After sending reports to Celestia, Spike falls into a coma. Fearing it's her own fault, Twilight goes to the Princesses and eventually ends up before an Elder dragon and realises she may have failed as a caretaker, a friend and as an older siste
After a vigorous day of organising and sending reports to Celestia, Twilight notices Spike is feeling a little ill. He slowly grows more and more cold, before finally falling into a coma that Twilight fears is her own fault.
Going to the Princesses for help, Twilight eventually is brought before an Elder Dragon and comes to the realisation that she may have failed as a caretaker, a friend and as an older sister.
~~~ *EDIT* Okay, okay. You guys win - I'll write an additional chapter or two. I've marked this story 'Incomplete' for now. Follow up chapter has been done. If you want more, let me know. I'm sure there are a few other characters I could write a chapter on (Except for the dragons, of course)
*DOUBLE EDIT* Okay, wow. I seriously didn't expect this to take off as well as it has. This is honestly probably one of the best days of my life. I'm so glad and happy that you've all enjoyed the story.
Reports flew left, right, and center, magic running rampant as Twilight Sparkle vigorously organised the day’s filing.
Part of being a new Princess in Equestria was to take court hearings. Princess Celestia had sent her a crash-course on the whole thing, but she felt wildly unqualified to make many of the decisions asked of her. Was Carrot Top justified in building a fence past her property line? Was she correct in denying Harp Fisher financial aid in his growing business? Was enforcing a separation order fully justified in dealing with Box Builder’s consistent harassment of Mrs. Cake?
Even with a full grasp of the guidebook, she felt uneasy taking any concrete stance.
Instead, she simply decided to send duplicates of her activities to Princess Celestia at the end of each day. A few corrections were sent back to Twilight, but overall Celestia had sent almost nothing but praise and thanks for her role.
Cataloguing and organizing the various reports for Celestia had proven arduous, but ultimately she and Spike had managed the task with an efficiency Twilight was well accustomed to.
Spike had worked overtime, he had spent the better part of the morning sending the various reports from the previous day to Princess Celestia. They had closed court for today to re-organise everything and develop on a better work-flow for the Friendship Court.
The baby dragon held up a sealed scroll, puffing up his chest before exhaling a plume of green fire. The scroll disappeared into the nether as it swiftly sped towards its destination.
“There!” he proudly declared. “That’s the last of them. Phew, that really took it out of me!” he stated, a cloud of thick soot puffing from his mouth emphasizing the fact.
“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, going through the ledger open in front of her. “Hmm...yup - everything seems to be order.”
She snapped it shut with her magic before walking up next to the dragon. Tiny beads of sweat shone on Spike’s face and head from all the work and dragon-fire sending. She pulled the baby dragon into a light hug. “I wouldn’t be able to run this place without you, you know.”
“Aww shucks, Twilight,” he said sheepishly, gripping at his shoulders and suppressing a shiver. “It was nothing.”
Twilight let go of her adoptive baby brother, giving him a closer look. “You seem a bit tired out. Tell you what, let’s go for some ice cream!”
Spike’s eyes lit up at the prospect of the sugary delight, but he just gave another shiver before the enthusiasm faded from his face. “Actually, Twilight, I’m feeling a little cold. I think I’ll pass.” He gave the alicorn a hug before continuing. “Thanks for the offer anyways.”
Twilight gave him a confused look. This was the first time he had ever refused ice cream; it was his favourite treat right next to fire rubies and emeralds. She chalked it up to exhaustion after the long day. Doing a quick sum in her head, she calculated Spike had done enough dragonfire sending over the past few days to last - on average - almost five months of friendship reports.
She shrugged, turning back to triple-check her ledgers and reports.
“Hey, Twilight?” Spike began. “I’m going to go take a hot shower... I’m feeling really cold all of a sudden.”
Twilight frowned, turning to watch the dragon head into the deeper parts of the tree-castle. She looked out the window. The sun shone brightly through, providing most of the illumination in the room itself. “That’s strange,” she muttered to herself. “It’s the middle of summer…”
*** ***
The next day was just as beautiful as the previous one. Twilight had a good feeling about this one. Sitting upright in her bed, she stretched the few kinks and cramps left over from last night’s sleep.
Sliding out of the bed, she trotted over briskly to the mirror, grasping her manebrush in her magic. A quick few tugs and it was neatly aligned to her liking. With renewed confidence, Twilight stretched her wings out and gave them a few good flaps to ensure they were ready for anything the day presented to her.
Spike was dutifully in the kitchen area, cooking up breakfast. It was an old habit of his by now - and no matter how many times she tried asking, Spike would always dutifully do his best to look after the alicorn, whether that involved cooking food, cleaning the place or just overall being as supportive as he could be. It warmed Twilight’s heart and made her feel a little embarrassed about herself just thinking about it.
As she made her way closer into the kitchen, Twilight made a mental note of the thick scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders. It was a bit odd, considering the hot weather outside, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it. The day was fresh with much to be done.
*** ***
It had been a few days and Spike was steadily getting worse, busy piling on more clothing (Most likelihood borrowed from Rarity, judging by the stylish designs), but overall their schedule never changed.
She took a step out of her bedroom and immediately noticed something odd. Her nose wrinkled at the odd sense of...nothing. No delicious smells of breakfast wafted through the halls, nor did the sound of food cooking reach her ears.
Twilight made her way through the tree-castle towards Spike’s room. “Spike! Spike?” she called out, knocking on the door.
A wheezing cough followed by a sniffle responded from behind the door. A pang of worry shot into Twilight as she pushed open the door.
“Spike?” she asked, walking up to the bed. “Are you alright?”
The baby dragon had wrapped himself thickly in several blankets, a slight blue tinge across his cheeks. “H - hey Twilight,” he mumbled before giving a large sniff. “I think I caught a cold…”
An instant pang of sympathy rose up in Twilight as she came closer to comfort her baby brother. She moved in to hug him but almost recoiled at the cold, pasty feel of his scales.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “You’re ice-cold!”
The dragon sniffled again. “Yeah, I said I thought I caught a cold…”
Twilight frowned, but chose to brush over Spike’s irritated reply. Using her magic, she summoned a hot-water bottle and instantly heated it up for the baby dragon. He held it close to his chest, almost snuggling it a little. The sight elicited a small smile from Twilight who almost squee’d at the scene.
