Dragonfire

by Pippington Britishhooves

(Act 1: The Dragonfire) Entry #1

Location: Unknown
Date: Unknown

The world can be a very confusing place for a young child. To them, it is only shapes, colours, noises, smells, sounds, and tastes. None of them really have any meaning, merely setting the stage for what they could only truly start to understand when they grow up. Even things as basic as words, one of the simplest aspects of the wider concept of language, which in itself took hundreds of years to develop into something barely recognisable to modern societies, can prove difficult to comprehend. Of course, we begin to understand when we go to school and learn the structure of language, nouns and verbs and adjectives and the more intricate basis of our means of communication, but even then we don't fully realise how it works. If you go up to an adult at random and ask them to select an indefinite article, the chances are that they will struggle to think of one. If this is how much understanding an average adult has of language, it is easy to see then why children, particularly young children, struggle very much with it, and why in turn it can confuse them, especially when taken in conjunction with the more varied and equally incomprehensible sights that the world has to offer.

The three year old boy sat with his knees drawn in, his head tucked down, leaving only his green eyes above to survey the room. He was confused and worried. He didn't know or understand what was going on, only that he had been brought to this room by a tall, imposing man who had woken him up, asked him to get washed and dressed, and then picked him up as he had carried him out of the building and into the warm summer light outside. They had emerged onto a field where other men ran and shouted, and the boy clung to the man as they traveled across the greenery. The man had walked for about five minutes until he reached a tall building which spiraled upwards. The boy tried to look up to the top, but his head couldn't reach for enough back, something which had drawn a quick, deep chuckle from the man. The sound scared the boy, something which the man apparently realised, because he tried to give a soft smile. It didn't work. He had been taken through numerous corridors, turning every so often, which soon disoriented the little boy. He didn't know where he was or what this place was. The man had opened the doors to a large, open room, set the boy down on the floor, and stepped back. The boy had swallowed nervously and looked up at the towering figure, slowly trying to move backwards from the gold-plated man. The man had knelt down, his bulky, metallic knee making a slight clunk as it touched the tiled floor.

"Just wait here," the man had told him in a deep voice, trying to make it sound soft. "Someone will be coming along to see you soon, all you need to do is wait here." He had smiled again, and the boy had swallowed. Sensing his discomfort, the man had hunched down a little lower. "If you need or want anything, I'll be just outside, okay?" The boy had given a slow, cautious nod, then kept his eyes fixed on the man as he had stood up and walked out of the room, closing the wooden doors behind him. Now alone, the boy had looked around, found nothing useful or interesting, and then walked over to one of the corners to sit down, drawing his knees up to his chin.

Some time passed, and nothing happened; the wooden doors didn't open, the windows continued to let in light from outside, and the table in the centre of the room remained unoccupied. With nothing else to do, the boy pushed himself up and moved towards one of the windows, but after a few jumps, determined that he couldn't see out of them. Looking around, he saw one of the chairs at the table and made his way to it, grabbing hold and dragging it across to the window. When it was finally in place, he clambered atop it with a little amount of difficulty, but eventually pulled himself up, and when he did, he put a hand to the glass and looked outside. It looked like a warm, sunny day, the only clouds in the sky being light wisps and trails, leaving the sunshine to caress the world below. A few stories below, people moved through the streets, oblivious to the observer above, who gazed at the buildings which seemed to stretch on and on and on. He wondered where he could find some food in amongst those buildings, and as if on cue, his stomach grumbled loudly, as though raising its voice in protest.

Jumping down from the chair, he turned his gaze back to the room, eyes flickering over surfaces which may have contained food. There seemed to be none present, but he made his way towards the table anyway, looking it over in case he had missed anything when he had first looked. Sadly, upon closer investigation, this didn't seem to be the case. The table remained void of anything edible, and his stomach growled again.

Unexpectedly, he heard voices coming from just behind the door from which he had entered the room, and looked up at it. This was the first time he had found any hint of life since entering the room, and so slinked over to the door to investigate. Reaching it, he cautiously turned his head and put his ear to the door, listening to see what he could hear.

"I sent out the posters and made a broadcast calling for any information about the boy," came a masculine voice. "So far, no one has come forward. I don't think he has any family in Canterlot, or else we would have heard something by now."

"You have done well," replied a much more feminine voice. "You have done everything that can be expected of you, and now all we can do is wait."

"Thank you, your highness. I was only doing my duty as Captain of the Royal Guard." There was a slight pause, during which the boy heard whispering in the background.

"What do we know about the boy, before we see him?"

"Only that he was picked up yesterday by a guard and taken to the barracks to remain under supervision. I believe that was you, was it not?"

"Yes sir," a new voice interjected, and the boy recognised it as the man who had carried him here. "I was called out by a shopkeeper in the commercial district who said that he had found a young boy rummaging through his goods, but that he had refused to speak when caught. He kept him locked in the back until I arrived, when I tried to question him myself, but found that I could get no more from him than the shopkeeper himself. I decided to bring him into the station to investigate some more, but the searches turned up nothing. At that point, I contacted you, sir, and you told me to provide him with sleeping arrangements until we could deal with him."

"Thank you, private," the other man responded. There was another silence as the interlocutors digested this information, and the boy strained to hear any more, again hearing only the whispering.

"Do we at least know how old he is?" the woman asked.

"I'd say three or four," the private replied. "I doubt he'd be any older than five."

"Thank you. If that is all, then I suggest we meet this boy for ourselves."

"Very good, your highness." There was the sound of someone taking a step or two and then a crack as the latch on the door was raised. The boy jumped back as the door opened slowly towards him, followed a couple of seconds later by a line of people walking in.

The first entrant into the room was the man who had brought him here. He took quick strides into the room and then turned and faced away from the wall, staring uncompromisingly ahead. The boy watched him for a moment before switching his attention to the other people who walked into the room.

Next came the other man that he had heard while listening at the door, who, like the man who had brought the boy in here, was wearing metallic plates across his chest, shoulders, arms, legs and knees. Unlike the man he had first seen, whose plates were golden in colour, this man's metal plates were a proud purple. His blue hair flicked over at the front, and his amber eyes fixed on the boy the moment he entered the room.

Following the man, a woman with white and purple striped hair stepped into the room, wearing smart and formal light grey dress clothes which fit snugly over her form and sported a 'tail' matching her hair. She looked the boy up and down before frowning in what seemed to be a sympathetic manner.

The woman that entered next was the person who caught the boy's attention the most. She was tall and graceful, her large stature causing her to stand out among the rest of the group. Her hair was a compound of colours including cerulean, heliotrope, and turquoise, and flowed down her back in a majestic wave. Her dress clothes were a pure white and seemed almost to be a part of her rather than something she was wearing, and her gold necklace seemed to fit her perfectly, shimming almost as if it were her light that was making it do so. Her demeanour was calm and collected, and she seemed to be curious of the boy rather than annoyed or frustrated with him, and in spite of her towering height, she was the first person he felt slightly relaxed around. He didn't feel that he was under threat as long as she was here.

After the majestic woman entered, two children, a boy and a girl, slipped in and stood beside the purple-plated man and the first woman, whispering to each other mixed with glances thrown towards the boy. He realised that these two were the ones who he had heard whispering at the door.

"Hello little one," the tall woman said with a kind smile, and the boy immediately felt at ease. He could feel warmth coming from the smile, and could tell that it came naturally to her. "Would you like a seat?" The boy gave a shrug, to which the woman smiled. She raised her hand and opened her palm, and the boy's eyes widened as a golden glow encompassed her hand. He turned to see where she was gesturing and was shocked to see the chair that he had dragged over to the window floating softly towards him, glowing the same golden hue as the woman's hand before settling just before him. A second later he felt himself ensconced by a gently tugging warmth as he was lifted off the ground and then placed on the seat of the chair that had just floated over to him. After he had been seated, he looked up at the woman who had just performed a feat beyond his understanding. She manually pulled a chair up for herself and sat down, her smile not fading for a second.

"You have no reason to fear, little one," she informed him. "Do you know who I am?" The boy shook his head in response to the question, and the woman nodded as if knowing that this would be the likely reaction. "My name is Celestia, and I am here to help you." She reached into a pocket and pulled out an apple, offering it towards the child. "Are you hungry? Would you like to eat?" The boy's eyes lit up when he saw the apple, leaning forwards eagerly as it was floated towards him and snatching it out of the air as soon as it got close enough. Across the room, the purple-plated man and the other woman shared a glance as the boy tore viciously into the apple, biting great chunks off at a time. The little girl tugged at the woman's formal dress with a confused grimace on her face.

"Mum, why is he eating like that?" the little girl asked. The woman leaned down slightly to whisper her answer.

"Well, I imagine he's very hungry."

"But you make us eat properly at home."

"Not so loud, Twilight," the woman warned as she cast a glance towards the boy, who had by now nearly finished the entire apple. The girl pouted and went back to her fervent whispering with the other boy, watching as the the apple core was devoured in its entirety. Celestia patiently waited for him to finishing licking his fingers and look up at her before continuing with her line of discussion.

"Do you know your name?" The boy looked at her for a moment and then slowly shook his head. "Do you know how old you are?" The boy gave a single, curt nod to her question. Celestia raised one of her hands and lowered all but two fingers. "Are you two?" A shake of the head, and Celestia added one more finger. "Three?" The boy nodded again, and Celestia lowered her hand. "You're doing well, I just want to ask you one more thing." She made sure he was looking at her before she asked. "Do you know where you live?" The boy didn't answer, but looked down to the floor and kicked his legs. Celestia waited for a few moments, but the boy remained in firm silence. "Do you have a home?" The boy didn't look up when he shook his head, and Celestia's smile wavered momentarily before returning to her face. "Okay, thank you for being so honest with me. You have done very well."

"Princess Celestia?" the little girl asked, and the woman turned in her seat to face her. "Doesn't he have a home?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't look like he does, Twilight Sparkle." A momentary silence followed this statement.

"Then he can stay with us!"

