//------------------------------//
// Start 
// Story: The Search 
// by newHelm 
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	Celestia stood in Form's kitchen, brewing a cup of tea. She blew on the cup as she sat on a cushion at the small servant's table. Rarity entered through the door and stopped. As Celestia smiled, Rarity stared blankly. "Princess! What are you doing here?"

Celestia giggled. "Stopping by to see an old friend."

Rarity looked even more confused as she rubbed her mane with a black hoof. "Who could you possibly know down here?"

"Present company excluded?"

Rarity straightened up and began to gain her senses. "Ah, well yes that does make sense I suppose. Hello princess, how are you?"

She smiled sweetly. "Spike is enamored with you to the point that he is going to risk life and limb to save you. While there is much to worry about that, it warms my heart to see that kind of love still exist today. I see you have mastered, to an extent, the Nightmare energies."

She looked at her reflection in one of the pans hanging above the stove. "Ah, this. Yes, it was not hard. You just have to remember that she is a living being, sort of. The powers are shared in our body so both of us may access them. With me in control of them, I have a slight edge."

"Be careful, this is uncharted waters. Not even my sister had such access to the Nightmare as you do."

"It's different with me. She's been dormant inside of me for years, beaten. It seems Sombra was the one who woke her up.

Celestia lowered her eyes to her cup, a sad smile in her eyes. "Yes, maybe so. He is quite brilliant."

She sipped her tea as Rarity danced in nervousness. "I'm sorry princess, I didn't mean to-"

Celestia raised a hoof and continued to smile. "Nothing to be sorry for. I'm fine."

Rarity nodded, her hoof making circles in the tile. "Princess?"

"Hmm?"

"Is Spike truly on his way here?"

Celestia sighed. She set her cup down and her smile vanished. "Yes. Against Discord's, my sister's, Twilight's, your other friend's, and my own adamant attempts to stop him. There is no turning him away, so a few warriors are coming with him as a precaution."

Rarity smiled, tear in her eyes. "I don't know how to take that." Celestia looked up at the Nightmare charged Rarity and her own heart went out to her. "My heart flutters at the thought of my hero coming to save me again, I don't need it but men are so hard headed. My head spins at the thought of seeing him again. I'm crying again at how much I miss him and how I want to see him. Butterflies dance in my belly at the thought of him busting through the doors, just for me. I want him to be mine and mine alone." Celestia stood to comfort the young girl, but she stepped back and lowered her eyes. "But he can't be. Tell him to forget about me. Tell him to stay away. Tell him I hate him if he comes here. Tell him I said whatever, just as long as he moves on. Just as long as he leaves me be. Our hearts can break, just as long as I don't break him."

Celestia caught her and squeezed her in an embrace. "Shh, my little pony. It will all be fine. We will figure it out. It's ok, I understand. If I could go back in time, I would have done the same, but Spike will come, no matter what either one of us says. All we can hope is that he knows what he's doing, and make precautions. Speaking of, I need to speak with Form here. I'm glad to have spoken with you Rarity. I marvel at your beauty every time we meet. There is none better for my son. So now, I must speak with an old friend on how to solve this."

She released Rarity, who wiped her eyes with a foreleg. "How do I help?"

"You are, just keep learning to control the Nightmare."

Form walked through the door and froze, much as Rarity had. "I feel like I just missed something. Am I interrupting?"

Rarity regained her composure and flipped her mane. "In fact you did. It's okay though, I have work I need to do, and you have a visitor."

As she left, Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Work?"

Form pinched the bridge of his nose. "I gave her leave to reconstruct the dog house, now she has it in her head to redecorate the whole palace."

Celestia laughed hard at the thought. "It seems you have no luck when it comes to guest leaving your palace alone."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Last time you stopped by for more than an hour, I went from a simple stone stove to all of these mechanical contraptions, so yes. My guests have never learned to leave my palace be."

"Speaking of, I told one of your servants of a new tea maker. You'll be receiving it in a few days." She smiled devilishly up at him as he grinned back.

"The devil Celestia. How I have missed you."

"Then join us at the next convergence."

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I'm ready to meet her yet."

"Twilight?" His silence was answer enough. "She may have a replacement in her position, but she herself can never be replaced."

