Dragon Rider
Wyatt hopped down into the trench that he and the girls had made for the dragon migrations. He had a fresh roll of film in his camera and he couldn’t wait to get shots of dragons in flight. It was unfortunate that Fluttershy didn’t want to see it, but he didn’t want to force her to do something she was terrified of. Dash on the other hand, tried and failed to get the butter-colored mare to come along. She also said something about being owed one for a butterfly migration or something.
His giddy smile wouldn’t leave his face, his finger hovering above the shutter button. He looked down at his camera, checking yet again to make sure the settings were perfect. The last thing he needed were photos ruined by motion blur or overexposure.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spike pacing back and forth, fiddling with what he assumed were a few bits.
“Hey Spike, what’s with the bits?” Wyatt asked. “Are hot dog vendors gonna come by or something?”
“Huh?” Spike came to a stop, blinking owlishly. “I’m just... ya know...” Rubbing his neck, Spike looked up at the sky. “I don’t get to see a lot of other dragons. Guess I’m nervous?”
Wyatt nodded. “I think I understand where you’re coming from. I mean, I’d be nervous about meeting the humans that are native to this world.”
Spike glanced at Wyatt, frowning. “Would you want to meet them? The other humans I mean.”
Wyatt rubbed the side of his head, sighing. “A part of me does. But another part makes me think I’d be reminded of what I’ve left behind.”
Looking down at the coins in his hand, Spike swished his tail. “If you had to chance, would you take it?”
Wyatt took a deep breath, stopping to think for a few moments. He scratched his chin, his brow furrowing. “Yeah, I think I would. If only to know what it is that the riders before me gave up so much to protect.”
“Then, that’s what I’ll do.” Spike tightened his hand around the coins, turning back to the library. “I need answers, and I’m not gonna get them here.” He began to walk off, determination imprinted on his features.
Wyatt jogged after him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Whoa there, you can’t just follow the migration by yourself. Who knows how far they’re going.”
Spike pulled away, snorting. “Wyatt, I need to know! I need to know why my mom died! I need to know what these coins are!” Stepping away, Spike ran back to the library, slamming the door behind him.
Wyatt sighed, shaking his head.. “Little guy didn’t let me finish.” He knocked on the door. “I wasn’t trying to stop you! I was about to say that I’d go with you!”
The door opened, and Spike peered up at him. “You mean it?”
Wyatt nodded and gave the drake a thumbs up. “Are you kidding? I’d never try to stop you from learning about yourself and where you came from.” He summoned his driver and card case. “I can even show up as Ryuki. Hopefully they’ll accept me in that form.”
“Which one is that?” Spike opened the library, letting Wyatt in.
Wyatt reached into his case and pulled out the Ryuki card, showing it to Spike. “Ryuki means Dragon Knight. He got his power by making a contract with a dragon. Hopefully they’ll smell dragon on me or something.”
“That’s cool.” Spike waddled to and fro, throwing together a hastily packed suitcase. ,
Wyatt put the card away and started to pack his own things. He focused on grabbing things that would help the pair gather food and water during what he knew would be a long trip. He also grabbed a spare set of clothes, packing them neatly into a backpack.
“Hey, um, you have pockets, would you hold onto these for me?” Spike held out the coins, allowing Wyatt to get a good look at them. “I don’t wanna hold them the whole time.”
Wyatt’s jaw dropped as soon as he saw the coins. He picked them up from Spike’s claw and held them up. “Spike, where did you get these?”
Spike looked away, his spines drooped them. “My mom gave them to Celestia when she... you know...”
Wyatt flinched, nodding solemnly. “Right. You said that you wanted to know what these are. Well, I do. These are core medals. They’re related to Kamen Rider OOO’s and they’re what he used to transform in tandem with his driver.”
Frowning, Spike gazed at the coins. “Then, why did my mom have them?”
Wyatt frowned and pocketed the coins. “I couldn’t tell you that. In OOO’s, the medals were created by humans through alchemy. If we want to know more, we’ve got to go to the dragons.”
“Right.” Spike finished his packing, throwing the suitcase over his shoulder. “Let’s go then!” Running over to the door, he stepped out, only to walk into Twilight’s legs.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Twilight asked, giving him a stern look as she helped him to his feet.
Puffing his chest out, Spike met Twilight’s gaze. “Wyatt and I are joining the migration!”
“Absolutely not,” Twilight replied. “There is no way I’m letting you wander for miles. Spike, you’ll get yourself killed.”
“I’m not asking!” Spike growled, clenching his hands. “I want to know about my mom and dad, I want to know who I am, Twilight! I’m going, and you can’t stop me!”
Wyatt walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Twi, I’ll keep him safe. I’ve got supplies in here that’ll keep us fed and hydrated during the journey. Also, there’s some rider business that we need to take care of. So-” he put his driver on his waist and slotted a card into it.
“Kamen Ride: Decade!” He then slotted another card in. “Kamen Ride: Kabuto!”
“-Gotta run!”
He scooped Spike up and sat him on his shoulder while putting a third card into the slot.
“Attack Ride: Clock up!”
Before Twilight could say anything, he ran off in a blur.
“Hey!” Twilight shouted, running after them. “We weren’t done talking!” After running for a few feet, Twilight slowed, her mane starting to fray. “Wyatt!!!!”
The other girls caught up to her, confused looks on their faces.
“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack asked.
Twilight whipped on the girls so quickly, everyone but Pinkie flinched. “Wyatt and Spike are joining the migration!”
“What?!” Dash cried. “Why would they do that?!” She shook her head, her bandaged wings trying to flex against her back. “I mean, we’ve gotta go after them!”
“Oh, poor Spikey Wikey!” Rarity lamented, putting a hand against her forehead. “To think, he’d want to mingle with those ruffians!”
“But Rarity, he’s one of those “ruffians”,” Pinkie pointed out, making sure to use air quotes. “Of course he’d want to be among them at least once in his life.”
Rarity huffed, putting her hands on her hips. “Spikey is different. He’s a gentledrake, unlike those other dragons.”
Pinkie looked up at the sky, watching the dragons pass overhead while she tapped her chin with a finger. “I dunno, Rarity. That seems awfully prejudiced seeing as we’ve all only met one other dragon besides Spike. Don’t you think that they’re just as capable of being nice or meanies as anypony in Equestria and to call them all bad without giving them a chance just ends up making you look bad?”
“Pinkie is right.” Applejack nodded, patting Pinkie’s shoulder. “Ya can’t say all dragons are bad.” Fixing her hat, she followed a dragon as it flew over head. “If’n were gonna go after em, we better git movin’ fore’ they stop flying over Ponyville.”
“Of course we have to get going,” Twilight agreed, turning to look where the two had ran off. “I can’t let Spike go out there, even if Wyatt’s helping him.”
The other girls muttered in agreement. After some more chitchat, the group dispersed to prepare for the trip. Twilight grabbed what was left of the supplies in the library, a frown etched into her face as her mind raced with thoughts of the two getting into trouble.
“I think we’re almost there!” Spike called back to Wyatt, adjusting his grip on the suitcase. “I can see a buncha dragons up ahead!”
“Then I’d better turn into Ryuki!” Wyatt replied.
