• Published 26th Jan 2016
  • 1,878 Views, 21 Comments

Where Dragons Soar - Kavian Shadow



Spike's love for Rarity knows no bounds. Even when she changes he still loves her, though with her new persona it's more like try. Only after breaking his heart does she see it too.

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Prologue

Prologue

Trees full of blooming buds swayed in the gentle breeze that rolled through the town of Ponyville. Blades of grass in the open plains to the North of the town brushed gently against each other, dust from the dirt paved road billowed about. In the skies above birds sang to one another as they dove around one another in their sacred dance. Spring was in the air, in the very earth itself.

The main road of the town curved away from the center and through the plains until it ended at a massive castle.

Striding along the wide stretch of road, whistling in tune with the birds' chirps, was a lone dragon. All across his back were teardrop shaped amethyst purple scales, while along his underbelly were softer light grass green wide scales. Atop his head was a frill that ran down to the back of his neck, colored a deep forest green. Beneath the frill was a line of dull spikes that were colored the same as his frill. Out of all of these features, it was his eyes that always drew the most attention from his friends and strangers. His eyes were colored a rich, almost pure, emerald green. Anypony who looked into them was instantly mesmerized by the wonder that the drake saw of the world he lived in.

Over the years the drake had grown into a rather fit young drake, his baby pudge morphing into lean muscle. He had finally grown his wings, the muscles of his newer appendages were strong, thanks to all of the training that he did with his friend Rainbow Dash. With his age his height grew as well, standing a few inches taller than Princess Celestia herself.

His body wasn't all that had changed. His heart, if it was all possible, had grown as well, moving farther away from the greed that normal dragons felt. For him the need, or thirst as Twilight had called it, never even came to him anymore.

The drake stopped in his stroll to take in a breath of air, catching with it the sensational scent of sweet treats that were being cooked at the town's premier bakery, Sugarcube Corner. His stomach rumbled as the thought of food crept into his mind. Although he was on a mission, he felt that he could take a few minutes to drop by and have a quick bite.

Upon entering the town, the drake made swift dash towards the bakery, his feet carrying him faster than he intended. His stomach wanted food, and the idea of stopping now seemed more appealing than ever.

Sugarcube Corner was a place of wander, what when you had Pinkie Pie making all of the treats, it was a miracle that the place wasn't a bustling metropolis in itself. The building itself looked like a child's gingerbread house. The bottom of the building was standard wood, having a bright pink front door with a little silver horseshoe hanging above the entryway. Numerous windows looked out upon the empty early morning streets. The roof looked as though it was made out of a pretzel with its dark brown color and white flecks of what he swore time and again was salt, there was a singular tower that rose in the center, wood until it reached the balcony, where it held a cupcake with a single window on top. Atop the cupcake were three violet candles, the flames flickering in the wind, while to the left was a pony weather vein which held a giant candy cane.

It was an impressive structure to be sure, but it never came close to the magnificence of the the castle that he now resided in.

With a sigh, the drake went inside.

Behind the counter was a bright pink mare hard at work, a white apron with a heart across the chest was wrapped around her body as she ran a cloth across the wooden counter. Her cotton candy looking pink mane bounced in place as she worked, humming a tune to herself. Below the counter top was a glass display case, showing off the daily and weekly treats that they had concocted.

“Hey Pinkie Pie.” Along with his body growing, the drake's voice went from that of a child's high pitched to a much deeper, and smoother tone.

“Spikey!” The mare shouted as she jumped across the counter, having to stand on her hind legs to embrace the dragon in a hug. “I've missed you so much!”

“Pinkie Pie, I was only here two days ago.”

“I know! It felt like forever.” Spike smiled warmly at her, his lips curling back to reveal his razor sharp teeth. To any other pony outside of the Crystal Empire or Ponyville, the sight of his teeth would have frightened them, but for Pinkie Pie and the rest of their friends, they knew that he wouldn't ever dare harm them. He loved them too much. “Sooooo... what brings you by?” She asked in a chipper tone.

