> Betrayal of a dragon
>  by Inferno demon Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Playful love; Spoken from the heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equestria: The land that was controlled by the pony race, with a few exceptional creatures such as dragons, bears, manticores and other creatures, had always been a peaceful, happy land ruled by Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun, and Princess Luna, the younger of the two and the Goddess of the Night as well as dreams, and the moon itself.

Many ponies’ lives were all over the country, from Manehatten, Appleloosa, Cloudsdale, Dodge Junction, and even Canterlot… but this tale is taken place in the rural town known as Ponyville, where two creatures in particular were resting in bed, content with the other’s presence. One of the creatures was a dragon, a purple scaled male with a green underbelly, spines, and ear fins, his emerald colored eyes slowly stroking the animal that rested in the bed with him.

The pony was a pink furred mare, her baby blue eyes teasing the dragon with mischief and her raspberry mane bouncing as she shook her head in laughter, the same colored tail that she had intertwining with the dragon’s. He chuckled as he looked at the three balloons on her flank.

“Spike, I told you before not to play with my belly. You know I’m ticklish there,” the mare giggled.

The drake scoffed before softly kissing her belly. In reaction, she accidentally kicked her left rear leg out and hit him in a face, making him flinch from the contact as a slight jolt of pain swiftly followed after.

“Damn it, Pinkie, that hurt!” he growled, rubbing his nose.

His mate’s ears lowered in embarrassment and fear. “I’m sorry, Spiky. I swear I did not mean to do it. I Pinkie Promise, watch, cross my heart-"

“That’s fine, Pinks. I don’t need you to repeat your promise to say you’re sorry. Just…please don’t do it again,” Spike said with a sigh. He gently touched his nose with a claw, turning his head from Pinkie Pie’s.

She then frowned before allowing a small smile to replace her features. “I said I was sorry, Spike. You don’t have to be snappy with-”

“I’m not snappy, Pinkie, it was an accident, I get that…just, let it go, alright? If I wanted a lecture, I would go to Twilight, sheesh.” he interrupted sharply.

She narrowed her eyes and huffed, crossing her forehooves. Spike rolled his eyes and slowly took a Diseased Stallion cigarette from his left ear fin before lighting the lip with his green flames, putting the butt in his mouth and inhaled with a sigh before exhaling out his nose. Pinkie coughed from the scent.

She scowled. “I told you not to do that in the house, Spike, and what did I tell you about the bad things that could come from keeping up with those habits and-”

“And here we go with the lecture,” Spike whispered under his breathe, not knowing that Pinkie could hear him.

She shoved him away from her. “I’m not lecturing you, Spike, I’m telling you of the dangers-”

“You mean the shit I really don’t care about. Look, Pinkie, you’re my marefriend, not my mother. If I wanted to go to mommy, then I could go to Celestia, but I’m sixteen. I don’t have to be taking orders from you,” he growled, taking a larger drag of his smoke while seeing Pinkie turn her body away from him.

Her arms still crossed as her expression became one of anger. “I think you should just go for the day, Spike,” she spoke.

He frowned, only to sigh, softly putting his left claw on her left shoulder. She flinched but did not move from the contact.

“I’m really sorry, beautiful, it’s just I've been so busy working for Applejack and her family, working with Twilight and helping you make all the treats we do in the kitchen that I've just been stressed this entire week. I did not mean to snap at you,” he whispered, his words honest.

She sighed loudly, turning her head and looking over her shoulder, knowing he was speaking the truth. She could tell by the way he smoked his cigarettes by four each day rather than two.

Blinking, she smiled, then turned to kiss his left cheek. He grinned and kissed her back softly, loving the scent of strawberries and cream on her lips as she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue into her mouth as the two fought for dominance over the other before she won.

Breaking the kiss, she whispered gently into his right ear fin. “Don’t you have to work at Applejack’s in five minutes?” she teased.

The dragon quickly glanced at the pink clock on the right side of him standing on the brown nightstand, seeing that it was three fifty five; he had work at four. He jumped from the bed.

“Shit, I can’t be late again. Applejack would kill me,” he panicked, kissing Pinkie Pie’s lips once more before taking one last drag of his smoke and tossing it out the open window, ignoring Pinkie’s sharp glare. He rushed out her room, down the stairs and out the bakery, saying goodbye to his and Pinkie’s bosses, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. They waved from the kitchen and went back to their duties.

Pinkie, for her part, got up from the bed and looked out the window to see her love sprinting to get to Sweet Apple Acres. She laughed lightly, then turned her head and saw a green scaled male alligator with his wise purple eyes on the floor blink up at her, making the mare titter.

“Gummy, I have a feeling that what Spike and I have is the start of a beautiful friendship, or relationship, I guess you could say. I can’t believe it’s been a month since we started dating. It’s hard to picture that he had given up being with Rarity once he found out that Rarity actually loved Fluttershy, and even though it was so hard to see my poor Spiky be depressed as he was, it was a gift from the Gods that we became close friends, then turned into something more,” she said loudly to the reptile that merely blinked and opened his toothless mouth as he clamped down on her puffy tail, making her giggle.

“Oh, you’re right, Gummy. I should really wait before Spike and I get to… well, that part of our lives. I’m honestly not sure if I’m even ready for it yet, but I know that if Spike and I love each other as the days go on, then I’ll be ready soon enough, right?” she asked.

The alligator only blinked at his owner, and she sighed sadly. 

“Though I was too harsh on him smoking, but he knows how I feel about it. My own father, Clyde, died from lung cancer, and I really don’t want him to head towards the same path, but as Celestia as my witness, I’ll do what I can to support him. Even if I may be against it myself, I just really wish he would take what I said to heart. I don’t want him to get angry and I’m not his mom, he’s right, but I AM his marefriend, that has to count for something… right?” she asked her pet, who once again blinked at her, either not hearing what she said or not caring.

With a sigh, Pinkie released Gummy from her tail and placed him on the ground, then trotting towards her bed as she lay down and thought of the events that led her and Spike to be together in the first place.

*Flashback, one month ago*

A glass of fruit punch shattered against the walls of Sugercube Corner, spilling the contents all over the wall. Fve ponies cowered in fear in a corner of the enraged dragon, who was screaming at a white furred mare unicorn, her azure eyes were wide in horror and fear of the angered dragon’s words.

“YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, RARITY? YOU’RE A WHORE! A CHEAP, DIRTY, SLUT WHO LIES AND LIES AND LIES TO ANOTHER CREATURE’S FACE, GETTING THEIR HOPES UP TO THE HIGHEST POINT THEIR FEELINGS COULD EVER BE ON AND THEN SMASHING IT TO PIECES WITH YOUR WICKED, BUCKING LIES!” Spike screamed into her face, grabbing another of the spiked punch that Rainbow Dash had provided with his tail and drowning it in one swallow. He threw it to the wall with his other glass. He wiped his lips and glared at the unicorn opening his mouth to  lash out even harsher words to the pony that had tears on the edge of her eyes.

“YOU BUCKING THINK YOU KNOW WHAT LOVE IS? YOU DON’T! ALL YOU DO IS READ THOSE TRASHY ROMANTIC NOVELS THAT ARE FULL OF SHIT, JUST LIKE YOU! I HAVE HAD IT; I HAD IT WITH TRYING TO BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR YOUR SHIT! THE GODS AS MY WITNESS, I’M THROUGH WITH YOU, I’M THOUGH! SO YOU CAN JUST GET DRUNK AS HELL, GRAB A BUCKING ROPE AND HANG YOURSELF FOR ALL I BUCKING CARE, YOU WHITE FURRED BITCH!” he roared into her face, drunk as he could be before he stormed out the bakery without even a glance at his other friends. He slammed the entrance so hard behind him, it had a slight crack from the force.

The entire bakery was quiet before sobbing from Rarity emitted through the establishment. Four of the ponies rushed to comfort their friends as the fifth felt her mane and tail uncurl in depression from Spike’s words. All she suggested was he’d have a dance with Rarity for her birthday.

She had no idea that Rarity would want to spend more time with Fluttershy than him, leading the drake to get drunk quietly in a corner and treat them to what had just happen. All she wanted was to give Rarity, who had turned twenty seven a nice birthday party; not for the entire thing to be ruin by a broken heart.

Putting a hoof on the crying mare’s shoulder, Pinkie Pie whispered she was sorry before running out the door to follow Spike, feeling Twilight’s eyes on her as she opened the door. She began to run to catch the drunk and rage filled dragon before he did something drastic.

She caught Spike at the same stone bridge where he had changed from his full grown greed form so many years ago, smoking a cigarette. She sighed sadly, not knowing what she wanted to even say to him, and certainly not wanting him to scream at her, telling her to go kill herself as well.

The dragon did not even turn his head from the clear, blue water he was staring at when he spoke, his voice hoarse and depressed from all the yelling he had done.

“All I ever wanted from her was to be noticed… to be cherished, even loved. Just once… even if it did not last, heh,” he chuckled hollowly, taking a large drag of his smoke.

Pinkie Pie sat carefully, not speaking a word, just listening before he blew the gray cloud out his nose and continued, “Are the Gods really against me? Am I so much of a monster that I can’t even get a pony to love me? Am all I am or ever will  is nothing more then a beast in ponies eyes?” he questioned, finally looking from the lake into Pinkie Pie’s gentle, caring blue eyes.

She could only frown at his serious words, not honestly knowing what to say to such a comment that had so much meaning. Finally, she took a deep breath and exhaled it out her nose. The dragon only took another drag of his cigarette, turning his head back to the lake and exhaled the smoke out his mouth. Pinkie waved the smoke away as it blew towards her but tried not to cough.

“Spike… you’re not a monster, to me, to Twilight, to the Gods... even Rarity. Yes, you were drunk and might still be, but I could tell you had those words inside your heart for a long time. Maybe all it really took was a drink to allow it to… boil over,” she whispered softly.

He snorted, taking one last drag and blowing it out his nose. He threw his cigarette into the lake, which Pinkie ignored for the serious conversation they were having.

“You honestly think I’ll ever have a chance with anypony, Pinkie?” he asked making her nod with a small smile. “But who could ever truly love a monster?” he growled.

She flinched, but still had a smile on her face. Wrapping her left foreleg around his upper back, for he was taller than her, she spoke gently, “How about a crazy party pony, for one thing, Scales?”

Spike turned his head and looked into her eyes, knowing the words she spoke were true. He blinked and smiled.

For the next few weeks, the two spent much time together, baking, playing pranks and just being good friends, sharing secrets with the other that they would not even tell the Gods themselves. Finally, after Spike finished making a fresh batch of brownies, he slipped on some stray flour and fell on the floor of Sugarcube Corner, causing Pinkie Pie to laugh hard from the antic. 

With a playful growl, he dragged her with him, spraying her body with flour and brownie crumbs. The two laughed, then slowly and without meaning to, they kissed. It was soft, gentle, and a bit awkward. 

As Spike pulled away, he blushed, and Pinkie only laughed before pulling him deeper into another kiss, changing their relationship from friends to optional romantic partners.

A week later, Spike asked Pinkie if she would be his marefriend, making her jump in joy. She screamed yes over and over, wanting to throw a party, but was kept from doing so by Spike, who did not want one for a while.

They had their first date two days later, going to the park and watching the stars, Spike preparing a picnic for them as they cuddled together and enjoyed their moments of being a couple for the first time in either of their lives.

As the days and weeks dragged on, not all days were joy and rainbows for the two; they got into verbal fights more often than not, with Spike taking a job at Sugarcube Corner to spend more time with Pinkie, as well as work with Applejack and her family, who took a long time to forgive him for the words he had spoken to Rarity. If that was not enough stress, he was also working at the Golden Oaks library with Twilight when he had time, barely able to get himself a smoke in between time.

Needless to say, his job working with Rarity was over, and Sweetie Belle, as well as the rest of the former Cutie Mark Crusaders, were not speaking to him. Even Dinky Doo, who had been his best friend when they were kids was not talking to him, shouting at him to give her space before they talked again and that he had to earn her trust, depressing him greatly.

Despite the three jobs and the arguments the two got into, they did everything they could to make their new found love work. Pinkie did not exactly know why he had three jobs to begin with—he told her it was to save up for something he knew she would really enjoy, confusing the earth pony.

But she would show patience with him, as long as he did the same with her. With luck, their love would blossom to something even more meaningful.

*Flashback ends*

Pinkie smiled as she thought of all that had happened, and even though she knew Spike had crushed Rarity’s heart, it had filled her own to the brim with love. Maybe it was harsh the words he spoke to the mare, but Pinkie Pie would be lying if she said she did not love his honesty; while most of what he said came from all that drinking, there were a few choice words he found might have hit a sensitive yet truthful area.

As the pink earth pony was left to her thoughts, Spike had managed to get to his job at Sweet Apple Acres only three minutes late. He knew that Applejack would dock his pay for his tardiness, but it was worth it to him if he was able to spend time with his marefriend.

“Howdy, Spike, thought you'd never arrive,” a southern drawl from an orange coated mare’s mouth spoke, her long blond mane and tail tied in a red band and her alluring green eyes narrowed. Her mouth was turned up in a smirk.

“Sorry, Applejack, was just at Pinkie’s and-“

“Say no more, Spike. You’re late enough as it is; just get to work and you can tell me about it on break, clear?” she ordered lightly.

He nodded his head, then she turned around, flashing her three red apples on her flank at him. She grabbed her brown Stetson hat that blew on the ground from the wind and placed it on her head, and she walked away, making Spike give a groan. He looked at the trees that held many red and green apples, and grabbing a nearby tan basket or two, he got to work.

He did not have the strength of Earth Ponies like the rest of the Apple family in his back legs, but his tail was long enough as he used it to slam into the tree in front of him with all his might, causing many apples but a few to fall. He heaved the basket on his left shoulder and put it in the barn before he grabbed another basket to repeat his actions.

At seven bits an hour, he made pretty good pay and worked his tail off for his job. After two hours of knocking apples from trees, getting baskets and putting the full baskets into the barn, Applejack called for a break. Spike dropped to the ground, exhausted.

Walking towards the Apple family home, he met Applejack outside who gave him a glass of non-alcoholic apple cider and laughed, seeing the reptile sweat from all the work he had done.

“Wow, Spike, you done a mighty fine job this afternoon. I’m impressed. Keep this up and ah may even give ya’ll a raise.” She laughed.

He only nodded and tipped the glass of sweet, golden liquid down his throat, loving the fresh, refilling taste of apple cider that he awaited every time he worked for Applejack. He grabbed a cigarette from his right ear fin and lit the tip, inhaling it deeply before blowing it out the left side of his mouth.

The two were silent, enjoying the calm, relaxing atmosphere that life had to offer on the clear skied morning, Celestia’s sun shining upon the two creatures who did not speak a word, Spike drinking and smoking as Applejack basked in the warm glow under a tree. The dragon knew not to speak of anything personal until after work, for though she was his friend, she was also his boss and work was not meant to solve personal issues outside of it.

Taking one last drag of his cigarette, and drinking the last of his cider, Spike stood from where he sat on the grass, looking towards Applejack, who had her hat over her face and enjoying the sun on her coat. Spike put out his smoke on the tree behind him, flicking it into the grass and setting his glass beside the mare, who began to snore lightly. 

He chuckled. “Guess I better get back to work.” 

With a sigh, he did just what he had told himself and began working for another three hours, in which Applejack awoke with a jolt and stretching her aching limbs with a yawn. She stood from where she had napped and ran to tell Spike he was off for the day, allowing him to give a small mental fist pump before walking with Applejack to the house to receive his pay for the week.

Applejack opened the door and entered her house, seeing Big Macintosh reading under a small lamp on a red colored couch while Apple Bloom was doing homework from high school. She scowled seeing Spike, looking back to her work. The young mare’s left nostril, right ear and bellybutton were pierced with silver rings, and the pink bow she had in her hair when she was a filly was gone, allowing her hair to flow free, making her a very beautiful mare.

Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair, snoring loudly. Spike chuckle in amusement, earning him a glare from Apple Bloom, which shut his mouth. He was stopped with a hoof by Applejack, who told him to wait before she turned around and went to get his pay, leaving the reptile with an annoyed Apple Bloom.

“Uh… hey, Apple Bloom, how is it g-”

“Don’t act like we are still friends, you heartless, lizard,” she growled at him making him turn his head away and sigh, not understanding why the former members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders hated him after the event that happened a month ago. He had thought that his ‘friends’ would let what had happened go, but the only ones who had forgiven him were Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack and of course, Pinkie Pie.

He could not even talk to Rarity’s former stallionfriend, Big Macintosh, without almost getting kicked in the face, as it almost happened last time he even said two words to the red furred stallion.

“Apple Bloom, I swear I only-”

“Here you are, Spike,” Applejack interrupted with a smile, having a medium sized red bag with yellow string wrapped around it to keep the bits from falling out in her mouth.

Spike smiled and took it from her, giving her thanks.

“You’re mighty welcome, sugarcube. See you next week,” she answered back, making Spike remember that he had off for the next two days, as far as working with the Apple family went.

Saying a quick goodbye and ignoring Apple Bloom’s angered snort, he turned and walked from the house, out of the woods, thinking of going to visit Pinkie Pie, but knowing that her shift started right now and would still be going well into twelve in the morning. 

He sighed and chose to head to the library instead, having not seen Twilight for a while with her being at Canterlot and just getting back today from no doubt visiting the Princesses as he stayed with Pinkie all week.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Spike entered his home and saw a sleeping, orange and red feathered male phoenix with his yellow eyes twitch from where he was perched and drift back to sleep making Spike chuckle.

“Oh, Peewee, you crazy little feather ball, you.” he laughed, turning as he saw Twilight’s own pet, Owlowiscious, flap towards the higher shelve with a brown book in his talons and quietly put it in place before turning his head almost completely around and hooting a greeting to Spike. He waved a claw then sighed, setting the bag of bits on the kitchen table before he went into the kitchen, grabbed a ruby and munched on it slowly.

After finishing his ruby, he entered the living room and almost jumped out of his scales, seeing Twilight Sparkle laying on her red colored couch while drinking slowly from a bottle of red wine. Spike chuckled loudly, causing her to whirl her head and look at him in shock from her book.

“Whew, Spike, you almost scared the fur off me, don’t do that.” she scolded him.

He only smirked and walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her back causing her to smile and lean back into the embrace, Spike blinked and pulled from the hug he gave her, swearing he had heard her give a small moan but dismissed the sound with a shake of his head. He grabbed the bottle she had next to the glass that laid on the brown colored table beside her, taking a long drink.

“Hey, don’t drink it all,” she giggled, making him wink from his left eye before setting it down.

“Thought you would not be back until tomorrow?” he laughed.

Twilight rolled her eyes, bookmarking her place and turning to look at her best friend. “I caught an earlier train, so sue me, thought you had work at the bakery tonight,” she teased while he chuckled.

“Nah, Mr. Cake switched my shift this weekend so I don’t work until nine tomorrow,” he replied nonchalantly. 

She snorted with a smile. Spike was getting a bit creeped out by Twilight’s gaze and smile towards him, so he cleared his throat to break her out of her trance and asked what it was she was reading.

“Oh…um, just a study on…Timberwolves…natural…habits?” she said it as though it was more of a question then an actual fact, making Spike a bit confused by her words.

He reached for the book, but was stopped by two hooves covering the book. Twilight smiled up at him, and he narrowed his eyes at his guardian, who licked her lips nervously.

“Hey, um, you got work tomorrow, right? Why don’t you get some rest now. I’ll join you in bed soon,” she whispered  enticingly.

His eyes widen at the words that she uttered from her mouth before she quickly corrected herself, “I mean I’ll, you know… sleep in my own bed as you do…yours?” she said. Again it came out as a question, making Spike rub a claw to the back of his neck, before he, confused, shrugged and turned around. He looked back to read the title of Twilight’s book that was called, “Dragon Anatomy.” 

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why the buck would Twi be reading on dragon’s anomaly? I thought she already remembered everything from when I was first hatched. Rainbow was right; she’s an egghead." he thought with a roll of his eyes before answering Twilight from over his right shoulder.

“Sure thing. Twi, I’ll do that, but first I need a smoke. Working all day really tires a creature out, you know?” he laughed, swearing he heard her whisper that she did know as he caught her in the corner of his right eye looking at his…was she looking at his ass? What the buck was wrong with her today?

Shaking his head, rubbing his forehead with a claw, he decided that he really did need a smoke and walked up the stairs to grab one from his carton on the brown dresser to the right of him. He lit it with a small stream of his flame, wishing he could see Pinkie Pie right now, but knowing she gets irritated working the night shift and would not want to be seen right now.

His mind drifted to the thought of the lavender unicorn mare with her beautiful purple eyes, her gorgeous dark blue colored mane with a single strip of pink and another of purple in her tail, and her sexy Cutie Mark of the large purple star surrounded by five smaller white stars.

"Wait, did I just call Twilight’s Cutie Mark sexy? The buck am I thinking, maybe I had too much of that wine… damn, this day is turning out to be stressful as hell." he thought, groaning and taking a large drag of his cigarette, exhaling it out his mouth. He knew that, unlike Pinkie, Twilight did not care if he smoked in the house or around her, performing a spell for the scent a long time ago since he started when he was fourteen.

Spike blinked, confused on what was going on with Twilight. He sighed, going from the dresser and laying on his larger bed that used to be the guest bed before he started to grow, the bed being to the left of Twilight’s own. He now felt it was not enough space, wondering if he could maybe ask to be given his own room when a light moan interrupted his thoughts. 

He silently tiptoed down the stairs, leaning his head inch by inch to peer at where Twilight was. He saw the mare laying on her back on the couch with her right front hoof in between her haunches, moaning a name that Spike could not catch.

Leaning his head farther out and towards Twilight, he heard the name she had spoken. It made his blood run cold and his mind freeze from shock at the action she was preforming while thinking she was alone, whispering…well, his name.

Spike blinked. Sliding his head back behind the corner, he gently went back up the stairs, taking a large drag of his cigarette and coughing loudly. He thumped his chest with a fist to breathe properly. He was still in shock, that Twilight Sparkle, his best friend, his caretaker, his boss and the one that many would call family was clopping to thoughts of… him.

He did not even notice that his cigarette was burning into his scales. He did not feel the pain and just put it out on the tan ashtray the dresser had, trying to breathe from all he had just learned.

Twilight obviously liked him more than family, by Celestia, even more than friends; he did honestly not know what to think.

How did this happen? Why did this happen and more importantly, how the buck had he not seen any signs to this? He wondered how long this had been going on as he thought she looked sexy in the position-

“No, no… get it together, Spike. You’re with Pinkie Pie, Pinkamena Diane Pie. You can’t be thinking of some sex craved, warm and tempting librarian, even though she is, in fact, a virgin and-” Spike slapped himself in the face hard with his tail as he kept his thoughts from going any farther then they just had trailed, not sure what to do with this new information or why he did not feel disgusted.

“What the buck is wrong with me?” he asked himself. He sat on his bed and rubbed his temples with his claws, doing everything he could to sort out his thoughts, with no success.

> Buck the Royal Guards; Meet Raindrops
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Spike had had his mental battle, he slept a dreamless sleep, wanting to put his entire damn, confusing thoughts out of his mind until another day.

***

Spike’s eyes snapped opened as the loud, annoying shrill of Peewee screeched in his face, either to play, or wake him up for the hell of it. Spike, guessing it was the latter this time, swatted the phoenix off his chest.

“Ugh, Peewee, go away. I got to work in a few hours,” he groaned.

Peewee was persistent, however, as he grabbed the pillow under Spike’s head in his talons and dragged it out from under him. A claw reached for it, underestimating the mystical bird’s skills of flight because he missed, twice.

“Shit, Peewee, give me the pillow. I still got time,” he growled, turning his head to look at the clock. “It’s only eleven a.m." he shouted after Peewee, who ignored him, but Spike paid the phoenix no mind. His eyes glanced back at the clock on the dresser.

“ELEVEN A.M!” he screamed, jumping from his bed before rushing into the bathroom, not even noticing it was closed. He almost tore the curtains from the rack to jump in, scarcely hearing the water running in his haste, and screamed as Twilight covered her body from him with her hooves.

“What the buck, Spike?!” she screamed.

Spike closed his eyes and backed away rather swiftly. “Sorry, I’m so sorry, had no clue you were here. I’m late for work,” he said and was about to run down stairs when Twilight’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Spike…listen you’re already here, so why not just join me? We can just let the water wash off-”

“Are you out of you bucking mind, NO! I gotta go. See you later, Twilight,” he replied, slamming the door.

The mare sighed sadly. “Well, it was worth a shot,” she whispered before washing the rest of her mane in the warm, relaxing water that poured down from the showerhead.

As Twilight was finishing her hygiene, Spike rushed out the door to the library to get to Sugarcube Corner, pushing ponies out of the way, forgetting to even apologize. He could not be late again, but he had forgotten to set his alarm clock and cursed himself for that.

He swung the front door open, almost smacking Roseluck in the flank and completely disregarded everypony, including the mare he almost hit. He stopped, though, once he reached the counter, panting as both Mr. and Mrs. Cake glared at him, Pinkie Pie poking her head from the cupcake mix she was stirring. She frowned.

“S-sorry… sorry, forgot to… set my alarm last night… so sorry,” he wheezed out, about to go behind the counter and wash his claws to get to work when he was stopped by Mr. Cake’s right forehoof on his chest.

“Spike, we told you that if you were late again, then you could not work for the day. This is the fourth time you were late for work because of one reason or another. I’m warning you now Spike: if you’re late one last time, and Cupcake and I agreed with this, then you'll be fired. Understand?” he spoke, his tone serious.

