"Better Luck Next Time" and Other Short Stories

by Tarot Card

Imprinting

The Prompt: Spike witnesses something he won’t soon forget.

The newborn dragon, unaware that sudden fluctuations in one’s growth were not an expected part of life, sucked on his tail, trying to make sense of what just happened.

One moment, the comforting, confined darkness. Then an explosion of sensations that he had never experienced before. There was something fundamentally different about these feelings. He felt growth before, but never this dramatic. And there was something else... The pressure within and bearing down on him, was gone.

In it’s place, was the freedom of movement. He experimentally tugged some muscles, and instead of his appendages meeting the barrier of his shell, they flopped about. Even though he could move, he chose to curl back into a ball. He felt...exposed. Gone was the warmth and insulation, and he felt the frightening chill of the bare air around him.

And the colors! The whirling masses of shapes and shades and hues had no inherent meaning to him, but they were bright and pretty and confusing, and even though he liked them a lot more than the darkness of his shell, it still hurt his head.

The baby dragon suddenly became aware of the blaring cacophony all around him. The chaos of incomprehensible noise, rising and falling, rising and falling, was nearly enough to addle the newborn’s brain. Was there danger? Was he being hurt? The rocking vibrations shook him, scattered him. The poor dragon couldn’t handle the flood of information pouring into him. His own wails joined the madness of sensations around him. All he wanted to do was to be wrapped into his shell once again, with peace and quiet and darkness.

The noise around the purple dragon without warning, fell away. The source of fear gone, his crying slowly ceased. Tentatively, he opened his eyes. His vision was still full of confusing blobs and shapes, but they seemed calmer, almost. then he felt a new sensation, touch. A white hoof, lined with gold, touched his face, wiping away the tears. It felt warm, comforting. His tears gone, he saw a white face, smooth colors gently flowing all around it, very unlike the mess of everything else. He looked into the two dark, soft eyes looking at him, then at the white spiraling horn just a little above them. He heard sounds coming from the face as it’s lips moved. He didn’t understand what was happening, but the sounds were calm, musical; reassuring, almost.

He cooed, and the white face smiled demurely at him. The baby dragon, in spite of everything, felt happy to be in its presence. The eyes offered love and nurturing, the horn above them promising protection and safety. As long as he saw the lovely countenance, that dainty smile, and the alabaster horn, he knew that he was in good hooves.

(written as a possible explanation of Spike’s attraction to Rarity)

Comments

[Path_of_cloud]

In interesting take indeed. Good use of development psychology as well.

[Twinkletail]

This was one of my favorite stories for this prompt.

[Honey Mead]

Dawww!

[epicdonus1123 BOT]

pinkie.ponychan.net/chan/files/src/133999408129.gif

I must say, good show ole boy!

[Tarot Card]

989112

Thank you! it seems like this is the story everypony likes best out of the three.

[Tarot Card]

994488
ponyderivative.com/images/single/apple-bloom/thumbs/apple-bloom-cutie-mark-broken-image_thumb.jpg

[Ekhidna]

So, the white mare is Celestia? I have my suspicions from " A white hoof, lined with gold," and "His tears gone, he saw a white face, smooth colors gently flowing all around it, very unlike the mess of everything else."

[Tarot Card]

1000552
You are correct in that assumption. This is basically Twilight's story in "The cutie mark chronicles", from Spike's perspective.

[Alanith]

This is a cute little story, even if it does make Spike's canonical crush on Rarity hilariously squicky.

1000552

No it's her twin sister, Solestia.

[NachoTheBrony]