Previous Chapters
Close
Guardian3,748 words
Kore2,448 words

Kore

Darkness…

Twilight awoke, only to meet the blackness of the cave. A hoof was brought to her forehead, rubbing it lightly. What a headache… Was the first thought on her mind.

“Father… It is moving.” The voice was young, probably a child. Twilight jumped slightly as she felt something nudge against her.

The lavender pony heard sounds of movement, pattering of tiny feet.

“It is dreaming, Aliik. Leave it alone.”

She recognized that voice, it was that dragon…

That means it didn’t kill me...

The librarian was nudged once again, a gentle breath against her back. “What is it dreaming about?” Another voice asked.

His response was unexpected. “I cannot peer into her dreams as I do yours, I could never know what she dreams of.”

Once again, she was nudged, but this time she heard the creature sniff. “She smells funny.” Another child spoke, this one female.

The much older dragon sniffed the air. “It is lilacs.” He paused. “It is a flower ponies… enjoy.” He seemed different, his tone of voice much more calm, yet keeping that same commanding air.

The lavender mare’s ears perked at the sound of footsteps, they sounded like something… waddling. The purple mare instantly knew who it was the second he spoke “What are you going to do with her?”

Spike!

The older dragon chuckled deviously. “Perhaps we shall feast on her… I have not dined on pony-flesh in ages…” The dragons surrounding her ceased their poking and prodding at the mention of food.

“Can we eat her father?” The one called Aliik asked with great curiosity in his voice.

“Don’t you dare hurt her!” Spike yelled at the older dragon. “You will not hurt he-!” Spike was cut off; his breath was ragged and laborious.

“You will not raise your voice at me, Darius!” He snarled. “Her fate will be decided when she awakes, you will have to wait until then.” Something slammed into the ground, making an audible “Smack!” followed by a pained groan.

“Don’t call me that…” The purple dragon whispered with anger in his voice. “My name is Spike.”

“Your name is what I wish it to be.” He spoke matter-of-factly.

Twilight decided she had enough; she pulled herself to her hooves, grunting as her body refused to listen. “Spike!” Her voice echoed through the cave, repeating the name over and over again. With only a single thought light flowed out of her horn, creating a small circle of light around the unicorn.

For a brief moment, she saw five baby dragons huddled around her, before they scurried away into the darkness. Twilight turned her head to the source of Spike’s voice, seeing only darkness. “Spike?” She called.

Quiet footsteps sounded, running towards her. Before she knew it, her number one assistant rushed out from the shadows, and wrapped his arms around Twilight’s neck. “Twilight!” The lavender mare brought her assistant as close as possible, hugging him as tight as she could.

“Spike! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did he-!” She was silenced by Spike placing a claw over her mouth.
“I’m fine.” He responded.

“I was so worried… I thought I’d lost you.” She hugged him tight, burying his face in her neck. Before pulling back and pointing a hoof at him. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” The lavender unicorn went right back to hugging her number one assistant.

They were interrupted by a clearing of the throat. “While this reunion is… touching, we must discuss a few things.” Loud, earthshaking footsteps were coming towards them.

Only the dragons head peeked out from the shadows, an almost unnoticeable smile on his face. The first thing Twilight noticed was his eyes. His eyes were no longer an intense red, but a soft blue.

“What’s going on? Why kidnap Spike?” Twilight asked, her forelegs wrapped around Spike defensively, refusing to let him go. “Who are you?”

The dark purple dragon tilted his head at Twilight, before clearing his throat again and speaking clearly. “I go by many names. The griffins dub me as “Loauka”, while the dragons prefer “Okarion”. But, for simplicity’s sake, you shall refer to me as “Kore”.”

Twilight frowned at the dark purple dragon. “Why did you kidnap Spike?” She asked, her grip tightening even further on Spike, as if he was about to steal him away once again.

The older dragon raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a look of disbelief. “You really do not know why I kidnapped your “brother” as you call him…” He sighed, pointing a claw at his chest. “I am an older dragon, with a similar color scheme to this hatchling. I have stolen him away from you, his self-appointed guardian, and taken him to my cave. Why do you think this is?” He deadpanned.

