Even after Twilight's birthday party wrapped up, and everyone else returned home to Ponyville, Shining Armor stayed in Canterlot. He remained with Princess Cadence for the rest of the time she stayed in Canterlot, during which point the young couple went on several more dates.
After Cadence left for The Frozen North, Shining Armor finally bordered a train and headed home to Ponyville. He was looking forward to telling his parents the good news, when he, Twilight, and Spike went back to Canterlot to spend Hearth's Warming with their family.
Upon arriving back in Ponyville, however, Shining Armor was horrified at the sight that greeted his eyes.
The town of Ponyville was under attack, but not from some ancient evil like Nightmare Moon or Discord, or a creature from The Everfree Forest like an Ursa Minor or a Hydra. The creature responsible for laying waste to Ponyville, was a giant light purple colored dragon with faimiliar green scales. Shining Armor only knew one dragon that was like that, and that made him all the more horrified, his mouth almost dropped to the floor in shock "Spike!" he exclaimed "Just what has gotten into him?!"
Knowing that he needed some answers, Shining Armor raced to the pony who knew Spike best, his sister, Twilight. He found her, and her friends, as they were running all over town, heading for Carousel Boutique.
"Twilight, what's going on?! What's happened to Spike?! Why is he attacking the town?!" Shining Armor asked.
"It's a long story, and we don't have time to talk about it! Spike's on his way to Carousel Boutique!" Twilight exclaimed in reply, refusing to slow down.
"And Rarity's completely unaware! Spike's probably gonna ponynap her!" Applejack shouted "If only he moved a little slower, I could trip him up with my lasso!"
"What about Fancy Pants and Fleur?!" Shining Armor asked.
"They went out to get some supplies for the Boutique!" Big Macintosh told Shining Armor "Chances are, they've seen Spike as well, and realize where he's goin'!"
And both Big Macintosh and Applejack were right, Spike was indeed heading for Carousel Boutique. And try as they might, Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends, were just not fast enough to catch up to Spike in time.
They arrived at Carousel Boutique, just in time to see Spike grab hold of Rarity with one of his claws, and carry her away with the rest of his looted treasures.
"He's headin' for the mountains!" Braeburn exclaimed "There's no way we can reach him!"
"Then it's all up to The Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash said seriously.
"The question is, will Soarin be willing to actually attack Spike?" Thunderlane asked.
-----
It didn't take long for word of Spike's rampage to reach Wonderbolts HQ in Cloudsdale, and it took even less time for Spitfire to call all of the available Wonderbolts together.
"As I'm sure you all know by now, Spike has somehow grown to massive size, and he's attacking Ponyville! It's up to us to stop him, and save Rarity, who has he ponynapped!" Spitfire said seriously "This is going to be a very difficult mission, and one that is likely to result in serious injury! So, I ask only for volunteers! If you don't think you can handle the assignment, I suggest you back out now!"
"Captain, you and I have both met Spike before!" Soarin spoke up.
"I know that, Soarin, and I didn't want to believe he was responsible for the attack!" Spitfire replied, before shaking her head sadly "Unfortunately, the facts don't lie, and it's up to us to make sure he's stopped!"
"But we know Spike, or at least I do," Soarin protested "And that Spike is not the kind of guy who would do stuff like this. He's not himself! I'm sorry, Captain, but I won't hurt my friend for something that's not his fault."
"Does anypony else wish to follow Soarin's example?" Spitfire asked, she hadn't gotten to the role of captain by ignoring the opinions of her fellow Wonderbolts. But she was still surprised to see that not one of them was willing to step forward and say they would go after Spike. Spitfire sighed "If none of you wish to attack Spike, then as your captain I won't make you."
"Spitfire, let me go!" Blaze spoke up, she was Spitfire's kid sister, and had been itching to prove herself since joining The Wonderbolts shortly after Discord's defeat. Looking at her coat, it was easy to mistake her for Spitfire, at least when she was in her Wonderbolt flight suit.
"Out of the question, Blaze! I can't let you put yourself in harms way like that!" Spitfire said with a shake of her head "I'm saying this not just as your captain, but as your big sister."
"Somepony's got to stop Spike, and I can tell you don't want to be the one that has to hurt him," Blaze pleaded "Allow me to take your place, Spike doesn't know me at all. I'll take High Winds and Surprise with me, the three of us should be able to handle the situation."
