Spike hummed to himself, kicking his legs. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, feeling the cool breeze on his scales. That day he had helped Fluttershy pick flowers for her animals, help set up Twilights School of Friendship, and helped Grubber with grocery shopping. He had a very eventful day and was just relaxing.
He watched the sunset which was beautiful shades of dark blues, oranges, and pinks. Spike closed his eyes and let his head fall back. It felt as if he was floating when he was this high up. He wished that he could feel like he was floating forever.
“Spike, dinners ready!” Tempest exclaimed from her bedroom window. Spike looked down at Tempest to see her head poking out of the window. He gave her a thumbs up and started to slide down the roof, letting his claws dig into the tiles for support. He shifted he left foot, making him stop in place. He laid above his bedroom window, slowly lowering himself so he wouldn’t fall on the ground. Spike slid through his bedroom window, landing on his side with a loud bang. He laid on the floor for a few moments, not wanting to move. Patches walked over to Spike in concern, pressing her nose against his cheek.
“I’m okay Patches.” Spike reassured, rubbing her head. Patches let out a happy purr and swished her small tail nub in the air. He stood up and brushed himself off before walking towards his open bedroom door. Patches followed him, happily purring behind her owner.
He walked down the hallway with a little skip in his step. He passed a room, making him stop and look into it. The room was completely empty and dark. Everyone in the house had a room which left a spare room. Tempest and Grubber never set the room up as a guest room so it was just there. Spike couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was supposed to be there. He shook his head and continued to walk down the hallway.
Spike smelled the air. It smelled like Grubber had made lasagna. Spike approached the staircase and looked at the railing, which was shiny and clean. He sat down on the railing and started to slide down at a fast speed. Patches galloped down the steps, trying to keep up with Spike. He jumped off of the railing and landed on his feet.
“Hurry up or I’ll eat your dinner!” Grubber shouted from the kitchen. Spike playfully rolled his eyes and made his way to the kitchen.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Spike said, walking into the kitchen. The table was already set up and Tempest sat in her seat, already eating. Grubber sat on the other side of the table, eating his food. In the middle of the table there was a fresh tray of lasagna. Spike sat down next to Tempest and reached across the table, cutting himself a small piece of lasagna. He dropped the lasagna on his place and picked a piece off of it. He dropped the piece on the floor, letting Patches eat it.
“Did you hear that Storm King’s statue got destroyed today?” Tempest asked. Grubber shook his head.
“He had it coming, he was a dick.” Grubber said. Spike continued to look down at his food, not paying attention to what his family was saying. He was lost in his own thought. He didn’t want to hear anything about Storm King ever again.
“There were a few witnesses. They said that he was destroyed with a metal baseball bat.” Tempest said. Grubber gave a sly grin.
“It should’ve been a sledgehammer.” He stated. For some reason, Spike felt guilty about destroying the statue. Storm King hurt him for years and he felt bad about hurting him back for once.
“Spike?” Tempest asked, making Spike snap out of his train to thought. He looked up at Tempest, who stared back at him in concern.
“Are you okay, you barely touched your dinner.” Tempest said in concern. Spike looked down to see that he had only taken a few bites. His food was completely cold. How long was he spaced out?
“I’m fine, I’m just not that hungry.” Spike said. He scooted his chair away from the table and stood up.
“I’m going to bed, goodnight.” He said, walking away. Patches jumped on Spikes chair and took a bite of lasagna before running after Spike. Tempest and Grubber exchanged glances of confusion. It was only eight o’clock.
“I’ll go check on him.” Tempest said, standing up from her seat. Time to find out was was wrong.
Spike laid in his bed, staring at the wall. Patches was curled up against to his stomach, sound asleep. There was a small knock on the room door, making Spike glance to the door.
“Come in.” Spike said. The door opened, revealing Tempest with a concerned look on her face. She closed the door behind her and walked over to his bed. She sat down next to him, putting her hoof on his arm.
“Are you okay?” Tempest asked. Spike let out a sigh.
“I guess. I just feel bad about Storm Kings statue being destroyed.” Spike said. Tempest gave him a sympathetic look.
“Hey, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know this was going to happen.” Tempest reassured. Spikes heart sank when he heard that. He knew he had to tell her what he did or he would live with that guilt for life.
“You’re right Tempest, I feel better.” Spike said with a smile. Tempest gave a smile back and gave him a kiss on the head.
“That’s good. I love you Spike, goodnight.” Tempest said while walking out the room. She gave one last look at Spike before closing the door behind her. Spike let out a groan of frustration and facepalmed himself.
“Why didn’t I just tell her the truth?” Spike whispered angrily to himself. Patches sat up sleepily at Spikes sudden movement. Spike quickly let her head, making her lay back down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Go to sleep baby.” He apologized, stroking Patches. Once she fell back asleep, Spike let out a sigh of relief.
“Maybe I should go to sleep too.” He muttered to himself. Spike closed his eyes, holding Patches close to his body. Within a few minutes, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
Spike stood in a dark void, looking around. He was covered in bruises and his heart raced in his chest. A loud stomping came from behind him, making him turn around in fear.
Storm King toward over him by sixty feet, staring at him with a sly grin. Spike trembled with fear, his eyes filling up with tears.
“You’re pathetic, thinking you could get rid of me. Don’t you know I’ll always be with you?” Storm King asked, his voice booming. Spike dropped to his knees and started to beg.
“Please don’t hurt me, I’ll do whatever you want.” He begged. Storm King let out a loud laugh, making the room shake.
“You’re a coward.” Storm King said, lifting up his hoof. Spike closed his eyes, feeling his hoof getting closer to his body. This was the end.
Spike sat straight up in his bed, gasping for air. He clutched onto his chest, hyperventilating. He looked around to see that he was in his room.
“It’s okay, it was just a dream.” Spike mumbled to himself. He shakily pet Patches for comfort.
Spike walked down the hallways of the School of Friendship with a smile on his face and a bag on his back. It was early in the morning and classes wouldn’t start for another thirty minutes. The halls were almost completely empty. It was quiet. Spike liked that. He approached two large doors and knocked on one of them.
“Come in!” Twilights voice said from inside. Spike opened the door to see Twilight sitting at her desk. She smiled when she saw him.
“Spike, I’m glad you made it.” Twilight greeted happily. Spike smiled and walked closer to Twilights desk.
“I love to help out around here. I can’t wait to help out on today’s field trip!” Spike exclaimed.
“That’s great, we need as much help as we can get. I’m too busy to attend the field trip and Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash have to teach classes.” Twilight responded. A thought occurred to Spike. He had never asked where the field trip was going to be.
“I forgot to ask, where’s the field trip going to be?” Spike asked. Twilight slid a pamphlet across her desk.
“It’s gonna be at the Storm King Museum. It’s in one of his old airships and has it letters and documents from when he was alive!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly. Spikes stomach dropped. He didn’t want anything to do with Storm King anymore. He gave a large fake smile and a thumbs up.
“That sounds like fun! It was a great idea for you to choose the museum. Isn’t it a little far though? It’s in Manehattan.” Spike asked with a forced smile. Twilight smiled.
“It may seem far but we can afford some train ticked for the day. Besides, I didn’t choose the trip, Cozy Glow suggested it. She thought it would interesting to learn about the past life of a villain.” She explained.
That was very odd. Ponies weren’t usually into learning about the past if villains unless they were trying to reform them. The office door creaked open, making Spike turn around. A light pink pegasus with a blue light mane and a white hair bow. Her cutie mark was a brown chess piece. She looked like she was Spikes age.
“Oh, sorry headmare Twilight, I didn’t know you were in a meeting. I’ll come back later.” She apologized, backing out of the room. Twilight stood up from her seat and waved her hoof.
“No it’s fine, come on in.” Twilight reassured. The filly beamed and walked in the room, leaving up her wing. A rolled up piece of paper dropped under it and she unraveled it. It was map with a red line
“I found the best route we can go on. It’s scenic and educational. It’ll teach us different friendship lessons.” She said. She turned to Spike and her ears flattened.
