Wisdom
But if all you're going to go is hold me back, then don't bother to be with me at all.
These words rang in Spike's head for days after he heard them. All his life he feared the idea of Twilight leaving him, but always thought of it as just that, an idea. His whole life he'd found comfort in the knowledge that such thing would never happen. That no matter how bad things got he and Twilight would always have each other at their side .Not even the thought that Twilight had been twisted by King Sombra could give him solace. But as those words echoed in his mind he felt his whole view of the world crash around him. Questions of who and what he was tortured him as he struggled with the same questions that plagued him since he was young. What did it mean for him to be a dragon living with ponies,
He flew away that night, far across the western sea to new lands until his wings were too tired to go on, and then he walked further than that. In these new lands he was more than just an outsider, he was seen as a monster. The mere sight of a dragons approaching their towns and cities sent the locals into panic. He tried to convince the locals he was no threat, but time and time again he found himself barred from civilization, left to wilds where they though he belonged.
As much as this hurt the dragon emotionally, Spike found a greater problem arising from his need for food. Seen as a monster in these lands, he went hungry being forced to fend for himself. He tried to collect himself wild plants and dig his own gems from the ground, but that was never enough to sate his growing hunger.
Then one day, from the rocky outcropping he was forced to call home he spotted something on the road. A traveling jeweler, hauling his cart alone across the land. Were it not for the hunger paining inside of him, Spike would have been content let the pony pass; but this day, desperately starved of food, Spike did the one thing which seemed natural. He attacked.
Leaping down from his perch, Spike smashed the harness connecting the jeweler to his cart. Frozen in fear the pony could only stand back and watch as his livelihood was torn apart and consumed by the hungry dragon. As Spike licked his claws clean of the last few gemstones, he locked eyes with the terrified pony, and became fully aware of what he had just done. Before either of them could say a word, Spike flew off back to his perch hidden again from the world.
As ashamed as he was of that first attack, Spike convinced himself it was only a matter of survival until he knew what to do about Twilight. And so, time and time again he continued to strike at the inhabitants of these lands. He raided farms for crops and ambushed even more travelers, each time growing larger and more powerful as he gave in to his greed. In his desperation, he terrorized this land as the very beast these ponies believed him to be.
As he did many days Spike spied on the road below from his perch. Situated at the very corner of where the road bent around it, the bluff gave Spike both a full view of the road as well as a secure place to hide his hoard. From here he could see ponies coming and going between the cities, which ones would be traveling alone, which ones would be traveling with something worth taking.
He didn't really need any more gold or jewels, between the modest pile he'd amassed for himself and vegetables from nearby farms he surely had enough food to not go hungry. "One more score," he'd tell himself, "One more big haul then I can worry about Twilight."
Today, it seemed, he was in luck. Traveling toward his hideout he spotted an ornate carriage, with golden trim shining off the sunlight. A perfect target he thought, until it came closer and saw he the squad of armed guards surrounding the carriage. He though of just letting this one pass, not wanting to actually have to fight, but a devious thought crossed his mind. A carriage so well guarded must be transporting something extremely valuable. Licking his lips at the thought, he crept down the far side of the cliff and hid in the brush by the road.
He laid in wait, as the caravan moved ever closer, sizing up the guard ponies in anticipating the strike. Just as he was ready to spring his ambush the lead guard said to the others, "Keep your eyes peeled stallions, this is the area that dragon's been spotted"
Spike cursed his luck under his breath. He knew what he'd done would cause these locals some strife, but never thought they would start arming ponies specifically for him. In his anger he almost didn't hear when one of the other guards asked, "But I thought the dragon roosted in the mountains north of here?"
"No, that's the giant dragon," the captain clarifies, "This is a new one. Our reports say this one's smaller, no bigger than a hen house. On this very road the beast's attacked thirteen caravans in the past four weeks, so stay vigilant."
Talk of another dragon caught Spike's attention. He'd been so quick to assume he was alone after being rejected by ponies, the thought of looking for a dragon to talk to had never even crossed his mind. It was so obvious, now that he thought about it, he had to find this dragon right away. The only problem is he didn't really know where to look; 'the northern mountains' wasn't much to go on. He may not have know were this great dragon was, but he knew somepony who did.
The caravan was well past Spike's hiding spot by now, but it was not a problem. He wasn't looking for a fight. He stood up out of the bushes and walked onto the road. "Hey!" he called out to the guards, "You mentioned a dragon"
In an instant the four sprung to attention, huddling themselves close around the backside of the carriage, spears at the ready. As if rehearsed, the leader yelled proudly across the distance, "We've heard of your deeds dragon. Of how you stalk this road preying on unwary travelers. But no more. Today we fight back!"
