Broken: Life

by Knackerman

From Earth

Though the Dragon Land's were distant from Ponyville, it wasn't far as the dragon flies. It wasn't long before forests and fields gave way to sage and scrub land. Then even that vegetation faded away into stunted trees and thorn bushes, before crumbling into desert cliffs and distant mesas.

The smell of salt from the nearby sea mixed with the brimstone stench of this volcanic land on the very edge of Equestria. Nearby, geysers shot a super heated water and steam into the air, mixing with the smoke of volcanic vents to form a thick cloud cover over all of the land. Ember dipped down through the thick clouds, flying low over her homeland. Though Spike didn't want to admit it, there was something about the land that felt familiar... That felt like home even to him. This despite the only home he'd ever really known being among ponies, at Twilight Sparkle's side.

Spike had very little time to contemplate this, as they seemed to quickly arrive at their destination. As Ember landed heavily next to a cavern entrance, Spike quickly hopped out of her arms. He smiled sheepishly, blushing somewhat as he said, "Thanks for the lift! I guess..."

"Nonsense," was Embers reply, though there was a hint of rosiness about her cheeks. "Think nothing of it! You don't have wings of your own. The fastest way for us to get here was for me to carry you."

"So, is this the entrance to the Council of Age's chamber?" asked Spike, quickly changing the subject. "I had kind of expected it to be more, you know, grand from the way you had described it."

"Oh no, this is just the entrance to Down Town. We still have a ways to go before we'll reach the Halls of the Ancients," replied Ember, as she stalked towards the cavern. She motioned for Spike to follow. "You'll see what I mean in a moment."

Though the entrance was wide, it swiftly narrowed into several smaller passages as Spike followed Ember into the cavern. The temperature quickly dropped as they moved deeper into the bowels of the earth, but then rose again sharply as they entered what looked like a long arched hallway. Sconces on the walls provided fitful illumination from glowing red crystals. It wasn't enough to truly chase away the shadows that danced and shifted somewhat eerily in the caverns silence, but it was more than enough light to see by. Vents, that seemed to be carved into the stone rather than occurring naturally, allowed heat to rise from lava chambers far below. The feeling was pleasnt for a dragon, though it might have been a little much for any other creature.

The ever present drip of water, and the distant roar of the sea kept the silence of the cavern from being too oppressive. Even so, Spike made sure to follow close by Ember's side. It wasn't that he was scared exactly, but he didn't like the idea of losing sight of her and getting lost down here. It was strange though. The further down they went the more at ease Spike felt.

It wasn't long before the chambers grew larger, with massive and ornate rock formations that helped take Spike's mind off of his worries. The stalactites and stalagmites here were truly impressive, stretching all the way from a ceiling so distant it was lost in shadow, down to depths Spike could just barely make out. It was like he was looking at the columns that supported the world. And the crystals! It was almost as if he was back in the Crystal Empire. Their presence was probably a large part of why Spike found himself more at ease, their multicolored and multifaceted stones glowed with an inner fire that sent light scintillating off of the wet cavern stones. Spike never thought that he'd see a rainbow underground, but as they moved through the crystal studded halls, he felt as if he was walking through one. Spike wondered if any pony had ever seen anything like this. The scenery beneath the Dragon Lands was truly breath taking.

"You'll have to forgive me Spike," confided Ember. She hadn't spoken for some time, and it seemed she had something on her mind. "I didn't mean to cause so much fuss back in Ponyville. I want to make things right between us. While it is pressing that we get back to the Halls of the Ancients as soon as possible, it seemed wrong for me to just bring you down here to suit my needs. That's why we... kind of ended up taking the scenic route. I wanted to show you something that you probably had never had the chance to see before. I hope you're not mad."

"Why would I be mad? This place is beautiful!" replied Spike. "I'm a little confused though. Where exactly are we?"

"Oh, you haven't figured it out yet?" asked Ember teasingly. "I suppose for a dragon who's lived with ponies all his life, it would be kind of hard to tell. Still, that's why we're here. Step right this way then, and all will be revealed!" The flare for the dramatic Ember was showing wasn't like her at all. It was clear she was having a bit of fun at Spike's expense, even if she was doing it by way of apology.

