A Dragon's Hoard

by Amethyst_Dawn

Such Lucky Misfortunes

Rarity rubbed her brow with a pained groan, opening her bleary eyes to the familiar sight of her bedroom ceiling. The gentle light of the winter sunrise gracefully spreading across the room like the great wings of a swan. As calm as the morning was, her heart started to race as a strong rush of alarm flooded her thoughts. She bolted upright, her nerves urging her to run from… something, but a massive pain in her head brought her panic to a halt. She felt afraid for herself and for her son, but she couldn’t figure out why. Her mind burned, pulsing as if part of it was being held back by a dam.

“Spike?” She called with a hoarse croak, stumbling to her knees as she fell out of her bed. Her summons were answered by the sound of small steps clambering up the stairs, a familiar voice sending waves of relief over her troubled mind.

“Yeah, mom?” Spike called back, stepping into the doorway and wiping his claws on a small pink apron. When he saw the state his mother was in, Spike dropped the cloth around his belly and waddled up to her, grabbing her hoof to help her up. “What happened? Another attack?”

“I don’t… ooowh” Rarity started, wincing with pain when she tried to stand up. She glanced at her right foreleg, a small cut bleeding gently along her white coat. Spike followed her eyes, and his face went pale when he saw the blood. He turned away, retching dryly as he covered his mouth. Rarity examined the wound closer, wondering how it got there. It was too clean to be from bumping against her furniture, and too large to be a papercut. She grimaced, turning to lift up her pillow.

Her dagger was gone. Another surge in her mind spearing her head like a thousand needles. She blenched at the sensation, struggling to stay upright as she teetered precariously on her own legs. Spike quickly propped her up, confusion and concern painting a portrait on his face.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Rarity barely heard Spike’s question, fragmented images of snow and foliage intruding in her mind. She idly opened her dresser drawer, her horn aglow as a small roll of bandages flew over to her.

“Mommy has to go out for a while, darling.” She stated firmly as she began to dress her leg, hoping her even tone made her sound less frightened than she was. “I just need to figure something out, you just finish cooking your breakfast and keep out of sight. I should be home in a few hours.”

“I…” Spike opened his mouth to inquire further, but a quick glance from his mother shut it again. He knew better than to interrupt her when her mind was set on something. He rolled his eyes, turning to head back down to the kitchen with a dismissive wave. “Okay, I’ll do some reading while you’re gone. Can I open the blinds this time?”

“No, and you know why.” Rarity trotted past him, giving him a stern glare as she approached the coat rack. “You may light a lantern if you need more light, but you must stay--”

“‘Stay away from windows, and remember your hiding spots’.” Spike droned in unison with her, giving her a disheartened look. “I know, mom. I just… I want to see the daylight a little more often. It feels nice.”

Rarity paused, one hoof in her cloak’s sleeve. She turned to the pouting drake, a small pang of guilt resonating in her heart. Had it really been that long since he went outside? She glanced to a window by the tome she kept her notes in, a small opening above the topmost platform on her bookshelf. She sighed, shaking her head with a mutter.

“Tell you what. After you’re done eating, if you can climb up there without knocking it over, you can open up those blinds to let the light in.” She offered, nodding towards the shelves as she resumed her dressing. “You can open up the window, too. Let some air in, as long as you stay out of sight.” Her smile widened as Spike visibly lit up, and she turned to leave the house.

She took a deep breath, quietly praying that nothing bad would happen while she was gone. Rarity forced herself to swallow her fear as she turned towards the Darkwood, and started off.

---

On the other side of the door, Spike glanced at the top shelf as he turned to go back into the kitchen, mentally noting safe places to step. His step gained a small skip as he tightened his apron, a grin planted on his lips. He couldn’t wait to feel the light of the sun again!

It wasn’t that he ever minded the winter air, or the dark seclusion of his shuttered home. On the contrary, the seclusion was comfortable for him. Whether that was because he had grown up in it or because he was a dragon was anypony’s guess. But something about bathing in the sunlight made him feel whole, like a small part of him was fulfilling a deeper wish.

