> Dragon Tales
>  by chief maximus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


DRAGON TALES
Prologue


Have you ever felt like you didn't belong where you were? Like you knew in your heart there was a place for you, but it seemed like your surroundings just didn't measure up to where you thought you should have been? 

I did.

I did for a long time. I thought following my species on their migration was the way to go, the way for me to figure myself out. I mean, I'm not going to be a baby dragon forever, and, as much as it pains me to think about it, I should have a life of my own, independent from Twilight's library. I'm not saying I'd want to leave and never look back, but... sometimes I'd just wished I could go on adventures, fight bad guys and rescue Equestria, instead of just keeping books organized and pulling my scales out worrying whether or not Twilight is going to make it back in one piece. After that dumb migration, I thought I'd have to live my life among the ponies forever. 

Not that I would mind, I love them all and everything, but... I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here. I kind of wish Twilight hadn't given me this dumb diary-I mean journal. Diaries are for girls! See, that's part of the problem! I feel like the more time I spend around these chicks, the more I'm losing my sense of masculinity! I'm a dragon, darn it! The biggest, most powerful, and fearsome creature in all the land! Ponies should be respecting me for who I am, not who I associate with! 

As much as it seems like I want it, adventure for a guy like me can be a scary thought sometimes. When I'm far from home, I miss my basket, my blanket, my easy life, and Twilight, of course. Ah, Twilight. She probably found the note I left her this morning. I bet she's upset... but I know she'd never let me do this on my own! And I didn't want her to follow me this time! So I had to make sure she couldn't. I do miss her, but like Daring Do always says: "Adventuring ain't easy!"

I wasn't even sure I wanted to follow Cynder on her journey to look for that special crystal or whatever it is she's after, but the more we travel together, the more I think I'm starting to grow on her. Which is nice, because I think she's really cute! (I hope she doesn't read that!)

I mean, I've only ever seen a few female dragons, and they were all much bigger and scarier looking than she is. Actually, she's only a few inches taller than I am! But I don't think she and I are the same kind of dragon. I mean, she can use magic! Like a unicorn! How cool is that? I think I'm getting ahead of myself here, dia-... journal. I'll start us off where all good adventure stories start off: the beginning!

Twilight and I were in Canterlot to pick up a few books for the library back in Ponyville. I was below her pulling the book wagon as she went through each volume and decided whether or not anypony—besides herself—would want to read it. I wasn't much for libraries, even though I lived in one. I wasn't much for wordy books either; I mostly liked adventure stories, like Daring Do, and sometimes Twilight let me go to the comic book store and pick a few to read! She doesn't usually like them, but she always says she's just glad I'm reading something.

"Almost done Spike," she chirped from atop the ladder, gathering a few more books and loading them into my already heavy wagon. "You're awfully quiet today," she added, though I just looked away.

"Yeah, I'm just tired I guess. Migrating takes a lot out of you..." I yawned. Truth be told, I expected the whole migration thing to help me discover who I was, or who I was supposed to be. The only thing I learned is that members of my species are jerks, and that I fit in better with the ponies I was raised with. I was glad they followed me; I was glad they were there to help me out of my jam, but I still couldn't help feeling just as lost as I did when I decided to go on that trip in the first place. I'd been doing a pretty good job of hiding it; though the old 'I'm just tired' excuse was beginning to lose its effectiveness.

It looked like my excuse still had a little juice left in it, as Twilight turned back to the shelves and slid down the ladder. "Alright, I think that's all we'll need for this month. Now what do you say we stop by the comic book shop and see if they have that new issue of Scaly Avenger?" 

"It's called Scales of Justice, and yes!" I said happily. Sometimes Twilight knew the perfect thing to pull me out of my funk. We hurried to the counter and checked out all the books before heading across the street. 

"Spike, hold my saddlebag while we cross the street." 

What am I, a baby?

"Twilight, I can cross the street without holding on to you. I have legs, you know." 

"Spike, this is a busy intersection! You could get run over by a chariot or carriage that didn't see you!" 

I hated it when she did this. I know she raised me, and I know the Princess told her to look after me, but sometimes a guy just wants a little independence. I know she may think she is, but Twilight isn't my mom.

"Fine..." It wasn't worth fighting over; after all, she was taking me to my favorite place in Canterlot (besides the jewelry store) to buy me something. I wrapped a claw around the cloth strap and waited for the road to clear. A quick trot and in we went, leaving the wagon outside. I went straight to the action section, passing everything from sappy romances to weird junk from Neighppon. 

I managed to get three brand new comics out of Twilight, even though she usually only gets me two! That was a good day. I thought we were finally about to teleport home when Twilight pulled her list from her bag, noting we still had one more errand to run. 

"No trip to Canterlot would be complete without a visit to Princess Celestia!" she added cheerfully, folding up the list and putting it back in the saddlebag.

"You're gonna make me pull this wagon all the way to Canterlot Castle?" I balked in disbelief. It was hard enough for me to get it across the street!

"Of course not, silly!" she answered, charging a teleportation spell. "I'll send it back to the library." 

In a flash, the wagon was gone. I hopped onto Twilight's back as we set off into the city center. I liked the princesses, but most of the time, our visits consisted of Twilight going on about who knows what, while I wait for it to be over. This visit was sure to be like all the others: walk in, wait for the princess to finish whatever royal business she was attending to when we'd arrive, and then Twilight could have her time with her teacher. 

"Twilight! Just the student I wanted to see," Celestia mused as we entered her royal chambers. "And hello to you Spike, you're looking taller since I last set eyes on you." 

I blushed, though it was near impossible to tell through my scales. I was always somewhat uncomfortable around the princess, even though I had no reason to be. Still, Princess Celestia usually had a bowl of tasty gems somewhere in her chamber when she was expecting us. 

Unlike all the other times, a guard burst through the door of Celestia's drawing room with an urgent expression on his face. 

"Your Highness! We've arrested a spy attempting to infiltrate our borders!" 

I could see the princess' brow furrow. I guess Equestria didn't get many spies trying to sneak into our country. Heck, the last war (according to Twilight's constant aloud studying) was the Lunar war a thousand years ago! 

"She is in our custody?" Celestia asked. 

"Yes ma'am."

"Twilight, I'm afraid I must cut our meeting short." 

"I understand Princess. C'mon Spike." 

I was leaving with Twilight, kind of disappointed that I hadn't got a chance to raid her bowl of gems, when a snippet of the guard and the princess' conversation caught my attention.

"She's no pony, your highness. She's a black dragon."   

I stopped dead in my tracks. "A black dragon?"  

I could feel Twilight's angry eyes burning the back of my head for intruding on the princess' conversation. The guard continued to talk, as though I had said nothing. Jerk. 

"She refuses to speak to anyone, all she says is that she is on a mission on behalf of a 'purple dragon of prophecy', and can trust no one."

To this day, I don't know what possessed me to say what I said next. 

"I'm a purple dragon! Maybe she'll talk to me?"

This time, Princess Celestia turned to me, and so did the guard. I felt Twilight smack the back of my head as she chastised me for being rude and listening in on the princess' royal conversation or some nonsense, when Celestia totally saved my hide. 

"Perhaps Spike may be of some assistance." 

I was expecting to be reprimanded, and to have my ear lectured off all the way back to Ponyville, but instead the Princess Celestia wanted my help! Finally, a chance to prove I was more than just Twilight's assistant!

"R-really?" 

"As you said, you are a purple dragon."

Now, I'm not usually this smug, but I just had to see the look on Twilight's face. 

It. Was. Priceless.

Anyway, she led Twilight and I out of her chambers and down through the different levels of the castle. The first few floors I had seen before, but the lower we got, the less inviting the rooms we traveled appeared. The ornate stained glass of the upper and middle floors soon became dingy and ancient stone, lit only by torches as we descended deeper into the underbelly of Canterlot Castle. There weren't any windows, and the narrowness of the corridors made me feel pretty claustrophobic. 

Judging by the look on Twilight's face, she'd never seen this part of the castle either. Honestly, I hoped I would never have to again. We began to pass rusty looking prison cells, though thankfully they looked like they hadn't been used in quite some time. I guess they must have been used in ancient times or something. We came to a steel door with iron grates over a small hole for looking through. It looked like the kind of place you'd lock up an enemy of the kingdom, not a border trespasser. Something Celestia immediately asked the guard about.

"Why have you imprisoned her in the dungeon?"

"When we stopped her at the border, she resisted arrest, knocking out two of our guards before we were able to subdue her," he explained, opening the creaky old door. That's when I first laid eyes on her. I've always had a crush on Rarity, but I think I can safely say that it wasn't going to go anywhere. I mean, she's a pony! And I'm... I'm just a dragon. I still miss her though, and sometimes, it does hurt to think I carried a torch for her for so long, completely blind to the fact that... wait, what was I talking about again? Oh right! Cynder. Anyway, she was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen, even though she was in a rusted old cage. 

She was sleeping when the sound of the door woke her. She carried a pouch slung across her shoulder, but nothing else. six ivory horns graced her head, two pointing up, two just below them at an angle, and another pair jutting out from her bottom jaw-line. Her elegant forelegs were accented by two silver shackles, as well as one around her neck and tail. On her forehead was... I couldn't even describe it, like some kind of tattoo or tribal mark, kind of like Zecora's, as well as similar marks on her shoulders and under her eyes. 

Oh, those eyes. I could go on for days about them. Ice blue. Piercing, like the early morning sunlight through Twilight's window constantly waking me up at the crack of dawn. I was nearly paralyzed by her gaze alone. I felt butterflies when I looked at Rarity. I felt hornets when I looked at her. It was a weird mix of intimidation and attraction I'd never felt before or since. 

She looked at us, eyes scanning each one of us as they traced Twilight, then me, then the princess, then the guard who'd led us here. Princess Celestia stepped forward, and introduced herself. 

"I am Princess Celestia, ruler of this kingdom," she said, awaiting her response, though none came. Cynder sat up, rubbing her eyes with her wingtips and looking at me again. It was kind of weirding me out at this point. 

"You... you're... a purple dragon," she whispered, clearly in awe of my amazingness... or maybe just the fact that I was purple. Either way, it was still pretty cool. 

"Her disrespect knows no bounds." I heard the guard mutter at her ignoring of the princess' introduction. 

"Yes, he is. If you want to question him, you must first answer my questions," Princess Celestia replied, not at all upset over being ignored. 

Cynder looked toward the princess, and nodded. "I will. What do you want to know?"

"What is your name?"

"Cynder." 

She flinched at the mention of her own name, like she expected us to hurt her after we knew who she was. Not that any of us did. She seemed somewhat relieved by our ignorance, for some reason. 

"Why were you attempting to cross our border in the dead of night, and not through the proper channels?"

Cynder scoffed, "There's no time for proper channels when you're being chased."

Princess Celestia nodded and continued her questioning. "Chased? You were being chased by what?"

Cynder relented, "Well, not so much chased... more like tracked. By an army planning on reviving a beast my... friend and I thought we'd slain long ago." 

"And so you believed a good idea would be to bring them to our doorstep?" the princess' expression had hardened somewhat by this point, "We have had over 1000 years of peace under my rule. As you can see, our dungeons remain mostly unused,"  she added, pacing back and forth in front of her prison cell before stopping to face her, "You simply left our border guards unconscious, yet you could have easily killed them and made your escape. Why?"

Cynder shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't mean to break any laws or make my enemies your own. I've seen enough killing in my life to know when it is necessary and when it is not," she appeared distraught over those words as she examined her paws, "I could leave this place now if I wanted to, but I know I'm better off leaving this place as a friend, rather than an enemy."

The Princess seemed really interested in her last statement. "You could leave this place now?"

Cynder nodded, scratching her claw against the stone floor. "Yes, but I'd rather not cause trouble..."

"It's no trouble, I assure you. In all my years, I've only heard of a dragon race capable of what I believe you are describing," Princess Celestia added, taking a seat on her haunches, "Please, show me." 

"Very well..." Cynder sighed.

What happened next, I wouldn't have believed if it hadn't happened right in front of me.

She closed her eyes, only to open them a blood red, and then she sank into the floor in a wisp of shadows! She was completely in the floor somehow, and the shadowy smoke slowly moved outside the cage, where she ascended from it, standing in front of us, but free from her cell!

The guard took a step forward before the princess ordered him back.

"Incredible..." the princess whispered. Every jaw in the room hung slack as her eyes returned to her normal hue. 

"Now, I may ask questions of my own?" 

The princess nodded. "Of course." 

She turned to me. I wasn't sure what to expect. 

"Little one, do you know of the significance of your scale color?"

I shook my head nervously. I'd always been purple and green. It wasn't the most masculine combination, but I got by just fine.

"In our lands, a purple dragon is born once every ten thousand years, and is blessed with the ability to control the four magical elements: ice, fire, earth, and electricity."

Twilight found her tongue before I could untie mine. 

"I can assure you, Spike isn't magic, nor is he different from any other dragon," she interjected, "I would know if he was, I raised him since he hatched!"