“Where are my manners? My name is Cozy Glow, it’s nice to meet you.” She said, sticking her hoof out so he could shake it. Something was off about her. Her smile was too wide as if was forced. Spike reluctantly shook her hoof.
“Hi I’m Spike.” He greeted. Cozy Glows smile got wider. Spikes scales flattened. Her eyes were sinister. It was going to be a long day.
Spike walked behind Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. A large group of students were behind him, looking around the museum. It was just as Spike remembered it. Dark, gloomy, and left a bad feeling in his stomach. Applejack stopped walking and pointed to a staff that incased in glass.
“This is the staff that Storm King used to take over Equestria.” Applejack explained, making the students ooh and aah. Spike felt sick. Being in his old home made him feel terrible. Everywhere he looked was a memory of his past. Spike needed to leave.
“In the next room, we’ll be exercising generosity.” Rarity said, leading the group into a separate room. Spike took a few steps back, letting the group pass him. Once the group was out of sight, he turned around and walked away. He couldn’t actually leave the museum, he had to leave with the class. They had taken the train to the museum so he had no way to get back home without the class.
“I need a break from this.” Spike whispered to himself. He turned around, only to come face to face with a life sized statue of Storm King. His arms were up in the air as if he were going to pounce. His face was making an ugly snarl. That statue was definitely there just to scare It looked like just like him. All the details were uncanny. Especially the fangs and sharp claws.
Spike nervously swallowed and took a step back, almost trembling with fear. He shook his head and stood up straight. He had no reason to be scared. It was just a statue, the real Storm King was dead. An idea popped in his head. He knew where he could stay until the trip was over.
“I wonder if they found the secret room?” Spike asked himself. He walked past the statue and looked around. He took a left and walked down the hallway to see plenty of Storm King related relics. Who thought it was a good idea to make a museum dedicated for one villain? A crazy person had to make a place like that.
Spike stopped walking and turned to face a blank wall. He walked to the wall and pressed his hands on it. The wall opened like a door, making dust pour out. Spike quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching him. When he saw that no one was there, he walked in, shutting the door behind him.
“Where’s the light?” Spike asked himself, straining his eyes to see. He reached and pulled on a string, making the room light up. The room was old and dusty. The room was empty except for a small cardboard box pressed up against the wall. Before a Tempest got her own airship, she, Spike, and Grubber lived in the same airship as Storm King.
Whenever Storm King would get too violent, Spike would hide in the secret room. It seemed like it was built without Storm Kings knowledge. Spike hasn’t been in that room for years. Once Tempest turned thirteen, she got her own airship so Spike never went in the room again.
“What did I leave in this box?” Spike asked himself. He didn’t remember leaving a box behind. He was only three when he left so maybe that was just a memory he forgotten. He sat down on the floor, opened the box. To his surprise, there was only a black leather journal. He opened it to see very neat handwriting. The first page was dated two years before Spike was hatched.
“I’m so close to taking over Equestria I can almost taste it!” The journal read out. Spike let out a gasp and shut the journal. That was Storm Kings handwriting. Spike stared at the book in his hands, still in shock. In that journal was personally diary entries written by Storm King. It contained all of his plans.
“I’m not letting this get into the wrong hands.” Spike said to himself, standing up. He should meet up with the class before the trip was over. Besides, that room was giving him bad memories. Spike pushed open the door and walked out, holding the book close to his chest. He looked up to see Cozy Glow rounding a corner. When she looked up at Spike, her face flashed in panic before going to a cheerful grin.
“What are you doing here? Why are you away from the group?” Spike asked her. Cozy Glows ears flattened and she walked over to Spike.
“I accidentally wandered off. I was distracted by all of the amazing historical facts. It was just so scary being all by myself.” Cozy said in a soft tone. She looked at the book that was in Spikes arms. She reached her hoof out and touched it. “What’s that?” She asked.
“It’s Storm Kings old journal, I found it.” Spike explained. Cozy Glows face lit up.
“Woah, that must have so many historical facts in it. I just looove history!” She exclaimed with a grin. Spike gave her an uneasy look and glanced down at the book in his arms. Even though he didn’t really trust her, he would feel bad if he didn’t let her read some of it.
“Do you want to read it?” Spike asked. Cozy Glow grinned even wider and eagerly nodded her head. Spike looked around, making sure no one was around them. He leaned in closer to Cozy Glow and spoke in a hushed whisper.
“I don’t want anyone to know I have this. How about you come to my house tomorrow after school and we can read it.” Spike suggested. Cozy Glow pondered to herself for a few moments and nodded her head.
“That sounds great. I’ll come over as soon as school is out. And I promise I won’t tell anyone what you have.” She said in a whisper. Spike let out a relieved sigh.
“Good, now lets go find the class.” Spike said, walking off. Cozy Glow followed close behind with a sinister grin.a a
Spike held a hot cookie sheet in his hands that had chocolate chip cookies on it. He poured the cookies on a large plate and dropped the cookie sheet into the sink. He turned on the sink and quickly started to wash it. Spike had taken the day off from helping people to clean his entire house. He has also made snacks and sweet tea for Cozy Glow. She was going to be over any minute. He had to be a good host.
“And I’m done!” Spike exclaimed, drying the pan. He put it in a cabinet next to the sink and picked up the cookies, placing them on the dining room table. On the table, there was a pitcher of sweet tea and Storm King’s journal. He hadn’t read anything else from it since he had gotten it. The doorbell rang, making his ears perk up.
“She’s here!” Spike exclaimed. He walked out of the kitchen and walked to the front door, which was a few feet away from the kitchen exit. He opened the door to see Cozy Glow standing there with a smile on her face.
“Hi Cozy Glow, welcome to my house.” Spike greeted happily, letting Cozy Glow into the house. She looked around with a marveled look on her face.
“Your place is so nice.” Cozy complimented. Spike smiled.
“Thank you. I set up snacks.” Spike said, leading his guest to the kitchen. Cozy gave a look of surprise when she saw how much Spike had set up. She sat down in a seat, grabbing a cookie. Spike sat down next to Cozy Glow.
“I’m so excited to learn about the history of a villain!” Cozy Glow exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. Spike tried to share her excitement and gave a large smile. The smile felt and looked fake. He was usually good at hiding his emotions.
“I’m excited too,” Spike said. He sounded more nervous than anything. Before Cozy could say anything, Spike grabbed the journal. He opened it, making Cozy Glow bounce in her seat even faster. She was really excited about this. Spike looked down and started to read the page.
“I’m so close to taking over Equestria I can almost taste it!”
Storm King stood in his airship laughing loudly. His arms were stretched upwards and his leg was perched on a black wooden box.
“What are you doing?” A male voice asked. Storm King looked down to see Grubber standing there. He glared at his assistant.
“I told you not to interrupt my dramatic laughing!” Storm King shouted angrily. Grubber gave him an amused look.
“Well I’m sorry about that, but I found another place for you to take over.” Grubber said sarcastically. Storm King broke out into a grin and kicked the box. The wooden box hit the wall, making it shatter into tiny pieces.
“Where is it?” He asked excitedly. Grubber walked over to a nearby window and pointed.
“I redirected the ship when I found it, we’re about to land there.” Grubber stayed pridefully.
Storm King pressed his face up again the glass, very excited to take on a new land. His face twisted in confusion when he saw an isolated frozen land. He turned around and looked at Grubber with a confused look on his face.
“Grubber what’s the name of the place I’m taking over?” Storm King asked. Grubber put his hand on his chin, thinking for a few moments.
“The Crystal Empire.” Grubber stated proudly. Storm King's face quickly turned to anger.
