Our first tale of parallel worlds and the secrets they hold comes from a world that diverged during Owl's Well That Ends Well. Spike, after running away from his home, discovers a new path in life, but can he ever fill the hole in his heart?
What If Spike fled down a different path after running away from home?
A heavy rain pounded the dirt, (rapidly turning to mud) road that currently had but one traveler. Legs pounding, heart aching, Spike the purple baby dragon remained trapped in his head, replaying the day's events over and over as he fled without thought.
"Stupid owl, stupid owl! Stole my home, stole my friends, stole my life! Well he can keep it! I'll do just fine on my own..." Spike raged to himself. His train of thought was suddenly broken by the sight of a small fire burning in a patch of trees of the road. Curiosity piqued, Spike stepped off the road to see what was occurring.
The dragon discovered a pitiful sight. A dirty, unclothed azure unicorn was huddling close to her dwindling campfire, struggling to stay warm. "Um, hi there." Spike greeted nervously, not sure of an appropriate way to start a conversation.
The unicorn sprang to her feet, horn glowly dimly. "Who goes there? Do you wish to feel the awesome might of the... Of the..." She began to threaten, only to collapse in tears.
Realization struck Spike. "I recognize you! You're that magician that stopped in Ponyville! The Great and Powerful..."
"Trixie. It's just Trixie now." The showmare stated glumly, pulling her face out of her hooves. Her expression suddenly became hard. "And Trixie recognizes you! You're that little dragon that accompanied Twilight Sparkle." She practically chocked on the lavender unicorn's name. "Has she sent you to ruin me further?"
Spike sighed. I'm... I'm not with Twilight anymore." Trixie cracked an eyebrow at him, prompting Spike to tell the story of how his jealousy had driven him from Ponyville. For the first time since the destruction of her mobile home had driven her to a depression, Trixie felt a strong emotion take hold of her heart: indignant rage.
"That... That..." Trixie stammered with fury, unable to articulate her hatred for Twilight Sparkle. "WITCH! She not only destroys MY life by showing me up in front of the town, but also drives her companion from birth from his home!" Trixie raged, feeling an odd kinship with the purple dragon, having experienced enough jealousy and envy herself for several lifetimes. "We shall rise above Twilight and her friends to become the greatest Unicorn-Dragon duo in all of Equestria!"
"We?" Asked Spike.
"YES! I shall be your new mentor!" Trixie exclaimed, her hammy egotistical personality emerging from the haze of depression. She put a hoof on the dragon's scaly shoulder and gestured with the other. "Imagine it! Roaring crowds of ponies heaping praise and adoration upon you! To shine within your own spotlight, and be loved and respected by millions! It can all be ours!" The unicorn described as images of love and respect (and free of owls) danced before his eyes. Had he been paying closer attention, he may have noticed a subtle undertone indicating Trixie was trying to convince HERSELF that this was all possible as well.
"Alright! Where do we start?" Spike asked with awe.
"First, I need to know everything you're capable of." Trixie stated, and Spike regaled her with all his draconian abilities. Armored scales, fire breath, flame based teleportation (which at the moment only sent letters to the Princess, but Spike was confident he could redirect them with practice), opposable thumbs, all that then.
Trixie was rubbing her hooves in glee. Never before had listening to someone who wasn't herself been so gratifying. "Oh yes, I can work with this!"
The next few weeks were spent training. Unlike Twilight, who had drilled Spike on the importance of caution, Trixie gleefully encouraged the destructive exercise of his dragon abilities. Their preparations actually had to be halted several times in order to get away from brush fires Spike accidentally started.
Finally, it was show time.
The duo (advertising themselves as The Great and Powerful Trixie with her partner, the Magnificent and Awesome Spike the Dragon) rolled into a rural town full of leisurely, retired (and must importantly, affluent) ponies. Trixie, her confidence renewed by her time with Spike, quickly drew a crowd.
Though she had wisely choosen to forgo boasting over made up accomplishments, Trixie along with Spike put on a show stopping performance. The unicorn was able to twist plumes of dragon fire into fantastic shapes and figures. Soon, the source of Trixie's downfall manifested itself.
Hecklers.
"I know for a fact that "The Great and Powerful Trixie" is a fraud!" Yelled one pony. "I heard it from a friend in Ponyvile!"
Trixie nodded to Spike before addressing the heckler. "Trixie is sorry, but Trixie cannot hear your whining. Trixie must have something in Trixie's ear." She stated while performing the "pull a coin out of your ear" trick.
