Carry the Fire

by Slywolf930

The Right Thing To Do

The Right Thing To Do

The sun was high in the sky, blocked only slightly by a few rolling clouds. Pegasi were slowly and methodically moving the clouds, preparing for the approaching rainfall. The wind had started to pick up speed, blowing leaves and manes around. The trees were being checked individually to ensure that they would withstand the high winds coming in the night. One tree in particular was being checked more methodically than the others. It was home to a unicorn and a dragon, protecting them from the outside world. In more ways than one.

Twilight had been checking her library, ensuring there were no drafts from the windows or holes in the wall. She didn’t expect there to be, considering there hasn’t been a problem since she’d moved in. However, she noticed something wrong with her companion. His tail hung lower than she’d seen in months. It wasn’t the first unusual thing she’d noticed recently, but it was the most prominent feature in his expression as he walked across the room.

“Spike, are you alright?” Twilight had seemed to ask almost once a week.

“Yeah Twilight, I’m fine… But when you have a minute, can I talk to you?” Spike asked, unsure of himself or his feelings.

“I always have time for you Spike, what was it you wanted to talk about?” Twilight asked, walking close enough that she could smell something peculiar. It was different from what she would normally smell in a library, and at first she couldn’t place it.

“Well, there’s been something I’ve wanted to ask for a while now,” Spike said, playing with his claws, something he would do when he was thoughtful or nervous.

“What is it Spike?” Twilight asked, hoping she could get to the root of his problems.

“Do you think… Do you think I could go on an adventure?” Spike asked, his eyes lighting with anxiety. Twilight could feel the magic in his breath, warm with the tension in his words.

“Spike, we haven’t been on one of those… in a long time,” Twilight said, her facial expression faltering. The memories were invading her head, some more unforgettable than others. Spike lowered his eyes.

How long? Twilight tried to think how long it had been since she had become princess. How long has it been since Spike helped free the Crystal Empire… since they first came to Ponyville… or even since she’d first hatched him as an egg. They’d all grown in that time, having such memorable experiences to relive. But Spike hadn’t grown.

“Spike… is this about the letter?” Twilight asked in a low voice. Her thoughts drifted to the mysterious letter that had arrived almost one month ago.

“Twilight, it’s not fair,” Spike said in a hushed voice.

Spike looked up to her, his eyes filling with tears, blocking her sight into the aged, teenager mind of the dragon before her. It was blocked by the tears, and all she could see was the young, baby dragon that had lived with her for many years. Though he had grown up with her, he had only grown a few inches.

“Spike, we never went on those… adventures because we wanted to, it was a matter of necessity.

“Necessity?” Spike asked, knowing full well what the word meant.

Twilight could understand his sorrows, know that he was sad, but she could not feel what he was feeling. Her heart ached in knowing that his loving soul was feeling this way. He didn’t deserve it.

“Twilight, I don’t want to go on my own adventure. I need to, it’s necessary,” Spike said, a hard resolve in his voice that made Twilight close her eyes in thought.

“Spike…” Twilight said, battling with her gut, telling her that it was dangerous. Beneath the soft eyes and small body, Spike was grown. More than she would let herself admit in a time like this.

“Twilight, please,” Spike said, not pleading nor crying anymore. His eyes were steady. If she were to look into them, she would see that he was truly ready for whatever challenges he would face. So she did look into them, and she smiled a soft smile.

“I don’t want you to go Spike,” Twilight said.

“But Twilight-,”

“But it’s not my choice anymore, it’s yours.”

Spike smiled, his body tensing with excitement. He hugged her, and she hugged him back. Then, Spike went upstairs to get his things. Twilight left, getting preparations for a day she would have wished would have come later, but that she was glad had finally come.

------------

Spike finished packing his things in a small cotton bag he strapped to his back. Twilight had made it for him on one of his birthdays. He walked down the steps and was surprised to see six mares waiting for him at the bottom. Twilight was the first to speak.

“You can’t leave without saying goodbye first, Spike.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Spike said, running to the group to get a group hug from them all.

“I’m really glad you girls are here,” Spike directed to the other five mares.

“We wouldn’t want to miss sayin’ goodbye to you, Spike,” Applejack said.

“Why, I nearly dropped one of my dresses in the rush to get here,” Rarity said.

