//------------------------------//
// Don't Give Up 
// Story: Season Spike 
// by Haoryu Changer 
//------------------------------//

"This is the end!" Spike was about to fire but stopped when he saw Rainbow getting up. "You were always the one who was so persistent, Rainbow Dash." He spat.

"S-Stop..." Rainbow said weakly.

The others started to get up as well, except Fluttershy and Twilight.

Spike chuckled. "Fine, I'll stop." The magic blast in Spike's palm disappeared. 

"What?" Rainbow's eyes went wide.

"I'll stop my assault against Twilight... for now. So I guess I'll focus on all of you then!" Spike bolted up and punched Rainbow in the face.

"Rarity, hurry!" Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she was flying back.

Rarity made her way to Twilight without letting Spike notice. She saw the beaten up Twilight on the ground. "T-Twilight, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She sounded sad.

"Oh! Good. Can you move?"

"I'm not hurt at all. Like I said, I'm fine."

"Then get up, we need your help right now." Rarity looked and saw Spike using his tail to put Applejack in a headlock while attacking the other two.

"Don't you understand? We lost."

Rarity was shocked to hear Twilight say that. "T-Twilight, what's wrong with you?! We didn't lose yet."

Twilight looked at Rarity with sad eyes. "It's hopeless! Spike's anger is more powerful than my power of friendship. We lost this battle."

Rarity gave her friend a stern look. "Twilight! You never gave up before! Why now?"

"No... I DID give up before. There were times where I was giving up. You were never there to witness it. None you were. I did lose all hope before, but Spike..."

"Spike, what?"

"Spike, was the one who always motivated me. He was the one who always stopped me from giving up. He always reminded me to never give up, but where is he now?"

Rarity took a glance at Spike who was still fighting the others. "Twilight! You should learn from the past. If Spike was here right now he would tell you not to give up. What if he was never here in the first place? Would you have given up a long time ago? You can't always depend on Spike, Twilight. I'm not going to let Armak have Spikey for his own needs! Spike would want you to do anything to stop him from causing mass destruction. After all, he's been through, he deserves it." 

Twilight's eyes widened. "Y-Your right.." Twilight got up. "I owe everything to Spike. I need to save him, and I'm not going to give up. Because that's what Spike taught me!"

Rarity smiled but soon made an unsure look. "Are you sure we can save him?" 

"I don't know. But I've learned that we always find our answers..." She turned to Rarity. "With friendship."

Rarity smiled.

Spike was about to finish off the others, but he looked back and saw Twilight. "Did they get more of that stupid potion?" Spike charged at Twilight and Rarity.

Twilight teleported herself and Rarity away.

"Grrr, where did they go?!" 

Twilight appeared next to her friends, who were getting up from the last assault. "Are you all alright?"

"Heh, no sweat!" Rainbow Dash stated albeit weakly.

"Ah can take as many hits as possible if it means saving Spike."

Spike turned and saw all of them together. "Elements Of Harmony, always so persistent!"

Twilight had a serious look. "We'll never give up. We'll save Spike."

"What do you mean, 'save Spike'? I'm right here in front of you, perfectly fine." He said as he pointed to himself.

Twilight didn't bother. "Girls, we need to reach him somehow. Think of something. Anything!"

Spike approached them. "If you couldn't beat me with your full power, then how will you beat me now?" Spike activated his wings and rushed them. 

"Pinkie!" Twilight commanded.

Pinkie pulled out a new party cannon. She fired it, and this time, confetti came out. The confetti hit Spike's eyes and blinded him for a moment. 

Rainbow took this chance and flew in the air. When Spike removed the confetti from his eyes, Rainbow Dash came from above and tried to hold him down. 

Spike proved too strong for Rainbow and pushed her back. Rainbow then got a kick to the stomach. 

Applejack rushed Spike and bucked him, but it looked like it had no effect, Spike didn't even flinch! Spike took a hold of Applejack's tail and threw her away. 

Pinkie Pie was about to fire the cannon again when Spike punched through the cannon, destroying it. Spike threw the cannon at Pinkie, the impact was hard. 

Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack were all right next to each other, on the ground, struggling to get up. Spike fired towards them, and Twilight teleported in front of them. She made a barrier, protecting all of them. Rarity walked to her side. 

Spike kept on firing blasts, firing with both claws, laughing all the while. 

Twilight was using a lot of magic, she was sweating and breathing heavily.

Rarity noticed Twilight struggling. "Here, it may not be a lot, but I'll channel my magic with yours." Rarity said.