From where he stood it was easy for Spike to hide a slight chuckle at the speech. As much as this speech of bravery amused him, he knew this wasn't the time to make fun of the locals. He calmed himself down and started walking casually up to the cart to talk more easily with this group. "Believe it or not sirs I'm not after your valuables this time. One of you mentioned another dragon living around here. All I want to know is exactly where I can find it." Despite his calm demeanor with each step closer the ponies' courage quickly faded to fear. Clearly the reality of facing Spike was far more than what any of them were expecting.
Swallowing what little courage was left the leader declared meekly, "You are a menace in these lands d-dragon. We will s-slay you and put an en-en-end to you here and now"
By now Spike was right up in front of them, standing eye level with the very top of the cart the ponies were backed all the way up against. Weeks of stealing from travelers had made him used to being feared, and though he didn't love it, he had to admit it was often enough to get what he wanted. So spreading his wings wide and doing his best to show off his sharp teeth as he spoke, he said to the ponies, "Listen, I just want to know where I can find this other dragon. Now we could this the easy way, where you just tell me what I want to know, I let you go on your merry way, and you get say your survived an encounter with a dragon." Unafraid of the terrified ponies before him Spike grabbed one of the spears, still held lightly in the magical grasp of it's owner, and started picking his teeth with the point.
"Or", he continued, actually finding a spare piece of lettuce in his mouth, which he left pierced on the spear, "We could do this your way. Giant fangs, razor sharp claws, breathing fire, the whole dragon fighting special"
Despite his previous brave words the leader now stood paralyzed in fear, mouth agape as he tried and failed to formulate words. Two of the others shared this moment of fear, but the last, the unicorn who's weapon Spike made a toothpick sprung to action. With a courageous shout he thrust his weapon at Spike's exposed belly.
A light ping and the steel tip bounced harmlessly off the dragon's scales, leaving him completely unfazed. What courage he'd managed to summon drained quick as the unicorn collapsed into a quivering ball on the road.
Seeing this the leader quickly positioned himself north of Spike and pointed outward as he gave directions as quick as possible, "Yes well North is that way, you want the first mountain range you hit. The dragon lives in a cave in the valley left of the second highest peak. Most of that area is wooded except an area that's burned away. That's where the cave is you can't miss it," and snapped back to his comrades' sides.
"Thank you. Your help is appreciated" Spike said with a smile, somewhat proud of how easily it was to frighten the ponies into submission. Without another word he took to the skies, flying a couple circles around the road to make his act complete then flying off. He grabbed his treasures as he passed his nest, and went north to seek the cave.
It was right there, just as the pony described it. The cave in the burned forest in the valley to the left of the second highest peak. And surely in that cave, a full grown dragon. With cautious steps he entered the mouth of the cave. It was a short walk however, for after just the first major bend the cave opened up to massive chamber. And sat neatly in the center of that chamber, a hoard of treasure piled nearly all the way to the roof of the cave. For just a moment Spike lost himself at the sight. He ran up to the very edge of the pile, mouth watering as the sight consumed him. Remembering what happened the last time he touched another dragon's hoard, Spike snapped himself out of it and began looking for the alleged dragon.
Unfortunately for Spike, it found him first. A gust of hot smokey air rushed from behind him, causing him to freeze in fear. Before he could turn around the older dragon's voiced boomed from behind "I'll give you one chance to end this peacefully young one. Drop the treasure you stole from me and walk away quietly."
Spike slowly turned around, coming face to face with the titanic crimson dragon. What struck him first was the size of it's mouth. Rows of razor sharp teeth lined each side of a mouth nearly as large as Spike's entire torso. Behind the maw which was craned down to his level, were yellow slitted eyes staring him down under bony brows. The rest of the massive body coiled around the back the treasure pile, visible only by the slightly lighter spikes going down the best's spine. As Spike mentally sized up the titan, his mind was brought back to the ponies he put in quite the same place not too long ago.
Mustering all his courage Spike stood tall and addressed his superior, "This isn't from your hoard, it's from mine. I've read it was customary for dragon guests to bring their hosts a gift as a sign of respect." He let go of his gems, letting them fall in a nice little pile by his feet, before bracing for the worst.
The red dragon lowered his massive head and inhaled deeply over the pile, "So it is" he admitted, slightly surprised and scooped it up, pouring it over his own hoard, the addition making no difference on the mountainous pile. The great dragon relaxed slightly from his aggressive posture and turned to face his guest. "My apologies young one, your act is a tradition I have not had the pleasure to practice for many decades, and never from a drake as young as yourself. Also tradition among our kind, is for the junior to first introduce themselves to the elder"
Trying his best to mimic the great dragon's grandiose manner Spike declared "I am Spike the Dragon of Equestria, my gracious host" As he spoke his introduction he became painfully aware of his diminutive stature. Among ponykind his size and age gave him a grand presence wherever he went, but now against one of his own his relative youth shone through.
