Celestia walked away from the young dragon as she wanted to be alone, her own coat turning grey as her power was forfeit to Discord and Spike reached out, wanting to say something but found no words as he was left alone with no power, no friends, and no hope. He stared at the elements and began to cry as Discord’s voice surrounded him, a shadowy silhouette of him on the walls all around.
“You truly thought that I’d let you stand in my way? You may be a genius for a dragon but you sure can be a tool sometimes. No matter what you do, who you help, you always end up here don’t you? A lone puppet who waits for a new master. You gave me all of this, you should be proud Spike, you finally made that difference in the world you wanted to.” The dragon growled as the draconequus laughed and he shattered the windows all around him and then fell to his knees.
“It’s over… it’s all my fault…”
“Yes it is, you truly made a massive mistake in trust him. In forgetting who your friends truly were.” Spike turned at the voice and found Luna standing there with a sad stare and then moved her gaze to the windows and powerless elements on the ground. “Tia…”
“Luna… you still have your color? Why did you come here? Did you see what I did? What I had become after I found out that they lied or maybe it was because I found that I truly was as alone in the world as I feared…” He lowered his head and sniffled before he felt two hooves wrap around him and pulled him close. He froze and looked up to see Luna smiling softly at him and she shook her head.
“Still so young and foolish, if you truly think you are alone then let me show you something.” Luna walked away with Spike closely following her, they walked until they reached her bedchamber and inside it was fully dark to make sleeping for Luna during the day easier. “Spike do you know what I do?”
“You are the princess of the moon and watch over ponies in their dreams.”
“Exactly. My job is to watch over and ensure that ponies are safe in the dreamscape. I was born as an Earth Pony with my sister as a Unicorn, my connection to this world and the dream one was a connection only I had while my sister was connected to the sun and a realm only she can see.”
“Princess… what does this have to do with me?”
“Heh, straight to the point hmm? You are becoming more confident aren’t ya? Well, there is a belief that dreams only occur when we dream but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Dreams are, in a sense, wishes that hide deep in our hearts and when we sleep it is easiest for them to come out. Ever since you came to us that day we saved Canterlot for Katrina the first time, a dream grew in my sister’s heart. One I doubt that she even truly knows.” Luna’s horn glew and the room around them fell away into a seamless colorful void where bubbles floated around, images of creatures of all kinds were there. Luna smiled at his awed expression before leading him to one tiny bubble which she touched with her horn. The bubble grew and Spike felt himself being sucked into it.
He opened his eyes tiredly as he looked down at Celestia doing her normal routine, raising the sun, talking to delegates, making breakfast, going out to make public appearances, going to her school to teach, lowering the sun, and give all her time to those around her. He was angry at her but deep in his heart he couldn’t imagine what that would be like, living an immortal life with no one at your side and to only willingly give your happiness for the ponies you rule. She tiredly walked through her castle until she arrived back in her room but Spike noticed that something else was there a crib. Celestia’s tired expression turned to one of joy and contentment as she heard the baby inside cry. She lightly shushed the bundle and used her magic to levitate the child, a baby dragon, to her side and she held him against her coat.
“Oh, what’s the matter, Spike? Were those old nannies mean to you?” The baby babbled and nodded, trying to make an angry expression but only came off as silly. “Well, Mommy’s here now so you don’t have to worry about them.” Spike yawned and nuzzled into her chest as he sucked on his tail happily. Celestia kissed the baby’s forehead and fell asleep, Celestia being seen entering his dream and using his developing mind to spend time doing everything she wished she could do with him during the day. The real Spike watched the dream and reached out before pulling his hand back.
“W-what is this Luna?”
“My sister was alone for so long, banishing me took away the one pony she thought she could always count on… It destroyed her confidence and left her connection to the elements of harmony shattered… She was truly alone in the world with her friends even disappearing on her and with no mate that would live as long as she, her fear of being hurt took over. She gave up everything for the good of Ponykind and sacrificed her own happiness…”
“Why was I in that dream…”
“After seeing you again… she dreamed about if she had kept you by her side and how happy her life would have been. She had her students and Cadence but they had lives and would move on from her but she wished that she had held you and raised you. She regrets not being the mother she could have been… Even now when she has no hope left in her heart, this dream remains hurting her. She wanted to keep you Spike but even she fears her own judgment. She believes she had failed to be a good mentor so what right does she have to be a mother?”
“If she had just told me…”
“It doesn’t make her choice right but I ask you to understand her…” Spike didn’t answer her but he didn’t need to as his feet glowed and his color returned, a bit of his hope returned but there was more work to be done. “Come on Spike, there are two others you must see.”
The second bubble was much bigger, showing that its place in the heart of creature it belonged to was one built over time and had yet to cease. Spike was shocked to find himself back in the Dragon Lands, everything, however, was a bit different than what he had always known his ancestral home to be. It was as if the dragons returned to their olden ways and relearned what they had forgotten over the generations. Metalwork had paved the way for the Dragon Lands to resemble much more of a proper kingdom than just a gathering place for dragons. Spike could see Ponies, Griffins, and even a Yak here and there who seemed to actually be living among the dragons peacefully.
