Frozen

by B_25

7 – Streets

~ 7 ~

Streets

Spike couldn’t lift his jaw even if he wanted to. The ethereal place never failed to amaze him every time with its brilliance. The captain and the drake were on a riding road that led into the central hub of the empire. Buildings and statues greeted them on either side with each shining just as brilliantly as the last. On a field just to there left, colts and fillies were kicking back and forth a small ball, all shiny and nice and obvious to the world beyond their protective dome.

“Stop.” Shining command as the drake was torn back from his gaze. He turned around and looked up at the stallion, who at the moment, was pulling off his dark cloak. Once it was in his hoof, he held it out before the drake. “Put this one. We’re heading into the housing district.”

“So?” Spike crossed his arms and took a step away. He straightened his spine, but it didn’t help much seeing as he only came up the captain’s muzzle. “What does that have to do with anything? The ponies here love me!”

“Not all of them. Not anymore.” Shining stepped forward and draped the cloak around Spike’s neck, pulling the hood over his head as the rest of it fell down to over his tail. “We’re to make it to the tower without any distractions.” Shining turned and began forward. “I’ve already been away for far too long because of you.”

Spike wanted to say something, anything, but words failed him as his feet carried him forward. Together, they carried through the magical city of crystal, though the magic of the buildings or the rainbow colors that filtered through the sky were lost to the small dragon. His head was down as he followed alongside the captain.

Spike saw his reflection in the immaculately smooth surface of the street. It surprised him at first; he had almost forgotten what he looked like.

“Spike…”

It was weird to see himself now. The cloak did well to hide his face from others, but he could see clearly through the veil of darkness his hood cast.

“Spike…”

It was weird for him to think that he’d forgotten what he looked like. Appearances aren't something he just forgot, and after some journeying and time alone, he could no longer recognize himself immediately.

“Spike!”

The drake finally rose his head, just when it was too late. He walked face first into some kind of block of crystal, rebounding second laters with a snore snout. He took a few steps back, rubbing his nose and looking up at what he had bumped in to.

It provoked tears from his eyes.

He hadn’t bumped into a block of crystal, but rather, a leg of one. Standing before him was a small statue, a crystalize depiction of a baby dragon with his claw on his hip, head back and eyes up, holding a crystal heart to the sky as he gazed upon it with a smile.

Shining stood back from the dragons, watching with indifference.

Spike kept staring at the statue in silence. After a few moments, his eyes began to close and his memory began to play, breathing deeply and as a shiver coursed through his body. Slowly, his head began to lower, and when it came to open his eyes, he saw his reflection once more—of the dragon that looked back at him, without a smile and a scar over his left eye.

A hoof seized his shoulder. “Come. We’ve wasted enough time here.”

Shining took back his hoof and turned around, the clops of his hooves starting to become distant.

Spike raised his head and began to walk backward, allowing his gaze to linger on the statue for a few moments longer. Then, with a heavy sighed, he turned his head and quickly bounded toward the captain—only to be stopped when he looked up.

Shining stopped underneath the tower, turning around. “What has you stopped?”

“Nothing.” Spike looked and began forward once again. “I’m coming.”

“You haven’t answered my question,” Shining said when the drake came to his side. “What kept you?”

“Nothing. I just really hate towers.”