//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: A War On Two Fronts- Dedicated To Ekhidna 
// Story: The Awakening of The Seven Deadly Sins 
// by Spike the Assistant 
//------------------------------//

The sky was bright as it shined over Sweet Apple Acres. Birds could be seen flying across the sky, while a gentle breeze blew over Spike's scales. He blinked, almost believing he was back in Ponyville, that he had just taken a nap by the Apple Estate. The small hope was swept away with the wind has his emerald eyes looked down at his hand. There in his palm was a pink wolf's head branded onto a ring. Spike slipped it onto his left pointer finger, and he released a slow breath. Pinkie would be with him for the rest of this journey, his mind being put at ease.

Squeezing his hand, Spike turned to where the voice originated from.

"So, she's trying to get the harvest done by herself again is she?" The young dragon asked to the 7ft tall wall of muscle that was Macintosh, or Big Mac, as he preferred. 

Setting down two full barrels of apples, Big Mac smiled down at Spike, "Eeyup." Spike sighed, so which Sin is she? 

'If I was a betting dragon, and I am, then I think she would be Pride right?' the dragon taped his chin. 'It makes the most sense... but what should I expect? It certainly won't be as gruesome as Gluttony's nightmare. I guess there's only one way to know what's behind the door.' Spike flared his wings.

Thanking Big Mac, Spike took to the skies and flew low over the orchard. His ear fins twitched as he listened for any sign of Applejack. Over the past few years since the opening of the school, Sweet Apple Acres lost Applejack as one of two of its best workers. As such the place had a fear of closing when the Mane Six came in to save the day as they always did. With effort and some luck, the greatly loved orchard came back full force and was able to expand itself. Discord even helped Twilight and Starlight to create a few Stone Golems that would work the farm. The business was booming and better off than when it had started thanks to some well controlled chaos. 

"You know, Discord really as come along over these past few years. Whenever we needed him, he was there ready to help. Once he gets back from his yearly fishing trip, and if we- when we save all of Equestria, I should ask Pinkie to throw him a Thank-You-Party." Spike looked at the wolf ring. "Yeah, she'll like that." The ring being an inanimate object did nothing.

As the dragon was reminiscing on that strange week and his friends, Spike failed to notice a boulder fly up from the ground and smash against his chest. With the wind knocked out of his lungs Spike plummeted to the ground, dropped ten or so meters before he slammed into a tree.

Rubbing his head Spike turned around and laid against the trunk he had recently just met. He scratched his spines trying to get the groggy dizzy feeling that floated along his consciousness to dissipate. He had a dumb grin on his face as a shadow fell over his form. "Please don't send me back to Twilight, Rarity. I'd rather stay here and bake cookies with you..." Spike slumped over as the darkness hovering around his vision finally closed in.

An indeterminate amount of time later and Spike awoke to the sound of grinding stone. 

"Uhh... Huh? Wait what?" Spike looked over his body, seeing it tied to the trunk of the tree he'd crashed. "Son of a- Dave?" In front of Spike were a group of Golems stood completely still as the young dragon recognized the small "Hello! My is ________." stickers on the left side of each Golem thanks to a certain pink pony. The constructs themselves were 8 feet tall, made from clay and rock. Their arms large and solid, like the trunks from the trees they had to harvest apples from. One hit could make a normal stallion go down with a total knockout. The Golems looked like knights, just not armor made of metal. They all stood in line in rows of five with them being five deep as well. Yep, twenty five farmhands that didn't need to eat, sleep, or drink. They didn't have personal lives to attend to so, twenty four-seven they would work, and "redirect" trespassers if any were caught. While the creations had only been around a few months, these pony-made Golems were great at what they did. And they only ever listened to one pony, that pony understandably being-

"ATTENTION!" 

Spike's head snapped up, his thought vanishing as the group of Golems clicked their heels and saluted. Turning his head to the right Spike saw the pony he had been just now been thinking about.

"Hey Apple Bloom."