Twilight thought for only a moment, before realizing what he was implying. “You’re… his father?” Spike’s eyes widened, turning his head towards Kore.

He shook his head in response. “No.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him, her mouth opening to speak before being cut off by the dragon. “The hatchling belongs with his own kind, and I am willing to take care of him.”

The ground beneath them shook as Kore walked closer to them, the light revealing his entire body. The lavender mare jumped back as the dark purple dragon lowered his head to eye level with her. “I am his real guardian.” He blew a ring of smoke out of his nostrils, causing Twilight to let out small coughs. “This means, he must stay here.” His gaze shifted downwards to the small dragon in the pony’s arms.

A defiant look was on the young dragon’s face, he held on to Twilight as tight as he could, burying his face in her chest. His words were muffled, but understandable. “I’m not leaving her!” He yelled.

The dragon frowned at this, his face scrunching up in anger. The soft blue shade of his eyes shifted to a sickening crimson. “You have no choice in the matter!” He yelled, small sparks of flame erupting from his mouth. “I shall spare her, if you come willingly!”

The young dragon gasped, looking Twilight in the eye, before turning his head towards the older dragon. He sniffled.
“Will I…ever see her again?” Spike asked, on the verge of tears.

His only response was a flat and uncaring. “No.”

The older dragon’s face scrunched once again, his eyes shifting colors once again, this time to an emerald green. “You have ten minutes to say your goodbyes.” He turned, walking out of the circle of light, his footsteps shaking the foundation of the cave.

“Spike…” Twilight whispered, her voice cracking. “Don’t go…please don’t go.” Tears were flowing down her face, as she let out quiet sobs. This can’t be happening…

She couldn’t imagine living without her number one assistant, her little brother. He had always been there, ever since that fateful day in Canterlot, when she hatched his egg. Their first conversation was one that Twilight would never forget.

It had only been a month after the exam, Twilight’s parents had been reluctant in taking in the baby dragon, but Twilight had insisted that the dragon was ‘her responsibility’. So, the Sparkle family was forced to welcome the baby dragon with open arms.

The filly’s parents had yet to give the hatchling a bed, so Twilight had to improvise, finding a basket and pillow to use as a makeshift bed. The past week had been hectic; the filly was tired, almost forgetting to put the little dragon to bed.
“Good night, Spike.” She said, as she placed the blanket over the dragon.

The dragon had been able to speak in short sentences at the time, but his vocabulary was limited. “Twilight?” His gaze was questioning.

“Yes Spike?” She had asked with curiosity in her voice.

“Are you my mommy?” He asked, gripping onto the blanket, his eyes wide.

Twilight frowned, placing a hoof on the baby dragon’s forehead, running it over the little bumps that had developed in the past week. “I’m…not your mommy, Spike.”

The little dragon tilted his head, “Why?” he asked. “You act like a mommy.”

The filly thought for a moment, he does have a point… She thought. A child needs a role model, someone to look up to, to depend on. A smile lit up the filly’s face as she kissed the little dragon on the forehead. “Fine, I am your mommy then.”
The purple dragon smiled as he turned to the side, closing his eyes. “I love you, mommy.” He said.

The filly’s heart melted. As she walked towards her bed, she looked back and replied. “I love you too, Spike.”

After that day, the two had become inseparable; he had either forgotten or grown out of his habit of calling her “mommy”, but the connection was still there.

Spike had begun to cry as well, his face still buried in her chest, his sobs muffled. “I don’t want to go…” he said between sobs, her chest making his words barely audible. “But, I can’t let him hurt you, Twilight.”

“Five minutes.” Kore said, in a monotone voice.

Twilight fell on her haunches, forelegs still wrapped around the purple dragon. “Don’t ever forget me.” She whispered, her chin resting on his head. “I love you, Spike.”

Spike looked up at her, his face no longer buried in her chest. “I love you too, mommy.” He whispered back, his voice cracking as well.

