> The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1
>  by SmokeShadow95
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six young fillies sat around the campfire. They were deep in the Everfree Forest. Their eyes all focused on the figure across the campfire. Through the flames the could see a dark silhouette. It was difficult to make out details, but they could tell it was a dragon. An old dragon. He lifted his tired head and looked over the young six that sat around his fire.

“Would you like to hear a story,” He asked with a weary voice, “Of course you 	would. Every young filly likes a good story. Especially one told around a 	campfire, and in the company of friends.”

The six fillies could barely contain their collective excitement. They all shook and moved about cheering the dragon to tell his story. It took a few moments to calm them enough to get his old voice heard. He could not project like he used to. As the fillies settled into comfortable positions, the dragon leaned into the fires light. The glare danced across his scales as he focused his eyes. The smoke filled the air as a strange light flashed in it. It seemed to move and flicker to the sound of his voice.

“Now listen close,” He started, “Every word from here on is true. Everything that I 	am about to tell you actually happened. No lies, all truth. This is a story of magic, 	of action, of peril. Maybe even a little romance for you mushy types. And it 	all started with a princess and a dragon.” 

> Ch.1 Nightmares
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Magic. It was all around him. He could not get away from it. Spike was surround by magic. Twilight had magic, but she was an Alicorn Princess so she needed hers. Rarity had magic, but Spike always found her to be extra beautiful when using her magic.
Spike was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize he was falling behind Twilight. They were on their way to Canterlot for an official Princess meeting. All the princess's from Equestria had to be there, even Princess Cadance and Twilight. Seeing as how Spike was Twilight's personal assistant he went with her. The rest of the ponies stayed behind in Ponyville. They all had their own things to do. As he boarded the train to Canterlot with Twilight he could not help but feel a little out of place. It was easy for Twilight to pick up on this. 

“Spike, is something wrong,” She asked kindly. 

“No,” Spike retorted quickly, “I just don't realize why were taking the train to Canterlot instead of just flying there is all.”

“It's because last time I flew that distance you started kissing the ground when we landed,” Twilight responded, “And my flying could still use a lot of work.”

“Right,” Spike said bashfully.

He had forgotten about the whole kissing the ground incident. Figures Twilight would remember something like that. She pretty much remembers everything that happens around her. 
Before much longer both had fallen asleep. Spike was not sleeping peacefully, however. He did not have pleasant dreams. They were plagued with familiar and terrifying images. 

He was back in Ponyville. But it was different. Darker, and empty. The sky was filled with black swirling clouds that let no light shine through shrouding the entire town in a blanket of darkness. An small wind whistled through the towns silent streets, creating an eerie whistle that sent chills down his spikes. 
He looked around for anypony to be there, but found none. He ran for the safest place he knew: The library. Maybe he would find Twilight there. Or maybe a spell or something. He raced to the familiar building he had called home for years now. The door was gone. Torn off it's hinges and tossed into the open. But by what? Spike entered the abandoned building ever so cautiously. He took a moment after each step to try and get a better look, but it was dark. No light came from anywhere. He took three steps in and heard something. CREAK!! It came from nowhere and Spike scrambled for something to defend himself with. He finally found himself with a broomstick in his claws. He stopped to catch his breath. His heart was beating faster than he thought physically possible. That is when he heard it. CREAK!! Again, it came from nowhere. Spike turned on his heel to face more of the constant darkness. Something was there though. He could feel it in his scales. Then he had an idea. A broomstick makes a decent torch when lit on fire. And one thing he was good at was breathing fire. Finally he'd have some light. He breathed a small burst of fire. The bristles of the broom ignited in a flash of green and yellow flame. What he saw with his new found light terrified him. It was Twilight. She was just sitting there, reading a book. She looked up and glared at spike. Her eyes were faded and dark, but the anger could be seen clearly.

“What are you doing here,” She snapped at him, “I told you to never come back here. I don't want you here anymore. You are useless.”

Her harsh words cut deeper than any wound ever could. Spike's eyes began to tear up as he turned and ran back outside. The other ponies were there now. All the same as Twilight. They glared at him with cold eyes.

“Useless. Unwanted,” They repeated, “Get out. Go away.”

They chanted the words as spike fled. But it didn't matter in which direction he ran. He always turned the corner to find himself at the hooves of the six ponies he used to call friends. They all moved in on him, still chanting those harsh words. As they closed in they yelled on final time. Spike awoke with those words echoing in his mind, where they would remain for a long while. 

As they finally arrived in Canterlot, Spike was shaken by the terrifying nightmare he had. Twilight did not seem to notice his turmoil this time. It was so easy for her before. The two of them made there way to the castle. They were greeted eagerly by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Princess Cadance had not yet arrived. She would be there by the morning. 
As it was late the group all headed for their quarters for some rest before the busy day tomorrow. All except for Luna of course. The night was her time to watch over the ponies of Equestria. But this night was different. Not because of the day tomorrow, but of the unusual request she made. 

“Twilight,” She said softly, “May I borrow Spike from you for a while? I have a task for which I require his assistance.”

“Sure,” Twilight said somewhat puzzled, “As long as he doesn't mind.”

“I better not,” Spike stated, “I did not sleep well on the train and I am really tired.”

“Then I shall try to make this short,” Luna insisted.

Spike saw no point in arguing so he just went with Luna. She bid her sister and Twilight goodnight and headed down a separate corridor with Spike on her hooves. They walked for a while in silence. Luna would occasionally glance back at him. He would sometimes notice her glances and she would quickly look away. Other than that Spike was caught up in his own thoughts.
Finally they arrived at their destination. Luna opened a big set of double doors and beckoned Spike to follow her into the dark room. He could not help but to hesitate as he remembered his nightmare. Was that what this is about? Luna is the one that watches the ponies dreams after all, but could she see a dragon's dreams? Could she intervene in a dragon's dreams? And as if reading his mind Luna spoke.

“There are no monsters in this darkness,” She said with a small smile.

Her voice was kind and gentle and calming. It was kind of like Fluttershy's voice. That is probably what she was going for. Spike reluctantly stepped foot into the room. Once he entered he realized where he was. This room was Luna's bedchambers. She walked over to the balcony overlooking the city and the rest of Equestria. She looked over all the ponies deep in their slumber. She did not say anything to Spike. 

“So what was that task you wanted me to do,” He asked.

“Nothing,” Luna responded as she turned to Spike, “I'm afraid I led you here with a false statement. I have no task for you to do here. But I would like to help you.”

“Help me,” Spike questioned, “With what? I don't need help.”

“You shouldn't lie to the pony who can see your dreams, young dragon,” Luna said back with a bit of sarcasm.

Spike was shocked at first when he heard that Luna had seen his nightmare. He then turned to annoyed.

“You saw my nightmare on the train,” He half questioned, half stated back, “Then why did you not help me?! Aren't you supposed to do that? Aren't you supposed to help those who have really bad nightmares? Isn't that your job?!”

Luna was a little taken aback by the young dragons display of anger. It was not like him at all. This was worse than she thought. 

“I understand you frustration, young dragon,” She said with a soft tone, “But allow me to explain. I did indeed see your nightmare on the train, but I did not understand it. What troubles you so about Twilight and her friends?”

Now Spike was taken aback. Luna had taken his tantrum and totally dissolved it. He felt bad about yelling at her. He calmed his voice and turned his back to Luna. 

“You don't understand,” He said gloomily, “I can't help them. Sure I'm a good assistant, but what else can I do? I mean look at the others. Fluttershy tends to the animals all around Ponyville. Rarity makes the most beautiful dresses for ponies to wear. Applejack harvest the apples and makes food for the town. Rainbow Dash keeps the skies clear and the weather nice. Pinkie Pie provides so much laughter and joy that no pony ever feels down in Ponyville. Now Twilight is a Princess who has duties to not just Ponyville, but to all of Equestria. And what do I do? I take notes and fetch drinks. Anyone can do that. I don't have any real way of helping at all.”

It took Luna a moment to process what she just heard. This was not what she had expected. The little dragon just opened his soul to her. She could see all of his feeling and all of his pain. She finally understood. As she thought about the plight of this young dragon tears began to well up in her eyes. She tried to hide it, but Spike saw them running down her face. Now Spike was getting nervous. He had never seen a princess cry before except for Twilight, but she wasn't a princess then. He did the only thing he could think to do. He darted about Luna's chambers, organizing all the loose papers and books that were laying all about the place. Luna watched for a moment with a puzzled look on her face.

“What are you doing,” She asked him quietly.

Spike stopped on a dime at the sound of Luna's voice. His cheeks turned red as he looked down at his feet.

“Well, this usually cheers Twilight up a little,” Spike said, “Thought maybe it could cheer you up to.”

Spike stood in the middle of the room staring at his feet still, waiting for a response from Luna. And he got one. She laughed. Her tears of sadness were replaced by tears of laughter. That was not quite the response he had expected. After a moment of uncontainable laughter Luna composed herself again. She walked over and sat down in front of Spike. 

“Thank you,” She said, “That did cheer me up. Now we must move on to more important matters, like your nightmare.”

Spike did not want to think about it. It was terrible. He hated the idea that the ponies he called friends for so long could suddenly turn on him. Luna leaned in close to Spike. Her horn sparked a dim glow at the tip and Spike's focus was now on Luna. 

“I am sorry, Spike,” She said sympathetically, “I did not help you through your nightmare. I failed at my duties as Princess of the Night. I now understand why it is you had your nightmare. And I now know what I must do to help you. Come back to my chambers tomorrow, as night begins to fall. I will help you then.”

The dim glow of Luna's horn subsided as her words faded. She stood up from where she sat and gestured for Spike to make his exit. She walked back over to the balcony to resume her watch over the ponies of the land. It was still night after all. Spike took one last look at her as he exited her chambers. He had seen a whole new side of Luna in the time he spent with her. She was no longer the imposing royal that scared ponies. She had long since been Nightmare Moon. But still, she had never shown this much compassion or sympathy before. Spike like it. He found it to be very soothing, and calming, and beautiful even. Definitely beautiful. 

Spike woke that morning with a rude awakening. He opened his eyes to see the glorious light of the mid day sun shining through the window. He turned back over and then it hit him. MID-DAY?! How could have slept for so long? He shot up out of bed and headed for the door. However, his path was blocked by a rather frustrated pony. Twilight was not happy.

“Spike,” She said angrily, “Why are you just waking up now? It's almost noon. We have way to much to get done before the meeting and we do not have time to be lazing about and sleeping til noon.”

Spike was to shaken to answer. He was drawn back into his mind. He was drawn back to his nightmare. The look Twilight had in her eyes now looked just like the look she had in his nightmare. Is this how it starts? Does one late awakening start a downward spiral that gets Twilight to hate him? He was terrified at the mere thought of it. He was so terrified that he didn't realize he was shaking in the real world, much to Twilight's annoyance. 

“We don't have time for games, Spike,” She said, “What did Luna have you doing last night anyway?”

Spike managed to mumble a few incoherent things before shaking off the terror of Twilight's gaze. He looked back at her before sputtering out an answer. 

“Oh, uh, nothing much,” He replied, “Just some organizing books and papers. The same kinda stuff I do for you, Twilight.”

Twilight's gaze left Spike and he felt as if a great weight had been lifted of him. He breathed a deep breath after the uneasy feeling left his stomach. Twilight had left the room and Spike hurried along after her. He really did not want to anger her any further. Another look from those eyes might just break him beyond repair. Besides, they had a busy day today. 
The day started off with a dress fitting for the big princess meeting. Rarity was back in Ponyville, so she could not make a custom dress for Twilight. She did, however, refer two of the best dress makers Canterlot had. The two of them spent an hour getting the perfect dress ready for Twilight's meeting. The reason it took an hour was because of Twilights nagging. It was always something. 
The first dress they tried was a yellow dress with a sheer, frilly trim. The color was wrong Twilight complained. Next they tried a similar dress with more extravagant frills. It was white and very big. Too bright, she said. Next on the list was a sleek black dress that formed rather tightly around Twilight's body. She like it, but it was too dark. The two dress makers pulled out another dress after Twilight dismissed the black one. It had a light purple body, with blue stripes and light red sleeves. The entire thing had a sheer black lining around it. Too many colors, she said. Spike actually agreed with her on that one. It was ugly. Rarity would have fainted on the spot if that dress was pulled out in front of her. Twilight just complained. Nothing but complaining. Spike just had to stand there and endure it.
Finally, after that hour was done, Twilight had the perfect dress for the meeting. It was a deep blue color with a violet wave pattern that seemed to move with every step she took. It was lined with a beautiful black lace that showed her cutie mark. She looked quite lovely in the dress.  Twilight ordered them to take it to her room after they were done with it. She called to Spike and they moved on to the next item of the day. Hair. Twilight spent another hour complaining to the mare who ran the best hair salon in Canterlot. Spike just wanted the day to be over. He wanted Celestia to lower the sun so Luna could raise the moon, and so Luna could help him with his nightmare. But the day was not done yet. He had to follow Twilight around all day and listen to her complain about every detail. Twilight was a pony of details after all.
After all the running around the two of them did it time to get back to the castle. The time for the meeting was coming up soon. Spike was wearily following behind Twilight. He held the checklist he had been carrying all day. Every item on it had been checked off. He followed Twilight into her room, but did not get very far. Two steps in and Twilight pushed a whole stack of books into his arms. 

“Spike, I need a favor,” Twilight said, “Can you return these books to the castle library for me? I borrowed them last time I was here and forgot to return them.”

“Sure thing, Twilight,” Spike said happily. 

He struggle to turn around without dropping everything and eventually made it to the hallway. He finally had some time to himself. He knew well the way to the library. He and Twilight had walked it many times before she became a princess. He was happier then. He didn't have a nightmare plaguing his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of help Luna could be. He was going to see her that night, but what was she going to do? As far as Spike knew she only helped ponies in their dreams. Was she going to put him to sleep and enter his dreams? Dreams with Luna could never be bad Spike thought to himself. 
Before he knew he was at the library. The big elegant double doors to the library were closed. Darn. How was he supposed to get in then?

“Need some help with that?”

Luna's voice startled Spike. He jumped so high, Luna almost thought he would start flying. The books he was carrying got even more airtime than he did. He came down breathing heavy and Luna just giggled a bit. 

“Sorry, Princess Luna,” Spike started, “I couldn't see you because the books were in the way. Er, they were too high.”

Spike began to blush a little in Luna's presence. She just smiled at him. 

“It's okay, Spike. Let me open the door for you,” She told him, “And you can just call me Luna, but let's keep that our little secret.”

A quick flash from her horn and the doors swung open with barely a creak from the hinges. Spike rushed in so Luna couldn't see him blushing anymore. He got about two feet before he realized he forgot the books. He turned around to see Luna still. She was holding the books in a nice, neat stack in midair. Spike's cheeks got even more red as he quickly darted over and grabbed the books before rushing back in and around the nearest bookshelf corner. He heard another small giggle from Luna, but didn't hear her leave. Maybe she just has really quiet hoofsteps he thought. Maybe she flew away. Spike tried to push Luna out of his mind as he set about placing each book in its exact correct place. He quickly scanned the titles of a few of the books. A Princess's Guide to Alicorn Magic, Being a Princess: An Idiots Guide, Pony Wars: Chapters 1,2 ,and 3. Interesting. Spike didn't even know the castle library had these kind of books. He did know the last ones though. Never did understand them. Apparently, those books came after four, five and six? Ehh, he just set them aside and climbed the ladder with the idiots guide to princessing. It didn't take spike very long to find the section, shelf, and spot that each and every book belong in. This was one thing he was good at. He just put the last book away when he saw another on the floor. Hmm. One last book. Shouldn't take to long. Spike was wrong. He looked at the title of the book. Shadows and Secrets: A History of Dark Magic in Equestria. It was a black bound book with a skull shaped clasp. Spike got a really bad vibe coming from this book. Why would Twilight be reading this? She was a powerful unicorn before becoming an Alicorn Princess, and she was always interested in magic, but dark magic? She would never try that stuff. Spike tried thinking of why she would have such a book. Maybe she was just studying dark magic. Maybe she was just curious. Perhaps she was just using it to level out a table. That last one made Spike chuckle. Twilight would never use a book for that. 
Spike set out trying to find this books place. He looked in the magic section under S, but no place was open. No book was missing. Okay. Spike moved from there to the history section. Under S again, but no place was open. No book was missing. Odd. The book was on a history of magic. But it did not belong in either section. Hmm. Spike was puzzled. He was scratching his head trying to figure it out. 

“I think you want that section over there.”

Spike jumped again at the sound of Luna's voice. What was she doing here? And where was she? Spike landed flat on his back on the floor of the library. He stared up at the ceiling in a bit of a daze. He heard another Luna giggle. Then her head popped out from atop a bookshelf. So that's where she was hiding. On top of the bookshelves.

“That section,” She said again. 

Spike got back up and retrieved the book. He looked back up at Luna and followed her outstretched hoof with his eyes. She was pointing at the gate to the restricted section. Of course! The restricted section would be the place to have books on dark magic in Equestria. But how was he going to get in there? The main library is one thing. Was Luna really going to let him just stroll in the restricted section? 

“Well, go on,” Luna said from atop the bookshelf. 

The gates to the restricted section creaked open. It was a dimly lit row of bookshelves that greeted him. He gripped the black book ever so tightly. This section of the library always freaked him out a little. In here were all the books that were too evil, too dangerous, or too old to be viewed by the public. Where did the book he gripped so tightly fall? Evil, dangerous, or old? He slowly paced down the aisles as he looked for the section marked 'S'. After he found it he searched for the history part. It was all the way at the top. Of course it is all the way at the top. Why would this be easy for me? Spike grabbed a nearby ladder and climbed to the top. He found a small space that as unoccupied. It seemed too small for the book he held, but he wanted to get his scaled butt out of the restricted section as soon as possible. He squeezed the book into the small space and pushed with all his might. The black bound book finally went in with a little effort, but as soon as it went in another book came flying out. It smacked Spike right in the face and knocked off the ladder. He fell to floor with a hard thud of a landing. He got up groggily and reached for the book. He was astounded by the title. A Dark History: The Forgotten Magic of Dragons. Spike could barely contain his excitement. He ran out of the restricted section and right to the middle of the library. He screamed for Luna.

“Princess Luna,” He yelled, “Look what I found! It's amazing.”

Luna's head popped up from atop a bookshelf a ways off. She stood and pranced over the tops of the bookshelves to cover the distance quickly. She was glad to see the excitement and joy in Spike's eyes, until she saw the book. 

“Look at this book, Luna,” Spike said excitedly, “I didn't even know dragons could do magic. This is the most amazing book ever.”

“Put that book away Spike,” Luna said seriously, “Look at the title again. There is a reason it says 'A Dark History' . Dragon magic is very powerful and very dangerous.”

Luna's words, as serious as they were, seemed to have the opposite effect she had hoped for. Spike seemed even more excited about dragon magic after he hear her words. Luna was about get very angry with him when something clicked in her mind. She looked Spike over. He was staring at the cover of this book. He didn't even try to open it. But he was smiling. He was happy to see this book. After leaving him to his nightmare Luna could not take that happiness away from him.

“Spike,” She said gently, “If you really want to know more about dragon magic then I know of someone who could help you teach you.” 

“Really,” Spike asked with much excitement, “Who is it? Where are they? I want meet him right away!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. One thing first,” Luna responded, “You put that book back where you found it.”

Spike was surprised with Luna's request. He wanted to learn all about dragon magic and he held a book that could give him answers, but she asked him to put it back. How was he supposed to do that? He looked down at the cover of the book. He read the title again. It did say 'A Dark History'  and he trusted what Luna had said. There was a reason for that. He sucked in his gut and marched back into the restricted section of the library. He climbed the ladder and placed the book on the shelf. There seemed to be plenty of space for that book. Odd. After Spike got back down-without falling this time-he went back to Luna. Luna noticed the obvious look of disappointment on his face. 

“I am proud of you, Spike,” She said, “If you want to learn about dragon magic that book is not the right guide to teach you.”

“Why not,” Spike asked, “I didn't see any other books and dragon magic in there.”

“All your questions will be answered tonight when you come by my chambers,” Luna answered him, “Now, let us leave. It is almost time for my meeting with the other Princess's.”

Luna led Spike out of the library and walked with to the meeting room. Spike was not allowed in, though, so he bid Luna goodbye at the door. Spike immediately missed her as the doors closed behind her. She was good company. Compassionate and funny. Really liked a good joke. But she wasn't there anymore. Spike was left alone for the first time in several days. What was he to do? His thoughts were interrupted by a loud rumbling sound. At first he thought it was some sort of disaster. It took him a moment to realize it was his stomach. He hadn't eaten a thing all day. It was a disaster after all. Spike ran back the room he shared with Twilight and searched his bags for the gems he stashed in there. He quickly found them. It was a beautiful sight. All sorts of rubies, emeralds, opals, diamonds, jades, sapphires, and more. Rarity had given him a large portion of her gem collection for his trip to Canterlot. She claimed she 'had plenty to last her til next season'. Spike knew the next season meant fashion and not the next season of the year. He licked his scaly lips and dived into the big bag of gems. A short while later and Spike was fast asleep with a belly full of gems and plenty left over. He tossed and turned in his makeshift bed of gems as he slept.

He was back in the nightmare. Back in Ponyville. He stood at the center of town as he was before. He looked all around to make sure the monster ponies that looked like his friends weren't near him. He didn't see anything, but he was still very scared. He ran to the library that was Twilight's house. It was not the same as it was before. The door was not torn off and in the open. The entire place seemed even more dark than before. After what had happened to him last time he decided to leave the library be. He ran for the next best place he find some safety. Rarity's house and workshop. When he got there he heard a scream. A pony? Somepony else was there with him? He burst in without thinking and found Luna there. She was curled up into a ball on the floor of the shop. She was crying. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in a meeting. Was she in both places? Before he could think of any answers to his questions another pony showed up. It was Rarity herself. Spike remembered what happened last time a pony showed up that he knew. Rarity stepped out of the shadows. She was wearing a dress, but it was in terrible condition. It was all torn up and shredded. There stains from dirt and dust all over it, as well as other things. Rarity didn't seem to notice. That was Spike's first clue that something was wrong. His next was her eyes. They were not as full of life and creativity as they used to be. They were even darker than Twilight's eyes were. One last thing set him against her. Rarity was smiling. It was not the warm smile of generosity that Spike knew though. No, it was much darker. 

“Hello, Spike,” Rarity said with a smile, “What brings you here?”

“She does,” Spike said as he pointed at Luna. 

“Too bad,” Rarity said, “You are way too useless to have her!”

Spike woke from this nightmare and screamed. He looked around the room to get his bearings. He had forgotten where he was. He ran to the window. Stars. He could see stars in the sky. That's right. He had to go and see Luna. If he could see stars that meant he was late. He quickly moved to the door and threw it open, much to Twilight's surprise. She was stunned by Spike's sudden action. Before she could even get a letter out Spike had already moved past her and was running down the hallway. He shouted a goodnight to Twilight behind him as he ran. He made it to Luna's chambers a few minutes later. The guards looked at him once before letting him pass. He slowly opened one of the doors to Luna's chambers and scanned to dark room for her. He found her where she would always be. She was watching over the ponies of Equestria from the balcony. He slowly moved his way into the chamber and quietly closed the door behind him. 

“Welcome, Spike,” Luna said without turning around, “I was wondering when you would show up.”

“Sorry, Luna,” Spike apologized, “I fell asleep and had another nightmare.”

Luna turned to face Spike. She could see he was shaken by this latest nightmare. She bid him sit down and she lay down next to him. He told all about his latest nightmare. He left out the part about him being in Rarity's shop for Luna though. It was obvious to him now that that was part of his mind and not the real Luna. 
Luna listened intently as Spike described his nightmare. She was glad he could confide in her such things. She liked the young dragon. He was always so full of life and energy. But then there were these nightmares. They seemed to drain the life out of him. They also terrified him to no end. There is no worse fate than having your friends turn on you. She knew this better than most anyone. She had turned on her sister a great many years ago and she still feels the weight of that decision every day. But it is a little less so when the young dragon is around. She feels do carefree around him. Before she knew it, she was staring at Spike. He had finished telling his nightmare some time ago. Now it was Luna's turn to blush. 

“I am sorry you had to go through that alone again, young dragon,” She said, “I would have been there with you, but I was busy calling a friend. He should be here shortly.”

Before Spike could say anything he felt something. Another presence in the chamber. There was someone there. He could feel it in his scales. His eyes darted all around the room as he searched for this mysterious intruder. Luna watched in amazement. It was only after Spike dismissed as nerves and looked back at Luna did he see it. A dark silhouetted figure standing in the shadows behind her. Without a moments pause he called for Luna to get down and leaped into the air above her. He let loose a breath of fire that very nearly blew a hole in the wall. Not a second later did the guards rush in. Three of them. 

“You’re majesty,” The lead guard said, “We heard something from the hall. Is everything all right?”

Luna was flat on the floor with her legs in every direction and a bewildered look on her face, The wall behind her was as black as scorch earth on a moonless night. Spike was standing on the opposite side of Luna trying to act as innocent as possible. 

“Yes, yes,” Luna said as she composed herself, “My young friend here just sneezed is all.”

The lead guard looked between Spike and the scorch mark that covered the wall the ceiling and many piles of ash that used to be Luna's things. 

“You should get that looked at,” The guard told Spike before exiting. 

The guards left the room and Luna turned on Spike. She had an angered look on her face and it was fairly obvious as to why. But she said nothing to him. She just looked up and walked to the balcony. 

“Don't get mad at the young blood, Luna.”

The voice seemed to come from nowhere, and everywhere at the same time. It was as if every shadow in the room carried the voice, creating an eerie echoing effect that sent chills down Spike's spikes. 

“Calm down, Spike,” Luna reassured him, “I know him. This is my friend.”

Her words did little to calm his nerves. Spike watched as Luna's supposed friend entered the room. It was as if the shadows themselves came together to form his body. Each of his scales seeped shadows as they settled themselves into place. His flexed his hands, extending his long claws outward. Each of them sharp enough to shred stone. And then there were his eyes. Sharp and dangerous. They were a deep violet that glowed in the moonlight. Spike stared in amazement as this being coalesced from the shadows. But more than that. This being was all scales, claws, and teeth. 

“A dragon,” Spike pondered, “Your friend is a dragon, Luna?”

“Yes, young one,” Luna said, “My friend is a dragon. I would like you to meet Smoke Shadow. One of the very last dragons that can do magic.”

“It has been a long time, Luna,” Smoke Shadow stated, “Why did you call on me?”

“Well, Shadow,” Luna started off, “My young friend here wants to learn about dragon magic. He found a book in the castle library and-”

“A Dark History: The Forgotten Magic of Dragons,” Shadow interrupted, “Is that the book?”

“Yes,” Luna said, “But how did you know?”

“There are only a handful of books on dragon magic in all of Equestria,” Shadow stated, “And I have almost all of them save a select few. That is one of the select few.”

Before anything further could be said Spike spoke up. 

“Hey,” He shouted, “Can you really do magic?”

“Trying to make sure I'm not all smoke and mirrors, young blood,” Shadow said, “Well, watch this.”

“There is a reason I told you not to be mad at him, Luna,” Shadow told her. 

He turned to face the scorched wall. He held his claws up and his eyes began to glow a fierce, deep violet. Both Luna and Spike watched in amazement as the scorched wall of Luna's chambers went back to normal. It was as if time itself had been reversed. Each pile of ash went back to being Luna's belongings. To prove that his spell had worked Smoke Shadow gestured to a large mirror that he had restored. In a quick flash of movement he was at Luna's side. She was staring at her reflection in the mirror.

“See now. You look as lovely as always, Luna,” Shadow teased, “And now you have your mirror back so you can stare at yourself all night long.”

“Stop it,” Luna laughed him off, “I asked you here for his sake.”

Smoke Shadow looked over at spike. His jaw was still open and he was staring at the formerly scorched wall. Smoke Shadow took the mirror he was holding and held it in front of Spike's face. The reaction was priceless. Spike saw himself all wide eyed and slack jawed and jumped back before regaining his composure. He looked over at Smoke Shadow with wonder in his eyes. 

“So you can teach me all about dragon magic,” Spike asked.

“I'll do better than that, young blood,” Shadow replied, “I will actually teach you some dragon magic.”

The words left his lips and he got two very different reactions. Spike almost hit the ceiling he was jumping for joy so much. Luna on the other hoof, had the opposite reaction. She got angry and pointed a magically charged horn directly at Shadow.

“What are you thinking,” She hissed at him, “You can't teach him magic.”

“Too late for that, Luna,” Shadow said, “He already has a spark of magic in him. How else could he have seen me in the shadows?”

Both Spike and Luna had to think about this. Spike did see him. No, it was more than that. He felt him in the chamber before he even saw him. Luna had known Smoke Shadow for a long time and no one has ever seen him before. Luna retracted her charged horn and stepped back. 

“Very well,” She said formally, “If he already has the spark then the fire should come from you, Shadow. Better he learn from you than find some other means.”

Spike gleamed with anticipation of learning dragon magic. But then he remembered something that threatened to put the whole thing on hold. Twilight. He was her best assistant. As much he wanted to do more he could not very well just up and leave her like that. He looked over at Luna with a worried look in his eyes. Luna seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. She smiled and looked down at Spike. 

“You are worried about what Twilight would think,” She said.

“I don't want to tell her,” Spike said quickly, “At least, not yet. She is just now getting settled into her new role as an Alicorn Princess and I don't want her to worry about me. But how can I learn dragon magic and keep it a secret from her?”

“I have an idea,” Luna said, “Meet me tomorrow outside the meeting room doors. Okay?”

Spike nodded in agreement. He was eager to learn and he showed a lot of that energy Luna like so much again. It was getting quite late into the night so Luna sent Spike back to Twilight's room for some rest. He would anything Luna asked of him at this point. After he was gone, Luna was alone with Smoke Shadow. 

“How much do you plan on teaching him,” She inquired. 

“Basic things,” Shadow answered, “Levitation, telekinesis, and a few other things every unicorn pony is taught to do. Make him feel more equal and useful.”

“How did you know he was feeling useless,” Luna asked.

“Feeling inadequate in light of pony magic,” Shadow said, “Wasn't that the original reason dragons had to lose their magic?”

Luna knew the answer. Dragons were here long before ponies were. They were jealous when ponies started using magic so they tried to make it where they were the only magic users in the land. They did not succeed. It happened so long ago that almost no one remembers, dragon or pony.
Luna bid Shadow goodnight and then sent him away. He stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. Luna waiting for a while to make sure he was really gone. She could always tell if he was there or not. Part of her abilities as the Princess of the Night. She moved back over to the balcony and stared out over the land. She thought about the consequences of dragon magic returning to Equestria. Her whole body shuddered at the thought. It was too dangerous. Too powerful. And she was going to allow a young dragon, barely a baby, to learn some. What was she thinking? It was too late now. She could not go back on her word. She could not take that away from Spike. Plus, she had a point earlier. Better that Spike learn from Shadow than find some other means. It still worried her. But that was worry she kept to herself. For now she had to deal with getting Spike away from Twilight. And she had just the right idea. She smiled at her own cleverness.
> Ch.2 Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike met up with Luna outside the doors to the meeting room. She was smiling. She seemed to always be smiling when Spike was around. He wondered what she had in mind. This was the last day Twilight would be spending in Canterlot. How was she going to get him to stay? 
He smiled back at Luna as she escorted him into the meeting room. The other princess's were already there and waiting. Celestia seemed to be her regal self. She was displaying a nice bright sunny attitude. Cadance was there as well. She was always smiling and today was no different. She was talking with Twilight. Twilight herself seemed to be in a better mood than she had been the past couple days. Spike was nervous. This was a meeting for princess's only. What would they think about him being there? Luna walked over to her place around the round table was set up in the middle of the room. She levitated Spike up and onto the table without a word of warning to anyone. Celestia could barely contain her surprise. 

“Dear sister, what is the meaning of this,” She asked.

“I have a proposition,” Luna said, “Spike has been faithfully following Twilight around for years. He has been the best assistant anyone could ask for.”

“Where are you going with this, Princess Luna,” Twilight asked. 

“I propose that we make Spike an official Princess Assistance Dragon,” Luna stated clearly and officially. 

The three other Princess's took some time to consider Luna's sudden proposal. Twilight was completely taken aback by this sudden request. Cadance was actually considering it. But it was Celestia who spoke first. 

“What would be Spike's duties as an official Princess Assistance Dragon,” She asked. 

“Spike would share his time traveling between Canterlot, The Crystal Empire, and Ponyville assisting the princess there with whatever they need. After he is done with one princess he will move on to the next.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Said Princess Cadance, “I know I could use some help at the Crystal Palace, and I have seen Spike's capabilities firsthand.”

“You forget, Cadence,” Twilight interjected, “Spike is my assistant.”

“You make a fair point,” Luna said, “But Spike has already agreed to make his first round here at Royal Canterlot Castle. I have some duties that I am behind in 	and I could greatly use his help.”

“Is that why she wanted you for these past couple nights,” Twilight asked Spike accusingly.

“Not at first,” Spike admitted, “But, uh, it did come up recently.”

“And you just had to say yes to her,” Twilight asked.

“Well, uh,” Spiked stammered, “Be rude not to.”

Twilight conceded the point and it was decided. Spike was no longer just an ordinary baby dragon. He was an official Princess Assistance Dragon. It was also decided that Spike would accompany Twilight back to Ponyville one last time before returning to Luna at the Royal Castle. 
Spike left most of his stuff back in Canterlot. He could not help but feel a little weird boarding the train with so little. He could see that Twilight was still not very pleased with his decision to stay in Canterlot. He felt bad about not telling her the real reason he was staying. Dragon magic. He was actually going to learn dragon magic. As he thought about the concept of doing magic on his own a smile appeared on his face. Twilight was sitting across from him and she saw it too. 

“What are you so smiley for,” She asked sourly.

“Excited to see the others again,” Spike lied, “Even if it is to say goodbye for a while.”

Word had already been sent to the other ponies in Ponyville. The train pulled into the station at Ponyville in the early afternoon. The platform was very crowded as ponies swarmed around to see Twilight. She got a lot more attention now that she was a princess. She simply smiled back at all of them and walked off to her library and her bed. Almost every pony followed her. Spike followed close behind, but stayed quiet. He quickly ran in to the library and packed some of his things while Twilight was busy with the crowd outside. He was done and downstairs when Twilight came in. She did not even look as she tossed a casual goodbye at him. Spike had never seen her like this. Was she really that mad at him? He headed back for the train station as he thought about this. 
Spike expected the platform to be clear when he got there, but it was not. There were five ponies standing there in the evening light when he got there. Before Spike knew what hit him the air was being squeezed out of him as he was being drenched with tears. 

“I'm gonna miss you, Spike,” Pinkie Pie cried out, “I'll write you every day and stand by mailbox every day to get your letter as soon as it comes in. No, I'll sleep there if I have to.”

“Now settle down there,” Applejack interjected, “And put the little fella down so he can catch his breath.”

Pinkie Pie reluctantly placed Spike back on the ground. Good thing too. He had gone from purple to blue in her iron grip. He looked at the faces of all the ponies that were here to say goodbye to him. They all had questions about this new job of his. Spike answered them as best he could. He told them he was going to help Princess Luna with some of her princess duties. Rarity asked how long he would be gone and that is when it occurred to him that he didn't know. Luna never gave him a time frame for how long he was going to be away from Ponyville. The thought saddened him greatly. Now tears were welling up in everyponies eyes. Except for Pinkie Pie's. She was still crying a waterfall. 

“I'll miss you, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity said as she too, burst into tears.

“Don't stay away too long,” Fluttershy said quietly.

The other ponies said their goodbyes. Except for Rainbow Dash. She didn't say goodbye. Her reason was that Spike wasn't leaving for good, so there was no reason to say goodbye. That was all he was going to get from her. She had the whole tough pony reputation to keep up and Spike was okay with that. He got a lot of gifts from them as well. Rarity made him a nice little black jacket that had the letters PAD on the back. She also gave him three nice, big, delicious gems. Fluttershy gave him a record. It was of her singing. A truly rare item indeed. Applejack gave him a whole lot of apple pies and fritters and tarts and several other apple based food products. Pinkie Pie, once she had stopped crying a little, gave him a box. It was a plain box. She said if he ever felt sad and needed some cheering up to just open the box. Rainbow Dash was the last pony. She acted like she didn't have anything and then pulled a picture of herself out and handed it to Spike. It was autographed and everything.

“So you always know who the most awesome pony around is,” She said. 

Spike knew what she meant. It was a nice gesture. He put all the items with the rest of his stuff and boarded the train. This would be his first time riding alone. He stood at the back of the train as it left the station. The others were all waving goodbye and crying. Tears started to come to Spike's eyes as well. And then at the very last second before he looked away it was as if reality itself blurred. All the ponies looked like they stepped out of his nightmares. It happened so fast that Spike wasn't even sure if it was real. But Spike forced the thought from his mind. He was leaving his friends. Maybe not for forever, but it was still hard. And he was going to miss them.
> Ch.3 Smoke Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike yawned as he woke from a surprisingly good nights sleep. He had been at the castle in Canterlot for three weeks now. He had a few more nightmares but he did not worry about as much. He talked with Princess Luna and she helped him through them. Sometimes she appeared in his dreams and sometimes he had to talk to her after he woke up. 
Smoke Shadow had just begun teaching him about dragon magic. Right now it was just history and lore. Spike was still fascinated by it all. He found out so much. He learned that eons ago there were dragons who could breath other elements than fire. He also learned that not all dragons could talk. Some kinds were just feral beasts. He read about how dragons could harness the different elements to their will. One dragon could lite an entire forest on fire with one breath and another could come and take all the fire away with a single spell. Their were all kinds of magic back then that dragons could use. Healing magic that could mend wounds in minutes that would take days or even weeks to heal on their own. Spike loved learning all these new things. With every page turned he found more answers to questions that he had. With every book read he had even more questions. He had just finished the last book that Smoke Shadow gave him. That was also the last book that Smoke Shadow had on the magic of dragons. What was going to come next? Actual spells and spell casting, maybe? But there was still one question that had been haunting his mind. He would have to ask either Luna or Shadow later on. 
Speaking of late, Spike looked out his window. He had been given his own room for his stay at the castle. Luna said it was always be ready for him when he stayed. It was a small room, but that was okay with Spike. He was a small dragon after all. It was also conveniently located equally between Celestia's and Luna's chambers. That way he could get to either of them in the same amount of time. He looked out the window to the setting sun. It was late afternoon. Since Luna was helping him and she is the Princess of the night, Spike had gotten used to staying up late into the night and sleeping well into the day. He had actually woken up early. Time enough for breakfast he thought. He made his way down the castle corridors to the dining hall. Being a guest in the castle did have its perks. One of them being a bowl of fine gems for breakfast whenever he made it down there. As usual he was caught up in his own thoughts so much that he did not notice that someone else had begun walking beside him. 

“Hello, Spike,” Celestia said. 

Geez. Spike jumped slightly at the sudden sound of her voice. Her and Luna have both done that to him now. It must be a sister thing. A kind of amusement in this big castle full of nothing but steadfast guards. He quickly steadied himself and responded to Celestia. 

“Oh, good morning, Princess Celestia,” Spike said.

“It is the late afternoon,” Celestia corrected, “But I know what you mean. You have been sleeping quite late into the day since you have been staying here. Does my 	sister keep you up at night?”

“No, not really,” Spike said, “It is easier for me to help her when both of us are awake. And she is usually sleeping during the day so she can raise the moon at night.”

“It would seem you have gotten to know my sister fairly well,” Celestia said, “I am glad. It has been a long time since she had a real friend. I am glad you are there for her, Spike.”

Celestia and Spike talked for a little while more as they headed for the dining hall. Spike had not really seen much of Celestia since he had been staying there. He had spoken with her even less. Much of his free time is spent with Luna and Shadow. At least today he would start off with a belly full of gems. He got a bowl of mixed gems from the kitchen and dug in. After he was done, he thanked the kitchen staff and headed out. It was just starting to get dark and he raced to Luna's chambers. He liked to watch as she raised the moon. Her balcony had the best view. He headed down the long hallway that led to her chambers. The guards nodded as he walked by. He was pretty well known around there by this point. He opened the door to find Luna already at the balcony. He walked over and stood next to her. He watched as Celestia lowered the sun for that day. He watched as Luna raised the moon. It was quite a thing to behold. 

“Impressive, isn't it,” Shadow said. 

Spike didn't even hear Shadow right next to him. That was just the way Shadow was. Always silent. Always sneaky. Whenever Spike asked him why he would always answer with 'Can you hear shadows?'. Spike just nodded in agreement to his question. 

“Hey, Shadow,” Spike inquired, “I had a question about dragon magic.”

“You always do, young blood,” Shadow said, “What is it?”

“From the first day I found out about dragon magic I was told how powerful and dangerous it was. If dragons were so powerful with magic how did they lose it back back then?”

Luna and Shadow exchanged worried looks. 

“I have been waiting for this question,” Shadow said, “I had hoped it would come later, however.”

Shadow walked over to a chair and sat down. Spike sat on a cushion on the floor in front of him. Luna laid down next to him on her own pile of cushions. Shadow put a  large, shallow bowl onto the floor in between them. He breathed a small violet flame into the bowl. The flame danced and moved about and cast an eerie light over the dragon's scales. Smoke started to drift up out of the bowl. It was in this dark smoke that the story would be told. Spike saw flashes of violet light shine through the smoke until they finally shone through. The violet light twisted and morphed at the sound of Smoke Shadows voice.

“It all started eons ago,” Shadow started his story, “Long before there were ponies in the land Equestria there were beasts and creatures. They ruled the land and the water and the air. Among all creatures there was one that reigned above them all. The  dragon! It was not because of his mighty strength that the dragon was supreme. There were many a beast that could match his strength. It was not because of his keen mind that the dragon was supreme. There were many creatures with equal minds. What made the dragon into the supreme beast was his capacity for magic. Dragons had a natural gift for catching and altering the flows of magical energy. That is essence of magic. And so the dragon learned magic. First it was fire. With a simple breath any thing could be set aflame. It was something he did at ease. Second came flight. The dragon had wings, but they were clumsy and heavy. So he used magic to make him lighter and faster and to the skies he went. And so the dragon went on to teach other dragons how use the gifts he had learned. 
Soon after dragons had become more than just beasts and creatures. They were intelligent, talking beings. With their newly found gifts of magic the dragons built an empire, a kingdom. And at the head of that kingdom was one dragon. Galeek was his name and he was the first. The first dragon to use magic and the first to share it among his kind. He was hailed as a great hero to dragons. And for many centuries he ruled and lived peacefully. But it was not to last. For another being was coming to light that could use magic. Ponies. 
At first ponies went unnoticed by dragons. They could not use magic on the grand scale that dragons could. Not yet. But the time would soon come. It happened late one night when a dragon scout was out on patrol. He saw a light in the woods and went down to investigate. He found a unicorn pony using magic to light his way so that he could see the path ahead. This scout returned to Galeek and told him of what he saw. That one pony and that one scout started a war. 
Galeek quickly became jealous of the ponies. It angered him that dragons were no longer the only ones would could use magic. He hunted down every pony that he could find that could use magic and imprisoned them deep in the dungeons of his castle. This angered the ponies. They did not understand why Galeek hated their magic so much. Eventually it turned into all out war. Dragons would attack ponies as they moved from village to village. Ponies would attack dragons as they came to villages. They fought for more centuries. There was no winner and there was not going to be one. Their war was going to destroy one of the two and the ponies knew it was going to be them. 
One day the ponies decided to make a new magic. One that could combat the might of dragon magic. The three best magic users ponies had got together in secret. They took a pony volunteer. A young mare and gave her an immense amount of magical energy. One gave her the strength of the Earth ponies. The second gave her the speed and flight of the Pegasus ponies. The third gave her the raw magical energy of the Unicorn ponies. The mare was forever changed on that day. She became the first Alicorn in Equestrian history. She used her abilities to combat dragon magic and save her fellow ponies. 
After a short time it was just her and Galeek. One final showdown. Galeek had fallen deeper and deeper into the abyss of jealousy and paranoia. He believed that the ponies were after his kingdom and his throne. And so he fought. He fought the ponies. He fought other dragons. He fought the Alicorn. 
It was a long and brutal fight. The Alicorn was equally matched with Galeek. She could use the speed her wings gave her to outmaneuver his sheer size and strength. She could use her sharp mind to out think the dragon king. Their war had already destroyed much of the land. Galeek was determined to see it fall into ruin than the hooves of the ponies. But he would not see that day. His battle with the Alicorn left him tired and weak. He found himself at the edge of a deep pit. Deeper than any ever known before or since. It was a pit of a foul black ooze. The Alicorn was also there. She had followed him there. She was just as weak and tired, but she would not lose. With one final blast of magic Galeek was sent into the black ooze. It gripped at his body and clung to his every scale. The more he tried to free himself the more trapped he became. With his last final breath he cursed the Alicorn for what she had done. 
The Alicorn cast one last spell on Galeek as he sank into the ooze. She burdened him to bear the weight of the magic from all dragons. And so it was. Every dragon in Equestria was stripped of magic. All that energy came from all the land and focused on one being, Galeek. It was too much for him to handle and he screamed as the ooze took him. He was lost to the darkness and shadows. After which the Alicorn sealed the pit of ooze. She brought the earth together so that Galeek could never escape again. That Alicorn's name was Star Ethereal. Mother to two Alicorn daughters. Celestia and Luna.”

Even Luna was sitting as wide eyed as a young filly at story time as Smoke Shadow told the story. Once it was done he cast the smoke away and put the flames to rest. Spike was amazed by the tale he just heard. This was a forgotten time in Equestrian history and he knew about it. But what amazed him the most was the Alicorn. Luna's mother. Star Ethereal was her name. Spike looked at Luna with a brand new sense of amazement. But she did not look as amazed as he did. 

“Why,” She asked, “Why did you never tell me of my mother?” 

“Because you weren't ready to hear it until now,” He answered.

“What is that supposed to mean,” Luna yelled. 

“After your mother sealed the pit and trapped Galeek in the darkness, something happened,” Shadow said, “The curse that Galeek put on your mother took hold. She died soon after her final battle with Galeek.”

“What was the curse,” Luna asked fiercely.

“He tied your mother's life force with the essence of dragon magic,” Smoke Shadow responded, “As dragon magic died, so did your mother.”

“And just how do you know so much about this,” Luna asked aggressively.

“Your mother left behind a journal,” Smoke Shadow answered, “I was able to read it before it got destroyed in the aftermath of the war.”

“Do you see now, Spike,” Luna asked, “Now do you see the effects of using dragon magic? The damage it causes?”

Luna went over to her bed and closed the canopy. She could be heard crying into her pillows. Smoke Shadow disappeared into shadows to make his exit. Spike just left the way he came in. It had been a very emotional night. Spike headed back to his room. He climbed into bed and ate a few gems from his secret stash before drifting off to sleep.

The next day was a strange one. Spike was woken up by a knocking at his door. He glanced outside the window as he sleepily got out of bed. It was morning. He had only been asleep for a few hours at most. What was so important that he was woken up this early. The answer came to him as he saw the one who was knocking at his door. It was none other than Princess Celestia. Spike instantly went from sleepy to awake and alert. 

“Princss Celestia,” He said suddenly, “What brings you here?”