Twilight nodded. Rarity channeled her magic and they kept the barrier up a little longer. 

Spike growled. His eyes glowed emerald green and he blew his fire.

The magic barrier wasn't enough, and it shattered. The fire hit Twilight and her friends. When the smoke from the flames disappeared, they were all on the ground with burns. 

Spike slowly walked up to them. 

Fluttershy was coming up from behind and tried to grab Spike. 

Spike ducked. 

She flew over Spike and landed in front of Twilight.

"How nice of you to join us Fluttershy! Now the whole gang's here. I can end this in one shot!" Spike pointed a finger and started to charge a blast in front of the tip. He aimed at the Mane Six.

The six mares looked up at Spike with hopeless eyes. Were they done for? Has their fate been decided? 

"No!" Celestia stopped her attack on Armak and tried to fly and help Twilight.

Armak swooped in, in front of her. "Ah ah ah, your business is with me!"

"Goodbye..."

The mares' eyes widened.

"Forever!"

Twilight and the rest just shut their eyes tight. Waiting for their demise.

Suddenly, three young fillies came out of nowhere and blocked Spike from the Mane Six. They put their hoofs out.

"Stop Spike!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Get out of the way!" Spike said.

"No! We won't let you hurt them!"  Scootaloo exclaimed.

"What do you think you're doing? I want my revenge!"

"Then I guess you'll have to blast us too!" Scootaloo said.

Spike grunted and slowly put his finger down.

Armak was frustrated. "Spike! Just end them!"

"No!"

"What?"

"They... were the only ones who were ever nice to me." Everypony noticed the change in Spike's voice.

"I don't care! I've seen you hurt fillies and colts before, what's different about now? They are in the way of your revenge!"

"I said I won't hurt them!" Spike yelled.

Armak growled and his horn glowed. His eyes glowed a dark mist, and he released a wave of magic through his horn.

Spike was starting to feel pain in his heart. He shut his eyes, and clenched his upper chest and started to yell in pain.

"S-Spike?" Sweetie Belle said.

Spike opened one eye to look at the CMC. "R-Run..." He barely said.

The CMC was stuck. They couldn't leave Twilight and the rest here, but they also couldn't stay here because something bad might happen.

"Spike, let us help you." Apple Bloom said.

Spike was still yelling in pain. "Leave!"

"I will not let your emotions get in my way!" Armak stated as another flash of darkness appeared from his horn.

Spike gave the CMC a demanding look. "NOW!"

The CMC flinched at that.

Suddenly, a burst of magic blinded the ponies around Spike, and the yelling stopped. When the ponies could open their eyes again, they saw black smoke surrounding Spike. Through the smoke, you could see two emerald eyes piercing through it.

When the smoke cleared, you could see that Spike was flashing. It was a dark flash, it looked evil. Spike's body glowed black. A dark aura surrounded him.

"S-Spike?" Scootaloo said.

An evil grin appeared on Spike's face. He started laughing. He pointed a finger at the CMC and Mane Six and fired a beam. The beam exploded on impact. 

To everypony's surprise, it missed and didn't hurt anypony.

"Spike? What happened? You completely missed! They weren't even moving!" Armak said, frustrated as ever.

Spike turned to Armak with a maniac look, pointed his finger, and fired at him. 

Armak swayed dodged the beam. He landed and yelled, "What do you think you're doing!"

Spike started to fire in all directions, explosions could be heard everywhere.

"Wha-What's happening? I don't get it!" Armak asked himself.

"You lost control of Spike," Celestia said as she descended a good distance from Armak. "Now he's going on a rampage! He's going to destroy all of Equestria! Maybe the entire world!"

"What?! If he does that, then there will be nothing left for me to rule!" Armak said.

"It's your fault! Look at what you did!" Celestia said with a glare.

The Mane Six and CMC took cover behind a rock. Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack were still weak.

Rubble flew by, nearly hitting the ponies. The earth below them shook from the blasts. 

"Spike..." Twilight watched as Spike was destroying their surroundings, laughing maniacally.

"We have to do something! If we don't, he'll probably be like this forever!" Rarity said as she held her stomach because of the earlier strikes.

"No! If any of you go out there in that condition..." Apple Bloom tried to state.

"Yeah, we know, but we have to try something!" Rainbow Dash said.

Sweetie Belle looked at everypony. She saw broken ponies, with no hope left. What could they do? They couldn't bring back Spike before, how could they do it now? Tears started to escape her eyes, as she looked at the drake she loved. She loved the kind drake who would do anything to make his friends happy. Now he's the opposite.

