//------------------------------//
// Inducing Madness 
// Story: The Redemption of a Never Ending Ambition 
// by Time Reaper 
//------------------------------//

"Spike!"

Spike's mind could barely register what he was hearing, a fog was clouding his mind and he wasn't sure what was going on as a minor headache was leaving his head.

"Spike! Wake up right now!"

That voice started to clear the fogginess on his head, Spike's mind was starting to come around as he remembered that voice belonging to Twilight, he was trying to wonder what was going on or why she was screaming, but he was sure that he wouldn't know unless he decided to move around and open up his eyes.

As Spike returned to his senses and decided to get up from his bed, eyes still shut, he tried to remember the last thing he did yesterday. All he could remember was how he was keeping everything in order while having the library all for himself for a night, he remembered that he was playing with his imagination as he save Rarity from a villain, but anything beyond that was a foggy mess that only caused him a small headache. As he started to remember Twilight's promise, he began to open his eyes in expectation that Twilight was going to reward him with his three gems but, to his confusion, all he could see was an angry Twilight looking at him with a very disappointed look.

Spike was feeling a bit nervous for Twilight's look, but he knew that he had to greet her, since it was the nice thing to do.

"Hey, Twilight, how are you?" - Spike waited for her response but she only gave him silence. - "Did you have fun on the sleepover?"

As he waited, Twilight decided to answer with a very tense and long said yes, that made him feel quite nervous, but he thought that maybe something happened at the sleepover and she wasn't going to say what it was.

Spike tried to guess why she would be like that but, as he started to look around, he noticed how their room, and the library as a whole, was a total mess. Books were thrown around the place, the chairs were scratched and the kitchen looked like if Twilight or Sweetie Bell tried to use them with hay thrown around everywhere on the floor, many spaces on the kitchen having burned marks and the pots were on the floor while containing a strange green goop that Spike didn't want to know what it was. While Spike tried to wonder what could've caused such a mess, all his mind could tell him was that he may have been related to it.

"Uhm, Twilight, do you know what happened here? Because I remember leaving it clean last night" -. As Spike said this words, he could feel how Twilight's glare only got worse at him. - "Really?" - She responded on a cold tone that acted as the preview to a storm that was about to hit him. - "Maybe you ate too many candies last night and don't remember what you did? Because I can see that you ate the special gem I left last night."

This words made Spike feel trapped inside a vortex that was going to shred him apart, after all, he remembered how dangerous that gem was and he was sure that said jewel didn't pass through his mouth. Twilight was very excited to examine said gem and Spike knew that eating three gems was a much better reward instead of eating a single gem that he wasn't sure how good his stomach could've receive.

"What? What do you mean by that? I remember very clearly that I cleaned the library and then started to play around. I never touched your gem Twilight" -. As he said this, Twilight started to move around on a direction that, for some reason, felt very familiar to Spike. - "Really?" - Stated Twilight as a matter of fact while pointing at a very specific place. - "Then, please, explain me why the gem I found yesterday isn't on the place I left it."

As a very speechless Spike tried to figure out what happened last night, so he could answer Twilight properly, he started to realize that he couldn't remember what events transpired the couple hours after he played around the library, all he could gather was a foggy memory of him, accidentally, crashing on the bedroom but nothing else after that. That also brought another question to Spike that it starting to freak him out: how did he woke up on his bed when he couldn't even remember how he went to sleep?

"Uhm" -. Spike tried to find a good response, but he knew that the honest truth wasn't the one that would get him out of this problem. - "I... can't remember why. Actually, I can't remember much after playing."

This answer only brought more indignation on Twilight as she started to look around, trying to find some patience for Spike.

"Of course you don't remember" -. She said in a tone that could only hurt Spike, and, to make things worse, Spike heard the words he wanted to hear the least. - "Spike, I feel very disappointed on you. Not only did you caused a mess on the library, you also ate a gem that could've been harmful to you and you broke a promise you made to me."

With those last words sounding hurtful to Spike, and being said on a tone that made it look like Twilight was hurt as well, Spike tried to make a defense for himself, to justify what happened last night, but he just couldn't come up with an argument to clean himself from Twilight's accusation and all he could do was feeling cornered for something he wasn't sure if he was actually guilty off. As much as he wanted to explain everything, the blanks on his memories only told him that there was a chance of him actually eating that gem and that only made him feel worse.

"Sorry Twilight" -. Said a very sad Spike. - "How can I make it up to you?"