"Yes, I know he's not that purple dragon. I can't divulge my mission, but I'm here on the actual purple dragon's behalf," Cynder stated plainly. Why did Twilight always have to ruin my fun? At least she could have let me think I had magic powers for once!

"Well, if you are a visiting dignitary, I can offer you proper accommodations. I apologize for all this unpleasantness," the princess added, standing up and motioning her to follow.

Cynder smiled for the first time, and even glanced over at me while doing it! Did I mention the hornet thing already? 

We followed the princess out of the dungeon and back into the regular parts of the castle. Cynder seemed to be in awe of the stuff Twilight and I took for granted. I don't know where she came from, but it must not be as nice as Canterlot.

The princess called for her head housekeeper, and asked if there were any rooms in the castle available.

"I'm afraid not your majesty, the entourage of the Griffin Republic's ambassador has all the rooms filled."

Princess Celestia rolled her eyes, "Of course he does..." 

"She can stay with us in Ponyville!"

Twilight had to have been getting tired of my outbursts by now. 

"You wouldn't mind, Twilight?" Celestia asked. I knew if Twilight had one weakness, it was refusing the princess.

"Oh, uhm... well, I'm not sure we've got the room," she began. I wasn't about to let this opportunity get away. 

"Twilight, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked, pulling her to the side as she bent down to my level.

"Please let her stay with us! This may be my only chance to talk to a dragon that isn't a total dick head!"

"Spike! Watch your language!" she snapped. Rainbow Dash taught me that one.

Twilight sighed. She knew how much this meant to me, and with the princess in my corner as well, I knew the odds were in my favor. "Please?" I was practically begging at this point, but I didn't care. I had so many questions to ask her!

"Okay. She can stay with us."    
> Chapter 1 F.A.Q.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1- F.A.Q.


I couldn't believe it! I'd be living with a dragon! A magic dragon! 

"I won't take up much space, and I promise I won't stay long," Cynder added, seeing the discomfort on Twilight's face at the idea of a stranger living with us. 

Twilight sighed. It was becoming a habit for her by now. "Okay, let's go." 

She turned to the Princess, "It was lovely seeing you, as always." 

Celestia nodded, as I put my hand on Twilight's shoulder, getting ready for her to teleport us back to Ponyville. I held my other hand out towards Cynder. She kind of just stared at it.

"You have to be touching me for the spell to work," I explained. 

"The spell?" For a dragon who uses magic, she sure wasn't familiar with how it worked. 

"The teleportation spell to take us to where we live," I said in as comforting a tone as I could manage. I was still pretty excited about the whole idea.

She stepped forward and put her claw in mine.

"Ready?" Twilight asked. 

Cynder and I nodded. 

"You might want to close your eyes. I always get sick if I try to keep them open," I whispered. 

"Thanks for the tip," she whispered back, shutting her eyes tightly. 

The smell of singed scales and just a bit of burnt mane greeted us both as we ended up back in the library, next to the wagon of books I'd been hauling. 

I looked to her as soon as I felt the wooden floor beneath my feet. She wore the same expression she had when admiring Canterlot castle. 

"This place... it's like the Chronicler's chambers!" she whispered to herself, taking in the wrap around shelves full of volumes upon volumes of books; most of which I had put there.

"Spike and I have to arrange these books," Twilight explained, motioning towards the wagon, "But you're more than welcome to check out the library, or take a walk through Ponyville." 

Cynder snapped out of her admiration of our house and replied, "Oh, uhm... that's okay, I'd rather not cause a stir around town." 

"Don't worry, I'm the only other dragon in town. If you're with me, ponies will know you're okay!" I insisted. I had a lot of questions to ask her, but I didn't want to seem nosy. Taking her for a walk would give me the chance to learn a bit more about her, and maybe even get the chance to ask her what that place she's from is like.

"Well... I suppose I could." 

"Great! We can leave as soon as we're done," I chimed happily. I knew this was going to be a good day! She wasn't at all like the other dragons I'd met. Mainly because she wasn't trying to eat me, or smash an innocent creature's eggs for fun. 

"Actually Spike, I can handle this by myself, why don't you show her around?" 

I made sure to make Twilight her favorite breakfast the next morning for that one!

"Really? Awesome!" I turned back to Cynder, who looked a bit nervous about going out in public. I thought it was kind of weird for her to be so shy. Most dragons I'd met were just that: dragons. But she was different... somehow. "Ready?" 

"Lead the way." 

I opened the door and took a step outside. The weather hadn't changed since Canterlot, but we probably had Rainbow Dash to thank for that. The sky was clear, and the warm spring air carried with it all the scents of blossoming trees and flowers. Cynder followed me out, shielding her eyes from the sun with her wings. I have to admit I was jealous. Wings are part of what makes a dragon fierce! I didn't have anything even resembling wings...

"I've missed this..." she said softly. For a dragon, she was definitely soft spoken. It was like I was talking to Fluttershy in a dragon costume.

"Missed what?" 

"Oh, just... the sun, the springtime," she mused, inhaling deeply, "where I'm from, chances to simply enjoy the day are rare."

We began walking down the street towards the center of town, catching a few stares, but nothing out of the ordinary. Dragons in Ponyville were kind of an oddity. Heck, I was probably the only one these country folk had ever seen until now. 

"If you don't mind... what's it like where you're from?" I asked. I hoped she'd answer, but I was ready in case she didn't want to talk about it. The quiet ones are always the hardest to get to open up.

She sighed. Not a good sign. 

"Well, my home is pretty far away. It took a lot of magic to get me here in the first place," She surprised me. Maybe it was because I was purple, that she found me so easy to open up to. Maybe it was because I reminded her of her other purple friend. I still don't know for sure. "For a long time, our land was ravaged by a great war." 

"A war? Against what?"

"Not what," she explained, "Whom. A powerful dragon, who betrayed the secret of our race's magic to the apes in order to set them against us. One whose only goal was to kill the rest of his kind, and spread his darkness as far as he possibly could. It was the purple dragon I mentioned who was destined to defeat him. With my help, we actually did." She smiled as she recalled this. "But now, he's sick. No one could figure out what was wrong with him at first, then we realized he'd been cursed somehow, a dark energy slowly corrupting his mind." 

"Dark energy?" I asked. I knew Princess Luna had been involved in some kind of dark energy when she was Nightmare Moon, but I didn't think it was the same one. Then again, studying with Twilight taught me to make connections, so I couldn't help but wonder.

"Yes, the curse sapped his strength and began to change who he was, until the Elders were able to cast a spell of holding over him. Right now, he's frozen in time, not getting any worse, but not getting any better, either." 

"So that's why you came here? To help the other purple dragon?" 

"Well, I'm just passing through. I'm on my way to a cave, high in a distant mountain range, where a special crystal is rumored to grow. Without it, without him, my homeland is doomed," she admitted as we arrived at SugarCube Corner. I wasn't really sure where to take her, so I figured Pinkie's place would be a good spot to show her she'd be accepted here.

"What is this building?" Cynder asked, staring at the strange, food themed design of the shop.

"It's a bakery. One of my friends works here, and she loves to meet all the new ponie—I mean dragons that come to town," I said, opening the door for her. 

"Ba-kery?" she repeated slowly, as if the word was in another language. 

"Yeah, do they not have those where you're from?"

She sighed again. I really needed to watch what I said around her. "Maybe, at one time, but there is a lot we've lost where I'm from." 

"I'm sorry—" 

"No, I didn't mean to bring you down with my problems. Let's see what this 'bakery' is all about," she interrupted, seeming to forget her gloom and putting on a gentle smile. Something I honestly thought no dragons besides myself were capable of. 

"Hiya, Spike!" Pinkie cheered from behind the counter, her white apron and chef's had smeared with bits of dough and flour. 

"It smells wonderful in here!" Cynder gasped, only making it a few steps into the room before stopping to breathe the delicious air. 

"Who's your friend?" Pinkie asked, bounding from behind the counter. 

"Pinkie, this is Cynder. She's going to be staying with us for a few days while on her way to... where were you going, again?"

"The Varcuda mountain range."

Pinkie tilted her head at the mention of her destination. "Varcuda, huh? Never heard of it!" she smiled, "Glad to meet ya all the same!" she said, extending a hoof. Cynder stared at it vacantly, unsure of what that gesture meant. 

"You're supposed to shake it," I whispered.

"Oh!" she blushed. I guess there wasn't much need to be friendly in her homeland either. She happily shook Pinkie's hoof, side to side, and not up and down like ponies normally do. I guess our culture might take a bit of getting used to. 

"So Spike, your usual?" Pinkie asked, reclaiming her hoof and bouncing back behind the counter. 

"Make that two," I said. I knew she may have been from a far off place, but I knew that cupcakes are universally delicious. Doesn't matter where you're from or where you're going, a good cupcake is a good cupcake.

I motioned her to follow me to my favorite table. I pulled out her chair, and again she met me with her confused stare. She walked on four legs, like most ponies, and she just couldn't figure out how a chair was supposed to be used. It was honestly kind of funny to watch her put her rump on the chair, while her forelegs rested on the ground, hind legs splayed awkwardly from either side. 

"I'll just stand, if that's okay." 

"Sure," I said as I hopped into mine. In no time, Pinkie brought us our food. A perfectly frosted cupcake with gems embedded in the frosting. My favorite!

"I don't have to explain how this part works, do I?" I asked, trying to get a smile out of her. It worked!

"No, I think I can handle this," she giggled. 

After our first few bites, I still had more questions, so I decided to start with something simple. 

"I'm sorry to hear about your home." I thought maybe starting with a bit of empathy would loosen her up some.

"It's okay. With any luck, this gem will put everything back to normal." 

I nodded, taking another bite. 

"So what are dragons like where you're from?"

She shifted uncomfortably on her claws. I was batting a thousand as far as awkward questions were concerned. 

"There aren't that many left, but the ones still alive are the most courageous, loyal dragons I've ever met." 

"Really? That's great! Most of the dragons I've met here are jerks..." she perked up as soon as I mentioned other dragons.

"There are more dragons here, besides yourself?"

"Well... yeah," I admitted hesitantly. I didn't really want her to get involved with those dumb jocks if I could help it. "But all they care about is hurting other creatures, and having fun at the expense of others," I replied quickly. Her expression dropped. 

"They aren't really like me." 

That brought her smile back. 

"Well then I'm glad I met you, and not them." 

This time it was my turn to blush. I wasn't really used to the whole compliment thing, but I could tell she was beginning to take a shine to me. Or at least, I hoped she was. 

"Yeah... they can't use magic like you can, though," I replied, finishing the last bite of my cupcake.

"You can breathe fire, right?" she asked, finishing hers too. 

"Well, kind of. It's not very impressive... mostly I just use it to send Twilight's letters to the Princess." 

"So your gift is fire, then?" 

"Uh... I guess." 

"Then you are a true dragon, Spike," she smiled, "Would you mind showing me your fire?" 

Now I was the one getting uncomfortable. I tried to practice making my fire breath stronger, in case the Diamond Dogs were ever up to their old tricks again, but I just couldn't get the flame any larger, no matter how hard I tried! I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of someone I just met, but she insisted. 

"I... I guess not," I added reluctantly, "See ya later Pinkie!" 

"Bye Spike, Bye Cynder!" 

We walked back toward the library when she stopped me. 

"Aren't you going to show me your fire breath?" 

"Uh... I would, but we have to be outside the town limits. The last time I tried... well, see how all the roofs around here are made of straw?" 

She put two and two together pretty quickly. 

"Oh, I guess that would be a bit dangerous." 

Once we were back at the library, I had no excuse. We stopped just outside as she waited expectantly. 

Okay, just like you practiced. I thought, taking a calming breath before I began. I blew as hard as I could, making only a little bit of fire come out of my mouth. Heck, bigger flames shot out of my nose when I sneezed! I was so embarrassed.

"I think I see your problem," she walked closer to me, and bent me over on all fours. "No self-respecting dragon can breathe fire properly on two legs. You must be on all fours, and draw the flame from within," she explained. "Watch me."

I took a step back as she targeted a bush across the street. She planted her claws, took a deep breath and arched her back. In one quick exhale, a jet of purple fire shot out of her mouth and reduced the once green plant to ashes in seconds! Now that was how you breathe fire!

"Whoa! That was amazing!" I cheered. "How did you make yours purple like that?" 

"Uhm... we'll get to that later," she squeaked, almost embarrassed that she'd shown me what a real fire attack looked like. I still don't know why she'd be embarrassed about something so awesome! "Now you try." 

I tried to remember what she'd done. 

Okay, claws on the ground, breathe deep, find the flame from within myself. I thought. 

I took a deep breath, and sure enough, a bolt of fire longer than I was shot out of my throat! I'd never felt more dragon-like! I knew having her stay with us was a good idea! 

"Spike, that was great!" she congratulated me. Once again, a familiar blush came over my scales. 