"Twilight!" the purple-plated man warned her sternly. "Don't say such things. Of course he can't stay with us, and shouting that out will only get his hopes up."

"Of course he can stay with us!" Twilight protested. "We have enough room at home, and with Shining Armor leaving in a couple of years-"

"Twilight, listen to your father," her mother cut in. "Besides, I don't think Shining Armor wants to hear about your plan to replace him when he leaves."

"I agree with Twilight on this," the other boy spoke up, and the two adults looked down at him in surprise. He pushed his sapphire hair out of the way of his eyes before explaining himself. "I'm going to be leaving in two years, and Twilight could do with someone to spend some time around." His father tilted his head.

"Did Twilight talk you into this, by any chance?"

"She..." Shining Armor coughed and looked over to his sister. "She talked to me about it, quite extensively. But I agree with her! She's right!"

"She's not right," his mother cut in. "We simply can't do this. It wouldn't work."

"But why not?" Twilight asked, pouting.

"Because I said so, now stop-"

"Explain to me why it wouldn't work," she demanded. Her mother sighed and looked at her father, who rolled his eyes.

"Because we don't have the food or room at home to keep him," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't-"

"I can do that," Twilight cut in hurriedly. "I can feed him and let him sleep in my room and-"

"No," her father interrupted with an emphatic slice of his hand. "You can't just look after him like you would a pet. He's a person."

"Well then what's going to happen to him?" Nobody responded to the question, unable to find a suitable answer. The father licked his lips and the mother wrung her hands. With a sigh, the father looked over to Celestia.

"Princess, what will happen to this boy after our session?"

The woman in question looked briefly at the boy before turning back to the family, her expression neutral as she pondered the possibility. "He would probably be put into the orphanage until either someone could prove their relation to him or..." She trailed off, and the two parents looked at each other quickly. Twilight took this opportunity to add more to her argument.

"If he's a person, then why aren't we trying to help him?"

"We are, Twilight, it's just that..." Her father's reasoning failed him, and he started again. "We're here to assess the situation. We can't make any definite decisions right now."

"Why are we here then?" she replied, gesturing to herself and Shining Armor, to which her father sighed.

"You always were a curious and overly smart girl," he muttered, gently ruffling her hair. She beamed happily. "I brought you two along to observe and learn, but, it seems like the roles have been reversed somewhat."

"If I may," Celestia spoke up, drawing the attention of the two parents. "If it is the costs that you are worried about, rest assured that the Court will pay for his medical examinations and education, and any amendments to your lifestyle will see an appropriate amendment to your income." The father raised a clenched fist to his chest and bowed his head.

"Thank you, your highness, but I'm not so concerned about the cost of raising another child. I'm just worried about the issues associated with the Captain of the Royal Guard adopting an unidentified child who was found on the streets the previous day. My duties may interfere with the time I can devote to him, the paperwork and process will likely prevent-"

Celestia waved a dismissive hand at him and smiled. "We can dispense with the red tape and the bureaucracy on this occasion. You are a dedicated captain and a spectacular father, Night Light, and I feel that there is no need to complicate this for anyone. I would much rather see the child housed with a loving family than sent to an orphanage because of some convoluted system which does not work in the best interests of the child in question, when I know that you can provide the loving family."

Night Light turned to his wife. "There really does seem to be no reason not to, does there?" She shook her head, and he looked down at his children. Twilight was bouncing in place, clearly giddy with excitement. "From now on, he is your brother in all but blood, okay? As far as you two are concerned, he is in fact your genetic brother, and you are to treat him as such." He raised a finger to emphasise his point, jabbing it every other word. "There will be no preferential treatment, no discrimination, no leniency from me or your mother. This is a permanent arrangement, and if you don't like him after a few months, tough; he is now as irreplaceable as your brother in terms of this family unit. He is your responsibility to look after, and that means playing with him, helping him with tasks he finds tough, and being there to help him when your mother and I can't. If he steals your toy or upsets you, you find a way to deal with it, but you don't denounce him as your brother, resort to telling him that he's adopted, or do anything that we wouldn't allow you to do with each other. Is that clear?"

Shining Armor was sporting a massive grin, and Twilight was jumping on the spot in joy. She nodded rapidly and gave her father a quick hug, then skipped over to the boy sitting on the chair. He had been silently observing the ordeal with curious eyes, and he now looked at the girl bounding over to him and stopping just short of the chair. She was beaming a smile so wide that, to the boy, it seemed to take up a majority of her face. Her eyes shone with glee.

"Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, I'm eight, and I'm your new sister!" She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Behind her, the boy could see the rest of the family looking at him, the blue haired boy still grinning as he pushed his fringe out of his eyes again and give a small wave. The father and mother were talking amongst themselves, giving quick glances and smiles in his direction. Turning his head, he saw the woman who had introduced herself as Celestia offering him a wide smile of her own. When she saw him looking, she gave a slow nod. Tentatively, the boy raised his arms and returned the hug, feeling the girl pull him in tighter as he did so, and a smile started to spread across his face. In that moment, embraced with the young girl as he was, her violet and sapphire hair pressed against his verdant green, with a family ready to take him home, he felt things he hadn't felt for a while. He didn't have the vocabulary to express it, but the words that came close to what he felt were happy, safe, and loved.

---

Location: Canterlot, Equestria
Date: 157 A.C.F.

"So...how does it look?" Shining Armor asked, spinning slightly to show off his new outfit. The white cloth suited him very nicely, fitting his form snugly and showing his vaguely toned muscles as he moved and flexed. The tail flowed thickly and neatly behind him, stopping at his calves, the fabric softly brushing against the backs of his legs.

"It looks gorgeous, dear," his mother replied with a smile, to which Shining rolled his eyes.

"I'm not meant to look gorgeous, mum, I'm meant to look smart."

"Well, you do. You look very dapper." She moved closer and pulled one of the sleeves around slightly, smoothing out a crease with a firm slide of her delicate hands. Twilight giggled at his obvious discomfort, then glanced down as she felt something tugging at her arm.

"What is he wearing, Twilight?" the small, green-haired boy asked, looking towards the squirming teenager who was trying to escape his mother's persistent attempts to re-iron the entire garb by hand. Twilight smiled at him, happy to impart her knowledge on the subject.

"He is wearing a formal gown known officially as a 'Coat'," she answered. "It is made specially for each individual, measured to fit their body, and is usually woven from cotton. When someone orders their Coat, their dimensions are measured, and they choose the style and length of the tail, which is the fabric joined near the base of the back." She pointed to the sapphire blue yarn swishing about as Shining attempted to move out of the way. "Any other questions, Spike?"

"Yes," the young boy replied, looking up at her. "Why is he wearing it?"

"It's tradition. Coats are worn by ponies in formal situations by any social class, as it is recognised as the national dress. It's an important part of our society and culture. I can't wait to get mine."

"That should do it," his mother acquiesced at last, finally accepting that the Coat wouldn't mould into any better shape. "Are you ready to go?" she asked Shining. He nodded and looked to his two siblings, smiling as he walked over.

"Take care of yourself, Twily," he told her as he embraced her into a hug. "And make sure to look after Spike while I'm away too."

"I will," the girl replied from next to his chest. "Take care, BBBFF." The two pulled away from each other, and Shining turned his attention to the smaller boy standing next to Twilight.

"Take care, squirt," he grinned, ruffling the boy's green hair affectionately. "Make sure to look after Twily for me, Celestia knows she won't remember to eat or sleep if she finds an interesting enough book." The comment drew a minute glare from his sister, which he ignored nonchalantly. Spike wrapped his arms around Shining's waistline.

"Will you be coming back?" he asked. Shining smiled at him.

"I'll visit whenever I have the chance."

"I'll miss you, Shiny."

"I'll miss you both too," he confessed, motioning for Twilight to come closer and pulling her into a hug with him and Spike. "But I know that you'll look after each other while I'm away, so I won't have to worry." He looked over to his mother, who nodded at him, and he pulled away from the duo and walked slowly over to the door where his mother was waiting.

"Are you sure that you're staying here Twilight?" she asked. The girl nodded enthusiastically, her eyes flicking over to Shining Armor and quickly back again.

"I'll keep an eye on Spike and make sure he stays safe," she informed her. "Plus I have some reading to do." Her mother smirked at this.

"Well, okay then. I should be back within the hour, but if I'm not-"

"If you're not, make sure that the oven is set to two hundred degrees for at least ten minutes before I put the pie into the oven," Twilight finished, which drew a giggle from her mother.

"Yes, exactly. I love you honey, see you later." And with that she closed the door, Shining Armor waving through the diminishing gap for as long as he could, with Twilight and Spike frantically returning the gesture, until, with a click, the door closed, and he was sealed off from them. The two of them stood watching the door for a few moments after it closed, visualising Shining Armor waving from beyond the wood. Eventually, Spike broke the silence.

"Is he really coming back?"

"Yes, Spike. He's only gone off to start his training with the military, he hasn't moved away permanently."

"What does 'permanently' mean?"

"A definite or perpetual event."

"What does 'pertual' mean?"

"Not 'pertual', per-pet-ual. The state of lasting or being forever."

"Oh, okay." There was a brief pause. "So, if he's not moving away per-pet-uality-"

"Perpetually."

"Per-pet-ually, then does that mean he'll be coming back?"

"Yes, he should be coming back soon to visit us."

"How soon is soon?"

"As quickly as he is able to."

"How soon is that?"

"I don't know."

"Tomorrow?"

"No, but I know that he wishes he could."

"I want soon to be now. I miss him."

"Me too, Spike. Me too." She sighed, then smiled wanly down at him. "Do you want some ice cream?" Spike looked up, a slow smile beginning to spread onto his face. "I guess so," he replied timidly as though unsure whether or not he was allowed to have fun so soon after a family member had left home.

"Well, maybe we should wait for dinner first..." she started, and Spike's face dropped again, but then the girl grinned. "...but how about this; whoever can read the furthest into the first Daring Do novel before mum comes back can choose what flavour of ice cream we have after dinner?" The little boy looked up in surprise, then beamed.

