Upheaval: Reckoning
Chapter 40: Seethe Scale and Lanfadora
For all the decades she had spent hunting down dragons, Seethe Scale had always relied on one trait they shared as a race; their utter unsociability. Though they tolerated the rare gathering of large numbers of their own kin, dragons were naturally suspicious of one another, and would not stand for living anywhere within miles of another dragon's lair. This made hunting down and killing them much easier. Even alone, dragons were a powerful lot; possessing a wide array of ways to hurt and destroy. But Seethe Scale could always count on the fact that they would never have any help. Even the Draco'dim, despite being a group, only came together for extremely rare situations, and it was never more than two at a time.
Standing within this gigantic cavern now, Seethe Scale could only count herself, and the rest of Equestria, lucky that this was the case. A unified dragon assault could easily tear through a realm, leaving only fire and ashes in its wake. Yet, here she was with four prominent dragons outside the Draco'dim, seemingly about to do something that might lead to that end. But the prince asked her to do this, and she will see it through to the end. She surveyed the cavern, taking note of each dragon that had defied its instinctual distrust of its kin just to be here. They were so deep into the mountain that no light penetrated this cave, making her rely on her darkvision.
First was Himfadora, the envy dragon who helped bring this group together. She perched on top of a great stalagmite, her long, sinuous tail coiling around it. To her right was Nazhadar, a sloth dragon, and nearly her opposite in every way. While Himfadora was sleek and long, Nazhadar was compact and heavily built. She glowered over the others from her perch while he huddled into his niche within the rock. Her crest rose proudly, running from her head, down her spine, and to the tip of her tail. The thick, bony plates that covered him from snout to tail made him seem part of the mountain. Even in the light, they were the same color as stone. Sloth dragons were often derided by the rest of their kin as strongly resembling turtles. They would have taken umbrage over such a derogatory remark, if they didn't think it was too much of a bother to do so.
Across the cavern from Himfadora was Drezhadar, perhaps the oddest one to be involved in this meeting. It was common enough knowledge among dragons that not every pride dragon supported the Draco'dim, but to find one who actually wished their destruction was rare indeed. Drezhadar's smaller size in comparison to the rest of the dragons sharing the cavern with him spoke much of his youth. What he lacked in size, however, he made up for with sheer arrogance. As was the typical pride dragon feature, his enormous four horns curved around each other to crown him. They made it remarkable that he could keep his neck straight. Even through darkvision, there was a gleam about his scales that promised splendor if seen in the light. This was not the first time Seethe Scale had encountered Drezhadar, and she knew of the pride dragon's golden scales. Even now, they seemed to demand that everyone's attention should be given to him, and he held himself so confidently that he appeared on the same level as Himfadora despite sitting on the floor.
And, of course, there was Seifralhadar. Even mentally, Seethe Scale used that name for him this time. Spike, the dragon who lived among ponies was not needed today. Today, he needed to be the last surviving hatchling of Reinfadora, the heir to Drellhadar's works and, most of all, Prince Terrato's agent within the dragons. She looked towards the dragon in question. Seifralhadar was just a few feet behind her, taking shelter behind a large rock. Seeing him for the moment made it difficult not to have some sort of sympathy. Seifralhadar was no picture of determination. He looked barely able to even stay in this cavern with so many other dragons, let alone to stand among them.
As if to further mock Seifralhadar, he was now also surrounded by several small, blue-green butterflies. They fluttered around him with their brightly luminescent wings as if he was the most tantalizing flower in all of Equestria, occasionally alighting upon him with impunity. These were the fearsome guardians of Drellhadar's laboratory. Indeed, they were the only occupants of that desolate hole in the ground. Seethe Scale had expected something…more sinister, something more fitting for all the stories of the monstrous Drellhadar. She would have been completely disappointed, but, while these butterflies looked harmless, there was certainly an air of mystery around them. For one thing, she couldn't count them properly. They seemed to "wink" in and out of existence as they fluttered around. As far as she could tell, there were around three or four of them. They also completely refused to leave Seifralhadar despite his, and her, best efforts. For the two days after that visit, they stayed by him, never needing any food or rest. They evaded claw and tail swipes with remarkable ease, and followed him everywhere. Seifralhadar had suggested dragon fire in desperation, but she cautioned against it. Who knows what might happen if these things, these creations of Drellhadar, were attacked with flames?
