Disclaimer! I do not own anything from MLP! However, the only thing I can lay claim to is the "King of the Dragons", Zermilion. He is a character I created for a Novella I am working on. Figured I would simply throw some spice and have him implemented into the MLP world! I hope you guys enjoy this story…. After my first Crossover with MLP, some weird ideas just kept popping up in my noggin, and I had to get them out… SO! Without further ado! My Little Hatchling!
Chapter Three: The Diary, and the Dragoness.
Twilight stayed locked up inside the Library, her crying could be heard just outside of it, for a whole day. Rarity was the first to arrive, hearing her friend's crying while she was passing by, showing off her newest outfit. The white unicorn slowly walked up to the door, and knocked on to it with her hoof. "Twilight? Sweetie? Is everything alright?" She asked, trying to see inside, but the blinds were closed.
"N-No!" She heard Twilight say, in between her tears.
"Oh, darling, what's wrong? Did you ruin another good book again? If so, I bet I can fix it." Rarity said, trying to convince her friend to come to the door.
"I-It's not about a book! H-H-He's gone!" She cried out, before suddenly starting an even louder sobbing sound.
"Oh, who's gone, darling? That doll of yours?" Rarity asked, trying to figure out the problem. "I'm sure, if he's around there, Spike-Wikey-" The moment she mentioned Spike's name, the crying suddenly got far worse, and that is when it struck her. "Wait…. Don't… Don't tell me." Her eyes suddenly widen, a tear threatening to form. "Oh, darling! Open this door, sweetie!" She called out, hoping to get her to open the door.
Unfortunately, this didn't happen. Rarity had to go and find the others to help her convince Twilight to open the door. Fortunately for her, it was their upbeat friend, Pinkie Pie, she came across first. "Oh, Pinkie, darling! Something terrible has happened!"
Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped, looking at her friend. "Oh? Did someone steal all the cupcakes and cakes from the bakery!?" The pink earth pony asked, before grabbing her mane and screaming.
"Uh… No dear, something worse…." Rarity, wondering how that could be a bad thing.
Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped, and leap up. "Oh? That's good… Well, what is the matter then?" She asked, tilting her head. "What could be worse than someone stealing all the cupcakes and cakes?" She asked, rather confused.
"Just go to Twilight's house, and wait outside, sweetie. I have to get the others." Rarity said, before galloping off. "Wait for the rest of us before going in, ok!" She asked, the pink earth pony, curious now, nodded.
Pinkie Pie nodded, and zoomed off, with Rarity hoping that the party pony actually listens to her about this. Continuing on her search, the fashionista comes across a familiar yellow pegasus, leading a group of ducks away from time. "That's it, one behind the other, careful now." Fluttershy said, meekly, as she led the ducks to a nearby pond, walking backwards. "Don't want anyone to get left behind now, do we?" The pegasus mare smiled at them.
"Fluttershy, darling! There's trouble at the library." Rarity said, trotting up to the mare, while the ducks suddenly stopped.
Fluttershy stopped, her ears poking up, and looked at Rarity. "Oh my, what happened?" She asked, placing a hoof over her muzzle.
"It's our dear friend, Twilight… Please, go to the library, and wait for me to come back with the others." Fluttershy nodded, and carefully flew towards the library without much convincing. "Two down, two to go… Now, hopefully Rainbow Dash and Applejack are together. That will make this a much easier task to handle." With that, the fashionista trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres.
-Sometime Later-
The gang had gathered at the Library door, all wondering why Rarity had them gather for some sort of emergency. Before Rainbow Dash could blurt out what they were all thinking, the fashionista knocked on the door with her hoof. "Twilight, darling, its Rarity again… Can we come in? I'm sure talking about it will help."
The door suddenly glowed, clicking of the door unlocking following, before it opened. The group walked in, to find that the library was a complete mess! They all gasped, not believing that their friend would allow such a thing, unless she was in some great distress. When the sound of sniffling caught their attention, and went up to Twilight's room. When they entered, they found their friend laying on her bed, reading a diary between her hooves and wiping a tear with her hoof.
