> Spike's Mark
>  by mikemuir0178
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Gem Cave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: The Gem Cave


Rarity peered through her monocle and examined a gem that she had recently unearthed in a new cave she and Spike were visiting. With a talent show being planned in Ponyville, she was determined to find rare, exquisite gems for her new line of merchandise.  She suspected a lot of ponies would be coming in for costumes, dresses, frocks, hats, sweaters, and a whole assortment of other clothing…and she was determined to make them look their best.

There was just one tiny problem…or large problem depending on how you looked at it.

Dragons.

With ponies and dragons now friends, some of the beasts had taken the opportunity to fly closer to Ponyville and try the gems in the area.  Technically, it was legal since finding gems was a first come first serve basis. However, “serve” meant the gems would become the dragon’s next meal.  Rarity had found that some of the caves she had frequented had been visited by dragons. She had even found Smolder’s tracks in one.  They had not eaten all the gems in the cave, but all the large and rare ones were getting increasingly harder to find.  One’s she had decided to hold off on until inspiration had struck would sometimes turn up missing in the cave the next day.  Clearly dug up by a dragon’s claw.

She also found she had to be careful if a dragon ever decided to visit the Carousel Boutique.  For the dragons, her shop was more like a giant candy store.  She sometimes wondered if the samples she had on display would become “samples” for dragons to taste.  Fortunately nothing like that had happened, yet, but she had caught one or two dragons peering through the window and…drooling.

Using exquisite fashion as snack food…Disgusting.

The thought sent a shiver down Rarity’s spine.

She then took a glance back at Spike who was sitting at the other end of the cavern with a basket tied to his back.  He was currently facing away from her, munching on one of the lower quality gems she had turned down earlier.

True, Spike was a dragon, and like all his brethren, he liked to eat gems.  But he was…different…in a good way.  A while back, before she even knew Spike, she never would have considered being friends with a dragon…and would have probably scoffed at the idea.  But now she found it hard to be separated from him.  He was kind, considerate, and enjoyed his “Rarity time” with her.  Sometimes it was hard for her to believe he was a dragon.

But Spike was a dragon.

And here she was berating the same creature who had captured her heart.

“Why did love have to be so complicated?!” Rarity shouted in her head.

Hoping, to take her mind off her thoughts, she decided to break the silence.  “Spike. If I may, I would like to ask a question?” Rarity inquired.

Spike took a moment to finish chewing the gem he had been eating before answering.  “Sure, Rarity.”

“What is it about gems that dragons find so…delectable?” Rarity asked, though she had to think of the proper word to describe a dragon’s hunger for gems.

“What do you mean?” Spike asked.

“Well…I’ve tried ‘tasting’ gems like you have before when we go shopping, and fail to see why dragons like to eat them,” Rarity explained, “so, I am wondering what makes gems so delectable for dragons?”

“Hmm,” Spike sat in thought for a moment as he scratched his head with his claw, “I don’t know.  There’s just a kind of sweetness to them,” he then looked down at the half eaten ruby in his hand, “For example, this one tastes like a wild cherry to me.”

“If that is so, why not simply eat a wild cherry?” Rarity asked, “I would think finding wild cherries would be easier than digging up a ruby.”

Spike gave this question some more thought.  “I suppose that’s true, but I always found normal food to be a little on the bland side.  It just doesn’t have the sparkling taste gems do.”

“Sparkling taste?” Rarity inquired.

“Well…” Spike pondered this for a moment, “More like a type of spice.  It’s like a sudden rush of sugar on our taste buds.”

Rarity tried to ponder this for a moment.  She could only guess that the dragon’s tongue was more sensitive to stones rather than normal food.  “Anyway, here comes another gem.  Please examine it before we place it in the basket,” Rarity said as she levitated the stone she had been examining over to Spike.

Spike took a moment to examine gem before giving it a good lick.  He then gave a thumbs up to Rarity.

“Excellent,” Rarity cheered as she levitated the stone to the basket on Spike’s back.

The basket was already overflowing and was nearly breaking apart at the seams.  As soon as the stone landed at the top, Spike could feel his knees starting to buckle under the weight.  “Uh…Rarity. Don’t you think we have enough gems?”

“Nonsense.  We will need a couple dozen more if we hope to meet the quota for the upcoming talent show,” Rarity said as she began scanning the cave for the next gem.

“A couple dozen?!” Spike replied in surprise.  His feet gave way the next moment and he fell to the ground with a small “thud”.

“Yes.  Since the dragons have eaten most of the rare gems in our other quarries, it is best for us to stay ahead of the game,” Rarity explained as she looked for the next gem she wanted.

“I suppose so,” Spike reluctantly admitted.  He knew about Rarity’s gem problem and the dragons. Dragons preferred the rarest of gems. The taste of a flawless Fire Ruby alone was the sweetest of sweets for a dragon.  Finding a cave the dragons had not visited was tough to locate.

Especially one located deep in the Everfree Forest.

Spike had questioned whether journeying to the forest was a good idea to mine gems from.    The forest was not a place to tread lightly in. In fact, many ponies considered it unnatural and would best avoid even setting foot in it.

But Rarity was determined to find rare gems for her garments.  “For fashion!” had been her battle cry as she trudged forward into the dark forest.

As for Spike, his battle cry was “For you, my sweet Rarity”, though it was more of a whisper.

Yet despite having prepared themselves for a long hard trudge through the forest, they were pleasantly shocked to find that their journey actually followed an old, worn path.  Though the path had not been used in a long time, it was still easy to navigate and they had no trouble finding their way to a small mountain range in the forest.  What was even more surprising was how the path led straight to a cave at the bottom of a ravine.

And their prize.

From the moment Spike had entered the cave, he could feel his stomach growl.  There were plenty of rare gems throughout the cave and Rarity had to scold him once or twice not to eat one until she had properly examined it.  Fortunately, Spike’s patience was well rewarded as Rarity would spare a couple of truly rare gems to sooth his hunger.

As he finished the last bite of his latest meal, Spike could not help but wonder how much time had passed since they entered the cave.  The journey back home would not be easy, especially with a bag that was near the breaking point.  “Hey, Rarity. Don’t you think it’s time to head back yet?” Spike asked.

“In a minute.  This cavern is full of the gems I need.  If I don’t collect them now, I may not get another chance,” Rarity explained as she peered at a rather large diamond for flaws.

Spike didn’t reply.  He knew that once Rarity had her mind set on something related to fashion, it was hard to break her out of her trance.  Still, Spike felt a little cautious since he did not like the idea of spending the night in the Everfree Forest.

Careful not to dump the bag he had, Spike slid out of the harness and made his way to the cave entrance to investigate the time of day. With any luck, Rarity would not notice he was gone for a moment.  The cavern they had found their treasure in was only two hundred feet into the cave. Going out and back in would not take long.

Or so he thought.

As Spike made his way back, he was expecting to see something of a crude set of stone steps that led from the entrance of the cave to the tunnel he was now in.  However, as he made his way forward, he began to hear what sounded like water running in the area.

“Where’s that coming from?” Spike asked himself as he looked around the tunnel.  When he and Rarity had first entered, neither had seen any underground springs.  The sound began to make Spike feel a little unsettled.

As he continued toward the steps that led to the entrance, he felt a sudden icy chill around his feet.  Looking down, he saw he had stepped in a small pool that was forming on the floor.  “This can’t be good.”

With renewed determination, Spike launched himself into the air and flew as fast as he could to the steps that would lead outside. However, instead of steps, he saw a small waterfall beginning to form on top of the steps.  Water was pouring in from the cave entrance.

“This is not good,” Spike added with more urgency.  He then quickly launched himself into the air and flew over the steps.  He needed to know what he was about to face.

When he reached the top, he found to his horror that the clear day had now been replaced by a series of black clouds. Already the storm had covered the horizon, blotting out the sun.  What little he could see in the growing darkness was the rain coming down and filling up the ravine.

And the cave was the drain.

“This is definitely not good!” Spike cried.  Without a second thought, he raced back inside.  As he did, he found that the water in the cave was rising and making its way further back.  If he didn’t hurry, the only exit they had could flood and both he and Rarity would be trapped….or worse.

It took him only a few moments to fly back to the cavern where he and Rarity had been digging for gems.  To his relief, she had not moved from her position and was still examining gems.  Quickly, he flew to her side.

“Hmm…I think this one will work well with a hat I’m making for Applejack,” she commented to herself.

Spike quickly dove in front of her, scaring her into stepping back a few steps

“Spike?” Rarity said I surprise, “What are you doing?”

“Rarity!  We have to get out of here!” Spike shouted as hovered in front of her, “There’s a storm coming!”

“Storm?” Rarity asked in confusion.

The next moment, a blast of thunder echoed down the cave.  Both Spike and Rarity’s eyes went wide with surprise as it echoed into the cavern. As the sound died down, Spike was the first to recover from the shock.

“We have to go!” Spike shouted as he grabbed one of Rarity’s front hooves and began to tug on it.

“But…”  Rarity looked back at the bag Spike had been carrying, “What about the gems?”

Another large crash of thunder echoed through the cave that made Rarity’s hair stand on end.

“No time!” Spike replied as he continued to tug her forward.

Rarity gave a heavy sigh at leaving her load behind, but heeded Spike’s warning.  She trusted in the little dragon’s judgement, especially when there was danger.

As the two reached the tunnel that led to the entrance, Rarity found that her trust in Spike was well placed. Within moments of entering the tunnel that would lead to the entrance, Rarity found herself setting foot in the icy cold pool that was forming inside.  As she continued to move forward, the water began to form around her knees.  Even worse, she could feel that the cave floor was turning into mud and her hooves were sinking in.

Desperately, she continued to follow Spike who was hovering just in front of her.  Each steps seemed to require more effort than the last as she felt the water pushing against her and her hooves sinking into the mud.

“There’s the entrance!” Spike shouted.

Rarity looked up the slope to what should have been the entrance, but saw only blackness at first.  A moment past before a bolt of lightning lit the sky in front of the cave, showing the extent of the storm.

“Come on!  We have to hurry!” Spike shouted as he hovered just over the water.  With his wings, he as able to ascend the slope with ease.  However, before he could reach the entrance, he heard a cry from behind.

“Spike!”

Spike turned around to see Rarity having trouble moving forward.

“Ugh!  This mud!” Rarity bemoaned as she lifted her right hoof out of the water.  A large clump of mud was stuck to it.  “I’m sinking!”

Rarity.

Without hesitation, Spike raced back and landed by her side.  “Hold on Rarity!” Spike said as he grabbed a muddy hoof. With all his might, he pulled and was relieved that she managed to get a few steps forward.

“Help me, Spike!” Rarity cried, “The water is getting deeper!”

Spike could see that the water was now past Rarity’s knees and was now running along her underside.  Spike pulled at Rarity’s hoof and was rewarded as Rarity managed a few steps forward.

However, his victory was short lived as Rarity’s hooves sunk again in the mud.  

Spike took a moment look into Rarity’s face as he continued to pull.  He could see the fear in her eyes as the water pushed against her.  With renewed strength, Spike pulled on Rarity’s hoof. “Come on!”

Rarity whimpered, but continued to give her all in clawing her way forward.

As they reached the stone steps that to the entrance, they found a cascade of water running down.  Rarity felt some relief as she felt the stone steps under her feet. But the water was still pushing against her, threatening to push her back into the cave.

But Spike continued to hold onto her as she took each step up.  His wings beat furiously as he applied every inch of his strength to help Rarity get to the entrance.  She could only imagine how much pain the little dragon felt as he continued to pull her up.

Fortunately, Spike’s efforts were not in vain.  Though it took a while, Spike and Rarity were able to climb each step up to the entrance.  However, as they emerged from the cave entrance, they found their triumph was only brief.

Lightning raced across the sky providing only a brief glimpse of what they now faced.  . The storm had escalated and rain now poured down in mass.  The combination of heavy rain pouring down and water running off from the ground above was quickly filling up the area.

Spike took a moment to assess their situation.  He knew that the ravine extended a couple hundred feet from the cave before it tampered out into open ground.  But with the water steadily rising, he didn’t think it was possible to for him and Rarity to move forward.

Which only left one option.

“This way!” Spike motioned to the side of the Ravine.

Rarity hesitated for a moment to look at the dangerous climb she now faced.  Her hooves were not designed for climbing and she feared she could easily slip and fall. “I’m going to need your help, Spike!” she cried as she held one of her hoofs up.

Spike nodded as he grabbed her hoof and pulled Rarity out of the water.

The wall of the ravine was not vertical, but it was steep. Rarity found herself struggling to find purchase for her hooves as she pressed her body against the side of the ravine.  A few times, the rocks gave underneath her and she slipped.  But Spike was at her side and applied all his strength to keeping her from falling.  

As Spike, reached the top, he used the last of his strength to pull Rarity to safety.  He then lay on the ground, exhausted.  He watched as Rarity collapsed onto her belly next to him.  Her coat was covered in mud and she was gasping for air.

But she was safe.

Spike then turned his head so he could look down into the ravine.  A flash of lightning lighted up the area just enough for him to see the entrance to the cave. To his horror, it was now almost completely flooded.  If they had stayed any longer….

Spike did not want to think about the outcome.

“Thank you, Spike.”

Spike felt Rarity’s hoof on his claw.  He looked to see Rarity giving him a loving glance.

“If not for you, I don’t think I would have escaped that dreadful place,” Rarity smiled.

Spike blushed as he felt Rarity’s soft touch.

“Now.  Do you think you can get up?” Rarity asked gently as she picked herself up.

With a little effort, Spike struggled to his feet. “Yeah.  But how are we going to find our way home in this?”

Rarity smiled.  “Allow me,” Rarity replied as her horn lit up.  The light was bright, but it was only able to cut through four feet of the darkness.  Still, it was better than nothing.

“That’s great!” Spike said excitedly.

Rarity stepped around Spike so that she now stood in front of him.  “Now. You better grab onto my tail for safety. The last thing we need is to be separated in this dreadful forest.”

Spike looked at Rarity’s tail for a moment.  “But-“

“No excuses!  There is no way I’m going lose my bodyguard,” Rarity explained.

Spike was still a little unsure.  In pony society, it was considered impolite to grab another pony by the tail.  Almost as rude as riding a pony’s back without permission.  However, Rarity had been adamant in what she said. Hesitantly, Spike grabbed the end of her tail.

“Excellent,” Rarity said as she felt Spike’s grip on her tail.  She then raised her hoof in a war salute.  “To the Spa!”

“The Spa!” Spike cheered happily.  The thought of soaking in a hot bath seemed so appealing now. However, he decided he would avoid the mud bath.





To be Continued….
> Chapter 2: Cabin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2:  Cabin



The rain seemed to pour down with renewed vigor with every moment.  What had begun as a hopeful charge to comfort quickly degenerated to a losing battle to find a way out of the forest.  Desperately, Rarity hoped to find the path that would lead them back home, but her vision was limited.  Only the occasional flash of lightning allowed her to see beyond her horn, and it was not looking good.

Rarity then looked down to the ground to make sure she was still on the path.  It certainly seemed like she was.  But there were no markers to make out where she was.  For all she knew, she was walking around in circles.

As she took a few more steps forward, she felt a small tug on her tail from Spike having trouble keeping up.  “Don’t slow down, Spike,” Rarity instructed as she looked back to make sure Spike was still holding on.

“Sorry,” Spike apologized.  The poor dragon was shivering where he stood.

Rarity began to worry for her friend.  If they did not find a way out soon…Rarity pushed the thought out.  She would not lose.

For Spike

That would be her new battle cry.

As she took a few steps forward, she felt a tug on her tail again.

“Wait Rarity,” Spike moaned.

“Spike?” Rarity asked.  Rarity stopped and looked back to Spike in confusion.  “Is something the matter?”

“ACHOO!”

For a brief moment, Rarity’s hair stood on end as she witnessed Spike sneeze.  However it was not the sneeze that had caught her off guard, but rather the giant plume of green flame that erupted from Spike’s mouth as he sneezed. Fortunately, the little dragon had managed to turn his head away from her before he sneezed.  

“Gazuntite,” Rarity said in response.

“Thanks,” Spike said as he rubbed his nose and sniffled.

“I better find shelter for you before my little Spiky-Wiky catches cold,” Rarity responded before returning to navigate the forest.

Spike couldn’t agree more.  Now more than ever, he yearned for one of the lava baths in the Dragon Lands.  But a small campfire was probably the best thing he could hope for.

It was only on the next flash of lightning that Spike thought his prayers had been answered.

“Rarity look!” he said as he pointed off to the side of the road.

Rarity looked up from the road and followed to where he was pointing.  “Did you see something?”

“Over there!” Spike cheered as he continued to point into the trees.

Rarity gazed into the blackness, but could see little. She could make out the shadows of trees and what appeared to be hill.  But nothing else.  It wasn’t until a flash of lightning lit up the sky that Rarity saw what had caught Spike’s attention.

The object that she once had perceived as a hill behind some trees was actually a log cabin.  

“Shelter!” both Rarity and Spike shouted in unison. They then ran as fast as their feet could carry them.  As they jumped onto the wooden porch, they could see that the cabin was quite old. The wood had blackened with age and there were only two windows on either side of the building.  The door that led to the interior was slightly bigger than normal pony design, but the door knob was definitely designed for Earth ponies.

Rarity knocked on the door.  “Hello.  Is anyone there,” she called out, “Please, can you be so kind and let us in?”

There was no answer.

Both Rarity and Spike looked at each other for a moment. “Let me try getting it open.” Spike said after a brief moment.

“Is that such a good idea, Spike?  We don’t know who lives here,” Rarity responded.

“We can’t stay out here,” Spike said as he examined the door handle,

“I suppose you’re right,” Rarity admitted.  Still, she did not like the idea of being an uninvited guest.  There was no telling who or what was inside.

With both hands, Spike grabbed the door handle and prepared himself for whatever lie inside.  But as he tried to pull on the door, he found it would not give.  “Huh?” he said in surprise.  He then applied even more of his strength to opening the door. Still it did not give.

Rarity felt her heart sink as she saw that the door remain closed.  “Is it locked?”

“I don’t think so,” Spike grunted, “It’s rusted close.”

“Rusted?” Rarity replied.  She then wandered to a window to the right of the door and tried to peer inside.  But even with the power of her horn, she could not see much.  At best, she could only make out the frame of what she perceived to be a bed.

“Anything?” Spike asked as he continued to heave on the door.

“It’s totally black inside,” Rarity responded as she returned to Spike’s side.

Spike paused in his efforts to open the door and examined the one obstacle that was blocking them from shelter.  “Can you use your magic?”

“I’ll try,” Rarity said with uncertainty.  After trudging through the rain for so long and using her magic to light the way, she was exhausted.

But this did not stop her from trying.

As Rarity’s horn glowed, so too did the door handle. Yet as Rarity applied pressure to the mechanism, she could feel it creak in resistance.  Spike had been right when he said the door was rusted shut.  It would give a little, but would not break free. Instead, part of the door handle broke off and went flying.

Spike ducked just in time as the handle went sailing over his head and disappeared.  He looked at the direction the handle went flying before turning to face Rarity.

“Sorry, Spike,” Rarity responded apologetically.

“It’s okay,” Spike assured her.  He then turned back to the problem at hand, “But how are we…..Ah”

“Spike?” Rarity jumped back the next moment.

“ACHOO!” Spike sneezed again, releasing a jet of flame from his mouth onto what was left of the door handle, “Sorry.”

“I can only imagine that Twilight must have her hands full when you catch a cold,” Rarity teased in hopes of reassuring the little dragon.

Spike gave a small laugh at Rarity’s comments.  “You could say that,” he then looked back at the door, “Hey look!”

Rarity turned to the door and found that the area where the door handle had once been had now been completely incinerated.  The door creaked a little open, but still remained closed since the hinges were also rusted.

“Spike!” Rarity said with renewed determination.

“Right!” Spike replied.

Without hesitation, both companions gathered their strength and slammed their bodies against the side of the door.  With the sound of screeching metal, the door finally gave.  Both of them rolled into the cabin and landed in a heap a few feet in front of the entrance.

Rarity was the first to get up and look around at their new surroundings.  She found the cabin was actually just one large room.  There was not much in terms of furniture; just a table with two chairs in the middle of the cabin, a queen sized bed to right at one end, a dresser located on the opposite end to the door, and a stone fireplace with two stools in front of it on the left side of the cabin.  There also appeared to be no pictures or decorations of any kind.

“My.  Whoever lives here needs a proper lesson in décor,” Rarity commented.

Spike picked himself up as well and looked around at their surroundings.  “I don’t know Rarity,” as he strolled to a nearby table and ran his finger along the table.  When he examined his finger, he found there was a coat of dust, “I think this place has been abandoned.”

Spike then wandered over to the bed in the corner. As he placed his hand on the thick quilt, he could not help but feel a moment of nostalgia.  Something about the feel of the bed seemed so…familiar.

“Spike.”

Spike looked back at Rarity to find her at the other end of the cabin near the fire place.

“May I trouble you for your assistance,” she said motioning to the fireplace.

Spike caught on immediately.  Gathering the quilt in his hands, he ran over to Rarity’s side. After placing the quilt down, he let out a tongue of flame into the hearth.  The dry wood in the fireplace caught almost instantly, bathing the room in a soft orange glow.

“That feels so heavenly,” Rarity sighed in relief as she felt the warmth of the fire, “Thank you, Spike.”  She then proceeded to ring out the water in her mane and tail with her hooves.

Spike found himself staring at her form as the firelight bathed her in its light.  Somehow, she still made herself appear dignified, despite appearing unkempt and covered in mud.  Of course, even if she was completely covered in mud, he would still say she was beautiful.

After a few moment of getting some of the mud and water of her hair.  She noticed Spike was starring.  “Is something wrong, Spike?” she asked.

Spike shook himself awake as he heard her words and cursed himself for being caught starring at Rarity.  “No…Nothing!” he said apologetically as he averted his eyes nervously away.  

Rarity smiled but said nothing.  She could see that Spike had been admiring her form. She had seen other ponies do the same when she walked down the street.  However, none were as special as Spike.

Spike found himself at a loss for words as he averted his glance.  He then noticed the quilt he had brought over.  “Here. You can have this,” he quickly added.

Rarity was caught by surprise as she felt the quilt land on her back.  Though the quilt was covered in dust and there was a strange smell to it, Rarity welcomed the warmth it provided her.

“This will keep you warm,” Spike replied as he took a seat next to her.

Rarity took a moment to enjoy the warmth the quilt brought.  As she looked back at Spike, she could see the little dragon was trying to hide the fact that he was shivering.  “But…” Rarity said in concern, “What about you, Spike?”

Spike gave a reassuring smile.  “Don’t worry.  We dragons are….Ah…ACHOO!” a jet of flame erupted from Spike’s mouth.  Fortunately, he was able to direct it into the hearth. “Tough,” Spike finished as he rubbed his nose.

“Nonsense!” Rarity scoffed as she shifted her body as close as she could to Spike.  She then used her magic to lift the quilt up and encompass both herself and the little dragon.

“But…Rarity.” Spike said in surprise as he felt her body against his.  It was true he had hugged her in the past, but this was completely different.  This time, his whole body was being pressed up against Rarity’s soft coat.  Her left leg pulled him in against her.  Even her head had settled down on top of his so that it was enveloped by her neck.

“We can’t have you catching a cold here, now can we?” Rarity said as she held Spike as close as possible.

“Rarity…I…” Spike felt his cheeks blush as he felt her warm embrace.  He suspected his entire face was now red, but he didn’t care.  This was the closest he had ever been to Rarity and it felt wonderful. It kind of felt like he was…home.

Home?

“Where did that come from?” Spike thought.  He could not help but feel a nostalgia about the quilt he was now wrapped up in.  It was like he was forgetting something but did not know what.

What was this place?

Spike’s thoughts were interrupted the next moment as he felt Rarity’s body shift.  “Rarity. Is something wrong?”

“Huh?  Oh. Sorry Spike,” Rarity apologized.  She then turned back and looked to the corner of the fireplace.

Spike followed her gaze to the corner of the fireplace and saw a red book on the corner of a shelf just above the hearth. The book glowed as Rarity’s magic took hold and levitated it down to them.

“What is it?” Spike asked.