"Thanks! I've never done that so well before!" I was over the moon! I'd read every book on dragons I could get my claws on to try and learn how to be a better dragon, but nothing compared to being coached by the real thing! I love Twilight, and I know she tried to help me when she could, but she just isn't a dragon, and it was then that I began to realize, that another dragon was exactly what I needed.

"Let's head inside, we still need to figure out where you're going to be sleeping," I said happily. I opened the door, and the library was dark. Like, totally dark. 

"That's weird, usually Twilight—"

"SURPRISE!" 

The lights came on, and all of Twilight's friends jumped out of their hiding places. Apparently, Pinkie had set up and decorated the library for a party in the short time it took for us to walk from Sugarcube Corner to here. I swear she is magic too! Unfortunately, wherever Cynder had come from didn't have surprise parties either. In fact, she thought it was something else entirely...

"An ambush! I'll take care of this!" she commanded, flaring herself in a position I'd recognized from earlier.

She took a deep breath, ready to roast all of my friends alive if I didn't do something. With no time to explain what was really going on, I did the only thing I could think to do. I put both hands over her mouth as the purple flames she'd used before sprayed to the sides of her muzzle, instead of lighting the entire treehouse on fire. 

I mentioned earlier that her fire turned a sizable bush into a pile of ashes right? Well if it weren't for Twilight's healing spells, I wouldn't even be writing this right now. My hands were burned black. Luckily for me, dragons of any kind are the most flameproof animals in all of Equestria. 

After I explained it was just a surprise party to welcome her to town, she was mortified. She must have apologized a hundred times before the party could actually begin in earnest. Once my hands were taken care of, I introduced her to the rest of Twilight's friends. 

"Girls, this is Cynder. She's from a place really far away, and she's very sorry she tried to burn you all." 

She could barely stand to show her face after that little incident, but everypony was pretty understanding. Except for the one pony I'd thought would be the most relieved that I'd found a female dragon to pal around with.

Rarity was none too impressed with her, and it took me a while to realize why. When I did, I almost couldn't believe it. She was jealous! She was jealous of the fact that I didn't have to endlessly pine over her like she'd become used to. That I wasn't her little errand boy anymore, which was dumb. I still liked Rarity! Can't a guy have two women in his life? She certainly didn't think so. Even Fluttershy had put aside her fear (after we pried her out of hiding in the closet) and managed to greet Cynder respectfully. 

"I'm Rarity, premier fashion supplier for Ponyville," she introduced, but I could tell she was looking down her nose at her. You don't spend a lot of your free time around a pony you've had a crush on for years without picking up on a few of her queues.

"Nice to meet you." Cynder shook her hoof in the same silly way she'd shaken Pinkie's. Rarity simply raised an eyebrow before turning away. Whatever. It was her loss anyway. I was honestly kind of shocked that some pony I held in such high regard could act so... well, childish. 

"Those are some pretty impressive wings. You any good with them?" Rainbow Dash asked, hovering above the party as usual. 

"Well, I can fly with them, if that's what you mean." 

"Well duh, but how fast are you?"

"Rainbow, don't be rude! Ah'm sorry 'bout her Cynder, she thinks speed is everything," Applejack apologized.

"Yeah, AJ's the fastest mare I know. And I'm not talking about running," Rainbow smirked. Applejack was redder than I've ever seen her. I wonder what she meant by that? How can you be fast, but not be talking about running? She sure as heck can't fly! Anyway, the rest of the party went pretty well, and all of Twilight's friends seemed to like Cynder. Well, almost all of them. Rarity faked it well, but I knew it was just an act. 

After everypony left, Twilight wanted to get to know Cynder a bit better. I couldn't blame her, she'd let her friends talk to her guest for most of the party. Once everything had quieted down, Twilight began her analysis.

"So Cynder, what kind of magic do you use, exactly? I've never heard of dragons being able to use it like unicorns can."

"Well, it's... kind of a sensitive subject," she admitted sheepishly. 

"Oh! I didn't mean to—I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to,"  she stammered, not meaning to cross the line. 

"No, you're letting me stay in your home, and you barely know me. It's the least I could do," she admitted, Twilight grabbed a large pillow in her magic and set it on the living room floor, while she hopped on the couch. Cynder crawled onto the plush cushion and made herself comfortable, tucking her tail (which had a really sharp point on the end, by the way) neatly around her before she began. 

"Our species has always been able to use one of four magical elements. Either fire, ice, electricity, or the earth itself," she began, as I hopped on the couch next to Twilight, leaning against her side as she continued. She took a deep breath. This was the part she was concerned about, and I soon figured out why. 

"While I was still an egg, the ape King Gaul stole me from my parents. He took me to an evil dragon, one who used his dark power to change me into a monster. For years, I was under his spell... I committed terrible crimes against my own kind, and had no remorse for my actions. But, the purple dragon I mentioned... he saved me. He freed me from the darkness implanted in my heart from birth, and I owe him everything for that."

Twilight was just as dumbstruck as I was. I was expecting an interesting story, not the recollections of a war criminal. Still, ever scientific Twilight needed to know more.

"That's... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you relive something so terrible on our account." 

"No, it's okay. With Spyro's help, I've made peace with my past... that's part of the reason I'm on this mission. So that in some small way, I can repay him for all he's done for me," she sighed. Something still bugged me about Cynder's powers. Mainly, the color of the fire she breathed. Ordinarily, I'd never be this curious, but this may be the only chance I get to talk to another dragon.

"Cynder... you said there were only four elements dragons can control. How come your fire was purple?" 

She was getting quite flustered now. I withdrew my question immediately and apologized.

"It's okay Spike, but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Of course. C'mon Spike, it's past your bedtime." Twilight got off the couch and I followed her, but not before I asked one more question. 

"You aren't leaving tomorrow, are you?" I gave her the best pleading eyes I could manage. I had no idea if they'd work on a dragon, I'd only ever tried them on Twilight, and even then, it was about a fifty-fifty shot.

After seeing my expression, I'd like to think I changed her mind, but I'll probably never know for sure. 

"No, I'll use tomorrow to buy what I can afford, and be off first thing the next morning, maybe even that night." 

I smiled. It was a small victory, but at least I had an honest-to-goodness dragon around for another day. I was hoping she could teach me more dragon stuff before she left. I followed Twilight up the stairs as she blew out the candles lighting the room. 

I crawled into my basket, as Twilight settled into her sheets. 

"Twilight?" 

"Yes, Spike?" she yawned. 

"Would it be okay if I spent the day with Cynder tomorrow. You know, before she leaves?"

"Well... I suppose it has been a while since you've had a day off. Okay." 

I love Twilight. That's why sneaking out like this was such a tough decision. She didn't deserve the stress I was putting on her by running away with Cynder, but neither of them had much choice in the matter. I thanked Twilight and settled in for the night. Tomorrow would be a great day! The start of a new adventure, my first adventure on my own! 

I could hardly sleep. 






> Chapter 2 My Own Adventure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2- My Own Adventure


I woke up earlier than usual that morning. I came downstairs to see Cynder still asleep on her cushion. Twilight tapped me on the shoulder, and I nearly jumped out of my scales. I forgot she got up this early all the time. I guess those new books weren't going to read themselves. 

"Spike, what are you doing up so early?" she asked, trotting softly down the stairs so as not to wake our house guest. 

"I couldn't sleep," I whispered, "I want to spend as much time with Cynder today as I can." 

My stomach grumbled loudly, and I bet Twilight was just as hungry as I was. I'm usually the one who cooks breakfast (and lunch and dinner) between the two of us, even though Twilight is the only one that eats it. Give me some tasty rubies or sapphires, and I'm all set! Speaking of breakfast, I hope she hasn't burned down the library. Twilight has read every cookbook she's come across, and can still barely make toast.

I really need to stop guilt tripping myself like this. I needed this, and Twilight even told me before the migration that it was okay if I went off on my own with my own kind! This was just an extension of that... except she isn't right behind me to help me if I get in over my head this time. 

Darn it, Spike! You're a dragon! And dragons don't get homesick, or scared, or cry! And besides that, I've got Cynder with me, and she's three times the dragon any of those other jerks I met were. Anyway, back to breakfast! I couldn't help but wonder what Cynder would eat. I mean, she's from some far off place, and I know she isn't the same kind of dragon as I am. She must have heard Twilight and I, as she began to stir from her pillow, rubbing her eyes with her wingtips as she yawned. It was a wonder she didn't cut herself with those wings. I don't know if those tips were natural or what, but they looked really sharp.

I slid down the bannister and hopped off smoothly (avoiding the painful end piece I sometimes hit when I wasn't paying attention or missed my chance to jump). Cynder smiled at me as I strode over. 

"I wish I had your energy this early in the morning," she yawned. 

"Well, it's not everyday I get to hangout with a real dragon," I admitted. I know she's a black dragon, but I swear I saw her blush a bit. 

"Thanks Spike, it's not everyday I get to hangout with such a well mannered purple dragon," she replied kindly. 

"The other purple dragon is rude to you?" I asked. Jerks always seem to get the girls. 

"No, it's not that, it's just that sometimes he can be a bit... thick." 

"Well I can assure you Spike is the nicest dragon in all of Equestria," Twilight added happily as she trotted over with her tea hovering in front of her. "What would you like for breakfast Cynder?"

"Oh, um, you don't have to do that, I've actually brought a few supplies for my trip," she answered; opening the bag she'd been carrying since she was locked up. 

After she opened it, I noticed a bunch of tasty looking gems inside, though there was something very very different about those gems, compared to the ones I normally dig up for Rarity, or for a midnight snack. They glowed like there were a bunch of fireflies trapped inside them! Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires all shone with an unearthly light from inside the bag. She plucked a red crystal from the bag and held it in her paw, before reconsidering Twilight's offer. 

"You wouldn't happen to have any lamb, would you?"

The color drained from Twilight's face almost instantly. Ponies were strict vegetarians, and even the dragons here didn't usually partake of meat if there were gems to be had. "You-you mean like... for eating?" 

Luckily, Cynder was as quick as she was pointy. "Oh, uhm, forget I said anything," she backpedaled quickly, "I'm fine." 

"Okay," I could tell Twilight was a caught a bit off guard by her request, but she'd get over it. I had read every book there was about dragons, and most of the ones that still ate meat either lived in regions without gems, or were just more primitive than she or I. 

"What kind of gem is that?" I asked. I'd never run across something so beautiful. I bet Rarity would make a fortune putting gems like those in a dress! 

"These are what give my kind their power. The red ones are kind of like food, and they give you a quick boost of energy that lasts a while," she explained, placing one in her mouth and holding it between her teeth. "And they're kinda shpicy." 

With that, she bit down on it, cracking the outside and allowing the light from inside to travel down her throat. She happily crunched the remaining shards until there was nothing left. Her eyes flickered the color of the gem for a second before returning to normal.

"Can I try one?" 

They looked delicious, and her bag was literally stuffed with them.

"Sure, I think I can find a smaller one for you in here," she replied, digging through her bag and finding one about the size of my claw. 

"So I just bite on it?"

"That's right."

I did what I had seen her do a moment earlier. Gems around here tasted good, but this! This was like I was filled with the energy to run laps around town all day! I bet I could run as fast as Rainbow could fly with one of these things! She wasn't kidding about the spiciness though. I have a fire resistant tongue and all, but this did have a bit more of a kick than I would have liked. I chewed up the rest of the rock, and I felt ready to take on Discord by myself! After a bit of settling, the rush began to fade, and I was left with a pleasant feeling of energy. Not too wired, but no longer tired, that was for sure.

"Those are good!" 

"Told ya. So, I think I'm going to head into town to try and gather supplies for my trip if you'd like to come along. I'm not sure where to look for some things." 

Like she had to ask. "Of course! I'm ready when you are!"

We bid Twilight goodbye and set off into the square to round up whatever supplies we could get our claws on. 





On the outskirts of the Everfree forest, Fluttershy hovered about, tending to her garden and smaller critters. It was breakfast time, and it took her a few hours to make sure all her animal friends had been fed before she and Angel got something to eat. She had grown comfortable in her routine, and enjoyed getting to see her animals when they woke up and before they went to bed. 

She was feeling quite good about herself, having stayed for the entire party Pinkie had thrown for Spike's new friend, and having only hid in the closet in terror once! Considering her fear of every other dragon except Spike, this was quite the milestone. 

Just as Fluttershy was finishing up her last food delivery, dark clouds began to swirl around the edge of the forest. "That's odd, Rainbow didn't mention any thunderstorms today," she said to Angel as her little bunny tugged on her tail expectantly. He was getting hungry!

"Yes, I guess we'd better head inside before—" Fluttershy screamed as a bolt of lightning hit a tree a near her home. She and Angel darted inside and waited for the storm to pass. Oddly enough, as quickly as the wind and lightning had come, it stopped. It had to have been less than a minute! 

What kind of storm was that? she thought, coming out of her cottage to survey the damage. Most everything seemed intact, except for a tree a few yards away from her home. It had been split right down the middle by the lightning that struck earlier. Her first concern was for any birds that may have been living in it. As she trotted over, she noticed a strange looking creature laying near it. It was covered in coarse, black fur, though its face was devoid of similar hair. It seemed to have strange appendages on the ends of its legs, similar to dragon claws, only these were fleshy, not scaly. 