He summoned his driver and turned into Decade before putting another card into the slot. The driver called out the name and Wyatt’s form shifted. The main color of his outfit was red, with black running along his boots. His chestplate, shoulder pads and gauntlets were all silver with black trimming. The helmet had a series of slits with the circular, red eyepieces behind them. On the top of the helmet there was a dragon symbol with a red jewel resting between the antlers.
Spike stared for a moment, frowning. “That one’s kinda lame.”
“Oh really?” Wyatt asked, clearly amused. “Hey Spike, you got a mirror in that case of yours?”
“Why would I have a mirror in here?”
Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest. “I saw you toss all sorts of random things in there, so excuse me if I thought you had a mirror too.” He then chuckled. “Especially so you could do one of these.” He flexed his arms, striking a pose. “Looking good, Spike. Looking real good.”
“Hey! I don’t do that!!” Spike huffed, growling at him. “Don’t go spreading that around!”
Wyatt chuckled and stopped posing. “Don’t worry, I’d never spread something like that around.” He reached down and patted Spike’s shoulder. “But trust me, this form isn’t lame.”
“It looks lame,” Spike insisted, his pout remaining. “Can I have the medals back?” He held his hand out, looking at Wyatt expectantly.
Wyatt rolled his eyes behind his helmet and reached into his suit to pull out the medals. He then carefully placed them in the drake’s claw. He started to scale the rest of the hill, effortlessly carrying Spike’s case.
Spike hurried off in front of him, going as fast as his little legs could take him. When he reached the foot of the hill, he stopped, eyes wide in wonder. Dozens of dragons were gathered around, with the adults relaxing in pools of lava. What looked like teenage dragons sparred with each other, often getting into fights. Wyatt took it all in, staying on guard as he followed Spike around the crater.
Taking the direct route, Spike slide down the crater wall, stumbling a little. Once at the bottom, he felt his heart pounding with excitement. He looked back at Wyatt, waving him over. “I need to get everyone’s attention!”
Wyatt thought for a moment, watching the actions of the dragons. “Ah, I think I have an idea. These dragons seem to value actions.”
He pulled out a card and slotted it into his belt. “Attack Ride: Strike vent!” A gauntlet appeared on his right hand that looked like a dragon’s head. He held the gauntlet up in the air and it let out a large stream of fire.
A few dragons turned to look over, intrigued.
Wyatt nudged Spike, gesturing to him. “Alright, looks like you’ve got their attention now.”
Spike gulped, climbing onto a nearby rock. He took a breath to calm himself, looking out at the collected dragons. “Um... my name is Spike. I uh, haven’t been around other dragons, so...” Rubbing his cheek, he held his hand out, showing off the medals. “My mom had these when she died. I just want to know what they are, and who my mom was.”
Some of the dragons leaned in, looks of realization dawning on them when they saw the medals. A few of the larger dragons scooped up their hatchlings, keeping their distance from Spike.
The entire atmosphere changed. A few of the older dragons roared, moving to surround the pair. “You would bring those vile trinkets here, welp?!” A large red dragon demanded, smoke pouring from his nostrils.
“Be ready for me to turn into Kabuto again,” Wyatt whispered to Spike. He gulped, staring the dragon in the eyes as best he could. “He doesn’t know what they are. We’re sorry if we’ve done something wrong.”
The dragon roared again, flaring his wings out. “Leave. Now! Before we rend you limb from limb!”
Spike frowned, fighting back his fear. “I can’t leave. I still have no idea who I am. My mother died protecting my egg on the Day of Black Sun! I want to know why she died!”
The red dragon roared again, opening his jaws wide as if to swallow them whole. Wyatt was about to grab Spike and run as fast as he could, but a teenage dragoness put herself in the way of the red dragon’s fangs.
Thrusting a hand out, a blast of magic knocked the dragon aside. “There will be no killing today.” Lowering her hand, the dragoness snorted. Her scales were a deep blue, sparkling in the midday light.
Spike’s jaw dropped and he stared at the dragoness in awe. “Whoa, I had no idea dragons could use magic like that.”
“You risked much, showing those here.” She looked over her shoulder, eyes taking in his every detail. “Most dragons would kill you for possessing those coins.”
“I kind of figured that out already,” Spike said, clutching the coins tight. “Being threatened with being torn limb from limb made that crystal clear.”
Returning her gaze to the red dragon, she waved her hand dismissively. “These two are in my care now. Begone with you.”
The red dragon snorted out a plume of smoke from his nostrils, turning to return to the lava pools. “Damn shamans,” he grumbled. “No idea why the dragon lord lets you two exist.”
“Because Torch knows that next time, Smaug won’t let him live!” the dragoness called after him. Turning back to Spike and Wyatt, she bowed her head. “My name is Sapphira. Please, come with me, and you will have your answers.”
“You got it!” Spike grinned. “And thanks for helping us out back there. I’d rather not find out what it’s like to be eaten.”
“Not fun, I imagine.” Sapphira scooped Spike up, glancing at Wyatt. “Hold onto my back.”
Wyatt did as she asked, holding onto her shoulders.
Sapphira spread her wings, pushing off and into the air. It took her a moment to adjust for the added weight, but soon, she was soaring high into the clouds. The flight itself was quiet and uneventful, the wind was a great deterrent of conversation. Eventually, Sapphira set down at the foot of a dead volcano, letting them off.
Wyatt silently let out a sigh of relief as he noticed they were standing outside of a large cave that led into the heart of the volcano.
Sapphira put Spike down and motioned towards the cave. “Come, the answers you seek are in here.” Not waiting for a reply, she walked into the cave her claws clicking on the floor.
Wyatt and Spike shared a look before following after her. Once the light of the sun couldn’t reach them, torches lined the wall. The odd part was that they burned with green flames.
“Not much further now,” Sapphira assured, her scales glittering in the green light.
Wyatt and Spike remained quiet, following her closely. A few moments later, the tunnel gave way to a large circular chamber. There were shelves all along it that held scrolls and books of all sizes.
A large shape moved about the corner of the room. It took Spike a moment to process what he was looking at. A massive dragon, the biggest he had ever seen in his life. Lines were etched into his scales in intricate patterns that made his mind wheel in wonder.
“It is impressive that you made your way here without wings, hatchling,” the hulking dragon said in a deep, rumbling voice. “Even more so that you hatched after all this time.”
The dragon lumbered closer, the ground shaking with each step he took. Craning his neck down, the dragon peered at the pair with one good eye, the other milky white and surrounded by scars. Wyatt and Spike flinched before doing their best to not look at it to not offend the dragon. The dragon’s good eye was emerald green and his scales were purple.
“Speak,” he commanded, locking his eye on Spike.
Spike took a deep breath, doing his best to ease his nerves. “Sir, my name is Spike. My mother died on what the ponies call, The Day of Black Sun. She gave these to Princess Celestia for safekeeping.” He held his claw up and displayed the coins for the dragon to see.
The dragon snorted, covering Wyatt and Spike in a cloud of dust. “Yes, I know all about them.” Reaching a massive hand down, he scooped up the two of them. Walking over to a large carving of a statue, he held them at its eye level. “Her name was Peridot.”
The statue depicted a dragoness rearing up on two legs. It was carved from green gemstones with diamonds set into the eyes.
