Family Bonding
Rain fell softly on the library as its denizens were all in various states of sleep. The youngest resident, Sombra, tossed and turned as his dreams took a turn for the worst. The mutated Pinkie clones were surrounding him, their scythes poised to come down on his head. Before they could make contact, he shot up into his bed with a scream.
Catching his breath, Sombra looked around his sparsely decorated room as his groggy mind pieced together what had just happened. Once his heart was done thundering in his chest, he settled down under his sheets and attempted to fall asleep again. However, it wouldn’t come no matter how much he adjusted himself in his bed.
Slipping out of bed, he made the short trip from his room to his mother’s. Quietly opening the door, he climbed into her bed whilst doing his best not to wake her. She murmured softly, nearly causing Sombra to think that he had disturbed her before she rolled over and wrapped an arm around him. Closing his eyes, Sombra snuggled into her warm embrace.
“Love you, Mama,” Sombra whispered, a yawn passing his lips as he drifted off into sleep. Movement dragged him out of his sleep, to which he gave a defiant whine. Cracking an eye open, he was greeted by the concerned face of his mother, framed in the early morning sun.
“Sombra, why did you come into my bed?” she asked, stroking the back of his head. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“Uh huh...” Sombra admitted, leaning into her touch. “Those monsters were scary, they were gonna get me...”
“Oh honey,” Twilight cooed, pulling him into a hug. “That sounds awful. But it was just a dream, no monster will ever get you. And do you know why?”
Sombra shook his head, looking up at her. “Why, Momma?”
“Because you have your father and I to protect you,” she answered, giggling as she ruffled his mane. Your Uncle Spike too,” she added, kissing his nose. “Speaking of which; what do you say we wake him up and have him make us pancakes?”
Sombra giggled, nodding vigorously. “Yeah! Pancakes sound yummy! Can we put chocolate in them?!”
“I think we can spare some chocolate chips after your nightmare,” Twilight replied, getting out of bed and taking his hand. “Just brush your teeth a little longer after breakfast, okay?”
“Okay!” Sombra nodded, worming his way out of bed. Before Twilight could stop him, he rushed out of the room, making a beeline for Spike’s room. Throwing the door open, Sombra flopped onto the drake’s sleeping form. “Wake up, Uncle Spike!”
Spike awoke with an ‘oof’ as the air was knocked out of him from the unicorn-shaped projectile landing on him. He quickly recovered and stared down at the colt who was looking at him with an eager grin. Sighing through his nostrils to ease his frustrations he asked, “Sombra, what time is it?”
“It’s breakfast time!” Sombra replied, slipping off Spike and tugging on his hand. “Mama says we can have chocolate pancakes today!”
“Did she now?” Spike inquired, rising out of bed and craning his head to the door. “And did she offer to make those pancakes?” He already knew the answer, but he figured he could humor his nephew.
“Nu uh!” Sombra shook his head, doing his best to pull Spike along. “She said you’d do it!”
“Probably for the best,” Spike started, idly scratching his neck as the pair walked to the kitchen. “Your mom’s a pretty bad cook. She nearly burnt our house back in Canterlot down trying to make toast.”
“Really?” Gazing up at Spike, Sombra frowned as he pictured the scene. “How did she do that?”
“Not even the fire department was entirely sure,” the drake answered. “The only thing they found out was that there was nothing wrong with the toaster.” Stepping up to the stove, he took a breath and lit the pilot light with a gout of flame. “Wanna help me cook?”
Sombra’s eyes lit up and he bounced in place. “Can I?! What do you want me to do?!”
Rummaging through the kitchen, Spike pulled out the various ingredients they’d need. “Do you want to crack the eggs?”
“Yeah!” Sombra eagerly grabbed the carton, looking at Spike expectantly. “How do I do that, Uncle Spike?”
“It’s really easy,” Spike assured, picking up an egg. “You just hold it like this, tap it against the lip of the bowl a couple times until the shell starts to break, pull it apart carefully to avoid pieces of shell falling into the mix and let the yolk drop into the bowl.” Spike pantomimed every step for the colt’s benefit.
Sombra took an egg, doing his best to copy Spike’s motions. More than a few times, egg shell ended up in the bowl, or yolk dripped from the edge. A frown creased his lips, a little upset that he wasn’t living up to Spike’s example.
“Don’t beat yourself up, buddy,” Spike said, patting Sombra’s shoulder as he picked out the bits of shell and wiped up the dripping yolk. “No one starts out good at this stuff. I was way worse when I first tried to crack an egg. Ya just gotta keep practicing. Now, let’s move on to measuring out ingredients.”
Sombra followed Spike’s lead, doing his best to keep up. Each little failure chipped at his mood, frustration spreading across his face. “Uncle Spike, cooking is hard!”
“Yeah, it can be hard at first,” Spike agreed, wiping flour off of his claws. “It takes practice to get good. If you want, I can keep teaching you so it becomes easy.” Grinning, he gently elbowed Sombra. “We can even get you an apron and everything!”
Nodding, a small smile returned to the colt’s face. “Okay, Uncle Spike, I’ll keep trying.” The two fell into a comfortable silence as Spike started to flip the pancakes.
A yawn broke the quiet, signalling that Twilight had entered the kitchen. “Good morning, Spike,” she greeted, stifling a yawn. “I hope you slept well.”
