Chapter 10: Part I
Her wings beat tiredly against the night sky. Soft yellow feathers flapped uncertainly towards the edge of the forest. Fluttershy was terrified of the forest for its frightening inhabitants and dangerous customs, but even more so knowing what could very well be sheltered there. The tears flowed freely and impaired her vision, but through the dark blur ahead, she still managed to see where the forest began and harmony lost out to wilderness and freedom. With her heart pounding relentlessly against her chest, she flew on towards the Everfree Forest. Towards an old hollow oak tree that marked the very edge of Ponyville.
As she flew, Applejack’s last few words echoed in her mind. Fluttershy let out a soft sob as she thought of it over and over again. What if she was right? What if Spike had somehow transformed... again? What if he had turned into the very thing she feared most. A sharp-toothed, bloodthirsty, ferocious, dangerous, untameable adult feral dragon? How could she fear someone she’d known for more than ten years? How could she love someone she feared more than anything?
She pressed her eyelids tight and squeezed out a few more tears, trying to choke back sobs and emotions. It didn’t really work. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself too close to the ground for comfort, something she’d never thought possible, and she braced herself for the soft, but still unwanted, impact. She rolled for a rather short distance through a patch of tall grass, and breathless, she simply curled up into a tiny yellow and pink ball, and cried.
She was so confused. So hurt. Everything was so strange, it seemed more like one of her nightmares. Rarity emotionally scarred, maybe even physically scarred. Twilight so distant and strange, like when she came across an equation she simply didn’t understand. And Spike... He’d been so kind, so selfless, so absolutely splendid all the time she’d known him... She simply couldn’t see him as those disgustingly fierce beasts that plagued her torrid dreams. She just... couldn’t...
“Fluttershy...?”
Upon hearing her name, she lifted her head and perked up her ears towards the origin of the voice, only to see the last pony she’d expect to see.
“Pinkie...? What...sniff...What are you doing here?”
As she looked at Pinkie, she noticed the usually upbeat pink pony had a more solemn downcast look. Her trademark grin was gone, replaced by a sorrowful expression of sadness mingled with defeat. Her eyes were puffy and red, and tears still ran down her cheeks, tracing minuscule rivers around bits of grass that stuck to her face. Pinkie slowly brought herself to her hooves, and walked over to where Fluttershy lay. She plopped down beside Fluttershy, resting her chin on her hooves, and with a sad pout, her diamond-blue eyes began to water yet again.
“I came here to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye? What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, slowly propping herself back up, her friend’s curious mannerisms bringing her back to her former, caring self, bit by bit.
“He said he had to leave... but I made him promise, so he wouldn’t forget us.” Pinkie said, a distant look in her eyes, and her voice cheering up ever so slightly as she finished her sentence. Fluttershy, however, quickly realized what she meant, despite her nonsensical approach to the matter.
“You mean Spike? You found him? Where is he? Where did he go?”
Pinkie replied with a grin, though her eyes were filled with grief. Fluttershy, however, was nearing a panic. Pinkie had seen Spike, and now she was their last hope of finding him and bringing him back, and fixing everything and restoring everything to the way it was. With delicate hooves, Fluttershy grabbed Pinkie and gently shook her, trying to snap her out of her self-induced zombie-state.
“Pinkie Pie, you have to tell me, where is Spike?!”
Pinkie scrunched her nose, almost as if she was somehow trying to remember...
“He said... He said something about... Southeast?”
Fluttershy felt her heart drop all the way down to the pit of her stomach and explode. Southeast. Through the forest. Past Dodge Junction. Through Hayseed Swamp. Beyond the Southern Cliffs at Angel’s Beach. A terrifying journey in itself, that only ended with a suicidal crossing of the stormy ocean just to reach... Dragons.
Realization hitting her like a brutal storm, her mind went blank as her body responded for her, taking her to the only place that might help fix everything once and for all. Surely now that they knew that Spike planned to escape, and where he was going, they could stop him, couldn’t they? They could talk him out of it, and fix things with that other pony, and everything would be okay. Right?
Leaving Pinkie Pie behind in the dust, Fluttershy found new strength in her wings as she raced back towards town. There was only one thought invading her otherwise senseless mind. She had to tell the others. She had to show them the way. She had to help put things right again. She was practically hyperventilating as she flew towards the library, where she hoped to find Twilight, and find a way to get everything back to the way it was.
******************S******************
The sun was rising, long shadows playing fickle games amongst each other. It was the beginning of a new day to any ordinary pony. However, for six mares and a dragon, it was the beginning of a new life. That rising sun marked the end of what had been a wonderful friendship, and would be remembered with bitterness and regret. It was a day none of them would forget, nor want to remember.