“Your mother was the bravest dragon to ever leave her mark on the dragonlands. The world has been all the lesser from her loss.”
Spike’s spines drooped at hearing all that as he stared at the statue. He then looked up at the dragon curiously. “Why do you have a statue of her in your home?”
“I am Smaug.” Smaug lifted his head, a mix of pride and melancholy filling his words. “I have been the dragon shaman for generations. And Peridot was my daughter.”
Spike took a moment to let the words sink in. “Then that means, you’re my grandfather,” he said, gaping at the shaman.
“It does.” Smaug leaned his head down, lightly touching the tip of his muzzle to Spike’s head. “Your mother would be overjoyed that you survived.”
Spike’s eyes welled up with tears, and he relaxed in Smaug’s grasp. “This is great. I didn’t think I’d have any dragon family members.” He rubbed at his eyes, using his other arm to hug Smaug’s muzzle.
“Unfortunately, you won’t find others,” Smaug said, turning away from the statue. “We are the only living members of our clan.” Carrying them over to a table, Smaug set them down. “Those coins are of my creation.”
“Then does that mean you caused The Day of Black Sun?” Spike asked, looking between the coins and his grandfather.
Smaug hung his shoulders, a long sigh escaping his lips. “It was not my intention. Eight centuries ago, Dragonlord Kalameet tasked me with creating a weapon that would allow us to crush our enemies. Our clan had been decimated by a minotaur general, and I was more than willing to create a weapon.”
“So you used your knowledge as a shaman to create the core medals,” Wyatt chimed in. “Infusing them with the greatest abilities the animal kingdom has to offer.”
“Something like that.” Smaug reclined on a pile of treasure, keeping his head level with them. “But, with every set I completed, I noticed Kalameet slipped further into the depths of his own greed. The coins were created from greed, which we dragons have in abundance.”
Spike winced, looking down at his feet. “I know about that. I went on a greed-filled rampage during my last birthday.” He rubbed his arm. “I nearly destroyed Ponyville.”
“Living with ponies did not prepare you well for the realities of your existence,” Smaug commented, eyeing Spike curiously. “Your growth has been stunted.”
Spike’s face fell as he looked himself over. “How big am I supposed to be?” He looked at his back. “Am I supposed to have wings by now?”
Smaug simply grabbed a few of those silver coins, dropping them next to Spike. “Embrace your greed, just a bit.”
Spike recoiled from the coins, gulping as he stared at them. “A-are you sure that’s a good idea? What if I lose control?”
“Go on. If you overcame it once, you can overcome it again.”
Spike took a few moments to steel himself, taking deep breaths. He then averted his eyes as he gingerly picked up the silver coins. A shudder passed through him as he felt the wave of greed, his claws clutching the coin. He grunted as his entire body started to shake and his pupils threatened to contract into slits. His body spasmed, limbs stretching and bones creaking. He fell to his hands and knees, his claws clutching the coins tighter subconsciously as he closed his eyes. His breathing became heavier and wisps of smoke rose up from his mouth.
Eventually, the coins started to crack, shattering to dust. Spike’s body stopped shaking and he started to pant. He pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his head.
“Ugh, my aching everything,” Spike muttered. “It didn’t feel like that last time. What did it do, anyway?”
Smaug let out a rumbling laugh, reaching down into his pile of treasure. After feeling around for awhile, he pulled out an ornate mirror and put it in front of him. “Look for yourself.”
Spike gasped, staring at his reflection. His body had a massive growth spurt, now having similar proportions to a pony foal of his age. “W-why didn’t I get this tall before?” Spike asked, wincing as his voice cracked.
“That is hard to say,” Smaug said, regarding Spike with a hint of pride. “Ponies tend to admonish greedy behavior. Of course, you know from experience that losing yourself in it is harmful even to us dragons. There is a balance that each of us have to find.” He indicated the shelves in the lair. “Or, we learn to direct greed into something positive. Much like Sapphira and I do with knowledge.”
Wyatt cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “You still haven’t told us what happened on the Day of Black Sun.”
“Ah yes, that.” Smaug’s face returned to the neutral mask it had been before as he adjusted himself on his mound of treasure. “Forgive me if I don’t wish to revisit my daughter’s death.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying before, Kalameet was descending into madness and even as blinded by a desire for revenge as I was, I knew he needed to be stopped. So, I created one last set of medals, based not on greed, but on emptiness. Peridot took them before I could use them, and forced them into Kalameet. His power had grown so that he could move the very sun itself. What I hadn’t foreseen was just how explosive the reaction would be.”
Spike looked down at the medals in his hand. “Whoa, all of these together can do that?” He frowned, staring at the coins before tilting his head up at Smaug. “Do you think it’s good for me to keep these?”
Smaug snorted, rising from his perch. “You will be fine. They will only corrupt you if you tap into their powers directly. Which, I assume, you cannot do.”
Spike rubbed the back of his head. “I haven’t exactly tried. Celestia didn’t hand me an instruction guide for these.” He looked down at them, sighing. “I’m glad they won’t corrupt me though.” He shook his head. “I’d hate to wind up like that Kalameet guy.” Spike had a look of realization dawn on him. “What happened to my dad? You said we’re the last two of the clan, so-” he gulped, “how’d he die?”
“Your father wasn’t from our clan,” Smaug explained. “Nor was he even a dragon.”
Spike’s jaw hit the table and he looked at Smaug with a gobsmacked expression. “Then what was my dad?”
“A simple earth pony, who managed to catch your mother’s eyes.” Smaug chuckled, a smile forming on his lips. “The only pony I ever liked.”
“I’m half-pony?” Spike asked, looking down at himself. “I did not see that coming. I mean, I don’t look anything like a pony.”
“Your parents were very interested in how you would turn out.” Smaug moved over what looked like a work bench, motioning Sapphira over. “Your father left the dragonlands to find you and your mother. I never saw him again.”
Wyatt and Spike tried to get a look at what Smaug was doing, but the large dragon’s body prevented them from seeing anything. After a few moments of straining; they gave up and sat down.
“So my dad died alone out there somewhere.” Spike sniffled and tried to keep tears from forming. “He probably thought my egg was smashed.”
“Your father would be proud of you, Spike. For pony reasons, but proud still.” Smaug nodded at Sapphira, who flew over to retrieve Spike. “I have thought long and hard on what to do with my creations. I have heard many a tale of beings gaining possession of one, losing themselves to the power within.”
Spike looked up at Smaug as Sapphira placed him on the worktable. “Yeah, Princess Celestia said that those silver coins have been found in hoards of really aggressive dragons.”
“Those coins are like rubies, not all that filling but can enhance the taste of higher quality gems. The sets are like emeralds.” Smaug purred, licking his lips. “Things with real taste to them.”
Spike’s mouth started to water and his stomach rumbled loudly. He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. “Guess that growth spurt made me hungry.”
“Later. Sapphira, bring me the belt.”
“Of course.” Sapphira bowed her head and flew off to a corner of the chamber. She rooted around for a few moments, being mindful of the priceless tomes. Her eyes then lit up as she picked up a belt that had three circular slots running along it. She rushed back over to Smaug, holding up the belt.
Pinching the belt between two claws, Smaug offered it to Spike. “Take it.”