MEANWHILE IN CANTORLOT

Celestia dipped her quill into a fresh ink bottle and continued with the letter she was working on. The princess had been like this for the last two hours with no rest or food. This woman needed a seven-layer frosting rainbow cake.

*snap*

Letting out a small growl, Celestia ignited her horn and levitated a new quill while sweeping the broken one onto the floor, where it joined its fallen brothers. Quickly signing the parchment, she then practically threw a bundle of scrolls at a Wonderbolt as he waited on the balcony nearby. He saluted and dashed at his top speed to the nearby towns, excluding Ponyville. The Sun Princess continued to write having not stopped for the exchange.

Luna on the other hoof, was a few meters away staring at a map in the center of their War Room. Looking at the placements of squadrons of the Night and Sun guard distributed all over Equestria. Taking her hand, Luna moved and added some flags here and there, thinking of battle plans and back up battle plans. Next to her was Admiral Sweet Treat, leader of the Sun Guard and Sgt. Graycloud, who was the same for the Night Guard. The room had been this way for the past five hours since the first reports of Ponyville had come in.

Graycloud redistributed guard placement in Sector 3 and Sweat Treat added two more to Sector 7 northwest of Cantorlot's main gate. Luna kept looking at the map for a moment longer, then wrote down the changes, signed them, and handed it off to Graycloud who passed it off to a Private waiting outside. She saluted and took off to the barracks, her wings slightly aching from traveling all over Cantorlot. 

The evacuation had been ordered immediately, all trains of the Friendship Express being used from Cantorlot Station, with all their destinations the same. Cadence, King Thorax, and Lord Ember having been notified the instant Celestia had finished the first few scrolls. The latter two leaders gathering their forces as quickly as possible to move to the Crystal Empire, which would house Cantorlot's citizens. 

Both Princesses had accepted the fact that within moments the Sins could arrive. That their nation's capital was lost. There was no time for fortifications, unlike during the wedding. No word from the Elements, Discord, or Twilight's assistant, Spike could be attained, because when Celestia had tried to send one, it would merely pop back into her hands a moment later. An omen not taken well, to say the least.

'Who or what the hell is attacking Equestria!? It's not Tirek, or Sombra. Tempest, Starlight, Discord, the Dragons, and the Changlings are our allies. The skies are clear of Griffon Airships, no armies from Saddle Arabia, Yakestan, or the other nations have been spotted, meaning the Peace Treaties are still in place...'

Back with the Moon Princess, she wrote out a few notes and orders of her own and handed a scroll to the Admiral and Sergeant. They saluted and quickly left the room. 

'Sister.' Luna looked to Celestia.

'Lulu.' Celestia gave Luna a hard stare.

Luna sighed and pointed to the hellscape that was Ponyville outside of the balcony window. 'Tia, you and I both have the same suspicion o-'

'NO! Luna don't.' The Sun Princess stood abruptly. 'We destroyed those creatures ten thousand years ago. They're gone! This is just another new threat that plagues Equestria.' Celestia walked over to the War Table. 

'Faust Damnit Tia!' Luna slammed her hands on the table, knocking over flags, soldiers, and little houses. 'Every time! Every single time its "We Already defeated them" and then a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand years passes and they ALWAYS come back! Luna got up and stormed over to Celestia. 'And you know what, WE don't even do anything! Your "precious" Elements of Harmony clean up the mess! Take the wedding, you get yourself captured immediately while I'm reconnecting with the other nations and Twilight had to figure it out on her own. And now, now their-!' Luna's mane and tail blinked, inside it looked as if a nebula was trapped, stars and constellations swirled.

Celestia knit her eyebrows. She typically had better patience, but her anger and distress at the situation were being tested. 'Don't say it Luna...' Celestia own mane and tail flickered from its usual multicolor to one that resembled living flame. 

Luna growled out load. 'You know it's true Celestia! I know you felt IT when I did. Ever since we formed that Empathy Link.' Luna rubbed her temple 'The connection to the Elements... their gone Tia...' Tears formed at the edges of Luna's eyes, but they would fall like mini icicles and shatter on the floor. The room feeling like the chill of the grave. Her mane stopped blinking.

