Conflict
The Dragon Lord Legacy
Conflict
Evening was fast approaching for Spike and his two mothers as they went back and forth on how to regain his memories while trying to adapt into his setting. Despite him gaining normal motor functions and understanding his biology a bit, he was still unaware of what he was fully capable of.
The first was the use of his wings. He seemed to think of them as odd, feeling like he never had them before. “You didn’t,” his momma told him. “Prior to your incident, you didn’t have them. You went through your molting faze and gained them after.”
He gave them a few flaps, not trying to fly, but mentally trying to understand his new ligaments. This skin membrane on his wings matched his belly scales, though a touch of light green blended at the edges. The actual wing bone sprouted from his two shoulder blades. The top of his wing where it bent, had a large talon on top that he could weave or dab if he were low enough to the ground or use it as an extra appendage to grab a hold of other things. The wing then curved down to a sharp tip. The height was two thirds of his body length with part of the top passing his head. The width of his wings were at least five and a half feet across, roughly a foot more than his height. In all, he had grown from a pudgy, short two foot dragon, to a five and a half foot tall dragon.
But during his molts, he also changed more than he realized. His scales were denser, much more rugged, and stronger. His mothers mentioned this to him as they were cleaning him over his coma.
“You were soft scaled, not too soft but neither were you able to handle so much. Now that you have grown, your scales will strengthen as you mature more. Plenty of meats and solid gems, maybe an occasional iron or two will make you stronger than the most hardened diamonds!”
His last, most intriguing trait to come from his rapid molts in the eight months, was his flames. He had sneezed yesterday, which was the first time he exhaled a flame in almost a year. However, instead of the normal emerald green and light green that he would exhale according this his mothers, he now a brighter green and a standing white mixed yellow. He was also able to hold it now for extended periods of time. But that… was just the beginning.
“What I want to teach you my son,” began Zynthia. “Is how to harness and control your fire with not just your breath, but your body and mind.” With that, Zynthia brought one of her paws close to maw. She then blew out a small flame and held the flame in her claw, closing her mouth and showing him the flame still burned upon her palm. His eyes lit up with awe, seeing his mother hold or cradle her own red and pinkish flame in her palm. The flame danced in her claws, as if she had a source of energy or fuel to keep it there and burning.
“This my son, is how dragons control fire from within. This form of fire manipulation has it where you bend it to your will. Control it from a distance, on your body, to the temperatures and so on. Firebreaking is the form of breaking the rules of normal fire bending and using it for other forms.”
He watched as the flame continued to dance on her claws before spreading across her wrist, slowly travelling up, until once it past her shoulders, the rest of her body caught on fire and she ignited in a bright flame. Spike jumped in surprise at seeing his momma on fire, his own eyes lighting up in amazement and joy. He laughed as his momma gave a smile and danced lightly with her flaming body.
She gave a twirl, flashing her mate with a dance, and even spreading her wings to show that they were also on fire, dancing above and below them in pink flames. With the raise of her right leg, she brought it down hard and the stomp extinguished her flames instantly. Her eyes gleamed as smoke continued to leave her body until it dissipated.
“That my son, is Firebreaking.”
“Whoa,” he said in awe, his eyes still wide with amazement. A grin formed on him. “So, any dragon can do that?” he asked excitedly.
“Any dragon with fire in their blood, has the potential to do it, but it mostly caters to females.” His mother commented, sniffing her mate from afar. A smile formed on her, winking at her lover outside of her son’s view before looking down at him. “Males don’t pursue it because it could take years to decades, even centuries to fully master it.”
“She is right, Spike.” Zynthia furthered the conversation. “Most males think its a waste of time, energy and even believe its useless, because why waste learning to control your flames if you can just spit it out from your mouth?” She mocked. “In sadden truth, Firebreaking is a dying form and I fear that eventually, dragons will forget this in teaching their young. It is not just a form of controlling fire, but it also is part of history.”
He nodded in understanding before perking his head. “Did you teach anydragon how to do it?”
She nodded. “Many have come and have learned from me. I, while not being the full master of Firebreaking, I am one of the few elders that can control it at a much larger level than many of the dragons in the valley.” She paused then leaned down. “Ember, while not able to fully control it, is one of the few that I have taught to harness and master the ability. She can control it, on a rough level only within her sight but has gotten farther than many have before her.”