“Thanks, Twilight…” he said, still holding the bottle tightly. “Dunno why I’m so cold, though…”
“Well, one of the general symptoms of the common cold is a slight fever,” Twilight began, holding a hoof against Spike’s forehead. “Which...you don’t have at all. You have the exact opposite of a fever.”
Spike shrugged, not saying anything else. He rolled over into the bed and pulled the blankets snugly around him. “It’s too cold,” he eventually mumbled. “I think I’m going to try sleep this one out.”
Twilight frowned. “Spike...it’s a beautiful day outside - and it’s the middle of Summer!” She nudged the curled-up form with her muzzle. “Why not go outside and soak up some sun?”
“Nah - I’ll just sit here, I reckon. Think you could wrangle me up some breakfast?”
Twilight chuckled. “Oh, grow-up Spike.” She turned to leave her little brother to sleep. A little flutter of worry flared up in her chest but she quelled it. Spike was a hardy little dragon, she was sure he’d be fine.
She left, heading to the kitchen to make an attempt at breakfast.
*** ***
The halls of Canterlot Castle were always usually quiet. Even in the late afternoon just after the Day-Court had ended, petitioners made their way back to either the guest rooms or hotel rooms. Everything was simmering down for the day.
Which was why the growing surge of ambient magic permeating the air had sent the Royal Guard into high-alert.
Princess Luna had woken up early for the Night-Court. The marching and gathering of the Royal Guards in the castle’s halls was quite something to see. It had been over a thousand years since she had seen such discipline. Even her own personal guard flanked her sides, ready for whatever threat was approaching.
It was quite a surprise when the magic culminated in a single point in the middle of the hallway, a loud popping noise ringing through the halls. A single purple alicorn stood in a scorch mark. She held a baby green dragon in her hooves, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The guards visibly relaxed after seeing who it was, but still held an air of alert about them.
Twilight was distraught beyond belief. Her bloodshot eyes darted around, before locking onto Princess Luna. In an instant she had flown over. “Pr - Princess!” she cried out, almost pleadingly.
“Please, Luna is fine, Twilight,” Luna replied. Her eyes trailed down to see the baby Spike sleeping soundly, a thick blanket wrapped around him.
“Please help!” Twilight begged again. “I can’t wake Spike up! He’s getting cold and nothing I do can warm him up!”
Luna’s eyes went wide. Twilight didn’t know how much the Lunar Princess knew of her baby brother, but the pleading look in Twilight’s eyes were more than enough to steel her resolve. “What is wrong with young Spike, Twilight?”
“I - I don’t know,” she sobbed in reply, pulling the dragon closer. Twilight had fed a constant stream of a Dragon’s Warmth spell to the dragon but the magic just seemed to roll off of him ineffectually. Even a basic teleportation spell had all but drained her mana reserves in an effort to get Spike to the castle. She initially wanted to find Celestia but there was no time left.
“He looks like he is but asleep,” Luna said, reaching forward to touch Spike. Her hoof recoiled slightly, her mouth agape. “Alas! He is cold as ice!”
“I know!” Twilight said, starting to prance on the spot. “He won’t wake up - I’ve tried everything I know!” The unicorn was starting to work up into a state of hysteria. How could she not? Spike was dying!
The tips of blue feathers reached and and rested on Twilight’s shoulder, snapping her out of her hysteria. “Calm, Twilight. You are overworking thyself with thought.”
Twilight took a few deeps breaths, counting to ten. Her eyes still held that pleading look but the panic inside them had subsided for now. “Luna...I - I was going to try and find Princess Celestia but -, “
A blue hoof silenced her. “Princess Twilight, we remind you to stay calm.” Luna bent down to examine the sleeping dragon, the tip of her horn lighting up slightly. Her eyes closed, Twilight could feel the spell probing deep into the baby dragon to find the source of his ailment.
“Princess…” Twilight breathed, the panic slowly starting to build up again.
Luna’s spell ended, her head coming back up. “Follow us, Twilight.”
She simply nodded, following the blue alicorn down the halls towards the South side of the castle.
“We have heard of this condition once before, of a dragon who grows cold and sleeps,” Luna said, her stride long and purposeful. Twilight struggled to keep up, limping along on three legs as the fourth held Spike. “We know much of dragon culture and history, but were never taught on the intricacies of dragon anatomy.”
Her curiosity piqued, Twilight couldn’t help but ask, “How?”
“Before...before our time as a Nightmare, I befriended a young adult dragon. Al’Mal’Gorath. He taught us many things about his kind and the nature of dragons and magic.” Luna turned and offered a small smile. “Dragons are naturally resistant to magic, especially when their body is in threat.”
“Does that mean - ,” Twilight began, trying to put together the precious few pieces she had. There was a great puzzle in her mind but far too many pieces were missing and it worried the alicorn deeply. “That his body thinks he is in danger?”
“Indeed - it is why your magic does not work.” Luna’s own magic pushed open a set of doors leading to a large balcony. “Mal’Gorath, as he prefered, taught us of Dragon Magic. An ancient art only the wisest and oldest of his kind could master. Even after a thousand years away, he lives still.”
Twilight felt a glimmer of hope in her chest, her eyes lighting up. “Could he help us?” she asked, the hope spreading to her voice. “Can he help Spike?”
“Perhaps…” Luna gazed into the distance. A deep sadness overcame her expression, the alicorn eventually bowing her head. “Our friendship was all but destroyed by my time as a Nightmare. He disapproved of what we used his teachings for and sought to end our attempt at rule.”
The alicorn of friendship hesitated. The sadness rung deep in Luna’s voice, a powerful twang of regret marring her words. She reached and touched Luna’s shoulder in an effort to comfort her. “I’m...I’m sure he has forgiven you.”
“Perhaps not, Twilight. But he is the only creature we know of that could help little Spike.”
“Where is he?”
Luna gave a sad chuckle, looking back into the distance. Twilight followed suit, the two alicorns staring South. “Al’Mal’Gorath lives deep within the badlands, south of here.”
“What?” Twilight sputtered, the panic flaring up in her stomach again. “B - but how are we supposed to get to him?! It would take us weeks of travelling!”