By far the oddest thing about this creature was its manner of dress. It was wrapped in a black cape, and seemed to have multiple bags and satchels secured around it. A small black tunic was wrapped tightly around his torso, and it looked as though he had multiple items tucked into it. 

"Oh my goodness! I think it's hurt!" Fluttershy exclaimed to no one in particular. Upon closer inspection, its right ankle seemed very swollen. She hoped it was the lightning, and not this creature that had split the tree. Seeing no bird's nests or animals in distress, she turned her attention to the wounded animal before her. Grabbing the back of his cape in her mouth, she began to drag him back to the safety of her cottage. 

Once inside, she knew there could be nothing done until it awakened. She had certainly never seen a creature like this before, and judging by the fact that it wore clothes, she assumed it was intelligent. After feeding a very hungry Angel, she ate a quick breakfast as she heard her patient begin to stir. 

His eyes opened slowly as they fluttered to life. He took in his surroundings before Fluttershy came into view from her kitchen.

"Hello, can you understand me?" 

He blinked. At first, it took a moment to try and recall how he had gotten here in the first place. He glanced at the horse-like creature talking to him. "Yes, I can."

She smiled. "Do you remember how you ended up outside?"

His memory came flooding back to him, but he held his tongue, knowing it would be unwise to reveal his true purpose just yet.

"I'm... not from around here. I was sent here to find someone," he answered, realizing this pony meant him no harm.

"Oh, well I'm sorry to say I don't think you'll be doing much searching for a while. Your ankle looks pretty swollen." 

He glanced at his appendage. It did seem larger than normal. He sat up on the couch he was on, trying to test it with a bit of weight. He hissed and sat back down, as Fluttershy flew to his side to try and comfort him. 

"Now, now, no need for that," she said softly, helping him back on the sofa, "What is your name?"

"Blackfang. And yours?"

"Fluttershy." 

Blackfang smiled. It was quite unusual to find beings not hostile to his race due to their alliance with the dark dragon during the Great War. Though not all of his kind swore their lives to his service, many suffered under the suspicion. "Thank you for taking me in Fluttershy, but I'm afraid I cannot stay long."

"Nonsense, you can stay with me until your ankle heals. There's no sense in you going and hurting yourself again by trying to leave before you're better."

Ordinarily, he'd have healed his own wound with the potions he'd brought for his mission. However, finding a home untouched by conflict was rare where he came from. If this pegasus had been kind enough to share her home with a stranger, perhaps this place was not as hostile to outsiders as he was initially led to believe. 

"Do you do this for all the strangers you find in the wilderness?"

Fluttershy smiled warmly as she headed back to the kitchen. "Well, I knew I couldn't just leave you out there. I wouldn't want someone to just leave me hurt in the woods if I were in your position."

As nice as a relaxing few days in this cottage would have been, he knew why he was here, and knew he had a job to do. First thing tomorrow morning, he would be off to track down his target. Until then, however, he certainly found this couch to be quite comfortable. "I've got some soup on if you'd like some." 

All he had brought to eat was what he could carry. Preserved meats got the job done, but it certainly wasn't his first choice in meals night after night. Perhaps after he collected his full payment, he could find a way to live here, free of the strife that plagued his homeland. 

"I'd love some, thank you." 





Cynder didn't need too much, and what she did need I was able to help her track down. We had some trouble with payment at first, but only because diamonds are valuable in her world, but not so much in ours. I knew there was only one place in town that would be able to exchange gems for bits. 

We arrived outside the Carousel Boutique, and I could only hope Rarity was in a better mood. 

"What is this place? Do they sell cakes here too?" Cynder asked, thinking she had finally gotten the hang of identifying buildings based on their design. 

"Not quite, but Rarity's the only pony in town who'll give us the bits we need for your diamonds," I explained as we entered the shop. 

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Our fashion visionary is currently hard at work on another marvelous creation, so if you'll— Oh, hi Spike!" Sweetie Belle interrupted her rehearsed greeting when she saw her friend and occasional sleepover companion.

"This must be your new friend!" the energetic young filly added, jumping from behind the desk and trotting towards them, "Rarity's told me about you!" 

"All good things, I hope." Cynder smiled, "I'm Cynder."

"I'm Sweetie Belle!" she chirped happily, "What brings you guys here? I don't think Rarity's ever made a dress for a dragon before."

Cynder blushed, but I let her know our business.

"We have some diamonds to sell to Rarity." 

"Oh, she's been looking for some! I'll go get her." 

Sweetie Belle bounded up the stairs to fetch her big sister while we waited in the lobby. I could see Cynder staring at all the dresses on display. If her world was as bad as she described, there probably was as much use for fancy dresses as there was for cupcakes. 

"Ah, Spike... and Cynder!" she called from the top of the stairs, her glasses perched on the end of her nose and a pencil behind her ear. "What a lovely surprise."

"I was looking at your dresses, they're all quite nice!" Cynder complimented, seeming to earn a bit of Rarity's respect. 

"You have a keen eye for fashion, darling. Are there many boutiques where you come from?" she asked trotting elegantly down the stairs.

"Not really, this is the first I've ever been to, but I can see why yours is so successful!" Cynder added. Maybe these two could get along after all! "Your daughter makes an excellent greeter!"

Then again, maybe not. I've never slapped my forehead harder. Rarity forced a laugh through gritted teeth, but I knew she was upset. Ever the classy mare, she played it off, though I knew I'd be hearing about this one. I know Cynder didn't mean to insult her, in fact, she meant the opposite. But the damage had been done.

"Well, Sweetie Belle is actually my sister." Cynder realized her mistake and was mortified. She apologized, but Rarity insisted it was an honest mistake, and she was not offended. I knew better. 

"So, I understand you have some diamonds you'd like to sell?" she asked, retrieving her magnifying glass, cash register and scale. 

"Oh yes," Cynder replied, pulling out a small purple bag and setting it on the counter.

"They seem to be of fine quality..." Rarity began, inspecting them as though she were a police detective looking for hoof-prints. After a few minutes, Rarity produced some bits from the register, though it was not nearly enough for what she would need. 

"Normally they'd be worth more, but a new diamond vein has been discovered in Hoofington, and the prices have dropped." I hoped she wasn't shortchanging Cynder because of the Sweetie Belle remark, but Rarity did keep up with the latest gem exchange rates, so it was entirely possible they just weren't very valuable at the moment. Still, I knew one way to get more bits out of her. 

"Do you think you could sell one of those other gems you have?" I asked. Cynder thought for a moment.

"Well, if everyone else in this land is as nice as you all have been, I suppose I won't need as many of these..." she said, producing one of the emeralds than shone so brilliantly that morning. One look at Rarity and I knew we had her. Her eyes lit up like the stars themselves. 

"Sweet Celestia... where did you get such a magnificent emerald?" The entire room was bathed in a green glow as Cynder placed it on the counter. 

"They're everywhere in my world. How much can I get for one?"

"How much do you want?" Rarity asked, still hypnotized by the gems light. 

"Seventy more bits ought to do it," I answered. Though I bet we could have bought Rarity's entire boutique with a few more.

"Cynder darling, if you're ever in need of money, don't hesitate to bring more of these wonderful gems!" she called as we left. Maybe Rarity could be swayed, given the proper motivation. 

Anyway, once we had the bits, we bought a very warm wool blanket, some canteens of water, some water purifying tablets, and a few pounds of salt. I asked what that was for, and she said it was to preserve what she killed when she hunted. I have to admit I was intrigued. I know Twilight would have been appalled at the idea of me taking another being's life, much less eating it, but there was something so... primal about it. That, and the fact that I had been curious about what meat tasted like since I first discovered dragons could actually digest it, unlike ponies.     

Once we finished shopping, we went back to the library. We packed all her stuff, and I practically begged her to show  me what other things she could breathe. I'd already seen fire, and didn't want to press the issue as to why it was purple. But I still wanted to know how you could 'breathe fear'.

"Spike, I can't just... do it. For you to truly understand its effects, I would have to use it on you," she explained, "And you're one of the few friends I have." 

I could see she was pleading with me not to make her use it, but I just couldn't help myself! I mean, fear? How awesome would that be to control?

"Pleaaaase Cynder? Just a little bit, so I know what it's like?"

She sighed in defeat. "If I do this once, will you please never bring it up again?"

"I promise!" I was excited. I mean, how could fear effect me? Would I be afraid of everything? Was it supposed to make me a coward or something? I couldn't wait!

She took a deep breath, and blew on me, though I didn't see anything come out. I just slowly saw her dissolve into thin air! After she was gone, I was kind of wondering when the scary part would start. I was still in Ponyville, and none of the scenery had changed or anything. That's when I heard a voice I recognized. 

"Well, well, if it isn't the half-pony!"

It was Garble, the teenage dragon and his pals I met during the migration!

"Looks like your pony babysitters aren't here to save you this time," he sneered, cracking his knuckles. "You think you can bring ponies to the sacred dragon grounds and not pay for it?" his friends began cracking their knuckles as well. I was terrified. I couldn't even bring myself to run! As shameful as this is for me to admit, I was cowering like a filly. 

"Ugh, look at this guy. And you have the nerve to call yourself a dragon? You aren't one of us, and you never will be!" They leaned in close and I was still paralyzed with fear. At that point, I had forgotten Cynder had even cast her power on me. "All you are is a girly little pony," he growled in my ear. 

"Get him, boys!" They jumped at me and I shut my eyes. I was expecting a ton of weight, but nothing happened. They must have dissolved into thin air, just like Cynder had. 

"Spike! Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes. I was on my back with both Cynder and Twilight standing over me. I had a bit of a headache, but it was nothing major. Twilight glanced at Cynder suspiciously. "What in Celestia's name happened?" 

Apparently I'd been in the fetal position for the past few minutes, though my encounter with the imaginary Garble had only taken what felt like thirty seconds. 

"I'm so sorry Twilight, I didn't mean to—" I stopped her. I could see Twilight was growing more uncomfortable around Cynder.

"It wasn't her fault," I said, getting to my feet. "I asked her to use her fear spell on me."

Now I was getting the weird look from Twilight. "Why?" 

"Because the only way she could show me how it worked was to use it on me." 

Now Cynder was just as uncomfortable as Twilight. "Uhm, I'm going to stretch my wings. I think I'll be on my way tonight."

I was somewhat upset at Twilight for making Cynder feel like she was causing trouble. "You aren't going to leave without saying goodbye, are you?" I asked. At this point, I was still not sure if following her was a good idea.

She smiled at me. "Of course not, Spike." 

With that, she spread her great magenta wings and took off into the sky, like I've always dreamed of doing.

I followed Twilight back into the library, and was met with the remark that would confirm my wanting to follow Cynder on her quest. "Thank goodness you'll be back to being my number one assistant after she's gone." 

I stopped dead in my tracks. I know Twilight meant it in the best way possible, and I know that I mean a lot to her. She means a lot to me, too! But, I knew if I didn't follow Cynder, if I just stayed here, organizing books, that all I would ever be in this life is her assistant. 

That's when I made my decision. I would wait until Twilight's asleep, and sneak out of the library. I knew every creaky floorboard and noisy door hinge by heart, so I could make it out quietly. 

Cynder came back as the sun began to set. She gathered her supplies, and secured them in the lone bag she carried. Twilight and I were outside the library, ready to send her off. 

"Goodbye Spike, remember to keep on all fours when you use your gift," she smiled. 

"Thanks, I will." 

"Good luck on your journey Cynder. I hope you find what you're looking for!" Twilight added. She meant it this time, and I was happy about that. I knew Twilight wasn't one to judge someone by their appearance.

She took off into the air, and shrank over the horizon as we waved goodbye. It was dark by the time we settled into the library. Luckily for me, Twilight wanted to turn in early. To this day, I have no idea why, but thank Celestia she had, or I may have never been able to catch up with Cynder. 

I packed what I thought I would need on my adventure. As many gems as I could carry, with as much water, and a map of where Cynder told me she was going. I had prepared all this stuff while Twilight was doing her evening readings. All that was left now, was to leave the note I'd written on my pillow. I didn't want her to follow me, so I didn't say where I was headed, but I didn't want her to think I'd run away or something (Even though I guess I did, technically). 

I tiptoed over to her bed. She was sleeping peacefully, a light snore was the only sound in the house. 

"Goodbye Twilight, I promise I'll be safe, and come back a better dragon than I left," I whispered. She didn't move. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. I'd have kicked myself if that would have woke her up, but thankfully, she's a pretty solid sleeper. 

I crept down the stairs, avoiding the seventh, fourth, and last step so as not to make any noise. Once I was outside the library, a fresh jolt of adrenaline washed over me, like I had just eaten one of those special rubies of Cynder's. 

This was it! The start of my very own adventure! All I had to do now was catch up to Cynder. I pulled the map out of my bag, and remembered which direction she had flown. I wasn't as fast as she was, but I knew if I was persistent, I could catch her by dawn. 