Rarity took a moment to observe the condition of the book. The book was obviously very old and the bottom half had turned brown.  The pages also appeared tanned with age.  No doubt time and the elements had taken their toll on it.  Still, Rarity was able to make out the title on the top of the book.

Grey Shire.

“Is that a pony name?” Spike asked as he looked over the cover.

“I think so,” Rarity said as she used her magic to open the book.  The pages inside were covered in hand written text.  The writer did not have excellent handwriting skills and Rarity had a hard time making out some of the words.  Even worse were the words on the bottom half of each page.  Like the cover, the elements had taken their toll on the text as well.  Still, she was able to make out the dates on the top of each page.

They were dated roughly fifteen years ago.

“I think this is a pony’s journal,” Rarity said.

“A pony?  Here?” Spike said in surprise.  He found it hard to believe a pony would actually want to live deep in the Everfree Forest.  There was Zecora of course, but she was a zebra, not a pony.

Rarity was equally perplexed as she tried reading the pages.  She could understand the desire for some ponies to live in the gentle open country. Her time with Applejack had shown her that.  But the Everfree forest was hardly “gentle open country”.

“Can you read it?” Spike asked.

Rarity squinted her eyes in frustration.  If she had her glasses with her, she might have been able to make out some of the words.  But the bad penmanship and poor light in the room made it impossible.  “No,” Rarity replied as she set the book down, “Besides. We should probably get some rest.”

“Uh…Yeah,” Spike said nervously.  The sudden appearance of the journal had made him forget that he was still pressed up against Rarity’s side.  He could feel the warmth of his cheeks return.  For him, it was a dream to be so close to Rarity, but his embarrassment was too great.  Slowly he tried to unwrap himself from the quilt that he shared with Rarity.

“Is something wrong, Spike?” Rarity asked as she felt Spike pull away.

“Huh….Oh…Nothing.  It’s just that…” Spike felt his voice fail him.  What was he supposed to say?  Their friendship had come so far and he didn’t want to ruin it.  He wanted to be with Rarity.  “Maybe it might be best for me to sleep over there,” he said pointing off to the side.

“Nonsense,” she replied.  She could tell he was trying to act the part of the gentle stallion…or drake she corrected herself.  “If you sleep over there, you will only catch a cold,” Rarity replied. Gently, she pulled Spike back to her.

Spike was unprepared by the gesture and stumbled into Rarity’s side.  As Spike felt himself being pressed against Rarity’s body, Rarity lay down, holding him close.  Spike could feel his body warm up as he felt Rarity’s soft coat.  “Uh…Rarity.  Is…Is this okay?” he asked.

Rarity looked at him with half open eyes that blinked once.  “I trust you, Spike.”

Spike found himself transfixed by her sparkling sapphire eyes.  He then felt a hoof caress the side of his face.  

Was this a dream?

“Um….Rarity?” Spike stuttered.

“Yes, Spike?” Rarity whispered.

“Uh…You have some mud in your hair,” Spike stuttered as he reached over.  With his hand, he began to comb the small mud clumps out of her mane.

“Oh…Thank you Spike.  I suppose I look pretty appalling right now,” she laughed.

Spike mustered his courage.  “Actually, I still think you look beautiful,” he said as he continued to comb her hair.

Rarity smiled lovingly back, making Spike blush even more.

Realizing his hand was still in her hair, he tried to pull it back slowly.  To his surprise, Rarity gently pushed her head into his hand.

“You can leave it there Spike,” Rarity said softly.

Spike felt his heart race faster.

This had to be a dream!

And yet it wasn’t.

As he looked into Rarity’s sapphire eyes, he began to wonder if she saw him the same way he saw her now.  A part of him was worried he might do or say something wrong and end the moment.

What if she didn’t see him the same that way?

What if she was holding him like this only to keep him warm?

How could he find out?

As his mind raced with his thoughts, only one thing came to mind to test whether or not Rarity saw him in the same manner.  However, if it didn’t work...He just needed to know.  “Rarity.”

“Yes Spike?”

“Um…Can…” he stuttered.  A part of him feared she would rebuke his request.  But he needed to know.  “Can I kiss you?”

Rarity made no response.  Instead, she smiled and gently caressed his head.  Slowly her lips came closer to his and intertwined. The kiss only lasted a moment before she parted.  Her eyes remained half open and sparkled.  “Yes, Spike.”

It took a moment for Spike to realize what happened. His heart raced even faster than before. 

“Aren’t you going to kiss me, Spike?” Rarity asked as she looked at Spike’s surprised face.  It was hard for her not to laugh at the expression on his face.

“Uh…Yeah,” Spike awoke to his senses.  Slowly, he pulled Rarity’s face closer to his, He still felt a little worried she might pull away, but she didn’t.  Instead, she allowed him to pull her closer.  As their lips met, Spike felt all his doubt vanish.

The kiss lasted only a moment longer than the last, but for Spike it seemed eternal.  As their lips parted, Rarity brought Spike’s head to the folds of her neck and hugged him tightly.

“My little Spikey Wiky,” she said as sleep started to take hold.

“I love you, Rarity,” Spike whispered as he found himself enveloped by her warmth.  His eyes slowly closed as he relaxed in her embrace.  If this was a dream, he did not want to wake up.



To Be Continued…
> Chapter 3: The Mystery Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3:  The Mystery Begins



Rarity awoke late the next morning.  At first, she could not remember where she was.  She was also wondering why Opalescence had not awoken her for her morning breakfast.  In addition, her back was aching something fierce and the blanket she was wrapped up in had an unusual smell to it.  There was also a gentle pinch along her neck.

When she looked down and saw Spike pressing against her side, all her memories about the previous night returned.

To her surprise, the pinch on her neck was actually Spike biting her.  However, she felt no pain.  In truth, it felt more like an affectionate nibble from Opal when she was once a kitten. However, instead of a little kitten, it was now a little dragon nibbling her neck.  Rarity smiled at the affection of the sleeping dragon.

However, the floor was another matter.

Rarity tried to get up, but felt Spike’s grip tighten on her.  The little dragon moaned gently in his sleep.  A part of Rarity felt some guilt at having to wake him, but her back ached and she needed to stretch out.  “Spike. Time to get up,” Rarity gently said.

Spike only moaned and slightly stirred.  His grip remained tight and he continued to nibble her neck.

“Spike,” Rarity called out again.

Spike continued to sleep.

“SPIKE!”

Spike’s eyes shot open and he released his grip on Rarity. “I’m up!” he cried as he sat quickly upright.  He began looking around the room, dazed by his new surroundings.  “Where…?”

“Good morning, Spike,” Rarity smiled.

“Rarity?” Spike looked down at the unicorn lying next to him.  “Then…It wasn’t a dream.”

“No Spike,” Rarity responded, “Now please be so kind and help a lady up.”

“Oh!” Spike said in surprise.  Quickly he got to his feet and removed the quilt the two had been wrapped up in.  He then took one of Rarity’s hooves and helped her to her feet.

Rarity felt relief as she stretched her body out. “Thank you, Spike,” Rarity responded. She then shook her mane and tail to get some of the dust out of it.  “Oh!  I must look dreadful,” she bemoaned.

Spike could not help but stare at Rarity.  Even though her body was covered in dust and her mane had flecks of mud in it, she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.  In truth, he was still surprised at how close he had been with her last night.  He could not help but wonder if it really was a dream.  Did he actually kiss her?

“Spike.  Pay attention.”

Spike awoke from his thoughts.  “Huh...Oh sorry,” Spike apologized, “What were you saying.”

“I said we should probably take the journal with us and leave this place,” Rarity repeated.

“Oh…right,” Spike saluted.  He suspected Rarity wanted to take the journal because she was curious about the previous owner.  Even he couldn’t deny his own curiosity.as to why any pony would want to stay in the Everfree Forest.  He suspected that even Twilight would too once they got back.

Spike found the book off to the side where Rarity had left it on the floor.  Quickly he tucked it under one arm, turned, and saluted to Rarity to show he was ready to go.

“Right then.  Let us be off,” Rarity said as she led the way out of the cabin.

As the two pushed open the door, they saw that the weather had greatly improved.  There were only a few clouds in the sky and the sun lit the entire area.  It almost seemed like a country setting rather than the Everfree Forest every pony feared.  However, what really caught them by surprise was how close the cabin was to the mountain range that had the gem cave.

“Wait just a minute!” Rarity shouted in surprise and outrage, “Were we walking in circles the entire time?”

Spike looked around as well.  Now that he could see various landmarks, it was obvious they had traveled a long way for such a short distance.  “I think so.  It was very dark out last night.”

“But…I was following the path.  How could I have traveled in circles?” Rarity cried.

Spike looked further down the path the cabin was located on. “That’s how,” he said pointing in the distance.

Rarity followed his gaze down the main path and saw that a tree had fallen over where the path had branched off into two different directions.  The route they were meant to take had been blocked off and looked like it was part of the scenery.

Rarity fell to her haunches and placed a hoof over her face in a dramatic pose.  “How can fate be so cruel?!”

Spike wasn’t sure he could agree.  “I don’t know Rarity.  This place isn’t that bad.  In fact, I think I can understand why someone might want to live here.”

Rarity was about to scoff at Spike but took a moment to look at her surroundings.  She had to admit that now that the weather had improved, the area did look nice.

She then looked back at the cabin.  It was a simple design and was pretty much just one large room with the bare essentials.  But there was something appealing about its simplicity.  Even she had to admit there was something romantic about spending time in a cabin lit by a fireplace with someone she loved.

Like she had done with Spike.

“What do you think Rarity?” Spike asked out of curiosity.

“Well…” she said with a smile, “It does have a certain appeal,” she then tossed her head up and began to prance down the trail, “But I wouldn’t want to live here.”

Spike silently laughed at Rarity’s reaction. He suspected that Rarity was probably thinking on how to improve the cabin to fit her needs.  If anything, the cabin could serve as a welcoming place to rest if they ever decided to go back and harvest the gems from the cave.

Weather permitting of course.



X  X  X X  X



Finding their way back through the Everfree Forest proved to be easy now that the two of them could see where they were going. For Rarity, she was itching to get home and spend the rest of the day in her bath.  Or better yet, rent some time at a spa with a special someone. “Spike.  Once we get back, would you like to accompany me to the local spa?”

“Sure.  But…um…” Spike answered.

“Is something wrong, Spike?” Rarity asked.

“Do you think we can skip the mud bath?” Spike asked.

Rarity laughed at his request.  Even she had to admit she had seen enough mud for one day, “Of course, Spike.”

“Count me in then!” Spike cheered.

Rarity smiled happily as she looked down at the little dragon.  However a voice from above quickly diverted her attention.

“Twilight!  I found them! I found them!” an excited voice called out from the sky.

Both Spike and Rarity were caught pleasantly by surprise by the familiar voice.  As they looked up to the source, they saw Rainbow Dash circling happily above.  She was shortly joined by Twilight Sparkle in the air.

“Thank goodness,” Twilight sighed as she glided down and landed.  Rainbow followed her, but remained hovering near the ground.  “We were so worried about you when you didn’t make it back last night.”

“Yeah!  And when we tried to enter the Everfree forest, we got hit by this giant storm!” Rainbow Dash shouted happily.

“The only one who enjoyed that was you,” Twilight groaned.

“Hey!  It was fun racing against the wind!” Rainbow Dash shouted happily.

Twilight let out a sigh.  She then turned back to Spike and Rarity and examined their condition. As far as she could tell, both seemed fine, but she could easily see that Rarity was just itching for a long drawn out bath.  “Well, we better get you both home.  You’re probably exhausted.”

“That sounds lovely,” Rarity sighed happily.

“What about the gems?  Did you find any?” Rainbow Dash asked.

The Gems?

THE GEMS!

A look of realization and horror washed over Rarity’s face.  “SPIKE! WE FORGOT THE GEMS!” she cried as she looked down at her companion.



X  X  X  X  X



With Twilight and Rainbow Dash in tow, Rarity and Spike quickly retraced their steps back to the ravine the gem cave was located in. However, as they looked down, they saw that water was still running into the cave.  The entrance was still half submerged and the water did not appear like it would vanish anytime soon.

“NOOOOOO!” Rarity cried as she collapsed to the ground in a dramatic pose.

Spike remained silent as he looked down into the ravine.  He admitted that he did not like the idea of venturing back into the cave after what happened.  Yet as he turned to face Rarity, he could not help but feel sorry for her.  She had poured her heart and soul into designing new outfits that revolved around the brightest and rarest of gems.  Now all her efforts were for naught.

“Wow!  So you actually survived that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she watched the water rushing into the cave.

Spike nodded.  “We barely got out in time.”

“But how did you survive the storm?” Twilight asked as she rubbed Rarity’s shoulder in hopes of calming her down.

“There’s a cabin just over there,” Spike said, pointing in the general direction.

“A cabin?” Twilight said in surprise.

Spike nodded.  “Yeah,” Spike then pulled the journal from under his arm and held it up for Twilight and Rainbow to see, “We found this journal inside.”

Twilight examined the cover after taking the book from Spike with her magic.  She then opened it up to examine the contents inside.  There was no doubt that the writing was pony script, even though the writer’s skills and penmanship were something to be desired.  The lower half of the journal was also badly faded and impossible for Twilight to read.

Rainbow Dash was also curious as she peered over Twilight’s shoulder.  “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a Grey Shire before.  How about you?” Rainbow asked.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” Twilight then looked back into the Everfree forest.  “But, why would a pony want to live here?”



X  X  X X  X



A few nights later, Ponyville became a town of celebration. Ponies had gathered from all around to see the talent show Princess Twilight had organized.  It had been part of her plan to let ponies showcase their talents and hopefully become the new stars of Equestria.  The idea had been welcomed by all and everyone had contributed to setting it up.  Even a few non-pony creatures had contributed to making the show a success.

The crowd roared and cheered as new talents were brought to a giant stage outside.  Granted, not everyone was cut out to be a star, but everyone enjoyed the raw talents being displayed on the stage.  A few even scored massive applause from a combination of jokes, magic tricks, or dancing.

The bleachers in front of the stage were overcrowded and a few Pegasus ponies had to sit on clouds to watch the show. However, at the center of bleachers was a special box reserved for Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight.

“I think the talent scouts are going to find a new set of dancers soon,” Princess Luna complimented after watching the act that unfolded on the stage.

“I agree.  It was well coordinated and fit the music perfectly,” Princess Celestia replied.  She then turned to Twilight who was seated to her right.  “You’ve done a wonderful job in setting this up.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight smiled happily. It had not been easy for her to organize the event.  The few days after having to rescue Rarity and Spike seemed like turmoil.  She had been jumping around town instructing ponies on how to build the stage, set up the seating, gather food, and schedule the night’s activities.  It was only through the help of her friends was she able to keep things running smoothly and with no problems.  The result had turned out better than expected as cheers filled the night sky from every pony in town.

Well…Almost every pony.

“Princess Celestia, can I ask a small favor from you?” Twilight requested.

“Of course,” Celestia responded as she turned to face Twilight.

“First, I wanted to know what you thought about the costumes,” Twilight replied.

Celestia was a little perplexed by the question.  “I think they are wonderful.  Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that…Well…Not every pony seems to be thinking that,” Twilight said as she looked off to the right of the stage. Celestia followed her gaze and saw another drama unfold off the stage.

“This can’t be happening!  No!  The color is all wrong!  I should have used a lighter shade of Lavender!  What was I thinking?!” Rarity cried as she fainted backwards.  She used her magic to pull in a nearby sofa to catch her.

Spike was also present and quickly pulled out a fan and tried to calm her down.  “Relax, Rarity.  Everyone loves their costume.”

“They deserved better!  I had such glamorous plans with those gems we found!  Instead, all my work turned out to be substandard!” she cried.

Spike sighed in defeat.  Rarity had been devastated when she had lost the gems.  She had spent days before the accident designing what she considered the perfect clothes for any pony going on stage. However, without the gems she needed, her designs never had a chance of being as glamorous as she had hoped. Still, Spike was glad that many ponies had complimented her for the costumes she made.  However, it did little to help a perfectionist such as Rarity. 

Celestia could not help but laugh at Rarity’s drama. “I see what you mean,” Celestia said after calming herself, “I will offer my compliments to her.”

“Thank you,” Twilight responded.  She only hoped that a compliment from Celestia would ease her friend’s anxiety.  Rarity had done her best to find replacement gems after failing to retrieve the gems she wanted.  Even Spike and a few other ponies had assisted her in locating replacements. But none seemed to match the quality of the ones she had lost.  “That reminds me.  There is one other thing I wanted to ask.”

“Go on,” Celestia nodded.

“We discovered an old cabin in Everfree Forest recently.  We believe it belonged to a pony named Grey Shire.  Does that name sound familiar to you?”

“Hmm…” Celestia sat in thought for a moment, “I think I do remember a pony by that name, but I can’t remember from where.”

“Do you think it’s something we need to worry about?” Twilight asked.  The last thing she wanted was having to worry about another threat against Equestria.

Celestia gave a reassuring smile.  “Nothing like that.  I’m sure,” she replied, “But I will search my records for that name and let you know.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight responded happily.



X  X  X X  X



The morning after the talent show, Twilight Sparkle found herself busy in her study.  She was organizing notes on clean up duties, making arrangements to take down the stage, and making sure that activities returned to normal in Ponyville.  It was times like this that she wasn’t too fond of being a princess.

Still, the talent show had been a major success.

This alone brought a large amount of comfort to Twilight as she made sure everything would be completed.

As she moved the last set of her notes to the side of her desk, she heard a knock at the door.  Looking up, she saw Spike peering through the door.  “Hi, Spike.  What can I help you with?”

“Princess Celestia is here to see you.”

“Huh?” Twilight said in surprise.  She had not expected Princess Celestia to return so soon to Ponyville.  Quickly she composed herself and followed Spike down to the main lobby of the castle where Celestia was waiting.

As she entered the main entranceway, she saw the princess standing patiently.  “I didn’t expect you to be back so soon, Princess Celestia,”

“My apologies for this unannounced visit,” Celestia bowed her head, “But I thought I should deliver this in person since it was related to both you and Spike.”

A small scroll then appeared in front Twilight and unrolled itself, allowing her to read it.  It took Twilight only a moment to recognize what it was.  “These are the records concerning Spike’s egg.”

“Yes,” Celestia nodded in agreement.  “But look at the bottom entries.”

Twilight read through the document as quickly as possible.  As she did, she saw the entry related to where the Spike’s egg came from.  To her surprise and astonishment, the egg was donated by a pony named Grey Shire.  “Wait! Are you saying Grey Shire was the one who brought Spike’s egg to the Academy?”

“What?!”  Spike’s eyes lit up as he heard this.  Quickly he ran to Twilight’s side and snatched the document down so he could see for himself.

“Fifteen years ago, Grey Shire came to me bearing Spike’s egg.  She did not tell me where she found it, but expressed a desire to hatch it,” Celestia explained.

“Did she say why?” Twilight asked.

“She claimed she wanted to study it,” Celestia replied, “But I suspect that she was not telling the truth.  There were even some who suspected she stole it from the Dragon Lands.”

Spike finished reading the document and looked up at Celestia.  “If you suspected my egg was stolen, why didn’t you give it back?”

“We didn’t know where it came from and no pony wanted to risk trying to communicate with a dragon,” Celestia responded.

Spike could not fault her reasoning.  Until recently, dragons had been a territorial and terrifying race.  He still remembered how many of them had wanted to find a reason to invade Equestria for their own gain.  Only the recent efforts of Ember had kept the dragons at bay and opened a dialogue between dragon and pony.

“But if you had the egg for so long, why was it given to me?” Twilight asked.

“Because you were the one who hatched it,” Celestia responded.

“But…Surely other unicorns tried,” Twilight responded.

Celestia nodded in agreement.  “Yes.  But all they could do was sustain it.  When I saw you for the first time, I suspected you had the power to do what others could not.  So I arranged to have Spike’s egg brought to you as a test.”

Twilight still remembered that day.  She had studied so hard the previous night, hoping to make an impression to get in the school for gifted unicorns.  She almost didn’t make it because she was exhausted. But a Sonic RainBoom from Rainbow Dash had caught her by surprise and had allowed her to release the full extent of her powers on the egg.

Maybe a little too much since Spike became gigantic for a few moments and had totally destroyed the class room.

“What happened to Grey Shire then?” Spike asked.

“No one knows,” Celestia answered.  She then used her magic to make another scroll appear in front of Twilight and Spike.

Twilight took a moment to look over the document. “Wait.  This is a missing pony report.”  Twilight then felt a sinking feeling inside as the realization hit her. “She disappeared?”

Celestia nodded.  “She had visited several times to check on the egg, but after about a month, she mysteriously gave up,” Celestia explained, “I sent patrols to look for her, but we found nothing.  Eventually, she was simply forgotten.”

“But…Surely she must have said something!” Spike said. For the first time, he felt he was close to finding his origins.  No one had known where his egg had come from and he always wanted to know why it was in Equestria and not in the Dragon Lands.

Was his egg actually stolen?

Why didn’t his parents try to find him?

“I’m afraid not.  She refused to speak much and avoided other ponies.  We know very little about her,” Celestia apologized.

Spike felt his hopes dashed.  He felt so close to finding out more about his origins. Unfortunately, the only pony who knew was now missing.  Who was Grey Shire?  What did she plan to do with his egg?

Twilight could see the despair in Spike’s eyes. She knew only too well Spike’s desire to find his real family.  “Don’t worry, Spike.  We’ll find the answers,” Twilight assured him as she placed a hoof over his shoulders.

“You…You really think so?” Spike sniffed.

“I promise.”



X  X  X X  X



Of course promising one thing and doing it were two different things.  But Twilight was determined to find out the truth about Spike’s egg.  Spike had always been a faithful companion for her, now she was going to return the favor.

After parting with Celestia, she and Spike met up with the other ponies at a cake shop to discuss what Celestia had told her.

“And there was no sign left of her?” Applejack asked as she looked at the report that was centered on a round table.  Everyone had gathered around to look at the documents.

“None,” Twilight explained, “According to this, they did find her cottage, but saw no evidence of her being there.”

“Ooh!  Maybe she moved away!  Found a nice sunny beach and settled down!” Pinkie chirped in.

“Not likely,” Twilight corrected he friend, “They still found some of her stuff in the cabin.”

Rarity took a moment to pull another page out of the report.  The page had the last known photograph of what Grey Shire looked like.  “She definitely looks like she needs a makeover,” Rarity commented as she looked over the photo.

Rainbow Dash hovered over Rarity for a moment to get a look at the photo as well.  “She looks a little pudgy.”

Fluttershy looked over Rarity’s left shoulder at the picture.  “She looks like she’s shy.”

Applejack peered over Rarity’s right shoulder. “Nah.  She just looks like one of them country fillies.”

Rarity placed the photo on the table for all to see. It was a simple black and white photo of a grey pony that did appear, as Rainbow Dash had said, pudgy.  The picture had been taken in front of Grey Shire, but Grey Shire had ducked her head and turned it off to the side as if she was trying to avoid the camera.  Her mane was not properly combed and she appeared to have a mole on the side of her neck.  There was definitely a rugged look about her.

“So if the patrol couldn’t find her, what makes you think we can?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight smiled.  “When the patrol was looking for her, they didn’t ask the dragons for help. We can.”

“You think Ember can help us?” Rarity asked.

“At the very least, she might know where Spike’s egg came from,” Twilight explained.

“I’ll be going as well,” Spike added.

Twilight nodded in approval.  Spike was after all the best liaison to the dragon community.

“I would very much like to go too,” Rarity added, “To help Spike of course.”

Twilight saw no problem with this since Rarity had been to the Dragon Lands before.  It was also no surprise since everyone knew about the friendship Spike and Rarity shared with each other.  “Okay then. We’ll set out tomorrow.”

“What do you want the rest of us to do while you are away?” Applejack asked.
“Can the rest of you go and inspect the cabin.  Maybe there was something that was missed by the patrol,” Twilight suggested.

“You can count on us!”  Pinkie Pie cheered as she put on a detective’s cap.





To Be Continued…
> Chapter 4: The Dragon Lands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: The Dragon Lands


A few years ago, journeying into the Dragon Lands would have been considered extremely dangerous for any pony.  Not only was the terrain extremely rough and there were volcanoes dotting the landscape, but the dragons had been fierce territorial beasts. The first few excursions into the forbidden lands had to be done with the aid of disguises so as not to become a dragon’s next snack.