“It is Luna,” Celestia said, “She did not lower the moon as she was supposed to last night. When I went to check on her she was in her bed, crying. Tell me Spike, do you know of anything that could have made my sister cry?”	

Spike was in a very bad spot here. He did not want to tell Princess Celestia about his dragon magic teacher, but at the same time he did not want to lie to her. Luna was crying after all and he could not think of anything else to say so he said the only thing he could. 

“It's my fault,” Spike blurted out, “I'm so sorry, Princess Celestia. I was helping her out last night and I asked questions and things were said and I didn't mean to make her cry. It was all just a big-”

“Be silent, Spike,” Celestia said, “I know you. If you did make my sister cry then I am sure it was not intentional. I am only worried of the effect her tears will have on her duties. She has already forgotten the moon once.”

“I understand, Princess,” Spike said, “I will go and talk to her.”

“I think that would help her,” Celestia said. 

Celestia left to address some of her own royal duties. Spike was left alone to go and see to Luna. He grabbed a few gems from his stash and left for Luna's chambers right away. Before long he noticed a shadow keeping pace with him. Smoke Shadow said nothing as he walked in the shadows alongside Spike. He was doing the same thing Spike was. Tending to Luna so she could continue to see to her royal duties. The guards at the doors were different today. Probably because it was day. Spike was used to arriving here at night. He got to the guards but did not pass. Both guards were Pegasus ponies and crossed their wings to prevent Spike from getting through. 

“The Princess does not want to be disturbed,” The guard on the left said. 

“We are ordered to let no one pass,” The guard on the right said.

“I have to see Princess Luna,” Spike argued, “It is an emergency. I am part of the reason she does not want to be disturbed. I have to fix it. Celestia herself asked me come talk to her.”

Spike could tell his words were having no effect on the guards. He was not going to get anywhere like this. But he had to see Luna. He had to apologize to her. Those darn guards were not going to let him pass, however. He needed a way around them. Smoke Shadow was in the shadows and he wanted the same thing Spike did. He could easily sneak in though. He had been doing it for weeks now and Spike was sure he had done it before then as well. Smoke Shadow decided to help the young dragon, though. He cast a small shadow from his place within them. This small piece of shadow exploded into a massive cloud of black smoke. The guards scrambled as they tried to see anything through the blackness. Spike saw this as his opportunity and went for it. He ran for the doors to Luna's chambers and pushed one open. He closed it again so as the smoke from Shadow's spell wouldn't get in. 
Luna was laying in bed, just as Celestia had said. She had not moved since the last time Spike was here. She was curled up in a ball on her bed covers. Spike moved around the room to see her more clearly. She had been crying for a while. That much was clear. As Spike moved close he saw that Luna was sleeping. Spike slowly made his way to her bedside. He almost tripped over a pile of books that was in the middle of the floor. He was moving slowly to avoid doing just that. The last thing he wanted was to wake Luna up so abruptly. It took him a few moments to get there. He couldn't help but wonder why the guards hadn't burst in here yet. He tried not thinking about it. He was almost at her bedside when he noticed a bowl on the floor. He had almost stepped in it. It was full of a clear liquid, Water maybe. Spike reached his hand out to touch the liquid. 

“I wouldn't do that, young blood,” Smoke Shadow said, “Those are Lunar Tears. I'm sure you know where they come from. Very potent magical artifact. Not sure how they would affect you.”

Spike said nothing as he retracted his hand. He looked back at Luna. He was a little disappointed that he got distracted by bowl of Luna's tears. Luna herself was breathing shallow and slow, but she seemed to be alright. That is, until she started talking in her sleep. She called for something, or someone, to get away. To go back to wherever it came from. Spike was worried. He climbed up onto the bed and stood next to Luna. She was twitching  and writhing about. Spike put a consoling hand on her shoulder and was gone. He was sucked into Luna's mind and into her nightmare. 

Luna was standing in City of Canterlot. Then she was Ponyville. She seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Spike was there. Maybe she just hadn't seen him yet. She was just standing there with an angry look on her face. Spike looked around that Ponyville. It seemed somehow familiar. The dark clouds, the empty paths, and the eerie wind just seemed to remind him of something. Of course! His own nightmares! This was the same Ponyville that he had nightmares about. But how was Luna having the same nightmare he's had? Spike soon realized it was not the same. He ran up to Luna's side. 

“Luna,” He called, “I'm right here.”

“Spike,” Luna said with shock, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help,” He said.

It was not a lie. Spike did come to help. He just left out the part that he was in Luna's bed and he had been sucked into her nightmare as soon as he touched her. 
Before anything more could be said the ground beneath them rumbled. It was like a massive earthquake. Spike looked around. Ponyville was no longer empty. Every corner, every path, and every window was filled with ponies. They were different though. In Spike's nightmares the ponies' eyes were dark and lifeless. The eyes in Luna's nightmare seemed to void of anything. And a black substance was seeping out of their mouths, like they were drooling it. Creepy. 

“Get behind me, Spike,” Luna said with authority.

Spike did as he was told. In an instant they were somewhere else. A barren wasteland of nothing but rocks and sand and dust. Spike knew of this place. The Untrodden Lands. Nothing survived here. Nothing grew here. It was a place of legend and myth. What was here that brought Luna and Spike to this barren place? The answer came with another rumble from the earth. It was even stronger than the one they had felt in Ponyville. This time the ground itself had split open and a black ooze started seeping up from the cracks and crevices in the ground. A geyser spewed the ooze far into the air and it came raining down on Luna and Spike. The two of them huddle together as if that would protect them. As the first drops hit them they woke up. 

Luna woke with such a start that she ended up launching Spike off the bed with her outstretched wings. He got some good airtime and collided with a bowl on the floor on his way down. He ended up with a bowl on his head and wet all over. Luna looked over the side of the bed at him. She levitated the bowl off his head and snickered. 

“Sorry, Spike,” She said.

“It's okay,” Spike said with a little blush, “I did kinda need a bath anyway.”

“Yes. Amusing,” Smoke Shadow said, “What happened with you two? He lays a claw on you and both of you are quiet for several minutes. Why?”

“Is that what happened,” Luna asked, “I was having a nightmare. I guess I was calling out for help without realizing it and when Spike touched me he was brought into my nightmare.”

“Interesting,” Smoke Shadow said, “But I think it is time for us to leave.”

The dragon's words blindsided both Luna and Spike. They were shocked by the lack of emotion in the words. And the timing. Why now? Why was he so insensitive about it? 

“What do you mean,” Luna asked.

Smoke Shadow recanted the tale of just how Spike entered Luna's chambers. It was a short, but revealing tale. He had openly used magic and Spike was caught in the middle. Shadow had made a shadow illusion of Spike running from the scene to fool the guards. It was no longer a secret about him. Either they left and Luna denied it or they stay and Luna reveal to Celestia what had been going on in her chambers at night for the past three weeks. It was decided that they leave. Luna still did not quite agree wit the decision.

“We have to, Luna,” Shadow said, “Besides, he has read all the books I have. It is time he moved on from literature and history and lore. He needs to practice real magic. We cannot do that here. Not now.”

“But where will you go,” Luna asked with concern in her voice.

“Can you contact Princess Cadance,” Shadow asked bluntly, “We have his cover as a Princess Assistance Dragon to uphold as well. Plus the Crystal Empire is a perfect place to study and learn magic.”

“I can do that,” Luna assured, “And I can also tell my sister that the smokescreen incident was also me. I called out for help and sensed Spike was near. I unconsciously used my magic to help him enter my chambers.”

“And I ran away,” Spike interjected, “At first. That is what the guards saw. But then I realized how important it was to talk to Luna and I turned around and got in.”

Both Shadow and Luna were impressed with Spike's quick thinking. He readily accounted for the one part of the plan that they had forgotten to include. As they talked about the plan Luna heard a knock on her door. Smoke Shadow was gone in wisp of smoke and disappeared into the shadows. The doors opened and Celestia walked in. 

“It is good to see you awake, sister,” Celestia said, “But you still are not happy.”

“It is okay, sister,” Luna said, “Spike informed me last night that he believes it is time for him to move on from here. The news saddened me more than I thought it would. Spike came and talked to me this morning and we agreed that it was time he moved on.”

“Sad news indeed,” Celestia said, “Are you planning on returning to Ponyville?”

“Actually, I was planning on traveling to the Crystal Palace,” Spike admitted, “Princess Cadance did say she could use the help of an official Princess Assistance Dragon the last time she was here after all.”

“I am sure you will do just fine,” Luna said, “You did help me out greatly these past weeks. Thank you, Spike.”

Later that evening a big banquet was held for Spike's departure from the Royal Castle in Canterlot. It was quite the occasion. There was a huge feast with a whole assortment of gems. There were rubies, sapphires, turquoise, emeralds, and even more that Spike could not name. Celestia and Luna were there at the head of the banquet table. Spike was seated right next to Luna at her side of the table. She was laughing and having a good time. Celestia smiled more at this than anything else that night. 	
Spike was leaving the next morning. After the feast he was exhausted and full. He had eaten WAY too much. He would be burping up gem shards for days, but it was worth it. Those were some of the tastiest gems he had ever eaten. One of the perks of being a royal guest he reminded himself as he lay in bed. He was already packed up and ready to leave. He just needed to get some sleep. He was just about there too when someone knocked at his door. It was Luna. It was nighttime. What was she doing here?

“H-hello, Spike,” She said shyly, “I know it is late and that you have had a long day, but I wanted to stop by and give you this.”

She pulled a mirror out from behind her and handed it to Spike. He took it and examined it carefully. It was beautiful. It was circular in shape with an intricate frame around it. It depicted stars and crescent moons and at the top was Luna herself. The entire thing was a dark blue almost purple color. It matched Luna's coat perfectly. Nowhere near as beautiful as she was though. The mirror itself was darker than most mirrors he had seen. The surface was almost black and he could not see himself in it at all. He was confused at this. 

“It is called a Night Calling Mirror,” Luna explained, “It is an artifact from many centuries ago. From before I became Nightmare Moon. I used these a lot tocommunicate with other ponies in Equestria. Just hold the mirror up, think of the pony you want to see and say 'The night calls you' and say the name of that pony. I have a big one in the corner of my chambers. A mirror, not a pony.”

With that said, Luna left Spike with his own mirror. She walked down the castle corridors with a rather sad look on her face. She really was going to miss Spike. Is this what Twilight felt like when Spike left her? She had known him a lot longer than Luna had, but still Luna had become good friends with him in the short time that she knew him. She came up on her doors and put a straight face on for the guards. She had a reputation to uphold and more importantly she did not want any rumors spreading around about her recent mood swings. That would be embarrassing. She entered her chambers and saw her mirror acting up. A dark swirling ring of smoke had appeared in the middle. It dissipated to reveal Spike's face much to Luna's surprise. He saw her standing there and his face turned a bright red. 

“I was just testing it out,” He managed to say after a few seconds of awkward silence, “And I don't know how to turn it off.”

“It is simple,” Luna said between laughs, “Just say 'The night releases you,' and my name.”

Spike did as she said and the swirling ring of black smoke returned and concealed Spike's face. This time when it dissipated Spike's face was no longer there. The connection was cut off. Luna had been happy to see Spike for that very short time. It would be the last time she would hear from him for a while. Smoke Shadow was going with him. He was determined to teach Spike dragon magic and the Crystal Empire was good for that apparently. Luna did not know much on the subject. Just the little that Smoke Shadow had told her. As night came she did her duty. She watched over the ponies of Equestria. It was an average night. She helped a few ponies with their troubles as they slept. As the night was coming to an end she peeked in on Spike's dreams. They were dreams that night, and not nightmares. She was happy to see that. She did not stay long. Just long enough to see that Spike was okay. 

The next day was the day Spike left. A few ponies helped him with the few bags of luggage he had. He had a backpack, though, that he kept on him at all times. It contained his most precious items. He checked it night before he left. It had Fluttershy's record, Rainbow Dash's autographed picture, the special PAD jacket that Rarity made for him, Pinkie Pie's random box, and now it also had Luna's mirror. He had already eaten all of Applejack's tasty treats.
Smoke Shadow had visited him in his room before he left. He would not be traveling by train with Spike. He did not say why. He just informed Spike that he also had a small Night Calling Mirror and that he could be reached at any time. He also said that he would see Spike at the platform in the Crystal Kingdom. Spike would be traveling alone again. It would be a longer trip than he was used to. Taking the train from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire took much longer than it did from Ponyville. Celestia had given him a few books to read as a going away gift at the feast. He was excited to read them. He already had one picked out. It was quite the spectacle as he left the castle. Both Celestia and Luna were at the main gates waving him goodbye. Several of the castle staff were also there to see him off. He got really nervous with this kind of attention. He knew it would be worse when he got to the Crystal Empire. All of the crystal ponies treated him like some kind of hero. He was, but the public attention always made him nervous. And with Shadow around being in the public eye was the last thing he needed. But he was ready for it. So he boarded the train and was off for another adventure. 
> Ch.4 Train of Terror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike was seated near the front of the train. Not the best spot for his situation, but the best spot for a royal guest. He like the perks, but sometimes they just got in they way of his secrets. He did not like having secrets. He was starting to regret having not told Twilight about the real reason behind his “official” position as a Princess Assistance Dragon. He reached into his backpack to find the books Celestia had given him. He already knew the one he wanted to read first. It was about a young dragon that save his land from a terrible darkness using lost magic. As he pulled the book out his backpack fell over and the contents spilled all over the floor. A nice mare sitting in the seat across the aisle from him helped him collect his things. She noticed his jacket and immediately recognized him. 

“Are you Spike,” She asked, “That dragon that goes around helping Princess's all over Equestria?”

“Yeah,” Spike said shyly, “That's me. How did you know?”

“Puh-lease,” The mare says, “Everypony knows about you, but where are my manners? My name is Sally Silvertongue and I am a journalist from the Crystal Empire. I would love to do a story on you, Spike. I won't take 'No' for an answer.”

“Well,” Spike said, “I'm sorry, but I can't. I have really only helped one Princess since I became the PAD. You should wait until I have more of a story to tell before telling my story.”

“Oh my,” Sally said with shock, “You are right! And they call me 'Silvertongue'. 

Well since you are on this train you must be on your merry way to the Crystal Empire and then the Crystal palace to see the Crystal Princess herself and visit all the crystal ponies and see all the crystal goods we make.”

Spike was utterly stunned. He had no idea any pony could use the word crystal so many times in one sentence and still be sane afterward. He finished collecting his stuff. He was distracted by Sally's constant nagging and questioning. He just picked up his book and started reading.
He tried his hardest to just block out Sally's voice, but she would just not stop talking. Until she did. Spike looked up from behind the pages of his book. She had fallen asleep. He saw this as the perfect opportunity. He collected his things and headed for the back of the train. It was quieter and less crowded back there. It was much more to his liking. He found the back cabin to be empty and took one of the empty seats and sprawled out on it. He opened his book again. He had barely gotten to read any of it thanks to Sally. He had to put more energy into ignoring her than he did into reading. This was his chance. Not a moment later he was fast asleep, drooling onto floor and everything. His sleep was a pleasant one, at first. 

He found himself back in Ponyville, again, but this time it was not dark and empty and scary. It was bright and sunny and everyone was there. But they were not all dark eyed and creepy. They were there normal selves. Everypony was smiling and happy. Spike was back. It was as if he had been gone for a very long time. But now he was back and there was praise everywhere. Pinkie Pie had thrown a party so big and extravagant that Spike wondered how she did it all herself. But it didn't matter. A party is a party. And for a while he was happy and blissful. Even Luna was there. That just made Spike happier. He was dancing with her for the longest time when things started to change. It started with the ground beneath them shaking, just like in Luna's nightmare. Everypony looked scared. The sky turned dark as black clouds obscured the sky and blocked the light. Ponyville emptied as each pony ran to find safety anywhere they could. Only Spike and Luna remained. Them and two others. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were also there. Why did these two stay? Especially Fluttershy. She was the most scared pony Spike knew. Why did she not run? He was more worried with Pinkie Pie. She was silent at the moment. Silent and Pinkie almost never went together, and when they did it was not good. Before spike could ask what was wrong he got his answer. The two ponies looked back at him. Just like all the other nightmares their eyes were dark, almost black this time. The same black ooze drooled out of their mouths. 

“Oh, hi there, Spike,” Fluttershy said, “Good to see you.”

She seemed as polite and kind as ever, but it was hollow. There was no meaning behind her words. It was like she was reading from a script. Spike could see through it easily. 

“Yep,” Pinkie said, “Very good to see you.”

“But not so good to see her,” Fluttershy said.

“No, no,” Pinkie added, “Not good at all.”

Spike pivoted around to see Luna. She was sitting a few paces back with her head down. She was staring at the ground. Spike slowly moved closer to her. As soon as he got within reach her head snapped up.


“Help me, Spike,” She said.

But it was not her voice. It was another voice. He knew he knew the voice from somewhere. Whose was it? 

“Please, Spike,” The voice said, “I need your help. I am big trouble here. There are things going down here. I need help. Puh-lease.”

The voice was chatty and annoying. That was his first clue. The second came with her begging for help. Sally Silvertongue. How did she get into his dream? Or his nightmare now? That is when he noticed the shadows looming over him. He turned to see both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy lurking right behind him. They were bigger than before. And both of them opened their mouths wide. In an instant they lunged at him. He woke just as their jaws were closing in on him. He woke to Sally standing over him. Great. Just what he wanted to wake up to.

Sally did look genuinely concerned though. No, it was more than that. She was frightened. What happened while he was asleep. 

“Puh-lease, Spike,” She begged, “I need your help. I am in big trouble here.”

“What happened,” Spike asked.

“Well, after I woke up and found that you had left I was forced to find someone else to talk to because you had left without saying goodbye or anything and even though I wanted to keep talking to you about your time at the Royal Castle I ended up talking to this nice crystal colt in the seat in front of yours. At first he was uninterested in talking and then I started bragging about how I knew Spike, the Princess Assistance Dragon and then he got really interested and wanted to know where you were. When I told him that I didn't know where you were he got all angry and demanded to know where you were. I told him again that I didn't know and he got more angry. I have never seen a pony get so angry. And what came next I will never forget. He changed. He got bigger and his coat got darker and his eyes turned black and he began drooling this really nasty black goo and when he again asked for you I told him I would find you and ran off. Then I found you back here sleeping and then I woke you up and you know the rest. I just told you.”

Whoa. Sally Silvertongue had again blown Spike away. She just said all that without taking a single breath. The only other pony he knew who could talk that much without breathing was Pinkie Pie, and he didn't even understand her at all. Again, whoa. Spike stood there speechless for a few moments. He had to process all the information that Sally had just given him in the last few seconds. It was a lot of information. Most of it was useless, but he still had to sort through it all. He finally managed to regain a little of the sanity he had left and respond to Sally.

“So there is an angry colt drooling black ooze after me,” He asked her.

“Yep,” She said, “How exciting! Does this happen to you often?”

Spike immediately went for his backpack and retrieved his Night Calling Mirror. Sally oohed and ahhed over it and tried to touch it. Spike actually had to breath a line of fire to keep her back. She seemed unaffected by it. He took the few second it gave him and called into the mirror. 

“The night calls you, Smoke Shadow,” He said into the mirror.

Smoke Shadow appeared in the dark surface of the mirror. Spike was glad to see that his mirror worked. It was still a strange new magic to him and he loved watching it work. He quickly explained what was going on to Smoke Shadow. The pony on the train was like the one from his and Luna's nightmares. It was hard to talk to Shadow, though with Sally looking over his shoulder the entire time. 

“OOH! What is that little mirror? It is beautiful. Where can I get one? Is that a dragon in the mirror? How neat! Who is he? Does he come in every mirror? What are you doing? Aren't you going to do something about the colt that's after you?”

Both Shadow and Spike had had enough with her and her constant talking. Shadow had the solution. This was going to be Spike's first actual lesson in dragon magic. Shadow instructed Sally to sit down and remain still, as hard as that might be for her. Spike place a claw on her head and focused his mind. A hard thing to do with her talking nonstop. 

“Oooh, what are you doing? Your hand feels weird. Why do I have to sit down? I have so much energy. I don't know if I can sit down for long. You look like your trying really hard to do something. Oh my! Is my talking distracting you? Do you want me to stop? Because I can stop if you want me to? I should stop talking.”

“Slumber,” Spike said with authority. 

Sally's constant talking was quickly silenced, and with a single word. Spike was amazed. He stared at his hand for a moment. Now he was the one excited.

“I did it Shadow! I actually did it,” He said excitedly.

“Don't get too excited, young blood,” Shadow told him, “That was just a basic level spell. You could master it by the end of the day at the latest.”

Spike's confidence was high for a moment, and then it was gone entirely. 

“Then what am I supposed to do about the angry colt oozing black ooze that is after me?!”

“I am not sure on that one,” Shadow said, “The only advice I can give you is that he is a crystal pony. They usually have stronger bodies than most other ponies, but weaker minds. You will have to out think him.”

“That's it,” Spike said with worry, “That is all the advice you can give me.” 

“Sorry, young blood, but this is new to me too,” Shadow said, “I will do some research and meet you in the Crystal Empire. I have faith in you.”

“The night releases you, Smoke Shadow,” Spike said reluctantly. 

He moved Sally's still heavily asleep body over to one of the seats. She would be fine there, and out of the way. He opened the door of the back cabin he was in. He found that every pony that was on the train had collected in the back. Sally neglected to mention that. Spike was not surprised. As the door opened every pair of eyes were on him. Spike heard one of the ponies call his name and then a frenzy started. Apparently, Sally had promised that Spike was going to save them all. Great. That pony was just one pile of bad luck. Before he could resist Spike was whisked up and carried through the crowd of ponies to the front. There he was greeted by the conductor. If he was back here then who was driving the train?

“You Spike,” He asked calmly.

“Y-yes,” Spike answered.

“Then get up there and deal with that Black Colt,” The conductor said, “He's a spitting black ooze everywhere and a ruining my nice train. And he downright scares the jeepers outta me.”

All the other ponies nodded in agreement to that statement. How was he supposed to beat the Black Colt when he scared the jeepers of him to? But he had to. He was after Spike and Spike would never let anyone else get hurt on his behalf. So he opened the door to the next cabin. Empty. All the ponies must have gone to the very back two cabins. A few of them followed Spike as he ventured further into the cabin. A splat of ooze on the door window nearly sent Spike back into his empty cabin. Then he remembered that Sally was there and kept going.
Spike opened the door separating the two cabins just enough to see inside. The Black Colt had his back turned to the door. He was just spitting black ooze everywhere. All the windows and doors were covered. Interesting. Spike gestured for the other ponies to stay back. They backed up a few paces and that was all. Spike slowly and quietly slipped into the other cabin. After a few seconds he came bursting back through and slammed the door shut. He was splattered with black ooze from head to toe. The ponies backed up even more once he came back through. They thought he had turned on them for a second. Spike wiped his face and flung some of the ooze onto the floor. Something interesting happened. It began to bubble up and evaporate. In a moments time it was gone completely. This gave Spike an idea. He put a little more ooze on the floor and lit it on fire with his fire breath. It was gone in an instant and created a bright flash at the same time. That is when it hit him. The Black Colt was covering the windows with this ooze to create darkness in the cabin. Spike knew what he had to do.
He walked back through the door with more confidence than the last time. The ponies all gathered around the windows to see him in action. The Black Colt was waiting for him. He reared his head back and spit a massive glob of ooze at Spike. He was able to dodge it. 

“Is that the best you can do,” Spike taunted, “My turn.”

Spike took a deep breath and breath a powerful line of green flames down the middle of the train cabin. The Black Colt leaped back and began oozing the flames to die them down. That gave Spike the time he needed. He flamed the ooze all along the windows and doors. The ooze came alight with a flashing brightness that blinded The Black Colt. He was backed up into the very end of the cabin as he tried his best to hide from the light. It was starting to pour in from the windows now as the ooze burned away. Spike leaped up into the luggage compartments above the seats and began to push the luggage off. After it all fell he began to throw it at The Black Colt. One piece after another. With his hooves up he was able to block many of the bags, but one made it through. A small, but surprisingly heavy bag that slipped between his hooves and hit him square between the eyes. That had to hurt.
As the light came pouring in through the windows the rest of the ooze began to clear up and evaporate. Sally finally woke up from her magic induced nap and came to the cabin where the fight had taken place. She saw Spike picking up a small bag and raced up to him with a smile on her face.

“Spike,” She said cheerfully, “You found my typewriter. Oh my! What were you doing with it? Why was it on the floor? Did I miss something? It seems as if I missed something? What happened?”

“The other ponies can tell you all about it,” Spike said.

So Sally Silvertongue went around asking all the ponies what happened. They could not believe she had fallen asleep during the whole thing. Spike returned to the back room and to his mirror. He called Smoke Shadow back and told him the good news. He relayed every last detail about the ordeal. 

“I am very proud of you, Spike,” Shadow said.

That was the first time he had called him by his name. It was always young blood before. Spike was very excited by this. Maybe this meant Shadow trusted him more and would train him with advanced spells. Maybe. Spike was about to release Smoke Shadow from the call when Sally burst in. Spike quickly stashed the mirror behind his back. He did not want anyone knowing about it and with Sally all of Equestria would know about by the end of the week. 

“OH MY!!!,” She screamed, “Why did you not tell me you saved not only the train, but all of the ponies on board? That Black Colt fellow has been locked up in one of the empty cabins until we get to the Crystal Empire. You are a hero, Spike!”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Spike said bashfully.

“Can I ask you some questions about the whole ordeal? I would love to get an inside scoop.”

“Okay, sure,” Spike agreed, “Why don't you wait up front by our original seats and I will be right there.”

Sally was gone so fast Spike was sure she teleported from here to there. That was a close one. Shadow agreed. Spike would have to be more careful about when and where he used the mirror from now on. But he still defeated The Black Colt and nothing could bring his spirits down after that. But now he had to go up front and answer all of Sally's questions. So he made sure to get up there as slowly as he could, which was not hard seeing as how every pony along the way wanted to stop and say thank you for saving their life. By the time he got to his seat in the front he the train was almost to the Crystal Empire. But there was still time for a couple of questions. A couple of questions couldn't hurt. And so he answered a couple of questions until the train pulled into the Crystal Empire train station where he said goodbye to Sally and ran off towards the Crystal Palace. He took nothing with him but his backpack. That was all he needed at the moment. He was finally here. The Crystal Palace.
> Ch.5 Crystal Beginnings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Since the incident on the train, Spike had gotten to the Crystal Palace much later than he intended. Instead of Princess Cadance he was greeted by a very nice and proper crystal guard pony who instructed him that the Princess and Prince had already gone to bed for the evening. He escorted Spike to his room and left him there for the rest of the night. Good thing too. Spike was beyond exhausted. He practically fell flat on the hard crystal floor and fell asleep there. He barely made it to the bed before slipping into blissful slumber. 

Although his dreams were peaceful his awakening was not quite so. A loud banging at his door was the first thing he heard in the morning. And it was morning. Early morning. His window was open and all the early morning light was shining in and bouncing off the crystal. Everything was made of crystal. After spending so much time in the dark of night and shadows it would take Spike some time to get used to the blinding light here. The banging at his door persisted. He made his way over there and opened the door to find a surprise visitor. It was none other than the Captain of the Guard himself, and also Twilight's brother, Shining Armor. 

“About time you woke up,” He said jokingly, “The guards told me you arrived late last night. Come on. I'll take you to breakfast.”

Spike hurried and grabbed his PAD coat that Rarity had made for him. It was his only official identification as the Princess Assistance Dragon so it felt right to where it.

“Sorry about that,” Spike said, “Helping out Princess Luna before this I guess I got 	used to sleeping in later into the day.”

“Makes sense,” Shining Armor said, “She is the Princess of the Night after all.”

Spike was glad that Shining Armor was so understanding, but something wasn't right. He had not said a thing about what happened yesterday. Or what didn't happen. Spike didn't show up when he was supposed to. He didn't want to make a bad impression on his first day as the PAD. Even though this was technically his second day. The rest of the time was silent. Shining Armor would occasionally glance back at Spike, but would look away quickly if Spike saw him glancing. Odd. 
They walked into the dining hall and Princess Cadance was already there eating a nice bowl of oat cereal. But what Spike noticed first was the paper next to her. It was a newspaper. What would the princess of the Crystal Empire be doing with a newspaper? Reading it of course. But what was in it? Spike took a seat at the opposite end of the long table where the Prince and Princess sat. Without a word Cadance levitated the newspaper over to Spike. His worst fear was confirmed. All across the front page was him. Pictures and stories. He read the headline. Spike defeats Black Colt on way to Crystal Palace. He skimmed the article until he saw a name he recognized. Sally Silvertongue. OH MY! Overnight. She had gotten this story out overnight. She was good. Spike looked up at Princess Cadance with a look of utter fear and embarrassment. He felt like he was about to pass out. 

“That face right there,” Princess Cadance said mischievously, “That is what I wanted to see.”

“You have no idea how hard it was not saying anything to him on the way here,” Shining Armor said with a chuckle.

“I'm sure I can imagine,” Cadance said seriously, “You see, Spike, I had this whole big celebration planned for your arrival. But you seemed to make your own arrival. And I had to read about it in this mornings paper. What have you got to say for this?”

Spike was speechless. He still hadn't recovered from seeing himself on the front page of the paper. He managed to raise one hand and get out a breath. He tried to speak, but not much came out.

“Oh-I, uh-there was a, train, thing, ooze-,colt,” He stammered.

“Relax, Spike,” Cadance said with a giggle, “I'm not mad at you.”

Spike was about to explode from all the pressure she just put on him and then she lands that on him. He couldn't take it. He fainted. Just fell out his chair. Cadence and Armor rushed over to him. He was twitching slightly on the floor. 

“Too much,” Cadance asked worriedly.

“Yeah, maybe,” Shining Armor answered.

Spike awoke with a bit of a headache. Actually, it was a rather large headache. He sat up and the first thing he saw was Princess Cadance. Great. He almost fainted again. 

“Wait! Stop,” She said, “I am sorry about earlier. I just wanted to have a bit of fun with an old friend. I didn't expect you to get hurt. Did I really scare you?”

“It was nerves mostly,” Spike said, “First that thing on the train, and then getting here late, and then I wake up to you and Shining Armor staring me down. It tends to turn a dragon into a nervous wreck.”

“I am sorry, Spike,” Cadance said.

She leaned in with her horn and lightly tapped Spike's head. His headache faded quickly before going away entirely. She then got up and handed Spike his coat. 

“That is a very nice coat,” She said, “Another one of Rarity's creations I take it.”

“Of course,” Spike said proudly, “It is also my only PAD identification.”

“I see,” Cadance responded with authority, “Well then you shall make sure to wear it when you are out and about. Understood?”

“Yes, Princess,” Spike said. 

For the rest of the day Princess Cadance went over Spike's duties. He would be doing quite a lot while at the Crystal Palace, but he was used to it. His day started at the records office. The Princess received a lot of letters about disputes out in the Crystal Empire. Part of Spike's duties would be to go out and assist in the ending of these disputes. Awesome, thought Spike. Next they moved on to the kitchen. More specifically, the pantry. Another part of Spike's job was to make sure that the cooks had everything they needed in stock and ready to cook. Cool, thought Spike. They moved on from there to the forge. Cadance explained that the forge was in need of maintenance. Okay, thought Spike. The last stop on their tour was the throne room. The last part of Spike's job was the hardest of them all. Hiring.

“All the jobs I need you to do, Spike,” Cadance said, “I used to have ponies for all of them. Local farmers would sell a portion of their crops to the cooks for food. My forge master is gone and he was the only pony who could repair the guards armor and weapons. And the records used to be kept by a pony who recently quit. She was getting on in years though. So I need you to either find replacements or convince everypony to take their old jobs back.” 

“Okay, Princess,” Spike said confidently, “I won't let you down.”

“Really,” Cadance said with genuine surprise, “Thank you so much, Spike. This will help me out greatly. You have no idea.”

“Well, I better go and get started,” Spike said. 

“Oh, just one more thing,” Cadance said, “Your other bags are still at the train platform. You might want to pick those up at some point soon.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Spike said before running off to collect the rest of his stuff. 

It was getting late into the afternoon now. Spike was sure that many ponies would be heading home after a long day at work. He was wrong. The streets of the Crystal Empire were buzzing with activity. It was about as far from the somewhat empty streets he was expecting as it could get. And it only got worse when somepony noticed him and announced it to the entire population. Within minutes everypony in the Crystal Empire knew who he was, where he was, and what he was doing. That last one came due to his coat. He had to push his way through the crowds of ponies so he could run away from those same crowds. He had to remember to thank Rarity whenever he got back to Ponyville. That coat made it a lot easier for him to be spotted. He was able to get to the train platform without too many mobs after him. It was mainly just one big one that slowly got smaller. Whew. Spike walked through the gates and was immediately greeted again.

“Thought you forgot about me,” Smoke Shadow said. 

“Oh my,” Spike said, “You scared the jeepers out of me.”

“Sorry, young blood,” He said, “But there is an issue.”

He pointed to the gate that separated the city from the platform. 

“There are special runes inscribed that were not here the last time I was. Probably due to that incident with King Sombra. Anyway, I can't get in.”

“What,” Spike said with surprise, “But then how are you going to teach me dragon magic? And why can't you get in? Do the runes block dragon magic?”

“Listen, young blood,” Shadow said, “I am a dragon of the shadows, or have you not noticed that? King Sombra used the shadows, too. While pony and dragon may be different the runes block both.”

“Then how are you going to get in,” Spike said.

“With sacrifice, young blood,” Shadow said, “With sacrifice.”

Spike loaded up his few bags onto the cart that was provided. The Crystal Empire was a big place and he was not going to walk everywhere Princess Cadance provided him with a pony drawn cart. As he set off to go and passed through the gate he was stopped. Apparently, he set off some sort of magic alarm. Shining armor came out immediately after he found out who it was. He asked the guard what was wrong. He had found black crystal gems in a bag of Spike's. Shadow gems. Shining Armor was shocked. 

“Why do you have these, Spike,” He accused. 

“I didn't know they were shadow gems, I swear,” Spike defended, “I thought they all disappeared when King Sombra was defeated. I found these just now and thought they looked kinda tasty. I haven't had a nice juicy gem in a few days now.”

“Trust me, Spike, you do not want to eat these,” Armor said, “These are full of darkness and hate.”

Shining Armor told Spike that a few clusters of shadow gems were found every couple of weeks. It was just a misunderstanding and Spike was allowed to go on his merry way. That was very close though. Spike followed the script that Shadow had provided though. He was getting good at the acting thing. Shadow told him his skill in deception were improving. Spike found that both comforting and disturbing. He wanted to train on dragon magic, but he was getting better at lying while doing it. He did not like that aspect of it. So he would aspire to do it as little as possible from here on out. He rode on the cart back to the palace. It was getting late now, really late, and the ponies were heading back to their homes now. Spike could use a good nights sleep. His busy schedule officially started tomorrow. 

The next day started off pretty good for Spike. His dreams were pleasant. He got a good nights sleep. He woke up rested and full of energy. He put on his PAD coat and headed out for his first day on the job. He brought the Night Calling Mirror with him. It fit right into an inside pocket in his coat. He went down to Records and grabbed a stack of dispute papers. There sure were a lot of ponies with problems in the Crystal Empire. Cadence did say she used to have a pony to handle these. This must be the backlog. So he headed out for the first one on the list. 

He ended up in the middle of a feud between two shop owners. One claimed the other was stealing customers with false advertising and phony products. The other claimed that his product were the genuine thing and the first pony sold the false products. Ehh, it was going to be a long day for Spike. He had just gotten them to stop yelling at each other for the first time in what seemed to be a long while. Spike was under even more pressure now that a crowd had gathered to watch as he settled this. 

“Now I have questions,” Spike started, “And you will answer them clearly and without interrupting the other. I will address one pony and the other will wait to speak. I will hear both ponie's arguments and come to a fair conclusion that both will abide by. Do you both agree to these terms?”

The two shop ponies glared at each other and then nodded to Spike. So far, so good. He could hear from behind him that some of the other ponies were impressed. That boosted his confidence a little and he needed it. He was shaking so much that he worried he would crack the crystal he stood on. He was one stupid comment away from being the laughingstock of the Crystal Empire. He turned to the first shop pony. He labeled him Pony 1 in his head. 

“What do you sell at your shop,” Spike asked Pony 1.

“I sell antique crystal artifacts, from spoons to statues. If it is crystal and antique then I sell it,” Pony 1 said.

“What do you sell at your shop,” Spike asked Pony 2.

“I sell brand new, high quality crystal products. They are strong, sturdy and have a lifetime guarantee,” Pony 2 explained. 

“And what is your problem with this pony,” Spike asked Pony 2.

“My problem is that his so called 'antiques' are not antiques,” Pony 2 said accusingly, “No pony eats with antique silverware or uses antique plates for everyday meals and yet he sells 'em left and right. If ponies buy antiques from him then they should be buying the new stuff from me, but I don't get no customers. He pulls them in with false antiques and makes sure I don't get 'em.”

“And you,” Spike asked Pony 1, “Same question.”

“My problem is that he is always accusing me of having bad goods,” Pony 1 explained, “My goods are the genuine article and he knows it. His goods are the bad ones. He says they are strong and brand new, but all his products are old and brittle that break right after ponies buy them. That is why he has no customers. He's just mad and trying to blame it on me.”

“Okay. I have heard both arguments,” Spike said, “And I have a few more questions. First question. How do you two know so much about the others products and goods?”

It was a smart and sensible question. The two ponies each looked awkwardly away from Spike and each other and everyone pretty much. Then the yelling started back up. They both knew the other had been in their shop and were not happy about it. That is when spike got an idea. A way to settle this once and for all. He asked the two shop ponies two bring a sample from their shops. Nothing too expensive. Pony one produced a nice antique china plate that was supposedly over a century old. Pony 2 produced a nice sparkly new fork. It looked strong and sturdy. Spike took both items and shocked everybody with his next move. He took a bite out of both items. Both shop ponies nearly fainted on the spot and all the ponies in the crowd were whispering back and forth. Spike finished eating his snack and handed the items back. 

“I have come to a conclusion,” He said firmly, “Neither of you are right.”

“WHAT?!?!,” Was the collective answer from everypony there.

“Both the items you brought me were among your finest products I'm guessing,” Spike said, “But they were both the same age. Neither item was antique or brand new. They were simply made with different crystals that gave the items different 	appearances, like one appearing old and the other new.”

“So, what do we do now,” The two shop ponies asked.

“Basically, you both sell the same product,” Spike said, “Have you ever considered combining both shops into one? It is either that or keep yelling at each other and lose all your customers. No pony wants to buy from an angry shop owner. It sends a bad image.”

The ponies behind Spike all nodded in agreement to Spike's words. The two shop ponies looked at each other and finally agreed to talk about combining the shops. They did agree to the terms of Spike's dispute settling skills after all. Whew. That was way more intense than Spike had anticipated. And he had a whole stack of these, but at least he had a system. If he followed that he would be fine. And so he went around the Crystal Empire solving ponies problems for them. 
The next after the two shop ponies was between two farmers who were having boundary issues. One was an carrot farmer and the other a potato farmer. They were arguing over where one's property ended and the others began. Both ponies how their families had been their for generation so Spike saw and easy fix. He took both ponies to  the records room and found an old map of the property lines. As it turns out, the potato farmer was right. His claim to the land was valid. The carrot farmer could not argue with history. He apologized to the potato farmer and said he would return the land at the end of harvest season. As payment, Spike was able to get them both to provide food to the cooks at the castle. They agreed it was the least they could do. It was around noon by then and Spike was getting hungry. He went back to his room so he could talk to Shadow before eating. He had been looking for a place to practice dragon magic and Spike wanted to know how he was doing. He pulled the mirror out and called Shadow. 

“I was wondering when you were going to get around to calling me,” Shadow said. 

“Sorry, but this schedule Princess Cadance has me on doesn't leave me a lot of time to myself,” Spike told him, “But I was able to get some food for the cooks so that will provide a little bit of room hopefully.”

“Not enough, but I believe I have the solution,” Shadow said, “I believe I have found you both a Records Keeper and a Forge Master.”

“Really,” Spike said, “Where?”

“The eastern point of the city,” Shadow said, “A small house with a few too many ponies in it.”

“I will look into them tomorrow,” Spike said, “But first I have to get some lunch.”

Spike released Shadow from the call and went to find some lunch. He was about to leave and get some lunch at one of the many restaurants he passed in the Crystal Empire the past couple day. However, he was stopped by the Princess. She wanted to talk about his first day.

“Your first day on the job and you manage to settle two pony disputes and find the cooks in the kitchen potatoes and carrots,” She stated, “Well done, Spike.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Spike said, “You know, I was just about to get some lunch if you want to come with me.”

Princess Cadance politely turned down the invitation. She was much to busy for that. So Spike went out and found a nice little restaurant that actually had gems on the menu and he had his fill. His new job payed rather well, so he could afford it. 
After lunch he went out and settled another pony dispute. This one was larger than the first two. It involved five ponies. Three colts and two mares. Two colts and two mares found this old pony relic and sold it to the fifth pony. Apparently, the bits went missing and they don't know who took the money. This was going to be a tough one. They had been out there for three days now. Spike listened to all of them accuse one another and advocate themselves. The old pony relic was still there, at least. It was something. Spike looked it over. He could definitely tell it was old, but something about wasn't quite right. His decision for the day was for everypony to go home and get a full nights sleep. They argued at first until he threatened to take the relic and the money as a donation to the Crystal Palace history archive and treasury. That was it for that day. It was getting late and he made his way back to the Crystal Palace. 

He got back to the Crystal Palace after dark and he was about to enter when a shadow caught his attention. To be more precise, it was the Shadow in the shadow. Spike followed him down a side corridor. He stayed to the shadows as best he could, but he could not hide in them the way Smoke Shadow could. It was as if he became the shadows. Like they consumed him and yet he was able to move freely within them. Eventually, Spike was led to a statue at the end of a long corridor. It was a statue of a dragon. It was carved out of a lovely purple crystal substance. Shadow stepped out and placed a hand on the slab of crystal it was sitting on. A hidden door in the wall next to the statue opened up and Shadow quickly whisked away inside with Spike hot on his heels. He led Spike down a flight of stairs that opened up into a large circular area. It was the perfect place for practicing magic. Spike questioned that decision. This place was literally right under the Crystal Palace.

“That is part of what makes it perfect, young blood,” Shadow said, “Who would think to ever look here. Plus, with a few spells added on these crystal are perfect for absorbing magical energy. Great for concealing spells gone awry.”

Now that Spike knew where the secret training area was, he was allowed to go back to his room for some sleep. Shadow added a minor enchantment to his coat before he left, however. As long as Spike was wearing the coat he would nearly invisible while in the shadows. A guard could look right at him and not know he was there unless Spike moved or made a sound. Useful until he learned to do it on his own. Shadow also gave him a few more pieces of advice. A lot about magic is observation. Spike walked back to his room noting in his mind where all the guards were and where all exits were and the useful information he might need in the future. He stuck to the shadows and no pony saw him, except for the guard stationed outside his door. He was going to be a problem. But not that night. Spike just went to bed. The next day he had to see to those two ponies Shadow told him about.

So the next day he got up and put his coat back on. He ate a quick breakfast with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor and told them his plans for the day. When asked how he found those two ponies Spike said he noticed them yesterday, but it was too late to approach them. That answer seemed enough to satisfy Cadance's curiosity and Spike went off to see to those two ponies. 
He found them with Shadow's guidance from the mirror. He had to step into a secluded shadow every time he had to use it though. He hoped no pony noticed or else he might be questioned on it. Why was he acting so unusually? The heat would be his answer. It was a brutally hot day and the coat did get warm, but he was a dragon. It did not bother him. Shadow pointed out the two ponies. The Forge Master candidate was a massively built young colt named Strikefire. Name seemed appropriate. He did run a forge. It was a small one he ran with another colt. A younger brother it seemed. Anyway, Spike approached him nervously. This was a big pony after all. He would give Bic Macintosh pause. 

“Excuse me,” Spike said, “Can I talk to you?”

“Sorry, but I am busy,” Strikefire replied. 

“I need to talk to you about a forge,” Spike tried.

It seemed the word forge was the word to use to get a smith to stop working.

“What about my forge,” Strikefire said defensively. 

“Oh, no. Not your forge. A forge,” Spike explained, “The royal forge to be exact, at the Crystal Palace.”

“What about it,” Strikefire asked.

“It needs a new forge master,” Spike said, “And I would like that forge master to be you.”

“And just who are you to giving away such a job,” Strikefire asked.

“Spike the dragon,” Spike replied, “Assistant to the Princess.”

Spike turned around to show Strikefirehis coat. He seemed to be judging Spike still. It was several moments before he said anything. 

“You are serious, aren't you,” Strikefire asked.

“Very,” Spike said, “The Princess needs guards with good armor. They can't have good armor without a good forge. And a good forge needs a good Forge Master. That could be you.”

“What about my forge here,” Strikefireasked, “I serve all the common folk that need things forged too. I can't just leave them high and dry.”

“Let me take over.” 

It was Strikefire's younger brother. His name was Hammer Falls. Also an appropriate forge name. He seemed like a very competent smith, but Spike did not know that much about the subject. He left the two brothers to talk about it while he found the new record keeper. She was also in the family, but she didn't look like it. She was older than both the brothers but less than half their size. Spike found her in the front yard of their house looking over a bunch of papers. She didn't even notice Spike as he walked up. He waited a moment to see if she would notice. She didn't. She was as bad as Twilight when she was caught up in a book. 

“Hello,” Spike said kindly.

What happened next was in no way what Spike expected. As soon as the word left his lips the mare leaped into the air in fright and took off like her life depended on it. She hid behind a crystal tree stump. She was quivering behind her glasses. 

“Hello,” Spike repeated, “I would like to talk to you.”

Spike was getting nowhere with her. He looked down at the papers she was looking over. They seemed to be property sheets and prices for forge materials and how much the forge produced. It seemed to Spike they would not make enough to buy new material. He bent down to pick up a piece of paper when the mare came flying out of nowhere and scooped up everything and flew back to her hiding spot. 

“You shouldn't touch other people's things,” She said quietly.

“You can talk,” Spike said, “Good. You really like scrolls and books, don't you?”

She nodded.

“What If told you I was offering you a job where you work with books and scrolls all day every day,” Spike asked.

The mare perked her ears up. She was interested now. Spike could tell. She was just as shy as Fluttershy, but had the same love of books that Twilight did. He was prepared for a conversation like this. 

“I can even make it better,” Spike said, “The job is at the Crystal Palace, in the Records room.” 

The mare stood fully upright with wonder in her eyes. She flew up so close to Spike he could see his reflection in her glasses.

“Are you serious,” She asked with surprise.

“Very,” Spike answered plainly. 

“Then of course I will do,” She shouted, “How could I say no to an offer like that? Rhetorical question. I can't!”

“By the way, my name is R.C. Keeper,” She said, “But what about my brother, Hammer, and Strikefire?'

“Don't worry, 'lil sis,” Strikefire said, “I was offered a job, too. I am the new forge master at the Crystal Palace and Hammer will run the forge here at home.”

Spike's work was done. He told them both to report to the palace the beginning of the next week. They both seemed ecstatic about it. The increase in money would definitely help their family. He only saw the three of them, but Shadow said there were more ponies and Spike trusted him. Now was his chance to go and learn some magic.