"You're going to bring my sister and her friend? Are you crazy?!" Soarn asked angrily.
"I'm doing this, with or without permission! I refuse to stand by and do nothing, while innocent ponies suffer!" Blaze replied, a look of determination appearing in her firey red eyes.
Spitfire and Soarin both sighed, as much as they disliked the idea of their siblings doing their jobs for them, they both knew they were less likely to let personal feelings interfere with the job. And so, reluctantly, they allowed for Blaze, High Winds, and Surprise to take off.
Soarin set off on his own soon afterward, but he wasn't going to join the fight against giant Spike. "My friends are down there, and I have they're going to need my help!" he told Spitfire, just before he set off for Ponyville.
Spitfire said nothing as Soarin left, she just stood there with a smile on her face. "Don't know what I'd do without somepony like you to hold me in check, Soarin." she thought to herself.
-----
It didn't take long for Soarin to find his friends, they were standing on a bridge not too far from the outskirts of Ponyville. They were looking alternatively through a pair of binoculars, as Spike held onto Rarity with one claw, while using the other claw to swipe at The Wonderbolts as they buzzed round him like flies.
"Hey, guys," Soarin called, landing on the bridge "Things aren't looking too good right now, are they?"
"Well, if you're here, then who is that Wonderbolt that looks just like you?" Fancy Pants asked.
"That's my younger sister, High Winds. She's a good mare, but sometimes a bit too eager to prove herself," Soarin explained "And that pony that looks like Spitfire is actually her kid sister, Blaze."
"And that third Wonderbolt is called, Surprise, isn't she?" Pinkie Pie asked Soarin.
"How did you know?" Soarin replied.
"She was my foalsitter, once upon a time, but that's another story." Pinkie Pie explained.
"Oh no! Look!" Twilight exclaimed in horror, as she observed the fight through the binoculars. Using the empty water tower he had stolen earlier, Spike managed to catch all three Wonderbolts, and trap them in the side of the mountain. The water tower serving as a makeshift prison.
"I don't believe it, The Wonderbolts didn't stand a chance! Spike brushed them off like they were nothing!" Rainbow Dash said in a state of shock.
"Now who will save us?" Fluttershy wondered out loud.
"It's all up to Rarity, now," Shining Armor said glumly "She's the only pony who can talk some sense into Spike before Celestia calls in The Royal Guards."
"Oh dear, what if Spike doesn't listen?" Fleur asked.
"Then things are gonna get ugly." Shining Armor replied in a somber tone. Even if Celestia ordered The Royal Guards to be gentle with Spike, they would still need to subdue him and defeat him. And as Captain of The Royal Guard, it would fall to Shining Armor to lead the charge, something he wasn't sure he would be able to do.
From the mountain he was currently in the midst of climbing, Spike let out a huge roar. The soundwave was so powerful that it shook the ground beneath it all the way through Ponyville.
"Oh, be quiet. You've got nothing to be proud of," Rarity lectured, she had yet to realize that the giant dragon that had abducted her was Spike "You steal everypony's things, terrorize the town, and use me as a weapon against my own friends! You've got a lot of nerve, but as horrible as that is, I can almost understand because you're greedy and all. But you tore a hole in this lovely dress after I worked so hard on it."
It was then that Spike's eyes drifted to the jewel around Rarity's neck, it was a bright red fire ruby, and he could swear he had seen it before, somewhere.
Rarity, unaware of why Spike was interested in the fire ruby, quickly protested "Oh no. You are not getting your claws on this gemstone! This was given to me by my dear Spikey-Wikey. He is the kindest, sweetest, most generous dragon ever. And a gift from someone as thoughtful as him is too precious to me to give to a greedy old beast like you! This fire ruby is staying where it is!"
Rarity's words caused Spike to reflect back to when he had given Rarity the fire ruby the week before his birthday. He had planned to eat it for his birthday dinner, but Rarity had looked like she needed it more. And she had rewarded him for his generosity, with a kiss on the cheek.
Spike, finally realizing what was going on, fought against the instincts of his new body, and this caused him to return to his normal size. Unfortunately, as a result, both he and Rarity began to plummet to the ground.
