Spike stared out the window as the darkened night scenery flew by in a blur. He huffed, fogging the glass, and sketched little formless swirls, as he looked at the violin case on his lap, sighing he looked at the foggy reflection of his face...
He felt the anger deep in his heart as the pain in his chest was the reason why he couldn’t let it go, he felt so broken and so angry after the same morning… 10 hours ago he was a happy drake, but after bombastic news not just made him broken but severed the ties with dozen of his friends from Ponyville, he looked at the ticket on his hands. A Canterlot ticket, Spike closed his eyes as he made the decision on that morning, he then observed the bow on his lap and looked at the swirls he made on the glass.
He then huffed covering the swirls and with the new foggy glass, he decided to write a few notes over it. As he hummed a familiar song from his memory. A little simple partiture as a signal of how memories of a prodigy would follow him wherever he goes.
There was a knock at the door to his cabin. Spike looked at the door before walking over, with still the train ticket in his hands he opened the door for the conductor. The conductor checked the ticket, peered over Spike’s head to look for more passengers, and punched it with a tip of his hat before moving down to the next cabin.
Spike took the ticked and shoved the ticket into the duffle and zipped it up. He frowned as the image of the conductor standing over him stuck in his head. He climbed up one of the daybeds that made up the seats of the first-class train cabin and stared at his own reflection. The image looking back at him wasn’t very different at all from the one that had been there when he and Twilight had first moved to Ponyville so long ago but the dark eyes he had after crying so much as a signal that he felt tired and worn out from the events of what happened, the sparkle on his eyes he had the hours prior the day were gone, and his smile became a cold straight line, neither smiling nor showing sadness. His face still had that short, childish snout and wide, round eyes. A grown dragon’s character into a baby dragon appearance. After 4 years of staying in Ponyville, nothing much has changed into the dragon who left Canterlot, just the desire of regret of leaving it in the first place.
“How stupid I was.” Spike lamented as he remembered all the signs over the little city, he felt his heart being crushed into a way he never felt before into a few times, but never into a million years he could imagine the same scene happening again… He looked at the window as he recalled everything he has said. “You are kidding, right? If that’s a way you are making a prank with me Applejack then stops it now. That’s not funny.”
He looked at the mirror and saw the same face of the orange mare who seemed so conflicted but the sadness from her brother, and his best friend showed nothing more than deep anger and sorrow.
.
.
.
“Ah’m sorry Spike, but that’s true. Twilight has been into a relationship with Rarity, and they aren’t planning to tell you until they get ready to make you feel comfortable with the idea.”
“COMFORTABLE?” Spike looked at the version of himself shouting over the mare who has been wincing from the absurd idea. “So just like that? They’ve been together on my back and they kept that as a secret because they wanted me to be comfortable about my sister being into a relationship with the mare, I confessed to her that I loved her?”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac appeared on his sister's side, as his face showed nothing more than inner anger, understanding the feelings deep inside of the drake who seemed to not like a bit of the revelation. “Spike, it’s true…”
Spike closed his claws so tight that the sound of the bones being snapped and his mouth closed so hard that his teeth were grinding. Then after closing his eyes for a few seconds, he couldn’t care more, but the happiness inside of him left his heart, as the good memories he had been with Rarity, working to her, being her mannequin, being her helper to locate the gems, catch them and carry them to everywhere she wants.
And Twilight, the only pony he trusted with the deep of his heart, telling her the crush he had on the mare he loved for years, and helping his sister into everything, he gave up many things to help his sister to achieve everything she had, he became her right hoof, her chef, her cleaner, her butler, her task subject, her helper, her assistant during many years… And this is how she paid him? That’s a betrayal that he never saw anypony doing it… Not even the worst of the worst from Canterlot would be so low to do that.
After the sparkle his eyes have died at the moment, Applejack looked sorrowful, she knew that it was for the best to tell him. But there was one question left.
“Since when you knew this?” Spike asked trying to find comfort in somepony, somepony he can trust, and even if the look of the orange mare showing sadness, there was one thing he could see in her eyes. The pride she did the right thing.
“Ah discovered that from yesterday… Ah was conflicted if Ah should’ve told you that, but after telling Big Mac and Discord yesterday, they without thinking twice made me promise to tell you this morning.” Applejack was brutal with her truth, and even if Spike felt hurt, it was best to break his heart at that moment, then let the poor drake live into an illusion until the truth come from them, making the dragon even worse than learning from the farm mare.
“And where is Discord?” Spike looked around, trying to find the lord of chaos lurking around laughing at him, but to his surprise Big Mac spook once more.