Twilight's look softened a bit as she sighed and decided to move towards her bedroom. As she moved around the wooden library, each clop heard very loudly by Spike, and Spike's gaze never leaving her, she spoke on a tone that didn't sound angry or annoyed, it sounded concerned and firm.

"Look, I first have to check on you and make sure that the gem you ate haven't done anything wrong to your body but, after that, you won't have any gems for a week and I won't leave you alone on the library again. From now on, you'll have to come with me or be under somepony else's watch if I ever have to leave your side."

Spike started to look down on the floor, sad at the fact that he was being grounded for something haven't been proven if he actually did, but until it his innocence could be proven, he would have to accept it. Then Twilight, either to cheer him up or because she hadn't finished her sentence, decided to continue as she paused her steps and continued.

"That also means that you'll come with me to tomorrow's picnic with the girls" -. She then turned her head towards Spike and, on a very kind yet firm tone, asked: - "Understood?"

Spike wasn't sure how take this, on one side, he was going to spend some time with Rarity but, on the other side, this was because he was grounded, not because it was a reward of some kind, which made him feel as if he was receiving a hollow victory. But, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to capitalize on this, he understood very well that the reason why he was grounded was for misbehavior, so that gave reason to believe on the assumption that the way to lift his punishment was through a good behavior. Under this flawless logic, he decided to answer on a very upbeat tone that couldn't mask just how excited he was.

"Of course Twilight, I'll help however I can, in fact, I'm going to prepare the sandwiches for you and the girls."

But, before he could move to the kitchen, he could hear Twilight saying from above.

"Don't get your hopes up, I'm not going to lift your punishment just for some sandwiches."

Spike smiled at this and, as he looked at a very dirty kitchen that he was going to clean right now, he started to move around the library to prepare everything for tomorrow. So he started to get the mop and a clean bucket to start cleaning the big mess that was the kitchen, after all, it's better to work on a clean kitchen instead of a dirty one.

"What a drag, is she really like that all the time? Who is she, your mom?"

Spike's body tensed up as he heard that voice. It was masculine with a very light tone that felt as if it didn't belong to anyone even though Spike could hear it very clearly.

"What!?"

Spike moved around, trying to find the voice's source, but he couldn't find anyone but himself on that floor. As he asked who was there, Spike heard Twilight once again asking him what did he said, at which a very concerned Spike simply responded with a very nervous but semi-confident:

"Nothing, just talking to myself!" - He looked around, still not finding a source to that voice, and decided to prolong his answer. - "I'm going to clean the kitchen now!" - He then moved back to the kitchen and started to use the soap to clean the stove.

As the day progressed, Spike never heard that voice again. The more he thought about it, as he scrubbed the stove and eliminated the black stains whose origins were a mystery to Spike, the more he started to worry if it was a secondary effect of eating that gem, in case he actually ate it, and now he wanted more than ever to know if he was actually guilty and, in case he did eat that gem, was the voice an actual thing or just his conscience?

Spike wasn't sure of any of it, he tried to pass the time by sweeping the hay on the floor and sending it to the thrash can, in the hopes that it would help him to stop thinking on that voice. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered around the question it did. He never gave a thought about what was his relationship with Twilight, he never needed to, but if that voice was real, how to explain something he never thought about? And a bigger question yet, how to talk to that voice if Spike didn't know how to contact it? Was it related to that gem? Did he eat it? More questions arose as Spike thought about the voice and the more questions he thought about, the more he wanted to know if he actually ate that gem.

By the end of the day, after putting the books in order and helping Twilight to reorganize her bed and items, Spike thought that Twilight was going to test him and see if there was something wrong with him but, to his surprise, that didn't happen. As much as Twilight wanted to test Spike and be sure that he ate the gem and to see if that had any type of consequence, it would have to wait for tomorrow. Twilight was very excited to go to the picnic with her friends and wanted to wake up early, especially because, by spending the whole day fixing Spike's disaster, she would have to use the morning to make the sandwiches for everypony.

And, just like that, Spike passed the whole day obsessing on a voice that he wasn't sure if he heard it or not and the question it did to him only made him think even more about his whole life. As he started to make a recollection on his life, he wondered what kind of life he was having, how he was a dragon in a world of ponies, how he failed to be there when Twilight needed him the most in moments like Nightmare Moon and Discord and, like on many days on his life, wondered if he would ever do something to be as important in a moment like that, should it ever arise. Those were the kind of questions that plagued his mind until his body fell unconscious and his mind wandered into Luna's realm.