“Well, I was on my way over to see Rarity this morning to help her get started on her fall line when I caught the scent of sapphires.”

“Oh.... You mean the new doughnut recipe I was trying this morning?” She placed a hoof to her face as she scrunched her eyes at him, checking to see if he was hiding something. “How did you know I was trying a new recipe?”

The drake had to stifle a laugh. “Pinkie Pie, I'm a dragon, I can smell gems from a mile away. Besides, you just told me.”

She gasped loudly as she took a step back. “I know silly filly, I was talking to Gummy.” The drake gave the mare a perplexed expression, then felt something gnawing on his leg. Looking down, he saw her little pet alligator. “There you are Gummy.” Pinkie Pie reached out a hoof and snatched up the little guy, pulling him into a hug. “Momma Pinkie Pie told you to stay in her room. We have guest here.”

In a flash the pink mare was gone, leaving the drake alone to look around the shop. A thin line of saliva had gathered at the corner of his mouth at the scent of sapphires, his stomach begging him to just rush over and take as many of the delectable delicacies that he could get his claws on.

Pinkie Pie had appeared right back behind him seemingly out of nowhere before he could even move. “You wanna try a doughnut?” In all his years with the mane six, he still could never figure out just how Pinkie Pie was, well Pinkie Pie. Around her things never seemed to make sense. Then again, when he was a dragon living among ponies....

“Sure, I'll take one.”

“Okie dokie loki.” With a flash of pink the mare was into the kitchen and back again with the pastry in her hoof, holding out to him. Chunks of sapphires covered the doughnut, some being covered by a glazing that was made up of frosting as ground rubies, the little tiny flecks reflecting the light of the sun through the open window. “Well, go on.” She insisted, holding it closer to him.

“Thank you Pinkie Pie.” The drake took the doughnut, care to not make a mess of everything as he took a bite. Not wanting to waste any more time, the drake took a huge bite, managing to stuff half of the doughnut into his muzzle in one bite. His senses exploded at the flavor. The sapphires tasted like the sweetest candy ever made, coupled with the sweetness of the frosting, it was delicious. “Celestia above Pinkie Pie, this is great. You've really outdone yourself this time.”

“Thanks Spikey. You want another one?”

“I'll take two more if you got them...”

The drake managed to kill a half hour with the pink party mare, managing to eat half a dozen of doughnuts before he was finally able to step away and say no more. After bidding a farewell, and promising to come by later, he left the bakery to resume his trek though town.

By now most of the ponies that lived here were starting to rouse themselves awake. With the weather being so nice, many of the buildings' windows started to open, some ponies watering their flower pots.

In the town square Spike saw one of his friends, Applejack, setting up a wooden stand. Applejack was an orange mare with a long blond mane, the end tied up with a bright red band to keep it from touching the product, or getting in the way. Atop her head was her signature brown stetson, tilted back a little as she worked.

Looking up towards the sun, he knew that he had at least another hour before he had to show up at Rarity's. With a smile, he made his way over to the mare to assist.

The two put the stand up in a matter of minutes, Spike holding up the boards while Applejack hammered them into place. The final piece was the board that went across the top of the stand, going a little too high above for Applejack to reach. She was forced to wait as the drake held up the board, using his tail to hammer the pesky board into place.

“Thank ya kindly fer yer help sugarcube.” The apple mare spoke with a sweet voice, her southern draw only adding to her natural charm. The brown freckles on her face moved up as she smiled, showing off her strangely white teeth.

“Your welcome AJ.” As a reward for his help, she tossed him one of the apples, a bright green granny smith apple, his favorite. “Thanks.” He stood with the mare for a minute, eyeing his apple. “So, how are things with Thunderlane?”

It was no big secret that the mare had started to date a year ago. She was never good at keeping secrets after all, she was the element of honesty. It didn't take long for all of them to figure out who she was dating, and for a time, she seemed happy. But as of lately, she had started to seem more downcast. “Over.” Was all she said, in a bitter tone.

