Twilight P.O.V.
Dream Sequence
"Spike" I yell out as I run as fast as I could through the Everfree Forest. It's really dark, even for this forest. I could not see more than around 15 feet in any direction, but I continue my run, hoping to find Spike, my assistant, my first and best friend, and my little brother in all but blood so I can hold him, apologize, and beg for his forgiveness, before it is too late. After a minute or two I end up in a clearing with a figure lying down in the middle of it. I make my way to the still figure and as soon as I get a clear view I let out a terrifying scream. Their laying in a puddle of blood, his clothes and body have been peaked at and ripped apart by the predators of the forest, and with a dead look in his eyes is Spike. I stare at the body in front of me in a mix of shock, disbelief, and horror.
"no...No... NO..NO!" I cry to myself as I fall to my knees.
After a few minutes of crying over the death of one of the most important person in my life a hear something in the wind but it doesn't register to my distraught mind and I couldn't make out what it is saying.
"Why?" I hear the voice again but louder and a little more clearly.
"Why?" Look around trying to find the source of the voice but to no avail.
"Why?" The voice sounds like it is coming from everywhere, bouncing off the trees of the forest.
"Why Twilight?" The voice now sounds familiar and it now seems like it is coming Spike's dead body. As I look at it his lifeless eyes suddenly move to meet with my own, causing me to scream in fright.
"Why Twilight? Why did you send me away?" Spike says as he slowly gets up the ground similar to how a zombie would. "After all that we have been througj, all the things I do for you and your friends to make you girls happy, you send me away to my death without even letting me say my side of the story. Why?"
"I-I didn't m-m-mean for t-this to happen Spike." I stutter in guilt and fear.
"Then why did you send me away? I always did everything you ask to me to do no matter what. I clean after your messes, cook your meals, wash your clothes, and run the library, a job that you should be doing." He says while getting more and angrier and slowly limping his way towards me. "I do all of that while you are out with your friends. I am usually left behind to work my hands to the bone while you are out having the time of your life without a single complaint. Did I complain about the long work hours? No. Did I ask for some kind of pay or even an allowance? No. Did I complain whenever you leave me behind to go have fun with your friends, go on adventures, or a party? No! Did I complain that you and your friends went out to the Wonderbolts Airshow while lying to me that you were going on a mission for the princess all the while completely forgetting my birthday? NO! Did I say anything when I prepare your birthday party at the tree house with a homemade cake, presents, and everything and I wait all day and night for you to come home to surprise you to only find out that you celebrated your birthday at Canterlot without telling me, let alone inviting me?! NO!!! And the one time I needed you to trust me, to believe in me you and your friends scorned and betrayed me while you personally exiled me from my home, friends, family, and life just to end up in dead in the Celestia damn forest!"
"I-I... I just.." I stutter while tears pour from my eyes, trying to defend myself but I couldn't. What Spike said was true, right down to the last letter. "I'm sorry." I say quietly but as soon as I say it he lunges at me and starts to slowly strangle me.
"Sorry? Sorry?! Sorry isn't going isn't going to bring me or the life that you took from me back!" He yells with his somewhat dismembered face in a mask of complete and utter hatred and rage. "And if I'm going to burn in hell the least I can do is return the favor." He sudden burst into green flames that quickly consume me as well. I could feel my hair, skin, muscle, blood, and bones melting and burning away. Even my mind and soul is being burn into nothing by the flames. With what is left of my mind I did the only thing I could do right now.
I scream.
End of Dream Sequence
I wake up from my nightmare still screaming. I take a minute to catch my breath until the memories of my nightmare hit me full force, causing tears to fall down my face once again. It has been a few days since Celestia, the guard, my friends, and I have begun our search for Spike. While the guard searches the Everfree Forest the other elements and I ask around town hoping to find a lead to where Spike may go to. We first ask his friends and the CMC but are meeting with some hostility. These were the ones that defended Spike's innocence and a strong dislike to those who thought otherwise. When word reached them of truth behind the matter they were overjoyed, but their dislike for the other town people and the elements grew, even Applebloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo. While they would like to have nothing to do with us if it meant finding Spike and bringing him back home they were willing to compromise. According to them if Spike wasn't hanging out with his friends, learning how to skateboard from Scootaloo, or making sure the library is in order he has been training himself on how to use the sword he got from Shining Armor, learning to use, build, and fix computers and machines from Ditzy's husband that calls himself Doctor, or learning about medicine, plants, animals, and how to survive in the outdoors from Zecora for about a year. This came as a real surprise. When we ask them why he was doing this they say that he only says is "I can't stay an assistant forever."