“I was sleeping pretty well up until a certain unicorn jumped on my stomach,” Spike retorted, pointing his spatula at the mare. “Apparently you had told him there was going to be pancakes. As it turns out, there are, just not for any unicorns.”
“Does that mean I can’t have any?” Sombra whimpered, staring up at Spike with pleading eyes.
Taking a breath, Spike nodded his head. “Of course you can have some, I was just trying to mess with your mom.”
“Yay!” Sombra cheered, wrapping Spike up in a hug. “You tricked me for a second, Uncle Spike!”
Spike smiled, scratching Sombra’s ear. “I try my best, Somby. Hey, why don’t you go get your dad, huh? I bet he’d like some pancakes~”
“You got it!” Sombra replied, ending the hug and dashing off towards the basement. Nearly jumping down the stairs, he squeezed past the various pieces of lab equipment to shake Wyatt in his bed. “Papa! There’s pancakes!”
Wyatt groaned, peeking out through his eyelids. “What kind of pancakes? Are they the best pancakes ever?”
“Yeah, I helped Uncle Spike make chocolate pancakes!” Sombra confirmed, continuing to shake Wyatt. “Come on papa! We’re hungry! Uncle Spike might eat it all up!”
Wyatt pulled himself to his feet and placed Sombra onto his shoulders. “Well, we can’t let that happen, now can we? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Carrying Sombra, Wyatt carefully walked out of the basement and to the dining room. “So, I hear there’s pancakes?” he inquired, looking between Twilight and Spike.
“Just got done.” Spike placed the latest batch onto the table. “Pick a seat and take two. I’ll make a few more before hanging up my spatula.”
Wyatt nodded in understanding and took a seat next to Twilight and placed Sombra on his other side. Rubbing his hands together he grabbed a plate and poured a generous amount of syrup onto his breakfast. Before he could dig in, a loud pounding echoed through the tree. Putting his fork down he groaned. “Great, looks like my Decade luck strikes again.” Getting up from the table, he made his way to the front door and checked to see what the commotion was.
Opening the door, he was greeted by the familiar sight of blue scales. “Master Smaug is ready,” Sapphira informed, ignoring all the gawking ponies behind her. “I’ve come to collect the ponies.”
“Hello to you too, Sapphira,” Wyatt replied, forcing a smile. “We were just having breakfast so we’ll be ready in a little bit. Care to come in?”
Leaning her head down, Sapphira released a puff of smoke. “There is no time for breakfast. We must gather the ponies and return to the Dragonlands.”
“Yeah, was kinda afraid you’d say something like that,” Wyatt muttered, coughing for a moment. “Right, gather the ponies.” Returning to the dining room, he clapped his hands. “Change of plans guys, we’re going to the Dragonlands.”
Twilight blinked, her fork inches from her mouth. “Why would we be going to the Dragonlands?”
“Turns out, Smaug sent an escort. Sapphira says he’s ready.” Wyatt answered, grabbing his pancakes off his plate for the trip. “Now we gotta ‘Gather the ponies.’”
“Oh!” Twilight’s eyes widened in realization, standing from her seat. “This must be about that ritual he was talking about! Come on, Sombra, Spike, let’s get ready!”
Spike glanced back, turning the stove off. “Don’t we have to get mom, dad, Shining and Cadance? How are we gonna get all of them together and to the Dragonlands on short notice?”
“Well, tell that to Sapphira,” Wyatt said, taking a bite of a pancake. “Maybe she’s got a plan? Either way, she’s not gonna go away until we go with her.”
“Good point,” Spike relented, putting the dishes in the sink. “I doubt she’ll listen to those points anyway.” Once the last dish was put away, he walked over to wait by the door. “So... Sapphira, how have things been with you and grandpa?”
“As well as ever,” Sapphira answered curtly. “There are rumors that within the coming years, Torch will hold the contest for the title of Dragonlord. We should expect him to object to this ritual.”
“Does he have the power to put a stop to it?” Spike questioned, his eyes contracting a bit. “I’ll fight him if I have too. Twilight and her family are my family, I don’t care what some ‘Dragonlord’ says.”
Chuckling, Sapphira shook her head. “It will not come to that, little one,” she assured him. “Torch may run his mouth all he like, but not even the Dragonlord can stop a clan’s elder from inducting those they feel are worthy into their family.” Peering back at the gathering crowd, Sapphira grunted. “How goes your search for the coins?”
Spike winced, recalling the recent theft of the two coins. “It’s coming along okay. I actually just found a set of green medals recently. I also managed to find some of my dad’s medals.” Blinking he glanced down at himself. “Heh, I forgot to get dressed. You can come in if you want.”
“If it means not being gawked at like I have two heads,” Sapphira replied with a snort, following him inside. “I swear, ponies are far too excitable.”
“I’ve heard Wyatt say they were ‘high maintenance.” Spike laughed, leading her up to his room. “We recently had a few new room grown out of the tree. Before the migration and my growth spurt, I was sleeping in a basket in Twilight’s room.”
“How have you been feeling since your growth?” Sapphira inquired, taking a seat on his bed. “Have you adjusted to it?”
“I’d like to think so.” Flicking his tail, Spike punched the air a few times. “It certainly took some getting used to. I kept getting looks from the towns ponies.”
“They are probably just admiring the good looks common of your birth clan,” Sapphira assured him. “From what I’ve heard, your grandfather was quite popular with the dragonesses centuries ago.” Glancing around his room, her eyes landed on his driver. “Show me the medals you have recovered.”