The night’s event had tired everypony out, ending almost at three in the morning. It left the streets empty, and allowed ample room for Spike to maneuver through the streets without fear of being spotted. Even if somepony did manage to see him, he doubted they would raise any sort of alarm. Even so, he preferred sticking to the shadows, and taking his time across the cobblestone streets.
His house, or what used to be his house, wasn’t all that far from the Everfree forest. The only problem was traversing the usually crowded central square in front of the Town Hall. Merchants usually set up their stall at dawn, and even if they didn’t make a fuss, he still didn’t want to leave any eyewitnesses.
Spike jumped across the street, quickly hiding behind the walls of the nearby shop. Even though the situation didn’t merit it, he had to admit he felt a bit silly, acting like some sort of spy, sneaking through his own home town.
But no, it wasn’t his home town any longer. He was about to embark on his own quest, without the six ponies that usually accompanied him. Correction. With the six ponies he usually accompanied. Without them, failure was certain, and it simply wouldn’t be an adventure. It would just be a fruitless trip to nowhere.
But he had no time to delve into sad musings. He’d arrived at the main square, and now, the challenge of crossing it. He looked around, trying to spot any ponies setting up stalls, or smell the freshly baked bread from the bakery on the corner.
However, none of these came to pass, and Spike sighed a heavy sigh of relief. Apparently, that play had been a big deal after all. It seemed as though everypony had attended, leaving them all too tired to wake up at such early hours. Slightly pleased with his bit of good luck, he slithered through the empty square sleekly and silently, and made his way to the library, only a block away.
He opened the door without problem, knowing full well Twilight’s locking spell deactivated itself with his or her touch. Quietly, careful not to make a noise, he stepped inside onto the wooden floor, and slowly closed the door, twisting the doorknob to avoid the all-too-familiar click. He turned towards the inside of his home, already thinking of what he’d write on his final letter to Twilight and the Princess, and almost died.
How he hadn’t noticed the orange pony laying on the couch, he had no clue. He’d been so careful the entire way there, so as to not have to give any explanations, and to avoid capture from any self-righteous ponies, and he’d almost blown it all at the last second. Luck, however, seemed to be on his side for now, and Applejack was quite clearly in a deep sleep, her eyelids flickering as she dreamt of apples, no doubt.
The ribbon that usually kept her blond mane and tail neat and tidy in her characteristic ponytail was loose, leaving her long hair wild and natural. Het tail draped casually over her back hooves, her face buried in the armrest, even he had to admit she looked better than usual. Better, even, than when she’d gone to the gala. The curious thought fluttered in his mind as he realized that Applejack possessed a certain, “natural” beauty; she didn’t need makeup or fancy clothes to bring out her best. Spike found himself blushing all of a sudden. He tried to shake it off, thinking that maybe his dragon hormones were riled up or something. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop to admire her right now. She was, for now, simply another obstacle in his escape.
He kept a close watch on her as he treaded around the main room making use of his memory to avoid bumping into books and chairs and other assorted obstacles. The earth pony, however, remained deep asleep. It lit up Spike’s curiosity; just what would Applejack be doing in Twilight’s house? She almost never slept over at Twilight’s, unless something was wrong, or there was no need to wake up early at the orchard the following day, both rare occasions. It was harvest season, so that only meant…
Spike froze. Applejack was a good friend, and she’d never leave other friends behind. He imagined the state he must’ve left all of his friends in after the… incident. Twilight would’ve been worried sick, so Applejack must have offered to take… her… home…
He immediately shrunk down to as small a size as he could muster and watched the stairs with fearful eyes, trying to perceive any sign of Twilight bursting through her bedroom door and catching him red-clawed.
No such sign came, and a good ten minutes had passed. He might not have been as smart as Twilight, but he did have plenty of common sense. Either Twilight was asleep, or she wasn’t there… But if she wasn’t there, what was AJ doing on their couch?
He almost let out a flame from fright as he heard AJ moan and turn in her sleep. He shuddered, thinking yet again, of how close he’d been. Maybe it was karma? Maybe if things had gone so badly for him recently, things would start to turn around? Maybe Pinkie’s kiss was some sort of good-luck charm? He felt the blood run to his cheeks, burning bright cherry-red. It certainly was unexpected, but he had to admit, she had a heck of a way of saying goodbye.
Progressing slowly through the library, Spike finally reached the desk, and carefully removed a quill and parchment from one of the drawers, and set them on the desktop. He opened the inkwell, dipped the quill, and began scribbling…
******************T******************
The sunlight streaming through the silk curtains lit up the tiny specks of dust that flew around the room, creating a tiny spectacle for those interested enough to watch. It was a red storm, hued by the first rays of the morning sun. The beams seemed to dance around the room in chaotic beauty, and for a young foal or filly, it was like magic. For Twilight, it just served as an early alarm system. As the dust settled on top of her snout, she wasn’t able to withhold the sneeze, and it brought her to a startling awakening.