“Grubber, the Crystal Empire has been missing for almost a thousand years! Why don’t you know that you’re way older than the Crystal Empire itself!” Storm King shouted angrily. Grubber shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you think I pay attention to anything that goes on? Before I met you, I was hibernating.” He stated nonchalantly. Storm King glared at Grubber and looked back out the window. While they were talking, they had landed on the frozen ice land. “At least check it out, maybe theirs a small town here.” Grubber encouraged.
Storm King threw his head back and let out a loud sigh. He rolled his eyes and looked back down at Grubber.
“Fine, but I won’t enjoy it. If anything goes wrong I’ll kick you out of the moving airship.” Storm King threatened. Grubber rolled his eyes, knowing that was an empty threat. Storm King opened the doors to the airship and looked around.
He stepped out into the cold. The ground was hard and icy but also coated in snow. It was windy, making Storm King squint. His ears perked up he heard a thud from the side of the airship. He turned around, only to see nothing. It might have just been the wind throwing something at the side of the ship. This place was abandoned. Storm King walked inside and closed the door behind him.
“There’s nothing there. Hoist the sails!” Storm King shouted. Grubber ran off, going to tell the Storm Guards to fly the ship away. Storm King dramatically sat down on his throne. He watched Grubber as he ran out of the room. Storm King let out a sigh. That was a waste of time.
Spike gave a look of confusion. That was the end of the entry. Something about that wasn’t right. Grubber made a mistake that wasted Storm King's times and he didn’t even get punished. He didn’t even get a slap on the wrist.
“What’s wrong Spike, you look upset?” Cozy Glow asked. Spike realized that his scales were flattened again his head and he had a large frown on his face.
“I’m not upset, I’m just confused. Storm King is usually violent and will hurt anyone that gets in his way. He didn’t even hurt Grubber for wasting his time.” Spike explained. Cozy Glow tilted her head.
“You sure do know a lot about Storm King. Do you study him?” She asked. Spike shook his head.
“No, but I used to work for him.” Spike stated. Cozy Glow let out a gasp.
“That sounds so cool!” She exclaimed. Spike shook his head.
“It’s not that cool. Storm King was a bad person and abused anyone who worked for him.” He explained. Just thinking about it made Spike feel sick. Cozy Glow must have noticed Spikes discomfort because she put her hoof on his hand.
“Well if you need to talk about anything, I’m here for you.” Cozy Glow said in a soft voice. Spike gave a small smile.
“Thank you.” He said gratefully. Maybe she wasn’t too bad.
Spike stood on a step stool in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He had a long day of helping more people and was getting ready for bed. He looked in the mirror and smiled, showing off his now clean teeth.
“All done!” Spike exclaimed. A sharp pain came from his right cheek, making him freeze. He looked at his cheek to see that one of his scales was peeling off. Under the scale, their was a red diamond shaped sore.
“Did I scratch my face by accident?” Spike asked himself. He shrugged it off and hopped off of the stool. He walked out of the bathroom and towards his room. He had eaten dinner and said goodnight to Tempest and Grubber. He entered his bedroom, only to be approached by Patches. She let out a loud meow and head butted Spikes leg. He let out a chuckle and picked her up like a baby.
“Hi Patches, are you ready for bed?” Spike asked. Patches stuck her tongue out and lightly pressed her paw against his nose. He closed his bedroom door behind him and walked towards his bed. He let out another chuckle and laid down on her bed, placing Patches next to him. Patches let out loud purrs and laid against Spikes side.
“Goodnight Patches, I love you.” He said as he continued to pet her head. Once she fell asleep, Spike closed his eyes. He listened to the sound of the wind blowing outside. There was a storm that was scheduled for tomorrow morning so the winds were picking up.
The wind sounded loud but peaceful. He started to nod off, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Within in seconds, he fell asleep.
A young Spike sat on the floor with his back against a wall, covering his mouth. He was three years old and fearing for his life. He could hear the sound of hooves echoing down the hallway. His eyes were filled up with tears as he tried to make sure his breathing was quiet.
“Come out little dragon.” Storm Kings voice echoed. Spike could hear the hoofsteps getting closer and closer, making him whimper in fear. Suddenly, the hoofsteps stopped.
Spike dug his claws into his leg, trying not to make a noise. He slowly lowered his hand from his mouth and placed it on the floor. Before he could move, Storm King crept around the corner. He looked down at Spike and grabbed him by the neck.
”I FOUND YOU!”
Spike sat straight up in bed, hyperventilating. A crack of thunder came from outside, making him jump. He looked out of the window to see rain pouring.
“That was terrible. I completely blocked out that memory.” Spike muttered to himself. He rubbed his eye, only to see his hand was covered in red and purple diamond shaped sores. He looked at his arms to see that they were covered in sores too.
“That’s really weird.” He said. Spike hopped out to bed and walked over to his mirror. His whole body was completely covered in sores.
Was this another dragon thing or was it just a growing boy thing? A burning hot feeling started to rise in Spikes chest. His cheeks puffed up and a large gust of green fire shot out of his mouth. Spike quickly covered his mouth and backed away from the mirror. Now that’s never happened before.
“M-maybe I just need something to eat.” Spike shakily muttered to himself. He was probably just freaked out from the nightmare he had. Yeah that was it! His body was just reacting in a fight or flight instinct. Some food would make him feel better.
Spike walked down the hallway, sniffing the air. It smelled like Grubber was making pancakes. He walked down the stairs, not having any energy to slide down the railing that morning. He walked into the kitchen to see Tempest sitting at the table and Grubber cooking at the stove.
”Good morning.” Spike whispered. He blinked in surprise. His voice was perfectly fine a few minutes ago. Tempest looked up from her breakfast and gave a confused look when she saw Spike.
“Spike are you okay? Your skin looks...bad.” Tempest said, standing up from her seat. Spike looking down at the ground and shrugged his shoulders. Tempest put her hoof on Spike shoulder, making him jump back.
“Ow!” Spike exclaimed. Even though it was a light touch, it really hurt. Tempest jerked her hoof back and frowned.
“You don’t look to good, do you want me and Grubber to stay home with you today?” Tempest asked. Spike shook his head. He didn’t want to inconvenience anyone because he was slightly panicked.
“No no, I’ll be fine. I’ll just stay in today.” Spike reassured. Tempests ears flattened and she tilted her head. She was very worried about Spike.
“Fine, I just want to make sure to you’re okay.” Tempest stated. Before either of them could start anything else, Grubber walked away from the stove, holding a plate of pancakes.
“Breakfast is served.” Grubber said, placing the pancakes onto the table. Spikes stomach growled. Spike opened his mouth to say something but a large flame shot out of his mouth, burning the table cloth, the pancakes, and most of the table.
Spike clasped his hands over his mouth and took a step back. Tempest and Grubber looked at Spike with surprised looks on their faces.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m going to my room.” Spike said before running off. He ran up the stairs, tears filling his eyes. Was he becoming a monster? He never lost control of himself like that.
Spike ran into his room and closed the door behind him. He wiped the tears from his eyes and let out a slow breath. Patches walked over to Spike, rubbing her head up against his leg.
“I’m sorry Patches, I’m not going to let you stay with me. I don’t want to hurt you.” Spike said, picking up Patches. He opened his bedroom door and placed Patches outside before closing and locking the door.
He let out a sigh and walked over to his bed, laying face first into it. If he was becoming a monster, he might as well lock himself in his room forever. It would be better for everyone involved. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he hurt anyone else.
“Spike, are you okay?” Tempest asked through the closed door.
“Please go away!” Spike shouted. His eyes widened. He didn’t mean to yell. He sounded so mean and angry.
“Me and Grubber are going to leave the house for a while to give you some alone time. Send me a letter if you need anything.” Tempest said in a soft tone. Spike didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to yell at her again. Soon, he could hear her hoofsteps walking away from the door.
Was he being punished for destroying Storm Kings statue? It would make sense. Storm King studied a lot of magic so he probably casted a spell on himself that if anyone harmed him, they’d be punished.