Spike grabbed his medal case off his dresser and opened it for her. “There you go, that’s all of them.”
Sapphira tilted her head, her eyes moving over the pages. “Tell me, Spike. Why is there only one grasshopper coin? Shouldn’t you have two of them, if you found a full green set?”
Spike winced, rubbing the back of his head. “The thing is, two of my medals were,” he paused, wracking his brain for a way to soften the blow. “Stolen. See, the medals were creating corrupted clones of a friend and one of those Dai-Shocker guys swiped it and my dad’s Hermit Crab medal in the chaos.” Closing his eyes, he waited for Sapphira to scold him.
Sapphira closed the case, rising from the bed. “Then, get them back.” Pushing the case into his hands, Sapphira moved past him. “Master Smaug does not like being kept waiting. Grab what you need and we shall make our leave.”
“That was the plan, Sapphira,” Spike assured her, clenching his fist. “The next time I run into that thief I’m going to pummel him into the ground and get them back.” He put the medal case down and quickly got dressed. When he was done, he grabbed a change of clothes and proceeded to stuff everything into a backpack.
“Good, then let’s get the ponies, we have to collect the rest of the Sparkles.” Sapphira said, getting up from the bed and walking out his bedroom. She returned to the kitchen to find that everyone else was ready as well, with Wyatt still holding one of his pancakes. “Are you all ready?”
“Yes, we’re all good to go,” Twilight confirmed, holding Sombra’s hand. “My parents would be the closest to get to. They’re in Canterlot. I can lead you to them once we get to the city.” Twilight’s eyes widened in realization and turned to Spike. “I just realized, Cadance and Shining Armor are in the empire. If we’re on a tight schedule, we should have them meet up with us in Canterlot. Spike, can you send a message to Celestia to tell her about our situation?”
“You got it, Twilight,” Spike replied, putting his bag down to grab a quill and parchment. The room was silent for a few moments as Spike scribbled a message out to the princess. Taking a breath, he sent it off with a burst of flame. “There!”
“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, smiling as she led Sombra to the front door. “Now we can get the Riches.”
Twilight led them out of the library and into the streets of Ponyville towards the Rich Manor. The citizens gave them some odd looks, but otherwise didn’t bother them at all. It didn’t take them long to reach the gates, Spike ringing the buzzer. After a few moments, the butler came out to greet them.
“Hey Randolph,” Spike greeted, waving at the butler. “Can we see DT and Mr. Rich? We’ve got something important going on that they should be a part of.”
“Of course, master Spike, you are always welcome in the manor.” Randolph stepped to the side, allowing the grope to enter. “I merely ask that the dragoness take care not to scratch the floors.” He gestured to her feet. “I’m afraid the wood is not claw proof.”
“She should be fine.” Spike waved off, leading the group inside. “I never wear anything on my feet and you haven’t had to fix the floors after I visit.” He wiggled his toes for emphasis. He didn’t bother to comment that her toe claws were bigger, but he doubted it’d be an issue.
Randolph nodded and led them into the sitting room where Filthy was sitting in his favorite chair reading a book. “Master Rich, Spike is here to see you,” the butler stated.
Filthy looked up, closing his book. “Well now, what brings you all to my home? It must be important if you’ve all come together. Did something happen with the G-Project?”
“No, this is not about your country,” Sapphira spoke up, her tail flicking behind her. “This is a family matter. My master wishes to bring the Sparkles into his clan. As you are relatives of Star Dust, it is your right to undergo the initiation ritual.”
Putting his book onto the coffee table in front of him, Filthy stood up from his chair. “I would be honored if my daughter and I could take part in the ceremony. The Riches owe our success to Star Dust’s accomplishments after all.”
“We are taking too long,” Sapphira complained, swishing her tail. “Retrieve your daughter, we must leave.”
“Very well,” Filthy said, nodding to Randolph who exited the room. A few moments later Randolph returned with Diamond Tiara at his side. “Would it be out of line to ask how long we’d be gone?”
“No,” Sapphira replied, her wings twitching slightly. “To answer it simply, you should expect to be gone a day or two.” With a huff of air,, her claws started to glow. “We are taking to long. Sparkle, think of the place we need to be.” The glow around her claws increased as she chanted softly in a language none of them recognized.
“I can do that.” Twilight stepped close to Sapphira, focusing her thoughts on Canterlot. Sapphira’s chanting reached it’s peak, filing the room with a bright light. When the world returned to them, they found themselves bombarded with the sights and sounds of Canterlot. All around them, upper class ponies stared and whispered, with more than a few pointed fingers.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight motioned the group to follow her down the streets. “Pay them no mind, Sapphira. The nobles here have their heads too far up their own flanks to have a proper opinion about anything.”
“I don’t care for the opinions of unimportant ponies.” Sapphira ambled after Twilight, holding her head up. “They are beneath us both, Sparkle.”
“So you think I’m worthy of your respect?” Twilight inquired, leading Sombra who was walking with his ears covered to avoid being overwhelmed. “Or is that because Smaug sees something in my family?”
“We are to be family, on top of your position as Sol’s apprentice. You are worthy of respect.” Sapphira placed her hand on Twilight’s head. “You must steel yourself for the ritual. It will fundamentally change you.”