"Everyone is here," Seethe Scale told her charge. "It's time to begin."
Seifralhadar looked at her, eyes still trusting despite all that has happened, and then swallowed. He steeled himself and put on a brave face even though his legs shook. After a few more seconds of composing himself, he slowly began to emerge from his hiding place.
For Spike, the past few days have been the most bizarre yet in his time with Seethe Scale. What he had hoped would be a journey into becoming stronger for his friends had turned into this complicated foray into his kind's world. Not only that, he was going to enter it through, what he felt, was the most dangerous way possible. The other dragons loomed over him from different directions. No matter where he looked, he found armor-plated scales, poison stingers, slashing claws, and rows and rows of pointed teeth. What was he supposed to do before such mighty creatures?
He had hoped to be surer after he visited Drellhadar's laboratory; surer of his identity, and surer of his purpose here. Instead, he left that place disappointed. He had expected something like Twilight's laboratory back home, with oddly shaped bottles left and right, as well as a mountain of books he can go over to learn more about the dragon. He had even hoped against all odds that Drellhadar would have some kind of journal which would mention him. Instead, he was faced with an expanse of crystal. Everything, from the floor, to the walls, and to the ceiling, was of the same material. His darkvision didn't allow for color, but he could tell that the place would have been enough to make Rarity faint, and possibly foam at the mouth. Enormous spires of them jutted out of the ground in great formations that reminded him of snowflakes. As beautiful as the place was, however, it was also empty.
At least, save for the butterflies.
Spike had no idea where these things had come from. When he first entered the laboratory, he was terrified of meeting the guardians that supposedly still patrolled it. His mind conjured images of animated, dragon-shaped, stone statues, and monstrous skeletons of unknown creatures. He had encountered no such things. Instead, after he had left the laboratory, he was surrounded by these butterflies. He could only guess that these were the deadly guardians of Drellhadar's laboratory, and their persistence in hanging around him was indicative of his identity as Drellhadar's son. Why his father picked butterflies to guard the laboratory was a mystery. Either these creatures's graceful, fluttering forms disguised their immense true power, or Drellhadar may well be the one dragon Fluttershy wouldn't be scared of.
"Everyone is here. It's time to begin."
Seethe Scale's words put an end to Spike's speculations, throwing him back once more to the terrifying situation he was about to deal with. Just one of the dragons gathered in the cavern could crush him with a step. Still, he put on as brave a face as he could, and stepped forward. Seethe Scale walked by his side as he presented himself before the gathered dragons.
"This is the one I have been talking about," Himfadora said. "Look! Even now, Drellhadar's creations circle him in recognition. He is truly the last son of Reinfadora!"
"Bah!" Nazhadar said with a snort. His voice rumbled and echoed within his barrel-like chest. With his eyes closed, it was as if he was talking in his sleep. "All I smell is a hatchling. What can we do with him? The Draco'dim will need but one look to double over laughing."
"If they do that, then I'll start killing them while they're distracted," Drezhadar said with a snap. He looked over to Himfadora. "This is a dangerous gathering you have set up. I'm listening, but you better have more than just butterflies to prove that we can stand behind this hatchling as the dragon queen's heir."
"Crush him then," Himfadora said with a sneer.
"What?" Spike cried out. "Hold on! Wa-!" Spike looked to Seethe Scale at first, to see if she would protect him. The kirin didn't look as if she even heard the exchange. He decided to run for it. He was done with this cave and these dragons. He was going to run, all the way to the Heartland if he had to. Drezhadar suddenly drew himself to full height. With one final glance behind him, Spike turned and started to run as fast as his legs could carry him.
He got about a single step forward when a heart-crushing wave of dread slammed into him. He gasped once, and tried to clutch his chest, only to find that his body rigid and rooted to the spot. He couldn't even turn his eyes.
"Pride dragon aura of fear," Spike heard Himfadora say behind him. "Impressive control for someone so young."
