//------------------------------// // A Shadow of Himself // Story: Beauty and her Spike // by FlimFlamBros. //------------------------------// “Well gang, how about?” asked Magnum as he and his family walked to the edge of the Everfree Forest. “This looks like it could be fun!” “But Daddy, the Everfree forest is dangerous!” explained Sweetie Belle. “There’s Timberwolves and Manticores and cockatrices!” “Oh my!” worried Pearl. “Magnum honey, are you sure this is a good idea? It sounds awfully dangerous.” “Oh Pearly, I’m sure that those are just rumors that the resorts spread around to make ponies take the long way,” smiled magnum. “It’s all a big scam.” “Dad, how is that a scam?” “They want to increase hay prices, Sweetie,” he said. “Everypony is in on it! The hotels, the resorts, the princesses, they all want to take more bits from your average pony so they spread these rumors that there are dangerous monsters in the woods so you have to take the long route.” “That seems a little far fetch, dear,” said Pearl. “Maybe we should take the main road.” “Nonsense!” smiled her husband. “There is nothing dangerous in the Everfree forest! And this way, we’ll be saving a whole ten minutes!” “Well…” mumbled Pearl. “I guess if you’re sure it will be safe.” “Is any pony even listening to me?!” shouted Sweetie Belle. “Relax Sweetie Belle,” smiled Magnum as he and his wife pulled the carriage into the woods. “Nothing bad ever happens in the Everfree forest!” The family started down the path, the light of day still shining down through the tree line. The late autumn birds were flying overhead; most of them would be flying south to Saddle Arabia in a few days when the snow starts to small, fleeing to warmer temperatures and climate for the winter months. “Well, this is nice,” pepped Pearl. “It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining. Maybe you were right, dear.” “See? I told you,” said Magnum. “There’s nothing to worry about. Absoulutly nothing, not a thing can go wrong! No-sir-ee! That’s ain’t going to happen, we are one hundred and fifty THOUSAND percent, safe.” “We get it…” droned Sweetie Belle from the back. “But I still don’t think this is a good idea.” “Relax Sweetie, your father knows what he’s doing… I hope,” said her mother, trying to be positive. “You do know we’re going? Right dear?” “Of course! Just let me check the map,” said Magnum, reaching into his saddle bag and pulling out the map. “Now let’s see here…we’re here…and we need to get here… Which means we need to go… this way!” Magnum was pointing to the down an old dirt path leading into the darker part of the forest. The very path reeked of wickedness and evil and only a complete buffoon would head down or think it was the right way to go. “Yep it’s down that path, the one with all the dead trees and scary bats!” “Umm…” “C’mon gang!” smiled Magnum as he forcefully tugged onto the reins of the carriage, pulling his wife and daughter down the spooky path. “We’ll be at the resort before you know it! And ten minutes sooner!” The family continued down the dark road, the further they got in, the creepier the forest got. Soon the sun disappeared from beyond the thicket, and the path became cluttered with overgrown thorn bushes and dead tree branches. “Oh dear…” “We’re fine Pearly,” said Magnum. “The map said to go this way, so we go this way.” “May I see that map for a second, honey?” asked his wife. “Sure,” he said, passing the map to his wife. She took a quick look at it, running her eyes up and down the paper before her brow burrowed into a frown. “Magnum.” “Yes dear?” “The map is upside down.” “What? No it’s not!” he said, baffled. Pearl flipped the map over, and pointed on the map. “We were supposed to go the other way!”’ Magnum took a look at the map again, his face grew pale as he realized his mistake. “Oops.” “Oops!?” shouted Pearl. “We’re lost in the middle of the Everfree Forest and all you can say is ‘Oops’!? Do you have any idea what this means?!” “We’re going to lose our ten minutes?” “We’ve been going the wrong way!” she yelled. “We are going to turn this carriage around and take the main road like we should have in the first place.” “But what about the ten minutes?” “FORGET THE TEN MINUTES!” Pearl hollered. “And turn this thing around NOW!” “Alright, alright…” mumbled Magnum, “I was just trying to save some time…” Grrrrrrrrrr… “Umm, dad…” “Yes Sweetie?” “Did you hear that growling?” she asked. “Probably just the wind dear,” said her father, trying to turn their cart around. “No Dad… It