“Change me how?” Twilight asked, looking up at the dragoness. “Smaug only gave a vague idea of the ritual. Something about tieing our bloodline to his?” A few thoughts moved through her mind, more than one asking herself if this was even a good idea.
“I do not know the exact effects it will have on you,” Sapphira admitted. “Master Smaug would be able to tell you. He has performed this ritual on a non-dragon before with Spike’s father.”
“Okay, thank you for being honest,” Twilight replied, her mind continuing to wander. “I guess I can wait for Smaug’s answer.” The ritual had to be safe, if Spike’s father had gone through it and lived. The idea lingered with her, even as they gathered the rest of the Sparkle family.
Somber stepped down the halls of his castle, his servants and soldiers bowing as he passed them. He paid them no mind, his mind focused on the meeting he was about to call. Stepping into a grand hall with a circular table that had a black crystal sitting at its center, he took a seat on the largest chair and lit his horn.
Firing a bolt of dark magic at the crystal, he bore his gaze into it. “Your great leader demands a meeting. Drop whatever it is you’re doing and report immediately.” Letting the glow fade from his horn, Somber lounged in his seat.
The back of the room was open, showing off the splendor of Somber’s Empire. Black spires made up the skyline, each sporting Dai-Shocker’s banner. With a wave of distortion, a seemingly normal looking man stepped into the room. He was dressed in a black military uniform with red sash going across his chest and a quartet of medals on his left breast. His helmet was black with a two headed eagle on the front and a tassel coming off the back.
Several more distortions appeared around the table, bringing into existence several more characters: a man in faded red armor, a man in white armor and a see through helmet, and a man in silver armor, bearing a bird themed helmet. A massive distortion sprang up just outside the palace, depositing a massive grey robot onto the grounds.
“Greetings, gentlemen,” Somber said, sitting up in his chair. Taking a look around the room, he huffed in annoyance as he fired another bolt at the crystal. “Daguva, King, where are you? Your fellow Generals have already arrived.”
“I’m not some common peon.”
Tapping his fingers against his chair, Somber fought off a grimace while keeping the connection to the crystal open. “No King, you are not. But you are a general of Dai-Shocker. Now, come to the meeting or I will come to you.”
Another distortion appeared at the end of the table, bringing a young man into existence. His hair was a dark brown that he kept a little long but still maintained a professional look. He wore a finely tailored white suit with a black undershirt, black tie and black handkerchief that poked out of his jacket pocket. Floating above his shoulder, a strange saucer-like creature that vaguely resembled a bat glared at the strange collection of beings.
“As you insisted, I’m here.” King said, adjusting his cufflinks as he took his seat. “My assistant had to push back an important trade deal, but no matter.” Crossing his fingers, he stared out at Somber. “Why exactly did you drag me here?”
“Lupin has retrieved some items of interest for me.” Somber pulled out the medals and placed them on the table. “Two of OOO’s Core Medals. I’m sure I don’t need to tell all of you the possibilities that these raise for us.”
“You called the council for that?” the giant robot asked, its eyes bathing everything in blood red light. “How trivial.”
“You call objects of this caliber trivial, Dark?” Somber questioned, staring up at the robot. “When was the last time you contributed to our cause, machine? The power these medals possess will be the backbone of our conquest, beyond anything we’ve acquired before.”
The robot bristled at the comment, the red glow from his eyes growing more intense. “I have offered you troops and supplies, Great Leader,” Dark finally stated. “Both of which you have never found fault in before.”
“Ha!” the man in black laughed, slapping his hand down on the table. “All you have done, King Dark, is lounge around in that cave you call a base, gorging yourself on blood.”
“Would you like to see what that blood has done for me?” Dark retorted, raising a hand up and clenching his hand into a fist.
“Your petty squabbles get us nowhere.” A feral looking human stepped into the room, his hair long and unkempt. Staying next to the door, he eyed them all with unrestrained contempt. “Tell us exactly what you plan to do with those trinkets, Somber.”
“Ah, Daguva,” Somber said, leaning back in his seat. “I see you took the long way to get here. Better late than never I suppose. As for my plans for the medals, it’s rather simple.” A perverse smile etched into his muzzle, the thought pleasing him greatly. “We’ll use them to make our own medals, and with them we’ll make our own OOO.”
“So another Rider to be added to our ranks?” Daguva questioned, pushing off the doorframe and striding towards the table. “Hopefully this one will not be as uninteresting as the others you’ve gathered. None come close to being as entertaining as Kuuga was.” Putting his hand on Somber’s shoulder, he ignored the stallionl’s indignant look. “I’m still waiting for my belt, pony.”
“We have been looking for it,” Somber replied, brushing off the man’s hand. “But it seems Celestia hasn’t used the usual spots for it. I’m sure you’re itching to fight the Decade whelp and Agito, but you will need to continue to be patient.” Gesturing for Dagua to sit, Somber zapped the crystal again, creating a holographic map of their current target. “We’re behind on our time tables, this must be addressed.”
“And what do you propose we do about that?” Daguva inquired, taking a seat and lounging in his chair. “What is causing the delay in the first place?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Somber waved off, tapping his fingers on the table. “We’ve been focusing far too much on Equestria. Thankfully, I’ve more than a few avenues to proceed along.”
“Oh?” King started, leaning forward in his seat. “And where would you suggest we allocate our resources? I already have the humans eating out of the palm of my hand.”