This peeked Spike’s interest immensely. The subject of learning something as difficult as Firebreaking and being able to show Ember, might make it easier to talk to her next time. Find a proper topic and maybe regain memories.
“Wait, did I know how to do this before?” he asked.
“The way you were raised, I doubt that you were properly taught anything…” Bakka! She spoke before she could think, as Zynthia instantly regretted it. Eliyinsa also feared the words that her made just released. She wanted to correct her but it was too late.
“The way I was raised?” He asked. “I-I thought you both raised me?” He then saw their faces flinch and worry quickly filled his heart. “You… you both didn’t raise me? B-Before the incident?”
The two mothers quickly found themselves in a bind. Ember wanted him to regain his memories, including ones about the ponies whom truly raised him to before they got him. Their fears of him rejecting him however were the more upsetting parts of this. Eliyinsa, being the one of the most intelligent dragons in the lands, decided to take this to a new approach.
“My son, before you think that we are not or never have cared for you, please know that what happened in the past, happened in its own way. We may have not raised you, but after the incident, we took you under our wing to make sure you recovered.” She then leaned her head down to meet his eyes. “I promise you that, whatever memories resurface, whatever past you may uncover, we will always be there to help you move past it. We may not have given birth to you, that I am sure you are aware of now, but we will still care for you as if you are our own.”
“She and I will take care of you,” Zynthia moved in as well. “We want you to remember, but we also don’t want you to be filled with pain or sadness if you start to remember.”
His eyes looked into both of his mothers, for he could feel the truth coming from them. However, there was something more to this. His mind needed to expand and more to remember his past. “You would talk to me in my sleep,” he commented, slow but almost clear voices of his mothers echoing in his mind. “You both were there in the darkness, telling me about your lives, your roles. You told me about dragons, history, and life around me. Yet… you never talked to me about my past. Why?”
“We had no idea you lost your memory, son.” His mother answered truthfully. “We were not aware that you would wake up with a blank slate, so to speak.”
“The things we spoke to you in your sleep,” continued Zynthia. “Were things we wanted you to know about us. Ember, prior to your incident, told us you only had some basic understandings of dragon history. We talked to you about that. We spoke about how dragon culture continued, how we came to be now and were the blood ties of dragons lie. Our history, your mother’s and mine, were just what we did to become who we are. An Advisor and a Successor, our roles in Dragon Lord history and how we met.”
Spike understood all that. Most of it, they repeated to him in his sleep. He knew of dragon history. His memory was filled with that, but he was not aware of the history before his incident, before his own awakening the day prior. Ember was but a hazy vision and memory for him. He couldn’t even remember his own youth, which troubled him greatly. Then the big question finally came to mind.
“Who were my parents?” That left the two mothers at a terrible uncomfortable silence. Spike saw their features in a wave of emotions, especially their eyes.
“W-We… we don’t know, my son.” Eliyinsa said sadly. “I wish, I truly do wish I could tell you but we do not know. Your memories… revealed that you were left as an egg…”
“I was abandoned?” he asked in total disbelief. Tears formed at the end of his eyes and he felt his heart quicken in pace. “I-I-I wasn’t even cared for before I hatched?”
Just like that, he went into a frenzy and depressive state. Both of his mothers quickly tried to calm him down.
“Spike please calm down! We know this is difficult but you still have us!”
“We can take care of you know! You never have to be alone again!”
He pushed away from them, as he tried to remember anything from his past. He began to shake his head in anger, moving away from his mothers as they tried to ease him down. As he did, his mind began resurging back, waves of emotions and memories hitting him.
… he was in his egg, screams of his birth mother echoed around him.
… darkness until a warmth like the sun incomposing him.
… then a bright flash, unprocessed feelings and colors filling his mind.
… power unlike any other filling him, then a purple mashed face staring at him, along with a beautiful face of white, staring at him with adoration.
… Ember’s face staring at him, wonderful orange eyes looking into his own emerald ones, love radiating from her and hope for them in the future.