“Relax, young Twilight,” Luna said, giving her a knowing look. “I know of how Dragon Magic works - we can teleport the three of us there with little effort.”
Twilight looked up hopefully at Luna, a broken smile forming before she leant forward and buried her muzzle into Luna’s neck. “Please, Princess…” she started sobbing, “I’d do anything to save Spike…”
A hoof lifted Twilight’s chin up, Luna giving a warm smile. “We cannot promise his verdict, but Mal’Gorath is as wise as he is old. We will bring you to him and you can seek a counsel. But...we cannot promise.”
Twilight nodded, wiping away the tears on her cheeks before feeling Luna’s magic build up and teleport the three.
The arcane energies surrounding them faded, the blinding light subsiding. On opening her eyes, Twilight found herself perched on a ledge, the sun an orange glow in the horizon. The Badlands stretched for miles, no signs of civilisation as far as the eye could see. The actual mountain itself was truly massive, towering several miles over the desolate landscape below.
Twilight took a few steps to the edge and looked over, recoiling back from the edge with sudden vertigo. They were well and truly far from any life or civilisation.
She levitated the basket off from her back, holding it next to her. She turned to the midnight blue alicorn who had teleported with her, a mask of worry on her face. “Princess Luna, what if he says no?”
Luna sighed, hanging her head slightly. “We do not know, Twilight Sparkle. We can only hope he is able to see past our unfortunate past together.”
The two turned towards the actual mountain, a massive spire of rock and snow. The afternoon sun provided enough light to keep them warm, but Twilight speculated that during the night it must have reached below freezing.
Ahead lay a large cave entrance that would have dwarfed Twilight’s old tree-home. The craggy edges sent an ominous shiver up her spine. Jagged rocks extended outwards, giving the impression of a vicious beast, maw open wide and ready to swallow any who trespassed.
“How - how do I greet him?” Twilight asked Luna. “I mean, how do I start?”
Luna’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her eyes looking into the distance as she thought. “Dragons have great egos that oft require stroking. We suggest that thou attempt a humble approach.”
Twilight swallowed, nodding, before turning towards the cave entrance. Standing in the dizzying maw, she bent down and bowed in submission.
“Please, great dragon, I come before you humbled and awed. I come asking for advice and for help. I have a baby dragon under my care, but he has become ill. His body grows cold and he refuses to wake no matter how much I try to keep him warm.”
Twilight’s plea was answered by a painful silence for a solid minute, before a powerful wave of heat blasted out of the entrance followed by smoke and soot. A deep rumble echoed from within. “I have not heard such flattery since many centuries ago…”
Twilight glanced at Luna who nodded back. She turned back to the cave. “I beseech you, O dragon -,” she began again but the voice from within cut her off.
“Enough!” it roared. “I will not be insulted by your false flattery.”
Twilight cringed, but she was really running out of options. Spike’s life hung in the balance and if she didn’t do anything it would be all her fault. She cleared her throat, trying a more normal approach. “I’m sorry to wake you, good dragon, but...Spike - my adoptive brother - has grown cold,” she said, her throat growing tight with the thought. “I don’t know who to turn to anymore and I don’t want to lose him…”
There was another moment of silence before the ground violently quaked beneath their hooves. Twilight checked and saw Luna had secured Spike with her magic, taking wing to avoid the earthquake.
Looking back at the cavernous entrance, her jaw dropped. A scaly mass of sinew, horns and scales emerged from the den. Fire-bronze eyes blinked open as the dragon’s head twisted, several loud and painful pops and cracks sounding as it cricked its neck. “Ahh...an honest plea. That is something I haven’t heard in far longer…”
The ancient dragon blinked a few times in the sunlight before his eyes finally settled on Twilight. Only his head had emerged, and even then it dwarfed the two alicorns present. Twilight was caught up in her awe of the creature, almost forgetting why she was here in the first place.
“Al’Mal’Gorath.” It was Princess Luna who had broken the silence. The dragon’s head tilted slightly to face the blue alicorn, his eyes narrowing at the sight of her.
“Lunarius,” the dragon greeted. “Our previous meeting was brief.”
Luna nodded, a stiff and cold expression on her face. “You were about to enter your fourth slumber. We could not interrupt it for what would amount to mere pleasantries.”
Twilight was very confused but she held her tongue. It was Luna who had recommended the dragon, despite hinting at their bad past together. Right now she had no other options left.
The dragon snorted a wave of heat at Luna, who made no sign of even noticing her flowing mane being blown back. She still held an icy glare at the beast as he spoke. “I am to assume you are a Nightmare no longer.”
Luna nodded in response. “That is correct, Mal’Gorath. We owe a debt to Twilight Sparkle here for cleansing us of the abomination.”
Mal’Gorath paused for a moment, his eyes giving a calculating glint. “Sarengosa was my life-mate.”
Luna’s head bowed low as her voice grew into a quiet whisper. “We - I know...I am truly sorry, Mal’Gorath,” she said. Twilight felt a lump grow in her throat, even if she didn’t know why. “I know nothing I say will bring her back. All I can ask is that you please hear Twilight Sparkle’s plea and consider her with a fair heart.”
The dragon nodded slightly, the motion wide and sweeping in comparison to the ponies. “You are not to be a part of this conversation. I will hear the plea of this Twilight Sparkle only.”
Luna nodded, using her magic to pick up Spike, moving to the landing perch several yards away. With the source of his apparent ire gone, Mal’Gorath turned to regard Twilight as she stood like a deer in the spotlights.”State your plea, now that I am awake, youngling.”
Twilight took a deep breath. “I am taking care of a baby dragon, Spike,” she began, her voice steady and resolute. “He has become ill recently and he is growing cold. I’ve already tried to use magic to keep him warm and I have even come to the Princesses in search for help. I - I do not want to lose him…” Her voice grew tight as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.
“What is he, to you?” Mal’Gorath asked. His head was completely still, no emotion at all.
Twilight blinked away the tears, trying to keep a firm stance. “He is my little brother,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “Please...I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“How did Spike come into your care, youngling?”
“When I was little I hatched him after a powerful magic-surge. Princess Celestia was impressed with my display enough to take me on as her personal student and giving responsibility of Spike’s care to me.”