“Undermine the nations around them,” Somber explained, highlighting a few areas on the globe. “That cloven hooved fool wants to play conqueror, let him. Discreetly lend him our aid, allow him to wear himself and his opponents down, then crush them.”
Turning to the man with the see through helmet, he continued. “Shadow, I want you to head to Griffinstone. The griffons should be easy to bring under our sway.”
“A few shiny trinkets should be more than enough to do the job,” Shadow assured, bowing his head. “I shall rebuild their failed nation into something worthy of Dai-Shocker’s attention.”
“Very good,” Somber said, turning away from the general. “Marshal, I want you to assist King. Implant someone into that false leader’s army and turn that rabble into a legitimate threat.”
“Very well,” the man in red armor responded, putting a hand to his chest. “I have a few subordinates that can complete this task.”
Looking at the black armored man, Somber passed the hermit crab medal to him. “General Black, you shall parley with Poseidon. Return that medal to him and give him a very detailed report on what his ‘treasure’ has become.”
General Black grunted, lifting the medal off the table. “It shall be done, Great Leader.”
“What of our recruitment efforts?” Dark asked, leaning on the palace. “Has our great leader secured the allegiance of Ooze?”
“That old fool couldn’t be trusted.” Somber rose out of his chair, sneering that the thought. “It became quite clear that he was of no use to use. However.” Another spell was sent into the crystal, shifting the globe from their target to an image of Earth. “I found a much more open candidate. Someone used to fighting transforming heroes.”
“Does this candidate have a name?” Daguva asked.
Somber’s grin returned, conjuring up an emblem on the globe's surface. “Of course he does. Lord Drakkon, conqueror of Earth.” Sweeping his arms out, Somber regarded them with enthusiasm. “You all have your orders, get them done.”
“Yes, Great Leader,” a chorus of voices rang out in varying degrees of enthusiasm as waves of distortion made the generals disappear.
Taking the remaining medal, Somber tossed it up into the air. “You think you’re little band of heroes can stop me, Wyatt? You’re nothing but a blowhard, playing at grandeur. Your worlds will burn, I’ll make sure of that.” With a flourish of his cape, Somber walked out of the meeting hall, his hoof steps echoing off the walls.
Night Light stumbled as the group reappeared in the dragonlands. “I don’t think I like teleporting very much.” Putting a hand over his mouth, he found himself leaning on his wife for support. “Can we never do it again?”
“You and me both, Mr. Sparkle,” Wyatt agreed, his face looking a bit green but able to stand on his own power. “It’s always the worst.” Managing to swallow it down, he turned to Sapphira. “We heading back to Smaug’s den?”
“Yes, Master Smaug already has everything prepared for the ritual,” Sapphira answered, walking towards the caves in the hills. “Now, stick close to me and ignore anyone that tries to stand in our way.”
Spike slipped his belt out, slotting medals in. He didn’t activate them, not yet. Not until someone decided to cause a problem. Moving his gaze around, he noted the various stares they received; keeping an eye out for the red dragon.
There wasn’t any sign of the teen drakes that Spike had run into during the migration, but he kept an eye out for them regardless. He wouldn’t put a sneak attack past the red jerk though. Keeping his hand near his scanner, Spike followed Sapphira’s lead. The dragons were clearly displeased, but none of them seemed willing to risk stopping what was about to transpire. Whether from their own sense of honor or just fear of the old shaman, Spike couldn’t tell.
Sapphira came to a stop, holding her arm out. “Ready yourselves, the Dragonlord approaches.”
A shadow blocked out the sun for a moment before a dragon on par with Smaug landed in front of them. The group stumbled to keep their footing before Wyatt strained his neck to look up at the dragon. Pale blue scales made up his hide and long, orange horns framed his face. He could easily see this as the one who Smaug lost his eye to.
“Smaug truly believes I would let this farce go on?” The dragonlord snorted, knocking most of the ponies off their hooves. “You there! Welp!” Holding up his hand, a miniscule scepter started to glow. “Step forward.”
Spike’s scales and spines glowed and by some unknown force, approached the dragon until he was only a few feet away from the dragonlord. Despite everything, he managed to keep a calm expression as he looked up at the large dragon.
Lowering his head, the dragonlord examined Spike. “You are Peridot’s progeny? To think, if that female had any sense, I might have been your sire. At least you were lucky enough to look like a dragon.”
Spike sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils, doing his best not to insult the dragonlord. “I consider myself lucky to be her son at all, she gave her life and put a stop to your predecessor’s madness.”
“You don’t think I know that, drakeling?” the dragonlord growled, showing off his massive fangs. “Your grandfather should have been dealt with for creating such objects in the first place.”
“The blame lies with the one who ordered their creation,” Spike retorted, flinching for a split second from the growl. “And I am working to collect those medals so they can never corrupt anyone again. A task I am making good headway with.”
“You should destroy those foul things once you’ve collected them all,” Torch commented, snorting out a large plume of smoke. “In fact, I think I’ll make that an order.” Torch pointed the scepter at Spike again, seeming like he was going to make it glow again.
“Torch!” Smaug’s voice boomed, the dragon lumbering out of his cave and stopping in front of the dragonlord. “Release my grandson from your infernal grasp. You have no right to impede them.”
“I am the Dragonlord, Smaug,” Torch snapped, the glow around Spike dying out. “My word is law and I do what I please.”
Smaug slammed his tail against the ground, his wings flaring out. “Do not test me! Remove yourself from my lair, before I do it for you.”
