Relieved
Relieved
First week
A big crowd of ponies was waiting in front of the town’s hospital. The royal sisters were at the entrance while Spike waited behind them.
The first days… I think those were the toughest ones. I knew that it will be harsh for me to witness everyone expression after giving them the bad news, but I had my mom and aunt by my side.
What I didn’t take into account was my new appearance. That was the real deal because even after receiving the awful bad news about our friends, there was still hope on them; behind the troubled and sad expressions, there was still the feeling of hope inside them, something that seemed to radiate from their bodies.
All of that changed after someone on the crowd asked:
“And who is that dragon?”
And then my mother stepped out, her chest puffed both as a royal and as a mother reflex and then said serenely.
“He, is Spike,” She signaled me to the crowd, a smile prompting past the facade of her regal pose. A smile that vanished after turning back to her subjects.
… Confusion. That was the most prominent thing on their faces. At first, I chuckled, thinking that moment could pass as some random event that usually happens in this town… but then… there was the fear, all around them, it was almost palpable and at the same time so strong… I even was able to smell it like a predator will do with his pray, I tried to clear my throat from the disgusting fragrance before giving my explanations.
“Ponies, is me-” was the only thing I could muster before they backed off in unison, I whimpered slightly at their actions, a tear pushing its way out of the corner of my eye as the feeling of betrayal pierced like a needle inside my heart, and with it, the smell doubled, making me nauseous for a couple of seconds.
“He doesn’t sound like Spike!” a mare shouted. “Are you sure he is not going to destroy the city again?!” someone else added, his words heavier than a hammer’s hit to the chest.
“Ponies, please give us time to ex-” Luna tried to ease the crowd, but was suddenly interrupted by another mare.
“Last time he went on berserk mode he almost destroys the whole town! How do you plan to stop him if he-”
“Stop treating him like a monster!” shouted a little filly in the background, who, to my joy, happened to be the little Sweetie Belle. “He saved Equestria multiple times in the past just like the others did, and for goodness sake, he has been helping the whole town for months!”
While giving her speech, I noticed how the little Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were approaching. However, their fast-paced trot started to change after each step.
Apple Bloom squinted her eyes at me, inspecting every detail of my new body. Scootaloo by the other side had the stinking smell of fear all over her body, I could even swear that she recoiled wings were spreading the smell every time she shivered.
“Scootaloo, you don’t have to fear me…” I assured her to no avail. My tone of voice was enough reason for her to freeze in place, another surge of fear coming from her slithered through my nostrils. I fought back the urges to vomit before speaking again, “I don’t understand… why y’all are scared of me are?”
Luna then approached to Scootaloo and held her with her fore hoofs like a mother will do to her little foal. She then narrowed her distance, her pace ever so calm and caring as she hushed the little filly.
“You may not notice it, Spike, But your new body is giving them the reasons to fear you without your permission,” She narrowed her distance, the trembling Scootaloo resting on her chest, “A killing intent… it must be, a side effect from the way in which you achieved this new form. Only ponies that had endured this kind of threatening aura in the past can endure being near you…”
Luna presented Scootaloo to me, the little filly squirming in fear as she saw me, her eyes reflecting my sharp teeth. “Scoots, please, it’s me, your friendly dragon friend: Spike!”
My reaction made her recoil inside the fur of Luna’s chest, her mouth shaking as she tried to compose her words, “I… I know spike” she stammered, “Is just that… Y-You… something inside me tells me to run away from you... a-and I can bear it, it feels so wrong to be afraid of one of my closest friend.”
Tears flowed through her muzzle as she fought against her instincts, “It just keeps getting stronger,” her forehooves stretched towards me while her words were swelled in tears and sobs.
I looked at the little hoof narrowing its distance with care, knowing that the slightest move on my part will scare her.
“Is okay Scootaloo” Apple Bloom assured her friend with a trembling smile. It was at that moment that I noticed that the little farmer had her hoof resting on my left leg, Sweat trailing down her face and body, “Is going to take us some time to get used to him, but you have to remember, this is the same Spike.”
I hoped her friend’s words will ease her, but the smell of fear just proved me that Scoots was forcing herself way too hard. “Scoots, you don’t have to force it. We have plenty of time.” I paused and stepped back so the filly could relax a little, my mouth forcing a smile a second later, “Yes, I said WE. Do you think you are the only one struggling with this? Can you imagine the amount of new stuff I need to buy now to fit my new size? Try to clean a castle with tools that are the size of a spoon” I said with a chuckle in an attempt to ease the tension.