As Spike stepped up to join Ember, he realized they were poised upon a great precipice. A long ledge spread out in either direction as far as the eye could see, curving slightly like the edge of a bowl. What spread out, filling a large basin bellow made Spike's eyes widen in shock.

There was something that had always sort of bothered Spike. Every time he'd met a dragon in its own lair, they were always living in a cave far off away from everyone else, all on their own. Dragons rarely seemed to get together, save during big events like the Great Migration. He also knew that a dragons diet consisted largely of gems, so it made sense for them to make their homes underground away from anyone else they might have to compete with for food, but it was odd to Spike how solitary a dragons life seemed to be. Maybe it was just because he had been raised by ponies, but he couldn't imagine a life on his own without his many friends.

The scene that now revealed itself to Spike, made him realize that all of those lairs he'd seen before were just temporary shelters. The dragon equivalent of a tent in the wilderness.

What stretched across the cavern floor wasn't anything that Spike had ever expected to see. A dragon city. It sprawled across the cavern, reaching up the sides of the deep basin. Buildings, rough carved from stone and crystal, shone in the soft glow of flows of lava that welled up from the cavernous depths below, and drizzled down from unseen chambers above. The entire city was awash with flame and smoke, yet it seemed that this was a perfectly natural state to find a dragon city to be in. Spike could see dragons of all shapes and sizes bustling about their business far below, or soaring above as they flew back and forth to edifices built into the sides of the cavernous chamber. Like the crystals that grew from every surface, the dragons seemed to glow with an inner fire that illuminated their scales.

As Spike looked down at his own claws, he realized he was glowing with an inner light as well, not unlike the one that had suffused him when former Dragon Lord Torch had issued his summons. Ember was glowing as well, though that was at least partially due to the smile she wore as she beheld the look of wonder on Spike's face.

Spike realized that the roar he'd taken to be the surf of the nearby sea was actually welling up from the city below. There were probably more dragons here than he had seen in the Great Dragon Migration or the Gauntlet of Fire combined! "So many! I never knew that so many dragons could live together in one place like this."

"Many of them don't," confessed Ember. "Down Town is a city born of necessity. When dragons grow too old or weak to make their way in the world on their own, they band together here for protection and warmth. Many mothers come here to hatch their first clutch in safety and peace, while many elders find respite for their aches and pains in the lava baths that well up from the volcanic caldera that sits beneath this cavern." Ember scooped up Spike unexpectedly, and jumped over the ledge, her wings popping open as the pair glided over the city. Ember barely needed to flap a wing, the warm updrafts from the city below were more than enough to keep her aloft. "Over time, the city became a hub for diplomacy and trade. Many dragons journey here to buy and sell rare gems and precious metals, while others make a living here over seeing such barter and trade as passes into Down Town. It has long been the Dragon Lord's responsibility to not only preside over this trade and to see that Dragon Law is enforced, but also to protect the weak and elderly that shelter here. Every dragon you see, from the smallest hatchling to the largest ancient, I am responsible for."

"Wow, that's got to be a lot of pressure," remarked Spike, as he squirmed in her grip to get a better look down at the draconic city.

"Yes, it can be. The role of Dragon Lord is burdensome at times," Ember admitted, adjusting her grip on the smaller dragon to make sure he didn't fall. "But it is a role that I asked for, that I actively sought. I do understand your fear of your powers Spike, and I feel as though I might have failed you in some way. I was too excited about becoming the new Dragon Lord the last time we met that I didn't really think about what it truly meant when you had handed the Bloodstone Scepter to me so causally. I should have known that the power of the Dragon Lord would not pass from you so easily. It's my fault that things have come to this."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I don't think anyone is going to blame you for not foreseeing something like this." reassured Spike. "Besides, it was my fault for butting into a competition I didn't really understand. I didn't even really know what was at stake. I was just caught up in worrying about what might happen to my friends if a dragon like Garble was the next Dragon Lord. I never thought about the job being the Dragon Lord might actually involve."

"Well, to be fair, Garble was kind of a jerk," acknowledged Ember with a giggle, "Still is. He wasn't very happy about having to hug every dragon he saw on the way home and not tell them why. I laughed about it at the time, but I think you may have made an enemy for life by doing that."