His mind was focused entirely on his mother’s promise. He thought about how bright the sun would be as he started roasting a fair hunk of hydra meat he had gathered from the cupboard, he thought about the brisk wind entering through the window as he seasoned it with fairy-fern and rosewheat, he thought about the scent of the outside as the vapors of the steaming meal wafted past his nose. Cooking had become second nature to him, and it gave his hands something to do as his thoughts wandered. Eggs and seasonings coated the meat in a luscious layer of extra flavor, not a dribble or flake spilled or wasted.

Once all was prepared, Spike’s teeth tore into the cooked flesh like it was wet cardboard, temporarily distracting him from the daydreams. His clawed digits sank into the grub like forks with a passing thought, hopefully saving him dishes to wash. No use in getting the cutlery dirty if they weren’t needed, and his mother wasn’t home to scold him for it, No harm, no foul.

Even without cutlery, he found slicing the meat into more manageable chunks to be immensely satisfying. A small corner of his mind remembered being taught how to properly chew food instead of trying to rip off large chunks and swallow them whole. He grimaced at the thought of those instincts, imagining great beasts being torn to shreds as Dragons fed like sharks. A repulsive thought to a young, pony-raised mind.

As he ate, his mind continued to dwell on his kin. His mother never held any secrets from him about where he came from, and how little was known of creatures of his kind. His stomach sank as he remembered finding accounts of the Drake that plagued their home far before he was born, and the reason for the rings displayed so carefully in his old room.

Spike wrenched the thoughts from his mind, forcing his attention back to the window above the shelves. He wiped his claws on the apron, and discarded the garment into the sink for later washing. For now, it was time to rest in the sunlight.

---

Rarity’s breath caught in her throat as she eyed the bloodstained dagger embedded in the snowbank just between the Darkwood and the hedge, a puny trail of blood between it and a faded imprint of a pony’s body. Her body. As soon as the sight greeted her eyes, something clicked and unlocked inside her. Her head was flooded with pain as trapped memories burst into her conscious sight, flashing images and panic through what must have been her entire body. Every vein in her head swelled with fire, causing her to scream through grit teeth as she fell to her knees.

The sound of her voice reverberated as if she was in a cavern, and once the pain had subsided enough for her to look up through rheum-coated eyes to the graceful, imposing shape of an elder Unicorn. Rarity stared at Twilight, the towering figure of the slender pony casting a dark shadow over her. A lump formed in the smaller mare’s throat, streaks of wet tears matting the coat on her face.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t panic this time,” Twilight commanded, her tone even as her horn sparked to life like a struck match. Rarity hugged her head, gritting her teeth as she felt the weight of a binding spell peel out of her skull. “If you were as good at killing ponies as you are hunting animals, I would’ve had to leave your body in the snow.”

Rarity’s nerves went rigid as she felt a blade slice across her foreleg, the resurfacing memories coursing through her nerves. Images pressing against her eyes of a small pair of portals vanishing and reappearing in calculated patterns away from the wound. The knife had flown through the magenta disks, increasing in velocity until it was a mere blur stretched between them. And with a quick redirect of her spell, Twilight had opened it directly in front of Rarity’s face. Before she had had time to think or even wince, the dagger had become suspended less than half an inch away from Rarity’s left eye, stopped without a hind of inertia or momentum. Within a second; the memories vanished from her sight, retreating into her thoughts and leaving her staring into the smug face of the Queen’s Scribe.

“I hope you’re at least willing to hear me out now?” Twilight’s smirk grew slightly, and she stepped closer with regal confidence. “A lesser servant of the Queen would have you filleted for what you tried, but I’m not here to harm you or your pet.”

“Son,” Rarity barked with a stomp, “he’s my son. Now that you’re done toying with my head, will you please explain why you’re here if it’s not to execute me?”