He reported to the secret room as instructed by Shadow. And now he was learning some real dragon magic. First lesson was focus. Spike had to learn to focus his energy in such a way that he could get a specific result at a specific time. Without focus the magic was unstable and dangerous. Shadow knew he could do it. He did it on the train with Sally Silvertongue. While she was talking him into oblivion. So that was his test. 
Shadow taught him how to conjure a small flame away from him without using his breath. On his first attempt he barely got a spark on the ground. The next time he got several sparks, but no flame. It took several tries before he got even a flicker. He was so proud of himself that he lost focus on the flame and it when it out. After he knew he could do it, producing the flame was easier until he could make it and sustain it. But that was only one half of the test. Spike progressed to the point where he could produce a flame as big as he was. Then Shadow roared at him. Spike jumped and the flame went out.

“What was that for,” Spike asked.

“Training,” Shadow said, “There will always be distractions in the world. Either you learn to keep your focus with those distractions going on or you do not learn magic. You know what I said about unfocused magic.”

“It is unstable and dangerous,” Spike repeated for the hundredth time.

“Good,” Shadow said, “Again.”

And so this was the routine for the next two weeks. Spike would sneak away to the secret room in the evening and practice with Smoke Shadow. For two weeks it was nothing but focus training. Spike thought he had good tolerance before, but he had no idea the things Shadow could come up with. The voices, the images, the sounds. It was terrible and infuriating. But after two weeks Spike finally was able to keep his focus throughout the entire volley Shadow threw at him. Spike was learning fast. He had a natural gift for magic. 
Shadow had also taught him a few other spells during those two weeks. Simple things. Small object levitation. Spike managed to get the entire contents of a guest room off the ground with minimal effort. Al of it. The bed, the table, the chairs, and everything else. That was about it. He also taught him a vision spell. Night vision. He could see in the dark with perfect clarity, but for only about half an hour at a time. It was still quite an achievement for such a new student. 

And so the training went on like this. Two weeks turned into three and three weeks turned into two months. Spike had grown into more than just magic. He started to notice physical changes to his body. He had gotten taller. Not too much, but enough to make his coat feel a little short. And his limbs were bigger. Not just due to his change in size. It was muscle. Not a lot, but enough to notice. Another thing that made his coat feel tight. His spikes, too had changed. They were just the tiniest bit longer and sharper. His claws too. He needed a new coat. He did not want to risk damaging the one Rarity made him. He asked Shadow about the changes and he said it was normal. With all the energy moving through his body to create magic his body needed to be strong. That is all the changes were. Cool. 
He decided to go out to get another coat made. He would leave his old one alone. A reminder of what he use to be like. Small and useless. He was folding it up when the Night Calling Mirror fell out of the inside pocket. He had forgotten he had it. He picked it up and looked over the immaculate frame. Luna. He had not talked to her in two months. He really needed to call her. But it was the middle of the day. She would be sleeping. He would call her that night. And if he was late to magic practice he was sure Shadow would understand. He was Luna's friend too. 
So he time to kill before nightfall. He went out into the city and found a good clothing shop. He waited for a few moments before being seen. These two lovely mares ran the clothing shop and were buzzing with excitement when they saw who was in their shop.

“Hello,” Spike said shyly, “I need this coat remade in a bigger size.”

“Well I can see why,” Said one of the mares, a unicorn. 

She grabbed the tape measure with her magic and measured Spike up, down, sideways, and a few ways he wasn't sure were needed for a coat. He lay the coat down on the counter so the two mares could look at it. 

“Exquisite craftsmanship,” The other mare said, and earth pony. 

“Yes, quite,” The unicorn said, “You want it the same, but a size bigger? That's all?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, “I just need a bigger coat, not a new one.”

“Shame,” The two said in unison.

He made sure they would not alter they original in any way before leaving. They promised and Spike left. They said they would have his coat down by that evening. He had some time left over so he decided to go and visit some of the people he had met during his stay at the Crystal Empire. He started with R.C. Keeper the new Records keeper at the Crystal Palace. 
He found buried under a pile of scrolls, like usual. She popper her head up when she heard Spike's voice. He was almost bigger than she was now. He visited her the day she took the job after his first visit at her house, but had not been to see her since. Two months is a long time. She seemed overjoyed to see him. They sat and talked and she thanked him a million time, at least, for getting her this job. She had the whole record keeping system overhauled and a new one put in place with the first two weeks of taking the job. Now she had every scrap of paper in the palace recorded and filed away somewhere. Good for her. Well, she had to get back to work so Spike headed over to see her brother. 
Hammer Falls was the perfect pony for the forge master. And even though Spike had grown Hammer still looked like the same massive pony he always was. That was what made him good at his job. With his size he could do almost everything in the forge himself, even if he did have two other apprentice smiths working for him. He took a few moments out of forging to talk to Spike. Hammer thanked him again for getting him that job as the forge master. He loved the work. The heat of the forge. The sound of the hammer on the metal. The feeling of the steam coming of a hot blade that had just been put into water. He gave Spike a pat in the back and nearly sent out a window. His brute strength was almost unbelievable at times. Then Spike remembered what he did for a living. Hammer went back to his forge and Spike went on to the dining hall. It was almost dinner time. After which, he would pick up his new coat and call Luna with the mirror. 
He sat at the table with Cadance and Shining Armor. This was the first meal he had with them in almost a month. It was nice to sit down and eat with them again.

“My, my, Spike,” Cadance said, “You sure have grown. I mean, do you even fit into that coat Rarity made for you anymore?”

“No, I don't,” Spike said, “And that is why I am having a new one made. I found a nice little shop in the city.”

“I wish you would have said something,” Cadance said, “I could have had one of my finest clothing makers make one for you.”

“Thanks for the offer, Princess,” Spike said, “But I like going to the shops in the city. I may sleep in the palace, but being in the city helps the city ponies feel more comfortable with me and it allows me to help them more.”

“I completely understand,” Cadance said, “Maybe I should venture out into the city more often. I used to before I got stuck with so much to do.”

Cadance stopped after she said that. Spike had been here for three months already and she really didn't have that much to do anymore. He found a pony for the forge. He found a Records keeper. He got two ponies to provide food and those two got many more ponies to provide even more food.

“I guess I don't have as much to do as I thought,” Cadance said. 

It was as if the concept of free time confused her. It was like a foreign idea that came from a far away place. The look on Cadance's face make Spike snicker. He finished his meal and headed to the shop to pick up his new coat. 
The two mares did an excellent job crafting his new coat. It was just like the old one. Black material with a red lining and trim. With the letters PAD on the back in white. It went down to his legs with a split down the middle of the back for his tail. It was even the same material as the old one. Spike was greatly impressed that a small shop in the Crystal Empire could match Rarity's work so well. That's when he noticed one small change. Under the flap on the right side it said something. Spike. It was not the same as the Rarity's, but that mad Rarity's all the more special. He paid the ponies and left the shop with both his coats. He then returned to his room to call Luna. It was after dark and she would be awake.

He pulled the Night Calling Mirror out of his backpack. It seemed so small in his larger hands. But that did not bother him at the moment. He simply held up the mirror and did what Luna taught him months ago.

“The night calls you, Luna,” Spike whispered. 

Luna noticed the large mirror in her room start to activate. She rushed over as the ring of smoke was dissipating. She was overjoyed to see Spike's face, and Spike felt the same way about Luna. 

“Spike,” Luna said with much excitement, “It's been months. I was worried you had forgotten about the mirror.”

“Not a chance,” Spike said, “I could never forget the chance to call you, Luna.”

“How have you been,” Luna asked, “You certainly have grown.”

“It is the magic,” Spike told her, “Shadow says my body needs to change to handle the increased magical energy.”

“So you are getting quiet skilled with dragon magic, yes,” Luna asked.

“Yeah, I am,” Spike answered, “But I don't want to talk about that right now.”

So Spike and Luna just stayed and talked for what seemed like hours. Luna had to go help a pony in need a few times, but Spike didn't mind. He was just glad he was able to see her again and able to talk to her.
He told her stories of his time after he left Canterlot. He told her of the train terror. She gasped in horror and cheered in delight at Spike's heroics. He told her of the prank Princess Cadance pulled on him. She couldn't help but laugh at that one. He told him of all the ponies he's met here. R.C. Keeper, Hammer Falls, and all the ponies he's helped by resolving their disputes. He told her about the five pony relic sale. As it turns out the relic that was found wasn't really a relic. It was just an old rock strategically shaped and worn to look like a relic to scam money out of ponies buying relics. It was quite the operation Spike busted. Luna told him that many of the castle staff missed him. Especially the kitchen. They really enjoyed making gem cakes for his colossal appetite. They talked and laughed deep into the night. Until it was cut off. By Smoke Shadow. 
With a wave of his claws he sent the mirror across the room. It hit the wall with a shattering amount of force. Each of the shards of broken mirror that hit the floor just made Spike angrier and angrier. He turned on Smoke Shadow. It was obvious he did not intend to break the mirror, but Spike was not thinking clearly enough to see that. Smoke Shadow only saw rage in his eyes. He opened a shadow portal to the secret training area just as Spike tackled him through it. They landed in the training area and Shadow closed the portal. 

“Why,” Spike yelled.

“You missed your training,” Shadow said. 

Spike growled and hurled a magic blast at him. It was more powerful than any he had thrown before. Shadow easily deflected it. 

“I saw what you were doing and needed to get your attention,” Shadow continued.

Spike responded with more magic blasts. Shadow easily deflected them again. But Shadow taught Spike more spells than just that. One of the more advanced spells that Spike was taught. Focused energy around the claws to increase power. Spike could barely sustain it, but he had more power now. And Shadow saw this. Spike lunged at him with slashing claws and swinging tail. Shadow had included a few dragon combat lessons in his magic training. Spike was making full use of them. But he was young, inexperienced, and angry. Shadow easily flowed around him. But Spike was a quick learner and an adapter. He quickly saw what Shadow was doing and changed tactics to land a blow directly to his chest. Spike followed this small attack up with a tail whip to the legs that put Shadow nearly on the floor. Spike finished putting him there with a direct force hit to the face. As Shadow's back hit the floor he was already up again. Telekinesis was one of Spike's strongest abilities. He put Shadow in his feet again before blasting him in the chest with another volley of magic blasts. Shadow was sent directly to into a crystal wall. Then it struck him. Not Spike, but a thought. He looked over at Spike. He was just standing there. His eyes were glowing green and an aura of green energy flowed around his claws. Only powerful dragon magic users could do that, but there was something more. Spike was angered and yet he managed to hit Shadow. Over and over. The combination of attacks Spike used was strategical genius. He knew what had to be done. 
He smoked his way to the middle of the training area hoping to catch Spike off guard. But that was what he always did. Spike saw it coming and he was ready with claws out. Unfortunately for Spike, Shadow was several moves ahead of him. He was able to predict every move Spike was about to make with remarkably good accuracy. 
With one move, he had Spike's claws away from his body and had planted stunning magic blast in his chest. Spike was sent backwards, but stayed on his feet. A surprising feat. Spike was more powerful then he thought, but he was not immune. Shadow had managed to paralyze him for the precious seconds he would need to build up energy. Spike did not agree and managed to fight through the spell. Shadow had one risky idea. Spike came running at him full speed. In one quick move Shadow had pushed him out of a dead on sprint and gotten behind him. He placed a clawed hand on Spike's head and continued with his plan. He focused all the energy he built up in the instant that he had before Spike got loose. 

“Slumber, dragon,” He said aggressively, “And rest your weary soul.”

There was no immediate sign. Spike was still writhing to get out. His feet came up in a swift and hard hit to Shadow's head. They stopped just inches short of his face. Spike fell limp. This happened just as Luna appeared in Shadow's Night Calling Mirror. He had a large standing one like Luna and she saw Spike go down. 

“What are you doing, Smoke Shadow,” She practically yelled. 

“I accidentally broke the mirror you gave him,” Shadow admitted.

“You did what,” Luna hissed the words in such a way that the shadows didn't even feel safe for Smoke Shadow.

“Spike became enraged and berserk.,” Shadow said, “I had to use a very potent sleep spell. And a very potent immobilization spell. He will wake up tomorrow morning with no memory of what happened and bad headache, but that is all.”

“We don't talk for months and you break his only way of communicating with me,” Luna says, “I am not surprised he became enraged.”

“You missed the part where he went berserk,” Shadow said.

“I don't care how angry he beca-,” Luna stopped talking to think about his words.

“You don't mean angry do you,” Luna asked after a moment. 

“No, I mean power,” Shadow said, “A rush of magical energy so pure and untainted that any spell he cast would have triple the power behind it.”

Shadow and Luna looked at Spike's sleeping body as they both came to the same conclusion. For Luna it was terrible news. Shadow did not know what to make of it.

“Spike is a Mystik,” They said in unison.

Mystiks were myths even among dragons. Everything about them focused on magic. Mystiks were beings who could tap into the very soul of the magic that was inside them. That equilibrium and balance gave them incredible power. These were the dragons that made every advancement in dragon magic. They were the unicorns of the dragons. Myth says that not all dragon magic died. Myth says that some of the more powerful dragon Mystiks were able to retain there power from Star Ethereal's spell, but it was unclear how such a feat was possible. There were myths about them long before the war started and even more after the war ended. But now they were as forgotten as dragon magic. Until Spike came along. A true myth in a coat of scales and fire in his soul. 
> Ch.6 Enlightened Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A massive hurt all over was waiting for Spike when he woke. What surprised him more was having both Shadow and Luna standing over him. When he reached out for Luna his hand hit a hard surface. Of course. One of the mirrors. Just a bigger version than the one he had, or used to have. He sat up with a nice, large cracking sound along his spikes. That sounded bad, but felt strangely nice. As he stood up every other joint and extremity cracked and creaked like he was rusting around the edges. He felt very loose and relaxed. But he couldn't remember why. 

“What happened,” He asked the two standing over him. 

“Something happened to you last night,” Shadow said. 

Spike listened intently as Shadow recanted the recent rebellion that he put up. He carefully touched the subject of how he broke the mirror Luna gave to him. Spike vaguely remembered that, but since Luna was right there in a way he did not get angry again. Shadow briefly went through the fight they had. He did touch on Spike's chain of hits that he landed. Spike smiled rather deviously as he heard that. A little justice was served. Shadow finished up the story with the myth about Mysitks. And how Spike was one of them.

“How do you know I am one of these Mystik people,” Spike asked.

“Trust me,” Shadow said, “I know.”

Trust. Right. After what he just heard and the little he remembered trust was not one thing Shadow had. It was almost laughable to Spike. But he wouldn't think about it. Luna had her royal duties to get back to. She had already spent way too much time there. She said the release phrase on her end and then disappeared behind a ring of swirling smoke. As soon as she was gone Spike turned back to Shadow.

“Shadow,” He said aggressively, “I need some answers.”

“To what questions,” Shadow replied. 

“How do you know Luna,” Spike started with, “And how do you know so much about dragon magic? How can you do dragon magic? And how do you expect me to trust you after what you just told me?”

“You want answers, you got them” Shadow stated, “I met Luna centuries ago. Long before she became that Nightmare Moon monstrosity. I actually tried my best to stop her from becoming that, but I failed. Luna was a friend to me when I had absolutely nothing in my life but shadows and darkness. Then one night I am just walking through the hedge maze behind the Royal Castle. I liked walking through there. It was solitary and quiet. Until on night, when I hear a pony calling. She was calling for a dragon. I knew I was the only one there so I approached her. Luna had seen me in the shadows. She has a gift that you share with her actually. Shadow Sense. The ability to feel or see things hidden or obscured in the shadows. And from that day we have been friends. As for your second question, I can only answer that one by answering the third one as well.”

“You are a dragon Mystik,” Spike guessed. 

“Yes,” Shadow confirmed, “One of the very last and very few dragons that can still do dragon magic. It was I who invented the Night Calling Mirrors, but only with Luna's help could I get them to work. Her Alicorn magic is what makes them find that one specific pony you want to talk to. That was the one thing I was never able to figure out myself.”

“If you are this powerful dragon Mystik,” Spike began, “Then why do you stay in the shadows? Why don't you walk outside?

“Right before Luna's mother, Star Ethereal, learned the spell to banish all dragon magic, there was another dragon Mystik who had just figured out how to open a doorway into the world of shadows. I was the first one through and the last. Star Ethereal's spell sealed the door behind me. When you spend as much time in the shadows as I have, Spike, the shadows start to become you.”

“Is that why eat shadow gems,” Spike asked, “Why else would you have them?”

“Yes. I do eat them,” Shadow said, “I use them to absorb some of the shadows that 
have consumed me. I have been trying to leave the shadows for a long time.”

“Why are you called Smoke Shadow,” Spike asked.

“The name came much the way ponies names do,” Shadow said, “Before I discovered I was a Mystik. I told true stories or I could weave the most fantastical tales out of the smoke. I used the same trick I used in Luna's chambers to tell you how dragons lost their magic. The Smokeleight spell. Dragons and ponies alike would come from all over to hear my stories. Then the war started. I always had dark scales and that made me harder to see in the shadows. At one point I actually sided with ponies and fought my own kind. I used what I knew. The smoke and the shadows. The smoke hid me from their eyes as I weaved in between my dragon brethren. The shadows concealed me as I got information or hunted a target. It got to the point that I almost never came out of the shadows when I could. And so the ponies knew by that name. Smoke Shadow.”

“Is that who you were before all this,” Spike asked, “A storyteller? A rebel? A Mystik?”

“That is a story for another time, Spike,” Shadow said. 

He left it at that. Spike did notice that Shadow actually used his name. That made it a count of two. Only twice has Shadow ever used his name. 

Spike headed back up to the main palace. He went back to his room and cleaned up the broken shards of the shattered mirror. The mirror part was shattered, but the circular frame that held it was not damaged. He traced the stars and the moon until he came to Luna. He threw both pieces into a basket in the corner of the room. What was he going to do now? How was he ever going to talk to Luna again? He could always use Shadow's big mirror. Of course, Spike would not want him to be there. That might cause some issues as the mirror was in the middle of the training area. He could write to Luna. That took time, though. He would have to find time to write the letters and send them. Then he would have to wait for Luna to write back and then he would breath the letter out. It was the same way Celestia sent word to Twilight back before she was an Alicorn princess. Then he would have to find time to read Luna's letter and write back. It was all just a lot of time. He did not want to think about it any longer. Even with the sleeping spell that Shadow had put on him Spike was still tired. He decided he was going to sleep the day away. He curled up in his bed and drifted off into a not so peaceful slumber. 

Spike was not in Ponyville. That was new. The only nightmare where he wasn't in Ponyville was Luna's. Spike preferred Ponyville to that desolate, barren land Luna's nightmare took them too. Luckily, he was not there either. As far as Spike could tell he was not anywhere. There was nothing around him but black. It was not like an empty void. It was more like a darkness that was covering everything. He wasn't sure what to do. There was nowhere to run that he could see. Spike began to panic, until he saw light. It was coming down from somewhere, but it was impossible to tell from where. Spike was more drawn to what the light was illuminating. It was Twilight. She was smiling and happy. Then she saw Spike and her smile vanished. She turned her back and walked off. The light went out as Spike called out for Twilight. Behind him more lights came on. Five of them. Five lights in a row all showed the other ponies under them. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were all there. They looked the same as the day they said goodbye and Spike moved to the Royal Castle in Canterlot. They all started to wave their hooves. It was like Spike was leaving all over again. To make it worse they all started to move back. It was like Spike was getting farther and farther away, but he was not moving. Spike watched as they all disappeared from view. Yet another light shined to his right. He raced to it as fast as he could. Luna was standing beneath it. 

“Please tell me you are the real Luna and not in my head,” Spike pleaded. 

“Do you not see, Spike,” Luna said, “I see it. Twilight sees it. Even Shadow sees it. Everypony sees it. All but you, Spike.”

Spike could tell that this was not the real Luna. This was not like her. Spike knew that. He and Luna were friends. That did not stop her words from getting under his scales. She was teasing and taunting him. 

“What do you want,” Spike asked plainly.

“For you to go away,” Luna said, “Do you not see that dragon magic has ripped you away from all those who cared about you. You left them, willingly, and for what? To learn a few small things in hopes of becoming that little bit more useful? Can't you tell? You are useless and you will always be nothing more than the assistant that takes notes.”

It was not real. It was not real. It was not real. It did not matter how many times Spike repeated those words it did not help. He knew this was not the real Luna and yet she was still getting to him. It was her voice and her words. They penetrated him deeper than anything ever before. 

“NO,” Spike yelled. 

He turned around and he ran. He ran and ran and did not look back. It was all dark for as far as the eye could see, but that did not stop him. It was light that stopped him. A light right in front of him. Twilight was standing in it. She had an angry look on her face. 

“You left,” She said angrily, “How could you just leave like that, Spike? Did you even care about what I thought or how I felt? No, you did not!”

Spike backed up from the angry Twilight. He no longer wanted to see any of this. He just wanted to be left alone. That was all he wanted. But he would not get that. He backed up into a light. This time it was he who was under it. And he was surrounded by other lights. Twilight was there again. Spike turned to see all the others circled around him. He was trapped in a web of his own friends. No. That was not correct. In this place they were not his friends. They were just lights in the dark. Spike looked up at the light above him and roared as loud as he could. 

He woke up still roaring. The doctor pony was pressed up against the far wall as much as he could be. Spike stopped roaring when he realized that he was no longer sleeping. He looked around to try and remember where he was. He had forgotten for just a moment after waking up. It took him a moment more to see Princess Cadance standing in the doorway. She moved into the room and the doctor pony ran out of their so fast Spike thought he could beat Rainbow Dash in a foot race. No. A crazy thought. No pony beats Rainbow Dash. 

“Are you all right,” Cadance asked.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Spike replied, “Why do you ask?”

“No pony saw you for almost a day,” Cadance answered, “I was getting worried. I found you laying in bed. You were having a nightmare and I could not wake you.”

“Oh,” was all Spike could say, “Thank you for worrying about me, but I am fine.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Cadance said, “Because I would like you to join me.”

Moments later Spike was following Princess Cadance as she led him through the crystal halls of the palace. She would say nothing to Spike to answer the questions he had. Spike was smart though. He knew her silence was answer enough. A surprise was waiting for him at their destination. Now all Spike had to do was to figure out where that was. Unfortunately, Cadance had blinded him before they left his room. He tugged and yanked and pulled at the blindfold, but it was stuck to his face with Alicorn magic. Darn. He was not without tricks, however. Shadow had trained him in many areas. One such lesson focused on the senses. Spike remembered back to that night. 


Shadow had also blinded him. He used an actual spell of blindness, though, and not a blindfold. He had set up a magic obstacle course for Spike to train in. His objective was simple. Get from one side to the other. What Spike could not see was the multitude of traps and snares and obstacles that awaited him. One misstep, one bad jump, and he would have to restart. Spike restarted that course nearly a hundred times before he started to get agitated. Shadow was impressed he made it that long. Spike had an amazing quality of patience and tolerance. Must be from his time spent among ponies, Shadow thought. Shadow held his thoughts at bay as he watched Spike make another attempt at crossing the course. It was as futile as the last hundred or so. 

“Come now, young blood,” Shadow said, “You cannot see what is there. Stop trying. You have to use your other senses. Think about nothing except the task at hand. Focus on hearing the traps. Sense the magic. Smell the fires. You can do this.”

Shadow allowed Spike back his vision enough to get back to the edge of the course. Once there Spike was sent back into darkness. Shadow waved his clawed hand and the course scrambled. Everything that was set up to mess up Spike repositioned itself in the course. Shadow gave the word and Spike started another attempt. This attempt went slightly better than the rest. Spike made it just beyond the halfway point. Then he stepped on a trap. It was a color trap. A simple, yet annoying spell that Shadow had set up. A whoosh of air came from beneath Spike and a cloud of orange mist covered Spike head to tail. Great. Now he was going to be orange for the next couple hours. Spike was on his last nerve. He growled and stomped his foot into the ground. A small shockwave was sent out. 

“I'm done with this,” Spike said and stormed off.

Before Shadow could stop him or take away the blindness spell Spike was already moving. It was not the overwhelming amount of traps going off that Shadow had expected. It was quite the opposite actually. Spike weaved through each and every trap and obstacle that was set up. It was amazing. Spike reached the edge and Shadow removed the spell. 

“Do you realize what just happened,” Shadow asked.

“I got angry,” Spike replied, “So what?”

“Look,” Shadow said as he pointed at the course. 

Spike indulged Shadow and looked at the course. He didn't see anything. All he saw was the orange spot where he stepped on the color trap spell. Then Spike DID see it. Or he did not see it, to be precise. It was what was not there that was important. Spike saw that one orange spot, but not the trail of destruction he should have left as he stormed out of the course. There were no other traps that went off. 

“How did I do that,” Spike asked.

“By tapping into an advanced ability,” Shadow said, “It is not a spell exactly. More like an exercise in precision. It is called the Mana Stomp. It is when a dragon slams his foot into the ground and sends off a shockwave. That shockwave travels along the ground and you sense the location of everything that it runs into. It even tells you where magic traps are hidden, so it is better than night vision.”

“And I did that when I got angry,” Spike questioned.

“Your anger is not a problem,” Shadow explained, “That emotion and others like it show that you have passion. Passion is never bad. Your problem is focus. Your mind is always wandering.”

Shadow gave Spike a quick lesson on how to activate the Mana Stomp. Since Spike was inexperienced he would have to use an emotional trigger. The more powerful the emotion the more powerful the Stomp. Spike decided to use anger. He had a lot of that built up. He got to the edge of the course and Shadow blinded him. Spike stood still and focused his mind. He looked back to when Shadow broke his Night Calling Mirror. He was so furious. Spike took that anger and focused it down. He raised a clawed foot and slammed it into the ground with tremendous force. The ground shook violently. Spike stood silently as he waited for the Mana Stomp to work. And it did. Spike could see it all. It was not like seeing with his eyes. It was more like a sense. The feeling was incredible. Spike could tell where he was not supposed to step and where it was safe. He could tell every trap and spell that Shadow had placed. Spike moved slowly through the course. His vision was short, though. He could only see the traps very near him and had to move quickly to avoid them. He was able to do that and got through the course after a few dozen tries. 


Spike remembered that day well. It was one of his favorite lessons in magic. Emotion is passion. Passion is power. Power is magic. That was what Spike took from it.  Cadance had blindfolded him, but that would not stop him. 
Spike raised a clawed foot and slammed it into the ground. The shockwave sent out told Spike exactly where he was. He could see it. Multiple small points touching the ground. Chairs, maybe. He also sensed several hoofsteps moving about. That meant several ponies. Spike was so focused on the Mana Stomp that he ran right into Princess Cadance. 

“Are you all right,” She asked.

“Yeah,” Spike told her, “I just lost my balance for a moment. Almost tripped over my own tail.”

“Okay. Good,” Cadance said, “Because we are here.”

Spike got one last flash of sense from the Mana Stomp. He got several hoofsteps. That meant several ponies. They were moving around and barely stopped. What was going on? Cadance walked Spike into the room. She positioned him in the middle and took off his blindfold. Spike was greeted with a number of ponies all gathered in the dining hall. He saw all the ponies that he had met here in the Crystal Empire. Sally Silvertongue, Hammer Falls, Strikefire, R.C. Keeper and many others were there. They were all centered around a giant cake. It was huge. Spike walked up and looked at it. It said Happy Anniversary across the face of the cake. He did not understand. What anniversary? 

“It is for you,” Cadance said, “You have been here for three months as of today.”

Wow. Three months. He had really been there for a while. 

“Three months, Spike,” Cadance said, “You have done a lot of good here. You saved an entire train full of ponies from a Black Colt. You saved the kitchen from 	a drought by getting 	two local farmers to sell a portion of their harvest. You found me a Forge Master and a Records Keeper. You helped to resolve many pony disputes. Thank you, Spike.”

Spike looked back at her as she spoke. Each pony that she named stepped  forward. Spike looked at each of them in turn. Because of him each of them had gotten better lives. Sally had gotten a good story in the paper and she was in line for a promotion because of it. It would not be for a while yet, but she was a very good possibility. Hammer Falls and R.C. Keeper had both gotten their dream jobs. The increase in money that they both earned helped Strikefire back at their home forge. The two farmers who initially helped him with getting food to the palace were happy as well. They had settled their disputes and were now good friends. They even got more farmers to sell food to the palace. And then their was Princess Cadance herself.

“My job is to help you, Princess,” Spike said, “All that I have done to help the ponies here has been to help you.”

Before any more could be said the entire palace shook. Every single pony there nearly fell to the floor. Cadance took charge as Princess. She told everyone to calm down and remain in the room. Shining Armor burst into the room. 

“Cadance,” He yelled, “Black Colts. Everywhere. We have to do something.”

As Shining Armor finished his warning he was taken from behind. A Black Colt came out of the shadows and blasted him. He was sent flying forward into the room. 

“SHINING ARMOR,” She shouted as he went down. 

He landed at Cadance's hooves. She was too stunned to do anything. Her eyes were wide with worry and terror. She knelt down next to Shining Armor and cried over him. She did nothing as the Black Colt entered the room. But she was not the only one in the room that could handle it. Spike was there. He was also the only one who had previous experience with a Black Colt. 

Spike ran right at it and landed a thunderous punch to the right side of its head. The Black Colt staggered before readying itself again. He followed that up with a breath of fire that could have lit up half of Ponyville. The Black Colt was no match for such a powerful blast of light and heat. It slowly started to crack. Small fissures began to appear across the body. It was like shadows poured from them until they finally ran out. The coat of the colt turned to rock and it fell into dust and debris. Spike was done. He had won again. But his joy was short lived. 
More of the Black Colts came into the room. Spike dodged a volley of black ooze spit. He tried another blast of fire breath, but that did almost nothing. The Black Colts had already seen it happen and were able to move around it. One came in close for a bite out of Spike. Spike nimbly weaved around him and ended up right in front of the next Colt. He breathed another blast of fire. Again, it was to no effect. That Colt, a Pegasus, flew up into the air to avoid the blast. It was hard to do anything without using his magic. But he had to. A third Colt entered and headed for the other ponies. Spike roared and dashed over to it. He did not try another fire breath attack. Instead, Spike went with a more magical attack. He formed a ball of energy in his hands and launched it into the side of the Black Colt. It was blasted into the far wall before falling into dust. One down, two to go. The same Colt that tried to take a bite out of Spike came in for another try. Spike sidestepped and threw his hand up. With that movement a jet of flames came shooting up from where he was standing and engulfed the Colt. After a moment of baking the Colt had turned to dust. Two down, one to go. 
The last one was bigger than the other two. An earth pony type Colt. It charged at Spike with a fury. He dived out of the way just in the nick of time. The pony quickly turned and readied itself for another charge. It launched a volley of black ooze spit at Spike. It was a diversion. Spike put his arms up to block the ooze. He projected a barrier of magic energy that caught the ooze. He kept it up as the Colt took his charge. Spike watched through a break in the dripping ooze as the Colt approached. The Colt was nearly on top of him when Spike hit. He blasted the barrier out and sent the Colt back. It stayed on its hooves although stunned. Spike used this opportunity to finish it. He waved his hand and sent a vertical blade of energy that cut the Colt right down the middle. The final Black Colt turned to dust and Spike's battle was over. But another challenge was still awaiting. 
He ran back over to Cadance and Shining Armor. He was not looking good. He was hit in the right side just behind the neck. It was a black scar that seemed to be growing. It was extending towards his shoulder and did not look good. He flinched in pain every couple of seconds as he lay at Cadance's hooves. She was crying. Every other pony in the room could do nothing but stand and watch. Spike watched in horror as Shining Armor lay there.

“Is there anything I can do,” He asked.

“Not unless you can turn back time,” Cadance said in between sobs, “Or remove all the darkness from this world.”

“I will be back soon,” Spike said in response, “Keep Shining Armor alive.”

Spike ran out at full speed. His new size gave him a good speed. And a good endurance. He ran to the nearest window and jumped out. The training are that Shadow set up was on the other side of the palace. He would have to get there fast. He needed Shadow's help. 
The dining hall he was in was quite high in the palace. Spike hit the crystal with a hard thump. It hurt more than he thought it would. He slid down the side of the palace and drove his claws into the crystal to slow his descent. The incline he was on was coming to an end. He would have to jump again. Anything to save Shining Armor. He removed his claws just as the incline ended. The claws on his feet were hanging over the edge as Spike stood up. He leaned over the edge and propelled himself off. Another ledge was coming up. Spike could see it. But reaching it would be problematic. Spike was no longer soaring through the air after his jump. He passed the peak and was now falling. He looked around desperately for something to land on. The only thing he saw was a window. It was going to hurt, but he could use that. He curled up his body and directed his descent at the window. 
The ponies on the other side of that window got the surprise of their lifetime. They were just going about their business as usual. That room just so happened to be the laundry room. The ponies were washing towels when it happened. First it was shaking and then they saw Black Colts wandering about the palace. They hid in the laundry room and waiting for somepony to tell them it was safe. When they thought it was safe it was not. What they took for a guard was in fact a Black Colt. It came in and backed them both up into a corner. Then came the other surprise. A dragon came crashing through the window. Glass went flying everywhere and a pony even fainterd because of all the shock. Spike landed with both feet on the soapy floor. He slipped on the soap and went sliding across the floor. It just so happened that in between him and the door was the Black Colt. Spike's slide sent him on a collision course with the Colt, who was stunned at the dragon that just came through the window. Both it and Spike ended up in a cart full of towels. Spike was the first one up. The colt was still there, although dazed. Spike whipped it with the end of his tail and that was enough to dust it. He quickly found his way out and looked back at the ponies. They were terrified and confused. Spike nodded and ran off again leaving only an apology hanging in the air. He was in a hurry. From where he was it was just a short run to the training area. He was there in less than a minute. 

Spike burst in on Shadow. It was easy to tell how out of breath he was. There was obviously trouble. But Shadow knew that. Spike saw several piles of dust and debris scattered about the training area. It was the same as the pile he made while protecting Cadance and Shining Armor and all the others. Only there were many, many more. 

“What is it,” Shadow asked, “You look worried.”

“It's Shining Armor,” Spike got out between breaths, “He got blasted by one of those Black Colts and now he is really hurt.”

“Black scars? Moving by themselves,” Shadow asked.

“Yeah. How did you know,” Spike asked. 

“It is a deadly, purified version of Shadow poison. It is very potent and fast acting,” Shadow said, “Take this.”

Smoke Shadow tossed Spike a black crystal. It did not look like a normal shadow crystal. It was about the size of Spike's palm. It was encased in a beautiful gold ring. The amulet felt weird in his hand. He could almost feel the power coming from it. Spike gazed deeply into the center of the crystal. He felt stronger as he held the amulet. Maybe he could use this to save Shining Armor. He could use this to eliminate all of the Black Colts and all of the other dark and shadowy beings that threatened his friends. Spike was getting an evil smile across his face. His thoughts were interrupted by Shadow's voice. 

“Be careful with that,” Shadow said, “It is a very dangerous artifact called the Amulet of the Dark King. It belonged to King Galeek during his war with the ponies. He used it to amplify his magic abilities. It made him nearly unstoppable, but it also poisoned his mind. Use it wisely.”

“How am I supposed to use this,” Spike asked, “I don't know what to do.”

“Do what you always do, Spike,” Shadow said, “Improvise. Adapt. Annihilate."

“How do I get back to Cadance fast enough to use it,” Spike asked.

“Leave that to me,” Shadow said with a smile. 

Spike took a step back as Shadow manipulated the shadows around him. The shadows formed as smoke around Spike. They surrounded him and filled every space around him. Every scale and every spike was touched by shadow. Then he felt as if he was floating. He was no longer touching the ground. His body was carried by the darkness of the shadows until he was on solid ground again. The shadows separated from Spike's eyes and he could see Cadance and Shining Armor, but they could not see him. He was dropped off in a shadowed corner out of sight. Thank you Shadow. He raced out of the corner and up to Cadance. 

“I can help,” He said.

Before Cadance could say anything, Spike placed the amulet on Shining Armor's wound. He writhed in pain under the pressure of the amulet. Nothing happened. What was going on? Why wasn't it working?

“Why is nothing happening,” Cadance asked worriedly.

What was it that Shadow said. The amulet amplifies magical power. So Spike had to heal him. But he was never taught any healing spells. What was he supposed to do? Spike went back to the lessons that he was taught. Focus. Passion. Power. 
Spike closed his eyes and focused not on the amulet or the power. He focused on Shining Armor and his shadow poison wound. He focused on the poison leaving the wound. He envisioned it in his head. He could not let him die. Shining Armor was Twilight's brother. She would never forgive Spike if he didn't do everything he could. And he was Spike's friend. As was Cadance. Spike's eyes flashed open. They were glowing green. He was activating his Mystik power. Everypony there watched in amazement as the shadows in the wound started to stir. They lifted up and twisted and swirled in the air. At first it seemed as if they were about to fly off into nowhere. But as more and more of the shadows left Shining Armor they turned and swirled around the amulet. The amulet absorbed the shadows as Shining Armor was healed. After a few moments Spike was done. He had extracted all of the shadows from Shining Armor. He was safe. Just as Spike was powering down a group of royal guards burst into the room. He stashed the amulet away before anypony else saw it.

“Your Highness,” One of them said, “You need to evacuate. There are Black Colts everywhere. We cannot fight them all.”

“Use fire and light to get rid of them,” Spike interjected, “Those are the only ways that are proven to work. Direct sunlight works the best.”

The guards looked around the room. They saw terrified ponies and and three piles of dust and debris. They noticed Shining Armor laying on the floor and Princess Cadance laying next to him. Then they all turned back to Spike. He looked like he just went through a lot. He looked tired and weary and weak and worn out. 

“Trust what he says,” Cadance said flatly, “He saved us all here.”
> Ch.7 A Bright Goodbye
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was not too much later when all the commotion with the Black Colts was resolved. Apparently, after Spike and Shadow had reduced their numbers they had started to retreat a little. Then the guards took Spike's advice and even more of their numbers were taken out. But there were still questions. Where did they come from? Why did they attack now? What were they after? And that did not count the many questions that Cadance had for Spike. He disliked every aspect of the meeting that was about to go down. He met Cadance in the thrown room. She seemed very stressed. Way more than usual. She saw Spike come in and dismissed the guards and ponies that were there with questions. It was very quiet once all the other ponies were gone. It was an uncomfortable silence. 

“How bad is it,” Spike finally asked to break the silence. 

“Many of the guards around the city were injured and even more of the Palace guards are in need of doctors,” Cadance said very matter of fact, “Including Shining Armor. I am told he is going to make a full recovery.”

“That is good to hear, Princess,” Spike said.

“Yes, it is,” Cadance said, “Which brings us to the next topic. How in Equestria did you do those things, Spike?! You fought off four Black Colts in the dining hall and another one in a laundry room. What were even doing jumping off the ledges of my palace? Explain yourself.”

Cadance was looking Spike dead in the eyes. The intensity of her eyes was somewhat scary, but Spike could tell it was not anger behind her eyes. It was passion. Caring, compassion, love, and everything that made her the great princess that she is. All she wanted were answers. She deserved to know and Spike could not lie to her anymore. 

“I have been learning dragon magic,” He flatly stated, “That is what I used to defeat the Black Colts.”

“Since when can dragons do magic,” Cadance said with genuine surprise.

“It is a forgotten time in Equestrian history,” Spike explained, “I have found and read many books on dragon magic.”

“What I saw that day,” Cadance said with an edge in her voice, “Was amazing! I have never seen anything like that before! Incredible! Is that why your eyes glowed green? And how you healed Shining Armor? You used dragon magic? Can other dragons be taught to do this magic?”

“I do not think so, Princess,” Spike said, “I had a spark of magic already. What you saw was the flame burning.”

“Oh, I see,” Cadance said with a smile, “Well, then. I think I can keep this our little secret.”

“You might want to contact Luna,” Spike said with a blush, “Uh, I mean Princess Luna. She also knows.”

“I'll make sure to do that,” She said happily, “You should go now. Try to stay out of sight. I have something planned and don't want anypony to see you until then.”

Spike was a little shocked at Cadance's reaction. He was expecting something a little more sad. But it was not like that. Cadance was just amazed at what Spike did. I guess the news that Shining Armor was going to be fine really improved her mood. Spike could understand that. He was the one that saved him after all.

Spike was slowly making his way down to the training area. Cadance did not want him seen. That was the best place to go. As he traversed the halls of the palace he passed all the ponies that were at the dining hall when he used his magic. Strikefire and R.C. Keeper were there. They looked at him as he walked by. Hammer had a look of relief on his face. He was just happy to see that his family was okay. He was a rather simple pony, but that's why Spike liked him. He was easy to get to know. R.C. Keeper just looked afraid. She did not handle these kinds of situations well. She was just a small pony who liked books and scrolls. Strikefire was consoling her. Spike waved to her as he walked by. That helped a little. He saw Sally Silvertongue as well. She was talking at some nurse mare trying to get some information. She saw Spike and fell silent. Her face had a look of amazement and confusion. She looked away from Spike and kept talking at the nurse mare. Spike could tell she was trying to hurry and get over to him. She did, and rushed in his direction. She was stopped, though, by a guard and he told her something that she did not take well. Must be Cadance keeping his magic secret under wraps. He would have to thank her again later. But right now he needed to get away from everypony. He hurried down to Shadow. Spike found him clearing out the training area. Almost all of his stuff was gone. 

“What are you doing,” Spike asked.

“I have a feeling we will not be here much longer,” Shadow said, “I was there for your meeting with Princess Cadance. You were wise to tell her the truth.”

“Really,” Spike said with shock, “I told her I am learning an ancient magic so old that nearly everypony has forgotten the myths and legends. That truth!? You think it was wise to tell her that?”

“Yes,” Shadow said bluntly, “She already witnessed you using magic. Lying to her would have only made things worse. Besides, you helped defend her palace and healed her husband. The latter one got you a lot of favor.”

“But it is not just her, Shadow,” Spike said, “It is all the other ponies. They don't look at me the same. It is just not what I expected.”

“What did you expect,” Shadow asked with a hint of sarcasm, “You used magic in front of a crowd of ponies. Of course they are going to look at you differently. As for Cadance, did you expect more grief and sadness? That is a dark emotion that she was able to overcome. You did good, Spike. Just accept that.”

“Hey Shadow,” Spike said after a moment of silence, “Before, when I fought those Black Colts, I won. But when I won they turned to dust and crumbled.”

“What are you getting at, young blood,” Shadow asked.

“Shadow,” Spike said, “Please tell me I didn't destroy four actual ponies. I don't think I can handle that.”

“No need to worry,” Shadow replied, “They are just manifestations of the black ooze. Nothing more. They are not real ponies.”

Shadow could tell his words were sinking in. Spike was thinking about them as he lay on the crystal floor. Shadow looked at Spike proudly. He would make it through this. Spike was a strong one. He had fallen asleep in the former training area. The entire day had been draining for him. Shadow transported him to his regular room in the castle. Better he was there if any ponies came knocking at his door. Shadow also left him a present. He would get it after he woke up. 

Spike was back in another nightmare. It was not Ponyville, or Canterlot. It was not that desolate, barren wasteland or that dark room with the lights. No. Spike was in someplace new. The Crystal Palace. That was a first for his nightmares. Spike was honestly not as affected as he was before. This time he was somewhat numb to what he saw. It was Shining Armor. He had his back turned to Spike. As Spike walked up he fell. Upon further inspection Spike found that he Shining Armor had fallen into a grave. Spike was surprised to see that. He was even more surprised to see his head turn back and look at Spike. He was covered in the same black ooze that every pony in his nightmares was. His eyes were black as well.

“Your fault, Spike,” Shining said coldly, “You put me here, and you know it.”

NO! Spike would not accept that! He had healed him! He used the amulet that Shadow had given him. He had healed him. He took the shadows away. He took the pain away. Spike turned away from the grave bound colt. He would have nothing more to do with him. Instead, more ponies appeared in front of him. It was Hammer Falls and R.C. Keeper. They looked as bad as Shining Armor, covered in the same black ooze. They moved to surround him.

“You betrayed us, Spike,” Hammer said angrily, “You kept a secret from us that could have saved a lot of ponies from being hurt. No friend of mine would do that. Just leave me and my family alone.”

“I was in the Records room, Spike,” Keeper said, “The least guarded room in the entire palace. Did that occur to you when the palace was attacked? No. You were just focused on keeping you own secrets safe. I never want to see you again!”

NO! Spike pushed past them. He ran until he could not any longer. He fell to his knees and slammed his fist into the ground. Why was this happening to him? Was Luna trying send him a message? Well he got it! His secrets put the ponies he had met and even befriended in danger. 

“Where are you, Luna,” Spike called out, “I need your help.”

Luna appeared in front of him as Spike cried. 

“Please tell me you are real,” Spike pleaded.

“As real as the mirror that I gave you,” Luna responded, “But it would seem that you are the broken one here.”

“I did not mean for anything to happen,” Spike said, “I did not know that Black Colts would attack the Crystal Palace. But they did. And now Shining Armor is hurt. Hammer Falls and R.C. Keeper are hurt. They are all hurt and it is all my fault! 

Luna walked over to Spike and placed a hoof on each shoulder. She looked right in his eyes before giving him a big hug. 

“Hush now, Spike,” Luna said tenderly, “This is not your fault. Even if you had told the entire Crystal Empire what you could do ponies would still have gotten hurt. You have a secret. Not all ponies will understand you keeping that from them. In time you will be forgiven.”

“Shadow said the same thing,” Spike said. 

“He has taught both of us many things,” Luna said.

“Yeah,” Spike said, “Don't tell Twilight about her brother. I want to be the one to tell her. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Luna said, “But she will probably hear from Cadance first.”

“Maybe,” Spike said wearily, “But I am getting tired. Thank you for everything, Luna.”

“Good night, my sweet dragon. May your dreams never haunt you and always light your path.”


Spike woke up the next morning in a strange mood. He was not as sad and mopey as he was the day before. But he was not happy either. He got  a good nights sleep. It did not start that way, but Luna had helped him. Spike got out of bed and noticed a small package on the table. It was a round, lightweight object wrapped in plain brown parchment. Spike tore the parchment and removed the object. He could not believe what he was seeing. It was his reflection. More than that. It was his reflection in the mirror that Shadow had broken. The Night Calling Mirror. Spike was no longer without a way to contact Luna. This made Spike feel somewhat happy. His happiness was delayed, though, due to a knock on his door. He quickly stashed the mirror as a guard pony entered the room. 

“Collect your things,” He said flatly.

Spike moved to get his backpack. Nearly everything he had was in that backpack. All of the important things at least. He grabbed a few more of the important things from around his room and stuffed his backpack full. He had a feeling he was not going to see that room again any time soon, so he took one last look. It was full of things he had collected during his stay there at the Crystal Palace. A lot of it was just small stuff that he could not take with him. There were a few bigger items. A shield the Hammer Falls made him. It was the first thing he made at his new forge at the palace. Spike hooked it up to his backpack. He picked up a book that R.C. Keeper had given him as a present after she had the whole Records room overhauled. It was an ancient piece of text that Spike treasured. It was a journal of one of the past kings of the Crystal Empire. Apparently, he had close ties with dragons and they greatly influenced his reign. Spike put that in his backpack. Sally gave him a nice stationary set that came with a set of very nice quills and ink and paper. He was not sure if he should bring that item with him. It was obviously useful and he was used to carrying one when he followed Twilight around. The memories of that time flooded Spike's mind. With as much that has happened to him since he had been away, Spike really missed those days. He was never alone then. Never. He always had someone close by. Not like now. Now all he had was an antisocial dragon that only talked to him to give him lessons, and a princess that he could only talk to at night, through a mirror. What a strange life he led. Those memories caused Spike to pack the quills and the ink and the paper into his backpack. Maybe he would write a letter back to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie was still probably sleeping by the mail box. No, it had been too long, even for her. She had given up on him too. He eventually slipped his coat on and went back to the guard. He was ready to leave. They exited the room and started walking down the crystal corridor. After only a few moments the guard stopped. Someone was in the corridor with them. 