sounded a lot like…” GRRRRRR! “Timberwolves!” shrieked Sweetie as she retreated deeper into the carriage, the wooden beasts crawling out of their hiding spots in the bushes and bushel. The family was soon surrounded by half a dozen of the feral woody animals, each one growling and snarling, itching to sink their teeth into their freshly caught prey. “What are we going to do?!” shrieked Pearl, backing away from the advancing wolves. “You get Sweetie Belle out of here!” shouted Magnum as he quickly unbuckled himself form the reins. “Go back to Ponyville and get help!” “But what about you?” “I’ll distract them long enough to get away safely,” he said. “No, I won’t let you do that!” she yelled. “I wasn’t asking dear,” said Magnum, slapping his wife rump. She reared up and charged forward on instinct, running through the wolves and dragging the carriage behind her. “Be safe Magnum!” she called back, still running down the path. “Run, Pearl, run!” she shouted back. “Keep Sweetie Belle safe!” Magnum turned his attention back to the wolves that threatened to eat him at any moment. They slowly started to corner him, eventually backing him into a tree. It was moments later that the first wolf lunged at him. “Yipe!” gasped Magnum, ducking from the leaping timberwolf, who soared harmlessly over the pony and crashed into the tree behind him. The stallion quickly grabbed the fallen wolf by the tail and swung it towards the pack. The timberwolves all jumped out of the way of their thrown comrade, giving Magnum enough space and time to make a getaway. “Run, run, run, run, run!” he muttered to himself, the wolves realizing what was happening and soon gave chase, sprinting after the pony ferociously. Magnum did his best to outrun the beast, running so fast that his tacky straw hat flew right off his head, getting trampled into the ground. “My hat!” he said, turning around to receive it. GRRRRRRR! “Get a new hat!” he yelped, forsaking his headwear and running away. “Help! Can anypony heat me?! I need help! All I wanted to do was save ten minutes on traveling time!” Bonk! “Ow!” the stallion grumbled. “What the heck was that?” He looked up to see that he had ran into the bars of an old metal gate, and they were creaked open as well. “Oh thank merciful Celestia!” he cried as he rushed in on the other side and closed the gate, separating him from the deadly pack of timberwolves. “That was too close… Where am I?” He turned around to see a large old castle sitting in the middle of the Everfree Forest. “Is this a hotel?” Magnum asked himself. “An odd place to put one, I bet this is all the work of the government, trying to get more money from me!” Grr! BARK BARK BARK!! “Maybe I can find a post office in there,” he squeaked, running to the front door of the castle. “They certainly could benefit from a gardener. I am so telling the manager this…” Magnum opened the front door and stared down the empty hallway of the main room of the castle. “Hello? Is anypony here?” he called out. “Oh my luna, is that a pony?” “Pinkie, be quiet…” “Where is everypony?” wondered Magnum. “This service is terrible! I mean the lighting in here is terrible! I can barely see anything!” “Poor fellow, must have gotten lost in the woods.” “KEEP. QUIET. Maybe he’ll go away.” “I don’t have a reservation, but I was attacked by some wolves the government sent after me for not taking the long road, and I need a place to stay the night!” Magnum called out to the darkness. “Ah c’mon Twi, he was attacked by governmental wolves sent in by the princesses. Can’t we let him stay one night?” “Pinkie, those aren’t real, I think he just might be crazy. MORE reason to not let him stay.” “All I heard was let him stay!” “Pinkie!” “Of course you can stay the night!” a perky and happy voice called out. “Who said that?” asked Magnum, as he noticed a candlestick sitting on a table next to an old clock. He picked up the candle with his hoof and started to look around for the voice. “Where are you?” “Over here, silly!” The stallion started to spin around in circles, trying to find his greeter, but he just couldn’t seem to locate her. The halls were empty, the castle silent, he was beginning to think that he was the only one here and he was starting to go crazy, when he felt a couple of light taps on the top of his head. He jumped up in shock as he took a look at the lit candle stick, and how there was the face of a smiling pony etched in the wax. “Ello!” the candle greeted. “AH GODDESS DIE!” freaked Magnum, throwing the candle stick to the ground