"Twi? Everythin' alright?" Applejack asked, the five walking into her room, looking around for a moment. "Where is-!" Before she could ask, Rarity put a hoof over the farm pony's mouth, shaking her head and shushing her. It was pretty obvious that asking that question was a sore subject.
Rarity walked over, smiling at their friend. "Twilight… What are you reading?" She asked, noticing the diary was purple and green, reminding her of the little baby dragon they knew.
"I-Its Spike's diary…" Twilight wiped a tear away from her eyes, turning to the last page. "If only I knew he had these thoughts, if only I found this diary sooner." She shook her head, trying to stop the thoughts before looking at them. "Spike has gone to the Dragon Mountains… He wants to find himself. He believes to be a threat to all of Ponyville, after that incident with his greed… He also." She looked at the last entry, not believing that she couldn't see the signs. "He didn't feel like he belonged with us, he was too different."
The girls all gasped at the revelations, looking at one another, before Rarity spoke up. "Darling, doesn't he know the Dragon Mountains are a very dangerous place? Even for a full grown dragon…. Those that live there, are much older than the ones that hang around Everfree Forest, or even that one which tried to nap near Ponyville." Rarity said, remembering what she was taught in her geography class back in school. "He'll be pushed around, and bullied, by all those dragons."
Twilight nodded. "I know… Though, Princess Celestia told him that this is his journey, that she supports him." Her horn lit up, and a note slowly floated over. "That I would also support him… But I'm finding it so hard to do so, he's been like my own… My own…" The word caught in her throat, and she couldn't believe that she was actually going to say it.
An orange hoof placed itself over Twilight's hoof, making her look up to see the rest of her friends all surrounded her bed. "It's alright, Twi… We all know ya treated Spike like he was yer little apple. None of us said anythin' because we believed it wasn't our place ta say." Applejack said, the others nodding.
Twilight looked at her friends, and smiled back at them, just before a thought crossed her mind. "But… What are we going to do about Spike? I mean, he's off on his own, heading to probably the most dangerous place in Equestria, without a clue!" She said, panicking a bit.
"Then we simply go get him! Not like he has to go now, he doesn't have all the facts, and he's still just a baby dragon!" Rainbow Dash said, floating up. "When we get him ready, then he can go."
The others nodded, Twilight smiling at them. "Alright then, let's go get Spike!" She announced, the group rushing out the door… Though, the Princess rushed right back, and locked the door and rushed back to her friends.
-Everfree Forest, three days later-
Spike was seriously rethinking this whole "Journey to Find Myself" Quest, as he ran through the Everfree Forest, a pair of Timberwolves hot on his scaly tail! "Why does this always happen to me!" He yelled out, ducking under tree roots and branches, even barreling through a bush.
The Timberwolves had been chasing him since early that morning, the wooden predators stumbling upon the baby dragon while out on an early morning hunt. They tried to sneak up on him, but the baby dragon was familiar with the scent of their terrible breath and woke up. Now, he was on the run and the large creatures were gaining on him, fast. The lead one of the two slowly got closer, and closer, opening its large maw and showed the wooden teeth, filed to an edge.
However, neither party noticed that the forest had completely disappeared, changed to an ash gray dirt and rocks. The moment the lead Timberwolf went to bite down on Spike, a massive roar echoed around them, and scared the ever living daylights out of the Timberwolves. They both jumped, and skidded to a halt, along with Spike. The three looked up, at the massive entrance to some mountain canyon, and a pair of Dragon-like statues standing guard. But what caught their attention, was the group of Dragons perched on the mountain side, three of the seven looking directly at them.
Spike looked at the large dragons, then looked back at the Timberwolves, that were simply staring up at the much larger predators. "Looks likes you guys chased the wrong baby dragon." He grinned, the two wolves looking down at him before growling.
Before they could do anything, however, an orange dragon slammed behind Spike and let out a fearsome roar. "Back off, toothpicks!" She bellowed, making the Timberwolves yelp and sprint back into the Everfree Forest, the dragon looking down at Spike. "What were you thinking, Hatchling? That place is far too dangerous for you."
