A Bridge Between Brothers

by Rammy

The Manipulator

ബഐബഐബഐ Spike ബഐബഐബഐ

"What the...!" I sputtered as I was rudely woken up by a bucket of ice cold water.

"Spike, language." Twilight warned me, a piece of soap joining the the bucket she had used to wake me up in her aura.

"Sorry Twi." I apologized quickly. I don't want that punishment again. The last time she did that Celestia had decided to send a letter at the exact same time. Soap and dragon fire shutter.

Now that I was awake I looked around to see that we were still in Celestia's quarters, the room back in order. Celestia and Princess Luna were whispering to each other over by the balcony doors and Garble was pacing on the other side of the room near the doors to the castle. Garble looked absolutely terrified by the way he was wringing tail in his hands. What happened? The last thing I remember was Dragon Lord Torch dismissing my outburst before... I shuttered violently at the memory of his eyes... It made fiery Twilight look happy.

"War as been declared on us." Princess Luna explained. Celestia glared at Princess Luna for a second. It seems then that the two sisters were not in agreement on this.

"Why?" Twilight asked. I narrowed my eyes as I saw Celestia avoiding meeting either of our gaze. There she goes again. She is hiding again. I saw it with H.K. and again with Torch. What did she do this time?!

"There was a treaty, or Oaths to the dragons, between Equestria and the Wasteland Dragons. It was created in hopes to foster peace and understanding between our races. There are three parts to it. The first was a dragon egg was to be given to our care to be hatched, if possible..."

I looked down and burst into tears. It was worse then I had been told... I see why Celestia now said I was orphaned she didn't want me to know that I was given away that I was essentially abandoned. I was so distraught that I missed a question that Twilight had made. I looked up when Twilight put a comforting hoof on my back.

"There is a quirk in hatching a dragon egg... Until you were hatched it was thought that only a parent could hatch a dragon. Your egg, Spike," Luna walked over and knelt down and gave me a wing hug, "was given to us because you were orphaned..."

"So..." I sniffed, wiping away my tears. "I wasn't abandoned?"

"No, my young dragon." Luna smiled as she rose back up to her full height.

"However..." My rising spirit took a nose dive at that word. Luna expression turned dark when she glanced at Celestia. "When you were hatched you were supposed to be returned to your family..."

"What!?!" Twilight and I exclaimed. I could see that even Garble was shocked.

"Why would you take Spike away from his family!?" Twilight advanced on Celestia with every word. Celestia was so shocked that she actually stepped back. "What possible reason would you do that!?"

I wanted to know myself. My anger towards Celestia increasing.

"As I said before purpose of the treaty was to foster understanding in hopes that one day that ponies and dragons could get along or at least not antagonize each other... The third part of the treaty was that a pony volunteered to be adopted by the dragons and live out their days as a dragon never to return to the ways of ponies..."

"I see... If a pony learned the way of dragon that pony could explain the dragon culture to other ponies much more easily then a dragon could, given that most ponies instincts would scream at them to run away from 'big scaly monster predator.'"

"Exactly.' Celestia warmly smiled at Twilight. I understood that problem first hand... If it wasn't for the fact that everypony knew me so well and liked me so well along with Twilight's explanation about dragon greed I'm sure that I would have never been accepted back among the ponies... well mostly... there are a few jerks that still have problems with me... "The problem with this was its not the same in the other direction so I demanded that Twilight be your permanent guardian instead of being returned... How could we fully understand each other unless a pony and a dragon walked in each other races shoes..."

I clenched my fists so hard in my fury to draw blood. I loved Twilight as my sister but to be taken from my real family because Celestia thought it would better for a clueless pony to raise a dragon just to make the peace agreement more fair to ponies!? All that anypony had to do was to see happened on my hatchday to see how stupid that was! I can't believe this! All I am to her is a damn pawn to be sacrificed for her ponies never mind that Equestria is more then ponies! She did the same thing with Twilight and her friends! All she had to do was ask but instead she manipulates to get her way!

"With some persuasion Spike's remaining family agreed to the change with one stipulation..." Celestia sighed. I didn't like the hesitation. This was becoming a very annoying theme with her recently. "When your dragon instincts begin to emerge you were to be taken to the dragons to learn to control your instincts."

All the pain I suffered in the months after my episode on my hatchday! She knew what I needed but instead of sending me to the dragons she sends me to a clueless doctor! She breaks her word on an important treaty not once not twice thereby putting everypony in danger especially Twilight and her friends! It was then that I remembered something that H.K. had said to her, a word that describes her to a tee...

"Oathbreaker..." As I growled it out something in me clicked. A clarity of purpose I never had before.

