like a 90degree turn for Ray. When he made the reveal, THAT was a 180 turn. Making it presently at the 270 point. For it to be back to normal entirely, it would have to be 360.

Yay, math.

[Auto-Buscus]

5606912 Well that explains why I screwed that up. I suck at math. XD

[Dimension Tripper]

When is the next update

[Dimension Tripper]

[Dodo Of Chaos]

H-hiatus?!

I'm gonna cry now..

[TheSecondDon]

Why is this on hiatus? WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cereal-Killer]

Hiatus...

Of all the things that could happen this is
THE
WORST
POSSIBLE
THING