She propped herself up and sat on her haunches, dazed and dopey, still half-asleep. Twilight looked around the room, getting her bearings, and trying to recall the events that led up to her current situation. She spotted Rarity, who twisted a bit and let out a soft groan, but continued sleeping despite the disturbances. It all suddenly made sense, and she now knew.
“Spike…”
With that one word, she hopped from the bed and ran out of the room, out of the boutique, and unto the streets, leaving a lonely white unicorn to enjoy her last few dreams before the day inevitably brought her into its bright realm.
Twilight arrived in the library in less than five minutes, what would probably have been a new record. She’d made decent time partially thanks to the fact that very few ponies were up at such an early hour. The play had tired everypony out, and now, only the most dedicated shop owners and merchants were beginning to arise, setting up their stalls in the main square before Town Hall, and preparing their wares. A delicious scent of fresh bread and pastries spewed from the bakery on that nearby corner, and despite its beckoning aroma, Twilight simply ran past it. She had only one thing on her mind.
The library door swung open, and as she trotted into the room, looking all around for sign of the purple dragon she’d come looking for, she made no effort to prevent the door from slamming behind her with a hollow thud. What she hadn’t contemplated was the sleeping orange earth pony currently stretched out on her couch.
******************T******************
“Where is he?” Twilight said, knowing full well what the answer would be based on her friend’s distraught expression. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to lose that last flickering spark of hope.
Applejack simply stood there frozen in time, trying to return to her dreams, despite the fact that the harsh reality that she now faced was unavoidable. Twilight would’ve felt pity for her friend in any other situation, helpless as she was. She was practically trembling, on the verge of tears, and unable to let out anything more than an intelligible whimper.
“Applejack...?” Her voice faltered. She took a few hoofsteps towards the center of the library, and Applejack mirrored her movements, backing away.
AJ turned her face towards the wooden floor, a single tear falling towards the ground.
“Ah... Ah’m so sorry Twi... Ahm sorry, Ah don’t know where he is...”
Twilight’s heart sunk. For just about the umpteenth time that day. There was no more hope. No more chance. No more luck. No more Spike. There was no more good.
Everything had gone wrong, and she had nopony to blame but herself. Spike had talked to her, confessed to her, he’d opened himself up to her, and what had she done? She’d closed herself. She had denied the emotions and the feelings that Spike so openly embraced and shared, and she had left him all alone against the world. And now he was gone. And it was all her fault. She should never have let him go. Anywhere. Not to Rarity, not to the play, not anywhere, without first telling him how she really felt.What she felt was right. What she really thought was the perfect right.
But now she’d never get a chance to tell him. Anything. Nothing at all. For the rest of her miserable, lonely, insignificant life.
******************A******************
The sadness in her best friend was evident to even a blind pony, but especially to Applejack. Her heart seemed to be crushed, and despite that being a metaphor, in Twilight’s case, it looked as though that had been exactly what had happened. Her heart, and soul, had both been shattered to pieces. And she was the culprit. She had promised to bring him back, to save him from whatever awaited out there, and most importantly, to reunite them once more. They couldn’t be apart. Never. They weren’t six, as they’d been called so often, they were seven. It just seemed as though everypony forgot about the generous, kindhearted, purple dragon that never ceased to amaze.
Applejack had to admit, she did feel a bit of something warm and fuzzy towards the young gentledrake. They’d emerged over time, as Spike had proven himself time and time again, to be possbily one of the best and purest souls in all of ponyville. What with his eagerness to help, and open heart and mind, was it really any surprise that he’d won the hearts and minds of those closest to him? That he’d produced feelings in her that she couldn’t truly control? Feelings that went beyond the simple friendship they’d all pretended to share. And those same feelings had caused her cheeks to fill with blood at Rainbow’s accusations. And now those same feelings mingled with her guilt over Twilight’s own horrid state of being.
She was the element of honesty, and she could see things for what they were. Twilight was worried sick about her best friend, as were they all. However, there was something more. Something much deeper. Applejack’s heart skipped a beat as realization of what she’d been trying to ignore for so long finally sunk in. She’s tried so hard to ignore it, just to assure the continuation of her own lucid daydreams and fantasies, but it was not worth her friend’s bitter pain. Spike hadn’t captured just her heart. He’d captured Twilight’s as well. And if there was any pony that deserved the sweet dragon’s love, it was her.