Standing up fully and stretching his wings to their extent the red dragon declared, "Greetings Spike, I am Sargovax. The pleasure of our meeting is mine," he looked over his guest again curiously. Thinking for a moment then asking, "Pardon my forgetfulness but you seem familiar, have we met before?"
"Possibly. About fifty years ago, a long time ago for me anyway, I followed the great dragon migration as it went through Equestria. I bet if anything you saw me there" Spike said eagerly.
"Of course, now I remember. You were the baby who spent his time with those rowdy adolescents. Judging by your size I'd say you're a bit older than they were then. I always did think it odd for there to be a hatchling like yourself there, without the protection of your mother." As fond as reminiscing about the past was, Sargovax returned to the topic at hand. "But enough about the past, tell me, oh dragon of Equestria why you have sought me out, so far from the land you call home?"
With a deep breath Spike opened himself up the the titan. "I came for advice. All my live I was raised by ponies, brought up as one of their own since they hatched me from an egg."
"Ponies, hatching a dragon egg? Interesting, I didn't even know such a thing was possible" Sargovax pondered to himself curiously.
"But now the pony who hatched me, the one I thought I could always count on, she sent me away," Spike continued, becoming sad as he recounted his abandonment. "She said she didn't care about me anymore, that I could go be a normal dragon for all she cared" His sadness faded as he said with new conviction, "Only I know that isn't like her. She's been turned evil and I want to help her go back to being good. But I also know if I just went to the other Princesses, it'd mean betraying her trust and losing her as a friend"
Taking a moment to digest the unusual story, Sargovax said to the young one, "Your trouble is an interesting one. Most dragons do not concern themselves over the fleeting lives of ponies, thinking themselves superior to the equines and acting so. But you on the other claw were born among them, and raised not as a curiosity or threat, but as one of their own. To be told that you could just leave, no matter the context, I'd think of this as a blessing in disguise. An opportunity to go out and live the life you've never had. Unbound by their rules, their regulations. Free to do what you want, to take what you want, sparing not a thought to who is hurt to get that"
As the red dragon described that concept of freedom, Spike realized just how much it resembled what he'd been doing for the past few weeks. Instead of the enthusiasm Sargovax expressed at the idea of living outside the law, he thought of how in doing everything and anything he wanted he'd only became even more isolated.
"That's not that life I want though" he admitted, "At least I don't think so. I know at least that I don't want to be alone. I want to help Twilight, get her off this path of evil she's going down, but I also don't want to drive this wedge in between us any further. I just don't know if there's a way to do it without having to lose my friends, or turn Equestria against itself, or-"
Sargovax stopped the drake short and told him "I'm afraid there is little I can tell you of how to deal with ponies. You are likely better versed in that than I. What I do know is that you cannot hope to resolve any problems without first figuring out who you are."
Puzzled , the purple dragon asked, "How so?"
"You introduced yourself as 'The Dragon of Equestria'. Surely a title you hold proudly, but it tells me you consider yourself an outsider even in your own home. Since you were raised as a pony, treated like a pony by those around you, it's no doubt to some respect you think like a pony. And, if I may speculate, you think yourself a failure for not being that pony. What I say, is to stop trying to be a pony, and embrace the reality that you are a dragon."
Frustrated by something he'd heard far too much, the purple dragon exclaimed, "I don't know if I even know what that means though. All my life ponies keep saying to me about being a dragon, or acting like a dragon like it's supposed to feel any different. Like there was some other side to me that they know better than I do"
"Young drake, you may not be what ponies typically think of when they imagine dragons, but that hardly makes you any different from the likes of me. To be a dragon is....well...hmm....let's see," Sargovax trailed off as he pondered how best to explain such a concept. "Let's start simple," he started, "Surely you've felt the pull of greed in your life."
"Well everything I gave you was stolen from ponies around here"
"And?" Sargovax probed further.
Confused Spike repeated, "And?"
"Surely there were more times when you acted off nothing but selfish desire" explained the titan.
Thinking to the most obvious example of his greed, Spike recounted, "One time when I was still a baby I started hoarding all the random junk I could find. And when I did that I grew giant, almost as big as you are now."
"And?"
"I guess there was also that time I abused my friend's position to get ponies to do what I wanted"
"And?"
"And I have been known to use an entire town's water supply taking 7 hour bubble baths"
"And...?"
"And sometimes when no ones around I do this," Quickly grabbing the largest and shiniest golden platter he could find, Spike flexed his muscles and said shamefully to his reflection, "Looking good Spike, looking real good......"
Sargovax tried to stifle a laugh at the display, but couldn't hold back for long, erupting with laughter as he fell on his back. "See, this is why I only do it when I'm alone" Spike commented sarcastically.