Spike’s ear fins and tail drooped in shame and he nodded. “Yes, Mr. Cake,” he answered slowly, his eyes dropping. He turned around, disappointed that he had let down the Cakes again and that he would not get his hours or pay.

As he trailed out the door, his tail dragging behind him, he felt a hoof tap his left shoulder. He turned to see Pinkie Pie with a sad smile on her face; she kissed him.

“Sorry, baby. But you really DO need to get to work on time; it’s not fair to me or Mr. and Mrs. Cake if we have to take over your shifts just because you’re tardy all the time. They're pretty serious, Spike. You CAN’T be late again…they won’t give you another chance if you are," she whispered.

Spike only nodded, depressed that everything kept going wrong for him for today of all days.

“I’ll see you after my shift. Stay out of trouble,” she giggled. She planted a kiss on the left side of his cheek and trotted off to get back to work, leaving Spike to say he was sorry to Roseluck.

He walked along the streets of Ponyville, not sure what he was to do today since he was supposed to work until six tonight. He rubbed his forehead and sighed loudly.

He was about to reach towards his left ear fin for a cigarette when he remembered that he had rushed out of the house so fast to get to work that he had forgotten one. He gritted his fangs in frustration. He was having a very bad day today, and without a smoke, it only made him more irritated. He blew out a small stream of flames out of his nostrils, not wanting to go back to the library while Twilight was still there after his…accident.

His mind tried to shift to thoughts of anything other than the unicorn. He tried in vain to rip the thought of Twilight’s wet furred body and enticing violent eyes whispering words of lust from her tongue as she rubbed his chest scales with her tail, her dampened watermelon scent from the soap sliding slowly on his own as-

“Shit, what the buck is wrong with me this week?!” Spike growled at himself. He twirled around, intent on stomping off to be left alone from anypony when he bumped into Snails, an amber furred stallion unicorn.

His black eyes blinked in annoyance that Spike did not even say he was sorry before moving away from him, lost in thought. Snails’ best friend, who was walking beside him, a grayish opal furred unicorn stallion, glared at the drake before shouting over his left shoulder to get Spike’s attention.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, you clumsy reptile.”  

Spike stopped in his tracks when he heard that he was being addressed with such disrespect.

“What the buck did you say to me, Snips?” he growled. Already very much ticked off by the events that happened to him today, he was in no mood to be talked down to like he was a foal or baby dragon, in this case.

Snips walked up to him and stretched out his neck to speak to the creature, who used to be his friend, but after the fillies and colts went to high school, they started to stay away from Spike, afraid of him and not wanting to have anything to do with the creature, who would eventually be so harsh towards the town’s most famous and rather only fashion designer. With this and so much more Spike had done, Snips and most any of the former children who had befriended Spike drifted away from the dragon.

Spike was a full six inches taller than Snips, but Snails reached up to his height with his long legs. Snips did not stand down, a full improvement from acting as a slave for The Great and Power Trixie, who had appeared to them years ago and was in the mindset that he could really take down a teenage dragon.

“I said, watch where you are going, rep-“

Were the only words he was able to utter before a sharp, curled claw made contact with his jaw and sent him flying, straight into Roseluck’s flower cart where she worked with her other two sisters. The cart broke from the sudden heavy weight, the entire roof slamming down on the stallion before Daisy screamed and ran to get away from her sister’s broken shop. She also ran to get help for Snails and the police to detain Spike, who was beyond furious.

Snips groaned, lifting his body from the rubble that was weighted on him. Snorting the dust that went up his nose and sneezing, he only blinked just in time to see Snails tackle Spike to the ground, pounding his front hooves hard into Spike’s face. 

The dragon wrapped his tail around Snails’ neck and threw him straight into Bon-Bon’s own candy stall which broke under his weight. Standing up and ignoring the hurt lacing his face, Spike roared into the air, a large jet of emerald flames spewing from his mouth. To this, everypony began to scream and run away, nothing but terror across the market.

Spike stomped towards Snips when powerful hind hooves slammed into the right side of his body, throwing him to the ground. He lifted his eyes to stare into Apple Bloom’s golden hues, Big Macintosh standing beside her, a frown and narrowed eyes across his face. The drake stood up, pissed that his former friend dared to assault him.

In hindsight, Spike should have kept his temper under control, feeling his natural dragon rage for those who dared to challenge him overpower his thought process.

“You're such a bully, Spike; you really want to act this way, then you can get the buck out of our town!” Apple Bloom shouted.

Spike was about to turn around and swat her in the face with his tail, not seeing Big Macintosh about to charge at him, when a large, pure white bolt of lightning slammed into his chest, knocking him to the ground with a loud thud. Before he lost consciousness, the last thing he saw were four police stallions and two Royal Guards galloping towards them, fully armed, as Spike finally blacked out.

Spike awoke, disoriented and annoyed, not understanding where he was. He lifted his head and winced, feeling a blaze of pain flare in his left eye and his scales. He felt a black eye from one of Snails’ blows, growling before a sharp pain came from his right hip, remembering that Apple Bloom had slammed her rear hooves into him, hard.

His nose also bled, which he wiped with his right arm. He looked around the gray colored walls, with no windows and black colored bars six feet in length from top to bottom but only six inches in width, separating him from the other cells, his back laying on a green mattress stained with the smell of urine, tears and… semen. With a sigh of disgust, he stood up from the bed, seeing it had a small, gray blanket and a very firm, dirt stained pillow.

The room also held a silver toilet and small sink, as well as another bed chained two feet from the ground to the wall across from his own. On the other bed rested a mare, her light gold coat covered by an orange jumpsuit, a hole in the back cut for her tail. She had cyan eyes and a light cyan mane, the cutie mark of three raindrops on her flank, which Spike managed to see when she shifted the suit to scratch her ass.

She yawned, smacked her lips and blinked before seeing Spike, who wore a larger version of the orange jumpsuit which he realized he had on just now as well as a large hole cut for his own tail. She chuckled.

“Well, well, look who's bright eyed and bushy tailed. Welcome to Tartarus, handsome,” she joked, gesturing throughout the room.

Spike scowled and turned away from her. “Where am I, and who are you?” he growled, not knowing just how he had gotten to this cell.

“Seriously, Spike, you don’t know? Shit, everypony has heard about the rampaging dragon who assaulted two stallions. You’re famous—well, at least to the other cell mates, that is. Sorry, name’s Raindrops. I know you because you’re the only dragon in Ponyville who’s not a complete greedy, humongous bastard… no offense.”

She laughed, to which Spike snorted smoke from his nostrils, clearly offended. 

She held up her hooves in defense. “I’m only kidding, sheesh. To be honest, the other cellmates would not even be near you when you were dragged in chains by four of the Royal Guards; they were too busy pissing their suits and crying in terror, but I wasn’t scared. Told them to bring you into my own so I could get to know you more. Been years since I've seen you, though. I was part of the team that would bring that tornado of water to Cloudsdale, remember?” She grinned.

Spike shook his head before placing his claws on his temples, getting annoyed by this mare’s constant talking.

Raindrops sighed loudly, knowing that the dragon was in no mood for talking. She turned to her side. “Not everypony thinks you’re a monster, Spike,” she whispered, having no other choice but to sleep, causing Spike to feel guilty that he had not even said one word to the kind mare.

He was about to open his mouth to say something so he could get to know her a bit more when a Royal Guard unicorn mare trotted towards their cell and opened it. “Spike the dragon, you got visitors,” she announced.

Spike had no other choice but to stand from his cot and walk with the mare. She put his arms behind his back and hoof cuffed him, the cuffs small enough for the prisoner not to escape, but wide enough to not be firmly around his wrist. Spike only growled as he was led to a white walled room with a large window, a single gray metal table, and three gray colored chairs. Two of them were occupied by Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, whose eyes widened seeing the dragon brought over.

The mare Royal Guard undid his hoof cuffs, meant for a pony’s legs, and forcibly sat him down in the chair across from his friends. 

Spike narrowed his eyes at the guard, turning his head and looking at the mares before him. Tapping his claws on the table, he finally asked when the silence was almost unbearable, “Anypony got a cigarette?” 

The next thing Spike knew, Twilight reached across the table and slapped him hard across the face, her face red with rage. He pressed a claw hand against his right cheek and sighed, not feeling the pain as much as he felt Twilight’s disappointment and fury from the blow.

“You got arrested, Spike. Are you SERIOUS?!” she screamed, slamming her forehooves onto the table and rising from her chair before Pinkie put a hoof on her shoulder, slowly calmly the mare down. She sat but glared at the reptile before her.

“What were you thinking, Spike?” Pinkie whispered, wounding the drake’s heart for hurting Pinkie Pie, the mare who had been there for him for many struggles in his life seem so depressed.

Spike sighed, not having a single clue how to answer her question. He could not lie to her; she was his marefriend, the one who loved him, and so he told the truth.

“I wasn’t thinking, Pinks… I was just taking unnecessary action towards those who mocked me. I was just venting out my rage in a way that could have been avoid,” he said.

Twilight scoffed and rolled her eyes. Pinkie glared at Twilight before turning her attention towards Spike and shook her head, ashamed at her mate.

The three were completely silent before Pinkie broke the silence with words Spike seriously did not want to hear. “Big Macintosh fired you,” she said calmly, as if what she had just said had no effect on her and would not matter to Spike.

“WHAT?!” he screamed.

The Royal Guard with them took a step towards him. Twilight waved her down with a hoof.

“He said he didn't want a criminal working at their farm. Applejack really tried to defend you, honest, though for some reason, Apple Bloom was excited, which I find mean. Granny Smith agreed with Big Mac though. To be honest, the Cakes wanted to fire you, too. But I pleaded with them to let you keep your job. But once you get out of here, you won’t be able to come to work for a week. Mr. Cake wanted it to be two, but I convinced him to give you one week. Spike, were you really so upset that you had to go to jail for not coming to work?” Pinkie whispered.

Spike nodded, groaning. 

The two mares talked to him, telling him about a court date he had next month, and how Snips and Snails wanted to press charges. However, Spike allowed his mind to wander as their words of nonsense changed into those he thought he wanted to hear, which confused him very much, not sure his mind was thinking.

“Spikey, you know that I love you and really want you, my sexy reptile. We can go back to my bed and make love, just like I know you been wanting to do for a few weeks now. Hay we can kiss until you make my body nice and wet with that skillful tongue, then I can put whip cream and cherries over my body as-”

“Spike, I never told you how much I loved you, did I? How when you were older, I started to have feelings for you, how I was so tempted to kiss your rough, scaly lips now that you grown so big and strong, and how I want us to make love by the fireplace? Spike, I want us to be married, to have a child of our very own, the first hybrid born in centuries. Did you know-”

“Why the buck would he ever find love with you? You’re like his mother, or at least his older sister. That’s sick if you think he would ever want to be with the pony that raised him, Twilight.” Pinkie Pie shouted at her.

Twilight touched her nose to Pinkie's own, her eyes narrowed in fury. “It is NOT! I was only six when I hatched him. Celestia raised him as I was completing my studies; I didn't even get him to stay in the same room with me until I was ten. Besides, I've known him much longer then you ever have. I know everything about him. You probably don’t even know his favorite type of gem, Pinkie Pie!” she sneered back.

Pinkie Pie gritted her teeth and pushed her snout harder against Twilight’s. “If you’re so in love with him, why have you never made a move? Clearly-"

“I was waiting for the right time, but then you had to run to him first, you-"

“That’s a lie, Twilight, and we both know that. You just want him for your damn studies of what being in a relationship with a dragon would be like, then discard him, you floozy. I-”

“Floozy?! Excuse me, little miss 'I don’t have a single brain cell'. I’m sorry that you wouldn’t know what a serious friendship turned to something more is if it bit you in the ass. I’ll bet-”

“Well, who’s it going to be, Spike? Twilight or me? Who do you love more?!” Pinkie screamed. 

For once since they fought, Twilight agreed and turned her head to glare at Spike.

“Yes, Spike, which one of us do you love more? Tell us, Spike-”

“I need the answer now, Spike-”

“Spike-”

“Spike-“

“Spike-”

“Spike? Spike, SPIKE!” Twilight screamed into his right ear fin, making him jump back to reality and put his claws over his ear fins.

“I DON”T KNOW!” he roared.

The mares looked at him in confusion and a hint of fear. He cleared his throat.

“Um…what?” Pinkie asked softly.

Spike sighed and said it was nothing.

“Anyway, you’re lucky Princess Celestia didn't come to detain you. Shining Armor wanted to come, but I told him that I’d handle it. To be honest, Spike, if you were any other dragon, and we did not know each other as long as we did, I would've sent you to the Dragon Kingdom…but you’re not. You’re a very special dragon who I love and care for very much,” she said with the ghost of a smile on her face.

Spike smiled, too, before he took her left front hoof into his own left claw making her blush. She tried to hide it, apparently doing well in that since Pinkie did not see her expression. 

“That seriously means a lot to me, Twi. You’re like a sister to me. Thank you very much. It honestly means a lot that you care so much about me,” he whispered, his smile wide and honest.

He saw her frown and look away from him, taking her hoof back from him with a sigh. He blinked, confused at her action.

Pinkie blinked and leaned over to kiss Spike’s right cheek. Twilight’s eyes narrowed. Neither Spike nor Pinkie saw and pulled away. Twilight sighed loudly.

“Well…we better leave; visiting hours are over. If everything works out, I should be able to get you out of here by tomorrow night, the bail being seven hundred bits. But you have more than enough, even though it will come out of your money stash,” she said teasingly, even if she was a bit serious about it.

He nodded, then groaned before faceclawing himself. “Great, can’t wait to leave this hell hole,” he laughed.

Pinkie smiled and Twilight chuckled. With that, the two stood, Pinkie stopping to kiss him, which the guard ignored. Spike saw, out of the corner of his eye, that Twilight was frowning again, making him question just what the mare thought of him and Pinkie being together and why she looked so against it. 

After they pulled away from the kiss, Spike was hoofcuffed again and escorted back to his cell, where he saw his roommate, Raindrops, bouncing a small rubber ball from her hoof to the wall and back again. She turned and, upon seeing the cell door open, grinned, ignoring the ball as it bounced back on her cot.

“Hey, welcome back, Scales. I’m guessing everything went well with the ponies you were meeting?” she asked.

He grinned. “Yeah, something like that. So tell me, Raindrops, what brought you here? You know my story, so I want to hear yours. I’m sorry for ignoring you earlier; I was just under a lot of stress,” he said quietly.

The mare merely waved a hoof, forgiving him as if it never happened. “My story, huh? Hmmm…well, I came back home after getting rejected from joining the Wonderbolts three weeks ago. Some bitch named Lighting Dust really kept me from showing my skills, and I came home from a long day to my marefriend, Derpy Hooves, who was chilling with her friend, Carrot Top, or Golden Harvest as Ditzy says her real name is, but I don’t give a shit about that. Anyway, I got into a fight with Derpy about her having to work extra late one night and Carrot Top, being a damned saint, stepped in to defend Derpy. So I got into a physical fight with her and threw her out a window. She’s either in the hospital or in another cell now; I don’t care.

“Anyway, I’m glad Derpy still allowed me to stay with her. I really love her. But after I get out of here, it’s going to be pretty tense between us for a while, so...yeah, that’s my story. Been here two weeks because neither Derpy or I got the money for bail; it’s five hundred and sixty bits. We only got four hundred now. Don’t know why she would even want to stay with me, to be honest,” she said softly.

Spike felt bad for her, being best friends, or rather former friends, with Derpy's little sister, Dinky Doo. And he knew Derpy was very loyal, but he did not think she would be so loyal as to choose her marefriend over her best friend.

"Maybe all it takes is looking past a pony's faults to know how much you’ll do for them, just as Pinkie would do for me… or Twilight." Spike thought before telling Raindrops that she was lucky to have a marefriend such as Derpy, to which she agreed.

Spike sighed loudly and chuckled. “I really need a cigarette,” he muttered, causing Raindrops to laugh out loud with him.

“Gods, yes, oh, it’s been forever since I had a smoke. You know, Spike, once I get out of here, we should hang out more…I like you,” she whispered.

Spike nodded and promised that they would. With that, Raindrops turned her body, closed her eyes and did her best to fall asleep.

Spike put his claws behind his head, not sure how he was able to sleep with his racing thoughts. Exhaling through a deep breath, the last thought in his head was an agonizing question as he closed his eyes and did his best to sleep.

“Who do I truly love more: Pinkie Pie… or Twilight Sparkle? And do I really see Twi as only family...or am I lying to cover my real thoughts from her....and myself?"
> False love towards a unicorn; Sins of a reptile
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two cellmates spent all of the next morning tossing the small rubber ball that Raindrops was given for entertainment back and forth, speaking of their lives and what they were going to do after they were out.Spike was leaving sometime in the afternoon; Raindrops could do the same whenever her marefriend could afford it.

Spike laughed with a roll of his eyes from a joke Raindrops had said. She threw the ball hard at his stomach. He did not even wince from the contact.

“I’m just saying, you honestly think that a mare could beat a stallion in a race if they were both in the Royal Guard? With all the training and exercise they're given?” He smirked when she narrowed her eyes at that.

“Damn straight. Mares could do just as much, or even better, than a stallion. What do you even care for, Scales? You’re neither one,” she retorted.

He only shrugged. “Good point, though I’m not sure why a mare would want to even join the guard. All they do is guard over a tower that-”

“Changeling attack,” she whispered.

He opened his mouth to reply then shut it with a chuckle. He nodded. “Alright, alright, I see what you mean…damn. Why would you even need an army to protect you if you’re a Goddess, though?” the dragon asked.

Raindrops rubbed her chin, giving deep thought to his question. After much thinking, she scowled and burped loudly, giving a shrug in response. “I honestly have no idea. The Gods are weird, that’s for sure. Glad I don’t believe in them.” She snickered.

Spike rose an eyebrow in confusion. “You don’t believe in them, Rain?” he questioned.

She rolled her eyes, and grabbed the ball that Spike threw back at her. Laying on her back, she threw the ball at the wall, catching it in a hoof before repeating the action with a heavy sigh.

“Well, I've seen 'em before, but that doesn't mean I have to believe in them. When have the Gods ever truly done anything for us? I mean, Luna was imprisoned in the moon for one thousand years, Discord was in stone twice before he was finally released and Cadence just… appeared, I guess. Sure, Celestia has been here for the same time Luna was in the moon, but that’s because she had no other choice,” she replied with a grimace.

Spike scratched his left arm, thinking seriously of her words, and was about to reply when she continued.

“I mean, seriously, she's a Goddess. If Celestia wanted to she can drop the sun on all our asses and be fine, then she and the other Gods can move on to another planet and-”

“But they need mortals to worship and have faith in them, otherwise they'd fade. You can’t tell me that if Celestia just went bat shit crazy, she wouldn't think of a backup plan to make sure she and the other Gods didn't fade,” he argued back.

She looked over to him, her face deadpanned. She only said, “Maybe she already has one, Spike. Ever think of that?” 

He shook his head, making her chuckle. “Look, you can believe and worship them all you want, I don’t care. I was just never one to put my faith in immortal creatures that don’t help us with problems that we really need help with, even more so if we can just do it ourselves, right?” Raindrops questioned as he sighed and nodded.

“I guess, I just-”

“Let’s not talk anymore about religion; I already get enough of that from Derpy and her family, ok?” she pleaded.

He smiled and laughed under his breath.

With that, the two talked about things that they believed were important, such as the cigarettes they would both kill for at the moment, or the jobs they had. Spike told Raindrops of how he was fired from working at Sweet Apple Acres, making her laugh so hard, tears were in her eyes. He growled and shouted at her while she just rolled her eyes.

“You got to understand Spike, the Apple family are nothing but jackasses. Truth be told, I always hated Applejack. She seems like a know-it-all bitch, or one who thinks that just because they work outside for a living, they're better than everypony, like nopony else can get down or dirty. She just pisses me off, is all,” the mare said, and with this, the two then got into a fight about the matter at hoof—or claw, in Spike’s case.

After nearly half an hour, the two were panting for breath from their shouting match, which caused three guards to come, and instead of calming them or even separating them, they took bets on who would throw the first punch and were disappointed by the lack of blows. The two prisoners ended the verbal fight to catch their breaths.

“Let's, l…let's just agree to disagree, alright, Raindrops?” Spike asked.

She merely nodded, then after a few moments, she tossed the ball to Spike. They continued as if nothing had even happened.

When Raindrops was chained and dragged to ‘work,' the mare that had brought Spike to his interrogation room opened his cell and said that his bail was paid and he was free to go. He asked if she could tell Raindrops he said goodbye, but she merely rolled her eyes and dragged him out of his cell in chains… which was completely unnecessary in any creature's view.

She released him from his chains and threw him to the ground, causing Twilight, who had come for him, to shout at her. The mare simply grunted, and then turned around to walk away. Twilight whispered under her breath about what a bitch the guard was, and she helped Spike from the ground.

“Are you alright, Spike?” she asked, being very gentle to brush the dust off his scales.

This sent a shiver up his spine once he remembered the question he had thought about last night, but he discarded it with a shake of his head. “Uh, yeah... I’m fine, Twi, no need to worry. I’m a dragon, remember?” he laughed.

The mare smiled a soft, gentle and caring smile to him.

He blinked when he noticed something. Glancing around, he asked, to break the awkward silence that had arrived, “So um... where's Pinkie?” he questioned, saddened that his marefriend was not there to greet him.

“Oh, she had an extra shift today, so she won’t be able to see you until later tonight. She wanted to send you a cupcake, but I forgot to bring it. Sorry.” She chuckled nervously.

Spike rolled his eyes all in good humor, and he just waved it off.

“You got a cigarette?” he asked or rather… begged.

The unicorn shook her head, but her smile remained, before levitating one from her left ear in a purple aura. Spike laughed in relief and cradled the tobacco in his claws, which was honestly quite sad in itself.

After he lit it with his flames, he inhaled deep before exhaling out his nose. He let out a sigh of content. “Thank you, thank you so much! You have no idea how much I missed this,” he whispered, giving Twilight a kiss on her left cheek making her blush heavily.

He mentally smacked himself. "Why did I do that?!" he screamed at himself, coughing after taking another drag, making sure to pound his chest and blow the gray smoke out his mouth. Twilight cleared her throat, the blush still on her face.

“A… anyway, we should get to the library. Remember, you don’t work at Sugercube Corner until next week, or the week after next, or *sigh* let’s just go home,” she muttered, turning around and trotting to Golden Oaks Library. She flickered her tail, showing Spike her more… private parts on accident.

He coughed, forgetting that he inhaled his smoke while glancing at Twilight’s flank, not even meaning to. "I wish she would stop teasing me like—wait, WHAT?! No, I can’t be distracted by another mare’s soft, tone and gentle ass—no, STOP THAT, BRAIN!" Spike yelled at himself, physically slapping himself in the face with his tail before turning away from his best friend's rear.

"Why am I even having this conversion with myself. What, am I crazy? I've been with Pinkie for a… well, a month, and I know a lot about her such as… such as-" His mental argument with himself was hindered once Spike felt his eyes shifted from the dirt below to Twilight’s flank. Oddly, he was not disgusted by how he thought her body looked; he would even admit she was actually pretty hot.

He smacked himself with his tail again, hard. Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he exhaled the smoke out and tossing it to the ground. Twilight opened the door to their home, and Spike didn't even notice they had even arrived with his inner turmoil, and looking at his guardian’s ass, which he honestly did not mean to do.

Twilight opened the door and entered, she was greeted by Peewee, who for some reason was trying to open a bag of potato chips with his beak on the kitchen table, apparently not even noticing he had talons. He looked up, and seeing his owner and sister-like figure, chirped in greeting and went back to his task, though failing in the process. Spike laughed hard while Twilight facehoofed. However, Spike helped open the bag causing the young phoenix to cry out in happiness, tearing into the bag.

“Our family truly is crazy. I’m going to study,” Twilight muttered to herself. She walked to the bookshelves, grabbing a red binding copy of “A Practical Way to Learn the Art of Trust.” 

Spike looked at his caretaker and smiled before reaching for a chip. Peewee pecked at his claw with his beak, letting out an angry caw. 

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Oh you did NOT just go there, you little fireball,” he whispered.

Peewee let out another cry with a narrow of his own eyes. The chips were forgotten once the two then engaged in an epic battle for the salty snack…which Peewee won after hopping on Spike’s neck, covering his eyes with his wings and caused Spike to slam into a bookshelf. The bird went back to eating his treat while Spike rubbed his head.

“Damn, feathered brat,” the dragon said to himself. He glanced over at Twilight, who had walked to rest on her couch and read her book. 

Spike yawned and sat down on the chair near the table, and after a twenty second verbal argument with Peewee, managed to steal a few chips. Sighing loudly, he ignored the phoenix, who put a wing over his right shoulder and blinked in sympathy. The pheonix went back to eating.  Spike scowl but grinned and got up from his seat, walking over to Twilight, and joining her in the book she was reading.

He lay his stomach, as she was, and she moved over to make room on the red colored couch. They simply enjoyed the other's comfort and read the words on the page. Spike became bored, though, and wanted to drift to sleep when he felt Twilight rest her head on his right shoulder and sigh in content. He blinked but didn't move. Instead, he smiled and wrapped an arm around his friend, causing her to smile, as well.

The two, after an hour of reading, yawned. Spike was about to get up and stretch his tired limbs when he saw Twilight glance at him. She wore strange smile, making him confused. She tittered.