Every fiber of my being was now screaming for me to kill Oathbreaker to have Oathbreaker's inner smeared on my claws the taste of Oathbreaker's blood on my tongue. But I held back. The only reason I stayed my claw was that I knew that Twilight really adored Oathbreaker. I didn't understand why she does but she does. I was not going to hurt Twilight by killing Oathbreaker, at least not yet. The moment that that changes however...

Suddenly Garble roared in anger and lunged at Oathbreaker with feral ferocity. He was just inches from Oathbreaker when the he was pulled away by Twilight's magic. She struggled with him as Garble continued to fight to get to Oathbreaker. Princess Luna then waved a spell over Garble and he fell unconscious. Twilight however kept him in a bubble of her magic. Smart move because unless Princess Luna put enough magic to overcome a dragon's resistance to magic he could wake up unexpectedly.

"What just happened?" Twilight questioned as she added some conjured straps to further restrain Garble. "He was fearful one moment and then the next crazed! Could Dragon Lord Torch have done something to him?"

"I don't know. Perhaps..." Oathbreaker spoke up much to my chagrin. To further my annoyance with her, her aura surrounded Garble for a moment before fading. "The Bloodstone Specter can do many things... but much of its abilities are unknown to me. For now we shall let him sleep."

Her talking did remind me of something. In order for Oathbreaker to send or receive letters from me she needed an anchor in my fire sac. I quickly brought up the anchor, a homemade Hearth's Warming Eve bobble with Oathbreakers name on it and threw it down in disgust. I smiled in satisfaction at the look of horror on Oathbreaker's face when I then smashed her trinket with my foot. I knew it was something special to her otherwise she would be unable to send me anything via my fire mail. The sad thing was I would never be able to have anyone use my fire mail again. I knew that Oathbreaker would manipulate them, like the cow she is, into reenabling herself to send mail to me. I can't have that or I might end up doing something to hurt my friends and I can't do that... I just can't.

"Spike why'd you smash that!?" Twilight exclaimed as she picked up the pieces of the anchor.

"I will not have an oathbreaker talk to me." I growled out as I watched Twilight attempt to fix the anchor. My smile returned as I saw Oathbreaker hurt face.

"I don't understand." Twilight questioned lowering the anchor pieces. I understand why Twilight was confused. I was ordered by Oathbreaker to not speak to Twilight about exactly how Oathbreaker sent letters to me and vis versa but now Oathbreaker's orders meant nothing to me.

"In order for Oathbreaker to send or receive letters to me via my fire Oathbreaker needed an anchor of highly sentimental value."

"Wait I thought she enchanted your breath to allow you to send letters to her."

"No, Oathbreaker did not. It's apparently some innate ability that dragons have. I don't really understand how it exactly works outside of the anchor..."

"Interesting..." Twilight noted, her eyes widening with glee. Crap... I shouldn't have said that last part. I knew that look. The I-must-know-everything-through-intensive-experiments look. "But, first, I have another more pressing question. Spike why are you calling Princess Oathbreaker, Oathbreaker?"

I blinked at Twilight's odd question. Why am I calling Princess Oathbreaker, Oathbreaker? I don't know what Twilight was yammering about and right now I don't care. Thanks to Oathbreaker I was going to have to have to work even harder. Not only will Twilight be in panic mode over the upcoming war... when ever that will happen... I am going to have to spend every other waking moment training with Garble.

Comments

[RadicalDishonesty]

Yeah this is...

From your old canon, I assumed that the whole "Oathbreaker" thing was an unavoidable instinct thing, but it might indeed be a Bloodstone Scepter thing.

That being said, Spike seems to be getting really pretty unfairly angry over this, due to the whole thing where he was upset when it was revealed he wasn't "given back" to his family, which would doubly imply he has faulty reasoning (because the pony was given away "forever" but the dragon would not? If it was okay for a pony to be given away forever, why wouldn't it be okay the other way around?) and that he hates Twilight (because if he's upset that he was given into the care of Twilight, it would be because that's a situation he doesn't like) before he triggers the thing where Celestia's name becomes replaced with "Oathbreaker."

But we already know that Celestia had the oaths changed and ignored them for good reasons. For fairness and for the benefit of... it was Spike, right? It mighta been Twilight.

Might have been more affects of the scepter or some instinct thing?

If it really was the scepter then it's Torch being awful, still.

[Rammy]

7905563

From your old canon, I assumed that the whole "Oathbreaker" thing was an unavoidable instinct thing, but it might indeed be a Bloodstone Scepter thing.

Not answering this yet.