and started stomping on it. “DIE, YOU POSSESED DEMON STICK! DIE!” “Hey, leave her alone!” Suddenly, Magnum was surrounded by a dark purple aura. “H-hey! What’s going on here? Put me down! Is this how you treat all your guest?!” “We’re not a hotel!” growled the clock on the table; the hands on the clock were spinning profusely as they glowed the same shade of purple as the magic that was around Magnum. The face behind the twirling hands looked disgruntled and annoyed. “And we do not take kindly to ponies that try and squish my friends! Pinkie, are you alright?” “I’m fine Twiclock!” smiled the candlestick, jumping back onto her base. “Oops! How could I forget, we don’t even know each other’s names! I’m Pinkie Stick! And that’s Twiclock, well you already knew that, but just in case I’ll say it again! Hi I’m Pinkie Stick! And that’s Twiclock, well you already knew that, but just in case I’ll say it again! Hi I’m Pink—“ “I get it!” cried Magnum! “You’re Pinkie Stick and she’s Twiclock. Could Twiclock please put me down!” Twiclock rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, dropping Magnum down on the ground with a thud. “Thank you!” said Magnum, starting to calm down. “It’s so weird, I’ve never seen this kind of spell before… Are all the employees like this?” “Yeppers!” said Pinkie Stick. “Would you like to meet them?” “Well, actually, I’ve been trying to find somewhere to send a letter…” “Did you here that Twiclock? We have a GUEST! I so happy that I could sing!” “Be… Our…” “No Pinkie,” droned the clock, “We don’t want to wake up ‘you-know-who,’ do you?” “Oops, right!” smiled Pinkie. “We’ll sing by the fire! C’mon mister, you must be freezing! Hey Flutterbench, we have company!” “What did I say about staying quiet?” “Ooh… Hello there…” a faint voice whispered. “Who said that?” asked Magnum as he looked around. “Down here…” The stallion looked down at the ground and saw a small wooden hoof stool walk up to him, the fabric was sunshine yellow with light pink trims and stitching. “Hello,” the bench said again. “Are you lost from the forest?” “A talking hoof rest? Okay, I’ve gone insane…” “I’m sorry…” whimpered Flutterbench. “I didn’t mean to make you insane.” “That’s alright,” sighed Magnum. “It was going to hap-hap-a-a-choo!” “You see Twiclock, he’s soaked to the bone!” explained Pinkie Stick. “Come on, to the fire!” “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” barked the wooden clock as the candlestick and the hoof rest walked into the main resting room where Magnum took a seat on the large lounge chair that sat at the foot of the fire. “No… Not his chair!” “There you go, how are you feeling now?” asked Pinkie Stick. “Much better! And this chair is so comfy!” “Let me get your hooves…if you don’t mind that is?” “Not at all!” smiled Magnum, letting his hind hooves rest on the timid hoof rest. “What wonderful service!” “Do you need anything else?” Pinkie asked. “Don’t suppose I could trouble you for a drink?” “Sure thing!” said the candlestick, clapping her wax hands together. “Tankardjack, Rainbow Cup! We have company!” The doors leading onto the kitchen burst open as a dessert cart came racing through down the hallway and parked next to the armchair. Sitting on the top of the tray was a metal beer tankard and a tea cup. The tankard was filled to the brim with sweet smelling cider, and had the face of a cowpony graved into the metal. The tea cup was full of nice hot tea, but the deadpanned expression on the face of the tea cup suggested that she wasn’t very happy. “Well howdy!” greeted Tankardjack. “I hear something about a pony needing a drink? Well y’all can’t beat my apple cider! Best cider in all of Equestria!” “Well I was hoping for something a little warmer if you don’t mind,” Magnum said, reaching for the tea cup.” “Touch me and you’re dead,” Rainbow Cup snarled. “”Whoa there tea cup,” gulped the stallion, pulling his hoof safely away. “I don’t want any trouble.” “Ah, don’t mind her,” said the beer tankard. “She’s just mighty sour because she’s been a piece of chinaware for a year.” “Oh course I’m sour! Twi can still use her magic, Pinkie has hands thingies, even Flutters can walk around like she use to!” “Well what about me? I’m a glass too, but y’all don’t see me being cranky like a rotten apple about it.” “Yeah well… You were always earthbound! I lost my wings! I can’t fly anymore and it sucks.” “That’s no reason to be mean!” “Well I don’t want him to drink out of my head anyways,” Rainbow Cup said. “It’s sounds weird and his moustache