“What? Why're you staring at me like that, Twilight? Do I have something on my face? I must look like a mess, since I just-”

“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just … well, you turned out to be a very handsome dragon, Spike, one a mare would be very lucky to have. I’m glad Pinkie is with you. She’s a kind pony, and she’s very sweet, even though her randomness does get a bit on anyponies nerves, you know?” she asked.

He chortled, nodding in conferment. He pulled away his arm from her shoulders, making her frown.

“Yeah, she really is a bit crazy, but she’s fun, honest, and loyal and she’s very beautiful. I’m honestly surprised that she forgave me after what I had said to Rarity. Hay, I’m surprised you even forgive me, Twi. Thanks for that. You're always there when I need you for anything. I mean it,” he uttered with a smile.

She sighed and nodded. Spike got up and sat on the couch stretching his tired limbs as Twilight swallowed the spittle in her throat and smiled.

“Of course, Spike, I’m always here for you if you ever need anything,” she said softly, being bold in her next move. She rested a hoof on his right leg, causing Spike’s eyes to widen a bit. Her smile turned into what Spike knew was a sexual grin, which really worried him. “Anything at all, my number one assistant,” she whispered into his right ear fin.

A shiver running down his back, he laughed nervously. “Um, yeah, and thanks for that seriously. Well, I better get dinner started, but I think I’ll have a smoke first,” he replied calmly, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to ignore the feeling of Twilight’s hoof slowly stroking his lap. He gulped and chuckled nervously.

“Oh, I've got your carton right here.” Twilight laughed, levitating the carton of his cigarettes, which was originally on his dresser upstairs in front of him. 

Spike laughed nervously again, glad once Twilight removed her hoof. The dragon took one cigarette out and lit the tip with his small stream of fire, inhaling deeply before exhaling it out. Glancing awkwardly at Twilight, he saw she was staring at him intently with a small smile.

“Can I have a drag?” she asked innocently.

Spike coughed hard. He breathed in his next drag sharply from Twilight’s words. He looked at her as if she had lost her mind…again.

“Uh,” he uttered stupidly, looking at the tobacco in his left claw, as if it had caught on fire, then back to Twilight.

She smiled sheepishly. “I know it’s not something I would normally ever try, but I thought of doing something a bit…spontaneous tonight, you know?” she answered.

Spike could only raise an eyebrow. However, he nodded and gently placed the butt of it into her mouth, watching in awe as she bravely inhaled slowly, coughing violently as the harsh nicotine assaulted her virgin lungs. Spike caught the cigarette quickly as it dropped from her mouth and laughed. Twilight scowled slightly at him.

“Sorry, sorry. It just seems so…well, unlike you, Twilight. Not that there's anything wrong with that,” he apologized.

She laughed after finishing coughing and nodded, and Spike took another drag.

“I know, I know. I’ll admit, it tasted a lot different than what I would come to expect, but it was smooth. Don’t think I could do it for as long as you, though,” she commented, nudging his hip with a hoof.

He grinned and nodded. “Yeah, it takes a lot of practice, that’s for sure. And I hated it when Scootaloo let me have my first drag, but she and Rumble were doing it at the time, so I thought, ‘Oh what the hay?’” He laughed.

She giggled back before asking for another drag. He hesitated before doing as she asked. Spike watched her inhale a bit longer, coughing a bit more, but holding it in her lungs then exhaling out her mouth. His own mouth opened in surprise as the mare blew the gray smoke out and grinned.

“Look at you, smoking like a pro,” he said with a chuckle under his breath.

She scoffed, as he took the cigarette back and smoking it in deeply. She rolled her eyes as he breathed out the smoke.

“Hardly. I don’t think I would do such unless the sudden urge hit me again, Spike.” 

He smirked and put it out on the gray ashtray they had on the table for when Spike wanted to read himself. “Well, let me know if you do want one. Don’t go to strangers now, you hear?” He winked.

She giggled and shook the claw he had held out with a hoof. “Alright, Mr. Provider, I’ll be sure to come to you if I ever do want another one,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. Slowly, she hugged Spike.

He returned the hug. “You’re a very great friend, Spike; don’t ever let anypony tell you otherwise,” she breathed before kissing the right side of his cheek.

He laughed. “I promise. I'll never forget that, Twilight.” He grinned, trying to ignore the sensation that the kiss caused before looking into Twilight’s eyes with a smile. He cleared his throat.

Twilight looked into his eyes. Spike was completely caught off guard when she slowly moved her head forward and caught his mouth in a breathtaking kiss.

Spike’s eyes widen in horror as Twilight’s own were closed, and his body completely froze. He had no clue what had possessed Twilight to do such a thing, but he could not deny that he, in his shame and fear, enjoyed it.

Without realizing it, Spike instantly wrapped his arms around the mare and brought their bodies together. Twilight moaned, deepening the kiss. The dragon closed his eyes, not meaning to cause her to moan again as he kissed back.

His rough, scaled lips meeting her warm, soft lips as they pulled from where their lips had touched. Slowly panting from the lack of oxygen, Spike heard the back of his mind screaming at him. What he was doing was wrong, that he was cheating on Pinkie Pie and that he should stop right now before they went any farther in their movements.

Spike opened his mouth to tell Twilight that they needed to stop, but her eyes held lust for him that he only saw when she was in heat. Without warning, she kissed him again. Spike’s arms were still wrapped around her body, and he accepted the kiss, her tongue begging entrance into his mouth, which he stupidly allowed. Opening his mouth, he let her she immediately intertwine their tongues. She moaned louder, and Spike groaned when he felt Twilight trail her left hoof from his neck to his chest and slowly going lower.

Spike could not deny that what she was doing was rather sexy. Slowly pressing the two scales in between his legs, his dragonhood slowly slid from its hidden area and gently poked Twilight’s stomach, making her giggle. Spike brought their bodies to rest on the couch. Twilight was atop of him as she pulled away, flushed from all the action their mouths had gotten. A thin trail of their saliva flowed from the mare’s lips; it dripped down and rested on Spike’s neck.

Twilight's mind was comprehending that what they were doing was wrong, but she honestly could not help herself. She needed this, and for such a long time, at that. She wanted to be one with Spike, just for the night. Even though she knew that she was betraying a friend, and that her love for the dragon was no excuse, she could not stop herself; she had to have him…if only for tonight.

Spike, for his part, was doing everything in his power to halt things before they escalated, not wanting to cheat on Pinkie Pie more than he already have. He could not lie and say he didn't want sexual release for all the times Pinkie had denied him, but not with Twilight. He could NOT have it with her. It was wrong. They had to stop.

“Twi, seriously, we need to stop this. I can’t-"

His words were cut off as Twilight lost herself in lust and kissed him again then softly drifted to his neck, going slowly from his neck to his stomach before finally reaching his scaled penis. She stared at it with admiration, loving the way the purple medium sized cock sway from the attention. The six green ridges, three on each side, were flared up halfway. With a dark smile she kissed the pointed tip, making him groan and start to pant as she continued.

She slowly licked the tip, loving the taste of his musky, smoke scent she got as a reward. She licked it again, then the ridges on his left side made him groan and clench his claws as she went a step farther and licked the other side. Twilight softly took the length in her mouth, tilting her head up. She bobbed her head, hearing Spike swear to Celestia before doing all she could to take the entire thing in her mouth. She flicked her tail, her marehood becoming wet.

Going halfway, she gagged, his now sharp ridges brushing against her cheeks. She licked from the bottom to the top, making Spike’s tail swish in shock. Then, with a small smile, she bobbed her head up and down, sucking and teasing his cock as the poor dragon panted from all she was doing .The back of his mind was screaming that what she was doing was wrong. But with a grunt, he pushed the voice of reason back farther into his mind and enjoyed Twilight giving him his first blowjob.

Twilight was no professional, and Spike was still a virgin, so it was a disappointment to both of them when he ejaculated early, his white, thick roped sperm shooting down her throat causing Twilight to cough and gag forcing herself to come up from air, her muzzle stained with his cum as he apologized over and over again for giving her no warning while she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Twilight. I swear, I didn't mean for that to happen, I promise-”

“It’s ok, Spike. You didn't mean to do it; it was your first time. I understand. Just…warn a mare next time, will you?” She chuckled lowly, wiping her snout.

He only nodded, embarrassed that he had shot off so early. “Now…I think I deserve a little reward for my efforts, don’t you?” She winked.

He nodded, to which she grinned. She kissed him. He scowled at the taste of his own cum on her lip, but ignored it for now. Twilight shifted her body around so that her rear was facing his face. Moving her tail to the side, she gave Spike a perfect view of her purple slit. He swallowed the spittle in his throat as he looked at the dripping flower, his eyes trailing from her innocent slit to her tailhole. He wondered what it be like to lick it before his mind discarded the idea.

Disgusted at such a thought, he slowly reached one finger down her vagina. She moaned, pushing her ass closer, making his claw move back swiftly. He grinned and stroked her pussy again. He groaned then traced it slowly, causing her to let out an even longer cry.

“Spike, stop teasing me,” she said.

He yelped, and without meaning to, he touched the bulb on the bottom. She yelled and kicked him in the face with her right hoof.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Spike. I swear, I didn't mean to do that. Are you ok?” she asked frantically.

He growled and rubbed his injured face. “I’m fine, Twi. Always the face,” he grumbled. 

After assuring her he was okay, he rubbed the bulb again, making her gasp. With a smirk, and wanting to get back at her, he rubbed her clitoris then slowly inserted a finger into her vagina. Ignoring Twilight’s scream to Celestia, he went faster, loving the feeling of her warm, moist hole that clenched his finger in a tight grip . He, without meaning to, licked from the bottom to the top, just narrowly missing her right hoof that kicked out for his face. Spike laughed.

He moved his left claw from her clit to her tits under her stomach, pinching and softly teasing the dark purple nipples on the two mounds. She giggled and almost kicked Spike again before slapping him in the face with her tail which made Spike roll his eyes. The dragon just smirked and went up to swiftly rubbing her clitoris, as she yelled loudly in pleasure.

He added another finger, two on his left claw playing with her clit and two on his right going deeper into her rapidly soaked hole, pushing in deeper than pulling out quickly before repeating. Spike heard the mare panting loudly, moaning for Spike to not stop. Spike grinned then groaned, feeling Twilight’s thick, pink tongue wrap around his harden cock as she face bucked him causing the drake to groan feeling the pink muscle slide from the left to the right side and back again, taking the organ deeper into her mouth.

Spike’s right claw was soaked, but he pressed on, finally feeling Twilight’s back arched. She released her natural lubrication all over his face, which he lapped up eagerly. She blushed once he removed his fingers. With a final lick, she slowly took his dick out of her mouth and turned her body around slowly so that she was facing him. The two were panting from all the attention.

“You...you’re good at this.” She laughed as they kissed.

The dragon flashed a smirk at her. “I try, beautiful, I try,” he replied, deepening the kiss again. 

The two stared into each other’s eyes, emerald to violent. Without a word, they got a rude awaking with Spike’s scaled penis tapping Twilight’s vagina softly. They blinked.

Spike frowned. He really had not meant for this to go so far. He did not even want to kiss her, but he knew they could not stop. They had come so far, and it would be very sexually unfulfilling if he bailed out on her now.

“Are…are you ready?” he whispered, smooching her right ear.

She gulped, nervous, but with a fire in her eyes and loins. She nodded. “Bond with me, my Crystal Savior. But please, be gentle,” Twilight Sparkle answered.

He smiled. Then with one last kiss, Spike took her rear in his claws and gently aligned his cock with her soaked marehood. With another peck to her cheek, he softly pushed his harden cock into her folds. The two moaned as Spike pushed deeper into her, stopping without a second thought. Then Twilight cried out in pain.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

She nodded and with a shiver answered firmly, “Y…yes. I've been told the first time hurts, just…please, get it over with…don’t, don’t stop now.” She pressed her lips onto his.

He grimaced then complied. With no other choice, he pushed deep into her, breaking her hymen. She screamed loudly being silenced by Spike’s lips as he whispered apologizes and sweet nothings into her left ear.

The mare, after a few minutes, nodded for him to continue. The reptile bottomed out, the head being the only thing inside her before thrusting hard. Both groaned as they felt a bolt of pleasure course through their bodies. Twilight wrapped her forehooves around his neck as he sped up his pace, outcries emitting from Twilight while they kissed. Spike nibbled Twilight’s left ear gently, his back legs firmly on the couch. The forgotten book bounced softly to the floor, but the two ignored the thump as Spike thrust deeper into Twilight’s vagina.

The warmth of her sex was wrapped snuggly around his cock. He felt her heartbeat and vaginal muscles clench him with every thrust as the two embraced their sexual bond. Twilight felt every moment of Spike’s cock within her, every twitch, every vain, and every time his head touched her pelvis and her body could not get enough as she moaned louder into his right ear fin.

Grunting, he shifted his position to get more comfortable, then continued to slam harder and faster into her, her cum dripping from her thighs down her legs and onto the couch. Spike ‘s claws dig harder into her ass, his tail curling to rub her tits, heightening their lovemaking. 

Spike was panting, knowing that neither would last for very long. He saw a long strand of blood trail down her right leg and opened his mouth in protest; as he thought he was hurting her. However, she kissed him again, forcing his mouth open with her tongue. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sweet aroma on his tongue.

"You’re cheating on Pinkie Pie. You're betraying her. You have to stop, you have to stop, you have to STOP!" his mind screamed to him too late. 

He felt his release coming forth, Twilight’s own orgasm coming swiftly to her. She tried to get him to stop, accidentally lighting her horn in a purple aura on instinct.

“Spike, wait, wait, WAIT!!!” she screamed before both of them released all they had. 

Twilight’s vagina gripping his cock hard, so hard it hurt him. He roared into the air, releasing a large stream of green fire from his maw. Twilight’s magically fired a random spell on accident during her orgasm. It sent a puple bolt of electricity that traveled down to her loins and enhanced Spike’s sperm as he filled her womb up to its capacity, causing it to over flow. 

The thick, white stream dripped out her vagina,  but the two barely noticed as they came out of their high. Spike held Twilight’s body with his right arm as she panted hard, and forgetting she had accidentally released a spell from her horn, cut off the flow of magic.

“That… that was amazing,” she whispered wearily, then kissed his lips, falling asleep a second later in his arms.

Spike chuckled, but then he frowned. With a sense of dread, he gently pushed Twilight off his body, careful not to wake her as he sat up. His body on the edge of the couch, he rubbed his temples with his claws, his mind racing with the one thought above all others.

“W… what have I done? I betrayed Pinkie Pie.”
> Heart break of an Earth Pony; Talking to an old friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike sighed loudly as he lit another cigarette, his fourth for the night in under two hours. He rubbed his forehead with a claw and inhaled the tobacco, angry and very much disappointed with himself for what he had done, and how far he allowed it to become.

He wanted a drink, some alcohol in his system to numb his thought process. However, he forgot just where Twilight had hidden the wine. He looked over to her slumbering form, knowing she was still asleep after the exhausting but extremely magical night the two had, no doubt in bliss from Spike sharing his ‘love’ for her.

He wanted to be disgusted with himself, but he couldn't lie that he had enjoyed what they had done. Taking a longer puff of his nicotine, he exhaled it out his nose, flustered that he had enjoyed having sex with the one who raised him. Many said they were family, but he never believed that, and it was obvious by now that she did not as well.

He had no clue how he was supposed to break the news to Pinkie Pie. She was always so joyful, so carefree, so cheerful, to many assuming ponies, and without a thought in her head. He, though, had seen darker moments when he was around her. He knew the truth that she was wise, but doubted herself, that she was beautiful, but denied it and called herself ugly, that she was carefree, but kept up such a facade to entertain those around her.

She had told him of moments where she became so depressed, that she had once planned on killing herself, which honestly shocked Spike. Sometimes, she just wanted to get drunk in her room after an all-out party, but knew that she had to maintain her image of the innocent and random pink pony. Pinkie was not who many creatures would think she was, and it sadden him that she had never told anypony but him her darkest secrets. She gave him her heart, as far as he knew…and he broke it in half with his bare claws.

"What the BUCK is wrong with me? Why can’t I just be happy with Pinkie? Why did I have to go so far as to cheat on her to realize why I loved her so much—why I love her still?" he growled to himself, inhaling another smoke. With a grunt, he knew he could not hold this off. He had to tell her…for the sake of their love together.

With a heavy sigh, Spike took one last breath of the half used cigarette and put it out on the gray ashtray. Getting up from his chair, he frowned as he saw Owlowiscious. The owl hooted in fear and flapped away from him to get back to work, resting on the counter and eating a mouse for his break. Spike knew what he did to the owl was completely unfair.

When he had gone to see what Spike and Twilight were doing this night, Spike, in an abrupt, angered mood, had blown a small stream of fire the bird's way. In his angered mood, he treated the poor avian with disrespect. Owlowiscious didn't deserve such cruel treatment. With a small smile, Spike hoped to make up for it later, promising to get the owl his food when the owl wasn't able to—not that it would help.

He quickly grabbed another cigarette and, knowing he would need it later, put it behind his left ear fin. Spike walked out of the library, making sure to be quite when closing the door so not to awake Twilight. The dragon knew from her, though, that Pinkie was still working the grave shift, which made the task so much harder.

The wind was cold, harsh, though Spike felt he deserved it. He wished he had gotten the brown jacket that Rarity had made for him a year ago on his birthday, and belittled himself for not remembering it. But compared to the heart break he was about to give Pinkie Pie, his punishment was very fair, knowing that even the Gods were against him this night.

Walking slowly, his mind blank as to what to say to his mate, Spike sighed. He neared Sugarcube Corner, feeling his heartbeat rapidly increase upon opening the entrance to the bakery. He saw Pinkie Pie, wiping the counters with a white dishrag, humming to herself happily. Her cheerful mood, despite working a shift she despised, crushed Spike’s soul.

The pink furred mare looked up, not expecting to see a customer this later at night. She was surprised, but overjoyed to see Spike enter. She smiled and waved a hoof at him. Noticing he waved back weakly, she felt confused. What could be troubling him, and why did he looked so depressed?

“Spike-y, I’m so glad you came, baby! I've been wanting to see you, but I had to work an extra shift 'cause I’m trying to save up enough bits to help my Granny Pie get a new kidney. I'm super sorry I wasn't there when you got out. I only had a ten minute break, and the prison is sssssooooo far from Sugarcube Corner. Can you forgive me?” she pouted, discarding the rag and bouncing towards him. She wrapped her forehooves around him, giving him a breathtaking kiss. Pinkie scrunched her nose from the smell of tobacco on his lips, but her smile was wide as she pulled back to breathe.

Spike, seeing the mare of his heart asking for forgiveness for something she couldn't control, caused him to freeze in his tracks. He accepted the kiss halfheartedly. The dragon allowed his heart to beat so loud, it was all he could hear, therefore only understanding half of her words. 

He frowned. The pink maned pony felt that Spike had something serious weighing on him and wanted to know just what it was that was eating at her mate.

“Spike, are you okay, Hun? What’s wrong?” she asked, hugging his body tightly before kissing him.

His body went stiff and the words on his tongue to turn to ash. He swallowed and cleared his throat. Pushing the pony away from him, he looked deep into her loving, nonjudgmental blue eyes.

Spike inhaled sharply, exhaling with all the air his lungs could allow. He gently took Pinkie’s hooves in his claws and wanted so bad to kiss her. But he knew he couldn't, not after the sin he had dared to commit. It would have been a sick, cruel joke if he did, and he would kill himself before he allowed anypony else to tell her what he had done before he himself had a chance to. He need to tell her; it could wait no longer.

“P…Pinkie, we need to talk,” he said quietly.

She blinked, worry in her eyes, not understanding why he was so serious. Knowing that what he had to say would no doubt change both of their lives, based from the tone he had said it. Was he breaking up with her? Had she done something that he was displeased of and no longer wanted to be her friend? Had he committed some type of crime again that would lock him away from her forever? She had to know, and she hated to be kept waiting.

“What it is, Spike?” she asked.

He closed his eyes, not having the heart to look her in the eyes while saying the words he knew would end their relationship.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, I…I have to tell you,” he hesitated, having no idea how he could possible say what he had to say next.

Pinkie’s eyes widen; he only spoke her full name when he was serious. She awaited with bated breath as he continued, with a chained heart, “I…I cheated on you,” he whispered, and all of time around them seemed to stop.

Pinkie blinked, her cheer, her love and her trust shattering right before Spike’s eyes. She frowned, then dropped to all four hooves. The pony took two steps back, no words able to form. This was no prank, and she knew that; she knew what pranks were, being the Party Mare. She sat on her rear, her mane and tail slowly losing its poofy curls that made the pony who she was.

“Why?” she whispered to him.

Spike opend his eyes and looked to the ground, hearing the mare repeat herself. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest by Nightmare Moon, a shiver running down his spine before he could answer her.

“I…it was a mistake, Pinks, I swear. I…I honestly never meant for it to happen. What Twi-”

“You cheated on me with Twilight?” Her words were icy cold, sending another shiver down his spine.

He exhaled through his nose, and looking into her eyes, nodded. “Pinkie, what Twilight and I didn't mean a thing, I swear. It just happened so fast, next thing I knew, we-”

“You...bucked her?” she whispered, her voice changing from cold and cruel to a bit of anger. He heard it in her tone, knowing that she was serious.

He curled his claws and nodded, watching as her mane and tail become completely straight. He now felt even more depressed. “Yeah….we bucked, but I mean it, Pinkie Pie, it doesn't mean anything-”

“Do you love her?” 

Her words sliced his own from his throat like a knife. His eye widened that she would think he would do such betrayal if he loved Twilight.

“No, no Pinkie, I don’t. It…it was just a one-time thing. We never even meant for it to go so far, I-”

“You promise…as if the shit filled words coming from your mouth would make any difference to me, reptile,” she hissed, her voice filled with venom he had never seen in her. She narrowed her eyes as her nostrils flared.

Looking him in the eyes, she gave him no chance to look away. His next words were dying on his tongue before he could so much as blink, seeing she was getting angry—an anger he had not seen for such a long time, since her sisters had disowned her two years ago.

“Pinks, please, just listen. What I did is no excuse from how much I regret-”

“Get out of my shop,” she uttered monotonously, her gaze going from his face to the ground. Her front hooves shook with barely contained rage.

Spike dug the tip of his claws deeper into his palms, only he felt no pain. He sighed loudly, a sigh filled with shame, guilt and heartbreak. The drake gritted his fangs, feeling his anger begin to rise within him, but he couldn't control it.

“If you can just let me explain the situation, Pinkie, we can-”

“GET THE BUCK OUT OF MY BAKERY, YOU...YOU BASTARD!” she screamed.

He jumped two inches into the air. Spike never heard Pinkie Pie utter such a word before, even in her darkest moments. Now she was screaming in his face, eyes filled with such fury. His eyes widened in shock, not knowing what he was to do next. 

The mare stood from the floor, slowly turning away from him. Spike took the two steps towards her. He put his claw on her right shoulder, trying to get her to understand and rid himself of the sin he had done to her.

“Pinkie Pie-” 

His words were interrupted harshly as he felt a firm, hard crusted left hoof slam into his right cheek. All of Pinkie’s hate and anger, as well as betrayal, was put into the blow, forcing Spike’s body to stumble back, holding the bruised injury. His mouth opened in shock that the mare would have ever resorted to violence.

Pinkie’s face was streaked with tears. It hurt Spike more than any physical attack ever could; seeing the mare so sad made Spike want to drown himself into a river.

She turned her head away from him, the burning liquid dripping onto the floor as sobs raked her body. Spike took a step towards her to comfort her, but she held up a hoof to stop him.

“You’re fired…don’t you dare come near me or Sugarcube Corner right now. I—just... get the buck out of my face. We’re over,” she whispered, her voice emotionless.

Spike’s mouth was open in shock, but he shut it again. He felt tears on the edge of his own eyes. “Pinkie, I promise-”

“I don’t want anything to do with you right now…you're dead to me,” she hissed. She slowly trotted away from him, walking up the stairs with her tail dragging behind her.

Spike wanted to tell her to come back, to tell her he was sorry. However, he knew she would think his honest words were hollow, fake…just like she believed of him entirely. 

Rubbing his bruised cheek, Spike closed his eyes, and with a tragic sigh, he walked out of the bakery and slowly processing what happened. He had lost his second job, in which he was having up the bits to take her to a very expensive restaurant, and was even considering a golden engagement hoof ‘ring.' Not only that, but he also lost the mare he thought held his heart. He bucked up, in an unforgiving way, and no doubt even the Gods of Equestria were against him now.

Spike walked, his legs on auto pilot as he walked to wherever they carried him. Tears ran down his face. He knew that what Pinkie Pie said to him was serious. She was done with him. He didn't even bother to wipe the tears from his face. Then he heard a noise to the right of him. 

Glancing that way, he saw a light gray furred unicorn with a light yellow mane and tail, golden eyes, and a Cutie Mark of three small crosses. She was dragging two trash bags out behind her, encasing the bags in a golden glow. Spike felt as though the mare was familiar.

She walked out of the building. Spike looked up to see he was at Ponyville hospital. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the unicorn throw the black bags filled with trash away into the dumpster.

“Dinky…hey, Dinky Doo?” he called out.

The mare turned, blinking when she saw Spike. 

And Spike saw it truly was his old best friend. Dinky frowned, unsure what her old friend was doing near the hospital, not seeing any injuries on his body and no sign of anypony else near him. Her eyes narrowed, and she took three steps to see him better in the moonlight.