His face was stoic as he stared at her. "I know, but that's the crux of the problem. She is gone, and now another sits on her throne. My mind deems it necessary and correct, but my heart still aches. Maybe one day, just not today."

Celestia wiped a tear from her face as she nodded. "Good enough for now, but on to business."

"What do you need of me High Goddess?"

"Spare my son and help me rid the world of Shadowfang once and for all."





Spike stood before his friends who sat on the grass under a tree. He smiled as he thought of the picnics they had there. He smirked as the new friends they had with them today. The four traveling with him were there as well as Red Claw and the rest of the drakos who had made friends with his pony friends. Blue Spine was unfortunately absent due to her death, but Rainbow Dash was not alone. His old war buddy, Burns, had taken it to be his responsible to care for the pregnant mare. He was surprisingly soft for such a big war pony. His smile dissolved as he thought how Rarity was missing.

Twilight rubbed her forelegs together in impatience. "Spike, you're just standing there. What is it?"

Spike shook his head and nodded. "Yeah, sorry. As you all know, I'm going to go after Rarity. What you don't know is what I plan on doing when I get there. I will release Rarity and imprison myself."

Twilight jumped up and screamed. "No! I won't allow it!"

Applejack shook her head. "Now what in tarnation are you thinkin Spike? Just gonna abandon us too?"

Fluttershy cried as Pinkie looked baffled. Rainbow Dash stood up with Burns hovering cautiously next to her. "We'll get Rarity back?"

Spike nodded.

Rainbow hung her head. "If this is what you want, how can I stop you?”

"Thanks Rainbow Dash."

Twilight gawked. "What? No! It's bad enough Rarity left, and we agreed to trust her only because the Nightmare energy had come back to her. This though, this is too much, why?"

Spike lowered his head. "That's what I need to tell you. It's not just me being selfish, I'm worse off. It's better for Equestria this way."

The drakos shuffled nervously as Spike continued. "Rarity is infected with the Nightmare energy, but me, I'm consumed by a worst evil. Shadowfang is me."

Twilight shook her head. "Shadowfang is just the make believe god of the drakos."

Spike shook his head. "No, I'm his descendant. He is an evil beyond what any of us have ever seen. He made Nightmare, taught Sombra, and nearly destroyed the world three thousand years ago. War lasted nearly a thousand years, a war that still brings darkness to the world. The drakos war was all because of Shadowfang. Because I hold him at bay inside of me, because I refuse to be him."

Red Claw stood, claw over his heart. "That's why some of us fought for you. You proved to us another way!"

Spike nodded. "Thank you, but I must pay the piper. I'm going to die, maybe not now, or next week, but he will win out and be free. When that happens, I want him trapped in the deepest darkest cell. So, this is goodbye, I love you guys."

He went to turn away but Twilight teleported in front of him. "No!"

"Move Twilight."

"No!"

"Move!"

"No!"

"Move!" Spike jumped over her on all fours. He looked feral.

She teleported in front of him again, horn ready. "No, and so help me, I will trap you in a bubble."

He jumped over her on all fours. When she teleported in front of him again, she saw him, scales dark, swiping at her with his claws. She turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut, but the blow never came. When she opened her eyes, Red Claw stood in between them, blood dripping from his chest.

Spike shook his head and his colour returned to normal. He saw what he had done and panicked. "I, I'm sorry." Giving a howl of rage and disparity, he sprinted away. Macintosh and Red Claw exchanged a nod as Red chased after his maddening king.

Big Mac came over and put a hoof on Twilight and looked her over.

She brushed him off. "I'm fine. Why would he do that?"

"You some kinda blind or deaf?" Everyone stared at him as he shook his head. "He told y'all, you saw it. His magic corrupted him. He ain't right anymore. We gotta try and fix this, but we can't stop him either, cause he's right. One drakos for all Equestria."

Twilight slumped down onto the ground. "It's not fair. It feels like I've lost two friends."

"We'll bring one back this time, and together, we'll bring the second one back too. We just need to figure out how. There a smart princess here that could do that?"

Twilight raised her head and smiled. "Yes, and I know just who to talk to."

She teleported away, leaving a sense of hope in her friends. Except Discord, who looked a bit down. "Aww, he didn't do the chicken dance like I asked."