“I deserve this anyway.” Spike whisked to himself.
Spike hung upside down from his bed, kicking his legs in the air. He had been in his room for hours, still refusing to leave. He knew Tempest and Grubber weren’t home but he couldn’t risk leaving. Patches meowed loudly outside of his door, demanding love and attention. It pained Spike that he couldn’t pick up his cat and cuddle her.
He had accidentally burn some items in his room from his random fire burst and his whole room smelled horrible. Apparently smelling terrible was apart of the curse Storm King gave him.
He listened to the rain hitting the window, closing his eyes. This is how his whole life was going to be from this point on. Trapped in his room and listening to everything outside through a closed window.
Spikes scales started to burn and itch, making him sit up in bed. He started to aggressively scratch his scales. He looked down at his body to see that is was glowing red.
“This is a nightmare!” Spike exclaimed, scratching himself. Suddenly, all of the itching stopped. He looked down to see that his sores were a very faded purple.
“Was that it? Is it over?” Spike asked himself. His legs started to rapidly turn into stone, making his eyes widen. This is how he died. The stone traveled up his body and quickly reached his neck. Spike closed his eyes tightly, letting the stone cover his head.
This was the end for him. He had destroyed Storm Kings statue so now he was turning to stone. That was a fair punishment.
The stone around Spike started to crack and fall to the floor. The stone chipped away faster and then there was a bright light. Spike gasped for air, clutching onto his chest. He looked around him to see that the stone was gone.
“I’m...alive?” Spike asked himself. That was very odd. He didn’t smell bad anymore and his scales didn’t burn. He looked at his body, only to spot two wings. He blinked in surprise.
“I got wings?!” He asked in surprise. Spike always assumed that Storm King had cut off his wings when he was a baby so he didn’t escape.
“All of that wasn’t a punishment, I was just growing.” Spike said in realization. He broke out into a large grin. He didn’t have to isolate himself to the world. He rushed over to his room door and unlocked it. He swung it open and looked down at Patches. Spike picked Patches up and cradled her like a baby.
“I’m so sorry for leaving you alone for so long!” Spike exclaimed, nuzzling his cat with his cheek. Patches purred happily, loving the attention she was getting. Spike let out a sigh of relief and looked back at his wings. It was time for flying practice.
Tempest and Grubber walked into the house, both soaking wet and cold. Grubber shook his body off like a dog, getting more cold water on Tempest. She grimaced and pushed Grubber a few inches away from her.
“Gross you got your dirty fur water on me.” She said in disgust. She looked up at the staircase. “Spike we’re back!” Tempest shouted. Their was a loud crash from upstairs.
“I hope he didn’t break anything.” Grubber said. They both walked over to the stairs and made their way up, hearing another loud thud. They reached the top of the stairs, only to see pillows, blankets, and cushions covering the floor.
Spike flew out of his room with a football helmet on, touching the ceiling. He wobbled a bit before crashing into a wall. He fell onto a blanket and let out laugh.
“Woah did you get wings?” Grubber asked in amazement. Spike sat up and nodded his head.
“Yeah, I got them a few hours ago! Isn’t it cool?” Spike asked, fluttering his wings. Tempest chuckled.
Spike sat at the kitchen table with Cozy Glow. Cozy Glow had a mug of hot coco in her hooves. She took a long slow sip of the coco and hummed in satisfaction.
"Mmm, this coco is delicious!" She exclaimed. Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He had gone all out again for his guest. He had found a recipe of coco in the attic. The people who used to live there must have left it.
Cozy Glow looked over at Spike with a serious expression. A chill ran down Spike's spine. How did she just go from happy to serious in a split second? He could do that but that was because he spent years lying to people. She put her hoof om Spike's hand.
"I came here to talk about your past. It seems to stress you out." Cozy Glow stated. She was definitely right about that. Spike would try to avoid anything that had to do with Storm King. He would have to talk about it eventually.
"It stressed me out a lot. I've been having a lot of nightmares about Storm King lately." He admitted. That was the first time he had said that out loud.
A frown spread across Cozy Glows face and her ears flattened.
"That sounds terrible! Have you told anyone?" Cozy Glow asked.
"Nah, I don't wanna worry anyone with my problems." Spike answered. He hadn't told Tempest or Grubber about his nightmares because he didn't want to worry them. They had worked for the Storm King way longer than he had and they were fine. He was probably just being dramatic. Cozy Glow put her hoof on her chin, thinking for a moment.
"Well is there anything you can do to stop the nightmares?" She asked. Spike thought to himself. He wanted to be forgiven by the people he hurt in the past.
"I want to apologize to the people I hurt." Spike stated. He put his hands on the table. "You know what, I won't just apologize. I"ll give all of them an apology gift!" Spike exclaimed. He got up and flew out of the kitchen. Cozy Glow looked around the kitchen. Should she leave? Spike flew back into the kitchen with an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry, that was rude of me. Do you want anymore coco?" Spike offered. Cozy gave a smile and pushed her mug across the table.
"Yes please."
Spike walked through the outskirts of Ponyville, holding a cart with him. The cart had a pickaxe, a shovel, and a headlight in it. He had bought those items that day. He was near the Everfree Forest. Spike heard that this area had really good gems. He was looking for a nice amount of gems he could give to Ember as an apology. Spike sniffed the air, catching a spicy smell.
"That's definitely a ruby." Spike thought out loud. Ember would be the type of dragon to like spicy food. He continued to sniff the air, following the scent. He approached a dark cave, not being able to see ten feet in front of him. Spike reached into the cart and placed the headlight on his head. Spike tapped a little button on the light, turning it on. He entered the cave, dragging the wheeled cart behind him.
Spike walked through the dark cave, continuing to sniff the air. He walked farther into the cave, making sure to be quiet. He didn't want to scare any bats. Soon, he stopped at a cave wall. The smell of ruby was very strong from that wall. Spike reached into the cart and pulled out the pickaxe.
He held the pickaxe tightly in his hands before swinging it into the stone. The stone chipped away as he swung the packaxe, hitting the hard ground. Spike spotted a little bit of a red shine from the stone. His eyes lit up and he started to swing the pickaxe faster. There must be dozens of ruby's in this area. He could give Ember a lovely assortment of gems. Spike broke out into a grin when he saw a part of a ruby, This was going to be perfect.
Spike walked through the Dragonlands, wheeling a cart behind him. The cart obviously had a large mass in it that was covered by a white tarp. Spike entered a reddish brown gave, knowing that was Dragonlords Ember castle. He saw Ember sitting on a throne made of pink and purple crystals. Two large dragons protectively put spears in front of Ember, making sure Spike wasn't going to attack. Ember at straighted in her throne and glared at Spike.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. Spike bowed, putting his arm across his chest. He had did some research on etiquette on different cultures the night before.
"I know that I wronged you in the past but I want you to forgive me." Spike stated. Ember eyed him suspiciously. She crossed her arms.
"How do I know you're not going to trick me?" Ember asked. Spike got up from his bow and pushed the cart forward.
"I brought you a peace offering. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." Spike explained. Ember looked over at her guards and gestured over to the cart. Both dragons flew over to the cart, sniffing at it and poking it with their spears. One of the guards ripped the tarp off and his eyes widened at what he saw.
There was a large ruby filling up the entire cart. It had smooth edges and was nicely polished. Spike had searched for hours to find a gem worthy for Ember. He had spent an even longer time properly cutting the gem and polishing it. He stayed up all night making it perfect.
"I hope you like it." Spike said. Emner started to drool and licked her lips. She looked over at Spike and crossed her arms again, puffing out her cheeks.
"You're forgiven, just don't pull something like that again." Ember stated. Spike broke out into a grin and turned around, leaving the cave. Next, he had to apologize to Thorax.
Spike stood outside the Changeling Kingdom, holding a small bag with him. He opened the bag which and pulled out some marigold and daffodil seeds. He placed the bag on the ground and flew up towards and opened the packages of seeds.