However, through the efforts of Spike, with a little help from Rarity and Twilight, relations had improved and ponies could now journey into the Dragon Lands as they wished.  However, the rocky terrain and volcanoes still made the area undesirable for ponies to visit, except if they wanted the help from a dragon.

As Twilight, Spike, and Rarity approached the border, they saw it was guarded by a giant red dragon.  Although “guarding” was a term used lightly.  The great beast was lying on a rock and appeared to be sleeping. However, as the three companions came closer, they could see that his eyes were open slightly and watching them.

As the ponies approached, he began to stretch out, revealing his great size of forty meters.  “Who goes there!” his voice boomed, however he was not shouting.

The wind from the dragon’s voice hit the ponies like a gust of hot wind.  Their manes were blown straight out before settling down on their backs.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle.  This is Spike and Rarity,” Twilight introduced herself, “We have come to ask for the assistance of Dragon Lord Ember.”

The dragon regarded them for a second.  “Proceed,” he answered, “Follow this path down and enter the cave to the right at the end.  You will find her there.”

“Thank you, sir,” Twilight responded with fortitude and respect.  She knew the dragons appreciated strength.  As long as she and the others maintained an heir of dignity, she suspected they would have no trouble entering.

However, as Twilight, Spike, and Rarity passed by the great dragon, the dragon seemed to pause and sniff the air in confusion.  As Rarity passed by his tail, he lowered his head and began sniffing Rarity from behind.

Rarity noticed this almost immediately and turned her head to face the dragon.  “How rude!” Rarity shouted in outrage.  Then with both of her back hooves, she kicked the dragon in one of its nostrils.

The dragon let out a small cry of surprise at the sudden attack.  He pulled his head back and began to rub his nose.  However, he made no attempt to scold or reprimand her.  In truth, he seemed more confused than anything else.

“Honestly!” Rarity growled, “These dragons need to learn some respect!”  She then proceeded to march away with her nose held high in disgust.

Twilight and Spike were both surprised by what just happened.  They saw the dragon return to lying down, but he still kept one eye on them.  He seemed to be trying to ponder something.

“That didn’t seem like typical dragon behavior,” Twilight observed, she then turned to Spike.  “Have dragons ever sniffed a visitor like that?”

“Not that I know of,” Spike replied with a shrug, “Maybe he sniffed her perfume.”

“Well…I was trying a new brand,” Rarity admitted as she fluffed her hair.  She then looked back at the dragon.  “I just never thought it would attract someone like that.”

“I think it smells like the sweet scent of a Fire Ruby.” Spike chipped in.  He had to admit that there was something about Rarity’s aroma that seemed special.

“Oh?” It took Rarity a moment to remember that Fire Rubies were a favorite among dragons.  As she realized this, her cheeks blushed a slight red.  “Thank you, Spike.”

Twilight took a moment to sniff the air.  “It doesn’t smell that different to me.”

“Honestly darling.  You just lack the experience in such things.  When we get back, I shall take you on a tour to show the finer tastes of a lady,” Rarity replied.

Twilight wasn’t sure to take what Rarity said as an offer or an insult.  She was familiar with perfumes, though not to the extent as Rarity.  For now, she decided to let the matter drop and concentrate on the quest at hand.

However, as the three companions pressed further into the Dragon Lands, it seemed like Rarity’s perfume was attracting more attention than they wanted.  Whenever they passed by a dragon, the dragon would start sniffing the air and peer down at them, or more specifically, at Rarity.  But like the first one, none made an attempt to stop them or slow them down. Instead, they appeared more curious than anything else.  Some even followed at a distance.

This did not go unnoticed by the ponies.

“Rarity.  I really think your perfume is attracting the wrong crowd,” Twilight said as she saw the number of dragons following them grow.

Rarity groaned at the thought.  She would gladly admit that she adored being admired by hundreds of ponies.  She even liked the attention of one small dragon.  But a crowd of dragons!  In her mind she made a note that she would return the perfume and get a full refund.

After following the path further down, and attracting even more dragons, the three companions finally reached the cave Ember was said to be located in.  As they entered, they found themselves inside a large cavern that could easily fit a dragon as big as Torch, with room to spare.  Fortunately, Ember’s azure blue scales made it easy for the ponies to spot her. She was hovering near one of the cavern walls making dragon marks using the Bloodstone Scepter.

“Greetings, Dragon Lord Ember,” Twilight called.

Ember turned around from her duties and looked down. A smile fell across her face and she quickly abandoned her work on the rock face to greet them.  “It’s been a while.  What brings you three here?”

“We were hoping you could help us in the investigation of a missing pony.” Twilight responded.

“I’ll do what I can,” Ember replied, “but I really don’t think you will find many…ponies…Hmmm,” Ember trailed off as her nose detected a scent in the air.  She then took a moment to study Rarity.

“Is something wrong,” Rarity asked.

Ember shook her head.  “It’s nothing,” she replied quickly, “But like I was saying, you won’t find any ponies here.”

“We don’t think she’s here now,” Twilight clarified, “But she may have visited here fifteen years ago.”

“Fifteen years ago?” Ember burst out laughing, “No pony in their right mind would have come here.  You remember how it was.”

It was hard for Twilight to forget.  “I do,” Twilight responded, “But I was hoping you might have heard the name Grey Shire.”

Ember scratched her chin in thought, but stopped after a few moments.  “Sorry. But dragons never wanted to become friends with ponies back then.”

Twilight sighed in disappointment.

“What about Spike?  Can you tell us anything about him?” Rarity asked.

Ember placed a hand on her forehead and scoffed as she heard the request.  “Ugh! Not again!”

Twilight, Rarity, and Spike shared a look with each other before turning back to Ember.  “Again?” they all said together.

Ember made a long sigh.  “After I was made Dragon Lord, my father requested that I search our records to find which family Spike had come from.  I must have poured over every rune in all twenty record halls trying to find his family.”

“Dragons have record halls?” Twilight asked in surprise. Normally whatever information she got from dragon kind was passed from word of mouth or firsthand observation. She didn’t think dragons had scrolls due to their fire breath and the volcanoes.

“You’re in one now,” Ember laughed as she tapped the Bloodstone Scepter against the ground.  Dragon magic swirled around the scepter and poured into the ground.  A moment later, the scratches on the walls and stalagmites began to glow orange.  The cavern was completely covered in rune carvings.

Twilight, Spike, and Rarity were amazed by what they saw. It took Twilight only a moment to realize that the runes were actually arranged in a type of family tree.  However, this family tree covered every dragon that lived.

“A family tree of every dragon!  This is so interesting!” Twilight quickly materialized her notebook and began taking notes with glee.

“Wow!” Spike was completely amazed as well.  Not only did he learn more about his kind, but he saw his chance to find out where he came from.  “Where’s my family’s rune?” he said excitedly.

A look of sorrow permeated Ember’s face.  “That’s just it.  We never found which family you belonged to.”

As Ember said this, the runes faded, leaving only the scratches on the walls.

“Never…found my family?” Spike felt his heart sink as he heard this.

Ember took her scepter and pointed it to a single stalagmite located in the corner of the room.  A rune on the stalagmite glowed with a dragon symbol that represented Spike’s name.  However, there were no other runes connected to it.  “I created this rune after I was made Dragon Lord.”

“But…then...” Spike tried his best to suppress the tears in his eyes.

Rarity saw Spike’s pain and ran to his side.  “Oh Spiky Wiky,” she said as she hugged him. However, this did little to cheer up the little dragon.

Twilight could only imagine what Spike was feeling. But she was not ready to give up. “There must be some other clue,” she said to herself.  She then turned to Ember.  “What about dragons that have ventured beyond the Dragon Lands.  Could he be related to one of those?”

“You mean Exiles,” Ember asked, slightly perplexed.

“Exiles?  What are those?” Twilight asked.

“Not all dragons can grow big and strong like Torch. There are small dragons, like myself, who will never grow any larger than this,” she said, emphasizing her size. “They usually have only two options. They can stand up for themselves or runaway to other lands.  I chose to stand up for myself.”

“And the ones that ran away?” Twilight asked with hesitation.

“They can return, but they have to prove they are willing to stand up for themselves,” Ember explained.  She then tapped the scepter on the ground again.  A few runes around the cavern lit up, but not many. “These are the ones who became Exiles,” Ember explained, “but none seemed to match Spike’s age.”

“Actually, Spike is not an Exile,” Twilight corrected Ember.

Ember looked at Twilight in confusion.  “But…How can that be?”

“He was an egg when we first found him.  He was brought to me and I used my magic to hatch him,” Twilight said proudly.

“WHAT?!” Ember shouted angrily.

Twilight backed away from Ember.  “Ah…Did I say something wrong?”

“No dragon egg has ever been taken from the hatching grounds!  No Dragon Lord has ever lost an egg, especially my father!” Ember growled.

Twilight remained silent so as not to provoke Ember. She was getting the distinct impression that losing an egg was an insult to the Dragon Lord’s pride.

“What about an Exile?  Can’t they still lay eggs?” Spike asked.

Ember looked at Spike, then shook her head.  “Without the lava grounds, an egg will not hatch. It is forbidden by Dragon Lore for Exiles to have children for this very reason.”

“But what if Spike’s mother was an Exile?” Twilight asked.

Ember stood in thought.  She doubted any dragon would break tradition.  But the thought of her father losing an egg was far worse.  If the ponies were right…Ember raised her scepter into the air.

The runes showing all the Exiles began to fade away. However, as the room dimmed, three runes still glowed upon the cavern walls.

“There have been three female dragons in our lifetime that have gone into exile.  Two stood up for themselves and returned,” Ember explained, she then pointed her staff to a single glowing rune near the ceiling. “The last one, Ash, was undergoing her first molt and it was presumed she was eaten by a Roc."

Spike took a moment to look at the rune.  A small kindle of hope sparked within him. “Could that be my mother?”

Ember snorted as she heard this.  “Highly unlikely.  She was a grey dragon that was small, weak, and probably too young to lay eggs.”

“But it is possible, right?” Twilight asked in an adamant tone.  She was determined to find the truth about Spike’s history.

Ember remained silent again as she looked at the rune in thought.  “How many eggs did the ponies have again?” she asked.

“Just Spike’s,” Twilight answered truthfully.

Ember gave the idea more thought.  “I suppose it’s possible, but still highly unlikely.” Ember admitted after a brief moment.  She then turned to face the ponies.  “Twilight. I need to know where Spike’s egg came from.  The dragons consider their eggs sacred and it would be a dishonor to my father if one was lost on his watch.”

Twilight nodded in agreement.  “I’ll do everything I can and let you know.”  She then walked over to Rarity and Spike’s side.

“Do you really think this Ash is Spike’s mother?” Rarity asked.

Twilight had her doubts.  If what Ember said was true, then Ash was too young to be Spike’s mother. And then there was the pony named Grey Shire.  How did she fit into all of this?  “I don’t know.  Let’s just head back for now,

Rarity nodded in agreement.

“Ah…Twilight.  What do we do about them?” Spike asked as he pointed at the entrance.

Twilight looked toward the entrance of the cavern and saw a number of dragons peering in.  For a brief moment, she wondered if Ember’s outburst had attracted all the dragons to the cave.  Was she and her friends in danger?  “Ember. Is there a reason why the dragons are looking at us?”

“Hmm,” Ember looked at the entrance.  “Oh that,” she said casually.  She then turned her attention to the dragons at the entrance. “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!”

The dragons jumped in surprise and immediately began to scatter.  In less than a second, the entrance was free and the path was clear.

Ember let out a small laugh.  “My apologies.  They’re just curious.  They’ve never seen a pony that’s been given a Mark.”

“Mark?  What Mark?” Twilight asked.

“The bite mark on Rarity,” Ember said, “I think Spike bit her.”

Spike bit Rarity?!

Immediately an image formed in Twilight’s head of Spike becoming feral and biting Rarity on the leg while Rarity screamed in fear. In response she quickly turned on Spike. “You didn’t actually bite Rarity, did you?” Twilight demanded.

“What?!” Spike gasped in surprise at the accusation, “No!  I never would do that!”

Twilight then looked to Rarity who looked just as confused at the accusation.  Quickly Twilight calmed herself, realizing she let her imagination get the better of her. Spike would never bring harm to Rarity. In fact, he was more likely to put himself in harm’s way rather than see Rarity become injured.  “Sorry.  I guess I got carried away,” Twilight apologized.

Ember stood in thought for a moment after witnessing this. “Actually, it’s more like a ‘love bite’. Male dragons do this when they wish to court a female dragon.” she countered.  She then walked over to Rarity and began sifting through her coat.

“Huh?!  What are you doing?!” Rarity cried, “Stop that!”

It did not take Ember long to find the Mark on Rarity’s neck.  “There it is,” Ember said casually as she gently pushed away the hair so all could see.

Twilight and Spike gathered around and looked at the spot Ember was showing.  To their surprise, there was a small black mark on Rarity’s skin.

“Rarity.  When did you get that?” Twilight asked out of concern.

Rarity broke out of Ember’s grip and turned to face Twilight.  “Honestly. It is nothing more than simple blemish,” Rarity countered.  However, as she thought back, she began to recall that the Mark was in the same place Spike had bit her in the cabin.  Doubt began to creep into her head.  “It is a blemish, right?”

Ember gave a smug look towards Rarity.  “It’s a Mark.  It releases a scent we dragons can detect.  I suppose you could say it’s like a…” Ember tried to think of the proper words for it, “It’s a type of bonding between dragons.”

“Bonding?” Twilight’s jaw dropped as she heard this, “You mean like an engagement?!”

Ember scratched her head as she tried define it. Until recently, ‘friendship’ and ‘love’ were not in a dragon’s vocabulary.  “I’m not sure.  It’s just how male dragons claim female dragons.”

Twilight felt her parental instincts kick in. Quickly she turned her head and stared Spike down.  “SPIKE!”

Spike cringed in surprise.  Nervously, he tapped his fingers together as he tried to back away from the ever growing presence of Twilight.  “Wait!  I didn’t know about the Mark!  I mean…It just sort of happened,” he pleaded.

“Just sort of happened?!” Twilight growled as she closed in on Spike.

Ember gave a small laugh at Spike’s dilemma.  “Of course.  The Mark only stays as long as the female has consented to the bonding,” Ember added.

Twilight’s eyes shot open in surprise.  She then turned her gaze to Rarity.  “RARITY!  What exactly happened in the cabin?” she growled slowly in a menacing tone.

Rarity gave a sheepish grin as she sat on her haunches and tapped her front hooves together.  She felt as if all eyes were on her now.  “Um…A lady never reveals her secrets,” she stuttered weakly.

Twilight gave a snort before composing herself and turning to Ember.  “Thanks for your help,” she politely said.

Ember nodded as she tried to suppress a laugh.

Twilight then turned to both Rarity and Spike. “It’s time for us to go,” she said in a polite, yet somehow ruthless tone, “And you’re going to tell me EXACTLY what happened.”



X  X  X X  X



Twilight and Spike did not return to the Castle of Friendship until late that night.  However, instead of turning in for the night, Twilight found herself sifting through the reports about Spike’s egg in her study.  Yet she found herself unable to concentrate on the words as she looked through them.  Her mind was still focused on Spike, Rarity, and the Mark on Rarity’s neck.

How did she miss something like that?

She knew Spike had become smitten with Rarity the day he first lay eyes on her.  On the other hand, she had always assumed Rarity saw Spike as a simple friend and nothing more.  Rarity had pursued other stallions in the past, but she always returned to Spike. In a sense, Spike had become Rarity’s assistant as well as a close friend.  But as Twilight though about it, that friendship had grown over time. Twilight could even remember a number of moments when Rarity tried to stand up for Spike when he was in trouble. It even got to the point where Rarity had gotten jealous whenever Spike saw other friends, especially girls like Gabby.

So how did she not realize the two of them were really in love with each other?

In fact, why should it bother her at all?

Perhaps it was jealousy or maybe parental instincts. Twilight was not sure.  She had known Spike all his life.  She was the one responsible for hatching and raising him. In a sense, she was like a foster mother to him.  However, Twilight was not keen on the idea of being a mother and preferred to think of herself more as a doting sister.  There rarely was a day when Spike wasn’t by her side.

As Twilight thought of that, she wondered if she really was jealous.  Spike was spending more and more time with Rarity instead of her.  Perhaps in a corner of her mind, she thought she might actually lose Spike.  Her life would feel so empty without Spike at her side.

Was this how Rarity felt when she thought she lost Spike to Gabby?

Twilight began to imagine herself holding a record player over her head asking for forgiveness.  It was an embarrassing thought and one she quickly pushed out of her mind. But she did feel that she should apologize for her temper.

Her thoughts were interrupted the next moment as she heard a light tapping at the study door.  She turned her head to the source and saw Spike peering inside from behind the door.  He appeared a little nervous about entering the room.  “Hi Spike.  Do you need something?” she asked in a casual tone.

Spike pushed the door open further with his body and walked into the room.  In his hands he carried a tray with a small tea set on it.  “I thought I might bring you some tea,” he replied from the door.

Twilight could see he was waiting for her permission to enter.  She could only assume that he was probably scared or nervous to be around her now after what happened.  “You can come inside.”

Spike moved towards the side of her desk.  Gently he placed the tray on the desk for Twilight and took a step back.  He averted his eyes as he tried to get his thoughts together.  “I’m sorry about not telling you what happened in the cabin. Honestly, I-“

“No Spike,” Twilight quickly interrupted.  She then let out a sigh.  “If anyone needs to apologize, it’s me.”

“Huh?” Spike blinked in surprise.

Twilight found herself grasping for words, but she felt she had to apologize now.  “It’s just…I guess I was caught completely off guard when Ember told me about the Mark. I never realized that you’ve grown so much.”

Spike’s head drooped a little as he looked at the floor. “Does that mean you don’t think I’ve grown up?” he said as he shuffled his feet.

“No!  I mean…I…Ugh!” Twilight sighed in defeat.  Her words had not come out the way she wanted them too.  She placed a hoof on her forehead as she cursed herself.

Spike remained silent as he gazed at her.

“I guess what I’m saying is that I got a little overprotective,” Twilight responded.

“A little…” Spike grudgingly replied.

Twilight sighed again, “Maybe a lot.  I don’t know why.  I guess…I was afraid I was losing you.”

Spike’s face softened as he heard Twilight’s words. “You won’t lose me Twilight.  I’ll always stick by your side.  It’s just that…” Spike trailed off as he averted his gaze.

“You really love her,” Twilight smiled.

`  “Yeah.  And I believe she feels the same,” Spike confessed, “As for the Mark.  I really don’t know what happened.  She was so close and I felt like…well…I never felt that close to anyone like that until now.”

“You know this is not something to take lightly. According to Ember, you have ‘claimed’ her,” Twilight replied.

Spike wasn’t sure he liked the word ‘claim’ to describe his relation to Rarity.  It sounded like he was hoarding her like treasure.  But that was how the dragons interpreted the Mark.  Even so, his feelings for Rarity were still true.  “I know.  And there is no one I’d rather be with,” Spike replied with sincerity.

Twilight could see in his eyes that Spike spoke with conviction from his heart.  Whether she liked it or not, she needed to let go.  “All right, Spike.  I’ll give you my full support on this,” Twilight began.  She then glanced to the side of her desk.  “On one condition.”

“One condition?” Spike asked.

“You have to serve the tea you brought in,” Twilight teased.

“Deal!”







To Be Continued…
> Chapter 5: A Sea of Parchment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5:  A Sea of Parchment


The next morning, Twilight made arrangements to have everyone meet at the Castle of Friendship to discuss their findings in the throne room.  She found she did not need to wait long before Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash entered the room.  However, as they entered, they appeared slightly distracted.

“Hey girls.  Is everything okay?” she asked as she looked at each one.

The three ponies looked at each other as if they were debating whether to tell her something.  After a moments pause, it was Applejack who broke the silence.

“We’re okay, but you might want to brace yourself,” Applejack replied.

“Huh?” Twilight looked at her friends in curiosity.

“We’ll let Fluttershy explain since she’s the latest victim of bad drama,” Rainbow Dash replied as she and the others began to take their seat at the conference table.

Twilight stood perplexed as she watched the ponies take their seat.  She then turned back and looked to the entrance to see Fluttershy slowly entering the room.  Her head appeared to be slightly drooping.  “Hi Fluttershy.  What’s going on?” Twilight inquired.

Fluttershy approached Twilight nervously. “Um….Twilight.  Is it true you’re separating Spike and Rarity?”

The question caught Twilight by surprise.  “What are you talking about?”

Fluttershy looked back at the entrance to the room. Twilight followed her gaze back to the door, but saw no one there.  She then looked back at Fluttershy in confusion.

“It’s just that…Well…Rarity was practicing an apology in front of us,” Fluttershy responded, “She’s worried you might separate Spike from her.”

At first, Twilight wasn’t sure what Fluttershy was talking about.  However, after a brief moment, memories of Rarity’s dramatic apology to Spike and Gabby surfaced.  “Oh no,” Twilight said as she braced herself for the onslaught.

As Twilight said this, a record player came floating into the room and landed off to one side of Twilight.  As soon as it landed, the record played a violin tune used to represent sorrow and ask for forgiveness.  Rarity then jumped into the room and kneeled in front of Twilight with tears in her eyes.  “Princess Twilight!  I beseech you!” Rarity cried, “Please don’t take my Spiky-Wiky away!”

Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned.  In truth, she should have guessed Rarity would do something like this after what happened in the Dragon Lands.

“We were young!  We were in love!  We sought comfort in the cold storm!  Spiky-Wiky helps bring meaning to my life!” Rarity pleaded.

“You mean he helps you carry your bags!” Rainbow Dash shouted from her throne.

“Yes…Well…That too of course,” Rarity admitted.  She then resumed kneeling in front of Twilight. “But we were meant to be together! I ask for your-“

“I forgive you, Rarity,” Twilight said casually.

“Forgiveness and-“Rarity’s eyes shot open as she heard this. “You forgive me?”

Twilight sighed as she realized she should not just apologize to Spike, but to Rarity as well.  Rarity’s dramatic acting was punishment enough.  “I’ll admit, I was a little overprotective,” Twilight apologized.

“A little…” Rarity grudgingly implied.

“Okay, a lot!” Twilight reluctantly admitted.  She then let out a sigh to calm herself. “But Spike is special to me too. He’s like a little brother.  I’m sure you can understand that.”

Rarity picked herself up and smiled.  She could relate because of her exploits with her younger sister, Sweetie Pie.  “I understand completely,” Rarity responded happily.

“Just remember.  Spike really does love you,” Twilight replied as she looked into Rarity’s eyes.

Rarity did her best to keep herself composed, but tears of joy formed in her eyes as she heard Twilight’s words.  Quickly she wiped them from her face to avoid the embarrassment she was feeling.  She took on a regal posture.  “My heart will remain forever true!” Rarity said triumphantly.

Twilight and Rarity then made their way to their respective seats.  As Twilight took her own seat, she saw Rarity giving a subtle wave to Spike who was seated across the table.  The little dragon waved back while blushing.  It brought Twilight some comfort in knowing that Rarity and Spike really did care about each other.

Twilight then glanced around the table to make sure everyone was settled in.  “Now that everyone is here, let’s begin,” she then turned to Applejack, “So what did you find at the cabin?”

Applejack frowned in disappointment as she took a moment to look at the other ponies who had been with her.  “Not much.  We searched everywhere inside but found nothing.”

“It almost seemed like she had packed up and left in a hurry,” Flutteshy added.

Twilight looked at the ponies slightly perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“Well…We didn’t find a satchel or anything to carry stuff in, she had some notebooks, but no quills, and unless that fireplace was the only light for the cabin, there were no candles or a lantern,” Applejack explained.

Twilight admitted to herself that was odd.  It certainly sounded like Grey Shire left in a hurry.  But where would she go and why?

When Twilight did not respond, Spike decided to chip in. “Did you find anything related to my egg?”

Pinkie Pie raised her hoof, “I sniffed around the entire room and all I found were notebooks with scribbles that talked about herbs and medicines.”