“Your Highness,” The guard said, “I did not think you would be up yet.”

“Where are you taking him,” Shining Armor asked the guard.

“Princess Cadance ordered me to bring the young dragon to her,” The guard said.

“And where is she,” Shining Armor asked, “I will take him myself.”

“Outside,” The guard said, “She is by the Crystal Heart.”

Shining Armor thanked the guard and sent him back to his regular duties. He started walking off and Spike followed close behind him. Spike could see where his wound was. It was covered with bandages. He didn't seem to be in any pain. If he was then he was hiding it well. Spike wanted to say something, but what could he possibly say to apologize for what happened? There were no words for it. Shining Armor spoke first after a long while of awkward silence. 

“Thank you,” He said.

“What,” Spike asked.

“Thank you,” He repeated, “For the wound. Cadance told me about your learning on the side, and how you used it to heal me. You saved not only my life, but the lives of many other ponies as well.”

“Oh, you're welcome,” Spike said, “I am glad to see you up and about this soon.”

The rest of the time spent walking was filled with questions. Shining Armor was curious about the magic that saved his life. Spike did his best to answer his questions without revealing to much. So Shining Armor led Spike down to the Crystal Heart. It was the relic that Spike and Twilight rescued from the Crystal Palace on their first visit. It was Spike that had placed it where it sat now. Spike got there to find Cadance with a happy look on her face. She had a smile and seemed to be like her old self. She seemed surprised that Spike was led up by Shining Armor. She gave a disapproving look as well. He was not supposed to moving around yet. He was supposed to stay in bed and rest. Spike walked up and stood right next to the Crystal Heart. 

“Spike,” Cadance started coldly, “When you first visited the Crystal Empire you found and retrieved the Crystal Heart from where King Sombra had hidden it. The crystal ponies hailed you as a hero with unmatched bravery.”

Spike knew where this was going. He had been through enough of these with Twilight and the rest of the gang. It was an awards ceremony. Yay. He was already a hero in the Crystal Empire Now he was just adding to his hero status. 

“Yesterday,” Cadance continued, “You showed that bravery once again. You defended not only me and the Crystal Palace, but you also helped Shining Armor who was critically injured during the battle. You have the thanks of the entire Crystal Empire and my personal thanks as well.”

All the ponies that attended the ceremony burst into applause and cheer. Spike blushed. He was never going to get used to these public situations. Cadance gave Spike a shiny new medal. It was not like any medal he had ever seen before. It was a crystal. It was a white color with a hint of blue in it. Inside the crystal was a still flame. Spike had no idea how it got in there. He stared at the flame for a moment. It was green and cast a glow across the crystal when the light hit it. He loved it. There was a massive celebration for Spike's going away party. The entire city was involved. As Spike made his way through the crowds he ran into some of the ponies he met. Strikefire and R. C. Keeper were the first he met.

“Hello, Spike,” Strikefire said, “You came to my house and my little forge and told me I could work at the Crystal Palace. Forge Master. I couldn't believe it. Then you make my little sister the Records Keeper. My family can't thank you enough for what you have done for us.” 

“I was just doing my job,” Spike said humbly, “Besides, you deserve the job more than any pony I know.”

Spike mingled his way through the crowds for the rest of the day. He met and talked to many other ponies. They all thanked or congratulated him for saving the city and getting a medal. Many ponies had questions. Sally Silvertongue was one of those ponies of course. She pressed Spike for any information he could give, but he didn't budge. He did do the next best thing and introduce Sally to Princess Cadance herself. She could not help but give Spike a playful glare as Sally bombarded her with questions. Spike mouthed a silent You're welcome to Cadance. She ignored him and went to answering Sally's many questions. 
It was a good day overall. Spike was leaving at the end of it though. It was almost the end of the day, though, when he realized he had not told the princess about his plans to leave. Great. One last mistake to end his stay at the Crystal Palace. That is when he had an idea. He made his way up to the Crystal Heart again. Cadance and Shining Armor were still there. They hadn't moved. Spike whispered that he had an announcement to make when he got up there. Shining Armor silenced the crowd. Spike cleared his throat and turned to the crowd and Cadance.

“I just wanted to thank Princess Cadance for giving me such a celebration,” Spike started, “I hate to spoil it with bad news, but I must say that I will be leaving the Crystal Empire tonight.”

A whisper traveled through the crowd as Spike's words were taken in. Even Cadance was taken by surprise. She looked at Spike with a look of disbelief. Why was he just now saying this? 

“But you don't need to worry,” Spike continued, “With Princess Cadance and Shining Armor looking over all the crystal ponies, there is nothing that the Crystal Empire cannot handle. I may be the hero today, but they are the heroes everyday!”

The crowd burst into another round of cheering and applause. It was time for Cadance and Shining Armor to take center stage. Even they blushed a little. Spike had thrust them into the spotlight. Shadows lessons worked for more than just magic. He remembered them well. Misdirection. Get the attention off of you and onto some other pony. This allows you to move about with less trouble. Spike just took the attention off of his leaving and heaved it onto Cadance and Shining Armor. He smiled at his own cleverness. 

Spike got a much bigger send off then he ever imagined. He talked to Cadance after the celebration had died down a bit. It was rather late at night. Those crystal ponies knew how to party. He said his goodbyes and was on the train out of the Crystal Empire. He was happy to be going. It was time for him to move on. He would be going back to Ponyville. It was time that he headed back. It was time that he headed home.
> Ch.8 A Cold Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was official. Spike had the worst luck ever. He was on the train leaving the Crystal Empire. The train had a small group of guards that were sent out to request help from the other Princess's. Mostly Celestia and Luna. Twilight did not yet have the extra guards that was needed. She did not yet have a castle. So Spike was sitting in the front cabin again. He was a royal guest after all and got the perks to go with it. One bad thing was that because of everything that had happened with the Black Colt assault every single pony came up and started asking questions about Spike's job as the PAD. He was wearing the coat, too, so that did not help at all. All he wanted was to sit down and continue reading the book that he started months ago. The one about the dragon that has to save the land from darkness with the new skills he learns. That book. He never got very far into it. Now that he had time he was being verbally assaulted by ponies. It took a while, but he was able to get a good way father into the book. He was on chapter eight when it happened. 
He was sitting in the cabin, reading. It was a fairly quiet in the cabin. Many of the other crystal ponies had already gotten off at stops along the way. Spike was the very last stop. But he wouldn't make it there. Everything was going along normally, like any other day. That is when it hit. The whole train cabin nearly flipped. Spike grabbed his backpack and was able to use his longer reach, claws, and tail as leverage to keep himself in place as the cabin shook violently. After it stopped Spike checked on the other ponies. None of them were hurt. Only minor aches and pains. A few bruises here and there. Spike then peered out the windows to try and get a look at what hit them. Oh, he saw it all right. It was not what he was expecting. It was not a Black Colt. That is what he was expecting. A couple Pegasus Black Colts. But that would have been too easy. Why did Spike never get the easy option? What he saw was a dragon. A Black Dragon. It was just there. A few slow flaps of it's wings was all that kept it up. Spike could see the black ooze drooling out of its mouth. The eyes were dark and lifeless voids. It was a nightmare come to life, only worse. The Dragon all of the sudden darted at the train and breathed onto it. This Dragon did not breath fire, however. It layered a thick stream of black ooze onto the side of the train. Spike acted quickly. With a telekinetic wave he got all windows up and all ponies away. In the panic nopony noticed what he did. Not that it mattered. Within moments the ooze began to sizzle and pop. It was eating away at the side of the train cabin. Now the ooze was acting like acid. The entire side dissolved before Spike's eyes. Before Spike could even try to help the Black Ooze Dragon attacked. It caught Spike off guard and yanked him out of the train. He gripped Spike tightly and squeezed. Spike did all he could to fight the Black Dragon's grip, but it was immensely stronger than he was. It crushed Spike nearly to point of passing out. His body went limp as he struggled to stay conscious. He could barely keep his eyes open. The Dragon loosened his grip just slightly before throwing Spike down to the emptiness below.


Along the river below, a young filly was gathering water. She and her family were all farmers. This was the closest fresh water river to their farm. The young filly was sitting by the river. She did not want to be there. But she had to do as her father said. She thought she had seen something fall from the sky earlier, but she blamed it on a mind not fully awake. Farm workers get up early after all. Way to early, in her opinion. But then, as she was sitting by the river, she saw something. It was hard to make out. It was floating on the surface of the water so it was not a rock. It was much to dark to be a chunk of ice. She was young and curious so she had to figure it out. She was also a unicorn. She thrust her head out over the water and focused on getting that thing. Her horn flickered and sparked. The thing slowly lifted out of the water and landed next to her on the shore. She stopped to congratulate herself. She had done it! Then she investigated the thing. She quickly saw that it was a backpack. It was soaking wet obviously, and it was also covered in a really weird black sticky substance. The young filly went to touch it when she was surprised. Out of the silence of the early morning she heard a loud crack. The ice that covered the river was cracking. It was a normal sound so she ignored it. But then, much to her surprise, a massive hand shot up out of the water. All of it comes out, down to the shoulder. She screams at the top of her lungs as the hand comes down with a mighty thud. The claws dig into the dirt and the rocks right next to her. She backs up quickly as more of whatever it was appeared. The arm pulled up and a head appeared. It was hanging low and she could not see a face. The other arm was coiled around the abdomen. Whatever it was it was clearly hurt. It slowly and painfully crawled out of the icy river and collapsed onto the ground. The filly hid behind a rock the entire time. She was too afraid to think of what to do, but she had to do something. But she had no idea of what to do. She ran off to get her father. He would know what to do. 

Spike woke up in a pile of ash. Now it was little more than cinders, but he could tell it was recently burning. What happened? He tried to sit up when a throbbing in his head put him back down. Ohh, that was going to hurt for a long while. He almost didn't notice the pain in every other part of his body because of the throbbing in his head. He did notice one other. His left side was particularly painful. He moved his head just enough to see what hurt. He saw only a large cloth hidden behind a lot of bandages. What happened to him? He looked around him. He saw metal walls and all sorts of equipment and tools. He recognized a few from his time at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, but the rest were unfamiliar. The passed his gaze over the metal walls until a pony blocked his sight. She came out of nowhere and startled Spike. Spike's vision was a little blurry so he could not see her clearly up close. 

“Hi,” She said happily, “You're awake.”

Her voice sounded young. He could tell it was full of excitement. It reminded him of Scootaloo, or maybe Sweetie Belle. It did not have the same accent that Apple Bloom did. He missed the three of them the more he though about them. His thoughts were cut short by the appearance of a pony. A young filly now filled his visual range and he could see her clearly. She had an ice blue crystal coat with a short and spiked white mane with dark blue stripes. Her eyes were a deep red in contrast to the rest of her. 

“Yeah,” Spike said slowly, “What happened?”

“I dunno,” The filly said, “You just popped out the river like a sea monster and darn near scared the ice off me.” 

Her words were a little confusing for Spike. What river? She said something about a sea monster? Where was he ? The only thing she said that Spike fully understood was the ice comment. He was freezing! Spike relaxed his body and the pain subsided a very little. He looked back the the filly. She was just standing there. It was kind of creepy. She was just smiling and staring. She must not have a lot of friends. 

“Was my backpack with me,” Spike asked.

“That was yours,” The filly said, “Yep. Gottit right here. It was in purty bad shape when I dragged it out the river. Didn't open it. Didn't get the chance with you exiting the river the way you did.”

The filly ran over to the corner and fetched the backpack. Spike did not even ask her. Cool. She dropped it at the edge of the ash pile. Spike tried once to get up but the pain nearly flattened him again. Slowly this time. He started with his legs. He got one up and over the side. Then the next. He then sat up. That took much longer. Every single movement, no matter how small, sent pain shooting throughout his body. He finally got to an upright position and stopped. He was in a lot of pain. He looked down at his backpack on the ground. There was no way he was getting down to it without a lot of pain. The filly nearly read his mind and unclasped the backpack. Spike told her to find the mirror and to touch nothing else. It took her a moment, but she found it. She held it up and admired herself in the face of the mirror. She gawked at the frame and the designs before Spike snatched it away from her. 

“Thank you,” Spike said, “Now can you give me a moment alone?”

“Sorry, but I can't do that,” The filly responded, “I was told to watch you every minute.”

“Well then, can you keep a secret,” Spike asked. 

He knew it was a risk, but he needed some help. The filly nodded excitedly. She nearly bounced off the wall as Spike held the mirror up and said the magic words. 

“The night calls you, Smoke Shadow,” Spike stated.

“Well. It is good to see you,” Shadow said through the mirror, “How have you been?”

“Not too good,” Spike answered, “I was thrown off the train and now I don't know where I am, but I a-”

“You are on an ice farm in the Crystal Empire,” The filly interrupted.

“Who was that,” Shadow asked, “Are you using the mirror in front of somepony? Do you not remember what I said?”

“I do remember,” Spike said, “But I am hurting all over and was wondering if you knew something that could help.”

“I see,” Shadow said mysteriously, “I do know something. Lay back down and close your eyes. Focus all your remaining energy on your pain. Do as I taught you. Then repeat after me.”

Spike lay back down. That took almost as much time as it did for him to sit up. It was just as painful too. He groaned as his body shifted back into a resting state. Then he closed his eyes. The pain was constant so it was easy to focus on it. He would need absolutely no interruptions. In his state any interruption would mean he would have to start over. Luckily the filly did not interfere. And once Spike was ready he repeated what Shadow had said. 

“Mend my body and heal my wounds,” Spike said with clarity. 

Spike felt a surge of energy withing his body. It was everywhere, but then collected in his hand. He gazed at the swirling aura of blue energy that encased his hand. He felt no pain. It was incredible. He touched his hand to his chest and the energy returned. It surged across his body and went deep under every scale. At first the pain increased, but then it subsided very quickly. After a few moments Spike felt better then ever. He took his healed body and sat up. That was a mistake. He sat up too fast and sent his head spinning. 

“Be careful,” Shadow said, “You are not fully healed. That spell was a healing spell used to heal wounded warriors on the battlefield just long enough to get them out. You will still need some time to recover from your more serious injuries. And deal with that filly that you foolishly used the mirror in front of.”

“Thank you, Shadow,” Spike said, “The night releases you.”

Spike ended his call with Shadow and turned back to the filly. She had not moved. Her eyes were as wide as they could be with shock and pure amazement. Her mouth was wide open. Spike noticed her unicorn horn and knew what he had to do. He got out of his bed of ash and closed her mouth for her. 

“You cannot tell anypony about what you saw here,” Spike said assertively. 

“How'd you go and do all that now,” She asked, “I ain't never heard of a mirror that could talk to people from far off. And you did magic. Only ponies can do magic. How did you do it?”

“You want answers,” Spike said, “I will give them to you. If you give me some.”

“Answer for answer, eh,” The filly pondered, “You got yourself a deal. You got my questions already. So answer 'em.”

“You first,” Spike stated, “Where am I and who are you?”

“You are on the very edge of the Crystal Empire. This is an ice farm on the border. We harvest the ice used in special events in the main city. And me? My name is Flake Frost. The Frost family has been here in these parts for a dozen generations, but we only began harvesting ice a few generations ago.,” Flake said proudly, “Your turn.”

“My name is Spike. I am a dragon that can do magic. The mirror was a magic artifact that helps me contact my mentor. He teaches me magic. That is how I can do it,” Spike explained. 

With all the questions asked and answered. Spike got up and grabbed the Night Calling Mirror and put it back in his backpack. He then took a second look at the building he was in. It seemed to be a barn. Or maybe a warehouse. Spike could not picture a barn for ice harvesting. Just as he was looking towards the front a small door off to the side opened. An older pony came in. He looked to be Flake's father. He was happy to see Spike up and about so soon. He said it was the wonder that dragons healed so fast. Flake snickered at her father. She knew the truth, but no one else did.
Spike and Flake followed her father outside. The wind blasted Spike as soon as he set foot outside. It was bitterly cold and stung at his every scale. He breathed a small flame into his hands to try and get some warmth. It did not work very well. Flake pushed him to get into the main house. The trek was short, but still very uncomfortable. Spike almost knocked his head on the door frame as he entered. He was instantly greeted by a warm fire, though, and that made up for the cold walk. Flake led him up to it and sat him down right next to it. 

“There you go,” She said, “Now you can get all nice and cozy and warm right next to the fire.”

“Thanks, Flake,” Spike said.

“I see my you and my daughter have spoken,” The father said, “I told her to come get me as soon as you woke up, but kids these days. They don't listen like they 	used to. As for me, you can call me Papa Frost. Everypony 'round these parts calls me that.”

“Well then, Papa Frost,” Spike said, “Flake said I came out of the river and that this is an ice farm on the border of the Crystal Empire. How did I get here?”

“Flake told you a lot, she did,” Papa Frost said, “Well, she wasn't lying to ya. This is an ice farm and we are on the border of the Crystal Empire. Have to be here. This is where the best ice comes from. But to answer your question. We are not exactly sure how you got here, but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that the river carried you here from some other place. Why you stopped here is anyponies guess. The river is mysterious that way.”

Papa Frost finished talking and he let Spike absorb everything. It was a lot to take in. He was still in the Crystal Empire after all that had happened. Even if it was the edges he was still there. But this place was far from the city in a more ways than one. It was so empty and cold, but that was not a bad thing here. Papa Frost's wife came in with hot drinks as Spike was thinking. Flake handed him a mug and he took it heartily. He held it for a moment. The feeling of warmth in his hands was bliss in the freezing cold environment that he was in. And the flavor was even better. It was just hot cocoa, but it was the best that he had ever had. He took a sip and the hot liquid stirred as it went down.

“Delicious,” Spike said.

“Old Frost family recipe,” Papa Frost said, “We buy cocoa beans from the ponies in town and fix 'em up just right here at home.”

Spike was glad to have some warmth in him. He was very tired after all that he had been through. Flake showed him to a small room off to the side of the main room. It was just a little smaller than the room he had at the Crystal Palace. He would do just fine in that room. He immediately went for the bed and curled up on it. Flake said goodnight and Spike was fast asleep a moment later. 

Spike found himself in yet another nightmare. He was getting really tired of them. But he was plagued by them. This one was different. Spike was not in any place that he could recognize. It was not even that weird, empty room with the lights. It was nothing. Then Spike saw something. It was like he was seeing through a window into the past. It was a group of dragons walking and talking. It was from the time before dragons lost their magic. The one in front wore an immaculate golden crown. Spike knew who he was. Galeek. The Dragon King. He was just as imposing as Spike envisioned him to be. He had the black gem amulet. The Amulet of the Dragon King. That image must have been during the war with the ponies. But then the window closed and another opened. This time Spike saw an army of dragons. They were all armed and ready for war. This window snapped shut as another opened. Spike saw as Galeek addressed his subjects. He seemed like a good and fair king. This happened before the war with the ponies. Galeek did not have the Amulet. Spike began to wonder if it really was the war that changed him. Either way the Galeek that Star Ethereal defeated was not the same one that built the dragon kingdom. And then Spike heard it. 

“Those were the good days.”

The voice was loud and booming and everywhere. Spike could not tell if it was talking to him or not. He kept quiet for fear of the being the voice belonged to. As he shuddered in fear he noticed a piercing cold come over him. It was like no cold he had ever felt. It stung like needles down to the bone.

“How I wish for those days to return,” The voice said, “To be a King again and rule this land as it should be.”

Spike could not believe it. Was that Galeek? How could it be? Galeek was long dead. He could not be here. Spike's thought was disproved by a sudden appearance. It was the most terrifying thing Spike had ever seen. And he didn't even see it clearly. All he saw was a silhouette. It was massive. It was strong. It was poweful. And it was coming.

“I will not let the ponies have their reign any longer,” Galeek said, “Soon I will rise again. I am even more powerful than I was before and I will take back what was taken from me!”

Spike could not move. He was paralyzed by fear. Galeek was getting closer. He could not see Spike. And he almost flattened him. Just as Galeek was right on top of him, Spike was gone. 

Spike woke up screaming. He thrashed out as his mind tried to remember where he was and what he was doing there. It took a pony to bring him back. One of Spike's flying fists came within an inch of hitting Flake Frost. Spike managed to stop it just in time. He pulled himself back together and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sorry about that,” He said, “I had a nightmare.”

“I could tell,” Flake said, “Not surprising with what you been through and all. Now get up outta bed. We gots work to do.”

“Okay. I have to make a call first, though. Is that okay,” Spike asked.

“A call? You gonna use that fancy magic mirror to talk to somebody again,” Flake asked excitedly, “Can I stay? Pleeeaaase???”

Spike conceded that Flake could stay. She had already seen him use it once. He pulled the mirror out of his backpack and looked at Flake. She closed the door and rushed right next to Spike's side. He cringed a bit as she pressed into his side. He still had a wound on his left side that was new to him. She scooted over a bit and apologized. Spike brushed the whole thing off and looked back at the mirror. He looked deep into the mirrors black surface and said the magic phrase. The night called Luna. She appeared in the surface of the mirror and Flake almost flew through the roof.

“That is Princess Luna,” She shouted excitedly, “You know Princess Luna? How? Did she give you the mirror? It does have her on it. Did she make the mirror?”

“Calm down, Flake,” Spike urged as Luna spoke.

“Spike, is that you,” She asked worriedly, “I feared the worst. The news of the train incident said you were thrown from the train. You were nowhere to be found when they searched for you.”

“I am okay, Luna,” Spike said, “I landed in the river and it carried me away. I came to at an ice farm at the very edge of the Crystal Empire.”

“Is that where you met that young filly,” Luna asked.

“Yes. This is Flake Frost,” Spike explained, “She found me. She is the only one who knows about me and what I can do.”

“Are you sure that is wise,” Luna asked.

“I can handle it,” Spike said, “But I do have bad news. I had another nightmare last night. This one was different. I cannot tell you anything now, but I will the next time I see you.”

“As you wish, Spike,” Luna said, “But I cannot keep my joy for you a secret. What am I to say to my sister?”

“I don't know,” Spike said, “But I know that you will figure something out, Luna.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Luna said.

Spike groaned in agony as his wound was agitated by Flake moving. Flake quickly moved to his other side and apologized. Spike looked back at the mirror. Luna looked a little displeased. 

“You are not fine, Spike,” She said, “You need to stay where you are. That ice farm is perfect place for you to stay while you recover.”

“What,” Spike nearly shouted, “I can't stay. The nightmare I had revealed a lot. I have to tell you in person. This is important”

“Spike,” Luna said gently, “As much as I would enjoy seeing you again you must stay. You still have your magic training, and now you have wounds that need healing. Please stay, for me.”

“Alright, Luna,” Spike said.

“And you, young filly,” Luna said to Flake, “Make sure he doesn't get into to much trouble, okay? Can you do that?”

“Y-y-yes, Princess,” Flake stammered, “S-sure thing.”

“Thank you, Flake Frost,” Luna said before Spike released her. 

It would seem that Spike was staying a bit longer after all. Great. He hated the cold. He was a dragon. He swam in lava like ponies swam in water. He could breath fire. Nothing about him was compatible with the cold he was in. He reached for the coat in his backpack, but reconsidered. That coat was a little to conspicuous. He needed something a little more local. Then he remembered Flake. She was stunned and starstruck. She just saw Princess Luna face to face, sort of. And she was sitting next to one of Luna's friends.

“It was Luna who gave me the mirror,” Spike said, “I am the dragon that goes around to the different Princess and helps them with whatever they need. I am the Princess Assistance Dragon.”

“That is the downright coolest thing I have ever heard,” Flake said, “I still can't believe that you know Princess Luna, or that you call her just 'Luna'. That is so cool!”

“Remember, Flake,” Spike said seriously, “You have to keep this a secret. I took a big risk showing you this. I am trusting you not to tell anyone.”

“You can count on me,” Flake said, “Now come on. We gots work to do and we already late.”

Flake pushed Spike out of the room and out of the house. The brisk morning air took all the fight right out of him. It was not as cold as the night before, but it was still freezing. The sun was out and shining bright. That made it somewhat bearable. Papa Frost welcomed Spike to the morning and to the ice farm. It was the strangest farm Spike had ever seen. There were fields upon fields of ice that grew straight up from the ground. It was quite a sight. Papa Frost also handed Spike a coat. It was the largest they had. It was not the best fitting, but it was warm. Once Spike thawed a bit Papa Frost gave him his first job. 

“I need ya to run into town and pick us some supplies. Food mostly. Our supplies are runnin' mighty low. Flake will go with ya. She seems to like ya and she knows the town better than most.”

Spike and Flake retrieved a cart from behind the metal barn. It was a barn. He learned that from Flake. That is where they kept a lot of their supplies. The only reason they put Spike in there is because that was the only fire big enough for him and because there was enough room. 
The cart itself was small, but sturdy. It was also a pony drawn cart and the only pony with him was Flake. As much as she was excited to go, she could not pull the cart on her own. She was about to hook herself into the harness when Spike picked her up. She was caught by surprise and put right into the back of the cart. Spike removed the harness and tossed them in the back too. Last in was his backpack. Then he took either side of the cart handles and pulled.

“Whoa,” Flake shouted, “There is no way you is gonna be able to pull this cart in with you being hurt and all.”

Spike noted her concern but said nothing. His response was the initial jolt that got the cart moving. Flake managed to keep her balance as the cart got moving. Spike pulled out and started off down the main road. All the other ponies were astonished that Spike was able to pull the cart in his condition. And so started Spike's first day at the Frost Ice Farm.


Luna

Luna's call with Spike ended. She was overjoyed to hear from him. It had been a while since she had heard from him. The last time was when Shadow discovered he was a Mystik. She was so glad to hear his voice and to see him. He had changed so much. He was no longer the little baby dragon that she had first befriended. She danced around her chambers with joy at the good news. All the while she was trying to think of some way to break the news to everyone. If she didn't do it just right questions would be asked that could lead to her revealing Spike and his magical abilities. It was early morning when Spike called and Luna was still awake, but tiring. She lay her head down on her pillows and thought of Spike. She was so happy that he was alive and well. She knew he was still alive. Even when she got the news that he was thrown from a train and could not be found. That night she could feel him. He was dreaming still. Luna's eyes shot open. That was it! She could feel Spike dreaming even though he was missing. She flew out of bed and to the balcony. She jumped over the railing and flew down to the throne room. It was the fastest way there. She opened the giant double doors that led into the throne and was through them in less than a blink. Celestia had just finished talking with some of the guards when Luna burst in. She caught Celestia quite off guard. 

“Luna, sister. Why is that you burst in here so,” Celestia asked.

“I have news! Such wonderful and joyful news,” Luna answered joyfully.

“About what,” Celestia asked, slightly confused.

“Spike,” Luna said, “I have news about Spike. He is alive. I know he is.”

Celestia looked past Luna. The guards were still there from her meeting. She gave them a look and they quickly exited the throne room. She looked back at her sister. Luna was dancing around the thrones. She even took flight at one point. She seemed so happy. When the messenger pony came with the news of the train attack Luna was devastated. She had grown quite close to Spike. The news of his disappearance hit her hard.

“I know that had become good friends with Spike, Luna, but there have been no findings whatsoever on his condition,” Celestia said.

“I know that, sister,” Luna said, “But I could feel him. That night after the news came, I could feel him dreaming. I have felt him every night since. If he is dreaming then he is alive.”

Celestia could not argue with that logic. It still took a moment to comprehend. Luna could feel Spike dreaming. If he was dreaming then he was alive. But where was he? Could Luna find him?

“If you know he is alive because of his dreams then can you find him using his dreams,” Celestia asked Luna.

“I do not know,” Luna said, “I can try, but I am not certain I can enter his dreams without knowing exactly where he is.”

“Trying is all that I can ask of you, sister,” Celestia said, “Now go and get some rest. I shall spread the good news. Spike is alive!”

Luna landed back on the floor and headed down one of the side corridors. She did feel quite tired. She passed several of the guards as she headed back to her room. They were all whispering to one another quietly. As soon as they saw Luna they quickly quieted down until she had passed. She knew what they were gossiping about. She had been a little overzealous with her joy. She would have to watch herself from now on. Another outburst like that and ponies might start questioning her sanity. She made it to her chambers and the guards looked back and forth at one another. She was in her chambers and now she was coming up to her doors. She headed to bed at once when she got into her chambers. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her. She yawned and fell asleep with thoughts of Spike in her mind.




Spike

Flake gave Spike directions from her seat back in the cart. Talk about a back seat driver. They did not see a lot of other ponies on the road. The Frosts got up at the earliest time Flake told him. The ones they did see were surprised to see Spike. It was not often that a dragon showed up and started helping. The long walk to town allowed Spike to see the scenery. It was quite lovely. There were many fields of ice. Many of them were bigger than the Frost's. Spike could see the Crystal Palace off in the distance. It looked so far away from where he was. And to think he was there only a week ago. From a royal palace to a farmhouse in less than a week. How his life had changed. Flake was talking the entire ride to town. Spike didn't mind. She was young and full of energy. It reminded him of his home back at Ponyville. The three young fillies that were always racing around trying to find their own cutie marks. Spike could not recall if Flake had hers or not. But he would not think about this any further. Flake was tapping him on the shoulder. 

“We are getting close to town,” She said, “We need to go to the general store and get the supplies for the farm. Maybe after that we can head to the doctors and get you looked at. Maybe you could get a better coat. If we had the money for all that, that is.”

Spike slowed down as he walked into town. Flake directed him to the general store. He pulled the cart up and set it down with a bit of effort. He stood back up straight and groaned in pain. That much physical activity did not do his wounds any good. Flake was right. Spike was never going to tell her that, though. She headed right on in and walked up to the pony at the counter.

“Hey, Flake,” He said, “How are you doing today? And who in Equestria is that?!”

The store manager was surprised to say the least, when Spike walked into his store. It was not everyday when you see a dragon walk into your store. Flake was quick with her words, however.

“It's okay,” She said, “He just popped out the river a couple days ago. He is gonna help out 'round the farm while he gets all better. We are here to pick up some supplies, by the way. We need everything on this list.”

The store manager took the list and read it. He looked over every item and then looked back at Flake. 

“This will take some time to put together,” He said, “Come back a little while later and I will have everything ready.”

Flake and Spike headed out while the store manage got the supplies around. They had time to kill so they did what Flake suggested in the cart. Spike grabbed his backpack and the two of them headed off to the doctors. It was on the other side of town. 
The doctors office was a small building that was set a little farther back than the other buildings. He was as surprised as every other pony to see a dragon walk into his place. He saw him anyway. Spike took the coat off to show the doctor his bandaged wound. It was not looking good. The doctor removed the bandages and Spike finally saw what hurt so much. He had a huge gash in his left side. It was a deep wound that looked pretty bad. The doctor was able to clean and bandage it again. Other than that Spike was healing really well. The doctor said he would need at least six weeks for it to heal properly, but he admitted he was no expert on dragons. It could be six weeks or six days. He really did not know. They all agreed it would take time so Spike paid the doctor his fee and left. 
Next they headed for the coat shop. The one that Papa Frost gave Spike was really uncomfortable and not the warmest. So they headed in and Spike started talking to the mare that owned and ran ran the shop. It was a lot of words that Flake did not understand so she went back outside for a bit. She was not outside for long when a snowball came flying right for her face. It hit her and she was not happy. She shook the snow off her head and searched for the thrower of the snowball. And she found her. Another young filly the same age as Flake. It was her nemesis. She stood a short distance away. Only a couple of paces. She was a unicorn also and magically formed a group of snowballs and launched them all at Flake one at a time. Flake was nimble and dodged around all of them. She formed a quick snowball with her hooves and aimed carefully. She threw it high into the air. At first it seemed like a bad throw. And then it landed. Flake scored a direct hit to her nemeses' face. She was not happy as Flake laughed hysterically. 

“What is so funny? It was just a stupid snowball,” She asked. 

“What's funny,” Flake said in between laughs, “Is that you had a whole mess of snowballs and couldn't hit ice in an ice field, and I only needed one to hit you in your face.”

“Did you already forget. I hit you in the face first,” The filly said.

“Yeah, but I didn't know it was comin' so it don't count,” Flake argued, “You saw mine comin' and still got hit in the face. That is why it is funny.”

“That was not funny,” The filly said angrily. 

“It was too,” Flake shouted back.

The two of them argued back and forth with it. They got closer and closer to each other until they were practically at each others manes. They were not backing off either. Their shouting had caught the stares of several ponies from town. They always did. Their fights were infamous around town. Usually it was one of the adults that broke the two of them up and set them separate ways. This time was different.

“What are you doing,” Spike asked. 

Both Flake and her nemesis looked at Spike after he broke up their little battle. They were both kind of shocked. Spike looked a lot different. The coat that Papa Frost had given him was brown, worn, and barely went past Spike's waist. The new one he bought was much different. It was made of a dark, black cloth. It looked brand new and went down past his knees. It was closed in the front across his chest, but opened up around his legs. It was slit in the back to make room for his tail. It made Spike appear rather intimidating. 

“Nice coat, Spike,” Flake said after a moment.

“You know this dragon,” The other filly said, “What am I saying? Of course you know him. No pony is going to associate with you so you had to resort to dragons. How very Flakey of you.”

The other filly walked off with her chin out like a spoiled brat. Spike looked back at Flake. She was steaming. She was so angry Spike almost saw the snow around her start to melt. Her face was red and she was about to explode. Spike knew he had to do something, so he took a major risk. It was going to be dangerous. Maybe the most dangerous thing he had done since he came to this town, but he had to do it.

“So,” He started, “Who was that?”

There. It was done. The fuse was lit before, but now maybe Flake would extinguish herself out. All she had to do was vent. And she did. Right after she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“That would be my mortal enemy,” She told Spike angrily, “My nemesis. My rival. Her name is Snow Banks. Her family owns the biggest ice farm 'round these parts, but they don't work it themselves. They hire other ponies to do it for 'em. It makes me so angry the way she acts! Like she's better than everypony else.”

“Well there are other ponies like that everywhere,” Spike said, “But I would like to know why she called you 'Flakey'.”

“She's been doin' that for months now,” Flake said, “It all started because I am a Unicorn that don't do magic. My horn is a fake. A first it was just 'Fake Flake' and then it became 'Flakey'. Anything that didn't work right or failed was Flakey.”

“That seems a bit harsh,” Spike said.

“I know,” Flake said, “But no pony 'round here is gonna say anything to her or her family. They pretty much own this whole town and can get any pony's farm shut down or worse. And because they have such a big farm it makes it hard for a small farm like ours to make money.”

“Why don't you make enough money,” Spike asked, “You have so much ice in thefields.”

“Yeah, but we can't harvest it all,” Flake said, “The only ponies we have are Papa and Mama, but they are getting old. I have two older brothers, but one left for the city and the other 	was injured during the last harvest. He won't be able to do much this harvest.”

“Well you got me,” Spike said, “Tell you what. I can show you a thing or two about magic and I can work as hard as two ponies combined. Together we can make this ice harvest the best you have ever had.”

“You got yourself a deal,” Flake said proudly.

Spike and Flake headed back to the general store. The pony that ran it should have all the supplied ready by now. They got back as he was loading the last of it into their cart. He shoved the last sack of cocoa beans into the cart with a grunt before addressing Spike and Flake. 

“Alright now. That will be fifty-five bits,” He said with a huff.

“What,” Flake shouted with surprise, “It was only forty bits last time! What changed, huh?”

“Sorry, Flake, but the last shipment from the city was really low. I have to raise my prices to keep my little store up and running,” The manager said. 

“But we ain't got that kinda money,” Flake argued, “You know that. We buy from you because you always have good prices as well as good stuff.”

“It's okay, Flake,” Spike said calmly, “I can pay for this.”

Spike reached into his backpack and pulled out a small pouch. He could hear the clink of the coins as he handed the pouch over to the store manager. He took and inspected the contents of the pouch. He was stunned. There had to be way more than fifty-five bits in there. They were all shiny and clean like they were never before used. 

“This is way to much,” He said, “There must be seventy bits here at least.”

“Use the extra to keep your store running,” Spike said, “The Frost family will be needing your services in the future. It would be shame if the best store went out business.”

“Thank you so much. . .,” The manage started.

“My name is Spike,” Spike filled in, “And you're welcome.”

Flake jumped up into the back of the cart as Spike took the handles again. He groaned at the difference between how heavy it was before. It was very light with just Flake in the cart. Now it was packed full of supplies and much heavier. But Spike could handle it. It took him a moment to get some momentum in the icy ground, but once he did he was good to go. The ice on the ground actually helped him with the cart. The wheels moved over the slippery surface easier. It was a fairly quiet trip back to the farm. Flake took a nap and Spike was able to enjoy the silence and the scenery. The rest of the way to the farm was uneventful. Good. Spike had been through enough to last him a good ling while. It would be nice for him to just do some real work for a change. 
He and Flake got back to the farm around noon. Papa Frost and his wife were just coming in from the ice fields. Flake's injured brother greeted them from the front porch. They all admired Spike's new coat and the entire cart full of supplies that he was pulling behind him. It was more than they expected. 

“Looks like you had a good trip to town,” Papa Frost said.

“You got no idea, Papa,” Flake said very excitedly, “It was incredible. First, we give the list to the store manager and then we went to see the doc pony. Spike has a nasty ol' scar on his side. Then he went to buy that fancy new coat and I got into a snowball fight with Snow Banks. Then we got the supplies from the store manager, but he slams us with a fifty-five bit price. And then Spike pull out this big bag o' money and gives it all to him. Now the store can stay open so we have somewhere to buy stuff.”

The other ponies had to stop and catch up to Flake's words. She talked almost as fast as Pinkie Pie did when she was excited. The energy of the youthful pony. It was quite something. 

“So, Spike here bought all the supplies for us,” Papa Frost reviewed, “And was able to give the store manager a little extra coin to keep the store open? That about right?”

“It was the least I could do to repay you for letting me stay here,” Spike said.

“He's also gonna stay and work the ice fields,” Flake said, “The doc said he was gonna need at least six weeks to get better, so why not.”

“Well,” Papa said cautiously, “We could use the help. But the fields can be mighty dangerous to an amateur.”

“Please, Papa,” Flake pleaded, “He already fell into the river and popped out again. Plus, he has already been movin' around and gone to town and back just a couple days after that. He can handle it.”

“Well then he can start right away,” Papa Frost said, “But with the easy stuff. Transporting the ice crystals from the fields to the barn for storage. Judgin' by the way you handle that cart I'm sure you can do that.” 

Spike was greatly appreciative. And reassured. He could get to work right away. Well, right after lunch. He was starving. They all sat around a table outside. For lunch it was a simple vegetable stew. Unfortunately, the Frosts did not have any gems for him. And his backpack supply ran out on the train. He could use a few gems right now. Flake could see the look of disappointment on his face. He could eat other things, but a nice gem would be a treat.

“What's the matter? You don't like vegetable stew,” She asked. 

“It's not that. It's just that I usually eat gems and such things,” Spike said, “I had a bag full of them that a friend gave me. I ran out just before I got here.”

“Well, we don't have any gems,” Flake said, “But we do have stew. You can eat stew, right?”

“Yes, I can,” Spike said, “And I am sure it is delicious.”

He was right. Spike sampled the stew and was amazed. It was as delicious as the hot cocoa he had the night before. It must have been another old Frost family recipe. The whole situation reminded him of Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres. She had plenty of old family recipes that she used. Granny Smith had given her a lot. He finished his stew and went to work with the other ponies. 

He followed Flake as she led him to the area they were harvesting. Spike could still not quite believe the ice fields, and he was standing right in them. Ice spires that grew straight up and out of the ground. Each spire had small branches growing off it. It was almost like a small ice tree. Only more pointed and heavier. The pointed ends were the dangers that Papa Frost mentioned. You had to have quick reflexes to avoid the sudden spurts of growth that sometimes occurred. Spike was in particular trouble due to his size and his injuries. Flake led him down a row and told him how the ice was harvested. It was a very careful process. First, a metal spike was driven into the base of the spire. That cut it off from the underground source of water that made the spires grow in the first place. That made it much safer to handle the spires. No worry of growth spurts. Then each branch was carefully cut off with a special tool that heated the ice just around the blade. Each of those tools-called heat saws-took a battery. Another item Spike picked up in town. After each branch was cut off the central spire was cut just above where the spike was driven. Then all crystals were loaded into a large cart and Spike would push it to the barn. There Papa Frost's wife, Crystal Frost, would inspect the ice for flaws. The flawed ice was discarded and the good ice was kept in a special cooler to keep it just right until the day it would be sold. A long process. But Spike knew his job and what he was supposed to do. 
He worked with Flake the rest of the day. She would buck the spike into the spire of ice. Her size made her ideal for the job. After that, Papa Frost would come and cut off all the branches to the spire and then cut the spire. It was Spikes job to push the cart down the rows and load it with the ice that was cut. After about five carts were full he would attach them all together and deliver them to Crystal Frost at the barn. And that was how the rest of the day went. Flake spiked, Papa cut, and Spike carted. It was a team job.
As the sun was setting for the day Flake was getting tired. Spike was pulling a load of carts behind him and she was wobbling beside. Every few steps her head would suddenly drop and then come back up. Every time Spike asked she said she was fine. Eventually, Spike picked her up and placed her in the front cart. It was empty. Only the back four out of five were full. She curled up and went to sleep. Spike could not help but feel tired himself. It had been a long day and his body needed the rest. He just had to drop this last load off to the barn. He got there and pulled the carts in. He grabbed Flake and quietly closed the barn doors. He walked back to the farmhouse and put her in her bed. He pulled the covers over her and went to his own room. Before he got there he was stopped by Papa Frost.

“It seems my daughter has taken a liking to ya,” He said, “Just be careful. Strangers 'round these parts can attract attention. Attention can get ponies hurt. Make sure my daughter isn't hurt. Can you do that?”

“Of course,” Spike said, “And on that subject I had a question. The pony at the general store said the latest shipment was small. He made it sound like that happened often. Why would that be?”

“Probably 'cause it does happen often,” Papa Frost replied, “Those darn ice imps outside town raid all the carriages with supplies for the stores. Those darn greedy imps! They are ruining this here town!”

“I might be able to help with that,” Spike said, “I am kinda good at solving problems like that.”

“No,” Papa Frost insisted, “You just do your job here on the fields.”

Spike went to bed that night with a lot on his mind. And also not a lot. He was happy to be here. He was helping this family while he was healing. It was actual work and not the sort of jobs he was doing as the PAD. But at the same time he was hiding. He was hiding from the world. By now Luna had told Celestia that she knew Spike was alive and dreaming and Celestia had told everpony else so everypony knew he was okay, but no one knew where he was. He was hiding from Galeek. Spike knew he was coming. He did not know how. He did not know where. He did not know when. But he did know that Galeek was on his way, and he was not happy. 
It took a long time for Spike to fall asleep. He was kept awake by the pain. It was not all from the wound in his side. It was mostly the work. He was sore everywhere. It did not matter what position he slept in. He could not get to sleep. He even tried to use that healing spell that Shadow showed him. That feeling of bliss washed over him as he touched his hand to his chest again. He loved it. There was no pain. Then the spell ended and all that soreness came back. It seemed the spell only worked on serious injuries. Spike checked his side to see if that had healed at all. He unwrapped the bandages around his abdomen and peeled back the cloth covering it. It looked a little better since he was at the doctors office, but that was due to time and medicine. The spell did very little to heal the wound the second time around. Spike finally did manage to sleep a little. It was a short and dreamless sleep. 
An hour and a half after he fell asleep Spike got a wake up call. It was Papa Frost. It was time to go to work. He groaned out of bed and made his way outside. All the other ponies were there and ready to work. Flake could see the anguish on Spike's face.

“You look tired,” She said.

“Yeah,” Spike said, “And I'm sore.”

“You'll get used to it,” Flake said, “Now we're off the ice fields. Same as yesterday.”

Hooray. Spike slowly made his way over to the barn and grabbed a line of carts. Crystal was already hard a work inspecting the ice that was harvested the day before. She seemed very focused. Very intent on finding any and every flaw. But Spike was with Flake again today. He dragged the carts out to the fields. It was a heavy job. These carts were not like the one he pulled to town. No, these were almost like mine carts. Each one was deep and had wooden sides lined with metal to reinforce it. Spike was going to make sure they were well used. 
Flake traveled down the row driving a spike into the base of each ice spire. It was not a very physical job, but a critical one. She took a pike from the bag she wore and placed it against the ice. She carefully lined up the height, the angle, and the force of her kick. When she had it all figured out she would tap the tip of the spike into the ice to make a mark for her to aim at. Then she would use her magic to hold the spike in place as she turned around and aimed her hoof. Then, with one swift motion, she drove the spike into the ice. It seemed like a complicated process, but Flake did it all within a moment of time. She was often a few rows ahead by the time lunch came around. Papa Frost was always behind her because he had the slower job. He had to carefully remove every branch of ice without damaging the overall spire. That is where most of the ice is good and useable. 
Spike watched as Flake moved farther and farther away. Papa Frost was having trouble with the heat saw. It wasn't cutting through the ice. He tried to put some weight behind it and it didn't budge. Spike looked at it and tried his weight behind it. He did have a few pounds on Papa Frost. But not even Spike's weight could move the heat saw. Papa Frost was getting worried. The heat from the saw was beginning to melt the ice around it. That would damage the spire. Spike had one final idea. He let go of the heat saw and grabbed hold of the branch that the saw was cutting through. It was just over halfway through the branch, so Spike was going to finish the job. He took hold of the branch near the tip and raised his other hand high above it. He slammed it down like a meteor on the branch. The saw cut already weakened the branch and Spike's thunderous blow broke it off completely. When it was done he had the branch in one hand and the saw in the other. He handed the saw back over to Papa Frost and then looked at the branch. 

“It is just one branch,” Papa Frost said, “At least the spire is intact.”

And so Spike was the hero of the day. He saved one ice spire and the heat saw. It still worked properly, but could use a tune up. All of their tools could use an upgrade. They never had the money. But Spike was determined to fix that. He promised himself that he would make that years harvest the best the Frost family has had in a while. The first week was tough. Only his second day and he was already breaking limbs off spires. The rest of the day went rather normal. They finished one section of the fields that day. They were able to start another one after lunch. Flake and Spike raced their ahead of Papa Frost. Spike stopped to catch his breath after they got the new section. Flake had to duck and dodge to avoid his swinging tail. It nearly hit her before the tip smashed into the bottom of a spire. The spire got agitated and sent a sharp branch right at Flake. Spike saw it coming, though. He turned faster than he thought possible and shot his arm out. He pushed Flake out of the way of the incoming branch as it collided with his arm, The thin ice branch was no match for his dragon scales. It did put a nice hole in his coat sleeve, though. Spike didn't mind. As long as Flake was okay.

“Whew,” She said, “That sure was close.”

“What happened,” Spike asked her.