Spike couldn't tell if the kirin said anything else. His heart hammered in his ears so loudly that he felt his skull was about to burst. He felt a bit of a draft from Drezhadar raising a claw. He would have closed his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn't move.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Spike noticed the strangest thing he had seen yet since he came to the Western Barrier Land, and he had been exposed to a lot of strange things. One of the butterflies fluttered in front of him, its wings bathed in a steadily intensifying glow. His eyes watered, but he still couldn't close them. The brightness seared away his darkvision, leaving only a painful field of blue-white. The light flashed, and then flew from the creature, like a spell from a unicorn.
Drezhadar's pained roar shook the cavern violently. After a moment, Spike found himself able to move again. His first instinct was to shut his eyes, and press his claws softly against his eyelids in agony, but fear of another attack from Drezhadar left him scrabbling against the stone floor. He felt a claw, Seethe Scale's, grab him by the spines on his head, and then turn him around forcefully.
"Relax," Seethe Scale said in her pitiless tone. "It's over."
What felt like a minute passed until Spike's darkvision recovered. His heart continued to pound and his legs wobbled, forcing him to balance himself with his tail. When the commotion both in the cave and within him had died down, the butterflies had gone back to just circling him. Drezhadar had hunkered down on the floor, cradling his smoking right claw with his left one. He walked over warily back to Seethe Scale, but, as he was about to hold out and grab a hank of her fur, he looked up at her, and then just kept his claws to himself.
"Are they still 'just butterflies', Drezhadar?"Himfadora asked smugly.
"Curse that scaleless wretch!" Drezhadar growled. "Curse him and his monstrosities!"
"Well, I'm convinced," Nazhadar said muttered. Before Himfadora could reply, he went on in his slow rumble. To Spike, he sounded as if he was constantly in the state of having just woken up. "Before we even continue, I must say that to have Lanfadora around is suspicious."
At first, the name threw Spike off. Lanfadora? Which one would that be? Seethe Scale had already told him the names of all the dragons in this meeting. It was only when he looked to where all their eyes went did he realize what was going on. Lanfadora was none other than the kirin next to him. He looked to Seethe Scale worriedly. He hoped that they would not send her away. He may doubt her different motives, and her lack of concern left him feeling cold inside. But her presence was reassuring. She was still the closest he had to an ally in this dark, frightening hole in the ground. Alone, there was no way he could face these dragons.
"The half-pony is here as Seifralhadar's protector, sent by the pony prince, Terrato," Himfadora replied.
"Exactly," Nazhadar said. "She is Equestria's agent. We do not need that kind of interference from the ponies."
"Reinfadora brought the ponies into this, Nazhadar, are you going to question her wisdom? Himfadora asked.
At the mention of that name, Nazhadar quickly backed down. To Spike, it almost looked as if the sloth dragon was trying to burrow into the cavern's floor. "Of course not," Nazhadar grumbled. "I'm sure that the dragon queen did what was best, but I doubt she would approve of the dragon-slaying Lanfadora being so close to her last surviving hatchling."
"Reinfadora killed more dragons in her last years than the half-pony could hope to kill in her lifetime," Himfadora said. "She would approve of her son being around someone so ruthless. Even if it is a half-pony."
At the mention of his supposed mother, Spike turned his gaze from Seethe Scale to Himfadora. There was a sense of familiarity in the envy dragon's rasping voice when she spoke the name. He fought back the fear of being around so many dragons to get a better look at her. Now that he paying attention, he noticed that she was easily the oldest dragon in this cave. Her teeth looked worn, some were even broken. Her rasping tone made her sound like someone's grandmother. Himfadora could be old enough to have known Reinfadora personally. She certainly looked and sounded that she did.
Drezhadar tapped the stone floor with a claw. "We are wasting time talking about the abomination," he said. "Seifralhadar and his role is the issue here." Despite what he said, he turned his gaze on Seethe Scale. "Although, perhaps, we can start off with what the pony prince has to say about this whole issue."
Though she stood in the midst of dragons that didn't take her presence well, had been called "abomination" by one, and "half-pony" by another, Seethe Scale continued to speak in that that distant tone Spike was accustomed to hear from her. "The prince has discovered Seifralhadar's true identity and brought him forth to this group, so that he may, in turn, receive your aid in a future conflict."
"Typical," Nazhadar said. "Why else would the pony prince bother with us?" He raised himself up, and craned his short neck out as far as it could go towards Seethe Scale. "He doesn't think he'll get some of us to join his Legion does he? That would be a real bother."