“Spike, what are you doing here?” Her voice was harsh, devoid of the usual warmth it had years ago when they were children.

“I...I’m out for a walk,” he answered sadly. Looking towards the ground, his claws curled as he sighed loudly.

Dinky stared at him, her features softening. She knew something was really tearing him apart due to his low tone.

“W…would you like to come inside? I get off in twenty minutes,” she replied.

He only shook his head, grabbing the much needed cigarette from his left ear fin and lighting the tip. He took a deep breath before blowing out the gray cloud of smoke.

“I’m good. I won’t stay for long anyway…smoke?” he offered.

She grimaced and shook her head. He shrugged and sighed again, taking another drag and exhaling out his mouth. The silence between them was becoming awkward.

She shuffled her hooves, looking away from him. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” 

He paused, not sure if he wanted to tell anypony what just happened between him and his…former mate.

But Spike knew Dinky; she was as loyal as Rainbow Dash and as honest as Applejack. Spike bet that if the two mares did not have those elements, then they would have no doubt been given to Dinky—both of them.

He chuckled from the thought, taking another drag. With a heavy breath, he walked closer to her, sitting down on the grass. Dinky had no other choice but to join him. The unicorn looked back at the hospital, sighed and sat beside him.

Spike wiped his tears away from his face before confessing everything to her. He gave her every detail, from getting arrested, to sleeping with Twilight to talking with Pinkie Pie. He did not see her expression, his eyes on the grass in front of him. A long silence between the two of them once Spike finished with his story.

Dinky frowned and blinked down. She wanted to choose her words carefully before speaking, as her sister, Derpy Hooves, taught her. 

“Spike, why did you bother to even give in to such a dark urge, if you knew it would ruin your relationship with Pinkie Pie?” she asked softly, no tone of disgust or judgment in her voice.

He sighed, breathing in another drag of his cigarette before replying.

“It…I lost focus of the mare I loved—and still do. I ignored the consequences of what would happen when going from a kiss. I allowed myself to give in to a sexual act with my best friend. I broke my mate’s heart just to fill my own sexual needs with another mare,” he whispered. He had no excuses or lies.

Dinky give him a grim smile, knowing that he would never lie to her. If there was one creature he knew he could always go to for emotional needs, it was Dinky Doo.

“Right, this is your fault Spike, these are your problems. Nopony else is to blame but you, and you need to take account for what you had done. Can’t blame Twilight for giving in to her heart anymore then you could for Pinkie Pie breaking up with you, now, can you?” she said to him with calmness. She was blunt, but it was what he really needed to hear.

He knew she would never hold her tongue for anypony, in which he was glad for her honesty. “You’re right, Dinks…it is my fault. I gave into my urges and couldn't control myself. And I'm punished for what I did. I don’t deserve Pinkie,” Spike growled to himself, putting his claws over his temples and closing his eyes tightly.

Dinky scowled before she looked away, knowing this was no easy talk that would just go away with some halfhearted words.

Spike took one last puff of his cigarette, inhaling it to the end of its point. He watched the cloud drift from his mouth to the star filled sky and disappear, tossing the remains away from him,. He sighed, ignoring Dinky’s angered glare.

“Will she ever forgive me?” he questioned.

The mare's face fell. She softly shook her head with a wave of her hoof. “That’s honestly up to Pinkie Pie. As for Twilight, it seems as though she really loves you. But you can’t just mindlessly buck her and-”

“I didn’t. It was a one night stand; at least, that's how I see it. I…we didn't just have mindless sex. We were making love,” Spike told her.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she sucked in a breath. “Then Twilight loves you. Pinkie…right now, not so much. You can’t just wait this out, Spike. Eventually, they'll both die, and you’ll never get the chance to tell them you're sorry. You're a dragon. You have time that we will never have; don’t wait or else it’s too late,” she replied.

He looked at his claws, opening and closing them slowly before swishing his tail, thinking carefully of her sagely words. “I won’t...I promise,” he said gently.

She gave him a smile and stood up. Stretching her tired limbs and flickering her tail, she took a few steps away from the drake. Spike had not moved from his spot.

“What happened to us, Dinks?” he asked slowly, as if he expected  her to walk away from him if he got up.

Dinky paused before she answered, “You got into a fight with Rumble, my stallionfriend, and stormed out of the clubhouse right before Pipsqueak got his Cutie Mark, three years ago. You know, you put Rumble into the hospital with all you did to him. All you got was a broken left arm, but he…he was a mess Spike,” said Dinky flatly. She tried to keep the anger out of her voice.

Spike looked up and into her eyes, remembering the events that had taken place. He closed his eyes and burrowing his head into his chest.

“I never meant to hurt him. I just didn't like his comment about my species,” he defended himself.

The unicorn glared at him before he held up his claws. “But he forgave me…eventually. I never meant to hurt you either, Dinks. You’re my best friend,” he added.

Her smile returned, and swishing her tail in front of his face, she chuckled.

“And you're mine, Scales. Just don’t try to get into a fight with my mate anymore, alright?” She smirked.

He nodded with a small smile. “I want us to be friends again, Dinky. Though the rest of the CMC still hate me,” Spike said quietly. 

She let out a loud sigh. “Then let them. You’re a tough reptile for your age, Spike. You’ll bounce back. Though I'd be lying if I said that I did not miss my best bud.” She laughed.

He laughed back, for the first time since the break up. Then, however, her face became serious.

“I’m always here for you if you need me, Spike, you know that. But with this whole Twilight and Pinkie thing: don’t use your mouth, don’t use your brain. Use your heart; that’s what my mom taught me. Does the heart lie? Well...sometimes, but I think every creature could use a lie or two every once in a while. And with you, it'll be the only thing you have when things get tough,” she said. 

This made him nod, putting a claw to his right cheek . He felt her trot away from him.

“We’ll hang out more, dragon boy, swear it. But now, I gotta go tell my supervisor that I’m late from taking out the trash. Remember, Spike: follow your heart,” she repeated with a smirk. She walked away, leaving the reptile to his thoughts.

He was surrounded by shadows that held dark, dangerous shapes to the dragon. But he ignored them, looking into the stars above for the answer to his question, his heart torn in two.

“Luna, how am I supposed to figure this out and make things right?” he questioned slowly.

He felt a faint breeze behind him. He turned his head to see the mare herself, a grave expression on her face. She sighed.

“There are some questions that cannot be answered, Spike…not even by the Gods. Your friend is right. Go after your heart. For in this quest, it is the only weapon that can decide your true future, but know that I, as well as my sister, will be watching over you. We have not forsaken you, mortal. But this is one journey you must walk alone. I am sorry,” she answered to him, bowing her head. With her mane, eyes and tail glowing, she vanished from his sight into the night sky.

Spike scowled, not feeling as though she helped as much as he wished she would have. He got up from the ground, getting rid of the tiredness from his limbs and tail. He kicked a rock near him, watching it skid into darkness before he sighed and walked slowly from the hospital. He knew that, even through everything, he still was alone in this ‘journey,' as Luna had said, traveling a road that apparently no creature could walk with him, not even the Gods.
> Rainbow Dash Vs. Spike; Confessions to a fashionista
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike awoke groggily, his eyes trailing to his tear and drool-stained pillow. It had taken him two hours to fall asleep last night, due to his break up with Pinkie Pie.

Feeling his now dried tears on his face, he smacked his lips and yawned. Looking at the clock,he saw it was nearly one o’ clock. He groaned, for he no longer had a job at Sugarcube Corner. He would be lying if he said he didn't regret what he did with Twilight, even if it meant hurting Pinkie Pie emotionally.

With a growl, he sat up, rubbing his face, intent on taking a shower to see what his agenda was for the day. Then a loud, rough knock on the front door snapped him out of his thought.

He heard Twilight trot towards the door and open it. She yelped in surprise when Rainbow Dash stomped in, her face red with rage. 

The Pegasus looked over to Twilight and quickly asked, “Where is he?”

Twilight blinked, having no clue what she was talking about for a second. It clicked in her mind just an instant later, however, that Rainbow Dash was looking for Spike. “Rainbow, just hold on for a moment. No doubt you already heard-”

“I didn't ask for what the BUCK happened, Twilight! Pinkie told me everything. Now tell me, where is he?!” she shouted.

Twilight jumped at Rainbow's rising voice. Her eyes quickly shifted to the right of her, betraying Spike’s location on accident. Rainbow stepped farther into the room, but was intercepted by the unicorn.

“Rainbow, wait! Surely, we-”

“Just get out of the way, Twilight!” she screamed. Rainbow shoved Twilight’s shoulder hard to move her aside.

She trotted up the stairs and saw Spike just getting out of his bed. His eyes widened in fear of what Rainbow Dash would no doubt do to him.

“So you like cheating on loyal, honest mares, you bucking, bastard REPTILE?!” she yelled. Moving closer to him, she shoved a hoof hard into his jaw.

The dragon stumbled back in pain, clenching his jaw before she continued her assault.

“You think it’s funny just to senselessly buck another mare when you’re in a committed relationship, Spike?!” she screamed, swinging her left hoof hard into his stomach.

He groaned, but it was sharply cut off from a headbutt in the snout from the mare. Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed his arms in her wings, flipping him towards her backside. Rearing her back hooves, she slammed them into his chest with all her strength. Upon his release, he flew through the air and crashed hard onto the kitchen table, snapping it in half with his weight. Spike growled.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and flew into the air. Turning abruptly, she rushed at Spike when a curled claw slammed into her cheek, forcing her to tumble into the air. Her body slammed  into the kitchen cabinets, her right wing flaring with pain. The Pegasus dropped to the ground. Spike swiftly stood and rushed over to her. Grabbing her head, he rammed it hard into the bottom cabinets three times, allowing a gash of blood to flow from her head. A firm hoof was punched into his left eye making him scream in pain. He held onto his injury before Rainbow Dash, with adrenaline coursing through her veins, rose onto her hooves.

Peewee tried to help his owner, flapping in front of her face, almost setting her mane on fire. Rainbow slapped his body with a wing into the fridge hard. He cawed in pain before slipping into unconsciousness.

With a roar of anger, Dash pounced onto Spike and punched him repeatedly in the face with her hooves, ignoring the blood that splattered onto her fur. Spike retailed by slamming a claw into her nose, breaking it with a snap. She ignored it and lifted both front hooves to smash into Spike’s face with all her might.

Without a second thought, Spike grabbed her outstretched wings with both claws and wrap them around her. Heaving, he threw her over his head, making Rainbow Dash’s body ram hard into the wall near the basement. She quickly unfurled her wings in pain and screamed, panting. She knew that the damned dragon had broken them. 

Spike stood slowly, holding his left arm, thinking she may have broken it. His face was bruised and bloodied, his chest had a large bruise on it, and his left eye was swollen.

He gritted his fangs, growling and daring the injured mare to make another move. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and charged at him, half of her mane soaked with blood. He dodged at the last second, grabbing her waist and lifting her into the air. He tossed her body to smash hard on the living room table, breaking it with her weight.

She groaned, rolling over to her side. The pony panted, standing up carefully and spitting out a glob of blood. Her wings were no doubt broken, as was her nose. Not to mention that she was bleeding from the blow Spike had delivered to her, but Rainbow Dash would be damned if she wouldn't defend her best friend from that traitor snake.

Her fur was painted red; either her own or Spike’s, it did not matter to her. Spike grasped his arm as pain coursed through it, proving only more that it was broken. His left eye swollen and his chest bruised from her assaults, his own scales were stained with blood, as well.

“You done yet, Rainbow Crash, or you wanna try for round two?!” Spike screamed.

She snapped, hearing her old nickname that taunted her since Flight School, and with a scream, she ran towards the reptile. Rainbow jumped into the air, about to punch him in the face, before Spike wrapped his tail around her neck, suspending her into the air. He spat in her face and lifted her up, slammed her body down with all his strength, and she felt a rib snap.

Weakly spitting out blood, and feeling a tooth fall out of her mouth, the Pegasus still stood in her weaken state. Spike growled, intent on still fighting, until Twilight separated them forcibly. Her eyes narrowed in rage at how she had even allowed any of this to happen.

“That is ENOUGH!” she screamed, her eyes ablaze with anger.

They were both held into the air with the unicorn’s magic, trying to catch their breath. Their adrenaline eventually faded from their body, especially once they felt the pain they had dealt towards the other in their fury.

Twilight looked at the destruction they had brought into her house, then to the injured phoenix on the ground. She turned her head to look at both of them, one at a time, then caused their bodies to fly and their heads to collide. They groaned in pain.

“I know you wanted to have a chat with him, Rainbow Dash, but to come into my house and beat the shit out of him? Are you SERIOUS?!” she screamed and dropped their bodies.

They stood slowly, wincing from the blood that dripped down. One looked at the other, both with a narrowing of their eyes, before Twilight forced their bodies apart again with her magic. Twilight let out a scream of outrage, forcing Rainbow Dash to hit her back hard close the fireplace and Spike to slam into the wall.

With a slow exhale of air, the unicorn brought them together once again and dropped them onto the ground with a thud. “Explain yourself, NOW!” Twilight ordered to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow felt a bolt of pain travel up her right front hoof. She glared at Spike. “He cheated on Pinkie Pie, with YOU, actually. You honestly think I was going to let that slide in the slightest? Not a chance in Tartarus!” she answered, trying to catch her breath, blinking and shaking the blood that slid into her eyes. 

Spike growled. She had attacked him without mercy, and in his own home, no less. He scoffed, holding his chest, hoping he did not break any bones before replying, “If you just would have stopped for a single second before attacking me, I could had told you that what Twilight and I did was a mistake. It meant nothing to me, and you had no right to beat the-”

“Wait, what?” Twilight whispered, looking at Spike with a frown of hurt.

Spike ignored her and shoved his snout into Rainbow’s own. She narrowed her eyes, and through gritted teeth, said, “You know WHAT?! If Twilight didn't stop me, I would have ripped your bucking head-”

“I'd like to see you try, you rainbow haired bitch. I’m a bucking dragon-”

“And I’m supposed to be scared of you?” she scoffed, trying to flap her wings, but pain jolted to her brain. Hissing, she shifted her stance. “Please, you’re nothing compared to your selfish, greedy species. Why-”

“Say one more word about my species, and I’ll rip your bucking head OFF!” Spike roared, spewing green flames that nearly burned her mane.

Rainbow backed away quickly, but she chuckled darkly. “Oh, is little baby brat getting angry with hearing about his monstrous, shitty-”

“ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted, forcing them to look at her with wide eyes. Her eyes were narrowed. “You have NO RIGHT entering and ruining my home, or attacking my mate-” she started coldly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea we were even together, Twilight. Otherwise, I would've gotten you a damned gift. We slept together once, and it didn't mean any-”

“You two want to have your little spat, then fine by me. Kill each other, for all I care, but you crushed Pinkie Pie’s heart, Spike. You know she almost got fired from her job because of you? You’re an AWFUL dragon, and even more, you’re a terrible friend. And you,” Rainbow shouted, pointing a hoof at Twilight, whose eyes widened in surprise, “I can’t believe this SHIT, Twilight. You sleeping with Spike? Of ALL creatures, you knew he was with Pinkie Pie, and yet you turned your back on her for your own sexual pleasure. I swear to the Gods, if I wasn't so beat up already, I'd kick your ass, as well.”

Spike stepped in front of Twilight, his eyes narrowed in anger that she would threaten the mare. He hissed,  “Try something, I dare you!”

Rainbow Dash snorted, chuckling humorlessly. Her look shifted from Spike to Twilight. “You're supposed to be our leader for the Elements of Harmony, a friend we could always put our trust in for anything. Yet you betray one of your best friends for this asshole right here?!” she shouted, gesturing at Spike with an angry swish of her tail.

“Some friend you are, Twilight. I came here to help Pinkie Pie out, my best friend for years, and she had her heart broken by a heartless, spineless reptile,” she growled, boring her eyes into Twilight's own. Then she looked back at Spike.

The dragon bared his fangs, and Rainbow's attention was quickly back on the mare. 

“Everypony was HAPPY before this shit, Twilight. Everything was right in the world for once, and then you chose to bring out your 'oh so called' love for the dragon now? NOW, of all times, you couldn't keep your greedy hooves to yourself? You had to have another mare’s dragonfriend? Buck this, I’m done...I’m DONE, you hear me?!” she shouted, tears brimming on the edge of her eyes. She turned and slowly trotted with a limp towards the entrance.

“I don’t need this shit. I had enough of this. And Spike, if I ever see you near Pinkie Pie again, I’ll kill you, and I’ll bring Applejack with me. BUCK YOU BOTH! I HOPE YOU ENJOY TARTARUS TOGETHER, YOU FILTY BASTARDS!” she yelled before slamming the door closed with all her strength.

The house was silent as Twilight looked at the dragon that was holding his eye, a frown of hurt and pain on her features. She looked away from him with a sigh.

“Did you honestly think what happened between us was nothing, Spike? That I just slept with you out of jealously and hormones?” she whispered.

Spike grunted, wincing at his injury. Gazing at her, he said, “What happened between us WAS a mistake, Twi. I never meant to do what I did, and I regret it every second. I don’t LOVE you Twilight; I love Pinkie Pie…my heart belongs to her. When will you get that through your thick skull?” 

She snorted. Her eyes narrowed. “But I LOVE you. I never gave anypony or creature my virginity. I honestly thought what we had was special, and now I find-”

“It was special, Twilight, and what happened last night was magical, but I never meant to give my own virginity to you. Damn it, Twi, I told you that you were like my sister, and-”

“Don’t give me any of that crap, Spike. If I was such family to you, than you wouldn't have slept with me. I gave my heart to you, and you tore it apart in front of me. I can’t believe you,” she snapped, tears on the corner of her eyes.

Spike curled his claws and turned away. “What do you want me to do? Lie to you by telling you what you want to hear? Telling you that my heart belongs all to you? I’m sorry, but you're wrong if you think I’m going to do that. You’re my best friend Twilight Sparkle, but I’m not IN love with you. I’m sorry,” he whispered.

The unicorn narrowed her eyes. “Rainbow was right. You’re a monster, just like the rest of your kind,” she spat.

He let out a harsh growl, but didn't respond, because she continued, “I want you to leave. I can’t deal with you right now. I just can’t. And you lost Pinkie because of what you allowed between us; I suggest you think about that.” She spoke in a soft tone despite her words.

With a snort, he turned away without a word, grabbing a cigarette in his tail that fell onto the couch from the fight. He walked towards the door, opening it and closing it with a loud slam. He exited the library the second that Twilight sat on her flank and wept.

Spike put his cigarette behind his right ear fin as he walked towards the stone bridge that brought back a hint of memories. He had almost fallen into the lake, right by here, with Rarity in his greed-inducing transformation when he was twelve. He sighed and leaned his arms on the edge, wanting to go to the hospital. Knowing that Rainbow Dash was no doubt there to get her own injures tended to, though, he didn't want to get into another fight with her. He was also aware that his wounds were not as severe as her own.

He was about to reach for his tobacco when he heard the sound of hooves trotting to the right of him. He looked to see Rarity coming towards him, her mouth pulled in a frown. She stood beside him, standing on her hind hooves. She rested her forehooves on the edge of the bridge and sighed.

Spike ignored her, looking to see the beautiful, clear blue sky above him. He shut his eyes before he heard Rarity speak, her voice proving she had been crying and trying to keep a natural tone.

“I heard what happened,” she said simply.

Spike glanced at his former crush, knowing not to speak as she continued, “Truth be told, I knew ahead of time when Pinkie told both Rainbow and I... why did you do it, Spike?” 

He pondered that, knowing that there was no way he would be able to enjoy his silence in peace. “It—I made a mistake. What we did was nothing more than a-”

“Don’t lie to a lady, Spike. It’s not proper. Why did you do it? For sexual fulfillment, or because you truly are in love with Twilight? Rainbow Dash must have really done a number on you. It’s not like her, really. I tried to stop her, but she almost punched me in the snout. I’m honestly not sure why I even defended you. Pinkie Pie didn't say anything, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt you deserved it,” she said, brushing a stand of her mane away from her eyes as she looked at Spike.

“Yeah, well, I broke both Rainbow’s wings, and maybe a rib after what she'd done to me.” He said this very placidly.

She gasped, her eyes broad in horror and shock. Ignoring her look, Spike continued, “If you're here to tell me I’m an awful dragon, I'm just saying that you're a bit too late,” he mumbled. 

Rarity was silent for a few seconds before her lips fell into a scowl, her gaze falling to the lake. “I still am not quite clear as to WHY you would do such a—such a horrid deed, Spike. Pinkie Pie gave you her heart, you meant very much to her and yet you turned your back on her and slept with Twilight. From what Fluttershy told me, Applejack wanted to kick some sense into you, as well, but she managed to quell her rage, for now it seems. I would be on my guard, if I were you, though. And Rainbow didn't deserve to be beaten so harshly for defending her-”

“She ATTACKED ME!” Spike screamed.

Her eyes widened, and he rolled his own and reached to get his cigarette out from behind his right ear fin. 

Rarity frowned. “Could you please not smoke that in my presence? That would be much apprenticed. We're having a serious conversation,” she calmly asked.

Scowling, he put it back. He sighed aloud, but quietly said, “What do you want me to say, Rarity? That what happened between me and Twi was gonna last forever? I never meant more than a kiss-”

“Oh, please, you—well, pardon the term—you bucked Twilight. You made love to her in a way that should've been for Pinkie Pie. Yet you gave it to the wrong mare...do you love Twilight Sparkle, Spike?” she asked.

He shook his head slowly.

“You're lying, Spike.”

“Excuse me? I think I would've known if I was in love with her. What happened between us was just a one-night stand, and I feel guilty about it,” he snapped.

She looked into his eyes with a blank expression. “Who are you trying to convince Spike: me or yourself? If it was truly a ‘one night’ stand, as you call it, then you would have not defended your actions, you would have causally explained that it meant nothing…just as you said I meant nothing to you.” She whispered as he sighed and looked towards the waters.

“You know…I was very depressed that night, thinking I would never find love again, that the baby dragon that fell in love-”

“I was only twelve, Rarity,” he grunted.

Rarity continued as if he had not interrupted her. “With me was still there. Truth be told, you were cute, and even now, you still are, but our friendship could go no farther than that—friendship. I was honestly thinking of hanging myself that night, after getting drunk, but Fluttershy had talked me out of it. We made l-”

“Don’t think I need to hear that from you, Rare,” Spike interrupted a bit coldly.

She narrowed her eyes and swished her tail, annoyed that he kept cutting into her part of their conversation. “Regardless, what you said to me that night, while it injured me more than any physical wound, reminded me of something. I don't need to impress anypony to find love. I just need to simply be myself. Spike, you had no right in what you done, and I find it horrible that you think it's ok just to-”

“For your information, Miss Fashionista, I’m an adult. So don’t treat me as if I’m some native, worthless-”

“No, you are NOT an adult, Spike. An adult would have taken responsibilities for their actions; you used Pinkie Pie and Twilight for your own sick pleasure. I’m sorry for being so cruel, but what I speak is the truth-”

“In your mind,” he whispered under his breath.

“And I believe that if you really think you’re an adult, then you need to act as one. You need to apologize to both mares and take what they say to heart. You need to grow up from this fantasy that everything can go your way just because two separate mares love you. Who do you chose: Pinkie Pie or Twilight Sparkle?” she questioned in a snappish tone. 

He blinked, a bit impressed that she would be so…blunt.

With a scowl, he looked away from the water to the town and shrugged. “Why should it matter? They both hate me. It’s not like they would ever love me again after what I had said to them, Rarity. I--I just really need to be alone now,” he said in a softer tone.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, turning her body. Standing on all four hooves, she said, “Spike, one day, you will have nothing, nopony but yourself and the Gods with you. Despite what you have done, Pinkie still loves you, but it’s up to you to go after who you think is right for you, the earth pony, or the unicorn. I, myself, even after all you had done to me, am still your friend, as well as Fluttershy, even though I know that, if she had the courage, she would kick your fangs in. But as of right now, you are tearing our friendship apart with your selfish desires, chose one soon….before they both pass away in front of your eyes,” she whispered. With a flip of her mane, she trotted away.

Spike sighed loudly, wanting to say a smart ass comment back to her. However, he knew she was only trying to help. It was odd that she had forgiven him. From what he could tell, and even from what he understood, was that she was on his side. Even after all he had done to her and the horrible words they said to one another, she was still there for him.

Plucking his cigarette from his right ear fin, he lit it then inhaled deeply. He exhaled out of his nose, thinking seriously of her words for a few minutes to himself. Then he heard a flutter of wings. Turning his head to the left, he saw, with surprise, that it was Raindrops.

“Scales! What’s up, you crazy bastard?” she greeted.

He chuckled and gave her a hoof—or in his case, claw bump. “What're you up to, Raindrops? Got out early I see, huh?” he said in a joking tone, taking another drag and blowing it out his mouth. He passed it to Raindrops.

She smirked, taking the butt in her mouth. She inhaled a deep puff of smoke, wrapping her tail around the cigarette and taking it out her mouth.

Raindrops exhaled it with a cough. “Yeah, I did. Boy, *cough* it took a little bit, but Derps finally got enough to get me out, though she had to ask her parents for help. They refused, at first, of course, but eventually, they gave in and I got out. Great news, huh? She’s at work right now, and so is her little sister, but I don’t got nothing but time on my hooves right now.” She pulled her head back to laugh, taking another drag. 

She hoofed it back to Spike, and he grinned and nodded. “I hear you, Rain,” he answered. Then he saw something he hadn't noticed before, what with her orange prison suit when they first met: a small pair of black skeleton wings on her right shoulder. An idea came to him quickly. 