Flake went over the spire. It was okay now. It had calmed down, so to speak. Flake carefully knelt down and inspected the bottom of the spire.

“Whoa,” She exclaimed, “You cracked the ice. With your tail.”

“I don't get it,” Spike said.

“This is Northern Mountain River Ice,” Flake explained, “The reason we use these special tools is because this ice is known for being real hard and real dangerous. You broke it with a swing of that big ol' tail.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had that much strength in my tail,” Spike said. 

Spike made an effort to keep his tail in check in the future. He and Flake went down the row after lunch and cleared half the section before the day ended. That is how Spike spent the next two weeks.
He and Flake cleared rows and sections. He filled the carts and pushed them back to the barn. He regularly checked in with Luna and Shadow. She often said how hard it was to keep the secret of his whereabouts to herself. She nearly caused her sister, Celestia, to have a heart attack when she burst into the throne room. Spike was alive! She did not know where. She did not know how. All she knew was that he was dreaming which meant he was alive. Spike laughed when Luna told him about the way she was acting that morning. She blushed.
Shadow was staying wherever it was he stayed when not with Spike. He still taught Spike as best he could. He gave him plenty of advice and lessons. Spike was learning elemental magic now. He could already do fire. That came naturally to him. But to truly understand magic he had to be able to harness his opposites, according to Shadow. Spike was surrounded by ice almost all the time. The only other element that he could try harnessing was wind. Even that was cold as ice here. Spike ended one their conversations one day as Flake came up to him in the fields.

“Hey, Spike,” She said, “Remember back in town a couple weeks ago. You said you could show me some things 'bout magic, but you haven't yet.”

“Sorry, Flake,” Spike said, “How about I show you some things at lunch?”

Flake was all too excited to learn about magic. She was not that good at it at all. And she was a unicorn. What good is a unicorn who can't do magic? Spike and Flake headed out in the yard at lunch. The other ponies watched as Spike knelt down by Flake. 

“Alright. Remember to focus. You have magic inside you. Close your eyes and focus on that magic. Bring it to the surface. Once it is there you can use it to do what you want. We are going to start simple. Lift this ice,” He said.

Spike threw some small pieces of bad ice that Crystal Frost had given him. They landed a few feet from them. Flake could hear the ice hit the ground. She did as Spike instructed. She closed her eyes tight. She focused. For a few moments she did nothing. Then her horn sparked and glowed. The ice began to twitch and move. And then it was floating. It was just three small pieces a few inches off the ground, but that was something. Flake opened her eyes and saw what she was doing. She was so happy that she lost focus and dropped the ice. It shattered on impact with the ground. Flake lost her smile.

“That's okay, Flake,” Spike said, “That was really good. Try again.”

Spike left Flake to practice and went back to the table to get some stew for lunch. All the ponies there were giving him strange looks. 

“Where did you learn about magic,” Papa Frost asked, “I thought dragons don't do magic.”

“I used to live with a pony who was very gifted with magic. I learned a lot from 	her and now I can use that to help Flake,” Spike said.

He purposefully avoided answering the question about dragons doing magic. He did not want to get into that. He ate his stew and watched Flake. She was doing just as Spike had said. Guess all his training with Shadow was not all for nothing. Spike learned more than just magic from him. She was real tired by the end of the day and had to be carried out of the fields. Magic did take a lot out of you. Spike knew that firsthand. The next day was the one month anniversary of Spike's arrival. Unfortunately, one month was all the time the supplies lasted. It was time for another trip to town. 
> Ch.9 Flake to the Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike headed behind the barn to get the cart that was used by the Frosts to visit the town. He picked it up at the handles and found it surprisingly light. The work he had been doing had really built his muscle up. Spike took a moment to look at himself. Back when he was in the Crystal Palace he had grown from being a baby dragon the size of filly. He got taller and bigger than he had ever been. It happened fast. Then he came here. An ice farm on the edge of the Crystal Empire. And he worked. His arms became formed and strong. His body became lean and thin, but stronger still. But it was not just his body that had grown. Spike had gotten faster as well as stronger. His reflexes were amazingly fast. His mind was stronger as well. It was possibly his strongest asset. He was quick minded and now he was able to solve problems easier and faster then ever. He was able to see connections that were unclear before. He said a silent thank you to Luna and Shadow for giving him the opportunity. Without dragon magic in his life this never would have happened. He collected his thoughts and headed out. Flake jumped in the back and they were off to town again. 
Flake was practicing magic the entire way there. She had found a few ice chips in the back and was playing with them. She was able to lift and move them with almost no effort. 

“This is so cool,” Flake said, “Thanks again, Spike.”

“My pleasure, Flake,” Spike said proudly. 

“What else you think I can do,” Flake asked.

“You could work on making a force field,” Spike replied, “Would really come in handy if you got into another snowball fight with that Snow Banks filly.”

“That is a great idea,” Flake said, “But how will I know if it works?”

Spike flicked his tail out and hit a big pile of snow. The backlash sent a wave of snow high into the air and it all landed in the cart. Flake was covered in it. 

“If that happens and you get snow on you, it isn't working,” Spike said with a laugh.

Flake shook the snow off her and glared at Spike. The glare did not last long. Flake got an idea. Spike did just teach her a little about magic. She looked to the land just beyond the path they traveled. She saw snow. Nothing but snow, as far as her eyes could see. She grinned a mischievous grin and focused. This was going to be good. The snow on the side of the path began to shift. It followed the cart along the path. The farther it went the more snow was collected. After a few minutes Flake had a small avalanche following her. She collected it all in a big ball of snow and sent it right for Spike. 
Spike was just walking along with the cart behind him. He was still snickering a little to himself for the joke he played on Flake. It was then he noticed that she was being way too quiet for her usual self. Did he hurt her feelings? Flake did not seem like a filly whose feeling were that easily hurt. No, she was plotting her revenge. That did seem just like her. But what was she doing? As Spike was thinking about this he noticed it was getting gradually darker. It was still early in the morning. There was no reason for it to get dark. He looked to the side just in time to see a snowball the size of Big Macintosh and Hammer Falls combined heading for him. Before he had time to even scream for help it struck. It was like a magic trick. One moment Spike was there, and the next he was gone. Flake watched as the snowball carried Spike a just off the path and stopped. She laughed and laughed as Spike pulled himself out. 

“Hahaha, I got ya back,” Flake said in between laughs.

“That. Was. Crazy,” Spike said.

Flake stopped laughing as she heard Spike. He spoke each word as if it were its own sentence. Each word spoke for itself. Spike had just freed both his arms from the giant pile of snow that used to be a giant snowball. He breathed fire to melt the rest away. As soon as his feet were clear he made his way toward the cart. Flake backed all the way up to the other side. She pressed herself against the wood as much as she could to try ad hide from Spike's gaze. He made it to the cart and looked directly at Flake with intensity. 

“I had no idea you could do that much with your magic already,” Spike said.

“What? You mean you ain't mad at me for the giant snowball,” Flake asked.

“It was definitely a shock to see coming right at you,” Spike said, “But I'm not mad at you. Your magic has gotten pretty strong if you can pull that off.”

Spike resumed his place pulling the cart. The whole snowball incident slowed them down a bit but they still made it in good time. Just like the last time they pulled the cart out in front of the general store. They walked in and the store manager was all to happy to see them. His shop was doing better than ever. He was able to use the extra money that Spike gave him to fix up his shop and even upgrade it a little. He fixed the leak he had in the corner. He was able to expand the awning covering the front of his shop. He took his sign down and repainted it. His entire shop looked brand new. He was getting many more customers because of it. So when Spike and Flake walked in he was thrilled to see them. 

“Well hello there, Flake,” He said, “I see you brought Spike along with you again. I can't begin to thank you enough for that bit of extra money you gave me last time. My shop hasn't had this much business since I first opened it.”

“Glad to hear it,” Flake said, “We're here for supplies again. Here's the list.”

“Okay then. It will take some time, as always, but I can give you a discount this time.”

Flake and Spike were talking with the manager when they all heard a commotion outside. Something was going on. Flake moved over to the big front window to get a look. There was a pony running through town. He did not look good. He was screaming something, but it was hard to hear what from inside the store. Flake rushed outside with Spike right behind her. The pony had gotten closer. He looked even worse up close. He appeared to be a guard of some sort. But his armor was torn and frosted over in many places. His hooves looked worn and his horn was completely iced over. His eyes were wide with fear. He was still screaming about something. Spike went over to him and tried to calm him down. He eventually stopped rambling on and looked Spike dead in the eyes. 

“Help! Help,” He said, “Ice. Just a touch. Ice everywhere. Swarming. There was nothing I could do. Help!”

The pony stopped talking and fell silent. It was like he turned into a statue. It was not until later that Spike learned it was more like a sculpture. An ice sculpture. Spike looked down at Flake. She looked scared. Spike would be to if he were in her hooves. 

“What was he talking about,” Spike asked, “Do you know who he is?”

“H-he looks kinda like one of the guards from the shipments that come from the city,” Flake managed to say.

“What about the 'ice everywhere'? What did he mean by that,” Spike insisted.

“Ice imps,” Flake spat out, “Them greedy imps attack shipments and take all that they can. But I ain't never seen 'em do this to a pony.”

“Okay. Where do these shipments usually come from,” Spike asked urgently. 

“From the south,” Flake answered, “Why?”

“You stay here, Flake,” Spike said assertively, “I will be back soon.”

Spike was gone before Flake could protest. As scared as she was Spike could not let her come with him. He ran down the nearest road that went south. It did not take long for him to find the shipment. It was a convoy of three carriages strung together. It was the first time he had seen an ice imp. Ugly little things. Small and thin. They only stood as high as a filly at their largest, but were as mean as the cold wind in a blizzard. They made up for their small size with their numbers. Spike now fully understood what the mad pony meant with his words. The ice imps could fly and were easily surrounding ponies. With a touch of their teeny little hands they could spread ice and cold. Entire ponies were encased in ice within mere moments. Spike got their just in time to witness it firsthand. He ducked behind a large boulder to avoid being seen by the imps. They were stealing the contents of the carriages and carrying it off to some unknown destination. Spike waited until they were all gone and headed for the ponies at the carriages. There were six of them total, not counting the one in town. Spike checked each one of them in turn. They were alright for now, but would not remain that way for long. He loaded them in the back of the closest carriage and pulled it back to town. It was not an easy task, but he got it done. The ponies in town saw him coming and rushed to help him. A couple of farmers in town took over pulling the carriage until it was in the middle of town. Spike quickly unloaded the rest of the frozen ponies and placed them on the ground. Flake ran up and gave him a big hug. 

“I'm so happy you're okay,” Flake said. 

Spike was happy to see Flake again too. He was to tired to respond, though. A carriage is heavy enough on its own, but with six frozen ponies in the back it was really heavy. 
Just then a pony in the crowd screamed. Spike whipped around to see what had happened. Nothing had happened, but something was happening. The first pony that ran through town screaming was freezing. The town crowd could do nothing but watch as the frost and the ice traveled across his entire body until he was fully encased. What Spike didn't understand was how? There was no swarm here. He got his answer when an ice imp popped out from his mane. It was hiding in there and freezing the pony from inside his armor. When the imp realized where he was he tried to flee, but Spike's quick hands grabbed him. The imp struggled to get free, but Spike had a strong grip. The imp tried its signature move. He place both hands on Spike's claws and began to spread frost up his arm. The cold was like nothing he had ever felt before. He breathed in a breath and let loose a breath of fire that nearly melted the little imp. It melted the ice on his arm and stopped the imp from squirming. Spike transferred the imp to his tail and turned back to Flake. 

“I need you to do something for me, Flake,” Spike said.

He guided her over to the frozen ponies and pointed at them. She still looked scared. Maybe even more so now that she had seen an ice imp in person. Spike had to break her from that fear. Or at least distract her from it. He knelt down by her and talked to her softly, but strongly.

“Listen, Flake,” Spike started, “I need you to free these ponies from the ice. They won't last long in there.”

“B-b-but I can't do that,” Flake said, “I don't know how.”

“You can do it,” Spike firmly stated, “Focus on the pony and not on the ice. You care about others. I am proof. Use that compassion. Passion is power. Focus on the ponies. See them stepping free of the ice. Picture the ice melting and it will happen. You can do this. It is just like the giant snowball. I know you have the power.”

“You should listen to her, dragon. Fake Flake can't do anything when it comes to magic. Why don't you just breath fire or something?”

Snow Banks. Spike recognized her voice from the last time he was in town. Spike was not known for getting angry but this was time when he lost his temper. He stood and whipped around so fast and sudden that the snow around his feet shook. He glared right at Snow Banks with a fury.

“Now is not the time! These ponies are in serious trouble,” Spike yelled loudly, “Unless you want to help her, keep your mouth shut!”

“She can't help me,” Flake said strongly, “Because she doesn't care about anypony but herself. I can do this.”

Flake closed her eyes and focused. Her horn sparked and glowed like nothing before. Spike was right. She did care about others. He would not be there if she didn't. Flake now saw this in herself. She used it as fuel for her magic. Her horn glowed with an white intensity as she focused. The ice around one of the ponies began to glow. A small red glow of warmth was beginning to appear in the ice. It was slowly starting to melt as the warm glow got bigger. Spike was so proud of her. He could not help but Smile. Flake stopped to catch her breath and the glow faded. It was a start. 

“Keep it up, Flake. I will be back soon,” Spike said.

“Where you goin' this time,” Flake asked with a huff.

“To get back the supplies that belong to this town,” Spike said with a smirk.

Spike ran off again. He headed south again. He was going back to the carriages. The ice imps were swarming the ponies there for some reason. According to Flake they had never done that before. Spike was determined to find out why. He knew that if they did that to ponies outside town it was just a matter of time until they started attacking the ponies in town. That was not going to happen. He would make sure of it.
He made it to the carriages and the whole scene looked different. It had started to snow and the snow was covering up all the broken things. Spike was not sure what to do. He knew next to nothing about ice imps, but he knew someone who might know more. He pulled the Night Calling Mirror out of his coat and called Shadow. 

“Good to see you, young blood,” Shadow said.

“Yeah. Same here. Listen, I need your help with something,” Spike said quickly.

“Oh, really,” Shadow said, “You know there will come a time when I won't be able to help you. You will have to solve problems on your own.”

“All I need is any information you can give on ice imps,” Spike replied.

“Oh, is that all,” Shadow said, “Ice imps are small, greedy, and usually travel in swarms.”

“I know that much,” Spike said, “But how do I find and defeat them.”

“That is a different subject all together,” Shadow said, “Ice imps prefer caves that let in a lot of light. They like to see the gleam off the ice or something like that. If you can manage to capture one you can use it to guide you to their cave. Ice imps are naturally drawn to others imps.”

“Thanks, Shadow,” Spike said happily. 

He released Shadow and put the mirror back in his coat. He brought his tail up to his face to see the imp. He had wrapped his tail around his arms so it could not freeze his tail. He was quite attached to it. The imp was just glaring at him. It must always have a face contorted to anger. Spike shivered. It was partly because of the cold and partly because of the ugly little imp he had hold of. He pulled his coat tightly around him and headed off to find the imp cave.  
Judging by the amount of imps that attacked the carriages Spike guessed the cave was nearby. He remembered back to when the imps were carrying off all the good they had stolen. They flew uphill. Spike found a nice steep hill that led up into the snowy rocks. Perfect. That should give him a better idea of where they went. He used his tail to hold the imp so he could have both hands free to climb. The rocks were covered in snow and he was struggling to get a grip with every stone he grabbed. He even tried to breath fire up the rocks and melt the snow. He only tried that once. The melted snow turned to water and froze before it could even run off the rocks. He only succeeded in making ice. Good thing he had claws. After what seemed like an hour of relentless climbing he finally made it to the top of the hill. He scrambled to the top and was greeted by a gust of freezing wind that howled through to rocks. Spike pulled the imp into view.

“Which way now,” He asked forcefully.

The imp did not answer. Great. Spike was not even sure if they spoke. And if they did would he even be able to understand it? He watched the imp more closely and figured something out. Every time the imp struggled to get free. He always thrust his head into one direction. That was where he needed to go. 

“Thanks,” Spike said sarcastically. 

The imp started to freak out as Spike headed off into the direction he chose. That confirmed Spike's theory. Spike also confirmed that imps are rather stupid. He was waling for a short while when the snow picked up. As it layered along the ground he found it harder and harder to walk. Each step took more and more effort. He was tired before from pulling the carriage into town. He was beginning to wonder if he had the strength to get to the cave. No. He had to get there. He had to show that he believed the same advice he gave Flake. Passion is power. And he cared for every pony in that town. He would not let them down. His thoughts were stopped by the feeling of the imp in his tail squirming and freaking out like nothing before. He must be close. Spike looked ahead of him. It was hard to see anything through the snowy, cold wind that was blowing across the land. Spike shivered again. He hated the cold. And now he was stuck in it, but not for long. He spotted a cave entrance and ran for it as fast as he could.
The cave was a nice shelter from the wind outside. He shook off the snow that had built up on his coat. He brought the imp forth and watched it. It was facing forward, deeper into the cave. It scrambled to get away from Spike. It even went so far as to bite Spike. It was barely even a pinprick of a bite, but the sting of the cold outside made it worse. Spike returned the attack with a quick flick of his tail. It uncoiled from the imp and sent it headfirst into the cave wall. It hit hard and slid down the wall before stopping in a slump. Serves him right. 
Spike breathed a fireball in his hand and used that as a light source. He was too tired to use magic right now. Even though night vision would come in real handy. Plus the fire would help to warm him up. His fire breath would do fine for now. He ventured further into the cave and away from the snowstorm outside. It was a labyrinth in there. Every time Spike turned a corner it was another corner, or a fork, or a dead end. He was getting tired of it. Maybe he should have kept the imp with him. Finally he made it to a large clearing. In it was a large ice spire. Much larger than anything the farmers in town had. It was more like a fully grown, bare ice tree. It had dozens upon dozens of branches and they all had smaller branches. It was like nothing Spike had ever seen. At its base was a pool of water. Spike looked down into it. It was the clearest water he had ever seen. He followed the flow back to find that it all came from a large waterfall that was flowing in from beyond the rocks. He dipped one claw into it. It was also the coldest water he had ever felt. But why was this still water if everything else was ice? Interesting.  Spike looked around further. He had not seen any ice imps yet. Maybe this was not their cave. He saw a small cave that led to an area behind the waterfall. He slowly ventured father into the cave. After a long walk he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He dimmed his own fireball until he got to the end of the tunnel. He put his out and peeked around the corner. He found the imps. They were organizing all the things that they stole from the carriages. That was just a small portion of the loot that they had built up. They must never use any of this stuff. It was all just sitting there. Spike ducked back into the tunnel. Okay. How was he going to do this? He needed to get all of the stuff back that the imps had stolen. Maybe he could wait while they slept. If they even slept at all. Oh, what was he going to do. Spike never got the chance to find out. Out of some small hole that he couldn't see the imp he captured came flying in. It rushed up and made a lot of noise. More imps came up to it. Spike could not tell what they were saying, but based on the motions and sounds used he could bet they were talking about him. He would be found eventually. He knew that. Shadow taught him that the first move is always the best one to have. So Spike made the first move. 
Spike built up all the fire energy he could muster. He crossed his arms as the energy built up and stepped out into the room with the imps. They immediately took notice and came flying at him. The entire swarm came at him at high speeds. Perfect. Spike flung his arms wide open and let the fire loose. He combined that with a breath of fire that sent many imps into a panic. But that was not the end of it. They started to throw small chunks of ice at Spike. He put up a shield to block them, but the imps were a smarter lot than Spike knew. As some threw ice at him more came up behind him and started to freeze his tail and his feet. He shot the shield outward and knocked down many more imps. He stomped around and breathed fire at his feet to get the imps away. It worked a little. The backed off to a safe distance and tried again. This time with more imps. They were all over him. His tail, his chest, his head, his legs. Everywhere. They were everywhere! This must be how the ponies felt being swarmed. Spike had one final move. He called on his last reserves of energy and sparked a fire that spread across his entire body. Only, it did not work fast enough. The ice imps had already encase most of him in ice. The fire went out before it could do any real good. The imps finished the freezing process with his face. Now all he could do was to sit there and watch. Then he got a surprise. 
Flake came in with her horn glowing and she blasted away many of the imps. They were drawn away from Spike. They had a new target. No! Spike could not let Flake get hurt. As the imps were swarming around her Spike got a rush of energy. His eyes began to glow. The ice encasing him cracked and chipped. The imps and Flake all turned to see what was happening. The ice was shaking and shattering. Piece by piece the ice fell until finally, Spike broke free. He emerged from the mist with glowing green eyes and an angry look.

“Get away from her,” He said forcefully.

He put both hands up and a gust of wind came from nowhere and blew the imps away from Flake. She ducked down underneath the wind. She looked back at Spike. He did not seem like the same dragon. He looked so intense and focused. The imps saw it too. They all swarmed him, but with no effect. He put up a shield bubble around him and Flake. The imps just bounced off of it repeatedly. They were trying so hard to get through. Spike would not let that happen. With one quick motion of his hands he let the barrier down and started up another wind. This was not a directional gust, however. He put his hand close together and the wind in the chamber started to circulate. Spike slowly spread his hand apart and the wind got stronger. Flake took cover right at Spike's feet. The wind continued to circulate at faster and faster speeds. The imps were no match for that kind of wind power. They were caught up in the whirlwinds pull and sent in circles. 
Flake could see what Spike was doing, but not where he was going. There was nothing to do with the imps now, but she had an idea. She used what little bit of magical energy she had left and focused on a chunk of ice in the ceiling. She used focused heat to melt the edges away. She caused it to fall into the chamber with a tremendous crash. Snow poured into the chamber behind it. After a few moments the snow stopped and revealed a hole to the outside. Spike took advantage of the opportunity Flake made. He pulled his hands together and raised them to the hole in the ceiling. The imps were sent flying out of the cave and into the snowstorm of the outside. Spike stopped his magic and let them sit a moment to regain their balance. A few looked back a Spike angrily. He roared at them and that was the last push they needed. They flew off to some desolate cold place far away from town. Spike looked down at Flake. She was smiling until she saw his face. He didn't look happy to see her. But that changed. Not for the better. Spike's eyes went back to normal and he was looking at Flake normally. Flake noticed, though, that his eyes were unfocused. Then, in that moment, Spike collapsed. 


Flake

Spike had just run off to deal with the imps. Flake had just thawed a little bit of the ice around one of the pony guards. She was not done yet.  She had to start again. Her horn glowed brightly with a white intensity. She pointed it directly at the pony. She focused on the pony. Spike told her to see the pony stepping free of the ice. She could see it. It was easy to see that. Water began to drip from the side of the ice. It pooled around the base of the pony's hooves. Flake focused as much as she could, but it was not enough. She released her hold on the spell and the warm glow in the ice faded again. 

“I told you,” Snow Banks said snobishly, “Fake Flake can't do magic.”

Flake's anger rose exponentially with that comment. She responded with magic. Partly to prove Snow Banks wrong and partly because it would hurt her. Flake turned on dime and faced Snow Banks. Without a word she fired a blast of magic at her. Snow Banks never saw it coming. The sudden feeling of cold, the inability to move. She could see Flake looking at her rather evilly. She walked up to Snow with a sly grin.

“How's that for magic,” Flake said smugly.

She tipped the flash frozen Snow Banks over on her side. She hit the ground with a sharp crack, but the ice barely chipped. That gave Flake and idea. Spike was wrong. She had been focusing on the pony. Freeing him and letting him step free. But, what if she focused on destroying the ice? That would free the ponies. She went back over to the pony she had partially melted free. Once again her horn glowed and she called forth some magic. This time she sent a small wave of energy into the ice. It traveled through the ice crystals and cracked and chipped everything that it contacted. It was so much damage that the pony was able to force himself free. It took all the strength he had left to do so. He collapsed from the exposure and the town doctor rushed over to him as Flake moved on to the next pony. She knew what to do. She dug her hooves into the ground and got one good charge of magic. She focused a little bit of energy into her horn and sent another wave of energy into the ice. It made its way through the ice and did much damage, but it did not break the same way the first pony's ice did. Why not? What was different with this one? The ice! Of course! It was not melted. She had started off with a melting on the first pony. She looked up at the ice and noted every single crack and split. She closed her eyes and sent a new wave into the ice. Not just energy this time. It was a wave of pure heat. It followed every crack and split and melted the ice all the way through. This caused the ice to thin out and melt into many smaller pieces. Flake saw what was happening and did what she did best. She analyzed every piece of ice and found just the right spot. She turned around and kicked the ice right over the ponies chest. The ice made a sharp cracking sound and then fell to the ground piece by piece. Another pony was freed from the ice. That made two. Only five more to go. Flake was running low on energy. Could she really thaw five more ponies? She didn't have a choice. At least she had a system now. 
She walked up to the next pony in line and powered up her horn. She focused on the pony and the ice together. A warm inner glow of heat began to resonate from withing the ice. Flake kept this up for a few moments. After a good amount of ice was able to melt away she stopped. Then she moved on to step two. She thrust her head at the ice covered pony and sent a wave of energy that split and fractured the ice. Success again. The ice was one last spell away from falling to pieces. So Flake sent another wave into the ice. The heat wave finished separating the ice and she gave it a kick to start it falling off the pony. Three. She had gotten three out of the ice, but she was so tired. Maybe if she hadn't pulled that snowball prank earlier she would have the energy left. Spike did say her magic was getting stronger, and he was counting on her. She did not want to disappoint him, but she also did not think she had the energy to thaw four more ponies out. She did have one more thing she could try. It would take all she had and then some. She had never seen and definitely never done anything this big. She stepped back from the next pony and moved to a position where she could see all the ponies. And then she started her work. It was the same series of spells that she did before. Now she was spreading them to four ponies instead of just going one at a time. It was a challenge for such a small filly. 
She focused intently on all four ponies. It was hard for her to think about anything at all. All she could even imagine doing at that moment was thawing the ice. A small warm glow flickered in the ice of all the ponies. It was small at first. It took longer than any other time, but the glow slowly got bigger in all the ice. Flake had to concentrate. One wrong move and she just might make the ice explode out in all directions. Seeing as how she was in the middle of town with ponies on all sides, that would be very bad. It seemed to her like she was there forever. The minutes faded into hours and the hours faded away as she lost track. Her eyes were closed, but she looked up once to see how far the ice had melted. Her eyes opened and the sudden shock of the brightness of the light shining off the ice was enough to make her lose focus. The warm inner glow in the ice quickly dimmed and disappeared. It did not mater now. Flake had to move on. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust. She had lived there all her life and still was not used to that. Anyway, it was on to the next step. 
Flake took several deep breaths as she attempted the next spell. Her horn sparked and flaked and would not power up. No! Not now! This was not the time. Ahh! Flake stomped her hoof down and her horn lit up with white light. Flake acted before it went out again. She blasted the ice with another wave of energy. It was much bigger than previous waves. It was able to get all four ponies, but did not do the desired amount of damage. The ice was barely chipped. Flake sent another wave out. This one did more damage than the last one, but it was still no enough. And so Flake sent wave after wave. Each one was barely doing the damage needed. Finally, after many, many failed attempts Flake shouted as sent out a heat wave. The wave was more like a wall. A wall of pure heat that hurled itself at the ice with ice breaking force. The four ponies were sent back a few inches as the heat wall rolled over them. Some of the ice was taken with it. Yes! She had done it! All the ponies were free from the ice. Her victory was rather dark, though. Literally dark. Her vision was taken over by a closing blackness. The last thing she saw was the world turning on its side. Then it was gone. 

Flake woke with quite a start. She kicked the covers off her bed as she sat up. She was breathing heavy and had no idea where she was. She looked around with a panicked look on her face. Another pony came in as she was panicking. It was a nurse. 

“Hey. You're finally awake,” She said.

“What happened? Where am I? How did I get here,” Flake said quickly.

“You passed out after melting the ice off all those ponies. The effort of all that 	magic pushed you past the point of exhaustion. A few townsfolk carried you here,” The nurse said kindly. 

“How long I been out,” Flake asked.

“Not very long,” The nurse answered, “Only about half an hour.”

Half an hour? That was not very long, but it was long enough. Maybe she could still catch up. She leaped out of her bed and ran past the nurse. She seemed a little persistent that Flake should stay in bed to rest. Flake did not see it that way. She ran out of the hospital as fast as she could. As she exited the hospital she swore she looked over and saw her family riding a cart into town. They saw her too. Papa Frost stood up and called to her. His voice was silent to her. She turned away and headed south. That is the direction he went. She had to find him.
> Ch.10 Day of Challenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike woke up the next morning with a very big headache. He slowly sat up and looked around. Where in Equestria was he? Ahh, now he remembered. A cave. A cold cave of ice that was until recently home to the ice imps. He had driven them off the day before. 

“Good mornin' sleepy head,” Flake said, “You been sleepin' for a while.”

“Yeah. That tends to happen when I go Mystik,” Spike said.

“Mystik? Is that why ya had green glowing eyes and looked all awesome and 	stuff,” Flake asked.

“You thought I was awesome,” Spike asked.

“Well, yeah,” Flake said excitedly, “You had this look. It was like nothing could stop ya. It was so intense. And then you called up the wind like that and sent them imps flying. Literally. That's awesome, ain't it?”

“Yeah, Flake,” Spike said distracted, “That sure is awesome.”

Spike was glad to see Flake in such a good mood. She had seen him at his best and his worst. Still, she was by his side. Spike liked her. She was a young pony who struggled with magic and had trouble making friends. Kinda reminded him of Twilight. Except she excelled at magic, and chose not to have friends. Maybe they aren't so similar. Whatever. 

“What happened while I was out,” Spike asked.

“That snowstorm blew the rest of the day and you were still out cold,” Flake reported, “I found some blankets in this here collection of junk and we stayed her for the night.”

“Well, come on then,” Spike said, “We should get back to town. I'm sure your family is worried about you.”

“Yeah, probly,” Flake said, “Plus, I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast.”

Come to think about it, neither had Spike. He was just now noticing the grumbling in his belly. Oh, how he could go for even a few nice, delicious, shiny gems right now. He and Flake headed out of the former imp cave and back outside. The sun was shining bright in the sky and it seemed to be a beautiful day. It was not a long trip back down to the road. It was easier to go down in the sunny day than it was to go up in the snowy morning. Flake told Spike all about her ordeal with thawing out the ponies. Spike was impressed that she was able to do it all by herself. To be honest he thought he was going to be back and have to help her, but that was not the case. As they got close they could here some commotion. A group of ponies from town had started to work on cleaning up the broken and destroyed carriages. It was quite the job. None of them were salvageable. They all had to be cleared from the road. Spike and Flake headed down and the ponies stopped everything when they saw them. They all dropped their jaws and watched as Spike and Flake headed for town. One pony was sent on ahead to tell the town that the two were on their way back. The other ponies followed as Spike and Flake passed.
They got to town just after the other pony. He had not gotten the chance to say anything yet, so most ponies were simply shocked. Stares and wide eyes followed Spike and Flake as they headed to the middle of town. All ponies from all across town headed there to see them. The first to meet them were Flake's family. They burst out of the inn and rushed over to them as fast as possible. Flake's mom embraced her in a great big motherly hug. Flake was complaining that she couldn't breathe. Papa Frost came up to Spike and had some words for him.

“You, dragon,” He started angrily, “What do you have to say for yourself? You convinced my daughter to melt some ice and then she runs off after you into a 	snowstorm. Explain!”

“It is just as you said when we first met,” Spike told him, “'Children these days never listen.'”

Before Papa Frost could respond he was cut off by another voice. It came from a pony that was closing in fast and he did not look happy at all. He seemed like one of those ponies that was never happy. He looked to be about the same age as Papa Frost. 

“Your daughter?! What about my daughter,” He said, “That daughter of yours 	froze my Snow Banks solid and then left her like that.”

“Now listen here Banks-.”

“That is Mr. Banks to you Frost,” Mr. Banks said aggressively.

Spike moved over to Flake. Her mom had finally released her steel grip and she could breathe again. Spike leaned down to her so he could speak without being overheard. 

“You never mentioned you flash froze Snow Banks,” Spike said, “Good job.”

“Do you have any idea the damage your daughter did,” Mr. Banks continued, “It took all night for Snow to thaw out and now she has an awful cold that has her bedridden.”

“Good riddance,” Papa Frost said, “It's not like that spoiled brat of yours actually does anything. At least my Flake works her families farm. And lets not forget the display of magic that she showed yesterday. She saved seven ponies while your brat stood by and watched.”

“Lies,” Mr. Banks hissed.

“No, it's not,” Spike said strongly, “I heard your daughter myself. She did nothing at all to help Flake. Quite the opposite in fact.”

“You must be the dragon Snow told me about. Yes, purple scales, black coat, unusually tall,” Mr. Banks analyzed Spike, “Why should I believe a word you say, 	dragon?”

“Why would I lie,” Spike stated, “It it clear that Flake can defend herself against your daughter's insults. I have nothing against your family. I have no reason to lie.”

“Maybe not,” Mr. Banks conceded, “But I also heard about the angry yelling you did at my daughter. That is enough for me distrust you.”

“Your daughter refuses to help save ponies and when I get mad about it, I am 	the bad guy,” Spike said surprised, “What is wrong with you?”

“I will not be spoken to in such a manner! I practically own this town. Do you have any idea what I could to you, or those Frost ponies you call friends,” Mr. Banks said angrily.

“We don't care,” Flake told him defiantly, “Your spoiled brat daughter got what was coming to her and you know it. And now you're just mad 'cause somepony is standing up to ya!”

“That is it,” Mr. Banks hissed, “You and your family are done. That is unless you manage to get more ice harvested than me this year.”

“That sounds like a challenge, Banks,” Papa Frost said proudly, “We accept. Same rules as before. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Mr. Banks said with a snarl.

The two father ponies glared at each other one last time and turned to walk away. Mr. Banks silently called Papa Frost a fool. He knew he had every advantage. He had workers. He had bigger fields. Most of all, he had money. His money could buy a lot, and he knew it. Unfortunately Papa Frost knew those exact same things. It was causing him to dread accepting that challenge. They all climbed into the cart that would be taking them back to the farm. It had gone almost two days without work. That wasn't good. It was still early morning and Papa Frost gathered up everypony for a meeting. 

“You all know what is at stake. I accepted a challenge from none other than Mr. Banks. He has the biggest fields, the most workers, and the most money. He earns more money from the ice harvest every year. He has since before Flake was born. I was a fool to think we could get more this year. But we sure can try. This is the Frost Family Farm! Frosts have worked it for generations. And we will work it for many more generations! We may not have all our best workers, but we do got one secret weapon. Spike! If you can drive off a whole cave of ice imps then you can certainly help us win this challenge.”

“I will do my best, Papa Frost,” Spike said strongly.

“Then what are you all doing standing around here? There is work to be done,” Papa Frost ended.

Spike headed out to the fields with Flake right behind him. She went to grab her bag full of spikes, but Spike stopped her. He had an idea. He went to the last row they worked. The ice spires were the tallest he had seen here. Flake was worried. She had never worked spires this tall. They were almost taller than Spike. Spike handed her a heat saw. She held it as Spike demonstrated his idea. He faced the spire and brought his tail up to it. He had cracked a spire once with just a swing of his tail. Just imagine what he could do with a focused jab with the pointed tip of his tail. He was about to show Flake. He analyzed the bottom of the spire and found a good spot to strike. His tail jerked back before striking the ice with a sharp crack. The tip of his tail went all the way through the ice spire and came out the other side. He struggled a moment before getting it out. A little less power next time. Flake was amazed. It took her only a few moments to to impale a spire, but he could do it even faster with his tail. Then he took the heat saw and quickly cut off a few branches. He did it faster than Papa Frost said to did it, but Flake looked them over. She analyzed them closely the same way her mother did. They seemed to be fine. With that done Flake used her magic to pick them up and put them in the cart. Spike had developed a new system. 
After a few rows he got really good at impaling the bottom a spire withing mere seconds. Since his tail was bigger than the spikes Flake used it caused more cracks to separate the spire from the underground source. His aim did not need to be as fine as hers. This worked to his advantage. Add the fact that he was cutting off branches faster  and he made a good worker to have. Flake was able to use her magic to pick up the branches that Spike dropped before they hit the ground. She pulled the cart behind her by harness, and had to change them out often. Before, they were clearing one quarter to half a section a day. There were between six to sixteen section a field. Now, Spike and Flake were clearing entire sections a day. Flake's mother had to enlist Flake's injured brother to help her sort the good ice from the bad. There was that much. After a month and a half spree of ice harvesting Papa Frost called for a break. Every one assembled at the table out front. 

“Well, I'll be darned,” He said excitedly, “I haven't seen this much ice go through this farm since my granddad was running it. This is just what we need. If this keeps up we just might really win this challenge. Yahoo! But before I get ahead of myself, the fields need some time to regrow. We been harvesting so much ice that it is making the new spires grow in slower and smaller. We got a lot more fields to go, but I say we need a break. So, the next two days are yours to do with as you will. Once the ice is all sorted we will start harvesting again.”

Yes! Flake and Spike had two days off. They had been working hard and they could use a break. They decided to head into town. It had been a while since they were out and about. Besides, Spike had been there nearly three months already and still had not seen what ponies did for fun around town. So it was off to town for Spike and Flake. 

It was weird to be back in town again. Spike and Flake were immediately recognized by the townsfolk and they all acted strangely. They were grateful because Spike drove off those nasty ice imps. Everypony was giving them things. They both walked to town. They did not have the cart with them. The seven ponies that Flake had thawed were still there as well. They were waiting for the next shipment to come. They go back to the city with those ponies. The shipments came at random times. Sometimes it was twice a month. Sometimes it was once every two months. They heard that the filly that saved them was in town and they hurried to thank her. They all formed a line in front of her and one stepped out. He was the head of the group. 

“I hear you are the one responsible for us being released from the ice,” He said to Flake.

“I am,” Flake said nervously.

“All of us wish to thank you for what you did,” He said with a bow of his head, “And we would like to present you with this.”

All the ponies raised their heads as the leader handed Flake a small metal object. Upon closer inspection Spike saw that it was a coat of arms. The symbol for the guards in the main city of the Crystal Empire. Flake stared at it. It was shiny and she could see her reflection. She looked back up at the ponies after a moment.

“Consider yourself and honorary member of the Crystal Guard, young one,” He said proudly, “If you are ever in the city, come find us, show that badge and we will show you around the city the right way.”

Flake was speechless. She had nothing to say to him. She was just smiling and grinning so much. Spike had to take her over to the local diner and sit her at a table so she wouldn't explode in front of everybody. Besides, it was getting close to lunch time. But before that, Spike had to speak to the ponies for a moment. It was important. He came back to Flake and they ate lunch there in town. It was really good. Some of the best food is found in small places like that. Because of their popularity Spike and Flake ate for free. It didn't seem right, but he eventually accepted it. Good thing to. He was running low on the money he had saved up from his PAD days. It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. 
It was near the end of the day and a shipment came rolling into town. Many ponies saw it as unusual. The imps usually stopped the carriages long before they got to town. If the carriages did make it they were usually in bad shape. But not this time. And that was not the only surprise. This was a large shipment of more than just supplies for the town. A trio of ponies got off the last carriage and searched around before spotting Spike and Flake. They all came up to them with a strange offer. Work.
Apparently, they heard stories of a young filly and a dragon that saved the town and then challenged the richest guy. Even the stories put the Frosts on the losing side of that challenge. Those ponies were here to change that. Flake took matters into her own hands and looked them over. Three ponies. Two colts and a mare. They were all good size. One of the colts was not a crystal pony, but that didn't matter. He was just going to be a lot colder than anypony else. Then Flake started with the questions.

“Have any of you ever worked on a farm before,” She asked professionally.

“All of us,” The mare said, “But never an ice farm. This would be our first time.”

“Okay,” Flake said, “Can you all use the equipment we provide?”

“We all have handled different kinds of equipment,” The mare stated, “And we 	are all willing to learn how to use the equipment you provide.”

“We probly won't be able to pay you until after the harvest,” Flake said, “Maybe not even then. Are you okay with that?”

That statement took the trio of ponies by surprise. They all looked over at Spike. He had been silent the whole time. He just raised his hands and shrugged. He wasn't even getting paid for the work he was doing. And now the other ponies knew it. 

“Hold up,” The crystal colt asked Spike, “You mean you have been working here for free?Why would you do that?”

“I owe the family. I'm working off my debt,” Spike said.

“I don't think so,” The crystal colt objected. 

He turned around and headed back for the carriages. The other two ponies stayed. They talked amongst themselves while Spike and Flake did the same. The ponies came to a conclusion after much debate. They came back to Flake with their answer.

“We would like to work for your farm,” The mare stated firmly.

“Okay,” Flake said happily, “Now all you gotta do is convince Papa. He doesn't normally like strangers on the farm.”

“But you were just interviewing us,” The mare said with confusion.

“I was just asking questions,” Flake said, “But I'm just a filly. Name's Flake, by the 	way, and this is Spike.”

The two ponies accepted that the little filly got the better of them and headed to the inn for the night. Flake would talk to Papa Frost later on and try and convince him to take on the two ponies. They even said they would work for free. That was a huge bonus. 
And so Spike and Flake made it back to the farm just before dark. The Frosts were in the family room enjoying some nice hot cocoa. Flake settled in with her cocoa before bringing up the whole trip to town. She had put the little metal badge the guards gave her in her bag. She sipped a little bit of cocoa and savored the flavor. It was delicious. All was quiet for a while. Then Papa Frost nearly lost his cocoa, and his mind. 

“You what,” He asked Flake eratically.

“I found two ponies who want to help on the farm,” Flake said less confidently than the first time.

“You know how I feel about strangers on the farm, Flake,” Papa Frost said.

“Yeah, but they did say they would work for free,” Flake said, “And we could use the help. The far fields haven't been harvested in three years. The spires there are almost the size of trees.”

“There is no talking you out of this is there,” Papa Frost asked knowingly.

Flake smiled highly. She had won. Papa Frost agreed to meet these two ponies tomorrow. They would be at the fields and ready to work. He realized that Flake was right. The farm was too big for them to harvest alone. Ever since Flake's older brothers left and got injured the work force has gone down drastically. The two ponies could really help remedy that. And once her injured older brother was all healed up and better that would be one more pony to work. Flake had a real knack for this farming business. 
The next day Spike and Flake walked back into town to get the two ponies. She was rather surprised to see that they were already awake and ready to go. The mare did say they had worked farms before. So they all headed back to the farm. It was a long walk and the two ponies were not used to walking that far to get to a farm from town. Flake told them that ice farms were bigger than normal farms due to how they harvest. It was a slower process than normal farms. She informed them on some of their starting duties around the farm. Pushing carts and sorting ice mostly. A trip to town on occasion. They listened intently as she spoke. She was quite knowledgeable for such a young pony. 
Papa Frost was waiting for them when they arrived at the farm. Flake and Spike headed to work and left the two ponies in Papa Frost's capable hooves. A few moments later and the mare was running for the field where Spike and Flake were working. The colt had been assigned to work with Papa Frost. The mare watched Spike and Flake work. It was an amazing system they had going. Spike spiked the spire and cut off the branches. Flake collected the branches and put them in the cart. It was the mares job to push the cart down the rows and then push the line of carts back to the barn. The colt had the same job. 
They spent the first week pushing heavy carts back and forth. It was very tiring work. Then, one day at lunch time, a visitor arrived at the farm. Well, not really a visitor. It was a pony with a package. A package for Spike. Everypony was confused. Spike was the only one who knew. He signed for the package and paid the delivery pony his fee. It was a rather large package that Spike received. It was long and deep. He brought it over to the table and set it down on the ground right next to it. 

“What is it,” Flake asked.

“A gift,” Spike answered, “I had to say thank you somehow. And I know a pony in the city who owes me a favor.”

Spike opened the box. The first thing he saw was a note. He picked it up and read it. It was from an old friend. 

Dear Spike,

This is Strikefire. My brother came to the castle and told me of the message you sent him. He was absolutely terrified when a group of guards came up to the forge. That was a nice touch. Anyway, where in Equestria are you that you need these things?The job was too big to get done at the home forge as quick as you wanted. He came to me and I did it at the palace forge. Don't worry. I kept it a secret, just like you wanted. I don't know why you would keep this a secret, though. But anyway, come visit sometime. The palace isn't the same without you running around. 

Sincerely, 
Strikfire

Spike put the note down and pulled out one of the things he had Strikefire make. The Frosts looked in awe as Spike placed it on the table and pulled out another one. They were heat saws. But they were not the old worn down heat saws that the Frosts had been using so far. These were brand new, upgraded heat saws. Papa Frost grabbed one and ran for the nearest ice spire. He turned it on and it heated up right away. The old ones took up to five minutes to heat up all the way. He took the heat saw and cut off a small branch. It was fast. The heat saw carved through the ice like a knife through butter. Papa Frost was astonished. He couldn't believe it. He raced back to Spike.

“There are ten of them,” Spike said, “Enough for everypony and then some.”

And so the farm ran better than ever as they finished up the month. It was the last time of harvest season. After the month ended the summer sun would be rolling in and the ice spires would dwindle down to barely anything. It was the only time Spike could have gone out without wearing his coat. But he liked his coat. He had grown accustomed to always wearing one. 
The month ended with the Frost family having the biggest harvest they had in years. They celebrated that fact, but held off for fear that the Banks had a bigger harvest. It was hard to tell. A special train came by way of a rarely used set of tracks to collect the harvest. It stopped at a small platform to the west of town. It was set up away from town to allow ice farmers to move their harvests in without troubling the town. An unexpected side effect was that every pony in town could see and watched the farmers sell off their harvests. This time even more ponies were crowding to see. They all knew about the challenge between the Frosts and the Banks. They had been feuding for generations. A couple generations ago it seemed like the Banks had won when they doubled the size of their ice farm. It had grown since then. The Frosts have had the same farm for generations. It had not grown. But now it came down to the ice. 

The train stopped and several large ponies got off and unloaded truly massive containers. These would hold the ice during transport. It was also the only universal way to measure the amount of ice harvested, as each farmer used different sized carts. One pony came to the end closest to the town and scanned the ponies gathered there. The Harvest Master. He noticed Papa Frost and Mr. Banks right away. He was older than they were and had seen them fight many times. This time seemed different. Papa Frost always had a defiant look on his face but his eyes always gave him away. He always had sadness in his eyes. It was not sadness because he lost to Banks, but sadness because he had let his family down. But today, he had the same defiant look, but his eyes looked sharp and focused and confident. Things had really changed since he was last here. 

“What is going on between you two? Another squabble,” He asked.

“Same as before,” Papa said.

“I see,” The Harvest Master said.