He poured the seeds onto different parts of the entrance, letting them fall and topple wherever they pleased. Spike made sure that none fell too close to the entrance. Once he finished pouring the seeds, he flew back to the ground and reached into the bag.
Spike pulled out a clear bottle that had some green liquid in it. He had found out how to make a growth potion and spent some time making it the night before. Surprisingly, the potion needed a lot of ruby's, which he still has some scraps of.
Spike poured a few drops of the potion onto the seeds. Within seconds, the flowers started to bloom. The entrance was covered with beautiful shades whites, yellows, reds, and oranges. Spike put his hands on his hips and smiled happily to himself. Thorax walked out of the hive and gave a look of surprise when he saw all of the flowers.
"Woah..." Thorax marveled. Spike smiled.
"I heard that there's a Maulwurf problem so I planted some flowers that repel them." Spike stated. Thorax put his hoof on his chest and gave a touched his chest.
"Aw Spike, you didn't have to do that." Thorax stated. Spike gave a sheepish smile.
"Well, it's sorta an apology for ratting you out to Storm King." Spike apologized. Thorax gave Spike a sweet smile.
"You didn't have to apologize. You were forced to do that. I know that isn't the real you." He said. Spike blinked in surprise. Thorax was surprisingly forgiving about this. Spike smiled and backed away from Thorax.
"I need to go. I have more things to do." Spike stated. He turned around and walked towards the train station. He had more people to apologize to.
Spike stood in the backyard, holding a chisel and a mallet. Next to him on the ground, there were different sized chisels and hammers that laid on a white sheet. He wore safety goggles to make sure nothing got in his eyes. In front of him, there was a large block of stone. It towered over him by several feet.
"Spike, it's time for dinner." Tempest said from the door. Spike turned around to face Tempest, who was halfway out of the door.
"I'll eat dinner later, I'm doing something. Spike stated. Tempest frowned. She was worried about Spike, he had been out a lot lately and hadn't been sleeping well. Tempest let out a sigh.
"Just make sure to eat tonight and go to bed early. I'll leave your dinner on the stove." Tempest instructed. Spike nodded head.
"Okay Tempest." Spike said before turning around to face the block of stone. He heard the door close and let out a sigh. He was tired but he had to do this to be forgiven. He looked up at the block of stone. It's time to get to work.
Tempest walked down the hallway, sleepily rubbing her eyes. She had just woken up from a long night of sleep. It was five in the morning. She had decided to get up early so she could get to work early. Tempest walked down the stairs, listening to the stairs creak. Once she was off of the steps, she made a right run into the kitchen.
On the stove, there was a plate with tin foil covering it. Tempest's cheeks puffed out in annoyance and she let out a soft groan.
"Ugh Spike..." Tempest muttered to herself. He hadn't eaten any of his food. If he hadn't eaten it, that means he didn't come inside to go to bed. Tempest walked around the kitchen table and approached the wooden backyard door. She opened it to see a very large statue of Prince Rutherford in the backyard. The statue was in a very heroic pose with one hoof outstretched. It was very impressive to do in one night. Spike laid on the back of the statue, with his face buried in the stone. He didn't seem to be asleep.
"Spike!" Tempest shouted angrily. Spike quickly sat up, letting out a hum. He looked at Tempest and sleepily waved to her. Tempest glared at him.
"Spike, you were supposed to come inside and go to sleep!" Tempest exclaimed. Spike slowly blinked and rubbed his eyes. He let out a long yawn.
"Sorry Tempest, I must have lost track of time." Spike apologized. Tempest rubbed the bridge of her muzzle and let out a sigh.
"You're staying home today." Tempest stated. Spike's eyes widened and he toppled off of the statue. He opened his wings so he could glide to the ground.
"What, why?!" He asked.
"You haven't slept in two days, you've barely eaten, and you've been overworking yourself. I know you're tired and you need a break." Tempest explained. Spike crossed his arms and pouted.
"I'm not even tired." He muttered, kicking the grass. That was a lie, he was exhausted. Spike could barely stand straight. Tempest looked Spike up and down.
"Go to bed Spike." Tempest stated. Spike let out a grumble and uncrossed his arms.
"Fine, but I won't be happy about it." Spike said, walking past Tempest. Tempest shook her head and walk inside, closing the backyard door. She was just glad he was getting some rest.
Spike laid in bed, tossing and turning. He couldn't get himself to sleep. He felt too guilty to sleep. Spike wanted to be forgiven, not sleeping. He sat up in bed.
"I don't want to stay home, I want to give the Yaks and Griffons there presents." Spike whined out. He stood up from bed and walked over to the window. The sun was starting to rise and he let out a soft groan. He wanted to be forgiven but couldn't couldn't do that from his house.
An idea popped into his head. Maybe he could just sneak out. Tempest had left over thirty minutes ago and wouldn't be back until late in the day. Grubber was still asleep and Tempest had left him a note telling Grubber to not wake Spike up. Grubber would be leaving early to help Mr and Mrs Cake at Sugarcube Corner for a full day. That gave Spike plenty of time to go to Yakyakistan, Griffonstone, and come back home without anyone noticing he ever left. He hated lying but this was for a good cause.
Spike walked over to his closet and swung it open. He pulled out multiple articles of warm clothing. He had to walk up the mountain that let to Yakyakistan because the train there only dropped off at the bottom of the mountain. Once he had enough clothing in his arms, he flew over to the window. He opened it and took in a breath of fresh air. This plan was going to work like a charm.
Spike walked off of the train, pulling a cart with the statue in it. He had chosen a bedroom car so he didn't take up too much space. Spike approached the foot of the mountain and stared up at it the path. Luckily the Yak's were kind enough to make a path that led up to Yakyakistan. It was the shortest path that was an hour and a half walk. Spike reached into the cart and pulled out a hat, a scarf, a jacket, and mittens. Rarity had made it especially for him. After Spike put on his warm clothing, he put his hand onto the handle of the cart.
"Okay, I can do this." Spike said to himself. He started to walk up the path, the snow crunching under his feet. He dragged the cart behind him. It felt as if it weighed several thousand pounds. Maybe it was because he was going uphill. Maybe it was the fact that it was literally stone.
"Come on, you're stronger than this." Spike whispered to himself, struggling to pull the cart up. He had only made it up a few feet. He took slow steps as he tugged onto the cart. This was agony. He was hungry, tired, and his body ached from constantly moving around for two days straight. He wasn't going to rest until everyone had forgiven him.
Spike made it to the entrance of Yakyakistan, panting heavily. It had taken him three hours to make it up the mountain. The statue had slowed him down a lot. Spike walked past the wooden gates and entered the town, looking around. This was the first time he had been in Yakyakistan. All of the houses were made of clay and the roofs were made of hay.
He walked past yaks who were talking to each other, and breaking stuff. Spike's eyes landed on Prince Rutherford who was hopping on logs to break them. They shattered under his hooves. Spike approached Prince Rutherford and cleared his throat.
"Prince Rutherford, I hope you accept my gift of forgiveness. I worked very hard on this." Spike said with a bow. Prince Rutherford turned around and looked at the statue. Even though his eyes were covered by his bangs, Spike could tell his eyes widened.
"Yak love statue. Yak will put in town center!" Prince Rutherford exclaimed happily. Spike let out a sigh of relief. HE was glad that he was forgiven.
"Statue so good that small dragon will be honorary yak!" He said with a smile. That caught Spike by surprise. Pinkie Pie was the last honorary yak and that was because she had saved Yakyakistan from behind buried in snow. Prince Rutherford was egotistical so maybe a statue of himself was worth being an honorary yak. Spike took a step back and shook his head.
"I can't accept that." Spike said with a nervous smile. Prince Rutherford scrunched up his face before shrugging his shoulder.