I'd been walking for hours. I don't think I'd ever walked this far in my life. My feet were killing me, and this was a journey of more miles than I cared to count! For the first time, I seriously considered turning back. Rechecking my map, I knew I was on the right track, however I couldn't help but think about how hard it would be to find one dragon in the wilderness of the Everfree forest. 

Still, I had already come this far, and to turn back now, and return to Ponyville with my tail between my legs like last time was not an option. I'd find her, I knew I would. It was just a question of when. 

I was farther from home than I'd ever been before. I knew the sun was only an hour or so away from coming up, and if Cynder continued on before I caught up, my chances of finding her were next to nothing. Then I'd just be a lost little dragon in the woods, just as helpless without Twilight as I'd felt when they came to my rescue during the migration. 

Unfamiliar voices echoed through the woods around me as I crouched down. I didn't know who they belonged to, but I had heard of the legends and ghost stories about the things that live deep in the Everfree forest. They were getting closer, and they sounded like they were having a conversation. Whatever they were, I could smell them before I could see them. After crawling through some underbrush, I found them. Two griffons wandered through the woods; it looked like they were hunting. Their feathers looked like they hadn't been preened in months, years maybe, and had they spears that looked like they made themselves.

I creeped back into the bushes when I heard my back foot crunch a twig. I looked up, afraid the two would see me, but they were gone! 

"Well, looky what we got here, Chet." 

I turned around. They were right behind me! How they were able to move that fast, that quietly is still a mystery. I scrambled backwards until I hit a tree. I had nowhere to go. 

"Looks ta me like we caught ourselves a baby dragon!"

"S-stay back! I'll burn you!" I threatened, but since I was scared out of my mind, I had completely forgotten everything Cynder taught me about using my fire breath. 

"Aw, now ain't that just precious. He thinks he's gonna burn us, Earl!" 

The bigger griffon pulled a rope from around the end of his spear. 

"The only thing gonna burn tonight is you. Dragon soup is so hard ta come by out here." 

I was ready to try and at least claw my way out of this, when my black angel came to my rescue.

"Don't. You. Move." 

I've never been so happy to hear another voice before in my life. Behind them, Cynder stood ready to attack the two hungry bumpkins. 

"Well, looks like we'll be having soup and sandwiches tonight!" 

Oh, these guys had no idea who they were tangling with. I saw Cynder smirk. 

"I was hoping you'd be that stupid," she grinned, "Spike, hold your breath!"

I covered my nose and mouth and watched as she blew what looked like black smoke from her mouth. I guess that's what the fear breath looked like when it wasn't being used on you. The griffons began to cough, before screaming hysterically about spiders. They both tore off through the woods in different directions, dropping their spears. 

Cynder watched them go, before turning her attention to me. She didn't look happy to see me.

"Spike, what are you doing all the way out here?"

Well, now's a good a time as any to come clean. I thought.

"I followed you."

Cynder rolled her eyes, "Well duh! I know you followed me, but why? Don't you know how dangerous this place is for a dragon with no combat training? Especially one who's just a—"

"Just a what?" I snapped. I couldn't believe Cynder was about to say it. She was going to call me a baby dragon just like everyone else I'd ever known! "Go on, say it! Tell me how I'm just a baby, and how I don't belong anywhere but safe in a library, living a pathetic life as a laughing stock for all the other dragons of the world!"

Cynder's glare softened. She didn't know my past, or how what I had just described to her was essentially the story of my life. 

She sighed, "Spike, I would never be able to forgive myself if I let something happen to you. I've lost too many friends, and done too many terrible things to live with another death on my conscience." I hadn't honestly considered how she might feel about me tagging along. I guess I was still immature in some respects... 

"What would I tell Twilight if I came back without you? She's probably worried sick!" Cynder's anger began returning, "She raised you from a hatchling, and this is how you thank her? Do you know how lucky you are to have even just one parental figure?" I knew this was coming from her own experience, but still, she was right. Twilight didn't deserve the stress I'd put on her by running off like this. Maybe I should have just gone home. 
But then I had a realization. 

"I love Twilight, and don't think for a second that I wouldn't do anything for her! She would want me to find myself, she told me so! And if it means I have to go on some crazy journey with a dragoness I just met, then she'd support me! You don't know what it's like to live among a species that is in every way, the opposite of what you've always heard your own kind is supposed to be!" I was yelling now, though I didn't care. Even if she is cute, no one questions how much I care about Twilight. 

Cynder scoffed, "I know more about that than you think." Though I didn't want to argue with her, I think she began to relent. There was no way she could take me back to Ponyville and keep good enough time to find that crystal. "But you've come this far, and honestly, you remind me a bit of Spyro when I first met him. Stubborn, but with a good heart. I suppose as long as our journey is quick, I can have you back to her soon enough."

My mood lightened immediately. I knew this was a good idea!

"Gather your things, we can head back to my camp for a bit of rest before dawn."
> Chapter 3 The Hivelands 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3- The Hivelands


We walked back through the dense brush for a few more minutes. Our mood had lightened a bit since our argument, and I still had a couple of questions to ask her. 

"So, how did you know I was in trouble?"

"Honestly, it was pure luck. I was hunting for a midnight snack, when I heard those two... things talking. They looked pretty tasty, but once I realized they were actually holding a conversation, I turned back," she explained, "I try not to eat self-aware things if I can help it. As I was about to head back, I thought I heard your voice. Lucky for you, I didn't just shrug it off, or you'd be dragon stew by now."

She had a point there. Thank Celestia for small miracles! 

"So, did you use your fear breath on those guys?" 

"Yeah. I figured a good scare was all they needed," she replied, as we came to a small clearing where her bag lay and a smoldering campfire glowed in the early morning darkness. The blanket we'd bought was spread over a bed of leaves. It was no basket, but it would have to do. She settled on her bedding, and invited me over. There was easily enough room as she opened her tail, and wrapped it snugly around me. 

"What are you—"

"I'm not taking any chances with you. Twilight and her friends are the only creatures I've met that don't instantly hate me, and I'm not gonna screw that up by letting something happen to you," she explained, "Now let me ask you a question. How did you follow me out here?"

I reached into my bag, and showed her my map. It was actually just a page I'd torn out of Twilight's atlas with a line drawn on it, but it was better than the map she had.  

"This is much more detailed than mine, no wonder you found me so quickly." 

"Yeah, well you definitely couldn't have picked a more dangerous route," I added, noting the next place we'd have to cross was the Changeling Kingdom, known on the old map as the Hivelands.

"Well, since I can't fly with you on my back, I'll have to use my claws the old fashioned way." 

I also should have considered how much quicker her journey would have been without me tagging along. "Sorry. I didn't mean to slow you down..."

"It's okay, I'll need a dragon who's familiar with the lay of the land." I cheered up a bit. Though truthfully, I'd never been outside of Equestria, let alone the Hivelands, but there was no reason I had to tell her that. It was a bridge I would cross when I came to it. Right now, my feet hurt, and I was fighting to keep my eyes open. 





Blackfang awoke early that morning, though his pony caretaker had been awake for a while now, it seemed. He noticed her fluttering about in her yard as he reached into his cloak for the proper healing elixir. 

Taking a few gulps of the sour green liquid, he watched as his injury slowly began to heal. The swelling in his leg would take a few minutes to go down, but he was confident he had the time. After all, his prey was not of this world, and he had been sent to roughly the same region she had. Surely a black dragon wandering around would have caused some commotion. 

Within a half hour, his ankle was back to normal. Blackfang rose from his couch and stepped toward the door. Upon opening it, he noticed a purple unicorn charging up the dirt road toward Fluttershy.

This world is full of mythical horses... he thought, standing in the doorway as he eavesdropped on the rather loud conversation the two ponies were having. 

"...the matter Twilight?"

"...Spike! He ran off with that, Cynder character!"

His interest piqued at the mention of his target. 

"Wah! What the hay is that?!" Twilight whinnied in surprise, taking a few generous steps backward as Blackfang strode towards them.

"Relax, Twilight," Fluttershy said calmly, "This is Blackfang," she introduced, before realizing he was walking under his own power. "Wait a second, you can walk already?" 

He grinned, "My species heals quickly, thanks in no small part to your delicious soup last night," he added, adding a tint of red to Fluttershy's cheeks. "I couldn't help but overhear you mention a dragon named Cynder?" 

"Uhm, yes. How'd you know she was a dragon?"

Blackfang's expression dropped to one of solemn urgency, "Cynder came into your town, told you she was on a quest to save someone from her realm, did she not?"

Twilight nodded, as he continued. "She told you she was once a slave to a dark dragon, one whose power corrupted all it touched, and choked the land beneath a cloud of darkness?"

"Y—yeah." 

Blackfang shook his head, a look of remorse coming over his battle hardened features, "If only I'd have gotten here sooner..."

"Why?" Fluttershy piped up. 

"Cynder is a small dragon with markings under her eyes, and on her head?" he asked, Twilight and Fluttershy nodding. 

"In my world, she went by another name. The beast, the terror of the skies!" he warned, digging into his cloak and producing an etching he had been given so as to identify Cynder in either form she may take. "This is the Cynder you've met?" he asked, showing her the image. It was of her current form. 

"Yes, that's her," Twilight answered. 

He shook his head in sympathy as he produced another image. This one was of a massive, slender black dragoness, with razor sharp wings and hundreds of teeth, breathing a hellish purple fire onto a village as its citizens ran for cover. "This is the Cynder I know. Our most powerful shaman was able to drain the dark energy from her, and reduce her to the size you've seen. She plans to find the crystal of power in your realm and use it to restore herself to her former might! Once she absorbs the dark energy within, she will be unstoppable."  

"So, you mean to tell me, that Spike has run off with an evil dragon?" Twilight asked somberly. 

"I'm unsure of whom 'Spike' is, but if he is with Cynder, then it certainly appears that way," Blackfang replied. 

"That doesn't sound like Cynder, she seemed nice enough when we met her," Fluttershy added quietly.

"Of course she was. It wouldn't benefit her to come into a strange land and start terrorizing the populace. If she has any hope of finding the crystal she seeks, it is with honey, not vinegar." 

"I knew that Cynder was trouble! I can't believe I let her in my house!" Twilight put both hooves to her head in shame. She had allowed Spike to be hypnotized by another dragon and carelessly let him run off by himself! At least when he migrated, she knew where he was going!

"Oh Celestia, she's probably saving him for a snack! Did you know she asked me for meat yesterday morning?" she added, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Blackfang assured her it wasn't her fault. "Cynder's trickery knows no bounds. On an impressionable young mind, her powers can be irresistible. If you like, you may follow me, as I was sent here to stop her from acquiring the crystal she seeks." 

Twilight's tears began to dry up. "I've got to find him. Do you know where she was headed?"

"No, but if given a map of this land, I can tell you where the crystal she seeks is most likely to grow."

"Stand close, I'll take us to my library," Twilight commanded, determination to find Spike motivating her like nothing had before.

Blackfang turned to Fluttershy before departing with Twilight, "Thank you for healing me. I want you to have this," he said, retrieving a medallion from around his neck. It was on a simple chain, the pendant was a silver eye, with an emerald forming the pupil. 

"I know it isn't much, but there is little kindness where I come from, and from what you've shown me, I can tell this place is one of the last few havens of unconditional acceptance. Never let that go," he whispered, rubbing behind Fluttershy's ears as she blushed and smiled. 

In a flash, Twilight and Blackfang had disappeared, leaving the gentle pegasus to continue with her morning chores, though not without a new appreciation for the blessed life she'd been living.

Twilight and Blackfang reappeared in her treehouse. The shelves upon shelves of books inspired awe in her ape companion. Only in the most sheltered of ruins in his home world did caches of knowledge like this exist.

"I'll get the atlas, make yourself at home," Twilight called over her shoulder, heading towards the 'A's.  

Blackfang spotted another couch, and had a seat. Compared to the other one, this one was much stiffer, as if it were designed to keep one awake. Though he had only experienced two in his lifetime, his preference was for Fluttershy's.

The small bell near the door of the library dinged, as Rarity and Pinkie Pie trotted inside, expecting to see Twilight, but were instead greeted by a mess of black fur, wrapped in a black tunic and cloak.

"Twilight, Pinkie and I have arrived to—Sweet Celestia, what is that thing?!" Rarity exclaimed, rearing back on her hind legs, keeping Pinkie from seeing Blackfang. 

"Oh! Oh! Let me see Rarity!" she protested, trying to peek around over her alabaster shoulders. 

"Rarity! Don't be rude!" Twilight called from across the library, setting the massive atlas of Equestria and the lands beyond on her ape guest's lap. 

"This is Blackfang, he's going to help me track down Cynder, and rescue Spike." 

"Well that's all well and good, but he smells simply dread—" Rarity's eyes widened a bit as she processed the last three words of Twilight's sentence. 

"What do you mean, 'and rescue Spike'?" she asked as Pinkie managed to shove her way into the library.