The news shocked the drake. He had thought that maybe he was going to be her very special somepony. To hear that he wasn't upset him, but no more so than her. At a glance, he caught a tear flowing from her eye. Taking a knee so that he could look her in the eyes, he brushed away her tear with his scaled finger. “Don't cry AJ.”

The orange mare turned away from him. “Fella's a genuine varmint.”

Spike grasped a hold of her cheek, turning her to face him. Her beautiful emerald eyes displayed naught but hurt, seeing the tears trying to escape, but she wouldn't let them. “Applejack...” The drake wanted to say something, anything to comfort her, but all he could think about was what he wanted to do to the pegasus the next time that he saw him. “What happened?” It was all he could manage.

“At first... Ah thought he felt somethin' fer me....” Spike could see that she was having a hard time trying to tell him.

“I'm here Applejack,just your best friend Spike.” The dragon enveloped the mare in his arms, to further prove that he was there for her.

“All that no good varmint wanted was Dash.” The drake nearly slammed his tail into the ground at the thought of Rainbow Dash going after the pegasus that Applejack had set her heart on. “When she heard 'bout what all happened, she and Big Mac had a word with him.”

Spike held his laughter at bay as he thought about the 'talk' that the duo had with the pegasus. Somehow, whatever he was thinking of doing seemed pale in comparison to what they had done.

“Applejack.” The drake pulled back to look in her eyes again, this time though, he showed her a smile. “You didn't do anything wrong. He couldn't see what he had right in front of him. You're a wonderful mare, caring, honest, and above all, emotionally strong. You can be a little stubborn sometimes, but that's what makes you... you. There is a special somepony out there for everypony, we just have to find them.”

“When did ya get so wise sugarcube?”

“Picked up a lot from you girls.” They shared a laugh at that. “You gonna be okay?”

“Ya. Don't need to worry about me sugarcube. Ah'll be right as rain.”

“If you ever need to talk, I'm always here.”

“Thank you sugarcube.” With a final hug, the drake left the mare to tend to her stand, knowing that he had somewhere to be.

As he walked on, he couldn't help but think of himself, and what he would do if Rarity ever used him, that is, if he would ask her out. Out of all of the adventures they've been through, all the fears that he had to face, the one that he couldn't face was her. Spilling out his heart to her terrified him, especially now. She had changed so much since she had gotten more clients in Manehatten, spending more time there and Canterlot.

Every time that she went away, it seemed like less of her came back, they had all noticed it, but none of them had said a word to her. They were still clinging to the hope that it was just a phase and that she would snap out of it. He awaited that day, then he could tell her how he truly felt. Every time she returns, its like watching another mare come back. I can't help but think that somewhere out there she is lost, alone, or worse, and this is a changeling coming to take everything from me. He thought.

After what felt like hours, he finally arrived at the Carousel Boutique. It was an elegantly built home, the bottom being colored a dark sky blue, having two massive windows on either side and a violet door in the center. There was a bright white marble archway that housed the door, giving it the appearance of a Victorian era. Above the door was a white sign with a golden yellow ponyquin, above which was a pink heart interwoven with the fleur design. The building grew smaller as it rose into a sort of tower, having a balcony with two carousel ponies on either side, a massive window overlooking the road leading to the building, two smaller ones facing in different directions. It continued up until it came to a gazebo, at the top of which waved a crimson red flag, moving with the wind.

With a shaky breath, the drake stood upon the threshold of the home, debating on whether or not he should knock, or just go in. After a few seconds of debate, he took a deep breath, and prepared himself for whatever happened. His claw grasped the door handle, holding his breath as he stepped inside.

Rarity was as still as a statue as she sat on her specially made wool cushion on the floor, believing that her bottom was too precious to sit on the clean wood. Her eyes looked straight ahead at the blank ponyquin that was before her. All morning she had sat in the same spot, thinking of something, anything, but all that she could see was one thing, an amethyst drake known only as Spike.