The dragon’s eyes widened slightly at her story, busy looking at her with a renewed curiosity. “So you are the young prodigy Celestia speaks so highly of?” he asked. Twilight felt a blush come over her cheeks but only responded with a meek nod. “I knew of Telmerissa’s unhatched egg, but I never knew I’d meet the pony responsible for hatching it.”
Twilight cocked her head in confusion. “I’m sorry, Mal’Gorath?” she began, trying to work her tongue around the dragon’s name. After not receiving a rebuttal, she continued. “I’m not sure I’m following - who is Telmerissa?”
“She is Spike’s mother. Afflicted with a curse by a powerful archmage, her eggs were infertile. The grief had all but destroyed the dragoness, and in her final days she gave her last egg to the Sun Princess.” Mal’Gorath turned his head up, gazing at the sun sitting lazily on the horizon. “It is good to see her line continued.” He turned to look back Twilight. “What events led up to him falling ill?”
“I had been sending various reports to Princess Celestia, using his dragonfire to -,” Twilight began but was cut off by an intense wave of heat bursting from the dragon’s nostrils.
“Dragonfire?” His voice sounded incredulous. He pressed his snout forward, Twilight shivering under the gaze of his narrowing eyes. “The hatchling could wield dragon magic at such a young age?”
“Y - Yes, he could,” Twilight stammered a reply. “Why? What’s so special about that?”
“Very few dragons live to an age where they can learn our magic, youngling,” he snorted, the sudden anger in his voice making Twilight flinch and her ears flatten against her head. “The fact a mere hatchling was gifted with such magic makes him a curious case for me.”
Twilight’s ears perked up as she tilted her head. “What? Curious how?” she asked.
She swore she could see the faint hint of a smile flash across the dragon’s maw, but it was so brief she figured she’d imagined it. “Dragons are naturally resilient to almost all forms of magic. Your test, as the Sun Princess had informed me, was to simply manipulate Spike’s egg.” Mal’Gorath puffed a stream of smoke from his nostrils, engulfing Twilight for a moment. When it cleared his eyes glowed with a burning fury, forcing Twilight to instinctually step back against the withering glare. “You took an egg, cold and infertile, and through sheer power of will had hatched it. Spike is the first and only of his kind.”
Shaking off the growing uneasy feeling, Twilight took a step forward again. “Mal’Gorath...I - I still don’t understand. Spike is dying and none of this is helping me understand why,” said, her voice growing into a desperate sob near the end.
Mal’Gorath didn’t say anything, simply regarding the alicorn in front of him. He shook his head, finally speaking. “In all your years of caring for the hatchling, did you ever think to seek knowledge about his anatomy?”
“...what?” Twilight blurted out. Her eyes went wide.
“Where do you think dragonfire comes from?” he asked.
“Magic?” Twilight immediately felt stupid the moment the word left her mouth. She was about to say something else when Mal’Gorath started speaking.
“Tell me, what do you see, youngling?” Mal’Gorath asked, not giving Twilight any time to stew in her confusion. The dragon’s maw parted wide, thousands upon thousands of teeth lining his jawline. For a brief, terrified moment Twilight clenched her eyes, bracing herself for the teeth to clamp down and ending her life in a bloody mess.
When nothing happened, she hesitated a glance at Mal’Gorath only to see the cavernous depths of his throat. Waves of heat pulsated with each breath, an odd smell of sulfur and burning.
“I don’t see…” she began, squinting her eyes as she peered into the endless maw. “Wait…” Against her better judgement, she took a few steps right to the edge of Mal’Gorath’s jaw, peering into the depths. A faint flicker of light deep inside his throat.
The dragon drew in a deep breath, the flickering light suddenly flaring up into a powerful blaze before he pulled his head back, snapping his jaws shut. “Do you know what I showed you, Twilight Sparkle?”
“It looked like a fire burning inside?” she said, hazarding a guess.
“Dragons are cold-blooded creatures,” Mal’Gorath started, “Our mass and resilience is such that we cannot keep our bodies warm like your common reptile.” A low rumble sounded inside the chamber, before he spat out sizable ruby. Flames licked the edge of it, seemingly eating away at its edges. “Within our chests burns a powerful furnace.”
Twilight took a moment to absorb this new information. A part of her wished she had brought a notepad and quill - this sort of information could secure any scientist’s place in the history books. “A furnace? Do you mean like a heatsource, or…?”
“A living flame burns within each dragon’s chest, Twilight,” he answered. “A powerful chamber with an ever-burning flame lives in the chest of each dragon. So I ask the question again: where do you think dragonfire comes from?”
“From...the furnace inside your chest?” Twilight guessed.
Mal’Gorath took the still-burning ruby with his snake-like tongue and swallowed it again. “And where do you think the fuel for this furnace comes from?”
Twilight almost answered ‘magic’ again but she bit her tongue very quickly, instead shaking her head.
“Gemstones.” His answer was simple and short. Twilight blinked a few times in confusion. “Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and many other precious stones,” he continued. A deep rumbling formed in his throat before a powerful but precise and directed jet of flame spewed forth between pursed lips, scorching the ground in front of Twilight.
“Each jet of flame,” he continued, “draws on the fires of a dragon’s furnace and depletes it so. Many young drakes burn themselves out in their petty competitions and initiation rites, leaving a cold husk behind. Few, if any, make it to their second slumber.”
“But I thought Spike would be fine!” Twilight cried out, realisation slowly creeping up inside her. “He’s never had any problems with his dragonfire before! None of my books or even Princess Celestia ever mentioned anything bad would happen!”
Mal’Gorath stared at Twilight, the ancient dragon’s eyes shimmering with an unknown light. “You utilized Spike’s unique ability as a messenger service?” his voice rumbled, his impossibly large snout inching closer to her. Twilight’s first instinct was to recoil from the colossal creature but she held her position.
“Wh - what?” Twilight stammered. “I mean - yes. I...I did use Spike to deliver messages to Princess Celestia,” she admitted, ears flattening against her head.
The dragon’s head pulled back slightly into his lair as it raised up. His large claws emerged from the cave to scratch at his chin thoughtfully for a few moments.
“Mal’Gorath, can you please save him?” Twilight pleaded. “Can you please save Spike? I don’t want to lose him…”
His position unchanging, Mal’Gorath’s eyes darted down and bore down at Twilight. His jaw opened for a moment, a single word being uttered. “Dodge.”