"Hold," Drezhadar said. He raised a hand to silence the sloth dragon, who looked at him indignantly. He wasn't paying attention, however, as he had focused on Seethe Scale. "You said "future conflict". Equestria is already fighting Wolvengard, Ursinium and Ophidus. What else can it pick a fight with?"
"The prince does not expect any dragon to fight at his command," Seethe Scale replied. "Nor anything mundane like supplies."
"Then what does he want?" Drezhadar asked. "And who does he want us to aid him in fighting?"
Seethe Scale didn't answer right away. All three dragons now leaned closer towards her and Spike. He swallowed and grabbed a hold of a tuft of her fur. He could smell their breaths at this distance, and the stink of dead flesh wafting towards him made him sick. He could have sworn he saw a bone stuck between Nazhadar's teeth, and he didn't want to know what it belonged to.
"All the prince asks is that Seifralhadar is allowed to inherit everything from his parents," Seethe Scale said. "Both of them."
"You're dodging my other question, abomination," Drezhadar said. "Who are we fighting if not the wolven, the ursans, and the ophidites?"
"Ponies."
It was at that moment that all sense of fear suddenly flew from Spike. The three other dragons in the cavern were forgotten. Suddenly, that dream he had before was coming back to him; Seethe Scale attacking Ponyville, the screams at the sight of him, the carnage…
"Seethe Scale?" Spike asked softly.
The kirin didn't seem to hear him as she continued. "But, you're getting too far ahead," she said. "You have the Draco'dim to deal with, and the prince has chosen to help you."
"Just as he's helping them spread their influence in Equestria's center," Nazhadar said.
"Enough meandering," Himfadora hissed. She raised herself up, and glowered over everyone else in the cavern before speaking to Seethe Scale. "I know what your prince wants, half-pony. Without a doubt, you must have scoured the laboratory I showed you in hopes of finding it, only to come up with nothing."
Seethe Scale didn't reply.
"I will not agree to pushing on with our plans until I know," Drezhadar snarled at Himfadora. "What ponies is she talking about?"
"The half-pony speaks of the strangers," Himfadora said. "Terrato does not want our aid against the ponies of Equestria." She smiled and a trickle of drool dripped down her lips. "He means his kin; the same kind of pony as the stranger who brought the ponies of Equestria into our world to begin with. As for the inheritance…" Himfadora snaked her long, sinous neck towards Spike. "The prince wants this hatchling, who is undoubtedly more loyal to Equestria than to his own kin, to inherit Drellhadar's life's work."
"And, what's that?" Nazhadar asked.
Himfadora's only reply to that question was a wide, broken-fanged grin. Spike shuddered at just how creepy the envy dragon was. The other dragons seemed to have a similar reaction to him. Drezhadar sneered at the sight and Nazhadar muttered something to himself. "I don't know," Himfadora said. "I served Reinfadora as a confidant, second only to Drellhadar himself, but I never knew what that monster was up to." Her grin widened. "Isn't it such a gamble? The pony prince might know. He and his sisters were entrusted with this hatchling weren't they? Perhaps they know more about Drellhadar's work."
"Gamble?" Drezhadar roared. His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a growl. "Might I remind you that we are staking our lives on this? You may be near the end of yours, Himfadora, but I won't let you throw mine away over gambles!"
"And might I remind you of what we stand to gain!" Himfadora said. Her tail twitched a bit, and the stinger flicked back and forth. "Even the way he is, Seifralhadar can reawaken the old loyalties that Afralhadar and his ilk have tried so hard to smother. This is the time we have been waiting for, the time to challenge the Draco'dim rule!" Himfadora raised her voice. "I've spent centuries studying Drellhadar, trying to understand why he did what he did, and why Reinfadora kept him so close. I never came close to answering either question. But I know one thing. Drellhadar never cared for dragonkind one way or the other. I may not know what he had been working on up to that moment he was slain, but I do know that it will not concern us." The envy dragon let out a snort, and Spike began to gag at the horrible smell. "Drellhadar would not stoop so low."
Drezhadar turned is gaze back to Spike. "That may be, but what of his son? Tell me, Seifralhadar, what do you think of dragonkind? Do you share your father's disdain?"
