//------------------------------// // How are we taking this? // Story: A Not-So Draconian Adventure // by Rock-Lee //------------------------------// Meanwhile, in a universe completely different from the one Spike had been living in for the past few months, Twilight, the Alicorn princess, could be seen lying on her bed in the enormous castle of Ponyville, with dark circles under her eyes as she gazed out the window of her room, observing the night of that peaceful town. The bags under her eyes were evidence of the stress and fatigue she had been experiencing in the past few days. Despite all her efforts, she had been struggling with kingdom administration, political issues, and princess responsibilities... but at that moment, none of that mattered to her in the slightest. The only thing she cared about was something that had been gnawing at her since her little baby dragon had disappeared months ago. "Where are you, Spike?" Twilight would say with a somewhat broken and exhausted voice, tears forming on her face. She would let out a heavy sigh as the tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She felt a deep emptiness in her heart since Spike had disappeared, and every day that passed without news of him only increased her distress. "Why did you leave, Spike?" Twilight would whisper, her voice full of pain and longing. "I promised you we would always be together, that I would always protect you... But now... now I don't know where you are or if you're safe...". Tears would continue to roll down Twilight's cheeks as she immersed herself in her thoughts, remembering the happy moments she had shared with Spike. Each memory only served to increase her pain and her desperate desire to find her lost friend. "I miss you so much, Spike..." Twilight would murmur, her voice barely a whisper in the darkness of her room. "I wish I could go back in time and prevent you from leaving... I wish I could find a way to bring you back home...". As Twilight did this, the book connecting the pony and human universes would begin to glow slightly, showing the signal of a new message, something that Twilight had not noticed and would not notice until the next day. "I thought I was doing it right... That I was being a good friend and sister..." Twilight tried to recall some of her moments with the little dragon, but for weeks, the only memories she could evoke were those of Spike drowning in a frozen river the time they...punished him for oversleeping during early spring. Twilight's heart would fill with an even deeper pain as she remembered those difficult moments with Spike. She would feel an overwhelming weight in her chest as she thought about the times she couldn't protect her friend as she had promised. Guilt and remorse would consume her as she struggled with her own emotions, how could she have done something like that? And if the punishment hadn't been exaggerated, the reason behind it made sense, right? Lazy? Calling Spike lazy after Spike had basically spoiled her for years being her number 1 assistant? In another part of town, at the most prestigious clothing store on almost that entire side of Equestria, the white unicorn with beautiful purple mane would be looking at herself in the mirror while trying to wipe off the makeup smudges that her tears had caused. That night, she had tried, like many times before, to leave her house to avoid ruining her life by drowning in guilt and sadness, but every little thing reminded her of her little Spikey-Wikey. The gallantry of the ponies only brought to her mind the most chivalrous dragon of all, the innocent laughter of the children enjoying their last moments of fun only gave her memories of the innocent little dragon... Everything reminded her of the beautiful dragon that had disappeared from everyone's life months ago. Rarity looked at herself in the mirror with reddened eyes and traces of makeup blurred by tears. Every small gesture, every conversation, every piece of clothing she touched seemed to take her back to the memories shared with Spike. His absence had left a void in her heart that seemed impossible to fill. Sighing deeply, Rarity tried to compose herself and fake a smile for the customers still in the store. However, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself with work, her mind kept wandering back to memories of Spike. "My dear Spike..." Rarity whispered to herself, her voice barely a whisper in the tranquility of the store. "I wish you were here to give me one of your wonderful pieces of advice or just to share a pleasant conversation...". Tears welled up again in Rarity's eyes as she struggled to contain her emotions. It had been so long since Spike disappeared, but the pain of his absence had not diminished in the slightest. Every day that passed without news of him only increased her desperation and