//------------------------------// // Ch.16 The Calm Before // Story: The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1 // by SmokeShadow95 //------------------------------// No pony was there. Not a single one. Spike sat alone in the dark of the night, away from the light of the moon. He sat against the wall of the library. He thought about all the old friends he had, and all the new friends he made. Their faces flashed in front of him as thoughts raced across his mind. Luna. Twilight. Flake. They were all counting on him. An unimaginable evil was coming to Equestria and he had to stop it. He was afraid. What if he couldn't stop it? What if he wasn't strong enough? What if he could not protect the ones that he cared about? He grasped the sides of his tightly. He could not think like that. He could not afford to. Yet the thoughts, the images, they poured into his mind like an unending stream. He could not look away. He could not escape them. So he just sat there, in the dark, with nothing but the fear to keep him company. Luna entered with a nighttime grace that only she could manage. Behind her followed Twilight and the rest of the girls. Looks of worry and concern dressed their faces. A quiet sadness filled their eyes. Spike looked up at each of them, but could not look for long. With each passing glance more images flooded his mind. Luna sat down next to him. She leaned over and touched her horn to him. It did little to help. This was not a nightmare he was having. She tried again and again it did little to nothing. She was unsure of what to do. Her eyes found his backpack and she knew then. She magically opened and retrieved an item from Spike's backpack. She smoothly put the record on the player and started it. Fluttershy's voice filled the room. It was a quiet vocalizing. It was beautiful and serene. Amongst all the darkness and evil he had seen Fluttershy's voice produced a truly pure beauty that he could only listen to. The sound of her voice provided a tranquility to his tortured soul. “Spike,” Luna said softly, “Look at me. Look at us.” Slowly, Spike raised his head and gazed upon his friends. Some tears were in his eyes and they flowed freely as he looked. “I understand,” Luna said, “I know what you are facing. There is nothing to fear.” “I can't stop them,” Spike said, “All I see is what could happen. What could happen to all of you if I fail. If I can't stop Galeek, he is showing me what will happen. I can't stop the images.” “Is that all this is,” Dash said. Her words were taken with the utmost shock. Spike was in some serious trouble and that was what Rainbow Dash had to say. How could she say something like that? Dash knew what she said came out wrong. She could see it on the faces of all the other ponies. She walked up to Spike and reconciled her words. “Everpony gets afraid sometimes, Spike,” She said, “I admit, even I get afraid sometimes, but I don't let that stop me.” “Yeah, Spike,” Twilight said gently, “It is natural that you are afraid. Everypony is.” “But you can't let that stop you,” Rarity said, “You must face that fear with the utmost courage and bravery we all know you possess.” “Y’all can't go dwelling on the future, imagining what might happen,” Applejack said, “If you do that, ain't nothing gonna get done.” “And then the really awful things that you saw really will happen to us,” Pinkie said with a misplaced smile, “And it will all be your fault.” “But that won't happen,” Fluttershy said with unusual confidence, “Because you will save us all. You are not just a hero, Spike. You are our hero!” Spike remained on the floor. His head was filled with the sounds of Fluttershy's lovely voice vocalizing through the air. It was a beautiful sound that calmed the images in his mind. Voices came next. Familiar voices. Voices that made him feel calm and safe. He listened as his friends sounded off, one by one. Each of them offered him words of encouragement. And they were right. He had no reason to be afraid. He wore an intense look on his face. He looked up with green glowing eyes. “Get out of my head,” He whispered harshly to no one. A green glow flashed in him, and then subsided. He leaned his head back and rested it against the wall. He closed his eyes and a smile appeared on his face. The other ponies could tell what that meant. Spike opened his eyes to Luna's smiling face. “I was holding it all back,” He said, his voice trembling, “All the fear I felt. Everything about this scares me beyond anything I have ever felt. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could get past it on my own, but I can't. It all just came flooding in, but not anymore. I am no longer afraid.” Smiles were worn by everypony there. Their eyes lit up with cheer and happiness and praise. The trouble had passed. For the next few days, Luna stayed in Ponyville. Everything was calm. For a while Spike was able to walk around and relax. Days past and nothing happened. It was becoming increasingly common to see the guards wandering around Ponyville. Many ponies were getting used to it. But it was not to last. On the last day Luna was to stay a picnic was planned. Of course, Pinkie Pie was behind it all. She had it all planned for the day. A nice spot was picked out down by the lake. Everypony gathered there just before noon. Spike was the last to arrive. They sat around the picnic and talked for a few minutes before Spike arrived. He was walking up to the others when he stopped. He was paralyzed from the tip of his tail to the top of his spikes. He dropped to his knees and gripped his chest tightly. His black scar was burning fiercely. Pain made it hard to form thoughts, but one thing broke through. A voice. A single, chilling voice. Spike's eyes went wide as the cold fear swept over him. “I AM HERE!” “Spike, what is it,” Luna asked. “Galeek,” Spike said, “He has arrived.”