With a groan, Spike pulled both his claws to rub his aching eyes. As he did so, his mind started to receive signals of pain all over his body. He clenched his teeth as his claws froze into place when he realized how painful they were. He coughed and wheezed for a few seconds before letting his claws fall back on the ground.
With another groan, Spike slowly brought a claw over his eyes to block the intense brightness that was washing over him. He decided to stay lying on the ground to let his body recover more. While doing so, he tried to recall the events that had happened.
He remembered that he and the three young mares had a battle against Cadence. He gasped as soon as he remembered that event. He then quickly pulled himself to stand on his feet while he completely ignored how tired and painful his body was.
Finally on his feet, Spike quickly noticed that he was on a grassy field. He shook his head. The Crystal Empire did had green grassy fields. He looked around, but he did not find any signs of the crystal castle. He did not find any signs of any kinds of crystals. Gulping, he looked around once again, but he did not find any signs of the three crusaders.
Something isn't right. That, he was sure.
He decided to look at his surroundings again, studying his whereabouts. Aside from the green grassy fields, he noticed large numbers of trees on random locations in the field. He noticed that this field was surrounded by thick trees that somehow resembles a forest. He concluded that he must be in a large clearing. Tilting his head up, he noticed the sky was a beautiful morning blue, where the sun just recently risen up. Thin wispy clouds lay fixed on random places in the morning sky. He stared at the sky longer than he realized, and with a smile. It has been years since he last seen the sky this beautiful.
He blinked and gasped. How long was he out? And why is he here? Did something happen?
He quickly looked around as he tried to find anything that might give him any clues to whatever. He faced west, and he gasped. There was a flat rock-thing standing up from the ground that he didn't notice earlier. Curious, he approached the rock that was meters away from him.
As he walked, he could feel the tickle of the gentle blades of grass on his feet, and he would hear the soft crunch noises from each of his steps. Taking a few more steps, he felt a cool gentle breeze that almost soothed his troubled mind.
Despite how peaceful everything was, Spike was still doubting everything around him.
He finally stopped and stood a foot in front of the flat rock-thing. He noticed the rounded corners of the rock, and how flat its face was. There were also symbols that were carved onto the rock that he couldn't understand. He had never seen such symbols before in his life, aside from two symbols, which he recognized were a small cross carved above the group of symbols, and a flower carved below the group of symbols.
He may not be able to understand the other symbols, but he had a clue of what he was staring at: a tombstone.
He studied the tombstone for quite some time that he hadn't realized that there was a tall shadow behind him. He only took notice when the tall shadow had completely covered him. Blinking, he turned around and saw a tall two-legged creature. It's face was covered by the shadow, since the morning sun's rays were behind the creature.
“Hey Spike...” said the tall creature, with a very familiar voice.
Spike's eyes shrunk after he recognized that voice. “J-Jay?”
The creature's head nodded. “It's been a while...”
Spike felt weird. That voice was Jay's, but it felt...empty?
Without him knowing, Spike took a few steps to the side. Jay nodded his thanks, and sat down on the ground where Spike was standing moments before. The purple dragon studied the human. Jay was closely resembling that of an ape, with a lot less fur. Spike finally stared at the human's face. Although Jay was staring at the tombstone, his lifeless eyes stared at nothing, and Spike had noticed it.
“J-Jay?” Spike called as he felt weird to finally be able to see him again in this weird place. “C-can I ask where we are?”
A full minute flew by without any movements from the human. Finally, Jay let out a soft exhale as he slowly shook his head. “No idea, Spike...” After a few seconds, he added, “things change... Things always change... I don't know anymore...”
Spike blinked, confused at what he just heard. He didn't understand what Jay had just said. He wanted him to clarify, but Jay spoke again.
“Mom's gone...” Jay quietly said, “...again...”
Again? Spike wanted to ask what he meant by that, but his words died in his throat after he saw streams of tears flowing down from Jay's eyes. He wanted to comfort him, to tell him that everything's going to be okay, but before he got the chance, a feminine voice called out from behind them.
“There you are Jay!”
Spike turned around, and saw a female creature of Jay's species. As she approached, the purple dragon noticed that she was carrying a baby with both her hands. Her smile was beautiful and her eyes were full of life and beauty, but Spike felt that there was something wrong. Something was wrong in this picture.
He then turned back to Jay, but he gasped after he found himself standing on a soft bed, and Jay was sitting on the edge, his back was on him. Before he could react however, the female had reached him and quickly bent down to his level to kiss Jay. Spike's eye twitched at the mushy scene. It was a quick kiss, which he was thankful about. As she stood back up, he noticed her stomach was bigger than usual.
“We're going to have a new baby soon, Jay! Aren't you excited?”
