The Dragon Lord's Consort

The Struggle of the Consort

The dry heat from outlands hit him before he saw it but it was still a nice feeling. Not like the nice feeling of Ember's Kindle but the feeling of heat that was in the air that automatically made it feel like he felt warmth from everywhere.

Though the smell was something else. He knew it smelled like sulfur, dried earth, hot air and musk of dragon. He didn't pay attention to it before or rather he left it in the back of his mind but the feeling was so odd but not bad. Was it instinctual or something that came to him now that he was used to being around dragons?

What did come next, was something he always found terrifying and despite being here a lot of times now, he still wasn't fully sure how to proceed and that was the huge, gigantic dragons that surrounded the area. Yes, the teen dragons all scattered here and there but the majority of them where in their own areas and what not. The adults however roamed the skies, being larger than most clouds. Those that didn't fly where taking huge chunks of land with their giant bodies.

Being home, the three dragons seemed almost at eased here with their arrival and Spike felt that Ember loosen a bit. It showed too for when her guards broke off formation to fly off to do their own things, Ember didn't bother to comment or yell for Garble to stick around for his punishment.

Instead, she made her way to a large part of the mountain where he assumed she was living in. It was a large mountain, probably for some drake that was very huge. (He mentally slapped himself as he realized that Ember's father was former Dragon Lord so it would make sense that he would live inside of a large mountain.) However, it would make much more sense that eventually, she might grow into a large dragon herself and need the space for the next millennium or so. How long did Dragon Lords reign? He would have to ask that when given the chance.

Ember flew eagerly towards her home, making her way to an opening on the side. Large enough for most dragons to fit through, leaving a large gap to fly in with plenty of room space. There was some turns here and there, having Ember bank left and right. Spike held onto her with her might, but he knew he was safe with her, he felt like he was completely save with her.

The tunnel ended with Spike and Ember entering a giant chamber in the center of the mountain. In awe, he saw that it was almost hallow. They landed right after the entrance where Spike slowly got off Ember's back and took in his surroundings. The chamber however was decorated to suite the needs of your daily dragon however. Off to the side of the chamber was a large mountain of pony made pillows. How they were acquired by dragon claws, he would have to ask that later. In the near center, was a large lava pool where a few dragon could safely lay in or bathe in. What made it interesting was that it seemed to pull in lava but a small river lead any excess off to the mountain. Not far from it was a small water fountain,(Again, how it got there was just added to the pile of questions in which to ask.) Lastly, there was a separate room where Spike saw a hoard, assumingly it belonged to Ember. It was a large hoard too, so maybe it came with being a Dragon Lord?

His gaze turned to Ember whom seemed eager to hear his response of her home, or in this case, their home. What was not this morning that he was sleeping at home where he had luxuries that most ponies took for granted, what most ponies didn't realize where grand luxuries and what was something not really required on a daily bases.

He wanted to actually say that what he had here didn't really lack much other than his usual stuff. His books in which to read, including his comics, and his necessities for a daily routine in life. Toothbrushes, claw-filers, a warm hot shower facilities, regular facilities, and more. Yet, he knew that his choice would lead to a different life, a different future, but he knew that as of now, he would carry on this choice with the person he cared for.

"It looks amazing here, Ember." His response was genuine, and Ember let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She gave a pleased smile and felt satisfied with his response. "Its not home but maybe, you can help me make it home."

With a satisfied nod, Ember embraced him, hugging the little drake tightly.

"I will try my best for you, I truly will and I hope that maybe in the future, you can accept it as a home." She thought of his family and quickly issued in, "Maybe this could be a second home."

Spike hugged back and once more felt a warmth wash over him unlike any other hug before. It was as if her heart, her care, her very soul was being poured into him. So wonderful, so full of care that it was magical.

The power is transferring, he is accepting it. Maybe it will be enough for me, she thought. I just hope that he will accept me after the truth is revealed.

When they separated, something sparked inside of Spike, making him growl a bit. It wasn't a particularly loud growl but it was more of an internal one, something both parties pulled back from one another. To Spike, it felt like a burp he withheld in himself, but to Ember, it was a sign of a change within Spike, something that she may have caused.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what that was." He seemed confused and a bit embarrassed but nothing that spoke alarm. Ember however saw a difference, a change in him and she wasn't sure how much of it really showed but it was so subtle that if no drake had really paid much attention to him before, they would pass him off just as before. Ember however, kept every detail about him to mind and heart. She would need to keep everything about him in mind in order for him to be more comfortable here.

