Twilight Sparkle was helpless as the giant claws shoved her against the mountain. Trapped, she could only watch as Ponyville burned to the ground, along with all the friends she had come to know and love. Black smoke and embers rose from the burning city and painted the sky blacker than night.
Eyes wet with tears, she gazed at the beast before her towering over all of Ponyville. She stared into the beast’s soulless eyes. Quietly, she whimpered, “S-Spike?”
The monster paused for a second as though the name held some meaning for it. The moment passed. Rearing his head back he opened his mouth and green flames boiled up from his jaws. The fully-grown, purple and green dragon threw his head forward and released a torrent of flames. The alicorn let out a blood-curdling scream as her body melted under the heat.
***
Spike woke up and screamed. Sitting upright, he clenched his blanket, stained with sweat. He stared into the darkness, completely afraid of his uncertain future.
“Spike,” Twilight rushed into his room in concern, “I heard you scream. What’s wrong?”
He stared at his friend with teary eyes. He had just burned her to a crisp seconds ago. Now, she stood before him asking what was wrong with him. He knew what was wrong: he was a monster, a catastrophe waiting to happen. He lowered his face and trembled.
Twilight wrapped her hooves around the little dragon and stroked his head, “Was it a nightmare?”
Spike nodded, feeling unworthy to embrace his protector.
“Well, whatever it was it can’t hurt you now,” Twilight softly spoke as retrieved a handkerchief and wiped away his tears. “You’re safe.”
But you’re not, Spike realized, his trembling intensified, as long as I’m here you’re not safe. Twilight rubbed the handkerchief against his nose, dried his tears, and rested a hoof on his shoulder. Look at me, Spike grew frustrated at himself, I’m sitting here crying like a useless baby, when I should be doing something, anything to stop what I just saw from happening..
Twilight lifted him onto her back and trotted back to her bed. She tucked him under the covers and joined him, wrapping her hooves around him in motherly affection.
“You sleep here tonight, okay?” Twilight whispered into his ear. She kissed his cheek and waded off to sleep.
Spike longed to embrace her. He craved to believe that everything would be fine. But how could he do either after seeing—? Spike tried not to remember the nightmare, but it was all too vivid, and all too real. He was too scared to close his eyes, so he lay awake, facing a sleepless night.
***
Twilight realized Spike had not slept all night and told him to take the day off and rest. She wanted to ask what was wrong but thought against it, reasoning he would tell her when he was ready.
Spike sat in her bed, numbly. Twilight offered him breakfast, lunch, and dinner and he wordlessly accepted each. She had never seen him so quiet and distant. It made her immeasurably concerned. She could barely focus on her studies, and was seriously considering asking Pinkie Pie to come cheer him up.
Spike gazed out a window at Ponyville. It was so beautiful. The charming little houses standing side-by-side, the sweet scent of apples rose from Sweet Apple Acres, and ponies from every walk of life trotted outside, greeting each other and going about their lives. How much longer would they have? Spike chided himself. He had to do something, anything to prevent his nightmare from coming reality.
In the end, he could think of only one solution. It burned him inside even thinking about. Then, he thought of Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, Shining Armor, Cadence, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and all his other countless friends. They all trusted him and treated him as a friend even though he was a dragon, even though his fire breath could set the whole town on fire, and even though he could grow unnaturally large and potentially destroy Ponyville if he ever succumbed to his greed. Maybe it was high time for him to return the favor.
***
That night, Spike snuck out of Twilight’s bed and tiptoed across the room, careful not to wake the slumbering pony. He snuck into his room and found his knapsack, quietly he scooped his allowance of bits that he saved for months, several gems for the road, a map of Equestria, and a picture of Twilight and his friends. He found a piece of paper and quill and tearfully wrote a message.
Dear Twilight,
I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you face-to-face, but I am leaving Ponyville and I don’t plan on coming back. It’s not your fault, really. You’ve been the best friend in the world ever since I was born and all of our friends here have been so kind to me. I’ve just been thinking about the future.
I’m going to grow up to be a fierce, dangerous dragon. Maybe not any day soon, but eventually, I will. I’m afraid. I don’t know how I’ll live among ponies when I’m so big and I don’t know what will happen to me when I grow up. Will I even be the same dragon? That’s what had me shaken up last night. I had a nightmare that I became a fully-grown dragon and destroyed Ponyville. It was horrible. The worst part was I burned you to a crisp and heard you scream. If I ever did that, I’d never forgive myself. I’d never stop crying. I love you Twilight. You’ve always looked out for me even when I gave you grief. If something happened to you and hurt you, I don’t know what I’d do.
