He stood in the pouring rain, in the spot he had been only a day ago. His tattered brown cloak covered his body, a light chain mail covered him underneath. On the chest of the cloak was an emblem of a black crown, twisted and bent, and the seal of the Equestrian guard. Those where not what all of the ponies noticed though, it was the mask and sword he carried. On his face was the skull of a drakos, the two back facing antlers standing tall in defiance of death. On his hip in plain sight was a monstrous weapon. It was not a real sword, but a machete with a bone handle, the back was jagged. Blood stains were permanently rusting the weapon. Nopony could guess, but Spike spent hours trying to keep is weapon in good condition, but it was a losing battle.
No longer did the ponies of Ponyville cheer or smile at his presence, only gaze in fear at the monster before them. Children were ushered away from his nightmarish appearance, and adults cursed their luck for just catching a glimpse.
When noon arrived, Spike saw Bloody's men. They had appeared at every side, trying to surround him. He smiled under the skull as he noticed a few stationed on the rooftops, trying to hide with their bows armed. Bloody and Zeem stepped in front of their men. "Well well Zeem. It seems our drakos friend was not lying. I figured it was a bluff to try and scare us, but maybe that is what the outfit is for. What did you do, dig up some poor saps grave? What do you plan to accomplish here?"
Spike raised his head and spewed fire into the raining sky. "Any members of the Poison Wing, last chance to leave! Same for any of you who work for this devil! Only he has to die! I will kill those who attack me! I am the Traitorous King, run or die!"
His opponents shifted in fear, and than an arrow was loosened. The rain didn't bother Spike's vision like it did the rest, so he saw it coming. He stepped back and bit the arrow mid shot, not so hard when he had all of the advantages.
That broke the dam. Every archer dropped their bows and ran, they couldn't see and now he was plucking their arrows out of the air. That was about ten of the enamy, the rest charged. Ponies and a few griffin swung swords, jabbed spears. Wether held by magic, claw, or mouth, they charged
The first weapon to reach him was a magic encased spear. Spike grabbed it and blew fire on the magical aura, dissipating it. With the hold on the spear gone, he twirled it around and chunked it back at the unicorn it had belonged to, dead on contact. A sword swung at his head, lean forward as tail snapped back and broke the neck. A jab, sidestep with a claw to neck. Another jab, grab the spear, pull than claw to the face.
They all backed up, to regain their position and composure. The machete was in his claw, ready, as a mighty roar came from his maw.
Rarity was devastated. She needed to see Spike but she could not bear to see him leave again, not like this. She knew he would die, just knew it. She could not even get herself out of her bed. Luckily for her, her blue friend did not care.
Rainbow Dash burst through the door. "Get your big flank up prissy!" A sob was her only answer. "Sorry, but you need to get out here. Look, no mater if he wins or loses, he's fighting for you. I know that there maybe the town and the rest of use, but your the driving force behind him. His head cheerleader. He needs you! Plus if anypony can get him to stay, it's you. So even if you don't think he needs you, I need you to go out there and make sure my friend don't leave. Please Rarity!" Another sob. "Fine! But if he dies, wether you're there or not, it's gonna hurt. At least he won't die alone if you're there. And you never know, the sight of you could be that burst of energy that saves him."
After Rainbow left, Rarity sulked for awhile before steal entered her eyes. "He is not going to leave us. Not without me giving him a piece of my mind." She stood, determined to make sure he lived, determined to tell him everything she felt. No more walking on eggshells.
She bolted through the rain, straight into the crowd of spectators, and right up to the front to watch her Spike fight for their town and her friends.
She saw Spike roar and the thugs attack. She saw the massacre before her and her resolve faltered. She saw Spike stab a pony straight through, and another get roasted. It sickened her. Her Spike was no longer a cute chubby assistant, but a cold blooded killer. The skull on his face spoke as much. She now knew where he went and what had happened those three years. Bile came through her throat and now coated the ground. Little Spiky Wiky had left her and all of their friends to go fight in the war, to kill his own kind. He was killing other drakos just to keep ponies everywhere safe, no, her safe. Her and her friends. Spike had claimed them as his, and he was willing to die to protect his hoard.
She stood tall, her resolve back. "Spike, you had better live or I will bring you back just to kill you myself!" Ponies all around her were stunned at the out burst and began cheering him on.
Spike cringed. He knew that Rarity was trying to help, but he also knew it would make what he was about to do all the more sickening. He dodged a sword and sliced the griffin claw clean off.
At this point he had thinned out more than half of his enemies, and the rest were just about to run scared. A burst of flame and the they did run.