Spike did as he was asked, grabbing the belt with both his claws. He turned it over for a few moments, his brow knit in concentration. “So, I’m supposed to put the medals in here and that’ll let me use their power without corrupting me?”
“Very astute,” Smaug complimented. “Spike, you are young. Young and ignorant of your people. I am old, bitter, and unable to do what must be done. My place is here, passing on our history and knowledge to Sapphira, so that she can one day take my place.”
Spike looked between the belt and his grandfather, a hard to read expression taking his muzzle. “And what is it that needs to be done?”
“I lost all but a handful of coins the day your mother was taken. Those coins are out there in the world, infecting others with my mistake.” Smaug snorted, thumping his tail against the ground. “If it were not for my duties, I would have done it myself.”
Spike nodded, tightening his grip on the belt. “I can do that. I’ll make sure the medals can never hurt anyp-,” he shook his head, “no, anyone ever again.”
“Good.” Smaug grinned, the older dragon becoming more animated. “Now, let us make sure you can safely harness the power of the coins.”
Spike nodded, putting the belt around his waist. He then put the coins in the slots. “Now what do I do?”
Sapphira bent down, tilting the belt to the side. Taking his hand, she made him grab a circular object on the side of the belt. “Now, pass this over the coins.”
Spike nodded and slid his hand over the coins. A ringing noise and rings of multicolored light came from the belt.
“Taka, Tora, Batta!” the belt rang out, ethereal versions of the coins swirling around Spike. “TaToBa, TaToBa TaToBa!” It chanted, the coins converging on the drake and leaving him in an armored form.
Wyatt recognized the form in an instant. It was OOO’s. The main color of the armor was black and Spike had seemed to have grown again to match him in height. The chest had a circular portion with three symbols on it. The top portion had a red hawk with its wings spread, the middle portion depicted a yellow tiger with splayed claws beside the head and the bottom third showed a green grasshopper with four legs coming off the body. Along the arms of the armor was yellow trimming that led from the chest to the yellow gauntlets. Said gauntlets had folded up claws attached to them. The legs had similar trimming in green that went to the boots. The boots were knee high and were made up of triangular plates that ran along the front of the legs. Finally, the helmet was black with a red, hawk spread across the face and green, circular eyepieces were placed in the middle of the wings.
Spike tilted his head down and drank in every detail of the transformation. “This is so cool!” Swishing his tail, Spike looked at Wyatt. “Does this mean I’m OOO now?”
Wyatt gave him a thumbs up. “Yup, congrats on becoming a rider, Spike. It’s a good look for you.” He turned his head to Smaug. “You said you had other medals, right? How many do you have exactly?”
Smaug rumbled, tapping his claws against the table. “Only a small fraction of the collection. What I could retrieve myself.”
“Can I see them?” Spike asked, turning back to the large dragon. “I wanna see what all I can do.” He started to shadow box and threw out clumsy kicks. “Can’t go out and retrieve the coins without being prepared.”
Letting out an amused snort, Smaug gestured with his hand at Sapphira. She gave a short bow and flew back to the corner she had retrieved the belt from. After another bout of searching she returned with a small chest. She landed in front of Spike and opened the chest to reveal a small pile of core medals.
Taking the chest, Spike peered inside, mentally cataloging the coins. One bore the image of a panda, another a kangaroo and then there was a group of black medals. A shrimp coin, a crab coin, and a scorpion coin.
Spike picked up the shrimp medal, scrutinizing it. He then tilted his head at Smaug. “A shrimp, seriously? Isn’t that kinda lame?”
“I could always keep it,” Smaug responded, already reaching a hand down.
Spike held the chest away from Smaug’s claw and chuckled nervously. “Heh, uh no thanks. I’m sure I’ll get some good use out of it.” He then pulled the other two black coins out and looked between them. “Hey, do these things work better when I use three of the same color?”
“In theory, you would be able to draw out their full power.” Smaug resumed his place on his hoard. “However, it would put additional strain on your body. I would advise caution.”
Spike nodded and put the coins back into the chest. “Then I’ll only use matching sets as a last resort. Don’t want to take unneeded risks.” He was quiet for a moment before realization seemed to strike him. “How am I supposed to track down the coins? Do you have something that can help with that?”
Smaug snorted, a frown etching itself onto his face. “No, I have no such means for that.” He blew a plume of smoke from his nostrils. “However, that does not mean I will leave you with nothing. There are signs that a coin has corrupted someone. Their desires will become exaggerated and they will fixate on them, sometimes to the point of insanity. As for those with purple coins, they will seek to destroy all in their path.”
Spike tilted his head, putting the chest under one of his arms. “Why are the purple coins different from the others? Is it because you made them different?”
Sapphira sighed. “It should be obvious. The purple coins are the coins Master Smaug created from emptiness. The animals he based them on don’t exist anymore, so the coins are filled with the desire to return to the void.”
Spike shuddered at that. “Okay, ponies on a mindless rampage will probably have a purple coin, got it.”
A low growl rumbled in Sapphira’s throat, and she gave Smaug an annoyed look.
Smaug noticed the look and turned to look at her. “Do you have something you wish to say, Sapphira?” he asked in an even tone.
“If he cannot pay attention enough to infer such a simple conclusion, why are you entrusting the belt to him?” Saphira snorted, crossing her arms.
“He has shown other observations, Sapphira. He figured out the strength of the coins multiplies when used in combos and he asked the right question when I brought up the difference of the purple medals. Do not think I am passing on the belt to him as a slight to you. You are being given great power too.” An amused grin spread across his face. “Or did you become my apprentice merely to keep an old drake company?”
Sapphira bowed her head. “Forgive me master. Perhaps I have let my jealousy go a bit far.”
Smaug shook his head. “Do not apologize for your concerns. The belt and medals are a great responsibility. And it is no secret that you are stronger and more knowledgeable than Spike is at this time. However, his perseverance following the migration is something that I see worth in. I did not grant him the boon out of respect to blood. Besides, an apprentice is ceremonially part of their master’s clan, or did you forget your first lesson from me?”
“Of course not master,” Sapphira respond, raising her head to look at him.
“Then I ask you to support Spike as you would me,” Smaug told her, extending his smallest claw and patting her head gently. “You are more free to leave the dragonlands if he requires assistance than I am.”
Sapphira gazed over at Spike, her eyes lingering for a few moments. “I will do my best, Master.” She bowed her head.
Spike held his hand out to Sapphira, a smile beneath his helmet. “Let’s do our best to get those coins. I’m gonna prove I deserve this.”
Taking his hand, Sapphira shock it, her grip firm. “I hope you can, for all of our sakes.”
Wyatt shifted on his feet, feeling like an outsider among the trio of dragons. He turned away from them, trying to turn his focus on something else. He perked up as he heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from the tunnel they had entered into the chamber from.
He turned back to Smaug. “Um, are you expecting any visitors beside us?” he asked.
“No, we are not. Sapphira.” Smaug gestured to his apprentice, motioning towards the tunnel. “If you would be so kind.”
She nodded, stepping away from Spike. She then flapped her wings and took off towards the tunnel. The sound of voices soon reached their ears, followed by the sounds of fighting. After few moments, several figures were tossed into the chamber, none of them being draconic in nature. Except for the rags of what had once been a crude dragon costume. One even still had the mask covering their head.