Scootaloo then smiled and recoiled her hooves. I looked then at the little Apple filly, “you can rest now too Apple Bloom.”
“Thanks,” she answered cheerfully before fading out. Some gasps were thrown by the crowd, whom with no doubt still feared me. I pushed the thought away from my mind and rested my eyes in the resting figure of the little Apple Bloom.
“Hard in the outside and soft in the inside: Apples’ sure know how to be strong…” I nodded at Big Mac, who was near the frontline of the crowd.
“Eeyup” was my friend response before my mother could speak properly with the ponies of the village.
First month
Things finally settled after the first two weeks. I returned to my old roundabouts in the town: cleaning the castle, help the cakes, then the farm, and finally the boutique or the animals at Fluttershy cottage.
During the weekends Raven inkwell took care of the library; meanwhile, I helped my mom and aunt. It was the only way for them to keep their schedule on point and help me fight my problems. Well, there was another detail: we usually had to use the dreamland realm. It was the only moment in which both princesses could be with me at the same time.
Spike looked at his surroundings, a white room that seemed to have no end. Dense fog covered the floor and from time to time it moved outwards, shaping different forms, mostly doors, and bubbles. His nose shifted slightly at the presence of a new fragrance just at the same time Luna made her way through a cloud of fog that previously was shaped like a double door.
“Sorry for not going with you this time, my dear nephew, there was something important I needed to do first,” The owner of the realm said.
Spike pursed his lips, “Can you tell me more about it?”
“Gladly.” She said, her eyes showing a little melancholy through their shine, “Raven found a stack of scrolls that were supposed to be sent to Apple Bloom months ago.”
Spike crossed his arms, his left claw scratching his chin, “A stack of scrolls?” his eyes started to go wide open as the words made echo through his memory: the scrolls in which he has been writing his poems. “Oh, that…” He paused, sweat forming in his forehead as his pupils started to shake, “no- Did they-”
“I supposed you wanted this to be as secret as possible, but it was impossible for me to deny their petition. The Crusaders are waiting for us…”
Luna moved to the side, a pristine white stairway appearing before my eyes, shining rays of light came from the top, I could almost hear the whispers of a holy being. For a brief second, I wondered how the afterlife should look like. The moment for deep thoughts about things that I will never experience didn’t last however, the whispers becoming clearer as I realize who were the ‘holy entities’: The Crusaders.
Their faces alone were enough reason for me to crumble. I sat on the soft carpet of the white dreamscape, my jaw dropping and my eyes tearing as I witness how the three little fillies waddled her way down while crying and calling my name.
“We didn’t know…”
“They were all you had…”
“We didn’t pay enough attention…”
Those were the only words I could understand from the fillies as they made her way down. I couldn’t help myself but hug them and hush their worries. My new body was finally useful for something I could really care.
They kept sobbing and quivering while searching to hug me even more tightly that their own bodies could muster. I reciprocated the feeling with nuzzles and little pats but found myself craving for another way to express myself more for them.
“I wish I could hug y’all using my flames… that is the closest thing to my soul, but you could get burned… Or I could end up sending three little plots towards the head of Celestia.”
“Spi-ke this is not the moment for jokes!” Scootalo reprimanded, her voice was drowned in sorrow and droll. She punched me with her little hooves as she hummed and sobbed in discomfort. Not a minute later she hugged me again.
Apple Bloom then tightened herself around my left arm, “You foolish, greedy dragon, you wanted to hoard all that pain for yourself. What in tarnation were you thinking?”
It was at that point I realize how much time I had been smiling because my whole snout ached at the sudden change of expression, which turned melancholic in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t help but sigh and be silent for a moment. The warm feeling of her hug helping my troubled mind to think for an answer.
“I was thinking about a lot of things AB…” I started, my hands tenderly rubbing the soft fur of the fillies, “at first I thought I was being childish. I mean, it was just a month, no big deal right?”
“Spike?” A warm tone called me. I raised my head, my eyes immersing themselves in a magenta ocean: My mother’s eyes.
“How much time do you think it passed before I started to miss my sister?” She asked while recoiling her head back to its usual regal posture. “Less than a second, Spike. I cried the whole night and day after casting that spell on my sister. I had to use an illusion spell in myself for months so people couldn’t see my tears.”
She kissed my forehead, her lips warmer than usual, maybe a side effect from the realm, or maybe it was just the heat of the beautiful moment. I couldn’t care for reason, I just enjoyed her words and cares for the time being.
“And what about the others 5 five months?” asked the ever curious Sweetie Belle, her tone of voice making me aware that the trio below me was now calmer.