Twilight cringed a little as she pictured Pinkie Pie actually sniffing around like a dog for any clues.  Based on the reactions of the other ponies that had accompanied her, she probably did.

Fluttershy then decided to change the subject. “Were you able to find out anything from the dragons?”

Twilight took a moment to look at Rarity.  “I’m afraid not much,” she then turned back to look at the others, “The dragons assumed that Spike was hatched in the Dragon Lands and had merely wandered into Equestria.  They were not happy when they found out we had his egg.”

“That’s an understatement,” Rarity added as she remembered Ember’s outburst.

“If Spike’s egg didn’t come from the Dragon Lands, where did it come from?” Applejack asked.

“And how did Grey Shire get it?” Rainbow Dash added.

Almost immediately, Pinkie Pie raised her hoof in the air.  “Ooh! Ooh!  I know!”

All the other ponies looked at Pinkie in surprise.

“Maybe she laid the egg herself!” Pinkie shouted happily.

The expression on the other ponies quickly switched from surprise to disdain.  There was a moment of silence before Applejack spoke up.

“A pony…laying an egg,” Applejack repeated.

“Why not!” Pinkie shouted, clearly not fazed by the looks the other ponies were giving her.

At first, Twilight found that she agreed with Applejack. A pony laying an egg sounded preposterous.  However, she began to remember that despite Pinkie Pie’s strange behavior, somehow she knew what she was talking about.  This gave Twilight pause to think about what Ember had told her.  “Wait.  Pinkie Pie might be on to something.”

There was a collective moment of surprise as all eyes now fell on Twilight.

“Ember mentioned another dragon named Ash, who was supposedly lost.  What if….” Twilight pondered the idea for a moment, “What if Ash and Grey Shire were the same pony-er-dragon?”

Seeing where this was going, the ponies found themselves now looking at each other, wondering if that was the case.  There was a collective pause as they pondered the idea.

“Can dragons actually change their form?” Fluttershy asked.

Rarity pondered the same question before answering. “I don’t believe so.  They don’t have the magic to do that.”

Twilight considered the question as well.  She was unable to recall any moment when a dragon changed their form.  Dragons preferred strength and power over anything else.  It seemed unreasonable that they would want to change into a pony.

However, Ember had said Ash was an Exile. Assuming a Roc had not got her, maybe she did find a way to turn into a pony.  But how could they prove that?  “I guess the question we should be asking is how much we know about Grey Shire,” Twilight pondered out lout.

“What do you mean?” Spike asked.

Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Well…All we do know really is what was in the missing pony report and the records concerning Spike’s egg.”

“What I would like to know is how she got Spike’s egg. Doesn’t the Dragon Lord guard the hatchery?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They do.  In this case, it would have been Torch,” Fluttershy responded.  She could still remember how she partook in the last dragon hatch.  “But I don’t think a pony could sneak by him.”

Spike mentally agreed.  He had met Torch a few times and knew very little could escape the dragon’s eyes.  He also doubted Torch would willingly hand over a dragon egg he was entrusted to guard. It was hard for Spike to fathom how his egg ended up in Equestria to begin with.

“So how do we proceed with the investigation?” Rarity asked.

Twilight gave this some thought.  If they wanted to know how Spike’s egg came into Grey Shire’s possession, they probably needed to know more about Grey Shire first.  Was she a dragon in disguise, or was she really a pony that somehow acquired Spike’s egg.  “For starters, we need to find out as much as we can about Grey Shire.”

“How do we do that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We’ll have to search thru all the records of ponies who lived in Ponyville at that time,” Twilight replied.

“ALL of them?!” Rainbow Dash replied in surprise.

Twilight nodded.  “I know it’s a tall order to fill, but it might be our only chance to find out more about Grey Shire.  If she was a dragon in disguise, we need to find ponies associated with her.”

For a brief moment, there was silence as the ponies looked at each other, unsure what to do.

At this point, Spike decided speak up for his self. “I know this is asking a lot, but I’m asking for your help.  All my life I wanted to know where I came, who my parents were, and why…why I was abandoned,” Spike tried to suppress a tear, “I need to know the truth, but I can’t do it alone.”

The other ponies remained silent as they looked at each other.

Rarity then broke the silence.  “I agree.  Spike is very special and I think we should do everything to help.”

Applejack smiled, “Yeah.  We can’t let the little guy down.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement.  “It would be wrong to ignore him.”

“I’m all in!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.  “This is going take all night,” she said, “But I’m not backing down.”

Twilight smiled at her friends and then turned to Spike. “Spike.  Send a letter to Princess Celestia asking for all the records for the ponies in Ponyville around that time.”

Spike saluted and immediately picked up a quill and some parchment.  As he finished writing the request, he rolled it up and unleashed a small jet of flame on it. The note vanished almost immediately.

“How long do you think it will take for Princess Celestia to send those records?” Rainbow Dash asked.

As if to answer Rainbow Dash’s question, hundreds of boxes full of files appeared magically in midair and crashed down all over the room.  The ponies became buried in a sea of parchment.

“It seems not long,” Fluttershy replied from under some boxes, “Can someone help me?”

Twilight could only groan in response.



X  X  X X  X



It took the better part of the afternoon for the ponies to stack some of the records back up so they could move around the room freely. Of course, once some organization had been obtained, the real challenge began.

Twilight sighed as she scanned through each folder in what could be considered break neck speeds, hoping to either find a clue or find the actual file on Grey Shire.  She was used to reading quickly, but looking at the same format for each folder had been tiresome.

How long had it been?

A couple hours at least.  Of course most of that time had been spent trying to stand the boxes on top of each other and create a pathway through the room.  Twilight had considered trying to alphabetize the folders to make it easy, but that would take a day or two at least.  Hopefully, they could find information on Grey Shire before then.

That is assuming she was a pony.

If Grey Shire was something else, Twilight suspected that they would only find a partial record or reference in another pony’s record.  In truth, she hoped that would be the case.  It would be a step closer to finding Spike’s parents and they could assume that Ash was in fact Grey Shire.

Still, Twilight had her doubts that was the case. Ember had been fairly adamant that Ash was too young at the time.  She also found it hard to believe that a dragon would break their code.  Dragons always remained steadfast in their beliefs.

Twilight set down the latest folder she was looking at and glanced around the room.  She could see that Rarity, Spike, and Fluttershy were paging thru the folders at a much slower pace than she was.  Applejack was in the process of moving some boxes to make more room to walk around.  Rainbow Dash had tried to read some folders, but had fallen asleep shortly after.  As for Pinkie Pie…

“Oh Where, Oh where can Grey Shire be?” Pinkie sang, “Oh where? Oh where can she be?”  Pinkie was literally all over the room.  One moment she was bouncing around in circles, the next she would be diving behind a pile of boxes, only to appear in another part of the room.

“At least someone was enjoying themselves,” Twilight thought.  However, she suspected the Pinkie would come thru in finding something.  She always did.

Applejack walked up to Twilight’s side after pushing another box out of the way.  “Twilight, are you sure this is the right way on handling this,” Applejack asked, “Don’t get me wrong.  I want to help Spike find his mom, but so far we’ve been turning up empty.”

“I know,” Twilight replied.  She understood what Applejack was saying, “But there has to be something.”

“You know she may not be here.  If she came from another town…”

Twilight sighed.  “We would need to search those records as well.”

Applejack cringed at the idea.

“But Grey Shire lived in the Everfree Forest.  She must have come to Ponyville at least a few times.  There has to be something here,” Twilight assured her.

Applejack was not really convinced.  “This is like finding a needle in a haystack.  We’ll never find her in this mess.”

“FOUND HER!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she erupted from a pile of folders in the center of the room.  She held the file over her head as the others stared at her in disbelief.

Rarity sighed and collapsed to the floor in a dramatic pose of exhaustion.  “Oh!  Thank the heavens!”

The ponies quickly gathered around Pinkie who held the file up for all to see.  The folder then glowed lavender as Twilight took it from Pinkie’s hoofs and began to page thru it.

“So what’s it say?” Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over Twilight’s shoulder to get a better view.

“Well…” Twilight said as she finished scanning thru the first few pages, “She was born in Ponyville.  There’s a birth certificate and family tree here.” Twilight took a moment to look over the illustration that showed all of Grey Shire’s relatives.  Twilight was a little surprised to see that a few names looked familiar.  “From the looks of it, she may have been something of a distant relative to Pinkie Pie.”

“I HAVE A RELATIVE?!” Pinkie shouted happily.

“Sort of.  I guess you could say a distant aunt, but not really directly related,” Twilight clarified.

“I HAVE AN AUNT!  I HAVE AN AUNT!” Pinkie shouted as she jumped happily up and down in the room.

Rarity scooted over to Twilight’s side.  “So what does it say about her?”

Twilight turned to the next page.  On it was a picture of a cutie mark in the form of a tree with no leaves that was a lighter shade of grey than her coat.  There was also a picture of her when she was younger. Like the picture in the missing pony report, she ducked her head away from the camera in fear.  “It says here that her name was derived from how shy she was. Apparently she had trouble communicating.”

“She sounds kind of like me,” Fluttershy smiled.

Twilight shook her head.  “I don’t think so, Flutteshy,” Twilight said, “I think her condition was worse.  It says here she had no known friends and kept to herself.”  Twilight flipped to the next page of the record.  “She took classes in medicine and herbal remedies but….” Twilight cringed.

“What’s the matter, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“Her grades…” Twilight groaned.  ”They’re...”

Rainbow Dash peered over Twilight’s shoulder. “What?  They’re just ‘C’s.” 

“You forget.  Twilight won’t settle for anything less than an ‘A+’.” Spike chipped in.

“How can anyone settle for such grades,” Twilight said to herself.

Applejack looked back at Pinkie Pie who was still bouncing around about having a relative.  “Are you sure she’s related to Pinkie Pie?”

“Like I said.  Sort of.  She’s Pinkie’s grandmother’s, cousin’s niece,” Twilight explained.  Twilight then flipped back to the page with the family tree. “At least I think that’s how it goes.”

“I don’t see the family resemblance,” Rainbow Dash said as she watched Pinkie jumping about.

“What about dragons?” Fluttershy asked, “Did she talk with them?”

Twilight skimmed through the file.  “Nothing.  It says here she did take long walks in the woods, and then moved out of Ponyville. Her last known location was the Everfree Forest.”

“You mean the cabin that Spike and I were at,” Rarity added.

Twilight nodded.

Spike felt his hopes slide away.  “So there’s no way she could have been a dragon.”

Twilight didn’t want to admit it, but she did not want to lie.  “I’m afraid not, Spike.  Grey Shire was a pony.  She was also a few years older than what Ash would have been.”

Spike let out a sigh of disappointment.  While he had been searching the records, he really thought he might find evidence that Grey Shire was a dragon in disguise.  It would have explained why she had his egg. “Well…” Spike replied, “It was worth a try.”

Twilight felt her heart ache for Spike.  She really hoped that finding Grey Shire’s file might answer some questions.  Instead, it only seemed to make more.  “Spike….”

As Spike heard his name, he quickly gathered his resolve.  “Don’t worry, Twilight.  I’m not giving up yet.”

Twilight gave a gentle smile as she saw how the events had not stopped Spike’s determination.

“If finding Grey Shire is the only way for me to find my parents, then that’s what I’m going to do.” Spike vowed.

Rarity was also proud about Spike’s resolve. Quickly she walked up to the little dragon’s side.  “And I will help all that I can as well.”

The rest of ponies all smiled as they glanced at each other and unanimously voiced their support as well.  There was no way they were going to let Spike search alone.

Spike looked at each pony and smiled.  “Thank you,” Spike replied as he tried to suppress a tear of joy.  “This means a lot.”

“What are friends for,” Twilight responded





To Be Continued…
> Chapter 6: DATE?!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6:  DATE?!



“Oh my aching horn,” Rarity said after lifting another box full of records, “Did Princess Celestia really need to send the records of every pony in Ponyville?”

Rainbow Dash then placed another box on top of the one that Rarity had stacked.  “I agree. Why couldn’t she just send the one file?”

“Well, we did need to be thorough,” Twilight added as she joined her friends to check on their progress.

“Well yeah,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “But dropping them in on us like that.  I mean, look at the mess!”

Twilight could not deny that when Princess Celestia sent the files it created quite the mess.  They were still picking documents off the floor and trying to organize them before sending them back to Celestia.  She had assumed Princess Celestia would send a caravan keeping all the files together and in order.  “I guess she thought this was urgent,” Twilight replied.

“Urgent?” Rainbow Dash asked, “But what gave her that idea?”

Twilight thought about it, then shrugged.  “I don’t know,” she replied.  Twilight then looked at the rest of folders that were spread out across the floor.  It would take all night and maybe the following morning to the get the files sorted. Already she could see that everyone was tired from the day’s activities.  “Why don’t you all take the rest of the day off?  We’ll clean up the rest tomorrow.”

“Are you sure about that?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded.  “Besides, I want to try to organize the records,” she added.

“Yay!  School’s out! Time to go!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she put her last box up and zoomed out the room.

The other ponies agreed and said their farewells to Twilight as they walked out of the room.  After all of them had exited, Twilight walked over to Spike in the corner of the room.  The little dragon seemed to be nervously organizing some files and putting them into a box.  “Spike? You didn’t mark that letter ‘urgent’, did you?” Twilight asked.

“Urgent?” Spike said cautiously, “Who me?  Heh…What gave you that idea?”

“Spike?”

Spike sighed in defeat.  “Sorry Twilight,” he admitted, “It just feels like I’m so close to finding my parents.  I want to know what happened to them.  Why did Grey Shire have my egg?  Did my parents entrust it to her, or did she steal it?  Where did I come from?”

Twilight could easily see the weight on Spike’s shoulders.  Gently, she placed a hoof around him.  “We’ll find them, you just need to be a little more patient.”

“I know.  And I trust you will find them.  It’s just that,” Spike sighed, “I’ve been waiting for so long.”

Twilight knew that Spike meant that he had been waiting all his life.  She wished there was some kind of spell that could help him relax.  At the very least, she wanted to relieve the tension he was feeling about finding his parents.  However, there wasn’t anything she could think of.

Or rather, there was nothing SHE could do to help Spike.

“Spike. Why don’t you take the rest of night off?  You could use some rest.” Twilight said.

“I’m not that tired,” Spike admitted grudgingly. In his mind, he wondered if Twilight still thought he needed to go to bed early just because he was young.

“I didn’t say you had to go to bed,” Twilight replied.

“Huh?” Spike looked at Twilight in surprise.

“In fact,” Twilight lowered her head so that her face was close to Spike’s and she was looking him in the eye, “You can probably catch up with Rarity and ask her out on a date,” Twilight added.

Spike’s jaw dropped as he heard this.  In truth, he wondered if he was hearing Twilight correctly. “A…A DATE?!”

“Why not?  Think of it as a way to repay her for helping you look for your parents,” Twilight smiled.

Spike was still stunned by what he heard.  “A date with Rarity?!  I mean…Should I….?!”

Twilight was a little surprised by Spike’s reaction. She would have assumed he would have jumped at the chance to be with her.  In fact. Spike had been with Rarity a number of times before.  Why should now be so different?  “What’s wrong, Spike?”

“It’s just that….I’ve never been on an actual date with Rarity,” Spike admitted.

Twilight was confused.  “But the two of you have been together before.”

“Yeah.  Just not in the romantic sense,” Spike clarified.  He then took a seat on the floor as he prepared to confess.  “Every time I spent with Rarity was as a friend…or rather…me wanting to be close to her.  I would help her with jobs, carry her bags, or accompany her to the gem cave.”

“What about the times at the Spa?” Twilight asked. She doubted Rarity had Spike tending to her all those times too.

“She wanted me to keep her company in those cases,” Spike admitted.

“And the cabin?”

Spike felt his heart flutter as he remembered the events in the cabin.  He had been so close to Rarity.  He still remembered the kiss they shared.  Not just a kiss on the cheek like Rarity had done in the past.  The FIRST kiss they shared.  It still felt like a dream to him.  “I’m not sure how that happened,” Spike confessed, “It just happened, like the Mark.”

“You didn’t force her, did you?” Twilight asked.

“No.  I asked her first.  And she said ‘yes’,” Spike replied.

Twilight smiled.  “There’s your answer, Spike.”

“Huh?” Spike looked at Twilight in confusion.

“She let you kiss her after you asked.  It sounds to me like she wants to be with you and you have nothing to worry about,” Twilight explained.

Spike gave this some thought.  Could he actually ask Rarity on a date?  A REAL DATE?  Spike’s mind raced with questions as he thought about the idea.  He had pictured the scenario in his mind hundreds of times and played it out.  But now that it was actually happening…his mind became blank.  “But…How do I act?  What should I do?”

“Just be yourself, Spike.  That’s all that matters to her,” Twilight replied.  She paused for a moment to consider some ideas to help him.  “You could take her to the ice cream parlor.  She might like that.”

Spike gave this some thought.  It seemed simple enough, and he could be with Rarity. Slowly he built up his courage. “Yeah.  I think I will do that!” Spike said as he leapt to his feet.  He then launched himself into the air and flew quickly out of the room.

Twilight smiled as she saw Spike fly off.  She then turned back to the task of organizing the folders.  As she was about to start, she felt something suddenly hug her leg.  She looked down to find Spike there.

“Thanks, Twilight,” Spike said as he hugged her.

“Your welcome.  Just don’t stay out to late.  Okay,” Twilight instructed.

Spike nodded as he released her from the hug.  “I promise.”

“Better get going then,” Twilight encouraged.

“Right!” Spike said as he launched himself again into the air and flew off.

Twilight watched him leave again.  Spike had grown up so much.  She then turned back to the mess at hand.  “Well.  Better get started,” she sighed.



X  X  X X  X



Spike flew over the town as fast as his wings could carry him.  Assuming Rarity had not stopped off at a store, she would have needed to cross Ponyville in order to reach the Carousel Boutique.  She would also be passing Town Hall on her way there.  That was probably the best place to locate her before she reached home.

Getting to Town Hall by flight only took Spike a few minutes at best.  As he hovered over the round building he looked down at the ponies making their way through the streets.  He figured it would be easy to spot Rarity with her white coat.  Very few ponies had a white coat as pristine as hers.

However, as Spike looked down, he could not see a trace of her.  His eyes looked from one pony to the next, but he could not find the white coat he was searching for.  As he scanned the area, he wondered if he had missed her and she was already back at the house.  If she ran, that might be the case, but he severely doubted she would.  It would not be ‘lady like’ to rush through the streets.

As Spike’s hopes began to wane, his nose caught a scent on the air.  The smell was sweat and familiar.  It only took him a moment to remember that it was Rarity’s scent, or rather, the Mark that Rarity carried on her neck.

Quickly, Spike turned his head into the direction the scent was coming from and saw Rarity just entering the square.  She probably had stopped off to look at something before heading home, which was how he had beaten her to this location.
“Okay, Spike.  Time to make this happen,” Spike said to himself.  He then flew ahead to the next street she would take to reach home.  He landed off to one side of the street and hid behind a barrel that lined the side.  Taking a quick peek, he saw Rarity was now walking towards him.  It did not look like she had seen him yet.

Spike then hid himself behind the barrel and faced the building he was near.  He only had a few moments to prepare himself.  He decided he would first figure out how he would ask Rarity out on a date.  “Okay….Rarity let’s go out on a date,” he said in a casual free tone.

No.  That didn’t sound right.  Too casual. He needed more strength.

Spike turned around as he tried another approach to asking her.  “Rarity. Come with me.  Let us go to the ice cream parlor,” Spike said in a bold tone.

A bold tone that was totally not him.  It also seemed too forceful.  Rarity was regal in her approach to things.  Perhaps he needed something more formal and subtle like a prince.

Spike turned around again so that he was now facing away from the street.  “Rarity. It would be my honor if you would accompany me.”

“It would be my pleasure, good sir.”

Yes.  That would be an answer Rarity would-

RARITY?!

Spike’s eyes shot open as he realized that he did not imagine Rarity responding to his request, but actually saying it.  He turned around to come face to face with Rarity, their noses nearly touching.  Her eyes were half open and she was giving a gentle, yet mischievous, smile at having caught Spike off guard.

Spike quickly averted his head away from Rarity so she could not see his embarrassment.  “Breathe, Spike.  Breathe,” Spike said to himself as he took in deep breaths.  This was not how it was supposed to turn out.  “How long have you been there?”

Rarity pulled back her head.  “I believe it was when you said ‘Come with me’.” Rarity replied, emphasizing the bold tone he had used.  She was clearly amused by his reaction.

Spike felt his embarrassment grow.  By now, he figured his face was now entirely red. Everything was going wrong.

“Now.  I believe you were asking me out on a date,” Rarity smiled.

“YES…I mean NO…I mean….” Spike felt himself start to panic, unsure what to say or do.  How had it come to this?

“Pity,” Rarity said in a sorrow filled tone, “And I was so looking forward to going out with you.”

“Huh?!” Spike’s eyes shot wide open as he heard Rarity’s tone turn into one of sadness.

Rarity turned around and sat down on her haunches, avoiding eye contact with him.  “I thought the two of us shared something.  Was I wrong?”

“What?” Spike gasped, “That’s not…“

Rarity fell on her back, covering her face. “Whatever should I do?  Was our love for naught?” Rarity cried.  She then rolled onto her stomach while still hiding her face.  “Woe is me!” She began emit tiny sobs.

Spike began to worry that he might actually lose her. Immediately he kneeled down next to her. “No!  I do want to go out with you!” he confessed.

Rarity stopped her acting and looked up into his face with a smile.  “Good.”

Spike’s jaw dropped open.  “Wait!” Spike demanded, “Were you sweet talking me just now?”

“Perhaps,” Rarity said with a playful smile as she got up, “You did look like you needed a little confidence boost.”

Spike could not argue against that.  He felt like such a fool for getting cold feet when it mattered.  “Sorry Rarity.  It’s just that…I don’t know how to act on a date.  You’re so special to me and I didn’t want to mess things up.”

Rarity placed a hoof on her heart as she heard Spike say this.  Rarity had learned long ago that Spike always wanted to gain her attention, but often had trouble expressing what he wanted in front of her.  The fact that he was trying so hard for her was what touched her heart.  “You don’t have to pretend to be a something you’re not, Spike.  I like you just as you are.”

“Really?” Spike replied.

“Yes Spike.  Goodness knows I don’t need you to turn into some prince….I’ve had to deal with an enough of those,” Rarity scoffed as she remembered Prince Blueblood, “I just want to see the same Spiky Wiky I’ve always known.”

Spike felt reassured as he heard this.  He was still nervous about going on a date with Rarity, but at least he knew he didn’t need to act like something he was not.

“Shall we be off?” Rarity asked, “I think you said something about going to the ice cream parlor.”

Spike’s blush intensified.  He didn’t realize he had been so loud.  Still he wanted to make sure he got everything right for his first official date with Rarity.  “Yeah. But first,” Spike bowed, “Rarity would you be interested in joining me for some ice cream.”

Rarity had to suppress a laugh as she heard Spike offer his request again.  “I would love to.”



X  X  X X  X



Spike walked next to Rarity as the two headed to the ice cream parlor.  Normally, he would be hanging back a little or trailing her footsteps when he accompanied her on a trip.  There were a few exceptions, but they were more along the lines of leading her somewhere. This time he was escorting her like a prince would escort a princess.  Occasionally, he took a few glances her way.  However, if she ever glanced back, he reflexively returned his eyes back to the road.

Unfortunately, he suspected Rarity knew he was taking sneak peeks at her.  A few times she laughed at how he tried to act innocent.  This only made him feel more embarrassed.

Was this how dates played out?

Having no experience, Spike felt like a mess.  A part of him wondered if following Twilight’s suggestion for ice cream was right.  Rarity had always portrayed herself as a fair maiden of regal stature. Spike wanted to treat her as such.

Was taking her for ice cream a good idea for a first date?

Should he take her to an expensive restaurant instead?

Did he have money for an expensive restaurant?

Spike could feel the sweat running down his head as more questions popped into his mind.  He had wanted to date Rarity for so long.  He would dream about it.  Plan out all the details.  Come up with romantic banter.  But now that it was happening, it all seemed so inadequate.

“Spike.”

“YES!”  Spike quickly answered.