That one sentence felt like a knife being twisted in my heart though after my dream I could understand where he is coming from seeing how poorly I treated him. Before I went back home to bed I gave a detailed report of our findings to a guard to give it to Princess Celestia. I get out of my bed, do my usual morning routine, and make my way downstairs. I look around and see the library looking like a disaster zone. I have tried keep the place in order but with everything that is going on I couldn't find the time to do it. I sadly chuckle to myself. 'Spike made running this place look easy.' I think to myself. As I begin trying to get the library back into shape I hope that Princess Celestia brings some good news soon.
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Celestia P.O.V.
I sign for what feels like the hundredth time, I'm currently looking over the reports my student and guards have sent me in regards to the search for my son in my private study and it is safe to say it is not going well. It has been little over three days since the search has begun and we still have not found Spike. According to the report Twilight and her friends have sent containing the information they have gathered from Spikes friends while they do not know where he would go in his situation they have confidence that he can take care of himself until he is found. The report also lists the activities that Spike has been doing for the past year and the reason why. I can't help but feel proud of my son by taking steps into becoming his own person and that explains a few things I have notice about his mood.
Over the past few years since I appointed him to become my former student’s assistant I have notice his overall mood over time. At first he was tired yet happy, feeling good after a day of honest work, but over time he became less happy and more tired. Though after both him and Twilight moved to Ponyville I he became happy again. Sadly like before the happiness soon fade over time and instead of being tired I saw him growing lonely and more depressed. Whenever I ask him about his troubles he would put on a mask and say that everything is fine. Thankfully things change after he defeated King Sombra. He was filled with confidence and sees him getting more happy and full of life by the day. I always thought that his life with Twilight and her friends has gotten better but I was sorely mistake. It appears that his happiness was due to the fact that he went out and made friends of his own and follows his own interests.
"Maybe it was a mistake making Spike Twilight's assistant." I sadly say to myself. It was my decision for Spike to work as my former student's assistant as a way for him to know the meaning of hard work, learn alongside Twilight, and to interact with others but it looks like it was a mistake on my part. Instead of the constant love and affection that I hoped him to experience my son has spent a good portion of his time feeling alone and depressed. And thanks to both mine and my former student's mistakes my son is now out there somewhere without anyone to keep him safe and I can't find him. I can feel my sadness, worry, and regret bubbling up side of me.
At least the report my guards have given me is more reassuring. They have found evidence that Spike was at least alive and made it out of the forest. My guards have met a sea serpent by the name of Steven that has met my son and given him a ride downriver. They also found the charred remains of some timberwolves and manticores that has Spike's dragonfire signature on it. It makes me happy that Spike made it out two dangerous situations okay since there wasn't any blood found at either areas and amazed that someone so young was able to do something like that and it look like Spike isn't alone. The manticore remains shows that someone else fought them as well and from the tracks Spike and the newcomer at least traveled together to the other side of the forest. Though that is where the really difficult problems start. From the tracks they found it appears is heading towards the badlands and the Dracoheart Kingdom.
The Dracoheart Kingdom is a neighboring country where Dragonborns make up most of the population. They are divided into four states and each states ruling body is decided through democracy. When I decided to adopt Spike I had to get the four leaders approval which they agreed in the end. And thanks to this it improved the relationship between the two countries, even though it basically went from "we want nothing to do with you" to "you don't mess with us we won't mess with you." I could not just send my guards into the country without raising suspicion and if the current leaders learn that a Dragonborn barely in his teens was banished for a crime he did not commit and for defending himself and others there is a good chance there will be a massive backlash by both the leaders and their people.
I give myself a sad chuckle. Here am I, a princess, one of the leaders of a country, I can control the movements of the sun if I want too, who has an army and almost unlimited resources at my disposal, and yet I can't even find and bring back my own son. I look out the window of my study and I quietly whisper to myself "Please be safe my son."