Sweetie Belle sobbed and ran up to Spike.

"Sweetie Belle, no!" Rarity yelled.

Spike noticed her and pointed a finger at her, ready to fire. "Hello there!"

Sweetie had tears running down her cheeks. "Why? Why Spike? You were never like this! The Spike I knew was kind, loyal, generous, and honest. He made me smile, and most of all, he was a very good friend!" Sweetie Belle didn't notice that she described Spike as all six elements of harmony. "Spike, please!"

Spike fired the beam from his finger, it hit Sweetie Belle and smoke appeared on impact.

Everypony gasped, including Armak.

When the smoke cleared, Sweetie Belle was standing there. Perfectly fine.

Spike had an annoyed look on his face and shot again. 

The beam had no effect on Sweetie Belle once again. She started to walk slowly towards Spike, tears running endlessly down her cheeks. 

Spike kept firing beams, and eventually changed to firing blasts from his palms.

"What's happening? She's not suffering!" Armak said.

As Sweetie was a hoof-step in front of Spike. She reached for him and pulled him in a tight hug. "Stop. Don't do this. Please." She wrapped her hoofs tighter around the dark drake. "I...I love you..." Sweetie Belle said silently with a sob.

Spike's Mind

Spike gasped, ignoring the pain he was receiving. "Sweetie Belle... Loves me?"

Dark Spike appeared yet again beside Spike. "Oh, who cares about her! What can she give you that we can't? We can give you power! Might! Freedom! We can give you the opportunity to get revenge on the ponies who betrayed you!"

Spike looked down, hiding his happy tears, from the darkness. "You're wrong..."

Dark Spike raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"There is something she can give me that you can't! Something that protected her from your attacks! Something that never in your lifespan will you be able to give me!"

"Oh? And whats that?" Dark Spike said with a smirk.

"Friendship." 

"Ha... Ha ha ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA!" Dark Spike laughed maniacally. "That's it? Friendship?!"

Spike merely nodded.

"Why would you need friendship when you have power? When you have servants?"

Spike smiled. "That's all I wanted in the first place. I never wanted power, control, or even rule. All I really wanted... was friendship."

Dark Spike frowned, but was soon shocked to see Spike glowing bright. "W-What?!"

"I won't let you hurt my friends, my family, or the ponies who I care about!"

Dark Spike gasped.

"And I especially won't let you hurt Sweetie Belle!"

In a blinding flash of light, Spike rose up to the air.

Dark Spike realized he was turning into particles, about to disppear. "H-Huh?"

"NOW GET OUT OF MY BODY!" Spike said as he raised his arms up.

The area around the two shined brightly.

Dark Spike screamed as he began to disappear. "NO! You can't do this to me! You need me!"

"I don't need you! What I need is you to go away!"

"NOOOOO! I'll be back! I SWEAR IT!"

3:20 - Wasteland

Spike's eyes widened, and his body started to glow a bright glow. Spike's body started to change, his darkened scales turning back to normal, the darkness in his eyes were removed, and the dark aura was gone.

"WHAT'S THIS!" Armak yelled.

Spike looked around.

"S-Spike?"

Spike turned to voice to look at Sweetie.

Sweetie Belle tightly hugged Spike when she saw the drake she loved. "Spike! You're back!"

"S-Sweetie Belle! I... can't... breathe..."

Sweetie Belle quickly jumped back, blushing. "OH! Sorry."

"I can NOT allow this. How many times have I done this?! Spike, you're mine!"

Spike turned around and shoved Sweetie Belle behind him. He growled. "Armak!"

Armak released his spell and it hit Spike. 

Everypony gasped.

"Ha, Spike's min- huh?"

Spike was not affected by the spell. "No! Not this time! Not ever!"

"What!?"

Spike used his magic. Cuffs and chains appeared on all four of Armak's hoofs. He gasped. 

"Don't try to use your magic either! All of your magic is blocked!" Spike looked around the area, seeing all the destruction he caused. He saw Ponyville not too far away, smoking. He saw Twilight and the rest, beaten up and hurt. And he saw the surrounding area, damaged and torn apart. 

He then had flashbacks of all the horrible things he did. All of the ponies he hurt, all of the destruction, terror, and chaos he caused. Tears fell down Spike's cheeks. He turned to look at Twilight and her friends. "I-I'm sorry everypony..." Spike then started to run to the Everfree Forest sobbing.

"No, Spike! Wait! We know it wasn't your fault!" Twilight tried to speak to Spike, but he was already gone deep into the Everfree Forest. And she was too tired to chase after him.