longing to see him again. "I miss you so much, my dear Spikey-Wikey..." Rarity murmured, her voice trembling with sadness. "Did you leave because of me?... Did I take advantage of your chivalrous nature?" She would say as she used her magic to make a framed photo of Spike and Rarity on one of their multiple days making dresses for some party, celebration, order from some pony, or just for fun, the way Spike looked at her could only reflect the love he felt for her... and she knew it, she knew it and took advantage of him to save her hooves from a little extra work. "I'm so sorry, Spike..." Rarity would whisper, gently caressing the photograph with a gesture full of remorse. "I have failed you in so many ways... I have hurt you without realizing it and I let you go without telling you how much you mean to me...". Obviously, she didn't love him, at least not in the way he loved her, but... in the same way, she never showed him the affection she claimed to have for him, nor the respect that dragon who had worked so hard for everyone deserved. Rarity would be consumed by overwhelming remorse as she reflected on her relationship with Spike. She would realize all the times she had overlooked him, all the missed opportunities to show him her appreciation and gratitude. She would be filled with sorrow as she remembered how she had treated him more like an assistant than the loyal and valuable friend he was. "How could I be so blind?" Rarity would reproach herself, feeling the weight of her guilt on her shoulders. "Spike was always there for me, willing to help and support me at all times... And I... I never gave him the recognition he deserved". Tears would continue to flow down Rarity's cheeks as she plunged into a sea of ​​regret. She would wonder again and again how she had let things get to this point, how she had allowed her selfishness and her own concerns to overshadow the importance of her friendship with Spike. "I'm sorry, Spike..." Rarity would murmur with a trembling voice, her heart filled with remorse. "I'm sorry for not being the friend you deserved... I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you without realizing it... I wish I could go back and do things right this time..." Meanwhile in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash would be on her break from her night shift, sitting with a cup of black coffee, her gaze lost in her drink. "Hey Rainbow... Are you sure you don't want to take a break? No one will say anything if you go home. You can't keep taking so many extra night hours," Thunderlane would say, a colleague of Rainbow Dash's, as he walked over to her. They had been working for a long time repairing multiple rain clouds after Derpy accidentally released the entire reserve, so besides working to fix all the chaos, they had to recreate them, something Rainbow Dash would have taken as personal work to ignore her private problems, which worried her closest colleagues. Rainbow Dash would lift her gaze from her cup of black coffee upon hearing Thunderlane's voice. Her tired eyes would reflect the accumulated fatigue from so many hours of relentless work, only to bury her eyes back into her cup. "I'm fine, Thunderlane," Rainbow Dash would respond with the dry and empty tone of voice she had carried for weeks. Thunderlane would look at Rainbow Dash with concern, noticing the lack of energy and exhaustion in her voice and expression. "Rainbow, I know you've been working hard, but you also need to take care of yourself," Thunderlane would say softly, placing a comforting hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "You can't keep sacrificing your well-being for work." "...This is a cup of coffee from the best coffee in all of Equestria," Rainbow would say, almost trying to change the subject, leaving Thunderlane confused. "...Sorry?" "Spike introduced me to Pony Joe after I failed that presentation with the Wonderbolts," Rainbow would say, taking a sip from her cup before sighing. "...It's the best café in all of Equestria." "Rainbow, even Spitfire told you, no one believes you failed that day," Thunderlane would say, believing that Rainbow's problem was her insecurity, not knowing that everything was related to the little dragon. "But even if that's how it happened... Spike was the only one who took it seriously," Rainbow would say, looking at her blurry reflection in the coffee in her cup. "Everyone patted me on the back saying I did well and then just left... Spike took seriously how I felt and took me to his favorite café to make me feel better." "...Rainbow, sorry, but why are you telling me all this? It's not related to your lack of self-care," Thunderlane would say, feeling somewhat annoyed by the way Rainbow avoided the topic. "Because of what he told me... Spike told me that he always went to see Pony Joe when he felt