Tears started to stream down Celestia's own face but the heat coming from her body would evaporate them. The fury rising with each of her Sister's words. 'Princess Lunar Mi Estrella Eclipsil, you will not speak of my little ponies like that.' The Princess's body changed then. Her mane finally solidified into a raging inferno, her coat became a brighter white, and new armor appeared on her body. Flames licked at the edges of her eyes, her pupils becoming slits, with a hate in them that could reduce all od Equis to a world of ash.

Black chainmail covered her upper body while black leather covered her lower, padded gloves and elbow and knee pads, full plate armor appeared over it a mix of gold and orange, including wing guards in a blood red color, which accented the outlines of the armor. A battle kilt made of hardened leather with a sash displaying a burning star. On her head was a golden crown, much like her usual one, except for a red gem in its center, Solar Flare. In Celestia's hands she held a simple staff, colored in that strange orange and gold mixture, with a ruby stylized as a fire on the tip and the same type of black leather handholds around the center. A scabbard for a shortsword was equipped to her back.

Strangely, Luna seemed not to notice the completely new mare before her, either blinded by the grief or tears. 'And you Princess Celestial Mi Cielo Solaris WILL hear my words! I will not let you leave this new mess to others, instead you and I alone will face these enemies. The casualties from the last Holy War were much. And I will have no more!' Luna's coat altered from its usual blue color, to that of complete darkness, the light around her seemingly being absorbed into her. She grew to match her sister's height, her features sharpened. Her teeth became points, her pupils also forming slits with dark shadows around them, and within held certain death.

The same black leather and chainmail covered her body. The armored that appeared was Nightmare Moon's, then more plates began to form. Sliver plates covered her shoulders, wing tips, hands, stomach, and thighs. She had no sash but, on her neck guard and waist there was a moon in the process of being eclipsed made from hardened ice shards, which appeared in the air around her and within her mane/tail. Purple coloring highlighted Luna's armor and instead of a helmet, she had a sliver crown with a white crystal centered in it. A full sized greatsword was strapped onto her back and in her hands was a black staff with sliver hand holds but instead of a gem on the tip, it was a scythe blade in the shape of a moon, named the Waning Crescent. 

Neither Sister noticed the other's transformation and so the silent argument taking place continued. Around this new Celestia there were magical circles forming all around her. 'I CAN NOT LEAVE THIS NATION UNTIL THE ELEMENTS ARE READY! THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN NEEDED; DO YOU NOT REMEMBER MERLIN?!' She slammed her staff down, forceful winds whipping all around. [i}'You dear Sister, are too young and naive to understand what I must do! Of course, I sent the Elements into danger, they were chosen! Equestria needed symbols of Hope and Unity!'

Luna's scowl deepened, the growling almost like a roar now. 'So then you knew this would happen?! That I would comeback? Crysalis, Discord, Sombra, even Tirek?!' The new looking Moon Princess spun her scythe and slammed the blade down, cracking the floor and making it rumble. In fact, the castle has a whole started to shake. 'DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A FOOL TIA! YOU BELIEVE YOURSELF TO BE THE BEST RULER?! THIS IS WHY I BECAME NIGHTMARE MOON IN THE FIRST PLACE! YOU TIA!' The sisters were mere inches from each other now, steam filled the room.

"...Um... Your Highnesses?" Came an almost whisper like voice from the doorway. 

"WHAT?!" Both Princesses heads swerved to the voice's origin, the quaking and howling winds shifting toward it making the tile below crack entirely and the doors to blast off their hinges. The private standing there had a scared tremble go through him.

*Ahem* He cleard his throat and straightened himself. "Your Majesties, The Sins have breached the gates and are in route to the castle."

"Which gates Private?"

"...All of them..."

Back in the Astral Plane.

A small yellow mare with a big red bow in her apple-red hair was currently brushing off a slightly annoyed purple and green dragon. 