The change was minor, small to a point but she witness it happen in front of her. His slits had shrunken a bit thinner than before, making him more draconic. His voice carried a bit of maturity, slowly altering it a bit but not so much that he may have not have noticed. The scales that have encompass his body had taken on a slightly sharper tone. The last change that Ember had noticed was that a small musk had begin to aura around him. Before, his musk was near unnoticeable mostly because he was still an infant and had been mostly surrounded by ponies so their marks were all over him.

Yet, it was here that he immitted his own brand of musk that was so gentle compared to the other males that she was surrounded with. Males immitted a musk that told other potential mates or dragons of their maturity; if they were mated or have mated, their ages and so on. Babies have their own but it is too small or they still carried their parents musk since they were covered from the hatchings.

Do to Spike's upbringing, his scent was more or less covered by the ponies he was surrounded by and it wasn't a terrible smell but it wasn't something that she really understood. It was so foreign, queer to a point that it made him that much more interesting but now it made him that much more...

"Uh Ember?" his voice broke through her spaced out look. She blinked and shook her head.

"Sorry, just let my mind wander a bit. Where you asking something?"

"Where am I suppose to stay at?" He looked around, trying to find a room of some sort. "I am not sure if there is another room or something you want me to stay in."

Ember cocked her head, confused by his question before it dawned on her that again, at the castle, he had his own sleeping area, probably never really sleeping with other's in the same spot let alone bed. Twilight did mention how he used to sleep with her when he was younger but grew out of it and that made sense. The same went with most hatchlings at a growing age.

She tried to word this at best as possible without coming off strong.

"You uh... you sleep where I sleep Spike. It is customary for consorts or mates to sleep in the same area."

Spike's face went a bit red at that and he felt flushed.

Y-you m-mean I sleep with y-you?" he asked somewhat flustered.
Ember wilted a bit at his tone and it showed. Spike immediately felt bad for what he had said and quickly assured her. "Sorry Ember, I was not sure! I mean... how we were supposed to be... you know..."

Again, she realized how the situation to him was alien to him but she quickly lifted her spirits a bit and nodded.

"I know Spike, it will be some time before you are used to it. Being my consort has many roles to play and the importance's of them later on."

"Does that include the trials I am supposed to do?" he asked

Ember hesitated in her response. In some way, he didn't have to prove much to her father or other dragons but he did have to show to others why he may have the privilege of being with Ember. A Consort, a mate or in way latter cases, a concubine but she dare not even think of Spike like that. He was so much more than that and it was something she wouldn't even consider for other dragons for. In the end, it was her decision whether to take on more mates or not.

"What you will do in the trials will more or less be decided on how others treat or see you. Regardless of the outcome, my decision will be the final outcome and it will remain the same. You are my consort and you will be with me by myside."

Spike felt a bit relieved at that and more eased knowing that Ember was the deciding factor of these trials. The light that had always surrounded her seemed to grow a bit brighter everytime he heard how much he meant to her.

"But what exactly do I have to prove here? Strength? Speed? Some oddly dragon thing that I don't know about?"
Ember gave a shrug which he wilted a bit at that.
"The trials are different in each way. Yes, maybe speed or strength will come into factor but if they see what kind of dragon you are, it will most likely be intellectual or worthiness of being my consort."

He felt a bit better on that. Being raised by one of the smartest ponies alive in all of Equestria, he had years of knowledge behind him with Twilight helping him become incredibly smart for his age. He surpassed most of the students at the schools, intellectual wise and with all the help with his friends throughout the years, he had gained more knowledge from so many different sources that he felt more confident than ever about these trials at least, the ones where he felt like he had a chance at.

Then a thought came to him. "Hey Ember, if I somehow end up passing these trials, even though you say that I don't need to prove nothing to nopon... err no-drake, would that make me a prince or something? Or prince Lord? Uh... not sure how the monarchy here works..."

Ember shook her head.
"No, well not in the sense that your ponies friends do it." She then motioned for him to follow. "Come, I know where we can obtain some more knowledge and it might help you with your future here."

His future here, was that a comforting thought or a fearful one?

His friends were not here for him to help him in case he got in trouble.
But he had Ember.
He had saved the Crystal Empire and helped out in saving Equestria but he had help with his friends, which were no here.
But he had Ember...
He is been given a chance to prove that a dragon raised by ponies can be smart and strong as any dragon and do so without his friends.
With Ember by his side.
Yeah, he believed that with Ember by his side, he would be fine here.

Approaching the small cave where the hoard was piled, he saw that not only did it contain jewels and gems but, it had a large shelf on the wall where hundreds of scrolls lay. Some of them looked new while others looked like they have been here since ancient times.
"Huh," was all he said.
Ember whom had lead him in, gave him a raised eyebrow.
"What?" she inquired.