Twilight didn’t even have a chance to question the statement when the dragon’s fist came plummeting down at a near impossible speed towards her. A thunderous crack and it impacted, a massive crater left behind as the dragon slowly lifted it up to inspect the damage.
A faint pop behind his left ear told him all he needed to know.
“Are you trying to KILL me?” Twilight screamed, busy flying down from her recent teleportation. “What has gotten into your bucking mind?!”
“You can teleport,” Mal’Gorath stated.
“What has that got to do with anything?” Twilight asked, landing next to the fist-shaped crater. A brief image flashed in her mind of what might have happened had she not reacted and cast the teleport in time. She shuddered, picturing the red stain that could have been.
“You are a creature with the untold arcane at your disposal - and are capable of instantaneous teleportation - and yet it never occurred to you that you could simply teleport your pathetic scraps of parchment to their destinations?” The dragon’s voice was cold and rang deep with hatred as his snout pulled dangerously close to Twilight. A plume of soot billowed out from his nostrils, engulfing the young alicorn.
Twilight’s brain halted for a moment. Her special talent was magic, and not once had she thought she could just teleport her friendship reports to Celestia, or do all of the archiving with one mass-transposition spell to send all of the court’s reports. Her ears flattened even further as the chilling realisations drilled deeper and deeper into her chest.
“Do you see it, youngling?” the elder dragon said, the once proud and furious voice now a low rumble. “Your ignorance and pride has damaged the closest thing to you.” The dragon drew his head away, looking beyond the cove of his lair to the lunar princess and the young hatchling near the cliff edge. “And now he will die because of you.”
Twilight couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears sprung from her eyes as she cried out in desperation. “Is - is there nothing you can do?” she sobbed, falling to her knees as they gave in. “P - please! He’s m - my baby brother! I don’t want to lose him!”
Mal’Gorath turned to face Twilight. His voice was stone cold as he whispered in a low rumble. “And why should I?”
“I’ll do anything!” Twilight begged. She couldn’t come up with any reasonable reason that could ever hope to appease the dragon. “I’ll give you anything!”
The dragon paused for a moment. “Anything…?” he mused. Twilight was able to give a nod through her sobs and cries. “I can save the hatchling’s life.” The alicorn’s eyes went wide, a flicker of hope lighting up inside them.
“Y - you can?” she asked weakly.
“I can make an attempt,” he replied, straining his emphasis on the last word. “But only on one condition, youngling.”
“Name it! I’ll do anything!”
The ground shook and the dragon heaved. The faint jingle of a shower of millions of gems echoed out of the mouth of the cave. Twilight took a few hurried steps back as the full enormous size of the elder dragon emerged.
Twilight couldn’t help but gape in awe. Under different circumstances she would have regarded him as magnificent. The deep red scales continued the length of his body, his leathery underbelly a pale yellow. Various scars adorned his hide, marks of battles fought and won centuries ago. The powerful wings pulled out from behind him, spreading to their full magnificence, blotted out the sun.
She was nothing more than a speck compared Mal’Gorath. Twilight had felt small in the past, truly small, in comparison to the regal might and beauty of others like Princess Celestia. But in the presence of the dragon she felt insignificant.
Al’Mal’Gorath declared his price in a powerful booming voice. “I am to take custody of the hatchling for a full year.” He waited a few seconds before continuing. “You are to leave this place and return in one full year.”
The flow of tears did not stem, but Twilight spoke with a new hope in her voice. “You can save him…?” she almost whispered.
“I can attempt.” The dragon’s words were cold but not filled with malice. “On the condition that he remains with me. Should he survive I will take him on as my student and show him the true worth of his dragon’s blood.”
Princess Luna trotted briskly up next to Twilight. She looked up Mal’Gorath, the look of worry on her face driving a cold lance of fear into Twilight’s chest. “Spike has stopped breathing,” she said, her voice wavering slightly.
Mal’Gorath’s gazed rested on Twilight. The fire-bronze eyes betrayed no emotion. “He has minutes left, Twilight Sparkle. You are left with two choices - to let him fall into that eternal slumber. You can let him die and bury your brother tonight if you so wish.”
Twilight made an odd choking noise, a new wave of tears matting the fur on her cheeks. She tried speaking but only a strangled noise came out.
“Or you can leave him here, where you will bear the burden of never knowing the fate of young Spike. I will keep him, as a student or as a corpse for the next year and you will be forbidden from knowing until I deem fit.”
The purple alicorn glanced at the small figure huddled in the basket. The blankets wrapped around him almost gave the illusion like he was just sleeping.
In a way, Spike really was just asleep. Just one that he may never wake from.
“Th - the last thing I told him before he became comatose was to ‘grow up, Spike’,” Twilight said in an eerily calm voice. Her head hung low in utter shame. “He went to sleep thinking I was -,” her voice hitched as a loud sob shook the mare, “ - thinking I was a horrible big sister. I guess I really am.”
Luna reached out with her wing to try and console Twilight, but Mal’Gorath interrupted her with a powerful snort from his nostrils. “Do not comfort her. She is to bear the blame of her actions.” The mighty wings folded in as the elder dragon leaned forward, bringing his snout closer to the two alicorns. “His time is running out, what is your choice?”
Twilight’s eyes had become red and puffy from the crying. They looked up, the tears having finally dried out. “Please save him,” she begged, her voice croaking. “Y - you...you can take Spike for a year.”
Mal’Gorath recoiled backwards, his wings flaring outwards again. He nodded at Twilight. “Then leave, and only return when I send for you.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you…” she breathed, no energy left. She dragged her hooves towards the basket the dying Spike lay in. She moved to say goodbye when a giant claw gently clasped it and pulled it away. “What? No! At least let me say goodbye!” Twilight sobbed, wheeling around in time to see the dragon begin to shuffle back into his cavern.
“You will not even be granted that privilege,” Mal’Gorath snarled, baring his fangs. “Your last words while he was awake are all you will get.” A low grumble resonated as his throat began to vibrate. Twilight’s eyes widened as she realised he was preparing a jet of flame inside his furnace. “Now get out of my sight before I incinerate the both of you.”