“Of course,” Twilight nodded, her self-assured smile falling into a more sincere expression as she turned her side towards Rarity, and pulled back a small flap in her trousers to expose her Mark. It was a large, white four-point star with pink stains surrounded by three smaller sparkles. “I am the Queen’s Horn, Commanding Sorceress and the Last Astrologer.” Rarity noted that the Scribe’s voice made no efforts to hide her pride in her titles as she let the flap fall and held her head high. “I am here on the behest of Queen Réalta’an Domhain, for the stars foretold that a cornerstone would be placed in this town that would build a stronger Equestria. I am here only to observe, and to offer you the comfort that the Horn of the Queen is in support of your endeavour.”

Rarity’s head would’ve spun with the influx of information, had she not been delicately inspecting Twilight’s wording for any threats to her or her son. Finding none, she rubbed a hoof against her forehead, and sat her flanks into the snow.

“So, I have your protection then?” Rarity ventured, casting a hopeful look towards Twilight. Twilight’s expression darkened, dashing Rarity’s hopes in an instant.

“No…” Twilight admitted, her calm tone close to faltering. “I can’t offer you anything more than the knowledge that no direct action from the throne will be taken against you, and that I am here as a friend and observer. But I cannot and will not protect you, or defend you. I must interfere as little as possible.”

Rarity nodded, taking very little comfort in her situation. But very little comfort, to her, was still comfort. And she was glad to have that.

---

Spike stretched silently, disturbed from his nap by the sound of hoofsteps approaching on the gravel road outside. He had remained just under the window, out of sight as his mother wished. The winter sun was a blessing to his scales, even if he was comfortable in the murky lamplight of the indoors. He prepared himself to climb down and greet his mother, but the scales on his back stood on end as the blurry interpretation of the sounds gained clarity.

Those hooves weren’t his mother’s, they were far too small and light. The crunch of the gravel was softer than it should have been, and a quiet humming reached his ears as well. A sort of shanty by the sound of it, the songs that Rarity described as the fuel for sailors and farmers. The voice that carried the tune was feminine, soft and melodical. Spike couldn’t help but admire the singer, even as her approach towards his home sent him into a panic. He was too far away from his hiding places, too far to reach them in time without making noise. He scrambled in place, his breathing shallow and desperate as his mind raced through every possible solution.

“Hey, Miss Rarity!” The front door swung open, and a farmer’s accent rang through the house as the intruder strode in. And, much to Spike’s dismay, the startled jolt he experienced in response to the rude incursion sent him sprawling onto the floor with a thud, stunning the little Drake. When his vision cleared, he found himself face-up on the floor; looking into the curious amber eyes of a small, yellow filly. Her red mane bobbed like leaves in the wind as she tilted her head, their snouts almost touching each other’s foreheads.

Spike felt his blood run cold. Is this how he was going to be discovered? His mother had done everything she could to keep him safe, and he exposes himself by tripping over his own feet. All he could do was stare into the eyes of the filly for what must have been hours, expecting her to kick his head in out of fear.

“Well, howdy there!”

Spike blinked, the chipper tone taking a minute to register. Was she not scared? Why wasn’t she screaming, or running away? She was just standing there, smiling down at him like she’d found a new puppy. As he continued to stare, he felt a hoof thudding lightly against his head.

“What,” the filly teased playfully, “can’t’cha talk? Ah thought y’looked a li’l smarter than an animal.”

“Ow, ow!” Spike winced, ducking out from under the filly and rubbing his head as he sat up. “Of course I can talk! I just… c-can you shut the door, please? I don’t want anypony else finding me.”

Much to his surprise, and building confusion, the filly quickly complied. She walked around the corner with a carefree strut, and shut the front door with a slam. Spike winced again at the noise, jumping again when the filly’s head popped out from behind the wall.

“Howzat, that good?” She beamed, grinning widely. Spike just nodded dumbly before his befuddlement was interrupted yet again by the rowdy child shouting at him.

“Is Miss Rarity home?” She asked, walking deeper into the house. “Momma sent me a-lookin’ for her t’ watch me while they’re settin’ up the Royalty’s room, somethin’ ‘bout makin’ sure Ah don’t go harassin’ the garter snakes again.” Spike shook his head, still cautious of the strange filly.