"If small dragon changes mind, dragon can come back to be honorary yak." Prince Rutherford said. Spike gave a shaky smile. He didn't really deserve to be an honorary yak, he didn't do anything heroic like Pinkie Pie did. Prince Rutherford stood up on his hind legs and leaned on the side of the cart. He slipped the large statue between his horns and leaned back, holding balancing the statue on his head. Spike gave a look of surprise. That statue had to be over a three hundred pounds.
Prince Rutherford walked over to an empty spot in the middle of the down and placed the statue down, which made a loud bang. Yaks started to gather around the statue, staring at it in awe. Spike smiled and went behind the cart, starting to push it towards the exit. The cart was much lighter, put still had some weight to it because it held his present to Griffons.
Spike walked out of the entrance of Yakyakistan and pushed the cart at the edge of the path. He flew into the cart and comfortable sat down in the cart. He leaned on one side and the cart. The cart started to roll slowly before speeding up. Spike peaked his head out of the racing cart. The snow blurred past him and cold wind blew in his face. Spike squinted as the air hit his eyes.
He could barely see anything in front of him. The cart got faster and one of the wheels started to wobble. Spike had no way of slowing the cart down. He just hoped that he made it to the bottom of the mountain where the ground leveled out. One of the front wheels flew off of the cart and flew into a snowbank. The cart flipped over Spike flew out of the cart. He rolled across the ground, rapidly going down hill. He gripped onto the mountain path, being able to stop himself.
Spike clutched onto his chest, trying to catch his breath. That was terrifying. Spike slowly stood up and held himself up straight. He saw that the cart was tipped over and all of the bits and gems that were in the cart were spread out across the ground. He took a step forward but a sharp pain came from his right ankle.
"Ow!" Spike exclaimed. He must have sprained it during the fall. That didn't matter, he needed to go to Griffonstone and give them the bits. He limped over to the cart, wincing with every step. It was over a thousand bits he had earned up from helping people. He was going to give them all to Griffonstone to pay for the repairs for the town.
Spike pushed over the cart, only for it to lean at a weird angle. He looked down to see that the left wheel was gone. He looked around to see that wheel was nowhere in sight. Spike let out a sigh and started to scoop the money up, placing it in the cart. After several minutes of not finding any more gems and bits, he grabbed the handle of the cart and started to limp away.
It was time to go to Griffonstone.
Spike limped through Griffonstone, pulling his broken cart behind him. The cary was scuffed at the bottom due to one of the wheels being gone. He made his way to the leader of the town. Griffons didn't have a mayor or a royal leader. Instead, they had an old man who just bossed people around. He had no official or legal title, he was just an old man. Spike let out a sneeze making a small flame shooting out of his mouth. He might have been getting sick from the lack of sleep, lack of food, and constant movement. His throat was starting to hurt and his nose was running.
He approached a broken down two story house. It looked like if Spike knocked on it, it would fall apart. He limped to the door and lightly knocked on it. Before he could back up, they old door swung open. An old Griffon glared at Spike. The feathers on his head and face were balding and his eye had a scar over it, just like Spike's. He seemed to be blind out of that eye too.
"What do you want?" He asked rather rudely. Spike gestured to the cart.
"I'm donating some money to the town so you can fix things up." Spike said with a friendly smile. The Griffon looked Spike up and down and squinted.
"What's the catch? You look like a hooligan child. You probably got those scars from doing pranks." He said in a judgemental tone. Spike blinked in surprise.
"There is no catch, I just want to make this town a better place." Spike said, pushing the cart a little closer to the Griffon. He peeked into the cart and his eyes lit up. He pushed the cart in his house.
"Well, thanks for the money kid!" He exclaimed before slamming the door shut. Spike frowned. He hoped that all of the gems and bits went to a good cause. Realization hit Spike; he hadn't taken any money out of the cart so he couldn't buy himself a train ticket. He let out a soft groan. He had to walk all the way to Ponyville.
Tempest walked into the house, closing the door behind her. She peeked into the living room to see Grubber sitting on the couch, reading a book.
"Hey Grubber." Tempest greeted. Grubber looked up from his book and waved. "Is Spike still asleep?" Tempest asked.
"He wasn't home when I got here so I'm gonna guess he's out doing something." Grubber explained. Tempest let out a groan and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle.
"I told Spike not to leave the house. He hasn't slept in two days and I'm worried he's going to stress himself out." Tempest said with a sigh. Spike was so grounded when he got home. The front door creaked open, making Tempest turn around. Spike hobbled into the house, closing the door behind him. Tempest turned to face him and gave him an angry look.
"Spike you were supposed to stay inside and relax!" Tempest scolded angrily. Her face softened when she saw that Spike looked off. He was leaning against the wall and leaning on one leg. He stared at the ground and didn't seem to have a reaction to Tempest scolding him. She looked at his ankle to see that it was completely red and swollen. She took a step closer to Spike and felt his forehead.
"Spike you're burning up!" Tempest exclaimed. Spike stood straight up to show he was perfectly fine.
"No no I'm fine." Spike slurred out. He took a step forward, only to start to fall. Tempest caught Spike and picked him up, placing him on her back. She turned around and made her way upstairs.
"You're not fine, you're sick. Now you're going to bed and you won't leave the house until you're better." Tempest said sternly. Spike frowned. That wasn't very good.
Spike laid in his bed, wrapped up in a blanket. His leg was elevated on a pillow and there was an ice pack on his ankle. Patches laid next to her owner, sleeping soundly. Spike had taken some medicine and got a full night of sleep. Tempest stood in front of Spike, tapping her hoof on the ground. She had a stern look on her face.
"You're grounded for the next two weeks. That means no leaving the house to help people." Tempest commanded sternly. Spike frowned. "You put too much stress on yourself and got sick from it." She stated. Spike's frown got wider and he crossed his arms. He wasn't stressed at all, he was just working himself extra hard.
"Now I'm going to work. Grubber is going to stay and keep an eye on you. I don't want any funny business from you." Tempest stated firmly with a shake of a hoof. And with that, Tempest left his room.
Spike through his head on his pillow and let out a loud groan. Why couldn't Tempest let him help people? It was unfair to all of the helpless people out there! Spike crossed his arms, sinking deeper into his bed.
"So unfair." He mumbled to himself. He tapped his fingers on his arm. He couldn't leave, even if he wanted to. He was too weak to do anything. Spike closed his eyes. If he couldn't do anything, he might as well sleep.
Spike's eyes opened when there was a knock at his door. Grubber opened the door.
"Hey, you have a friend who's here to see you." He said. Spike cocked an eyebrow. Who could be here to visit this early?
Cozy Glow walked into the room with a smile on her face. Her smile dropped when she saw the condition Spike was in.
"Oh dear, what happened?" She asked.
"It's no big deal. I just have a little cold." Spike explained, dismissively waving his hand. Cozy frowned approaching Spike's bed.
"What about your ankle?"
Spike shrugged. "Just a little sprain. It's a little hard to walk on, but it's not too bad."
"I have something that'll make you feel better," Cozy said, reaching into her saddlebag. She pulled out a canteen with a smile. She shoved it into Spike's arms. The canteen was warm. "It's my mom's old recipe. It knocks the cold right out of ya." She said with a wink.
Well, Spike couldn't refuse it, that would just be impolite. Spike opened the canteen and took a sip. It tasted heavily of lavender, lemon, and a little bit of something he couldn't put his finger on. It tasted a little bit like medicine.
"This is really good!" Spike complimented. He began to chug the tea, enjoying every drop. He licked his lips. "Thanks, Cozy! I'm starting to feel better already." He thanked.
Cozy Glow's smile grew wider. Almost sinister.
"Sooo....what did you do yesterday? I wanna hear every detail." Cozy asked.
"Are you sure?" Spike asked. No one really asked about him anymore. Cozy nodded her head, leaning her head onto his bed.