There was no choice. There was no doubt. Everything was crystal clear. She’d made a promise to Twilight, and she’d keep it, even if it cost her her own heart’d desires. Taking a step forward towards the frozen, heartbroken uniform before her, Applejack opened her mouth to speak.
“Twi, I...”
She was quickly cut short as a loud banging noise emanated from the door. The ungodly sound was absolutely redundant, and simply didn’t fit in at such an early hour, which led both Applejack and Twilight to come to the same conclusion. Whoever it was, they weren’t there to check out a book.
Applejack lunged forward towards the door, but her path was blocked by Twi as she spun around on her hooves and rushed first, trying to reach whoever was on the other side. Applejack caught herself in good time, and trotted behind her friend. She’d have to get used to simply standing aside. With a defeated and forlorn demeanor, she looked to see just who exactly found it so necessary to bang on a library’s door minutes after dawn.
With a click and a spark from Twilight’s horn, the door burst open, and a yellow and pink ball of fur and feathers rolled into the room, past two slack-jawed ponies, and straight into the nearest pile of books, knocking the last wind out of her. Applejack ran over to her friend’s aid without hesitation. Twilight, however, seemed to stay behind this time, and simply stared at the strange scene before her with observant eyes.
Fluttershy lay amidst a scattered pile of books, parchment, feathers and leaves, panting, and trying desperately to catch her breath. She stared at the ceiling, apparently unable to focus on anything around her, and muttering something inaudible between her ragged breaths. Applejack leaned in to listen, but to no avail. Placing a hoof on her friends rapidly pulsating chest, Applejack spoke to her in as soothing a tone as she could muster.
“Fluttershy, just relax. Calm down, sugarcube. Catch your breath, and then calmly tell us what’s got y’all so worked up?”
Shy tried looking at Applejack with bloodshot eyes, and Aj almsot flinched at the sight of her friend. She was just about as unkempt as Twilight, probably more. And her face seemed to express nothing but fear and panic. Nevertheless, she nodded, and closed her eyes, trying to force her body to relacx. AJ took her hoof off of her chest, and sat patiently beside her friend. Looking around, she quickly spotted a thin hardcover book, and grasped it between her teeth. She flapped the book gently, giving Fluttershy a much needed cool breeze to aid in her recuperation. While all of this had been going on, Twilight had apparently been inching closer to them. Something that had gone unnoticed by both mares. However, she now sat besides AJ, staring at their pegasus friend witha blank expression on her face.
Applejack worried. Twilight wasn’t emotional. She’d known her for years, but it didn’t take a genius or some fancy schmancy psychologist to figure out that she had trouble dealing with emotions. Applejack herself wasn’t all that emotional either, but she definitely knew how to handle herself better than Twilight. Simply based on the empirical evidence supported by her numerous nervous breakdowns in the past ten years. Now, looking at the fragile frame of the librarian siting beside her, with a blank expression on her face, and Celestia-knows-what going on in the turmoil within her mind, she feared the worst. She’d lost someone she clearly cared deeply for, and Fluttershy’s panicky state would lead anypony to believe that she only had bad news to deliver. AJ may not have been a math genius, but she did know how to put two and two together, and that spelled disaster.
After a grueling three minutes of stroking Fluttershy’s mane, and listening to her gradually decreasing breathing, she finally showed signs of sanity. She looked up at Applejack and seemed to see her for the first time, pupils growing wide, and blood returning to her cheeks. Applejack gave her a warm smile in acknowledgement, and kept softly stroking her head as she propped her up. Once Fluttershy was sitting back on her haunches, she spoke in soft, ragged whispers.
“I found... Pinkie...” she said, winded. Clearing her throat softly, as an angel probably would, she continued.
“She said she’d seen him...”
At the word ‘him’, Twilight immediately snapped to attention. Applejack looked at her instinctively as she sat up, looking at Twilight’s sudden change of emotion. She remained silent, but AJ could easily read her face. Worry dominated her expression, but hidden within a tiny spark in the depths of her deep purple eyes, there was hope.
Looking back down at the raggedy pegasus, Applejack whispered soft words of encouragement to try and ease her friend’s mind. She’d do the same for anypony else.
“Go on sugarcube... What else?”
Fluttershy gulped, looking up at her with great big lovely eyes. AJ couldn’t help but blush as she detected something akin to longing in her stare.
“Pinkie said Spike had gone South... Southeast.”
Fluttershy let out a frightened squeak, and shut her eyes tight, Applejack thought perhaps to try and not think about where Spike was going. She knew she wouldn’t get the thoughts out of her mind just by closing her eyes. She looked at Twilight for confirmation. No words were said. They both reflected each other, fear gripping their hearts, and worry claiming their thoughts. Their hearts sped up as they silently agreed on what Spike was planning to do. He was going past the point of no return. Forever.