"Sure!" he responded excitedly.

"Okay, three two one go!" The girl zoomed off, racing up the stairs before Spike even registered that the competition had started. He blinked, then looked up the stairs after her.

"Hey!" he shouted out, scrambling up himself. "That wasn't fair!"

"I can't hear you!" came the singsong reply. "I'm too busy reading the contents page!" Hearing this, the boy positively scampered the rest of the way up onto the landing and burst into their shared bedroom, snatching his copy off the shelf and sitting down on the floor while flipping the book open and staring intently at the first page. In fact, he was so engrossed that he didn't notice Twilight looking over her pages at him with a smile on her face.

"Shining may be gone, but I still have Spike," she thought to herself. "And that's one thing that will never change." She returned to her book, removing her bookmark from the thirteenth chapter. "I wonder what flavour ice cream he'll choose tonight?"

---

Location: Canterlot, Equestria
Date: 167 A.C.F.

Spike rummaged through the shelf, taking out a book, skimming the contents, putting it back, and then repeating the process, each one adding to his frustration. This procedure had taken up the better part of two hours, and still he hadn't found any results. He thought he had found a lead not too long ago, but the source had turned out to be a history book with a single mention of the phrase that he had hoped to find. Sliding the ladder along, he tried the next shelf, reaching up to grab books from the utmost shelf and working his way down, his motions growing sharper and more irate as he went.

"Ugghh!" he groaned as he reached the last shelf, slamming the final book back into place. "Trust a library to not have the one subject you want to find."

"Which subject would that be?" inquired a voice from below him. Startled by the sudden noise, he faltered and slipped from the ladder, hurtling towards the ground. Just before he impacted on the tiled floor, he felt himself slow and then stop, suspended inches above a painful landing. Looking up, he saw Twilight standing at the top of the stairs, her hand ensconced in a light raspberry coloured aura, the same which was surrounding him.

"Thanks," he muttered as he pushed himself up, the aura fading from around both him and Twilight's extended hand.

"No problem Spike, but you really should be more careful." She crossed over to a table, picking up some notes she had left there. "Now what subject can be so important that you can't wait until I get home to help you look for it?" Spike sighed.

"I was looking for a book about dragons and their origins, but..." He shrugged and looked up at the towering shelves, each crammed with books. "I didn't find anything. I can't believe that there's nothing here, nothing at all. I mean, how could a civilisation which prides itself on research and knowledge not know anything about another civilisation? They've been in contact for more than one hundred and fifty years!" He waited for a response from Twilight, but she remained silent. Looking down, he found her looking over her shoulder at him with a concerned and sympathetic expression.

"We've already talked about this," she reminded him gently. "I searched the entire library and I didn't find anything. If I had, I would have told you."

"I know," he grumbled. "But I thought that you might have missed something, or maybe another book had turned up since you last checked, or-"

"Spike," she cut him off. "I don't know anything, and we don't have any material here that can help. I'm sorry, you know I would do something if I could." She placed her notes back down and turned to face him fully. "Why is this on your mind? What made you come back to this?"

"I'm a dragon, Twilight," he pointed out curtly, kicking at the floor dejectedly. "You're a pony, Shining Armor's a pony, mum and dad are ponies." His mood had notably soured, and Twilight's face fell as he spoke. "I don't want to be ungrateful - you've raised me and played with me and made my life the best it can be. You've always included me, and I've always been a part of your family, but...I'm not. Not really. It doesn't matter if I was raised in the Sparkle household, or went to school with ponies, or was raised by ponies, or lived like a pony, because I don't have pony genetics. I am a dragon, and I don't know what that means. I know everything about being a pony, but all that means is I know everything about what I'm not. I want to know about what I am." He fell silent, and Twilight continued to stare at him for several seconds before she strode over to him and wrapped him tightly in a hug.

"You are my brother, Spike," she told him, holding him closely to her. "I wouldn't care whether you were a pony, a dragon, a griffon, a zebra, or some other life form we haven't met yet, I would love you all the same. You are Spike, that is all that matters to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way." She lapsed into an emotional silence, pulling Spike even closer to her. She wouldn't let him go, not ever, and she wanted him to know that. Spike had let his head fall against her arm, finding her embrace comforting and relaxing as well as actually soothing to his melancholic mood. "How about you take the day off?" Spike pulled his head from her arm to look up at her.

"Really?"

"Yes, I don't see why not. I don't need anything else done around here, and all I'm going to do is re-write these notes." She motioned with her head to the papers on the table behind them. Spike tilted his head to look, then raised an eyebrow at her.

"Aren't they already re-written?"

"They need to be constantly refined until I reach the pure information so I know what I understood from the textbooks."

"Okay," Spike acquiesced, not wanting to be drawn into a lecture about the importance of revising revised revision notes for studying purposes. Twilight may be a genius, but her methods weren't...comprehensive, in Spike's opinion. He let himself out the embrace and started to head for the stairs.

"Actually, just one thing," she called after him. "If you're going out, would you mind buying me a coffee? I'll give you enough money to get yourself one, too."

"White with whipped cream on top, no sugar, and a shot of whiskey?" Spike queried with a grin, backtracking to collect the money. Twilight gave a sheepish smirk as she rummaged through her handbag.

"You know me too well. Luckily, so does Mrs Cream, so you won't need to share the order with the rest of the queue. I hate the looks I get when I ask for it."

"Uh...is this Sweet Cream we're talking about?"

"Yes...why?" Twilight asked, looking up suspiciously. Spike coughed into his hand.

"Well...I may have ordered a shot of whiskey when I was thirteen on the pretense that it was for your coffee and then forgotten to move out of sight before I downed it," he confessed, rubbing his arm ruefully. Twilight's eyes bulged and her mouth fell open. "I haven't gone back there since."

"Spike!" she scolded with a disapproving frown. "Are you telling me that you illegally bought alcohol and then drank it while using me as an excuse to do so, and as a result have been avoiding the cafe for two years?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Did you learn anything from it?"

"I learned that I didn't like whiskey." Twilight blinked at his response, her frown remaining for several seconds as she fixed Spike with a glare, before it slipped from her face and she burst into a fit of giggles. Spike found it infectious, and soon the pair of them were laughing together, tears of mirth sliding down their faces. Twilight was the first to recover, wiping her eyes to clear her vision.

"As I would have been eighteen at the time, it made for a perfect opportunity," she admitted to the still chuckling Spike. "I guess that it was clever in its own way, and cleverness does seem to be a Sparkle gene."

"Well, my cleverness means that I'll need my citizen card. I might have been able to get away with it, but after that charade, she'll definitely ask for identification this time."

"Yes, she will," Twilight confirmed, handing over his plastic card and a handful of coins, which he took from her and stashed into his pockets. "That's twelve bits, will that be enough?"

"It should be. I'll be back soon."

"Okay, take care." She watched as he took his leave down the stairs and opened up the front door, stepping into the sunshine outside, before she returned to the table and sat down, ready to work again. She glanced up at the clock, the luminescent digits showing it to be 14:23. Spike should take no longer than half an hour, which gave her more than enough time to get through three pages of notes before she could take a coffee break. Clicking her pen lid into place, she began her revision.

Spike blinked as the sunlight continued to press harshly into his eyes. It was a wonderful day, but that wasn't beneficial for his sight, not for a boy who spent a lot of his time indoors. He walked away from the tower that he and Twilight shared, moving through the mildly busy streets on his way to the cafe. It was a location he had visited many times when he had lived with mum and dad, but since he had moved out with Twilight five years ago, the workload and the changing lifestyle had seen to it that he had found himself frequenting it less and less. The last time he had visited, he had been heckled by Mrs Cream as he'd slammed the shot glass onto the nearest table and ran off, coughing and spluttering, a thought which made him both grin and grimace. To go back would almost be taking him back to his old life, before he had wondered or cared about what being a dragon meant.

He took a left at the end of the road, then turned right into an alleyway, a shortcut he had learned at some point he no longer remembered. He hadn't even thought about being different before he was eight, but even then, it was only a concept, something which held no importance or relevance to him. When he had first gone to school, he had found the other children to be different, so sociable and outgoing. They had played and shouted and laughed with each other as though it were the most natural thing in the world. They had kicked balls around the grass, they had jumped into squares drawn onto the ground in chalk, and they hadn't taken any notice of him, not because they had disliked him, but because he hadn't come forward and made himself noticed, preferring to sit alone on the wall and watch them with curious, suspicious eyes. In class, more children started to become aware of him, and then came the interactions. They had come up to him, asked his name, smiled at him, introduced themselves, and, after some encouragement from the teachers and his parents, he had reciprocated. Surprisingly, he had found everyone else to be very obliging, and so he had joined in. He had kicked balls around the grass, jumped into squares drawn onto the ground in chalk, and played and shouted and laughed with them, almost as though it really were the most natural thing in the world.

After a few years, the other children had become curious. They wondered why his hair was so rough and stiff, why his face was a little different to theirs, why he was so good at throwing and running. He had asked his parents about it, to which they had laughed and sat him down, explaining about growth and hormones, and the changes he was likely going to go through. They had told him it was natural, that everyone experienced it, and that the children hadn't been cruel, but were merely curious, as many children were. Spike had agreed with them, thinking that he hadn't known the answers either, and that they just wanted to know, as he did. The children had listened to him when he had explained, and held him in awe for his knowledge. The entire issue had been no problem, just something that passed in and out the mind of a child. Each year, he became a little more curious, but still thought nothing of it, in very much the same way that the other children did; he was Spike, a boy that they knew. There was nothing wrong with him.

Then came his pre-teen years, and with it, a whole new insight into how the world worked. He was taught about more complex issues, about science and how the body worked, about the organs and their purposes, about cells and their importance, and, of course, about genetics. Twilight was always eager to exceed her lessons, and, being older, was the figure that he went to for answers and advice wherever knowledge was concerned. She had helped him understand issues that he had found difficult, expanded on what he had learned in the classroom, and improved his academic ability outside of school. Spike had grown into a considerably smart student, his eager and curious questions always explained in depth by his pleased teachers, building his mental capacity at an exceptional rate. The final piece of the puzzle clicked when he reached thirteen, when it was determined that the children were old enough and had been educated in the precursor subjects sufficiently to be capable of learning one vital aspect of their lives, something which had likely already begun to, to various extents, demand their attention.