lonely... when he felt abandoned and wanted to feel welcome... I knew that, I was the only one he confided that to... And I failed him, I kept abandoning him, I kept leaving him behind... And I'm supposed to be the element of loyalty?" Rainbow would say as tears began to appear in her eyes. "Rainbow, I know you're blaming yourself, but we all make mistakes," Thunderlane would say softly, feeling empathy for his friend. "The important thing is to learn from them and try to do the right thing in the future." Rainbow Dash would lift her gaze to Thunderlane, her eyes filled with anguish and regret. "But... how can I do it right now that Spike...?" Rainbow would struggle to find the words as tears began to slide down her cheeks. Thunderlane would gently place a hoof on Rainbow Dash's cheek, looking at her with compassion. "Spike considers you a great friend, Rainbow," Thunderlane would say reassuringly. "I didn't know him very well, but everyone in Ponyville knows one thing about him, that if he could see you now, he would tell you not to blame yourself so much. The important thing is that you acknowledge your mistakes and are willing to do things right in the future." "Thank you, Thunderlane..." Rainbow Dash would murmur with a broken voice, letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry... Just... I don't know how to go on without him... So many times I teased him, made him feel less, teased him for not being like the other dragons, everything... and he was always there for me... Just... Just let me be, Thunderlane... I'll finish this coffee and leave, I promise, just... leave me alone." And so, Thunderlane would sigh with somewhat confused thoughts... He had achieved what he set out to do, which was to finally make Rainbow Dash take a break but... the pegasus was still not well... very unwell. And then, coming back to ponyville, inside of Sugar Cube Corner, a...very sad scene would be seen, Pinkie Pie laying on her bed, her usual curly hair now completely lifeless and straight, reflecting the gloomy mood that consumed her. Her room, normally filled with colors and joy, now seemed empty and silent. Pinkie's mind was plagued with dark thoughts and worries, a strange and overwhelming sensation that had taken over her since Spike disappeared. She felt lost and disoriented, unable to find solace in the things that normally brought her joy. "Where are you, Spike?" Pinkie murmured quietly, her voice barely a whisper in the silence of her room. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Why did you leave us here alone?". The tears that usually accompanied those remarks never appeared; she couldn't smile anymore, couldn't cry anymore, couldn't do anything other than keep her face... empty, as empty as her family's, as the faces that she had filled with joy the day she got her Cutie Mark, she had become one of them... She felt like a part of herself was missing since Spike left, as if a piece of her heart had irreparably broken. "It's not fair...", Pinkie whispered, feeling a lump in her throat. "It's not fair that we have to go through this... Why did he have to go? Why did he have to leave us like this?". The silence of the room was only interrupted by the echo of Pinkie's words, resonating in the air heavy with sadness. It felt as if a shadow had fallen over Ponyville since Spike's departure, leaving everyone immersed in the darkness of uncertainty and pain. Pinkie's questions hung in the air, unanswered, as she struggled to comprehend her friend's inexplicable absence. The feeling of emptiness in her heart only intensified with each passing moment without news of Spike. "We miss you so much, Spike...", Pinkie murmured, her voice barely a whisper in the stillness of the room, before turning over in her bed in an attempt to sleep. "Please, Spike... come back soon," the pink pony pleaded in a heartbreaking whisper, her voice trembling with anguish. "We need you to be here with us... I need you more than you can imagine..." Outside that house, Applejack could be seen dragging a cart with what seemed to be... an apple tree? "Applejack... Why are we bringing a wild apple tree to the farm? We have like... Millions of apple trees in our APPLE farm," Applebloom would say, furrowing her brow as she walked alongside her. Applejack would pause for a moment, looking at her sister with a smile... a forced one on her face. "Ah, Applebloom! This ain't just any regular apple tree," Applejack would explain, pointing to the tree in the cart. "This here's a special apple tree I found in the Everfree Forest." "...And what's so special about it?" Applebloom would say, sighing, knowing well what the orange mare was about to say. "It's got spikes! It's got a way to defend itself! So maybe we can use it to our advantage!" "Spikes... like SPIKE?" Applebloom would say, with a hoof on her