Spike opened his mouth, only to find nothing to answer to that. It wasn't even a matter of how similar he was to a dragon he never met, or if Drellhadar was his father or not. What did he feel about dragons? He was certainly impressed by the size and power of his race, but whenever he encountered them…
"Seifralhadar has spent most of his life within Equestria," Seethe Scale said. "He has not been with his own kind long enough to form a proper opinion."
"That's going to change soon," Drezhadar said. The pride dragon was smiling now as well. "Very well, let's set aside the ponies's agendas and focus on our own" He turned his great, horned head towards Seethe Scale. "Have you told him what we require of him as the son of Reinfadora and Drellhadar?"
"No," Seethe Scale said flatly.
"Typical Lanfadora," Nazhadar said. "You've only told him what the ponies need."
"Enough with the half-pony!" Himfadora hissed. She looked at Spike, her smile back in an instant. "Drezhadar is right, Seifralhadar. It's time we looked to you. You've heard enough vague ramblings from a bunch of dragons."
"Y-!" Spike stopped and then composed himself. He was still afraid of so many things. He was afraid of not just these dragons standing before him, but also of the fate they seemed to promise. He was afraid of his "mentor". Seethe Scale was leading him down a path that seemed to lead farther and farther from his friends. He was afraid of Terrato, and for everypony back in the Heartland. Yet, he did understand that showing that fear now would only make sure that they are brought about. He stood as tall as he could, forced his legs to stay still with all his might, and lifted his head so that he met the envy dragon's stare. "About time!" he said as loudly as he could. He was practically shouting, but it felt as if his voice was barely reaching the ears of these dragons. "I've been standing around here while the three of you talked over me and I want answers!" He grit his teeth as all three dragons seemed to bristle at his insolent tone. This was insane, he was going to get himself eaten and probably Seethe Scale too. But he couldn't stop now. Despite the reactions he saw, he just felt that this was the right way to deal with them. He grit his teeth, pointed at them defiantly, and spat the words out like bad hay fries before the fear made him choke on them. "If you don't make things clear, I'll…I'll send these butterflies at you!"
There was no immediate response. Slowly, Drezhadar began to tense. Whether he was going to leap at Spike for being so audacious or back away from the cause of his injured claw, Spike wasn't sure. Nazhadar stared wide-eyed while Himfadora's shoulder began to shake. The envy dragon started to laugh, her dry, half-wheezing voice echoing all around them. Eventually, she settled down. "My sincere apologies, dragon prince," Himfadora said. Spike heard the words, and was already searching for the mockery. To his surprise, he didn't find any. "I will make amends right away."
Spike allowed himself to be mollified. He stopped clenching his jaw to appear defiant, but he remained upright and alert. He glanced around briefly. Nazhadar and Drezhadar didn't look very approving, but that derisive look in both their eyes was gone for now.
"The pony prince has made the claim that you are the last hatchling of Reinfadora, the dragon queen, and her consort, Drellhadar," Himfadora said. "You have entered one of Drellhadar's laboratories and lived. His creatures acknowledge and protect you. This will be proof enough to any dragon who still holds on to the old loyalties."
"Proof enough for what?" Spike asked. He had a feeling as to what the answer was and he didn't like where it was going.
"To bring together enough dragons to challenge the Draco'dim," Drezhadar said. "You must have seen some form of their tyranny already, Seifralhadar. The Draco'dim are over there in your precious Heartland, imposing their will through a mountain of scaled corpses. This has been going on for too long and we must stop it."
"Their insanity must end," Drezhadar added. "They treat all of dragonkind as pride dragons. In doing so, they rob true pride dragons of what makes them unique and superior. Their posturing has rendered our race weak as a whole as well. So much that we are hardly relevant to the wars that Equestria, Ursinium, Wolvengard and Ophidus wage."
"But, if you all hate the Draco'dim so much, why won't you all come together by yourselves?" Spike asked. His own boldness surprised him. He wasn't even stammering. Perhaps it was because these huge dragons were now talking to him as someone they needed.