The pair of large dragons stared each other down for what felt like an eternity. The air around them was oppressive, causing Spike and Wyatt to clutch their drivers in preparation for a full-on fight. Eventually, Torch flinched under the shaman’s gaze.
“Fine, hold your little ritual, Smaug,” Torch relented, turning and making his leave. “But you should warn them what being considered a dragon will entail.” He held his scepter up as he walked away.
Smaug rumbled, watching him leave. “Come, we’ve wasted enough time.” Turning his back to them, Smaug lumbered back into his cave.
The group didn’t need to be told twice to move into the cave and get as far away from the other dragon as possible. Wyatt let out a sigh of relief, his driver disappearing from his hand. “Wow, that guy is intense. I can see why you don’t like him, Smaug.”
“He is a fool.” Smaug stood by a massive cauldron, a roaring flame already burning under it. “Come, Spike, Sapphira. Bring the ponies near.” The lines on Smaug’s body started to glow, filling the chamber with green light. Sapphira led Twilight and her family to stand in front of the cauldron so they could feel the warmth of the fire. When Wyatt tried to stand next to Twilight, the dragoness stopped him with a hand on his chest.
“Uh, any reason you stopped me?” Wyatt whispered, not wanting to interrupt Smaug’s concentration.
“You are not a part of the family, human. Until you and Twilight become true mates, you are declined the ritual.” Spreading her wings, she flew up to Smaug’s side. “Master, we are ready to start.”
Smaug didn’t give any response, producing an ornamental knife. Speaking a few words, he dug it into his hand, allowing his sizzling blood to pour into the awaiting cauldron. With a wave of his hand, a similar knife appeared in Sapphira and Twilight’s hand.
“So we need to cut our hands and clasp them together?” Twilight guessed, looking between Sapphira and the knife in her hand.
“We must mix the blood in the cauldron.” Cutting her palm, she added her own blood to the pot. “So that our lineages will be as one.”
Twilight nodded, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes and sliding the blade across her palm. She winced as her skin tore open and blood came rushing out in a steady stream. Ignoring the pain, she held her open palm out and let her blood drop into the brew.
“The alicorn and children will need to add their blood.” Smaug moved his hands, resuming his chanting. The glow never left his marks, adding a surreal element to the proceedings.
Twilight frowned for a moment, lighting her horn to clean her blood off her blade. “How much blood do you need from Sombra; will a couple drops do?”
“A few drops will be fine.” Taking Spike’s hand, Sapphira cut his palm. “We are not bleeding anyone dry.”
Nodding, Twilight knelt down to Sombra’s eye level. “Honey, will you be brave for me and hold out your finger?” she cooed, stroking his mane. “I’m just going to give it a little poke.” Sombra nodded, shakily holding his hand out to her.
Twilight held it to keep it from shaking and pricked his finger just enough to draw blood. She held him up and let a few drops of blood fall into the cauldron before kissing his forehead and healing his finger with her magic. “You’re such a brave colt,” she whispered, hugging Sombra close and passing the knife to Cadance.
“I didn’t expect I’d be doing this today.” Cadance inhaled, dragging the blade along her hand. “The things I do for family.” Dripping her part into the cauldron, she passed the knife to Filthy. “Seems like Diamond is the only one left.”
“I can do it myself,” Diamond assured, carefully taking the knife from her father. Despite her confident display, several seconds passed before she steeled herself and mixed her blood with the others’.
Smaug’s chanting had reached a crescendo, the light of his markings emitting from the cauldron. Smoke poured over the lip, quickly surrounding them. Portions of it gathered around those who had given blood, coalescing into vague humanoid shapes. The Sparkles breathed in the smoke, a pleasant heat filling their lungs that spread to the rest of their bodies.
“Our ancestors are with us now,” Smaug began, moving his hands over the boiling mixture. “To be seperate no more. Our bloods, mixed as one in the brew of creation, shall forever bind us together. We partake of the blood, to seal our newfound connections.”
“Partake?” Night Light repeated, his muzzle scrunching up. “You mean we’re going to drink what’s in that cauldron?” He paled as Sapphira dipped her hands into the cauldron; holding back a retch as she drank a handful of it down. Turning to Spike he said, “Don’t you ever try to pull teen angst on us and say we don’t love you. Because I’m about to drink blood mixed with who knows what for you.”
“I promise, I won’t.” Spike stepped up, eyeing the concoction. “Okay, Spike, let’s do this. For family.” Cupping his hands, he scooped some out, quickly downing it without much thought.His entire body shuddered as the bitter taste of the base mixture and metallic taste of the blood mixed together to form a foul combination. “It’s not so bad,” he squeaked, waving his hands to dry them.
Twilight patted Sombra’s head, walking to Spike’s side. “Let’s hope I can keep this down, huh?” Casting a small spell to protect her hands, she stared down at the brown liquid. “Bottoms up, right?” Closing her eyes, she allowed it to slide down her throat. Internally she screamed, her taste buds demanding she spit out the brew. But, she forced it down with no visible reaction to better convince Sombra to drink it. Dipping her hands into the cauldron again, she held it out to the colt. “Your turn, Sombra.”
