The Legend of Spike: Dragon Quest

by DiabloGuapo

The Refugees

The next morning, Spike’s body jerked as he awoke. He opened his green eyes and quickly looked about the bedchamber. The only thing he saw was the first rays of daylight shining in through the window. He then felt movement at his side and looked down to see Rarity shifting in her sleep, disturbed by his sudden movement. Spike sighed with relief and lowered his head to once again curl around his sleeping wife.

He tried to fall back to sleep, but the dream he just experienced had him completely awake. Instead, he admired the sleeping beauty snuggled up against him. Her mane was tousled and she had on an sleeping mask. Spike draped a wing over her protectively and brought her in closer to him.

He had the dream again. The same dream that had haunted him for years. He was but a young wyrmling when he first experienced it when he had been whisked away to a parallel dimension. In that alternate version of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle and her friends had never met and thus never discovered the Elements of Harmony. When the Nightmare Moon of that world had returned, it was up to Spike to recover the Elements and free Princess Luna from her corruption.

Of all the trials he had gone through to recover the Elements, it was the Trial of Laughter that had ironically haunted Spike the most. During the trial, he was shown a future where everypony he cared about had grown old and died while he remained young. Over the years, Spike had come to terms with this inescapable fact of life and learned to make peace with his fate and the fate of his friends and family. However, he would still have his recurring nightmare and it would temporarily shake his resolve. Not for long, but long enough to cast a shadow over his day. The only cure for it was to take solace in the comfort of lying curled up with his wife and to cherish the time they had been blessed with.

As Celestia’s sun continued to rise, Spike decided that he might as well get up and make his wife breakfast in bed; a nice little surprise to show Rarity how much he cherished her. Spike uncurled himself and carefully crawled off the bed as to not disturb Rarity. The Unicorn mumbled unconsciously in protest as her giant teddy bear left her, but otherwise remained silent as Spike made his way out of the bedroom.

As he reached the door, a glint of golden light caught his eye. At first, he thought it was the sunlight, but as he turned his head he saw Aurum’s orb resting on Rarity’s dresser. Looking back to the window and the sleeping Rarity, Spike figured it was a little too early for breakfast and that he had some time. After the dream he had, he really wanted to talk to someone, but he didn’t want to wake Rarity yet. Taking the orb from its place on the dresser, Spike quietly closed the bedroom door behind him as he went downstairs.

Spike descended the staircase and entered the living room of Carousel Boutique. Taking a seat on a large floor cushion made custom for his large frame, Spike held the glowing orb in his claw and activated its magic. Spike found himself whisked away from his living room and into the mental projection of a library. As the library materialized, the magical construct of the young Aurum appeared sitting at a desk.

“Welcome back, Spike,” the mental projection greeted.

“Hey, Aurum. Do you have a minute?” Spike asked.

“Time has no meaning to me, Spike,” the image of Aurum explained. “I exist to provide you information. Now, how may I help you?”

“Well, I had the dream again and I just wanted someone to talk to,” Spike told him.

“Based on the information I have, I assume you are referring to the dream wherein you see your friends succumb to the passage of time.”

“Yeah, that’d be the one,” Spike confirmed with a melancholy sigh. “Look, I know I shouldn’t dwell too much on what I can’t control and I should appreciate the time I have with them. I understand that. I really do. But… it still hurts, you know? I was just wondering if you ever had the same problem.”

“I understand,” Little Aurum said as the bookshelves of memories began to shift around them. Once the shelves had settle, the small dragon climbed a ladder and retrieved a book from the collection. Placing it on the desk, he opened the tome and flipped through the pages until he came to the image of an elderly mare lying on a bed surrounded by a group of Kirins. It didn’t take long before Spike realized that he was looking at the final moments of Aurum’s long departed wife, Fiore Rosa. “When Aurum and Fiore Rosa started a life together, he had the same fears. They knew that he would outlive her and it did hurt when he lost her.”

“But how did you deal with losing her?” Spike asked.

The book then closed and little Aurum returned it to its place. The shelves shifted again and he grabbed another memory book. Within this one was the image of ponies screaming and buildings burning. Continuing with his narration, the construct Aurum said, “It was painful, but Aurum found solace in the love and support of his descendants. It was only after the Kirins were driven to extinction that gave into his grief and he drove the ponies that took his family from him from his island. After his fury subsided, he would come to regret his action, knowing that his Rose would not have approved of his actions. For centuries, he brooded in his cave until you came along and gave his life new meaning.”

“That’s a long time to live with regret,” Spike commented. “I promise you, I won’t let that happen to me. Life is too short, or too long in my case, to live with regrets.”