"You do not know your own kind well," Himfadora said. "If you could bring us together that easily, we could have taken the entire world as our own by now." Her eyes narrowed in grim thought. "No, we dragons are selfish and belligerent. So long as our hoards are safe, we can't care less about our kin. Of course, there are exemptions. Afralhadar is a freak of nature, a dragon gifted with the ability to communicate with his fellows, and bind them with a small, but deciding thread of unity. With Reinfadora dead, that was enough for them to exert their domination." Himfadora's voice rose. The disgust she spoke the Draco'dim's name with was replaced with a sense of awe and nostalgia. "But, his work will be nothing compared to what you will accomplish. There are many dragons who still remember Reinfadora's time. They may not care much for their fellow dragons, but they will fight for even just a hint of her presence, and by hint, I mean you. Seifralhadar. Make the claim, and you will gather those who remember those days. They are some of the oldest dragons around. We can bring an end to the Draco'dim."
"But…" Spike let the hasty word trail off as he began to ponder. He didn't want to do it. He wanted to help his friends and Equestria, not dragonkind. But even he could see how this could be an advantage. He had come to the Western Barrier Land to be of a better help to his friends. He had hoped to do so by gaining strength for himself, but having other dragons come to aid Equestria would certainly be just as important. He looked to Seethe Scale. The kirin nodded at him, silently telling him to do what he felt he should do. "I…If I do this, will these dragons follow me, and do as I say?"
"To a degree," Himfadora said. "It all depends on how much of Reinfadora's reign they see in you."
"And, if we beat the Draco'dim, will they help Equestria if I ask them to?"
"They certainly won't mind protecting the realm that sheltered the dragon queen's last hatchling," Himfadora replied with a shrewd smile. "At least, they'll go as far as dragon gratitude will take them."
"Alright," Spike said. The words left his mouth with a sense of finality. 'Sorry, Twilight,' he thought. 'Maybe I won't be back by this spring. But, I promise, I will be back.'
This time, all three dragons in the cavern smiled.
It was evening when Spike and Seethe Scale entered the kirin's cave. Before that, it was a long and silent flight for the two, making their way back from the hidden meeting place of what Himfadora called "The Old Guard". Drezhadar wasn't too keen on the name applying to him, but grudgingly accepted that it was somewhat appropriate.
Seethe Scale had not bothered to look back when Spike jumped off from her shoulders. "Get some sleep," she said. "There's much to do tomorrow."
"Not yet," Spike said. He folded his arms across his chest and stayed standing by the entrance.
Seethe Scale turned around and stared at him as he held his ground. "What do you want?" she asked.
"So far, all we've been doing is what you and Prince Terrato want to do!" Spike said. He stomped a foot for emphasis. "What about what I want to do?"
"What do you want to do then?" Seethe Scale asked.
"I want to become stronger and help my friends!"
"You have become stronger."
"Stronger so I can help everyone else but them!"
Seethe Scale pushed aside some gold coins and gems, and then reclined on the resulting space. "You understand," she said. "You may complain about it, but I you already understand. Amidst all the others using you, you'll find a way to use them in return. You've made it plain enough when you agreed to Himfadora's plans."
"But, I don't want to use anyone!" Spike shot back. "I just want to help my friends!"
"And Himfadora wants to bring back some semblance of her glory days," Seethe Scale said. "And the prince wants you to help with his plans. And I want to help the prince. Everyone wants to do something and no one is going to just stop to help you out, Spike. If you want to help your friends, you find a way to take what you need."
"Is that how dragons do things?" Spike asked. "No wonder they can't beat the Draco'dim! All they have to do is work together and they could solve this problem."
"Like ponies?"
The question halted whatever Spike was about to say next. He shook his head and concentrated on finding the words again. He refused to let Seethe Scale just end this conversation. "Yes," he said. "If that's how you want to put it, like ponies!"
"Is that what your pony friends taught you?" Seethe Scale asked. "That the dragons should just do what ponies do? That dragons should share, be nice, and live in tiny houses in villages so they can be good neighbors?"
Spike didn't answer. The butterflies fluttering all around him didn't seem to be too bothered by what he felt was a growing hostility from the kirin.
"What did they tell you about your greed phase?" Seethe Scale asked. "That it was wrong? They may as well have told you that growing up was wrong!" She spat on the ground in derision. Spike felt himself grow angrier. He didn't like how she said that. "What do they know of dragons? What do they know of going through the phases, of the different dragon varieties, and the dragon way of life?"