A sudden burning sensation spread through her, a fire igniting her blood. The shadowy figures gathered around her, watching as her body spasmed. She dropped the brew onto the cave floor, clutching at her sides.Twilight fell to her knees, allowing Sombra to see first hand as Twilight’s pupils contracted into reptilian slits. A feral scream tore from her throat, giving way to a blast of purple flame. Once the flames died down, everyone could see that a few of her teeth had lengthened into fangs.
Taking a long, ragged breath, Twilight regarded her family with wide, panicked eyes. “I never... want to go through that again.” Falling onto her side, Twilight muttered softly to herself, gazing into the mist.
Wyatt went up to Twilight, kneeling beside her. “Hey, you’re alright. Plus I think you actually don’t have to do that again.” Moving her head into his lap, he stroked her mane gently. “I’ll stay with you, okay?”
Twilight nodded, letting Wyatt comfort her. “Thank you, Wyatt.” Closing her eyes, her hand found Wyatt’s. “I hope this wasn’t a bad idea.”
“I dunno, I think the dragon eyes look cute on you,” Wyatt offered, squeezing her hand. “Plus, you did this for your little brother, no way this was a bad idea.” Moving his eyes from Twilight, he watched as the rest of the ponies partook of the blood. “You guys really are a hell of a family.”
“Play your cards right, they’ll be your family too,” Twilight replied weakly, winking at the young man.
“Is momma gonna be okay?” Sombra asked, cutting into the moment. “She looks different.” He cringed, Cadance’s scream hitting his ears. “I-I’m scared.”
“I’m fine, Sombra,” Twilight assured, rolling over to look at the colt. “The ritual just took a lot out of me.” Holding her hand out, she laced her fingers with his. “There’s nothing to be scared of, I’m still the same on the inside. You don’t have to go through it if you don’t want to.”
Sombra shook his head, staring at the cauldron with an odd look. “No, I want to be Uncle Spike’s family too.” Twilight cast the protective spell on his hands as he reached into the container and scooped some of the liquid into his mouth. Gulping it down, he made a face. “That’s nasty!”
“Yeah, I nearly spit it out myself,” Twilight said, easing Sombra down so she could hug him. “It’ll hurt for a little bit, but then everything will be fine,” she told him pulling him to her neck. Just hold onto me tightly and it’ll be over before you know it.”
Sombra squeezed his eyes shut, the heat brought on by the potion beginning to take its course on him. A squeak of pain tore through his lips as the changes started going into full swing with the inner fire looking for a way out. Twilight tilted his head up, cringing from the heat of his fire. Panting, Sombra went a little limp in Twilight’s arms.
Wyatt reached over, ruffling the colt’s mane. “You really are a brave colt, Sombra. I’m really proud of you.” Grabbing a bottle of water out of Spike’s bag, he offered it to Twilight. “Bet your throat’s pretty parched.”
“Yeah, but no more of the nasty stuff please,” Sombra said weakly, resting his head on Twilight’s shoulder. Opening his mouth, Sombra allowed his mother to pour some water into his mouth. “That feels better...”
Grabbing the cauldron, Smaug downed the rest of the liquid like one might down a shot glass. With a pleasant rumble, he laid down, curling himself around the group. “Rest. The fire in your bellies will smoulder through the night, and by morning your bodies will have fully accepted the changes.”
“A warning probably would’ve been nice, Grandpa,” Spike said, looking up into the dragon’s good eye. “You know, let them brace themselves?”
“If they couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have offered in the first place.”
“It’s fine, sweetie,” Twilight Velvet said, craning her head to flash Spike a tired smile. “I doubt any warning could’ve prepared us for suddenly breathing fire. That was sort of a rush by the way.” Yawning, she eased herself down on Smaug’s side. “Beside’s it’s been a long time since I’ve snuggled up with a dragon.”
“Except this one’s a bit larger than the little hatchling we remember,” Night Light added, laying next to his wife and putting an arm around her. “Still, family is family.”
The Sparkle family settled in against the warm scales of Smaug, sleep quickly claiming the tired ponies. Smaug watched them for a moment, a look of peace falling over him. “It is good to have family, is it not, Sapphira?”
“Yes, and there is an alicorn in our clan now,” Sapphira added, her gaze falling on Cadance. “It seems we’ll have company in our long lives.” Taking her place on Smaug’s back, she made herself comfy. “Even if they aren’t dragons, it is nice to have them.”
“Yeah,” Wyatt idly agreed, a small smile on his face as he turned away from a sleeping Twilight. “They may not be human, but I’d consider myself lucky to be part of the Sparkles.” Releasing a long sigh, he stared out at the tunnel of the cave. “Would be nice to be part of a family again.”
“You will have to wait and see,” Smaug answered, his tone hard to read. Nothing else was said, silence reigning as the rest of the cave’s occupants fell into a deep slumber.
Dusk had always meant something to Celaeno; the end of a hard day’s work. The signal to unwind and reflect on recent events. Now, all it meant was the end of the work day. She couldn’t meet the eyes of the yeti before her, only barely listening as it listed off the manifest of her latest cargo.
She missed the old days. Back when all she had was the open skies or seas and her crew. Sure, there had been storms that had soaked and chilled them to their bones. Or times when they had found no treasure and went to sleep with empty stomachs. But they at least had their freedom and dignity. That was worth more than all the hoards of gold in the Dragonlands.
None of that really mattered now. Everything they did now was to stay alive. If that meant doing as they were told and being good little birds, than that’s what they’d do. Taking the clipboard from the yeti, she scanned over the list.