“That is true. Life is only as good as you make it,” the little Aurum surmised. The two dragons sat in silence for a moment as the dark shadow of fear that plagued Spike was once again driven away by the light of happiness. “So, what are you going to do now to make this day and the many that will follow a good one?”

“I was thinking about making Rarity breakfast in bed.”

“That will be nice. It is the little moments that make up a lifetime of happy memories.”

“And maybe I’ll go see Twilight later. After all, she did go to see Celestia and Luna yesterday about something important. I might as well go and see what’s up. According to Midnight, she was in full obsession mode over whatever it is. Just like the good old days. Back when it was just me and her.” Spike hesitated, his brow furrowing in contemplation, and then said, "You know, Aurum, that reminds me of a regret that I have that I need to resolve.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I grew up with Twilight, and though it took us years for us to realize it, she was already my mother. However, there was something you said to me before you… ah… left us. You told me that you saw me as a son. It made me realize that I felt the same.”

“Spike…” the construct Aurum started to say.

“Yeah, I know it’s kind of late to say, but you were there for me during a difficult time. You guided me as I searched for Rarity. You helped me as I grew wings and became an adult. You taught me the secrets of dragon magic. If that doesn’t make you my father, then I don’t know what does.”

“Please, Spike. Do not mistake me for the real Aurum,” the construct interrupted him, giving Spike an apologetic look. “I may have all of his memories, but that does not make me him. I am only a magical construct; a reflection of the dragon you once knew. I am just a glorified recorded message.”

“Yeah, I know,” Spike sighed despairingly. “I guess I just wasn’t ready to lose him. He told me that I was like a son to him. I only wish I returned the favor.”

Spike looked downcast at the golden floor of the mental library, but then felt a small claw on his arm. He looked over to see that the phantom Aurum smiling up at him sympathetically. The little dragon reassuringly said, “I am sure that he knows.”

“Thanks,” Spike said, returning the smile.

“Anytime. Remember, you have been blessed with so much. You have a wife, a child, and many wonderful friends. Go now, you have a breakfast to make.”

That got a chortle out of Spike and he shook his head with amusement as he ended the enchantment. The golden library vanished and Spike found himself back in the living room of Carousel Boutique. Looking out a window, he saw that the sun was now peeking over the rooftops of Ponyville; breakfast time. He placed the glowing golden orb on an end table and headed to the kitchen, but before he could reach it, Rarity came rushing down the stairs. She ran to one of her full length mirrors of her apparel shop as a brush glowing blue with her magic ran through her mane.

“Good morning, Rarity,” Spike greeted his wife, eyeing her curiously. “So, what’s the rush?”

“I’m being summoned by the Cutie Map,” she explained, pointing to the flashing blue diamonds on her flank as she applied her mascara. “So I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” Spike told her, a little upset that his plan was going to be spoiled.

“Aww, that’s very sweet of you, Darling,” she cooed as she planted a grateful kiss on his lips. “Maybe some other day, but I have to hurry. Twilight already has to be waiting for me and I still need to finish doing my hair and makeup.”

“I’ll come with you. I was planning on going over to Twilight’s anyway.” After Rarity finished beautifying herself, the couple made their way over to the crystalline tree castle. Upon entering, they found Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy already waiting for them, their cutie marks also flashing.

“I apologize for the wait,” said Rarity as she took her place around the magical map of Equestria. She sat down in the throne that bore her cutie mark and Spike laid down behind the small throne that he had outgrown years ago. “But I simply must make myself presentable before heading out for the day.”

“It’s okay, Rarity. We’re all here now,” Twilight dismissed.

“Even though we had to wait for twenty minutes,” Rainbow Dash remarked snidely under her breath. Twilight scoldingly shushed her before returning their attention to the map. With all the Element Bearers present, copies of the six mares’ cutie marks floated off of their flanks and flew to the map, spinning around the model of the kingdom. The mares and the dragon leaned in closer, anxious to see where to they were being summoned. Twilight was especially excited. So rarely the map summoned all six of them at the same time. Whatever the mission was, it must be urgent to require all of them. Maybe it was some sort of vile villain that would require them to use the might of the Elements of Harmony’s “Rainbow Power” to vanquish.

Rainbow Dash hovered above her throne in excitement. She hoped it was some sort of monster so she could kick its flank. Pinkie Pie was on the edge of her seat. Missions like these always had a big party afterwards. Unlike Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy hoped it was no more than a friendship problem. Fighting villains and monsters wasn’t her cup of tea. For the dependable Applejack, it didn’t matter what the mission was because she would be there to do her duty regardless of what it entailed.