“Hey, Rain…were you part of a gang before?” he asked slowly.

She took a quick glance at her tattoo before nodding. “Yep, I was a member of Shadow Wings, an all Pegasus group, about three years ago. I still do a few things for them every once in a while, but nothing like I did when I was younger, that’s for sure, you know?” The Pegasus smirked.

Spike's face fell, but nonetheless, he nodded his head. He took in more of his cigarette, then passed it over to her. She thanked him with a chuckle. She took another longer smoke, which annoyed Spike. It was almost as its end point. Once done, though, she gave it to Spike, who, with one last drag, breathed the smoke out his mouth. The remains were tossed into the lake.

Raindrops glimpsed over at him and, just then noticing how ruined her friend’s appearance was, whistled. “Damn, Spike, what the buck happened to you? Get in a fight with Diamond Dogs or some shit?” she asked.

He let out a hollow laugh before he replied. “Nah. Got into a fight with a former friend. If you think this is bad, you should look at her, I broke both her wings,” he answered.

Her eyes grew. She asked if it was serious, and when he nodded, she said, “Damn. Well, should we get you to the hospital, then?” 

Spike shrugged. “Nope, I’m chill. Nothing I can’t handle, really,” he lied, glancing at her slowly. 

She only scoffed but nodded. “Alright, then. Well, hey look. If you aren't doing shit, then how 'bout we go get a drink, on me?” asked Raindrops.

He paused a second. “I’m only sixteen. I won’t be able to legally have alcohol until I’m eighteen, Rain. You should know that,” Spike explained. 

She rolled her eyes. “I know a friend. I’m sure he won’t mind. Now are you in, or not?” she challenged.

He thought hard of her proposal. Finally, he just shrugged and nodded in acceptance, asking what time it was. She answered that it was three p.m.

With nothing more to do then stare at the lake, the two walked into town. Raindrops lead Spike to the edge of the town into a bar known as ‘Eternal Night.' He opened the door for her. She gave a teasing grin, calling him a gentledrake before trotting inside.

The two saw that the bar, for obvious reasons, was empty, save for the bartender, a gray furred earth pony with a white colored mane and tail. His Cutie Mark was of a single wine glass, very suitable for the location. 

He looked towards the two with bright blue eyes and smiled, stocking up on the alcohol behind the bar table. “Raindrops, glad to see you got out of that hellhole girl .Great to see you again.” He laughed.

She smirked and sat on a bar stool, waiting until Spike joined her to speak. “You know me, Ruby, just doing all I can staying out of trouble unless it comes after me.” She gave a curt laugh before turning to Spike.

“This is an old friend of mine from high school, Ruby Ports. Ruby, this is Spike. He-”

“The Crystal Savior. By Celestia’s flaming tits, I would've never thought to meet you before. Welcome, lad, welcome.” He guffawed as he shook Spike’s claw.

The drake smiled and chuckled nervously. 

“Hey, Rubs, you think you could hook me and my friend up with something good? Boy has had a rough day, you heard me?” she asked.

His smile and nod were his answers. Raindrops leaned over to the bartender and whispered something into his left ear. He chuckled and went to get them their drinks.

“Ruby here doesn’t mind that you’re not old enough, Scales. Technically, you’re not even a teenager to ponies, but it’s all good.” Raindrops smirked before their drinks were given to them.

Spike was given a glass of hard cider, while Ruby Ports hoofed Raindrops a small bag with some green herbs. Spike rose an eyebrow, eventually shrugging and gripping the handle of his alcohol. He took a big swallow, coughing as the burn ran down his throat, making Raindrops laugh hard.

“Ah, you’re a riot, Spike. Gods, I love hanging out with you.” She smirked, taking a large swallow of her own drink,  then brought out a small white paper from inside her tail. Opening the bag, she got out a small amount and put it over the paper. She rolled it, then carefully licked it. When it was ready, she took a match Ruby Ports gave her, and lit the tip of the substance.

Taking a large drag, she took it out her mouth and coughed, blowing out white smoke. With a sigh of content, she said, “Damn, that’s the shit. You want a hit of this Hay Weed, Spike?” She showed the reptile the drug.

He slowly blinked, never thinking that Raindrops would be one for getting high, let alone offer him any. However, he just shrugged and gently took it before taking a small drag, completely unaware of the power it held. Once his lungs were hit hard, the drug caused him to have a coughing fit before exhaling a cloud of white smoke.

Raindrops laughed so hard, she had tears in her eyes and almost fell off her seat. Ruby snorted with a shake of his head. “We got a virgin toker here, Ruby. That’s funny as BUCK!” she said through her snickering. 

Spike scowled before taking a bigger drag and exhaled it out his nose. He thumped his chest when he coughed harshly. Raindrops took it from him and took another puff.

The two sat and kept passing the joint around. Spike’s glass of cider was almost empty, and Raindrops was on her second, half empty glass.

“Damn, we—we need to chill much more, Scales.” Raindrops giggled from the influence of alcohol and Hay Weed.

Spike only nodded, drowning his glass before asking for another.

“Why...why the buck are we here so early?” he asked.

She let out another short chuckle before replying that she, and by extension himself, was an exception to get a drink. He burst into laughter hard enough to cause him to fall out of his chair; he never had Hay Weed, as if this didn't make it obvious. She rolled her eyes.

“You’re such a crazy dragon, Spike.” She snickered, helping him up. She asked what time it was, and Ruby replied that it was already eight p.m. 

Spike blinked in shock, his eyes red from the effects of the drug. Raindrops was the same; Ruby Ports shook his head and grinned. 

After nearly two more hours, more costumers came into the bar. Both the pony and drake ignored them, though, rolling up their third paper of Hay Weed. Spike was given his third glass of Hard Cider, while Raindrops was already on her fifth. The two were drunk and high out of their minds, annoying the other ponies who had come in, including Lyra Heartstrings with her marefriend, Bon-Bon, and Golden Harvest, who glared at Raindrops. The drunk Pegasus, again, took no notice of this.

“Alright, you two, think you had enough of the drug. I’ll get you another drink if you want, though,” Ruby ordered lightly to Spike and Raindrops.

Spike looked at him once and laughed in such an out of control, impromptu manner that he started coughing. Ruby Ports just rolled his eyes. 

“He’s right, Scales. Cool it down with the weed. C'mon, drown that shit so you can get another.” She grinned.

Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts. With a loud sigh, he drank the rest of his alcohol.

The two were silent as they heard music being played behind them from a unicorn mare with an electric blue mane. Purple shades covered her eyes as she spun an upbeat hip-hop record on her turn tables, making many of the drunk ponies dance. Spike ignored this, but Raindrops slightly shifted in her seat, as if she wanted to dance.

“You know, Spike...shit, if I wasn't already in a relationship, I would make a move on you, then take you to the bathroom and buck your brains out,” she whispered into his right ear fin.

Grinning, he let out a little chuckle. “Don’t see your marefriend here now, do you? Why not give a little one to see if you want the whole dragon?” The dragon winked.

She laughed hard, then put an arm over his shoulders. “Maybe I will,” she whispered huskily, slowly leaning her head towards Spike’s own. Their faces were inches from the other when a loud voice called out her name.

The two jumped back and fell from their stools.

“Raindrops, finally! I was wondering where you were for the past two hours. Hi, Ruby,” a pegasus mare called to the bartender. Her golden mane flashing in the bright lights, she walked toward the two. Her golden eyes looked in different directions, the right towards the three and the left looking to the far left.

“H-hey, Derps. Spike, this is,” Raindrops introduced between snickers, wrapping both hooves around the mare, who winced from Raindrop's alcoholic breath, “this is my marefriend, Dizzy Cloves.” She laughed making Derpy roll her eyes.

“It’s Derpy Hooves, Hun. And Spike knows me, don’t you Scales?” She smiled warmly, glancing Spike.

His eyes were wide; he swore a pile of ashes with hay on top was talking to him. He nodded drunkenly before asking, with a grin, “Y-yeah, I...know you, Ditzy, how are you?”

She laughed before replying. “Fine. Got annoyed with Rain here sneaking off, but I should've known she'd be at a bar. Gods help her if she had done something insane, right? I... didn't know you were old enough to drink,” she said .

Spike nodded, but then he shook his head. He stuck his tongue out. “Neither did I,” he joked. 

Derpy blinked, shaking her head and gently taking Raindrops from her chair. She said goodbye to Ruby and Spike, as Raindrops screamed bye to the purple cupcake, who must have been Spike making him laugh before he stood from his chair, and stumbling out the door he vomited on the side of the bar before walking drunk towards his home.

It took what seemed to Spike years to get home, but in reality, it was only forty minutes. He stood outside of the entrance to his house, staring at the door for the past twenty minutes when he saw the handle. He opened it. He didn't expect to see Twilight at the kitchen table, with a glass of mint tea in her hooves.

She turned around, her face of concern changing to anger. Standing from her seat, she stomped towards Spike, who leaned on her neck with a slight giggle.

“Where the BUCK was you, mister? It’s almost twelve o’ clock! What the hay have you—Spike, are you drunk?” she gasped in horror.

He burped and shook his head before nodding.

“No….you're just seeing things, Twilight…Flopple,” he muttered with a slur. He chuckled under his claws, and kissed her neck. “I’m home, baby.” He giggled.

She frowned and narrowed her eyes, pushing him away. “I’m not your baby, according to you, Spike.” she spoke with a hint of anger.

He scoffed. “I said I was sorry. I never meant to burn that book, and it was an accident, I think,” he slurred.

Letting out a sigh, Twilight dragged him from the entrance to the living room couch. The unicorn rested him down as he kept licking her neck causing her to giggle before she pulled away with a huff.

“Get some rest Spike; we got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” She said softly as he grabbed her tail when she turned to trot away.

“What’s wrong with you, Twi? Twi-”

“Twilight, Spike…that’s my name,” she said.

He chuckled, but then a serious expression appeared on his drunken face. “Seriously, what’s wrong, Twilight? C'mon, you can tell me. I can keep a…a secret,” he said slowly.

She frowned. Sighing, she planted a kiss on his lips lightly. There was no passion in it, however, with him being drunk and high off his ass.

“You really want to know, Spike?” she whispered.

Spike nodded, giving him her full attention before it was taken off of her and fell onto her horn...again.

Twilight sighed loudly, tears at the edge of her eyes. She kissed him again, and looking into his emerald colored eyes, spoke as soft as she could to the drunken dragon. A single tear trailed down her right eye.

“I’m pregnant.”
> Abandoned by all…even the Gods; An unwanted child
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike opened his eyes, groaning. He rubbed his forehead, then shut his eyes once more, feeling a splitting headache creep up to him without mercy. It was as if Luna was smashing into his skull with a hammer, over and over again, and enjoying it, at that.

Once again, his eyes opened, and he wondered to himself what the buck happened last night. He looked at the blue blanket Twilight must have put over him. Spike let out a low sigh. before curling his left hand, noticing that Twilight must have also mended his broken arm, saving them both a trip to the hospital and from paying any hospital bills, no doubt much to her, and his, relief.

“How thoughtful of her.” He laughed softly under his breath. He was about to grab a cigarette in the carton from the arm rest behind him when the door opened.

His caretaker trotted into the room, bags under her eyes and her head lowered in what seemed like disappointment.

“Oh, you're up. That's great. How are you feeling, Spike?” she asked in a whisper.

He merely grunted, then gently sat on the edge of the couch. Trying to ignore the memories of what the two had done on the furniture, he clutched his head. Spike took a deep breath to stop the room from spinning. Twilight frowned.

“Great, just peachy, Twi,” he answered.

She smirked. “Well, that will teach you not to come home at twelve in the morning high and drunk.” She chuckled.

He rolled his eyes with a scowl. “Where were you at” he asked.

She walked towards him and lit her horn, covering his head in a purple aura. In seconds, Spike's dizziness and migraine left him. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her, but she did not exchange the same.

“At church. It's Saturday, remember? I always go to pray to Celestia on this day. It's not a requirement, but you know I go if I need to get some..weight off my chest. I had much I needed to clear today from my heart.” she replied.

He scoffed. “Why not just ask her in a letter, rather than go to a building with a bunch of ponies to hear Lyra Heartstrings preach over and over about how great your mentor is?” he asked.

She narrowed her eyes, frowning. “Because you weren't awake, for one thing, and for another, I just wanted to say what's on my mind without another pony knowing what I had to say. I saw Pinkie Pie with the Cakes there, but she ignored me. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm a bit disappointed she wouldn't hear my side of the story,” she said.

Spike stretched his limbs before getting up, and he nodded sadly. “Yeah, well, maybe if we give her a little time, she'll listen. She's not a foal; she's a grown mare. She can handle it...I hope. Anyway, I'm going to take a shower. Thanks for clearing my headache and healing my injuries, Twi,” he said with a smile.

She grinned back as she moved out of his way to the bathroom. Twilight opened her mouth, about to ask if she could join in, but shut herself up. Her ears and tails dropped; she knew it would be inappropriate. She sat on her flank with a sigh. As Spike closed the door behind him, with nothing better to do, she went to get some coffee.

Spike, after relieving himself in the bathroom, opened the shower curtains and stepped in. The water was as hot as it could go, but the steaming heat was nothing to him. It sprayed over the stress and sweat from his body and mind, just a bit. He breathed a little sigh. Placing his claws on the wall in front of him, he took a bottle of soap and scrubbed his body thoroughly, making sure to get his lower body and tail twice before the water washed it away.

He looked up at the ceiling, wondering just how many lives he had ruined with his presence. Was he really a monster bent on shattering the pony races' hopes and dreams, like his kind had done before him? From what his mother, Celestia, told him, his kind lived as long as a total of ten thousand years before they died from battle or old age. The ancient race lived longer than all the Gods even, save for Discord, he believed.

But he didn't want to be a monster...a bastard. Something in a storybook for foals that told them to be afraid of and panic upon seeing creatures such as his. He didn't want to grow old and have no creature but the Gods and Peewee by his side. Nopony would remember him, and he didn't want to outlive Pinkie Pie, or even Twilight, because of the massive growth spurt he would get later in life. Most of all, he didn't want to go back to his greed-induced form like he had on his thirteenth birthday.

He shivered. If that wasn't the worst of it, then he was always being mocked and continually sneered at by his demons from the Nightmare Realm he had looked into. King Sombra's door had brought both him and Twilight to see things mortals never should see. Now both would forever be tormented by the demons that had followed them, and now even the Gods could not free them from such an awful fate. Twilight wasn't joking when she said all creatures had their demons, but Twilight and Spike just had more than should've been normal for a mortal.

Spike remembered, when he was fourteen, how he had stopped Twilight from slitting her own throat with a butcher knife in the middle of the night. Unable to take the awful, evils sins that whispered into her mind, she was so close to taking her life, until Spike knocked the knife away. He held her as she cried into his chest, and the two sat on the cold, wooden floor as he allowed her to pour all her anguish onto him.

He had no doubt that that was the day she began to feel a romantic attraction towards him. He smirked a bit, only to frown, remembering how Twilight swore to the Gods, her voice muffled by his scales. She screamed to Celestia why she did not help them, why they had to face such terrors by themselves, and why she had even allowed the two to see horrors never meant for normal creatures. He honestly thought she would lose her faith in Celestia and the other immortals she prayed to each night, but he knew she was only speaking out of spite.

It was cruel, unfair, and harsh that even now, nothing could be done. Luckily, Twilight had no more suicidal intentions, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. Even after Twilight eventually passed, he would still be plagued by the very nightmares that he had seen that day, never able to escape.

With a loud sigh, and ignoring the dark shadows that reflected into the showerhead and faucet behind him, he washed away the rest of his soap. He shut off the water and stepped out.

He dried his body off with a tan towel, then threw it into the wastebasket beside him. Steam trailed out after him as he opened the door and left the bathroom. He walked into the living room, where he saw Twilight sitting down at the table. As she sipped on a cup of coffee and smoked a cigarette.

Spike gave her a blank stare. “Want to take the whole carton, while you're at it?” he teased, sitting down across from her. He grabbed a cigarette for himself, eyeing the bowl of small rubies before him with interest. He took three, popping them in his mouth.

Twilight looked at him over the rim of her cup, and while he loudly chewed the rubies, she rolled her eyes. She took in a long drag before exhaling the smoke calmly.

After a few minutes of silence between the two, and a thirty second argument between Spike and Peewee, now healed thanks to Twilight, she sighed loudly. She sucked in one last drag before stamping out the remains in the way ashtray beside her. 

She stood up, trotting towards the shelf lined with multiple different books. Pulling one out with her magic, she glanced at the title with a smile. Her eyes fell toward the couch, but it made her smile cascade when memories of what had happened the last time she sat on the couch to read replayed over her mind. Twilight went to the table and sat down. The book followed behind her and landed softly in front of her, opening to a specific page. Twilight began to read.

Spike glanced down at his bowl of gems. Suddenly, he wasn't feel so hungry. He pushed it away and used his cigarette one last time. He pressed it onto the ashtray just as Peewee flew outside an opened window. His gaze shifted from the window to Twilight, who ignored him.

With a blink, he grinned and laughed quietly. The unicorn looked towards him, as if he had lost his mind. He just waved her away.

Twilight cleared her throat and shut the book with a breath. Putting her forehooves together, she closed her eyes, not doubt praying to Celestia. Spike looked at her, confused; he thought she already did that two hours ago. Spike only heard her utter the one word, “strength,” in her whisper.

After finishing, pushing the book aside, she looked at Spike with a serious set of emotion on her face. “Spike...we need to talk,” she said carefully.

He frowned a bit. “What about?” he asked.

Twilight let out another heavy sigh. “Do...do you remember anything that happened last night, after you came back from drinking?” she asked.

He blinked, trying to rattle his memory of coming home from the party. He recalled she had said something to him, no doubt something very important, but nothing more than that.

Spike scowled and shook his head. “No idea, to be honest.” He laughed, but his tease quickly made him frown again when he saw how serious Twilight looked.

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, then opened them to look into his own.

“Spike, I-I'm pregnant,” Twilight whispered.

His eyes widened in shock. Spike stood from his chair so fast, it was knocked over. His claws curled in rage and disbelief. Black smoke snorted harshly from his nostrils. “WHAT?!” he screamed.

Twilight flinched from the amount of anger and panic in his tone. He gripped the edge of the table so hard, they left deep grooves in the wood. She knew she had to tell him, though, and there was no turning back now.

“It's true. I checked it twice in a book I got for pregnant mares. I didn't even know I had it until I checked. My belly alighted green. If I wasn't, it'd be red. I really didn't want to do it. I was scared, but I had to know. When we...mated, I accidentally lit my horn, and must've cast a spell as I had an orgasm which must've enhanced your sperm, making it magical. That might have been enough to impregnate me. Spike, don't you get it? I have a hybrid, a Kirin, in my womb? This-this is my child—OUR child. This is-”

“STOP!” he shouted, cutting her words of joy down with his bitter tone. “I'm sorry, I must have been mistaken. I thought you said that, not only did I cheat on the mare I love, but I got another mare pregnant. WHAT THE BUCK HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING?!” he roared, spewing small, green flames out his maw.

She leaned back a bit, frightened with seeing him in such rage.

But her eyes hardened, her mouth now having fallen to a grimace. She knew that he did not love her, but was he saying, honestly saying, he did not want the child now slowly growing in her womb?

“Spike, even if a Kirin lives hundreds of years longer than ponies, it's still such a blessing. Are you saying you don't WANT to be part of our child's life? The baby that we-”

“What are you chatting about with us? There is no us, Twilight, there never has been any us. There is you and that...that... hybrid in you stomach. I'm sixteen years old. I don't have any desire to take care of a crying, pooping, whining, little-”

“How dare you! How BUCKING dare you treat our child as if he or she was a mistake! The baby did nothing wrong. The baby-” she screamed. She stood up so fast that her chair was knocked over. She slammed her forehooves onto the table with such force, a slight crack was formed in the wood. She glared at Spike in anger she hadn't had since she had accused Chrysalis of being Cadence four years ago.

“I don't need the baby in my life right now. Especially not with a mare when I have no love for his or her mother, Twilight. I'm not even a damn century year old. What do you not understand about that?” he said.

Tears brimmed on the edge of her eyes. “I can't believe you right now. I always knew you would change with your aging, but I had thought you would be a wise, gentle dragon, not like the other monstrous, evil, selfish dragons in your species, Spike. I never expected you to turn out to be some arrogant asshole that turns his back on his friends and family that RAISED him! What happened to you, Spike? I guess, unfortunately, just about all dragons must be the same, cruel, awful beasts that-”

“Say one more word about my species, and I'll slap you!” he threatened.

Her eyes narrowed, as she whispered, “Touch me, and you'll regret it,” she spoke cruelly. 

Spike gritted his fangs together with all his strength as he glared back at her.

“You don't want anything to do with me, fine. But you leave our—no, MY—child out of this! You don't want to take responsibility for what's yours, then I don't want ANYTHING to do with you. If you don't want to be a father to such a wonderful blessing, then I want you out. I want you out NOW!” she screamed, her voice hoarse from all the shouting.

Blinking in surprise, he still fought back, “You're kicking me out of my own house? Out of my own BUCKING house?!”

She winced, but nodded slowly. Tears spilled down her face.

“Take your damn cigarettes, bits, and Peewee, and leave. Now,” she whispered coldly.

He calmly released his claws from the table, which was scarred so deep, almost nothing would be able to repair it. “So, that's it, then? Kicking me out of your life just like that, all because of a mistake,” he stated softly.

She became so enraged, she reached across the table, and slapped the right side of his cheek with all of her might. He dropped to the floor, gradually touching his bruised cheek with nothing more than a snort in response.

“Leave...now,” she repeated under her breath. Twilight bowed her head, allowing her tears to fall freely.

Spike stood from the floor and let out an enraged noise from his nose. He quickly rushed up the stairs and grabbed a gray colored sack in his dresser, something he had in case he had to go on an emergency 'quest.' Placing all his remaining bits, jewels and three packs of cigarettes into it, he stomped down the stairs. He made sure to crack the last three on his descent.

He glanced over at the phoenix that had flown back inside during his argument with Twilight. He was cowering in fear from the heated argument, atop one of the shelves.

“C'mon, Peewee. Let's go,” he demanded.

The phoenix only stepped back in hesitation. “COME ON, YOU DAMNED PHOENIX!” Spike yelled.

Peewee did not move, causing Spike to release a large cloud of black smoke from his nostrils. He turned away from his former loyal pet.

“Fine. Stay here, for all I care.” he growled, stomping towards the front door. Without a word, he opened it, ready to leave.

“If you walk out that door, don't...don't you ever come back.” Twilight's icy words reached his fin ears.

He sighed sadly with narrowed eyes. “Don't plan to.” Without turning to look her in the eyes, he slammed the door with all of his strength. A long crack stretched onto the door.

Spike walked away from the library at that very second Twilight collapsed to the floor and cried to herself, more than she was certain she ever had in her life.

The drake, while walking, felt cold. Harsh rain hit his scales as he looked up and saw the entire sky was covered by enormous, gray clouds. Spike shivered with a sigh, knowing he had nowhere else to go.

He wanted a cigarette, really needed it. With the rain, however, he knew it would get soaked, like his body was becoming at a fast rate.

With a growl, Spike wandered on until he arrived at the bridge where he had his talk with Rarity. He rested his arms against the cold, gray stone. He watched the rain hit the water below mercilessly, creating multiple ripples. He was cold blooded, and should have despised the rain, but with his mindset right now, he could honestly care less. He felt tears slid down his face, slowly mixing in with the rain. Clenching his bag harder, he shut his eyes. The dragon was tempted to throw the bag over the edge, but he knew that he needed it. This steadied his choice, and he placed it on the ground.

Spike gritted his fangs, placing his claws over his ear fins. His eyes remained closed; he knew he was in the worst state ever imagined.

He had done more in the past three days than he ever had done in his entire life. He had gotten into a fight with Rainbow Dash, arrested, cheated on his marefriend, rejected his best friend, who loved him more than family, and now, he had turned his back on his own child. He had abandoned his child because of his selfish pride.

“What sort of father am I? What kind of guy am I just to act like an asshole to everyone who cares for me, who loves me. I don't deserve a second chance, and...I...I have no right to live,” he muttered aloud. Spike's heart was chained by his words and guilt, his mind in the worst form of depression it could possibly be in.

"I don't deserve to live," he thought. He opened his eyes and slowly looked at his claws. He pulled them away from his face.

“I don't deserve to live.” He breathed slowly, feeling his heart break with the decision he was about to do for himself, for Equestria, for his child.

Spike brought his razor sharp right claw to his throat, closing his eyes at the thought of how he was actually going to take his own life. With nothing else to think of but the regret of all he had caused to everypony's life. He slashed as hard as he could against his neck scales, waiting for his artery to be severed, and for blood to splatter the stones, washed away quickly by the rain.

But he didn't feel blood spilling from his neck. As a matter of fact, he did not feel any pain to begin with.

Spike opened his eyes, looking at his hand. Not a single speck of blood dripped on them. He gritted his teeth, outraged, and raked his claws even deeper against his throat. Still, he did not feel his scales split apart violently from the force like it should

His eyes widened as he realized why he wasn't able to even take his own life.

His scales were as hard as diamonds, and his claws, while razor sharp, weren't enough to tear into the armored flesh. As a result, the reptile could not even end his own life.