Spike looked up at her, tapping his index claws together. "I-I had to, in order to get here and all. Crossing the Everfree Forest was the only way I could make it." He simply said, not looking up at the older dragoness. He could tell she wasn't a teenager, like the ones he ran into during the Great Dragon Migration, she was much larger and her voice was far more matured.
The dragoness just looked at him, and shook her head. "Where are your parents, hatchling? Did you fall off your mother's back on the way back here?" She asked, looking down at him.
Spike went wide eyed, starting to sweat at the question. "W-Well… I never really knew my… Parents, to be honest, ma'am. I was raised in." He rubbed the back of his head, moving his green spines up and down as he did. "In Equestria?" He grinned at her.
The dragoness was taken back by what he just told her, placing a claw over her heart. "Y-You were raised… In one of the Pony Kingdoms?" She gave him a scowl, the baby dragon giving a nod. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Come on, let's get you something to eat…" The dragoness turned around, and walked back towards the canyon of the mountains
Spike tried to keep up with the larger dragon, her steps proving to be quite the for him. "Wait, I was told those of the Dragon Mountains hate the ponies of Equestria, and it is rare for them to allow anyone from there to enter their home." Spike asked, the Dragoness suddenly picking him up, with her tail, and placed the baby dragon on to her back.
"Because it is one of the Laws around here… Any Dragon seeking shelter, or a home, is always welcomed within the Dragon Mountains. They are to be treated like they were born here, regardless of where they're from." The Dragoness answered, glancing back at him. "A pony, however? Is another story. If one is to enter here, we are to run them out, unless they are a princess… Even then, it would be a stretch for them to stay here."
"Whoa... Is that something the King of Dragons passed down?" Spike said, smiling at the chance of possibly meeting the legendary dragon himself… Before something hit him. "Oh, I almost forgot… My name is Spike, by the way."
"Seelia." The dragoness said, opening her wings and flying up to the third level of the canyon. "And yes, it was… But no one has seen the old man in many years, some believe he's dead." Seelia landed on a ledge, where a pile of gems sat. "Here, this pile is for any hatchling that wants something to eat, take your pick." Spike nodded, as the dragoness placed him on the ground.
He sat next to the pile, and picked up a ruby. "So… If he's not around anymore, why do the dragons still follow laws he probably placed over a thousand years ago?" Spike asked, as the dragoness laid down behind him.
"Because it is out of respect, hatchling… He was our first leader, and none question his authority. It kept us safe, and others away. There are even rules about those trying to take power, and claim his crown… None but the King, Zermilion, may claim it." Seelia answered.
Spike stopped chewing on the ruby, and looked up at her. "That's his name? The book never covered it…" The hatchling looked down at the pile of gems, thinking about it.
"You learned of the King through a book?" Seelia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Y-Yeah… The pony that raised me was both a librarian along with the favorite student of Princess Celestia." Spike answered, earning an even more of a raised brow from the older dragoness. "While she was out, helping her friends, I found a book on Dragons, that spoke of him. But, since no one but the Princess has ever seen him, for real… He was labeled a Myth."
The dragoness gave a nod at his explanation. "Understandable… I mean, if you haven't seen something, especially something that happened many life times ago, even to those like us long lived dragons, one would put such a thing down as a myth." Seelia explained, smiling at him. "So, what brings you to the Dragon Mountains?"
Spike smiled up at. "I wanted to find out more about what other Dragons were like, and hopefully either to find my parents or find out more about myself." He said, before suddenly frowning. "Along with… Moving away from my home, after an incident that involved letting my greed go out of control. I about hurt those very close to me, and was afraid of doing something like that again."
Seelia looked at the baby dragon, she could see the hurt in his eyes. "I see… I'm sorry to hear that, Spike." Seelia frowned, shrugging her shoulders. "And it sounds like a good quest, nothing like trying to find out who you are and all. After all, you can't really figure out your destiny, until you do… At least, that is what I was taught."
Spike gave a nod. "Yeah, it is also what I learned back in Ponyville… And how ponies earn their cutie marks."
"Cutie what?" Seelia asked, raising an eyebrow.
Oh boy… Spike is going have to explain a lot, it seems.