Despite this, Wyatt and Spike instantly recognized them. “Girls?!” they cried out, taken aback.
Smaug growled, slamming his tail against the ground. The entire cavern shook, drawing everyone's attention. “You dare trespass here? You were not invited, ponies. In any other instance, I would be well within my rights to roast you all to ashes.”
“We just came here to get our friend back,” a brash, feminine voice shot back from behind the dragon mask, bandaged wings twitching on her back.
“And who are you to challenge me, pony?” Smaug asked, rising to his full height. “Your efforts are wasted regardless, Spike and his companion are in no danger.”
Spike rushed towards the edge of the table, looking down at the group of six mares. “Girls, everything is fine.” He waved a hand over to the large dragon. “This is my grandfather. I found my family!”
The girls all gaped at the armored Spike, unable to form words for a moment.
“Spike, is that you?” Twilight asked. She shook her head, offering him a weak smile. “I mean, I’m glad you found what you were looking for.”
Spike blinked before looking down. “Oh yeah, I’m still all suited up.” Working on an inference, Spike reached down, tilting the belt back up. His armor shimmered and vanished. “There! Hows that?”
“Ooh!” Pinkie popped up behind Spike and grabbed one of his arms. “Looks like you had a growth spurt, Spikey!”
Spike stared at her for a moment. “Yeah, Pinkie. Grandpa said I was stunted. All the pony values and stuff kept me small.”
Pinkie deflated slightly, her smile shrinking. “Being the good boy you are was bad for you?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Do not misconstrue my words,” Smaug rumbled, peering down at Pinkie Pie. “A certain level of greed is needed for dragons to grow at a healthy rate. Not something ponies would know.”
Twilight perked up, the urge to take notes obvious from the look in her eyes. “If Spike got a part-time job and earned some money, would that be a safe way to encourage his natural greed?”
“There would be nothing to lose from trying it,” Smaug agreed, laying back onto his hoard.
“There’s a job opening in the mail room down at the paper,” Wyatt offered, looking down at Spike. “Considering all your experience keeping things organized, it should be a breeze for you.”
“I could try that.” Spike looked down at Twilight. “Hey, Twi! Come up here! I want to properly introduce you!”
“Okay, just give me a second,” she called back.” She huddled the rest of the girls together and lit up her horn. In a flash of light she disappeared and reappeared on the table and pulled Spike into a hug. “I’m glad you found your birth family,” she whispered to him.
Spike nuzzled her back. “Thanks, Twilight.” He took her hand, pulling her towards Smaug. “This is my grandpa, Smaug. Grandpa, this is Twilight Sparkle. She’s like my big sister. She hatched me, and her family raised me.”
Smaug gave her an appraising look, his mouth clamped shut in a hard to read expression. “You have my thanks for letting my grandson experience life. I couldn’t ask anything else from a pony attempting to raise a proper drake.” He leaned his head down, his eye scrutinizing every inch of her. “You have power.”
Twilight blushed, shuffling on her hooves. “Well, I suppose I know a good deal about magic. Princess Celestia made me her apprentice and everything but I wouldn’t call myself powerful.”
Spike snorted, looking up at his grandfather. “Don’t listen to her, Grandpa. She’s lifted an Ursa Minor in her magic before.”
Smaug waved them both off. Stepping towards the other girls, he inspected them. “You all have power.” Turning his head back to Sapphira, he grunted. “Sapphira, start the forge.” Without another word, he moved off, busying himself with various objects on a shelf.
Sapphira didn’t say anything either, flying towards a large forge at one end of the room. She took a deep breath, exhaling a gout of deep blue flames to ignite it. She then flew to another part of the cavern, gathering up tools and presenting them to her teacher.
Taking them, Smaug placed them next to the forge. He turned to the ponies, smoke billowing from his nostrils. “Tell me, what would you do to protect Spike? The path ahead of him will be long and dangerous, and you will not always be there to shield him from harm.”
“I’d do anything to protect Spike,” Twilight responded instantly. “I’d cut off my horn if it meant keeping him safe.” She looked up at Smaug with a hard look in her eyes.
“Then you should have no problems helping me.” Smaug began to work, setting a plate into the forge. “I shall make one last set of coins, based not on greed or emptiness, but.” he paused eyeing Twilight. “Harmony.”
Twilight walked over to the edge of the table and tried to get a better look of what the old drake was doing. “What do you need us to do?”
“Um, what do coins have to do with anything?” Fluttershy asked weakly, holding a hand up. “If you don’t mind me asking.” She hid behind her mane.
Smaug grunted, gesturing to Spike. “The young one can explain it to you. Sapphira, gather the magicite.”
Sapphira nodded and flew over to a high shelf in the cavern and scooped up a pile of a pile of crystals. She quickly returned to her master’s side and handed them over. He took them from her, diving right into his work.
Spike turned to the girls and looked between them. “The basic gist is that Grandpa made the coins for the last dragon lord to help fight against the minotaurs. They made him go crazy so Grandpa made the purple coins to counteract the others. That’s what caused the explosion that killed my mom and scattered the coins around.” He gestured to the belt attached to his waist. “Then Grandpa made this so the coins could be used without corrupting someone.”
“I will need some of your power,” Smaug spoke up, hammering some metal into shape. “A bit of essence, as it were. Nothing that time and rest won’t restore to you.”
Twilight shot up. “Alright, what do you mean by essence? Some of my magic or do you mean something more physical like blood?”
“I mean, the harmony each of you carries.”
“So what? Focus on how we feel when we use the elements and send it your way?” Rainbow asked, having pulled off the dragon mask and discarded it to the floor.
“You are required to do nothing. I will handle everything.”
“Then we’re ready whenever you are,” Applejack told him, tipping her hat back.
Smaug waved them off. “It will be quite some time before I am ready. Sapphira, tend to their needs, take them out to enjoy the migration. Inform anyone who tries to stop you that they are under my protection.”
Sapphira bowed to her teacher and ushered the group out of the chamber, grabbing a torch as she led them through the cavern. The girls stuck close to the dragoness, not looking forward to being out among the other dragons. They held out hope though, seeing as Smaug had been fairly hospitable. Once they were out of the cavern, Sapphira turned to the girls.
“Be careful around the adolescent drakes. They will most likely try to accost you. They are trying to impress the elders and earn a place in the hierarchy by displaying their prowess.” Sapphira sat down on an empty space, overlooking a group of said drakes. “Not making eye contact is your best bet. Unless you like giving yourself a headache.”
“Would it be okay if I joined them?” Spike asked, standing at the edge of the outcropping.
Sapphira gave him a surprised look, glancing between the drakes and Spike. “I cannot stop you, just be prepared to be hazed, mocked and your dominance tested.” She chuckled. “Granted, you might have an edge over them now.” Her eyes drifted to his belt.
“I got this.” Spike grinned, giving her a thumbs up. Climbing over the side, he slid down the slope, coming to a stop. “Uh, hey guys!” he called out, waving at the older drakes.
“Well if it isn’t the hatchling with the cursed coins,” the red drake chided, snorting smoke out of his nostrils. His eyes drifted to Spike’s belt. “What’s with that thing? Trying to wear clothes like the ponies?”
“Clothes can look nice.” Spike shrugged. He puffed his chest up,jabbing his thumb at himself. “I’m Spike! Son of Peridot!”