"No, no, it's not that little one. Well perhaps a little" The great dragon admitted, drawing another sideways scowl from Spike. "You claim to not know what it is to be a dragon, and yet you have felt the same impulses all dragons have for as long as there have been dragons"
"But every time I did something like that I've told that I needed to control my greed. Whenever I let it go I landed myself in a big heap of trouble. I thought it would be a bad thing to just give into it like that."
"By whom, the ponies?" the red dragon joked, "For them yes the idea of letting a dragon hoard freely is a bad thing, it's no doubt they would try to keep you from doing just that. But greed in itself is nothing to fear, so long as you control it, and not the other way around. It's a part of what makes us who we are. A part of who you are" he emphasized, pointing a claw at the center of Spike's chest.
Thinking back to something Spike said before, Sargovax asked him, "You mentioned you've been stealing from the inhabitants of these lands. Now normally I'd take issue with another dragon moving in to my territory, and if you were not as civil with me we'd be meeting under quite different circumstances. What I wonder though, is how has it compared to your, ponyfull, life in Equestria?"
"At first it went against everything I knew. Taking what wasn't mine, threatening anyone who opposed me. I told myself it was just survival. After a while though it did become easier, exciting even, not having to answer to anypony, getting what i want when I want. It was like nothing I ever felt back in Equestria" he announced, becoming more excited as he went on.
"Then why do your thoughts still dwell on Equestria?" Sargovax asked.
Having to think hard about this question Spike came to the conclusion, "Because it's still my home. It might be the pony in me talking but I can't abandon it like that. I can't let Twilight go down this path of evil without putting up a fight"
"Nor should you try." Sargovax said, putting a hand on Spike's shoulder, "You are clearly not some rampaging beast Spike, but neither are you a weak pony. You are the Dragon of Equestria, don't try to deny either side of what makes you who you are. If you want to help your friend, then go do it, and don't let anybody stop you. But then next time you meet her, do not face her meekly as the pony you were raised, but as the proud dragon you are. Just remember your greed is not something to be denied. Aware of yes, in control of yes, but if there is something that you truly want, do not let the fear of the ponies you choose to live with hold you back."
"I won't" Spike said as he stood up and faced the door. "Twilight hatched me, she raised me. She taught me the difference between right and wrong, now I have to remind her of that difference"
Sargovax smiled an nodded, proud of the confidence the young dragon now displayed. "Your friend must have a good head on her shoulders for her to raise a drake as wise as you. You'd do well to stick with her"
Spike turned back to his new friend and smiled. For the first time in his life he didn't feel ashamed of his greed. He felt proud of it, proud of what it meant it was. Proud to be a dragon. And he had Sargovax to thank for it. "Goodbye Sargovax. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me," He said.
"And thank you Spike," the great dragon said back, "You give me hope that not all the drakes of your generation are such troublesome brutes. Please do return soon"
"I'll try" Spike said, and walked out the door.
Peacefully alone once more Sargovax laid down and curled up around his hoard. Pillars of smoke billowed from his nose as he began drifting off to sleep. It wasn't long though before he was wide awake when he remembered just where in the world Equestria was. He managed to avoid that awkward lapse in memory during the conversation but now he reminded himself with much relief, "Equestria, oh right that's where that terrifying yellow one lives", shuddering at the memory, "Good luck dealing with that one Spike, you'll need it"
"NO NO NO! You're still focusing on the shield!" Sombra yelled to his student, whilst holding a magical barrier across a straw dummy made to look like Celestia. "Focus on your opponent. How much you hate them, how much you want them to suffer. The magic will do the rest."
Streaks of red and pink magic burned from Twilight's eyes as she prepared to fire another round of magic at the dummy. Reeling back, she launched a dark beam from her horn, focusing it with all her might on the pony behind the shield. Despite her intensity, upon drawing close to the shield, the beam deflected downward, gouging a hole in the ground as the blast impacted.
It's still alive. thought Twilight, frustrated by another failure. For a moment, her irises gleamed red as the thoughts of failure on her part became anger at the pony the target resembled. She always comes out alive.
"Just DIE ALREADY!" she screamed, letting out a burst of reddish-pink magic at the dummy, far dwarfing what she'd displayed previously. The magical mass rushed toward the dummy, passing right through the barrier as if it were not even there. A smile drew across Twilight's face as she saw the Celestia stand in shrivel to a husk at the very first touch of her magic.