looks like it would tickle.” “A word with you. Now,” grumbled Tankardjack, the cart rolling away so they could talk in private. “What do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea who that is?” “No…” “That’s Rarity’s father!” the tankard said. “What? Really? That’s Rarity’s dad?” “I sure do reckon,” nodded Tankardjack. “I take it y’all never seen him before?” “Well…no, Rare was always very secretive of her parents, embarrassed or something,” said Rainbow Cup. “I never saw him, what makes you so sure it’s him?” “I’ve seen him a few times when I used to drop Applebloom off at Sweetie’s parent’s house. Never really talked much but I’ve seen him a couple of times.” “Do you think that anyone else know who he is?” “Doubt it, but I think we need to tell the big guy before he does something stupid.” “You mean like what he did to the last pony that got lost in the Everfree?” gulped Rainbow. Tankardjack shuddered. “Yep, I’d rather avoid another ‘incident’ to clean up.” “So let’s go and tell him already!” said Rainbow Cup. She was just about to jump off the tea cart when the fireplace blew out. “Uh-oh…” gulped Twiclock as the room went completely black. “He’s awake…” “Who’s awake?” asked Magnum. “Spike’s awake!” screamed Flutterbench, run for your lives!” “Spike? What’s a S-s-spike?” stuttered the stallion, cowering in the lounging chair. Rrrrrr… “What’s that? Is that you Pinkie Stick?” “Who are you and what are you doing in my castle?” Magnum peeked around the chair. In the darkness was a large figure moving swiftly, like a wolf stalking its prey. He was difficult to see but his horrible green eyes cut through the darkness. “I-I-I was attacked by timberwolves, and I lost my family! I just needed a place to stay the night!” “A likely story… That’s what the last pony that came here said…” “A-and what happened to him?” shuddered Magnum. He heard the sound of large pounding footsteps as whatever the beast behind him grew nearer. The stallion was terrified, frozen in place as a massive purple claw placed itself on his shoulder. “I ATE HIM!” The chair was thrown into a nearby wall, shattering on impact. Magnum fell to the ground within the wreckage of the chair. He slowly got up from the pile, his vision wasn’t clear, but he could have sworn he was seeing purple. “Oh my Goddess… you’re a—yo-yo-you’re a dr-dr-dr-“ “Dragon!” the purple drake roared, grabbing the pony by the throat. “You’ve come to stare at and laugh at the hideous dragon! Answer me!” “No, I swear! I got lost in the forest please! I have a wife and two daughters!” he cried. “Please! I just wanted to save ten minutes! Please I beg of you, look into your heart!” “I have no heart!” the dragon yelled. “It was torn out by one of your kind…” “I’m sorry…” “I’m sorry too… Sorry you’ll spend the rest of your miserable life in my dungeon!” he grumbled, throwing the screaming pony over his shoulder and rushing out of the resting room. In a matter of moments he had ascended the tower, and threw the pony in, locking the door behind him. The dragon started walking down the stairs of the tower and made his way to his quarters, the west wing. He kicked the door open and slammed it shut behind him. The room he was in was a shrine to his past self and his past desires. Portraits and statues of Rarity littered the room, some were freshly painted or sculpted, others had been torn apart or destroyed in one of his fits of rage. In the corner of the room were the two things that he had ordered Twiclock to enchant, the rose he had attempted to give Rarity, and a mirror that would show him to her. He picked up the mirror and started into its silver. “Show her to me.” The mirror glowed with a faint purple magic before within its frame appeared Rarity. She was sitting at her work table, drawing out new designs for next season’s line up. She looked so beautiful with her red work glasses on as she carefully drew out the designs for what looked like a snowflake inspired winter dress. The dragon took the mirror and rushed over to one of his many blank portraits and picked up a paintbrush. With the current scene to draw inspiration from, he started to paint the mare. He made sure to catch ever curve and crest in her perfect white face and perky little nose. He shaded her bouncy purple mane with only the finest of purple. When he was finished, there was a painting of Rarity working on her sewing machine. The drake smiled as he looked at another masterpiece to add to his vast collection. “Rarity…” he smiled. “And if you were a pony, I