Rarity was a little surprised by his response, but thought little of it.  “Would you mind waiting here for a moment?  I would like to make a quick stop in the Gem store.” Rarity explained.

For a moment, Spike wondered if he had done something wrong.  “Uh…Sure.”

Before Spike could ask why, Rarity quickly rushed to the store they were passing by.  As Spike watched her enter the building, doubt began to creep into his mind. Maybe he did do something wrong. Did she run away from him?  The one chance with Rarity and he was losing it. What should he do?

“Ready to go, Spike?” Rarity asked as she exited the store.

“Huh?” Spike was surprised at how quickly she had returned. Normally, she would spend several minutes examining an item that caught her interest.  “That was fast.”

“Sorry about that,” Rarity smiled, “There was something I wanted to do before we got to the ice cream parlor.”

For a brief moment, Spike wondered what Rarity was planning.  But as they approached the ice cream parlor, he only shrugged and decided not to ask. It was probably a quick check on an order she made, or so he thought.

The short walk afterword was in silence as they made it to their destination.  When they got to the ice cream parlor, they both ordered their own parfait and took a seat at one of the round tables located outside of the shop.  Spike carried both of the ice cream treats outside and placed them on the table.  He then ran to Rarity’s side.  “Allow me,” he said as he pulled out the chair for her.

“Thank you, Spike,” Rarity replied as she took a seat.

Spike then made his way back to his own chair and took a seat.  “Let’s dig in!” Spike said enthusiastically.

“Hold on, Spike.  There is just one more thing,” Rarity added quickly.

“Huh?  What’s that?” Spike asked.

“Could you close your eyes for a moment,” Rarity asked as she batted her eyes.

Spike was a little confused by the request, but saw no harm.  With a casual shrug, he closed his eyes.  After a moment, he could hear a familiar hum.  It wasn’t hard for him to recognize that it was Rarity using her magic.

But what was she doing?

“Okay.  You can open them now,” Rarity said.

Spike opened his eyes.  Immediately, he found himself looking at a fairly large baby blue sapphire on top of his parfait.  He could feel his mouth water as he gazed upon its shiny texture.

“Do you like it?” Rarity asked.

“Wow!  This is great!” Spike said excitedly.

Rarity smiled happily at Spike’s response.  “A little something for the hero who saved me,” she replied, “Shall we get started?”

Spike was only too happy to agree.  The two of them then picked up their glasses and tapped them against each other before starting on the parfaits.  Spike wasted no time in dipping the sapphire into his creamy treat and taking a large bite of it.  For him the sapphire was sweeter than normal.  Knowing it had come from Rarity made it seem extra special, and he savored every bite.

Rarity was the first to speak after they had finished their desserts.  “What would you like to do next?” she asked.

“Well…Truthfully I never thought that far,” Spike admitted, “I’ve never been on a date before.  I mean…what do ponies usually do on dates?”

Rarity gave this some thought as well.  Now that she thought about it, she never had been on a real date herself, at least not one that ended successfully.  Granted she had read some romantic novels, so she had some ideas.  But never any personal experience.  “I fear I have as much experience as you in such matters.”

Spike was caught by surprise.  “You mean…you’ve never been on a date before either?” Spike found this hard to believe since Rarity was so beautiful.

“Well...not a successful one,” Rarity admitted.

“I see,” Spike replied.  Desperately, Spike racked his brain trying to figure out what to do next. The ice cream parlor had been Twilight’s idea.  Now he wished he could ask Twilight what he should do as a follow up.

Rarity could see Spike was trying, but not having any luck. Even she was having trouble figuring out what to do next.  “Perhaps we should walk around town.  Maybe we can find something then.”

“That sounds like an idea,” Spike replied.  He then jumped out of his chair and walked to Rarity’s side.  “Allow me,” he said as he slowly pulled Rarity’s chair out.

“Thank you kind sir,” Rarity replied as she stood up and took her place next to Spike.  The two then proceeded down the street to see what Ponyville could offer them.



X  X  X X  X



As Spike and Rarity walked down the shopping area, Spike found himself at a total loss.  He wanted Rarity’s first date with him to be a success.  Granted the ice cream parlor was a good start, he needed to think of something as a good follow up.

Maybe it would have been better if he took her to a restaurant.

Spike began to play out the fantasy in his mind.  The two of them at a table.  He would be wearing a tuxedo.  She would be wearing a…what would she wear to an expensive restaurant? Rarity had so many outfits, it was hard to decide.

Spike’s eyes then wandered to a nearby store window and saw a blue sleeveless dress being displayed.  The dress was designed to highlight the curves on a pony and was made of a shimmering blue material.  It also had a golden yellow sash around the midsection.  “What would Rarity look like in that dress?” he wondered.

“Did you see something, Spike?” Rarity asked.

“No…I mean…Yes…I mean,” Spike’s cheeks turned a deep red.

Rarity looked at Spike for a moment before turning her head in the same direction Spike had been looking.  It did not take long for her to spot the blue dress in the window.  “Were you looking at that dress, Spike?”

Spike sighed, “I was wondering what you would look like wearing it,” Spike confessed.

Rarity was amused by the idea.  “How about we find out,” she said as she pranced over to the shop.

“Huh?” Spike said as he quickly ran to her side.

Rarity and Spike entered the shop together. Immediately, Rarity looked for the nearest store clerk and approached him.  “Excuse me.  But I was wondering if I could try on that dress in the window.”

Spike could not believe what was happening.  He could only watch in bewilderment as the store clerk handed Rarity the dress and led her to a changing room.  “Be back in a moment,” Rarity called back to Spike.

For Spike, a moment had never seemed so long.  He waited anxiously on a nearby stool, trying to imagine what Rarity would look like.  However, he found his imagination could never match the real thing.

Rarity strolled out wearing the dress and began to pose in front of Spike.

“Wow!” Spike said in awe struck surprise.

The dress had indeed accented Rarity’s beauty.  The fabric hugged her form tightly and made her appear more majestic. In addition, Rarity had quickly tied her hair back into a ponytail so that her appearance would match the outfit.

Was this really Rarity?

It was hard for Spike to believe it was.  His jaw hung open as he studied every inch and every curve on her.  He felt like he was meeting her again for the first time.

This did not go unnoticed by Rarity as she posed like a model in front of Spike.  Rarity loved to be the center of attention and having Spike watch made her feel even more special.  After a few more dramatic poses, she approached Spike.  “So,” she said as she batted her eyes, “What would you like to see me try on next?”



X  X  X X  X



The next few hours proved to be one of the best times Spike ever spent with Rarity.  Rarity did not look at clothes that caught her interest, but rather asked Spike to find clothes that caught his interest.  Whenever Spike made a selection of one he wanted to see Rarity in, Rarity would try it on and then act the part that best suited the outfit. She even went as far as to try on outfits that Applejack would wear and then portraying herself as a country filly for Spike’s amusement.

Eventually, Spike also found himself trying on some outfits that had caught Rarity’s interest.  Like her, he acted out the part for her amusement.  Rarity found it especially funny when Spike dressed himself up in a tuxedo and sunglasses and pretended to be a 007 super spy.

But as night began to settle, both knew their escapade had to come to an end.  As Spike escorted Rarity back to Carousel Boutique, he didn’t want to call it a night. But he had promised Twilight he would not stay out late.  They also still had a lot of work in cleaning up the records tomorrow.

As Spike and Rarity crossed a bridge that led back to the Carousel Boutique, something caught Rarity’s attention in the corner of her eye.  Quickly she looked up and smiled.  “Spike, look!” she quickly said.

Spike looked up from the road and followed her gaze into the night sky.  He barely managed to see the last few moments of a shooting star racing across the sky. “I guess you better make a wish,” Spike replied.

Rarity gave a small laugh before strolling to the side railing of the bridge.  “You know, Spike.  I’ve always dreamt of a moment like this,” she said as she placed her front hooves on the railing and looked up into the night sky.  “I would sit on this bridge looking up into the night sky with my prince.”

Spike climbed up onto the railing next to Rarity and followed her gaze up.

“Thank you for making my dream come true, Spike,” Rarity added once she saw Spike was settled on the railing.

“Huh?” Spike said in surprise, “But I’m not royalty.”

“You were the Dragon Lord for a few minutes,” Rarity teased as she looked at Spike, “That must count for something.”

Spike guessed that was technically true.  He had won the Gauntlet of Fire and became Dragon Lord.  He even issued some royal commands before stepping down to Ember.  “I suppose that is true,” he laughed.

Rarity gave a small laugh as well before returning her gaze to the night sky.

As Spike’s gaze returned back to the night sky, his mind wandered to Ember and what she had said about the Mark.  He did not see it under Rarity’s coat, but could still smell the sweet fragrance that it emitted.  He then remembered the conversation he had with Twilight.  “Hey Rarity, do you think about what happened in the cabin?”

“Why do you ask Spike?” Rarity asked in curiosity as she returned her gaze to him.

“I’ve been trying to think what the Mark is exactly. Are we married?  Is it me just…well…claiming you,” Spike did not like the word ‘claim’.  It sounded like he was holding Rarity against her will.  “I just want to make sure I do this right.”

Rarity smiled.  She had to admit that Ember was a little vague on what the Mark was exactly.  But she did have her own interpretation.  “I don’t think it’s any of those things, Spike,” Rarity explained, “Perhaps it simply is just a Mark of Love.”

“A Mark of Love?”

Rarity nodded.  “Just a simple symbol that shows that we love each other.  Nothing more,” Rarity said.  She then reached over and placed a hoof on Spike’s hand.  “And as long as I have the mark, you will know my feelings are true.”

Spike felt himself blush.  “Thanks Rarity.”

Rarity smiled as she looked upon the little dragon.

At that moment, Spike felt entranced by Rarity’s appearance.  It almost felt like he was looking at her again for the first time.  Perhaps it was how the moonlight bounced off her coat or how her eyes emitted tiny sparkles as they looked into his.  “Uh…Rarity…Can I-“

Spike was interrupted as Rarity placed a hoof on his muzzle.  “You don’t need to ask, Spike,” she said gently.  She then moved her hoof away.

Spike was transfixed by her appearance.  Once again, he found it hard to believe he was not dreaming.  But as he moved in and felt his lips upon hers, he began to realize it was not a dream. He and Rarity really were together. As they parted, their eyes met again.

“I love you, Spike.”

“I love you, Rarity.”



To Be Continued…
> Chapter 7: The Missing Pony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7: The Missing Pony


As Spike and Rarity reached the Carousel Boutique, parting was not easy for the two.  Deep inside, Rarity wished the night would last forever.  Though it was not perfect, the date she had with Spike was special, and her heart ached knowing it had to come to an end.

“We have arrived at your castle, my lady,” Spike said as he took a bow.

“Thank you, Spike.  I had a wonderful time,” Rarity replied.

“Me too,” Spike said, “Do you think we can do it again?”

“I look forward to it.” Rarity said.  She then kissed Spike gently on the cheek.

Spike felt his heart leap out of his chest as he felt Rarity’s touch.  He watched in a daze as Rarity slowly opened her door and entered her house.

“Good night, Spike,” she said as she slowly closed the door.

“YES!” Spike shouted happily as he launched himself high into the air in ecstasy. As he reached his highest point, his wings snapped open and caught the wind.  As he glided leisurely on the air currents, his mind filled with the moments he and Rarity spent with each other.  Silently, he thanked the heavens for giving him this chance.



X  X  X X  X



From inside her house, Rarity laughed as she watched Spike launch himself into the air.  If she had wings, she wondered if she would do the same thing as well.  She then proceeded across the room.

As she walked past her sewing room, she took a moment to check her itinerary for any dresses she still had to complete. Fortunately, with the talent show now over, her schedule was light, giving her some time to spend with Spike. It was something she wanted to do. She would have enough time to finish any unfinished work, especially if Spike helped her.  For now, she needed to rest.

As she headed upstairs to her personal room, she started planning out everything she would do tomorrow.  It was then that she remembered about the records Twilight had requested.  They still had to clean up all those records before sending them back to Princess Celestia. A chore she was not looking forward too.

“Oh well,” Rarity shrugged, “Perhaps a nice hot shower will do.”

Rarity gathered all the shampoos and body washes she needed, placed a robe near the stall, and entered the shower.  She exhaled in relief as she felt the hot water rush down her back, relieving all her tension.  It wasn’t the same as a hot tub, but it still provided the desired effect.

As she was about to apply the shampoo to her hair, she heard what she suspected was a small bottle breaking nearby. “Opalescense?  Is that you?”

There was no response.

Rarity sighed in frustration as she turned the water off, gathered a towel and robe, and exited the shower.  As she looked around, she saw no one in the room. “Opalescense?” Rarity looked around but could not find any sign of her cat.

Rarity then noticed a broken glass perfume bottle on the corner of her vanity.  “Oh! Really!” Rarity scoffed as she walked to her vanity.  She could only assume that maybe Opal had knocked it over.  Fortunately, there was not much perfume left so it was no big loss and cleaning up would not take long.

As she approached her vanity, she used her magic to grab a nearby towel and wiped the liquid that spilled onto the floor and vanity. As she looked at the bottle, she wondered how the bottle had shattered but the other perfume bottles around it remained untouched.

After she had finished cleaning up the mess and disposing of any glass, she caught something in the corner of her eye.  On a stool next to her vanity was a red book that had been worn down by age and the elements on its lower half.  The name Grey Shire was imprinted on the top.

It was Grey Shire’s journal.

Rarity had almost forgotten that she had asked Spike to bring it back from the cabin.  She remembered she had taken it when they got back to Ponyville and was hoping to find some time to read it out of curiosity.  Unfortunately, she got so caught up in revising the costumes for the talent show that she had forgotten she had left the book there.

Rarity cursed herself for having forgotten all about the journal.  If she had remembered, they wouldn’t have needed to request all those documents from Princess Celestia.  Still…

Rarity’s curiosity stirred as she levitated the journal off the stool.  Normally it was rude for one pony to read the entries of another pony.  However, Grey Shire was the only one that knew where Spike’s egg had come from.  A tiny peak into the journal to help a friend couldn’t hurt.  

Holding the book with her magic, Rarity located her glasses and made her way to her bed.  She lied down on her belly and placed the journal in front of her.  Her glasses then floated onto her muzzle. Using her magic, she opened the book and began to read:



Entry 1

Today is my birthday, and my dad gave me this journal. He says that since I’m not good at talking with people that maybe I can write my ideas down in here.  Of course, I’m not sure I would want people reading my thoughts either now that I think about it.  It’s not that I don’t want people to know me.  I just find I can’t talk in front of people.  I get so scared and don’t know what to do.  I sometimes wonder if something is wrong with me. How do people talk with each other?

I suppose writing in this journal could help.  At least I can express myself somehow.  So what should I tell about myself.  Well, for starters, my name is Grey Shire and I…..



Rarity was disappointed when she found the bottom half of the page become illegible.  Even with magic, she doubted that the words could be remade and whatever Grey Shire said about herself was now lost.

Rarity took a moment to flip through the rest of book to see if this was true for all the pages.  Unfortunately it was.  What made it worse was that the back of the journal was in the worst condition. Whole pages, especially near the end, had become smeared and only a few words could be made out.  But Rarity still clung onto the hope that maybe there was something more she could learn about Grey Shire.  Maybe even a clue about Spike’s egg.

The next few entries Rarity read dealt with how Grey Shire coped with her classes in medicine.  Surprisingly, Grey Shire seemed quite skilled at experimenting with herbs and creating medicines.  Her one problem though was that when she was tested, she would become nervous and panic. One entry in particular told of how she made a cough suppressant for her teacher.  Unfortunately, Grey Shire had added too much of the wrong herb in the medicine and it knocked the teacher out for a week when he sampled it.

Grey Shire’s life outside of school was no better. She did want to play with the other ponies, but could not bring herself to approach them.  One entry explained how she tried to ‘dress’ herself up, but the other kids said she looked like a clown.  Eventually, she decided to avoid everyone entirely and found comfort in exploring the forest.  Even journeying into the Everfree Forest to find herbs to practice making medicines. It was for this reason that she had moved into the Everfree Forest.

Rarity felt sorry for Grey Shire.  In some ways, she supposed Grey Shire was like Fluttershy, but as Twilight had said, her condition was worse.  No one seemed to want to approach her or even talk to her. At least that was the impression Grey Shire felt.

Rarity continued to page thru the entries, looking for more clues about Grey Shire’s life.  Eventually she was able find an entry that caught her interest:



Entry -----

I was out exploring the Everfree Forest again today, trying -- find some Gingko.  Normally I avoid any strange sound I hear -- the forest, but I heard what sounded like a cry for help.  I don’t know what I was thinking, but I decided to find --- who it was.  When I got there…..



A few of the words in the beginning had been smeared, but Rarity could guess what they said.  The rest of the entry became blurred from water damage.  It left Rarity perplexed and wondering what Grey Shire had found.  A call for help.  But who was it from?

Rarity began paging through the next entries, hoping to find more about the one who Grey Shire found, but discovered that the entries were illegible.  The best Rarity was able to make out on the pages was a few ingredients Grey Shire had mixed together and how she was tending someone’s injuries.

Eventually Rarity found an entry she was able to read:



Entry --

Runt says he wants to stay with me.  I don’t know if this is a good idea.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a bad idea.  But he refuses to leave.  I want to tell him to go, but I get so scared.  I thought about running away again, but Runt’s injuries have not fully healed.  He can walk now, but it causes him a lot of pain.

Why did I help him?  It’s just not me.  Yet, when I found him, I could not abandon him.  He looked so scared and helpless.  I was surprised my medicines worked at all.  What should I do?  Perhaps….



Rarity groaned in disappointment as the page became illegible.  She proceeded to the next few entries, hoping to piece together what happened. However, some of the pages became illegible again.  Rarity was able to make out the fact that Grey Shire at first did not want this “Runt” around her.  But over time, Runt had helped around the cabin and slowly grew on her. Eventually, Runt had become her first friend, or at least that’s what Grey Shire wrote.

Who was this Runt?

As Rarity continued to read more about Grey Shire and Runt’s exploits, she began to wonder what kind of relationship the two shared.  From what she could read, Grey Shire began to see Runt as a friend and later as someone to confide in.

Did the two fall in love?

Rarity did not see anything in the entries so far that said that, but a part of her wondered if Grey Shire even knew what being in love was like.

Despite Rarity’s growing interest in finding out the relation between Runt and Grey Shire, it became increasingly hard for her to find the answer.  The combination of the text being hard to read and her eyes beginning to grow heavy were hurting Rarity’s concentration.  When she looked to a nearby clock, she was surprised to see it was in the early morning.

Had she been reading all night?

Rarity only shrugged as she resumed reading.  She was fascinated by the story being told and wanted to finish it, even if some entries were missing.  However, her body would not comply.  Over time, she found her eyes became heavier and her concentration waned.  Eventually, sleep took hold.



X  X  X X  X



Rarity was awoken to a knocking at her door. Groggily, she lifted her muzzle out of the journal and looked around at her surroundings.  It took her a moment to recall that she had been reading the journal and had probably fallen asleep on top of her bed.

Another knock at her door.

Rarity stretched herself out.  Her back ached from lying on her stomach and part of her wanted to go back to sleep again.

Another knock at the door.  “Rarity?  Are you there?”

It took a moment for Rarity to recognize the voice as Twilight’s.  “Just a moment,” she responded.  Quickly she got out of bed and walked over to her vanity.  With a few simple strokes with her brush, she was able to make herself appear at least partially presentable.  She then headed down to the front door of the store and opened it.  Standing at the entrance was a slightly concerned Spike and Twilight.

“Rarity.  Are you okay?” Twilight asked as she looked over her friend.

“We got worried when you didn’t show up,” Spike added.

“Sorry.  I was reading late last night and lost track of the time,” Rarity yawned, “What time is it?”

Spike and Twilight looked at each other for a brief moment before Twilight responded.  “It’s past noon.”

“Huh?” Rarity said in surprise, “I slept thru the entire morning?” Rarity looked to one of her clocks to see it was near 1:00 in the afternoon.

“Uh…Yeah,” Twilight replied, “What happened?”

“I do apologize,” Rarity replied, “But I think I found something you all need to see.”



X  X  X X  X



“You mean to tell me we didn’t need to search these records?” Rainbow Dash said in outrage when she learned about the journal.

After Rarity had showed Spike and Twilight the journal, the three of them had headed back to the Castle of Friendship to tell the others what they had uncovered.  Needless to say, the news about the journal being found did not go well with the others since it meant all the records they had been searching thru and cleaning up had been for naught.

“Sorry,” Twilight apologized, “It was just sort of forgotten.”

“It seems a lot of things about Grey Shire were forgotten,” Fluttershy commented.

Twilight had to agree with her friend.  Until recently, no one probably realized that Grey Shire had existed.  She was like a shadow that had disappeared over time.

“So, what does the journal say?” Applejack chipped in.

Twilight awoke from her thoughts and looked to Rarity to explain.

Rarity stepped forward to address the group.  “I haven’t been able to read all of it yet, but I did learn that Grey Shire was not alone like we thought.  She had some-pony else with her.  She called him Runt.”

“Runt?  What kind of name is that?” Rainbow Dash asked,

“Sounds like he was the runt of the litter,” Applejack commented.

“Perhaps,” Rarity responded, “But there was not much I could make out about him in the journal.”

Twilight pondered the name as well.  Having organized most of the records, she was somewhat familiar with the names of various ponies, but did not recall ever seeing a “Runt”.  She went over to a stack of the organized records and began searching thru for the name.

All eyes fell on Twilight as she paged through the stack of records.

“Anything?” Applejack asked.

Twilight double checked herself but found nothing. “I don’t see a ‘Runt’ and I’m sure we have organized all the ponies that start with the letter ‘R’.”

The ponies then looked to Rarity.

“Is there anything else you can tell about this Runt?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“His favorite food!  What he liked to wear!  Does he like parties?!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Rarity tilted her head apologetically, “Sorry, I…didn’t get that far.  I fell asleep.”

Twilight then looked to Spike.  “Spike.  Bring me the journal.”

Spike nodded as he carried the book over to Twilight. He had been carrying it under his arm after Rarity had showed it to them back at the Carousel Boutique.

Twilight used her magic to open the book and began to read thru the last half of the journal.  Like Rarity, Twilight saw that most of the entries in the back were now blurred and illegible.  She was able to make out a few words and entries, but nothing Rarity had not told them already.
“Anything?” Spike asked, “Are there any entries about my egg?”

Twilight scanned each page as best she could, but could find no references to an egg.  Of course, it was entirely possible that such references were now lost in the faded out parts of the pages.  “I don’t see anything,” Twilight said, “But the pages are in bad shape.  I can’t read some of them.”

“What about this Runt character.  Does it say where he came from or who he is?” Applejack inquired.

Twilight took another look thru the journal. “No.  She may have described him when she first met him, but I can’t read the words.”

“Ooh!  Maybe he’s a dragon!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

All eyes focused on Pinkie Pie.  However, unlike last time, this time they considered her words.

Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight.  “Is that possible?”

Twilight wondered the same thing as she scanned the journal for the word ‘dragon’.  Unfortunately, if there was such a reference it was now missing.  “I can’t say.  Grey Shire just keeps calling him by name.”

“But could a dragon actually live so close to Ponyville at that time?” Fluttershy asked, “I mean, wouldn’t they be driven out?”

Twilight admitted to herself that the idea of a dragon living close to Ponyville and not being noticed was unlikely.  Dragons had not been welcomed in Equestria at the time. Sure, a few did find their way in and start their own horde, but they were usually driven away by Princess Celestia and her royal guard in order to preserve the peace.  But if one lived in the Everfree forest….”I suppose it’s possible.”

“The journal did say that Runt was hurt and Grey Shire helped him,” Rarity added.

“That is true.  But dragons were not considered approachable.  If he was a dragon, Grey Shire was sure very brave,” Twilight responded as she continued to scan the journal. 

“I wonder if Runt was the one who took my egg,” Spike thought out loud.

“Maybe,” Twilight responded as she began to theorize what happened back then.

“If he did steal the egg, maybe the other dragons tried to stop him, but he got away,” Applejack suggested.

“And then Grey Shire found it and gave it to Princess Celestia,” Rainbow Dash concluded.