Sombra lowered the shield and with a stern face approached his apprentice. Just as Twilight reveled at seeing her former teacher form desecrated, Sombra smacked her upside the head and scolded his student, "That was sloppy. This is the fifth time we've run this drill and you still can't get it right on your first try"
"I thought that was the purpose of practice, to get better each time?" the alicorn snapped back, "It only took me four times before I broke through the shield this time, and I'd think I did it much more convincingly than I ever did before"
Sombra's horn lit up with dark magic "Your failure had nothing to do with a lack of ability, you failed because your first instinct is to use dark magic like you would regular magic. You keep trying to use magic to break through the shield, instead of directing your fury at the pony behind it. The moment you abandon passion for logic you lose what makes dark magic so powerful" Red sparks flew from master to student, making Twilight cry out as her body was wracked with pain. "In the heat of battle you don't get second chances, you don't get do overs. You either get it right the first time or show your opponent a weakness in you they can exploit"
It was not the first time since Twilight returned as his student that he'd punished her this way. Pain, he told her, would make her strong. So although what he put her through was excruciating, she knew it was his way of bringing out her potential. So out of both pride and defiance she stood tall through his assault as if to say 'do your worst'. After a while the magic stopped, sending Twilight to her knees to catch her breath after holding out for so long.
Standing tall above his panting student Sombra ordered, "Do it again. And this time do it right the first time like I know you can" His horn flared to life again, threatening another round, "Your insistence on holding on to your old ways is drawing my patience very thin."
From high above the forest a deep, yet familiar voice called out, "Don't even think about hurting one more hair on her head" The two ponies looked up to find its source to see a large purple and green dragon circling overhead. It swooped down into the clearing, landing on all fours between the ponies, posturing aggressively toward the crystal unicorn.
Despite the threat Sombra refused to back down. He held the charge in his horn, ready to let loose at a moments notice. Not backing down either Spike lurched forward, smoke billowing from his nostrils as he let out a fearsome roar, far more ferocious than in their last encounter. Noticing this stark change in his enemy Sombra dispelled his magic, intrigued by this difference since their last meeting.
With the immediate threat subsided Spike relaxed, standing back up onto his hind legs. Before he could take his eyes of Sombra, Twilight ran up and hugged him, pressing her face against his scales. Relieved to be able to see him again she cheered, "Oh Spike, I knew you'd come back, I just knew it! And you've grown so much since you've been gone," she added, noticing how where he once looked here eye to eye, the dragon now towered a full head above the end of her horn. Realizing the situation he'd found her in, she backed off a bit from the hug and asked him, "How much of me and Sombra did you see?"
For just a moment Spike the weight of everything that had happened between the two seemed to disappear, when he saw Twilight so excited to see him. Hopeful that this meant things were going back to normal he told her, "I saw you and Sombra throwing a lot of spells around. I hoped that meant you were fighting against him." His face grew long when he saw the Alicorn Amulet around her neck and the fears he had about what was really going on were confirmed. He lifted a claw and slightly lifted the amulet off her collar, saddened that he wasn't there to stop her whenever she put it on. "I didn't want to think you'd be here training with him"
He released Twilight from the hug and started pacing back and forth as he tried to find the right words. The best he could think do was ask her simply, "Why'd you do it Twilight? Why'd you just go and throw your life away like that?"
"Because I killed Pinkie Pie." she replied factually, stopping the dragon in his tracks, and leaving a lingering silence between the two. "I thought I could save her without the Amulet. I tried, and I failed. That's when I realized if everyone I've known is gone, and I didn't have the power to save them, there was nothing left of that old me worth holding on to"
"Twilight, resisting selfish desires is nothing to be ashamed of. I understand what it's like to give up your own desires for the greater good" Spike tried explaining.
Feeling insulted that the dragon even tried to guess her motives Twilight spat back, "What you think I held back because of pride, or honor? I held back out of fear. I was afraid that putting on this Amulet would mean going against Princess Celestia, and Pinkie Pie paid the price for it"
"Ever since I started learning from Sombra I was afraid of what Celestia would do when she found out. And I let that fear hold me back, even at the very end when it all mattered most. Letting fear control my decisions like that was the biggest mistake of my life, and it's one I vowed never to make again. That's why I put on the Amulet Spike, because I refused to live my life in fear. Deep down I knew that would never be possible so long as I lived under Celestia's rule. So I came here to the one pony who shared my vision"
Following that speech Sombra came forth and rest his hoof proudly on Twilight's shoulder. "Together we will be a force the likes of which Equestria has never seen. Once her training in combat is complete we will overthrow the Princesses in Canterlot and take their place as rulers of Equestria. There we will reshape the world as we see fit, and Twilight will have the position and power she has so long been denied"
"You can be a part of that world too Spike. I want you to be a part of our new world. Imagine it, not having to worry about managing your greed. You could hoard to your heart's content and let it make you the powerful dragon you were meant to be" Twilight assured her dragon, hopeful she could convince him to see her side.
"For the past month I lived like that, taking what I want, hoarding, pillaging," Spike told her, "It was incredible, but I learned that's just not who I am. I'm not just some rampaging beast, I'm your friend Twilight, and as your friend I know this isn't who you are either. You're sweet and caring,"
With a sharp change in tone he stomped up to Sombra and with one hand grabbed the unicorn by the neck. "But then he put himself in your life, and did everything in his power to make you cruel and evil."