"I found a note this morning on his bed, saying he ran away with her to find himself. Only, Blackfang is from Cynder's world, and tells me she's actually an evil dragon bent on returning to..." she turned him as he scanned her atlas. "Do you still have the image you showed me?"

He looked up, "Ah, of course." 

Producing the same etching as before, he showed her a huge dragon with identical markings terrorizing a village of straw huts.

"She wants to turn back into this thing with some kind of special crystal, and Spike thinks she's doing it to help someone back in her realm!" Twilight hastily explained, a furious look coming over Rarity's normally calm and ladylike exterior. 

"I knew she was trouble from the start!" she fumed, "How dare she take advantage of our Spike like that!" 

Rarity stomped over to Blackfang and looked him in the eye, "Do you know where she's going?" she demanded. 

"Not at the moment, but I was sent here to hun—I mean stop her from getting that crystal. This kind unicorn was going to be my guide." 

"Oh! I know where she's—"

"Not now, Pinkie!" Rarity shushed, far more concerned about joining Twilight's posse. "I'll be coming with you. I'll not have that hussy endanger my Spikey!" 

Twilight and Pinkie were both quite shocked. 

"Uhm, you know there'll be danger, and mud, and sleeping on the ground, and maybe even fighting, right?" Twilight asked.

"A chipped hoof is nothing compared to a lost friend. I nearly lost him to his own greed once, I'll not lose him again." she insisted, in that classy yet arrogant tone she had mastered. 

"Well if you two are done being drama queens, I know where Cynder is going!" Pinkie snapped, hating being ignored. 

They stared at her quizzically, "You do?" Rarity asked. 

"Yep! She was headed to the Varcuda mountain range," she added smugly, certainly a new emotion for the pink party pony. 

Blackfang quickly flipped to the page on mountain ranges, only to find it had been torn out.

"It seems your friend Spike isn't one for hand drawn maps," he lamented, holding up the book to show Twilight the ripped page. Running away was one thing, but book abuse? He had crossed the line now. She'd hide his comics for a month for this little incident, on top of the month of grounding he'd be getting for running away with a war criminal.

"Flip to page 57. It's not as detailed, but it'll give us a general direction to start walking," Twilight instructed, turning to Pinkie. 

"Are you coming with us Pinkie?" 

She shook her head, "No, I can't miss another day of work this month, and neither can Rainbow. We've spent our vacation days playing pranks on ponies," she admitted guiltily. 

"Okay then Rarity, it's just you, me, and Blackfang now."

Tracing a quick map with a quill and parchment, Blackfang stood from the couch. "There's no time to lose, the faster we find the beast, the better chance we have of getting Spike back alive."

"I'll gather my things and meet you in the town square in half an hour," Rarity said forcefully, in a tone quite alien to the normally prim and proper pony. 

"Come, Pinkie, you can help me pack," Rarity insisted, Pinkie bouncing happily beside her and out the door.





I had never wanted sleep more in my life. Cynder woke up with the sun, after what had to have been only thirty seconds of sleep. Maybe I was part pony; whatever part of ponies that liked to sleep in. I rubbed my eyes, and tried to force the grogginess from my body. We had a lot of walking to do, since I was keeping her from flying. 

She said she didn't mind, but I knew better. Still, I was just grateful she didn't send me straight back to Ponyville. She let me sleep for five or twenty extra minutes until I smelled something I'd never forget. It was savory, and tempting, familiar, yet alien. She had lit a campfire, and was cooking meat over it. 

Meat, oh glorious meat! I can't tell you how long I've waited to try some. As soon as I smelled it, I knew I had to try some. Maybe it was the calling of my ferocious dragon ancestors driving me to take part in my more primitive urges? Or maybe I was just really really hungry.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked over to her, as she held the leg of whatever creature had been unfortunate enough to cross paths with her that morning above the fire with her tail. 

"Morning, sleepy head," she smiled. Whatever anger she held toward me for following her was now long gone. 

"That smells amazing." 

"Yeah, I figured you probably didn't get a lot of chances to eat something like this, living with a vegetarian and all," she said, looking at her cut of meat. "I think it's about done. How bout you start me off?" she asked, holding it out towards me. 

I couldn't wait. I took a greedy bite (even by my standards) and began chewing. It was like a rainbow, wrapped in a thousand diamonds, topped with sprinkles of pure joy. I was kind of sad I had to swallow it, as I'd have loved to chew it for the rest of my life. 

"Oh... Celestia, all the wasted years!" I shouted, getting a chuckle out of her. Seriously though, this stuff was amazing. 

After I was done chewing, I had to know: "What was that?"

"Uh... I'm not sure what you call them here, but it was like a chicken snake or something."

"Wow, you're lucky it didn't turn you into stone! A cockatrice can do that, you know." 

She nodded thoughtfully, taking a bite of the meat next to where I'd taken mine. After an amazing breakfast, I was feeling like a real dragon. But I was still pretty tired. I asked her for one of those red crystals, which she split with me. 

Just like that, I was good to go! After trekking a bit through the rest of the Everfree forest, we came upon the beginning of the Hivelands. How did I know? Because the plants and stuff just kind of stopped. The Hivelands have a greenish haze about them, and the ground... well, let's just say if I could fly over it, I would have. It didn't even seem natural. 

It was like some kind of alien landscape. Weird looking tentacle like plants stuck out from the blackened earth, as well as what looked like craters; some the size of my footprint, some big enough to swallow both of us! I imagine this is what the moon is like. In the distance, I could see what I'd guessed were hives. Huge structures, like the odd plants, only much bigger, with holes in seemingly random spots along their faces.

Luckily, I didn't see any changelings around, so I carefully took a foot out of the bushes and pressed it on the ground. It had some give, which was absolutely creepy, but other than that, it was solid. The haze limited our visibility to only a little bit in front of us, save for the towers in the distance. 

No wonder nopony liked the changelings. Who would live in a giant... whatever when you could be living in a house?

"So we've got to get across this... place?" Cynder asked cautiously. I put on my brave face. 

"You bet, but don't worry, I know my way around," I lied. I know I'd always been taught that honesty was the best policy, but telling her I had no idea whatsoever what may lay ahead would only stress her out. Besides, females want dragons who laugh in the face of danger, who scoff at death before spitting in his eye! If my comic books are to be believed, anyway. 

I motioned for her to follow, and she slowly set foot on the strange ground. 

"This doesn't feel right at all," she murmured, settling on all four claws before looking to me. 

"See? Not so bad is it?" I was just as weirded out by the sensation of walking on what felt like a spongy trampoline, but I had to maintain a stoic expression. I imagined how Big Macintosh would handle the situation. He was pretty much the closest thing I've ever had to a male role model, even though he didn't talk much, and I barely ever got to hang out with him.  

We began walking north across the Hivelands. It was suspiciously quiet. I'd only read about changelings, but I had never seen what one looked like. This is kinda embarrassing for me to admit, but when the changelings attacked Twilight's brother's wedding, I hid, or had my eyes closed most of the time. The description in the book said they were pony-like. It wasn't the 'pony' part I was afraid of. 

How the heck can something be pony-like? It either is, or it isn't!

Or so I thought. 

We had walked pretty far into changeling territory, avoiding coming too close with what I guessed were small hives. Every now and then the plant things sticking out of the ground would point towards us. Slowly, like they were accusing us of something. As we moved passed, they followed us until we were out of whatever range they could detect. It just added to the overall creepiness. Our footsteps echoed endlessly, despite the fact that there wasn't anything for the sound to reverberate against. 

A whisper seemed like a shout against the still silence. Soon, that green haze I told you about surrounded us. The forest we'd come from was gone, and the sun was just a pinpoint in the sky. It was as though it was heavily overcast, though it had been sunny until we crossed into this place. Had we lost the sun, we could have been lost there forever. 

"How much farther?" Cynder whispered, though again, it seemed way louder than it should have been. 

I pulled out the map. The scale was on the bottom, and I'd been lucky to keep it intact during its removal from the atlas. I wasn't even thinking about distance at the time. 

"Looks like maybe another mile. I think we can—" 

A loud buzzing cut through the eerie quiet as both of us jumped in surprise. 

"What is that?" she whispered, though I could barely hear it over the deafening noise of whatever that was. 

"I don't know!" I shot back, seeing a black mass begin to form on the horizon to our right. "We need to hide!" I snapped, finding what looked like... in all honesty, a huge zit coming out of the ground. Seriously, this thing was like a bubble, except the liquid inside was yellow, or amber looking. 

Anyway, we dove behind that thing, and I was careful not to touch it. I sure as hay didn't want whatever was in it to pop on me!

Peeking out from behind the zit, we watched the black cloud go by, only it wasn't a cloud. The buzzing grew louder, as I realized what we were seeing. It was a swarm of changelings! 

Pony-like wasn't too much of a stretch but sweet Celestia were these things ugly. No wonder they changed forms, I know I wouldn't want to look like that if I could help it. 

We kept our heads down as they passed by, not taking notice of us, thankfully. Upon closer inspection of our cover, I realized there was something suspended in the goo filling the thing we hid behind. It was a baby changeling, which meant this thing was an egg! Gross!

After the swarm had left, I heard a faint voice cry out. 

It kind of sounded like Fluttershy, in the sense that it was high pitched, soft, and helpless. I couldn't make out the words at first, so I asked Cynder if she could.

"I hear it alright," she admitted, closing her eyes and listening. "Think you can tell where it's coming from?"

I listened as intently as I could, before pointing a claw north east. 

"Should we try and help it?" 

"What kind of dragons would we be if we didn't?" she asked. 

With that, we set off to follow the voice. I just hoped she wouldn't stop calling before we reached her, because without her voice, we'd lose her in this dense green haze. I saw a white outline come through the mist, it looked like a pony! But what would a pony be doing way out here in changeling territory? Maybe they'd hurt her! This would be my first heroic deed (besides 'rescuing' Rarity from those Diamond Dogs) as a new dragon, I could feel it!

As we got closer, it seemed to be a unicorn! White, just like Rarity, though she had a lime green mane. I knew Rarity's feelings toward that particular color, but I thought it looked pretty good on this pony.

"Oh, thank goodness you found me!" she said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

Green magic gathered at the tip of her horn, and enveloped her, wiping away her pony form instantly. 

"I was getting so hungry!"
> Chapter 4 Her Highness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4- Her Highness


I could have kicked myself for falling into what was obviously a trap, but with Cynder by my side, I knew the two of us could take on a lone changeling. 

Unfortunately, she had a few friends waiting in the wings. By a 'few', I mean about two hundred. 

"You two were pretty dumb to just wander into our territory by yourselves! Your love will make a fitting meal for our Queen."

That buzzing noise came back. Her friends had us surrounded, so there wasn't much we could do. "Our... love?" Cynder asked. 

"That's right, we could sense it the moment you approached the hive. Your feelings for each other are as obvious as the noontime sun!" she hissed. Cynder cut her eyes at me. I wanted to disappear. I didn't think a crush and love were the same thing, but apparently changelings can't tell the difference. 

"So, what do we do?" I whispered. 

"We let them take us." 

"We what?"

"Trust me, I'll be able to get us out. There's no way just the two of us can take on all these... things."

We ended up letting them capture us. I was terrified, I mean, the 'queen' of these things beat Princess Celestia! And that's where we were headed. They tied us up with some kind of goo-rope, and flew us to a really big hive. This one was at least as big as Canterlot castle. 

"Cynder, are you sure this was a good idea?"

She took in the massive structure, as well as the literally millions of other changelings swarming around it like hornets. "Not as sure as I was a minute ago..." she groaned. 





"Hey Twilight, did those new Daring Do books come in yet?" Rainbow asked, bursting through Twilight's bedroom window to discover her packing saddlebags.

"Goin' somewhere?" 

"Spike ran away with Cynder, and it turns out she's some kind of evil monster. Rarity, Blackfang and I are going to get him back." 

Rainbow hovered for a few seconds trying to process what she'd just been told. "Who's Blackfang?"

"Hello," he said from behind her. 

"Gah! What is that—I mean, what are you?" she said with a start. 

"What I am is not important. What is, is that we find Spike before Cynder gets hungry," he said, striding towards Twilight's end table, folding up the map and putting it in the pocket of his cloak. 

"So wait a second, Cynder is evil?" Rainbow asked.

"Very much so," he replied. 

"She didn't seem very evil when she was here."

"Exactly. She's a master of deception," he said as Twilight slung on her saddlebags. 

"So you thought that you and Rarity could go on an adventure without me?" Dash asked indignantly, folding her forelegs across her chest. 

"Pinkie said you couldn't miss any more work," Twilight recalled. 

"I still have some sick days left! You're crazy if you think I'd miss this!" 

"Then you need to get packing, we leave in an hour." 





They locked us in what I would guess was their dungeon, but they let Cynder keep the crystals, explaining that we'd die without it. Pretty clever, but they took my map and all my other supplies. From outside our cell, I could see my pack hanging on the wall. It was barely out of reach.

They kept us in the same cell, which I thought was kind of weird. Then I remembered they fed on love. Crushes too, apparently. 