“After the first month, well… those were thoughts days. The first thing I noticed was that I could drift away from my worries while working, and so I started to help more around town,” I tightened my hug for a moment, Apple Bloom releasing a little squeak sound that for sure made my spirit brink in joy. “Afterward, I realize how good it felt to take care of the things that the girls left behind. Every time I worked on the farm the sweet smell of the orchard made me recall the warm feeling of family that Applejack seemed to radiate.”
My fingers played around with Sweetie’s mane, “Rarity’s work also had her own mark… or in her beautiful case, her own ornamentation,” Scootalo made a puke gesture, but I paid no mind to it and kept smiling, “Rarity is one of a kind for sure… do you know most of her money is from carousel’s boutique alone? All her funds coming from the other stores are mostly used for charity while the rest is used to pay well enough their employees so they have no reason to leave. Her dream was to be famous, but she didn’t want to lose her touch of generosity in the process. Don’t you dare think she was perfect in all senses—like I do most of the time—she did want more money in her funds from time to time, but she always told herself, and me in some cases:”
I rolled my spikes so they could look like the one of my dear friend, “A dream can only be fueled by the love of the ones you help while achieving it, my precious scales.”
I stood silent for a moment, a content hum escaping through my snout, “I loved when she called me: ‘my precious scales’.”
Scootaloo jolted a couple of time in my hold, “What about Rainbow, what about Rainbow!?”
I snickered at the little Pegasus excitement, “Rainbow, just like Fluttershy and Pinkie, didn’t need to leave anything for me to remember them. Because they showed me the greatness of their elements: spreading joy, bring kindness and being loyal. While is true that being generous is hard for dragons, you can’t compare it with those other two values. From the seven, those three were the ones that remained in my thoughts no matter the task I was completing.”
Spike went silent for a moment the quite soft sound of vapor flowing through the air was the only thing that could be heard before a tear dropped to the floor, its sound resonating throughout the whole landscape.
“Spike?” Luna asked at the same time the crusaders glanced up, both of them awestruck a second later, Spike was shedding tears like a river.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that-” Spike stammered. He gulped a huge knot of droll and tried to speak again, “I just thought of Twi’ and Starlight, they both were like my closest sisters,” He breathed quickly, his lungs drown in sorrow, “I remember Starlight’s first days in the castle, how her eyes glimmered the first time I said her ‘I love you’ in a fraternal way, like she- she found the fam… the family she never-” Spike openly cried, the crusaders hugging him by instinct as he drenched their fur with more tears.
“I’m sorry… I don’t want to cry is just…”
Celestia patted the young dragon’s head, her voice a soft whisper that could soothe even a wrathful spirit.
“It’s alright Spike, let it go. Cry as much as you want, you had stored those tears for way too long.”
Second month
This month was the bringer of one of the pillars that helped me through my recovering: the little flurry heart, my unofficial niece. Just like me, Flurry was born as an immortal creature. It wasn’t until recently that she started being more proactive around other babies. It didn’t take long for her to acknowledge the great difference in power between her and the others. Luckily, I was sent to the empire a few days earlier by Shining Armor, who wanted at first to train me in the arts of combat. I rejected his proposal, the sole idea of being more menacing than what I was already scared me to the core. Instead, I took the time to talk to cadence about her own experiences with the burden of immortality.
Being as expressive as flurry was, discovering her dilemma didn’t take long. What got me out of guard while in the empire whatsoever was the resolve of the crystal ponies. Not even the smallest of colts feared me, their image of me as their hero had a meaning so powerful for them that even my new threatening appearance meant nothing in comparison. Whatever Sombra did to those ponies it must have been hell on earth itself.
All and all, I was grateful for their tolerance, because the constant smell of fear was making me wonder if I truly was a monster trying to live among the other creatures. And so, while explaining the little colts what it meant to Flurry to be treated as an equal, and while explaining to Flurry Heart how to limit herself around mortals, I recovered the touch I had lost with ponies.
Third month
It was through these months that I rekindled and enforced my friendship with Thorax and Ember. Both of them were of big help while I recovered, as the absence of friendship in their kingdom made me realize how lucky I was to be raised by ponies. I took a whole month to teach the two kingdoms everything I learned about friendship; and in the process, re-learning more about my own life. When you start spending a couple hours of each day to talk about all the good things life had offered you and the ones you love, you start to understand how insignificant are the bad ones in contrast.
Sixth month
Now that I accepted my own problems and weakness it was time for me to start accepting the changes in my life. And the first thing on that list was my new body. My aunt was the one helping me through this facet since she had experience and an affinity with magic that few could even comprehend.