It was learning about sex which had chilled Spike's core, and drawn giggles and eew's from the other children. He had raised a shaky hand and mumbled a question, which he then had to repeat. He had asked if it was necessary for two people to have sex to make a child, to which the teacher had confirmed that it was in fact necessary. He had asked if they were sure, which had prompted more giggles, and the explanation that genetic material must be present from two people for a life to be created. He had then asked what happened if a child wasn't made by two particular people, a line of questioning which had concluded in a very uncomfortable answer, namely that the child wasn't, at least genetically, that couple's child; although it didn't matter who the material came from, society saw biological links as family links, and so a child made in the 'natural' way was often considered to be legitimate offspring, with the family being determined by the lines of procreation.

The confrontation with his parents had been awkward, but he had needed to know. Had he been made naturally, by his parents? No, he hadn't. Had Shining Armor and Twilight been? Yes, they had. He was the only member of the family, that, in reality, wasn't a member of the family. This revelation had left him drained, and when he returned to his home, he went straight to his room, not coming out for dinner or to see Twilight. He had told her that he was ill, that he didn't want to eat. When she had left him alone, he had cried into his pillow, painfully aware that the tears dampening his sheets were not chemically the same as those from the people he was crying over, the eyes that made them unrelated to the people from whom he was hiding his pain.

Since then, he hadn't been able to stop calling his parents mum and dad. They may not have been his genetic family, but they were the only ones he had. He had asked Twilight about dragons, persisted as she had searched for information that might have helped him, with nothing turning up. When Shining had come to visit, Twilight had pulled him to one side and whispered furtively to him, the secret conversation ending in an unsure nod and a forced grin towards Spike. Shining had taken them both out, treated them to sweets and coffee, and just talked to them. After Twilight had retreated behind a book, Shining had asked Spike about how he was doing, and whether he had his eyes on any girls, to which the younger boy had just grinned. Afterwards, they had gone kite-flying, the three of them laughing and running around the park. It had felt like just when they were younger. It had felt like they were a family.

But Spike had never shaken the yearning for information about his identity, and he wondered if this was why he unknowingly wandered into the recruitment centre. His feet walked by their own accord, and he only really noticed where he was when he was mid-way across the lobby, heading towards the desk. He stopped. What was he doing here? He was meant to be buying coffee, not job hunting! For some reason, his feet had brought him here, and he had no idea why. Maybe it was Shining's influence. His big brother had always talked about joining the military, with his goal being to reach the ranks of the Royal Guard, and in his younger days, Spike had been enthralled, listening to every word with an avid interest. Maybe it was a lack of commitment; he, like everyone in Equestria, had finished his compulsory schooling when he reached his fifteenth birthday, and now he had a year to decide what to do with his life. At the age of sixteen, you could continue with further education, as Twilight had done, or you could find employment, like enlisting in the military, as Shining had done. Spike had no idea what he wanted to do, always considering himself to have more time.

"Can I help you?" The voice plucked Spike out of his reverie, and shook his head to clear it. The receptionist had noticed him standing in the middle of the lobby, and was looking at him, waiting for his response. Walking over nervously, Spike cleared his throat.

"Yes, I, uh, I..." Spike searched his brain for a reason, trying to find a cause for him to be here. "...I would like..." He scratched his head. "...I would like...to enlist." The receptionist nodded and looked down at the holographic keyboard in front of her, and Spike smiled to himself. At least, until he realised what he had just said, at which point his eyes widened.

"Name?" the receptionist asked, not looking up. Spike just gawked. What should he do? Should he explain the situation to her? After all, his only intention was to go and get coffee, not to become a cadet. Sure, he would see Shining more often, in all likelihood, and he would actually have something to do other than pine over his heritage, but...military? He wasn't cut out for that! Was he? How did he know, until he had actually tried? But he was here now, ready to sign up, with no thought put into it! This wasn't the time to consider, that should be before he had given an answer! And yet...he didn't know why he was so opposed to the idea. Sure, it was sudden, and any commitment this big was bound to cause shock when thrust onto someone, but, really, was it such a bad move? Maybe he would even have a chance to get off the planet, to search beyond Equestria for his answers, seeing as no one here knew. "Your name, please." The receptionist spoke again, looking up to see why he hadn't responded. Thinking quickly, he made up his mind, and gave his answer.

"Spike," he stated, with a small amount of confidence. The receptionist nodded and typed it in, her touches coaxing bleeps from the little holographic pads.

"Age?"

"Fifteen."

"Ethnicity?"

He hesitated, before answering, "Dragon." The woman paused, and then looked up.

"Race?"

"Dragon."

"Have you got any identification on you?" she asked, looking him up and down. "Accepted forms of identification include an Equestrian citizen card, a birth certificate..." Spike stopped listening as she made her list, and dug into his pocket, fishing out his identity card, which he handed over. The woman stared hard at it for several seconds, and then at him, before she shrugged and began typing again. Spike saw 'Dragon' appear on the translucent display, then the screen minimised and she turned back to him, handing over his citizen card. "Your enlistment has been submitted, and you are expected to return here in a week, on the Saturday. You will be required to undergo a medical examination, unless you receive a medical check-up from a certified medically trained professional and provide appropriate evidence to the relevant authority. You may choose to unsubscribe for service at any point up until you sign your contract, at which point you have pledged yourself to the Equestrian government and must fulfill the terms of your contract, unless otherwise stated by an appropriate authority for reasons such as health. You will be expected to turn up in a Coat and show the proper signs of etiquette for your induction. Do you understand?" Spike nodded, and she smiled. "Good. Have a nice day." And with that, she looked back down to her desk and left him to stand there.

Spike looked around, and, realising that he wasn't needed any more, turned and walked out, determined to head over to the cafe to get the coffee for Twilight and himself. Oh no, he had gone out to get coffee, and had ended up enrolling for military service? What had driven him to do such a thing? And what about Twilight? At this thought he groaned, not wanting to imagine her reaction when he returned home to tell her what he had done. She would be livid, that much was obvious, but even worse, he was worried that she would be disappointed in him. After all, what reasons could he give? Sorry about that, but I wandered into the centre and then felt pressured to say 'yes'? She wouldn't accept that, and it sounded weak even to Spike. He was screwed. He knew from experience that nothing could compare to Twilight's rage, and he would rather boil in Tartarus than have to face anger like that.

"Well, if it isn't little Spike," came a disgruntled voice from ahead. Spike winced and looked up, spotting the irate woman behind the bar, cursing himself for not realising that he had already reached his destination. "What will it be this time? Some absinthe?"

"Aha," Spike manged, forcing out an uncomfortable laugh. "Hello Mrs Cream. You're looking particularly, uh, vitalised today."

---

Location: Canterlot, Equestria
Date: 168 A.C.F.

Spike pushed open the door to the barracks and strode over to his bunk. He had undergone a long exercise that morning, and it now he only had half an hour to prepare for the next. He supposed he could have a quick shower in that time, which would bring at least some relief to his muscles, the thought of which made them twinge as though asking for sympathy. If he was quick enough, he could manage to grab a meal from the canteen too, although that was probably pushing it.

The sound of the door creaking open again put an end to his train of thought, and he turned around slowly, knowing who it was likely to be. Three ponies walked into the barracks, the last three people that Spike wished to see, all scowling as though that were the way their faces were naturally crafted. When Spike had first joined, they had proven themselves to be less than hospitable, mocking Spike for his lack of physical ability, and in turn Spike had learned to steer out of their way. Recently, however, he had come out on top in terms of his strength and stamina, adjusting to the training better than most of those around him. The instructors said that he had an aptitude for it, but these three in particular had seen it differently. When they walked in, Spike felt a resignation settle inside him. It was going to be another confrontation by the looks of it.

"Well, if it isn't our little friend, running to bed after a morning exercise," sneered the pony at the front.

"Can I help you?" Spike asked, keeping his voice level. The three of them continued to snarl at him. The ringleader seemed to grew even more irate from the question.

"Yeah, you can as a matter of fact," he spat, contempt saturating his words as he stepped forward aggressively. "You can stop acting like a self-obsessed jerk for a start." Spike nearly burst into a cacophonous symphony of a laugh at his demand, but barely manged to control himself, instead raising a confused eyebrow at them. Apparently they didn't know the meaning of the word 'hypocrisy'.

"Self-obsessed?" he asked, equal parts confused and satisfied as the rage induced scowl on the other boy's face turned so deep that it would probably take reconstructive surgery to rectify it.

"You know exactly what I mean! Today, in the exercises, and every day for the past week!"

"You mean my performance in the training exercises?"

"Yes!"

"You're getting angry with me because I keep beating you?"

"You beat everyone! It's like you can't keep yourself from winning!"

"I..." Spike didn't know how to reply. Sure, they had been obnoxious and arrogant in the past, but this was truly a new low for them. He felt the anxiety in him seep away as he realised that he was now truly at the top, that he had nothing to fear from these three. He had already proved his prowess on the field, what did he have to fear? "So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Stop winning," the pony growled. "I assume your ego can take that." He looked to his friends, who all nodded and smirked in response. Spike crossed his arms, feeling a confidence overcoming him.

"Get better, then." The room fell into silence, none of the three aggressors apparently possessing the capability to respond to such a blatant retort. Finally, the leader managed to gather himself enough to formulate language.

"What?" he demanded in a confused and subdued tone. It was almost as though he had been struck hard across the head, and Spike couldn't help but take pride that three simple words had achieved that effect.

"If you want to win, try harder. I'm not cheating, all I'm doing is trying. If you want to be the best, earn it."

"You're a dragon!" the pony hissed.

"An astute observation," Spike replied apathetically, causing the pony to seethe even more.