"Oh boy, Ah am so sorry Spike! Ah ordered the sentries to look for anything suspicious, you know to look for Applejack? What Ah didn't know was that 'look for anything suspicious' meant 'throw boulders at anything suspicious'." She kept padding down his shirt even though there wasn't any dirt left on it.

Spike's annoyance turned into embarrassment as Apple Bloom fretted over him. She had really grown, along with the rest of the Crusaders, no longer wearing her overalls but instead a dirtied light blue button-up shirt and some jean short shorts. Spike new the danger he would be in if Big Mac (or AJ for that matter), caught him even thinking about their sister that way. 'Wait a minute, this is a fake world, created by magic, and probably the inner soul of the Sins, this isn't actually Apple Bloom here with me. But still...'

The green teen backed himself up and made it look like he was stretching his wings and back. It wasn't to difficult considering he got hit with a big rock, fell a few meters, and slammed into a tree. "Look Bloom, it's no big deal really. Uh... you said you were looking for Applejack right?" 'Smooth Spike.'

Thankfully Apple Bloom didn't seem to notice his shift in mood. "Oh yeah! Jerry and Carmichael here thought they had seen somthin' a while back but by the time Ah got there the whole section was picked clean! Ah swear Spike, this year she's determined not to be out classed by the Applems." She rubbed her forehead and let out a sigh. The 'Applems' in the back all lowered their heads in shame.

"Applems?"

"Apple Golems."

"Oh, sure. Why not."

For some odd reason when the golems had been made, Big Mag, Applejack, nor Granny Smith could control them. The only Apple they would listen to was the youngest one, Apple Bloom. Twilight and Spike always suspected that it had been a little prank done by Discord during their creation.

Apple Bloom grimaced. "Ah have no idea how she keeps avoiding us. You'd think applebucking would be a little louder huh? Let me talk to my guys and fan 'em then we can come up with a plan. The filly went back to her squadron of golems and proceeded to repromend them for hitting one of her friends. Spike swore he saw one shed a tear. 'Let's see, Applejack, or Pride for that matter is harvesting the whole Orchard. A feat that she could probably due, but there are so many Sectors to investigate, how can we find her? Why is she even doing this chore? What's the point of it?' Spike thought back to the time Twilight taught him Latin. He was never any good at the language but there seemed to be a line about the Sins, like a main characteristic they all shared. Pride focused on their accomplishments, so naturally they would start with the acheivements of their vessal.' Spike snapped his fingers, he finally made a connection. Like with Pinkie! The Sin was in her body, but it was still in a place that Pinkie herself was familiar with! Okay so that's why I'm here in Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack's soul is the most comfortable here. That's what keeps them subdued.' Spike smirked.

"Well Apple Bloom," Spike spoke higher then he needed to. "I think I could harvest this orchard better then Applejack ever could!" Spike put his hands on his hips and struck a pose. He gulped. 'I really hope I sound more convincing than I feel.'

Apple Bloom stopped scolding the Golems and stared at Spike like he suddenly had Cutie Pox. "Spike, what in sam hell are you sayin'?"

"Well duh, Bloom," Spike pointed at himself. "I'm a DRAGON. So naturally I'm better than you nampy pampy ponies." It made Spike physically ill to say these things. "In fact, I'm better, stronger, and faster than you! I feel like I'm six million bits right now! My fangs can break diamonds and my scales are so tough I can swim in molten lava!" Spike then strode over to a nearby Appletree. He gave the very confused filly a wink. "Watch this!" The dragon then crouched, breathed deep, tensing his muscles, he let his breath even out. 

"Spike, wh-" 

Suddenly, Spike lept into the air and did a spin kick to the trunk of the tree. However, there was no crack in the bark, the tree didn't split in half, or a single apple fall. that is, until spike landed back on the ground. As soon has he stood up straight, a tremble went throught the whole tree he had hit and all at once every single apple fell from the branches. 