"So when do we bust out of here?" I asked after giving up my attempts to reach my bag. 

"We'll need to think of a plan. There were millions of them out there, and there's no way we could take them all," she repeated, tapping her tail against the weird, squishy floor. 

"Well, they said they were gonna take us to their queen, and Chrysalis isn't the nicest lady around," I said.

She raised an eye-ridge. "You know her?"

"Kind of. She attacked Twilight's brother's wedding a few months back, and imprisoned her beneath Canterlot Castle in a crystal cavern. It was actually her brother and his wife who sent her packing," I explained, taking a seat next to her. 

"And you say she feeds on love?"

"Yeah, they all do. I'm not sure how, but why else would they have attacked a wedding?"

She nodded, trying to think of a way to earn our freedom without being hunted by a million angry changelings. 

That's when it hit me. 

"I've got it!" I smiled, snapping my claws together. 

"Okay, so they feed on love right? How good are you at pretending to love?"

"Uh... it's not really something I've ever had to do..." she replied cautiously. 

"Alright, here's the deal, you pretend I'm your son, and I'm sick with some kind of horrible illness, and we were on our way to find a cure that grows just on the other side of her territory."

"Okay, then what?"

"We tell her that if she lets us find the cure, we'll stay here, and your love for your 'son' will keep them fed for years!"

Cynder put a claw to her mouth in thought before answering.

"Okay, but why would they trust us not to just run away?"

"I'll act sick, and you'll have to act like you're my mom, and you simply couldn't go on if I died," I said, pacing back and forth in front of her. "Then, when we're near the border with our guards or whatever, you beat them up and we run out of they're territory to safety!"

"Well, it's better than anything I would have thought up. I guess we have no choice," she admitted.

A few minutes later, a few drones came to take us to Chrysalis. 

"You really have to pretend to love me, or this won't work," I whispered to her as we walked. 

"I'll do my best," she returned.

"Just pretend I'm that other guy—what's his name, Spyro? Just pretend I'm him!'

"Okay then—"

"No talking, slaves!" the guard barked, shoving both Cynder and I forward down the hallway. I put on a bit of a hobble just to sell my 'illness'. 

For a group of savages, they sure had ways of building things. Some parts of the roof had doors leading to other areas, doors seemed to pop up and every angle imaginable. It was pretty trippy, and way easy to get lost. After a bit of walking, they led us to a really big door made of what looked like green muscle. I swear, it seemed like it was alive! It opened without either guard touching it, and inside a cavernous room sat Chrysalis, still a bit banged up from her butt-kicking in Canterlot. 

"Your Majesty, we present the two trespassers on your lands," the guard's voice boomed throughout the hall. 

"Approach the throne," she hissed, her voice more hoarse than I remembered.

We carefully stepped forward as I gave Cynder a subtle nod. She returned it as we reached the foot of the throne. 

"What were two dragons doing trying to infiltrate my kingdom?" Her voice was raspy, and dry-sounding. 

"It's my son Your Highness, he has been cursed. We were crossing your lands in search of a cure," Cynder replied, her voice shaking expertly. Looks like I didn't give her acting chops enough credit.

"A curse?" Chrysalis replied.

"Yes, simply look at how small he is! He was once a bold, brave dragon with a mighty hoard! Now he is small and weak, and pathetic excuse for a dragon. He is now just a dried up, withered husk of his former—"

I coughed loudly, cutting her off. She didn't have to get that specific!

"The cure was rumored to be in the forest across your territory. We had been cast out from the dragon realms, and would gladly remain here, feeding you all with the love I have for my son, if you would simply allow us to find the cure before it's too late."

Chrysalis considered Cynder's offer. I even thought I saw a tear or two in her eye! She was good, and I was doing my best to look frail and sickly. It was harder to imitate than I thought. 

"Very well, but you will have a guard detail with you at all times, and should they find you doing anything suspicious, they have my permission to feed you to the younglings," she growled, sealing her point with an ice cold glare. "Understand?"

We nodded. 

"Guards, take them away." 

They gave us our stuff back, and soon we were outside the hive. I checked my map and began hobbling toward the edge of their territory. Looking back on it now, it was a terrible plan. All we were basically doing was making a run for it once we were at the border. We'd either have to escape the guards, or Cynder would have to take them out. 

Still we had those crazy gems, and we had the map, so we at least had a shot at making it out. As we were walking through the fog, I felt a tinge of regret for having chased Cynder all the way out here. I could have been back home with Twilight, eating gems by day and organizing books at night. You know, the simple life. I looked to my right and saw the battle scared scales of my traveling companion, and they re-affirmed why I'd done something this desperate and crazy in the first place.  

The fog began to thin as we approached the border. I could see the dense forest in the distance, but making a break for it from here would be suicide. I didn't know what "younglings" were exactly, but I didn't want to find out.

I gave a knowing glance to Cynder as she pointed to a bush growing near where the land became... well land again.

"There! That's the plant we've been searching for!" she shouted dramatically. "Thank the ancestors!" We ran toward the shrub and began picking the leaves as our guards stood close by. There were four of them, and each armed with magic from the other prisoners I'm sure they had hidden somewhere in that terrible hive of theirs. I figured they'd be a lot stronger on their turf than they were in Canterlot. 

As I knelt down to help Cynder pick leaves, I was able to whisper without letting the guards hear. 

"Now what?" I asked. 

"What do you mean now what?" she replied. "This was your plan!"

"You think I can take on all these guards? I'm only three feet tall!" I snapped back.

She huffed. "Fine. Hold your breath," she whispered turning to face the guards, who immediately took a defensive stance. With a sharp inhale, she blew the familiar smoke over the four of them. I was expecting to hear the terrified screams of whatever it is changelings fear most. Instead, the smoke cleared, and they glanced at each other in confusion before turning back to Cynder. 

"Have you gathered the required nutrients?" one asked. Cynder looked just as confused as I felt. Out of options, I grabbed her claw and made a break for it. She picked me up and threw me onto her back before taking to the sky. I had been on flights with Rainbow Dash before, but never in fear for my life. At the time, I was terrified. Looking back on it now, it was actually pretty awesome. Cynder was pretty quick for a dragon her size (I hope she doesn't read that!). Our escorts were still hot on our trail when I remembered what Cynder had taught me. I turned around with my head facing her tail and our pursuers. I kept my belly on her back and my arms and legs around her as securely as I could. 

I heard her ask me what I was doing, but I didn't have time to explain. I took in a huge breath, and released the biggest column of fire I'd ever seen! Cynder rocketed forward and we left those guards in the dust! I couldn't believe that had actually worked. That was two harebrained schemes in a row! Once we were safely out of changeling territory, she landed. I climbed off her back and turned around, expecting to see her just as happy. Unfortunately, she was panting pretty heavily for a flight that wasn't really very long. I thought maybe it had just been a while since she'd flown, but that sparked another thought. 

"Cynder, if you can fly with me, wouldn't it be easier just to... you know, fly?"

She bit into an energy crystal before laying down in the clearing where we ended up. "It's not that simple," she began. "Before I traveled to this realm, I was warned I could not survive here for a long time. I don't belong in this universe, Spike. With each day that passes, each time I expend energy—like flying—I get weaker. I've got enough crystals to last well beyond the lifespan I would have without them, but that still isn't much time."

I didn't know much about inter-dimensional travel, so I had to take her word for it. It wouldn't sink in until later, but knowing she had to leave really... well, it hurt. I mean, it's not like I expected her to stay around forever, but... I don't know. I guess a setting a time limit on something just stresses me out. 

I nodded and took out our map. "Then let's keep going." 






"Girls, this isn't going to be easy, or fun. If you want to back out now, I understand." Twilight said like a general addressing her troops before battle.

"Uh, Twi? We volunteered for this, remember?" Rainbow said. They had gathered on the edge of town with their ape traveling companion, ready to charge into the unknown and rescue Spike from Cynder's clutches. 

"Heh, right." She blushed, turning to Blackfang. "Do you have our route?" 

"Yes. If we head north, I believe I'll be able to pick up Cynder's trail," he replied.

"Well then, is everypony ready?"

Rainbow saluted. Rarity stamped a hoof, a look of determination across her elegant features. 

"We didn't let those brutish dragons take our Spike, and I'll be damned if I let this one!"

"Then let's go!" Twilight commanded. The four of them began their march into the woods, in pursuit of Spike and Cynder. Blackfang took lead, searching for any sign that his black dragon prey may have come through here.  

The three ponies hung back, enough that Rainbow felt she could talk without him overhearing. 

"So, what do we know about this guy?" she asked, hovering above her friends.

"We know he knows Cynder is evil, and he knows how to find her. That's good enough for me," Rarity replied. 

"I know, but I still don't think she was evil. I mean, she may be kinda weird, but evil?" Dash asked. 

"Did you not see the pictures of her destroying villages?" Twilight answered in a low tone.

"No, but why would she have been nice to Spike, or taught him all that dragon stuff if she was evil?"

"Well what do you expect an evil dragon to do? Start terrorizing ponies the moment she ends up in Equestria? She'd find herself on the moon for something like that," Twilight said, confident they had chosen the right side. "Listen, as soon as this guy leads us to Spike, we can get him back, these two can settle whatever score they have, and we can be on our way." 

Rainbow was usually one to argue a point, but accusing their tracker of not being up front with them certainly wasn't going to get Spike found any faster. She shelved her argument for the time being, and fluttered along silently until Blackfang stopped them in the middle of the forest. A small area had a smattering of ashy black material covering the plants. 

"What is it?" Twilight asked, her friends poking their heads around behind her. 

"Dragon breath. Cynder's been here." 


> Chapter 5 Black and White
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5- Black and White


Thankfully, the changelings had decided not to follow us. One thing’s for sure: my feet were not used to this much walking. Even with the energy crystals, they were sore. But, I made no complaints. I was with Cynder for the long haul, no matter how much trudging we'd have to do. 

Luckily, our next stop would be a city named Amalga. Just as well; I was already tired of the woods. The forest began to thin as we continued our march. The sun was setting, and we'd have to make camp soon. 

"Looks like we'll spend another night beneath the stars," said Cynder.

"Actually, if we go another few miles, there's a city ahead. We might be able to get a bed instead of sleeping on the ground," I suggested, though I wasn't sure how open she'd be to the idea, since she only had a limited number of bits. 

"Hm... I guess we can see about a room." She looked into her bag, counting our funds. "How many of these does a room usually cost?"

"Couldn't tell ya. I've never been to Amalga before." That part was true, at least. I've never actually been outside Equestria, except for that time I went to the dragon territories. I guess I overestimated my usefulness as a guide a little bit... but we're here now, and there's no going back! Until I get Cynder that crystal she's looking for. Then I guess I'll have to go back... and face a really, really upset Twilight.

No time to think about that now! We kept on through the edge of the woods until we came to a dirt road. The signposts at the intersection pointed out Amalga was east, so that's the direction we headed. Not long after, the edge of the city limits appeared between the trees. 

I've read about a lot of places outside Equestria, places where a bunch of different races all mix together, mostly getting along. Then again, there's crime in any city. As we started passing shops, most of the citizens eyed us with suspicion. It was upon arriving here that I realized my kind were still not exactly welcome in some places. As wrong as this is going to sound, I can kind of understand why. Once we become adults, we aren't really that social. I mean, when I tried to start my hoard early, all I cared about was increasing it. It took Rarity getting all emotional on me to finally snap me out of it. Maybe there was a reason I'd never left Equestria. There, I was: Spike, assistant to the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. But here, I was just some dragon. Just like Cynder. 


"I guess dragons aren't as common around here as they were back in... Ponyville, was it?" she asked.
 
"Yeah, I think you're right," I replied. Ponies, griffons, zebra... any and all species avoided us like we had some kind of disease. If there was a crowd, they'd disperse to let us through. If there was a conversation going on, it'd stop until we’d passed. I'd never known what it was like to feel different until then. Thank Celestia we had our own food supply. I'd hate to try and get something to eat in a town full of bigots. Unfortunately for us, the weird looks weren't all that we'd have to endure. 

After getting into the town proper, I noticed a hotel on the side of the street. It wasn't Canterlot castle or anything, but it was better than the hard ground any day. I tapped Cynder's shoulder and we walked toward the front steps. From the outside, the Hotel Laureate looked like it would be a good place to spend a night. But once we got inside, we got the same treatment we'd received while entering town. Everyone in the lobby stared at us in either fear or disgust, and every conversation stopped as soon as we walked in. This was getting old, and I had half a mind to tell these bigoted jerks off, but I didn't want to cause trouble if I could help it. I just wanted to rest on something soft. 

We approached the front desk, and the griffon behind it met me with a grimace. It was the kind of face you make when you catch a whiff of the dumpster outside Donut Joe's after he throws out his expired cream-cheese filled crullers. I should have known then to turn and leave, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Got any rooms for one night?" I was polite. I was downright personable to this guy, who I knew had already judged me before I even spoke to him. The look on his face after I spoke suggested he was shocked I didn't just roast him alive right there. In retrospect, I should have.  