Twilight flinched as she felt Luna’s wing slip over her back. “Come, Twilight,” she said soothingly. “Let us go before it is too late. Before he changes his mind.”
Twilight stole one last glance back at the dragon before a teleport spell engulfed the two alicorns.
*** ***
Al’Mal’Gorath watched as the arcane swirls began to fade. Where once stood the Lunar Princess and the Arcane Princess were nothing more than a few leftover tendrils of energy from their lingering teleport spell. He snorted at the spot, covering it with leftover soot that didn’t burn away from his last slumber.
He pulled deeper into his cave, allowing the nocturnal abilities of reptilian eyes to take over. Little Spike, the hatchling, was grasped gently between two of has claws.
The hatchling was cold and all but a corpse before him. Sarengosa had died a similar fate - the flames had been ripped from her furnace and there was naught that he could do except watch her die.
But the hatchling…
A deep rumbling began to thunder inside Mal’Gorath’s chest. His hoard, millions upon millions of gems, began to shimmer and glow faintly. Wisps of magic permeated the air as they slowly formed and swirled around the elder dragon.
A year was naught but an inconvenience to a dragon his age - but to a pony it could be as swift or as long as they made it out to be.
He spat out a gem, flames still eating it away. The magic coalesced around the emerald.
A year would be enough for the elder dragon. Bringing the hatchling closer, he began to work.
Court had been cancelled. Every appointment, scheduled meeting or even public hearing had been postponed indefinitely.
No activity had been seen inside the tree-castle for almost a week. In fact, nopony had heard from Princess Twilight at all recently. They had assumed that Twilight Sparkle had simply important business to attend to; after all, that’s what Princesses did.
Rainbow Dash was the first to notice something was amiss. Being a part of the weather team meant irregular shifts and being awake during the odd hours of the morning tending to rogue weather from the Everfree, which is why a certain purple egg-headed alicorn not sticking to her schedule started setting off a few alarm bells. Rainbow Dash had become very familiar with some of her early morning habits - specifically the smell of food coming out from the kitchen area of the castle, or in this case, the lack of it.
Also, the fact that Twilight hadn’t summoned her or any of their friends for Friendship Court was a dead giveaway.
Five ponies gathered around the entrance to the tree-castle, each verbally stating their varying degrees of annoyance and discomfort.
“Are you certain, dear?” Rarity asked. It was still the early hours of the morning and Celestia’s sun had barely risen over the horizon. She was wearing her sleeping robes, her mane still tied up in curlers. “There could be a reasonable explanation we haven’t seen her.”
“Yeah, I am,” Dash replied. her wings fidgeted for a moment before she turned to Pinkie Pie. “Tell them, Pinks.”
The pink earth pony held a placid look on her face. “I - well, I haven’t felt...anything from Twilight. No doozies, no pinchy knees or even twitchy tails. Just…nothing!” she declared, her demeanor deflating slightly.
“Oh, my, that does sound serious,” Fluttershy commented meekly. Her eyes darted between the other four ponies, a terrified look of uncertainty behind them. “I mean - I think it does.”
Applejack remained silent, digging her hoof into the ground a few times as she stared off into the distance.
“That still doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong, dear,” Rarity added. She waved a hoof nonchalantly at the door. “Sometimes a lady does need her privacy.”
Rainbow Dash glared at the white unicorn heatedly, before pointing her own hoof. “I haven’t heard from Spike, either. And I know for a fact that Twilight has him scheduled to collect a new shipment of quills and inks every Wednesday. It’s Friday, Rarity.”
There was another marked silence as the five friends shared glances between themselves. Finally, Applejack took a step forward towards the hovering pegasus.
“And how exactly do you know so much about Twilight’s schedule?” Applejack asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed slightly, her reply cutting into the air like a blade. “Because I’m her friend.”
“And what exactly is that suppose’ ta mean?” the farm pony shot back, her eyes narrowing as well.
Rarity’s sharp voice cut into the argument before it even began. “Girls. This is getting us nowhere.” She motioned towards Twilight’s door. “Let us just be sure that Twilight is okay before we jump to any conclusions.”
Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I don’t like barging in any more than the next pony but we seriously need to find out what’s going on.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Well, what’re you suggestin’? That we knock?” The sarcasm behind her words made Rainbow cringe slightly.
There was a slight creaking noise, causing the five ponies to fall into a hushed silence. Four sets of heads turned slowly towards the large double doors with wide and terrified eyes.
“Oh hey, it’s unlocked!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed brightly, startling the others.
“Gosh darnit Pinkie, you scared the hayseed outta me!” Applejack cried. Her shoulders slumped from her tense stance, trotting over to the pink mare.
“So...now what?” Fluttershy asked meekly.
The five stood for a few moments, blank looks across their faces and at a loss for what to do. Rainbow Dash was ashamed to admit it but she was expecting more resistance than this. She was used to action and brute-force, and not just being able to waltz right in.
“I...guess we should go in?” Rainbow tentatively offered, waving her hoof in the direction of the now-open doors. The rest murmured in soft agreement.
The five friends carefully led themselves through the front door, an air of constant alert about them. Their eyes scanned about, ears perked and waiting for anything sudden or unexpected.
What awaited them was almost disappointing. Nothing seemed out of place in the strangely quiet halls. They all looked around, searching for anything that could be out of place.
“Twilight, dear?” Rarity called out. Her voice was gentle yet surprisingly sharp.
Silence answered her, sending a shiver up Rainbow Dash’s back as she hovered deeper into the castle. “Twilight?” she called out as well. Again, there was no reply.
“I have a mighty bad feeling about this,” Applejack said softly. Her eyes darted around and her whole body was tensed, ready to react.
The group made it to the main throne room without incident. The residual lighting from the sun illuminated the room through special windows near the top of the chamber. Each pony stood in front of their designated throne. Rainbow looked at the remaining two seats, no pony (or dragon) next to them.
“Ugh, when last did she have this place cleaned?” Rarity commented, wiping the tip of her hoof along seat. “There’s a layer of dust over everything!”
Rainbow squinted before looking at the crystalline surface. Sure enough, upon closer scrutiny, a tiny and near-unnoticable layer of dust clung to it.
“It’s only a week, Rarity,” Applejack said. “If she’s been away then it’s expected for things to get a little dirty.”