"Well first, I stayed up all night making a statue for Prince Rutherford. And then...then I..." Spike began to drift off. His eyelids suddenly got very heavy. Why did he suddenly feel so tired? He glanced up at Cozy, who kept her sweet, yet sinister smile. And with that, Spike fell asleep.
Spike stirred awake, slowly opening his eyes. He could hear a distant rustle followed by some angry murmuring. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn. When did he fall asleep?
His vision cleared up, only to see his room was a mess. Books and comics were strewn about, along with some of his items. His eyes landed on Cozy Glow searching his closet. She tossed clothes onto the floor.
"Where is it? Where is it?" She muttered to herself.
"What are you doing?" Spike question. Cozy whipped her head around. For a brief second, Spike saw a look of terror on her face. It was quickly covered up by a kind smile.
"I was just reorganizing your room!" Cozy responded, fluttering her eyelashes. Spike gave her a skeptical look.
"My room was fine." Spike said, looking her up and down. He noticed that her smile looked strained. She let out a laugh, sounding more nervous than genuine.
"Whatever you say!" Cozy Glow responded. Spike furrowed his brows.
"...I think it's time for you to leave." He said. Cozy's ears flattened against her head.
"B-but why? I just want to help you feel better." Cozy said, poking out her bottom lip.
"I'll feel better when you leave," Spike responded harshly. Much too harsh for his liking. He sighed. "...I just think I'll recover better if I'm by myself." He rephrased. Cozy gave a pitiful smile.
"Well if that's how you feel." She stated with a shrug. "I'll see you when you get better." She said as she began to walk out of the room. Spike could've sworn that the second she walked out of the room, her smile turned into a scowl. Spike shook his head. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him.
Spike looked around his messy room. This was going to take forever to clean up in the state that he was in.
"What was she looking for?" Spike asked himself. She seemed pretty distressed and angry. Whatever she was looking for must have been important to her. He'd ask her about it later.
Spike slowly pushed himself off of his bed, landing on his uninjured foot. He picked up a book, sliding it onto the shelf. He hobbled across his room, picking up an old sweater. This was going to take a while.
"You feeling better?" Tempest asked.
"Mhm! I took a long nap today. It really helped." Spike responded cheerfully. Tempest smirked at him.
"See? I told you resting for a bit would help you feel better." She taunted playfully. "I bet you didn't even think about helping people."
His smile faltered. "I was distracted by something else. A friend came over and..." Spike began to trail off. Tempest arched an eyebrow in anticipation. Spike shook his head.
"Nevermind, it's not that important." Spike brushed it off. He would ask Cozy Glow about what happened the next time he saw her. Hopefully, she had a good reason.
Spike paced around his room, nervously picking at his fingers. He nibbled at his lip hard enough that his lip was raw. Questions flowed through his mind.
"How am I gonna talk to Cozy?" He asked himself. Her behavior from the day before was...odd. She drugged him for heavens sake! How was he meant to approach that?
Spike squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his palm against his forehead. Now that he was thinking about it, Cozy Glow has always been off. Down to the moment they first met. Deep down, Spike had always known that. He wanted to believe she was a normal kid, he really did, but she was suspicious.
How she crept around when she thought no one was looking, or how she changed expressions on a whim. In fact, she reminded Spike of himself. Well, back when he was still Storm King's pawn.
Spike gasped. Maybe she was like him! Someone who was under someone else's control! She didn't want to do what she was doing; she just had to! It all made perfect sense; she was just doing all of this to survive, just like he did. Spike frowned, uneasiness forming at the pit of his stomach.
How could he judge Cozy Glow like that? He wouldn't have wanted people treating him any differently when he was in a bad place, so why should he do that to her?
"I'll help her! I'll give her the support that I needed!" Spike concluded, slamming his fist into his hand. He could give her the life that he wanted. But where would he even start?
Spike couldn't just downright ask her who she worked for; from experience, he knew that could end terribly. He had to be smart and calculated. He'll just have to investigate.
Spike wandered around the School of Friendship, squeezing through the students. He scanned the halls, searching for Cozy. If he were Cozy Glow, where would he be? Well, if he were in her shoes, he'd be studying his next target. But who would the target be?
The dragon paused, tapping his chin. When he was a spy, he usually did research before a big mission. But what exactly was Cozy's mission? The library would be a good start.
He took a sharp turn, entering the library. Just as he expected, Cozy Glow was there. She sat at a table, stacks of books surrounding her. She held a pen in between her teeth, gnawing on it. Spike didn't want to approach Cozy just yet. If he could find out who she was working for, he could help her more efficiently.
Spike glanced at his wings. Why doesn't he hover above her? It seemed practical enough.
He flapped his wings, shooting into the air. He quickly ducked behind a bookshelf, peering over the top. He squinted, trying to figure out what Cozy was reading. He was way too far to see anything. Getting a little closer won't hurt.
He had been used to sneaking around; years of training prepared him for moments like this. Spike glided down, attempting to flawlessly glide between two bookshelves. Unfortunately, Spike wasn't that skilled of a flyer, had poor depth perception, and hadn't trained in months.
The dragon collided head-first into a shelf, causing books to scatter on the floor. He landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. This is why he never flies.
"Oooow..." Spike groaned, rubbing his aching head.
"Oh my, are you okay?" Cozy asked, getting up from her seat. Great, he caught her attention. This was the last thing he wanted right now. Spike scrambled to pick up the fallen books, ignoring his throbbing head.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Spike reassured, sloppily placing the books back on the shelf. He glanced up, catching Cozy Glow's expression quickly change. She pulled Spike onto his feet before quickly taking a step back.
Cozy Glow's ears flattened and shamefully kicked the ground.
"I'm...I'm so sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to upset you; I just really wanted to read Storm King's journal. I didn't mean to mess up your room. I hope you can forgive me." The filly apologized, looking at the ground shamefully.
Journal? What did she need the journal for? He was as least happy that she was apologizing. It showed that she was like him!
"Aw, don't sweat it! You could've just asked." Spike brushed it off. Cozy Glow beamed, letting out a sigh of relief.
Spike looked at the books sitting on the table. More research, no doubt.
"Whatcha reading?" Spike asked, peering over the pegasus shoulder. Cozy quickly looked back at her studies. She gestured for Spike to follow her, pointing at a page.
"I'm studying magical artifacts! I think they're fascinating!" Cozy squealed. Spike looked at the page she had been reading. It was a page about absorption artifacts. Next to the book was a small notebook, filled with notes written by Cozy.
Cozy Glow slammed the notebook shut, placing her hoof on the cover. She pressed down hard, almost as if she didn't want anyone to look.
"You wouldn't want to read my boring notes." Cozy waved her hoof dismissively. Spike hummed in response, scanning over the article. Whatever Cozy's boss was planning had to be big. They were being very thorough about it; smarter than Storm King had ever been, that's for sure.
Spike felt terrible that Cozy had to do all of this. Even he didn't have to this much research.
"You know...if you ever need anything, I'll be here to help." Spike reassured. Cozy Glow blinked in surprise, breaking into a wide grin.
"That means so much!" Cozy beamed. Spike smiled back. He was glad to positively influence her. Cozy leaned on Spike's shoulder, batting her eyelashes.
"We're learning about villains in class, so it would be really helpful if you let me borrow the journal for a few hours." She charmed, rubbing her head against Spike's cheek.
"I don't know..." Spike muttered. Cozy Glow pouted, staring at Spike with large puppy dog eyes. Spike frowned. He couldn't say no to that. He sighed. It didn't matter how many times he said no he knows she would never let it go. In fact, she might break into his house to get it.
"Fine, I'll bring it over tomorrow."
Cozy squealed, wrapping her arms around Spike.
"Thank you so much!" She thanked. Spike couldn't help but smile. Even though he knew this was a bad idea, he couldn't help but feel happy. Letting her borrow the journal wouldn't be that bad.