He knew what it meant. The first two farmers to get their harvests loaded and weighed would be these two. It always made for quite a large spectacle. He understood. He was an ice farmer once. So he called over a group of containers for each of them. At the ends were placed small elevators. Carts were placed there and raised to be emptied in the containers. Papa Frost and Mr. Banks stayed at the platform as the others delivered the carts to the platform. It was a long and tedious process. Mr. Banks was able to hire a whole team of ponies to run back and forth between his farm and the train. Papa Frost had his wife, Flake, Spike, and the two new ponies. He also had his carts connected five in a row. They were slightly harder to steer over the long distance, but it got more ice here faster. The Harvest Master blew the whistle and everypony was off.
Papa Frost stayed back to coordinate, but every pony and dragon went for the carts. Spike was the fastest and got to the barn first. Crystal Frost was there already. She was getting the ice ready to be picked up. She also reloaded the carts that were brought back. Spike reached the first chain of carts and grabbed the front cart and pulled. With one giant heave he had it going. Crystal was impressed by his strength. The others got there just as Spike was leaving. Flake jumped in his cart. She was much to tiny to be pushing or pulling these heavy, loaded carts around. Spike was making really good time as he ran for the train. A curve in the road appeared. Crap. He was going too fast to stop or turn without flipping the carts. Flake already had the situation handled. She pointed her horn at the edge of the path and created a curved, half tube shaped wall of ice. The carts slid across the ice without slowing down. But now they faced another problem. Speed. The carts were going so fast that Spike was being pushed along instead of him pulling the carts. He picked his feet up off the ground and sat on the lip of the cart. He could see the train now. He was coming in way too fast. Papa Frost was clearly freaking out. He could see them coming. Spike could only think of one thing to do. He jumped forward and spun midair to face the carts. His hand stayed on the lip of the carts as his feet met the snow covered ground. The ground was splitting and kicking up all sorts of snow and dirt as he tried to slow the carts down. It was working, but not fast enough. Flake tried using her magic to slow the cart down, but it was too much for her at once. She was only able to slow it down a minute amount. Spike looked back over his shoulder. He was almost at the elevator. At least he had good aim. As the cart slowed, little by little, Spike reached the elevator and with a hard smack. Spike immediately jumped behind the cart and unhooked all the carts from one another. The elevator only took one cart at a time. Flake jumped off just as the cart was being lifted up to the container. Spike jumped off once it stopped at the top, right before it emptied the contents. His chest still hurt from where the entire weight of the carts hit him. It activated the pain in his side wound as well. He nearly doubled over on pain, but he knew he had to get back to the barn for more carts.

“Get goin',” Papa Frost called in his direction, “And you Flake, stay here and magic them carts of the elevator and load the next one. You can do it.”

Excellent. That was smart. Good thinking Papa Frost. Spike started up a good run back to the barn. He passed the two new ponies on his way. Each was trying to control a chain of carts. They were managing, but it was still amusing to see them struggle. Spike didn't have time to laugh, though. Today was way too important to mess up. He reached the barn just as Crystal was bringing out another chain. She held it with one hoof on the second cart and the other on the third. It allowed her some control over where it went. Hmm. Spike would try this. He grabbed the cart in the same spots. Crystal noticed and approved. Spike headed back to the train with this new chain. He was running alongside the carts this time. That decision gave him much more control as he hit the ice wall. It was clear that both the new ponies hit it as well. They seemed to survive it. He passed them both as they ran back to the barn with two empty cart chains. Flake was working fast. Good. It was not a race, but everypony liked to show how good their workers were by seeing how fast they could do it. It became an ice farmer tradition. Spike was going a little fast again as he came to the train and the elevator. This time the solution was simple, however. Spike released his grip on the carts. As they shot past him he quickly grabbed the last one and dug his heels into the ground. This slowed the chain down very much. He had to push it a few feet into the elevator. Papa Frost was there and ready to unhook the carts. This family was a great team. The only one not involved was Flake's injured brother. He knew he would be of no help in this, so he was in town cheering his family on. 

The rest of the day went on that way. Spike made at least seven trips back and forth. Five of them he had to drag empty carts behind him back to the barn. Lunch time came around and every pony and dragon was beat and tired. Papa Frost was unusually full of energy. He had a reason to be. Both the Frosts and the Banks had both filled three whole containers already. That was one more than the Frosts usually got and Papa Frost was ecstatic. He was nearly jumping with joy. The Frosts still had plenty of ice left to cart and transport. Spike was happy to see his lunch. The diner had ordered a whole mess of gems that came on the last shipment and he got them for free. He did not argue as he devoured them. They were not the same as eating gems in royal castles or princess palaces, but they were delicious anyway. He had had nothing but stew, bread, cocoa as the main aspect of his diet here. He did not understand how ponies could live off that stuff all the time. At least add some variety. 

Unfortunately, while Spike and the others rested Mr. Banks' hired team continued to stockpile carts and ice by the train. They only stopped once they ran out of room to put it all. Mr. Banks smugly sauntered up to the them.

“Well, I must say that I am impressed, Frost,” He said. “You managed to harvest a 	very respectable amount of ice this year. It certainly is much more than your usual low harvest. I must admit I was almost worried before, but then I remembered who it was that accepted my challenge.”

“We are not done yet, Banks,” Papa Frost said aggressively.

“As you can plainly see, neither am I,” Mr. Banks said arrogantly. 

Papa Frost glared right at Banks. He was always a stubborn old pony. Banks looked completely calm. He even had a smirk on his face. It was hard to tell if it was false confidence or just plain arrogance. Spike was leaning more toward the latter. He did not like that pony one bit. Flake liked his daughter even less. She was there too. She was in some tent that had been set up just for her. She waved over to Flake with the same smug, arrogant look her father had. Spike couldn't take it. He finished his lunch of gems and made his way to the farm. Crystal had to stay there and eat alone. She was used to working alone, though. Spike made it thirty paces before stopping in his tracks. He was still midstep. He had felt something. No, it was more of a sense. He sensed something. It seemed somehow familiar. It was cold and dark. It was big and dangerous. It was a dragon. Flake saw him just standing there and walked over to him.

“You okay, Spike,” She asked with concern. 

Before Spike could answer the dragon attacked. It came out from behind the clouds and breathed a massive attack at Spike. He spun and knelt down in one, swift move. He he put his arms around Flake in a protective manner. Papa Frost and the others watched as a massive stream of black ooze bombed him and Flake. The entire town went silent. They had no idea what just happened. Even the dragon stopped. It was just hovering there, waiting to see if it was successful. It was not. The ooze settled and a small dome shape could be seen. Spike exploded the barrier and stood up. Flake was too scared to even move. He picked her up and breathed a stream of flames that led to her family. He walked to them and handed her over. Without a word he turned back to the dragon. It had landed now and was facing Spike. He walked out into the ooze. Every step he took sent a small ring of green fire out and burnt the ooze away. The light from the afternoon sun reflecting off the ice did the rest. Spike got to a spot away from the town and the ponies and stared the dragon down. It was the same dragon that threw him down here. He could see the recognition in it's eyes. It was back. 
It launched another thick ooze attack at Spike. He created a barrier that directed the ooze away from the town. It covered many of the carts that Mr. Banks had placed there and began eating away at them. Spike responded with a high intensity magic blast from both hands. Two direct hits to the dragons face. It coiled back, but seemed largely unaffected. Then it did something unexpected. It collected a lot of ooze in its mouth and spilled it out on the ground right in front of him. Spike didn't understand it.  Then the ooze started to shift and move. It was only after several hooves sprang out of the ooze that Spike realized what was happening. The Black Dragon was making Black Colts. NO! He could not let that happen. Spike formed a very large ball of green fire in between his hands. He aimed at the ooze and released the fire. It shot across leaving a trail of flames behind it. The fireball carved a path down the middle and exploded beneath the dragons jaw. But there still a lot of ooze that was not burnt. Black Colts emerged as the dragon recovered from the force of the fireball. It wildly sprayed ooze in all directions. The ponies in town ran for whatever cover they could find. Spike formed a barrier in front of him to catch the ooze. It was because of this he didn't see the other visitors that arrived. Behind his barrier he closed his eyes and focused on his magic. He needed to go Mystik right now. His normal attacks were not cutting it. He didn't see the flashes of light that were followed by the sound of someone giving commands. Spike's barrier dissipated and he just stood there. The visitor took notice.

“Spike, is that you,” Cadance asked.

She was flying with a contingent of her best guards. Most were on the ground. The rest were in the air with her. She didn't notice Spike at first due to his barrier, but once it was down he was visible. His purple scales and green spikes stood out against the black of the ooze. Cadance was surprised to see him. She was even more surprised to see him here, still in the Crystal Empire. But he was not responding to her. What was wrong? She quickly got an answer. 

Spike opened his eyes and they were glowing a fierce and intense green. He let loose a roar that nearly dropped Cadance from the skies. He looked back at the dragon and snarled. With one jump Spike was at Cadance's height. He dropped out of the sky like a diving hawk and landed with an earth raising crash. The dust around him hid him from view. The Black Colts surrounded him as they investigated the crater. The dust cleared and Spike could be seen there with a ring of flame circling around him. With a grunt he unleashed the flame and it dusted the nearest Colts. He stepped out of the crater with heavy footfalls. With one step he stomped the ground hard and sent a wave of energy shooting forward underneath many Colts. In the same movement he raised a fist and dozens of earthen spears came forth from the energized ground. The spears impaled and penetrated each of the Colts until they all turned to dust. Behind him more Colts were assembling. Spike spun on his heel and blasted the cliff wall behind the Colts. The blast loosened the earth and created a rock slide that buried the Colts. He turned back to where the dragon was now that all the Colts were dealt with. Just one problem, The Black Dragon was gone. 
As Spike searched the skies for it, the dragon reappeared. Again, it came from behind the clouds and snatched him up with an oozed claw. Not again. Spike was not about to let this dragon squeeze the life out of him again. He reach all claws out to the dragons limb. He dug each claw on his hands into the dragon. Nothing. Not even a muscle twitched. He had to up the ante. And he did. He gathered up a small electric current in his scales and amplified it using magic. He collected all of it in his chest before releasing it. When he did, the electricity poured from his claws and stung deep into the dragons hide. At first the dragons squeezed tighter. Spike stopped the current and the dragon's grip loosened. Spike was able to squirm out and jumped to the dragon's head. Spike stood right in front of the dragon's eyes. He was right where he wanted. He took a deep breath and blinded the dragon with a constant assault of green dragon fire. The ooze around its eyes flamed and crystallized. The dragon was now blinded by the very substance it was made of. Spike leaped off the dragon and landed not far from Cadance. He turned to her as her guards formed a defensive line around her. 

“Call your guards off, Princess,” Spike said commandingly, “I am not going to hurt you.”

Cadance nodded to her guards and they loosened the perimeter a bit.

“Really,” Spike said, “I could still get past that. I might do it just to prove a point.”

“Stop,” Cadance said to both dragon and pony.

She gestured over Spike's shoulder. The dragon had fallen into an ice field and now it was thrashing about. Spike gave Cadance a challenging look and took off running. Cadance followed right behind him from the air. As they got closer to the field the dragon was in Spike saw a wall. Cadance could easily fly over it. Spike leaped as high he could and landed with both feet on the top of the wall, barely. He didn't waste time and unleashed a breath of fire that drowned the dragon in flames. But it was not done. As the dragon's wings and back were aflame Spike slammed his hands onto the ground. A path of frost and ice traveled from him to the dragon. It moved around to each of the dragon's feet and began to encase them in ice. The dragon did not stay still and that made Spike's spellcasting difficult. One by one, each claw of the dragon was iced. It was firmly planted on the ground. It was not going anywhere. 
Spike took this last opportunity and finished the dragon off. Since he was surrounded by ice that is what he used. He walked up to the dragon and stared in its black eyes. He made an uppercut motion with his right arm. A tall, spiked spire of ice shot up from the ground and penetrated the dragon's chest. The tip could be seen coming out of the dragon's back. Spike repeated the motion with his left arm. Another spire came from the ground and penetrated the dragon's chest. The dragon let out one final weak roar. Just like with the Black Colts the Black Dragon began to crack. Fissured and cracks appeared all over as the dark colors of the dragon began to turn to to earth and stone. Once it was done Spike threw his arms out to the sides and the two ice spires followed. The former Black Dragon was ripped apart and fell to the ground with dust and debris littering the area. Spike powered down. This time he did not pass out. He just to fell to one knee. A sudden feeling of weakness cascaded over him. Cadance flew over to him from her vantage point. 

“Spike? Is that really you,” She asked nervously.

“Yeah. It really is me, Princess,” Spike replied, “Long time, no see.”

“You have been here all this time and you never got around to writing me,” Cadance states, “I have been worried sick about you! Everpony has been. Why did you not tell anyone, Spike?”

“I will tell you,” Spike said, “But not now. Soon. There are more ponies that need to hear what I have to say.”

Cadance rushed up to Spike and embraced him in a big hug. 

“I'm just glad that you are okay, Spike,” She said. 

The two of them walked back to town together. Cadance had her guards stay a little ways behind them. That way they wouldn't overhear anything said between her and Spike. Spike told her all about why he was here in this small town. The dragon he just dusted threw him from the train and he landed at the Frost family farm. He was injured and stayed there while he recovered. Along the way he drove off a cave full of ice imps and made some friends. Cadance was particularly interested in the ice imps. She had heard of them, but had never actually seen one. Spike gave all the chilling details. She decided that she needed to put more effort into driving them away from towns like that one. 
She and Spike walked into town and they could feel all the stares on them. Ponies gathered at the windows to see the dragon that did magic as well as the princess. They got to the general store and Flake rushed out to greet them. 

“Spike! You're okay,” She said with much excitement.

It took a moment before she realized there was another pony there. She looked over to see who it was. All color drained from Flake's face. She was so shocked her jaw didn't even drop. She went right past that to the stammering like a fool part. Cadance giggled a little at Flake's performance. 

“A friend of yours, I take it,” She said to Spike. 

“This is the filly I mentioned,” He told Cadance, “Princess Cadance, I'd like to 	introduce Flake Frost. The pony who saved my life.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Flake,” Cadance said politely.

Flake was still stammering incoherently, but she manage to pull herself together enough to answer. 

“N-n-nice to m-meet you, P-p-princess Cadance,” She managed to get out. 

The other ponies in the store came outside just as Flake got out 'Princess Cadance'. They immediately saw her and bowed their heads. Flake was still in shock. Cadance bid the ponies to stand and called for the Frost family. Papa Frost came up with his wife. She must have run here right after the first attack. Good. Flake's brother also came up and stood with them. Together, the four of them stood before Cadance. 

“I would like to thank you so very much for taking good care of my friend, Spike,” She said generously, “He tells me that you are all good ponies. Kind and fair. Is there anything I can do to repay your kindness?”

Even Flake was brought back to reality when she heard that question. All four of the Frosts huddled up and discussed it thoroughly. After a few moments of discussion Papa Frost gave Cadance an answer.

“Well, ya see,” He started, “Before we can answer that there is a matter that needs settling.”

“I do not understand,” Cadance replied.

“Ya see, the Frosts and the Banks families had a challenge that was to be settled today. We would have known already, but that pesky dragon attacked before we 	could finish.”

“I see,” Cadance said, “And where is the Banks family now? Perhaps I can help settle this.” 

Just as Cadance asked that one of the Banks appeared. It was none other than Snow Banks. She rushed on over to them. She was panting and had to catch her breath before speaking.

“I need your help,” She said between breaths, “It's my father.”

“You really think we are gonna fall for one of your tricks,” Flake asked accusingly.

“This is not a trick,” Snow whined, “Something really is wrong with my father!”

“Calm down now,” Cadance said, “Where is your father?”

Snow Banks didn't even take a second to recognize the it was Princess Cadance she was talking to. She just directed the ponies, and Spike, to her father and led them there. Mr. Banks was on the edge of town closest to his property, By all appearances he had gone crazy. His mane was wild and his eyes were erratic. He was mumbling to himself and pacing back and forth. He saw Spike coming his direction and everything changed. His eyes became angry and he went silent. He stomped his way up to Spike and yelled at him. 

“Look at this,” He screamed, “Look at what you have done! First you get that black 	ooze all over my ice at the train and then you completely trash my farm. My fields are ruined.”

Spike looked over his shoulder to the property behind him. He had no idea that was the Banks farm. He did get a little enjoyment out of seeing Mr. Banks freaking out, though. Did that make him a bad person? He didn't think so. Mr. Banks was a bit of a jerk. 

“No, no, no,” Mr. Banks mumbled to himself, “This was not supposed to happen. He said that I would win. He promised that Frost would be gone. What am I 	going to do now?”

“Wait a second,” Spike said curiously, “Who is he?”

“I don't know. Don't know,” Banks said crazily, “I fell asleep and he came to me in my nightmares. In the darkness. He has no shape. Just a voice. He promised me.”

Spike moved really close to Mr. Banks. He looked him dead in the eyes. The intensity of Spike's eyes made Mr. Banks scramble away, but Spike would not let him. His steely gaze held him firm.

“A coldness came over you. A chill like you have never felt. You saw his eyes and 	you know they saw you. His voice deep and full of anger. Is that who came to 	you in your nightmares,” Spike asked with an eerie focus.

“Yeessss,” Mr. Banks said with relief, “You've seen him too? Is that how you beat 	me? Is it?!”

Mr. Banks words went from relief to anger. Spike pushed him away and he went back to his mumbling. 

“Do you know this 'he' that Mr. Banks refers to,” Cadance asked Spike,

“No idea,” Spike lied, “I just said some stuff to see what he said back. He would have said yes if I told him that the 'he' was flaming caterpillar the size a tree bent 	on eating the tail of every pony in Equestria. I think he's lost it.”

“It would seem so,” Cadance agreed.

“Does this mean we win the challenge,” Flake asked, “I mean, all their ice was melted by that pesky dragon.”

“No, it does not,” Snow screamed, “Since my father is no longer able to work, the challenge is obviously off.”

“Not true, young filly,” Papa Frost said, “Me and your father signed a contract long ago. It clearly stated that the challenge would go on no matter what happened to either of us.”

“Oh yeah? And just where is this contract now,” Snow asked with attitude. 

The Harvest Master appeared out of nowhere. He gave the Princess a polite bow. After which he proceeded to take off his tall hat. He set it on the ground and reached inside. He kept the contract between to ponies in his hat? Spike had seen so many unusual things here that he was not really surprised. It was taking the Harvest Master an awful long time to find a piece of paper in his hat. How much stuff did he have in there? Finally he found it and pulled it out. He dusted it off and silently handed it over the Princess Cadance. He retrieved his hat and walked away. His job was done. 

Cadance unrolled the scroll and read it over. It was short and to the point. It outlined the rules to the original challenge set between Papa Frost and Mr. Banks. After a few moments Cadance turned her attention back to the ponies. 

“It would seem that Papa Frost is correct,” She said.

“What,” Snow Banks yelled loudly, “Let me see that.”

Cadance lowered the scroll so that everypony could read it. Snow Banks skimmed it over until she came to the part about her father. 

And no matter what shall befall either pony, be they either the challenged or the challenger, the status of the challenge shall remain the same. As long as the farm is still operational and can be worked, the challenge shall remain in full effect.

Snow Banks could not believe it. Papa Frost was right. And so was Flake. She and her family had lost the challenge.

“We lost,” She said quietly, “What happens now?”

“Well there, young filly,” Papa Frost said, “That is a good question. Ya see, the stakes for the challenge never changed. Even as we got older and the farms got bigger.”

“And what were the stakes,” Snow asked.

“Why, the farms of course,” Papa Frost said with a grin, “And seeing as how you know your farm the better than anypony here, we could sure use your help.”

“You took everything my family has and drove my father crazy,” Snow said angrily, “Why in Equestria do you think I would come and work for you?”

“Because if you don't you will have to leave town,” Flake said, “We have your 	farm, your house, and your money. You have nothing.”

Cadance stepped in between the two fillies before they pounced at one another. There was a more civilized way to settle this. Snow Banks was steadfast in her choice to never, ever work for the Frosts. It was eventually settled that the Frosts gave her a nice sum of money and bid her farewell. She was not happy about it all. Her father was taken to a very nice hospital in the city. Snow would be staying close to him. Cadance promised to help her get adjusted to a new life. Normally Spike would have handled that type of situation for her. Seeing as how he was a key part of why she needs a new life, he was not going anywhere near her. Cadance could handle it though. She was already looking for some free time. Maybe she could make some for Snow. 
Another matter that was brought up was Spike. He was leaving again. This time he was leaving the Frosts. And maybe leaving the Crystal Empire for real this time. He said nothing about his use of magic. Nopony even brought it up. They were all hiding and any flashes of light they saw they attributed to Cadance. She was the Alicorn Princess after all. So Spike let it be. He would be boarding a train at a small platform a ways away from town. He had gone back to get his backpack and a few other things. Before he left Flake stopped him to say goodbye. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to get the words out. 

“Flake, I am not going away forever,” Spike spoke first, “I promise to come back and visit someday.”

“I know,” Flake said through tears, “And I will keep practicing magic while your gone. By the time you get back I will be harvesting entire rows by myself. No more Fake Flake here!”

The whole town gave Spike a grand farewell. After that dragon attack they had a lot of rebuilding to do. That would keep them busy for a while. Cadance had promised to send some help. 
The harvesting continued the next day and the Frosts made a very nice profit even without the Banks' ice. Most of that had been destroyed. The amount that was left was enough that the Frosts were able to transition from their small farmhouse to the very nice, big house at their new farm without too much hassle.

Spike walked with Cadance to the train. She needed a break from flying and that was it. Beside Spike had things he needed to say. He informed Cadance that he lied about what he said to Mr. Banks. Spike, in fact, did now who the 'he' was that Banks referred to. But he still could not tell her. He just told her to talk to Luna and set up a meeting where he could address all the princess's. It was very important. Cadance trusted Spike and flew off to the Crystal Palace at once to do as he asked. As for Spike he boarded the front cabin of the train like a royal guest and settled in for the long ride. He was happy. He was going back to where it all started. He was going home. 
> Ch.11 Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike's train ride was fairly uneventful. He went back to an empty cabin every once in a while to call Smoke Shadow. He had been busy gathering up whatever information he could on Galeek's arrival. He knew it was coming. He knew before Spike had his nightmare, but that just confirmed it. Because of this Spike had not spoken with him in months. It would be nice to catch up with him. 
The Night Calling Mirror was used once again. Spike called him up and they talked for a while. Spike told of what happened at the ice farm. The Black Dragon attacked, but Spike fought it to defeat. Shadow was impressed. Spike was using his instincts to adapt to the situation as needed. He learned fast the ways of dragon magic. Then he told Shadow of his plans to meet with the princess's. Shadow did not agree with Spike's plan, at first. Spike was able to convince him. It was logic. The only ones that knew Galeek was coming was them two. Galeek threatened the entire land of Equestria. Therefore, all the princess's of Equestria should be warned about it. Shadow eventually gave in to Spike. There was not talking him out of this. He could be quite stubborn sometimes. A trait that Shadow admired most of the time. Shadow formed a plan with a Spike for whenever the meeting was to take place. After they were done talking, Spike moved back up to his seat in the front of the train. He took a nap. He needed his rest. 

Spike woke up from his nap as the train was pulling into Ponyville. He was here. Finally, after all this time. After all his time away, he was back. Spike was back home. He slung his backpack over one shoulder and headed out into town. He didn't get very far when he saw some familiar faces. All his friends were there to greet him. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Twilight was not there. Spike wondered why. He figured that she of all ponies would be there to welcome him home. But he was still very happy to see the others. They were all amazed to see how big he had grown. 

“Why, you grew faster than a bushel of apples in Granny Smith's special fertilizer, Spike,” Applejack said. 

Spike laughed. He hadn't heard anything like that for a long while. Applejack was always full of little sayings like that. He had missed it. He had also missed all the baked apple goods that she made. 

“Yes, and you got a new coat,” Rarity said, “And a dreadful one at that. Just plain black. That was out of season four season's ago. Although you do pull it off, Spike. I will just have to make you another one.”

That was Rarity for you. She insults your outfit, compliments you for wearing it, and then insists on making something better. Spike did not object to that. The coat he was wearing was made for cold weather work. He quickly stripped it off and stashed it in his backpack. He put on his PAD coat instead. It was much more breathable.

“Is that my coat,” Rarity said with shock, “What have you done to it?”

“Nothing,” Spike said as he showed Rarity's coat, “I would never dare to try and change one your creations.”

Spike and Rarity both smiled and he put the small coat back. 

“Glad to see my favorite dragon buddy,” Rainbow Dash said, “I haven't had anypony to show off my awesomeness too since you went away.”

Spike doubted that very much. As long as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were around Rainbow Dash would never not have fans to show off too. Those fillies basically worshiped her. Especially Scootaloo. 

“I'm so very happy you're back, Spike,” Fluttershy said with her usual soft tone, “Even Angel and all his animal friends missed you.”

Spike always like Fluttershy. She was nice to him from the first day he and Twilight arrived in Ponyville. She barely squeaked at Twilight but burst with joy when she saw Spike the baby dragon. She was always kind in general, too. 

“Aaaahhhh! We should so totally throw you a welcome back to Ponyville party,” Pinkie Pie shouted with her normal cheerfulness.

She was always hyper and active. She never stopped smiling. Her smile almost literally infected others with a good mood and a smile. She was always able to get Spike to smile and that day was no different. 

“That would be so awesome,” Spike said, “But first I would like to talk to Twilight. Where is she?”

All the other ponies said nothing at first. They nervously fidgeted and played with their hooves. None of them would look at Spike and they even went so far as to avoid looking at each other. Rainbow Dash contemplated flying away. But she didn't. It was finally Applejack who spoke up.

“Twilight hasn't really been the same since you been gone,” She said.

“She seemed fine for the first week or so,” Fluttershy added, “I think.”

“Yes, but then she got all quiet and moody,” Rarity said, “And then she locked herself away in that library like a drama queen.”

“Ain't no pony barely got a look at her since then,” Applejack stated.

“Although, every now and then, some say she could be seen flying off into the Everfree Forest,” Rainbow dash told Spike.

“I better go and talk to her,” Spike said.

“Okey-dokey,” Pinkie Pie replied, “But be careful. Last time I tried knocking on her all I got was the quiet game. At this rate Twilight probably has the highest score of anypony.”

Spike asked if they could watch his backpack for him. Applejack took it and was greatly surprised by how much it weighed. How much stuff did he have in there, and what was it? Rocks? She was able to get it, though and the ponies went to get something to eat. It was nearing lunch time and Sugarcube Corner was close by. 

Spike stood in front of Twilight's door. From the outside everything looked fine. There didn't seem to be anything wrong. But that was just the outside. Spike raised a hand and knocked on the door. Nothing. He put his ear to the door. Still nothing. He tried knocking again. Harder this time. Again, he listened. Again, he heard nothing. Where was she? If he knocked any harder then he would break the door down. That would have been really bad. He looked down in disappointment. It seemed he would not be talking to Twilight today. He started sulking off when he heard the sound of hoofsteps above him. Twilight must have been away and just landed on her small balcony. He looked up just in time to see a tail disappear from view.

“Twilight,” He yelled up.

He got no response, but the hoofsteps did stop. With a quick flash and burst of speed, the pony that was there flew away. Spike was able to track where she was headed. The Everfree Forest. Was Rainbow Dashes storylike line true? Spike had to see if this was really Twilight. 
Spike ran after the flying pony as fast as he could. Whoever this pony was, they were wearing a cloak so Spike could not see a face. With the way the pony was flying it was almost possible it was Rainbow Dash playing one of her pranks. But Spike had to know for sure. He pushed himself to go faster. He ran by the other ponies at Sugarcube Corner. He was so fast that all they saw was a purple and green blur and the wind rushing after him. It was strong enough to blow Spike's backpack over. As he neared the border to the Everfree Forest he decided it was time for some magic. He focused energy into his claws. As he came up to branches and vines he was able to cut through them ease. It was very hard to keep sight of the pony through the canopy of the trees. All Spike got was a glimpse here and there. 
Spike lost sight of her once and stopped. He needed to get a breath. He looked around for a moment. He hadn't been in the Forest in while. Not these parts anyway. But he did recognize where these parts were. He was on his way to Zecora's place. That was a start. Maybe she could give Spike some more answers about Twilight. He stepped in the direction of her hut but stopped short. His leg was caught on something. Or, more specifically, something had caught his leg. A vine had coiled around his leg tightly. He tried to shake it loose and failed. When he tried pry it loose he failed. He even tried breathing fire on it. This was no ordinary vine. When he tried to yank it off his leg another vine shot from the treetops and grabbed his arm. Spike snarled and yanked his arm in all directions to try and break free. He finally grabbed the vine and chomped a bite clean through the vine. That seemed to work. He used the tip of his tail to slice through the vines around his leg. But he was not free. He cut one vine and two more showed up. The more vines he cut the more trouble he was in. At one point he had every limb tangles up in vines. They had him by the feet and legs and were holding him upside down. They had his arm pinned. One was pinned across his chest. The other was pinned to the nearest tree. His tail was still touching the ground, barely. It was being held there by the vines. Spike exploded with anger. An aura of fire burnt all the vines around him to a black crisp. As he settled down he headed back for Ponyville. There was no point in trying to follow that flying pony anymore. He would talk to Zecora tomorrow. 

He came out of the Everfree forest more tired than he thought. But he couldn't go to the Library. Where was he going to sleep? He thought maybe one of friends would offer until he saw them outside town. Applejack was in front. She had his backpack on the ground and tipped it over. Out came all the gifts that they had given him when he first left. They were not in the same condition as they were then. He didn't understand why Applejack looked mad. She gave him homemade Apple family treats. Those were gone within a week. Nonetheless, she did not look happy.

“Spike,” She said, “Look at this stuff. We gave you this stuff a long time ago. I'm kinda surprised you still have it.”

“Like the box I gave you,” Pinkie said, “I told you to open it whenever you got sad. Did you never get sad when you were away from Ponyville?”

Pinkie had genuine sadness in her voice. Spike could hear it all to well. It was the same tone he often had. What was he supposed to say. Sorry, but he was too busy? Then he would have to explain doing what. 

“And then there is my autographed picture,” Rainbow Dash said, “It's got all this black stuff all over it. You can barely tell that it's me. What's the deal?”

“And my coat. It looks barely worn. Did you even wear it all,” Rarity asked. 

“And then there is this,” Applejack said. 

She hoofed over a few shards of a broken record. It was the record Fluttershy had made for him. It was shattered in his fall from the train. He never did get a chance to listen to it. He looked up at the ponies. Fluttershy was in the back. She looked really hurt. She had tears forming in her eyes. The sight made Spike want to do the same.

“I'm sorry,” He said finally, “Of course I would keep all these things. Each of them was a gift from one of you. Pinkie, I missed Ponyville every day and the ponies here. If I had opened the box then I would not have a special gift from you. And then what would I have done the next time I was sad? Dash, I am sorry about the picture. I tried my best to keep it safe, but I ran into some unexpected trouble on a train. Rarity, of course I wore that coat. But I grew out of it so quickly that I had to go and get a bigger one. I had it made just like yours, so I would always remember your work.”

Each of the ponies listened heartily as Spike said his apologies. Their looks went from annoyed and angry to sad and sympathetic. Spike reached out to his backpack and collected every piece of the Fluttershy Record. 

“Fluttershy, this record was the most precious thing I had while I was away. I 	never did get the chance to listen to it. That is one of my biggest regrets. The sound of your voice would have helped me a lot when I missed Ponyville.”

Spike had all the pieces of the record on the ground in front of him. He scooped up a few pieces and held them. He was never going to listen to this record. It was impossible, or so he thought. A single tear formed in Spike's eye and dropped to the record pieces in his hand. The pieces began to glow even the pieces on the ground started to glow. Piece by piece, they floated in the air and reassembled. The shattered record took form once more and each and every break fixed itself. The record dropped into Spike's waiting hands. Even he didn't know what just happened. 

“I don't rightly know what just happened,” Applejack said, “But you got yourself some explaining to do. You can stay at Sweet Apple Acres tonight.”

“Wait,” Pinkie Pie shouted at Spike, “Before you go, take these.”

From out of nowhere Pinkie Pie produced a dozen more boxes. They were just like the one she had given him months ago. She shoved them in his arms and nearly tipped him over. 

“Uh, Pinkie, I don't even know what these boxes do,” Spike said, “I haven't even opened the first one.”

“Oh. That's okay. I will show you,” Pinkie stated cheerfully.

Before anypony could stop her she pulled another box from nowhere and opened it up. The top was barely open when a pop sound and flash of light went off. When Spike opened his eyes, there was confetti raining down from the sky and party favors scattered in all directions. Pinkie pie was still holding the box. Since she was so close her entire front side was plastered with confetti. A party hat slowly drifted down and landed on her head. She opened her eyes smiled.

“Seeeee,” She said, “Its your very own Stop Being Sad party with the traveling convenience of a small box. It is your very own Pinkie Party in a Box. Ooh. I like that. Party in a box.”

“That is just like Pinkie,” Applejack said, “Puttin' a whole party in one teeny box.”

“Not just any party,” Pinkie said, “A Stop Being Sad party. I also have a box for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, New Years, pet birthdays, special occasions, and of course, National party day. My favorite day of the year, other than my birthday, and National Cake day, and National Cake and Party day, You know I have so many favorite days its hard to choose just one.”

Okay then. Pinkie Pie got over her little issue with Spike rather quickly. She was always like that. The ponies went their separate ways after that. It was getting dark and everypony had homes to get back to. 
Spike took Applejack up on her offer. He followed her back to to the orchard. Little Apple Bloom was happy as she could be to see Spike again. She was begging him to tell her a story of his travels. Applejack was going to read her a bedtime story, but she was just as interested in Spike's travels. Granny Smith made some warm apple tarts and they all settled in for Spike to tell his story. But he needed one thing first. He asked for a small rounded bowl. Applejack wasn't sure why he needed it, but she got him one. He sat down with the bowl in front of him and breath a small flame into the bowl. The flame put out a smoke that Spike sent some magic into. The ponies could not tell at all what he was doing. They just thought it was some cool trick he learned while away. Apple Bloom and Applejack watched the smoke closely as Spike told the story of a courageous and heroic young filly by the name of Flake Frost.

The next day Spike woke up early. He had plans he had to get done. First on his to do list though, was breakfast. Since he stayed with Applejack that night, he also got a good, tasty breakfast that morning. After that he headed out to start his day. He saw Applejack was already hard at work bucking apples. She just pulled up a cart full when Spike came out.

“Mornin', Spike,” She said, “Thanks again for that story last night. I don't know where you came up that stuff, but it made for one cool story.”

“I didn't come up with it,” Spike told her, “I lived it.”

“Come again,” Applejack said, “You mean to say that that Frosty Flake filly is real?”

“It's Flake Frost,” Spike said, “And yes, she is real.”

“Well, I'll be,” Applejack started, “You certainly had some exciting times over 	wherever you were.”

“Yeah, I did. I'll see you later, Applejack. I gotta go see Zecora,” Spike replied. 

Applejack went back to work and Spike headed back to town, and then to the Everfree Forest. It was morning still when he got there. He made his way carefully through the Forest. He hadn't been there in quite some time and did not fully remember the way to Zecora's house. He stepped carefully and watched every tree and flower and vine. He didn't to repeat the vine incident from last night. Luckily he did not have to. He made it to Zecora's house without incident. Zecora welcomed him inside happily. 

“Last time I saw you, you were a dragon baby,” Zecora said, “But now you have grown, due to magic maybe.”

“You could say that,” Spike said, “But enough about me. I would like to know 	about Twilight. Everypony says she changed after I left. Is there anything you can tell me?”

“Yes. Young Twilight did indeed change,” Zecora said, “You left her and herbehavior became strange, for your sudden departure left quite a mark. Maybe now what she needs is a close friends spark.”

“I understand that, but what do I do,” Spike asked desperately.

“If you wish to speak then maybe you must force your way,” Zecora said, “Make her listen to the words you have to say. Do not let her run away, or she will not return another day.”

“Okay then,” Spike said, “I think I understand what you are saying. Last question. Do you know where she is right now?”

“I know that she will soon be near,” Zecora told Spike, “She likes to pick flowers that grow close to here. She usually leaves here a little after noon. Speaking of which, she will be here fairly soon.”

“Thank you, Zecora,” Spike said as he left.

“You are welcome, young dragon,” Zecora said lastly, “I just wish to see you and her friends again.” 

Spike ran off the same way he came. He made sure to stick to the shadows. Because of his training with Shadow he was nearly invisible. He saw a pony flying over the Forest as he made his way out. It was the same pony he chased the night before. So it was Twilight.
He walked through Ponyville in a bit of a daze. He was too busy thinking about Zecora's words. He passed by the schoolhouse and all the young fillies were outside. Cheerilee was had just finished giving them a lesson and now they were all just playing around. Apple Bloom saw Spike and called him over. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were also there. This was the first he had seen them since he was back. They marveled at the size Spike had grown to. Of course, they couldn't help but brag a little about how they were friends with the one and only Princess Assistance Dragon. Apple Bloom had spent the whole morning telling everypony who would listen about Spike's story. She begged him to tell it again, but he said there was not enough time. Cheerilee came over to get them after a short while. Class was starting again. The three fillies tried to talk he into letting Spike tell his story to the entire class. At first she said no.

“But Miss Cheerilee,” Sweetie Belle said, “He is the only PAD and his story tells of a young filly who learns to be more confident in herself and her magic grows because of it.”

Sweetie Belle made a lot of sense. Her words portrayed more wisdom than her age would show. It did happen every once in a while. Apparently, her words had more power behind them than Spike thought. Miss Cheerilee thought about it for a second and finally agreed to let Spike speak to the class. She admitted that she was curious about his story and wanted to hear it. Plus, any story that can be used to inspire young fillies was okay in her book. Spike thought about it too. Zecora said that Twilight usually left the Everfree forest a little after noon. It was not even mid morning yet. He had some time free. Why not?
Miss Cheerilee welcomed Spike as a surprise quest speaker. All the fillies were glad that didn't have more schoolwork to do. At first Spike was a little nervous. And he didn't have anything to make his smokescreen with. But Apple Bloom did. She pulled out the same dish he used the night before. She had been planning this for the entire morning. She was persistent at least. So Spike took it and moved to the front of the class. There he made a small fire in the dish. Once the smoke rose he started his story. Once again he filled the dark smoke with a green light that moved with his words. And the story of the courageous and heroic young filly Flake Frost was told once more. 

Spike ended his story and let the fire in the dish die down. All ponies in the room were wide eyed and silent still. They were all leaning closer and closer as Spike told his story. His words had captured the attention of every pony there and he dazzled them with his Smokelight trick. He was getting better at storytelling. With the Smokelight trick it was easy for him to see how Smoke Shadow made a living as a storyteller before. And the story did not even take as long as he thought it would. It was getting close to the lunch hour, but he still had time to get to Twilight's library. He had a general idea of what he was going to do. Miss Cheerilee heartily led an applause as Spike made his exit. 

He got to the library just before noon. Good. There was still time. He moved for the door but was stopped. A magic barrier had been set up. That was Twilight. Her answer to everything was magic. Before, that would have been the end of it, but now Spike had the same answer. He placed a clawed hand on the barrier and flowed energy through them. He forcefully closed his hand over the barrier and it shattered. A small opening was created. It was big enough for Spike to squeeze through before the barrier repaired itself. That was one obstacle overcome. Knowing Twilight there was bound to be more. He tried the door next. Locked of course. He tried a simple spell of unlocking and it did nothing. Upon closer inspection Spike found that Twilight had magically sealed the lock. This spell was much stronger than the barrier spell she used. The only was he was getting past that was to tear the whole door off its hinges. That would not make for the greatest impression. Spike only had one other option. He could use the same entrance that Twilight did now. The balcony. He looked up at it. His only choice was to jump. If he missed he was going head first into the barrier, and then tail first to the ground. Neither sounded pleasant. He took a moment to angle himself just right. He didn't want to hit the bottom of the balcony, but didn't want to overshoot it either. One tall leap later and he was hanging of the edge of the balcony. Not quite enough oomph behind his jump. He was able to use his tail to grab the edge and pull himself up. He came over the railing and crashed into Twilight's telescope. He scrambled to catch it before it hit the floor and broke. In his desperate attempt he nearly sent it over the edge, but caught it just in time. It was almost time for Twilight to be coming back. He quickly rushed and pieced the telescope back together. Then he moved inside and out of sight. 

Twilight flew home from the Everfree Forest. She had picked enough flowers for that day. She flew over the library and immediately realized something was not right. She could tell her barrier had been disturbed. Beyond that, she could see her telescoped was bent out of shape. Who could have done that? What pony could have gotten past her barrier spell? She flew down and lightly landed on the balcony. She charged up her horn and entered. Everything was dark and quiet. It was just as she left it. Excerpt for one thing. Someone else was there. She could sense his presence. She slowly, quietly made her way downstairs. Through the dim glow coming from her horn she could see the clutter that she had accumulated around the place. Past that, along the far wall, she saw his silhouette. Tall and thin, but strong. He had his back turned to her. He reached for a book on one of the high shelves and Twilight sent a magic blast at him. She watched as her magic blast met a barrier around the silhouette and do nothing at all to him. He turned around to look at her. 

“Hey, Twilight,” Spike said with a smile.
> Ch.12 Apologies and Answers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight saw Spike standing before her. She could not believe it. He had changed so much. Physically, that is. That was all she could see and all she wanted to know at the moment. Nothing more. She sneered at him and turned away. She did not want to talk to him. She flashed her horn and several candles that were place throughout the library lit. Their dancing flames lit the room with a low and wavering light. Twilight took her pack off and began removing the flowers. 

“Twilight,” Spike said, “It is good to see you. It's, uh, been a long time.”

Nothing. No answer. No retort. Not even an acknowledgment that he said anything. She just continued on with her flowers. Spike noticed that she had dozens of them all over the library. She was either collecting them, or they had something to do with magic. They were pretty flowers. White in the center that faded to black with a purple tint. 

“Listen, Twilight-.”

“Leave me alone,” Twilight said coldly, “I don't want to be bothered right now.”

“I just want to talk to you,” Spike said.

“Talk,” Twilight scolded as she turned to Spike, “Now you want to talk?! You didn't bother talking to me when you decided to go and work for Luna. Or Cadance. You just left!”

“I know it has been a long time,” Spike said.

“A long time. Yeah right,” Twilight scoffed, “You've been gone for six months, Spike. Six months!”

“I know,” Spike said strongly, “And it was hard for me, too, but I had my reasons. I am sorry I left you so suddenly.”

“You 'had your reasons',” Twilight repeated, “You have no idea how hard it was for me to adjust when you were here one day and gone the next. I had no time to prepare or anything. Wasn't that more important than your 'reasons'? Huh, Spike?”

Spike now understood. Twilight felt abandoned. She felt alone and unprepared. For a pony like Twilight, who lived off checklists and organization, feeling unprepared can be devastating. Especially when combined with loneliness. And she was right. Spike had left her. He left suddenly and without reason. He did a lot for Twilight. Not giving her time to prepare for his absence was a terrible mistake. He had to fix this. Twilight could not stay mad at him forever. That would be bad for more than just their friendship. It would be bad for all of Equestria. 
Spike looked at Twilight right I her eyes. He could see how hurt she felt. He raised an open hand and showed her his palm. When he closed his hand all the candles in the library went out. They were now in perfect darkness. Shadows surrounded them. Before Twilight could relight the candles a small light began to shine. She struggled to see it through the shadows. She was able to discern that is was actually two lights. They were getting brighter and brighter until she saw where they were coming from. It was Spike. His eyes were glowing.

“This is why I left, Twilight,” Spike said, “I had a chance to learn dragon magic. I couldn't pass that up. You of all ponies should be able to understand that. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry about me. You are a princess now. You have other things to worry about.”

“Well, your brilliant plan worked,” Twilight replied, “I wasn't worried. And I am 	not falling for the glowing eyes. I can think of at least fifty low level spells that can do that.”

“You don't believe that I learned dragon magic,” Spike said with disbelief as he powered down, “Then how did I get past your barrier? And why am I so much bigger than before?”

“Maybe Luna helped you past my spells,” Twilight responded, “You both seem to be quite close now. As for your size, it is called growing up.”

Twilight was really hurt by Spike when he left. No matter what he said now he was not going to get her forgiveness. Not right away. He hung his head low and moved for the front door. He would come back again and maybe he could convince her of something. Any step closer he would take. Twilight watched behind her as Spike left. As he neared the door she looked away. She saw something out of the corner of her eye. A movement, in the dark. As she peered into the shadows she saw another pony. A Black Colt emerged and charged after her. Twilight screamed and fell back. Within seconds Spike had blasted the Colt into a wall and was there to help Twilight up.

“Spike, behind you,” Twilight screamed as she reached for his hand.

Two more Black Colts had emerged from the shadows and started spitting black ooze at Spike. He spun and crossed his arms in front of his chest, blocking both him and Twilight's. This gave Twilight time enough to circle around and blast them. They were stunned but only for a moment. Spike saw a multitude of candles around them. He raised his hands, palms up, and the flames grew higher on the candles. He circulated his hands and a ring of flames was formed from the lit candles. The ring circled and burned brighter. It closed in on the Colts until they turned to dust and fell to debris. Twilight stood behind Spike, stunned. She had not seen anything like that before.

“Believe me now,” Spike asked sarcastically.

“Tell. Me. Everything,” Twilight said seriously.

Spike and Twilight's stayed up late into the night as he told her all of his adventures and everything he learned. He told her everything. He started with the first meeting of all the princess's. That one book that he found and the promise Luna made to help him learn magic so ancient that most ponies don't know it even existed. Spike told her of Smoke Shadow. The Dragon Mystik who taught him so many things. He told her of the Night Calling Mirror. An artifact that allowed you to speak to anypony across any distance. An item created using both dragon and pony magic. Spike told of his tasks at the Crystal Palace, and the battle that went on there. He told Twilight of the ice farm that he fell into and the young filly he befriended there. When he was done, Twilight was the only pony who had the full and complete story of his time away. She was amazed and terrified and proud and many other emotions all rolled up into one pony princess. When morning came the light shined in through the cracks between the curtains. Twilight opened them fully and the library filled with light. It was then that both of them got the full scope of how messy it was. 

“For a pony who prides herself on organization, you do make quite a mess,” Spike 	said jokingly.

“Well, my favorite dragon assistant wasn't here to help me clean up,” Twilight 	replied with a smile.

“I am here now,” Spike said, “And now we can both do magic.”

Spike gave Twilight a challenging smirk and rushed to start cleaning. Twilight heartily accepted and they raced to see who could get the most done. It was the most intense and close battle Spike had ever been in. 

A few hours later there was a knock on the library door. Twilight opened it with magic and let the others in. They were very surprised that they got an answer at all, and even more surprised that she was letting them in. Twilight greeted them with a smile and everypony was confused. 

“Hi girls,” She said happily, “Come on in.”

“Well, you seem to be in a mighty good mood,” Applejack said.

“Why wouldn't I be? Spike just helped me clean the library. You have no idea the mess I made with those flowers,” Twilight responded.

“Is that what you two been doing all this time,” Applejack questioned, “Cleaning?”

“What do you mean,” Twilight asked, “What else would we be doing?”

“Well, ya see, Twilight,” Applejack started, “You ain't rightly been yourself as of late. When I heard Spike came to visit ya here and no pony seen him since then, why, I rounded up the rest of the girls and hauled 'em down here fast as my 	hooves could move.”

“What do you mean I 'haven't been myself',” Twilight asked.

“Please, darling,” Rarity exclaimed, “You have been locked away in this library for months now. Ever since Spike left, actually. Not that it has damaged your mane at all. You look as fabulous as ever.”

“Yeah, and you were always playing the quiet game when I knocked,” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, “Now that I think about it, you lost since you started talking again. We'll have to play again sometime.”

“Is that what all of you think,” Twilight asked, “Because that is not what 	happened. Yes, I was sad that Spike left, but I didn't lock myself in the library because of it.”