face, concerned about how Applejack was trying to compensate for Spike's absence. Applejack would take a moment to reflect on her sister's words, noticing the concern in her expression. She would look down for a moment before responding honestly. "Yeah, Applebloom, I'm sorry. I just can't help it...", Applejack would admit, dropping the fake smile and adopting a more serious expression. "We're all feeling his absence in some way. I know this apple tree ain't Spike, but... You know... it reminds me of him." "Just like that lizard-skin hat? That I'm pretty sure Spike would find offensive," Applebloom would say, raising a hoof to make her point. "And just like that wooden dragon from that horror exhibit you bought? That I'm pretty sure Spike would find offensive too. You can't just try to replace Spike with every possible object that reminds you even slightly of him! Spike's gone! He left! Maybe he escaped, maybe he died, who knows!?" "DON'T YOU SAY THAT WORD AGAIN! Spike ain't dead!" Applejack would say, taking a step forward with tears in her eyes, gritting her teeth. Applebloom would step back, surprised by her older sister's reaction, not having expected such an outburst of emotions. The tense atmosphere between them would feel heavy in the air as Applejack struggled to control her feelings. "I'm sorry, Applejack... I didn't mean that," Applebloom would murmur, feeling guilty for having hurt her sister's feelings. Applejack would take a moment to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Applebloom... I shouldn't have reacted like that," Applejack would say softly, her expression showing a mix of sadness and regret. "It's just... It's hard to accept that Spike's gone... and nobody ever mentioned the option of death" "...Let's go home, sister, let's go," Applebloom would say with a small smile, gently stroking one of her sister's legs with her hoof, trying to calm her down. "Thank you, Applebloom," Applejack would say sincerely, feeling a small ray of hope in her heart. "Thank you for being here with me." Applebloom would sweetly smile at her older sister, showing her unconditional support in this time of need. "I'll always be here for you, sister," Applebloom would respond tenderly. "Together we'll get through this, like we always have." Upon reaching the farm, Applejack would bid her sister farewell with a sweet kiss on the forehead, letting her go to her room, to then lose her smile and look towards the tree she had been bringing all the way, with its bark covered in spikes... just like Spike. Applejack would observe the tree with a mix of sadness and nostalgia. Although she had initially tried to deny her pain, she now faced the reality of his absence in a more direct way. The apple tree with its spikes was too reminiscent of Spike, and that similarity only served to remind her how much she missed her friend. With a heavy sigh, Applejack would start digging a hole in the ground near the barn. As she worked, her thoughts would be with Spike, remembering the shared moments and lamenting his departure. Once the hole was deep enough, she would carefully plant the special apple tree, making sure it was well rooted in its new home. "I hope you're okay, Spike... wherever you are," Applejack would murmur quietly as she finished burying the tree's roots. "We miss you a lot here on the farm. And although this apple tree ain't the same as you, at least it reminds us of the good times we spent with you." And finally... a beautiful house on the outskirts of Ponyville, but the more one observed the details, the darker everything became... the curtains would be drawn closed and the door would be locked from the inside, the flowers and lawn showing multiple signs of not having been cared for in weeks or even months, multiple empty bags probably of food and other everyday items left by Fluttershy's friends due to her seclusion... The only sign that the mare was still inside was the soft sounds of crying, overshadowed by multiple animal noises that were easy to hear if one approached the house closely. The gentle sobs that filtered through the walls were an echo of her internal anguish, a sound mixed with the noises of the animals that had found refuge in her home. They were the only witnesses to her silent pain, the only ones sharing her space in those dark moments. Because... If Spike wasn't there to help her, as he had done so many times without expecting anything in return, without her even showing him the affection he deserved so much, why would she deserve to be helped by someone else again?... Maybe if she loses contact with everyone... if she becomes that crazy animal lady that many people used to call her, her little dragon friend will appear to show her that the world is not terrifying, and that there is beauty in all beings, as he had done before... again and again.