Fluttershy gave the scenario some thought.  “But if he was on the run, why did he stay with Grey Shire?”

Spike gave this some thought as well and then remembered the time he had spent with Applejack a while back.  “The Dragon Code.  Grey Shire helped him, so he was obligated to stay.  Remember how Applejack saved me and I offered my services?”

Applejack rolled her eyes.  “Don’t remind me.”  It was hard for her to forget the giant mess Spike caused.  Especially how bad his cooking was when he was so eager to please her.

Twilight could not deny that such a scenario was possible.  If Grey Shire had found the egg, bringing it to Princess Celestia would have been the right thing to do.  She probably also lied in order to protect her friend Runt.

But did Runt approve of this?

A dark thought crossed Twilight’s mind as she remembered that Grey Shire had gone missing after the egg was given to Princess Celestia.  Quickly she opened the journal back up and turned to the last few entries. Unfortunately, none were legible. However some of the words on the last entry caught her eye and made her heart sink.

This did not go unnoticed by the other ponies.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?  You went white as a sheet all of a sudden.” Applejack asked.

Twilight closed the book and put it down.  “I just had a terrible thought.  What if Runt was the one who caused Grey Shire to go missing?”

The ponies looked at her in shock.

“You don’t mean…” Fluttershy stuttered.

Twilight nodded.  “I looked over the last entry.  I’m having trouble reading it, but I was able to make out a few words,” Twilight replied.  She then opened the book and turned to the page for all to see.



Entry ------

I don’t know what to do anymore.  Runt is --------- ---- ---- ---.  His ------ ---- ------ --- and I don’t ---- -------- -- help --- ----.  ---- worse, -- -- -------- fire -------- --- ------- ---- up. -- -- worried he ----- ------------ burn down the cabin.  -- --- ------- -- leave and live in --- --- ---- until ---- ---- ---- ----.  I’ve ------- -- -- -- ---, even if -- ------ me ---. I ----- ---- ----- my own personal safety.  --- -- ----- -- ---- -- --.  I’ll pack up what I can --- -- -- --- --- ----.



“Burn down the cabin,” Spike said in a disheartened tone. It was unsettling for him to know that a dragon may have attacked a pony or at least threatened one.

Rarity felt her heart sink as well when she looked at the journal entry.  Having read most of the journal, she found that she did care about Grey Shire’s wellbeing. Despite having a hard time communicating, Rarity suspected that Grey Shire was a gentle soul.  She hoped by some miracle Grey Shire did escape.

But why did Runt turn on her?

Was it because of Spike’s egg?

The entries Rarity read the previous night seemed to imply the opposite and that Runt had become a good friend if not more.  It did not make sense that he would turn on her. Especially if he was following the Dragon Code.  Unfortunately all the later entries were illegible.

What happened between Runt and Grey Shire?

“I’ll pack up what I can…” Fluttershy read out loud. “Do you think she might have gone into hiding?”

“It’s possible,” Twilight responded, “Maybe she did escape.”

Applejack sat in thought for a moment.  “If she took on a new identity, she might be in Ponyville right now.”

“WE HAVE TO FIND MY AUNT!” Pinkie Pie cried.

Everyone turned to Pinkie Pie who stood in the corner of the room.

Applejack rolled her eyes.  “Pinkie Pie.  She is not your aunt.”

“She is one of my relatives,” Pinkie replied, “And she’s in trouble!”

“You do know this happened fifteen years ago, right?” Rarity added.

Pinkie stuck her nose up in defiance.  “I don’t care!  I won’t abandon family!” Pinkie replied, “I’ll search all of Ponyville if I must!”

Before anyone could stop her, Pinkie Pie zoomed out of the room leaving a trail of dust in her wake.  The other ponies looked at each other, unsure on what to do.

“Will she be okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“Knowing her, she’ll probably ask every pony in Ponyville if they know Grey Shire,” Applejack replied.

“Or ask if they ARE Grey Shire,” Rainbow Dash added as she hovered in the air.

Twilight let out a groan as she pictured Pinkie Pie doing just that.  She doubted anyone would even know Grey Shire anymore.  Still, Pinkie Pie had demonstrated in the past of doing the impossible.  Perhaps, by some miracle, she might actually find Grey Shire.

Apparently, the other ponies expected the same thing and waited patiently for Pinkie Pie to come zooming back into the room with the missing pony.  But as the moments past, nothing happened.

“So…What do we do now?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight sighed.  “I’m afraid there isn’t much we can do,” she responded, “I’ll write to Ember and ask if she knows anything about this ‘Runt’.  The rest of you can take the day off.”

Applejack then turned and looked at all the files that were stacked behind them.  “What about this mess?  Aren’t you going to need help sending it back to Princess Celestia?”

Twilight smiled.  “Nope,” she then turned to Spike.  “Will you do the honors?”

Spike nodded and then ran out of the room.

Rarity looked at the boxes of folders for a brief moment.  “We should probably keep the file on Grey Shire.”

“Good idea,” Twilight said as she removed the file from the stack with her magic.  After Twilight had removed the file, Spike returned into the room carrying a bottle of soda pop.

“Stand back,” he said as he vigorously shook the bottle to build up the fizz inside.  He then popped the top and drank the soda in one gulp.

The ponies immediately ran out of the room.  As they stood outside, they heard a large belch and saw the entire room engulfed in magical green flame.  A cloud of black smoke poured out of the room and quickly made its way to the nearest window where it floated back to Canterlot.

“Well…That was…revolting,” Rarity cringed.  A look of disgust permeated her face.

“Hey.  Better than hauling all those parchments back to Canterlot,” Applejack interjected.

“I suppose,” Rarity replied with uncertainty as she gazed into the room.

Spike then walked out of the room, covering his mouth with one hand.  Small plumes of smoke rose on either side of his mouth and through his nose.  “Excuse me.”

“You’re excused,” Twilight replied happily.

“You know, you should work for the post office,” Rainbow Dash teased, “Instant service by dragon fire.”

Spike was not impressed by the offer.  The thought of breathing fire constantly for someone’s mail did not sound appealing.  Not to mention, painful if he received mail the same way.  “Pass.”

Twilight then turned and faced all her friends. “I’ll let you know when I hear from Ember.  You girls can head out if you want.”

“Back to the farm then for me.  Those apples won’t grow by themselves,” Applejack replied as she waved farewell and made her way to the castle entrance.

“I better check on my friends,” Fluttershy commented as she followed Applejack.

Rainbow Dash quickly flew in front of Twilight and Spike. “I’ll be seeing you,” she then flew out a nearby window and disappeared.

Twilight waved until her three friends had left. She then turned and looked where Spike and Rarity were speaking.

“Actually, I could use some help with some dresses I am working on,” Rarity said as she looked down at the little dragon, “Would you care to join me, Spike?”

Spike jumped into the air happily.  “I’d be happy to help,” he then ran to Rarity’s side. Small puffs of smoke still came out of his mouth.

Rarity cringed and placed a hoof over her nose as Spike approached her.  “Perhaps we better stop off at the spa first and get you cleaned up.”

Spike stopped and looked over his body.  He was covered in ash.  When he sniffed himself, he could detect the smell of burnt parchment. “Oh…Sorry.”

Rarity then turned to Twilight.  “You are welcome to come as well, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled in response but declined.  “You guys go on ahead.  I’ll catch up with you after I clean up a little.”



To Be Continued…
> Chapter 8: Revelations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8:  Revelations 


It took a little longer than expected to get the smell out of Spike’s hide.  Dragon scales were not easy to scrub with brushes designed for ponies.  However, with a little effort on his part, Spike was able to scrub the ash out.  When he walked out, he appeared slightly cleaner than usual and smiled with great satisfaction at the results.

“I have to say, you do look handsome, Spike,” Rarity complimented, “You really cleaned up.”  She also had to admit that he smelled a lot better to.  She recognized the floral soap Spike had used and suspected he applied generous amounts to his scales.

Spike smiled happily at Rarity’s compliment.  “Thanks.” He said, “Should we head back to your place now?”

“Yes, of course,” Rarity nodded in approval, “I really need to get started on those dresses.”  She then led the way with Spike at her side back to the Carousel Boutique.

As the two walked down the street, Rarity sensed that Spike seemed a little quiet.  As she glanced at him through the corner of her eye, she could see that his eyes appeared a little weary.  “Spike? Is everything okay?  You seem a little down.”

“Huh?” Spike awoke from his thoughts and turned his head to face Rarity as he walked, “Sorry Rarity.  I was just thinking about what Twilight said about Runt and Grey Shire. I just feel so ashamed that a dragon would hurt a pony.”

Rarity could understand Spike’s dilemma.  It had not been easy for Spike as he grew up.  He had been torn between two worlds; the ponies who he grew up with and the dragons which he was.  Though he embraced the pony way of life, it wasn’t easy sometimes to be the only dragon in Ponyville before the Friendship Academy had been set up.  “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Spike.  I’m sure she managed to escape.”

“Do you think Twilight could be right about Runt?” Spike asked.

Rarity took a moment to think back about what she read. From the way Grey Shire spoke of Runt, it seemed like they were getting along.  “I admit, even I have my doubts about it.  The entries I read seemed to say they were becoming close.”

“How so?” Spike asked out of curiosity.

“Well,” Rarity thought, “It started out with Runt being her servant.  He was trying to fulfill the Dragon Code.  But over time she saw him as a friend, maybe more.”

“Sounds kind of like us,” Spike said happily.  A dark thought then crossed his mind. “Wait.  Does that mean I might turn on you and-.”

“Spike.  You need not worry.  I’m sure what happened with Grey Shire and Runt will not happen with us,” Rarity assured the little dragon.

“But, what if I go feral or something.  I mean I didn’t know about the Mark.  What if something else happens that makes me do something,” Spike asked.

“I trust you, Spike,” Rarity replied.

Spike looked into Rarity’s eyes for assurance.  “You do?”

“Of course I do.  You are one of the bravest, most trustworthy individuals I’ve ever known,” Rarity replied, “I trust you.”

Spike felt relief when he heard those words.  “Thanks Rarity.”

“HEY GUYS!”

As Pinkie Pie’s head popped out of a barrel, Rarity jumped back in surprise and let out a small cry of fright.

“Pinkie Pie?!” Rarity shouted in annoyance, “You scared me.”

“Sorry about that,” Pinkie smiled.

“Rarity!” Spike gasped.

“Huh?”  Rarity looked down and saw she was now gripping Spike in a death like grip.  It took her a moment to realize she must have grabbed him when Pinkie Pie had surprised her.  “Sorry Spike,” she said as she released the poor little dragon.

Spike gasped for air as he was put down.  “No problem.”

Rarity then turned to face Pinkie Pie.  “What are you doing in there?” she asked.

Pinkly smiled as she jumped out the barrel.  “Looking for Aunt Grey Shire,” she replied.

“In a barrel?” Spike grunted.  There were times that Pinkie’s actions made no sense.  This was definitely one of them.

“No stone unturned!  No corner unsearched!” Pinkie proclaimed as she held her nose up high and pointed a hoof to the sky.

“I see,” Rarity said sheepishly, having doubts on Pinkie Pie’s abilities, and her sanity.  “I’m sure you will find something.”

Pinkie gave a giant smile.  “Actually, I found lots!”

“You did?” both Spike and Rarity said in surprised unison.

“Uh-Huh!” Pinkie replied.

“Wait!” Rarity said suspiciously, “This wouldn’t happen to be some random junk you found?”

“Nope,” Pinkie Pie shook her head, “I actually met a few ponies who remembered a Grey Shire.”

Both Spike and Rarity were caught off guard by this. They could only guess that Pinkie Pie had quite literally asked every pony in town.  A feat that only she could do in a short amount of time.

“Who remembered her?” Spike asked.

“Let me see,” Pinkie Pie pondered for a second. “There was the store clerk, the doctor, a teacher, and…” Pinkie knocked her head with her hoof as she tried to remember, “I forgot the last one.”

Spike and Rarity groaned in unison.  Knowing their luck, the last pony Pinkie Pie forgot was probably the key to learning Grey Shire’s whereabouts.

“Well.  At least it’s a start,” Spike replied to Rarity.

Rarity could not deny that.  “Did they say anything about her?” Rarity asked.

“Mostly that she was quiet, nervous, and only came in for food, to be examined by a doctor, and that her medicines made ponies sick,” Pinkie Pie replied.  She then placed a hoof to her chin in thought.  “I think it was the teacher that said that.”

“What did the last one say?” Spike asked.  He hoped that Pinkie Pie might remember the last individual if she remembered what the pony said.

Pinkie Pie racked her brain again.  “Sorry.  Can’t remember,” she said after a moment.  Her eyes lit up the next moment as an idea appeared in her head.  “I know!  I’ll retrace my steps and ask everyone again!”

“Ah…Pinkie…That might be…” Rarity stuttered.

“SEE YA!” Pinkie shouted as she then zoomed down the street. Many items that lined the street were blown over as she passed them.  Some the ponies in the street even looked down the street Pinkie had taken, wondering what had passed them.

Spike and Rarity could only stare in the direction Pinkie Pie had zoomed down.

“Do you think she will find something?” Rarity asked.

“She has surprised us before,” Spike replied.





X  X  X X  X



Rarity yawned as she prepared herself for bed. With Spike’s help, she had finished the last of her current orders in relatively short time.  However, the work had left her a little fatigued and she decided to call it a night.  It was a pity really since she had wanted to spend more time with Spike.  

After locking her shop, Rarity took a quick survey of the materials she would need to acquire in the future.  From what she could see at first glance, she was running low on various blue colored fabrics and thread.  The other colors could probably last for another week.  Rarity then looked at a nearby chest in her store that she used to hold gems in.  Her last order had nearly depleted it.

She was sure she could persuade a strong dragon for “protection” in the caves and to help her gather materials.

Rarity then switched off the lights downstairs and made her way up to her bedroom.  As she reached the top floor, she felt a small chill in the air.  For a brief moment she stopped at the top of the steps and peered into the area that led into her room.  “Opal?”

There was no response.

Slowly, Rarity made her way forward to the room. As she looked inside, she saw that the bedroom window was now wide open. Slowly she entered the room.  “Opal!  Did you climb outside again?”

“Meow.”

Rarity jumped a little as she heard the cat meow behind her.  Turning, she saw Opalescence had been following her.  “You scared me, Opal,” Rarity said.  She then looked back at the window.  “I wonder how this opened.” Rarity asked herself.  She was fairly confident she had locked it.

Erring on the side of caution, Rarity approached the window to make sure nothing came in.  At the same time, she looked around the room to make sure nothing was missing or out of place.  To her relief, nothing appeared disturbed.  After a brief moment, she assumed that maybe she only forgot to lock the window and the wind blew it open.

Rarity dropped her guard and made her way toward the window to close it.  However, just as she reached it, a strong gust of cold wind blew inside.  Rarity braced herself as she felt the chill against her coat.  Quickly she summoned her magic and used it to close and lock the window.  “Really,” she said in disgust.

Rarity then peered up at her hair to see a few strands out of place.  Deciding to view the damage made to her mane, Rarity made her way to her vanity.  As she peered into the mirror, she found her hair was not badly frazzled, but needed to be brushed.  “Well.  Might as well tidy up a little before I go to bed,” she said to herself.

Using her magic, Rarity levitated one of her brushes and began to comb her mane so that it once again showed the regal pony she was. After feeling satisfied with the results, she placed the brush down and examined the rest of her body.

“Hmm,” She said as she studied herself, “I suppose my coat could use a little work.”

Rarity then picked up another type of brush that had special bristles used on pony coats.  It was designed to remove any lose strands of hair.  Slowly, she combed her body and admired herself in the mirror.  “Much better,” she replied to herself as she felt the lose strands of hair being removed from her back.

Rarity then started combing her neck.  As she did, she began to pose various ways in the mirror just for fun.  It was something she often did as a way of practicing to be a model.  However, this time, she decided to change her routine poses to ones similar to she had done for Spike on their first date.  

Perhaps they could do that again.

Even if it was just Spike, she still enjoyed being the center of attention.  She began to practice poses in case the opportunity ever presented itself again.

Perhaps Spike would like something bold?

Rarity pointed her muzzle in the air with dignity and stood to her full height.

Maybe something more ecstatic?

Rarity changed her pose to mimic Pinkie Pie cheering.

“Maybe not,” Rarity thought as she saw her-self in the mirror and frowned.  

Perhaps he would like something more timid.

Rarity lowered her head and turned it to the side. She gave a sultry glance into the mirror for a brief moment and batted her eyes.

However, as she examined herself, she gasped in surprise.

She was looking at Grey Shire…

Or rather, she was looking at herself posing as Grey Shire had in her photo.

Rarity was slightly unsettled by this, but remained still as she looked at herself in the mirror.  As she did, she could feel old memories of the photograph gnawing at the back of her mind.  She felt as if she was missing something and it was starring directly into her face.

Remaining in the same pose, Rarity tried to remember the details of the photograph that had been taken of Grey Shire.  She had a short mane.  She was grey in color.  She posed her-self like Rarity did now.  Rainbow Dash described her as pudgy.  She had a mole on her neck, and…

Mole.

Rarity froze for a moment.  She then took her brush and began to comb away at a certain area to part her coat.  As the strands of hair parted, she gasped in surprise.

She had a mole as well…or rather…she had the Mark on her neck and it looked like a mole.

Just like Grey Shire.

The mole on Grey Shire’s neck was also in the same place where Spike had placed his Mark on her.

Rarity then began to recall how the Mark was described to her.

“It’s a type of bonding between dragons,” Ember’s voice echoed in her head.

Bonding.

Rarity’s mind then raced back to the journal entries about Runt and Grey Shire.  They had been together for some time and had slowly become closer.  A part of her wondered if it was like Spike and herself.  Did Runt give Grey Shire a Mark?

Did it go even further?

Rarity then remembered a series of memories the next moment.  The first was something Ember had said after Twilight had revealed Spike’s origins.

“No Dragon Lord has ever lost an egg, especially my father!” Embers voice echoed in her head.

Her mind then shifted to what Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had said the following day.

“Doesn’t the Dragon Lord guard the hatchery?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They do.  In this case, it would have been Torch,” Fluttershy had responded, “But I don’t think a pony could sneak by him.”

Fluttershy had been right.  No dragon would give up an egg to a pony, especially Torch. There was also no way for a dragon to steal an egg under Torch’s watchful eye.

But if the egg was not stolen then-

“Maybe she laid the egg herself!”

The voice of Pinkie Pie echoed in Rarity’s mind.

No!

It was impossible, right?  

There was no way such a thing could be true.

“But what if it was?” a voice in her head said.

What if by some miracle, or magic, it had happened?

Rarity tried to deny the idea again.

Yet for some reason, Rarity found herself looking back at the day when she first saw what Grey Shire looked like.  She, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy had all commented on Grey Shire’s photo. Rarity did remember she thought Grey Shire needed a makeover.  Rainbow Dash said she was pudgy.  Fluttershy said she looked shy.  And…

Wait…Pudgy?

No.  Grey Shire was not pudgy.  At least she did not look pudgy in the photo in her personal file.  When the photo in the missing pony report was taken, she was-

“SPIKE!”





To Be Continued…
> Chapter 9: Hidden Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9:  Hidden Truth


Spike had been tired from the day’s activities. Filing the records, sending the records back, going to the spa with Rarity, assisting Rarity with her projects, and finally helping Twilight organize some of her notes in the evening had left him exhausted.  As he felt his head hit the pillow, he smiled in content.  In his mind, he hoped his dreams would be filled with Rarity tonight. He wished he could feel her embrace right now.

Spike’s thoughts were interrupted the next moment as he heard a banging on the front door of the castle.  His eyes shot open and then narrowed in irritation.  It was late and he needed his sleep.  If he ignored it, maybe the pony would go away. He closed his eyes again.

There was another bang at the door.

Spike’s eyes opened again in irritation.  Maybe if he waited long enough, whoever was at the door would leave.

The banging continued.

“Fine!  I’m coming!” Spike growled.  Slowly he got out of the warm covers of his bed and made his way to a table in the corner of his room where he picked up a candelabra.  Using his own fiery breath, he lit the candles.

The banging continued.

“I’m coming!” Spike growled even louder as he made his way out his room.  It took him a minute or two to walk down the hall to the entranceway of the castle.  A part of him wished the castle wasn’t so big. All that time he walked, he could hear the pony outside continue to bang on the door.

“This better be good,” Spike said as he groggily reached the door and undid the lock.

“SPIKE!” Rarity jumped thru the door as soon as it had become unlocked.  She grabbed Spike by the shoulders and held him off the ground.

“Huh?  Rarity?” Spike snapped wide awake as he found himself looking eyes to eye with her.

“I know who your parents are!” Rarity shouted



X  X  X X  X



Spike sat quietly at the dining room table looking at the photo of Grey Shire.  Off to one side, he heard Rarity discussing her revelation with Twilight.  When Rarity had first come to the castle, for a brief moment, Spike wondered if he was talking with Pinkie Pie instead. However, after calming down, Rarity had asked them to show the pictures of Grey Shire from the missing pony report and her file.  When Spike saw that Grey Shire appeared to bear a Mark on her neck, he began to wonder how far-fetched the idea really was.

Even more surprising was the idea that Grey Shire was actually his mother.  He was a dragon, right?  He knew he could breathe fire, he had his first molt, and he loved gems like all the other dragons.  So was he really part pony?  Could Rarity be right?

“It just doesn’t seem possible.  A pony and a dragon laying an egg,” Twilight argued.

“I know this sounds crazy,” Rarity answered, “But it would explain why Ember never could find Spike’s family.  Spike’s egg was not stolen.  Grey Shire had made it.”

Grey Shire.

When he first learned about the pony, Spike wondered if she had been responsible for stealing his egg.  Then he learned about Runt and thought he was the one who stole his egg and Grey Shire had given it to Princess Celestia in hopes of returning it. In both cases, he held a small resentment for the two at the time for not returning his egg to his parents. Now…He wasn’t sure what to feel. He had wanted to find out about his family…but this…

“What about the last journal entry,” Twilight interjected.

“Most of the text is missing.  We only assumed Runt had turned on Grey Shire.  What if something else happened?  Perhaps Runt had to leave somewhere and Grey Shire wanted to follow,” Rarity theorized.

Runt.

It was not exactly a name a dragon would take willingly. Spike remembered Applejack saying Runt sounded like he was the runt of the litter.  That could have been true, but Spike had always picture his parents being big and strong.  However, if Rarity was proven right, his father was an Exile, and his mother was something of an outcast.  Far from the heroes he had always pictured them as.

And then there was the fact that they had abandoned him. Were they afraid of him or what he represented?  Why did they leave his egg at the academy then?  He had so many questions and wanted to ask Grey Shire for the truth.

But where was she?

Was she hiding somewhere?

What prompted her to leave and forget all about him? Mothers were supposed to take care of their children, right?

Spike could feel his resentment for Grey Shire grow. A part of him thought he was wrong to feel such hatred.  He did not have all the facts about what happened.  He should not jump to conclusions.

“But that could easily be my pony part talking,” he thought angrily.

Spike slumped onto the table.  He barely heard the two ponies talking off to the side.

“Let’s say for a moment you are right?” Twilight responded, “How would we prove it?  We need evidence.”

Rarity gave this some thought for a moment.  “We could have a doctor look over the photo. Maybe they can tell us if Grey Shire really was pregnant.”

“I suppose,” Twilight said, though there was some doubts in her voice.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t Pinkie Pie say a doctor had recognized Grey Shire, Spike?” Rarity asked.  There was a small pause.  “Spike?” Rarity turned to see Spike slumped on the table.

Spike awoke from his thoughts briefly to acknowledge Rarity and Twilight.  “Oh…Huh…Yeah,” Spike said as he took a brief glance in their direction.  “Whatever.”

Spike and Rarity stared at Spike for a moment before sharing a look with each other.  Both could tell that Spike was brooding and was probably overwhelmed by what Rarity had told him.  It was Rarity who finally broke the moment of silence.

“Perhaps I should leave.  I didn’t mean to overburden you with so much,” Rarity said.

Twilight shook her head.  “Actually, it’s pretty late now,” Twilight said, “You can stay in my bedroom tonight and we can check things out tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure.  I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” Rarity replied.