“But Spike, are you sure you want to do this? It’ll be dangerous,” Fluttershy said, voicing Twilight’s thoughts.

“I’m sure I have to do this,” Spike said, handing the letter he’d gotten the month before to Twilight, who smiled and kept it at her side.

“Spike’s a tough dragon, he ain’t no baby anymore,” Rainbow Dash said, nudging Spike and almost toppling him over with the contact.

“But he sure looks like a baby dragon,” Pinkie Pie said, walking around him and making Spike’s gaze lower.

“But he’s not, and I have complete faith that he’ll be just fine,” Twilight said, now more sure than ever that this was a good idea.

“Thanks Twilight,” Spike said, gaining back the courage Pinkie’s comment had stolen.

“Hmm, Twilight, can I have a word with you before Spike leaves?” Rarity asked, only loud enough for her to hear. The others were commenting on Spike’s choice of items that were in his bag, they hardly noticed the pair walk away.

Twilight walked to the other side of the room with Rarity and she could see there was something that was on Rarity’s mind. She imagined that because Rarity was the closest to Spike besides herself, she would have the hardest time letting him on this journey.

“Twilight, does he really have to do this? I’m sure he can handle himself, but how long will he be gone?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know how long he’ll be gone, but he has to do this for himself and for his pride. This scroll,” Twilight showed Rarity the scroll that arrived to Spike the month before. It was written in a strange language that only Spike had been able to translate. It was a draconic language, passed down through the dragon’s blood. “Spike read it to me.”

“A dragon will live a very long time, but they can only grow bigger from feeding their own desires. He’s lived here in Ponyville for so long that he hasn’t grown very much at all. We need to let him do things on his own, and maybe then he’ll be content with staying the way he is,” Twlight said. She glanced over to Spike who was packing everything back in his bag.

“I trust you, Twilight,” Rarity said, giving her a smile that spoke volumes.

The two of them joined the others. Spike turned towards the door. Twilight rushed ahead and stood in front of him, looking into his eyes with as much courage as she could muster.

“Spike… I don’t know how long you’ll be gone, and we’re not sure if you’ll come back,” Twilight said, fighting back the tears that had long been threatening to come out.

“But Spike, you’re a good dragon, and you’ve more than exceeded my expectations. There’s a fire in our hearts that won’t die out, and you’re carrying some of that fire,” Twilight said, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes. Behind Spike, the others were also letting tears fall in streams.

“We will always be with you, no matter where you go, or which path you choose to go. We won’t forget about you,” Twilight said, clutching Spike in a grasp that he returned lovingly. The others joined in as well, creating a ball of love for the dragon.

“And I won’t forget about any of you,” Spike said after they finally let go and he was allowed to walk towards the door. He turned back and waved goodbye, to which they all waved as well. “Because I’m carrying the fire,” Spike said, backing out of the doorway and walking towards the path out of town.

Inside the library, the six mares watched Spike leave, a quiet moment that they all shared. Finally, without a word, five of the mares left. Twilight watched them leave out of the doorway, still watching where Spike had walked out. Rarity took a long look down the path when she left, but even she turned to finish her duties at home. After a few minutes, Twilight was stirred from her trance by the sound of a teleportation next to her.

“You let him go,” Celestia’s soft voice said, a tinge of sadness in it as well.

“I didn’t want to let him go, my heart wanted him to stay here,” Twilight said, her voice as soft as a mouse.

“Then why did you?” Celestia asked.

“Because it was the right thing to do.”

Author's Note:

This is written for one of my best friends. I’ll call him Vidal, only because he’ll know who I’m talking about.
I hope you enjoyed!
-Sly

Comments

[The Descendant]

This deserved more attention than it got. The grammar was very good, and you caught the emotion of such a time well.

[Slywolf930]

5989244
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I'm kinda glad it didn't get much attention, but i'm weird like that.

[hentaispyder]

I look forward to what happens next.

[Mr Good Guy]

“Twilight, I don’t want to go on my own adventure. I need to, it’s necessary,” Spike said, a hard resolve in his voice that made Twilight close her eyes in thought.

.. Don't you mean, want?

[DarkDMan]

Got a good feeling about this. Keep it up!

[Slywolf930]

5995406
Spike is trying to say that it doesn't matter whether he wants to go or not, but that he needs to go. Sorry, I probably didn't write that part very well.