While most of my new spells were just variation of fire spells there were some that made me realize how unique my fire truly was. Luna said that it reminded her of the Tantabus: the dimension shattering creature; not because of the sheer power of my fire, but how well it managed to follow orders if they came from the heart.
It was something unbelievable at first, seeing how my fire seemed to have a life of its own but remained dancing from side to side. On other occasions, it seemed more reckless as it tried to hit everything near him before imploding itself without my consent.
“Interesting. I think your fire manifest your inner thoughts, my dear nephew. Or better say feelings. Use it with care and it will guide your path, showing you how far are from being at peace once again” Were my aunt words.
Eleventh month
Another peaceful day in Ponyville. Peaceful. A word that seemed to have no meaning in the past for me.
Spike was now sitting on a cloud, his paws and tail surrounded by a green flame who sparked like the night sky. Ponyville stood below him, ponies going from left to right as they worked, chatted, eat, rested or… like the young Scootaloo: trained. The mentioned filly was racing against her own record. Her hoofs encased in green clouds that helped her move through the sky.
Time and proper care took most of my troubles and fears away. And even when the hole left by my friends remained empty, there were other things to focus my attention, other places inside my heart to fill with love.
The sound of thunder crashing against skin was soon heard after Scootaloo’s inner Pegasus magic made a cloud turn into a little thunderstorm. The now roosted mare making her way towards the dragon with an expression that showed more anger than pain.
First of all, I was now ‘the old brother’ of the crusaders, and such title made me responsible for their behavior and well-being while they stood in Ponyville. Obviously, taking care of three little fillies had her downsides, after all, they made havoc around Ponyville at least one time every two weeks.
“Are you sure you don’t want to use a bubble shield? I’m pretty sure Sweetie can-” The dragon tried to suggest but was interrupted.
“I told you already, your magical clouds are the only thing I will use. I want to be a great flier just like Rainbow.”
“You know you are far better than her in the weather control department, right?” he complimented.
“I can save the day from a hurricane later, my true dream is to become a Wonderbolt just like Rainbow!” She exclaimed her purple eyes shining with an inner fire worthy of a true warrior.
It didn’t matter how much troubles they made me go through, a simple smile from the trio was enough payment for me.
Spike smiled at the young filly shows of determination, “That is the spirit, squirt,” he added, his last words hinted with a snarky tone.
“Oh no, you didn’t just-” Spike didn’t let her finish and ran from his spot, “You were a squirt just like me, you cheater!” The little filly shouted before dusting off the ashes in her fur and pursue the dragon, both of them laughing while flying through the clouded sky.
As the duo fooled around in the highlands, a sudden event took Spike’s attention away from the persecution: a group of ponies had just teleported into the station.
“That was really an otherworldly adventure, darling,” An alabaster mare said, her hoof taking care of her well-kept mane while she added, “I think I can use some ideas from that realm.”
“I don’t know what will you make out of that place, the only thing we could see where white curtains and old ponies smiling like they had an infinite reserve of cider” a Pegasus commented while making quick stunts in the air, “The only thing I will remember from that trip is the soreness left behind, I tell you my wings feels like I had slept for a year.”
“Well Rainbow, I don’t know about you, but I prefer a little pain and cramps that being dead,” a pink unicorn replied while patting her horn softly.
“How much time did you think we were out?” a pink earth pony added out of the blue, her idle movement consisting on bounces that did little to show how tired her hoofs were, “I was supposed to take care of two parties before we were sealed inside those crystal cocoons.”
“I took care of those…”
The sudden answer made the whole turn their gazes down, a dragon featuring in their point of view.
“D-Dragon!” the yellow Pegasus from the group screamed before running behind the others. The others, however, took their time detailing every aspect of the dragon, their expressions turning intrigued as they all concluded the same thing: he looked familiar.
“You… you are alive, all of you,” the Dragon rejoiced, his eyes clamping down as the happiness took him hostage. He gave cheerful smile to the group as tears traveled down his scales.
The lavender alicorn mare from the group stepped forward, “I’m sorry, you seem to be really happy to see us, but…" she paused for a moment, her narrowed eyes scaning every detail on the dragon, "I know you look just like someone we know, but it will be impossible for him to look like that,” she explained.
The drake started to move towards the group, his mouth releasing a series of coughs before composing his next words:
“I know him too, a selfless dragon named Spike.”
“A dragon that had more than any other in this life.”
“He had a family of seven. Seven mares who took care of the world,”
“And his heart.”