“That's what I said,” Rainbow dash said, “But nopony ever listens to awesomeness 	like mine. If they did then Ponyville would be at least twenty percent cooler.”

“If you don't mind me asking,” Rarity said, “Then what were you doing in all that time?”

“Celestia asked me to look into these flowers,” Twilight explained, “I have been studying them for a while now. Didn't I tell you guys?”

“I most certainly would have remembered you telling me of such a gorgeous 	flower,” Rarity said, “This makes me want to make a whole new floral line! Do 	you perhaps have one I can borrow?”

“Sorry, but they aren't safe,” Twilight said, “The pollen alone is very poisonous to ponies.”

“Then why do you have them,” Rainbow Dash asked briskly.

“Because I have found through my studies that prepared properly the flower can act as a very potent regenerative agent,” Twilight replied.

“Uhh, what,” Dash replied.

“It heals you quick as jackrabbit,” Applejack explained.

“Well, when you are done, maybe we can all get something to eat,” Rarity said, “I know I am famished.”

“Actually, I am done,” Twilight said, “I was just packing up my final report to send to Celestia when Spike showed up.”

“Great,” Pinkie Pie said, “Then it is time for food!”

“How about a picnic,” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Twilight said, “I could use some fresh air.”

The six ponies and Spike had a picnic that day for lunch. It was the first time in many months that they were all together. It was good. They all got to sit and talk. Spike told them many things about his travels. He left some details out. It was a good day all around. But it was the last they would have for a while. 
> Ch.13 Best Laid Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A week after he got back to Ponyville, Spike got a message from Cadance. She was able to get a meeting in place. All the princess's would be there. It would take place at the Royal Castle in Canterlot, just like the last one. It was scheduled for two days later. It was short notice, but that suited Spike just fine. As he was the one that called for the meeting, the sooner the better was best for him. 
He hurried and got his backpack all together. He had emptied out a lot of it back in his room at the library. He put all of his coats away and left just the essentials in his backpack. A few books that he still had not finished reading. Fluttershy's record. He was determined to listen to that at some point and wanted it with him when that chance came. He put on the crystal medal that Cadance awarded him. He snatched up his backpack and rushed for the train. He was already late. He got there and Twilight was already there, with the other girls. She stood there proudly. It was not going to be like the last time. Twilight was bringing all her friends. Spike had told her what this meeting was for and she believed having them there was important. They all settled in for the ride and Spike fell asleep not long after. 

Darkness. Shadows. Spike was used to it by now. He had been having nightmares about it for months. But this nightmare had a familiar chill to it. It was that same coldness that washed over him the first time he glimpsed Galeek. That scale penetrating, needle piercing, bone chilling coldness that sent shivers down his spikes. Fear welled up in him. He was more terrified of Galeek than he was of anything else. And now he was here again, in that same dark void that he first saw him. 
Galeek was acting the same as before. He waved his hand and windows that showed him times before he was cast into the ooze popped open. He watched and watched. To some he got angry. To others he just smiled and laughed. He opened one that got a different reaction. He silently watched it. It was an army of dragons. A conquest of a kingdom ruled by ponies. Spike could not watch any of it. 

“How I do miss those times,” Galeek said, “Yes. How I long for conquest again. I was born to it. It is in my blood.”

Galeek was crazy. Spike knew this, but this was beyond crazy. He wanted to slaughter each and every pony that walked the land of Equestria. Spike lurked in the shadows around him. 

“Then that pony, Star Ethereal, came and ruined it all,” Galeek rambled, “I had everything! Wealth, power, respect. I ruled an empire for centuries. Then the ponies came with magic of their own. Not right, Magic belongs to dragons! It was ours to begin with! And I will take every shred of magic away from these ponies. I will start with the Ethereal Daughters, Celestia and Luna.”

Spike dug his claws into his palms. He had to use every ounce of self control to stop form confronting Galeek. Not here, not now. But he still had the magic flowing through his body. He let that flow free. There was no point in trying to tame a raging river.

“Ahh, I see I am no longer alone,” Galeek said, “I know you are here young dragon.”

What?! Galeek knew he was there? How? He had done nothing to alert him. Then Spike looked at his hands, The energy flowing around them, Shadow had told him of this. Other dragons could sometimes sense the presence of magic. Spikes anger about the thought of losing Luna and Celestia pushed the energy throughout his body. On instinct it flowed to his claws. He calmed himself down as fast as he could. It was not easy due to the fact that Galeek was now searching for him.

“I can sense you, you know,” Galeek said, “I thought Smoke Shadow was the only dragon left that could harness magic. It would seem he has taught another. I can taste his foul essence in your magic.”

Galeek made his way in Spike's direction. Spike stayed in the shadows and moved around him. He tried to stay calm so he would not have another flare up of magic energy, but his heart was racing. This was most likely the most dangerous dragon in all of Equestrian history. Spike was caught in a nightmare residing in his world. And now he was being hunted. 

“I must admit, you escaped my gaze for quite a while,” Galeek said, “I am not sure how you managed that. Ahh. I can taste your magic essence in the air. It has been so long since I tasted anything like it. You are strong, young blood. Your potential for raw power is unique.”

Raw power? What? He was not making any sense to Spike. And he was still following him. Spike moved farther and farther away, but Galeek was always on his trail. It did not help that Galeek was a massive creature who moved unnaturally fast. 

“You could always join me, young blood,” Galeek said, “Together we could bring dragon magic back to this land. We could rule as kings and never want for anything. Once all these ponies are gone, of course.”

“NO!!”

Spike yelled as loud as he could. He forced a push of magic and it carried his voice to every corner and every wall. His voice echoed and seemed to come from no one clear point. 

“Impressive,” Galeek said, “Magically echoing your voice to make it harder for me to find you. Smart.”

Spike was tired of this. He was tired of the running and the hiding. But he knew that going out of the shadows to face him was insanity. More than that, it was suicide. 

“If you will not join me, young blood, then I will destroy you along with these ponies,” Galeek stated, “And I am coming for them. Soon, I will be free of this black ooze prison. So you tell them about me. Tell them their destruction awaits them! Tell them it will not matter if they bow or flee! I will spare no one! Tell them the Dark King of Dragons is coming!”

Galeek's voice rose with each sentence. It was not long until his voice was booming in Spike's ears. It was a deafening sound. Spike covered his ears, but that did little to help. He sank to the floor as his head throbbed. Even after Galeek had finished his words still rang in Spike's head. He screamed as he held his head and Galeek came upon him.

Spike shot up in his seat still screaming. Twilight and the others immediately woke as well. Spike stopped screaming and stood up. Good thing it was only the girls in the cabin with him. He was panting and sweating.

“You all right, sugarcube,” Applejack's asked with a yawn.

“Yeah. Fine. Just a nightmare,” Spike said.

“Oh my, Spike,” Rarity said, “You look downright petrified. That must have been a truly awful nightmare.	“

“You have no idea,” Spike said under his breath.

Twilight heard him. She knew what was going on. He saw him again. Spike was just face to face with Galeek for the second time. This time was different though. Twilight had seen Spike scared before, but this was nothing like that. What she saw in Spike's eyes was a level of fear beyond anything she knew. Just who was this Galeek person? She knew nothing about him, and Spike knew just barely more than that. And it was the not knowing that scared her. 
She managed to coral the others back to their bunks for some sleep. It was needed now more than ever. One by one, they all fell back asleep. All except for Spike. Understandably, he stayed awake. He headed for the back of the train. He needed some fresh air. He passed through a few other cabins before reaching the back end of the train. He got there and leaned against the railing. It was a nice night out. There a full moon and all the stars were out. They were shining bright. A cool breeze was blowing through. It felt nice against Spike's scales. He closed his eyes and thought. About Galeek, about the black ooze, about Luna, about everything that was happening with him. How was it all connected? Galeek had called Luna and Celestia the Ethereal Daughters. Hold up. Star Ethereal. Spike recalled when Shadow told of how dragons lost their magic. Galeek was originally defeated by Star Ethereal. She drowned him and all of dragon magic in a pit of black ooze. Somehow, he had gained control over the ooze and was using it to free himself. All the things he has been through. All the Black Creatures he has faced. All the nightmares. It was all Galeek. 

He arrived in Canterlot late early the next morning. He immediately called for the meeting. There was no time to waste. Twilight was the only one who knew all about what was going on with Spike. The others had no idea and were more than a little confused with Spike's sudden rush. Twilight urged some guards to go and wake every princess and have them assemble in the meeting room. 

“I promise Spike and I will explain everything soon,” Twilight said. 

“Allrighty then,” Applejack responded, “We might as well get settled in then.”

“You do that,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile. 

She led Spike to the room where the meeting was to take place. He had only been there once. It was the day this whole dragon magic business began. It seemed so long ago. Much longer than it had been. He had been through so much since that day. And now he was going back. On the way there Spike encountered Luna. She was descending from her chambers. Her face lit up when she saw Spike. She raced up to him and hugged him tightly. He heartily returned her hug. 

“I am very glad to see you again, Spike,” Luna said softly.

“I am very happy to see you too, Luna,” Spike replied.

They continued their embrace for a few moments until Luna realized there was another pony present. Twilight was standing off to the side trying not to stare. Luna released Spike and tried to regain some manner of professionalism from the very awkward situation. 

“Now then,” Luna said, “We have a meeting to attend.”

Spike nodded and walked by Luna. Twilight's walked past and looked up at Luna. Luna looked down at her nervously. Twilight just gave a her a wink and silently walked after Spike. Luna sighed a sigh of relief and followed them in. They were the last to arrive, but not by much time. A few moments only. 

Celestia was the first to speak. She was wanting very much to know why Spike called for such a meeting. And why both Cadance and Luna had both vehemently advised going ahead with it. It was time Spike broke the news to Celestia. She was the only pony there who did not know about his learning dragon magic. 

“Princess Celestia,” Spike began, “There is something you must know about me first, before we get to the real reason for this meeting. For many months now, I have been learning all about dragon magic. How to use it as well as understand it.”

“Dragon magic,” Celestia said in disbelief, “Where in Equestria did you learn about dragon magic in the first place?”

“It started with a book here in the Canterlot Royal Library,” Spike said firmly, “After that I was taught by a dragon by the name of Smoke Shadow.”

Celestia was about to respond until she heard the name Smoke Shadow. She stopped mid word and looked over at her sister. Celestia gave Luna an odd look. She looked puzzled, but at the same time, like she knew the answer all along. Luna held her head high and avoided looking at her sister as much as she could.

“I have not heard that name in quite some time,” Celestia said, “Dear Sister, you told me that you were no longer speaking to him.”

“At the time, I was not,” Luna explained, “Once I learned that Spike was adamant on learning dragon magic I reached out to him. He was the only one I know who could do that kind of magic.”

“With all do due respect, Princess Celestia, it doesn't matter if you know about Shadow,” Spike said, “We have bigger problems right now.”

Everypony stopped talking amongst themselves. All princess's looked at Spike for an explanation. Spike gave them a quick retelling of the history between ponies. Luna had already heard this story before. Celestia listened intently as Spike spoke. Twilight and Cadance had never heard anything like it. Even Twilight, with her love of books and vast knowledge of Equestrian history, had no idea that these things happened. Spike wisely decided to leave out the part about Star Ethereal being Luna and Celestia's mother. He would tell Celestia at some point, but now was not the time. After he was done speaking, each pony was silent. It took a few moments for them to comprehend what Spike just told them. Spike looked over all of them. Cadance and Twilight were whispering back and forth. Celestia was caught up in her own thoughts. Luna, however, was just looking at Spike. She had an inquisitive look in her eyes. She was wondering why Spike did not reveal Star Ethereal's true connection to Celestia. She did not speak of it, though. There was no time. 

“Spike, if what you say is true, then what is the problem,” Twilight asked.

“Now that you know where he came from, I can tell you about Galeek,” Spike 	said, “He is not dead, first of all. He did not drown in that black ooze as every pony and dragon had thought. It's almost like the ooze somehow absorbed the magic from the dragons and Galeek has slowly been using it to make himself stronger. He is almost strong enough to break out of the ooze. He wants his kingdom back, and he wants ponies to pay for stealing it from him. The Black Colts and Black Dragons are his minions. And they are all coming.”

“How is this possible,” Luna said, “And how do you know of it?”

“I learned through a way you are very familiar with, Luna,” Spike said, “Nightmares. All of my nightmares, and the one you had, were connected to Galeek. I am still not sure exactly how he gave me the nightmares-”

“I can answer that,” Smoke Shadow said from nowhere.

All the lights in the room dimmed and flickered. The shadows twisted and warped. They left the walls and floor and the ceiling. The shadows came together beside Spike and Luna. Neither of them even moved as the shadows formed like smoke to create the shape of a dragon. The dragon's eyes opened suddenly and the smokey shadows rolled off his scales. 

“Princess's of Equestria,” Spike began.

“Meet Smoke Shadow,” Luna finished.

The three remaining princess's looked in awe at the dragon that stood before them. He was small, for a dragon, but shared the same physical traits that Spike did now. Not even Celestia had seen him before, and she had known about him for almost as long as Luna had known him. He gave Luna a smile and nodded to Spike. 

“So you are Smoke Shadow,” Celestia said suspiciously, “It is nice to finally meet you. I am sorry it had to take so long.”

“The apology is mine, Princess Celestia,” Shadow said humbly, “For it is I that have avoided such a meeting. I am a dragon of the shadows and for the Princess of the Sun, such a dragon does not find much comfort in meeting.”

“And yet you saw fit to show yourself here,” Celestia said, “Why? What 	compelled you to do so?”

“Spike,” Shadow stated simply, “He needs answers and I have them. The reason he received the nightmares was because they did not come from Galeek himself. Believe me, if they had he would not have woken up from the first one. Not sane, 	anyway. It was his latent magic potential that picked up on the miniscule traces 	of magic that Galeek gives off.”

“But he has more than one nightmare,” Luna said, “And even I had one. How do you explain that, Shadow?”

“The answer to both is relatively the same,” Shadow replied, “Your nightmare 	was a result of spending time with Spike. His essence drifted to you and you received the nightmare on Spike's behalf. It was the same night he absorbed the Lunar Tears. That explains everything else.”

“What do you mean by 'everything else',” Spike asked.

“I mean you, Spike,” Shadow said, “Your magic strength, your quick learning. and even your physical size. It is all a direct result of Luna crying.”

“You mean, I am not a dragon Mystik,” Spike asked nervously. 

“That is not what I mean at all,” Shadow responded, “When I first met you you had the most potent magical potential I had seen in any dragon for a very long time. You are a grand and powerful Mystik. The Lunar Tears just made it all 	happen a little bit faster than it would have naturally.”

“Then I guess we both owe Luna a thank you,” Spike said.

“Enough about me,” Luna said, “What are we going to do about Galeek?”

“I don't know,” Spike said, “I called this meeting just so I could come clean to all of you. I have lied and left too many times already. Galeek threatens all of 	Equestria, so I figured all of Equestria's princess's should know about him and the coming danger he brings.”

“We have heard much tonight,” Celestia said, “And it has grown quite late, or 	early, if that suits you. Why don't we all go and rest. We can talk again later and form a proper plan then.”

That sounded like a good plan to all ponies present. When asked if he needed rest, Shadow simply said he didn't sleep much and disappeared away into the shadows. One by one, all the pony princess's left the meeting. Celestia was the last and Spike hurried to catch up to her. Now was his chance. He was away from every other pony and so was Celestia. 

“Princess Celestia,” Spike called to her, “There is something I have to tell you.”

“Oh. And what is it that you have to tell me,” Celestia asked with her usual smile. 

Before Spike could answer a guard pony came rushing into the corridor. It was immediately clear what was going on. He looked beaten, battered, and bruised. The golden armor that Celestia's guards wore was dulled and dented. There was a thick black substance splattered over his armor. 

“Your higness. Black Colts are attacking Canterlot,” He said in a breath, “There are also Black Dragons.”

Spike threw up a barrier field around all three of them. Just then a massive tail demolished the castle wall. It would have taken them all with it had Spike not acted. A black dragon turned back around and saw them. Spike reinforced the barrier as the Black Dragon breathed the black ooze all down the corridor. Spike's barrier held out and he managed to keep the ooze at bay. He burst the ooze dome he was under and Celestia acted next. She stepped up and charged her horn. A direct and powerful blast of pure light was shot into the Dragon. In merely a few seconds the Dragon fell to the ground in a pile of dust and debris. With that kind of Alicorn magic it was easy for Spike to see how Galeek was defeated all those eons ago. 

“You, guard,” Spike said seriously, “Tell all ponies down there to get there hooves off the ground, and do it quickly. Can you do that?”

At first the guard did nothing. He was confused as who to obey. Both Celestia and the dragon that just saved him were there. Celestia waved him off to do as Spike asked. 

“What are you thinking,” She asked.

“Darkness,” Spike said, “I need you and Luna to create a pocket of pure darkness 	right down there. If you can do that then I can take the Black Colts.”

“But Spike, there must be an army down there,” Celestia protested, “You cannot possibly defeat them all, even with all the power you have.”

“I have to,” Spike strongly replied, “You have to deal with the other Black Dragons and see to the safety of the ponies in the city. I'll be fine, but only if you help me with that darkness.”

“Very well, Spike,” Celestia said at last, “Give me a few moments to find my sister, and then you start your attack.”


Celestia

Celestia said goodbye to Spike for now and flew off to find Luna. She left through the hole where the wall used to be. She flew over the courtyard where Spike was planning to take the Black Colts. There were dozens upon dozens there already, and more were coming in. She could see the guards putting up a line of defense, even as they were being ordered to take all hooves off the ground. It was an easy order to follow for the Pegasus ponies. The others had more trouble however. She saw the friends of Twilight down there as well. They were putting up a good fight. Except for Fluttershy. She was helping to evacuate the guards who were too injured to fight. But the others were there. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were right out front. They were on the attack. Behind them was Pinkie Pie with her party cannon and Rarity. They were helping to defend the guards. But it was no use. They were being overwhelmed and would not listen to the guard who told them to leave. Celestia rocketed down and landed in front of them all. She projected a dome of light that burst out in all directions and carried away any Black Colt caught in its path. 

“Leave now,” She told them, “Spike has a plan, but he needs all ponies to have their hooves off the ground here. Understand?”

“Can't rightly say I do, Princess,” Applejack said, “But I trust that Spike, alright. We're going.”

“Before you go, do you know where my sister, Luna, is,” Celestia asked.

“Last I knew, she was with Twilight in the city,” Applejack replied.

Celestia thanked Applejack and flew off as fast as she could. She asked Spike for a few more moments wait. He agreed. He needed a moment more to prepare anyway. This was going to be the biggest spell he had ever done. It was going to take all concentration. 
Celestia flew over the city. What she saw saddened her deeply. Her city was being torn apart. Ponies ran scared in the streets and Black Minions ran after them. She would have time to help them all after she helped Spike. She found Luna with Twilight as Applejack had said. They had set up a shelter in the biggest hospital they could find. Ponies were rushing in from all corners of the city. Celestia rushed down to them.

“There you are sister,” She said, “I require your aid with something.”

“Can it not wait, sister,” Luna replied, “I am needed here.”

“It will not take but a few moments. Spike has a plan, but he needs our help,” Celestia said.

“Spike has a plan,” Luna said, “Well, what is it?”

“The Black Colts are swarming the castle,” Celestia explained, “He wishes us to create a pocket of pure darkness in the courtyard, where the Colts are massing. He will deal with them once he and they are inside the pocket.”

“NO! That is insanity,” Luna exclaimed loudly.

“I agree,” Twilight said, “There is no way he could do that.”

“I told him as much, be there was no dissuading him,” Celestia said.

“Very well,” Luna said, “I will help Spike. I believe in him.”

Celestia smiled and flew off with Luna right behind her. They made it back to the castle courtyard and witnessed the scene unfolding. It was truly quite amazing. All the ponies had gone and retreated back inside the castle. Several of the unicorn ponies were using all their magic to sustain a shield wall that was holding back the Black Colts. For now, it was holding. Celestia and Luna signaled Spike and started on their spell. They saw Spike give of a flash of green light and that was the last the saw of him for a time. 
Celestia flew to one side of the courtyard and Luna took the other. Celestia as the princess who raised and lowered the sun each day did her job. She flew high and the sun slowly lowered until it was gone entirely. Normally at this time Luna would raise the moon, but it was not even close to evening time. Instead Luna called forth dark mists that swirled around the courtyard. She did not stop until the entire courtyard was enveloped in the dark mist. Celestia simultaneously drew out all the light that remained. What remained when they finished was a pocket. A pocked of pure darkness that held the entire Royal Castle courtyard inside, and Spike. It was just him against the army of Black Colts. Celestia flew off to help the ponies in the city. Luna stayed behind for just a moment longer.

“I believe in you Spike,” She whispered down to him, “I will see you again.”


Spike

As soon as Celestia left to find Luna, Spike got to work. He had a plan. It was crazy, not well thought out, and probably wasn't going to work. It was just like all his plans. And so he did as Shadow had always taught him. He focused. He was going to need every last scrap of power he had to pull this off. Just going Mystik was not going to cut it. He sat down on the edge of the floor overlooking the courtyard. He crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap. He closed his eyes and looked deep inside his own soul. He needed more magic, more power than he even knew if he had. Celestia came back once and told Spike to wait a little longer. He nodded at her request and she flew away. Good. He needed more time anyway. 
Shadow appeared once behind him. Spike could feel his presence, but said nothing. Shadow stayed silent as well. He could see what Spike was doing. He nodded respectfully to Spike and went back to the shadows. Spike hoped he was going to some other part of the city to help the ponies. This was as much his fight as any other pony's. But spike could not think about that now. He needed to focus more. Shortly after Shadows visit Spike's Mystik ability flared up. He did not move. He stayed seated where he was and continued to focus. Just his Mystik ability was not enough for the plan he had. He sat there for what seemed like hours. It was closer to just half an hour. Near the end he opened his eyes again. He saw that Celestia and Luna had just returned. It was time. He stood tall before the army of Black Colts. Spike remembered one of Shadow's lessons. He said it worked on the battlefield and off. The first strike is crucial. Use that to gain control. Power and control will always carry you through a battle, no matter who the enemy is. Spike gave shadow a silent thanks and leaped into battle.

He launched himself off the edge of the castle. He would drop down right in the middle of all the Colts. But he did not. Not right away, at least. As he reached to peak of his jump, he stopped, and hung suspended in mid air for only a few seconds. It seemed like much longer to him. Then, he shot down. Like a falling comet coming from the sky he hit the ground. An earth shattering crater formed around him. The shockwave traveled out and every colt was sent into the air. They were each suspended as Spike was. For the crater of Spike's had sent out a great many small cracks and fissures. Out of each poured a green light that held the Colts. He looked up to see that Celestia had lowered the sun. He would have to work fast. Spike stood up quickly and rose to the Colts. He thrust out his hands and the cracks spread out into the city. He ensnared each and every Black Colt he could find with his green light. A dark mist was forming around the courtyard. Spike had no more time. He brought his hands close to his chest. The cracks he had sent out returned to the courtyard carrying all the ponies he had gathered. It was not a lot, but it would do. It was at least some of the Colts of the streets of Canterlot. The last of the Colts was carried through the dark mist as Celestia finished her work. She drew the very last traces of light out of the castle courtyard. The pocket closed once and for all. It was done. Spike was alone with a small army of Black Colts. Now it was time to get to work.

Spike slammed all the colts onto the ground. He started with a simple breath attack. He spread his fire breath all the way across the courtyard. It must have caught at least two dozen Colts. And that was two dozen less he had to worry about. Then he used a familiar spell. The Ring of Fire. He breathed into his hands and wave them from one side to another in a circular motion. A ring of green flames was created around him. He spun it faster and fast. He fed the fire with his energy and it grew bigger and stronger and brighter. A few Black Colts tried charging him and were burnt and dusted nearly immediately. Spike amplified the spell. He put his left hand palm down and his right palm up. With a simple motion he split the single ring into three separate rings of fire that spun around him. Now it was time. He harnessed the top and bottom rings around his hands and threw them out into the masses. The rings tore through the Colts like an arrow through the air. He had eliminated many more, but they were starting to see through his plan. They were the only ones. At this point, Spikes only plans were surviving and annihilating. He started with the latter of the two. Up to that point he was as blind as any pony would be. He was using attacks that he was sure would do something. Good range. Wide area of attack. With all the Colts clustered in one place, some small victory was assured. But now he was done. He had to see. But he did not have time to think about it. The battle had begun in earnest.
A line of Colts charged him, two rows thick. Spike raised his foot and slammed it into the ground. The Mana Stomp worked wonderfully. He could sense every hoofbeat of the charging Colts. Now he could counterattack. He dug the foot he slammed farther into the ground. He needed a stable stance. He raised his other foot and planted it in front of him. He angled it sideways. He thrust it forward and a wall of rocks and stones raced toward the Colts. They could not slow down in time. It was too late. The front row collided head on into the wall. The second row tripped and stumbled over the first. It was almost comical how they ended up. However, Spike could not stop and laugh. He had to press the attack. If he lost the control he had established, then he would be in a dire position.
He raced up to the tallest point on the wall of rocks. He stood and breathed fire down onto the Colts. But that was all he could do at that moment. The Mana Stomp was wearing off. He could chance using another, but that would leave him vulnerable until he saw something. Good thing he was taught other spells. He activated his night vision and everything became clear. It was like a veil was lifted and he could see clearer than ever before. He gazed over the Black Colts massed there. He let out a thunderous roar that shook the very ground. The air was charged and Spike could feel it on his scales. He reached out and used a small lightning spell. That one small spell was enough. The air took the electricity and absorbed it. The overcharged air came alive with electric currents zipping through the air all around. His roar had done this? Awesome. Spike had just created a new spell. The Grand Thunderoar. After it was done many Colts lay sizzling on the ground as they dusted. The many that survived fought back. A huge volley of black ooze was spit at Spike. He leaped to the side and off the wall. Another group of Colts charged him from another angle. A coordinated attack. Interesting. Spike put up a barrier field just in time to deflect the force of the attack. Colt after Colt kept attacking the barrier. With Spike immobile while he used it he was vulnerable. He had to do something. He used his available hand and targeted the stone beneath the Colt's hooves. He gripped the huge, flat stone and lifted it just barely off the ground and tilted it forward. The Colts tumbled forward and landed at the foot of the barrier, where the tile ended. Spike had a devious grin on his face. He finished the flip of the tile and it landed back in its original place, smashing the Colts there to dusty bits. 
Instead of completely getting rid of his barrier, Spike decided to use it. He flattened the barrier field into a small blast and released it up. Many of the Pegasus Colts had taken flight and he was aiming to bring some down. His attack was strong and fast, but the Colts were able to dodge it. It hit the barrier of mist and disintegrated. At least Spike knew he could not break through the pocket with his magic. But he still had the Colts to deal with. He growled and charged for another attack. 


Twilight

From the outside looking in it was an unbelievable sight to behold. Few of the remaining Black Colts had gotten away from the thorough cleaning done by the Princess's. The rest were in with Spike. There was still a great danger looming over the city, however. Black Dragons. Celestia had gotten one already, but there were still more and she charged Twilight to take them down. Before they were spread out and commanding the Colts. But now, they had all assembled near the darkness pocket. They knew the Colts were in there. They knew Spike was in there. But they would not get to him. Celestia and Luna were both quite exhausted from the strain of creating the darkness pocket and all the other magic and help they provided that day. Cadance was busy tending to the wounded. That left only Twilight.
She launched herself off the ground with more speed than she had ever achieved before. Rainbow Dash would have been proud. Twilight's magic was strong before, but now she was an Alicorn. It had only gotten stronger. She faced the first of the many Black Dragons. It tried breathing that black ooze at her. She used a simple teleportation spell and put herself behind it on the left side. She charged up her horn and unleashed a huge magic blast into the dragons side. A direct hit from point blank range. It was not enough. She quickly circled around when the Dragon swung claws at her. She used another magic blast and it was done. The Dragon let out one last weak roar and fell out of the sky. It fell right onto the darkness pocket, but did nothing but break apart into a great many small pieces. 

“Yesss,” Twilight shouted happily.

As she had her short celebration she lost concentration. She was hit from the side. It was a stunning hit that she did not see coming. Dazed mostly, she recovered quickly. She did not know what hit her. It was small and moving incredibly fast. It was not like any other attack the Black Dragons had done before. That is because it did not come from the Black Dragons.

“Watch what you're doing,” Rainbow Dash said, “That Dragon almost got you.”

Now Twilight understood. A small, incredibly fast projectile with an attitude. Yep, that was Rainbow Dash to a point. She looked over Dash's shoulder to see what she meant. A Black Dragon was sitting on a broken wall of the city. It was lower than the rest and not flying, so it escaped Twilight's notice. Luckily she had friends on the ground who could help her. Maybe she could use them some more.

“Hey, Dash, you think you could help me,” Twilight asked.

“Why, so I can get oozed by them gross Dragons,” Dash replied.

“Well, you see there is this big, bad Dragon King coming,” Twilight teased, “He really hates ponies. I just figured with you being the best flier, you could annoy him by outflying his best dragons.”

“You are just baiting me into doing this, aren't you,” Dash asked flatly.

“Depends. Is it working,” Twilight responded.

“Yeah, it is,” Dash said excitedly, “I am going to fly circles around these dragons!”

Dash took off like the speeding pony she is. She headed for the nearest dragon she could find. The one that nearly got Twilight. She flew around and around and around it. It waved those massive claws at her and swiped it's tail through the air around her. It was all to waste. Dash was too fast. She was always too fast. This gave Twilight some breathing room to deal with the others. There were two more by her count. And one was headed right for her. 
Twilight unleashed another magic blast at the Dragon. It dodged the blast with ease. This was a nimble dragon. It continued flying. Tried flying around and blasting it from different angles. Each time it was to no use. This dragon was different. It was as big as the others. It was smaller and thinner. It moved better in the air and had more agility. Twilight would have to rethink her strategy. It was fast, so she had to slow it down. She knew from Spike that these things hated the light and intense heat. She tried both. She used her own version of the Ring of Fire Spell. It created a ring around the dragon vertically and horizontally. Twilight struggled to maintain the powerful Spell as the Dragon attempted to break through it. The ooze it carried was enough to weaken the flames. With one final push it broke through and nearly bit Twilight wings off. Once again, Rainbow Dash came through and pushed her out of the way. 

“You really need to watch out more,” Rainbow dash said.

“I know,” Twilight said, somewhat annoyed, “I need you to distract that thing so I can get a clear shot it.”

“Sure. Anything else you want me to do while I am up here,” Dash asked sarcastically.

“Just keep it still and stay out of the way,” Twilight said, “Unless you want to be a frozen pony for some dragon to lick clean later on.”

Dash got her competitive grin on and was off. She flew right up to the dragon's face and hovered for a moment. She made silly faces at the dragon to try and get its attention. It worked. The Dragon snapped at Dash, but she was gone before the teeth came together. She teased and toyed with the dragon as it tried to catch her. Twilight tried to get a clear shot, but there was too much movement. Either she would miss and waste the energy she had left, or she would hit Rainbow Dash and make her friend into a pony sized ice cube. 

“Rainbow Dash, could you keep the Dragon in one spot please,” Twilight yelled.

“What was that,” Dash said as she flew over to Twilight.

Twilight was about to respond when she realized what had just happened. Dash was supposed to be distracting the Black Dragon. If Dash was here, then where was the Dragon? Twilight got the answer she did not want in the form of a roar. It rumbled the air in front of them as the Black Dragon charged through the air at both of the. Twilight had a clear shot if Dash was not in the way. She had a solution. Twilight pushed Rainbow Dash down and unleashed the freezing blast she had built up. The Dragon stopped only a few hoofsteps away. Dash flew up and karate kicked it in the nose. It shattered the dragon from nose to tail and iced dragon its rained from the sky. Dash returned to her place beside Twilight. She actually looked a little scared. 

“You really need to watch out more,” Twilight said sarcastically, “That one almost 	got you.”

“Hey. You stick to magic, Princess. Flying is my thing,” Dash said.

Twilight and Dash took down the other two that were left. The one that was sitting on the wall had not moved since Dash first annoyed it. Twilight did that one herself. She used the ice spell and froze the Dragon. It was an easy, unmoving target. Dash, again, smashed it to smithereens. The last one was not much harder. It was big and slow and stupid. Rainbow Dash baited it into charging headfirst into a castle wall. It fell into a slump and Twilight iced it. Dash Smashed it. All was good. They flew back to the others as fast as they could. Spike was still in the pocket of darkness. At this point, many ponies had gathered around to stare at it. Most were ponies who had taken shelter in the castle. Some were from the city. All eyes were on the dark mist that created the pocket. 

“What's going on,” Twilight asked.

“Can't rightly say,” Applejack said, “We saw a whole mess of flashes of light not too long ago, and then a few more just before you landed. Now, there ain't nothing but that dark misty stuff.”

Twilight was worried for Spike. He was in there all alone, with no pony or dragon to help him. She saw Luna and Celestia were also among the ponies watching. They came over when they saw Twilight had returned from her Dragon hunt. 

“All the Black Dragons are gone, I take it,” Celestia said.

“Yes, but what about Spike,” Twilight asked, “Can we do anything to help him?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Luna said, “In order to make the darkness last more than a few moments we had to put a special condition in the spell. The darkness will only dissipate when all the dark creatures inside are gone.”

“So what you're saying is that unless Spike takes out every single Black Colt in there he is trapped,” Twilight asked with growing anger, “You yourself said he couldn't survive that!”

“I know, Twilight,” Luna pleaded, “Like you, I just got Spike back. I do not wish to lose him any more than you. I believe in him. I believe he can do it.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, “He always was a stubborn little dragon.”


Spike

Things were getting rough for Spike. His growl and charge plan did not work out as well as he had hoped. He charged his hands up with fire and ice as he ran. When he got top the front lines he threw out the hand that held fire. A whole line of small explosions went off right in front of Spike. The Colts scattered in all directions. Spike cooled them off with a line of frost and ice that froze many Colts in place. He capitalized on the situation. He used telekinesis to levitate the multitude of debris that was laying around in the pocket. He propelled all of it to go and collide with anything and everything that wasn't him. This is why he wanted to be alone. This way he could go all out without having to worry about any other pony. As he stood there with his flying rocks he neglected to watch his backside. A Black Colt managed to sneak up behind him and hit him with a weak ooze spit blast. Spike stopped all moving rocks. The ooze on the back of his shoulder went up in flame and he turned to the Colt. It was small, but looked feisty. It was bold enough to attack Spike. Spike stomped the ground and a tower of earth and stone sent the colt careening into the top the pocket. That gave Spike an idea. He leaped into the air and came back down hard. He landed with a tremendous hit and struck the ground with both hands at the same time. The earth trembled beneath the stone and all chaos ensued. Dozens of pillars raised from the ground. Some were not stable and collapsed from their own weight, crushing many Colts underneath the stone. In some places the earth opened into bottomless pits, swallowing many Colts. It was the perfect battlefield. And so Spike went on a rampage. 	He raced through the area of raised earth with magic at the ready. All the Colts were still recovering from the devastating effects from Spike's earth raising spell. He ran through and blasted some Colts with powerful fireballs. Some he zapped more with a lightning strike. Others he froze into Black Colt ice sculptures. Spell after spell, with all the power he had, Spike demolished the forces of the Black Colts. With power of lightning, fire, ice, and air he destroyed the Black Colts. He moved over every inch of the battlefield. He dived and dodged the attacks of the Black Colts. With barriers and walls he did avoid most damage against him. He was a Dragon Mystik and he showed it.
Spike fought to the very end, until one lucky shot nearly took him out. He had just raised a series of fire pillars. As they swirled and burned, the Colts scrambled. Spike exploded the pillars along the ground, but a few Colts remained still. One them got a lucky spit shot on Spike. It came barreling out from behind a pile rubble and blinded him. Spike got a great amount of black ooze in his eyes. It took every last sight away from him. He had gotten almost all of the Black Colts, and then this happens. He clawed at the ooze and it stuck fast to his scales. He yanked on it and pulled, but it stayed right where it was. He angrily roared his annoyance. Another Grand Thunderoar shook the courtyard. A second roar lit the air with electricity. Spike breathed fire as he swung his head about. Many of the last Colts were set ablaze. Finally, after being blinded for what seemed like hours Spike was freed. He held his hands in front of his eyes. A brilliant light poured forth and the ooze burned away. But he did not create the light. How did that happen? Did it really come from him? But he didn't think about that.
His first sight after being able to see again was a welcome one. Not a single Black Colt in sight. Gone. Each and every one. As he cleared his eyes he saw the mist that created the darkness pocket begin to slowly dissipate. The mist cleared and Spike saw Luna and Twilight and the rest of his friends standing not far off. The last of the mist disappeared from the sky the sunlight shined down on Spike once again. He shielded his eyes. He had spent the last several hours in complete darkness. Luna and Twilight both ran to meet him as he left the courtyard. Little did they know that another great danger still lurked nearby.
The black ooze that was left from all the defeated Black Colts and dragons stirred. It left the ground and the walls and every other place it landed. It slowly made its way to the courtyard. It coalesced itself into a being. Small, and fragile, but still a threat. Luna and Twilight both saw this happen, and screamed at Spike a warning. The distance between them, however, was too great and Spike could not understand what they were saying past the ringing in his head. Because of this he did not know of the beast behind him. But he could sense it. He always could sense the darkness around him. He turned to face it just as attacked. It rolled back it's head and spat a giant blast of ooze at him. And that was it. Spike was down. Luna and Twilight let out a cry for Spike that he could not hear. They raced to Spike's side. He was breathing, but badly hurt. Luna and Twilight looked at one another with looks of despair and concern. The beast of ooze let out a menacing laugh as it melted into itself. Luna and Twilight watched it and then turned back to Spike. What were they going to do now, that the greatest hero they had was gone?
> Ch.14 A Hero's Revival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“You are still here, Luna,” Twilight said inquisitively.

“Yes, Twilight, I am still here,” Luna responded wearily, “I have no reason not to be here. I still do my royal duties.”

Luna was right. She did still perform all her royal duties. But all her spare time was spent with Spike. Over a month had passed since Spike battled the Black Colts. Most nights Luna spent with Spike, and many of the days as well. Twilight also came by often. Luna gave Twilight a weak smile of encouragement. It did not help. Luna looked back at Spike. He was in bad shape. He had minor wounds from the battle. That was to be expected and they were healing just fine. It was his other wound that was the problem. A large black scar across his chest. It was directly over his heart. The scar seemed to move and slither on its own. It had gotten larger since he had been there. It was almost to his shoulder. He writhed in pain whenever a pony touched near the area. Luna sadly looked over Spike. 

“It will be alright, Luna,” Twilight said.

“I know,” Luna said, “I still believe in Spike. I always have. If any single being can get through this, then it will be him.”

“Exactly. Cadance went back to the Crystal Empire to try and find something that might help make him better,” Twilight said hopefully, “And Smoke Shadow is doing the same thing wherever it is he goes to.”

“Yes, I know,” Luna said wearily, “And I am here. Doing nothing.”

Twilight knew exactly how Luna felt. She felt the same. Luna spent her spare time at Spike's side. All the while, Twilight was scouring the library for anything that could help. She found nothing, and yet she still searched. 

Luna tried on many occasions to access Spike through his dreams. The first time she tried it nearly put her in the hospital right next to Spike. Some force was keeping her out. Strong and powerful, but Luna kept trying. She had barely slept in days. Even Celestia was a bit of a wreck. She hardly let it show, though. She came to see Spike that same day. She found both Twilight and Luna nearly asleep over his bed. Both of them perked up when she came in. 

“I knew I would find you both here,” She said with her usual calm demeanor, “You should both go and get something to eat. Neither of you have eaten much 	these past few days.”

They both knew it was pointless to argue with Celestia. She was the only pony to keep her calm the best throughout this whole situation. Her kingdom and all the ponies that lived there were in danger, yet she stayed calm. And she was right. Twilight and Luna had not eaten much the past few days. Celestia was always right. Luna knew that better than most, being her little sister. And so they got up and followed Celestia to what was left of the dining hall. 

Twilight walked into the remains of the dining hall and felt a cool breeze blowing in. She looked over to where a large section of the wall used to be. That was her fault. One of the Black Dragons she had dusted fell onto the castle. Instead of breaking into smithereens is crushed half the dining hall. Then it broke into smithereens. It was being fixed, slowly. The rest of the city came first to Celestia. They sat down with everypony else. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and all the others were there. But there was no sound. It was an uncomfortable silence. Every meal was like this. Without Spike there it was all gloomy and depressing. Even Pinkie Pie was feeling blue. Even her hair was losing its poof.
Luna sat down next to Celestia and looked at the meal provided. Soup. Again. It was all they had. Much of the food stores were destroyed in the attack. It was something at least. She lost track of how long she had been sitting there when she got a cold, yet familiar chill between her wings. She practically leaped from her chair and faced the shadows. Intently she stared into them. 

“I know you are there,” She said strongly, “Come out, Smoke Shadow.”

The shadows swirled and twisted more than ever. Luna stepped back and away. She had never seen this before. There was no swirling of shadows. There was no shadows coming together. NO, this time was different. The shadows moved and shifted, but it was a violent motion. After a few moments shapes began to appear. Claws and spikes began to take form. More claws came and even more spikes. A body formed and limbs too. This was not like Shadow at all. They could now see that it was indeed him, but they did not know what was happening. After several moments it was over. A final roar from Shadow and the shadows around him subsided. Something weird happened after that. The shadows cascaded over him and rolled off. The seeped out from under his scales and left his body. He was breathing heavy and seemed to be in some pain. 

“Smoke Shadow,” Luna said, “What has happened to you?”

“I have left the world of shadows,” He said, “Because I have a way to save Spike.”

“What?!”

The single word echoed from the collective mouths of every pony there. He struggled to get up and had to lean on Luna for stability. Celestia called for Spike to be brought in immediately. Shadow said he needed a space larger than the hospital room to work. The dining hall would do fine. It was spacious and largely empty. Spike's bed was wheeled in. Shadow looked over him. He did not often show his emotions, but it was clear that he felt somewhat guilty about what happened. But now he could make up for that. He said he could save Spike. Now was his chance. 

“We have all looked for anything that could save Spike,” Twilight said defensively, “Why should we trust that you found anything that could save him?”

“Because I could go where you could not. I was able to search places where your dreams could not even take you. Nightmares would brighten some of the places I had to go to find this,” Shadow replied.

“And just what did you find,” Twilight responded.

“It is called a Soulshadow Crystal,” Shadow said, “It is much like the shadow 	gems your King Sombra created, only in the most absolute, purest form.”

“How will that help him,” Twilight yelled, “He was poisoned by shadows! How is a shadowy crystal going to help him? That doesn't make sense.”

“Listen, Princess,” Shadow said with a snarl, “Do not tell me what does and does not make sense about the shadows. I know that world better than any being ever has.”

“Enough,” Luna shouted loudly, “Stop arguing now so we can get back to saving Spike!”

“My deepest apologies Luna,” Shadow said sincerely.

“I'm sorry,” Twilight also said sincerely.

“I know these days have not been easy on any of us,” Luna said, “But Shadow says he can save him. I have known him for a very long time. I trust him. So we shall let him try.”

All ponies silenced themselves. Luna smiled more happily than she had in a while. There was something in her smile that had not been seen in a while. It was something that everypony was glad to see again. Luna had hope. 

Smoke Shadow walked up beside Spike. He lay motionless in his bed. His breathing was shallow and slow. Shadow looked over the wound on his chest. It was grave. Much worse than he had thought. There was only one thing left for him to do. He took the Soulshadow Crystal and place it above Spike's wound. One pointed tip of the crystal rest in the wound. Spike did not feel any pain from this touching him. Shadow to shadow. Shadow also took out the black gem amulet he had given to Spike. The Amulet of the Dark King. Another shadowed object that could be used to help save Spike. Using them together, Shadow was going to wake Spike up. 
He placed one hand on top of the Soulshadow Crystal and held the amulet in the other. He placed his amulet hand over his other hand. He closed his eyes and focused on Spike and the shadows in the wound. Even for a powerful dragon like Smoke Shadow, the spell took a moment to start. When it did the crystal began to hover just over Spike and his wound. It was no longer touching Spike or Shadow. As Shadow concentrated the crystal started to spin. Slowly at first. A few shadows weakly rose from Spike's wound. As the crystal spun faster and faster more of the shadows began to rise and leave Spike. They swirled around Shadow's hands in a tempest of darkness. All the ponies backed up from him. The swirl of shadows was so fast and thick that the crystal was lost behind them at times. But it was working. Spike's wound was shrinking. Withing moments it was down to its original size. Shortly after that more shadows left, but the wound remained the same size. All ponies watched in awe as the last of the shadows left Spike. They continued to swirl around Shadow for a moment longer before subsiding.

“All the shadows have gone from him,” Shadow said, “But he is not healed yet.”

“What do you mean? You said that would help him,” Twilight said accusingly.

“It did. As long as the shadows were poisoning him nothing would have helped,” Shadow said, “Now that the shadows are gone there is one more thing I have to 	do.”

Shadow put the amulet around his neck. He needed both hands free for this and that was the only place he trusted to put it. He knelt his head down and held his hands in front of him. He focused all his remaining energy into the spell. A small light flickered in Shadow's chest. It did not seem to come from anywhere particular. It was an ethereal glow that flowed throughout him. It travel up his chest and down his arms.  It massed in his hands and Shadow put it all together in a small orb between his palms. The ponies watched in wonder. It was only Luna that caught on to what he was doing. She saw the signs. His unusual entrance. How he said he 'left the world of shadows'. The Amulet of the Dark King. And now this. She watched the color drain from his scales as that ethereal glow flowed through him. 

“NO, SMOKE SHADOW! DON'T,” Luna yelled.

But it was too late. With one quick motion Shadow thrust the ethereal orb into Spike. The same glow that was in Shadow traveled throughout Spike and dimmed. Shadow dropped to his knees and spoke to Spike.

“For a long time I thought I was alone in the dark. I let nothing and no one inside. Darkness slowly made its home in me and I did not care. Then I met Luna and she taught me that darkness isn't such a bad thing. And then you came along, Spike, and you helped me to find that one last light I had left in my soul. Thank you, Spike.”

With that said he stood and turned back to Luna. She looked distraught. On the verge of tears she looked away from him. He took a step toward her and she took a step back. With one more quick step Shadow came up and grasped Luna in a shadowy embrace. 

“You have been a dear friend to me, Luna,” He said, “Goodbye.”

Luna looked at him one last time as he stepped away. Her eyes were filled with tears. She watched as Shadow's scales slowly turned to the shadows he was named after. From the feet up he slowly disappeared like smoke. His last look to Luna was a smile. And then, just like that, he was gone. Luna rushed to the spot where he stood and started to cry. 

“I don't understand,” Celestia said.

“He saved Spike,” Luna said between sobs, “By giving up his soul. That 'last light 'he mentioned, he just gave to Spike. He gave up the last piece of his soul to save Spike.”

“But that means that-,” Twilight started.

“He is gone,” Luna finished, “Forever.”