"You have an advantage, one that we don't have access to! That. Is. Cheating!"

"Just give it a rest will you?" Spike had lost patience with them, their persistent whining grating on his brain. "I didn't choose to be born a dragon. You chose to join the military. You can't blame your problems on something like genetics just because you don't like losing. It's a part of life, so live with it, or do better. Whichever you choose, I am not to blame, and I don't want to hear any more about it."

The dragon started to turn around but was spun rapidly back to face his tormentors. The ringleader had strode up to him, more quietly and quickly than Spike had thought possible, and was now breathing in Spike's face, his eyes awash with rage and a burning desire for retribution for his perceived offences. Behind the boy pinning Spike to the bunk, the other two ponies were stepping forwards, looking like they too were readying themselves for a fight, their shoulders hunched and their eyes narrowed. Spike's breathing started to pick up. He hadn't been expecting this! He thought that they would just back off. The boy holding Spike pulled a clenched fist back, readying it to strike the dragon squarely in the face.

The barracks doors swung open, bubbly voices carrying through from the outside, and the three ponies jumped in surprise as they were abruptly reminded that they weren't isolated. The boy holding Spike gave a glare as he stepped back, letting go of the dragon's uniform. Four more ponies stepped in from outside, two pegasi and two earth ponies, chatting among themselves, although they stopped as soon as they saw the occupants of the room. After a brief silence, the ringleader of Spike's tormentors gave a disdainful sniff, turned, and strode briskly out of the barracks, his two cronies following. Another silence followed.

"What was up with them?" asked one of the newcomers, turning to Spike. The dragon shook his head and sighed.

"They don't like me, in short," he responded, looking the new group over. The one who had spoken was one of the earth ponies, his long brown hair cut into a messy and yet expertly styled fringe at the front. The other earth pony was rather, well, chubby, his dark brown hair curly and thick. The two pegasus ponies were equally different from each other, one having grey-ish blue hair which had been slicked back, and the other a bowl cut for his light brown hair, as well as a gap between his two front teeth.

"Well, it's their loss," replied the earth pony who had spoken previously with a shrug. "We came to speak to you, actually. You were amazing out there! How'd you do it?" The others nodded their agreement at the earth pony's words, and all turned to Spike. The dragon was taken aback by their praise. He had had others praise him before, but they were instructors, and ponies didn't tend to pay him much attention.

"Well, I...I just tried, and I achieved it," he replied. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Wasn't a big deal?" The earth pony repeated incredulously. "Nopony I know can sprint that fast with that much weight on their back!" He gave the fatter earth pony a quick glance and grinned mischievously. "Well, 'cept maybe for Truffle 'ere when he smells a pie baking." The other ponies burst into laughter while the pony in question blushed, although Spike could still make out a smile breaking out onto his face. At least it wasn't a case of bullying, because that wouldn't have sat well with the dragon. "In all honesty though," the pony continued after the laughter had died down, "that was brilliant. You'll need to teach us sometime."

"I'm just a recruit, not an instructor," Spike informed them.

"I know, otherwise I would 'ave caught your name earlier," the pony grinned, extending his hand. The dragon looked at it for a moment before grinning himself and taking the proffered appendage. "This pony," he thought to himself.

"Spike."

"Pipsqueak."

"A pleasure."

"Pleasure's all mine, mate." Pipsqueak gestured to the others. "This is our little group; Truffle Shuffle, Featherweight, and Rumble," he introduced, pointing the the chubby earth pony, the pegasus with the bowl cut, and the pegasus with the slicked back hair, respectively. "Say 'hi', lads."

With the introduction made, the others felt more at ease to come forward and talk to Spike, and he found himself genuinely enjoying his interaction with these ponies, realising that it was the first time since he had arrived here that he had actually spoken to someone else in a normal way. It was immensely refreshing.

---

Location: Canterlot, Equestria
Date: 171 A.C.F.

"What's this for?" Spike asked, looking over the book he had just been handed. It was a relatively thick book, no doubt one of Twilight's light bedtime reading choices. The woman smiled.

"Just something for you to read while you wait," she replied. "The princess is very busy, and it's likely that the appointment before yours will run over. I thought it might interest you."

"Thanks," he said, turning the book over in his hands. Equestria: An Academic Study. It didn't seem too bad as far as passing time went. "I'll have a read through when I get the chance." He turned to leave, only to be stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Just one last thing," Twilight started, stopping to find her words, and then looking him in the eye. "Whatever happens today, just remember, I'm always here. Your family is always here. No matter what, you can always come back and we'll be here, waiting to accept you back with open arms."

"Thanks Twilight," he told her with a grateful smile. "It means a lot to me."

"And you mean a lot to me, Spike. To all of us." She looked over his form, admiring his purple Coat. "It suits you."

"No it doesn't. It's good, but it's not for me." Spike ran his hands through the green tail, frowning.

"It reminds me of when Shining left," she confessed. "That was fourteen years ago."

"Really? It doesn't feel that long at all."

"Time sure does pass by without us noticing, doesn't it."

"It does seem to." A moment of silence passed before Spike announced, "I should get going." He opened the front door and stepped outside, but looked to Twilight before he closed it. "I'll come back here to-

"Please come back and tell me what happened!" Twilight interrupted suddenly.

"-to tell you what happened," Spike finished with a bemused smirk. Twilight responded with a sheepish smile. "I'm not going away just yet," he reminded her. "I'll be back. See you later." With a smile and a quick wave, he closed the door.

It only took five minutes to reach the palace, including the verification of his identity to the guards standing resolutely outside, their golden armour shining in the sun, meaning that by the time he had jogged up the stone steps, passed through the oak doors and stepped into the marble foyer that separated the throne room from the rest of the palace, he had fifteen minutes until he was due to be seen. He gave his name and appointment time to two guards, and was told to take a seat. Looking around the circular foyer, he sought out a cushioned chair and sat, pulling out the book he had been handed by Twilight. With little else to do, he opened it to the first page and began to read.

Equestria: An Academic Study

Introduction- A brief history of Equestria

Located in the Equinox solar system, Equestria is a planet which is home to millions of species, the most abundant and dominant being ponies. It has a single moon which has been colonised by the ponies of Equestria, who have established interstellar travel and are in the current process of exploring the galaxy. A single day in Equestria lasts twenty-four hours, with a year consisting of 365 days.

Although there has been frequent academic debate in regards to the age of Equestria, most scientists and geologists accept and agree that the planet was formed between 4 billion to 4.5 billion years ago, with life appearing within the first billion years of its existence. The appearance of single-cell organisms and bacteria is believed to have contributed to forming the various layers of atmosphere which protect the planet from the dangers from outer space, including (but not limited to) meteors and solar radiation. This in turn has allowed the planet to form vast sways of varying geographic landmarks, from jungles to forests, from oceans to lakes, from mountains to valleys, and from deserts to arctic wildernesses. This diversity of geography has given rise to a diversity of life now visible throughout Equestria.

It is difficult to say when life as we know it first formed. Estimates have turned up results ranging between 3.5 billion years ago to 1 billion years ago due to discrepancies with the archaeological findings, but it is known that ponies had started to develop civilisation at least 45,000 years ago, as discovered by ancient transcripts. The three races of ponies lived separately for an indeterminable amount of time before they met two and a half millennia ago. This is something that we will cover in more detail in the next chapter.

From their union into the United Kingdom of Equestria 2,500 years ago, ponies established a worldwide nation, resolving to live in peace due to their previously violent and hostile encounters (this will be covered in the next chapter). As such, technological innovation soared, as new minerals and their uses were found and developed into further tools for scientific study. Progress was made in metallurgy as techniques such as hardening and tempering were discovered, which then lead on to the development of alloys and their uses, which in turn encouraged research on chemical elements and their properties. The co-operation between the pony races allowed the quick development of technology such as steam and electricity, and generated social movements which were usually accepted wholeheartedly by the public and government, such as the rise of the industrial era and the drive for environmentally friendly energy production. Advancements in these areas has left Equestria as the most environmentally stunning and preserved nation in the galaxy as well as the most scientifically advanced, as ponies value technology which works in conjunction with nature.

Equestrian culture is also something which has been admired by other civilisations for over a century; setting aside warfare at such a crucial point in their history not only allowed the rapid advancement of pony technology but also gave rise to a unique social identity for the ponies, one based on peace, compassion, understanding, and a drive to fix issues and improve life in any way possible. It was this mentality which enabled Equestria to successful negotiate with the other species upon its expansion into space and therefore furthered the founding of the Interplanetary Galactic Council, the date marked by the inception of the council calendar (0 After Council Formation, or A.C.F.).

Chapter 1- The evolution of ponies and the Unification

Ponies share the same basic form with the rest of the species of the council, the dominant lifeforms seeming to share simple anatomy; two arms, each with an elbow joint, a hand joined at the end of each arm by a wrist, four prehensile fingers and an opposable thumb per hand; two legs with a knee joint per leg, a foot at the end of each leg, joined by an ankle, and five toes per foot. The arms and legs are connected to the upper and lower sections of the torso, respectively, and a head sits atop the torso, attached by the bone, muscle, and vessels in the neck. A pony's face (and body) is roughly parallel, each eye sitting in an equivalent position on the opposite side of the face, for instance. This has been labelled as the 'Equine' form, with the label acknowledged throughout the council.

The three races of ponies evolved separately from each other, although they do share common genealogy, and thus have common features, despite remaining ethnically distinct. This ethnic division has remained despite years of interaction between the races, a fact which was widely unacknowledged until DNA was discovered, upon which the mystery became more important to scholars. It was discovered that the genetic traits of the three races were locked in with each other, meaning that a pony could only be one of the three races, not a mixture, despite having two parents from separate races. Unlike eye colour, hair colour, or other minor genetic factors, race appears to be a random selection based on the genes available, with the racial genes taken in bulk from either one side or the other, the remaining alleles merely adding to the gene pool of that individual. How this works is as of yet unknown.