"Spike, what are you doing?" Twilight yelled.
Spike took a roughness to his voice, a sort of half growl he'd used many times alone when he threatened his victims. "All you talk about is power and fear. If that's all you care about now then maybe it's something you'll listen to"
"I thought you said you weren't some beast"
"Your right, I'm not, I'm a dragon. And maybe I need to remind you, BOTH of you," he emphasized, tightening his grip and hoisting Sombra clean off the ground, "What dragons will do to ponies who stand in the way of what we want"
"Do it then. Kill me" Sombra commanded rashly.
"What?" asked both Twilight and Spike at the odd request.
Between gasps of air Sombra continued, "You talk a big talk Lizard, but it's meaningless unless you plan to carry it out. So why don't you just kill me now. That way you can go back to Canterlot and live happily ever after"
With a stern look, Twilight scolded the king, "Sombra, please don't make this any worse than it needs to me" before turning back to her friend, "And Spike-"
But before she could get another word in Spike raised his prisoner up to his maw and growled with a smile "My pleasure". Without further warning, a torrent of green fire escaped his mouth, engulfing the unicorn in a raging inferno. Not letting up his dragon's breath for a moment Spike slammed the fallen king to the ground and stomped hard against his body, feeling several ribs break under his weight. Licks of orange spewed from the form as the unicorn's fur began scorching off his skin.
Twilight was left speechless as Spike unleashed a side of himself she'd never thought he had. Watching helplessly, she nearly choked on the smell of burning flesh filling the air as layer after layer of her master peeled away in the intense heat.
After what was surely the longest minute of any of their lives, Spike's fire finally died down, revealing what was left of the crystal unicorn. A stallion, once so seemingly powerful and unstoppable was reduced to little more than a pile of charred flesh and exposed bones. With one final motion Spike stood upon the barren skull of the king, and crushed it with ease. Victoriously he let out a draconic roar, which echoed across the forest, leaving a veil of silence in it's wake.
As Spike caught his breath after that ferocious assault, Twilight pushed him aside to kneel down by the remains of her master. Tears welled up as she looked over what was left of his body. Behind closed eyes her irises flashed red, as the alicorn's mourning turned to anger at her best friend. She spun around to look him in the face, horn and eyes alive with dark magic, subconsciously channeling the hate into power. "How could you?" she shouted at her master's killer, "He was the only pony in Equestria I had left to care about and you killed him in cold blood"
Taken back by the aggression Spike asked, "Are you forgetting who this is? Sombra, the stallion who enslaved the Crystal Empire. Who nearly killed us all when he tried to take it over a second time. And, if I'm not mistaken, just confessed to plotting on taking over Equestria"
"He was my friend" she protested.
"You were his pawn" Spike shouted back angrily, "You've always been his pawn. Do you really think he ever cared about saving our friends? It was all a lie to get you to join him. He's evil, he made you evil and I just put him down"
Offended, Twilight took a step back to her master's body and accused, "Is that what this is all about to you, good and evil? If that's the case then you can burn me too, because guess what. I chose to join him. I came to him because I wanted his help to take down Celestia"
"That isn't you talking Twilight, it's that stupid necklace around your neck," he tried to reason with her.
"Yes, and you see this necklace" she yelled, showing off the Alicorn Amulet, "I was the one who put it on, and you know well and good it doesn't come off my neck unless I say it does. So fire away friend, because this is who I am now"
"It felt good didn't it?" a garbled voice asked from the side. The alicorn and dragon looked around to where it came from to see the burned husk of the pony standing on it's four legs, seemingly looking at Spike, though it was hard to tell with its skull still smashed to bits. As its muscles and sinews wove themselves back together, the form limped its way in slow steps toward the dragon. "To truly let loose like that. To think that all you need to get your way is the power to kill those who oppose you. To hold nothing back like you did the last time"
Limping around Twilight, the corpse's implied gaze intensified on the dragon, each word becoming clearer as the pony continued on. "You think there can be peace, and yet you are so quick to use force to try and get what you want." Skin and grey fur began replacing itself up the body nearing the head. "Despite our disagreements, it seems you and I are now quite as different as you might think" Said Sombra, with his face near fully reformed. Only the glowing red scar across his left eye refusing to heal.
Bending down to meet him face to face, Spike growled at the unicorn, "The two of us are nothing alike"
"Aren't we?" Sombra asked confidently, "It seems we both have no reservations about killing ponies who aren't going to fight back. We are creatures of rage and destruction. But most importantly we are both so very much alone"
"I have friends. I have all of Equestria to call home. You are the one with nothing"
"HA" Sombra laughed, "You're a dragon, you don't have friends. You have ponies who choose to let you live with them. Willing to put up with you until the day you stop acting civil and start stealing all their treasure. A day they all know is coming. And if you honestly believe those Princesses of yours wouldn't lock you up the minute you so much as look at a gem too long, then I was right when I said, you are the biggest fool"
"That's ridiculous, tell him Twilight" Spike said, dismissing the idea. Despite the call for confirmation the princess stayed silent. "Twilight?"