Please don’t try to find me. I’ve thought about this all day, and I can’t see any other way. I think this works out for everyone. I leave and reduce the chance of destroying Ponyville and you don’t have to put up with me anymore. Just take care of yourself, Twilight. I know you’ll make it without me. After all, I’m just a baby dragon on the road to becoming a monster. You’re the smartest alicorn in the world. I know you’ll be a great princess.
Love,
Spike
Tears rolling down his cheeks, Spike placed the letter in his bed and stared at his room one last time. He had come to know and love this castle, this town, these ponies with all of his heart. How could ever think of leaving them?
Then, he remembered his nightmare and gritted his teeth, determined to do the right thing. He left his room, closing the door behind him. Slowly, he took his hand from the door and walked to the castle exit. He stared at his surroundings. This place held so many memories for him.
He went out the door into the cold night. As he tread behind the grass, he heard a “Who, who.” He turned around to see Twilight’s pet, Owlicious, approaching him with a quizzical look.
“I’m leaving,” Spike sighed, “what does it look like I’m doing?”
“Who, who,” the owl flew in front of him with a concerned and shocked expression. Spike pushed past him and kept walking towards the train station.
“Because I’m dangerous,” Spike growled bitterly. “I’m going to grow up to be a mean dragon that destroys all of Ponyville. I have to leave, save the city, save my friends.”
“Who, who,” the owl barged into Spike, impeding his way.
“But I know it’s going to happen!” Spike cried, “I saw it. Please, get out of my way. I’ve already decided.”
“Who, who,” Owlicious stood before Spike with fierce defiance.
“You won’t let me leave, huh?” Spike gave the owl a hard stare, “whatever will I do?”
After much pecking, scratching, bruising, Spike tied down Owlicious with some conveniently nearby ropes, and threw him onto a table inside the castle, tying him against a chair.
“I’m sorry,” Spike rubbed where the owl pecked him repeatedly on the head, “this hurts me more than it hurts you, literally.”
“Who, who,” the owl struggled against the ropes.
“Look this has to happen. I have to leave before I become a monster,” Spike sighed wishing he didn’t have to tie down the poor animal. “Just promise me you’ll take care of Twilight.”
“Who, who,” the owl’s eyes appeared to be both furious and remorseful, “who, who, who.”
“Owlicious, please stop,” Spike raised a claw over its beak to silence the protesting bird. The owl simply bit his finger, causing Spike to cry out in pain as he wrested back control of his finger. Eventually, he managed to pull out his finger, which had red marks where the bird bit him.
Nursing his sore finger he turned to the bird one last time. “For the record,” he grabbed his knapsack and headed back out the door, “I’ve never been able to understand you. It’s the show’s great lie!”
***
Spike walked to the train station just as a train pulled into the station. He walked to the conductor and asked for a ticket to wherever would be the farthest station away from Ponyville. The conductor gave it a moment of thought and then suggested Griffonstone Station but warned that it would take some time to arrive and there were many stops along the way. Spike said it was fine, handed him some bits, and bought his ticket. He entered the train and found his seat. Placing his knapsack next to his side, he stared out the window at Ponyville, wondering what his friends were dreaming about.
“All aboard!” The conductor yelled. The train whistled and moved forward. Spike never stopped glancing back at Ponyville until it was long out of sight. When he could no longer see it, he let out a sob. Grabbing the provided blanket and pillow, he lied down on his seat and across the adjacent seat. He had it all to himself anyways. Spike painfully cried himself to sleep, as the world he knew vanished.
***
Princess Luna gazed out her window across the night sky. She sensed a very troubled heart, one that did not know its importance. She closed her eyes and listened closely to the wordless heart song. The heart was afraid of the future, of his future. She listened even more closely. It was Spike! Twilight’s little dragon friend! What was he doing so upset and why was he leaving Ponyville? Luna instantly knew what she had to do.
She entered the dream world and walked past countless doors. Luna walked past all the doors until she reached an unusual looking door. It was a familiar shade of purple, rounded at its edges, with a curved handle, and a green fire insignia decorating the front. She opened the door and walked through.
As Princess of the Night, she had a duty to visit ponies in their sleep and offer guidance. She had done so for countless fillies for thousand of years. She would do so tonight with the fate of Equestria in the balance.