That being said, Spike seems to be getting really pretty unfairly angry over this, due to the whole thing where he was upset when it was revealed he wasn't "given back" to his family, which would doubly imply he has faulty reasoning (because the pony was given away "forever" but the dragon would not? If it was okay for a pony to be given away forever, why wouldn't it be okay the other way around?) and that he hates Twilight (because if he's upset that he was given into the care of Twilight, it would be because that's a situation he doesn't like) before he triggers the thing where Celestia's name becomes replaced with "Oathbreaker."

The problem was that he was forced to be taken away from his family... the pony volunteered big difference. Also Spike's anger at Celestia has been building for a bit now. Actually his anger over alot is building... Spike's love of Twilight is the 'only' reason he has not tried to kill Celestia...

Was the treaty unfair towards the ponies yes... but there was genuine concern for the ponies in this aspect note H.K.s words from The Past "Even if Twilight Sparkle is truly a Bearer raising a dragon as a pony could have disastrous consequences!" and "There are certain aspects of dragon nature that can't be nurtured away." Also, there may be more to the conversation then what's in the chapter...

Hence the the stipulation as stated in The Treaty:

The pony by the name of Twilight Sparkle is hereby allowed to raise the dragon named Spike until such time as his dragon instincts emerge. When this occurs he is to be returned to the Wastelands to be trained to control his instincts.

we have already seen the hoarding instinct beginning to emerge and Spike has admitted to himself that the urge is still there...

But we already know that Celestia had the oaths changed and ignored them for good reasons. For fairness and for the benefit of... it was Spike, right? It mighta been Twilight.

the first time? Neither. It was for her ponies. as for the second time...spoilers

[RadicalDishonesty]

7905687
I'm gonna be frank:

The level of anger and response of anger for anyone called a dragon (Spike, Torch, Garble, and to a lesser extent HK, because at least with him he both held back and had a better reason to be angry) is unjustified. And if it is justified (in universe), you're not justifying it well enough in the story.

Like... Celestia was cagey to Twilight, and had a treaty with dragons that was both patently unfair for ponies and one that she ignored to ambivalent consequences (ie: it allowed him to stay with Twilight, rather than being taken away, which is ambivalent for him), which are both things to be angry over... but are also both things that Spike should probably be conflicted over. But apparently, according to you, he's so angry he wants to murder her. Outright. Even without whatever made him call her Oathbreaker, which is the reason I assumed he was talking about killing her and had this whole overreaction of smashing the fire mail thing and thinking "I can never send any fire messages again because I can't trust Celestia with anything ever."

The fact that it's Spike, a character that we as readers already have a good handle on makes it worse. I mean we could say HK's a douche, and we don't know Torch so maybe he is that bad, but Spike is not like that. He has not been like that in the show.

[RadicalDishonesty]

7905687
Alright, second followup comment.

I admit, basically after every chapter with anger my anger is flying high.

I'm not saying even that it's not right to have the anger. Just either... justify it more, or temper it more... or something. There are probably more solutions than the two I just presented, and I'd rather not tell you how to write your story.

But boy howdy will I still tell you what I don't like.

[Rammy]

7905775

I'm gonna be frank:

Since when have you never been frank with me? It's what makes every comment you make so good and valuable.

The fact that it's Spike, a character that we as readers already have a good handle on makes it worse. I mean we could say HK's a douche, and we don't know Torch so maybe he is that bad, but Spike is not like that. He has not been like that in the show.

And this is an AU fanfiction Don't expect me to follow the rules of the show...

The level of anger and response of anger for anyone called a dragon (Spike, Torch, Garble, and to a lesser extent HK, because at least with him he both held back and had a better reason to be angry) is unjustified. And if it is justified (in universe), you're not justifying it well enough in the story.

I am getting there! Unless you want me to bore you with info dumping every other chapter. You know my style... Most of these answers are right there in the chapters.

But to help you out I'll spell it out a bit:

Spike's instincts are emerging... like for instance his hoarding urges... I mean did you think hoarding was the only instinct? If it was then the treaty wouldn't be so 'vague.'

From The Stranger

What I have not told anypony was I still feel that pull, to possess, to hoard. I can't tell them ever. Tell them that I have to be careful with everything I touch or look at.

Also a quote from The Treaty Luna:"Dragons have never taken lightly to those who dare break their Oaths." Spike has just heard that an Oath was broken and suddenly he is so enraged to want to murder Celestia... almost like he suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to hoard...hmmmm I wonder...

The treaty seems to be patently unfair to ponies but its not...

[Rammy]

7905856 dang it you commented a second time while I was responding to the first

But boy howdy will I still tell you what I don't like.

and if you didn't I would go