… he then remember him hurting her, pain because he hurt her, followed by anger and rage, his body experiencing agony like anything before.
He screamed in pain as the memories began to tore at his mind. He dropped to his knees, claws trying to dig into his head as waves of agony came at him, squeezing his eyes tight.
“Eliyinsa, do something!” He heard his momma scream.
Spike then felt large claws lock around his body. He yelled in protest and tried to remove himself, doing everything he can to dislodge himself. Pulling up to her face, Eliyinsa finally spoke to Spike.
“Open up your eyes, Spike!”
Spike managed to open them through the pain and saw his mother’s deep purple eyes.
“Sleep,” was all she commanded as they glowed brightly and just like that, Spike’s mind went hazy before he slumped on her claws and fell asleep. The pain faded and he found himself softly breathing, with his memories fading into the back.
They set him upon their sleeping area and allowed him to calmly rest while they moved away from him. Eliyinsa began to pace the area in anger and sadness. She allowed him to be hurt… again. This time intentional and with it nearly sending him back to a deep sleep. Luckily, it was a soft one but nothing ever came easy.
“How could I have been so stupid?!”
“You are not the one whom reminded him that he wasn’t raised nor hatched by us.” Her mate countered, trying to take the blame. “I slipped, I told him that we didn’t know of his past…”
“Something we both should have told him, something both of us should have mentioned as he woke.”
“Then he would ask who raised him,” Zynthia mentioned. “He would ask about how he came to be here, where he came from and so on. As it is, we want to raise him right, not the way the Equestrians had done so.”
“But they are the reason he is the way he is! They are the reason he is kind, loving, generous and so much more. I can only name a few dragons in my claws that have a personality like that.” She sighed and her mood dampened. “Ember is right that we have to tell him of his origins. Including how he was raised by the Equestrians.”
Zynthia snorted in disdain, looking away from her mate. She didn’t like how it was all true. He wouldn’t be the kind or sweet drake that he was now if it weren’t for them, but it would also be ill to forget their wrongful mistreatment of Spike.
“Should we tell him all about they raised him? Should we tell him how he came for the sake of Ember?”
Eliyinsa hesitated, moving her head side to side. “I feel as if right now, its too much. He must be slow to remember his past. If we do it too quickly, it might overwhelm him, like right now. We need to do it at a rate that he could adjust.”
Zynthia nodded, though she eyed her mate.
“Why not use…”
“I rather he not fully understand how I use my… abilities, to read or tap into the minds of others.” She cut her off. “If anything, that last thing I want him to reveal to the Equestrians that dragons have magic and abilities outside of their knowledge. Plus, it makes others uneasy when I use them,” Her tail wagged in annoyance and scratching the metal band around it scratch the floor. “The bind is punishment as is.”
Zynthia understood, staying silent. She leaned down and brushed her snout against his body, sniffing him and making sure he was still sound asleep.
“So what do we do then?”
Eliyinsa shook her head.
“I feel the need to clear my head. I still feel angry at myself for making him sleep, rather than calm him down.”
“It was necessary.”
“And also a risk. Bad enough that he is going to wake up with questions and answers, I, you or even Ember won’t have.”
“Why not tell the Equestrians he has awaken then? They would love to know that he has.”
“Perhaps, but I doubt they would understand that he has lost all of his memories. If the previous incident hadn’t caused an international turmoil, this will.”
“What of Ember telling them?”
Baaka! She forgot that Ember had left with that knowledge. A soft rumble vibrated from her throat before responding. “I believe that Ember won’t tell them. She is smart enough to know that revealing Spike’s memory lost, may not help us.” She then walked past her mate and headed to the entrance. “I need to breathe, I just want some time to myself.” She then turned her head to her mate. “Perhaps I can find a solution for us.”
Zynthia nodded and blew a small flame from her maw to her mate. It wasn’t meant to reach, but merely showed she still cared for her mate. Eliyinsa smiled at the gesture returned the kindle before walking out of the cave. Zynthia settled herself with Spike, lying on her belly and using her arms to encompass him, bringing his head closer to her arm. She then began to gently hum to him, for she was not as good as singing, she hummed the tune her mate would.