They paid close attention as the cutie marks’ swirling came to a stop over the Everfree Forest. They all made confused sounds, casting glances at one another to see if one of them had an explanation. They waited to see if the floating marks would move elsewhere on the map, but remained in orbit over the mysterious forest.

“The Everfree Forest?” Applejack remarked. “How the hay are we supposed to find a friendship problem in there? That’s like findin’ a needle in a haystack.”

“Maybe Zecora needs help with something,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Or maybe there’s a wounded animal that needs our help,” Fluttershy added.

“Or maybe it’s another run of the mill monster that needs to be taught a lesson!” Rainbow Dash eagerly said, pounding her hooves together.

“Well, whatever it is, we need to investigate it,” Twilight concluded.

“But Twilight, the Everfree is so big and mostly uncharted,” Rarity pointed out, waving a hoof to the expanse of trees on the map that laid to the south of Ponyville. “And it’s full of dangerous monsters. What if we run into a manticore or a chimera?”

“Don’t worry, Rarity. I’ll keep you safe. I’m a dragon!” Spike boasted as he flexed a bicep. “I’m scarier than anything we’ll come across in there.”

“What about an Ursa Major?” Applejack asked with a smirk, cutting down Spike’s bravado.

“Well, yeah… But…” Spike admitted sheepishly.

“Or what about that green dragon we ran into?” Twilight reminded him.

“Or what if an eldritch abomination breaks the interdimensional boundaries that shackle it to its abyssal prison and rips through the fabric of time and space to bring a new era madness and agony to our world!?” Pinkie Pie ranted, hopping up in her seat on her hind legs and raising her front hooves above her head, waving them about spookily to emphasis her frantic point.

Everyone else present in the room gawked at the pink mare’s idea before Twilight Sparkle told her, “I think that is worse case, and highly improbable, scenario.”

“But it could happen,” Pinkie Pie cheerfully insisted in a singsong tone as she sat back down.

“Ludicrous ideas aside,” Rarity said slowly, casting a questioning look at Pinkie Pie before addressing the others. “There still is the matter about where to start.”

Twilight thought for a moment and then spoke up. “I think Pinkie Pie had a point.”

“About the eldr… the whatchamacallit?” Rainbow Dash asked, surprised by the notion.

“No, I mean about Zecora,” Twilight clarified. “If anypony would know what’s going on in the Everfree Forest, it’ll be her.”

“I reckon that’s a good enough a place to start as any,” Applejack shrugged. The farmer then rose from her seat and started to make her way to the door. “Best go see what’s goin’ on.”

Everyone began to follow the orange Earth Pony, but a voice stopped them before they reached the door. “Hang on a second.” They turned around to see that Twilight was still in her seat. “There’s something important I need to tell you all.” This statement prompted the other five mares and the dragon to return to their seats around the map. Once they were all settled, the Princess of Friendship continued, “As you may know, I went to Canterlot yesterday to discuss the findings of my research with the other princesses. What we found out was kind of… big.”

“What do you mean ‘big?’” Rainbow Dash asked. “Is it something bad?”

“Not necessarily,” Twilight said unsurely. “But it has the potential to change everything.”

“Golly, Twilight,” Applejack remarked. “Y’all makin’ it sound like the end of the world or somethin’. Don’t tell us y’all are dyin’ on us.”

Hearing this, Twilight let out quick outburst of laughter, but the tone of it didn’t sound quite right to the others. It seemed to have a hint of irony laced into it. “No, I’m not dying,” Twilight dismiss the idea. She then open her mouth to explain, but the words got stuck in her throat. She sat there mouth agape, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to cough up the information.

“Well, don’t leave us in the dark, darling. What is it?” Rarity asked.

Twilight sighed and then apologized, “I’m sorry, you guys. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to tell you since yesterday. I had what I would say all planned out in my head, but now… I can’t remember how I was going to say it for the life of me.”

“That’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack reassured, offering her friend a supportive smile. “Take yer time and it’ll come to you.”

“Um, I’m sorry to interrupt,” Fluttershy timidly spoke up. “But since Twilight has something important to share with us, I also might as well share something. I could go first and give you more time to think. That is, if that’s okay with you, Twilight.”

“Oh no, please do,” Twilight told the yellow Pegasus.

“Okay then. Also yesterday, I went to the doctor’s…” They all knew what Fluttershy was referring to, and they listened intently. but before she could say another word, she was cut off by the sound of belching and a flash of green flame. They all looked to Spike and to the letter that had materialized from his dragonfire. The purple dragon took the letter in his claws and read it.

