//------------------------------// // A journey's end // Story: Alone in the dark // by Mr Tech //------------------------------// Spike opened his eyes with a groan, needless to say, he did not have a long or comfortable sleep. All those questions in his head just won't go away so his entire night was spent on tossing and turning on the bed… The dragon sat up from his bed and shuffled towards his chest… “so you're awake” whispered a weak voice behind Spike. He looked behind his shoulder attempting to find the source of the voice,but as expected, no one was standing behind him. And with a second and a louder groan, he turned back to what he’s doing… “what now?” He asked the voice tiredly when he got up to his feet. “I can't go back to where I used to, and all I have on me was these artifacts and I can’t sell them, they're too dangerous,” he continued with a frown upon his face… There was a pregnant pause where none spoke a word, then the voice said in a lost tone, “I don't know, Spike, the future is for you to choose and you alone…” spike nodded as he jumps out of his bed. Spike hesitated for a moment before muttering softly to himself “Twilight may not have known about this, but I always wanted to be a music teacher, I guess she will never find out now...” Spike lowered his head and let out a humorless chuckle to himself before he slowly walked towards the bathroom. After a cold morning shower, Spike picked up a toothbrush and began to brush his teeth. No one spoke a word until the voice asked a question with hesitation: “You know, I’ve been alone inside a chest for god knows how long. Can you do me a favor Spike?” The voice suddenly asked the brushing dragon with hidden sadness. Spike thought about it for a moment before a simple shrug and a nod. Another pause before the voice replied with a sigh, “can you help them?” The voice asked with a hint of desperateness in it’s tone, “because… To be honest, I...we… help founded this town and used to live here long long ago, it would be nice to see this town safe”... Nether spike or the voice spoke a word for a few seconds before Spike nodded to himself in the mirror again before courageously replying, “sure, I have no home to begin with. Might as well find a place to settle down and rest”, with that, Spike walked out of the bathroom and out of the motel room. The sun was shining through a few strands of clouds, the sky was a lovely shade of cyan and the air smelled like - rain? Spike felt a few drops fall on his head. Spike never knew it rained here before but sure enough, the ground was a little wet... Surprisingly enough the mayor of the town greeted Spike’s vision a few seconds later, along with the motel’s owner, “ah my savior, I trust you had a good night's sleep?” Echo asked the now slightly confused dragon with a pleasant smile on her face. All of her wounds appeared to be treated rather nicely,Spike opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the inn owner, “we need help, like now. tell you what, you can stay here for free as long as you want if you help us with this…” she pointed at the mayor’s bag with an uneasy look on her face “task…” she finished lamely... Spike raised an eyebrow, and the mayor levitate him a piece of paper with barely illegible writings on it, the mayor’s face bore a slightly guilty look “Purple dragon, artifacts to my tomb to the north of mayor’s tower or everyone dies trying to defend themselves. I will know if you are coming or not, give them to me and they die a quick painless death...” The mayor took back the peace of paper with a troubled expression then said in an apologetic tone, “i’m sorry to bother you, but you seems to have those artifacts at your disposal, we’d love to help but we have our families too. Please don’t ask how I know...” Spike paused for a second before replying smoothly, “Sure, but echo, can you spare me a moment please?” the mayor took a moment to consider his offer before giving spike a simple nod. Both proceeded to walk away from the motel towards a random direction while the inn owner walks away with a sigh... After a moment of walking where neither the changeling or the baby dragon had spoken a word, Spike turned and looked at the changling directly, the town was still busy picking itself up to notice them pass by, “after this is done, can I have a place here in Goodsprings?” The dragon asked echo with a slight frown. Echo tilted her head and asked spike with a hint of confusion and a concern: “don't you have a home to go back to?” After hearing that spike winced before looking down onto the ground, the changeling after seeing his reaction nodded to herself and continued, “yes, because we know how it feels to be an outcast too” Spike looked up hopefully before replying “really? I can stay here? can I finally be treated like an equal here?” The changeling gave Spike a nod and a welcoming smile, Spike then proceeded to kick himself in the head for remembering