To Climb The Mountain

by zephen

The Mountain

Spike reached forward to the next rock on the long and dangerous journey. The rock was jagged and would have cut a pony but Spike was a dragon and his thick scales stopped him from being cut on the sharp rock.

As he climbed Spike worked up a sweat his clothes grew damp and he was cooled by a sharp breeze that blew across the mountains steep face. The wind picked up and spike was nearly lifted off of the mountain.

Spike climbed on never stopping or looking back untill now. He reached a ledge and pulled himself up onto it panting heavily. He looked down into the valley that Ponyville was situated in. From his perch he could see the boutique where Rarity had used to live.

The boutique had been boarded up and was falling into disrepair. the gutters were missing on certain portions of the round building the plywood was nailed over many different broken windows where many ponies had tried to break in in search of any of the leftover valuables or a school filly on a dare from others. He could see large patches where paint had been eroded off of the building. The model ponies that had once gone around in circles near the top of the boutique had been broken off and they no longer turned like they had once so long ago. Spike remembered the time when he had first entered his teenage years how he had fixed them to go around bringing in more business for her store, and that smile that she had given him. He once would have done anything for one of those smiles, but that time had long passed. . . . along with Rarity.

Spike took out his pack and removed his water bottle. He took off the cap and squirted the water into his mouth from the plastic bottle. Panting less and refreshed from his water spike returned the drink to his pack placing it among the other items in his pack.

Spike continued to climb up the steep mountain every pull of his arms and push of his legs bringing him closer to the summit. Spike’s bare feet found holds as he climbed never failing him on his long journey.

He reached another ledge after almost two hours of climbing. When he pulled himself up this time he saw one of Fluttershy’s old animal friends, a songbird, before she had to release them out into the wild.

Spike remembered the day that she had to release them. It wasn’t so much a matter of choice as one that she couldn't take care for them any more, nor could she care for herself. He still remembered the screaming she had done when the last of them had left. It was horrible for him to watch as the kindest pony he had ever known was forced to lose what she was kindest to.

Once he had regained his breath spike set out on the climb again slowly making progress for hours that moved him further up the mountain. He reached for his next hand hold only to have his feet fall out from under him. He fell down onto the face of the rock as gravity demanded that he came down. His face ground onto the stone as he slid. He slipped and slid down onto a miniature cliff face. He started to fall only to grab the edge and pull himself up slowly.

His muscles ached as he flopped down onto the cool stone. He panted heavily as he tried to regain his breath once again. He looked around to where he had slid and saw a deflated party balloon that had been stabbed by one of the rocks. The balloon he recognized as one from Pinkie's party to end all parties.

Spike remembered the party, all the happy ponies that had meant so much to him old and disheveled while he was still in his prime. They had all had so much fun on that night. Many said that it came prematurely and that the pink party pony could continue to throw parties, but Spike saw though the face that Pinkie had put up. No mortal body was meant to be used so much without rapid degrading. She could barely move without pain, but whenever one of her friends asked she would party. She never could never refuse making a friend smile. Ever. Even if it meant hurting herself in the process.

Spike Turned from the balloon and got back onto his feet and dusted off his pants and shirt. Once again he began to climb. The remainder of his friends all having left pushed him further then ever before and he reached the next ledge too quickly for his liking.
That didn't stop him from seeing the large apple tree that stood out front of the cave of where a dragon had once denned in an attempt to take a nap.

Spike saw the tree and he knew from his experience that the tree was that of an apple family seed. The tree stood proud among the gray background, the apples were large and grew in bunches of three. Spike remembered the apple family. AppleJack was never quite the same after Granny had passed on and AppleBloom was never the same when AppleJack and Big Mac passed on as well. The apple family grew even as the others died. AppleJack and Big Mac still had families and they now ran the farm with AppleBloom taking the place of Granny Smith.

Spike didn’t want to stay longer than necessary and so he began to climb in earnest. He reached the cloud layer before having to stop this time. He flopped down onto the ground once again and panted. When he could move again he dragged himself to a patch of rocks and used them to sit against. He saw a red orange and yellow strand of cloth stuck in the rock. He pulled it out and looked at it.

The cloth was actually a rainbow colored wonderbolt banner that had been stuck in the rocks. Spike remembered when Rainbow Dash had been accepted into the wonderbolts elite flying squad and all the merchandise that had stormed the market. Rainbow had fulfilled her dream of being a wonderbolt. She was the best of the best and all of Equestria knew it. So when two other wonderbolts were trapped in the maw of a rampaging dragon only one pony was close enough and fast enough to save them. Yet while she saved them even the fastest flyer in Equestria couldn't save herself. Spike could still remember the blood that leaked out of it’s mouth before he lost control.

The towns ponies had kicked him out after that incident. His worst nightmare had come true. He was forced out by His “dear friend” Twilight Sparkle in her old age. Twilight should have been immortal, but apparently she could only grant the wings or horn not the immortality that came with it only prolong the life and that of their spouse. Shining Armor was devastated after Cadence had died leaving him by himself. Shining couldn’t stop himself then from succumbing to the lured power of Sombra. Shining had fallen yet again to the power of evil and without Cadence to snap him out of it there was nothing that equestria could do, against Sombra and Shining or against the changelings that now were attacking before a new set of elements could be found. Spike remembered all of this.