“No, mom’s not home yet.” Spike blurted without thinking, too far out of water to respond to anything outside of automatic phrases. The filly’s eyes went wide, and her open-mouthed smile seemed to open even more.

“Well, Ah’ll be damned!” She whooped, keeping her volume low. “Miss Rarity’s your momma? That’s swell! Ah wonder, can you play Pony Puck?”

Spike decided to resign himself to his fate, and just accept whatever this hyperactive foal wanted from him. Maybe she could keep a secret, in spite of her rambunctious nature. He shook his head wearily, and looked up at her.

“What’s Pony Puck?”

The scheming grin the filly wore was not encouraging,

---

“... at the very least, I can thank you for approaching me. Even if I don’t very much appreciate your methods.”

Rarity stepped in stride with Twilight along the gravel pathways, watching the studious mare while she was levitating several quills and parchments, writing a few lines of what looked to Rarity to be poetic verses about scales and arrows. Twilight nodded courteously, tilting the pages away from Rarity’s sight intentionally. Rarity raised a brow at the scholar, but ultimately decided against prying. They were in the middle of town, and discretion was a valuable tool.

“I do apologize for frightening you, empathy isn’t my strongest suit.” Twilight smiled lightheartedly as they approached Rarity’s abode. “But the part I believe you to be playing is invaluable, and the safety of the child will ultimately depend on you.”

Rarity was wary of the attention their conversation was bringing as she reached for her door, glancing worriedly to Twilight. There was a comforting gentleness in the Scribe’s eyes, and that reassured her. With a gentle push, she opened the door and stepped inside, only to find Spike sitting across from Applejack’s daughter.

Twilight hastily shut the door, clearly as surprised as Rarity to see the Matriarch’s daughter playing a simple game with a Dragon-child, though outwardly as calm as ever. Rarity, on the other hand, was quick to rush up to the filly and pick her up with her aura. She looked ready to scream in a panic before a gentle hoof from Twilight rested on her shoulder. Rarity looked into the eyes of the now frightened filly, taking a deep breath and setting her down.

“Apple Bloom,” she started, sitting down in front of the children. “You have to promise me to never, ever, ever tell anypony about Spike. Especially not your mother. Okay?”

“Yea, sure!” Apple Bloom chirped, grinning broadly. “Ya didn’t tell Ma about the cragadile, or the basalisk…” she slowly shrank her posture, sheepishly looking at a grinning Twilight. “... or the star spider… or the horntail… Ah can keep this feller a secret, no problem!” Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, and patted Apple Bloom’s back gently; bringing her into a hug.

“Thank you, Apple Bloom.” She sobbed, shuddering. Spike watched nervously, glancing between his mother and Twilight. Twilight offered him a small nod, lighting her horn with a wink before vanishing in a burst of pink.

---

Dinner at the Apple Family’s castle was a thriving event, more than ever with the Horn of the Queen dining in their hall with them. Almost the entire town had arrived, every pony hoping for a chance to mingle with the Sorceress. Much to their disappointment, and Rarity’s growing amusement, Twilight blatantly ignored everyone but Applejack, Apple Bloom, and herself.

Rarity sat comfortably near the head of the great table, placed beside Apple Bloom and across from Twilight. At the head of the table, Applejack sat in an ornate chair, carved and woven with firm intricacy from oak and cherry. It looked more like a throne than a dining room table, and elevated the farmer’s head higher than Twilight’s by a good measure. Rarity was inwardly appalled that Applejack would use such a position in the presence of a powerful figure, let alone the Queen’s Horn. But, she knew all too well that bringing up any discussion of etiquette to the Matriarch wouldn’t end well for anypony.

“A welcome meal after such a pilgrimage, Lady Applejack.” Twilight asserted coldly, impaling a number of leaves and cubes of diced meat with a fork. She soaked it with a white broth that scalded the wooden bowl it was held in, and gently bit in; chewing carefully before swallowing so she could speak again. “I extend my compliments to your servants, they have done excellent work on this cuisine.”

