//------------------------------// // **Arrival** // Story: Black and Gold Armor // by The Human Dragon //------------------------------// Black and Gold Armor **Arrival** @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Many years ago a young Dragon known to all as Spike, left home to live in the Doragon Forest in a small shack for many years. Living off what he could find. The one Twilight Sparkle was devastated on his decision. She closed herself from the rest of the world. Her friends, family, or any-pony couldn't get into the oak tree house. Maybe there's a reason for it. The curtains were closed, the doors were locked, and the house was all too silent. Many years later, Spike returns to Ponyville as a full grown Dragon. This is the tale of Spike and his findings of Ponyville's new look. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Spike looked out the small window of his shack. The shack was in poor shape: its oak wood floors cracked with almost every step, the walls looking as though you could simply push through it. And finally the furniture was almost shards of cloth and stuffing. Spike crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his elbows. "I don't know if I should go. I've been gone so long I don't know if they'll remember me. I've grown after all." Spike was pondering if he should go back to Ponyville as a surprise visit after leaving them in the dark of his life. Spike bit his lip hard. "Would any-pony remember me?" he asked himself aloud tapping his chin with his pointer claw finger. "No-pony's seen me in years, well; I guess that comes with leaving home." Spike scratched his scales staring out the window showing him the Doragon Forest. Spike's still pondering his choice. Can he really show his face in Ponyville after his last day there? Spike shuttered at the mere mention of that day. 'Bloodshed' couldn't even describe that day. Spike wanted to visit Ponyville for years, show Twilight he is alright. Spike scratched his hand with the other. "Honestly, can I?!" Spike hates when he doubts himself, often, there's a reason though. He sighed as he walked to his bedroom, the cracking of the wooden floor squeaked in his ears. "Okay, I can do this." Spike encouraged himself as he continued to walk. Spike came to his bedroom. Quickly, he snatched a large sum of clothes other than what he's wearing now; a simple black tunic and a piece of long cloth as pants. Spike, he wishes he could just forget that day many died. Spike cleared his throat and straightened his tunic with his claw hands. "Will they accept me? Will they see me the same?" Spike pondered again shuttering at the thought of that day. Spike forgives and forgets, but, can the other ponies do the same as him? Spike slowly sat on his couch. A sound emitted from the bottom of the couch. Spike's still growing though; he's not becoming that oversized form of himself. He's controlled that with a simple potion he's created. Spike wants to go back to the old times with Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and ooh Rarity, but, he can't. He mustn't grow too close to some-pony, not after what happened to her. It was as if he could tell he was full grown, however, he could still be sentiment, but couldn't control himself. That's when it happened. Something Spike could never get out of his mind. Something Spike, will forever regret even if he couldn't help himself. Spike groaned as he rubbed his forehead. Anger grew in his heart as it did every day. Spike wishes to go back. With a sigh he rose to his feet with his decision locked in his mind. Spike looked out the window and hummed. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Spike rolled his eyes as he approached his door. Spike held a small case holding his important stuff: clothes, food, and water. He along with that case held another in a separate hand for lesser important stuff: a sword he got just before leaving town. Spike pat his case holding his important stuff with his tail. Spike looked at his tunic. With that he began walking to Ponyville. Spike didn't look forward to seeing the ponies eye him in anger. Spike regrets the day it happened. When Ponyville went into a loss of happiness. All that went through his mind for the entire week that he was still there was: It's all your fault. Monster. Just go away. That was said by just about ever-pony he said "hi" to. Not even a month he began packing for a new life. One that Twilight Sparkle knew nothing of. Spike ran to the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. The day he got there he built himself a shelter for the remaining days of his life. The road to happiness Spike will never see ever again. Spike looked back at Doragon Forest. Spike held his bags in both hands. "This is the last chance. Can I really do this? Can I really go back to Ponyville, after all the pain I caused?" another cold chill ran down Spike's back as his scales became chilled. Spike shook his head. "No. If I don't, I'll never see the good path ever," Spike nodded as his memory suddenly flashed a memory of the day. Spike shook his head dismaying the thought of all the death, blood, and fearful looks in every-pony's faces. Spike stopped for a moment again second guessing himself. "No. I mustn't stop, I must... I must face the ones I terrorized." With another sigh he began walking in a faster