Zeem was yelling and screaming at his men. He snapped a sword up off of the ground. "Fine you weaklings! I will deal with him my self." He jumped at Spike who simply side stepped away. Zeem's assault was relentless, but sloppy. Spike would just side step or lean away, he wasn't even trying. Finally after a few minutes, Spike slapped the sword away before slicing his chest. Zeem fell to the ground, the mud and rain mixing with his blood.
Spike nodded up at the clouds and took off the skull. The rain let up a bit, letting eveypony get a better view of just what happened. He turned to Bloody, rage in his eyes as he advanced slowly.
Bloody was scared. He never had fear of this kind. He was rooted into place, trembling. The demonic reptile advanced upon the pony, death was near. He made a dash to escape but the drakos was faster.
Spike grabbed a hold of the pony's mane and yanked him to the ground. He dragged the screaming, crying pony into the center of the street. "Please! Don't do this! I have money! Anything you want is yours! I'll give you my servants! How bout the town!? I'll put the town under protection! I'll put the whole thing in your name! Please don't kill me!" Spike just dragged him in silence.
He stopped, and pulled Bloody up. A sadness was in his eyes as he spoke. "I'm glad you didn't run. Less died, and yours will be relatively painless." He grabbed the pony's neck and squeezed. Lifting the dying pony up as he choked the life away.
Most ponies had turned away, they knew what was coming, but Rarity looked on with horror. She hated Bloody, but this was not even a casualty of war, this was murder. She cried as she realized that Spike had fallen a long way from grace and peace. She cried for his losses. She cried for her friend. She cried for her father. She cried for the dying Bloody. She cried just to cry.
Spike remained stoic as Bloody's face stilled and the life left his eyes. He unceremoniously dropped the corpse and looked to the towns ponies. His eyes wondered over each and every face until he saw her beautiful one. "He was given a second chance and blew it. Now you have no more need to worry about him." He placed his mask inside his cloak and raised his hood. "Maybe one day, you can forget this day and live normally again." He turned and walked away, as far away from the his old home. He had no right to be there anymore, he was a stain on their peaceful lives. He walked away and didn't look back.
Rarity panicked as she saw him pick up his bag and left. He was leaving again. She had to go after him, now legs! She tried to force herself to move, to chase him, but her eyes wondered down to the many corpses on the ground. More bile, more tears. She could not move. Her mind screamed to run after him, but her body would not budge. A scared and crying Rainbow Dash landed next to her, legs wrapping around her neck. "He's a beast. I knew when he came back, he was different, but this is evil. Why, why did he do it?"
Rarity returned the hug, tears slowing, but the sorrow greater. "To save us dear."
Rainbow's head snapped up. "I don't wanna be saved! We could have figured out a way! We always do!"
Her voice was soothing as she did her best to be strong. "Not just now, but in the war. He use to watch us go off and find danger, unable to do much to help. Now he has found away to keep us safe, but it is a horrible way. He thinks we will hate him, reject him, but he pushed through it just to keep us safe. He use to hide to keep safe, now he has to hide so he is not seen. If we hate him, it would kill him. That is why he is leaving again."
Rainbow pushed Rarity away. Anger mixed in her eyes with her sorrow and hate. "Than go after him! You can bring him back! Not just to Ponyville, but back to himself! Back to the baby dragon assistant!"
Rarity shook her head. "He is a drakos, not a dragon. He will never be like he was again." She stood tall and steel entered her eyes. "But he will be our friend, now and forever! I cannot allow him to leave without knowing that!" She sprinted past a surprised Rainbow Dash, who looked a bit happier. She ran through the town until she reached its edge. She could still see the distant figure of her friend.
She reared up and yelled. "Spike!"
He turned at the calling of his name.
"Spike, I still love you! We all will! Come back when you finish! We all will be waiting for you! I will get Pinkie to throw you the biggest return party ever!"
Spike smiled, maybe it could end happily for him. "No promises my fair Rarity." He turned back around and waved to her, hope, something he had not had in a long time, filled his heart. He pulled out a picture from his cloak. It was worn and creased, but it was invaluable. The picture was of him, surrounded by six ponies. A pink pony was flinging confetti with a goofy grin on, a yellow one rubbed her leg as she smiled, an orange one sat proudly with a hoof on his shoulder. A blue pony was leaning on his head, a purple one was hugging him, and a white one laid in front of him. It was the day before he left, he wanted a picture with his girls, and they happily obliged, they didn't need a reason. They just loved him. Quietly he whispered. "I change my mind. I promise, I'll be back!"