Spike was not going to give Cozy Glow the journal. The more he thought about how much she wanted it, the more unsettled he got. He didn't know what she was going to do with it. For all he knows, she could use the journal for some type of ritual! And seeing how desperate she was to get it, he knew whatever she was going to do had to be bad.
He stared at Storm King's journal, his brows furrowing. Why did Cozy Glow want this so badly? It wasn't really worth trashing his room over. Did she know something he didn't?
"It wouldn't hurt to read a bit more." Spike muttered, plopping onto his bed. He flipped through the pages, hoping to find something of use. His eye landed on a particular page. Well, more like a particular word. His name.
Storm King wrote about him? Spike knows he shouldn't be surprised; he did work for him for years. It was just that Spike didn't realize Storm King would care enough to write about him. He flipped back a few pages, going to the beginning of the entry.
"I finished, my liege."
Grubber kneeled in front of Storm King, presenting a staff. Storm King excitedly wiggled his fingers, staring at the staff with a wild look in his eyes. He snatched it from Grubber's hands, twirling it happily.
"After all these years, I finally have it." Storm King grinned. This is what he had needed for years.
Storm King twirled a sleek, brown staff in his hands. The top of the staff was curved, almost as if the wood it was made of was still growing.
"Why did I have to carve that again?" Grubber asked, rubbing his sore hands. Storm King shot a glare at Grubber.
"Do you even listen to my monologues? And why do you look so tired?" He asked, eyeing his assistant. Sure enough, he looked disheveled. Grubber sleepily rubbed his eyes.
"Because you made me stay up until I finished that thing. What's the point of it, anyway?" He asked. Storm King dramatically flung the staff outwards, posing dramatically.
"This is the Staff of Sacanas! It's meant to absorb magic." Storm King twisted the vacant staff in his hand. "But it won't do any of that without the Sacanasion Crystal." He clutched the staff so tightly that it could've snapped.
"Hey, don't squeeze it so hard! It took forever to finish that!" Grubber shouted. Storm King snarled at Grubber, lifting the staff above Grubber's head. He swung down, preparing to strike. How dare he speak to him like that!?
Storm King's grip softened. Grubber wasn't worth all of this stress. He fixed his composure, straightening his armor.
"I'm back, my liege." Tempest bowed in the doorway. She peaked her eye open, seeing Grubber's confused and frightened look. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked. Storm King's eyes lit up.
"Did you get it? Please tell me you got it!" Storm King asked eagerly, his tail swishing with excitement. Tempest reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a gem. It was marvelous. Storm King snatched the gem from her hoof. It was everything he wished for.
"You did well, Tempest." Storm King praised. Tempest curiously inspected the staff. She had to admit Grubber did a great job on the details.
"I understand the gem, but why did you need a special staff?" Tempest asked.
"Why do you think we raided Mount Aris? I could care less about the Hippogriffs; I wanted the trees."
Tempest cocked her head.
"The...trees, sir?" Tempest hadn't been there when Mount Aris was raided. It was far before her time.
Storm King eagerly nodded.
"It was long ago, but the raid was needed. The trees there are strong. Strong enough to withstand large surges of magic." He explained, twirling the staff around. "It is a shame that the hippogriffs disappeared. They would've been an excellent addition to the armada." He reminisced.
The hippogriffs were fast. Faster than any pegasus he had ever seen. Storm King sighed. It was all in the past now. He needed to start looking toward the future.
Storm King gazed at the glowing crystal in his hand. He placed the crystal at the staff's top, watching as it glowed. Despite it not being activated, he could feel the power. It was like electricity in his hands.
"Now that you have the staff, what's the next step?" Tempest asked. Storm King hummed to himself.
"Well, the staff will take a few days to charge..." He began, "That'll give you two ample time to get to Equestria." Storm King explained. Tempest nodded, standing straight.
"You heard him; let's get moving! We can make it to Equestria in two days' time if we leave now!" Tempest commanded the Storm Creatures. The Storm Creatures saluted, following Tempest out of the room.
Storm King plopped onto his throne, watching his subjects leave the room. For the first time in years, he was alone. No guards, no assistance, just himself.
He mindlessly swung the staff around. Now that he had the staff, he could do whatever he wanted. Power, riches, a larger army; he could have it all. Storm King knew what he wanted to do after he ruled Equestria.
He was going to kill Spike. That damned dragon cost him so much over the years. If he hadn't been such a coward, he could've taken over Equestria years ago.
Storm King wasn't an idiot; he knew Spike was purposefully messing up his missions. It was so obvious! There was no way Spike suddenly got worse at his missions. He grasped the staff so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Oh, how he hated that dragon. All he wanted to do was wring his little neck. Ooo, yes, that would be satisfying. He just wanted to-
Spike tore his eyes away from the page. He couldn't stomach to read anymore. The next page and a half were gruesome, overly detailed descriptions of how Storm King wanted to kill him. It made Spike feel like he needed to vomit.
"Cozy Glow can't read this." Spike muttered. The last entry felt too personal. He didn't want Cozy to see how much Storm King despised him. Hell, Spike didn't want to know how Storm King thought of him. He knew Storm King hated him, but he didn't know it was this bad.
His heart hammered in his chest, and the world felt dizzying. Spike needed to get rid of this journal. He couldn't let anyone get ahold of it. But he couldn't just destroy it; he didn't know what kind of spell Storm King put on it. For all Spike knows, he could've cursed this journal.
Spike looked out the window, peering into the backyard. The grass was freshly cut, perfect for digging. The backyard was perfect. No one would think to look there.
The dragon opened his bedroom window, launching himself out. He wobbled in the air, trembling from panic. He hovered over the backyard, scanning the grass. Spike glided to the ground, landing much harder than he meant to.
He didn't have time to find a shovel; he had to get rid of this journal now. Spike dropped to his knees, beginning to claw at the dirt.
Spike dug until his hands ached. He kept digging until the hole was deep enough to fit himself in.
"I think this is deep enough." Spike panted. He picked out the journal, staring at it one last time. This was for the greater good. He dropped the journal into the hole, listening to it hit the uneven ground with a 'thump.'
Spike began to shovel the dirt back into the hole with his hands. His hands were sore and throbbing. He was sure that he had cut his hands on a few rocks. Spike smoothed the dirt out, making it look flat as possible.
"That should grow out in a few days." Spike commented. He stared at the patch of dirt. It stood out in the perfect green yard. Even though the journal was buried, he still felt uneasy.
Spike shook his head. He needed to snap out of it. Everything was fine now; he had no reason to be upset. Spike flew back through his bedroom, closing the window behind him.
He stared at his hands. They were covered in dirt and blood. He couldn't go to bed like this; he was a mess! Spike slowly walked out of his room, looking down the hallway. It was eerily dark.
"You're fine, Spike; Storm King is dead." He reassured himself. Despite this, he still felt like he was being watched. It was as if Storm King was looming over him. Spike shook his head, walking into the bathroom. He was fine.
Spike turned on the faucet with shaky hands. He shoved his hands under the too-hot water. He watched as the dirt and blood rinsed off of his hands. His hands trembled under the water. Spike grumbled. Why couldn't he calm down? He fixed everything; it should all be fine now!
An idea popped into his head. If he couldn't calm down, he knew something that could help. Sure, it was embarrassing, but it might work.
Spike stood at the foot of Tempest's bed, fiddling with his hands. Tempest slept soundly, snoring softly. He was nearly 12, it was embarrassing to have to run to his mom for comfort. He carefully crawled under the covers, trekking his way to the top. He squeezed in between Tempest's forelegs.
She was warm and comforting. Spike hadn't slept in the same bed as her since he was a little kid. As embarrassing as this was, Spike couldn't help to feel comforted. He pressed his ear against Tempest's chest, listening to her heartbeat.
Just like that, he could feel all of his anxieties melting away. Spike sighed happily, closing his eyes. For the first time in weeks, he felt perfectly safe.