Ponies can be identified by their oblong/oval shaped heads when viewed from the front, their narrow, thin, straight noses, and their pale to tanned complexion, as well as their natural tendency towards growing an abundant supply of hair all over their bodies. There are more subtle indicators of individual race; earth ponies tend to be tall and broad-shouldered, and are most suited for building muscle, pegasi tend to be slender and athletic and are the most agile of the races, and unicorns usually have slender and delicate fingers, and are the only race to have bio-kinetic abilities.

Earth Ponies

Originating from Scavanac, a triangular-shaped continent in the north of Equestria, earth ponies started as a group of small, self-sufficient communities who survived independently of each other, but gradually expanded their connections across the continent. With all of the ponies embracing an agricultural lifestyle in the frozen northern territory, there was little to divide them, and as such it is acknowledged that the earth ponies developed the first draft of what came to be democracy. Initially, they worked well without governance, but desired to co-ordinate their efforts in order to better thrive in their cold environment, leading to the formation of mediation meetings to formulate plans, trade routes, and much more. This was so essential to the earth pony way of life that it quickly evolved into councils, and then an assembly for all the ponies of the land. Equality of voice was highly valued, given that they were all in the same situation, and thus not only was it considered that everypony had a right to put forward ideas, but that nopony would consciously make a harmful decision, lest they harm themselves in the process, and as such it has been argued by scholars that the earth ponies were the first in Equestria to discover the benefits of harmony and mutual prosperity. Based on the ideals of honesty, fraternity, and co-operation, the population of Scavanac agreed that regular meetings were inefficient, and that the best course of action would be to choose an individual to represent their interests - this became elections, the process of which was perfected over centuries, to varying degrees of success.

In 2505 B.C.F. there came a shift when a great winter overcame the continent, reducing the available harvest for the pony population. It was at this time that a new chancellor was elected; Chancellor Puddinghead, a.k.a. The Mad Chancellor. She proposed that the earth ponies should explore beyond The Great Sea (now known as The North Sea) and find a solution beyond the known world. At this time, Scavanac society had become organised enough to build ships, but nopony had actually crossed the sea or sought out any land other than Scavanac itself, and so this concept was met with a mixture of apprehension and desperate interest. The expedition was launched, led by Puddinghead, and earth ponies finally left the land to seek out another. After a few weeks, they landed at the north of what they called 'Jord', and made plans to settle this new continent. News was sent back to Scavanac of the new world across the sea, and the crisis seemed to be averted.

Unicorn Ponies

Beginning their reign in the western region of Eurus, the ponies there formed a very structured, ordered, and complex society, establishing themselves as civilised, cultured, and diplomatic. They adopted a close-knit society in which wealth and resourcefulness was highly respected. Those who had the privilege of knowledge or foresight, or perhaps a good upbringing, founded quarries and mines with the promise of work for the unlucky who had nothing. Over time, some poverty stricken ponies volunteered themselves into service in exchange for shelter and food, which the rich happily accepted, changing their conditions into outright slavery. With the labour at their disposal, the most affluent ponies built up castles filled with grandeur, leaving the workers to sleep in stone huts in the grounds, which they had to build themselves. Slave trade became commonplace, as well as the lust for gemstones and riches mined deep from under the ground. The rich became richer and more liberated, and the poor became poorer and more oppressed.

Unknown to the ponies at the time, those who were sent underground to recover gems and jewels were also being exposed to harmful radiation, leaving them sick and weak. The owners had to send more down into the pits in order to make up for the lull in output, leading to even more ponies becoming sick. Although many died as a result of their exposure, some lived to develop beneficial mutations. At the time, the rich considered the powers gained by the mutations to be magic, and fearfully started executing any who showed signs of this new phenomenon, considering it a threat to their rule. However, they were not very efficient at it, and the genes were passed down over several generations, until in the end, the slaves who had mutations which allowed them to bio-kinetically manipulate the world around them (proto-unicorns) outnumbered those who didn't. The slaves eventually revolted and overthrew their masters, and the entirety of the ruling class. Now free, the proto-unicorns set up their own government, considering themselves to be blessed with a gift from the gods, one which entitled them to rule, and set about forming a new order; slavery was outlawed, anypony who couldn't display their 'magic' was shunned, and those who were affluent were stripped of their titles and privileges for them to be handed to former slaves as a form of compensation for the maltreatment afforded against them.

In spite of their seemingly progressive attitude, these proto-unicorns soon fell into the same vices as their tormentors - lavish, luxurious lifestyles, elitist mindsets, and an insatiable hunger for riches. Noticing that their bio-kinesis was passed down from parents to children, they immediately sought to create records of lineages, believing the bloodline to convey abilities and powers, and in this way, founded a dynastic monarchy, while ordering all 'non-magic wielders' to submit to insemination by a 'gifted individual'. Within three generations, the modern unicorn race had been formed, all now capable of bio-kinesis.

Several centuries later, the supply of gems in Eurus began to dwindle, much to the shock of the unicorns. Desperate to hold onto their wealth, the monarchy ordered that an exploratory expedition be made to seek a new land for more riches, led by the daughter of the King, Princess Platinum. With the ponies under her command, she set sail and reached an uncharted landmass, immediately prospecting the area and declaring it a colony of Eurus. The new land, rich with undisturbed treasures, was a solution to all Eurus' problems.

Pegasus Ponies

In the southeast, in the land of Asthenia, ponies strove to survive in the barren, arid environment, often living in small tribes or as wandering individuals, scavenging, hunting, or fighting for the resources that they needed. With the most food and water found high up in the mountainous areas, be it streams of water, high trees thick with fruit, or the wildlife who survived up there, the ponies evolved to scale and traverse the rocky, inhospitable terrain with efficiency. Their agility served them well as hunters and wanderers, especially given that societies in Asthenia were largely governed by whoever had the biggest stick; tribes often changed ownership overnight, and only stayed with one leader if things were going well. At this time, the pegasi were quick to lay the blame on the leader if something didn't work out, from hunting trips to raids against nearby villages.

Somewhere between the years 3500-3000 B.C.F. a tribe organised itself into a strong fighting force, and set out across the desert, assimilating all and any tribes they found into their army. Over the course of several years, all of Asthenia fell to the conquering faction, which established itself as the sole governing body of the land and its ponies, as well as enforcing a strict conscription, allowing them to forge a strong, self-perpetuating military force. Every pony was required to enlist for a minimum of five years, and remain active as a soldier until they found other (government approved) work, such as blacksmithing, mining, and construction. This resulted in the pegasi developing a fierce sense of honour and competitive pride, supplemented by their effective military-centered lifestyle.

Several hundred years later, having ensured their dominance in Asthenia, the pegasi turned their attention towards conquering new lands, one filled with more natural resources, better able to support their population. They launched many expeditions, most failing, but the final one, lead by Commander Hurricane, landed in the east of a land they called 'Mundus'. With plenty of space to settle, as well as fertile land to grow crops, it seemed like a perfect land to lay claim to.

Contact and war

The pegasi expanded the quickest, and if it hadn't been for their late arrival, they would have most likely colonised the entire continent before the unicorns and earth ponies had even moved on from their initial landings. Instead, Commander Hurricane landed at some time during 2503 B.C.F. while Princess Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead made their landings in 2505 B.C.F. As a result, the pegasus scouts came across semi-constructed settlements mid-way across the continent. Although initially successful in their raids due to their element of surprise, the unicorns soon fell back to their coastal settlement of Unicornia, located near what is now known as the Whitetail Woods. From there, they proved themselves to be successful in defending against the pegasi, who were unable to reach the unicorns due to their bio-kinesis. Not making any progress and suffering losses, the pegasi instead tried a pincer movement, sending their troops north and south in an attempt to circle the unicorns and besiege the final city.

The troops who were sent north encountered the earth ponies and their expansive, fertile lands, which they immediately tried to seize. Much like the unicorns, the earth ponies had no idea that there were other settlers in this new land, and were unprepared for an attack. However, unlike the unicorns, the earth ponies had not had a history based on struggle that had been overcome by battle or revolution, and so were pushed out of the land entirely by the pegasi. Returning to Scavanac, they told the tale of the slender warriors from over the seas who wore metal skin, who had plundered and chased them out of the only hope of sustaining the earth ponies. Immensely angered by this perception of deep injustice, they amassed a larger expedition, armed with implements of war derived from their array of farm tools, and journeyed back to Jord to reclaim their lands.

With their pincer movement complete, Unicornia was surrounded and cut off, its defences slowly eroding from a lack of supplies. In spite of their efficiency in defence, the unicorns were losing in a war of attrition, and had little hope of remaining on the continent. Fortunately for them, the earth ponies returned to the land, armed with large axes and a sense of justice, this time prepared to take the land by force, a move which surprised the pegasi; they had suspected that nopony would dare attack them after their display of military might. The counter-attack meant that many pegasi were called to the north to repel the now invading earth ponies, weakening their hold on Unicornia.

The clash between the pegasi and earth ponies was almost a stalemate; the pegasi were trained warriors, and had superior maneuverability and unit tactics, their army being capable of employing advanced strategy, while the earth ponies were naturally tall and strong, and could handle their axes and tools with surprising dexterity for their humble agricultural origins. Furthermore, the terrain and climate was not best suited for pegasi; back home, the pegasi were used to a warm, dry climate, with large expanses of desert and wilderness in between the sparse cities, but here, it was cold, frosty, rainy, and mountainous, and hilly between the steeper areas. However, while it was the location which inhibited the pegasi warriors, it was their lifestyle which hindered the earth ponies; they were used to having an equal voice and relatively free reign to do what they wanted within their lives, and so a hierarchy necessary for a military operation was absent from their planning, and as such little progress could be made, even when Chancellor Puddinghead and her subordinate, Smart Cookie, tried to take charge of the situation; they were unfamiliar with military tactics, and the process was shrouded by an informal type of bureaucracy as they attempted to organise a group which had no capacity to organise itself.