For some odd reason, she had another dream about him last night, and it was a rather uncouth dream, but it was wonderful all the same. She has thought about all of the hard work that he had put in to helping her over the years, and she had never really properly repaid him. So this morning she had wanted to make him a new suit, but as she thought about it, she realized that all the measurements that she had were from years ago, she had nothing recent.

This had gotten her thinking about the drake, and how it seemed that over the years he had been more and more distant. It wasn't just him though, it was all of her friends. They never seemed to come around anymore, they didn't seem to invite her out on picnics or to a pet play date anymore. It was like they had forgotten about her. Even Spike seemed to be a less common sight around the boutique.

It was true that it was no big secret how the drake felt for her, he had nearly told her once before, but she already knew. She knew from day one, the way that he looked at her. At the time, she thought it only because of her beauty, that was why she never really thought about him that way. It wasn't until recently that she realized he actually truly loved her for who she was, and she couldn't help but to start feeling the same way.

That was then. Now.... Now she didn't know. He had changed,getting closer to Applejack, and she thought that he was over her. She was still going to be a good friend, but it broke her heart that he would fall for somepony else. There was a small part of her that knew she was being selfish, and not for the right reasons.

The bell downstairs rang as the door swung open, but the mare paid it no mind. She was too lost within herself to even notice that there was somepony there with her. In the back of her mind, she could hear a tiny voice trying to say something to her, but she couldn't quite make out what it was saying.

The door to her second most private room opened, the amethyst drake standing within the doorway, looking at the mare. He felt his heart starting to beat faster as he beheld her pristine and perfectly groomed silvery-white fur, her royal blue mane that was brushed back into ending curls, and her tri-diamond cutie mark. She was the spitting image of natural beauty, except for her face. Even from where he stood looking at the side of her face, he could see that as per the usual as of lately, she overdid it with the make-up. Like all of their friends, he had thought that she was the most beautiful in her natural state, without all of the product.

Hesitantly, the drake strode into the room. “Rarity?” There was no response from the mare, who still hadn't noticed that the drake was there. “Rarity.” He spoke a bit louder, still with no response. He gulped as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

The silvery-white mare launched herself into the air as she screamed at the top of her lungs, not expecting to feel the warm touch of anypony. Her breath came in rapid gasps as she turned to look at who had touched her, feeling a pit of anger starting to build inside of her as she beheld the drake whom she had been thinking of. “Spike! Where are your manners?! You know it's improper to scare a lady such as moi!” She had to place a hoof against her beating heart to help her start breathing normally.

Rarity looked back at the dragon as she got her breathing under control, noticing that he seemed to be shying away from her, like she was going to strike him. Taking a steady breath, managing to get her breathing more regulated, she rose to her hooves. “I'm sorry darling, you just startled me is all.” She spoke with chin held high, nose in the air. “Do be a dear and fetch me a cup of tea.”

Spike grumbled to himself as he turned tail and left the room, heading back down to the kitchen to 'fetch' a cup of tea. It was like she didn't even see him as a friend anymore, just a mindless animal servant. He felt as if he were going to burst at any moment. For over two years he had been waiting for Rarity to return to normal, and although he loved who she used to be, he accepted the fact that she would probably never be the same again.

Rarity felt perplexed as she looked at where the drake had been standing. He hadn't said a word, just walked out of the room. Usually he would say things like 'Yes milady' or 'Yes Rarity', but he uttered any response. It made her think of when he was younger, so eager to please her, so eager to do whatever she wanted just to gain her attention.

Once more she felt a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, something telling her that she was being selfish again, for all the wrong reasons.

The drake was back in a matter of minutes, a fresh hot cup of tea on a plate. Normally this was what she wanted, but he had taken it upon himself to also cut up an apple into slices and place it them around the cup. “What is this?”

“Your tea, with an apple from AJ.”