"Somepony do something, quick!" Pinkie Pie shouted, observing the possible tragedy through the binoculars.
"Don't worry, we're on it!" Soarin replied, as he and Thunderlane grabbed the torn cape of Rarity's dress, and flew off to catch Spike and Rarity before they could fall very far.
In only a matter of seconds, the two were caught in the makeshift net, and Rarity even gave Thunderlune a small hug to show her gratitude (she gave Soarin a hug as well). Just after Spike and Rarity were safely on the ground, the water tower broke away from the mountainside. Without Spike to hold onto it, it could not stay in place. Blaze, High Winds, and Surprise were all huddled together in fright, but quickly regained their composure and flew off. They were relieved that not a lot of ponies had seen them.
At last, Spike's rampage through Ponyville had ended. But the damage had been done, and it was clear to everyone that it would take some time to repair and clean up.
-----
While his friends, Twilight, and her friends, all set off to examine the extent of damage done to Ponyville, Shining Armor stayed behind. He could sense that something was wrong with Spike, and wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help.
Spike sat on the edge of the very same bridge that Shining Armor, Twilight, and their friends had been standing on only moments ago. He looked out across the water, and turned his attention to the sights of destruction that lay all around. No tears were present in his eyes, but his face conveyed a look of horror, worry, and most of all, guilt.
Shining Armor was certain he already knew what the problem was, but rather than jump to conclusions, he approached Spike and lightly tapped him on the shoulder with a hoof.
Spike jumped a bit, but calmed down when he saw that it was only Shining Armor. "Oh, hey Shining. Don't mind me, I'm just hanging around." Spike said glumly, barely making eye contact.
"I can see that." Shining Armor replied, as he noticed Spike looking at his reflection in the water, as it flowed under the bridge and out the other side.
"You've come to try and cheer me up. That's why you're here, isn't it?" Spike asked, not even bothering to turn around and face Shining Armor.
"Spike, take it from me, you can't let yourself wallow in self pity. It doesn't help anyone, especially not yourself." Shining Armor said seriously, as he rested his hoof on Spike's shoulder.
"That's easy for you to say, you didn't almost destroy an entire town because of your greed!" Spike complained, angrily brushing off Shining Armor's hoof "You saw what I did, you saw the destruction I caused! I'm a monster, don't deny it!"
"You're not a monster, Spike. A monster wouldn't feel regret for what he did." Shining Armor quickly replied.
"But I felt like a monster, and acted like a monster! I couldn't control my own instincts, and that's what caused all of this to happen!" Spike said angrily, before he burried his head into his claws and began to cry a bit.
"Just what happened to you that made you grow so big? I never expected you to stay small forever, but I certainly never imagined you'd grow so tall you could give those movie monsters a run for their money." Shining Armor asked Spike, hoping that if he knew what caused Spike to turn into a giant dragon and attack Ponyville, he could better understand what Spike was going through.
"It all started with my birthday, and it was stupid!" Spike said crossly, raising his head up and finally making eye contact with Shining Armor after several minutes of not bothering to do so "I noticed that whenever I mentioned my birthday to other ponies, I got gifts. First it was presents, then a cupcake, then a hat, and one thing led to another. I tried to stop myself from going too far, I kept telling myself what I was doing was wrong, but it didn't work. Part of me found that was it great to get presents, and that it was nice to not be so little any longer."
"And then you turned into that giant dragon, and started to lay waste to Ponyville, correct?" Shining Armor asked.
"Well, not entirely," Spike sighed, before telling more of his story "Twilight had been doing research on dragons, to try and figure out what would be a good gift to give me. Then, when she saw my behavior, and my abnormal height, she tried to see if someone could tell her what was wrong with me. Turns out that Zecora had the answer. Dragons eventually grow big and strong on their own, but greed can accelerate the transformation process, making us turn into giants in the blink of an eye. And when that happens, we lose control of ourselves. Our instincts start telling us to horde as much stuff as possible, without any regard for what it is."
"So, how did you manage to snap out of it and return to normal? More importantly, why did it happen while you and Rarity were on that mountain?" Shining Armor pondered.