Eliyinsa immediately took wing as she left the cave, expanding her large wings and using the warm desert winds to rise high. The sun was all but below the horizon now and the stars began to twinkle in the night. The moon held its just glow that illuminated the area giving it a pleasant view. Dragons roamed around, not active as during the day but soft mingling and enjoying the warmth from the rivers of lava or nightly activities.
Mates and friends took flights around, the night having little effect to their visions. From the sky, Eliyinsa enjoyed the soft cooling winds that came, not too cold that it would affect her but a nice lukewarm that made gliding a breeze. She allowed her thoughts to wander, as she tried to find a solution for her Spike, Ember and her mate.
To let Spike remember his past, was for him to remember everything about how he grew up with the ponies. He would remember why he came to the dragon lands to help Ember and become her consort. He would remember the trials. He would remember the pain, the agony he suffered, not just to himself but to Ember and Zynthia. But most likely, he would remember his past before he hatched, a time when his awareness outside of his egg was hazy.
She was only able to briefly experience it, since he himself was unaware of the vague memory. His own mother, had either abandoned him or… something happened to her and she left him. Why? Who was she? And how did it happen that Spike’s egg got left with the ponies? It just doesn't make sense.
According to Ember, she had asked the Princess of Equestria, one of them that is, on Spike’s origin. According to her, his own memories and part of the history she gathered, he was hatched by the magic of his caretaker’s magic during some sort of test. With it, she managed to hatch his egg and after, took care of him. His older memories were vague at best, but she did saw that for a period of his life, he was taken care of by the elder Princess of Equestria, the ruler of the sun. He saw her as his mother and his caretaker as his sister.
She inwardly growled at that. She stopped in mid flight, using her wings to slow her speed until she hovered in the air. Why did she dislike that? Why did she hate the idea of the ponies raising Spike? What was the animosity towards them when they are the reason he is the best dragon out of thousands?
Jealousy? She didn’t get to raise him?
Anger? Him having not grown up properly but still managed to be a great dragon?
Or was it the fact that he is still the enigma of them all? That his past is shrouded to even the ponies? That he himself has gone through numerous of tragic yet amazing adventures. He became a saint amongst the creatures different from him. What values he gain by being raised by non dragons?
He was raised by ponies, that was the fact that he was who he is. He should remember the values of creatures that have been a part of his history. She gave a heavy sigh, hating herself for doubting the ponies but she knew that they were also full of flaws… just like dragons. She dared to hope that they were lenient towards the incident and were prone to holding a grudge.
She took a gentle glide and made her way to the Dragon Lord’s cave. If anything, the first time Ember encountered Spike, she had expected him to be the one that left her eight months ago. Earlier, she met a dragon who was not himself. It was up to her and Ember to help him remember who he was and what he became the dragon that he is now.
Approaching the large cave, she moved to the area where large dragons could only enter with their heads, like Torch. However, she was the smaller than him, so she could fully fit her body, albeit in tight conditions.
“Lord Ember?” she called from within the cave. “May I enter? It is I, Eliyinsa.”
“You may.” Came an immediate response. The larger dragoness shimmied her way in, though trying not to fully enter, her body slimmed its way to the entrance and she saw the dragon lord, along with her hoard near her. Ember was looking up at her, confusion mixed on her face but concern filled her voice. “Is everything alright? How is...he?”
The larger dragoness shook her head in denial.
“No better than before. In fact, we may have slipped.” She sighed angrily. “We accidentally revealed to him we were not responsible for his upbringing nor whom was his sire or dam. This upset him and he became frantic. I had to… put him to sleep.”
Ember’s eyes went wide, with a wave of emotions cascading over her features. Eliyinsa nodded but continued on. “I know it is difficult right now with all this, but for his sake, I think that we should try to get him to remember his past. All of it. Ponies, the trials, us… you.” She lowered her head to the Dragon Lord. “You are the key that may give him his memories back. When you gave him his kindle, he seemed to remember you more specifically, a hint of something before. That is why I believe that we are to gain back the Spike we… you’ve lost, that we slowly ease his mind with his past.”
Ember acknowledged the Advisor’s words, knowing she was just as intelligent but fear and concern clouded her judgement.