The bloody stalemate was broken when the unicorns, indignant at their treatment, launched a counter-offensive, catching the pegasi off-guard for the second time. The soldiers in the north were caught in an accidental pincer movement and had to withdraw east, away from the dangers of the earth and unicorn ponies who were advancing after them in anger and vengeance. Suddenly, the warriors of the east were on the run from two armies who had sprung up with startling readiness. In kind, the soldiers in the south had to retreat, joining up with the rest of their army, an action which left the three factions in control of a third of the continent each, and another stalemate that none of them could break.

With a harsh winter pressing in, and all sides losing patience and momentum, a final assault was launched upon the mountain range at the heart of the continent, all three factions hoping to gain control of a strategic defensive position which could be used to force the other two races off of the continent. Instead, the forces sent to the region became scattered and disorganised, and were unable to operate. During a particularly powerful blizzard, three important figures crossed paths and sought out shelter together, settling down in a cave which became snowed in, trapping the three inside. It was after this that they discovered the identities of their fellow refugees; Private Pansy of the pegasi, Smart Cookie of the earth ponies, and Clover the Clever of the unicorns. Low on food and supplies, and assuming that they would die in the cave, the three refused to fight each other, and instead tried something that none of the pony races had tried before - talking to each other. Over the thirty hours that they spent in the cave, the trio bonded through the realisation that they were in fact similar, and that there was no particular reason to fight other than greed and misunderstanding.

The ice blocking the entrance to the cave finally melted enough for the three ponies to push through and reach the outside world again, all three believing that they had been given a second chance to live their lives in a better way. Setting out together, they first travelled to the earth ponies, the ones most easily convinced that the war was a pointless pursuit. With the earth ponies convinced, they contacted the unicorns, explaining the situation and the lack of necessity in the war, a process which saw success after a brief period of intense negotiation. Finally, the two factions banded together and reached out to the pegasi, urging them to end the war. After a long while, the pegasi were dissuaded from continuing the war, and the three races started to band together to rebuild their shattered societies, working to their individual strengths to achieve this.

In the year 2500 B.C.F. the three factions officially formed the United Kingdom of Equestria in the Unification Document, signed by the representatives of each head of state; Commander Hurricane for the pegasi, Princess Platinum for the Unicorns, and Chancellor Puddinghead for the earth ponies. From that day, the three races lived in peace and harmony alongside each other, adapting their society and culture to include tenants from across their-

Spike shut the book and stretched. It had passed the point at which it was interesting and had started to grow a little dull. He swept a hand down his face and sighed, wondering how much longer he needed to wait. It seemed rather strange to have an appointment with the princess for a matter that was, in essence, very trivial, at least in terms of its purpose, but he understood that his request, if allowed, would require some re-organisation and a small amount of official paperwork.

The doors to the throne room opened and a pony walked out, walking across the foyer and out the door without looking at the young man sitting there. One of the guards called Spike up. He stood and walked into the throne room, the doors shutting behind him as he strode down the red carpet that cut down the centre of the room like a nylon river flowing through a marble valley. The carpet ended at an ornate multi-tiered throne for which the room was named, atop which sat a graceful woman. Spike knelt down as he reached the base of the throne.

"Your majesty, Princess of Equestria and her Highness to the throne of ponykind, I humbly request your audience," he spoke, enunciating the words clearly for the princess, his head bowed.

"I accept your request," came the silken reply. "You may rise." The dragon pushed himself up and looked to the woman, her beautiful, ageless face smiling down at him, just as it had all those years ago. Considering that she was doing nothing but sitting down, her slender legs held together and her arms resting on her lap, she still managed to look imposing, but without an aggressive aura- for all her strength, she didn't give off a threatening vibe, and it was impossible to feel anything but safe in her presence. "You may do away with the formalities, Spike. I feel that we've already spent too much time being ostentatious."

Spike smiled at this, laughing a little as the princess joined in. "Thank you, your highness," he chuckled, before regaining his composure and clearing his throat. "I know that it is uncommon for a soldier like myself, but I wish to ask for favour from you. I don't want you to think that I'm ungrateful for what you've already done for me, having been given a life far beyond what I probably deserved." The princess smiled at his words but let him continue. "I appreciate everything I have, I truly do, but I can't help wanting more, as bad as that sounds. I want to...to know who I am."

"You want access to information on dragons," she deduced from the direction of his conversation, to which he nodded. "I will be happy to provide whatever I can for you, Spike, but from what I understand, Twilight Sparkle has already given you all content regarding Equestrian knowledge on the dragon species. I sense that you want something else."

"With your kind permission, I would like to request a transfer, one that would put me in a position to learn more about dragons." He breathed in deeply, trying to calm his nerves. This moment could change his life forever, and he didn't want it to be wasted because he had stuttered and stammered like an imbecile. "If you could possibly find an assignment which would help me in that regard, I would be most grateful." He finished his pitch and waited, hoping for the answer he was looking for.

Celestia didn't reply for a while, and Spike tried counting the seconds that passed by, only to get distracted by his heartbeat. One, two, three four five sixseveneightnineten.... The silence continued, long enough to let in the sounds of the city outside. Spike took notice of how distant everything seemed from this room, as though he were isolated from the rest of the world, even the ponies milling about busily just outside. A bang sounded from somewhere, although that could have been his heat thumping loudly or the blood pounding in his ears.

"I think that the best thing to do would be to assign you to the Pandora research station," Celestia responded eventually, breaking the silence. Spike let out a long sigh of relief on hearing this, glad to hear that she had been pondering his options rather than deciding whether or not to allow the transfer. "It is a vast complex built onto the largest body of an asteroid belt out in deep space, and is run by a good number of ponies, zebras, and griffons. They will undoubtedly be able to give you much more information than I can hope to provide you here."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia," Spike beamed, bowing his head once more. "This means so much to me." The woman smiled down at him knowingly.

"I don't doubt that, and I'm sure that it means more to you than I could ever imagine. I sincerely hope that you find what you are looking for." She stopped and cocked her head at a distant crunching sound, followed by what sounded like a shout. Spike turned his head to the door, trying to make out what was happening behind it. Soft cracks had started to make their way into the chamber, and what sounded like armoured footsteps hurried away from outside the door, growing fainter as the guards apparently moved away.

"I shall endeavour to start the process as soon as possible," Celestia continued slowly, distracted by the noises outside. "Is that all, Spike?" The dragon glanced to her quickly and gave a quick bow.

"Yes, your highness. Thank you." With that he strode towards the large doors, determined to find out what was going on outside. If the guards had hurried away, then it was likely something bad, and that meant that he needed to find out what was going on, and why. He was halfway to the doors, his muscles already tensing as his combat training kicked in, preparing him for whatever he may find beyond the oak door.

CRASH

WHACK

The high pitched splintering sound of smashing glass followed almost instantaneously by the loud crunching of stone caught him unaware, and he instinctively ducked and spun to the source of the noise, wobbling from the sudden vibration sent through the floor. A stain glassed window had been broken three quarters of the way up the room and large shards of glass lay scattered across the floor. Off to the side, the unblemished marble of the floor had been shattered by the impact of a hunched black object. It appeared to be dull metal, the plates giving off a wan reflection from the sun outside. It shifted, then rose from the floor, straightening itself and turning towards the throne, revealing itself to be an armoured suit, one unlike Spike had ever seen before; the back of the helmet was angular, consisting of flat surfaces and many corners, giving it a blocky feel. A thick plate covered the back of the torso, and small angular spaulders protected the shoulder joints. The armour was completely matte black, and the metal plates were only distinguishable from the underlying bodysuit in the way that they subtly reflected the light in the room. The armoured individual stepped closer to the princess, his heavy boots thudding on the marble before he stopped, moved his legs into a stable position, and lifted something in his arms.

Celestia surrounded herself with a golden aura just in time to block the hail of bullets that were sent her way, flinching as the harsh report of sustained gunfire filled the room, echoing off the walls bouncing off the ceiling. Spike dashed towards the armoured gunman, stepping just past him as he raised both arms in the air, bringing them down sharply on the gun to knock its aim off the princess. Reversing his momentum, he brought he left arm back, feeling his elbow connect firmly with front of the attacker's helmet, sending him reeling backwards and losing his grip on the gun. Ignoring both the throbbing pain from his elbow and the clatter of the gun as it thudded onto the floor, Spike sized up his opponent.

The gunman regained his footing and looked at Spike, at least to a degree- it was hard to deduce anything relating to its head, given that the front of the helmet consisted of an angular, bevelled faceplate with no visible features, no indication of eyes or anything. The upper torso was guarded by a form-fitting chestplate while the rest seemed to rely on rigid carapace covering from the bodysuit. That was where he was weakest, Spike determined.

The figure darted forwards impatiently, drawing his fist back for an obvious punch. Spike ducked under it and leaned to the left, bringing his right knee up into the suit's stomach. The figure grunted, staggering from the force of the blow and giving Spike enough time to kick at the back of its knee, forcing the assailant down into a kneeling position. The dragon parried an inefficient backhand, pushing away the arm and delivering a snap kick to the back of its helmet, knocking him to the floor. As the figure immediately tried to get back up, Spike looked to the gun, discarded a few metres away. With a quick few steps, he stooped and picked it up, turning to face his opponent. The armoured figure had stood up, and was striding towards the dragon, looking ready to strike. Spike raised the rifle, and-

-dipped to the right in surprise as a golden light slashed past his head, striking his opponent squarely in the chest. The figure flopped backwards and clattered to the floor, skidding a few feet before he came to a rest, unmoving. The dragon turned to look for the source. Celestia stood with a raised hand, a golden glow encompassing it, her face stern.

"Princess, we need to go," Spike informed her urgently. "It's not safe here." He looked down to the rifle, twisting it in his hands to see how it worked. It wasn't any gun he had ever seen before, but he thought he could figure out how to work it; it had a rail along the top, a horizontal grip underneath the barrel, the magazine seemed to be clipped at an angle in front of the hand guard, and the shoulder stock connected to the grip and magazine feed. Most of it appeared to be steel, but the stock and grips seemed to be polymer. Stepping over to the unconscious assailant, the dragon felt across the black armour, searching for more magazines to the weapon. Pulling out three more, he stowed them away into his belt, making an impromptu bandolier.