"It was the fire ruby Rarity was wearing, it was a gift from me to her. It reminded me of who I was, and who I wanted to be," Spike explained "And well, you saw what happened after that. But if you took a look around, you'd know what I stole, or tried to steal. And you'll know why it's no one's fault but my own that so much of Ponyville is the way it is right now," As soon as he finished saying that, Spike began to cry "I never asked for any of this. I never wanted to hut my friends, let alone the town that's become a second home to me. But because of what I am, it happened. And it's all my fault! If I had just been stronger, more informed about my dragon heritage, I could've kept myself in check and avoided all this! But I was weak, and Ponyville suffered as a result!"
"There is nothing you could've done, Spike. You made every effort to stop yourself, when a weaker guy would've caved in and accepted his fate," Shining Armor said seriously "You need to stop beating yourself up for what you've done in the past. No one knows better than I do how hard it is to come to terms with your limitations as an indivdual. But we're not gods, we're not meant to be perfect."
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I have any sort of excuse for my behavior. And it's certainly not going to fix what I did," Spike said, before a twinkle came into his eyes, and an idea came to him "There's only one way I can truly make sure that this sort of thing never happens again!"
"And that would be what?" Shining Armor asked, as he saw Spike jump down from the bridge. A look of determination was reflected in the young dragon's eyes.
"As it turns out, there's a whole bunch of dragons that migrate from place to place, before eventually returning to their homeland. They'll be passing by Ponyville in a matter of months." Spike explained.
"And you're going to join them?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, hoping he'd somehow misheard things.
"You read my mind, that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Spike said seriously "They're currently headed for Manehattan. If I pack up my things and leave in the next couple of days, I should be able to catch up to them. Then, hopefully, I'll finally know the truth about who I am, and what it means to be a dragon! Then I'll come back!"
"Spike, haven't you stopped to consider the effect your decision will have on me, and and on Twilight?!" Shining Armor asked seriously "Twilight's practically raised you for years, you're like her son! How do you think she's going to feel if you leave to go join this migration?"
"I know it'll hurt, but in time she'll move on. Twilight is a strong pony, and so are you," Spike told Shining Armor "The rest of Ponyville won't miss me that much, and even if it does, it's not like I'll be gone for good. Look, Shining Armor, I have to go on this quest! I have to know about my past, and what being a dragon is all about!"
"And you think Twilight is just going to approve?! You're a part of her life, Spike!" Shining Armor said, he was trying to come up with all the arguements he could to talk Spike out of his decision.
But no matter how hard Shining Armor tried, it was no use. "I'm sorry, Shining Armor, but my mind is made up. I actually ran this decision by Twilight when I first learned of the migration, and before any of this greed stuff occurred," Spike told Shining Armor, as tears rolled down his cheeks. What he said next, took every bit of courage he had "She said yes. I'm leaving Ponyville, don't bother trying to stop me!"
It took a moment for the reality of the situation to sink in for Shining Armor, largely because he didn't want to believe it was true, but it was. Spike was going away, and it wasn't likely that he would be back for several months. Even if that wasn't all that long of a length, it was still too long to Shining Armor. But he knew in his heart, that if Twilight had said yes, there was little he could do to stop it from happening.
"If you're really that determined to leave, then I have no right to stop you." Shining Armor began.
"Glad you see things my way." Spike said with a sigh, as he prepared to head home and pack up his things.
"But at the very least, you should stay in Ponyville, until Pinkie Pie gets the chance to throw you a goodbye party. You know how much she loves to throw parties, even for occasions like this." Shining Armor continued.
-----
The very next day, Pinkie Pie (with Braeburn's help) managed to put together a decent sized "Farewell Party" for Spike. All his friends gathered to say their goodbyes, as did many of the citizens of Ponyville, including Mayor Mare herself. Some of them were still not too happy about what Spike had done, but they all knew it wasn't his fault, and they didn't hold it against him. Some of them even felt, that perhaps because they'd been so hard on Spike in the aftermath of his attack, they'd unintentionally made him feel unwelcome.
Those who found it hardest to say goodbye, were those who knew him personally. Rarity, Shining Armor, and Twilight.
