Spike kept to himself as the group of ponies neared the foreboding destination at the top of one of the castle’s towers. He knew all too well what lies at the top of this tower, and how much trouble he would be in when the room was reached. Every part of his body seemed to argue with him as the group went further up the stairs and through corridors as redundant as the ones before. Then, the train of motion stopped. Celestia’s long horn glowed a yellow hue before the same color enveloped the large brown doors in front of them. They swung open without any effort from the princess and everypony stepped inside.
Everypony, that is. Spike remained outside and watched the group enter as if it was the norm to do so. Spike hasn’t seen this room since he was a baby, and now that twenty years have past...he still feels a little awkward. One word ushered forth from the bowels of his consciousness: Trouble. Yes, that was the word exactly. Even though he was almost twice the size of a normal pony, Celestia still had a way of making him feel inferior in every aspect. He was in trouble; and like almost everypony else, he was scared of the punishment he would be receiving.
His body resented his decision of walking through the ajared doors leading into Celestia’s chambers. But, he disobeyed his body and stoned his heart for the fiery lecture he would be receiving. Upon entering the room, the door was shut with the same aura that opened it. The room was the same as he remembered it to be. An oval-shaped fireplace was alive with the flames of the sun burning brightly, illuminating the room in a orange hue. It was the only source of light for the curtains had been drawn. In the middle of the room was a flatbed with four cylindrically-shaped pillows and gold trim. The whole set was purple and gold, which matched the theme of the room.
Celestia had found her way to her flatbed and laid upon it, eyeing her guests- save her sister - before she centered her attention on the dragon now entering the room. At his entering, a voice rang in her head that drew her attention away from the nervous dragon.
“It seems you enjoy watching your subjects suffer...or am I mistaken?”The voice made Celestia grimace minutely, for it has been a while since she conversed with her second-half. “It seems I have you at a loss of words? Excellent. My input on this situation? Banish this foolish wyrm to the nether-reaches of Equestria Proper. That way, he can no longer endanger the ‘peace’, you’re trying so hard to protect. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time you banished someone dear to you.” Celestia’s face completely fell from a stoic expression to one of complete anger.
“You may have made some of my decisions in the past, but you will no longer be making any. If it must be with a heavy heart that Spike is banished, than so be it. But I will be the one to decide if that sentence is carried out, not you Solaris!” After she finished reprimanding her more unforgiving side, she fixed her face back to it’s stoic expression and faced Spike once more. The dragon kept his composure and simply stared into the soul-scanning eyes of the solar princess.
The Elements and Luna watched with worried expressions before Twilight whispered something in Luna’s direction. “What’s going on Princess? I know what we saw in the portal plays a large role here, but why does Celestia look so angry with Spike?” Luna didn’t move her head to acknowledge the lavender unicorn’s inquiry, but she simply moved her mouth.
“That look that our dearest sister is giving thine assistant is without a doubt, the same look she gave us when we were banished a thousand years ago. Harden thy hearts Elements, for we feel a time of judgement fast approaching.” Luna shivered when her answer was done. Needless to say, the Elements were completely shook. How would they cope without one of their best friends? With worried expressions and focused eyes, the Elements watched the conversation with Celestia and Spike unfold.
“I don’t understand why I’m in trouble.” It was a rude way to open a case, especially by the way he said it. Quite frankly, however, Spike was fed up with this whole ‘scary dragon’ business. It put him in a sour mood and not in the mindset to talk about his problems. Celestia was taken aback by the rudeness in Spike’s voice, like he was questioning her intelligence for calling everypony here. She was not, going to take that type of answer in stride.
“You will mind that tongue of yours, Spike. I do not like being attacked either verbally or physically; especially if I haven’t said anything to upset you that I’m aware of.” Celestia narrowed her eyes at Spike, which caused a tiny bead of sweat that was relaxing on his brow to fall. He did not lose his composure in the slightest, however, and Celestia knew this talk was far from over. “It has come to my attention, Spike, that a future is approaching Canterlot that I cannot allow to happen. Please, if you know anything about what went on during your time in the portal, tell me now.” Celestia rose from the ground and was now locked in eye-to-eye combat with the equally tall dragon.
“That’s just it Princess, I don’t even know what happened! From the moment I went into the portal, I completely blanked out! When I leave, I’m greeted with looks of fear and a revelation from you saying that I’m responsible for whatever terrible thing happened in that portal!” Spike was fuming now. How dare the Princess claim that he was hiding something from her!?