The door was heaved open, and Spike looked up. The two guards from outside had returned, striding into the room with their weapons drawn. Upon seeing the princess unharmed, they stopped and looked around, spotting Spike and the inert form on the floor.

"Princess, we have to leave," one of them stated in a gruff voice. "Canterlot is under attack!" They looked about themselves uncomfortably.

"Where are we taking her?" the dragon asked, finding the release latch for the magazine on his weapon, checking the ammo capacity of said magazine, and slamming it back into place. Both the guards looked him over inquisitively. "Corporal Spike, Division M6," he reeled off, predicting their upcoming question. "Where are we taking her?"

"The shuttle," the guard answered at last. "We get her there and secure the area. After that, we contact command, call for reinforcements, and hold the line. Are you ready to go, your majesty?" The regal woman nodded, her face grim. "I'll take point. You two, keep your eyes open." With that, the four stepped through the door at an urgent pace, weapons levelled.

The sounds of battle grew louder as they drew closer to the exit, muffled slightly by the marble of the building, their footsteps seemingly responding to the thumps and the cracks from outside. Making their way down the steps, sweeping their rifles across the landing, the group hurried to the entrance door, the two guards pressing themselves against the wood. as Spike knelt down with his weapon ready, scanning the area behind them.

"Straight out the door, down the steps, across to the pad," explained the lead guard. "Eyes up and weapons ready. I want you pulling up the rear, corporal."

"Understood," Spike confirmed. He took a deep breath to ready himself.

"Okay people, let's go!"

"Moving!"

"Corporal, move up!"

The doors creaked open and the sounds from outside flooded in, the sound of boots thumping as they advanced through the door and onto the steps outside. Spike spun around and followed, passing through the doorway and into the outside. There were a few fires in the distance, if the columns of rising smoke were any indication, but there was little in the way of disturbance as they progressed down the steps and crossed the bridge, heading towards the side of the palace. Deeper into the city there came gunfire, small explosions, panic and disorder, the noises pressing the group on further towards the shuttle area, passing by several low-lying supply buildings, the two storey concrete structures seeming to watch the small group as they rushed by.

PING

"Contact right!"

The crack of the gunshot was superseded by the whine of the bullet whistling past and bouncing noisily off the lead guard's shoulder plate, stumbling him. Spike winced and spun to the right, spotting a black armoured figure standing on a roof of the of the buildings perhaps a hundred metres away. His training regime kicked in, and he crouched into a stable stance, bringing the rifle to his shoulder and leaning his head against the stock, lining the sights up with the target in the distance. Taking a breath in, he squeezed the trigger, the rifle spouting a hail of bullets at his foe and kicking back against him. Aware that the kick would throw his aim off, Spike released the trigger, taking a second to realign the sights and fire another burst, a discipline his opponent apparently knew nothing about; the bullets that bit at the concrete around him and pinged shrilly caused Spike's heartbeat to rise, but were consistently off target, the only hit being the first shot against the guard.

The two guards joined Spike, taking aim and firing with their own weapons, forcing the figure to duck down and move to the side. The dragon ejected his empty magazine, reaching for a new one and slapping it into place with a satisfying click. The two guards paused to spread out, glancing back to see that Celestia was unharmed, and the armoured figure on the roof chose the moment of silence to pop back up, taking aim once more-

-straight into Spike's sights. A rapid pull of the trigger sent a burst towards the figure, striking him in the chest and causing him to topple sideways, and then collapse back. The trio waited with their sights trained on the spot he had fallen for several seconds, in case he got back up, but he didn't appear.

"Okay, move!" called the foremost guard, motioning for them to continue on their way. Scanning the rooftops for other threats, Spike obliged, jogging along with his weapon ready. Celestia snapped her fingers as they ran, covering all of them with a golden sheen, likely a shield, Spike realised. Luckily, it proved unnecessary, as they reached the shuttle without any further incident. The guards and Spike took up positions around the craft as Celestia made her way on board, crouched low and ready for any more attacks. There was nothing. No soldiers waiting with snipers or rockets, nothing attached to the craft either.

Just a lone figure on one of the furthest buildings, his gun hanging at his side. From what Spike could see, he was merely observing, watching the trio as they covered the princess' entrance into the shuttle that would take her to safety. He wasn't anything like the others that Spike had seen; his armour was a dirty red, and it appeared to be less carapace than the others, appearing to be scaled instead. Spike went to raise his gun, but the red figure turned and walked away, soon disappearing from sight. The dragon blinked. Had he imagined that, or had someone been watching them?

"What do you mean, 'they're retreating'?" a gruff voice asked, snapping Spike from his focused pondering. He looked over to the two guards, who were discussing something in raised voices.

"Exactly that," the other one answered. "All attacking forces are reported to be retreating from Canterlot. It was confirmed by several guards." The two looked at each other, then at the shuttle again, before looking over to Spike.

"Stay here with the princess," the first guard commanded, standing up. "We're going to find out what's going on around here. We'll be back as soon as we can." With that, the two of them jogged back the way they had came, heading towards the city. The dragon watched them go, noticing how the sound of gunfire and general chaos had drawn to an end, leaving the entire city in silent shock of what had just transpired. He backed towards the door of the shuttle, stepping inside and sitting down on the floor, placing the gun on his lap. He let out a long breath and swept his hands across his face, looking down to the floor.

"Thank you," came a soft voice from behind him. He looked back to see Celestia sitting on one of the many seats, her pose not dissimilar from when she was sat on her throne. Somehow, she had managed to maintain her regal look. "Thank you for acting when you did. You quite possibly saved my life."

"It was just something I had to do," Spike commented, waving off her praise. "I couldn't stand there and do nothing." Celestia gave a wan smile at his dismissal.

"And you did act. You did your duty, even though you weren't charged with it. I still owe you my gratitude."

"Well, thank you, your highness. It was my honour."

"But?"

"Sorry?"

"There is something else. Something that you're not saying." A long silence followed.

"I...I've been trained to fight, to survive on the battlefield, and to protect those around me. That was the first time I've actually had to use it, the first time that failure would have meant more than just humiliation."

"You did well, better than I or any instructor could have asked you," Celestia ensured him sincerely.

"But I wasn't with Twilight," he deadpanned. Celestia fell silent. "I'm wondering if she's okay. I know she's good, and I know that she can overcome anything, but...I can't shake the doubt. This isn't some test that you can prepare for." He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, the princess having came over to him while he was expressing his thoughts.

"I have known the Sparkle family for many years," Celestia told him. "Night Light and Shining Armour have both been Captains of the Royal Guard, and they have both excelled at their duties. Twilight Sparkle has been an eager, earnest and talented student to whom I have devoted a significant portion of my time. All of your family, and that includes you, are talented, skillful, and resourceful, something that you have proven yourself, just now. I can assure that Twilight Sparkle is perfectly fine, unharmed and likely worried about you. Fear not." Her words calmed him, and he felt the stress and doubt leaving his body. He took a deep breath.

"You're right. She'll be fine." He felt a wry grin crossing his face. "Now I'm the one that needs to thank you." The princess gave a light giggle. He felt much better in her presence, as though she were a source of peace that he could soak up.

"Your highness!" a guard called, running up to the door. Spike started to reach for the rifle, but stopped when he realised who it was. The princess' visage had turned to a look of calm but stern professionalism. "The assailants, it seems that their attack wasn't an attempt on your life as we had feared." He swallowed and then continued. "Research containment cache number 5381 has been broken into, and the contents are gone!"

The princess gasped in shock, her eyes widening, her reaction sending a chill through Spike. She looked down to him, ordering sternly, "Go and find Twilight and bring her here. It is imperative that I speak to her."

"Yes, your majesty," Spike replied, standing up and giving a quick bow before leaping from the craft and setting off at a run. He had no idea what had happened, or why the princess needed Twilight, but she was worried, and if the princess was worried, then something was bad. Very, very bad.

Author's Note:

Well, here it is! After however many months, I've finally completed the first chapter to the Dragonfire line. Enjoy it, because in all likelihood I won't be writing the next chapter for some time. Thank you for reading, and give me some feedback to tell me how I'm doing.

Comments

[DARKPHANTOM13]

Okay, you have my complete interest and you're off to a good start. I have to ask, is this a human story or anthro because I was confused at first? Hope to see more from you real soon.

[Pippington Britishhooves]

4814847 They're human (at least in form) but they refer to themselves as ponies in the same way we call ourselves humans. If you see a term that appears to be animal oriented, it's purely for continuity reasons (because although they have developed a human form, their civilisation has not originated from earth and so they've found their own terms for things). Thanks for taking the time to read it, and thanks for commenting.

[The Communist CosmoCat]

this is just one chapter.....

[Pippington Britishhooves]

4815946 For now. I'll update it later.

[DARKPHANTOM13]

4815774 Okay, I get what you are saying. I've seen that kind of thing before though it can get confusing at first. And don't worry about it, you deserve that comment and all the others and like I hope you get.

[beirirangu]

why do I get the feeling that this is going to be a somewhat similar story-line (about Spike and his abilities at least) as FenrisianBrony's "The Dragon and the Force"?

[MrAquino]

Um... this is awkward.

[Pippington Britishhooves]

5983316 Well, they say that great minds think alike.

[MrAquino]

5983988 well, your Dragonfire is more of a discovery adventure. My Dragonfire is based off Mass Effect 2 with choices & people voting for the crew members.

[Pippington Britishhooves]

5984111 I'm taking inspiration from a lot of sci-fi media, including Mass Effect. If yours is like Mass Effect, does that mean that Spike will be resurrected later? Anyway, keep on writing, it looks good so far.

[MrAquino]

5985635 it's more of a mix between Mass effect 1 & 2, as Spike dies in the beginning, is resurrected, and must build a team with loyalty missions to stop King Sombra and his army of Doppelgangers from taking over the Galaxy (I.E., Equestria).