“Talking to Fluttershy. Mad, the same as us.” Big Mac was so furious that he was even talking more words than normal, something usually the bulk stallion would rarely do, but since one of his best friends was into such a situation he couldn’t help but open his mouth.
Spike raised his eyebrow but then frowned as he looked at the orange mare asking for an answer…
“Spike… the other girls knew about this.” As Applejack once again admitted, Spike couldn’t take that anymore and stomped his foot angry.
“WHAT? Did they know the whole time? Since when?” Spike was gritting his teeth as his eyes were flaming with anger, Applejack shook her head in shame, realizing the answer to his doubts.
“2 months Spike, they’ve been doing that in your back more than 2 months.”
Spike's anger took control of his body, as he turned his back to both Big Mac and Applejack.
“Spike, wait.” As the mare was following his steps, Spike went even faster, as he ran at the entire Apple Acress, the memories of how the mare he loved, it wasn’t a crush, he wouldn’t make such effort into using his body as a subject test, using his effort to work day and night staying with the mare if wasn’t for love, accepting all the crushes she had waiting for just one chance with her.
And the worst part, she stomped his feelings by having a relationship with his own sister, the mare who hatched him and left inside of her house with her family, taking the steps and being part of her family, his family. And he did everything he could to help her. HE SACRIFICED HIS DREAMS FOR HER.
Spike stormed into the castle, ignoring all the stares, all the ponies around him, he walked straight the castle, the anger inside of him made him forget that he walked a lot until he got to his bedroom which by surprise he shares with the mare who had taken the one he loved, under his nose.
Spike wanted so much to scream, to discuss, and even fight Twilight, but his rational mind reminds him that fighting an alicorn would be a bad idea and would make many attempts to make him stop on his track and accept by force, and he wouldn’t accept that. He will not accept being treated as a clown anymore. Screw Twilight, screw Rarity, screw Ponyville, screw being assistant.
“I QUIT” Spike shouted from the deep of his longs, as he took the suitcase from the closet, and taking all the things he had, all the bits he had with all the odd jobs doing over Ponyville, since his adorable sister didn’t even give him a salary, she would just spend to him the things he want like an allowance when he had good behavior.
Spike looked deep from his closed and found something that he valued most, the only thing he took with him after the boxes of books appeared from moving with Twilight at the new castle.
A good but simple violin, with sheets, surround it, Spike checked the instrument, and the good memories had appeared on his mind… This little violin was something that nopony would take from him, the only thing he never forgot about it.
Spike decided to use the proper suitcase for the little violin and the sheets around it, making sure that everything was fine, and since he was ready to leave, he couldn’t care less if anypony other than the town.
But he will miss Applejack, she was the only pony who did the right thing to him. And Big Mac will always be welcome on the home he will be since they will always have a guy's night. Discord was the other one who would be a great guy to be there to be part of the guy's night.
Spike will make sure to call Discord more often, he will never forget the good things he passed from Ponyville, but at that moment he was so broken that the only answer into his heart was to leave the city.
He took everything he had and left the castle. The anger on his face was so much that he didn’t look to anypony around him, all of them curious and worried about where the angry dragon would go with his 2 suitcases.
Spike decided to write a personal letter to Princess Celestia…
.
.
.
Spike saw the foggy vision of the memories fly away, as he cited himself the message from the letter.
“Dear Princess Celestia.
As a good helper from your student Twilight Sparkle, it was my task to give help into whatever needs she had, since cleaning, cooking, helping her to take care of castle and help her whenever she needed since from her childhood.
I’ve been in silence from my desires and dreams as I focused my entire life on helping Twilight every day. But after the recent events, and betrayals of my trust, I’m here to inform you that I’m quitting my task as her personal assistant, leaving the royal kingdom decided by themselves to help their new princess into such trivial tasks.
I’m here to inform you that the offer from 11 years ago. I accept this offer from the deep of my heart, I want… no… I beg you to please give my recommendation letter to my old 2 professors that I’m ready to present myself on the Canterlot Royal Orchestra Event this year. You may have doubts of my abilities after a few years absence from the orchestra, and I’m here to inform you. I never stopped thinking or even training 40 hours per day. I’M MORE THAN READY.
I will be living in my parents’ house, and please, I don’t want to hear anything about Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I don’t want to meet them, and not even think about them. I want my life back; I want to follow my dreams. And I’m tired to be on Ponyville.
Please understand this and give my recommendation letter to my former teachers, I want to be part of the dream I had since I was 3 years old. From your friend.
Spike the dragon.”
Spike, let out a yawn of the tiredness he had over the morning, a part of him couldn’t manage to sleep until the conductor take a look at his ticket. Now that the due was done, he wanted to cover himself to his sheets and let out the deserved rest from the terrible day he had.