Spike looked at her and then, he felt ashamed on what he was thinking. All dragons were dumb and they didn't like books or knowledge and yet, here was a room where ancient text of dragon lore and history lied before him. He knew that they learned how to read, speak or just in general learn proper pronunciation. Here was proof of that.

Shaking his head, responded. "Sorry, I didn't think that dragons would have scrolls or have any knowledge based in scrolls. I thought that dragons where... you know... not into books and stuff like that." he spoke a bit sheepishly.

Ember nodded in understanding.

"Yes, I am aware of the lack of intelligence between most of the species but when you considered that in order for a dragon or a Dragon Lord to learn any general understanding of a language you must read." She approached the wall, slowly running her claws over a few scrolls. "Many dragons are not aware that there are scrolls in here that have taught countless generations how to read, write and more. Some of these predate pony history by thousands of years. Many care not for them or most don't know that they exist."

Spike stared a bit at awe that there are scrolls in here that are older than possibly Celestia. Possibly before even Discord or even to the time of great Faust. Approaching the wall of scrolls, casting a gaze over them before humor ran through him. A giggle escaped him and Ember turned to him.

"Something amusing?" she inquired.

He nodded.
"I am pretty sure that if Twilight where here, she would be squealing with delight at knowing that there are scrolls that even predate any pony culture. She would probably be in here until ever last scroll was read a dozen times over. She would flip though at knowing that I am the one that gets to read them and not her."

Many miles away, through the vast lands that expanded between, a purple alicorn's ears twitched and an upsetting thought entered her.

"I don't know why but... I am mad that someone I know is learning something that I would love to learn..."

As Spike's eyes scanned and studied the scrolls before him, he noticed that some of the scrolls, at least the ones covered in a layer of dust or ashes, where either in reddish colors that seemed to resemble fire in its bright forms or in sapphire colors that blended in different shades, however its those ones that seemed new or used more often but with care. Curious, he turned to Ember.

"Hey Ember, is there a reason why some of these scrolls are colored coated? I noticed the ones that are used are sapphire colors while the red ones are old and don't looked touched."

Ember nodded to his question.

"The sapphire ones that are newly created or recently added information and added to the collection from discoveries from either recent Dragon Lord or Elders."

"Elders?" he asked.

Ember paused, thinking a bit on how to word her response before slowly explaining to him.

"You can consider Elders as Dragons whom have lived many millenniums. Kind of like your Princesses's advisors, however it is through them that we learn our history. They have no control like the Dragon Lords do but they are the wisest dragon alive."

"Millenniums?" he asked, a bit astounded. "How old are these elders?"

Ember gave a sheepish shrug.

"Some are a thousand years while others are thousands of years. Some pre-date Equestria by long periods.” She then began to pull out a few of the old ones that were layered in dust. Five old scrolls while one sapphire scroll left their shelves and where held in Ember's arms. "These ones are the ones that might help you understand our history a bit better than most. I hope you don't mind reading these to help you?"

Spike snorted, waving it off. "Please, I live with a mare whom is a living library whom owns a library, I helped practically read the books she reads." He gently pulled a scroll from her arms and smiled at her. "Scrolls are a no biggy."

He then opened it and... his face dropped as he realized that this one and possibly a few other were written in a language he could barely understand and in hieroglyphs that looked like Ancient Amarezonian. "Unless I can't read them."
Ember giggled at that, grabbing the scroll from him.

"Don't worry, I will teach you how to read them. Some will come to you quickly, while others might take time."

Spirits lifted, he walked with her back out the little cave.

"I sure am thankful to have someone like you Ember. Maybe the more I know about my kind, the better I will be at these trials. Who knows, maybe it won't be such a struggle to get other dragons to accept me."

A small smile formed on muzzle.

"As I said, regardless of what other's think, my choice on you remains forever the same."

"I know and I am grateful. I want to know all I can about dragons. So when I return home soon to Equestria, we won't have any problems or struggles between dragons and ponies. I can't wait!"

His excitement was infections but her smile only remained because she didn't want her true feelings to show. Once the trials are over within the week and the truth is revealed, he might hate her for knowing that he may never leave here. The bonding process is already starting to take place and it must hold within the weeks time. If not, it could spell disaster for them both, especially if he leaves before the weeks end.

Her struggles have manifested beyond her control and it will only get harder from here.

Author's Notes:

So sorry for the delay but my editors have bailed on me so I couldn't get anything back from them so no edit either!
But I do have the next chapter halfway finished but again no editors for it.
Lastly, I am attending Equestria LA, as of this weekend so anyone here going I will be there, using the same name of Little Draco, look for me in a Luna T-Shirt. I will be there all day Saturday until night and then sunday until 4.
I am also an uber driver or freelance driver so seek me out there for rides.
Thanks for reading!!!