Jay said nothing and kept on staring at nothing. Just then, a door swung open. Spike turned and saw another female human wearing absolutely nothing. He didn't understand what was going on. As the new arrival cheerfully approached them, the other female walked to the side to give her room. Without stopping, the new arrival tackled Jay with a hug, and both landed on the bed as she kissed him passionately. Spike would have turned away in an instant if he didn't notice how Jay was reacting to this: nothing. His lips didn't even move.
“Are you ready, Jay?” asked the female after she broke the kiss. She smiled at him seductively as she started pulling his pants.
Spike wasn't sure what was going on, but he has a vague idea of what is currently going on right in front of his eyes. Blushing, he turned around, and the scene before him resembled that of Unicornia's prison cells. He was now having the urge of finding out what was going on. Turning, he gasped in shock after his gaze fell on a skeleton of an unknown specie lying on the dark prison floor meters in front of him. He shivered as a deathly cold ran pass him.
“My brother is dead...” Jay's voice echoed from his left.
Turning, he saw Jay was standing lifelessly behind iron bars, where he leaned his head on.
“Y-you're brother's—!” Spike gulped, slowly turning back to the skeleton. But as he did so, he realized that his surroundings had changed once again. He now found himself standing on a front lawn of a small house.
Finally, Spike saw a simple small house, and a closed door stood where the skeleton was once was. He sighed. Finally, things are peaceful, for the time being at least. He then turned back to Jay.
“Jay, uh, what's going on? And where exactly are we?”
Jay hung his head low. “My father found another woman...”
“Jay, please...” Spike begged as he took a step towards him. “...s-snap out of it... This isn't like you...”
Spike was about to take another step towards him when the iron bars of the gate vanished into thin air. Jay fell forward. Spike was about to try and grab him, but stopped as he noticed that a brown earth pony stallion fell on the ground in front of him instead of the human.
Spike recognized the pony as Gold Blitz, the pony that Jay was using to roam in the pony world. He was about to help him up when he felt a powerful chilly breeze. He shivered as he now found himself in a snowy area. Behind the earth stallion, far far away, Spike saw the Crystal Empire, completely destroyed.
“Wh-what the...?”
“Kronz and Spike are gone...” Gold mumbled as he slowly rose up in four hooves. He trembled slightly, but he managed to catch himself before he collapsed.
“W-what do you mean I'm gone!?” Spike exclaimed worriedly as he ran in front of the stallion. “Gold! Jay! It's me! Spike! I'm Spike! Remember!?”
Gold Blitz hung his head low as a thundering noise echoed in the area. Large collection of concrete crumbled to the ground from the tall mountain of Unicornia. Spike turned to the scene slightly, taking notice that Unicornia was falling apart in blazes. He then turned back to Gold Blitz.
“Gold! What's going on!? Please, tell me!” Spike asked frantically as he grabbed and shook one of the stallion's front hooves. “This isn't happening! Gold! What's going on!?”
Just then, another set of thunderous noises echoed. This time, Spike saw the majestic kingdom of Pegasopolis, breaking apart and falling towards the Everfree Forest.
“Gold!” Spike cried as the scene changed yet again. He clenched his eyes shut as tears ran down on his face. He was now too confused and too heartbroken at the scenes that he had seen. “This isn't real... This isn't real...” the purple dragon sobbed as the scene changed yet again.
As the scenes rapidly changed, Gold Blitz stared at the sobbing baby dragon. The scenes and their surroundings changed even faster for him to take notice, but he no longer cared. He was feeling confused...too confused. He didn't understand everything anymore. What was going on, and who is this creature right before him.
He felt a heartbeat. Was it his?
He felt warmth. Did it belong to him?
Everything around them was rapidly changing in great speeds that their surroundings were now nothing but a noisy blur. Jay blinked, and he finally noticed how bright everything was now. The blurry surroundings are turning into white. He felt tears... Was he crying? Was he crying all this time?
He brought a hand below his eye. He was crying. But he no longer cared about himself. No. He was crying, but it was not important. He sniffed as he knelt down and slowly wrapped both his arms around the sobbing baby dragon.
Spike shivered from the sudden touch, but he didn't pulled him away. Something in him was returning. He wasn't sure, but he felt it.
Jay lay his head on Spike's scaly head. He remembered. He remembered why he was sacrificing a lot of himself. Everything he was doing was not for him. No. He remembered.
“Spike,” Jay whispered, and Spike felt that his voice has truly returned. He felt that he returned. Spike hugged him back. “...I-I'm sorry...”
Jay promised to do everything he could for his family, to see them smile again, and to avoid their sorrowful tears.
As their surroundings became white and quiet, the brightness slowly wrapped the two brothers, and slowly, they joined the brilliant whiteness.
Distant voices then echoed in the area...