For the past five years, Spike finally got sick of being helpless and stuck on the sidelines. The dragon first went to Twilight's brother Shining Armor for training. After he had beat all the Crystal Empires Captains and won against a duel with Shining himself, Spike moved on to Princess Luna. Those two years were horrible. Luna's idea of training and character building meant, "Okay Spike, today you'll go kill that swarm of Purple Worms in the badlands today and then rest you up with a cockatrice tomorrow." Everyday Spike was in some sort of horrific new danger. For his last year Spike visited the dragon clans, more as a request from Ember more than anything. After that ordeal the dragon Pinkie Promised himself to master his technigues and become even stronger. It had been a lot of fun, although he was sure that the Elders still hated his guts...

"You see that Bloom? I bet I could even beat Applejack in a fi-Woah!" Right in the middle of Spike's boasting an apple came hurtling from the trees at incredible speed. Spike activated one of his abilities just in time to duck under the fruity projectile. It slammed into a tree behind him. Instead of doing a normal apple thing and splattering over the trunk, it imbedded itself into the wood. Spike even thought he saw steam coming off it. Looking over to where Spike saw the apple come from, he felt a little sweat form on his forehead. 

There, standing before him was an orange coated mare with her classic blonde ponytail and Stetson. She had on a button-up red flannel shirt with blue jeans that had seen some better days, along with some light brown work boots. Spike knew that his plan had worked a little two well, seeing the frown on her face and the way she slowly tossed an apple in her hand. 

"Now Ah been hearin' some cocky little lizard bastard hollering across the orchard saying he can do MY job better than me." When she had said "MY" Applejack crushed the apple, and Spike new that that would be him in the next moment. 

'Welp. In for a bit, in for a pound.' Spike coughed and tensed his muscles, hoping that it helped to make him look intimating. "Yeah." His voice came out with a sqeak. "I mean, YEAH! That's right Applebutt, I could totally do a better job! As a matter of fact, I was about to make a bet with Apple Bloom here that I could beat you in fight!" 

Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked to her sister. Who was currently cowering behind Spike. "A-And Ah was about to tell him how crazy that would be." She kicked his calf. "Don't bring me into this you crazy dragon!" Apple Bloom whispered harshly in his frill. "Hmm? Oh would ya look at that!? Big Mac is callin' me up to the house to help him with the sorting! Well, see ya Sis, and (soontobedead) Spike!" The young filly motioned for the golems to follow her. "Applems! Move out!" 

Spike really didn't want Apple Bloom to leave him alone with the Sin, and the mumbling part about "soon to be dead" didn't exactly help. He watched as the young filly led the squadron of golems out of eyesight, until it was just him and Applejack. He returned his attention to said mare as soon as Apple Bloom was gone, but the farm-mare wasn't there anymore. Before he could look around, Spike suddenly found himself flying through the air.

He flared his wings, flapping a few times to slow down. He hovered there for a few minutes, but couldn't see his target. "A sucker punch AJ? Now that's not very sportstallion like..." Spike landed and brought his guard up, activating Amplitude. Spike's senses became heightened, his muscles tensed, and his pupils became slits. True to his word, Spike had increased his training regimen until he could keep Amplitude on all the time. 'If Pride is all muscle like I suspect, then Amplitude should be good enough to take her down.' A twig snapped on his left and he dodged right just as AJ came in with a flying roundhouse kick. 

"Ah must say Sugercube, you've gotten better." A punch came to his right, then his left. Spike backed up, using his tail to help create some distance. However, she was on the offensive, with punches and kicks, elbows and knees, not letting him get in any sort of counterattack. Spike thanked the gods for his tough scales, it was all he could do to use his forearms to block her attacks. He couldn't stop all of them though, a few hits connected to his abdomen and chest. each hit he felt had the same power of getting hit with a barrel full of cake batter, replacing that wall the following morning proved the power of baking.

Spike sidestepped, making it out like he was going to use his wings and take off. AJ saw this but didn't anticipate the feint out so in the instant she looked up Spike delivered a fist right to her face. The orange mare stumbled a little backward, her hat fluttered to the ground, while Spike's eyes widened in surprise. 'The buck? I'm strong enough to break granite, how is she standing?!' 