“Uh, Twilight. You really need to read this,” Spike told the lavender mare, holding the letter out to her. She took the letter in her magenta magic and quickly scanned its contents. As she read, her eyes widened and she went over the information again to make sure she had read correctly.

“What does it say, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“Princess Celestia needs us in Canterlot immediately,” Twilight urgently reported.

“But what about the map?” Pinkie Pie asked, pointing to the cutie marks that were still floating over the Everfree Forest.

“It’ll have to wait,” Twilight told her. “There’s been an attack.”

*****

Princess Celestia paced about the throne room of Canterlot Castle, Princess Luna watching her with concern. Also watching the Solar Princess was Prince Flash Sentry and his son, Prince Evening Star. The younger of the two Pegasi stallions had his father’s blue eyes and mane, but his coat was the same shade of purple as his half-brother, Spike. Like his Uncle Shining Armor, he was the Captain of the Guard and wore the purple armor that signified his position.

The doors of the throne room opened and Evening Star saw his mother along with her friends hurrying inside. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight exclaimed as she ran to the taller Alicorn. “We came as fast as we could. What has happened?”

“Twilight, I’m glad you all could make it,” Celestia greeted the Element Bearers and Spike. “Come with me.”

They were lead to a large ballroom where the Grand Galloping Gala was held every year. However, instead of finding a party, they found a room filled with destitute ponies and griffons. Cots had been laid out for them and palace servants were distributing food to the weary refugees while nurses and physicians that had been brought over from Canterlot Hospital were busy applying bandages.

“What happened?” Twilight asked, shocked by the sorrowful sight. “Where did they come from?”

“These are the residents of Hawk’s Nest,” Princess Celestia explained.

“Hawk’s Nest?” Rainbow Dash asked, recognizing the name of the town. “But that’s where…”

“Rainbow Dash!” they heard a familiar voice call to them. Looking over to the source of the voice, they saw a griffon that they knew flying towards them.

“Gilda!” they all exclaimed, Rainbow Dash flying to greet her oldest friend. The griffon was holding her hippogriff daughter in her fore legs who was asleep from the flight to Canterlot. With one fore leg, Gilda hugged Rainbow Dash while cradling Grizelda with the other. “Gilda, what happened? Are you alright? Is everyone alright?”

“There’s a few with some bumps and bruises, but we’re mostly okay, luckily enough,” Gilda told the cyan Pegasus. “We were attacked by…”

It was at this moment that the sleeping Grizelda opened her eyes and looked up. She saw her mother talking to ponies that she recalled seeing before. Aside from Rainbow Dash, she couldn’t remember their names, but she remembered that they were her mother’s friends. She also saw the tall ponies that her mother had told her were princesses. Behind them was large, scaly creature that looked like the things that had destroyed her home. The young hippogriff shrieked in horror and cried at the top of her voice, “Dragon!”

The ponies surrounding the child flinched from the scream of terror and all of the ponies and griffons in the room looked to an astonished Spike. A collective gasp filled the air and the refugees did their best to put as much distance between them and the dragon as possible. Fledglings and foals cried and adults began to raise their voices in fear and anger. Those who were still able bodied stood protectively between the dragon and their children and their injured. As the angry citizens of Hawk’s Nest formed a defensive line, Spike cautiously backed away, confused by the sudden hostility towards him.

“What’s a dragon doing here!? Are we under attack!?” a panicked voice came from the mob.

“Isn’t anypony going to do something about it!?” another questioned.

“The children! Won’t someone think of the children!?” an overly passionate mare wailed.

“Enough!” a voice like thunder echoed over the din of the mob, halting their approach. Princess Luna stepped forward from her elder sister’s side and stood before the homeless Pegasi and griffons. “Will everypony and everygriffon please calm down? This is Spike, the Dragon Prince of Equestria. He is not your enemy!” At the compelling force of the midnight blue Alicorn’s voice, the mob backed away and returned to their cots. However, Spike could see that many were casting distrustful glares at him.

“What was that all about?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s okay, Grizelda,” Gilda soothingly said to the trembling child in her fore legs. “He’s not here to hurt us. Tenny, could you take her?” The griffon passed her daughter to her husband, who took Grizelda back to their setup in the ballroom. Turning back to her friends, she explained, “Sorry about that. But after last night, they’re not too keen on dragons.”

“What happened? Did a dragon attack your town?” Twilight Sparkle questioned.

“Try three,” Gilda huffed, grumpily crossing her fore legs as the sight of her home being ripped asunder was brought back to her mind.