"Pfft, nothing new there," said Spike dismissively. "Garble always had a problem with me. I guess because I'm so small compared to most other dragons. It was kind of awesome getting to boss him around. Wish that was something I could still do. That was one power of the Dragon Lord I wouldn't mind keeping!"

"It's difficult to compel dragons to do as you say without holding the Bloodstone Scepter," Ember pointed out as they landed some distance from the dragon city in the mouth of a nearby cave. She set Spike down on the ground before giving him a teasing smile, "I think if you want to give up the powers you still have, you'll need to give them all up."

"Hey, can't blame a guy for wishing. Or a dragon for being a little greedy from time to time," Spike turned to the entrance of a nearby cave mouth and stopped in his tracks. It was an almost sheer drop into a light-less pit far below. "Whoa... uh, Ember, are you sure this is the right way?"

"The Hall of Ancients is well guarded. I'm afraid that if you thought the Gauntlet of Fire was a challenge, you may find the trials that lay ahead to be somewhat difficult." She gave Spike a reassuring grin. "But I'll be with you, and I've passed through the trials before. Just stick close to me and everything will be fine!" With that, Princess Ember sat on the edge of the ledge, and patted one claw on her lap. Spike hesitated for a moment. It was one thing to be carried in ember's arms, but actually sitting on her lap seemed kind of... forward. Ember just rolled her eyes and grabbed the baby dragon, setting him down on her thighs. "Now, hold on tight to my armor. This part can be a little bumpy."

With only that for a warning, Ember pushed off from the ledge and slid down the almost vertical shaft into the darkness below. Spike's terrified scream almost, but not quiet, drowned out the squeal of excitement from Ember as they plummeted into the unknown.

---

"Alright, now that is just far too dangerous! We should grab him and take him home now," said one stalagmite to another.

The other cone of rock produced a white hoof that waved dismissively, "You need to relax dear. You forget that Ember has wings. Spike's in no more danger from falling into a pit than if he was with Rainbow Dash herself. Although I admit it's somewhat reckless, I'm sure he's still perfectly safe."

The first stalagmite seemed to visibly deflate. Starlight Glimmer's face peaked out from a hole in the side of her disguise. "Well what about all the lava and other dragons? This isn't a safe place, even regardless of the company Spike is in."

"You're right, this is not a safe place," admitted Rarity as she stuck her face out of her own disguise. "For a pony. Spike is a dragon. He can swim in lava and not singe a single scale, and he's handled himself rather admirably with other dragons in the past. I swear Starlight, I'm beginning to think you worry more than Twilight." Rarity paused to study Starlight's face and almost audible 'tsk'd' at what she saw, "All that worrying is bad for your complexion, you know. It causes wrinkles."

"I don't think now is really the time for beauty advise, do you Rarity?" asked Starlight with a somewhat offended look, though not necessarily over the beauty tips. It was true that Spike was probably in much less danger than the pair of unicorn's that were meant to be his guardians. That didn't mean she had to like it, or even admit to it. "We have more pressing issues. Like how are we going to follow them now? It sounds like there might be a lot of traps waiting for us up ahead."

"Oh that parts easy darling! The same way Twilight and I kept up with them last time. Spike always carries a small amount of gems on himself for snacking purposes. I'll track those gems and you will teleport us to his current location." She grinned confidently before secreting herself back in her stalagmite costume. "It's as simple as that."

"Rarity... do you ever wonder where Spike's keeps those gems he snacks on?" Starlight wondered aloud as she slid back inside her own disguise. "I mean it's not exactly like he wears pants, so he shouldn't have any pockets."

"I try not to dwell on such things dear," confided Rarity, "It's better to just focus on the task at hand. Shall we?"

There was a glow from both 'stalagmites' as the unicorn's used their magic and individual talents. In a flash they were gone. Unbeknownst to them, however, neither their departure nor their prior conversation had gone unnoticed.

"So... Little Spikey-Wikey returns huh?" A masculine laugh was joined by the somewhat stupider laughter of several other voices, "Hey! Shut up! Only I get to laugh menacingly!" chided Garble as his gang of punk dragons cringed before their leader. "If that runts not hiding behind his pony friends skirts, then that means it's time to take a little bit of old fashioned revenge." He laughed in a way that he thought was menacing, but honestly it was about as goofy as his friends.

They were just too scared to point it out.