Applejack looked him right in the eyes and spat out some blood to the side. "That the best you got?" Spike quickly brought his center low, pushed off from the ground, and did a sweep to her legs. As AJ fell, Spike jumped up and dropped an elbow to her midsection. Applejack slammed hard into the dirt, some dust gathering in the air. She moved her head just as a green fist came down. She smirked, and gripped his arm, she wrapped her legs around neck. Spike fell and was maneuvered so he was in her Tartarus' Gate hold. The dragon choked has her shin started to crush his windpipe. 

"Sorry Spike, but it looks like you're done." Applejack smiled at the dragon's futile struggling. When Spike spat out some blood, he knew he need to something and fast.

Think fast, he used his freehand to grip onto her, he pushed Amplitude to the limits as he picked up the shocked mare and threw her off of him. Applejack landed a few meters away as Spike fell back to his knees as he coughed, "Ha... I'm not... done yet." He stood back up and ran towards AJ. 

Applejack shock her head, clearly unprepared for that move, when a tug at her ponytail forced her up. Two arms wrapped around her stomach, she was flung up and over being slung into the ground once more by a suplex. When her eyes refocused, Spike was on top of her, using both of his fists on her undefended face. Right, left, right, left, right, left, Spike wasn't showing mercy. AJ raised her legs and slammed her knees right into his spine. "OW!" Spike called out. Her hand clamped over his throat was she swung her arm to the left, the dragon flying into a tree as the bark snapped and apples rained all around him. 

"I'm getting real tired of this- Shit!" Spike dived away from the tree as rocks the size of watermelons came at him. He looked over and saw that AJ was slamming her foot into ground, making rubble rise, then kicking the debris in his direction. "Okay, seriously, what even." Spike sprinted away dodging the speedy bullets and taking cover behind another tree. "Fine then, lets fight fire with fire. ...Or rock with fire I guess... nevermind." He breathed in deep, counted to three and ran straight at her full speed. When more rocks got close he let lose multiple fireballs to intercept. The heat from his counterattack proving to much and melting the earth to slag, Spike brought up his fist and aimed right for her. Applejack wasn't taken by surprise however, and raised her own clenched hand. A shockwave sounded when their two fists connected with each other. Both opponents were thrown back several meters, each breaking through trees as they slammed into them.

Spike's connection to Amplitude was broken as he tumbled to the grassy earth below. "Uggg..." he raised his head in time to see Applejack punch him right in his jaw, not sending him back, but sideways into the trees again. He landed hard on his wings, skidding five or so meters. "Come on Spike! You've faced harder opponents than this." Spike once more activated his primary ability and stood. This time he was prepared for Applejack when she closed in on him. Using his tail he deflected a punched aimed for his side and brought an elbow to her cheek. He crossed his arm in the shape of an X as a kick hit him. Timing it just right, he disoriented her by moving his crossed arms away abruptly. Spike dropped low and waited as she somersaulted backwards, landed on her feet. 

Before she could become fully stabe Spike used a running start and hopped. The dragon brought both his legs up and said, "Double Decker Applebucking Kick!" He connected with her torso. Celestia damnit, I said that out loud again! To the pony who taught me the move no less!' Applejack didn't fly several meters away but instead smashed into a tree that it trembled so hard branches broke off and apples tumbled and bounced all over. 
As the dust settled the worn out dragon gripped his side as he looked at the mare. Applejack however, didn't move. 

Spike waited, huffing, sure that any moment she would come at him again. Several minutes passed and nothing happened. Spike lowered his guard a little. "'Is-is it over?' Spike walked up to where she was, impeded a small amount into the tree. Several cuts and bruises dotted her body, a small trickle off blood came from the side of her mouth. Spike made to get her out but just when his hand touched her shoulder, her eyes flew open.