As he looked at the violin case next to him, he decided to open it and take a glimpse of the same violin he had many years. It was a well-molded violin with a good varnish covering the scratches after many hours of training.
As he checked the violin itself, he took from the case the bow which would be the essential part of the instrument, and with his eyes closed he couldn’t let himself from the emotions over his body and with a slide, he decided to play one of the songs he practiced most of the time.
As the fingers from his claws touched every part of the violin, making the perfect harmonies and using the vibrato as the sequence of up and down slides using his bow, he managed to play in harmony one of his favorite composer's works. The smooth notes made the song pass through the entire train, as all the ponies inside of the train listen carefully at the song being played.
Some of them even seemed to enjoy having music as they among themselves thought their cabins, as some even treated the play as a good treatment from the conductor, making the trip a fancy trip to Canterlot, making everypony think of themselves as classy ponies and leaving them with a good impression for their trip to Canterlot.
But one grey pony in special who was checking her notes and planned her trip to Canterlot was immediately interrupted by a song she was familiar with. A violinist playing one of the greatest composers from ponykind. She decided to leave her cello over her cabin as she walked slowly in the direction of the song, not just a part of the song, but all the parts of the same creation.
The cellist walked over the train and became so surprised by each technique displayed over the train.
“How could that be? A violinist to play with such skill, the vibrator is amazing, and is that a triple? Is that possible for a pony to do a triple?” The mare talked to herself as she was mesmerized by the song she heard. An ability she never thought somepony would be capable of.
Nopony was over the corridors, it seemed it was only her who was curious about the author of the music, she walked as the path of the song. Then, there she was, in front of the door of the violinist she never thought she would be part of the train.
She didn’t want to interrupt the violinist from knocking on the door, so she prayed that the door itself was unlocked. Fortunately for her, the door itself was unlocked. As she slowly opened the cabin, her eyes went wide open to witness something outside of the world, a little chubby dragon carrying a violin as the mistress of the entire world, and using all the fingers of his claws making a repetitive sequence of movements which made such impact of the sound as he quickly moved the bow with the other hand, the sound was clear as crystal, and the precise movements made that the mare herself was watching a soloist performing into a front of an entire orchestra, something breathtaking.
She didn’t even remember the pattern of the colors from the little dragon she knew from Ponyville, but looked intently at the serious look on his face, and the movements of his claws and the violin expressing the entire speed song from the deepest imagination.
That was the version the composer wanted everypony to play? Never deep inside of her mind she had meet somepony capable to accomplish such feet.
As she remained there, watching until the end of the play, the little dragon showing the skills he had. Until for the final note he let out a sigh of relief as he opened his eyes and looked at the space dreaming awake. Until the clap of hooves made him turn his head surprised at the grey mare clapping to him.
“Blimey, that’s fantastic, I wasn’t quite sure that I would’ve meet another performer on a trip over Canterlot.” The mare smiled at the dragon, as the looked sheepish. “Are you going to the C.R.O.E?”
“You mean the Canterlot Royal Orchestria Event?” Spike asked the mare who gave a nod confirming the answer. “Yes. I’ve been waiting to be part of that event since I was 3 years old.”
“Oh? That’s something I would like to see… Oh…” At the moment the mare was smiling she then noticed something passed through her mind, the little dragon on her front, the color pattern of his scales. That dragon was someone she meets before. “Excuse me, if I remember correctly, aren’t you the dragon who lives in the castle of Ponyville?”
That question made Spike’s eyes wide open, but deep inside of his heart he received a good relief since that question could’ve have been another kind of question which would make him feel in pain at the moment. Anything related to Twilight’s name at that day would make him feel terrible again, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
“Oh yes. Spike is my name, being a dragon is my game. But now I’m moving away from Ponyvile. I will be staying with my parents for the festival.” Spike decided to give a half-lie to make not just the mare not know the whole truth, but for him comfort himself after such a disastrous day. “But now that I’m looking at you, weren't you, my neighbor when I moved to Ponyvile? You and your friend who turns every morning into a pandemonium sound festival?”
That question made the mare’s eyes wide open as she laughed delighting from such description. Making the little dragon next to her raises his eyebrows.
“You mean Vinyl? Yes. My name is Octavia if you remember correctly. And it’s being the first time I’ve heard a perfection description of what my roommate uses to wash our dishes.”
“Wash your dishes?” Spike said slowly as he tried to understand the meaning of that words, how doing the dishes could create such thunderous electronic music sound every morning on Ponyville, leaving Twilight with a headache every morning?
“Why yes. She is a good roommate, however… She uses…wubs to clean the dishes.” Octavia giving a disappointing sigh she admitted something that left Spike’s eyes twitch trying to understand the message. “She uses the vibration of her wubs to clean the dishes directly.”