“Her name, dear, is Applejack. It's most rude to use short names.” She had said the word 'dear' with such distaste that he thought she was going to fly from her cushion and backhoof him. “Those are treated apples I hope.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please stand up properly when you speak to a lady darling.” The distaste for him was growing with each word that she spoke. He could hear it, he could feel it in the air. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he dropped the plate.

Rarity jumped when she heard fine dishware crashing to the floor, her tea spreading across the floor in a puddle, the apples floating in it. “Rarity.” The silvery-white mare was taken aback as the drake clenched his claws into fists, malice lacing her name as he spoke it.

“There's no reason to get mad. You had an accident, just clean it up and fetch me another cup.”

“No.” Spike ground his teeth together as he eyed the mare with hatred. His heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces as he looked at the mare who was clearly not Rarity, a false ghost in the shell of the mare that he loved.

The mare rose from her cushion and glared back at the dragon, keeping her head held high as she did. “Well, I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you insist on being barbaric, then I guess I was right. You have changed for the worst darling.”

That was the final lash against the beast. He fought to control his rage as he spoke in bitter hatred to the mare. “No Rarity, you have changed.” Tears started to come to the drake's eyes as he felt the burning sensation of his heart being ripped from his chest. “All I've ever done, all that we have ever done, is love you! I love you Rarity, but I guess that doesn't mean anything to you!” The drake roared as he swung a fist out, missing the mare and hitting a mirror that was beside of her ponyquin.

Glass shattered around his fist, some getting lodged in the knuckles between his fingers. “Well I never...” She began.

“No, you don't get to talk! Shut up and listen!” His back was to her as he spoke, each word was laced with pure venom, all of his hatred coming forth. “You are not the mare that I love. Not anymore! I don't know what the buck happened to you....” He couldn't finish, all of the pain was becoming too much for him to bear. “Buck you Rarity!” He screamed as he looked up to the window a few feet in front of him.

The silvery-white mare watched as the dragon took a single step forward, looking out the window across Ponyville. In the reflection of the window she could see the tears running down his face, she could see the pain in his eyes, and when she looked closely, she could see that he was looking back into her eyes, looking past her facade and into her very soul. His anger had vanished, replaced now only by pain.

“I loved you.” It was the last thing she heard him say as he jumped through the window, glass shattering as he dove in. She screamed as she ran to what remained of her window, looking out to see the drake soaring away through Ponyville.

Her own anger had yet to subside, but it was dissipating as the realization of what he did dawned on her. Sighing, she used her blue aura of magic to pick up a dustpan and broom from the supply closet in the room, starting to sweep up the shards of glass.

As the mare worked she kept replaying the scene over in her head, listening intently to each word that was said, each move that was made. When he swung, he had missed her on purpose. Even in his rage he could not bring himself to harm her, it was against his nature, his morals, his code.

Rarity paused as she came across a shard of glass, looking into her broken reflection and seeing all of the make-up on her face, the way that she was holding her head high even when she was cleaning. Realization struck her like a lightening bolt, she had become what she never wanted to be. She had become a Canterlot Elite Snob, she was the very thing that she hated the most. Everything that she had done, everything that she had said, it wasn't really her. It was this false image, this facade that she had tried to pass off as herself.

Pain wracked her heart as she finally knew what Spike was feeling. Here she was, happiness in front of her, and she had spat on it. No, she had done worse than that. She had said that happiness for him, for her, for all of their friends, was meaningless. She had done the one thing that she had always feared the Elite would do, she abandoned them.

A deafening scream echoed through her home, and it took her a moment to realize she was the one who made it. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes, her make-up smearing all over her face as she cried her heart out. She fell to the floor, tightening into a ball as the pain overwhelmed her. It was never his fault, it was hers.

A bright, blinding light encompassed the room. It went from white to purple in the fraction of a second before it was gone. In its place stood two mares, neither of which were pleased to see the mare. Neither one felt sorry for her. She could see it in their eyes.

On the left stood Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship. Her beautiful lavender coat shone as she stood tall and regal, the crown upon her head as she looked down at the silvery-white mare. Her wings were folded upon her back, her mane side swept and, soaked oddly.