“Two minutes.” Kore was counting down at this point, his voice having no emotion.

Twilight and Spike stayed together in each other’s arms, sobbing quietly for what seemed like an eternity
Earth shaking footsteps came toward them, causing them to hold each other as they look on into the dark expanse of the cavern.

Kore’s face peeked out from the darkness. The first thing Twilight noticed was that his eyes had once again changed color, instead of the previous emerald green, they were a light blue, almost cyan. “Perhaps…” He started, pausing for almost a minute, before continuing with obvious strain in his voice. “I have…made a mistake.” He looked away, hiding his face from them. “You two share a strong bond, a bond only a parent shares with their child.”

Both of them had stopped crying at this point, still holding each other.

The dragon looked the lavender pony in the eye. “I grant you full custody of ‘Spike’.”

She almost swore she saw the slightest glimmer of pain in that dragon’s eyes. “Why change your mind all of the sudden?” Twilight asked.

“It is a long story, spanning centuries,” He said. “A story, which you do not deserve to hear.” The cyan shade was gone, replaced by the previous emerald shade. “I shall show you the way out.” He gestured for them to follow, turning and walking into the darkness, his footsteps shaking the ground.

Twilight let go of Spike, still confused as to why the dragon had suddenly changed his mind. There was pain in his eyes, something must have happened to him… She deduced. The lavender mare used a telekinesis spell to lift her little dragon in the air, gently placing him on her back. “Let’s go home, Spike.”

Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight’s neck, leaning on her head and drifting off to sleep as she followed the older dragon.

The two were alongside each other, neither of them saying a word, before Twilight remembered something. “How do you know Princess Celestia, Kore?” She jumped back when the dragon suddenly turned his head toward her, his eyes a burning crimson.

“That is none of your concern, pony.” The dragon was gritting his teeth, growling at her.

“Alright…” She sighed, walking on with the dragon, once again looking up at the dragon and asking a question. “When you said ‘you’re a lot like her you know.’ did you mean Princess Celestia?”

The dragon slowly nodded, sighing. “While I cannot stand her and what she represents, I do respect her power.”
Twilight wouldn’t hold her tongue; her curiosity was peaked, causing her to ask questions in rapid succession. “Why do you dislike ponies?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” He deflected her question with another, annoyance in his voice.

She was about to answer, when she saw the entrance of the cave in front of her. “Here you are.” Kore said, showing no emotion in his voice. “Never come again.” He said, turning around and walking in the opposite direction.

The lavender mare crossed her forelegs awkwardly, looking down at the stone. “Thank you…for letting me keep Spike.”
The dragon stopped, turning around and nodding at her. “Take good care of him.” He replied.

“I will.” She said, turning around and trotting from the blackness of the cave, to the darkness of the night.
It would be too dangerous to go in the Everfree forest at night; she would have to stay near the cave, which held relative safety. The lavender mare lay on the forest floor, keeping the sleeping dragon on her back so he would be comfortable.

The older dragon stayed on her mind, her more studious self wishing to hear his life story, perhaps filling the gaps in Equestria’s history that had yet to be recorded. But, what bothered her most was that something had happened to this dragon. Something so terrible, that it caused him to vilify ponies.

An hour passed, before Twilight heard loud footsteps from the cave and saw Kore poke his head of the entrance. Their eyes met for brief moment, before Twilight looked away. “Ah, I see.” He surveyed their surroundings. “The forest is awdangerous at night.”

The dragon walked over to the lying mare, and slowly lowered himself next to her, his gaze towards the sky. “It is a beautiful night, is it not?”

The mare tilted her head towards the sky, all the stars were out, lighting up the sky. “It is…” She replied, amazed at its beauty.

“It’s been two thousand years since the day I met Celestia, and refused her friendship.” The dragon said, his gaze still fixed on the sky. “I don’t regret my decision…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I remember that night fondly. I had told you a story that I had not told anyone in so long.

You listened, letting me ramble on about my past, only asking the occasional question.

Perhaps that’s how it began.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

465 views

Previous Chapters