Spike’s jaw dropped, surprised from such a statement, not imagining something like that ever existed.
“But that wouldn’t destroy the dishes while cleaning?” Spike asked trying to understand who in Tartarus would be so crazy to do something like that.
“Surprisingly just if you are 6 steps away from the wub machine. Meaning we couldn’t use our cups or glasses until the machine finishes our dishes.” Octavia shrugged as Spike shook his head trying to process such trivial information. “But I’m surprised that you remember us. Now that we are both going to Canterlot to participate on C.R.O.E, we can take seats next to each other over the orchestra, I have to confess that it feels good to sit down with somepony familiar to play with.”
Spike hearing that thought about the letter he had sent to princess Celestia, and knowing the approval of his 2 teachers would be sure that the festival would be a good opportunity to not just play with the orchestra, but to forget the terrible thoughts about the city he left behind.
“Yeah sure. Actually, I’m surprised that anypony passed through the door.” Spike admitted sheepishly. But after looking at the mare who seemed flinch and blush in shame Spike shook his hands. “But I’m don’t mind, actually is good to have somepony to talk over here.”
Octavia left her head down in shame, forgetting something terrible she did, she invaded the cabin of other passenger without even knocking on the door.
“I apologize for my intrusion, I just wanted to know who could be the great violinist who managed to play Backh King so well.”
“Oh, you knew it was Backh King? I mean, of course you knew… Well Backh King was an inspiration for me as a little dragon, I’ve always been fan of his works…” Spike admitted as he looked at the sheets he did as he was composing, each of them were inspired of great works of Backh.
“So this symphony,” Octavia asked as the dragon smiled at her, nodding to confirm her inquire.
“This is Violin Partita Number 2 in D minor, from his BWV 1004.” Spike smiled as Octavia nodded her head in understanding. “But there is many other works that I liked to play since I was kid, and someday I will make a good concerto, the same way as him and lead the whole orchestra.”
Octavia smiled at the little dragon in front of her.
“I remember trying to play one of his works, many ponies often hates his difficulty works, even one of the most beautiful works he did, everypony thought he was in fact using a magic as he played, making it much easier to control the violin.” Octavia scoffed at such theory since had the biggest flaw inside of it.
“Wait? Backh wasn’t a Pegasus? How did he used magic if he was a Pegasus?” Spike raised his eyebrow not understanding.
“Exactly, ponies may enquire that Backh was actually an Alicorn.” Octavia snorted, making Spike chuckle.
“Seriously? If his works make him an alicorn, what about Pagawhinny would be the pony devil himself.” Spike snorted, as Octavia started to giggle.
“Oh, it seems we have a pony of culture… Ops. I mean a dragon of Culture.” Octavia corrected herself, as Spike waved his claw.
“That’s okay, do you want to stay here for we talk more about the Event?” Spike managed to put his violin in its case as he smiled at the mare who was still on his door. “If you want to stay here, I can make some tea for us to talk until the end of the trip.”
Octavia smiled at the little dragon in front of her, but she shook her head.
“Actually, I was preparing myself to have a slumber when your melody took attention from me, now that I discovered who was playing the violin, I sadly have to inform that I need to go to have a rest.” Octavia couldn’t manage to avoid let it out a yawn as she was showing the signs of tiredness, and after yawning Spike was infected by the sound and let it out a same yawn.
Spike yawned as he remembered how tired he was from that day, and after meeting Octavia he forgot that he was indeed going to sleep.
“I understand, I too was going to sleep, and since I had many things crossing into my mind, I decided release everything inside of me, and since I already finished playing, I have to go to sleep as well. But it was nice to meet you again Octavia.” Spike smiled at the mare in front of him.
Octavia looked at the sincere smile of the little dragon, somepony who has a great talent, he seemed to be a prodigy who was going to play with her at the orchestra. It seems the festival of the year would be interesting for both of them.
“The pleasure is mine, and now that I’m leaving I want to say I will be happy to see you at the festival before the event. I hope I find you there. But until then, I say. Good night Spike.” Octavia said as she winked on him, she left the cabin, as Spike closed the door and that time he locked to be sure to nopony would intrude as he was going to sleep.
“Well, that was…something. But I hope Canterlot would show something better than these years of waste of effort I did on Ponyville. I’m tired of wanting to always do the things for the others, this time I want to follow my dreams.” Spike said to himself, determined to let go of all the doubts inside of his heart, there was no way back this time.
The future is the mystery Spike cannot see, but he will work hard to follow his heart, and this time do something he wants.
Spike went to his sleep, falling into the embrace of darkness as he hummed a song for him to sleep, as a tear fell from his face before finally get unconscious.