Without a tinge of regret Twilight backed up the king's claim, "He's right you know. Princess Celestia has a full contingency plan in the event of you going rouge"
All the confidence drained from Spike at the reveal, which only got worse as Twilight continued, "She also has plans for Discord relapsing, Changeling remilitarization. Heck, we even know she'd even go so far as to send her own sister to the moon. We all live under her hoof Spike, whether we like to admit it or not. Me and Sombra are just the only ones willing to do anything about it"
Pulling attention back to himself, Sombra offered a choice, "So what will it be, beast? Go back to being Equestria's pet until the Princess thinks you've grown too big for your cage, or make the world one where you can live without fearing what you are?"
Twilight went up to him and held his massive hand and between her hooves. "I do still care about you Spike. Even this new me, wearing the Alicorn Amulet, I only want what's best for you. But most of all I don't want to fight with you anymore, I want us to be friends again. But if you go back to Celestia, I know she'll make you fight against me. I don't want to have to hurt you Spike"
"I don't want to hurt you either Twilight, but how could I possibly just go against everything I've ever known like that?" he asked.
"Because we'll have each other Spike, and nopony will be able to tear us apart"
It took all his might to hold back tears as the choice of leaving Twilight was once again presented before him. He knew this time it was too late to change her mind, this was the life she'd chose. Even if one day she did come to her senses, things would never be the same between them if he left now. Though it was a hard thing to admit Spike knew he had no other choice.
In one last fit of rage he stood up tall, and let out another roar. Then he suddenly backhanded Sombra, sending him flying backward into a tree. As the king reeled from the unexpected swipe, the purple dragon bent down to his level and asked, "So how exactly would I fit into this plan of yours?"
A knowing smile ran across his face as Sombra said to his new found ally, "You're strong dragon, but still not strong enough. It's my understanding that when immature dragons hoard they grow tremendously fast to their full size. You must harness this potential you possess within you. There is a group of Diamond Dogs making their home on a ridge on the western edge of the forest. Go there, and be a dragon"
"Go there Spike, and be my dragon" Twilight added proudly.
Though still conflicted over who he was pledging his loyalty, Spike smiled at his friend, knowing all that mattered now was being with her. With the confidence granted by following his desire Spike took to the skies and head westward, focusing his mind hungrily on the riches he would soon acquire.
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Well done good sir, well done indeed.
ITS ALIVE but seriously what took so long? now before anyone jumps all over me let me finish. i'm not angry, just curious that's all, i simply want to know
aside from that great work
6536065 Long story short I can't really get myself to work during the summer. During school though, when I am in the mindset of getting work done I write often. Hope that helps
Thumbs up on this chapter. This is probably the first time I've seen someone do that kind of "dragon conversation" scene and have it feel like an actual conversation. No posturing, no grand speeches, no lectures. Just two people talking. Hell, the old guy even laughed at a corny joke! That's absolutely a new one right there. It's sad how flat and stereotypical most dragon characters really are. There could be so much more done with that.
6536400 yes it does help
thank you for understanding 
interesting every interesting i wonder if celestia has a contingency plan for twilight
This story is Awesome----
AWESOME!
6661487 Indeed, this time. But she comes back after one of her friends dies, and then is told to fuck off till all of her friends die, and she's ok with it...
She is there to help make them immortal, but to train to make them immortal, she has to wait for them to die, and thus can not be immortal... It doesn't make sense, and Twilight, being a logical pony, would NOT do that. Not at first anyways.
1 Friend dies and instantly goes to him for the answer to make them immortal with her. Then is told to let another friend die, and she happily agrees to it. Now if say, 3 of her friends died, and each time she got more and more Desprate and THEN went to Sombra to save the rest? I can understand that.
But going there after the first 1 dies, to save the others, and then agreeing anyways to let them die, which contradicts the entire point of her learning the magic in the first place?! It just doesn't make sense! At every death I was waiting for her to snap and kill him... but nothing. She doesn't care. She cries, but she down right doesn't care, because she willingly lets them die so that she can learn Dark Magic... because. I don't know why she wants to learn. It's not to help people, or save her friends, because she willingly lets them all die to farther her own teachings for no reason.