“Servants?” Applejack chortled giddily, slapping her hoof on the table. “Yer Majesty, there ain’t no way Ah’d let those bastards anywhere near the kitchen when there’s cookin’ to be done. Ah don’t trust ‘em any farther than ‘Bloom can buck ‘em with a fork, let alone a skillet. Everything on yer palette is genuine Apple cooking!” The gratification in Applejack’s voice as she chided her servants set a thorn in Rarity’s throat, but the seamstress bit her tongue as Twilight quirked her brow at the statement.

“Oh?” She prompted with a flourish of her utensils, dicing a large section of meat thoroughly. “Pray tell what you keep the servants around for, if not for cooking and waiting?”

“Tradition, honestly.” Applejack shrugged, leaning back in her seat lazily. “The Apple family’s owned their families for… Ah reckon ‘round ten generations. Servin’ us is all they know, and Ah’m the last pony to break tradition. ‘Sides, they’re handy for keepin the grounds tidy. Once their work is done, they get their pay and go off.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the clatter of falling wood. All eyes moved to the young Apple Bloom as she clambered back into her seat, sweating what looked like beads of glass as an equally nervous shuffling sounded from under the table. Applejack huffed, clopping her hooves together. Within moments, Macintosh had gotten up from his seat and ducked his head under the table, pulling away with a small pegasus filly in his teeth. Her diminutive wings buzzed like a fly’s as she held several alphabetic blocks in her forehooves, her mulberry mane drooping over her meek frown.

“What have I told ya ‘bout playin’ with Gopher?” Applejack glared at her daughter, a wave of her hoof dismissing Macintosh to carry the petite filly away. “That ain’t what she’s for, and Ah’ve told you that before!”

“But Ma, Gopher’s fun!” A round of giggles and uncomfortable coughs went around the table as Apple Bloom pouted, “besides, we ain’t hurtin’ anypony!”

“That ain’t the point, sugarcube.” Applejack chided, rubbing a tired hoof against her forehead. “Y’ don’t play with the servants, you just let ‘em work. Let ‘em live their own lives.” Apple Bloom huffed, and sank her head down as she played with her food.

“Glad Ah made a new friend at Miss Rarity’s house today,” she muttered to herself quietly. Rarity’s blood ran cold, and she felt her muscles cramp as if she’d been struck by a cool wind. Twilight’s ears perked up, but her expression remained cold and even. Applejack was all too quick to sense the tension, and sat up to lean into the table.

“Y’ made a new friend at Rarity’s, huh?” Applejack inquired, the light tone barely hiding the interrogation that was surely incoming. “Who would that be? Ah haven’t heard of anyone goin’ t’ Rarity’s place for years.”

Apple Bloom’s face flushed red as she realized her misstep, and she glanced between a distraught Rarity and her mother with apprehension and shame. Caught between two motherly mares, her eyes became moist as fright and uncertainty filled her. Applejack looked ready to pounce before the steady voice of Twilight cut through the tension.

“Begging your Lady’s pardon, but I am the one she’s referring to.” Twilight stated flatly, barely looking up from another sample skewered on her fork. “Your daughter was kind enough to keep me company after you sent her there, and was teaching me to play one of your local games while we both waited for the esteemed Dragon Slayer to return home. Don’t be too harsh on her, I very much appreciated the companionship.” Rarity breathed a sigh of relief as Applejack eyed Twilight over, as if searching the Sorceress’ thoughts.

“No disrespect meant, your highness,” Applejack expressed her doubt with no censor, “but Ah heard you walked Rarity home from the Darkwood earlier. Nothin’ goes on in this town without my ears pickin’ it up at some point.”

“No disrespect taken, Lady Applejack,” Twilight countered without missing a second, lighting her horn. “But, you are uneducated to the tiers of magic I am capable of. I don’t expect you to understand without witnessing for yourself, however. So allow me to demonstrate.” At that, Twilight lit her horn. Slowly, an identical, slightly ethereal duplicate of Twilight split off from her body, picking up a glass in its own levitation and downing the wine within. Both Twilights spoke in tandem as they smiled at Applejack. “Merely a simple casting of Similo Duplexis, and a copy of me can run an errand while I stay behind.”