something he forgot earlier before replying with a pained expression“ but I don't have money or anything of value”, echo just laughed and gave spike a pat on the shoulder And with a chuckle she replied with a smile “we don't use currency here, Spike,” he raised an eyebrow at the statement, “we use something called respect points, since everyone here knows how to do almost anything, so we don't need anyone to do anything for anyone.” Spike motioned her to continue with a simple hand gesture. “But you can do someone's work for them and get respect points, you gain and they lose, you help someone in need and nearby people give you respect. And as long as you are willing to learn, somebody will teach you almost anything for free” The mayor shook her head before giving spike the warmest smile he had seen for days, “what I’m trying to say is, you are welcome amongst us, the outcast and the reformed anytime,” Spike then nodded and continued walking along the gravel road. It took spike a few minutes to collect himself again due to the hidden excitement in his head, he finally have a place where he can be himself, better than ponyville and those six by a milestone that's for sure. He was then reminded of more pressing matters that is our ‘friend’... Echo then proceeds to open her mouth to say something but Spike already knew what she was going to say and put a claw on her mouth effectively silencing her by closing it, he then replied simply “don’t worry, I will solve this mess for you” with a smug look on his face, with his newfound confidence, nothing can stand on his way dammit! Echo lifted spike’s claw away with her magic and rubbed her lips with her not so injured left hoof, she then looked at spike with a uncertainty painted all over her face, “are you sure? the note said,we will all die, why not just let him come and put up a fight?” He just nodded simply muttering the word true.. Spike then proceed to jump up a rock nearby and yelled on top of his lungs as loud as he can “Hello, Starshine! Who takes the artifacts, takes the fate of countless lives, but bad news Star, because Guess Who?! Ha!” Spikes yells was so loud echo had jumped behind a rock with a squeak, her hoof covering her ears as much as possible. Spike then yelled though not as loudly as before “now the question of the hour is: who’s got the artifacts? An answer I do have, next question, are you coming to take it from me?” He asked aloud, so loud in fact that all the town’s folk was now staring at him with surprise, confusion and everything in between. The young dragon then spread his arms out and looked around the now staring town looking for anything unusual, after a few seconds of nothing happening, he took a deep breath before continued yelling again, the whole town collectively braced themselves. “Come on! look at me!” Spike looked at the surrounding forest ,nothing, “No plan. No backup. No skill worth a damn and one more thing! I have Nothing To Lose!” Spike had put emphasis on every word after the word ’nothing’. “So! If you are sitting in your silly little basement with all your silly pathetic magic! And you’ve got plans to take the artifacts soon! Just remember what's standing in your way! Remember every black day the dragon race had given you!” Spike was practically yelling as loud as he can now. “And then! Annnd then! Do the smart thing! ” Spike stopped to breath for a second before continuing “just walk away!” Spike put up his arms again not knowing when did he put his down on the first place, Spike had noticed a gray tail disappearing behind a tree a few moment later. Echo peeked her head out from behind a rock looking at spike as if he’s an unstable statue ready to crumble at any moment. Before whispering weakly “was that really necessary?” All the while rubbing her ear with a hoof. Spike climbed down the rock before nodding softly towards the temporary deaf echo. “Yes, yes it is, now the guy know what's coming and hopefully walk away...” Spike replied simply before he resumes his walking and signaling echo to do the same. Both continued to walk in relative silence before it was rudely interrupted by a teenage dragon on with white scales on his back and pink scales on his belly jumping out of nowhere surprising them. “Ah, purple dragon, heard that you saved our dear changeling’s ass the other day, ha! Not news you hear everyday that our tough nut here needs saving” The dragon said jokingly, echo just rolled her eyes after they both had recovered enough while spike just looked at the note clutched in his hand. The slightly annoyed changeling glared at the dragon before growling troughs gritted fangs “ in my defense, three manticores ambushed me from my every direction.” But the teenage dragon was take ping none of that, “Anyway, this is for you-” he gave Spike the note that he has been holding, spike took it without another word, the dragon then continued as if nothing had happened, “ found