“B-But he didn’t remember me at all. What good would that help if he couldn’t fully remember his own consort? Would I also have to remind him how he went and suffered for the trials? Or how he separated himself from me when he…” She didn’t finish, for the memory was too painful… literally and mentally.
Eliyinsa nodded in understanding. “I’m aware that there are some… unpleasant parts but if we focus on the positive aspects, it would benefit him. The negative should come after. Before anything, we should target your’s and his relationship prior to this. Before the trials, your friendship, the Gauntlet of Fire and so on. After that, then we could slowly remind him of the family he had, before coming here.”
“Should we not just contact Twilight and the others to come and aid? Maybe this is the best if…”
“If we wish to avoid more turmoil than as is.” Interrupted Eliyinsa. “As is, not only have we caused him to suffer for the trials, but we have indirectly erased his mind and fill it with the only history he knows and that is us. For eight months, we spoke to him in his sleep about the history of dragons, culture, names, anatomy and so on. All of that is currently in his head, including how we were his mothers, how we care for him, who we are and why we love him.” A sorrowful sigh left her. “I wish we would have know this sooner but it would not help any of us, if we were to explain to the Equestrians that Spike is not who he is because of our faults.”
“We should atone for our mistakes, Eliyinsa.” Ember said a bit firmly. She swallowed any sadness she had and held strong against the Advisor. “Whatever they say or do, we have to atone. Even if it means they want us to get into a conflict.”
She dared not deny the wise words of Ember but she would also not her to foolishly push for it. With her own firmness, she gave a serious stare at her.
“And how many dragons, outside of yours, would ever go to conflict for a single dragon? How many dragons would want to go to war for the sake of one? Bleed or die, even at the word of their Dragon Lord?” Ember gaped at the Advisor, unable to believe at what she had just heard from her. Eliyinsa pushed on, still trying to dissuade Ember. “I dare not call you stupid for saying we should stand by our mistakes and face the wrath of the Equestrians, but I am saying, be aware that they are quick to judge and should not be taken lightly. To return Spike as a broken dragon to them, would no doubt believe that we are nothing but monsters and mindless beasts, only for them to gain reason to go to war with us.” She withdrew her head away from Ember. “Its needless conflict, Lord Ember. If you want to truly secure and establish a proper relationship with them, let us first deal with one of their own and bring him back to their graces, whole.”
Ember didn’t speak but the emotions that ran across her face spoke volumes and it was not how she wanted her night to end. She hated Eliyinsa for even trying to dissuade her from trying to seek aid from Twilight, let alone escape punishment. Eliyinsa was not an Advisor for nothing. She was meant to be quick with her tongue, intelligent in conversations and mindful of any future situations. Ember saw her as the greatest teacher in all of the dragon lands and is the reason why she was smarter than the most dragons. Knowledge was power and the more you had, the more you had advantage on the weaker minds.
What made Eliyinsa even smarter than many dragons out in the world combined, is that she had abilities which were rare on dragons. Her abilities to read the minds of others, see into their history, and if she truly had full control, be able to control their minds, made her a dangerous dragoness.
She could be kind but manipulative, supportive but controlling, intelligent but cold. Outside of the view of her mate and the few she trusts, she is a steady, silent manipulator with goals hidden to those around her. Its her thinking and intelligence that allowed her to be an Advisor… without being put on the trials.
Ember saw no other solution that would have dragons hate her or think of her unfit to rule if she were to allow turmoil with the Equestrians. As it stands now, her best option was to have Spike regain his memories and come back to his former self before Twilight would ask for the next update or demand that they finally be allowed to see him. As it stands now, Ember was on thin ice.
With a reluctant nod, Ember responded. “We will help him. Tomorrow, we will try and recover his memories. Though I pray that it won’t be to much for him.”
“As do I, Lord Ember. I care that his sanity remain intact and his heart strong.” A smile tugged at her snout. “He has a heart bigger than any dragon I have ever seen and a soul to match Draco’s.”
Ember smiled at that as well. Draco would praise and cheer for who Spike was and Wistala would be proud at the love and care he gave to others. She no doubt that Spike would be sung or spoken of in stories for many years to come.