“Uh-huh…” Applejack cast a glance to Apple Bloom, who nodded sheepishly. Satisfied with the answer and the display, she sat back into her throne with a tired stretch. “Alrighty then, that’ll feed me a helpin’ or two of humility. Ah do beg your pardon, Ah’m a mite protective of my family.”

‘Possessive is the more appropriate term,’ Rarity thought, grimacing at her food as she resumed her meal.

---

As the mingling and politics dragged on, Rarity eventually excused herself from the celebration. She felt like a hermit retreating into his cave, but she needed to return home to Spike and take him outside before everypony returned. As she approached the towering portcullis of the Apple estate, the form of Twilight’s Identical stepped into her path, ever so gently glowing with a pink light.

“Leaving so soon?” The projection asked, tilting her head. Rarity smiled at the duplicate, nodding gently and keeping her voice low.

“The poor thing hasn’t been outside in ages,” she chuckled ruefully, “and this is a good opportunity to let him run around without being seen.”

The image of Twilight nodded, and stepped aside. Rarity nodded in kind, and started back down the path before pausing again. After a few seconds, she turned back to Twilight’s Identical, which was still watching her with attentive eyes. Rarity’s smile turned slightly more sincere, and she spoke up again.

“And thank you for covering for Apple Bloom and I, dear.” She said with unfeigned gratitude. “That’s quite a handy spell, I must say.”

“And a taxing one,” Twilight’s Identical chuckled as she turned to step back into the courtyard, “I’ve barely held it for an hour, and I won’t be able to cast any more magic until the morning.”

“You… what?” Rarity blinked, her smile falling into a puzzled frown.

Author's Note:

Well look at what we have here, another update after who knows how long! Sorry for the wait, I would have had this done months ago if it wasn't for some personal drama and general laziness. But, I finally forced myself to get back into the swing of things, and got this all wrapped up in a couple days! Hopefully this means I'll be able to get more work done faster in future, since it's not at all that difficult and really fulfilling for me to do. I forgot how satisfying it is to work on these stories.

Anyway, personal notes aside, I hope you're still enjoying this! We have a long ways to go, so strap yourselves in! Please leave a thumbs-up to let me know that you liked it, and leave any critiques, criticisms or overall opinions in the comments if you feel inclined. Or, if you're one of those people that saves the thumbs-up until a story is all said and done, that's a fantastic way to go about things too! But I appreciate any and all feedback.

Until Next Time, God Bless You!
~Amethyst Dawn.

Comments

[Galaxina-the-Unicorn]

Ah~, finally! Spike and Apple Bloom meet! Can’t wait to see the romance blossom~.

Applejack being a racist slave owner makes...a little too much sense, lol (I love AJ, I swear)

Twilight is very interesting in this story, and I very much like her. Her save when Apple Bloom nearly blew Spike’s cover was my favorite part of this chapter tbh

Rarity is always likable. I love Rarity.

This is very good, and I can’t wait for more~.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

10201077
Can't wait to see how you react!

Honestly, racism isn't the angle I was going for as far as her servants are concerned.

Glad you like how I'm presenting everyone!

[A Predatorial Horse]

Loving it as per usual. Keep up the good work.

[Viper Pit]

Awesome chapter

[fanreader999999]

:/

[DragoBR]

I became a writer only a few months ago, I know how hard it is to write a story or the laziness of writing it, so I understand the delay, but please don't stop the story because the delay I understand, but abandoning a story is something I I really don't like it, take longer to get there.

[DILLYbOd]

69 likes... NOICE!!!

[DesiestChangeling]

Nuuuu not canceled 😔

[Amethyst_Dawn]

10640490
Not exactly cancelled, just being repurposed.

[DesiestChangeling]

10640566
so will it still be uploaded here?

[Amethyst_Dawn]

10640962
These current chapters aren't being taken down, but I don't think I'll be updating this version of the story anymore.

[DesiestChangeling]

10642482
rip