Beside of Twilight was Applejack, the fur on her chest and neck matted down with moisture as well.

It was Twilight who finally broke the silence in the room. “Rarity...” She began. The lavender princess was too angry to speak, to hurt by her adoptive younger brother's pain to say anything. She was so angry, but at the same time she was hurting so much.

“Don't ya ever go near him again.” Was all that Applejack had to say. There was more rage within her than Rarity had ever seen before, and she knew that she was the cause of it.

“Applejack please....” The silvery-white mare gasped as she rubbed her cheek, feeling the sore flesh beneath her beautiful coat of fur. As she looked, Twilight was drawing back her hoof from where she had smacked her. “Twilight I...”

There was another loud smack as Applejack struck her now, more forceful that Twilight had,and it sent the mare back to the floor, where she cried even harder now. “The others don't know about this yet. I doubt any of them will want to see you after what you have done. Look at you Rarity, look at what you have become.” Twilight turned away from the mare, as did Applejack. “I hope your finally happy Rarity, I hope that all of your dreams have come true. As far as we are concerned, don't ever speak to us again.”

There was a raging inferno in the eyes of the princess as she looked at the mare that she had once called friend, one of the first mares she had ever had over for a sleepover all those years ago. There was pain twinkling in the middle of the inferno. It seemed to be gnawing at the lavender alicorn as she glared at the mare, holding back from both crying, and tearing her apart.

In the blink of an eye, the princess turned away from the crumpled mess of the silvery-white mare and vanished with her orange companion, never wanting to see her again.

She was all alone now. Her younger sister, who loved her dearly, had taken to staying with their parents or at Sweet Apple Acres with her best friend. The little filly was too afraid of her sister to stay around, too afraid that the sister she loved was gone from her life forever. She hadn't seen the little filly in nearly a year now. She hadn't understood why, until today, until what Spike had said to her.

She could feel the guilt of it all gnawing at her soul like a rabid beast, tearing her apart one little piece at a time. The years of her going to Canterlot, to Manehatten, the endless months of working herself to the very bone to complete her orders and making herself look, act, and feel like one of the elite, it all came rushing back. The very ponies and friends she should have kept close, she had pushed away, and the ponies that claimed to be her friends, had always kept her at arms length.

A deep chasm of emptiness weighed her down, an unending sea of doubt and horror crashed upon her heart, shattering it into millions of tiny pieces. She was alone in the world now, nobody to love, and nobody to love her in turn. What had she done? Who had she become?

Go. A voice whispered to her. It was the same voice that she had been hearing for years, ever since she started her en devour to impress the elite. She had forsaken it, thinking that it only wanted to bring her despair. She realized that it her own conscious, trying to protect her, and she had ignored it.

A sense of warmth washed over her as she embraced the voice, feeling its soothing presence return to her after all these years. It was strangely comforting as she welcomed it back. Go, it whispered again.

“Go where?” She whispered back to the air around her. She didn't understand what the voice was trying to tell her. It had wanted her to go, but to where was a mystery.

Go away. At first she was still perplexed as to what it was saying, but as she looked back out over the fields beyond Ponyville, she realized what it meant. She had to leave, forsake everything. She didn't know where she was to go, just that she didn't need to stay here anymore. News of Spike's broken heart would travel quickly, and when it did, she feared of what would come.

Casting her gaze from the fields to the distant horizon, she finally understood one clear thing, she was alone in her venture. None of her friends would stop her, none of her friends would help her, they had all left her, if not now, then when they heard of what she had done to Spike. For the first time in as many years, she felt her heart swell with love thinking about the drake.

As much as she wanted to admit it, she had to leave for him just as much as she did herself. In her heart she knew that nothing would ever be the same between them, between their friends, but if she could fix it all by leaving, then she would. No matter how long it took, she was going to make things right. “For all of us Spikey-Wikey....”

Author's Note:

Took me a while to finally getting around to rewriting this, but please do the usual, read, review, criticize.