Spike dug his claws into the stones before him with all of his strength. He felt then crack from the force as he lifted his head. He opened his maw and let out a roar, an enormous stream of green life erupting from his mouth into the sky. How could he had been so stupid to think he could attempt suicide so easily?

“Is this how you wish for me to live my life?! A husk of a dragon, shackled in guilt and depression? After all I've BUCKING done for you, you turn your backs against me, your faithful servant, just for one stupid mistake?! You gods are nothing more than COWARDS, only bothering to lift your limbs when you chose to! You Gods are nothing more than pitiful, weak, CHILDREN!” he bellowed into the wind with all the air in his lungs. He never felt so angry before in his entire life.

He bowed his head, breathing heavily from his rant. He closed his eyes, exhaustion overwhelming the dragon. He was about to stand up from where he panted and grab the bag, hoping to find shelter. Then a dark, harsh voice stopped him in his tracks.

“How DARE you!” A mare's voice echoed behind him, devoid of all emotion.

The drake slowly turned to see none other than Princess Luna. Her eyes were solemn and cold, and it made him shiver. Against the rain, a very furious frown crossed her muzzle. She narrowed her eyes into mere silts, causing the dragon to swallow the spittle in his throat sulkily.

“We have turned our backs on you? We have caused you the distress that you have been through? I suppose it was the Gods who even gave you the thought to betray your marefriend, dragon? No, you have caused all of this to happen by yourself. We merely watched as you lived out your life, doing what we could to aid you, and you have the GUTS to curse OUR names? You have the balls to DARE scream your swear words at us? The very Gods who have encouraged and tried to help you find your true feelings towards one mare alone? But now, because of your selfish desires, you have broken both mares' hearts. You mortals are all the same.” Luna spat cruelly.

With her very words, the air seemed to grow colder. Spike could see the stone bridge slowly starting to frost, Even though her words rang true, he could not help but lash back. He never asked for help from the Gods, and even more so, he never asked for two mares to be in love with him.

“Aided me? You could've done something to stop Twilight from kissing me. You could have kept what we did from going that far, or you could've-”

“SILENCE YOUR TONGUE, REPTILE!” she shouted, silencing the dragon. She shifted her stance, the wind growing fierce around them. Luna remained unfazed by this.

“We have done all we could, but the final choice was yours alone to make. We cannot directly interfere with the mortals. Why you do think Celestia always sends Twilight Sparkle and her friends to deal with serious threats? Even in the face of fighting another God, if we were to challenge such creatures, then it would have caused serious injury to the short lived creatures-"

“I'm a dragon. We live up to ten thousand years, Luna-” he interrupted her, which he regretted instantly.

Luna lifted herself onto her hindhooves. She slammed them down with the force of an Ursa Major, freezing the entire bridge, except for where the two stood. Her eyes glowed in fury.

“DON'T YOU DARE BE A SMART ASS TO ME, DRAKE!” she screamed. Gritting her teeth, her eyes still narrowed. Spike cowered in fear of the Goddess.

“Twilight Sparkle's love for you is real, and as such, Cadance, saw it fit to give her a simple push with her true feelings. It was YOUR actions which led to the intimate act, Spike. It was your own choice to reject the love the unicorn tried to give you, in turn, ripping Pinkie Pie's heart out in the process. Yet after all that we have been allowed to help you...you turn your back on us?” Her voice was colder than the ice around them.

Spike was unable to tear his eyes away from the Alicorn. His body was becoming numb from the frost slowly spreading towards his feet. “You said you wouldn't forsake ME!” he screamed weakly to her.

She scoffed, slamming her right hoof onto the stone before her. A large crack formed in front of her, and a small part of the bridge dislodged itself from the entire area. It sunk into the lake, causing Spike to jump. Luna's gaze fell from the rapidly sinking stone towards him. Spike shivered once more.

“That was before you swore to the Gods, Spike. No...you deserve no mercy from any of us, and you shall now receive none! For your arrogance and insufferable cruelty towards those around you, and for daring to ridicule the Gods themselves, even after we had done all we were allowed to do in order to help, you shall never again have dreams of peace and bliss. The demons that had attached themselves to you from the Nightmare Realm will plague your very soul from this day forth!

“YOU WILL BE CURSED TO BE GIVEN NO REST WHEN YOU LAY YOUR HEAD, NO SENSE OF JUSTICE OR CALM. THE GODS HAVE TURNED THEIR GAZE FROM YOU, SPIKE THE DRAGON, FOREVER MORE. I SWEAR ON MY OWN NAME THAT I, PRINCESS LUNA, GODDESS OF THE MOON, DREAMS, AND THE NIGHT, THAT YOUR PRAYERS SHALL NEVER BE ANSWERED BY THE GODS OF EQUESTRIA AGAIN! …You will never be free of your sins, Spike. This, I vow on my crown.” Luna bellowed, finishing in a quieter, yet far darker tone.

The ice around Spike spread across his limbs. His entire body, save for his eyes, were frozen by the Alicorn. She spread her wings, and with a single flap was gliding into the air. With her eyes, mane, and tail aglow with power that was never meant for mortal eyes, she shot a cobalt blue beam of magic into Spike's chest. The dragon was thrown from the bridge into the bitter, cold water below. He slipped into unconsciousness just before the entire bridge collapsed and Luna, with a harsh snort, vanished from sight.

Twilight lifted her head, hearing something large outside being destroyed, possibly from the weather. She sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She heard Peewee and Owlowiscious cry out in fear, making the mare stand from where she was weeping on the floor. She was worried about Spike, even though she was very disappointed by how he reacted to her news, and she was even angry. Still, she had no right just to throw him into the rain...did she?

Blinking, she sighed loudly, about to grab a cup of lemon tea to calm down. Then a loud, harsh knock made her pause mid-step.

Confused as to what pony in their right mind would be out during such a crazy storm, she quickly trotted to front door. She opened the door to see who it was.

When she opened it, Twilight was shocked to see Pinkie Pie in front of her. The mare's mane and tail were straight and wet from the rain, her fur in a wild style from the wind. Her face, however, was set in a serious expression, and her eyes were glowing with rage that Twilight had honestly never seen in the pink mare before.

“Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie spat darkly.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply right before a hard crusted hoof slammed into her jaw.
> A mother's love no longer; Twilight Sparkle Vs. Pinkie Pie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike coughed, flailing his arms, unable to gain any sort of ground on any stone before him. His body was freezing, and his strength was rapidly failing.

I'm going to die... just like I wanted... I'm sorry, Pinkie, Twilight... the baby... I'm so sorry, he thought, taking in a lungful of water. He coughed, allowing death to overtake him. Then he saw a yellow furred shape fly towards him as he blacked out. 
Spike opened his eyes. The first sight he saw... was Celestia.

He looked around, realizing he was in his mother's bedroom, in all of its elegance, though not as large as when he last saw it. Turning his head, he briefly saw Luna trot out of the room. He called out to her, but she ignored him. 

Spike turned back to his mother on the balcony, seeing Luna's stars overhead. The white coated alicorn looked away from her sister's beautiful night to her son behind her. She sighed.

“Mom... am I dead?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. Her golden shoes gently clanked as they hit the carpeted floor she walked upon towards him.

“No, Spike, you are not. If you were, then Death himself would have come for you. As it is, Luna brought you here in a spiritual form while your physical body sleeps. Even if it is against our ancient laws to be in Luna's realm, this is important,” she said calmly, but she did not unfurl her wings to wrap them around him like she used to. She did not even call him son, which made Spike frown, realizing how serious she was.

“Mom, please, I honestly didn't mean to say what I did. I was angry. It felt unfair with-”

“Unfair? You cursed our names, Spike. You have no idea how serious cursing our names is. We have done all that we could. If our Mother saw what transpired with us and you, she would have torn our wings from us, rendering us mortals, in which we would have disintegrated into ashes and faded. 

“According to ancient laws, with any mortal that turns their backs on us, we must turn our gaze from them. They will receive no blessing from us, no aid, and will be cursed. I'm sorry, Crystal Savior, but you are no exception, even if I claim you as my own,” Celestia continued slowly, a frown on her face and her eyes narrowed.

Spike shivered. Celestia never once called him by the title given by the Crystal Ponies four years ago, not one bit. She only ever called him her son or by his name, and now, she did not even call him her child. It filled his heart with an ice cold chill. 

He curled his claws. This was not right. He had not meant to scream and shout at the ones who looked at him as family. It had been a mistake, just as the last few days had been.

He dropped to his knees, feeling tears trail down his face. Celestia turned away, bowing her head in shame.

“Mother, please, this isn't right. I'm your son. You can't do this to your child... please, I-”

“Yet you turned away from your own child when Twilight told you the news. You not only betrayed Pinkie Pie, but you also rejected Twilight Sparkle. Even after she gave you not only her virginity but her heart, you spat in her face and stormed out of the house, wanting nothing to do with the mare who loves you.

“Do you have any idea what happens when the Elements of Harmony do not cooperate as one, Spike? They do not work. When Equestria is in another state of peril, they will now not work because of what you caused. The weapons able to defeat even the most powerful beings will not join in the hearts of the six little ponies... all because of your selfishness. You are no child, Spike, and I will not treat you as such anymore. You wish to be an adult, then-”

“That's kind of ironic, coming from your mouth, mother,” Spike muttered.

Celestia narrowed her eyes and stomped a hoof on the ground. “Excuse me? What did you say to me?” she whispered in thinning patience. Why would he dare question her words; he had never done such before, so what made him so bold now?

He chuckled darkly, lifting his face and looking into her eyes. “After all the shit you send six mortals to do on their own, they fought two Gods, an army and an evil unicorn king all by themselves. And you did nothing, mother,” he snapped, gradually standing.

She stepped back in shock, opening her mouth to speak up. He did not allow her. 

“Sure, when they—well, mostly Cadence and I—fought Sombra, at least you allowed Cadence to help us, but only because she had the power to hold the bastard back. The Gods are supposed to help us, and you... you allowed mortals to do your dirty work for you! Yet we still kiss your feet without complaining because of who you are. You even lost against Chrysalis the one time you fought back, but you could have at least put up more of a fight-”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia shouted, fanning her large wings out. Her eyes glowed gold in rage, narrowing into mere slits, and Spike's rant turned to dust in his mouth. He had not realized his own mistake until it was too late.

“We cannot intervene in the affairs of mortals, even against our siblings. It is a law that cannot be ignored, no matter how much we try. You don't think that I do not wish to aid my little ponies in their fights? I did all I could... but obviously, that was not enough.

“That was years ago, Spike, and it is something that does not need to be repeated. You are younger than many dragons. You will learn as many years go by, but for now, you will be punished for the sins you have committed. We, I mean... I cannot turn over the laws we were born into. I am sorry.” Celestia sighed loudly, her wings folding back to her sides. Her angered glow disappeared, and she trotted to her bed to rest on it. She turned her back from Spike.

“So, that's it, then? After everything you taught me about family and love, you're going to turn your back on me, YOUR OWN SON?!” he screamed. 

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “You are no son of mine... not anymore,” she whispered, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

Spike's face was in a state of shock, his mouth opened in surprise. He was about to cry out to her before his body vanished in a flash of blue light.

His eyes snapped open. He was still alive, but as he opened his mouth, the only word he could cry out was mom. His chest heaved, tears slipping down his face while he looked around. The dragon didn't know where he was. He placed his claws over his face as he cried.

His own mother wanted nothing to do with him now.

Spike opened his eyes once more and groaned. Then he noticed he was on a tan couch. Looking around, he wondered what creature must have saved him from death. 

His head quickly turned as the front door opened, revealing Raindrops. The mare smiled at her luck; the dragon was alive!
“Hey, Scales. You're awake... man, I'm glad you're okay,” she said softly. She walked towards him.

Spike blinked, then slowly sat at the edge of the couch. “Where am I, Raindrops? What the buck happened to me?” he whispered, clenching his head in pain from a wound he must have gotten in the river. 

“You're in Derpy's house. I saved you after watching you get into a fight with Luna. Never knew you as one to challenge the Gods, dragon boy.” Raindrops laughed. 

He frowned, remembering how he got where he was in the first place. “I... I was turned away from the Gods... I swore at them in rage, called my life unfair, and that they were doing nothing to help me.” He gave out a large sigh, rubbing his forehead and waving his tail in anguish. “I turned my back on them, who took me in as family, rejected a mare who loves me more than I will ever understand. I gave up on our child, all because of my selfish pride—WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?!” he roared, emerald flames shooting into the air.

Raindrops was silent, honestly not having a clue as to what to say. She had no idea how to help somebody who was so emotionally ruined.

Swallowing a glob of spittle in her mouth, she asked a question she knew would help calm the poor dragon a bit. “Want a cigarette?” 

Spike sighed again, but nodded with a small smile. She grabbed a carton of cigarettes and tossed it to him. With a sad expression, he lit it up and placed it into his mouth. He nodded his thanks to Raindrops, and she smirked.

“The Gods really mean a lot to you, don't they?” she asked.

He scowled and slowly nodded, taking a long drag of the cigarette. “It's really just Celestia that matters... my mother. Her opinion matters to me more than anymore else. Without her, I would have never learned all that I did before she assigned me as Twilight's assistant. It's not something you'd understand, Raindrops.” Spike yawned as he stood up. He walked towards the kitchen.

Raindrops frowned and narrowed her eyes, stepping into his path. “Try me, reptile.” 

He gritted his fangs, making her take three steps back in fear. 

“In a hundred years, all the ponies and other creatures I know in this town will die, and I'll be nothing more than a baby, according to the rest of my kind. We live to ten thousand years, even more than most of the Gods. I won't have anyone here for me, no one but my pet phoenix, though I did yell at him before I left the house before. I... can't ever go back,” he muttered, though beside his sad tone, he had a dark expression on his face.

Raindrops sharply inhaled. She looked at her friend, who seemed to hate himself more than she thought. She had not even been so depressed before, and it worried her to see Spike so troubled. 

“You're not perfect, Spike. You have your own... you know, demons. You're not a bad creature, Spike; you just have a lot of growing up to do and much to learn.”

Spike sighed. Raindrops frowned, and with a sigh, she watched him get a glass of red wine. How did Spike even know where all of her things were? Then she remembered he had been to this house many times, since he was best friends with Dinky, and she nodded to herself in response.

He put the wine back and drank the half filled glass. There was nothing but silence between them until the front door opened. Derpy Hooves trotted in, surprise etched on her face upon seeing Spike. When she looked deeper at his face, it changed to concern. 

“How are you feeling, Spike?” the gray furred mare asked softly, unaware at how bucked up Spike's emotional state was. 
The dragon only took a longer drink before he replied, “Not well. Twilight kicked me out of the house, and the gods turned their gazes from me.” He ignored Derpy's gasp of shock before continuing. “And I guess I'm hated by all the ponies in Ponyville; even Peewee hates me. I'm such an idiot, I don't even have a place to stay.” He chuckled with no emotion.
Spike felt two gentle gray hooves wrap around his body. With no restraint, he cried into Derpy's fur.

After a few minutes of weeping, he gradually pulled away from Derpy, wiping his noise and snorting. With his eyes shut, he took one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out. He drank his wine glass while looking at both mares; Raindrops got herself a cigarette while Derpy's crossed, golden eyes held pity and comfort. 

“You know you're always welcome here, Spike. Don't even worry about having a place to stay,” Derpy told him. 

Spike smiled and nodded, but froze from her next words. “Did... did your mother, Celestia, really turn her back on you?” she asked in a whisper.

He felt fresh tears on the edge of his eyes. He nodded sadly.

Raindrops struck a match and lit her cigarette. Derpy paid her friend no mind. She looked at the reptile, who she honestly always thought of as a son. He closed his eyes and leaned into the couch, warning nothing more than to get rid of all of his struggles he was facing at the moment.

While Spike tried to fall into sleep's embrace, Derpy then turned her attention to her mate and pointed at the white substance on the table next to her. “What have I told you about doing your drugs where guests could see them, Rain? I told you over and over not to leave your cocaine out. Matter of fact, you told me you wouldn't do it anymore. The Gods don't look kindly on that, Raindrops,” she said with a hint of anger in her throat. 

Raindrops's brow rose in confusion and annoyance. She blew some smoke in Derpy's face. Derpy swatted it away, eyebrows narrowed. Her left eye glared at her marefriend while the right started to trail upwards. 

“I was about to toss it. I just needed one more, but then I saw Spike drowning and saved him and all. The drug could have waited, babe. You're just lucky I'm not grabbing a needle and using heroin.” She smirked.

Derpy snorted in anger. She was close to opening her mouth to yell back when the front door opened. Dinky Doo walked in, noticing, with no surprise, that her sister and Raindrops were fighting. Then she looked at the third creature in the room.

“Why is Spike in our house?”

***

Twilight Sparkle stumbled back, pain flaring from her jaw to her brain. She glared daggers at the earth pony, who snorted, her eyes narrowed. Pinkie stepped into the house with a mist of alcohol in her breath. 

“You punched me in the face! W-what did I do to deserve that, Pinkie?” Twilight growled, gritting her teeth. 

“You SLEPT with MY dragonfriend, or have you forgotten that little piece of information in your studying streak?” Pinkie shouted, slamming her hoof into the wood of the house. She stepped forward and aimed a blow at the unicorn's snout, yet Twilight dodged it with a swift step back. 

“And as Spike no doubt told you, I mean nothing to him. According to him, it was nothing but a one night stand, so as far as I'm concerned, you have no reason-”

“Just shut it, Twilight!” Pinkie interrupted furiously. “I'm not doing it for that cheating, scaled bastard. I'm doing this for me. I don't know what cheating must've been like in Canterlot, but I'm damn well sure a friend isn't supposed to go behind another so called friend's back and sleep with their spouse. I can't believe you, Twilight! I thought I could trust you. I thought Spike was like a brother to you.” 

“I told you after Lyra and Bon-Bon's wedding how I felt about him. That was a year ago, and even then, he was still in love with Rarity. I simply big my time, waiting for the right moment when-”

“Love's not something you can just wait for, Twilight! It comes naturally. You had years and years to tell him your feelings, but you wait until I'm with him to sink your hooves into him, you selfish, nerdy BITCH!” Pinkie Pie screamed, snorting and watching as Twilight trotted towards her. 

Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. “I know, Pinkie, and I'm sorry. Seriously, I know what happened was terrible, but you have to understand. I was still nervous and didn't know how to approach him. I swear on my horn that I never meant to hurt you and-”

“No, you know what? I'm tired of the pity I get from everypony. BUCK YOU, Twilight! I'm not going to listen to your pathetic lies! And because of this damned bottle of rum, I'm tired to bottling in all this rage the past two days, and I'm going to kick your ass!” Pinkie yelled, standing quickly on her hindhooves. 

She slammed her hoof hard into Twilight's cheek. Twilight fell back landing into a slanted half of a table, and when she got back up, wiped the small line of blood trailing down her mouth.

“You don't want to listen to reason? Fine! Bring it, bitch!” Twilight screamed. 

Pinkie dropped back on all four hooves and charged. Twilight dodged to the side, swinging a hoof deep into Pinkie's stomach. The earth pony groaned. Twilight smirked, though her eyes grew when Pinkie Pie headbutted her face, right under her horn, with all of her strength. 

With a scream of rage, Twilight lit up her horn to cast a spell. Pinkie wrapped her hoof firmly around the purple bone, cutting off the flow of magic. Twilight screamed in pain as Pinkie punched Twilight in her face. She did so three times until Twilight had a sense to rise onto her hindhooves and punched Pinkie as hard as she could in the chest. Pinkie was forced to release her horn in agony and sailed into the air, landing hard into the side of the refrigerator. 

Twilight's face was bruised, bloodied, and her head was overwhelmed with hurt from her magic being cut off and backfiring on her. With a snort of fury, Twilight galloped towards Pinkie, jumping over the couch. She briefly flew into the air, landing hard on Pinkie's left rear leg. There was a sickening crack, and a loud cry pierced the room. Pinkie's shouts were silenced by Twilight's hoof, which met with her cheek. Blood sprayed onto the ground from her mouth.

The purple furred mare brought Pinkie's head back and struck again. Pinkie Pie coughed. Twilight quickly took two steps back. Turning around, she aimed her hindlegs at the pink mare's chest. She didn't get the chance to buck her, however, when Pinkie Pie roared and bit her mouth into Twilight's tail.

Twilight scoffed, and Pinkie sent a harsh blow with her hoof into Twilight's teats. Twilight bellowed in agony, but was cut off when the other pony punched Twilight in the ass with all of her strength. The unicorn stumbled, then hit the dining room table with her face.

Pinkie Pie spat blood from her mouth. She turned and stood, limping slowly towards Twilight, who winced in pain from her rear. 

Twilight scowled at her former friend. “Are you finished yet, Pinkie? You got the fight you craved for. Now let's just-”

She was interrupted by Pinkie's hoof making contact with her snout. Blood dripped from her nose, and she fell to her side. Her breathing was heavy and trying to keep away from all the pain.

The pink pony stood before her, watching Twilight do her best to keep from drifting into unconsciousness. 

Blood dripped from Twilight's nose and right eye. She glared at Pinkie Pie, who showed no emotions at all. Her mane and tail were completely straight, her eyes burning bright with rage.

“Done, Twilight Sparkle? I don't think so! Not until you feel the pain I've felt, you BITCH!” she growled in a whisper. She spat in Twilight's face and grabbed a corner of the table. With a cruel, dark grin, she brought it as hard as she could at her former friend. She ignored the mare, not even able to summon her magic to aid her in her suffering, cry out.

Pinkie honestly lost count as to how many times she repeated slamming the hard, broken table on Twilight's body, yet she watched as Twilight delved into unconsciousness. The unicorn's face was completely soaked in blood, staining her fur and almost making it hard to recognize her. The pink mare chuckled monotonously.

“I should have known you never had been in a fight before. Such a weak, pathetic mare. Have fun in the hospital, Twilight Flopple,” Pinkie Pie sneered, backhoofing Twilight's face. After she checked she was breathing, however faintly. 

She noticed a lone cigarette that had fallen to the ground. Grabbing a nearby match, she lit it and placed it in her mouth. 
Breathing a cloud of smoke in Twilight's face, she whispered, “I hope you learned your lesson, bitch.” 

Pinkie turned away and limped towards the front door. Twilight's pet and Peewee fled to aid their owner, though she barely noticed them. Opening the door, she came face to face with Fluttershy, wearing a green cloak encrusted with diamonds and rubies; something no doubt made by Rarity.

The mare's cyan eyes widened in horror at Pinkie's severely injured state.

“Pink-Pinkie... wh-what happened to you?” Fluttershy questioned.

Pinkie blew out some smoke with a dark grin, blocking the mare's view of Twilight's body with her own. “Oh, just a small disagreement with Twilight. She's fine, just a little... out of sorts. Come on, Shy. Let's go to the hospital. I need to get my leg checked,” she said firmly. 

She forced Fluttershy away from Twilight's house, shutting the front door. Wrapping a bloody hoof around Fluttershy, the two trotted away. Fluttershy looked at her in concern, for both her safety as well as her sanity. 

They headed to the hospital in the rain. Pinkie even offered some of her cigarette to Fluttershy, who took one a bit hesitantly. She coughed violently as she took it in, causing Pinkie Pie to laugh coldly. As the two mares went on with their lives, the first ray of sunlight began to peek out from the gray clouds.

> Final Decision; Wrath of a goddess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike the dragon, the Crystal Savior as he was known as by the Crystal Empire slumbered in unrest as he tossed and turned on the couch. Dark, cruel dreams formed in his mind as he was consistently murdered again and again by his ‘friends’ the worst being his own mother, Celestia stabbing him in the chest with her own horn with a harsh grin before he ripped himself from her hollow horn and stumbled back, turning around to look directly into Luna’s eyes as she narrowed them and frowned.

“Have fun with your sins, reptile.” She spat emotionlessly before touching his forehead with a hoof and pushed him back as he fell and was swallowed by darkness, seeing nothing but Luna’s heartless glare as his vision faded.

Falling from a height that was immeasurable he slammed forcibly onto his own bed that rebounded and threw him onto the wooden floor of Golden Oaks Library as he groaned and flinch, expecting pain but felt none as he padded all over his body for any cuts, scrapes or scars, feeling none he stood off the ground and looked around.

It was silent, eerie and forbidding as the dragon breathed calmly through his nose and curled his claws, flexing his ear fins for any sign of sound before he heard soft weeping from what he assumed was downstairs, with a deep breath he walked slowly to the stairs that would lead him to his destination.

The entire library was empty of all items, books, chairs, tables, everything, save for a lone iliac mare that stood in the center of the living room which was cloaked in darkness, tears falling down her face as Spike came down from his descend and curiously stepped towards the unicorn, confused on what was going on.

“T…Twilight? Is….is that you?” He whispered as the weeping suddenly stopped and a cruel chuckle emitted from the Element of Magic’s mouth.

“The reptile comes to mock me….comes to return to the sin he had committed, have you not, Crystal Savior?” Twilight Sparkle breathed slowly, as blood begun to drip down the sides of her face as unusual black mist poured from her mouth to wrap firmly around the drake who wrestled to break free from them, succeeding for an instant before they bounded around his throat as he was forced to use his fire to dissolve them.

“What happened to you, Twi? Where am I and what happened to that-?”

“All I wanted was love from you…unconditional, pure and honest love….I prayed to Cadence, to Celestia, to Luna, even to Discord and Chrysails to just have you give me your heart and yet, even then….I was cast away, just like Pinkie Pie, what are we to you, Spike?” she asked calmly, ignoring the blood pooling onto the floor as Spike closed his eyes, wishing she would not ask such questions and that this dream would end.

