Blood Ties

by bestponydash

Old Friends, New Friends

"Now, tell me your name." The elderly earth pony, who featured greyed hair and a wrinkled blue coat, sat at his dining table across from Spike. The dragon looked around nervously at the strange apartment.

"I'm Spike."

The old stallion gasped, "Not the Spike, Princess Twilight's friend?" Spike looked at the ground and said nothing. His host watched as he held back his emotions. "Ah, I see; something has happened. Between you and the princess?"

Spike wiped his face, "You could say that."

"Care to tell me about it? It might help if you express your problems openly. And perhaps I can be of assistance as well."

Spike looked at the pony, he was smiling gently and seemed genuine, but the dragon hesitated for what he had learned was big news for anypony. What if the story spread? Yet, his heart yearned for help and his spirit felt fractured. "I don't know if I should say."

"Well, that's completely up to you."

He looked around again and rubbed his claws together, "You may not believe me."

The pony leaned in, "Try me." He did not break eye contact for several seconds.

Eventually, Spike gave in, "[sigh] Okay." He told this stranger his tale from beginning to end, leaving out no detail and sparing no emotional response. It had taken some time but once he had finished, Spike leaned back in his chair and took a breath. "So?" he said.

The pony put a hoof to his chin, "Hmmm," he expressed to himself, thinking. "A peculiar situation indeed."

"What should I do?"

He took a deep breath, "What do you want to do?"

Spike's face softened, "I want to go to Twilight and apologize for running away; I want to forget I ever heard any of this."

"So why don't you go to her?"

"I...can't. I don't know why but I just can't; not right now." Spike closed his eyes.

The pony put his hoof on Spike's shoulder, "No matter how hard we may wish it sometimes, we cannot forget what we know. We must face the truth and come up with a plan for how to deal with it."

"A plan?"

"Yes. You wish to be with your friend, the princess, yes?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"But deep down you know you cannot simply ignore these things Princess Celestia has done."

"....Y-Yes."

He raised his hoof, having received an epiphany. "So, here is what I think you should do." Spike sat up and listened to every word the old stallion had to say and afterwards, had made his decision.

"I don't see any other way," said the dragon.

"Good. Now, we shouldn't delay too long or you will miss your chance. Tonight you will start down this path you have chosen."

Spike knew now that he had to do what he had to do, but one thing jumped into his mind after all that had been said. "Wait, after everything i've just told you, you don't seem that surprised o-or confused."

The pony pushed his chair back and stood up, "Let's just say that I am known for my open mind."

But this answer did little to satisfy Spike's curiosity, "Who are you?"

---

The day was progressing fast and Twilight and the rest of the mane six still had no clue as to Spike's whereabouts. They searched high and low throughout the castle, but he was not there. By now, Twilight knew for certain that Spike had learned some version of what she knew and could only guess how he reacted; although it was pretty clear he did not take it well. She paced back and forth in the guest room with her friends, "I should've told him everything as soon as I learned the truth. I should've taken him with me to the dungeons, the castle of the two sisters. He deserved to hear it from me, not from an old book."

Her friends tried their best to console her, "It'll be okay, sugarcube. We'll find Spike and explain this whole thing. He'll understand if it comes from you," said AJ.

Twilight continued pacing, "What if it's too late for that? When Princess Luna wrote in her journal, she didn't know everything; Celestia's reasoning for doing what she did. She would have been confused, sad, angry. Now because Spike read her Journal, he probably feels the same way. What if he doesn't forgive me for keeping him in the dark too long?"

"Listen to yourself, Twilight. This is Spike we're talking about; you two could never be separated," Rainbow reassured.

"This is different...this is bigger," she stopped pacing, "I've got to find him now! We haven't searched the rest of the city yet; even if he's not in the castle, he's probably still in Canterlot. I won't stop looking until I find him." The rest of the mane six agreed to help search the city along with the princess. For hours they went from door to door, checking shops, houses, alleys, and every crevice large enough for a small dragon to fit into. Eventually, the day's light began to fade and the six became desperate and afraid for their little companion.

---

"The time is nearly upon us, my little dragon friend. Are you ready?"

Spike took a deep breath and stepped with his old host toward the front door of his apartment. He tried to calm his mind, "I'm as ready as I'll get."

He chuckled, "Good, let us-[knock knock knock] huh?" He looked through his peephole to see who visited him at this hour. "It is the princess and her friends," he whispered to Spike.

"Really?!" The dragon put his claws together and bit his lip, "...Open the door."

"Go hide first," he beckoned as Twilight knocked again.

Spike's resolve faded quickly with his friends so close, "What? No, forget this plan, let them in."

The stranger looked to the door and back at the dragon, "Do not give up so easily, Spike. If you go with them, you will never get what is due to you. You still do not know everything, as you have told me; don't waste your only opportunity to get the truth, to get justice."

Spike inched closer to the door, claw outreached, "But...B-" Spike lowered his arm and ran behind a nearby wall.