Rarity shot the farmpony a dirty look but before she could open her mouth to say anything, Pinkie Pie’s head shot upwards, her neck straight and stiff. Her eyes widened and her entire body went stiff.
“Pinkie…?” Fluttershy cautiously asked, taking a step towards her friend. “Pinkie, are you okay?”
“That….” the pink mare started, her body loosening up again. “Was a doozy. A - a bad doozy.” She looked around at the others, her eyes wide and almost fearful. “My Pinkie Sense is telling me...that we’re not going to like what’s about to happen…”
Rainbow Dash blinked a few times at Pinkie, the thoughts running through her brain. The look on her face sent a dark chill through the pegasus. During their friendship Pinkie had never looked scared.
A sixth voice rang out in the chamber, sending a jolt to kick-start Rainbow’s heart. “Hi girls!”
All five of them whipped around to see Twilight Sparkle entering the chamber.
“Geeze, Twilight!” Rainbow called out, dripping at her chest. “You scared us half to death!”
“Oh, sorry!” Twilight apologised quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. If I were expecting guests I would’ve tidied the place up a bit!”
“Good gracious, dear!” Rarity said. She held a hoof out towards Twilight’s face, a worrisome frown forming on her face. “You look dreadful! What ever has happened to you?”
Rainbow landed, walking up to the purple alicorn, allowing her to get a better look at Twilight’s face. She did a double-take at noticing the sullen look in her face. Dark rings were under her eyes and her mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed at all the past week. Streaks of fur were matted under her eyes and on her cheeks.
But Twilight still held that calm smile.
“So - what can I do for you girls?” she asked, circling and moving to take her place next to her seat in the Friendship Court. “Oh, excuse me - it’s so dreary without any lights on. Let me fix that!” A spark of magic later and several torches lit up, providing proper illumination.
A marked silence filled the room. All five of them stared at Twilight in deep worry for their friend.
It was Applejack who finally broke the silence “Twilight…? Are you alright?”
“I’m…” she stumbled over her words for a moment before correcting herself, straightening her posture slightly. “I’m perfectly fine, Applejack,” Twilight responded. The corner of her eye twitched slightly.
Rainbow Dash landed, taking a few steps towards the alicorn. “Twi, where have you been for the past week?” she asked, her voice thick with worry. “We’re all worried sick about you.”
“Uh- princess duties!” she replied almost too quickly.
“Twilight…” Fluttershy said. “Where’s Spike?”
A cold silence filled the room. Everypony’s eyes slowly turned to Twilight, the alicorn freezing in place. Her face locked up in panic as her eyes darted between the other five ponies.
Rarity was the first to speak. “Twilight...where is Spike?”
“I - I - I - ,” Twilight stammered, taking a few steps backwards away from the group. “P - Please don’t hate me, girls.”
“Twilight, dear, why would we hate you?” Rarity said, taking a few steps to keep up with Twilight.
“He’s…” Twilight choked, her face scrunching up as her eyes screwed shut. “He’s gone.”
Rainbow cocked her head slightly, a confused look on her face. “What do you mean gone?”
Twilight looked liked she wanted to cry. Her face scrunched up and her eyes clenched shut, her jaw grinding. The dry sob escaping her throat told them her tears had dried up a long time ago.
“Spike...is gone,” she croaked. “I - I don’t know if he’s alive or, or… or. Dead.” Twilight stumbled towards her throne, before collapsing onto it for support. “His - his furnace went out and I had to give him up to an elder dragon.”
Applejack placed a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Furnace? Elder dragon? What the hay are you talking about, Sugarcube?”
The alicorn looked up, her eyes slowly going through each of her friends before she drew deep breath and spoke.
They all waited in a muted and shocked silence as Twilight explained what happened to Spike, from the importance of a dragon’s furnace to the fact that he could be dead. Several painfully long minutes passed, each caught up in their own thoughts.
“B - But I blame myself, Fluttershy,” Twilight half-sobbed. “I should’ve known. I should’ve put more effort into it…”
“Stop, just please stop,” Rarity’s voice cut in. Her eyes were bloodshot, tears brimming. “I know for a fact that you did nothing on purpose. None of us blame you for what happened Twilight, we just…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “We’re here to support you Twilight, is what I believe Fluttershy is trying to say.”
“I - I’m sure the little tyke will be fine,” Rainbow added nervously. She didn’t want to admit that she was scared of Spike never coming back. None of them wanted to admit that - the mere concept was just too terrifying to try and deal with.
Pinkie Pie’s mane had deflated slightly, losing a little of its colour as she stared sullenly at the small throne next to Twilight’s, picturing the small dragon that should be sitting there.
Applejack held her hat over her chest, her eyes closed.
Twilight looked around at each of her friends, taking in each one before her legs collapsed out from under her as she began dry sobbing. “Oh Celestia, what have I done?!” she cried out, burying her face into her hooves. She wailed softly into them, heaving a dry sob occasionally.
Her five friends moved in to comfort her. They didn’t say anything - there was nothing any of them could really say. Twilight grew oddly silent as the other mares gently rested hooves on her shoulders and back.
“Celestia…” she whimpered, before hiccuping. “Celestia doesn’t know yet.”
“Sugarcube, you’re going to have to tell her eventually,” Applejack said softly. “Ah’m sorry. Ah really am.”
“But...how am I going to tell her? I can’t - .” her voice choked up, dying before she could finish her thought. “I can’t even send a l- letter…”
Rarity’s eyebrow rose as she resisted the urge to titter. “Dear, you can use the postal service. Or have a chariot take you to Canterlot.”
Twilight lay motionless for a moment before speaking, her voice tired and weak. “I don’t think I can face the Princess right now.”
“I understand.”
“Look, Twilight,” Applejack began, “I understand you want to be on your own. We all do - but you can’t lock yourself away like this.”
The alicorn looked up at the farmpony, her eyes bloodshot red. She didn’t make a sound, instead just giving a pleading look.
“I…” Applejack hesitated, swallowing loudly. “I lost my parents as a filly. I know what it’s like to lose family. The last thing you need to do is keep it all in.” She cleared her throat, her voice becoming stressed and sad. “All it will do is hurt you more. We’re here for you, Twilight. We’re your friends and we’ll always be here for you.”
The others murmured their agreement.