“You’re…..not the one I love Twilight, I’m sorry but I swear-”

“Do your words speak true, or are they lies covered in sweet, fuzzy, bucking warmth….is this fetish for you, dragon? After  all I have done for you, all the love I had to offer you, you turn your back on me….on our child, are you proud of yourself…..father to be?” she spat, her words  causing another swarm of black mist to pour out her mouth which Spike blew away with his flames, starting to get annoyed.

“Twilight, I DO love you, but not in the romantic sense, not in the way you would imagine or dream, I’m sorry, I give you my word, listen to me. Please…I’m trying to help, I swear, listen to me, please….LISTEN TO ME!” he screamed as he briskly walked towards her and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, looking at her face to face before jumping back in shock, for she had no eyes. She lit her horn with inner magic and in rage forced his entire body back, slamming him into the ground without a second thought.

“Do not touch me, you scaled beast!” she screamed as he groaned and slowly stood up, holding his now injured left hip which stayed for a second before disappearing as he glared at her.

“What…what the buck are you? Where is Twilight Sparkle?!” he roared, green flames spewing from his mouth as the being smiled darkly.

“Princess Luna, praise her name, formed me to teach you a lesson, Crystal Savior. I’m the alternate version of what would have happened if Twilight Sparkle committed suicide, two years ago. Wanting to tear her own eyes out to rid herself of seeing her own demons, but she changed her mind at the last second and opted to slit her own throat….you are nothing but a selfish mortal dragon set on his ways to injure the poor, broken hearted mare with every step you take, even now she thinks of taking her own life.

But she has a child to birth and rise, even if the father is not there…you are simply pathetic to just leave her to herself, with a child to love and care for, even now-” The dark form of Twilight spoke before pausing in her words to perk her ears to their full height and tilted her head, as if hearing an unknown, silent voice making Spike growl and curl his claws about to injure the dark thought of the mare who loved him before she chuckled darkly.

“It seems you have caught the attention of another, reptile. You have an audience with a Goddess, Spike. Just know that that are hated by Princess Luna and myself, you disgust me, dragon, you are not an honorable dragon of your species….you are merely a joke.” She smirked darkly and flicked her tail, disappearing in a flash of purple light leaving the male to himself.

“Another Goddess, has my mother chosen to give me another chance? What the buck did that bitch mean? I need answers, NOW!” He screamed into the air that echoed his rage and his environment instantly vanished before his eyes as he fell again, landing hard onto white colored marble stone of a floor as he stood up, dusting his scales off as he saw a sight he would have never expected in a thousand years of his lifetime.

Cadence, officially Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Crystal Princess, the Goddess of Love as she was known among the mortal ponies and her own kingdom, the Crystal Empire sat on the throne of the former ruler, King Sombra and was alone in the castle she resided in as she had her eyes narrowed in anger before they briefly flashed pure pink then reverted back to their original color, heated air exhaled from her nostrils as her mouth was made into what seemed like a permanent and angered frown as she closed her eyes and laughed darkly.

“You have no idea how much it cost to make Luna give up her….amusement with you from her own realm, drake, but it is worth far more than your own soul, I guarantee it. I must admit, using an alternate form of Twilight to torture you, very impressive….but that is nothing compared to what I shall do to you, reptile.” She lashed in rage making Spike take a step back in fear from her cruel tone.

“C….Cadence, I, I don’t understand, why would you-”

“Open your eyes, heart breaker. Did you not think I, the Goddess of Love herself would not know what had been transpiring these past few days. Do you know how many times Twilight, bless the poor mare’s heart, prayed to me over and over again to be noticed by you…..YOU!!!” she screamed in outrage, her iris becoming pure pink as her miniature Royal We sent a shock wave that blew Spike off his feet and making him land with his tail over his head as he lifted it out of the way to look clearly at the immortal Alicorn.

“Cadence, please try to understand, what happened-”

“Don’t you DARE try to make excuses to me as you did your friends and own mother, dragon, I know the encompassing of romance and the tragedy that comes from it. Believe it or not, centuries ago theaters were made in my honor, right next to my temple, before it was destroyed in a war….but you know nothing of my past, nor shall you, mortal.” Her words were cruel, sending an icy chill through Spike’s spine as he shivered then stood from the ground, taking a deep breath.

“You can’t let what happened to that bastard husband of yours affect my own life though, the Gods have turned their gaze from me, Luna and my mother told me so themselves, for you to want an audience with me-”

“I know what the ancient laws decreed, you snake! I was there when they were created, even if I was only a filly. You have no right to speak to me of things you do not understand, to mock me of…shit that is not for your ears, reptile. What happened to Shining Armor was something that I did not expect and I have paid the price for my actions…but your sins are your own, Spike.” She whispered her voice harsh as Spike remembered what had happened three years ago.

He was told Shining Armor and a platoon of his soldiers from the Crystal Empire was sent to Zebrican to make peace with the different territories in the foreign country for the new kingdom, but they underestimated a tribe in the East and got caught up in the middle of a war between two long standing rivals, Shining Armor’s soldiers were killed instantly as Armor himself was dragged and tortured cruelly by one of the tribes for information that he had on Equestria and the Crystal Empire, before being hung in public view.

When Cadence learned of this from Discord who was visiting the Gods of the Zebras, she was furious and without hesitation she, in her godly rage, annihilated an entire section of the country, intent on showing the mortals the pain she was overwhelmed by emotionally and physically.

But she had forgotten the price of ruining the lives she had in her rage and that she had caught the attention of the country’s Gods, after the destruction of countless mortals lives she then was met by the Goddess of Earth who was outraged, the dispute ended in a battle never meant for mortal eyes and they fought for three days straight.

Bloodied, battered and exhausted, Cadence killed the Earth Goddess with her own horn stabbed deep into her chest, the result made not only the other Gods of Zebrican angered beyond belief but Celestia and Luna filled with rage as well, as many tribes from the neighboring country formed themselves an army to avenge their Goddess and declare war on the Crystal Empire.

Celestia refused to help her niece and watched in horror as the darkest most harshest war in all of creation took place on Crystal Empire soil, thousands of lives were lost from both sides and to make matters worse for the army of the newly reappeared ponies, their Goddess had not given them her blessing, she had turned away from the massacre she had caused and showed no emotion as her subjects were slaughtered.

After two years the war ended and the Crystal Empire was almost barren, losing its former glory and brilliance it once held all because of a Goddess’s wrath, all of Cadence’s family, the other immortals and mortal family she once had, those still alive disowned her, even Chrysails, her former rival and the Goddess of Illusions felt pity for her but wanted nothing to do with the Crystal Princess, the Goddess of Love was now known as nothing but a monster, and even she could never free herself of her sins.

Her subjects feared her, but even though they despised her, she was still the one they prayed to as she held their kingdom in her hooves and could not let her fade from lack of mortal faith, no matter how much they wished they could.

Once, a year after the war and the kingdom had begun to rebuild their fallen country, a stallion gained an audience with his Princess, despite his mate’s wishes and option, even after the stallion argued with his mate; he still ignored him and went to talk with the Princess.

He wanted for the two to be married, and for Cadence to give them her blessing, and even though she had nothing personally against two stallions wanting to be wedded, she still felt raw, emotional wounds open up in her heart and with a turn of her head and snort of her nostrils, denied the poor stallion his request.

The stallion was outraged, he visibly screamed harsh language towards the mare and called her an awful immortal, going so far to call her a bitch even, but the worse insult was to her former husband and it made her snap.

Furious, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza ordered the stallion hung in public view, just as her mate was which caused the mortals below her to have a very violent outbreak of revolt towards her. A large coward formed, demanding that Cadence pay her dues for the horror she has caused, without hesitation, she lit her horn and burned them all to ashes while they still lived, she then declared that if she is to ever to be opposed again, the kingdom will never rise from its ashes, for it will be destroyed.

So now in the present day, the once beloved Alicorn of love was feared, not once respected by her subjects, she was shunned by all, even Twilight Sparkle but prayed to by her because she could find no other Goddess of Love, the other prayers she was given to keep her from fading were demanded or were forced by threats of death, the darkest and cruelest Goddess in all of history was now not Nightmare Moon nor Chrysails, but Princess Cadence, the Goddess of Love herself.

Spike the dragon curled his claws as he remembered tales of so many innocent lives lost, how he had heard and been told by his own mother to never even mention Cadence’s name again, how the monster of an immortal was now forcing her subjects to build a temple in her name, no doubt to relive her glory days, she was not nor will she ever be the Cadence, Spike known growing up. She was a Goddess in her dark state, just as Luna and Discord had once been; only difference is the Crystal Princess seemed to appreciate the fact that she was feared and hated now that her mate was gone.

He had remembered the cries and letters from the Crystal Empire from the ponies there, begging him to free them from her slavery, Spike once felt the need to stand up and aid the ponies who gave him his title and the country he help liberate, but then he felt reality crash down on his head as he was reminded by Celestia herself…..he is a mortal, even though he was a dragon who lived for thousands of years, he could not fight Cadence to the death without the aid of a God and live, it was suicide.

Even after asking for aid in his fight to Luna, Discord and Chrysails, in which he hated to even bring up her name, he was turned away by them, and given very harsh laughter by Discord who found it hilarious that he would even try to fight an immortal. Celestia did not support him for she did not have the heart to kill her own niece, even after all the suffering she had caused.

Spike once asked Twilight and her friends to help him free the ponies, but even after facing two Gods and an army themselves, they did not wish to push their luck for they knew they would not win and encasing Cadence in stone would do nothing to improve her attitude, it was a lost cause, and they all knew it.

So Spike had one more sin, that of guilt to stain his scales and knew it would haunt him for the rest of his days, for the Crystal Savior….could not save his own ponies from their Goddess, as much as he tried.

Spike gritted his fangs looking upon the Alicorn that caused so much distress and ruin over one simple pony, he had no clue what she wanted from him, but he would be damned if he did not try to ask or rather demand it from her.

“Why did you bring me here? After so many other ponies pray to you and want your Tartarus cursed blessing with their own lives? I LOVE Pinkie Pie, but what I did with Twilight was a mistake, you can’t hold that against me!” He shouted, angered that he would be judged for one simple night of passion with his best friend.

“You think I brought you here to redeem you of your sins? Ha, no reptile, no I brought you here to simply give you a choice, one you seem to have difficulty making on your own, you scaled bastard. So…you shall choose now or so help me I will rip your spiritual and physical body apart myself and suffer the consequences later as the result of my actions……CHOOSE, CRYSTAL SAVIOR, THE ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER OR MAGIC?!”

“What does it matter to you anyway? You can’t do anything since the Gods turned their gaze from me!” He shouted in rage, green flames spewing from his mouth as her eyes alighted pure pink, exploding in rage she slammed her fore hooves on the armrest of her throne, unleashing an ungodly amount of force into her explosion that was aimed directly at Spike who screamed, closing his eyes and praying his mother forgave him bracing for impact, knowing his spiritual body would be torn to shreds and no doubt his physical body would be caused pain he never dreamed before opening his eyes to feel nothing.

He looked before him to see Discord holding out his lion paw to absorb the blow; the Draconequus grinned a dark smile as Spike relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Discord, why have you intervened in as private affair? Answer me, now.” Cadence spat in disgust as the God of Chaos and Disharmony merely chuckled with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh come now my dark little demon of love, use your intelligence for a moment and think, you never allowed the poor scaled child here to answer, you should know what would happen if you ‘accidently’ killed Celestia’s little….pet. Do you honestly think she would let you kill her child? She loves Spike more than her own sister, he is her son. She would kill you without thought if you were to slay him, even if you are her niece, she has ignored your little…temper tantrum so far, but this…..ha, she would burn your kingdom to ashes if you laid one hoof on poor little bastard Scales over here.” He laughed before summoning a familiar red couch out of thin air, the very couch that belonged to Rarity; Spike noticed and rested his body on it.

Cadence seethed in anger, gritting her teeth as hard as she could before opening her mouth to speak “I grow impatient, Discord, Twilight’s love for him is enormous, even now it is still strong, despite her injuries she has gained fighting Pinkie Pie for his betrayal.” She said calmly with a snort of heated air from her nostrils.

“Wait, what?! Twilight is in the hospital, what happened to Pinkie Pie?!” Spike questioned, not even noticing that Discord placed his eagle talon of a limb on his chest to stop his movement.

But his answer was ignored as Discord scoffed and getting comfortable he summoned a tall glass of pink lemonade about to lift it to his lips to take a drink when Cadence shattered it with her magic, her eyes glowing pink with fury again.

“Pay attention you damned mutant, why are you here?! You have no right to enter into my realm, I had made a deal with Luna, and his soul is MINE!” She screamed as Discord only laughed.

“Soul? Please, Goddess of Love, his soul belongs to Death alone, we both know that, and I was never told I could not be invited unannounced to the…party.” He smirked as Cadence only rolled her eyes.

Spike was getting irritated, now not only was he being played with by Luna and Cadence but Discord to, this was more than enough for his liking.

“Hey, you two love bastards want to have your little love spat then leave me out of it, otherwise, someone tell me why I was bucking dragon napped?!” Spike screamed as both turned towards him in annoyance, Discord’s own eyes glowing pure red with godly power unknown to Spike.

“I would watch your tongue, reptile. Celestia may kill us if we were to rip your spine out but don’t think we still won’t tear out that split pink muscle you call a tongue from your throat!” Discord roared as he towered over Spike who only blinked with a deadpanned expression on his face.

“And I should be scared of you why?” He questioned calmly to the Draconequus whose mouth dropped opened in shock before his jaw literally fell to the floor and he had to reattach it as he wrapped the dragon around his tail, and screeched with his eyes once more glowing pure red.

“BECAUSE WE ARE GODS YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF SCALES, WE DEMAND RESPECT!”  As Spike only smirked and yawned.

“So is my mother, what’s your point? Look, something happened with Twilight that I need to be in a physical state for, so are you going to let me go now to continue your little quarrel or-” his voice was interrupted as he was tossed over Discord’s shoulder to slam face first into the ground before the spirit looked at the Alicorn still seated on her throne.

“He makes a good point, Princess Pain in the Ass, maybe we should give him….options to his final decision?” Discord spoke slowly as Spike rubbed his snout even though he felt no pain and grimaced with an angered look at the God.

“I do not agree with the ‘we’ part, Discord, you are both in MY realm, so it is my choice, and yet…I am interested in what you have planned for the cheater.” Cadence spoke calmly as Discord winked at her and summoned a glass of red wine for the mare to quench her thirst as she only nodded in thanks before drinking from the glass and waiting for Discord’s ‘options’ as he made Rarity’s red couch vanish from sight with a snap of his tail.

“Don’t get your tail in a knot, Love Demon. Now Spike, I suggest you pay attention closely.” Discord whispered into the dragon’s left ear fin, his head detaching from his body to roll into his left eagle talon as the head continued to talk “Now, you shall truly learn of the two choices laid before you, Crystal Savior, for I am only going to tell you this once.” He chuckled darkly before his head rolled back onto his neck and he took a few steps back, forming two perfect pink replicas of both Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, one in his lion paw and the other in his eagle talon.

Spike looked at both of them, memorized by the detail that the God had created from his outstretched limbs as Twilight turned to him, a loving, caring smile filled with warmth and honesty as she spoke, and her words breaking Spike’s heart.

“You turned your back on me, rejected our child like it was a Tartarus created monster and denied that our one night of passion was not the most magical night either of us has ever experienced and yet, even after all your harsh words and the lies you had spat towards other creatures, I still love you Spike, you’re my number one assistant, my noble dragon…my Crystal Savior. If not for me you would have never been hatched that’s true, but then again I would have never gained a best friend and never would have fallen in love, I love you, Spike. Despite your sins, why do you injure me with your cruel words of neglect? Why do I and our child mean so little to you when you allowed yourself to deny the love I offer you? Why even now do you try to crush my heart still, dragon?”
She whispered, tears of regret for her choice in a romantic partner trailing down her face as Spike closed his eyes, not understanding that these were prayers Cadence had collected from the unicorn, all rolled into one honest and heartfelt message for the dragon over the years.

His eyes switched from the eagle talon of Twilight’s portrait to the lion paw that was Pinkie Pie’s as he braced himself for her words.
“I’d admired you for so long; again and again I was never noticed because you were in love with a fashion designer who showed no romantic attraction to you, Celestia please; tell me why I’m never noticed by him? Does he still chase with his heart out towards Rarity even after four years? She’s my best friend but any pony can see that poor Spike only lusts after her, like a grown stallion only wanting to get his rocks off on a mare, a one night stand. It will fade, I know it will, I see the despair and anger in poor Spike’s eyes when Rarity talks of meeting the stallion of her dreams, I know it won’t last, but I fear Spike will do something desperate to get her attention, please….Celestia protect your son from heartbreak.

We spent the most intimate times with one another I had ever had the experience of living and I’m starting to help him break out of his shell, inch by inch, now if only I could keep him from smoking so much, that would be a miracle. Oh Gods, I can’t believe what I just been told by Spike himself, he betrayed me, with Twilight, can you believe that, Princess Celestia…with Twilight. He told me he did not love her, that…his eyes told the truth and yet, I could not associate myself with him anymore, I had given him everything…well, almost everything. Am I praying to the wrong Goddess? Should I even try to pretend like you or any of the Gods care for me? Buck this, I can’t take this emotional pain anymore, I think I hear a bottle calling my name, Spike never cared for me….he does not love me like I love him, it seems.”

Pinkamena Diane Pie’s words tore Spike’s heart out of his chest, he would have never once imagined her to be so…serious, so heartfelt in her words, that she had to pray to Celestia over and over to be noticed by him, it pained him that both mare’s thought so highly of him, as if…as if he was a God himself, it made him want to cry and scream in outrage at the same time.

Dropping to his knees , Spike covered his ear fins with his claws as if to drown out the voices of the honest mares words, which only made it worse when he realized it did not work, not for him, this was his fault, these were his sins, and it was time for him to face them like a real dragon.

“Pinkie Pie’s prayers were for Celestia, not you Discord, how in Equestria did you obtain them from her? Mortal prayers are only for the God the mortal prays to!” Cadence growled in annoyance as Discord laughed before winking, ignoring Spike completely.

“I siphoned them from her as she slept, even though she could not dream, she was a really heavy sleeper, I even got some of Fluttershy’s prayers meant for Luna when I got bored and wanted to see what she was up to, and I saw some…disturbing dreams that Chrysails paid Luna to have when I visited her, it was funny as hay. What some Gods do when they are bored, eh? So reptile, you found out how much of trash you honestly are, not only to us, but to the mares who love you. Therefore I’ll only ask you once….which of the ponies holds your heart, truthfully, the Element of Magic….or Laughter?”  Discord asked seriously, turning his head to see the scaled teenager as he opened his eyes and thought carefully of his choice.

Spike really did not know who to go to, of whom would it benefit if he chose one over the other, of what drastic measures would each mare take if he picked favorites, yet. Even now he knew he could not deny the reasons of why he had to choose one mare over the next, it was only fair.

“What will happen if I chose Pinkie Pie?” Spike whispered as Discord grinned and closed his talon over Twilight’s image, showing Spike a future that was filled with a small version of himself and the Party Mare, how the two quickly went from one scene of romance to the next, before it went into marriage then of them having Kirin’s of their own and finally, when old and gray, he was standing at her bedside as she died peacefully, free from guilt as he heard that her last words to him were “I forgive you.” The real Spike felt a smile on his snout as he knew what Discord had shown him was the truth.

“What will happen to Twilight then?” He growled, knowing such a bright future could not be said for the mare would really love him, life was no fairy tale.

Discord sighed loudly as he closed his lion paw and opened up his eagle talon, showing how the future Twilight would live out her life.

He saw his best friend heavily pregnant, alone in her house as she cried herself to sleep which changed rapidly to the mare giving birth to their child, a male Spike heard her name Nightheart, who came out healthy, strong and with some powerful lungs, which then changed to the boy being a child and asking where his father was which brought a tear to her eyes as she lied to him, it then changed to their son being older, a grown teenager now, falling into his forsaken father’s habit of smoking and swearing before he and his mother got into a loud fight, ending with him screaming that she was a worthless, old pony who did not know how it felt to be a half breed.

He left out the door, never to return as Twilight wept, Spike then saw her getting heavily into drinking, drink after drink before puking blood one night, finding out next that her liver was dying, that she was dying, as she laid on her death bed with her son and friends even four of the Gods, Cadence herself even by her bedside she told her son the story of his father, how she once loved him and could never find love again, how he was not to search for him for he wanted nothing to do with either of them, how she wished she was given a more peaceful life, and then…she died in her son’s arms who cried, cursing his father’s name.

Spike curled his claws in rage; small green flames were snorted out his nose as he looked up to Discord whose face was emotionless.

“That’s not true, you’re bucking lying, Twilight would never turn to alcohol to dull her pain….the pain I caused her, she would have found love and…..and…you’re lying.” He growled as Discord narrowed his eyes, closing both limbs as his entire body glowed red with anger.

“I gotten these alternate versions of the future from Death himself, you want to argue with the very first creature ever formed on this world, then do so with him but don’t you dare question that I would ever make up something so serious, mortal. Twilight found no other lover because of you; you tore out her heart from her chest when you spat in her face.

And she gave birth to her child, raised him and lived her life, forgetting all about you until that fateful day when she turned to drinking to try to subside the agony YOU caused, boy. This is the true, take it as you will, but don’t ever raise your voice at me and call me a liar ever again or both of their lives shall play out in a dark form.” He roared before calming down as Spike’s eyes widen in horror.
“What do you mean dark form? What the buck will happen to Pinkie Pie if I chose Twilight?!” He screamed before closing his snout firmly with his claws as Discord scoffed with a roll of his eyes and opened his lion paw once more to show a realistic view of Pinkie Pie.

Spike saw how Pinkie Pie’s mane and tail deflated when he told her he had made his choice which changed to her slowly forgiving him before it went to her dating both mares and stallions, he saw her dating Big Macintosh, Carmel, Doctor Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings and even Vinyl Scratch, as it ended with her marrying Vinyl Scratch, the two happy for many years because they could both keep up with one another’s life style and never wanted to change the other as they adopted a colt, and lived their life as an honest family but all was not as it seemed as Pinkie’s descended very quickly.

Vinyl was caught bucking another mare in their own bed, five years after they were married it seemed to Spike, after her very large verbal fight with Pinkie she stormed out of the house, leaving her son and wife to themselves, the scene then changed to Vinyl being arrested for possession of drugs before it rapidly switched to her hoofing her horn ring to Pinkie Pie stating she wanted a divorce as Pinkie only came to visit her wife, right in front of their son.

A year or two later she lost her child due to Foal Services as she had to work so many hours and was never able to be there for her him, having to support them. She cried and cried herself to sleep for hours before finally, she got up, grabbed a bottle of white wine and drank the entire bottle, smashing it on the ground she made sure to step on the shards before she took a rope from her closet and tied it to a support beam above her, Pinkie Pie with nothing else to lose as her mane and tail were completely straight, hung herself, never once pausing in her actions or even bothering to leave a suicide note as her last words written in blood on a bathroom mirror were.

“Nopony cares about me.”.

Spike felt tears run down his face as he looked at Discord; his voice broke as he asked if this was really Pinkie’s path for him choosing another mare instead of her as Discord only nodded.

“It does not have to be her path though, Spike, neither one has to suffer such a dark fate. But you have to be careful in your words to them and in who you really chose, go after your heart, not what your hormones say, so chose, dragon.” Discord spoke quietly as he closed his paw again and turned, a lone tear running down his own face which he wiped away with his tail as Spike thought very calmly of the mare he would give his heart to, he could not make a mistake, and both of their lives depended on it.

“I…..I…I chose.” He could not make up his mind; it seemed both of their lives would end in tragedy no matter which he chose, why did life have to be so cruel as to send both of the mares into a grave all because of one simple mistake he made?

“I……..I chose-”

“Choose already, YOU SCALED BEAST!” Cadence screamed, obviously her dark state and impatience overriding her once caring and loving nature she once had as Discord only chucked and looked over to the distressed dragon without a word.

“I chose….Twilight.”
> To make amends with lost souls; Amusement for the gods
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cadence lifted an eyebrow in confusion of the dragon’s choice, before her muzzle twisted in a frown as she spoke; her tone holding barely contained irritation.

“After all the augments within yourself and to others you chose the mare who you love the least, a mare who would have given anything to be in your arms and to raise your child, and yet you do not love her, at least in no romantic sense, that much is true…so why her, Spike?” She questioned with a narrow of her eyes as he sighed loudly.

“I’m so sick and tired of playing this game, I have a...well from what Discord has shown me from Death himself, a son to raise, I love Pinkie Pie, I always will and she’ll always hold a special place in my heart, but for me to just mindlessly ignore my child….my flesh and blood that has ramifications I will never be able to forgive of myself, ever” he spat with a tone of malice for himself as Discord only scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“And this is why I’m glad we can’t have irritating brats with mortals, eh, Cadence? Anyway, it’s of no use trying to convince him to go after the suicidal mare, his mind is made up it seems, how shallow.” He laughed with a small amount of mirth forcing Spike to turn towards the Draconequus and growl with a small amount of green embers spewing from his mouth.

“Says a careless, mindless God who eradicates everything in his path, buck you Discord!” the reptile spoke coldly as the spirit only chuckled while summoning another portrait of Twilight, swaying the image of her in his eagle talon before closing it firmly, evaporating it from sight with a small sigh.