it stabbed on a tree trunk with the word purple dragon on it. The baby dragon turned away from the two before he unwrapped the crumbled piece of paper. “Come to my tomb tomorrow with the artifacts and the town burns with all the residents in it, find me at North East of where you found this note I will enjoy watching you see all the residents pathetically failing to defend themselves if you don't hand them over.” “Well? What does it say?” Echo asked Spike after giving the white dragon a final faux glare before peeking from Spike’s shoulder, the young dragon just shrugged and burned the note with his dragon fire. It burned away with a puff of purple smoke before fading into thin air. “Nothing you should worry about my dear changeling,” Spike said smugly, turning to face the changeling, “I may have a giant wound in my heart from my backstabbing friends but that would not stop me from helping your baile-alainn” Spike finished off jokingly with a smile and a silly accent before patting echo on the shoulder, her exoskeleton felt smooth as silk… “Anyway, I should probably go and get myself some breakfast before setting out to find that crazy town burning bastard bent for old pieces of stuff locked in chests ” Spike said before walking away by himself, whistling a tune. Echo just muttered something about getting purl some everclear under her breath, A few seconds of nothing happening later, the changeling and the dragon went their separate ways after a simple “goodbye”. --- Celestia sat on top of her throne it was a boring day in Celestia’s day court. She was currently watching two nobles arguing about wages before a crumbled piece of paper materialized out of thin air. It took Celestia a full second to remember what she just saw but when she finally remembered what just happened, she swiftly read the message inside the note. After she was finished, day court ended by Celestia teleporting to a certain tree library where a purple alicorn sat there looking at an old photo album. --- Spike was just walking around the town of goodsprings now buying the necessary items for a fight. if ‘friend’ wants one so bad, he will get one, Spike, with the cost of 3000 respect points, bought a small cabin near the echo’s office. A pair of sword holsters, and a bag. Since Spike saved Echo and gave supplies while the town was in need, it's only fair for the town to give him some respect. 2000 more respect to spend… Might as well save them.. Spike kept walking in a few moments before bumping into a small filly, with a white coat and cyan eyes she was carrying a crossbow like object without the bow and a big scope drinking from a bottle labeled ‘everclear’ held in her forehoof. “Sorry mr, I wasn't looking at where i’m going” said the filly apologetically in your typical filly's voice. Spike just brushed himself off while the filly took another swig from the bottle like it’s just water. The white filly looked at Spike before tilting her head and asking in confusion, “are you Spike? As in the assistant of overpowered magical purple unicorn?” Spike just nodded, not even bothering to correct her, the less he thought about the six the better. After hearing this the filly pressed on with another swig from the bottle and ceriousiosity clear in her tone “So what are you doing here anyway? You went missing a few months ago, but why?” The filly asked, Spike tilted his head slightly at her statement. “I’ve been gone for only a week, what are you talking about?” Spike asked before shaking his head “and why are you out here all alone? Where are your parents?” The filly just smiled and looked around causally. “My parents are friends with the mayor, in fact almost everyone here knows each other, I hope Echo’s health gets better soon tough” Spike was even more confused now, what is she talking about? And what is it about Echo’s health? “Purl!” Echo called from a few blocks away, spike gave the changeling a wave of his claw and the changeling returned it with smile and a nod. “Got to go, Mr Spike! Glad to meet you here!” She said before running off to give echo a hug and disappearing behind the corner with the mayor. “Is it just me or do cyan eyes always always are just full of weariness all the time?” Spike mused to himself, before walking north east towards a mountain. No doubt that’s where ‘friend’ wants him to go, he just knew it… Somehow... --- “So this is it then” Spike thought to himself, as he walked to the final chamber, his tomb… Spike finally made it, and there he is… sitting on a platform, in front of a central pillar, looking at spike tauntingly with a smile and with blood red eyes instead ‘friend’s signature cyan. The room was massive and looks like it can easily hold four fully grown dragon side my side. What's under the few bridge connecting to the pillar was what seems like a bottomless pit and it was after all carved right out of the mountain. “Yes, you’re here, I assume that you know what will