"I said that I know..." The heckler repeated as Trixie flipped the coin into the air with her magic. Spike focused, then consumed the coin with a puff of fire. A second later, it re-appeared over the jeerer's head and shut him up mid-sentence with a resounding clunk.
The remainder of the performance went off without a hitch, and the partners collected a tidy sum afterwards. After skipping town, they divided up the money. "Hey, why do I get such a small cut?" Asked Spike as he examined the pittance he held in his claw as Trixie stuffed most of the money in a sack.
"Trixie is saving most of our money to buy a new carriage. Worry not Spike, you'll get what's coming to you." The unicorn stated.
As time and further shows went by, they were indeed able to afford a new vehicle. Trixie was also able to buy a new hat and cape, and Spike purchased a replica of the outfit he tried to frame the hated owl in to wear onstage as well.
Spike had sent one final letter to the Princess, telling her that he was safe and happy and that they shouldn't come after him because he wasn't returning to Ponyville. Celestia realized that bringing him home kicking and screaming would do no good, and still sore at Twilight for not handling the situation better, informed her student that Spike would have to return by his own will.
The performing partnership almost fell apart one morning when Trixie awoke to find Spike pulling things from around the carriage that served as their traveling home onto his bed. Also, he was bigger.
"SPIKE!" Trixie yelled. "What are you doing with the Great and Powerful Trixie's comfy and and relaxing chair?" She demanded to know.
Spike ignored her with a grunt in order to keep collecting stuff. Then Trixie bopped him on the nose with a levitated spoon. "A giant monster ruined my life once, AND I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN! NOW YOU RELEASE TRIXIE'S THINGS THIS INSTANT!"
The showmare's shrill, demanding voice seemed to snap Spike from his daze. "Sorry Trixie, I don't know what came over me." Spike stated in a noticeably deeper voice. Trixie examined his larger body, then began digging around in the hoard. "Trixie does not remember owning a diamond necklace." Both became wide eyed after a moment.
"OH CRAP!" The two yelled together before rocketing out of the recently burglarized town, never to return.
Still, Spike's increased size correlated to more money, as the ferocious looking beast and the unicorn who somehow tamed amazed ever growing crowds. Spike, cowed into submission by the rage Trixie displayed when threatened with a career ending rampage, continued to grow at a steady, measured pace. Besides periodically spending his money on a bigger cape, top hat and mustache, all of Spike's money went into his hoard, which grew at a controlled rate.
After a long while, Trixie and Spike became so successful that the unicorn's previous failure in Ponyville was completely overshadowed. The duo had made it a policy to never remain in a town for too long, both to preserve the aura of mystery and avoid Twilight and Co., but their growing success and Spike's now huge size (his half of the carriage was now entirely inhabited by his hoard, as Spike was bigger then the entire vehicle) motivated the duo to take up semi-permanent residence in a Las Neighgas hotel, entertaining the wealthy gamblers and enjoying the fruits of their labors.
One night, Spike was relaxing alone in the penthouse he shared with Trixie. He was laying atop a pile of gold coins, silver dollars, diamonds and other valuable materials, occasionally shoveling a handful into his mouth, as two massage mares stood on his back, pounding him with force that would have hurt a pony, but only served to relax the giant dragon. A nearby bathtub full of cider connected to Spike's mouth with an abnormally long (but, comically, still pony sized) straw. His peace was disturbed by a butler.
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but some mares are here to see you." The butler explained in a post voice.
"Not right now. I'm enjoying my me time." Spike replied in a relaxed tone while gently closing his eyes in pleasure.
"A white unicorn with purple hair said you'd be expecting them." He added.
"Send them right up!" Spike amended as his eyes shot open. Despite trying to bury all memory of Ponyville, unicorns with white coats and purple manes had remained a weakness of Spike's. He tried to employ mares resembling Rarity at every hotel, restaurant and sauna he and Trixie stayed at.
As the butler left, Spike spoke to the massage ponies. "Sorry ladies, but it seems like your relief has arrived. Help yourself to some gems on your way out." The two collected some payment and left. After a few minutes, the double doors creaked open again. "Good timing. I could use a little loosening up on my sides and tail...." Spike began, but trailed off when he saw who had entered.
Just then, Trixie walked in from an adjacent room. "Spike, have the massage ponies arrived yet? The Great and Powerful Trixie has an irritating and stressful knot on her..." She too stopped when she saw who Spike had admitted. "Celestia damn it, Spike!"
"They used the purple maned unicorn trick..."
"Trixie knows they used the purple maned unicorn trick!" Trixie rebutted.
As you have probably deduced by now, it was the Mane Six. "Spike, I'm so happy to see you!" Exclaimed Twilight Sparkle, who rushed towards her former assistant, only to be held back by a massive claw.