“You would say such words with little knowledge of immortals, drake. Tell me though, have you ever given serious thought as to what will happen when both the unicorn and earth pony pass from this life? I hear Death is not very….forgiving of those trying to force their way into his realm, if that is your attempt of direction, Scales.” He laughed harshly as Spike closed his eyes, curling his claws in rage as the God had seem to already know of Spike’s plan to bargain with Death…not a very wise one in hindsight.

“Maybe not, but I have to try, I can’t give up on them...I just can’t. Weather you aid me or not is of no concern, monster!” he answered as Discord only gave him a dark grin.

“Enough, you two, Discord you have proven your use, now leave, I will not tolerate you being in my domain without permission any longer.” Cadence spoke coldly glaring at the God who winked at her with his right eye before snapping his tail and forming Rarity’s couch once more into existence before laying comfortably on it with a yawn.

“Yet my presence seems to be very much needed, Goddess of Love.  I can see it in your eyes that you need a male in your bed, must be so lonely going to bed at night and having sleepless dreams without the warmth of another near your body, eh?” He chuckled softly making the Alicorn growl at him, her eyes glowing pure pink in outrage.

Before she could unleash her fury on him however, Spike still needed a question answered and he would not allow a small dispute to deny him of it.

“Wait, before you two fight, which I have no doubt you will before throwing yourselves into bed it seems,” Spike ignored Cadence’s snort of anger and Discord blowing a kiss to her with a wink “Tell me Discord…what will happen if I chose Twilight?” He whispered slowly making the mix matched animal put an eagle talon to his chin and stroke his beard which detached before he caused it to burst into orange flame and ashes before it had immediately reassembled back into its original shape.

“What do you think, Spike? The two of you shall have a happy ending, well…as happy as you could have when the prize is nothing more than a sniveling brat and an unhappy mare that will never be loved by you but hey…two out of three is not bad, eh?”  He answered making Spike grit his fangs at the casual, boring tone of the God before him who had for some reason put ice skates onto the ends of the couch and was skating effortlessly on the ceiling.

“Life’s not a BUCKING fairy tale, Discord I know what I’m doing is only for my child but that does not mean that something bad won’t happen to her because of my choice right?” he asked to Discord who merely stretched and yawned loudly.

“No use showing you the future if you have already anticipated the answer now, hey reptile? The two of you will never get married, never fall in love and shall only be together for the kid, sounds pretty basic, Twilight won’t be suicidal, I promise you that, but she will eventually fall for one who will take her heart since you keep ignoring her, I forgot who though and frankly don’t care but she’ll die a mortal death, for what it’s worth, free of guilt or regret well except that small detail of falling head over tail for you but that problem corrects itself, eh?” He replied calmly with a roll of his eyes, transforming the couch into a griffin, a familiar one Spike realized as he noticed that Discord was riding an unconscious Gilda, using his own wings to keep the two afloat.

“So…no real bad consequences to my choice then?” he wondered as Discord only scowled and switched Gilda for a cane, top hat and monocle.

“No good sir, I’m afraid not, well at least none that Death has revealed to me anyway. Pick either mare and apparently you get a ‘happy’ ending, each with their own dark paths, life’s funny that way, don’t you agree? Of course as I said before, speak words that can alter their paths and you may be able to prevent both from meeting such…gruesome ends, so chose your words carefully, drake.” He chuckled emotionlessly, clicking his tongue which made an enormous sundial watch appear over his lion paw and made him drop to the ground but he seemed unfazed or hurt from the drop.

“Wait, please I just have-”

“And we are out of time, thank you Spike the dragon for playing ‘Pathetic mortal lives!’ Tune in next time and you could have a chance to win immortality, tell him what he’s won, Jerry.” Discord yelled into the air as cheerful music blasted from all corners of the room and a loud, obnoxious voice answered back with forced cheer.

“Spike the dragon has won the honor of being thrown painfully back into his physical body and has been denied access to call upon the God of Chaos and Disharmony for the remainder of his life time, congratulations, Crystal Savior and thank you for playing, brought to you by Diseased Stallion cigarettes, smoke ‘em while you got ‘em!.”  The voice boomed back with humor as Spike’s eyes widened in panic.

“WAIT-” he screamed which was all for naught as his spiritual body instantly evaporated into blue light causing Discord to grin before turning towards the annoyed Alicorn.

“So, Princess Cadence…shall we do this the easy way, or the hard way?” The God spoke with a dark glint in his eyes as the Alicorn merely sighed with a roll of her eyes.

“Hard.” She replied in a bemused tone while her eyes alighted pink once more making Discord chuckle.

“Oh, Cadence, you flatter me.” He laughed before summoning two spheres of pure blue energy in both limbs before changing at the dark Goddess with a roar.

*****************************************************************************************

The reptile awoke with a painful gasp, sweat dripping down his face as he wiped a claw over it before calming down slightly to reflect on the decision he made while sitting up and drawing his claws over his face slowly as he tried to breathe.

“I’m doing this for my...son. To not make him a bastard, or Twilight a lone mare trying to raise a kid on her own and myself for….to redeem myself, do I even deserve such though? Could I atone for my sins and for once not be looked at by every creature as a…..monster?” He pondered softly to himself as he rose off the couch and stepped slowly towards the front door.

Every step was agonizing and felt forced, repeated as he questioned to himself the words he needed Twilight to hear to mend what he had broken, to correct his faults after all he had done to her, though not for himself but for their child.

“I rejected a mare who loved me more then I will ever understand and now that I shattered her heart, who is to say she will even forgive me? Mother, please….I need your help. I know you can’t be there for me anymore but please look at Twilight. LOOK AFTER YOUR STUDENT!!!” He screamed to himself while wiping his face once more and reaching towards his ear fins for a cigarette, only to find nothing but air greet him in his midst.

“Shit, I forgot to grab a smoke.” Spike growled to himself, hating himself more as the clocked ticked on while he began to run to the hospital, ignoring the angered and hated glares of the ponies around him, feeling their gaze on his back as he trekked closer to his destination.

The reptile swore that he could hear voices of ponies whispering behind his back which he shrugged off carelessly, in no mood to deal with faceless voices who could only speak of ill words away from him making him walk faster until he at last saw the hospital within range, looking up at the slightly cloudy sun and thanking his mother for a blessed morning before walking towards the entrance and seeing a sight he never expected
.
Fluttershy herself was outside the hospital walls, leaning near the doors with her back to it as she sat on the dirt, unfazed by the squirrels, chipmunks and birds around her trying to get her attention as the mare smoked a cigarette calmly, closing her eyes and trying to relax from what seemed to be no doubt an ordeal she had just gone through.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” Spike asked the Pegasus who opened an eye, which narrowed slowly then blinked as she only sighed loudly, closing the eye and using her tail to remove the nicotine, tapping the ashes onto the ground before she replied in a monotone voice.

“Waiting for Pinkie Pie’s results after her...disagreement as she put it with Twilight. Whatever had happened, sure did a lasting imprint to both of them.” She responded before placing the cigarette back into her mouth and taking another drag as Spike looked over her in confusion.

“Never took you for a smoker. Got another one you can lend, please? And how are Pinkie and Twilight?” He asked the mare who opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow as she reached out a hoof towards the saddlebag Spike had not noticed closely hidden beside her body and took out a pack of the Equestrian brand of cigarettes he was so familiar with before tossing him the pack, which he clumsily caught.

Opening it, he noticed only one out of the twenty had been taken out, rendering it brand new before taking another from the small box and alighting it with his flames, inhaling deeply before exhaling out his nose, expelling a large cloud of gray smoke as he watched Fluttershy do the same before he gave her back the pack.

“To be honest I never really was into it, thought it was a disgusting, bits wasting habit. But after watching you do it for years and noticing recently how dull and bland my life really was not counting my marefriend, I decided to...liven things up a bit. I’m twenty two, Spike. I’m not getting any younger, and to be honest. I’m a grown...bucking mare and this is only my first pack,” she paused, blushing a bit at seeing Spike’s surprised expression on her vague use of words, not knowing she was one to swear making her clear her throat before taking another, larger drag of her tobacco.

“As for Twilight and Pinkie Pie, they fought one another like their lives depended on it, Applejack was the one to find Twilight, I would have helped carry her here  but Pinkie was already dragging me to the hospital, she’s asleep now and I chose to take a break, Twilight should be awake though...Spike, whatever you done to affect their friendship, I only pray you make this right. If it were any creature else, I might have punched you in the jaw...if I had the courage that is but for you...all I can do is tell you to try to make amends with them, you seem to be the only one holding Twilight together.” She whispered before taking one last drag of her nicotine and exhaling it out her mouth, flicking the remains to the side with her tail before standing, putting on her saddlebag and walking inside.

The dragon was left alone with his thoughts, ponderings on the words he would say to his best friend as he inhaled one last drag of his cigarette and tossed the remains away, breathing loudly while running his claws over his face slowly.

With as much mental courage as he could muster, he entered into the hospital, seeing Nurse Redheart walk towards him before asking her where Twilight was assigned, after saying thank you for her assistance, he dragged himself to her room and stood near  the door, looking with dread over what he would find before slowly turning the knob and opening it, seeing the mare’s coat with dried blood, her face swollen, bruised and had stitches, looking hazard, her right eye completely shut as the blankets she had been given were thrown to the floor, her left eye trailing to meet her visitor making her snort angrily through her nose as she narrowed the eye.

Spike stood awkwardly in front of the open door, losing his nerves of what words his brain had conjured up to...repair what he had broken, such a deep, trustworthy and meaningful bond ruined all because he gave her permission to explore his body when he was with another, then fled like a coward once she had not only confessed her love to him but told him she was going to have his child and now...after surviving a very brutal, rage induced battle with one of her best friends now he had come crawling back to ask for her forgiveness, all because he did not want to see her go down such a bleak and unfulfilling road of despair, this was his mess, his mistake, his sins...it was time to be an adult and make amends.

“If I had the strength, I’d punch you as hard as I could in your jaw right now….what do you want?” She asked, her voice filled with spite making Spike wince, he deserved that, they both knew it.

“To apologize, I...I just came to say I’m sorry and that-”

“You want me now? What, after all the times you rejected me to my face, how you said you wanted nothing to do with me, you now come back, because of what? You needed a consolation prize, Spike?” She whispered darkly causing the dragon’s ear fins and tail to drop.

“It’s not like that, Twilight, I swear..please, if you only let me explain-”

“I told you if you walked out that door don’t you ever come back and do you remember what your reply was? ‘Don’t plan to.’ That was the reply you gave me, Crystal Savior.” her tone was as lethal as venom as she spat the last word with mockery.
“Twi, please…..you don’t know all I been through ok, you really don’t...I can’t...I can’t tell you just how much I’m sorry for what I done to you, seriously, words can not express-

“This is not some bucking romance novel, Spike! This is real life, I’m pregnant with YOUR child, I fought against your mate, I allowed you to take the two most precious things I hold dear and you….you defiled them for some cheap entertainment. I wish I’d never gone to that entrance exam that day.” She sniffed, making Spike’s heart drop at how sincere her words sounds, how sad and lonely she felt.

He walked closer to her, as he neared her bed he reached out a claw and wrapped it around her hoof before she jerked it away, like she just got struck by a cobra.

“Don’t touch me.” she hissed harshly, tears running down her good eye before she wiped them away with a hoof and looked away from him.

“What can I do..please, please tell me what I can do to make amends, Twilight. I’m sorry...I truly, honestly am sorry, I never wanted to hurt you, I never meant to hurt you but if you had just-”

“Don’t you dare try to put your blame on me, Spike. I did all I could aside from just grabbing your face and kissing your lips as hard as I could to show you just how much you meant to me...how much I loved you….what I would do or give to be with you. But you were already taken..if only….if only I had walked out of the party to chase after you, if only I had….so many scenarios could have been played out if I had just a little more courage and yet….I probably still would not have been the mare you would have fallen in love with...don’t drag me down with you, Spike….I’ve paid for my sins in full, yours are still stained to your scales.” she muttered with a snort, leaning her head back on the pillow and closing her eye, trying to do what she could to get rid of what she had hoped was only a dream.

Silence resonated throughout the room, the two only breathing before Spike curled his claws, and lashed his tail.

“So there is no hope for us then, is that what you are telling me, Twilight?” He questioned making her whisper so softly he could barely hear her.

“There never was.”

“What of….our child then? Will you raise it on your own?” He asked making her give a soft chuckle.

“Don’t have much choice if the father never wants to be around, now do I? No, to be honest I thought of getting rid of it, but I’m not such a monster to willingly just have an abortion. I would regret it for the rest of my life, we both know that...I could never deal with such guilt….but I could never bring a child into this world knowing he or she would never meet their father, never live a happy and carefree life of simple bliss like a family should, so….I decided to allow the baby to be born and then...give it up for adoption.” She spoke as a lone tear trailed down her closed eye.

“Adoption? But Twilight, what kind of creature do you know that would willingly take a dragon and unicorn hybrid? My species can’t stand each other, never mind a mixture of two species, and your own lives in fear of mine. Do you honestly think-”

“Then maybe I’ll just give it to Celestia so she can be a bucking grandmother, seeing as how you are such her special little boy!” She screamed, her left eye wide open as she exhaled harshly through her nose, panting from yelling, ignoring the beeping that came due to her blood pressure rising on the monitor near her.

“What does it matter to you anyway? You don’t want to be part of our family, I know I could never get your image out of the baby’s likeness and we both know I could never have the heart to murder my child...I doubt any mother could, I’ll figure those details out when I come to them. If you come to save your soul from the pits of Tartarus, you failed….monsters like you don’t deserve a happy ending. I’m tired, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore...please close the door on your way out.” She wheezed sharply, before turning away from him and levitating the blanket onto her body, a single tear trailing down her eye before she closed it and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Spike sat there stunned, his right claw gripping the edge of her blanket so hard he tore through the fabric.

He had thousands, millions of words he wanted to say to her to try to change her mind, to try to make her see that he was going to change, to reshape her future into a happy one.

But a simple, even soothing thought entered into his mind to stop him from opening his mouth and lashing out at her like he believed he ought to do….that he had shifted the direction of the destiny Discord had shown him, of the dark path at least...of her committing suicide through alcohol poisoning.

He had changed her future with his words, though it saddened him that neither of them would want to have the child in their lives, her choice was reasonable, it was wise and honestly….it was best course of action for their son, he knew.

Blinking, Spike stood up, reaching a claw out to stroke her tail one last time before he stopped himself...it would only damage him more emotionally if he lingered any longer.

So he walked slowly out the room, and with one last glance back at his former best friend, he closed the door and once again walked out of her life, though this time he knew it was permanent.

Dejected and depressed from his conversation with Twilight, Spike never even realized he had bumped into the pony until he collided with her, looking into the tired, and sadden eyes of Nurse Redheart who smiled softly at him.

“It’s such a shame to have a pony you admire the most turn their back on you, eh, Spike?” she spoke softly making him confused on how she could have known what he was going through.

“I don’t know just how-”

“Please, Spike, I've lived for a very long time, don’t play coy with me on matters of the heart.” she responded making him shiver uncomfortably.

“You’re not Nurse Redheart.” He snarled as she only offered a cruel smile before her eyes flashed green for a second.

“And they say you are supposed to be the dull one, reptile, amusing, really.” She chuckled forcing Spike to take a threatening step towards her as she only scoffed and threw him up against the wall, forcibly detained he saw a long, crooked black horn mesmerize from her forehead emitting green magic which held him before she revealed her true form as the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis.

Spike released a dark laugh from his lips while the Alicorn ran a hoof up his chin and back hoofed him across the face.

“You were a mortal who I was supposed to feast off of, instead you allowed yourself to travel a road most mortals would have taken their own lives if not given an option of either mare, it appears my older brother, Discord owes me forty bits.” She smirked causing Spike to roll his eyes.

“So what does the Goddess of Illusions want with little old me, you already no doubt know of all the shit I had gone through.” He snarled making her click her tongue.

“Agreed, I had originally come here to murder four of the Elements of Harmony and no pony would suspect a thing, but now I find myself...entertained by such a low life bag of scales such as you...ohhh...if only dear little Luna had not laid that curse upon you, now we are forbidden from interacting with such a pathetic piece of shit, a shame really, my gaze has been somewhat drawn to the choices you would have made. No matter, in truth you are no concern of mine and I can simply take all the mares lives when I so chose, call it a….bitter happy ending for both of us if you will, mortal.” She laughed harshly.

Spike struggled to be free of the magic surrounding him but she was too powerful, with a roll of her eyes she harshly let him drop to the ground.

“I suggest you chose the path you now travel carefully, drake, you have no idea how many other of my Godly family outside of Equestria wishes to win the bets they have placed on you.” She spoke softly and turning away, flicked his nose with her tail before a loud crash sounded beside Spike who jumped and turned away, looking at the source of a working nurse who accidentally dropped a toilet pail and smiled sheepishly as him before he turned back to Chrysalis only to notice with irritation that she was gone.

Letting out an angered cloud of black smoke from his nostrils, he stomped away to ask the nurse where Pinkie Pie was stationed and with a small nod of thanks went to her room.

Wiping sweat from his brow with his tail, he grimaced at how exactly he was to derail her from her own dark future path before reaching out and opening the door knob slowly, opening the door he saw the sight of the mare he had once come to love looking in terrible shape.

A leg brace was holding a broken front hoof firmly while her face had cuts and bruises, her right eye half way closed and an I.V. embedded into her right leg with a sad smile on her face while Fluttershy sat on a chair and read from a book, pausing as Spike entered the room, not even noticing the Cakes there with their foals who were now both respectfully a young colt and filly look towards the dragon, Cup Cake whispering for their children and husband to stand from their seats as they trotted out the room, not even making eye contact with the dragon.

As they left, Fluttershy herself put her book away, placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder and whispered something into her ear before giving her a firm hug and with a small smile at Spike she too left the two alone.

Entering into the room and shutting the door with his tail, Spike fiddled with his claws nervously as he looked around the bland room she was given, noticing all the get well soon cards and snacks Pinkie Pie had received from her friends as the mare herself cleared her throat.

Glancing towards the Earth Pony he was surprised to see that she was not angry but the look on her face was one of disappointment, making him sigh and wrung his tail in his claws as he looked into her eyes.

“Hi.” He spoke softly making her give the same reply with a gentle tone before he took a few steps closer towards her bed, sitting down, he sighed loudly and let go of his tail which fell softly to the bed.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you Pinkie...that I've done so much to break your heart and that I never even bothered to be an adult and say I’m sorry…” he said loud enough for her to hear before seeing her ears drop in the corner of his right eye as she only smiled.

“Guess I have some blame for not even bothering to hear both sides of the story, I acted irrationally and with malice, I allowed my emotions to overrule logical thinking...I never even gave you a chance to explain really...I’m sorry.”  she responded calmly making him chuckle and gently reach out a claw to hold her hoof but she pulled it away slowly.

“But as much as I can forgive you...as much as I want the two of use to move on from such a dark chapter in our lives, I also want to say that I don’t want us to be in a romantic relationship together, Spike. I’ll always love you, but only as a friend.” she continued making Spike nod in understanding before his eyes widen in also remembering that even though it would seem like a mutual friendship, if he allowed her to just forgive him that she would head down a dark path, he had to find a way to keep her from trailing such a road as he coughed to clear his throat, trying to think of something.

“What if...I were to help you find another who would enjoy your company as much as I have?” He asked softly making her smile before leaning back and sighing.

“As much as I appreciate your kindness, Spike I already have somepony in mind, don’t get me wrong, you were so sweet, gentle and lots of fun to be with but we just don’t...connect. I’m sorry.” She replied causing him to brace himself as to whose as caught her eye as he asked who it was.

“A fun loving and caring soul by the name of Cheerilee, you know, the only school teacher Ponyville has, sure she’s Big Macintosh’s ex marefriend but I been told she has her eyes on mares now and well….she came in for a banana smoothie one day and we just sort of...talked. I love you Spike, honestly but….it seems we have to go our separate ways now.” Pinkie spoke, Spike hearing her voice break at the end of her sentence before he sighed softly in relief, Cheerilee was not one of pony that would cause Pinkie to go down her suicidal path, in a way….he had changed the direction of her future.

“I understand, Pinkie...thank you. I would have never thought you would have forgiven me for-”

“Hey,” She whispered making him look her in the eyes to see a serious expression doned on her face “It affects every creature around you if you hold a grudge inside your heart for something you can’t control….I forgive you, ok. And even though we part as lovers, we will never part as friends, Spike. And that’s a Pinkie Promise.” she chuckled making him laugh.

“I’m hoping this means you and Twilight can patch things up as friends now?” He asked causing her left ear to twitch and her tail to wave angrily before it settled down on the bed lightly.

Though she frowned and her eyes harden for a few seconds before she calmed down and replied “It will take some time for such raw wounds to heal but….I know we will become strong friends again sooner or later, hopefully never allowing a pony or rather...dragon to come between us again.” She answered with a slow smile making him pat her hoof before getting off from the bed.

“So what will you do now? Go back and live with Twilight?” She asked blinking in surprise as he shook his head.

“No...think I’ll travel Equestria and see what life has to offer for a few years before I come back...after all...I got centuries to do see the world but only one to make amends with my friends, eh?” He smirked as she smiled with a nod.

“Come back one day and tell me of all your adventures, understand? I’ll be sure to throw you a welcome back party when you decide to visit.” Pinkie grinned as he chuckled.

“It’s a promise, Pinkie Pie.” He responded before taking the front hoof she held out towards him and kissed it. Wishing her the best of luck with Cheerilee before giving her a firm hug, Spike turned and walked out of the room, smiling and hugging Fluttershy who gave him one more cigarette before he left and walked out of the hospital, feeling an enormous weight being lifted off his shoulders.

Breathing in the cool, refreshing air as he walked away he looked towards the sky before seeing a figure above descend as he was shocked to see his mother, Celestia land near him.

Nothing but silence was spoken between them before she took a step forward and hugged him firmly “I may not like you, but I’ll always love you...my son.” she whispered into his right ear fin as he felt tears brim to the corner of his eyes and could do nothing more as Celestia released him and without a word lifted off the ground and into the sky.

Spike watched his mother fly gracefully away from him before plucking the cigarette from his left ear fin and lighting it with his flames. 

Sighing loudly, he looked at the slightly clear blue sky and felt the warm rays of the sun upon his scales before blinked and taking a deep drag of his nicotine, he walked towards his temporary home to plan out just where he wanted to travel on his hopefully life changing journey. He knew it did nothing to change the sins staining his scales and eventually he would have to answer for his crimes that he had done, almost forgetting how he had to go to court for fighting Snips and Snails even.

Life was no bucking fairy tale, things were not always going to go perfectly or smoothly for him and he would one day have a mature conversion with Twilight if they should ever meet again he knew but for right now, right this moment...Spike was fine with that and he could live his life the way he wanted.
> Travel far and wide; A life lesson learned the hard way
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lone reptile shivered, feeling the first flecks of snow drift from the sky as he stood near the train station, he knew Hearth’s Warming Eve was coming up soon but honestly, he did not care as he breathed into his claws, shifted his purple jacket Rarity gave to him before he left and lit up a cigarette, not even hearing the clopping of hooves coming towards him before he looked over his left shoulder and saw an old friend, Dinky Doo.

“So this is goodbye then? After all you been through, you’re going to just...get up and leave?” She questioned making the drake shrug.

“Pretty much, Dinks.” He replied, taking another drag of his cigarette, forcing the young mare to wave away the smoke that had been blown into her face on accident.

“Where will you go?” she wondered making him chuckle lightly.

“Pinkie Pie’s cousin, Octavia had me sign the necessary papers to enter into Prance, figure I might visit there and some other places before my court date against Snips and Snails” He replied as they both looked over the lightly covered ground where snow began to fall, awaiting the train to come before he got off at Vanhoofer and took a ferry.

The two sat in silence just looking at the beauty that their homeland offered before Dinky cleared her throat.

“Not going to bother to ask if I want to come with?” She spoke softly as he only wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

“You still got a year of school to finish, tell you what though, if I’m not in jail and once you are out, the two of us will travel the world together, got to take care of my little sister, eh?” He laughed making her punch him in the shoulder.

“Whatever...I spoke to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo today….Apple Bloom can’t wait to see you go, Scoots could care less but Sweetie Belle...she seems genuinely sad you are leaving without so much a good bye, Spike.” She whispered as he only took one more drag of his nicotine and tossed it aside.

“Apple Bloom and her family can go buck themselves, though I always liked Granny Smith, never cared much for Scootaloo’s tomfilly attitude but Sweets herself...I have always admire her from afar truth be told...but, Fate has other plans. Maybe one day I’ll let her know of my feelings when we are adults...if that day ever comes.” He laughed bitterly before looking in confusion at the newspaper Dinky hoofed to him and looked it over with a harsh smile.

“Rainbow Dash got arrested for getting into a fight at the hospital with Twilight, can’t say I’m surprised but she’ll have to learn she can’t win every fight sooner or later. Shame really, the blame rest on me and yet, Twilight takes the fall...maybe I’ll crawl on my knees and apologize to her...one day.” He whispered quietly as they both heard the roar of the whistle from the train.

Giving each other one last hug, Spike walked towards the doors of the train before he heard Dinky yelling at him to be safe and come back for her.

Laughing he waved before the reptile muttered under his breath “I’ll do all I can to be a more gentle soul, Dinks...I promise you.” he chuckled warmly right before the doors to the train closed and began a new journey for Spike the dragon, while an Alicorn watched above the platform and smiled to see her son try to make a better life for himself.