The earth pony nodded and answered the door, "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you so late, sir, but have you by chance seen a small dragon somewhere in the city. Spike is his name."

"You are princess Twilight aren't you."

"Well, yes, but that's not the point right now. I need to find Spike."

"Oh, I am sorry, Princess. I would tell you where he is if I knew."

Twilight sank down a few inches, "Are you sure you haven't seen him? Please think."

"I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I have not."

Twilight sighed as did the rest of the mane six. "Sorry to bother you," she said as she turned to go.

The stallion closed the door and turned back to Spike. "They are leaving."

Spike came out of hiding and ran to look through the door's peephole; he watched his friends move away. "I shouldn't have done that! I should've gone with them!"

The pony put a hoof on his shoulder, "It is done and now we have to go; the time has come to put the plan into action." Spike looked to the pony, frustrated, but he made the decision to keep going, thinking to himself it was a mistake. He followed his new friend out of the apartment and into the night, his face low with anger towards himself.

They made their way through the city until the castle gates were in front of them. Spike led the way up to the guards, "Halt, who...Spike? Everypony's been looking for you; where have you been?" asked the pony on duty.

Spike hid his emotions to speak clearly, "I've been around the city. I know I should have told somepony where I was going, but there was no time." The guard seemed to be fooled by his explanation. "This," he gestured back, "is a friend of mind, we need to get back into the castle."

The guards nodded, not questioning the honesty of the dragon. "We'll let Princess Twilight and the others know you're here when we see them again," and they let the two pass.

They made their way inside and into the empty throne room. "Okay," Spike said, "This is the last place I saw him. I don't know where they took him from here."

The elderly stranger looked around for a few seconds, "Hmm? Perhaps...this way, " he pointed to a large set of doors which hid a long hallway behind them. The two trekked onward, eventually making their way to a set of locked double doors that seemed rather menacing but strangely enough were not guarded. "I have a feeling that which we seek is in here."

Spike looked up at the pony, "How do you know that?"

He put his hoof on the lock, "I don't know for sure, but I have my suspicions." Once again, Spike's wonder was not satisfied. The pony felt out the mechanism, "I think I can open it, I just need to... what is that?"

"What?"

He looked down the hallway, "Do you not hear that?"

Spike followed his gaze and listened carefully, "...No."

"I think somepony is coming." Spike took a few steps away from the door to look but after a bit, had seen no one. "Nevermind, I think I got it."

Spike heard a loud click and the doors suddenly creaked open before him. "What? How did you...I didn't even see a lockpick."

But the pony brushed him off, "Do not worry about that, focus on the task at hoof." Spike's suspicions grew.

As the two entered the room, they could see all manner of artifacts, magical items, and of course their goal: the petrified Lennox. They approached the statue and the pony put his hoof to it, he seemed to be reflecting. Spike watched on in confusion as the old stallion began to chuckle and turned to face him. "Now, my little friend, I will show you something amazing."

"What do you-" Before Spike could finish, the elderly earth pony he had befriended suddenly became engulfed in a sort of flame, covering his body from head to hoof in a bright orange glow. Spike raised his arms to block the heat and the light. When the fire had lowered and simmered out, the pony that stood before him was a young, fit unicorn with a red coat and orange mane; he opened his eyes to reveal two glowing yellow orbs much like the ones Lennox himself sported. Spike took several steps back, "Y-You're..some sort of...changeling."

The unicorn took a deep breath, "No, my friend. Much more like...a phoenix being reborn from the flame; so too am I able to be reborn as someone new."

Spike had had enough of this mystery, "Who are you, how did you know where to find me in the city and this door? You knew this was where they would bring Lennox, didn't you. Did you just use me to get passed the guards? Tell me!"

"I have had many names, call me what you like. But know that our goals do align; I would not be so cruel as to simply use you. Now, enough of this, we still have work to do."

Spike wanted more than ever to escape this complicated puzzle of a situation and go back to the way things were before, but it was too late for that now. This Phoenix figure lit up his horn and touched it to Lennox's frozen body. The statue shook and cracked from the magic; soon, pieces of stone began flying away. More and more brown fur being revealed until Lennox was finally restored to flesh fully. His eyes were closed as he fell to the ground, his body still awakening. Spike and the Phoenix stepped closer, waiting. Suddenly, Lennox began taking in heaps of air and his eyes flew open; he looked around, "Where?...Where am I?" He noticed Spike, "You?...You saved me?"

Spike became even more nervous as he wondered if he had just made a most terrible mistake. Lennox then turned his attention to the new face. "Who are you?"

The phoenix offered a hoof and helped Lennox up, wobbling. "I am a friend and I know your cause."

The scared unicorn looked to Spike for confirmation but he offered little. He cleared his throat, "Very well, What is our next move?"

"We need to get out of Canterlot and formulate a plan to take the princesses by surprise."

Lennox thought, beginning to recover from the de-solidification process. "We could try one of my old outposts in the dragon territories. Though, I am not sure it still stands after all this time."

"That will do nicely."