"Save it Twilight, I'm not your pet anymore." Spike stated coldly. "Go back to Ponyville and hang out with your dumb owl."
Twilight hung her head at this. "Spike, you were never a pet to me,nyou were my very first friend. I know I should have handled things better, and shown you how much I appreciate you." She pleaded. "If you come back to Ponyville, I'm sure we can make it up to you."
"How dare you!" Declared Trixie, cutting into the conversation just as Spike's eyes began to water somewhat. "It wasn't enough for you to ruin Trixie and Spike's lives once, but twice?" She advanced towards the group. "You are simply jealous of the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Magnificent and Awesome Spike, and seek to ruin our glory!"
"Jealous of a blowhard like you?" Rainbow Dash shot back. "Not in a million years!"
"Oh, but Trixie believes you are!" The azure unicorn declared. "You, Twilight Sparkle, for all your power and your royal connections, are still just some no name student surrounded by idiot friends studying the magic of "Friendship" in some hick town that is too backwards to even use magic to clear winter!"
"Hey, I will not have y'all insulting the proud traditions of mah home!" Applejack declared indignantly.
"Well, with such "proud traditions", Trixie is shocked that your town fails to wrap winter up every single year!" Trixie remarked sarcastically, complete with rolled eyes. "That's right, Trixie knows all about your little town. Trixie researched everything about you and your friends after Trixie returned to successes, intent on devising a revenge plot. But after Trixie discovered all the facts, Trixie actually felt a sliver of pity for you as Trixie realized she had already won."
The azure unicorn walked over to Spike and stroked him on the nose. "While you wallow in that mud town, Trixie is living the high life with your assistant, who Trixie rescued from a life of unappreciated servitude. We are famous, adored millionaires with legions of obsessed fans. Our every whim is meet within seconds. Face it Twilight, you have lost."
"You're wrong Trixie. You may have all that, but we have something you don't: friendship. And I wouldn't trade friendship for all the money and fame in the world! And I know Spike felt the same before." Twilight stated resolutely. "And I know you can feel it again. Come back to Ponyville Spike. Be my... Be our friend again!"
Conflict raged within Spike, debating the road he should take from here. Urging him to stay sedate was his innate hoarding instincts, which were loath to leave the wealth and splendor he had built in Las Neighgas. Shame also motivated him to stay. His anger had long since burned out, and the main force that kept him traveling with Trixie was an unwillingness to face those he had run from.
On the other hoof, memories of more... Satisfying times called him back to Pomyville. True, his hoarding instincts produced a sort of euphoria when indulged, but it wasn't as strong as the feelings his friends gave him. Happy memories flashed by as Spike looked out the window, gazing up at Luna's moon for guidance.
That's when he saw it.
A brown, yellow eyed owl was passing in front of the moon at that exact moment.
Rage seized Spike's mind as a flood of bad memories drowned the good ones. Being left out of the parties, Pinkie's crazed interrogation, nearly drowning during Winter Wrap Up while no one helped, that horrendous bunny Fluttershy should have drowned already, and of course, THE OWL!
"Get out." Spike said quietly.
"S...Spike?" Twilight asked on the verge of tears.
"GET OUT!" He roared, causing everyone but Twilight Sparkle to run out in terror.
"Trixie advises you to do as he wishes, because Trixie will most certainly not be summoning security to interrupt." Trixie stated smugly.
"I.... I'm sorry." Twilight whispered with her head held low as she trotted away defeated.
Spike let out another roar once the doors closed. "I..I DON'T NEED THEM! I'VE GOT EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT RIGHT HERE!" He raged before savagely tearing into his hoard, swallowing huge handfuls of mineral wealth. Trixie, shocked at the sudden display of ferocious behavior from an otherwise polite and deliberate dragon, backed off into her room.
That night, any remaining shame or doubt died in Spike. Finally unrestrained by nagging ghosts of his past, The Magnificent and Awesome Spike eventually found a twisted sort of happiness in Las Neighgas, indulging in his greed and gluttony freely and without restraint. His old friends never again crossed his mind, and even Trixie, who he had been slowly building a connection to, became another stage prop to him.
In short, had Spike fled down a different path after running away from home, he would have forever lost the happiness true friendship brings. But with time, he acquired a different, less... Emotionally investing sort of happiness, a kind he could carry through the ages as he outlived those around him. Has this version of Spike escaped tragedy, or trapped himself in a living hell? Choose carefully when forming your opinion, dear reader, because one choice, no matter how minor, has the power to change the world.