The drakes all shared a look before bursting out into laughter.
“So you’re the kid of the pony lover!” the red drake mocked, pointing a claw at Spike. “No wonder you stink like a namby pamby pony.” The red drake stepped around him. “On the bright side, you look like a real dragon.”
“What'd ya say about my mom?!” Spike growled, his tail swishing in irritation.
The drake snorted a wicked grin on his face. “I called her a pony lover. Couldn’t get a real drake to put up with her so grabbed the first pony that stumbled into the dragonlands.”
Spike grit his teeth, seething in rage. Not just from the drake’s words, but the fact that he didn’t know enough about his mother to defend her. “So what if my dad’s a pony?! Maybe those other drakes weren’t worth her time!”
This caused the drakes to laugh again. “Yeah, and a tiny pony was.” The red drake grabbed the top of Spike’s head and hoisted him up into the air. “Lucky for you your grandpa’s the shaman, otherwise there’d have been no way you’d exist right now. Full grown dragons and ponies don’t mix naturally.”
“That just means I’m different,” Spike retorted, glaring back at the drake. “Nothing wrong with that.”
The red drake snorted again and unceremoniously dropped Spike. “Yeah, if being different isn't so bad, then tell me, where are your wings?” The drake pointed at Spike’s back.
“I dunno, but, I know I’ll get them someday,” Spike replied, pushing down the doubt in his mind. “And even if I don’t, I’m just as good as any other dragon!”
“Not at flying you wouldn’t be,” the red drake shot back, spreading out his own wings.
“So? That doesn’t make me any less of a dragon!”
“Ever seen a dragon that can’t fly before?” the red drake questioned, flapping his wings to lift himself into the air.
“Ever see an obnoxious jerk before?” Spike shot back, getting to his feet.
This caused the other drakes to snicker, earning a glare from the red one. The red drake turned back to Spike, landing and puffing himself up. “You want a piece of me, pony?” he growled.
“I dunno, you think you can take me?” Spike asked, growling back as intimidatingly as he could.
“I could eat a pipsqueak like you for breakfast,” the red drake snapped, balling his fists at his sides.
“I’m not just a pipsqueak.” Spike grabbed the scanner, slowing removing it from it’s slot. Luckily, he hadn’t removed the coins from their slots. He quickly ran the scanner over the coins, the belt calling out his transformation and his body stretching out as he changed into OOO’s. “I’m Kamen Rider OOO.”
“What the Tartarus?!” the red drake called out, taking a step back. “You’re using those things like you’re the Mad Dragon Lord!”
“No, I’m gonna fix his mistake.” Spike stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. “And make sure my mom didn’t die for nothing.”
The red drake quickly recovered and brought up his own fists. “Whatever, I’m still gonna pummel you.”
Sapphira leaned forward in her seat, her tail slowly thumping against the rock. “This should prove interesting.” Looking back at the ponies, she continued. “We never combat tested the belt.”
Twilight frowned, staring intently at Spike. “Doesn’t that mean it could give out in the middle of this fight?”
“I doubt that. Master Smaug doesn’t make faulty objects.”
Twilight held back an objection, watching as Spike opened the fight with a punch to the drake’s chest. “Which coins is he using right now?”
Sapphira was about to answer but Wyatt chimed in first. “He’s using the hawk, tiger and grasshopper medals. The hawk medal increases his visual senses, the tiger medal gives him a razor sharp pair of claws and the grasshopper medal increases his jumping abilities.”
“And how do you know about the coins?” Sapphira asked, shooting Wyatt a pointed look.
“It’s a long story,” he mumbled, looking away from her.
Back at the fight, the red drake stumbled from the punch, the wind knocked out of him. He clutched his stomach and took to the air to put distance between him and Spike while he recovered.
“Not so puny now, am I?” Spike asked, smirking. “I’ll make you eat those words, jerk.”
“Spike!” Wyatt called out. “Use the power of the Batta medal! You can jump up and reach him with it!”
Spike crouched down, focusing on his jump and reaching the red drake. After a moment, his legs rippled, shifting so they bent at an odd angle and resembled a grasshopper’s. Then, he sprang up, easily reaching the red drake and punching him in the jaw.
The drake tumbled in the air before steadying himself. “Not only are you a pony, you can’t even fight without magic!” With a flap of his wings, he slashed at Spike’s face.
Spike brought his arms up in a guard, the force of the blow sending him backwards as he fell back to the ground. He righted himself, managing to land on his feet shakily. “What happened to saying you could pummel me even with these?” Spike taunted, motioning with his hand for the drake to come get him.
The red drake let out an enraged roar, dive bombing Spike. “I’ll make you wish you never hatched, you stupid wannabe!” Drawing in a deep breath, he unleashed a torrent of flame.
Spike dove away from the flames, rolling back onto his feet. Spike tried to retaliate in kind, only to remember he was wearing a helmet. “Gonna have to remember that...” he muttered to himself. “Okay, new plan.”
Spike planted his feet firmly and took a wide stance. The red drake dove for him again, his mouth open and ready to take a chunk out of Spike. He grabbed the drake by the jaws, sliding backward from the impact as he kept the drake from biting him.
“Anypony ever tell you you need a breath mint?” Spike asked, keeping the drake’s jaws apart. “Jeez, you should probably see a dentist too.”
The drake thrashed around in Spike’s grasp, planting his feet on Spike’s chest as he tried to pull himself free. Spike braced himself, heaving the drake into the crater wall. The Drake groaned, sliding onto his ass as his wings twitched weakly from the impact.
“You done?” Spike asked, panting. “Because it looks like you're done.”
The drake growled, slowly rising to shaky feet. “No way I’m losing to a pony,” he hissed, charging at Spike.
Spike stayed where he was, waiting as the red drake barreled towards him. Spike then lashed out, kicking the red drake right in the chest, sending him flying again. “I can keep this up all day, you know.”
The red drake garbled a response, his head swaying as he collapsed in a twitching heap.
Spike deactivated the belt, too high on adrenaline to feel just how tired his body was. “Doesn’t look like you can though.” Crossing his arms, he snorted. “Still think I’m not a good dragon?”
The other drakes scrambled to get away from Spike, grabbing the red one by his tail and dragging him off.
“Hey, where you guys going!?” Spike called after them. “I’m not going to hit you guys or anything.”
Wyatt slid down the crater, stopping at Spike’s side. “They’re probably dragging him off to his parents,” he said. “Not to mention how scary seeing a one-sided fight like that is.” He grinned beneath his helmet. “So, how’d it feel to fight like a rider?”
“I’ve never actually been in a fight before,” Spike admitted, blushing slightly. “I just did what came naturally. I uh, almost breathed fire in my helmet.”
“Lucky thing you’re fire-proof,” Wyatt commented, chuckling. “Not sure the smoke would’ve been good for you.”
“Uh... you think that guys parents are gonna be mad?” Spike asked, his previous bravado vanishing as the combat rush wore off. “M-maybe we should get out of here?”
“We’re sorta stuck here until your grandpa’s done those new medals,” Wyatt pointed out. He looked out among the dragons, seeing another group of drakes fighting with none of the larger dragons even batting an eye. “But I think we’re safe. Fights seem to be normal here.”