happen if you don't hand me the artifacts and the consequence you will face, right?” ‘friend’ asked Spike with a dangerous smile, slowly walking towards the dragon, step by stone cracking step he walked towards him “but it doesn't matter really, I will take those artifacts from you cold, dead body anyway…” The stallion then asked a question looking spike dead straight in the eyes and a bloodthirsty grin on his face, “ And why do you want these artifacts for huh? Be a hero?” This time it was spike’s turn to laugh, and it was… Unsettling to say the least his laughter filled the chamber echoing off walls and tunnels, it was until a full minute if broken laughter did spike decide to stop. “If I give you these weapons, it can be, no” spike paused his expression turned grim as he stepped one step forward “ it will be used for evil and potentially kill millions if I left these unchecked, what's stopping your ‘master’ from using them for mass murder? Hate to break it to you but ponies can be very good at lying,and I know what I'm talking about’ learned to the hard way from the embodiment of the elements of harmony itself...” ‘Friend’ nodded before turning around and walk towards a tall pony. She was pink and have a wings and a horn, making her an alicorn. Her mane was puffy and her tail was trim short with random spots of color around her body, basically it's the most messed up alicorn Spike had saw in his entire life… Now throw that idea off the window because she looks ten times worse that words can ever discribe... “I was hoping you would like my art project on my wife’s body ” ‘friend’ said while stroking the alicorn’s chin, the alicorn just stood there motionless, soulless staring ahead without focus… The stallion continued to talk, as if unaware that spike had stopped paying attention “this is not what she originally looked like sure , but I think an alicorn fits her form better, don't you think?” The stallion asked without expecting an answer... Spike looked at “friend’ in the face, and all he can describe is the stallion before him was not the same as the one who helped him when Spike was still in denial. “I can feel him, fighting inside to gain control of his body again you know? Don't worry, I will make him watch the entire town die in front of him. Oh the screams… But I will leave the monologue here and get ready for me to kill you now...” the stallion smiled a sadistic smile to the motionless alicorn. Spike was not sure who he’s talking to, his ‘wife’ or the baby dragon. Spike, with the aid of the torch and ocarina , instantly pulled out a white sword and threw it at ‘friend’ filled with pure white hot rage. The sword cut through the air splitting the very air molecules in half. Only to miss the stallion completely without dodging, ‘friend’ laughed more loudly than before saying “you missed”. “No, he didn't!” A female voice yelled behind ‘friend’. When he turned his head around, a powerful kick was delivered straight into his face sending him flying out the door Spike had entered, it was the female alicorn with a very clear cut on the side her neck, blade still embedded into the pillar a inches away from the mare, “thanks spike, for freeing me” she muttered after a little while. Spike quickly ran to the ‘alicorn’ who is now completely silver slowly morphing into the Tee Spike saw a few days ago in the sword. “That hardly seems fair, two against one” ‘friend sighed before raising his left forehoof while lowering the silver blade formed by his right forehoof, cutting it off and sent it flying straight up into the air which slowly turned into a double bladed, long double edged sword with a bone for the handle before landing on his now completely silver forelimbs he regenerated. Spike pulled out his second sword while tee, now in her ‘original’ form pulled out the sword embedded into the pillar behind her with her mouth, ‘friend’ now with a serious face charged at the two, spike jumped behind the stallion while tee blocked his attack with a mighty ‘clang’ as both swords met. Spike seeing an opportunity attacked ‘friend’ from the behind, this went on for a minute where neither gave an inch of ground, spike with the aid of rage, fraught on furiously, where Tee with years of training dodged her lover’s every attack. But after a powerful attack from Tee, Spike’s sword slices through ‘friend's back before he can block, Spike literally saw the silver canyon that went through his back closing slowly but failing to do so completely, but “friend” expertly turned around where Tee’s blade cut through his gaping wound, cancelling Spike's blade effect then lept away. Now both are face to face with ‘friend’ and without warning, the stallion ran towards a door next to the tomb leading to another similar chamber. Both gave chase and ‘friend’ suddenly stopped in the middle of the long and narrow walkway between the pillar they fought near and the door to the next chamber, where he resumes