What It Means To Be A Dragon

by FluttershyLover55

Chapter Nine:Shifting Gears

What It Means To Be A Dragon
Chapter 9-Shifting Gears

If Spike had been a pony, he would be stumbling around in the dark, like an idiot. He was increasingly thankful that dragons could see well in the absence of light, since lately, he seemed to be running into a lot of situations where being a pony would have been difficult.

His slitted pupils allowed him to see like a cat, filtering out most of the darkness in a sort of night-vision. His gaze landed on several points of interest, but most of them were to be expected, in a place where ponies had previously toiled to clear a path through miles of cold, hard rock. Upon entry, Spike had noticed a speck of light in the distance that was now, considerably closer than before.

In the area ahead, light seemed to gather, before another patch of darkness that stretched out to consume whatever lay ahead of it. A few torches lined this area, where a lone minecart sat on a rail of silver, extending out into the darkness. A lever was attached to the rails, used for operating them. Spike tried to pull it, but years of rust clung to its exterior, rooting it to the spot.

"Hmmm, that doesn't look like it's going anywhere. Something about this bothers me though, but I'm not quite sure what it is." Spike scratched his head for a moment, staring out into the unlit space before him. "It's not the darkness itself that unsettles me, but the fact that this mine is half-way done. I don't know why they stopped, but I need to get through here, either way."

The dragon once again tried to pull the pole, but the lever still wouldn't move. Spike had an idea that just might work. "It's SO awesome, to be a dragon." Spike thought.

There had been many times when he had wished to be a pony, but this trip was making him lose the need to fit in and accept himself. Dragons were naturally resistant to heat, especially if it was their own, so Spike wasn't hurt when he channeled fire into his hands, superheating them to a toasty temperature. When he took hold of the lever this time, some of the rust fell off, brushed away by his heated touch. Spike was able to shift the device, causing the minecart to be set into motion, rolling along the track like it was meant to.

Spike ran to it and leapt inside, hitching a ride through the shaft. Spike entered the darkness not knowing what lay ahead, and hoping that the reason the mine was never finished wasn't lurking inside. Almost immediately, there was a drop on the track, causing Spike to hold onto the cart to keep from falling out. After a while of going around corners and drops, Spike noticed that the darkness was lit with what was an eerie, green glow. It was coming from some kind of green goop along the walls, which gave off dim light. Spike realized too late that he was approaching the end of the track, as the minecart flew off the rails, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

"Well, that's not good!" Spike exclaimed in fear, trying not to scream, as he fell through the darkness.

The cart flipped in the air, causing the baby dragon to be thrown out of it, as it crashed into the side of the cavern wall, now lodged into it. Spike closed his eyes, sure that this was the end, as he hit a slimy substance and sunk down into it, fully submerged and unconscious.

A laugh echoed through the cavern, as step one of the plan was complete.