“Yeah, but, those drakes aren't fighting with ‘cursed’ coins,” Spike pointed out, air quoting.
Wyatt nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, that’s true enough, but everyone did leave us alone last time when Sapphira brought up your grandpa. Besides, do you really want to leave before seeing what Smaug’s making?”
“I didn’t mean leave the dragonlands, just... not being here,” Spike elaborated, rubbing his neck.
“Wanna see if we can find a group not comprised of jerks?” Wyatt asked, waving a hand out towards the groups of adolescent dragons. He then smirked, elbowing him in the side. “Maybe see if you can impress a dragoness your age?”
Spike made a face, rubbing his arm. “I don’t think any dragoness is going to want a half pony. Guess my mom was special like that.”
Wyatt put an arm around Spike’s shoulder. “Can’t know unless you try. The only thing worse than getting rejected, is never asking, trust me.”
“I mean...” Spike glanced up to the outcropping, his gaze landing on Rarity. “I don’t even know how to approach a mare. How am I supposed to talk to a dragoness? Sapphira was the first one I ever met.”
Wyatt paused, nodding to himself. “Well, I can only offer help from a human perspective here. I’m as lost as you are when it comes to pony or dragon dating. So, just be confident and try to strike up a conversation.” He paused again before snapping his fingers. “Why not ask about their favorite gems?”
"That could work.” Spike nodded. Taking his gaze from Rarity, he glanced at Wyatt. “But, if it doesn’t work, you have to do my chores for the week. Got it?”
“I’ll make it two just to sweeten the deal,” Wyatt retorted, patting Spike’s shoulder.
“Right.” Spike puffed his chest. “Gotta go show some girls how awesome I am!”
“That’s the spirit,” Wyatt said, looking out across the crater. “Now to find some.”
Spike swept his eyes across the crater, tail swaying slightly. The whole idea left him confused, and a bit guilty. He knew he and Rarity weren’t an item, but it still didn’t feel right. Wyatt glanced down at Spike, seeing the unsure look on his face.
“Is something wrong, Spike?”
“Huh?” Spike asked, looking up at Wyatt. “Nothing’s wrong,” he lied, throwing on a smile. “Just not sure where to start.”
“Okay,” Wyatt replied, not quite buying it but decided to drop it. “We just have to look around the crater, we’re bound to find at least one dragoness here.”
Spike took his leave of Wyatt, climbing up the side of the crater. Once he reached the top, he looked out, looking between all the different groups that had formed. “How do you tell male and female dragons apart at a distance?” he asked himself, cupping his hands over his eyes. He knitted his brow, thinking to the differences between stallions and mares. “I guess look for ones that are smaller and curvier,” he muttered.
A few minutes went by, spent with Spike scrutinizing any group of dragons he could reasonably see. For the longest time, he couldn’t find anything that looked like a dragoness, but at a secluded spot of the crater by a patch of lava pools, he thought he saw shapes that seemed more feminine than the drakes he had been looking at.
Intrigued, Spike slid back down, making his way over to them. He approached, wearing an awkward but easy smile. “Uh, hey, the name's Spike. It’s nice to meet you all.”
The dragonesses looked between each other, unsure looks on their faces.
“Do you know this drake?” a pinkish dragoness asked with yellow spines asked.
“Never seen him before,” a white dragoness confirmed, purple spines sweeping down her head almost like hair.
“Well, this is my first time really meeting other dragons,” Spike admitted, shifting uneasily. “I was raised by ponies, and they don’t really know anything about dragons.”
“Ponies? The dragon lord really isn’t a fan of those,” the white dragoness commented, letting her arms drape over the edge of the lava pool she was sitting in. “Is it true there are horned ones with special powers?”
“Yeah, those are called unicorns.” Spike sat down on the pool’s edge, gingerly sliding his feet in. He hummed in delight at the temperature. ’Huh, never thought I could swim in lava. Feels nice.’ “I was raised by a family of them.”
“That’s crazy,” the pink one commented, taking a seat next to him. “I heard ponies wear clothes all the time, what’s up with that?”
“Well uh, if a pony doesn’t wear any clothes, everypony else can see everything.” He blushed, though relaxed a little. “And I mean everything.”
The pink dragoness’s eyes widened, her mouth gaping. “That’s so weird. Must be awful to not have it hidden naturally.”
“I only wear clothes for important stuff,” Spike continued, somewhat pleased to have them hanging off his words. “I even got a direct line to Princess Celestia.” He winked, puffing his chest up.
“Why do ponies follow a princess?” the white dragoness questioned, tilting her head. “Did she prove herself in combat?”
“She controls the sun, and she and her sister Luna beat Discord,” he explained. He fought the urge to dive into the lava, having no idea if the medals and belt were lava proof. “That’s why ponies trust her so much.”
“It’d be nice to have a dragoness in charge around here for once,” the pink dragoness commented, sliding into the lava. “All it ever is is old drakes with rocks for brains.”
Spike chuckled, dipping the tip of his tail in. “Hey watch it, one of those old drakes happens to be my grandpa.”
“Oh, so you do know who your family is,” the white dragoness said, laying back so she could float in the molten rock. “I would’ve assumed you wouldn’t, being raised by ponies and all that.”
“Well, I just found my grandpa today,” Spike admitted. “He’s not what I thought he’d be, honestly. I guess his apprentice would be an aunt I think?” he scratched his chin, trying to suss out his relation to Sapphira.
The two shared a look before turning back to him. “So you’re Smaug’s kin? I didn’t think there were any members of his clan left.”
“I’m Peridot’s son,” Spike responded, wincing slightly as he waited for the inevitable taunting. After a few moments, he blinked, finding that neither were insulting him. “Er, aren’t you gonna make fun of me or something?”
“Why? Peridot’s legendary among dragonesses,” the pink dragoness stated. “She actually told off Torch in front of everyone.”
The white dragoness giggled. “My grandmother says she called him a clod to his face!”
“I heard she broke a drake’s wings for insulting her lover,” the other one added.
The white one nodded, a smile on her face. “I bet she could’ve beaten Torch to the Bloodstone Scepter too. Imagine if she had become dragon lord.”
The rest of the day went by much better than the first. The two dragonesses, whom he came to know as Frizzle and Puff, were rather pleasant. Eventually, Sapphira came to collect him, bringing him back to Smaug’s den.
Wyatt leaned down, whispering in Spike’s ear, “So, how’d it go with the dragonesses?”
“It was pretty fun,” Spike whispered back. “I do wish I coulda made some male friends though.” A sigh escaped his lips, and his ear fins sagged. “I guess there’s always tomorrow, right?”
“That’s the spirit,” Wyatt told him, giving the drake a thumbs up. “And hey, you’ve always got me for a male friend. We’re Kamen Rider bros now.” He held his fist out to Spike. Spike perked up, bumping his fist against Wyatt’s.
“You’re right,” Spike agreed, brightening up. “I also got my grandpa, and Twilight’s family. I just wish I had more guys to hang out with, ya know?”
“Trust me, I get it,” Wyatt agreed, chuckling. “Well, we could always take what you learned with the dragonesses and apply it to making guy friends.” Wyatt paused, thinking for a moment. “But what would we do together?” he wondered aloud.
“Practice?” Spike offered, gesturing to his belt.