his sword attack, tee expertly blocked the deadly swing from ‘friend’ but Spike was kicked aside by him after tee’s counterattack. Both continued exchanging deadly slices as ‘friend’ begin to back up to the center pillar again by tee’s ferocious attacks, spiked charged back into the fight, and the duo kept on exchanging deadly swings, after seeing no other way but to back up, ‘friend’ attacked spike witch caught him off guard, the ocarina was destroyed, spike can see the soul from the inside slowly fading away with a smile on her face. By the time Spike looked up, ‘friend’ was already halfway across the room with tee in hot pursuit, tee and ‘friend’ stopped on the other end of the walkway as they continued their dance of death. All the while the air was filled with metallic clangs and clashes with tee’s every attack to the legs he would jump, with every attack to the head, he would duck. ‘Friend’ was slowly backed into the final smaller room with a giant bottomless hole in the middle both fought on without giving an opening but when spike arrived to the last chamber, ‘friend’s eye turned into silver reflecting the light from spike’s torch blinding her momentarily, before stabbing her in the chest and destroying her sword of life. Everything in Spike’s vision turned red, after seeing one of the ponies who understand him the most got killed in front of him,Spike let out a feral scream before attacking more furiously than before. But in Spike’s rage he had become careless and left ‘friend’ an opening to the torch. The torch of anger was shattered under the sword of ‘friend’, Spike’s world slowed down, he now had time to think, unlike just now where everything is a red blur, as the red pony’s soul faded away with a smile Spike thought of a new idea. Spike’s and ‘friend’s sword met with a final clang before Spike breathed out a blinding green fire blinding him then cut off both ‘friend’s forelegs. He then knelt Down and looked up at Spike with a hateful glare when spike hold the sword of death on his throat. The world stopped suddenly without warning. A pony walked into Spike’s view, slowly, after a serious looks , spike recognize that it was the same pony he saw when he was out for a walk last night, “hello, Spike” the mare said sweetly. Spike couldn’t move but he did opened his mouth to ask a simple question, “ who are you?” The mare just calmly walk towards Spike after a tap on the ground. Spike just looked at the mysterious mare carefully. The mare in question smiled before answering “ memory, my name and function is memory, I can alter or make you remember anything you want and forget everything you want...” Spike groaned inwardly to himself Spike then asked again with tiredness clear in his voice “what do you want then?” Memory chuckled and guided Spike’s face to look at Tee, “I want you to look at her, you're fighting a companion.” Memory pointed her forehoof at where tee has fallen spike turned his head at the direction “Notice that she still ‘fought’ her lover even though she could've of just walked away and let your blade do the magic after your first cut, she knew full well what It will do.” Spike’s needed to do a double take at what he saw. Tee who was still alive was looking at Spike’s direction with a crushed look on her face, lying down,as if she’s trying to get up, “alone for a thousand years in search of her husband only to fight and have him killed in front of her” memory said with a voice full sorrow. She then pointed to ‘friend’, The dragon turned and looked at the pony with a sword pointed at his throat “a innocent soul not in charged of his body and a young wizard driven to insanity by torture of an evil being. Can you truly blame him for threatening the town for the end of his own long lasting pain and suffering?” Memory asked spike sadly. “But I know I’m stealing your ‘friend’s job. My point still stands, can you blame them? Is it truly their fault? What about those in ponyville? Can you Blame them for forgetting you because they have their own lives to take care of? The road ahead is for you to choose and yours to walk alone, spike… choose your decision wisely from now on” and like that, memory faded out of view, a white mask suddenly materialize on Spike’s freehand as the world resumes… Spike closed his eyes put on the mask and made his decision. . . --- Ending one: “What's one less person on the face of the earth anyway? I can't just go back now...” Ending two: “Murder is a talent we all possess, but I will be going to where I began this journey… This is something not all of us possess…” Ending three: “Nothing can make injustice just but mercy. I have New beginnings New memories, And a New home now… So should you, you’ve suffered enough” ( author’s choice ) Ending four: “When you finally go back to your old home, you find it wasn’t the old home you missed but your childhood… Go, go and show mercy like I’ve shown you to someone else in need of it…”