pace. About three hours later he was close to Ponyville. As he saw a sign on the brink of being knocked down stating: Welcome to Ponyville. Spike sighed as he bit his lip still second guessing himself. When he walked to the mountain's peak he saw something he'd never dreamed of: Ponyville, houses' roofs broken down, bodies of those he was going to face not moving in the slightest, and all the trees all but filled with leaves. Spike saw the horror of that day again. Spike was dumbfounded at the horror that surrounded him. Almost every-pony's bodies were in one pile others in another pile. Spike tilted his head. "What happened here?" Spike pondered. "Did an earthquake strike?" he wondered soon remembering the bodies. "Well, these bodies aren't fresh," he said as he sniffed the pile. They were definitely there for a while. Spike was reminded of a very unpleasant memory he still recalls crystal clear clarity. "Damn." Spike muttered to himself biting his lip. Spike somehow felt guilty. Spike then heard voices behind him. He leapt behind a rock. Nothing here was right. A large group of ponies were walking in a fashion similar to a war cry. Spike's eyebrow rose lightly. "Damn it, what happened?" Spike pondered hardly able to conceive the sight he's seeing. Spike shut his eyes tightly. "No, no, this isn't my fault." Spike told himself shaking his head suddenly hearing hoof steps. Spike as reaction hid behind a rock. He couldn't make sense of what was going on here. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Spike saw as the hoof steps began to faintly dim as they walked past him and around the corner of what used to be Ponyville's post office. As soon as the hoof steps fully stopped he rose to his feet wanting answers. Not by those ponies though. Spike bit his lip as he looked all around not a pony in sight. "What the hell happened here?" he pondered scratching his scales. The only sound that was heard was the sounds of the wind blowing in his face. Spike shuttered as the horrid memory flowed back into his mind. To think, all that in one day was his fault; killing half the population of Ponyville in one day, in cold blood. Spike wanted to believe it wasn't his fault but, to him it was. Spike let out a sigh as he walked the dirt road again. He was careful not to attract who ever those ponies were. Spike walked the path kicking dust around him. "What the hell happened here?" Spike sighed as he answered his own question. "This could be part of my... no." Spike dismayed the thought. As Spike came to what used to be the Carousel Boutique he smiled remembering the good times he had in there; helping Rarity mainly. Suddenly a memory came back to the older dragon. "Get that monster out of Ponyville! I don't care where that baby monster goes just as long as it's out of Ponyville!" exclaimed an angry stallion gesturing to the copious amounts of both damage and a fraction of Ponyville on the ground soaking in a pool of their blood. Spike gasped as he shook his head back and forth. Spike bit his lip as he wondered if he should continue to walk the path he had chosen. "Ponyville, or, what's left of it." A tear rolled down the dragon's eye as he bit his fingers. All of a sudden he felt a hand come in contact with his shoulder. To his relief it was a familiar dark blue woman, but, thing is, Trixie had bits of her face missing and blood oozing from her fingers. "Trixie! What's-" with that he felt his skull pound as the end of Trixie's sword came in contact with the skull. All he could see was her dark blue shoes and another's a pair of purple shoes. "T-Twilight," he muttered as he passed out. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Spike slowly opened his eyes as he saw himself in a cell in the bottom of the library. "Twilight!" Spike cried out for. "Don't even try it. I've known her for years, she won't let anyone out, I've tried," an oddly familiar voice said. Spike knows that voice, soon something clicked. "Rarity?!" Spike was shocked as the lady turned to show silky purple hair and bueatiful blue eyes. "It is you!" Spike said amazed with the outcome. Spike soon felt a sharp pain shoot through his brain as he remembered another detail of that day. "Spike, you're not a monster. You're only a baby dr-" Twilight was cut off by Spike. "Well, what happens when I become the adult? I do become a monster!" Spike felt as Twilight rubbed her hoof under his chin. Spike slapped the hoof away. "I'm not ready, not ready to become an adult," Spike frowned as he crossed his arms giving an 'this is unfair' look to his stance. Rarity's eyes lit up. "Oh my stars! It is you Spike… just, taller!" Rarity wanted to hug the dragon but, one problem: they’re in two different cages. "It's been so long. Hasn't it?" Spike blushed a light tone of red as he glanced at his past crush, even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. "Yes it has!" Rarity said hitting her head on the top of the cage. "What happened Rarity? Why is Twilight and Trixie working together? What happened to Ponyville? What happened to Trixie's face? And most importantly what happened to the rest of the six? Did I miss something in my twenty years living in the Doragon Forest?" Spike asked hoping for a backstory on what happened when he left. Rarity sighed as she closed her eyes. "It all started a week after you left..."