6661763 Well all I have to say is that this is the story I wrote and I am sorry those plot holes ruin it for you.
6661763 did we read the same story? when was she okay with waiting for her friends to die? she seemed to grudgingly accept Sombras explanaition that she lacked the connection to dark magic needed to continue and that the only way she'd gain that connection would be through suffering the grief caused by losing her loved ones.
she gets told that she's unable to save all her friends, but that she might be able to save some if she manages to learn the immortality spell. wouldn't it be logical for her to follow the path that'd give her at least some hope of saving her friends, even if it would only let her save one or two rather than just letting all of them die?
the first friend dies and she gets fuck all as guidance from celestia, and thus she gets as desperate as a person can get because she knows that the others won't be far behind. why would she wait for more of her friends to die if she had even a smidgen of a hope to prevent their deaths? she even called him out on the ridiculousness of waiting for her friends to die in order to be able to save them, but seeing as he is the only one willing and able to help her, what else was she to do but go along with his method of training?
it was explained that dark magic is fueled by suffering and pain, and thus she needed to suffer to be able to use dark magic to save her friends, and then she had the spell, but she didn't have the power necessary to cast it properly and thus pinkie died. she tried her best and it turned out to be not enough, how does that equal to willingly letting her friends die?
6684834 unless you did some major rework on the past chapters in the past three weeks, those aren't even plot holes as they're quite clearly explained in the story in a believeable fashion.
6730284 "she seemed to grudgingly accept Sombras explanaition" This part. This is the part I am upset about. She blindly accepts Sombra's explanation that the ONLY way to save her friends, was for more of them to die, which Contradicts her goal. And more and more of her friends die, she listens more and more to Sombra and cares about those left less and less.
Heck, she KNOWS a spell to turn ponies to Alicorns, seeing as she had cast it and became an Alicorn and Immortal. If it happened to Cadance and Her, it CAN happen to others. But no, instead lets like 4 out of 5 friends die to save 1, when the goal was to save all of them? Really? What's more, if I remember right, she never once goes to Celestia, Luna, or Cadance. Ever. She got 1 note from Celestia, and that's it.
Heck, she never even thought to maybe fake their deaths and have them in Stasis somewhere till she Perfected the way to save them. Nope, chooses to let them die, then get heart broken because she willingly let them die instead of doing something about it, all on the word of 1 pony who's an enemy to her nation and her ponies, including the ponies she was trying to save.
6730372 Dude calm your tits it's a story, you seem upset. I wanted to write a story about Twilight becoming evil set ~50 years in the future, and you decided to read that story. Ever heard of the concept of suspension of disbelief? I for the life of me could not make an airtight plot for that and honestly I don't know why you seem so intent on bringing that to light. If it really bothers you so much you can just ignore me forever. So I say good day sir.
6730372 what else was she supposed to do other than accept that that was the only way? Celestia, the one that she trusted the most, completely blew her off and shattered her hopes. why would you think that Luna or Cadence had any other guidence besides what Celestia had given?
yes, she knows a spell, one that doesn't seem to be very reliable and depends on "destiny" and requires the elements of harmony, how was she supposed to cast it with Rarity dead? she DID ask Celestia and got hope crushingly blown off. why would she go to Luna or Cadence after that?
why would you believe that it's in her power to put them in stasis in the first place? did it ever cross your mind that she had no way to cheat death other than the one being offered by Sombra?
Dat cover art
Nice, nice. I like and hope to see more!
This is a GREAT story I love it
!
Yes, let the hate flow through you. Embrace the darkness. Learn from it, so you can fight it.
Moar...?
Imagine dragons? I love that band!
"Equestria, oh right that's where that terrifying yellow one lives", shuddering at the memory, "Good luck dealing with that one Spike, you'll need it"
This part is funny. I like it. poor Sargovax, Fluttershy really did a number on him.
Hopefully not dead, but probably dead.
Damn
... that was both awesome and horrible at the exact same time... i mean I'd much rather Spike join the two since I'm more then certain that the only other way this could of gone down is Spike tries to fight and kill Sombra, only for Twilight to intervene and kill Spike.
So I'd rather him join them then simply be killed off by them.
Oh joy. Another long abandoned Incomplete. Night spare me, I just wanna find some Finished work.....
10639504
Agreed, There should be time limit for abandon stories and if another author wishes to take up the story after the time limit, they should be allowed complete the work. I will say that I do always side with the original author and support them if they should lose the creative spark for one reason or another, but if you don’t want continue simply post on your blog “peace, do with my work what you will”, to keep stories from being incomplete . We as readers will support you decision should you wish to do this, but we inturn may a have another writer complete the work for our own enjoyment/ sanity.
Well, now Spike is no different than Twilight.
OH HE'S THAT DRAGON!! I knew he sounded familiar, didn't realize it until he mentioned the "yellow one".
Nevermind, there is no happy ending in this story, unless you count the happy ending as "Twilight, Sombra, and spike take over Equestria and rule the entire planet."
Although..... I'm not complaining. Well besides the fact that this story hasn't been updated in nearly a decade, I hope to see a continuation of this story in the future, maybe someone else will complete this story.
April 8