“It’s peaceful… this is what I wanted to bring back to the Dragon Lands but no one ever listened to me…”
“Wrong, there was one who was by your side whenever you needed her and she held onto every word she heard. She believed in you and still believes that you can make this dream real…”
“She believes in me?” They moved away from the more city-like part of the Dragon Lands and into a large structure made of metal and stone, to Spike it looked to be a castle of some kind. Deep in the structure, through the halls and endless rooms, it opened to a throne room where Ember sat with the bloodstone scepter at her side and a crown of jewels on her head. Spike had to admit that she looked incredible and powerful as the dragon lord. She looked bored as she watched two dragons bicker about who owned a lava pool that was on both their properties. Their arguing was soon enough starting to get on her nerves as she growled and she released an enormous blast of fire that Spike swore he could feel. The two dragons immediately shut up as they trembled with fear.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!! You two only have three choices, share the lava, fight each other for it in the arena, or I knock you both out and take it for myself!” The two looked at each other and agreed to share it before running off, leaving her rubbing her brow in frustration.
“Awe how’s my favorite Dragon Lord~” A deep cheerful voice from behind her threatened to make her smile as Spike appeared. He was older and tall, having lost his baby fat, his arms and legs were muscular without having to be too big. His spines were sharp and his scales glistened against his lean chest and stomach. Spike was actually a bit jealous of this version of himself.
“I’ll be your only dragon lord but I don’t know why I let you talk me into actually making us a kingdom, things were so much easier when all the dragon lord had to do was watch eggs and yell at dragons. That’s what my dad did mostly.” the other Spike chuckled and hugged the girl as she crossed her arms.
“You aren’t your dad and I thought you enjoyed a challenge~ Well things have been going well with our relations with the Yaks, Ponies, and Griffins but we still have problems with Hippogriffs and Yetis. I’ve been playing them over okay but they just keep asking for more and more and I had to put my foot down.” Ember smirked and tapped the scepter on his head.
“Ooo they actually annoyed you? I’m a bit jealous, I’ve been trying to do that for years.” The two shared a laugh and the real Spike thought back to his years with Ember and realized that even though she knew his past, she stayed with him. She was there and didn’t look down on him for his birth, instead, she risked her own reputation and status as a princess to hang out with him and be his friend. She cared for him through it all and made him proud to be a dragon, proud to be her brother. He smiled and more of his color returned to his body before he decided to give Ember’s dream privacy and walked out of the dream. Luna stayed for a moment longer and watched as the dream Ember nuzzled her Spike in a way more… intimate than sibling love. She sighed a bit feeling bad for the dragon princess before she turned away and went back to Spike.
The last bubble had a dark aura around it as it had once been a dream but something had infected it and it is slowly turning into a nightmare. Spike entered it and found that Luna was no longer at his side. He shouted for her as his voice echoed through the dark void and then he found himself in Ponyville. He looked around, the town was perfect and everything was at peace with a single cloud in the sky where Spike guessed Rainbow Dash was napping on. Fluttershy was walking through the market, buying more food for her animals while talking fashion with Rarity. Applejack could be seen in the distance bucking trees and telling Pinkie Pie and the CMC how to make an Apple Family apple pie. Owlicious was deep in the library's leaves where he slept happily. Everything seemed to be tranquil and nothing was out of place except somepony was missing. Spike looked at the darkened library and went into the tree and up the stairs where he found his target.
Twilight was looking out her balcony window at her friends, a small smile gracing her lips until it turned into a frown. “Everything is here and everypony is happy… why do I feel like something is wrong…” Spike reached out to her but his hand went right through her.
“You can’t change the dream here and neither can I. I have control over dreams but this one is a result from the real world and only you can fix what is missing.”
“She has everything here… why would she need me?”
“Twilight Sparkle is my sister’s prized pupil and while I don’t know her nearly as much I can understand her. She was alone growing up, dedicating all her life to my sister and her studies. When she finally got friends and the chance to improve herself through others, she took it happily. I read her letters and the lessons the group learned from each other were inspiring and showed the growth she wanted and then you came to town. You gave her more lessons and something to lose as you had the bad luck to keep pissing off the wrong creatures. The want and need to protect you ingrained itself in her heart and all she wanted was for you to be happy and in the end, she hurt you. This dream became a nightmare because this is all she wants, her town and friends to be happy but she can’t be if you are gone.”
“...how do I change it?”
“That is something you must learn on your own, I trust you to know the way. You walked down it once before. You asked me how I still kept my hope through the mess with Discord, well because I remembered when I lost it last time and you were there to help me and we saved Canterlot. I still have my hope because I trust in you and the elements to come together and save that day.” Spike looked back at Twilight as the light and color returned to the last part of his body, only his eyes remained grey. “Think back Spike, to what you told me that night.”
“I’m no big hero… all I am is some dragon who wants to believe he is doing something that matters to somepony somewhere… You may have made some childish mistakes, I know I have and now looking over Equestria I realize what even a small dragon can change.” He spoke and looked out at the real Equestria which was suffering under the chaotic rule of Discord. "If I fail then it could be game over but I see you are willing to fight and I can feel your strength and trust in me, this time it’s your hope that pushes me forward Luna. It’s that and this other feeling in my heart to see my friends happy, to undo their pain that makes me want to fight. To bring the light back to their hearts and the smile back to Twilight…” Luna smiled seeing his eyes began to sparkle.
“Driven by hope… the hope that you can save them. You would trust the fate of the world to something so small and feeble?” Spike chuckled at the reuse of words and he turned to her with his eyes back to their emerald color as the fire of determination could be seen in them.
“I would.”
“Good choice.”