At the next day, as Celestia's sun was started to caress the town of Ponyville and it's citizens started to wake up, with the exception of a family who owned an apple orchard and were used to wake up earlier than most, the library in Ponyville was about to wake up just like the rest of them but something different happened that day, instead of having the librarian waking up first, it would be the assistant who would wake up first.

"Rise and shine kid! You got a lot to do today and you must be useful to your mom!"

Spike opened up his eyes and almost screamed in fear of hearing that voice again, his body tensed up and he tried to find the voice once more, this time moving around the library in the hopes of this being some kind of sick prank.

"Where are you?"

Asked a very scared Spike who was desperately trying to figure out what was going on.

"Wait, you seriously don't remember me?" - Asked the voice once again, the fact that it was implying that it already met Spike started to scare him even more considering that he had blanks on his mind regarding the other night. - "Come on kid! You accepted me in your body in the moment you ate me, don't you remember such a bonding moment?"

Spike was now searching under the chairs and furniture, trying to find something that could explain why only him could hear the voice, now entering in denial as he tried to refuse to accept what that voice was implying.

"I don't know who you are, but this prank is getting too far."

As Spike tried to move to the kitchen, the voice decided to topple his mental barriers. 

"Prank? That's what you call looking at me with such hunger in your eyes?" 

As Spike heard that, he stopped moving on the kitchen and realized what he just did that night. His mind froze for a brief second before going at lightning speed trying to assimilate what was being implied. Twilight didn't just bring a gem, she brought something that contained a mind, a mind that was now inside of Spike and he was now afraid of what that could mean to him. He could try to tell Twilight about it, but he was to afraid to move or even talk, he didn't know what kind of process would have to be done for him to be rid of this mind now invading his, was it going to erode him to slowly take over his body? He wasn't sure but all he could do now was-

"Hey! What are you doing so early?" - As Spike shook himself out of his shock, his body hastily turned around and saw Twilight already up and looking at him with a curious smile. - "Are you up to help me prepare for the picnic? That would be awesome. I'll be preparing myself while you make the sandwiches."

And, just like that, Twilight left Spike's eye view before he could say something about his current problem. 

"Come on kid!" - Said the voice inhabiting his body. - "Help her out as a nice gentle... dragon? And then you can ask her about our current condition, deal?"

Spike wasn't sure why he was now listening to that voice, but he was more than happy to obligue and do something that could get his mind out of this issue. He now wanted to argue with it but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to talk in front of Twilight to, what it would look like, himself and make her think that the gem only made him mad. No, he would have to search for a moment that could make her believe him and not think that he was insane, but when?

And, just like that, Spike spent the morning making the sandwiches for the picnic, he couldn't think of Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or his beloved Rarity, all he could think about was the potential monster living inside of him and what it could do to him. He couldn't remember how he accepted him or why he would accept him, in fact, did they even presented each other?

Spike was now trying to dig into his memories and trying to remember the moment regarding the encounter, when did he find the gem? What happened when he found the gem? Why did he found it so delicious when he saw it? What did he see in that gem? What was he thinking back then? He was now trying to find the solutions to this questions and the more he tried to know, the more he felt like-

"Spike!" 

Twilight's words shook him up from his thoughts and he was now looking at a very concerned Twilight. - "Spike, I think those are too many sandwiches, what were you thinking about?" - As Spike looked into Twilight's eyes, he no longer saw disappointment or anger, he only saw worry being sent to him and he know felt guiltier than yesterday because he was now sure that she was right about him and he couldn't say it to her in that moment.

"Oh!" - Said Spike as he was trying to avoid Twilight's eyes, searching for an excuse to his absent mind. - "I was just thinking on how the girls would be happy to have so much food for them, you know how much Pinkie Pie eats and with this amount of food you won't have to worry about her eating everything."

Spike was now trying to punch himself in the face for such a lame excuse, he knew it was dumb and Twilight was about to worry.

"Hum, that's an actually good idea, I think. Good for you to think about it Spike, but it doesn't mean that your punishment is up" -. Spike's body froze in shock at Twilight's voice, the warm words somehow freezing him on the spot. He wasn't sure if he should feel either proud or ashamed for lying to her.

"That Pinkie Pie must eat a lot if your mom decided to believe what you said... you weren't lying to her, weren't you?"

That voice, somehow, managed to get him out of his shock by remembering him that he now had to prepare for a picnic and how he should look like if he had to fake what just happened to him. So, for the rest of the trip, he would have to fake a smile on his face, trying to make sure nopony notice his worries and wait until he could be alone with Twilight to tell her the truth.