would have said yes in a heartbeat.” The words echoed in his head as he felt the anger build up in his heart. The complete chaotic rage that burned deep within his belly and ensnared every positive thought he had, leaving him with only bitterness and hatred. There was a twitching in his claws as he dragged them down the freshly painted picture, tearing it to shreds. He roared and threw himself around the room, slashing and smashing everything that had the unicorn’s face on it. Within minutes, the room was a wreck again, all his past work was now shredded pieces of paper on the floor of chunks of plaster and marble. He looked back into the mirror that he still had clutched in his claw and growled. She was still in the middle of designing a dress. “Take her away…” he growled, the image of Rarity fading and returning to his hideous reflection. His heart dropped as a wave of depression washed over him as he looked at the beast in the mirror, the beast that was him. “Oh Rarity, what have I become?” “I look into this mirror, and all I sees a monster Over the years consumed by hate and greed… Angry, bitter and cold, it’s all I seem to know And yet my heart still beats for thee! Oh… Rarity! Rarity! Why would you ever say that? Rarity! Rarity! Did you have to be so cruel? How could you ever love, when you’re colder than a blizzard? Why’d I ever fall for you? Oh… Rarity! Rarity! Tore my beating heart out! How’d I ever fall for you?!” Outside the door, Pinkie Stick, Twiclock and the rest of the ponies-turned-knickknacks had gathered around, Tankardjack and Rainbow Cup had just finished explaining who their guest was. “So that was Rarity’s father?” asked Pinkie. “That’s great! If we can get Spike to talk to him about the spell, maybe we can get Rarity to come and they can fall in love with each other!” “Pinkie Stick, we cannot force two ponies (or in this case pony and dragon) to fall in love with each other,” explained Twiclock. “It takes time.” “Well, we ain’t got much time left!” said Tankardjack. “We have less than a month to get that big lug to fall in love with somepony or we’ll big stuck like this forever!” “Oh dear…” cried Flutterbench. “I don’t want to be a hoof stool for the rest of my life!” “And I don’t want to be a stupid tea cup!” grunted Rainbow. “I just can’t believe it!” “There he goes again, he’s locked up in the west wing Over the year he’s changed so much it seems…” “There’s sadness in his eyes as he tries to live a lie” “Not confronting all of his feelings!” For… Rarity! Rarity! We know that he still loves her! Rarity! Rarity! Even though his soul is black “He’s different right now; he used to be so caring” “A shadow of his former self!” Oh… Rarity! Rarity! Can’t you see he loves you? Shadow of his former self! (Rarity, Rarity!) “HOW COULD YOU HAVE SAID THAT?!” (Rarity, Rarity!) “Where do you come off at?” Rarity! Rarity! “Worse than any devil! How’d I ever fall for you?” Spike stared at the last remaining stature in his room. It was the very first one he had ever carved. Every day he spent staring at it, trying to bring himself to smash it to pieces like the rest. It wasn’t even that incredible, just a sculpture of her smiling, not doing anything remarkable yet it was his favorite. “Do it…” he groaned. “I can’t…” he replied back to himself. “What’s the matter? Too weak? You know she hates you right? She despises everything about you, you stupid ugly lizard,” he laughed. “That’s not true!” he whimpred. “Yes it is! You’re just a beast! If she didn’t like you before, what makes you think she will now? Shut up! Make me! I am you! You’re nothing like me! Do it Spike, accept the fact that she will never love you! I won’t… I don’t want to. But you must…” “This will be the day…” (Come on, do it…) “Maybe tomorrow morning…” (You know you want to…) (What’s the matter can’t you smash a rock?) “My arms are weak my claws not spry, I must have some good left inside…” (Crush her in your hands!) “I couldn’t hurt her if I tried…” (You’re better than she is!) “Couldn’t we have compromised?” (Break her till she’s little bits of dust!) (Smash her! You putt!) “I must fight the anger deep inside my heart!” (She’s just that no good, wicked, heartless…) Rarity! Rarity! (Do it) “I can’t!” (KILL HER!) Rarity! Rarity! (What are you waiting for?) (She’s just an evil minx) “Then why do I still love her? She’ll never love the beast I am!” (Rarity! Rarity!) “Who could love the beast I am?” (Rarity! Rarity!) “It will never work, not as long as I am cursed Could you love the beast… I… Am!?”