The dragon stood for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, his scales releasing a thin vapor as he kept his speech.
“He waited for long while they once again were doing their duty.”
“But each day was heavier than the previous one.”
“The pain in his heart swelled but his hopes remained intact.”
“Because he believed that one day they would come back.”
“Until one day, a peaceful one like this, destiny made a fool of him.”
“And stole everything he ever had.”
The mares’ jaw started to drop slowly, tears overflowing from the socket of their eyes as the dragon in front of them turned more and more familiar. The alicorn’s fore hoofs trembled as the words of the dragon's words made his heart pump each time harder.
“He was devastated, he was furious, but most importantly,”
“He was depressed.”
“His heart was still determined, but his mind closed to the others”
“So he changed his appearance, to protect his heart before it could be hurt too.”
The dragon’s transformation finished. Making him look like he was used to be known: tiny, childish, and cute. He, was Spike.
“How much time…” The alicorn asked, her mouth trembling with each word, “how long has it been since…”
“I learned a lot of things through time.”
“And in the process, I took care of the people and things you left behind.”
The crusaders arrived at the station as Spike continued, the smiles on their faces immensurable as they hugged his older brother figure.
“A year, one month, one week and four days, with fifteen hours, twenty minutes and 10 seconds.”
The alicorn couldn’t keep watching anymore, she ran past the group, and with her magic, brought the little drake to her embrace. Hugging him tight light as her tears drenched her fur and his scales.
“Spike… I’m sorry, my calculations were wrong, I took for granted that we will only take two weeks to come back here…”
“Celestia told me about the spell.”
“She told me about the risks.”
“But that hole inside me still had hope that you would come back one day to fill it.”
“And so I counted.”
“After all, I’m your assistant, and you will be in need of that information for later. Right, Twilight?”
Twilight didn’t reply, but tightened her hug, her friends moving towards her with tears trailing down their fur.
“We are sorry, my little precious scales… my dear Sweetie Belle” The white unicorn said between sobs, her tears ruining her mascara. Sweetie bell hugged her, as she reciprocated the feeling.
“Is okay, Rarity, you are here now… but maybe you should talk to Spike. He wouldn’t tell us, but we knew he was hiding something important about your situation. By the way, he looked in the past, we were thankful he didn’t tell us anything and just took care of us like a big brother.” She explained before parting from the hug, her older sister a moving towards the little dragon and the others.
Spike glanced up at the baby blue eyes of Rarity, her ruined mascara meaning little to him.
“Thanks for everything Spike,” She managed to say before nuzzling his forehead and giving him a peck on his check.
“You don’t need to thank, the mere fact that y’all are here now is more than enough for me.”
Twilight shifted slightly, leaving more space for her friends to join in a group hug.
“I feel complete again.”
“I’m so…”
“Relieved.”
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Loved every second of this story. A few errors. Flurry Heart is his cousin or niece of anything and Luna is his aunt, not cousin. Like I said a few errors but still very much enjoyed. Was hoping for a bit of Spikealoo but to each their own. Amazing job my friend.
What is The Hive, as mentioned in The Watcher of all's profile?
8561293
This was a good trip for me. Honestly i don't like seeing spike suffering this much... but for some reasons i find this kind of situations easier to write.
Thanks for following my story, and for pointing out the errors.
8561331
Well you did amazing my friend. I very much look forward to more Spike stories from you.
8561328
is a group. I think I should ask him more about it later. the description sounds really interesting.
orig00.deviantart.net/7e19/f/2017/224/6/5/lizard_mine_by_hillbe-dbjuds8.jpg
8561352
that could have been the sequel
8561372
My son was always sensitive to the needs of others....
the loss and return of the missing six was well done......
orig00.deviantart.net/a30d/f/2017/055/2/7/fashionably_resting_by_hillbe-db0abdt.jpg
well done
8562459
I really didn't want to focus on his appearance but how he felt about it.
As for the spell, I thought about the way magic works in the manga berserker. To put it simple, the spell let the caster and it's partners search through the realm of Spirits, a link in the form of a line is the only conecttion remaining between the spellcasters and their bodies.
8562848
You go further than not being specific about his form and say nothing about it, and I felt like I wasn't sure he changed at all at first. I understand how being coy about it could be interesting, but i think maybe you should have at least done something to confirm it. Describe his awkwardness in it, or have him look at himself in a mirror and recoil, I dunno.
And the issue here is the spell crops up very fast in the story without explanation or context, same thing with how they were correct about the Main Six being in another universe for some reason. I don't know how they came to that conclusion.
8567719
Na-nani?!