“Three?” Twilight marveled. “But… But… That doesn’t make any sense! Dragons are solitary by nature! They only come together for…”

“Their migration. We know,” Gilda finished for her. “But there were three, and they completely demolished our town!”

“But why? Why did they attack your town?” Fluttershy asked.

“They’re dragons, Fluttershy. Thievin’ and lootin’ is in their nature,” Applejack offered as an explanation. Remembering their company, she blushed and smiled sheepishly at the purple dragon standing right beside her. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Spike replied, brushing it off with a shrug.

“But what about the peace accord?” Twilight asked as she turned to Celestia. “It should have prevented an attack like this.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Celestia regretfully said. “It is not as much of a peace accord than it is a non-hostility agreement.”

“Wait, I’m a little confused,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “I’m not exactly an expert on Equestrian law or a history professor. What is this ‘non-hostility agreement?’”

“Long ago, back when Luna and I were still new on the throne, the King of Dragons came to Equestria. He discovered that Equestrian soil was rich with gems and gold and he coveted the wealth of our kingdom. Once a dragon desires a treasure, they obsess over it until they take it for themselves. Fueled by greed, he attacked Equestria and raided its cities until Luna and I confronted him. Even with our combined strength, he was a mighty foe.”

“The three of us battled until we all were at the brink of collapsing with exhaustion,” Luna verified. “We were fortunate that he came alone or else we would have fallen.”

“Dragons are proud creatures, but we finally were able to make him yield to us,” Celestia continued. “With him at our mercy and fearing that he would only return with more dragons if he was allowed to leave, we agreed to spare him under the condition that he or any army that he raised would never come to Equestria with the intent to steal or to do its inhabitants harm.”

“But how do you know he will keep his word?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Any how do you explain the attack on Hawk’s Nest or any other time a dragon caused trouble?”

“True, a defeat like that would have undoubtedly wounded the Dragon King’s immense ego, and a dragon could harbor a grudge for millennia. But as the king of his race, he holds himself to his Dragon’s Code. If the Dragon King makes a vow, he will honor it, even at the cost of his boundless pride.”

Celestia’s mention of the Dragon Code reminded Spike of the time Applejack saved him from Timberwolves and he had foolishly promised to serve her forever. Though knowledge of dragons and dragon culture was still largely unknown to ponykind back then, the young Spike had read legends about noble dragons that conducted themselves according to a code of honor. Not wanting to be like the barbaric dragons he had encountered before, the then young Spike crudely wrote down his own code on a notecard and promised to live by it. Even though he had made it up, his self imposed honor code felt vitally important to him. Maybe it’s a part of a dragon’s ego. If they somehow violated their code, even the more brutish members of their species, it would damage their self image. It was like a dragon version of a Pinkie Promise. So, even after an embarrassing defeat to two pony princesses, the Dragon King would not break his promise, even though the memory of his defeat would fester and boil within him, his wrath and resentment growing exponentially over the countless years.

“Unfortunately, the accord does little to prevent a rogue dragon from crossing our borders and stirring up trouble from time to time,” Luna dryly remarked. “All the accord says is that the Dragon King does not condone their actions and that we are free to defend ourselves and expel them from our lands.”

“So this could all be a random occurrence?” Twilight hopefully asked. “An isolated incident?”

“I hope that is all it is,” Celestia wearily sighed. “For I dread to think of the implications if otherwise.”

“But they were searching for something,” Gilda announced. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna snapped their heads to look at the griffon, their eyes fixed intently on her.

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked with rising anxiety.

“Well, they were tearing through each house, but they weren’t taking anything. No gold. No gems. Nothing. But then one of them said that they found it and that they were taking it to their ‘master.’ And then they just left taking nothing else.”

“They… weren’t raiding for treasure?” Luna asked, taken aback. “But were searching for something in particular?”

“What did they steal?” Celestia asked, taking a step closer to Gilda.

“I don’t know,” Gilda admitted. The six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and the dragon muttered in confusion while the Princesses looked to each other in concern. It was clear; the Dragon King had organized this attack. But for what end?

The answer came in form of the sound of horns. Alerted by the noise, the ponies and the griffons looked about in alarm. Princess Celestia looked to the door as she heard it opened and saw a Unicorn guard running across the light purple and white tiled floor towards her. “Your Highness! A flight of dragons is approaching from the southeast!”

Comments

[Mal Masque]

The plot and intensity! IT THICKENS!!!
Also, nice little bit of closure between Spike and little Aurum, there. Really nice touch.