“We can get through this together, Twilight,” Rarity half-whispered, her hug tightening warmly around the alicorn.
Twilight remained silent, tears once again flowing from her eyes.
Contrary to popular belief, Princess Celestia was actually far more fond of coffee than tea. It was usually down to the fact that foreign dignitaries and nobles were constantly trying their best to impress her with new varieties of the latter.
More often than not, she strongly suspected that some of them had just plucked random leaves off of bushes and tried to pass it off as an exotic new flavor.
Still, there were some that she really enjoyed. For example, some Zebrafrican dignitaries had brought in a tea made from a fine-leafed plant, the specific variety producing a rather red beverage.
With a spot of honey, it had proven quite enjoyable.
Taking another sip before her magic levitated it down onto her nightstand, she pulled out a rolled up scroll.
A fire crackled warmly in the hearth, set into the wall opposite from her bed. The evening was still relatively cool, the skies clear outside to allow her a full view of Luna’s stars and moon.
Celestia’s regalia hung on a specialised stand, displaying it prominently in the corner of her room - although, to her it more resembled a coat hanger and hat rack.
With a faint hint of a smile touch the corner of her lips, she unfurled the scroll. Every now and then, she enjoyed re-reading Twilight’s friendship reports. They were always a pleasant reminder of the path she had taken, leading her to where she was.
She was so proud of the young pony.
Her lips curled into a full smile, as she read a second report. This was one written by Spike, many moons ago. In many ways, she was equally proud of the little drake - always loyal and putting the needs of others above himself.
Even when confronted with his dragon heritage, Spike had chosen his friends and family over it.
A knock at her door pulled her away from the friendship reports. Who could it be at this hour? All of the solar palace staff had retired for the evening, and generally the lunar staff never interfered or interacted with her.
Celestia stretched her wings and legs slightly, before sliding off of her bed. Very quickly, she levitated her crown back on, but decided against the rest of her regalia. It was too late in the evening to be a princess, anyways.
“Come in,” she said gently, wearing a motherly smile.
The door opened, with only the slightest of creaks. The maids at one stage were desperate to try and eliminate it, but Celestia had told them she wanted it there on purpose, in case anypony tried sneaking up on her. More than once, a young Twilight Sparkle had tried just that - and had been thwarted each time.
A powerfully built pegasus stallion, adorned in full Royal Guard armour strode in. Celestia’s smile faltered at the stoic expression he wore.
“Captain Stone Craft, “ she greeted. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
He snapped off a salute with his right wing. “An urgent letter has just arrived, ma’am,” he said, pulling it out from under his left wing. Celestia picked it up with her magic. “Sent Pegasus Priority from Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia was thankful that she had had millennia of experience to help hide the growing sense of unease in her stomach. Twilight had never sent letters via normal post, or even using military channels. She had always used Spike’s dragon-fire.
She faltered ever so slightly as the scroll was unfurled. Normally, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to show such weakness, but here, she was in her bed chamber - her most inner sanctum, with the only witness her most trusted guard and friend.
Despite the script being rough and hastily written, it was definitely Twilight’s writing. A few splotches of dried dampness were on the letter, but it was still legible.
“C - Captain… can you please excuse me for a minute?” Celestia asked.
“Ma’am?” His gaze was still straight ahead, his expression as stoic as ever, but the princess knew from experience that the aged pegasus was worried about her.
“You are dismissed, Captain,” she said, a little firmer than she had intended. “You may return to your post.”
He saluted firmly before turning around and marching out of the room at a military-like pace, closing the door behind him. Celestia detested pulling rank like that but…
She needed to be alone for a moment.
Pulling the letter out again, she sat by her desk.
‘Dear Princess Celestia.
I failed.
I failed Spike. I failed my family and I failed my friends.’
Eight days ago Spike fell into a coma, the single most important organ in his body shutting down: his furnace.
Celestia paused for a moment. She took a shuddering breath, trying to calm the growing pit of ice spreading inside her stomach. She knew. She knew about the furnace, but had never said anything to Twilight. How could se have made that mistake?
She rubbed away an itch in the corner of her eye, before continuing to read Twilight’s letter.
‘In my desperation, I teleported to the castle where Princess Luna was able to assist me in taking Spike’s cold body to the mighty dragon called Al’Mal’Gorath.
I had no choice but to promise to leave him with the Elder Dragon for a year, for a slim hope of saving Spike’s life.’
The white alicorn set the scroll down on her table. She had felt the magic surges from that night, but Luna had assured her everything had been taken care of. Perhaps ‘taken care of’ was subjective.
“Oh… Twilight, what have you done?” she half-whispered, half-croaked to herself. The icy pit in her stomach was rolling around in the shadows of despair. Many times, she had considered Spike like her own child…
The ancient dragon was proud, but merciful - but despite this she couldn’t squash the sheer worry and fear she felt. Not just for Spike, but for her former student as well.
Her magic shakily brought up her half-empty teacup, before she downed the rest of it. As she turned her eyes to the rest of Twilight’s letter, she noticed the writing had become incredibly more unsteady.
‘I’m lost, Princess. I don’t know what to do. I’ve lost my little brother and I can’t even hold a funeral or a get well party for him. I have my friends supported me and I would never had the strength to write this if it weren’t for them.
I’m so lost and I’m so scared, Princess. I don’t know what to do. I just want my little brother back so badly.
I’m so sorry for everything. I’m not good enough to be his big sister. I’m not good enough to be his friend.’
The letter ended there, tear stains the only signature on the scroll.
There was a lump in her throat. She tried rubbing away the itch in her eye only to find her hoof wet with moisture as she pulled it away. Crying…?
She pulled out a quill and a fresh piece of parchment.
‘My Dearest Twilight Sparkle.
I am so deeply sorry to hear what has befallen Spike. Please do not be harsh on yourself - I am equally at fault for not sharing this information with you sooner.
Al’Gorath is a noble dragon yet is is old and cynical in his ways.
Spike is in good care.
Please understand that he may not return to us. I am so sorry, but we must prepare for the worst. Should Spike not make it, we can prepare a funeral fit for the greatest of heroes.
Please do not blame yourself. You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.
I am here, always, for you Twilight. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or a face to hate, I will be here for you. And your friends will be there for you, too, Twilight.