"Not for the likes of you. This is a fur or feathers only establishment," he sneered. "If you want, you can try the Amalga Inn down the road. They take all kinds." I so wanted to burn down this entire building. But as gratifying as that would have been, I don't think Twilight would condone property damage, no matter how justified I thought it was. Plus, it'd be a lot harder to get Cynder her crystal if we were locked up. Again.

Resisting the urge to light his stupid, pointy mustache on fire, Cynder and I left without another word. I couldn't believe any creature could be such an... asshole! For lack of a better word. I guess the world outside Equestria was a lot different. Amalga was situated in unincorporated territory, making it an independent city-state. If enough citizens decided it was okay to hate dragons, then that's what they did. No ruler or monarch to tell them how wrong it was, or force them to think differently. 

Cynder followed me silently. I figured she'd want to know what just happened, but my sour mood probably wasn't lost on her. She held her tongue until we reached where that snobby jerk told us we could actually rent a room. Like our bits weren't as good as a ponies or griffons or... sorry, I'm ranting a bit. Anyway, to say this place was rundown would be a massive understatement. I wasn't even sure the building was safe to occupy! The tilted sign read: Amalga Inn in fading white letters. If it was all we were going to get, we'd take it. The sooner we left this town, the better.

The lobby of this place was a world away from the one we'd just come from. Instead of normal-looking furniture, shabby tables and mismatched chairs were scattered throughout the room. A small front desk with a old donkey asleep behind it seemed to be the only thing in use. I walked up to the desk and rang the bell. The attendant jumped to life, nearly falling out of his chair.

"What the hell's all that racket?" he demanded, before looking down at us. "Ah. Two little dragons expelled from th' dragon kingdom, eh?" I wasn't sure what he meant by 'expelled from the dragon kingdom'. As far as I knew, there was no such thing. But I dismissed his ramblings and got to the point. 

"You got a room for the night?"

"Oh, aye," he replied, standing from his seat and retrieving a quill from beside him. He brushed the guest book off with a hoof; a layer of dust floated down onto the floor. Looks like we were the first customers they've had in awhile. I could see why. "It's seven bits fer a standard room, 'n ten fer a dee-luxe 'un." I looked to Cynder. 

"How many bits do we have?"

"I stopped counting after fifty," she whispered. I figured an extra three bits wasn't much for an upgraded room. If the lobby was any indication, we'd probably be better off. 

"We'll take the ten bit room." Cynder set ten bits on the desk. 

"Very well, lad. If I find any scorch-marks, I'm chargin' a fee!" he warned. He slid us an old, worn out key with the room number scrawled onto it. "First floor, second door on th' right." 

I thought it was weird he specified what floor, because there seemed to be only one. We walked down the musty carpet to our room. The key barely fit in the lock, and I was afraid I would break the darn thing off if I tried to turn it any harder. Finally, the lock gave way, and the door swung open with a creak. If this was the deluxe room, I'd hate to see the standard. Everything, and I mean everything was coated in a layer of dust, like no one had been in this room in years. There was only one bed, and the sheets were a moldy, green color. I was hoping that was the color they were made, and not the color they'd become. 

The only upside to this room not being used in years was that the bathroom was relatively clean. Useable, at the very least. Cynder and I walked in and shut the door. An old armchair sat in the corner, next to a lamp which—surprise, surprise!—didn't work. 

I sat on the lumpy chair and Cynder set a careful claw on the bed. After testing it, she climbed on, curling her tail around her and looking at me. "It's better than the ground." I nodded. I suppose just about anything would be. "So, why wouldn't that bird-thing let us stay at that other place?" I guess they didn't have hotels where she was from, either. Or racism. That must be nice.

"Because we're dragons." No use beating around the bush. She let out a disappointed “oh”. 

"Are those things the enemies of our kind?" It must be easy to live, where she's from. Everything seemed so black and white. 

"Not exactly. Most griffons are nice, hardworking creatures. But any species can hate another for any reason," I explained. "Does everyone accept dragons where you're from?"

"Well, we are the most powerful. No creatures would dare challenge us without strong magic, or a vast army." Apparently, our kind ran the show back in her realm. "Are the dragons here persecuted?" I could see a genuine curiosity in her eyes. A caring for those who identified themselves as dragons, whether they were from her realm or not. It was actually pretty refreshing, considering what we'd just been through. 

"I don't think so. I mean, once we grow up, only unicorns could stand a chance against one of us." I paused, remembering Twilight would probably be the only pony besides the Princesses that could possibly stop an angry, adult dragon. "But we usually keep to ourselves once we're fully grown." 

"Then... why were we turned away from the building before this one?" she asked.

"Just because we're fierce doesn't mean everyone has to like us. Especially a younger dragon and a small, female dragon. No offense." She nodded. 

"The beast of burden that sold us this room mentioned a dragon kingdom. Have you ever been there?" She was certainly full of questions today.

"Nope. I didn't even know it existed, but he's the only one I've ever heard mention it, so he could just be crazy," I answered.

Orange light shone through the curtains, so I figured it was about time to get some sleep if we wanted to get a move on early the next morning. I made myself comfortable on the chair before Cynder objected. 

"What are you doing over there?"

"I don't mind letting you have the bed. You paid for the room, after all." 

She waved a claw. "Nonsense, this bed is easily big enough for both of us." She slid over to one side, beckoning me with her tail. "If we're truly in this together, then our resources must be pooled. This is to include beds."

Well, I couldn't argue with that logic. Plus, this chair was smaller than my basket, so I'd probably wake up with a nasty crick in my neck if I tried to sleep on it. This was the second night I'd spent in the company of another dragon, and I had to say, I didn't miss my basket. I didn't miss it too much, anyway. 





"That's what this black gunk is?" Rainbow asked, rubbing a leaf with a hoof to examine the substance. 

"Yes, dragons leave trace elements when they use one of their abilities," Blackfang replied. "I have no way of knowing what she attacked, but I doubt it was your friend."

Their tracking ape signaled for them to follow him deeper into the woods. Rarity held in her normal complaints, reminding herself that this journey, this mud, and the bugs constantly harassing her had to be endured for Spike's sake. She knew he'd do all that and more for her, and she was determined to return the favor. Rainbow hovered along behind her, getting close to Rarity and voicing her distrust of their guide. 

"I still don't trust this guy, Rare," she whispered. 

"Come now, he's helping us rescue Spike. Whatever quarrel he has with Cynder is none of our business," she replied. "Cynder's true intentions notwithstanding, he's leading us to Spike, and that's all that matters."

"But what if it turns out we're following the evil one? Like in Daring Do and the Shining Path?" 

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Rainbow Dash, not every situation is relatable to a foal's novel."

"It is not a foal's novel!" Rainbow snapped.

"Something the matter, girls?" Twilight and Blackfang had stopped, noticing the argument.

"No, let's just keep going," Dash answered for both of them.

The continued trek through the woods soon revealed Cynder's old camp. A fire pit and animal bones littered the ground. Rarity gasped and Rainbow cringed in disgust. Twilight's breath caught in her throat, but only briefly, as she realized the bones were much too small and frail to belong to a dragon.

"We're on the right path," Blackfang said confidently. "They made haste from this camp. It appears they headed north."

Twilight gulped. "That's not good." 

Blackfang raised an eyebrow. "Why is that 'not good'?"

"North of here are the Hivelands. The heart of the changeling kingdom," she muttered. Not much was known about the changelings, other than their shape shifting abilities and their hunger for the love of sentient beings. Many unexplained disappearances at towns near the border were often blamed on the changelings. To be captured was to be imprisoned until death, having the love and longing to return to your family feasted upon by the hive until death. 

"And what, pray tell, are changelings?"

"Vile creatures, no more fit to walk the earth than their filthy queen, Chrysalis," Rarity spat.

"Regardless of our personal opinions, they number in the millions, and are not afraid to kill or enslave anypony foolish enough to venture into their territory without an army," Twilight explained.   

Blackfang nodded, exhaling sharply as he came to a very grim realization. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears both Cynder and your friend Spike entered the Hivelands."

All three ponies gulped. Silence settled over them like the constant fog over the cursed lands of the changelings. "Well then, we will follow them in!" Rarity demanded, stepping forward.

Blackfang nodded. "In the face of overwhelming odds, you willingly step into danger. I must admit, for a race that seems to know nothing of the horrors of war, I admire your courage."

Twilight and Rainbow joined her, inspired by their normally squeamish friend's resolve. "Let's kick some changeling carapace!" Twilight shouted.

Blackfang drew his sword from the scabbard beneath his cape. "Yes. It has been far too long since I've tasted combat."

The foursome faced northward, and began their trek, soon disappearing into the disorienting fog of the Hivelands. 





The haze of the Hivelands surrounded them, the ape's finely tuned sense of smell serving as their only guide. Rarity and Rainbow Dash balked at the alien landscape they crossed. The feeling beneath their hooves alone was enough to make them uncomfortable. Coupled with the spires, incubation sacs and overall strangeness of Queen Chrysalis' realm, Rarity found herself wishing she'd been born a pegasus.

Twilight, however, was unfazed by the peculiarity of the landscape, having studied the enemies of Equestria thoroughly. Though she knew what to expect, it made it no less unsettling. 

As they followed their guide, he suddenly stopped, seemingly for no reason. "Her scent..." he whispered. "It ends here."

Rainbow fluttered to the front of the group. "Whadya mean it 'ends here'?"

Blackfang sniffed the air carefully. "I'm sure if it..." As the words left his lips, they heard a faint humming that grew louder, as the beats of a thousand insect wings drew nearer with each passing second. Twilight looked around frantically. There was no place to hide!

Before she could even muster a cry of panic, a shifting black cloud appeared out of the fog, surrounding the hapless ponies and their warrior guide. Blackfang kept his sword close, unsure if the steel of his world would even affect creatures in this one.  Within moments, the changelings landed, a larger one stepping out from the crowd of thousands of Chrysalis' swarm. 

"Ah, two groups of wanderers in one day," he hissed. "You will make an excellent gift to our Queen." Stowing her fear as the group backed against each other, Twilight picked up on the changeling leader's choice of words. 

"What do you mean, 'two groups'?"

He grimaced, as though she had just rendered an insult. "The dragons escaped, but I assure you, you will not share their fortune."

Twilight couldn't help but smile. "Spike escaped!"

"Yeah, I'm stoked about that and all, but what about us?" Rainbow asked with a lump in her throat. A group of changelings was one thing, but fighting the entire hive, on their turf? She may be confident, but she knew when she was outnumbered.

"Stay behind me," Blackfang growled, eying the approaching Changelings warily. A distant part of him was pleased that they eyed him and his sword with similar wariness, but he shut it out. 

There was no room for those kind of thought in battle.

One of the Changelings closest to him suddenly hissed and lunged with blinding speed. 

Blackfang smoothly transferred his weight forward and cut upwards, in a blow that would have cleanly bifurcated the insectoid being – but it leapt back, out of range. Just testing the waters, it seemed.

Every muscle tensed as he heard a high-pitched shriek from behind him. He jerked his head around, scowling at a trio of Changelings that were advancing from the rear. Not a test, but a distraction.

The Changeling closest to Rarity bared its fangs and leapt forward. With a single smooth stride, Blackfang stepped into its path, sword sweeping out in a two-handed blow, but then he caught a glimpse of Twilight's face. 

She was staring at him, and his sword, with near abject horror. This was one that had never killed, or seen something killed, he realized. These creatures had not beared witness to the horrors of war. And so an instant before contact, he twisted the blade, catching the Changeling with the flat instead of the deadly edge. A blow that would have sheared the Changeling's head off instead simply knocked it to the side, cracking the carapace.


Twilight charged her teleportation spell. "Put a hoof on me, now!" she commanded. Rarity, Dash and Blackfang each realizing her escape plan and hurriedly followed orders. 

A torrent of purple energy engulfed them, and they disappeared in a flash. 

Once the light receded, nothing remained but a blackened scorch mark. The lead changeling stepped forward, prodding the space previously occupied by their potential slaves with his horn. "Impossible!" he snapped.

In an instant, the group reappeared outside changeling territory, near where they had first entered. Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow. Teleporting that many beings at once never seemed to get any easier. "Everypony still have all their limbs?" she asked, catching her breath. 

Blackfang sheathed his sword. "I must say, that is quite a useful spell," he admitted. 

"Ancient spells can have modern day applications." She smiled. "Well, now that we're out of that mess, where do you think Spike and Cynder went?" 

"Unfortunately, I lost their scent in the Hivelands, but if they've escaped, then they have more than likely continued their journey to the mountains.” Twilight retrieved the map from her saddlebag, following Spike's most likely route. "They've probably stopped for resupply at Amalga, just outside of changeling territory," she reasoned. "We can take this road through the old growth forest. It shouldn't add more than half a day to our trek." Blackfang and Rainbow Dash looked at the route Twilight had traced. 

"Then let us be on. The more time we waste, the less likely we are to get your friend Spike back alive."