“I’m sure,” Twilight responded.  She then moved closer to whisper into Rarity’s ear, “Besides, I might need your help with Spike.”

Rarity took a moment to look in Spike’s direction and felt a tinge of guilt for having burdened Spike with so much so quickly. “Of course,” Rarity whispered back. She then turned around and quietly left the room.

Once Rarity had left, Twilight turned to Spike. Slowly she approached him from behind. “Hey Spike,” she said as she approached him.  She then took a seat next to him.  “How are you feeling?”
Spike gave a deep sigh.  “What am I Twilight?”

Twilight was caught off guard by the question and remained silent.

“Am I a dragon or a pony?” Spike asked, “Or a freak in between…”

Twilight was slightly outraged Spike thought himself that way.  “You’re not a freak Spike,” Twilight responded angrily.  “You are a dragon!”

“But if Rarity is right, then a pony was responsible for laying my egg,” Spike replied.

“So?” Twilight shrugged, “Earth Ponies, Pegasus, and Unicorns marry each other, and their offspring always turn out to be one or the other.  You just turned out to be a dragon rather than a pony.”

“I guess,” Spike said as he thought about what Twilight said.  He had seen many cases where different types of ponies had married, but, with the exception of Flurry Heart, never a child that was a cross breed.  It seemed the same rules applied for a dragon and pony. “But why did they leave me then. Were they afraid of me?”

Twilight let out a deep sigh.  She knew Spike was probably brimming with questions and was probably hoping she had all the answers too.  “I don’t know, Spike.  But I don’t think they abandoned you.”

Spike turned to look at Twilight.  “Why do you say that?”

“Well…Look at the report on your egg,” Twilight responded, “Grey Shire had made regular visits for about a month.  Sounds like she was trying to watch over you.”

“But why leave my egg at the Academy?  I mean-“

“Spike.  I don’t know all the answers,” Twilight replied, “We’ll just need to find them as we go along.  In fact, we still need to confirm that Grey Shire really is your mother.”

Spike let out a sigh of disappointment.  “Sorry, Twilight.  I guess I got a little anxious again.”

Twilight gave a reassuring smile to the little dragon. “It’s okay Spike.  But we did make some progress.  We know more about Grey Shire and we may have learned that Runt was your father.”

“I suppose,” Spike replied.  He could not deny what Twilight was saying.  However, everything seemed different than what he originally thought.  More than ever, he wanted to know his origins.

Was Grey Shire and Runt really his parents?

“It’s time for bed, Spike,” Twilight responded as she levitated him off his stool.

Spike was caught a little by surprise, but offered no resistance.  As Twilight began to lead him to his room, he fell into step.

Twilight took small glances at Spike as they walked down the hallway.  She could easily see Spike was sulking and depressed.  She wanted to assure him that everything would be okay and to cheer up, but found she didn’t have the heart for it.  Until they knew the full truth, there was nothing she could think of to help her little dragon.

As they entered, Spike’s room, Twilight used her magic to levitate the blanket off the bed.  She then waited until Spike climbed in before allowing the blanket to fall over him.  She then used her own hooves to tuck the blanket in so Spike was snuggled inside. “Now get some sleep.  We might have a big day tomorrow.”

“Thanks for everything, Twilight,” Spike said as he curled up in the bed.

“You’re welcome,” Twilight replied.

“No.  I mean…thanks for…well…everything,” Spike corrected her.

It took Twilight a moment for her to realize that Spike was thanking her for being his family.  A small tear formed in her eye when she realized this.  She then hugged Spike gently and slowly exited the room. “Goodnight Spike.”



X  X  X X  X



“I’m sorry, but Pinkie Pie is still sleeping.  She said she had been running all over town before she collapsed on her bed,” Mrs. Cake replied from behind the counter of the Sugarcube Corner.

“I see,” Twilight replied.

“She must have been exhausted after asking every pony about Grey Shire,” Rarity said from behind Twilight.

“Yeah…Twice,” Spike added.

Twilight had hoped to ask Pinkie Pie which doctor had remembered about Grey Shire.  She had done a little research in the morning and found there had been three doctors in Ponyville when Grey Shire was still around.  However, Twilight did not have the heart to wake up Pinkie Pie for such a small request.  “Thank you Mrs. Cake,” Twilight said before she, Spike and Rarity exited the building.

“So what now?” Spike asked as he followed Twilight down the street.

“We’ll just head to Ponyville Hospital and ask around,” Twilight replied.

“We should probably start with Dr. Horse,” Rarity said, “He probably has the most experience with these sort of things.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said before leading the way to Ponyville Hospital.  In some ways, heading to Ponyville Hospital was like making their way back to Friendship Castle since both locations were along the northern boundary of Ponyville. However, Twilight had wanted to avoid asking every doctor if they knew Grey Shire.  But with Pinkie Pie still asleep, they did not have much choice.

Fortunately, when they reached the hospital, they found that there were no patients and all the doctors were free.  Having visited him before, it did not take the three companions long to find Dr. Horse’s office and schedule some time with him. Shortly after they entered the examination room, the doctor walked in.

“So, what seems to be the trouble?” Dr. Horse said as he entered the room.

Twilight was the first to answer.  “We were hoping you could help us in finding a missing pony,” Twilight explained.

“Missing pony?” Dr. Horse replied, “I’m afraid you are in the wrong location.”

“No.  You see she’s been missing for fifteen years.  Her name is-“

“Grey Shire,” the doctor asked.

Twilight, Rarity, and Spike looked at the doctor in surprise.  “How did you know that?” Spike asked.

“Simple.  Pinkie Pie was asking everyone in the hospital yesterday,” Dr. Horse explained, “For some reason, she did this twice.”

Rarity and Spike looked at each other for a brief moment before Rarity spoke up.  “I’m afraid we might have been indirectly responsible for that,” Rarity apologized.

“Well, I’ll tell you what I told her.  I did examine Grey Shire, but I can’t tell you much due to patient confidentiality,” Dr. Horse explained.

“I see,” Twilight said respectively.  She then turned to face her assistant, “Spike.”

Spike nodded and pulled out the photo of Grey Shire that had been in the missing pony report.

Twilight then turned back to Dr. Horse.  “We also wanted to ask you about this photo,” Twilight began as she used her magic to take the photo from Spike and levitate it over for the doctor to see.

“We suspect she was pregnant and were hoping you could tell us if that was the case,” Rarity added.

Dr. Horse looked at the photo in surprise. “Huh.  How did you get this photo?”

Twilight, Spike and Rarity looked at each other in surprise when they saw Dr. Horse recognized it.  “You know about this photo?” Twilight asked.

Dr. Horse gave a small laugh.  “I was the one who took it.  I’m guessing Princess Celestia gave this to you.”

Again, surprise.

“You certainly know a lot,” Rarity replied.

“Well…Since Princess Celestia did give you this, I should probably tell you,” Dr. Horse replied as he considered their request. “You see, Grey Shire came to me just over fifteen years ago.  I was just starting my practice then and was not well known,” he explained.

“Was it because she was pregnant?” Spike asked.

“Indeed.  She was a strange case though.  She wanted me to help her, but refused to have me do an X-ray when I noticed some abnormalities,” the doctor explained.

“What kind of abnormalities?” Twilight asked.

“Well…” the doctor replied as he gave the events some thought, “For starters, her belly was harder than it should have been.  I could not feel the baby inside.  Also, when I listened for the heart, it sounded strong but muffled.  I thought it was due to my lack of experience at the time and had asked if I could have another doctor examine her.  She refused.”

“So why did you take the picture?” Twilight asked.

“Procedure.  On strange cases, we try to gather as much information as possible.  She did resist, but reluctantly agreed when I told her it was standard procedure,” the doctor explained.

Rarity turned and looked at Spike and Twilight. “I’m guessing Princess Celestia took the photo when Grey Shire went missing.”

“Actually, it was her royal guard,” the doctor added, “Apparently it was the only photo they had of her.”  His head then lowered in disappointment.  “I’m guessing they never found her since you’re asking about it.”

“The investigation is ongoing,” Twilight assured him, “Is there anything else you can think of?”

Dr. Horse shook his head.  “That’s all there was.  But…I do hope that Grey Shire and the baby are doing okay.”

Twilight looked down at Spike for a brief moment before returning her gaze to the doctor.  “I’m sure the child is doing just fine.”



X  X  X X  X



Twilight, Rarity, and Spike exited the hospital after thanking Dr. Horse for all the information.

“It seems you were right, Rarity.  Grey Shire is most likely Spike’s mother,” Twilight responded with confidence.

“What makes you say that?” Spike asked as he fell into step with Twilight.

“The doctor said when he examined Grey Shire, he could not feel her child and the heart was muffled,” Twilight explained, “He didn’t feel a baby pony inside her.  He felt an egg.”

“And that egg was Spike,” Rarity concluded.

“Right,” Twilight responded.

Spike was still overwhelmed by the idea.  A dragon and a pony together and he was their offspring. A part of him wondered what Grey Shire was thinking when she suspected she was carrying an egg instead of a pony. Was she scared of what he represented or was there another reason?

Why did Grey Shire abandon him?

The reports said that she visited for about a month and then disappeared.  Did she give up on him and move away?  Spike then wondered if maybe his father, Runt, had something to do with her disappearance.  Spike didn’t think Runt turned on Grey Shire, but the last entry in Grey Shire’s journal almost made it sound like he did.

Burning down the cabin?

Personal safety?

What happened back then that caused Grey Shire to go missing.

And what about Runt?  Was he missing too?

“HEY GUYS!”

Spike’s thoughts were interrupted as he saw Pinkie Pie bouncing up the road towards them.  Everyone stopped in their tracks as Pinkie Pie landed in front of them.

“I’ve been looking for you!” Pinkie shouted happily, “Were you able to find what you were looking for?”

Twilight smiled at her friend.  “We did, thanks to you.  You really came thru, Pinkie.”

Rarity chipped in the next moment.  “It turns out that Grey Shire is in fact Spike’s mother.”

Pinkie Pie’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide with surprise as she heard this.  “Grey Shire is Spike’s mother?!”

“It certainly seems that way,” Spike replied. The next moment, Spike found himself gasping for breath as he felt Pinkie Pie holding him in a giant bear hug.

“WE’RE COUSINS!” Pinkie shouted happily as she squeezed Spike with all her might, “I’M RELATED TO SPIKE!  I’M RELATED TO SPIKE!”  Her eyes then shot open as a realization then dawned on her.  She then held Spike away from her and looked at him. "Wait!  Does that mean I’m part dragon too?”

Twilight sighed in frustration while Rarity covered her mouth to hide a small laugh at Spike’s position in all of this.

“Pinkie!  You only have a distant relation to Grey Shire!  You’re not directly related!” Twilight responded, “And Runt was not part of your family!”

“Aww!” Pinkie Pie groaned as she released Spike, “I was really hoping I was.  Maybe then I could breathe fire and grow dragon wings.”

Twilight and Rarity found themselves unable to respond to Pinkie’s quirk.  The two only looked at each other for a brief moment before turning back to face Pinkie Pie with hesitant smiles.  Spike on the other hand was still gasping for breath after surviving Pinkie’s embrace.

“Oh!  That reminds me!” Pinkie added, “I remembered the last person who knew Grey Shire!  It was the former librarian!”

“The librarian?” Twilight asked in surprise. She knew of the pony who took care of the Golden Oak Library before Spike and she had moved in.

“Yep!” Pinkie nodded happily, “She says Grey Shire was a regular student there before she moved away!  She also said that Grey Shire had been trying to learn about dragons before she disappeared!”

Twilight placed a hoof to her chin in thought. “She must have been trying to learn more about Runt,” Twilight theorized.  She still recalled how hard it was to find information about dragons back then.  Grey Shire must have poured over every book like Twilight had.

“Or maybe she was trying to learn about Spike when she was pregnant,” Rarity added.

Twilight nodded in agreement.  “It would make sense since she was giving birth to a dragon,” Twilight said.  She then turned back to Pinkie Pie.  “Was there anything else she told you?”

“Actually, yes!” Pinkie said happily, “Grey Shire had also taken a book about rashes and skin conditions before she disappeared! The book is fifteen years overdue so she probably has to pay a steep fine!”

“Rashes and skin conditions…” Twilight sat in thought for a moment, “Wait!” Twilight then turned to Spike.  “Spike, the last entry in the journal said something about fire and burning down the cabin, right?”

Spike nodded.

“And Grey Shire rented a book on rashes and skin conditions.” Twilight added with a smile, “Doesn’t that sound familiar.”

Spike’s eyes lit up as he recalled similar symptoms. “You think Runt was Molting?”

“It would make sense.  If he was molting, he would have been belching flame.  I doubt the cabin would last long under those conditions,” Twilight replied.  She still remembered how badly Spike’s room was singed during his first molt.

“So instead he moved out…for Grey Shire’s personal safety,” Spike said as he realized what the journal entry might have said.

“Exactly.  And Grey Shire probably followed him,” Twilight added.

Rarity still remembered the time Spike had his first Molt. The poor dragon had been covered in stone scales and could not stop scratching himself.  She never saw him belch fire in front of her, but had heard other ponies talk about it.  And then there was the smell…something she wanted to forget.  “But doesn’t that mean that Spike and Runt were roughly the same age?” Rarity asked.

“Actually, dragons undergo several Molts.  It’s kind of like a growth spurt,” Spike clarified.

Rarity then looked to Twilight for confirmation.

“Spike and I did some research on it after Spike got his wings.  The number of Molts vary from dragon to dragon.  A small dragon like Ember will probably have two or three.  One as large as Torch will probably have around ten to twenty,” Twilight explained.

Rarity was not thrilled by the idea of having Spike enter another Molt stage.  The first had been hard enough.  Especially since she had nearly been eaten by a Roc because of it.

“So Grey Shire left because Runt was molting?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“She did study herbs and medicines,” Twilight responded, “Maybe she thought she could make a cream to help Runt.”

“Something like the cream Zecora makes,” Rarity added.

“Right!” Twilight replied.

For Spike, the evidence was now starting to make sense. There was just one thing that remained unsolved.  “But if Grey Shire did leave to follow Runt, where did they go?” Spike asked, “Why did they abandon me?”

Twilight looked down at Spike for moment but was unable to come up with an answer.  She then looked to Rarity for help.  Rarity could only shrug in response.  “I don’t know, Spike.  But we will find them.”



To Be Continued…
> Chapter 10: Dragon's Lair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10: Dragon Lair


Spike’s mind seemed to run in circles as he tried to figure out the next step in finding Grey Shire and Runt.  Assuming Runt was undergoing a Molt, it would only have lasted two or three days, just like his own.  But if that was the case, why did they leave him and where did they go?

Spike then started remembering events involving his own Molt.  The Molt had given off a terrible smell that could make any dragon cringe.  Yet at the same time, it also attracted predators. Spike still got chills as he remembered how a Roc had almost caught him.  If not for Twilight, he would have been eaten.  Even worse, Rarity would have fallen victim as well.

Did the same thing happen to his parents?

Spike still clung to the hope they were still alive somewhere.  But the question was where?

Spike was awoken from his thoughts as he heard something drop in front of him.  He looked down to see a large emerald at his feet.

“Spike,” Rarity whispered angrily as she shined the miner’s helmet on him, “Be careful.  We don’t want to wake the bats!”

Spike reached down and picked up the emerald. He then looked up at the ceiling of the cave he was in.  To his relief, the bats were still fast asleep.  However, any loud noise could easily wake them up and send them into a frenzy.  “Sorry, Rarity.  I just got a lot on my mind,” he said as he placed the emerald into the small basket he was holding.

“It’s okay,” Rarity sighed as she saw Spike’s expression. She could only imagine the turmoil that was going on inside Spike’s head.  It had been her hope that if Spike helped her gather some more gems, it would help take his mind off Grey Shire and Runt.

So far, it did not seem to be working.

Rarity returned to work looking for gems.  As she began using a pick to remove a diamond, she wondered what she could do to help Spike.  She could only imagine that the emotions Spike were feeling were like when she almost had driven away her sister, Sweetie Pie.  She wanted to do something to help cheer him up.

As the diamond broke lose, Rarity removed it from the cave wall with her magic.  However, as she did, a faint glimmer of red appeared on the rock underneath. Curious, she levitated the diamond to Spike’s basket and began digging at the spot.  After a little work, she unearthed a fairly large ruby.

Rarity smiled at her find as she pulled it out of the rock face.  Her mind raced with ideas on what she could use the ruby for.  Perhaps something in her Princess Line.  Or maybe she could create her own Fire Emblem collection of garments.

However, as she was about to levitate the ruby to Spike, she began having second thoughts.  In the eyes of a dragon, the ruby would be a wonderful treat.  It wasn’t as exquisite as a Fire Ruby, the shade of it was to light.  But she suspected any dragon would like to get their hands on it.  “Here, Spike,” Rarity said as she levitated the stone to him, “You can have this one.”

The moment Spike looked to Rarity, his eyes shot open in surprise at the ruby.  “Really? Thanks Rarity!” Spike said happily.

“Spike!” Rarity whispered again.

Spike had almost forgotten about the bats. “Sorry,” he then examined the ruby, “But are you sure about this?”

Rarity smiled.  “I think you need it more than I do,” Rarity responded.

Spike was touched by the gift.  He could only imagine that it was hard for Rarity to part with.  However, Rarity had shown several moments of compassion in the past to help others. He was grateful that she was trying to help him forget his worries…at least for the time being.

“That looks like quite the find.  Guess I should have dug there more.”

Spike and Rarity jumped at the familiar voice in the cave.  Rarity turned her helmet down into the deeper part of the cave to see a dragon slowly emerge from the shadows.

Spike smiled as he began to make out the characteristics of the dragon.  “Smolder. What are doing down here.”

Smolder stepped into the light to fully reveal herself. Clutching to her chest with one hand, she carried a few gems she had dug up in the cave.  “Getting some afternoon nourishment of course.”

Rarity looked at the gems in smolder’s hand with concern.  From what she could tell, Smolder had found some that would serve her well in her next line up.

“Take a look at this beauty,” Smolder said as she pulled a deep shaded ruby from her pile.

Rarity’s eyes lit up the next second as she realized what Smolder was holding.  It was a Fire Ruby.  Though only half the size when compared to the one Spike gave her on his birthday, it was still one Rarity thought she could use.  In fact, it would serve her better if she decided to pursue her Fire Emblem idea.  “Um…You wouldn’t be willing to part with that, would you?” Rarity asked.

“Huh? Are you kidding?  This baby will make a great dessert later on,” Smolder replied.

Spike could see Rarity’s interest in the Fire Ruby and quickly decided to help her out.  “Perhaps we can make a trade.  We have a lot of rare gems here,” Spike said as he held up the basket for Smolder to see.

Rarity was a little unsure on the idea of trading some of the gems she mined, but she definitely wanted that Fire Ruby.  She decided to follow Spike’s lead and see what could be offered in exchange.

Smolder took a moment to look at the gems and consider the offer.  “Well…The Emerald and the Aquamarine are to my liking, but…I don’t think so.”

Rarity began to worry she might lose the chance to get the Fire Ruby.  However, she needed most of the gems she found for her next set of clothes.  She couldn’t trade all of them.

Spike could see the worry in Rarity’s eyes, and quickly interjected.  “What about if I throw in this ruby with the emerald.  Will that work?”

“Spike?” Rarity was surprised by Spike’s generosity. She could only imagine it must have been hard for him to part with his gift.

Smolder looked at the ruby Spike had and considered it. She had to admit the ruby was at least twice as large as the Fire Ruby.  Alone, the Fire Ruby would have been the better choice, but the combination of an emerald and ruby did appeal to her.  “All right. You got yourself a deal.”

Spike took the Emerald from the basket and handed both the ruby and emerald to Smolder.  Smolder then handed over the Fire Ruby to Spike.

For a brief moment, Spike took a moment to admire the deep red color of the Fire Ruby.  It reminded him of the Fire Ruby he used to have.  He also remembered the reward when he parted with it.  Spike then turned to Rarity and held it up to her.  “Here you go, Rarity.”

“Oh.  Spike,” Rarity smiled as she placed a hoof over her chest.  After levitating the Fire Ruby out of Spike’s hands, she leaned down and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

Spike blushed as he felt Rarity’s lips on his cheek.

Smolder rolled her eyes in disgust.  “Ugh…I’ll never understand what you two see in each other,” Smolder replied, “I mean why-“ Smolder paused for a second as she sniffed the air around her.  “Wait…Is that?”

Rarity and Spike recognized Smolder’s reaction was similar to the other dragons in the Dragon Lands.  The two looked at each other for a moment, but could see no harm in telling Smolder the truth.  “Spike gave me a Mark,” Rarity said proudly.

Smolder’s eyes shot open and her jaw dropped as she heard this.  “You mean…” she turned and looked at Spike in surprise, “You actually gave her a Mark!?”

“Shh!  The bats,” Rarity cautioned when she thought Smolder was speaking to loudly.

Smolder placed a hand on her mouth and took a moment to look at the ceiling.  Fortunately, the bats only stirred slightly, but did not awake.  Smolder then returned her gaze to Spike.  “So you and Rarity are…”

Spike tapped two of his claws together nervously as he averted his gaze.  “Uh…Yeah.”

Smolder was caught completely off guard by the revelation. She knew Spike and Rarity were close friends.  But a Mark on a pony…It was something never considered in the dragon community. “Wow,” Smolder said in surprise, “This has never happened before.”

“Actually…It might have,” Spike admitted.

Smolder turned to Spike in surprise.

“It’s possible that my mother was a pony named Grey Shire and my father was a dragon named Runt.”

“Runt?” Smolder questioned, “He must have been the smallest of his siblings to have been given that name.”

Rarity decided to jump in.  “We’ve been trying to locate them these past few days.  As best as we can tell, Runt was undergoing a Molt and left Spike’s mother.  The two of them then disappeared fifteen years ago.”

“A Molt, huh,” Smolder paused to consider this. “Well as I told Spike, usually when the Molt occurs, a dragon is kicked out to go off on their own.  Usually they go to start their own horde.”

“But…Runt never had a horde,” Spike replied.

Smolder scoffed at Spike.  “Please.  Every dragon has a horde.  How else would they eat gems?  I’m sure even you have a stash hidden in your room somewhere.”

Spike silently admitted he did.  He had a small cache hidden in one of his drawers back at the castle.  Though it wasn’t a very large collection, it still could be considered his own little horde of gems.

“Would a dragon store anything else other than gems?” Rarity asked.

“Of course,” Smolder replied, “Even I have a few trinkets hidden away.”

Rarity lowered her head in thought.  “I wonder if we can find a clue in Runt’s horde. But where would we look?”

“Normally dragons prefer caves in mountains that are hard to reach or secure,” Smolder then gave a small laugh, “Good luck finding it.”  

Spike silently agreed with Smolder.  Dragons preferred to hide their horde in a hard to reach area or in a secure location.  If Runt lived with Grey Shire, he would have wanted to keep his stash close.

However, now that Spike had time to think about it, he never saw a single gem in Grey Shire’s cabin.  He also remembered how Applejack had said how she and the others had investigated the cabin, but only found a few notebooks in the drawers.  A couple of gems would surely stand out. The only place near the cabin that even had any gems was…

A realization then dawned upon Spike. “RARITY!” Spike shouted, “I KNOW WHERE MY FATHER’S HORDE IS!”

“Spike!” Rarity cried.

“Too late,” Smolder said as she looked at the ceiling.

Spike and Rarity followed Smolder’s gaze to the ceiling to see hundreds of bat eyes angrily staring down at them.  The next moment, the cave was filled with the angry screeches of thousands of bats as they dived down on the three intruders.



X  X  X X  X



“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

After their escape from the gem cave, Rarity and Spike made their way to the Castle of Friendship and gathered all their friends there.  They all met up in the conference room where Spike and Rarity proceeded to tell them that the next clue to finding Grey Shire and Runt might actually be in the gem cave near the cabin.

“Yeah.  Dragons need to eat gems, and the gem cave near the cabin is the closest cave with an abundance of gems,” Spike replied.

“Not to mention that the gems inside are of excellent quality.  I find it hard on how any dragon would pass them,” Rarity added.

“But,” Fluttershy asked, “Weren’t you down there before?”