“I was talking about with the guy friends,” Wyatt replied. “But we should practice together.”
“We’ll think of something,” Spike assured, jogging ahead. He entered into the main chamber, spotting Smaug by the forge. “Hey Grandpa! Did you finish up your project?”
Smaug’s only answer was to flip the coins off of his talons, sending them sailing through the air towards Spike. Spike’s eyes went wide, and he reached out, trying to catch them. Thankfully, Twilight snatched them all in her magic before they could scatter everywhere.
Grabbing one of the coins from Twilight’s magic, Spike held it up to his eye. This one was pink, depicting a stylized unicorn. Unlike the coins currently in his possession, this one and it’s siblings, were all dark and lifeless.
“My final masterpiece,” Smaug said, gazing down at Spike. “The Unicorn, Pegasus and Earth Pony coins. For the moment, they are missing the spark of life, and are no more than trinkets.” Shifting his gaze to the ponies, he snorted. “To breath life into them, I will need to extract some of your essence.”
“Do whatever you have to,” Twilight said, stepping towards the ancient dragon.
Smaug nodded, issuing orders to the group. Twilight and Rarity took the unicorn medals, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took the pegasus medals, and Applejack and Pinkie Pie took the Earth pony coins. Everyone else stayed out of the way, lest they interrupt whatever ritual Smaug was going to perform.
Smaug closed his eye, the marks etched into his scales starting to glow. He then started to speak in a language that none of them recognized, his words echoing off the cavern walls in a low rumble. The girls shared a collective gasp, eyes turning white, auras flaring up around them. The coins grew warm in their hands, the white aura seeming to be absorbed by them. After a few moments, the auras shifted color, matching those of their elements. The coins grew hot, almost becoming too hot, as they greedily drank in their auras.
With a final word, Smaug finished the spell, cutting off the siphon. The girls swayed on their hooves for a moment, a dazed look in their eyes. Smaug placed his tail behind them, allowing them to rest against it.
“Wow, feel like I just flew a marathon,” Rainbow commented, closing her eyes.
“My head is pounding,” Rarity bemoaned, leaning back on Smaug’s tail. “I can’t even feel my horn.”
“Somepony make the cave stop spinning,” Pinkie said, her head lulling in circles.
“Sapphira,” Smaug began, keeping him his voice low. “Could you prepare some beds for our guests?”
Sapphira bowed, heading towards a smaller opening across from where they had entered the cavern from.
“You may stay in my den for the duration of the migration.” Smaug rumbled softly, gently guiding the ponies along with his tail. He allowed them to enter the opening, moving his tail to stop Twilight. “Before you rest, we must talk.”
Twilight snapped to attention, staring up at Smaug. “What is it?”
Smaug shifted his tail, grunting at Wyatt.
Wyatt looked around the cavern for a moment before pointing at himself. “Uh, did I do something wrong?”
“I think he wants you to leave,” Spike commented, pointing to the opening. This got an affirmative growl from the elder dragon. “Probably some private stuff.”
Wyatt chuckled weakly, making his way towards the opening. “Right, see ya in the morning.”
Smaug reached a hand down, scooping both Twilight and Spike up. He lumbered over to his hoard, and splayed himself out on it. Depositing the two in front of his snout, he let out a long rumble. “You hatched Spike’s egg.”
Twilight nodded, looking between Spike and his grandfather. “I did. It was part of my entrance exam for Celestia’s school and ever since that day he’s been part of my family.”
For a moment, Smaug’s expression softened, and he touched the tip of his snout against Twilight’s head. “We are kin, Twilight Sparkle. Now and forever. Your family is my family.” A slight smirk formed on his face. “Something sure to annoy that idiot Torch.”
Twilight smiled and placed her hand on his snout. “I am honored to be a part of your clan. I hope I can live up to your expectations.” She giggled for a moment. “I should bring the rest of the family to visit. Mom would flip from the view alone.”
“They must come,” Smag insisted, pulling his head away. “Your family must be properly initiated into the clan. By dragon law, you will have all the rights as any dragon would.” A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Though, that would also place you under command of the dragon lord.”
“I think I can live with that,” Twilight said. “What does initiation entail exactly?”
“Do not worry yourself with that now.” Smaug adjusted his position, rumbling again. “It is for me to worry about. Just know that our families will be bound as one, and anyone born into your family will be of our clan.” He fixed his eye on Twilight. “As the elder, it is my duty to oversee the clan's affairs, corporeal and spiritual.”
Twilight nodded her head, taking a seat on the hoard. “I know I’d love to learn about your traditions.”
The three of them talked long into the night, until both Spike and Twilight fell asleep under Smaug’s watchful eye. “Twilight reminds me of you,” he spoke softly, gazing at Peridot’s likeness. “I think you would have liked her.” He let out a long sigh, making himself comfortable on his hoard. “Sapphira, are you still awake?”
“You know I never sleep without your permission,” his apprentice replied, stepping forward so he could see her.
Smaug chuckled, shaking his head. “Ever the model apprentice. Come.” He gestured with his tail. “We must speak quietly, else wake the children.”
Sapphira snorted, flying up to land on his snout. “Everyone is a child compared to you.”
“Ah, but you less so. Sapphira, you have been my kin since you were small. When my time comes, you will be the eldest.” Smaug closed his eyes, a long sigh passing his lips. “Our clan may never recover, Sapphira. At least, not in the realm of dragons. I do not envy you, for your tenure will be far harder than any elder before you.”
Sapphira smirked, patting Smaug’s snout. “If your grandson takes after you, then I’m sure more dragon members will arise.”
“Perhaps. That doesn’t change the fact that you will be overseeing generations of ponies. And we both know how short their lives are.”
“Unless of course alicorns find their way into the clan,” Sapphira countered. “However slim the chances.”
“My point is, you will witness many family members come and go in your time.” Smaug rumbled, shaking his head. “Let us dispense of such talk. Tonight, we sleep as a family.”
Sapphira nodded, finding a comfortable place among the hoard and closing her eyes.
Smaug watched for a time before closing his eyes, joining them in the realm of sleep.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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I am seriously loving this story and am happily anticipating how things will progress from here on.
Great work as always! Can't wait to see what happens next!
YOU COUNT THE MEDALS
1
2
AND 3
LIFE GOES ON
ANYTHING GOES
COMING UP OOO!
*may
ok spike as ooo is AWESOME
8629709
Yeah, and in that picture she's an alicorn, just far younger than Twilight has ever seen her
Love it! Can't wait for next chap!
8629711
Ah. Alrighty then.
Sooo, I had a mental "squee fest" when Sapphira's came up... I think I might have a problem....
HA!
So
....i see no one brought up the Easter eggs here.....good shout out to the hobit, Steven universe, and the inheritance saga
Ohgod, Dragon Quest… that is going to be interesting, let’s hope it turns out better than the actual episode
Well, he is a dragon Knight… I’m not apologizing
I think she can, quite easily actually
Ah, I see, he knows the Joestar secret technique
You are surprisingly early
Or not… ups
Interesting, that sounds like a really neat spin on the OOOs concept, if it pans out how I assume
How does that even work? You know what, never mind, I’ll just roll with it
Why would you be ok with that?
Oh ho ho! Ohhh, you just got burned, son!