Ch.12: Saving Spike's and Skyress' Hearts
A short while later, Garble, Salamence, and the rescue team spotted Winsome Falls and the cave at its outskirts. They then looked down to see the other dragons and their guardians there as well.
"There they are," Garble said before turning to Rarity who's riding on his back. "You sure you wanna do this?"
"And you?" Salamence asked, turning to Taylean on his back.
"You said that the ones they love can save him, didn't you?" Rarity answered. "Well, they're in love with us, and we didn't really break their hearts in the first place. Besides…I love Spike too…"
"And I love Skyress as well…despite our age difference," Taylean added.
"Well, that age difference part won't be a problem," Garble explained. "I forgot to mention: Even if you do heal their broken hearts before adult Spike and adult Skyress, he won't return to his original age. They'll stay at the age they're at now and start their usual aging rate from there."
"Will it affect who they are on the inside?" Taylean asked with a bit of concern.
"No, no matter what age they are now," Salamence answered, "they'll still be them on the inside." Rarity and Taylean then nodded with relief and determination.
"Then let's do it!" Rarity cried. Garble and Salamence then flew down to the ground with the others behind him.
At the party at ground level, Dai, Metagross, Hawktor, and Rad looked up to see their leaders flying towards them. With a nod to one another, the dragons started to tap their tails in rhythm, as did Hawktor with his wings and Metagross gently with his foot. The rest but Spike and Skyress noticed the rhythm; it was a sign that Garble and Salamence are back and to get ready. Bulldoze and Tyranitar then turned to Spike, who's now only half an inch taller than Rarity if one is to count the horn, and Skyress, who's now just half an inch shorter than Taylean if one counts his mask.
"Hey, guys!" Bulldoze said. "Garble's back."
"Us and the guys need to get something," Tyranitar added, "so why doncha go greet 'em?"
"Sure thing, guys," Spike replied, and he walked off to welcome their leaders with Skyress on his shoulder. With their backs turned to them, the other five dragons and their guardians quickly made their way to behind the large pile of gems.
"Hey, Garble," Spike said to the other teenage dragon as he landed before him, Rarity hiding behind his back.
"Hey, Salamence," Skyress said to the blue dragon as he landed beside Garble, Taylean hiding under his wings. "Where were ya?"
"Just had to pick up someone for ya," Garble answered.
"Really? Who?" Spike asked. To answer his question, Rarity and Taylean stepped out from behind Garble and Salamence, a straight but hurtful look on their faces. Spike and Skyress' eyes flashed with shock before anger filled them at the sight of their former crushes.
"YOU!" they roared, spreading their wings and preparing to attack. Before they could charge out at them, ropes lassoed around them: two around each wrist; one around each neck; and one around each pair of wings.
"What is this?!" Spike roared before seeing that the lassos came from the other dragons and guardians.
"What are you guys doing?" Skyress yelled. Garble and Salamence then lashed their tail under their Rookie Dragon's feet to knock him onto the ground and make Skyress stumble as well.
"Sorry, guys," Salamence said as the dragons and guardians held them down onto their back with the ropes. "But this is for your own good." Spike and Skyress just glared up at him and Garble with raging fury.
"YOU TRICKED US!" Spike roared. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUR REAL FRIENDS!"
"WE TOLD YOU WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THEM!" Rarity simply went up to Spike, fighting back the tears in her eyes at the gray dragon before her, as Taylean went up to Skyress, also fighting back his tears when he saw the gray phoenix before him.
"Spike…"
"Skyress…"
"Just go away, Rarity," Spike spatted, gritting his teeth. "You deserve a way better guy than me, someone the same age as you."
"Same with you, Taylean," Skyress spatted at him. "I don't deserve someone like you who's older than me."
"You think we care if you're younger than us or not?" Rarity replied. "Discord and Razenoid tricked you, Spike."
"And they tricked you as well, Skyress," Taylean added. "You don't need to be older or a Pony or a ninja to win us over."
"You're the sweetest, most generous, and most caring dragon I know…"
"And you're the kindest, most selfless, and most understanding phoenix I know…"
"And they're all we need to…to love you back!" Rarity and Taylean finally said in unison. Before Spike and Skyress could reply, the Unicorn and ninja pressed their lips into theirs, tears freely flowing down their faces.
As he and Rarity kissed, Spike saw his memories of the two of them flash through his mind: the day they met; him helping her with her fashion designs; her giving him a gem for helping her gather some gems; him hugging her in the Diamond Dogs' underground lair; her thank-you kiss to him for giving her his Fire Ruby; her smile to him when she stopped him from completing his love confession to her…
As she and Taylean kissed, Skyress saw her memories of the two of them flash through her mind: the day they met; her helping him with his fashion designs; him giving her a sunflower full of seeds for helping him gather some flowers for the fashion designs; him hugging her in the Diamond Dogs' underground lair when she got kidnapped alongside Rarity; his thank-you kiss to her for giving him her Aerial Scarf; his smile to her when he stopped her from completing her love confession to him…
As they recalled their memories, Skyress and Spike's colors began to return to normal. Surprised, the dragons and their guardians let go of the ropes, allowing Spike to place his hand on Rarity's cheek and return the kiss and allowing Skyress to wrap her wing around Taylean's neck and kiss him back. When they're full color again, Rarity and Taylean pulled away from them slowly, allowing their lovers to open their eyes at them.
"Rarity," Spike said to her sadly, "I'm so sorry, I…"
"No, I should be sorry, Spike," she stated with a smile. "I should have told you how I felt sooner." Spike smiled at her as he stood up and Skyress wrapped both wings around Taylean.
"Taylean, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed. "I shouldn't have…oh, I'm so sorry!"
"Shh…" he said, hugging her in comfort. "I am the one who should apologize, Skyress. I should've have told you how I felt. I'm just so happy to have gotten you back." Skyress just smiled at him tearfully as he helped her up.
"Whoa!" Spike cried, looking at his wings and flapping them. "I got wings now!" Skyress then looked herself over as well.
"Uh, why do I have knife-feathers like that albino peacock from Kung Fu Panda?" she asked, holding up her wings with shock.
"It's all thanks to the Dragonheart Broken, bro," Haze said as he and Smokes helped Spike remove the ropes.
"And the Phoenixheart Broken," Hydreigon added as he and Ingram helped Skyress remove her own ropes.
"Dragonheart Broken?" the confused Spike asked.
"Phoenixheart Broken?" asked the also confused Skyress.
"We'll explain later," Twilight answered.
"But right now," Drago added, "we have to go help the Princess and Lady." With a nod, the rescue team made their way into the cave, its dragon allies and their guardians right behind it.