"Come on kid! Having me living inside of you isn't as bad as you may think. I was very nice to my previous host and I can grant a few goodies to you."

The more that voice spoke, the more questions raised in Spike's mind. Now he was wondering what happened to the previous host. But all of that came to an end when Spike saw the girls on the lands at the edge of the town, having fun while waiting for both Twilight and himself. While the girls asked why Spike was there with them, Twilight managed to diverge the attention from Spike to the picnic, as the girls were having fun talking about stuff that Spike didn't care, he decided move away, always on Twilight's eye view, and drink some water.

As Spike got closer to a source of clean water, preferably one with few ponies, the voice started to speak to him again.

"So those were the girls your mom was so decided to meet again? Well, they do look nice, I'll guess that the mare with the pink mane, pink coat and has so much energy is Pinkie Pie."

As Spike finally quenched his thirst, he decided that he had enough of the voice and decided to question it.

"Alright, I had enough about you, how do I get rid of you?"

Spike waited for a moment for the voice to answer, he looked around once again to be sure that he was alone and, as he appreciated the green peace that was joined by the serene passage of the river, the voice answered back.

"Get rid of me? Sorry kid, our relationship became a really special one in the moment you accepted me and any way capable of extract me from our body would be very painful."

Spike's anger was starting to rise, already getting tired of having a voice on his head capable of seeing and hearing everything he saw or heard.

"I don't care, how do I get rid of you?"

"You sure? I mean, you haven't even heard what goods can I bring you or who-"

"Now!"

The passionate dragon said, almost screaming. A deafening peace being his answer, the green lands and peaceful animals trying to calm him down, the silence only being broken on Spike's mind with a single question.

"Does any of your friends know alchemy?"

Before Spike could even process the question, his body started to convulse, a surge coming from his stomach, which then turned into a belch that expelled a small smoke that quickly turned into a letter. As Spike read the letter, his eyes wide out realizing how important it was for Twilight, so he started to run fast, forgetting about the voice, to deliver the information that was incredibly shocking to him and for Twilight.

As Spike got close to Twilight, his body convulsed once more and belched another letter from Twilight, right in front of her, at which she quickly grabbed it and started to read with a lot of excitement. When Twilight saw the letter, she became more than animated, a letter from her mentor was something that very rarely happened and she wanted to know what could be the reason behind the letter, so she started to read it in high voice, both for herself and her friends to know its content.



Dear Twilight, I'm sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding on Canterlot



"Wedding?" - Twilight could only look at her friends perplexed for now being aware about a wedding that she never new about.



I'll be presiding the ceremony, while I would like for you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion: Fluttershy, I would like for you and your chore to make the music



The bashful pegasus could only accept in a quiet gratitude that was barely above the tone she usually spoke. - "Oh my goodness, what an honor".



Pinkie Pie, I can't think no one like you to hold the reception



The Party Mare made a flipping pirouette to show her happiness. 



Applejack, you'll be in charge of the cater in the reception



The Farm mare could only respond as she would. - "Well, color me please as such!"



Rainbow Dash, I would very much like you to perform a Sonic Rainboom for the couple as they complete their "I do's"



The tomboyish mare lifted herself to the sky as she celebrated the fact that she was going to do what she knew best.



Rarity, you'll be responsible for making the dress for the bride and the bridesmare



The bombshell dizzed out the fashionista and her eyes and body started to move randomly. - "Princess Celestia wants me to make the dress for the canterlot wedding..." - And that was all it would be heard about her before fainting.



And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all, making sure that everything goes as planned. See you all very soon, yours all

Princess Celestia.



In that moment, Twilight decided to skim through the letter, trying to find something that she was very interested in knowing.

"But, wait, who's supposed to marry?" - In that moment, Spike took out the first letter he had to give her, allowing her to read the letter that she had to read first.



Princess Celestia, appropriately invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and...



"My Brother!?" - The shock that Twilight felt was huge, she never knew what was her brother doing and she never expected to know about a wedding this way, same thing for Spike, so the shock that both Spike and Twilight felt was very well understood, they weren't aware about how such a close relative to them was getting married.

But the one that took the most interest in those letters was the one living inside of Spike, for he wasn't aware of how well connected was his new host, not as well as the previous one, but well connected nonetheless and he was sure to capitalize on that very soon. 

Perhaps, this time, he could achieve his desires.