Seethe Scale's voice suddenly softened, and her fierce expression gave way for a moment. "What do they know of living in a world that's too small, too short-lived and too flammable?" Her voice trailed off. For a few seconds, she was silent. Then, the fierce expression was back and her tone grew derisive once more. "Your pony friends have done nothing but force you to live their way of life or be cast out! They're hardly better than the Draco'dim, and I say "hardly" because they, at least, haven't killed and eaten you for not being pony enough!"
"Don't you talk about my friends like that!" Spike shouted. He lunged at the kirin, claws and fangs out.
Seethe Scale didn't even dodge. His claws and teeth found no purchase against her thick and coarse fur. His ineffectual attack only made him angrier. He stepped back, and blew flames towards her claws and hooves. Again, Seethe Scale did not even acknowledge the attack. "Are you feeling wrathful now?" she asked.
"You bet I'm angry!" Spike said. "You take back what you said about my friends!"
To Spike's surprise, Seethe Scale's facial expression finally changed. It was only now, despite the weeks he had already known her, did he finally notice her eyebrows. They weren't fur. Instead, they looked like a ridge of very small horns. "I didn't ask if you were angry!" she snarled.
Spike stepped back, his heart racing even faster than when Drezhadar threatened to squash him. Several bright red spines, each about a couple of feet long, suddenly rose from the middle of her back. They vibrated, reminding him of the rattling he had seen some snakes do. Her eyes began to glow red, and smoke began to rise from her nostrils. What really disturbed him was that she was projecting heat. He raised his claws protectively over his face. His scales didn't seem to do anything against this sort of heat. It was worse than being inside a smithy or even standing so close to a pool of lava.
"I asked you if you were wrathful!" Seethe Scale roared. "Learn the difference!" As she said the last word, she turned to the side and exhaled. Flames erupted from Seethe Scale's mouth and blasted one side of the cave.
Spike cried out. The discomfort turned to scorching pain as white-hot fire struck stone. He had never felt fire like this, not even the time when Nightmare Moon's tainted flames struck him. When he saw the cave wall glow and then slide to the ground as bubbling red goop, he quailed at the sight. When Seethe Scale closed her mouth, a great, smoking depression of partly melted stone marked one of her cave's walls. Seethe Scale walked over to him, the spines along her back already receding. "Do you feel anything remotely resembling that?" she asked.
"N-n-no," Spike said. One butterfly landed on his nose, as if mocking his fear.
Like the last glowing traces of a dying bonfire, all trace of emotion faded from Seethe Scale's face. "I see," she said. She walked back to her hoard and went back to reclining on it.
Spike shook his head. "Wait…wait! What just happened?"
"Today, you just discovered that you were a prince among your kind and that you now have potent guardians watching over you. Yet, your pride did not swell to great proportions. Just now, I provoked you as much as I can. You grew angry, but not to the point I was testing for. You are approaching your expression phase, Spike, and I just determined that you have neither a heart full of pride nor a heart full of wrath."
"That's it?" Spike asked. "It was some kind of a test?"
"Yes," Seethe Scale replied. "One that was impossible to give if I told you."
"Okay, I understand that part," Spike said with a sigh. "But, please, give me something."
Seethe Scale looked at him softly. In that moment, Spike felt a glimmer of hope, hope that the kirin would say something at last. She hesitated, and then looked towards the distance of her cave's opening. "I do not know what the prince expects from what you will inherit from Drellhadar," she said. "But, I can tell you of some of what the prince was willing to tell me, that it is a measure for should the worst come to pass, and that it may be the one thing that would grant him that wish he has entertained only in the rarest and darkest occasions. A wish he has kept from his sisters lest they think of him as weak or traitorous."
"And what's that?"
"To go home."
Spike looked at the floor, unsure of how he should react to that without making Seethe Scale angry. "Well," he said. "Thanks for trusting me that much."
"You're welcome."
Spike headed for the bundle of furs he used for a bed. "Seethe Scale?" he asked. "You didn't mean what you said about my friends right? That was just a test?"
Seethe Scale turned away. "What do I know about ponies?" she muttered.