She swung her right leg into his groin, when he doubled over, AJ grabbed his crest and smashed her knee into his snout. When his back arched, she delivered a brutal elbow to his throat. An organ rubsured and blood spilled out. Before he could bring up some kind of defensive move she kicked him in his abdomen, and Spike was sure that a few ribs cracked then. Spike landed on his back and groaned.

Applejack jumped on him instantly and wrapped her hands over his neck. Spike gagged. "What... is the... deal with... attacking... my neck..." He grabbed at her arms desperate to get the pressure that was closing in to stop. 

Applejack smiled "It's a shame you died so easily Spike, or else I might have had some sort of satisfaction." Instead of replying Spike used the remaining oxygen he had to blast a small fireball into her face. "AHH!" She shouted and covered her face. the dragon then uses his tail to grab her by the ankle and sent her face-first into the ground. 

Spike gulped at new found air, laying there. When he had the strength to, he crawled over to Applejack. He got to his knees and put her into his own hold, The Draconic Sleeper, a move he adapted from Shining's STF (Stallion Toehold Facelock). Placing his entire body weight onto the mare's back he wrapped one arm around her face and the other gripped onto her hair. Applejack struggled but couldn't get ahold of anything. Spike's own legs kept her's pinned and she could bend her arms back enough to break out. Slowly, her vision began to fade, her immense strength starting to drop. Spike's eyes were shut tight as he poured all of his remaining strength and  Amplitude into the hold. 

Several minutes passed and finally Spike's ability ran out. He let go of the hold and sat down beside the unconscious mare. He breathed in deep, the adrenaline dropping, making him feel the full force of the pain he was in. "Oh, that's gonna hurt in the morning." Spike looked to the knocked-out Sin but nearly yelped at what he saw. 

Laying on her side as Applejack, eyes open and smiling at Spike. He went to scramble away but stopped when AJ didn't move. That's when he noticed something else; she was glowing. Her smile wasn't one of cruel surprise, but of relieved happiness. "Hey Sugar, mind helping me up?" She let out a hand. The shocked dragon quickly scooped her up and gently sat her down on a nearby stump their fight had made. When He was sure she was comfortable Spike looked around for her hat and found it lying on the grass a ways off. Picking it up he returned to Applejack, brushing off the grim and dirt from it the best he could. He held it out to her, and she took it. Although, she didn't put it back on immediately , instead she looked at it, and then back to Spike. "Thank ya kindly Spike, but Ah won't need it where Ah'm headed." She handed it back to him. 

He went to take it back, but hesitated. Spike wanted to deny it, that it had always been her thing, like not wearing the Stetson meant she was saying goodbye forever. AJ laughed at his aparent silliness over her favorite hat, and Spike lifted his head at the sound. "Ah ain't leaving for good Spike, ya know that. Pinkie brought ya here because she knew Ah needed saving next. She's here with us now in that there ring of yours." 

Spike looked at his hand with the ring on it. The object glowed faintly. "Now look." Applejack continued "I'm going to be with ya for the rest of your journey too Spike, and I'm gonna take ya to the rest of us that need saving alright?" 

Spike let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yeah." His voice sound rough. He finally took the hat, and something happened after he did. The glow that had been surrounding AJ was transferred over to her Stetson as he took it, then the orange glow moved over Spike's entire body. The cuts and aches lessened and healed, the dragon felt energy course throughout his body. He closed his eyes as the feeling surrounded him and before long Spike was fully healed. 

When he reopened his eyes, the orchard was gone. No more trees or the bright blue sky over head. Spike looked around his new environment and saw that he was in a very familar cottage. Outside the windows he could see a heavy storm taking place. Rain and sleet pounded against the glass, in the distance Spike could hear the rumbling of thunder and the flash of lightning. When he looked at his hand the cowgirl's hat was gone, and what was there was an orange ring with the engravings of a bear. he slid it onto his middle finger, so it was next to the ring Pinkie had given him. He let out a slow breath and smiled. Applejack was right. She would be with him, and Spike felt better for it. 

That is until he heard the soothing voice come from the shadows.

"~Oh Spike, it's so good to see you again.~"