Rarity was the first of the three to make an effort to say farewell. Even as her tears caused her make-up to run, Rarity approached the dragon that she knew had a crush on him, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't have some feelings for him burried in her heart. "I'm sorry if I unintentionally called you anything really mean when you ponynapped me," she said, occasionally dabbing at her eyes with a tissue "I'll always cherish that fire ruby you gave to me. It's the nicest thing anypony's ever done for me, except for Fancy Pants agreeing to go into business with me of course. Do take care out there, Spikey-Wikey, and try to come back unharmed. Of course, if you do end up dirty when you return, you can always come over to my place for a bath. I find that a relaxing hot bath can be just the thing to help you unwind after a long journey."
"I'll keep that offer in mind, and I'll do my best to stay out of trouble." Spike promised, and let Rarity give him another kiss on the cheek, so that he'd always have something to remember her by. He then watched, as Rarity walked away, collapsed onto her fainting couch, and began to cry heavily.
She was going to miss her Spikey-Wikey.
Shining Armor went next. He'd already told Spike months ago that he saw the dragon as a little brother, but he knew it was still going to be difficult to go through life in Ponyville without him. Spike had been by his side on that faithful mission from Princess Celestia that had changed everything. in many ways, he was the first friend Shining Armor had ever had. Twilight and Cadence were both wonderful ponies to be around, but when one was always busy with studies, and the other had been absent from Shining Armor's life for years, Spike was the only one that Shining Armor could trust to be there to listen to him.
"I'm really going to miss you, and I hope you'll never forget about me," Shining Armor said to Spike "Just be careful out there, you know much I'll worry if anything happens to you."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Spike replied "I'll miss you too! You've been a wonderful pony to be around and work with, and I'm sorry for all those comments I made about certain aspects of your life. I was only trying to have a little fun."
"I know you were, and truth be told, I think those comments of yours are what about you that I'll miss the most." Shining Armor said, as he walked away slowly.
This left only Twilight to say goodbye, and everyone in the crowd knew how difficult that was going to be for her. Silence fell over Sugarcube Corner, and no one dared to say anything, as Twilight slowly approached Spike. It took only a few seconds for her to reach him, but to everyone it felt like minutes.
The silence continued, as Twilight and Spike just looked at each other, neither one of them saying anything, even as tears came into their eyes and flowed down their cheeks.
At last, Twilight cleared her throat and began to speak "Spike, there is something I've always wanted to say to you, since the day you were hatched. But I never got the chance to do so, because I was too afraid and too absorbed in studying."
"Twilight, are you trying to say, what I think you're trying to say?" Spike asked.
"Spike, I-I....... I love...." Twilight spoke, but the words she wanted to say died on her tongue. She was too overcome with sadness.
"It's okay, Twilight. I love you too, you've been a wonderful mother!" Spike said, as he embraced Twilight in a full body hug.
"You're just saying that." Twilight said sadly, the tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.
"No I'm not, you're the best mother anyone could ever ask for! Don't you dare think otherwise for even a moment!" Spike replied, as he and Twilight ended the hug.
"I'll miss you, please don't forget about me!" Twilight insisted.
"I won't, and I won't forget about the rest of you either! You've all been like family to me, and I'll always cherish the good times we had together," Spike said with a smile, even as the tears continued to form. He then retrieved a bundle tied to a stick, picked it up, and made his way out of Sugarcube Corner, and out of Ponyville itself.
All the while, his friends waved to him and tried their best to smile. But not a single eye was dry.
"Goodbye, Spike, we're gonna miss you!" Shining Armor called, as Spike began to disappear over the horizon.
Spike stopped, and briefly looked back at Ponyville. "Spike. Somehow, even that doesn't feel right anymore," he thought to himself "I'm a dragon with no name." And as he thought this, a sad little song began to play in his head:
I know that I've changed,
On the 'outside'.
But on the 'inside'
I... still feel the same.
Perhaps, one day,
I'll know for sure, who I am.
But... for right now,
Somehow, I just.......... don't have a name.
As Spike disappeared completely, and the crowd began to disperse, Soarin wiped the tears from his eyes. "Come on guys!" he said seriously "We've got to stay strong, it's what Spike would want!"
"No, Soarin," Shining Armor replied, as he held his weeping sister with his hooves "I know what you're trying to do. But this is one time, where it's okay to cry." And as he spoke those lines, Shining Armor didn't care at all that he had tears in his eyes himself. With Spike gone, life was going to be a lot different.