“I think so too.” She paused and lowered her head in a small bow. “Thank you for this. I know this isn’t how the night was supposed to end but I believe that we needed to establish a ground.”
Eliyinsa returned the bow. “As it should be. We want Spike to return to himself. You miss your consort and the Equestrians miss their family.”
“And what of you and Zynthia?”
Eliyinsa paused, trying to think. She rumbled in her throat for a bit before softly responding.
“I hope that when he does remember, he will not hate us for being his… mothers for the time.” She then quickly added. “Speaking of, your mother has awaken, had she not?”
Ember nodded with a bit of a gleeful tone leaving her.
“Yeah. She woke up a week ago but has been aware for the last couple of months. She should be out and about soon.”
Eliyinsa bristled with joy for the young dragoness, feeling the joy and love for her mother’s return. She hoped that she would experience that when Spike regained his memories.
“Well, I am glad she has Ember. May she return to good health.” She bowed her head and was about to leave before quickly speaking up again. “Oh, please tell Saphira, that I said ‘Hello’ and we should catch up again, like old times.” And with that she left, the cave.
I will add inspiration to each chapter based on music, video or movie and link it so you all may see where it came from.
So this is being sped up a bit and that reason is because of my new job change. I am trying to become a trucker but the process is about 2 months overall. My time will be focused on that. If not there, im working until I make my income. So there might not be an update for that time frame until I get it all set and done. By that time, MLP will be starting and hopefully I can enjoy the show properly.
I will release three other stories, in the next week to hopefully have something to keep you occupied until I return with this in mid to end april. They are my r-rated stories so... keep an eye on that.
Lastly, Im hoping that with this truck training, I start local so I can continue this and finish off my stories. Now saying it here and now, By years end, I will finish my pony based stories before this year is out. Any dragon ones I will continue long after. A blog explaining more on it. My editors RomeoDKAT and BAdwolf231 as always, I thank you.
And I thank all of you for sticking with this wonderful series!
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The cover art makes it look like this has anthro ponies in it. Is this true?
9484641
So the show has anthro dragons and non anthro dragons. Spike being an anthro as well as Ember and others, while other dragons have been seen as quads. I think its save to say that the anthro you are looking for(female having breasts, males having muscles) will not be found here. They are just bipeds but not full anthros.
Great chapter. It seems like we will see some Spike/Ember time next chapter. But we will see how that goes. I'm very happy with this chapter. At least Spike is starting to learn the truth. And faster than I thought he would. Please don't make us wait too long.
9484796
Not trying to rush it but also not going to slow it down. At some point, it could come fast and hard or it just comes slowly. Let us see how!
Another great update, cant wait for the next update from you.
On Eragon:
Hate the Movie,
LOVE the books.
The reference is nice!
9485673
Also, yay! You updated!
9485673
This is like one of many references I have put in my stories yet this was the only one noticed.
9485679
Huh. Apparently the grandeur of your story distracted us from them.
*awkwardly winks in attempt at being smooth*
9485984
Trust me, the subtle references scattered through out my stories will matter later
Wait, I'm confused, do the moms think the ponies abused spike, or that they were good to him? If the latter, why not tell the truth?
9538197
Eliyinsa only saw what she wanted, but didn't really explore everything. She saw the good, but she only saw how he was neglected in ways that dragons are supposed to raise. I mentioned how he was in every dangerous mission that could have gotten him killed, lack of proper diet and so on. THis will be tackled in a future chapter.
9538776
Thanks for clearing that up, looking forward to seeing where you take this story.
Wait. Hold up.
Dragons are supposed to be extremely resistant to magic. Yet these two have a whole arsenal of magical powers that affect Spike just perfectly fine.
So which one is it? Or are they only immune to 'pathetic pony magic'? That would be very convenient indeed, and make the problem I mentioned before even worse. There can't be an interesting conflict if one side is given everything short of an I-Win-Button.
9538776
So she saw his pony lifestyle as abuse since he wasn't living as a dragon but rather a dragon raised as a pony?
i see what you did there
10176329
FINALLY SOMEONE NOTICED!
It's been years since any one mentioned that movie.
It was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid and still is to day.
10347903
Theres multiple movie references, you are going to have to be specific.