"Stop!" Spike yelled, interrupting the two ponies' talk of battle strategy. "Enough of this, we aren't going to hurt anypony! I-I don't want to be a part of this anymore."

"Spike," said Lennox, "You have come this far, which tells me you have found at least some part of the truth. You cannot simply turn back now and forget all of this." Spike looked at the two menacing unicorns before him, his eyes trembled as he saw now means of escape.

"Spike!" The dragon zoomed his head around at the sound of his name. The mane six stood in the hallway behind him.

"Twilight!"

She stepped forward, "The guards at the front gate told us you came back. We heard you scream." It was then that Lennox and the Phoenix stepped into view. Twilight's ears lowered in shock and fear as did Spike's eyes, but out of guilt and shame instead. "Spike, get behind me," commanded Twilight.

Spike instantly took a step forward but was stopped by Lennox's hoof. "Don't," he said.

"Let him go, now!" the princess ordered.

"I am trying to help him," Lennox pleaded with Twilight.

At this point the two sister princesses entered the scene, following the noise of commotion. They too, gasped at the sight of Lennox reanimated and this new figure beside him. "How did you get free? Who opened this door; it was supposed to be impenetrable without the key," Celestia asked in panic.

But Twilight was too busy arguing with Lennox to acknowledge the other princesses. "You want to use him. I tried to tell you the truth, but you were too stubborn to listen to reason."

"The truth?! You said you and your friends fulfilled the prophecy, yes? Well, if I am to believe in your view of the elements, the prophecy states that they will choose ponies to uphold their values and spread harmony throughout the land. Tell me, Princess Twilight, do you truly believe that these same elements would force the eggnapping of a baby dragon? Does that sound like harmony to you?" Twilight paused at his words. "Your reasoning to defend her," Lennox pointed to Celestia, "is just a rough theory. You must accept the possibility that your theory is wrong and Celestia made everything in that book up to justify her selfish act of tyranny."

"Princess Celestia is no Tyrant!"

"No? Than let her defend herself now," he turned to the princess of the sun, "Tell us why you have done this horrible thing." The room fell silent as everypony looked to Celestia to answer. But the princess said nothing, she put her hoof up to her mouth but could not speak. Lennox chuckled, "Yes, a very convincing answer indeed."

"You don't understand, she must still be-"

"Under that spell the elements cast on her. Be realistic, Twilight, she stays quiet because she knows there is no justifiable reason for her acts...[sigh] I do not wish to be your enemy, you can still make the right choice here."

"Don't listen to him!" shouted Dash.

"Twilight," Spike said softly.

The princess looked to her first true friend and smiled, "Don't worry, you're gonna be okay."

Spike pushed Lennox's hoof aside and took another step toward Twilight. "Spike," said Lennox, "You must now choose," he looked to Luna, "...as must you, my dear. You can choose to live a lie for the rest of your days, or accept reality." Spike's face became wet with tears. "Come with me; I will show both of you where all of this began. Together we will uncover everything and finally change this world for the better."

"Do not ask this of me," said Luna, "Do not follow this path. Simply stop fighting and we can be together, here."

"Is that a no?"

"......."

Lennox creased his brow, "I see; so my love abandons me a third time...very well."

He turned to Spike next. "I cannot go...without Twilight," the dragon said.

Twilight was shocked, "Spike," she softly said.

Lennox nodded, "Then Twilight may come if she wishes, but if she does not, you must be able to move on and come to terms with the fact that she values Celestia over you." He spoke more to himself than to Spike.

"That is not true." Twilight's eyes became misty as she spoke to Spike.

"Then prove it and join us," Lennox offered.

Twilight looked to everypony and then to Spike; desperation filled her mind as she feared to lose her friend forever. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she lifted her hoof. Spike took a step towards her once again. The two of them each began to outstretch a hoof and claw. They almost touch, "I'm sorry for everything," Spike said.

Twilight was about to speak when suddenly, "Enough of this!" Rainbow Dash flew forward, charging at Lennox in an effort to spare her friends. Spike took the opportunity as Dash was just about to tackle the unicorn to the ground to try and make a run to the embrace of his friends, but the Phoenix jumped between him and Dash with an ominous smile. He lit up his horn and a great eruption of smoke exploded, sending Dash into the dark room in front of her. She crashed into a few tables of artifacts. When the dust cleared, everypony looked around to find Spike and the two unicorns. But the room was empty, they had escaped.

Author's Note:

Opinions in the comments

Comments

[ShadowXper]

I think this might need a sad tag

[fanreader999999]

Godpowers everywhere.

[diablo4000]

The elements of harmony or disharmony. i jsut don;t see why the Elements would wind up starting a war in sucha way to start things off like they did.

Makes no sense.

[spike2000]

MORE!!!

[RadicalDishonesty]

Well, Lennox continues to act like a manipulative slimeball. "You've already come this far, the only option is to 100% agree with me and leave! There is nothing else!"

And the new stallion manipulating Spike...

And the constant insistence you must be on his side or nothing can be accomplished.