Why then was he taking the ashes of his former friends to the top of this mountain. Celestia and Luna had asked him yet even still after watching them go through so much. Was this further part of his training to fight the crystal empire? What he truly didn’t understand was why he had to take the elements with him.

Spike knew that he would have to eventually find a new group of ponies and watch over them as they found their place in the elements. He knew he would have to teach them about the lessons that his friends had gone through and about how he would have to let them discover on their own many of their talents.

Spike’s journey was to be a long one and if he were to get anywhere he would first have to make it to the top of the mountain.
It would be the very first step on his long journey.

Spike’s attention went back to the cloth in his hand. He looked at it for along time. He watched as it would flap in the breeze off of the mountain as he held it up and how the colors would dance. Spike held the cloth there for what seemed like hours. Soon he grew hungry and took the gems out of his pack.

After he had eaten he stood and slowly walked over to the edge of the ledge he was standing on. He looked out into the distance where he could still see Ponyville as a small area on the landscape. He picked up the cloth and balled it up in his claws careful not to shred it unintentionally. He cocked his arm back and threw the bundle of cloth out into the direction of ponyville. As it flew it unfurled and waved as it fell. As soon as the cloth passed out of sight behind rocks he turned his attention back onto the mountain.

Spike looked up at the darkening sky. The clouds were not monitored this far away from the town and he knew that it would soon rain. He was proven right as the first drop struck him on the head. He flinched as the drop fell onto his head. Spike turned back to the mountain and started to climb as fast as he could before the water made the rocks slick.

He climbed faster and faster as he went. He would try to make it to the top of the mountain before the rain got too bad. He climbed on as the rain continued to fall. soon he found himself covered in the rain. The climb became harder and harder as he went, Soon Spike had to slow down for fear of falling off of the face of the mountain. He grit his teeth and continued to climb on.
He could see the top of the mountain close. With a renewed vigor he continued to climb. Spike was cold, he was wet, and he was exhausted. He would soon have to reach the top of fall back down. That was when a memory surfaced in his mind.

“Remember Spike. Everything in life that is worth anything you will have to work hard for. Somethings may take all that you are willing to give and then ask for more. You have to ask yourself, ‘is what I’m doing worth all of the effort?’ and if it is you have to keep going.”

So there he was, cold, wet, tired, miserable, and exhausted. Why was he doing this? Why did Celestia have him come all the way up the mountain with the ashes of his fallen friends? What was the point of having to do this grueling torment of climbing the mountain? He didn’t know why. He did know that Celestia had promised answers when he did reach the top though, and he would do anything to get there to find out whether this had to do with the elements, the opposing forces, finding new elements, his own training. Anything to find out what he had done it all for.

With a primal shout that could be heard for miles around spike forced his burning muscles to push beyond anything he had ever done. He pulled with his burning arms and leaden legs. He was determined to do this.

He would do this by any means necessary! This concerned his friends that he would move mountains for. That he would fight for. That he would respect for the rest of his life!

With a final pull Spike found himself on top of the mountain where instead of a pointed tip there was a flat top. He couldn’t worry about that now however because he had collapsed to the ground and panted. He could still feel his limbs ache. His breath hot and heavy, small tongues of flame escaped his maw as he tried to regain his breathing. As he did so the rain began to stop and spike flopped over onto his back.

When he could move again he sat up and looked around the top of the mountain. He didn’t see anything distinguishable about it. Only a flat topped mountain. Spike reached his hands out behind him to sit back on and was thrown off when one of his hands went into a shallow depression. He looked at it. It was in the exact shape of the element of magic. Spike took out the gem and placed it onto the groove. When nothing happened he went around and looked for more holes. After Spike had found the five other holes and placed the gems into them.

When he had there was a loud snap and in front of every gem looking out in all directions were stone carvings of his dearest friends. They stood defiant and proud around the top of the mountain. Spike shakily walked over to the one of Twilight and sat in front of it. It was of her as a Unicorn back when she and Spike had first moved to Ponyville. Spike sat and cried there. He mourned the loss of his dearest friends in the world knowing that even he couldn't stop death.

Author's Note:

If you like the story please say so in the comments
Aslo: did I blow you'r mind there at the end or what?

Comments

[Dartagnen]

FIRST! Loved the story, even if it was a bit depressing. Keep up the good work.

[MoltenXKid]

I...don't know about that ending. It sorta left it open for more, ya know. Don't get me wrong, i liked it but the whole story built up to something different. Not just him doing what he did(insert no spoiler) perhaps i missed something?

[zephen]

this story is meant to show a few elements that i had in mind while writing.
1. mortality.
2. you can over come anything.
3. sometimes when the world is giving you shit you need to keep moving on.
4. what happens to spike after the main six die?
this is supposed to be a horribly sad tale and i did think of making this a prequel based on how it is received. if i get front page then i will make a series off of this.