Rarity nodded, “We were.  But we were looking only for gems at the time.  The cave extends beyond the cavern we were in.”

Applejack considered the idea.  “It is worth a look.  We found nothing at the cabin and all our options in Ponyville are out.”

“But, didn’t you get flooded out last time?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Rarity smiled and looked at Rainbow Dash. “That’s where you come in.”

“If you can clear the area of clouds, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Spike added.

Rainbow gave a smile of confidence at the offer. “Consider it done!  Those clouds won’t know what hit them!”

“THEN LET’S FIND MY AUNT!” Pinkie Pie shouted happily.

Twilight let out a sigh as she heard Pinkie Pie.  She thought about correcting her again, but decided against it.  Grey Shire had at least some relation to Pinkie Pie.  “All right.  Does that mean we all agree to search the Gem Cave?” Twilight asked as she looked around the room.

“Count me in!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“I’ll help Spike,” Fluttershy responded.

“FOR MY AUNT!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“I’m not holding back,” Applejack replied.

Twilight looked to Rarity and Spike next.  The two smiled happily as they saw their friends rally behind them.  Small tears of joy began to form in Spike’s eyes as he heard each pony call out.  With any luck, they would find the next clue that would lead to his parents.



To Be Continued…
> Chapter 11: Little One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 11: Little One.


The ponies and Spike charged with renewed purpose through the Everfree Forest.  Using the old worn path and Rarity as a guide, it did not take them long to make their way back to the ravine where everything had started.

For Spike, the gem cave represented the last chance to finding the answers he sought.  He had to know what happened fifteen years ago that caused his parents to mysteriously disappear.  The thought of never finding out the truth scared him more than anything else.  He did not want to feel like he had been abandoned.  He needed answers.

He needed to see his parents.

As the ponies and Spike reached the edge of the ravine, they all peered down at the condition of the cave.  To their relief, the ravine was now dry and there was no water in the area.  However, if a storm came in, the situation could change rather quickly.

Twilight took a moment to assess the situation in the air.  Though there were some clouds in the sky, she did not think there was a chance of rain. However, Twilight didn’t want to take any chances.  “Rainbow! You’re up!”

“You got it!” Rainbow shouted.  She then launched herself into the air at full speed.  One after the other, the clouds began to disappear quickly as Rainbow Dash kicked each one.  Once most of the clouds had been dealt with, Rainbow flew to a higher altitude and then dove as fast as she could.  She then executed the move that created a Rainboom that covered the entire area.  Whatever clouds that were left quickly dissipated.  Only a pure open sky and a rainbow that trailed behind Rainbow Dash was left.

No matter how many times the other ponies had seen it, the Rainboom still was an inspiring sight to see.  The other ponies could only watch in astonishment as Rainbow Dash performed a feat that only she had managed to perfect.

Rainbow Dash hovered down to the others, gasping for air, but looking mighty proud of herself.  “There!  No clouds within a hundred miles!”

Twilight knew Rainbow was exaggerating, but had earned her right to brag.  “Great job, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied.  She then turned to Spike and Rarity.  “All right.  Time for you to lead us down.”

Spike and Rarity nodded and began to follow the path that led down into the ravine.  As they led the way, both felt a type of nostalgia as they approached the cave entrance. It was kind of unsettling for them since they nearly became trapped in the cave during their last visit.  Rarity was particularly hesitant about entering the cave again.  If not for Spike, she had severe doubts she would have escaped at all.

However, as Rarity took a small glance at Spike who was walking next to her, she felt safe.  She still remembered all the courage and strength Spike had shown that day. Spike had proven to be the bodyguard…no…the prince, who Rarity had searched for all her life.  As long as he was with her, she felt safe.

As they all reached the entrance, all the ponies peered down the stone steps that led inside the cave.  A few jewels decorated the walls of the entrance and even larger ones lay down below.

“So what will we be looking for?” Fluttershy asked as she turned to look at the others.

Applejack pondered the question before answering. “Well…Grey Shire was missing quills in her cabin.  Maybe she brought a notebook with her and left it down there.”

Twilight turned to Spike and Rarity.  “Did you see anything like that when you were down there?”

Spike only shook his head in response.

“No.  But we were only looking for gems at the time.  There might be something further in the cavern,” Rarity replied.

Twilight then looked to the others.  “All right.  Let’s get started,” she said before leading the ponies into the cave. Her horn began to glow and illuminate the way.

Spike examined the tunnel as he moved forward. “This sure brings back memories.”

“Spike.  You will stay by my side, won’t you?” Rarity asked as she walked next to him.

Spike gave a reassuring smile.  “Of course, Rarity.  Stick by me and you’ll have nothing to worry about,” Spike said with strong confidence.

Applejack silently snickered at Spike’s response. She then walked up to his other side. “You will also be protecting me, right Spike?” Applejack teased.

“Huh?” Spike responded as he heard Applejack’s request.

“And me as well,” Flutteshy asked.

Spike was caught off guard by the sudden requests. “Well…That is…” Spike stuttered as he realized the burden he was being asked to perform.  To help three ponies…His wings hurt just thinking about it.

“Don’t forget me,” Pinkie Pie chipped in.

Twilight gave a silent laugh at Spike’s dilemma.  She knew the others were teasing him to ease the atmosphere.  “Don’t worry, Spike.  I’ll help rescue them if something happens.”

“And here I thought we would have our own dragon knight to protect us,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Rarity smiled at how the other ponies teased her poor Spike.  “Sorry girls. But you might need to find your own ‘dragon knight’,” Rarity replied.

“I guess we’ll need more dragons in Ponyville,” Pinkie suggested.

“I suppose so,” Applejack laughed.

Eventually, ponies reached the cavern where Spike and Rarity had been mining.  As they looked around, they saw hundreds of gems decorating the walls.  With the light from Twilight’s horn being reflected off the gems, the room looked like it was being bathed in a rainbow.  The ponies could only stand amazed for a moment as they looked into the cavern.

“This is so beautiful,” Fluttershy commented as she gazed into the cavern.

“I’ve never seen gems this big before,” Twilight replied in awe.

Rarity looked at the gems and began to remember all the costumes she had hoped to create for the talent show.  It had been a shame she had not been able to use the gems for the event.  Still the gems could be used for some other project.  Perhaps on a later date, they could recover what was lost.  For now, she was going to focus her efforts to help Spike.

“Hey! Look over there!” Pinkie Pie cried happily.  She then launched herself forward to a pile of gems located in the center of the room.

“What did you find, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie began to dig into the ground.  “There’s something here!”  Pinkie said as she pushed some gems out of the way.  She then grabbed a strap with her mouth and began tugging.  Whatever it was connected to was too heavy for Pinkie to lift out.

Applejack walked over to Pinkie’s side and began to dig in the area.  After some work, the top part of a bag was revealed encompassing the pile of gems. “Hey, Spike.  Isn’t this yours?”

Spike walked over and examined the strap and the top part of the bag.  “Yeah. That’s the bag I was carrying before Rarity and I escaped.”

“Looks like it got buried when this place got flooded,” Twilight observed.  “Let’s split up and look around.  There might be other things buried around here.”

Applejack nodded in agreement.  “We should probably pair up to be safe.”

Twilight nodded in agreement.  “Good idea.  I want you to pair up with Rainbow Dash.  See if we passed anything or if there are any side tunnels we missed.”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Pinkie and Fluttershy.  I want you to search around the entrance and keep a look out in case something happens outside,” Twilight instructed.

“We’re on it!” Pinky shouted happily.

Twilight then turned to Rarity and Spike.  “The rest of us will explore around this cavern.”

Spike and Rarity nodded in approval.

“If anything happens, give a shout.  And be careful,” Twilight instructed.

All the ponies and Spike nodded to show they understood.  They then split up to begin their assigned tasks.

As Spike and Rarity examined the far end of the cavern, Twilight began to search around the cavern entrance.  Carefully, she looked for anything that looked unusual or out of place.  Perhaps she could find Grey Shire’s satchel.  Maybe the remains of some old books or some draconic runes carved on the wall.

Yet as she searched her area of the cavern, she could not help but feel as if she was looking in the wrong place.  If Rarity and Spike were here last time, they would have surely found something out of the ordinary when they were mining. Should she move further down into the cave and search there?

Twilight quickly pushed the notion aside.  She had to stick together with Spike and Rarity. Journeying deeper into the cave meant she could probably get lost and the search for Spike’s parents would turn into a rescue mission.

But as Twilight looked down the tunnel that led further into the cave, she felt something inside compelling her to move forward.  

Twilight took a moment to look back at Spike and Rarity. The two were working together in digging up an area in the corner of the cavern.  For a brief moment she considered calling them over, but for some reason didn’t.

Twilight knew it was unwise to go alone, but the voice inside continued to push her forward.  She could only assume it was her instincts talking to her.  Should she listen to her feelings?

After a quick debate inside, Twilight concluded that a quick peek further down would do no harm.  She could examine the area further down to get an idea of what to expect and then return to the cavern.  Spike and Rarity would never notice she was missing.

At least that was her reasoning.

Slowly, Twilight walked further down into the cave. As her journey took her further in, she began to realize the scope of searching the whole cave.  Caves like the one she was in could stretch out for miles. It would probably take a few days to find something.

That was assuming there was anything to find.

Twilight could only wonder if whatever evidence they sought had been washed out or destroyed.  If the cave led to another exit, whatever evidence they sought could have been washed out as well.  Still, Twilight clung to the thin ray of hope that there was something down here.

As she rounded a corner in the tunnel, she began to wonder if maybe she should turn back.  To her surprise, she had journeyed further down than she had intended to. Proceeding further was dangerous.

And yet the voice inside her continued to push her on.

She had come this far and had not encountered any danger. She also had not seen any caves that branched off yet.  Against all words of caution, Twilight proceeded forward again.  However, this time she found she did not have to journey far.  

After walking several feet, Twilight found that the tunnel ended.  Based on the rocks, it looked as if the tunnel had collapsed years ago.  There was still some small cracks and openings for water to escape, but nothing large enough for a pony to climb through.

Twilight sighed as she stared at the rock face.

There was no way she could proceed further.  It was best for her to head back to the others before something happened.

And yet she felt compelled to stay.

She felt as if she was missing something and the answers were right in front of her.

Twilight then thought back to Spike’s bag.  After one rain storm, it had been partially buried in the mud.  If there were other items around, they would be buried as well.  But could they survive after fifteen years?

Twilight knew one way to find out.

Taking a moment’s pause, Twilight began to remember the spell Rarity had taught her a long time ago that she used to find gems. In truth, the spell was fairly simple and could be tailored to find other things as well…with some minor tweaking.

After giving it some thought, Twilight configured the spell to detect anything that was not stone or gem.  It would allow her to see past walls and maybe even hidden caverns she could not see normally.

However, as the spell took hold, Twilight let out a scream of fright.



X  X  X X  X



Spike wiped the sweat from his brow in exhaustion. He and Rarity had been digging in various places hoping to find at least some clue to Grey Shire and Runt’s whereabouts. So far, they had no success. “Nothing,” Spike sighed in defeat.

“Keep trying, Spike.  I’m sure we’ll find something,” Rarity cheered him on as she dug off to his side.

Spike knew Rarity was trying to keep his spirits up. However, all he could find were gems. Normally he would be ecstatic about the gems he had unearthed.  But the desire to find out what happened to his parents was overpowering.  He could feel doubt washing over him as he gazed at the empty holes he had dug.  He could only wonder if the others had better luck.

Spike then heard a cry echo throughout the cave.  He recognized the voice almost immediately. “Twilight?” Spike said as he turned to look at the other end of the cavern.  To his surprise, she was not there.

Rarity followed Spike’s gaze at the other end of the cavern.  “Where did she…?”

Spike felt his heart sink when he saw Twilight was no longer among them.  Immediately, he sprung to life and raced forward.  “Come on!” Spike shouted as he led the charge.

Rarity did not hesitate and joined Spike as they entered the tunnel that led further down into the cave.  As she and Spike made their way down, they saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash further in.  Quickly she and Spike raced to join them. 

“That was Twilight wasn’t it?” Applejack asked as Spike and Rarity joined up with her

“Yeah!  She’s in trouble!” Spike replied.  He then led the charge further into the cave.

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash quickly fell into step as they tried to search for their friend.

“What about Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked as she flew over Applejack.

“Right behind you!” Pinkie’s voice echoed in the cave.

Spike did not pause to stop running as he looked behind to see Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy catching up with him and the others.  He let out a sigh of relief knowing that they were safe.  His mind then focused on Twilight as he turned his head to face forward.

Where was she?

Was she in danger?

Did something happen to her?

If something happened to Twilight, Spike was not sure what he would do.  She had been like a sister and mother to him.  He could not stand the thought of losing her.  He only hoped he was not too late.

Fortunately, most of his fears were put to rest as he rounded a corner in the tunnel.  Further down, he could make out the lavender coat of Twilight as she stood facing a dead end.  As he approached her, he could see that her head hung low to the ground and her eyes were closed.

As Spike slowed down to approach her from the side, he could see tears running down her cheeks.  Slowly he placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Twilight?”

Twilight opened her eyes slightly as she looked at Spike in silence.  More tears formed in her eyes as she gazed upon the young dragon.

“What happened?  Are you okay?” Spike asked in concern as he gazed upon her.

Slowly, the other ponies gathered around to make sure no harm had come to their friend.

Twilight found herself torn as she looked at Spike. A part of her did not want Spike to know what she had discovered.  What she now knew could hurt him.  But her desire to uphold her promise to Spike was strong.  She had to tell him the truth.  “Spike…”

Spike remained silent as he looked at Twilight. Anxiously he waited to hear what happened.

It took a few moments for Twilight to steel herself and tell Spike the truth.  “Spike. I…I know what happened,” she cried.

“Huh?” Spike replied in confusion.

Twilight gazed upon the innocence in Spikes eyes, fearing the worst.  “Your parents…” Twilight continued, “They’re here.”

“My parents?  But…where…” Spike said as he stepped back in shock.

Twilight then turned her head in silence as she looked to the center of the rock wall in front of her.

“Wait!  You don’t mean…” Rainbow Dash said in surprise.

Twilight looked up at Rainbow Dash and nodded.

The ponies stood in silence as they comprehended what Twilight was trying to say.  For a brief moment, they gazed upon the wall in front of them in disbelief.  

“But…how?” Fluttershy asked, still in shock after hearing Twilight.

“They must have…become trapped when the cave flooded during a rainstorm,” Applejack responded, still slightly shocked by the revelation.

Rarity felt a dark shiver run up her back as old memories resurfaced.  “Like Spike and I nearly were.”

Spike gazed upon the wall in shock.  After all this time, had he finally found his parents? Were they really buried in the rock face before him?  He could feel tears form in his eyes as he stared forward for a brief moment.  He then turned to Twilight.  “Can I see them?”

Twilight looked at Spike in surprise.  “Spike?”

“I need to see them!”  Spike said with resolve between his tears.

Twilight was torn again in fulfilling Spike’s request. “But…”

“Please.  I’ve been searching for so long.  I need to see them,” Spike begged.

Twilight looked at Spike with concern, unsure what to do.  She then noticed Rarity directly behind Spike.  Silently, she asked Rarity what she should do.

Rarity looked back at Twilight and only nodded in agreement.  Spike needed to see his parents.

Twilight turned her head downward for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.  “All right, Spike.”  She then turned to Rarity again.  “Can you help me with the spell?”

Silently, Rarity stepped up so that she and Twilight were on either side of Spike when they faced the wall.  Rarity’s horn then glowed as she lent her power to help Twilight.

Slowly a distortion began to form in front of the wall. At first, the image rippled and twisted in unknown shapes.  But as the magic took hold, the image began to clear.  All the ponies except Twilight gasped at what they saw.

Hidden inside the wall were the bones of a dragon and a pony encircling each other.  The dragon was somewhat larger than the pony and appeared to be trying to clutch it with its arms.  The noses of the two appeared to be almost touching.

“Is that…” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It’s…It’s Grey Shire and Runt,” Applejack stuttered.

Fluttershy took a moment to study the image before her. “It almost looks like they are hugging each other.”

Twilight tried to steel herself to maintain the magic. “I’m sorry, Spike.”

Spike did not respond as he walked up to the distortion and placed a hand on it.  In his mind, he knew this was the closest he would ever be to his true parents.  As he looked upon them, he searched for the resolve to speak.  “Mom. Dad.  Is that really you?” Spike felt himself choke.  “It’s me, Spike.  I guess you can see I finally hatched.  I’ve always wondered where I came from.  Guess I now know.”  Spike then felt the tears run down his face.  “I just wish…I just wish…” Spike found himself unable to continue as he closed his eyes in sorrow.

“Oh Spike,” Twilight said as she placed a hoof around him and pulled him close.  Spike buried his head in her side and began to cry.

The other ponies could only watch in sorrow as they gazed upon Spike and his true family.

However, the silence was short lived.

Without warning, a small rock broke off from the ceiling and landed down at the corner of the wall.  The ponies broke their gaze with Spike and looked in the general direction.

“What was that?” Applejack said as she slowly walked to the corner to investigate.  As she neared the area, she saw a piece of cloth sticking out of the ground.  “Huh?  Hey! There’s something here!”

“What did you find?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack began digging in the area for a few moments before grabbing a strap with her mouth.  With a strong tug, she yanked out a satchel that was covered in mud and worn down.

“Wait,” Rarity said in surprise, “Is that Grey Shire’s satchel?”

“But what’s covering the edge of the flap?” Fluttershy asked.

Applejack set the satchel down and examined the tan substance on the satchel.  The substance covered the entire edge of the flap, preserving the contents inside. “It’s wax,” Applejack responded. She then looked to Twilight. “Should I open it?”

Twilight looked down at Spike who only watched in silence.  She then turned back to Applejack and nodded.

With a little effort, Applejack managed to break the seal and open the satchel.  Inside she found three notebooks, a candle, some quills, a bottle of ink, and a letter near the bottom.  Applejack reached for the letter first and pulled it out.

“What’s it say?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack looked at the letter and then to the little dragon.  “It’s for Spike.”

Spike rubbed the tears from his face as he looked to Applejack.  “For me?”

Applejack carried the letter over to Spike and handed it to him.  Spike held the letter up so he could read it:



Please give this letter to the egg in Princess Celestia’s care.



It took only a moment for Spike to realize that the letter meant his egg.  Knowing the message was from his mom, Spike quickly, but carefully, opened the letter. The paper was tanned yellow, but the words were legible.  Slowly, Spike began to read the last message his mother had sent him.



My Dearest Little One:

It is my one wish that this letter finds its way back to you.  I had hoped to see you, but I fear that I will not make it.  But I wanted you to know this.  You were born from the love of a pony and a dragon.  But when I brought you into the world, you did not hatch.  I thought I had done something wrong.  I did not want to lose you, so I asked Princess Celestia for help.  I wonder now if I should have told them the truth, but I feared I would lose you and Runt if I did.  Please forgive me.  I hope you will find happiness with your new family and I ask that you make lots of friends. Your father and I both love you. You will always be our special Little One.

Grey Shire



Spike felt tears roll down his face as he read the letter. After reading it, he took the letter and hugged it against his body.  His mind echoed with the last messages in the letter.

His parents loved him.

They had wanted to be with him.

He was their special Little One.

Spike then looked back at his parents in the wall. “I forgive you, Mom.  You too, Dad.  And I’ve made a lot of friends,” he cried.  He then turned and faced the ponies who stood behind him.  “And this…This is my family.”  He then pointed to Applejack.  “This is Applejack.”

Applejack nodded “Howdy.”

“Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy gave a small bow.

“Pinkie Pie.”

“Hi Aunt Grey Shire,” Pinkie Pie said as she gave a small wave.

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Hi,” Rainbow Dash waved as she hovered in the air.

Spike then stood by Rarity’s side.  “This is Rarity,” he said.  ”I guess you could say the two of us are together.”

Rarity smiled down at Spike and then turned to face Spike’s parents.  “It’s my pleasure to finally meet you.”

Spike then went to Twilight’s side.  “This is Twilight.  She’s the one who’s been taking care of me.”

Twilight smiled down at Spike with tears in her eyes. She then looked toward Spike’s parents. “Spike has been a great help to me as well.  I’m sure you would be very proud of him.”

Spike then turned back to his parents.  “They’ve treated me well and I’m lucky to have them,” his voice cracked, “I just wish…I just wish…” 

Twilight placed a hoof around Spike and pulled him close to her.  Spike slowly steadied himself as he gazed once more upon his parents.  After a few moments, he found the resolve to continue.

“I’m going to miss you Mom.  You too, Dad,” Spike cried, “Goodbye.”

Spike then turned to Rarity and Twilight and nodded to show he was done.

Twilight nodded in response and cut the magic to the distortion on the wall.  Slowly, the image of Spike’s parents faded away.

As the image disappeared, Spike looked to the ground. His emotions were in a whirlwind. After so long, he was happy he had finally found his family, but saddened for their loss.  All he could do was remain still.

Twilight pulled Spike close to her body.  “We are here for you, Spike.”

“All of us,” Rarity continued as she joined the embrace next.

Slowly, the other ponies joined in the embrace.  Though the loss of his parents could never be replaced, the warmth from Spike’s family would help him heal.  He was not alone.  He had not been abandoned.

He had been loved.



X  X  X X  X



As night descended upon the Castle of Friendship, Spike found himself sitting in his bed looking at the only picture he had of his mother.  Despite her rugged looks, there was a beauty to her.  He just wished he could hear her voice at least once.

Spike was awoken from his thoughts the next moment by a knock on his door.  He turned around to see Twilight at the doorway.  Hovering next to her was a scroll.

“Hi Spike.  Are you doing okay?” Twilight asked.

Spike nodded.  “I was just looking at my mom.”

Twilight approached Spike and looked over his shoulder at the picture he was holding.  “You know…” Twilight began, “I think you have her eyes.”

“Huh?  Really?” Spike asked.  His hand went up and rubbed the area just above his right eye.

“Yeah.  Maybe the rest of you came from your dad,” Twilight teased.

“I suppose,” Spike said mournfully, “Unfortunately there is no picture of him.”

“I suppose not, but…” Twilight used her magic to bring the scroll over to Spike.  “I think you might want to see this.”

Spike reached up for the scroll and unrolled it. The image on the scroll was of a dragon rune.  “Huh? What’s this?

“Ember sent me a picture of Runt’s rune,” Twilight explained.  “It turns out Runt was not an Exile.”

“He wasn’t?” Spike asked surprised.

“Nope.  He was in a dragon migration that got hit by a storm.  They never found him afterward,” Twilight explained.

Spike placed a hand on the dragon rune.  “Mom must have found him and nursed him back to health.”

Twilight smiled.  “What your mother did was very brave.  She was probably the first pony to make friends with a dragon.”

Spike felt a deep sense of pride as he heard this.  He wished he could tell them he was proud to have them as his parents now that he knew the truth.

“Also, Ember told me she placed Runt’s dragon rune with yours and created one for Grey Shire in the records hall,” Twilight added.

“Really?” Spike said happily.

“Yep.  Everyone will now know you were the son of a pony and a dragon,” Twilight replied.

Spike smiled happily as he thought about the idea.  He then held the picture of Grey Shire next to the rune of his father, Runt.  He still remembered how they embraced each other in their final moments.

“You should probably get some rest now.  We got a long day ahead of us,” Twilight said.  A mischievous smile then spread across her face. “I think Rarity also said she wanted to spend some time with you.”

Spike blushed as he heard this.  “Yeah.  You’re probably right.”

Twilight assisted Spike into getting under the covers of his bed.  She then placed a kiss on the top of his head.  “Sweet dreams, Spike.”  She then turned and began to exit the room.

“Twilight.”

Twilight turned to face Spike.

“Thank you…For everything,” Spike smiled.

Twilight smiled happily back at Spike. “Goodnight, Spike.”  Twilight then used her magic to shut off the lights and close the drapes.

As Twilight left, Spike curled up in his bed and placed the picture of Grey Shire and the scroll of Runt’s dragon marking next to him. “Goodnight, Mom and Dad.”  Slowly he felt his eyes grow heavy as he fell into a deep sleep.

Yet moments before he fell asleep, he thought he heard a gentle voice being carried on the wind outside.

“Goodnight, Little One.”



The End.