“When are we expected?” she asked, looking up to meet his gaze. Like always, the delivery ship had come alongside hers, some steam powered monstrosity that belched black clouds regularly.
“In one week’s time,” the yeti responded in a gruff voice. “Don’t dilly dally.” It turned its back to her, just in time to see one of its subordinates careening off the side its ship.
“What in the name of the Storm King is going on?!” the yeti shouted, rushing over to the ship to investigate. It found a stallion standing on deck, clad in a red and blue garb and wielding a wicked looking spear. “Pony,” the yeti growled, pulling a large mace off its back. “What are you doing here?”
The pony turned to meet it, raising his spear. “I have need of these birds. I’ll be taking them from you.”
“No mere pony will take what is the Storm King’s!” the yeti boomed, raising its mace high. It charged at the stallion, bringing its mace down to crush the pony’s head. The pony moved forward, blasting the mace away with a jet of water. A deep cry emitted from the yeti, the spear embedded in its shoulder.
Spinning on his hoof, the pony kicked the yeti off his spear and sent it tumbling over the edge of the ship. “There is only one king on these waters,” the pony said, flicking the blood off his weapon. “Poseidon.”
Celaeno froze up at the scene, eyes locked on the pony. She had heard enough tales from drunken sailors to know the pirate king. Bowing her head, she didn’t speak until he stood in front of him. “H-how my I be of service, King Poseidon?”
“There is something in the Dragonlands that I need. A purple drake. I want your crew to bring him to my island.” Shouldering his spear, he regarded the pirate coldly through the unblinking yellow orbs of his helmet. “You do know where that is, don’t you?”
“Y-yes of course I do.” Celaeno nodded quickly. “Is there anything we should know about this dragon?”
“He’ll have a belt that will grant him armor like my own.” Tapping his spear on the deck, he motioned to her ship. “Gather your crew, I wish to see them for myself.”
Celaeno nodded, bowing to him again. “Of course, my king. I will do so in an instant.” She scurried to her ship, calling out to her crew to come up deckside. Lining up with them, Celaeno kept her cool as Poseidon inspected them.
Coming to a stop in front of Boyle and Mullet, Poseidon shot a silver coin in each of them. “You will do whatever you must to bring me what is mine.” Tossing his hand, a trio of coins landed in front of Celaeno. “Even if it means becoming weapons yourselves. Do you understand?”
Scooping up the coins, the bird captain looked between them and Poseidon’s belt. “These are like what you use,” she said, awe and fear creeping into her voice. “Why would you trust me with these?”
“I want what is mine.” Leaping back to the yeti ship, Poseidon held his spear into the air. A roar split the air, a column of water bursting the vessel apart. Standing atop the column, Poseidon stared down at them. “You have a week, don’t disappoint.”
Celaeno nodded, pocketing the medals and turning to her crew. “You heard the king! Raise anchor and let’s nab ourselves a dragon!” Her enthusiasm fell as she gazed down at the ocean. They had merely traded one master for another. One that didn’t have mercy.“I just hope this one will let us go...”
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Oh, so I knew it couldn't be just a nice family bonding chapter could it? Not by the word length! Oh no. While I'm squeeing at Celeano's appearance (I'm a fanboy, so sue me) and the name dropping of a certain Lord, the stakes have been upped. Yeah, I'd say a new Rider is needed, now more than ever. Showtime, Twilight....
Progeny is the word you were looking for here.
8989339
Flame! PLEASE!
8989431
To paraphrase Shakespeare, "All the World's a Stage, and this one shall become ablaze with fire...
8989380
Thanks for the catch.
Oh boy. This family just can’t get a break, can they?
So is the crossover happening soon?
A bunch of stuff this chapter. Surprisingly this wasn't an adaptation of One Bad Apple. Been a while since we've gotten a chapter that didn't deal with the conflict of an episode. Either one is good to me, just saying it's been a while.
Also, I am now firmly in the belief that Twilight will become Wizard.
I CANNOT WAIT!
8991994
Why would it be Apple Family Reunion?
8992678
OH NVM I got mixed up. It's actually One Bad Apple. My mistake. Lol
8995701
Why would she be Build?
Hmm, now I am equally intrigued and confused by this king (Poseidon). It is no small thing to give away those coins and power, and neither is it a small thing to send people after someone so powerful rather than take them himself. I mean, I hope the real reason is that he isn't going himself is due to not wanting to fight within the dragon lands lest he incite a war with the dragons, but it almost sounds like he isn't watching, and not keeping up on intel is a very foolish and self-destructive thing to do.
8996294
I can tell you that's not why he didn't go himself
8997543
Hmm. Well, then I hope he's watching then at least, in some capacity.
8989339
8989339
my reaction.....oh crap not him plz anyone but him
I still can't get over the fact that they just adopted a child and are ok with it after their relationship just started...
Of course, she did
Guess who is coming back
Oh god, Wyatt has mutated, his face can stand on his own.
... Seriously Wyatt, what you just said was bollox. That could indeed be bad, only because you did it for your brother doesn't automatically a good idea
Oh yes, gramps can go buck himself
That is not an excuse
Oh, maybe not, but he could have told you that you turn into hybrids and he doesn't mention such life-changing events because he is a dick
8995839
Well, I think they may be considering the"equality" that makes up the Fullbottles and the Best Match system the Build Driver has. But I can't actually know what they're thinking.