“You need to calm down Spike. Notice how I’m not even yelling at you.” Celestia could see the anger spread across the dragon’s face. She knew all too well that telling him to calm down wasn’t going to achieve anything, but it would be worth a shot. “I still cannot fathom what type of event could happen, that would cause you to destroy Canterlot,” Celestia shook her head back and forth as she walked to her balcony and used her magic to open the glass doors. “I’m sorry Spike, but I do not know if that future will come to pass today, or in a thousand years. This uncertainty leads me to only one conclusion,” Celestia flared her wings as she inhaled a painful breath for what she was about to say.
“Oh this ought to be good. Tell me, what’s this conclusion you’ve settled on as my punishment? Can I not eat gems for three months, or go out into Ponyville for a year?” Spike asked sarcastically while staring at Celestia intently, waiting for the Mare of the Sun to give her sentence. It was quiet for almost ten seconds before Celestia turned around and raised her head.
“Spike the Dragon, assistant to my Protege and loyal friend of the Elements! I hereby sentence you to exile of Equestria Proper!” Spike’s whole world slowed to a crawl at these words, these words that haunted him during his nightmares were now just said without a sign of remorse. From one of his own friends, no less! Twilight’s heart sank as she started shaking her head back in forth.
“Princess! That’s not fair at all! Who knows when Spike would flip like that!? You might not even be around to see it!” Twilight hopped in front of Spike and tried reasoning with her teacher, whose response was to shake her head. Twilight’s mouth opened as Celestia’s eye bore into her soul.
“That is precisely why these actions must be taken now, Twilight Sparkle. I know you hatched him from an egg with your own magic; that you’ve all spent your entire lives with him,” Celestia raised a hoof and swayed it around the room, telling everypony in the room that she was regarding them in her explanation. “But you saw what I saw, and if he truly is this dangerous to us all, then I’m afraid he cannot, and will not stay here!” Spike was still shocked enough from his sentence that he hadn’t even blinked.
“So this is the thanks I get? I’m banished for being a creature that was just too different from everypony? Everything was fine when Spikey-Wikey was around, but now I’m some type of horrible monster that is doomed to destroy Equestria itself!!? They would believe a portal over me, thier own friend for twenty years!!?” Spike shook himself from his mental breakdown and backed up towards the door. Luna hopped behind him and let him run into her on purpose. He turned to face the Princess of the Night with a sorrowful expression.
“I’m nothing but a danger to you all!” Spike exclaimed as he ran away from the Lunar Princess, securing a place in the middle of the large room all to himself. All eyes were locked on him, but not a word was spoken as he stared everyone in attendance down. “I was fooling myself all along! I’ve never had friends,” Images of great pastimes with his ex-friends flashed into his mind as he continued his rant.
Woah...Dude that’s creepy!
The rainbow wig just kills it for me!
Hahahaha...We got Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Appletiny, Flutterguy and!...Ehh, I got nothing.
“All I’ve had were dreams! Dreams that maybe one day, everyone would see me as Spike. It was working too! But all it takes...,” He shut his eyes after looking at a heartbroken Twilight’s face. Why couldn’t he be angry at her? He opened his eyes again and looked in the direction of the Solar Princess. Luna noticed his abrupt look and started to point her horn at Spike. Celestia did the same as her sister.
“I would think twice before doing what you’re thinking about, Spike. We,” Celestia inclined her head from it’s bent position towards Luna, “have taken down more threats to Equestria than you can count on both claws. I will not hesitate to add another one on.”
Spike glared at everypony in the room before his eyes locked with Celestia’s. He snarled once, making Celestia bring yellow magic to her horn while her sister’s horn collected blue energy. He was surrounded, and he knew that any sudden movement could now be hazardous to his health. Therefore, he did the next best thing. He hoped to the Maker that this was going to work. Ponies said that he had a very convincing face, and he was about to put this to the test.
With a sharp incline of his head in order to face the ceiling, he smiled devilishly at his newfound target. His plan worked, much to his surprise. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see all the ponies face the ceiling in order to expect some sort of trick. Taking this moment of lost concentration, Spike immediately broke out into a sprint towards Celestia, which earned him a surprised gasp from the Elements.
“Spike, what are you doing?!!” Twilight brought her gaze down from the ceiling and turned her head in order to track the now mobile dragon. She tried casting a telekinesis spell on him, hoping to stall his progress, but nothing happened. “I forgot that dragon’s become more magic resistant as they grow older!” That thought filled her heart with twice as much dread. Spike made no effort to stop his fast progress towards the Princess in what looked like an assault.
“You’ve left me no choice!” Celestia shot a ray of magic from her horn as it made a mystical noise. Luna did the same form her end, shooting a beam of blue magic from her horn. Spike kicked both his back legs forward and scrunched his tail up into a spring shape. He was aligned horizontally with the ground now, and he sprung off his tail when he bounced from the ground. This action sent him over the oncoming yellow beam and over Celestia’s body. He landed on his feet on the balcony just behind Celestia and jumped off.
The Elements didn’t have enough time to voice their opinions as the beams collided with each other, sending the ponies away from the center of the room. The only one’s that were capable of withstanding the blast were the Princesses, who proceeded to run out to the balcony in order to finish what they started. Spike, however, was nowhere to be found. Rarity was the first to recover from the magical implosion and proceeded to shake the stars from her head.
“That was rather...bracing. I hope Spikey-Wikey is okay! Has anypony seen him?” She began looking around the now ruined room as the Elements came to their senses.
Rainbow Dash shook some soot from her mane and wings, having been unlucky enough to wake up into the fireplace. “The last time I saw him was when he clocked me on the head!” Rainbow Dash began taking in the sight of the once beautiful room with an agape mouth.
“Oh my...You don’t think he was-!” Fluttershy stated in a quiet voice. She was interrupted by Pinkie Pie.
“Of course not silly!” Pinkie Pie bounded over to Fluttershy in one big hop from where she landed, a painting around her neck the entire time. “Spikey hopped over the blast, remember?! There’s no way he could have went all ‘kasplody!”
“Pinkie Pie is right girls, the blast did not halt him in his attempt to flee. Having said that, I must charge the Elements with one more task. I need you girls, with my sister included, to hunt down Spike and bring him back at any cost. I fear for this land and it’s inhabitants my little ponies, that if he’s not brought back, then Equestria is doomed.” Celestia turned her head to look at the Elements as they lined up in a horizontal line.
“You already have the Elements of Harmony around your necks, so there's not much else I can give you besides some words of caution. Be warned,” Celestia’s voice became colder than a winter’s blizzard at these words, “outside of Equestria lies terrors that make even I quiver with fear. Judge each situation carefully and without fail, for it may cost you your lives if you don’t. I love you all, and be safe.” Celestia nuzzled everypony in the room, before asking to be left alone in her chambers. They all complied willingly, although one pony had their questions about this whole situation.
“Why wasn’t our sister more patient with the drake? He was just like us when jealousy controlled my body and spirit. We earnestly thought she learned from her mistakes.” Luna thought as the ponies assembled right outside Celestia’s door.
Being the last one out, Twilight shut it with her magic and looked longingly at Princess Luna. “Still thy heart, Twilight Sparkle. I will make sure that this misunderstanding is cleared up and Spike is found. True,” Luna saw that Rarity was going to interject and raised a hoof demanding silence, “I was going to fire a magical beam at him.”
“See!? She’s going to hurt Spike!” Rarity said as she pointed a hoof at the Lunar Princess who scowled in return.
“And you, need to still thy tongue! I fired that blast as a warning to a fellow friend! Spike’s heart is just like ours from when we were bound to a Spirit most foul. Our actions as a whole have shown Spike nothing but heartache! We-as in all of us- must be the ones to fix said actions at godspeed, less our sister’s words have a chance to be right.” Luna concluded her rebuke and statement with a lowered head; thinking about that event still haunts her to this day. To think that twenty years ago; she was going to smother the land in Eternal Night. Nothing would grow, and ponies would become pale and frail! She was ready to commit mass genocide for her own jealousy!
“It’s okay Princess!” Twilight interjected immediately, not wanting to see the Mother of Dreams in such a manner of despair. “You need to stop bringing that up! How can you help the ponies who are sleeping with their nightmares when you can’t even conquer your own!? Now look...,” Twilight’s voice was gruff and commanding, which made everypony stop what they were doing and look at her with wide eyes. “We all need to chill out and think about where spike could have gone. Were in the tallest tower of the castle, so him just jumping of the tower is not physically possible.” The more Twilight explained, the more the ponies began to understand.
“In other words, he’s still in the vicinity of the castle?” Rarity ventured in an unsure voice. Twilight nodded sagely. Luna eyes sparkled with a cunning plan.
“Having heard that, wouldst thou need me in rousing our guards? If thy words hold true, then the drake is somewhere on the outside of the tower!” Luna sprinted away from the group in order to do just that. Much to Twilight’s chagrin, she teleported out of the corridor on her third step.
“I was going to suggest trapping and talking to him! Great, now it’s a race to see who gets him first!” Twilight’s face skewed into the very definition of bemusement. She turned her attention from where the Lunar Princess had teleported back to her friends. “Alright girls, it’s going to be a race! Luna just went to inform the guards about Spike’s location! We have to get there first,” Twilight broke out into a sprint in the same direction Luna had went. she didn’t get far before a cyan-pegasus was flying side by side with her.
“I’ll go find Spike before the guards do and hold them up!” Rainbow Dash seemingly broke the sound barrier as she made a quick turn through a stain-glass window. This didn’t deter the group in the slightest as they ran the labyrinth known as the Royal Castle, Tartarus-bent on finding Spike first!