Each pony there stood silent. They all absorbed the news that Smoke Shadow was gone. Luna took it really hard. She knew him the best of anypony there. None of the others really knew him at all. Not even Celestia. But it was not all a grave day. The silence in the air was broken by a welcome noise. A grunt. A moan. A small noise that signaled Spike was waking up. Luna rushed over to him. She looked him over. His chest wound was closing up before her eyes. It was going to leave a jagged scar, but at least Spike would be okay. He did not wake up fully that day, but all signs were good. One dragon survived. 
> Ch.15 Return of a Hero
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike woke up groggily. He moaned and grunted. His eyes slowly opened. He looked around. He didn't know where he was. He turned his head to look around. Sharp pain coursed through his chest. What happened to him? Why did he hurt so much? As he moved about slowly he sensed another in the room with him. All he could make out were shapes and some colors. A pony appeared in his vision. At first he could not clearly make out who it was. He saw a dark silhouette with flowing hair. Was that a crown he saw? 

“Luna,” Spike said weakly.

“I am here, Spike,” Luna said happily. 

Luna was happy. This was the happiest day she had had in over a month. She nearly flew through the ceiling because she was so happy. Ever since Spike was healed Luna had barely left his side. It still took another week for his body to heal itself enough for him to wake up a little more. Luna stayed with him all the while. Twilight was there almost as much as she was. She was so happy at that moment. Although, she could see that Spike was still not all together. She let him rest up a bit while she zoomed through the castle gathering up every pony and telling them the good news. Spike was awake! In just a short while, all of them were in there with her. Spike had managed to sit up. He was very confused. 

“What happened to me,” He asked.

“What is the last thing you remember,” Twilight asked.

“I was fighting the Black Colts,” Spike said, “I just got the last one. The dark pocket was going away, and then. . . nothing. That's it. Why? What happened?”

“You were pretty badly injured right after that,” Twilight said, “You were in the 	castle, asleep, for over a month. You didn't wake up at all.”

“But then how am I awake now,” Spike asked.

All the ponies in the room looked away or down or at each other. There was an uncomfortable awkwardness in the room after Spike asked the question. Finally, Luna looked at him and answered.

“Smoke Shadow saved you,” She said, “But he is gone now. Forever.”

Spike took the news pretty hard. Luna explained to him exactly what had happened. She told him of how Shadow gave Spike the last light of his soul. That is what healed him. Spike did not cry, though. He put his chin to his chest and a hand over his scar. 

“Smoke Shadow has given me the last gift he can,” Spike said seriously, “And I will use it to defeat Galeek and honor him. That is how the dragons of the past did it. That is how he would want me to it.”

The next few days were full for Spike. He rested a lot and regained his strength. He ate everything he could find. His hunger was near insatiable seeing as how he hadn't eaten a good meal in over a close to two months. He spent some of the time talking with Luna and Celestia and Twilight about plans to defeat Galeek. Spike had an an idea of where he was. All the time he was asleep he was tormented with nightmares and visions sent by Galeek. But he fought back hard. In all that time Spike found out a lot. He would have to take that and use it to defeat Galeek. Now was the time.

After many more days in bed he was finally able to leave the room. He immediately went back to training his magic. He was a little rusty after his two month sabbatical. Often time ponies would come out to watch him. He didn't mind it. He just made sure to put up some protective barriers so no pony got hurt. He often found the scar from the ooze hurting. One thing about the scar that he found interesting was the fact that it remained black. The darkness was gone from him and Shadow's last light healed him, but that scar was black. He did not mind. To him it was a reminder of all that he was fighting to stop.

It did not take long for him to get back into fighting shape. That was good because Galeek was rising. Everypony and Spike was called to a meeting by Celestia. She had news. All of them assembled in the throne room instead of the meeting room. Celestia brought up a magic map of Equestria and started the briefing.

“Galeek is rising,” She said, “Very soon he will be here. We have to be prepared. Therefore, I have assigned each of you task which needs to be carried out as fast 	as pony possible.”

Celestia's horn flashed for a second and small symbols for them all appeared on the map magically. They all got one. Even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and the rest of the girls. Celestia spread them out over the map and explained. 

“Twilight, you will be returning to Ponyville with Applejack,” Celestia said, “Once there, you must reinforce the town. That means making sure there is plenty of 	food and water. There must be a shelter where ponies can go in case of an attack 	by Black Colts or Black Dragons. Do you all understand what has to be done?”

“Yes Princess,” The two answered at the same time. 

“Next, Rarity and Pinkie Pie will be traveling to Crystal Empire to assist 	Cadance,” Celestia said, “Your jobs there will be the same as Twilight's in 	Ponyville. Food, water, and shelter. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” They both said confidently.

“Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will be going to Cloudsdale,” Celestia said, “Since Cloudsdale is least likely to be attacked their role will be mainly support and reconnaissance. Can you both handle that?”

“Absolutely,” Rainbow said.

“Yes, I-i believe so,” Fluttershy said.

“Good. Both me and Luna will remain here in Canterlot,” Celestia said, “We will help fortify the city against attacks. Since Galeek's minions attacked here heavily once, it is likely that another attempt will be made.”

“Especially since you two will be here,” Spike added, “Don't forget, it was an 	Alicorn that originally defeated Galeek. He knows about you two, Luna and 	Celestia.”

“What about Cadance,” Twilight asked worriedly, “And me?”

“Cadance will be greatly warned when Rarity and Pinkie get to the Crystal Empire,” Spike said, “And Galeek does not know about you yet, but he will in time. His ooze spreads everywhere.”

“Good,” Celestia said, “Does everypony know their roles and what they are expected to do?”

“Umm, one thing is unclear,” Rarity spoke up, “What exactly will Spike be doing throughout all this?”

“I am going to do the same as I did before,” Spike said with a sly smile, “I will travel from princess to princess helping out in any way I can.”

“Oh, good,” Rarity said, “In that case, I have something for you. Better now, than wait to be rudely interrupted by one of those icky Black Colts.”

Rarity produces a box from under the table. She must have put it there before the meeting. Funny, Spike did not remember seeing any box before. Whatever. Rarity sets the box on the table gently. It was a rather ornate box. A shiny gold color with a silver ribbon tied around it. She slides it over to Spike and beckons him to open it. He cuts the ribbon with one claw and slowly removes the lid. What he found inside was what he expected to find. It was a gift from Rarity. Inside the box was a coat. It was not like the other coat he had gotten from her. That one was exquisite, but this one was beyond any words Spike could think of. He holds it out in front of him and examines it. It was beautiful. A very nice black fabric. It was thinner than he expected, but still had a good weight to it. A nice green colored the trim. On the back it held a surprise. Instead of the PAD like last time it had a different lettering. An immaculate white letter 'S' decorated the back of the coat. He smiled as he slipped it on. It felt nice and smooth and soft as it slid over his scales. It was a very comfortable and breathable material. He closed the front over his chest and body, leaving the bottom open for his legs and tail. Spike closed his eyes for a moment as he enjoyed the small pleasure the coat gave him. Small things. Best thing in life are the small things. Without realizing it he covered the coat in a wave of green flames. At first Rarity was astonished. Then she watched as the coat itself absorbed the flames into each stitch and every fold. 

“It is now enchanted,” Spike said, “It can take anything I can and more. Thank you Rarity. This means more to me than you realize.”

Twilight walked up to him and gently place her horn on his coat. Her horn flashed and a wave of purple light pulsed over him. She lifted her horn and smiled. They all knew what she had done. Now Spike's coat was double enchanted and double protected him. She smiled as she took her place once more.

“Alright,” Celestia said officially, “You all have your assignments. You should get going right away. Spike, where would you like to start first?”

“Ponyville,” Spike said, “It is the smallest of all places, so it will need extra protection. I can do my work there quickly and then I plan to move on to Cloudsdale. I have some ideas for the Pegasus ponies there.”

Spike drifted back into thought as they all separated. He followed behind them as they exited the room and headed back to their own rooms. There was packing to be done and other such things. Spike was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Celestia calling to him. By the time he notice she was practically right on top of him. 

“Spike,” She said, “Before your injury, you were going to tell me something. What was it?”

Spike remembered back to that day. It was not an easy thing for him to do. Most of his memories of that day all led him to grasping at his chest. But he did remember the moment Celestia was talking about. He was going to tell her about her mother. He wondered if he still should. At this time it could prove to be a distraction that could have been avoided. But she did deserve to know.

“Do you remember the story I told, of how dragons originally lost the magic they had,” Spike asked, “And the First Alicorn who defeated the dragon king that went mad?”

“Yes. I remember, but what does that have to do with anything,” Celestia asked.

“The story is true,” Spike said quickly, “That Alicorn was your mother, Star Ethereal.”

Celestia did not respond. She did not do anything. Spike decided to leave her to her thoughts. He promptly turned and left the corridor. This was news that she needed to hear. However, Spike could not have picked any moment that could be considered the 'right moment'. There was no such thing for this kind of news. At least it was done now, and soon he would be gone from this place.
In just a matter of hours he would be back home again. He was only able to stay there for a little while before. And now there was a looming threat. He knew what he had to do and was focused on that. And so started the preparations for war. 


Ponyville

Spike arrived in Ponyville with Twilight and Applejack. Immediately, they all set about doing what they could to prepare. Twilight had already delegated jobs for each of them. She always was the most organized pony Spike knew.
Applejack's job was simple. She would work with the Cakes to make and store as much food as they could. Wasn't much of a job for Applejack. She was used to working the orchard. The Cakes would get a small portion of her apples to use in their food. The rest would be stored for future needs. It was a small and simple job, but crucial.
Twilight's first objective was to meet with the Mayor and organize a town meeting where she could inform the entire town of what has been happening and what was going to happen in the town. She did not tell everything, but just enough to ensure the cooperation of all the ponies in town. From there she helped in town with whatever she could. Meanwhile, Spike was off doing his job. 
Spike ran for the Everfree Forest as soon as his feet touched Ponyville ground. He was assigned the most important job of all. A job that he would actually need Zecora's help with. Applejack was handling the food, Twilight was handling the town preparations, and Spike was working on the last part. Shelter. Twilight and Applejack both looked at him as if he were crazy when he proposed his idea. A shelter in the Everfree Forest. Who would have thought of that? No pony would have, because it is crazy. So crazy it was perfect.

He arrived at Zecora's house to find it empty. She was not there. The whole place seemed like a mess. It looked like a small tornado tore through there. Spike knew what that looked like. He often created them. He gently stepped about. His every step was careful. No sign of Zecora. Until the front door opened. 

“What are you doing in my home,” She said surprised, “Leave now or I will do 	more than just moan.”

“Calm down, Zecora,” Spike said, “It is just me, Spike the Dragon.”

“Oh, Spike, you are better,” Zecora said with relief, “Twilight said you were injured in her last letter. Nothing worked to help you, not any spell. She must have found something. You are standing here, alive and well.”

“Yeah, something,” Spike said to no one, “Anyway, I came here to ask for help when I found this mess. What happened here?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a potion gone awry,” Zecora said with a grin, “No more of that black ooze will I try. I use just a few drops, and the roof of my home nearly pops.”

“I could have told you that,” Spike said, “That stuff is extremely dangerous.”

Spike opened the front of his coat and pulled the side back. He flinched as his claws grazed the wound. Zecora gazed upon the jagged scar with disbelief. She knew not how Spike survived such an injury, and she did not ask. She could tell in Spike's eyes it was not a happy story of his revival. She looked back at Spike and changed the subject. 

“You mention you needed my help before,” She said, “I know you, Spike. What plans do you have in store?”

“You know the Everfree Forest better than anypony. Do you know of a place where a shelter could be built that could hold the entire town?”

“One place I do know of, but it is very dangerous. Going there with other ponies would prove quite perilous,” Zecora replied.

“Show me. I might be able to help with that,” Spike said confidently.

Zecora took him along the same path that took them to the old castle. At what seemed like a random spot she stopped and turned. She took a small vial out of her bag and sprayed the bushes. Vines and leaves started to shake. The bushes quivered and parted. Before Spike's eyes lay a path. Hidden and forgotten from all except for Zecora. She knew almost all the secrets of the Forest. Spike followed her through the bushes quickly. They fell back into place behind him. The path was hidden again. Even with all he knew about dragon magic this place still held wonders that he would never understand. 
He followed Zecora for about fifteen more minutes. It took that long because they had to continually deal with the dangers of the Forest. Carnivorous plants, hungry creatures, hidden drops and falls, and many others. Each of which Spike was able to handle, with or without magic. Zecora praised him on how deftly he handled himself now. It was not that long ago he was just a small baby dragon that ran from danger. Now he was a big, powerful dragon that faced danger head on. Spike smiled, and he even blushed a little. Before much longer they arrived at the spot Zecora mentioned.

It was enormous. A small cave system set into the side of a small mountain. Even the trees went higher than the tip. The tip was flat and wide. The caves looked like they went deep underground. There was probably a large underground cavern that connected all the caves. It was the perfect place. But Spike could see why Zecora said it was so dangerous. The plants here grew wilder than he expected, and bigger. They were meaner and more viscous than the parts of the Forest he knew. That was problematic, but an easy fix. He just had to find the source. Also easy.
Spike walked a few paces ahead of Zecora. He held out his hands with his palm facing the canopy. He breathed a small flame into his open hands. It stayed and formed  a wisp that circled around his claws. He closed his claws tight and the wisp separated into many smaller versions of itself. Zecora watched in awe. She had never seen magic like this. Spike intensely looked at the wisps and past them. He watched the vines and plants fiercely. 

“Incinerate,” He whispered with a hiss.

In a quick blur of motion Spike flipped his hand. His palm faced the ground and the wisps zipped from his claws. The embedded themselves in the vines and plants that covered the area. Everything they passed through burned and shriveled from the inside out. They moved outward and scorched everything in their path. Soon, Spike was standing at the epicenter of field of scorched earth. 

“It was a harsh, but necessary end,” Zecora said, “Such sacrifices must be made for a friend.”

The two of them followed the trail of the flame wisps. Into the caves and mountain they went. The wisps did their job well. There was not a living plant to be seen. All that was there was black, burnt remains. Now that that was settled Spike could start moving a few ponies here. They would help set it up for when the time did come for evacuating the town. And Spike believed the time would come. 

He left Zecora as she went back to her home. She would help out as best she could, marking a safe trail that the ponies could use. One that wouldn't expose them to the dangers of the Everfree Forest. Spike went to grab Applejack. One of the main things they would need is food and she was in charge of that. He found her at the Cake's bakery, dropping off another cart full of apples. 

“Applejack, glad I found you here,” Spike said, “Need to talk to you.”

“What is it, sugarcube,” She said with an unusual cheer in her voice.

“I found a shelter. It is in the Everfree Forest. It is perfect. I want to start moving a few ponies there now, so they can get things set up for when the attack comes. I would like you to be the first.” Spike said.

“You mean 'if' the attack comes, right, Spike,” Applejack asked nervously.

“Yeah, right,” Spike said, “Are you in, or what?”

“Sure am,” Applejack exclaimed.

“Great. Head to Zecora's. She can show you the way,” Spike said, “And grab a few more ponies to take with you.”

“You got it, partner,” Applejack said.

Great. It was all coming into place now. The next thing Spike had to do was talk to Twilight. She was running this whole preparation. She had to know of Spike's progress. He found her near the edge of town. She had been almost as busy as Spike. A large grouping of guards had been stationed along the outskirts of town. Twilight was talking to the one who seemed to be in charge. Spike got there just as he was walking off. Twilight seemed stressed. She saw Spike and asked for a report on his progress. She was all too happy to hear that a shelter big enough had been found, and that some ponies were already headed there to help set it up. That seemed to relieve some of the stress, but not much.

“You okay, Twilight,” Spike asked.

“No, Spike, I am not okay,” She responded, “These guards are all a mix and match from Cadance and Luna and Celestia. They were sent to help, but they are just getting on my nerves. They won't let me build a wall. Can you believe that? They won't let me build a wall to protect Ponyville from the Black Colts. Can you believe that?!”

She really was stressed. She had a tendency to ramble on when stressed. He had seen it before. Spike wondered about these guards. They won't let her build a wall. She could easily use her magic to do it. So why won't they let her? It would help Ponyville. It couldn't hurt. 

“Why won't they let you build a wall,” Spike asked.

“I don't know,” Twilight exclaimed, “Something about lines of sight and being targeted on the wall. Apparently, being without a wall makes us look less threatening. Like that really matters!”

Now Spike got it, and he even had an idea. He told Twilight he would try talking to them. She wished him luck with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice. But that was okay. He wasn't even sure if his idea would work. It all depended on how many Pegasus guards there were. 
He got outside and spotted the commander pony. He was ordering some of the guards to different posts around Ponyville. He seemed decent enough. Spike walked up to him and got his attention. 

“What do you want,” The pony said hurriedly. 

“Hi. My name's Spike and I-”

“You must be that dragon that goes around with magic, causing trouble and making a mess,” The pony said.

“I don't cause trouble, I fix it,” Spike said.

“You attract trouble,” The pony said, “And I don't need that here, so run along 	and go magic something else.”

“Why won't you let Twilight build a wall,” Spike asked bluntly.

“So that is why you're here,” The pony said, “The Princess sent you. Well let me tell you. Any wall that gets built makes us the first target. No wall means we survive. I don't expect you or the Princess to understand that.”

Spike could see that there was no getting through to this pony. Not with words anyway. Good thing Spike didn't always need words to get things done. He simply nodded to the pony and walked away. He went to the edge of town. He past the the line of guards. He heard them whispering about him as he passed. It seems they wanted a show of magic. It would be rude to say no. 

Spike stopped in his tracks and stomped his foot into the ground with his last step. He moved into a kneeling position and dug his claws into the dirt. He waited a moment and lifted up with all his might. With one grunt he raised a wall. It was not a very big wall, but it was enough. There were places for guards to stand on top of the wall. They could keep watch from a better vantage point. Small sections of wall began springing up all around Ponyville. But he wasn't done yet. 
For his next act Spike thrust his claws skyward. On what was a sunny day he brought forth a blanket of clouds. They stopped above Spike and moved down to him. He waved his hands and the clouds took shape. It was another wall, but one made of clouds. It looked just like the ones on the ground, except more white and poofy. Spike smiled at his work. He could hear the exclamations from the guards behind him. They started moving toward the walls and Spike smiled even more. And then it was gone. 

“What in Equestria is going on here,” Said a familiar voice, “I said no walls! I leave for five minutes and now walls are springing up out of the ground. Who did this?”

“I did,” Spike said strongly.

“Oh, you did,” The pony said.

“Yes. Now the guards can better watch and protect Ponyville. They can see Black 	Colts coming form farther away and they have better vantage points to fight them. If walls make us a target, so be it. At least we will fight instead of hide,” Spike said.

Spike could tell his words struck a nerve. This pony was not used to being talked back to. He did not like it. But before he could respond with anything another familiar voice cut through the air and the tension.

“He's right,” Twilight said, “I don't know why I let you undermine me. I am a Princess! And Spike is right. Those walls are essential, and we will have to fight anyway. We might as well be prepared.”

“What are you saying Princess,” The pony asked.

“It is quite simple,” Twilight stated politely, “You will remain in Ponyville until the threat has been dealt with.”

The commander pony breathed a small sigh of relief. 

“But you're fired,” Twilight finished quickly.

“What?! Why?!,” The pony asked.

“You have no respect for me or my crown,” Twilight said, “I cannot trust you. Therefore, you are fired and may reside in Ponyville until it safe for you to return home. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” The pony said.

That was awesome. Twilight stood up for herself and what she believed to be right. She praised Spike for building the walls anyway. They were magnificent. Even a few of the citizens of Ponyville flew up to the could wall and helped out. There were not as many Pegasus guards as Spike had hoped, but it would do. 

Later that day, Spike and Twilight went to check on the shelter. Zecora had finished safety marking a trail with the help of young Apple Bloom. Applejack must have brought her. They all waked to the shelter together. A lot had changed. All the black, scorched remains of the plants had been wiped away, leaving just the rock and dirt beneath. Applejack had already set up a few food stands. Big Mac was clearing rocks out of the caves. They all stopped working when the others showed up. It was getting late, so they decided to call it a night. They would sleep there for the night. The Everfree Forest was much to dangerous to travel at night. Even along the safe trail. Spike showed Apple Bloom how to start a fire. Applejack got some food. They all ate and slept peacefully. Almost all.

Spike shook in his sleep. It was the same cold that overtook him whenever Galeek was around. It was strong and nothing could stop it. The nightmares started up again when he woke up from his month long slumber. He gently placed a claw over his black scar whenever he thought about it. Every night a new nightmare. Every night worse than the last. But that night was different. He was not as alone as he believed.

This nightmare he was in was one of the worst he had ever had. Each of the girls was there. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and all the rest. But they were not the same friends he knew. They had been oozed. They were bigger and stronger. They stared at Spike with lifeless black eyes while ooze drooled from their mouths. When Spike ran they chased him. They tried to cover him with the ooze, but he would not let that happen. He couldn't. He knew this was not real, but it felt more real than the life he was living sometimes. Such was the power of Galeek. 
Every night was like this in some sense. Galeek was constantly finding new ways to torment his every sleeping hour. And so Spike ran. He ran fast and far from the ponies he called friends. He ran as they tried to ensnare him his own pit of ooze. They almost did this time.

One stumble. One misstep. That was all it took. A ball of black ooze flew through the air and encased Spike's left foot. He was anchored. Stuck. Doomed. More ooze followed. His other foot was soon encased with the left. Then it was his hands and his tail. His chest was covered as well. The girls surrounded him. They looked down at him as he struggled to free himself. But he could not. This was the end for him. HE did not know what was going to happen to him. This was a just a nightmare after all. 
As they all began to laugh and drool Spike saw something that he had not seen before. It was light. He had seen light before, but it was empty and lifeless, just like the ponies eyes. But this light was not. This was different. Spike watched this bright, beautiful light float around and encircle the girls. The light slowly got brighter and brighter and until they moved on. The light did not fade. It did not disappear. It lingered and floated over to Spike and brightened the ooze that held him. He stood again and turned back the light. That bright, beautiful, ethereal light that saved him. More showed up. Small lights and big lights that came from all over the dark corners of the nightmare and came together in front of him. A pony. They formed a pony, much the same way stars form constellations. The beauty of the lights easily portrayed a beautiful mare.

“Who are you,” Spike asked.

“You know that already young dragon, Spike,” The mare said.

“How do you know my name,” Spike asked.

“I have been watching you,” The mare said, “Much like Galeek. I have been trying to contact you for some time, but this was the first time I was able to get through.”

“You have been watching me,” Spike said, “Why? I don't understand. Who are you?”

“You know who I am,” The mare said again, “You have become close friends with one of my daughters.”

Spike thought about this. It didn't make sense. Who was this friend? At first he didn't have the answer. When it dawned on him he nearly passed out. 

“Star Ethereal,” Spike said in awe, “The First Alicorn that defeated the Dark Dragon King, Galeek all those eons ago. How?”

“Very good, Spike. I am indeed Star Ethereal,” The mare said, “A part of my essence was trapped in here with Galeek when he cursed me. He found out and trapped me deep within the ooze with him.”

“Then you know what he's trying to do,” Spike exclaimed, “You can stop him again. You can save Equestria again, and meet your daughters.”

“No, Spike, I cannot,” Star said, “Only a part of my essence remains here. Much like the last of what Smoke Shadow gave to you. You must fight and defeat him.”

“Me?! How can I defeat him,” Spike asked fearfuly, “I can't even get close to him without getting chills.”

“That cold is fear, Spike. It rolls off Galeek as easily as he breaths,” Star said.

The Star constellation moved closer to Spike. At first he was defensive and backed away. This was still a nightmare. This could just be a new form of torment sent by Galeek. She stopped a few paces away and looked at Spike. Even though her eyes were just stars and empty space Spike got a sense of peace from them. This was not Galeek. This really was the last remnants of Star Ethereal. He reached out a hand when he realized this. As his hand made contact a flash of light erupted from the stars that made her. Spike looked away, but kept his hand there. When he looked back there was nothing but an ethereal stardust shimmering in the air. Her body was gone, but she still had one thing left to say.

“You have both pony and dragon magic,” She said, “You always have. That is your greatest strength against him. Farewell, Spike.”

Spike woke up with a start. Eyes wide, heart racing, breathing heavy. He looked around him. That's right. He was no longer in the nightmare. It was still dark out, but he knew that the sunrise was coming. He laid back down and calmed himself. Was what he saw- what he felt- really real? Did he really speak to Star Ethereal? He stayed up thinking about it until morning came. 
The other ponies all woke up, one by one. Spike was full of energy that morning. He couldn't explain it. And neither could any of the others. By mid morning they had all eaten breakfast and Spike was eager to get something done. Anything, he just wanted to do something.

“What's up with you, Spike,” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, you seem a right bit different this here mornin',” Applejack agreed.

“Yeah, right,” Apple Bloom said, “It's almost like you got a shine to your scales today, or something.”

“Careful now, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said playfully, “Or else you gonna start sounding like Rarity.”

“Why Spike, is it just me or do your scales have an extra shimmer in this morning light,” Apple Bloom said with a laugh. 

It really was a good impression of Rarity. The only one better was Sweetie Belle, but they were sisters so that didn't count. They all got a good laugh as Apple Bloom impersonated Rarity for the rest of the morning. That mostly included complaining about working and getting Big Mac to do her work for her. A truly great impression. All that was missing was a fancy dress. 
Spike did wonder about Twilight's question though. He pulled out the Night Calling Mirror. They were right. Something did seem different about him. He couldn't tell what. His scales did seem to have an unusual shine to them. He had what seemed like boundless energy at hand. He was in a very good mood. It seemed like everything was better today. Yet, he wasn't quite sure why. 

Later on, they continued with the clean up of the cave shelter. This was the last item on the agenda. After this Spike would be leaving again. He still wasn't sure where he was going to go next. He told Celestia Cloudsdale, but he was not sure now. He would have to figure it out soon. The work was almost done. By the end of the day the whole place seemed almost homey. More ponies had showed up. A few more even decided to stay until the threat was gone and dealt with. Spike said his goodbyes to the ponies and headed out. It was not a big celebration, or even a big deal. Word just got around that it was time he moved on to help some of the others. And that is exactly what he did. He decided to head back to a familiar place. 


The Crystal Empire

The train ride their was uneventful to say the least. Spike was half expecting something to happen. Every time he was in the Crystal Empire and there was a train, something happened. But not this time. He was glad. It allowed him to go over some of the plans that he had drawn out. He would have to see the state of the defenses there before referring to these plans, though. For all he knew everything was already in the best shape it could be. He would just have to see for himself. 

His arrival was not as big as he had thought it was going to be. It was just Cadance and Shining Armor with a small group of guards. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were also there, standing right next to the Princess and her husband. That was all of them. No pony else was there. That suited Spike just fine. They all walked back to the Crystal Palace together. 

“I must say, Spike, I am glad to see you again,” Cadance said.

“As am I,” Rarity said, “But why ever did you choose to come to the Crystal Empire? Wouldn't Cloudsdale be a better place for your particular services?”

“I am familiar with this place,” Spike said, “I figured I could stay a short while and get all my work done quickly. Then I could move on to Cloudsdale.”

“You gotta find a way to walk on clouds first,” Pinkie Pie said, “Unless you can already! Can you?! I've never met a dragon that could walk on clouds. That 	would be so cool! And you have to, anyway. Can't fight the big, dark baddy if you are a pancake on the ground.”   

“Thanks for the support, Pinkie,” Spike said.

“As for the reason you came,” Cadance said officially, “All of the defenses of the city and the rest of the Crystal Empire are all set and being put into place as we 	speak. Would you like to see?”

“I would. It will be nice to see some old friends again,” Spike replied.

“Very well. You know your way around. Maybe you could introduce Pinkie Pie and Rarity to some of those friends,” Shining Armor said, “Cadance and I have other things to attend to.”

He left with Cadance and went back to the Crystal Palace. Their work was never done. Such was the life of a Princess and her husband. Shining Armor did have a point, however. Spike did now his way around, and it would be nice to spend some time with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. So he showed them around the city and visited old friends. All the while talking and observing the defenses. Before they knew it lunch time had arrived. Rarity insisted on going to this nice cafe she knew. He didn't object and Pinkie Pie would eat anything, so they followed her. They were almost there when Spike was blindsided. He heard it coming, but had no time to react. He was on his back on the ground before he knew what hit him. It took him a moment to realize he did know what him. 

“Haha, Gotcha, Spike,” A young filly said.

She climbed off Spike and let him sit up. He dusted himself off and looked over at his attacker. She caught him by surprise. Not an easy thing to do. He was more surprised to see her here than anything else. But he was glad to see he nonetheless.

“Flake Frost,” He said surprised, “What are you doing here?”

“Waitin' til next harvest season,” Flake said cheerily, “With all the money that we got now the whole family decided to come on up to the big city.”

“I take it you know this young filly, Spike,” Rarity said inquisitively.

“Oh, sorry. This is Flake Frost,” Spike stated, “Flake, meet Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Two of my friends from Ponyville. Girls, Flake saved my life once.”

“AHHH! That is so cool,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed loudly, “So you are a friend of Spike's? Me too! Do you think we could be friends? What is you favorite color? What kind of things do you like to do? What is your favorite kind of cake?”

“Uhh, yes. Okay. Ice blue. Magic, snowball fights, and playing in the snow. Chocolate,” Flake replied blankly.

“Then it's settled. We are officially friends,” Pinkie said.

She pulled a box out of nowhere and set it on the ground. Oh no. Spike knew what that was. He still had the dozen or so that she had given him. This was going to be loud, bright, noisy and messy. Spike watched as Pinkie's hoof went for the string connected to the box. It was like slow motion. He reached out for Rarity and Flake. It was of no use. Pinkie Pie was to fast. She had done it. The box exploded into a mix and mash of streamers, balloons, small fireworks and confetti. The colored party favors filled the air and blanketed the ponies and Spike within seconds. 

“Huh. I was expecting something messier,” Spike said to himself.

He removed the colored paper from his face and looked around. This stuff was everywhere. Rarity was already removing the paper from her own body. She was covered head to toe. Pinkie Pie was just laughing and rolling around in it. As for Flake, she was nowhere to be found. 

“That was so awesome,” She shouted.

The sound was muffled. Spike scrambled around to try and find her. He didn't get far when another explosion of confetti and streamers sent even more of it all over the place. As it all settled over Spike, again, he saw Flake standing at the epicenter. She had a huge grin on her face and looked happier than Spike had ever seen her. She ran up to Pinkie Pie and looked up at her with amazement.

“That was so cool! Can we do it again,” She asked eagerly.

“Sure can, little filly. I packed a whole mess of these Pinkie Boxes,” Pinkie said. 

“Hold on just one minute,” Rarity said, “If you want to set off another one of those infernal Pinkie Boxes, well then you can go somewhere else and do. This will take forever to get out of my mane.”

“How 'bout we get lunch first. I'm starvin',” Flake said.

They could all agree on that. Food was the top priority. They sat down and ate lunch. Flake joined them. It was nice to catch up with her. Apparently, the new farm was going nicely. With Cadance's help the repairs went by quickly and smoothly. The Frosts had a few workers tending the fields. They were making sure the new ice would come in good next harvest season. For now, her and the rest of the Frosts were in the city, enjoying the vacation. 
After that, they split up. Rarity wanted to go and visit the little shop that Spike told her about. The same shop where he got his bigger coat made. She was intrigued about their work. It was almost as good as hers. Almost, but not quite. Pinkie Pie went with Flake to meet the rest of her family. She didn't have anything else to do. They were going to go and see more of the city while they were out. Spike had a feeling those two spending time together would be trouble, but he trusted Pinkie Pie. As for him, he went the one pony who knew the defenses best. It was time he got down to business. 

Spike met with Shining Armor in the war room. He could tell it was very rarely used. It looked like they were the first ones to step in there in over a thousand years. The place gave Spike the chills. Shining Armor was going over some plans with a group of senior guard ponies. He dismissed them to do their duties and talked to Spike. 

“Spike, it is good to see you,” He said, “What are you doing here? I told you the defenses were all good.”

“I know you did, but I would like to see for myself,” Spike said, “I guess I am a bit paranoid about it.”

“That's okay. After everything that you have been through I would be too,” Shining Armor said, “And you are the closest thing we have to an expert on the Black Colts.” 

That was true. Shining Armor showed Spike over to a scroll sitting on the table. It was a map of the Crystal Empire. Very old by the look of it. R.C. Keeper must have found it and brought it up. There were several small figurines set on it. Spike had seen them before. The same ones were used by Celestia during her debriefing. 

“We have walls set up all over the Empire,” Shining Armor said, “We have guards posted at every one of them. There are two Unicorn guards for every one Pegasus 	or Earth Pony. Their magic can combat the Colts better than anything else we have. We have them training for light and heat spells, just like you said last time you were here.”

“Great,” Spike said, “There is one thing you could try, though. I just did it at Ponyville. With some help, I could create battlements and walls made of clouds. They would come down from the sky, giving your Pegasus guards a much better view of any incoming threat.”

“That is a great idea,” Shining Armor replied happily, “But why would you need help? Can't you use your dragon magic?”

“I could,” Spike said, “But the Crystal Empire is much bigger than Ponyville. It would take me weeks to do it all myself. Plus, I don't even know if I can walk on clouds with or without my magic. I would need some Pegasus assistance. And I know just the Pegasus to help.”

“But Rainbow Dash is in Cloudsdale. How will you get there in time,” Shining 	Armor asked. 

“I don't know that yet,” Spike admitted.

Both of them went silent for a moment. They were deep in thoughts for only a few moments when they were interrupted. The doors to the war room burst open. Cadance walked in and she looked stressed.

“Shining Armor,” She said, “The ponies in the city are getting worked up. Many of them are asking about the shelters. I don't know what to tell them, That, and there is some pony going around exploding boxes full of confetti and streamers and balloons.” 

Now that Spike looked, he could see that Cadance had a few streamers caught in her mane and tail. She must have been caught in the blast of one of Pinkie's party boxes. Spike glanced over at Shining Armor. He saw it too. They both had to try to not laugh at the thought of Princess Cadance being the victim of a Pinkie Pie Party Prank. Spike had to do something to change the subject.

“You said something about shelter,” Spike said.

“Yes, Spike, I did,” Cadance said, “Luna filled me in on your little hideaway here in my palace. I was able to find four more such places since you left for Ponyville.”

“Five? That won't hold the entire population of the city,” Spike said.

“I know. And the citizens are figuring it out as well,” Cadance said stressed, “I don't know what to tell them.”

“Hey, Spike, I have an idea,” Shining Armor said, “Could you possibly make a shelter of clouds? All the Pegasus ponies could stay there while the rest go to the shelters here at the palace.”

“Yeah, maybe. But that would take even more of my time. I still need help,” Spike 	said. 

Cadance was confused as to what they were talking about. She knew nothing of cloud shelters and ideas of Spike's. She asked and they filled her in. It was a risky and time consuming plan, but it could work. She even had a way for Spike to get to Cloudsdale post haste. 

Cadance led them up to a higher floor in the Crystal Palace. It was much higher than Spike had ever been before. When they reached their destination Cadance showed Spike a true thing of beauty. It was a chariot. One of the old ones from before the Crystal Empire vanished for a thousand years. Two Pegasus ponies were in the process of harnessing to the front of the chariot. Well, it would seem that Spike would get to Cloudsdale with speed after all.

“These are two of my fastest and strongest fliers,” Cadance said, “They may not be as fast as Rainbow Dash, but they will get you to Cloudsdale as fast as they possibly can.”

“Thank you very much,” Spike said.

“But he will not be traveling alone,” Rarity said with her usual sass. 

She walked in from the doorway with Pinkie Pie and Flake behind her. The guards must have let her in and showed her the way there. Cadance was a little shocked to see them. Rarity was showing off her usual attitude. Pinkie Pie was hopping behind, and she was slightly covered in confetti and streamers. She must have been caught in the blast of one of those boxes, Cadance thought. Flake was just following behind, wide eyed, and also covered in ribbons and streamers.

“We will be accompanying Spike on his trip to Cloudsdale,” Rarity said.

“All of you,” Cadance questioned.

“Not Flake,” Spike said, “She will stay here.”

“What,” Flake exclaimed, “But why?”

“You have never been outside the Crystal Empire, Flake. You have never been to Cloudsdale. I can't watch over you all the time on your first visit,” Spike said.

“Not to mention that only Pegasus ponies can walk in Cloudsdale,” Pinkie added, “Everypony else just steps on the clouds and falls through. Down, and down, and down, and down, and down-.”

“I think she gets it Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said.

“Young Flake, I might actually need some assistance while Spike is away,” Cadance said with a smile, “Would you like to help me?”

The smile returned to Flake's face. She grinned as big grin and rushed over to stand next to the Princess. Spike and Rarity and Pinkie Pie climbed aboard the chariot. The two Pegasus gathered all their strength and took off. Spike smiled as he rode off with his friends. 

“By the way, I was able to grab this before we departed,” Rarity said to Spike. 

She reached behind her and pulled his backpack out. He took it from her and slung it over a shoulder. She smiled and he smiled. Pinkie Pie never stopped smiling. Everything was going good. They were off to see more of their friends. 


Cloudsdale

By flying chariot the trip to Cloudsdale did not take that long. Spike was able to spend a little more time with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rarity did most of the talking. Spike mostly listened. Pinkie spent most of the time trying to catch passing clouds in a jar. After a while they could see the city of Cloudsdale on the horizon. It was always a wonder to see the city. But not this time. 
As they flew closer and closer to the city they saw it unfolding. An attack. Black Colts and three Black Dragons. Just great. Spike looked forward and tried to make out any detail he could. He didn't see Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. He didn't know if that was good or bad. What he could see was large amounts of Colts attacking anypony and anything they could. Spike gestured Rarity and Pinkie Pie behind him. He opened his arms wide and raised his head. As they rode forward Rarity and Pinkie and the flying Pegasus watched. A darkness began to follow from behind them. It came forward with a hum and a crackle. But they did not fear. This was a good darkness. The white puffy clouds turned dark and stormy. Small jolts of electricity ran through them. Spike still held his hands out. One jolt jumped from the clouds to Spike's claws. He did not move. Then another one hit, and another. He was collecting them. These jolts of electricity massed on his scales as he focused. Several small jolts hit him, and they were followed by a few large and powerful bolts of lightning. After he had enough he pulled his arms down and thrust his claws forward. Without a word a warning his claws let out bolts of lightning. They were so bright and powerful that the chariot was almost turned over and dumped out. All ponies present watched as they lightning arced through the sky and moved towards Cloudsdale. It struck one of the Black Dragons right in the side. The lightning coursed through it. It roared and cried out. Many Colts and the other Dragons looked over. All the saw was the Dragon falling as it turned to dust and debris. Spike smiled. One down, two to go, and many Black Colts.
When they got close enough to the city to be seen by everypony a welcoming party was sent out to greet them. It held some familiar faces. Mainly it was just the Wonderbolts. They were always the ones called on in times of emergency. Their leader, Spitfire, came out to greet Spike. Three of the Wonderbolts followed behind her. 

“Alright, which one of you threw that lightning bolt? You know, the one that nearly fried me,” She asked grumpily.

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, “Spike was only trying to help, and he did take down a Black Dragon.”

“Dash? Where did you come from? And where did you go during the attack? 	You were there one second and gone the next. We needed your help,” Spitfire said.

“You have no idea what it means to hear you say that. You really don't,” Dash replied, “But I had to go and find Fluttershy.”

“It doesn't matter now,” Spitfire stated, “And did you say something about 'Spike' just now?”

Rainbow Dash flew over to Spike's side and tapped her hoof to his shoulder a few times. He bashfully raised a hand and waved slightly. The other Wonderbolts whispered and gossiped back and forth at the sight of Spike. Spitfire managed to keep her composure, even though she was a huge fan as well. She flew up to Spike and looked in his eyes. She didn't say anything.

“You got what it takes,” She asked after a moment. 

“Well, I did just bring down a Black Dragon with some lightning,” Spike said. 

“Not good enough,” She said flatly. 

Before she knew it, Spike had moved Spitfire out his way. She was roughly pushed off to the side. She quickly righted herself as she was trained to do. She turned to yell at Spike, but did not get the chance. Before she could say anything, he was gone. He had pushed her out of the way and ran up the front of the chariot. One foot after the other until he was almost on top of the Pegasus ponies flying it. One jump was all it took. One magically infused leap across the clouds. All eyes followed Spike's descent to see where he was landing. It all made sense to Spitfire after that. A Black Dragon was attempting to sneak and attack from below. But Spike saw it, somehow, and was dealing with it. He landed on the Dragon with a tremendous hit. That alone sent the Dragon into a frenzy as it tried to correct itself mid flight. Spike landed with both feet on the nose. He dug his claws in so he wouldn't fall. In the same motion his arms came down. His fists were together. They struck the head with such a force that the Dragon nearly fell from the sky then and there. He leaned in on the frenzying Dragon after his last attack. He took a deep breath and roared right into the ears. But it was more than that. The roar was loud and deafening. He used it as cover to ready himself for another jump. He released his grip on the Dragon and launched himself backwards off the Dragon's face. But he didn't have enough to get all the way back to the chariot. He reached out for a cloud and found one. His claws, his tail, and any other part of him passed right through. Well, now he knew. He could not walk on clouds. Rainbow Dash zoomed in and caught him. She rushed him back to the chariot and dumped him in.

“You are a lot heavier than you look,” She said with a huff.

Spike did not say anything in response. He shot his tail straight up towards the clouds. They were still dark and stormy from his spell, but many had receded. All he needed was a jolt. And he got it. A few small jolts jumped from the clouds to the tip of his tail. He scrambled to his feet as the charge moved through his scales. He thrust his hand out toward the dazed Dragon. The small charge left him and arced over to that area. That small charge set off the charged air that he had already set up. The Black Dragon stood no chance. It turned to dust and debris as it fell to the ground far below. Spike smiled and turned back to Spitfire. Her jaw was hanging open and her eyes were wide.

“Is that good enough,” He asked sarcastically.

With two out of the three Black Dragons defeated the rest of the ooze minions scattered and ran. Spike was officially led in by Spitfire and the Wonderbolts. He wasn't hailed as a big hero or anything. To them he just assisted in the defense of Cloudsdale, nothing more. He didn't mind. Unfortunately, since he could not walk on the clouds he was confined to the chariot. Rarity was able to remedy that situation. Twilight shared the spell that allowed the girls to walk on clouds before with her. She cast it on Spike and Pinkie and herself. Both her and Pinkie stepped out like it was nothing. Spike was a little more cautious. He didn't even know if Rarity's spell would work on him, seeing as how he was a dragon with dragon magic. Rarity had pony magic. The two did not really mix well, or at all usually. He cautiously stepped out, but left a hand firmly braced on the chariot. His foot met cloud and nothing happened. It was like walking on solid ground. He put his other foot down and released his iron grip on he chariot. Awesome. He was walking on clouds. Now it was time to get down to business. 

He walked through Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash and Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was being her usual self. She was showing off her hometown, braggin about all the cool things she had done there. There was not as much damage to the city as Spike had thought there would be. The Pegasus ponies here must have put up a bigger fight than he thought. Cool. As they were walking they stopped to help a few ponies with repairs. Throughout all of this Spike could not help but wonder where Fluttershy was. Dash had said she went to find her, but left out the part about where she was. Answers came to Spike in a most unlikeable way. 

“Rainbow Dash,” A pony cried out, “Rainbow Dash.”

The voice was coming from somewhere close by. A pony rounded a nearby corner in a hurry and nearly slammed right into Pinkie Pie. Her Pinkie Sense warned her, however, and she was able to step out of the way. The pony took no notice of his fall as he sprung back up. He also took no notice of the ponies around him.

“Rainbow Dash. Gotta find Rainbow Dash,” He said blankly. 

“Hey pal, you found her,” Dash said, “What do you want, an autograph?”

“You're Rainbow Dash,” The pony asked.

“Last time I checked, yeah,” Dash said sarcastically, “Do you know any other pony as awesome as I am?”

“I was sent by Spitfire,” The pony said, “About your friend Fluttershy.”

“What about her? Last time I saw her was when I left her at my place,” Dash responded.

“She volunteered to help with the cleanup efforts. She was helping injured ponies get to the hospital. The last building she was in. . . changed.”

“Changed? Changed how? All the buildings here are made of clouds. How can they change,” Dash asked.

“The ooze,” Spike said, “The ooze infected the clouds and now they turned against 	the ponies. Am I right?”

“Y-yeah. How did you know,” The pony asked nervously.

“I have a personal history with ooze. I know how it works,” Spike replied. 

Spike said nothing more. He just looked up at Rainbow Dash. She was hovering just above him. She looked down at him. Their eyes met with an intensity that could almost be felt coming off them. Without a word they were off. Dash out in front leading Spike to the where Fluttershy was. She could see the building from the air. Spike ran behind her on the ground. Pinkie Pie was left behind with the pony that delivered the news. 

“Did you know that was Spike the Dragon,” She asked in her usual cheer, “He is like uber famous. He goes around fighting the big, bad ooze and bigger, badder Black Colts and stuff. Doesn't that sound like fun?”

The pony turned to her with a look of confusion, shock, awe, disbelief, and he was just plain freaked out. He slowly backed away from the strange pink pony. He watched in wonder as she hopped down the street after her friends with a smile on her face. Strange ponies here in Cloudsdale, he thought. Need to lay off the cider.

Spike arrived at the building just seconds after Rainbow Dash. It was not a very big building. A simple, two story building that housed a few ponies and their families. Most had gotten out. Fluttershy was helping the last of them when the building changed. Both Dash and Spike found Spitfire right away. She was talking with several of the Wonderbolts, trying to figure out what to do next. 

“Hey, what's going on here,” Dash asked.

“A few volunteers entered the building to help some injured ponies out,” Spitfire reported, “That Fluttershy was one of them. I knew she was your friend so I sent a pony to find you. I was hoping that he would be with you, as well. Guess I was right.”

“I have never seen anything like this before,” Spike said, “I don't know what you want me to do here.”

“Something! Anything! We have tried our best, but nothing we try works,” Spitfire exclaimed, “And now two of my Wonderbolts are in there as well.”

Spike turned away and delved deep into thought. He pondered the situation. The whole building was changed. The whole building was made of clouds. This was new to him. He could easily destroy the ooze, but that would destroy the clouds also. If the injured ponies in there could not fly, then he would do more harm than good. He knew the ooze didn't like fire, or heat. The light bothered it. Extreme cold was also a possibility. Each option came with its own set of pros and cons. He knew there was not going to be a perfect solution so he would have to think this one through carefully. The more he thought the more he blocked out the world around him. It was only Dash's voice that brought his mind back to the real world.

“Hey, Spike, you're wearing a groove through the clouds. You got an idea or something,” She asked.

“Or something,” Spike said, “I have a few things we can try, but no guarantees any of them will work.”

“Great. What's up first,” Dash asked enthusiastically. 

“Heat. Fire to be more specific,” Spike said, “Stay far behind me.”

He stepped up close to the building. He gestured all the ponies back behind him. Collectively, they moved two hoofsteps back. That was not going to be enough. He waved them back farther. Another hoofstep and a half was all they moved. Alright. That was far enough to prevent any serious injury. They would move farther once he started. He turned back to the building and took a deep breath in. In the next instant the building was engulfed in a shower and green flames. Once Spike was out of breath he grasped the flame with his magic. He caught his breath and started swirling the flames. He created a small tornado with the flames as they circled around the building. After a few moments he stopped and dissipated the flames. Through the smoke the building could be seen. It was smoking and sizzling in a few spots, but otherwise undamaged. 

“Great. That didn't do anything,” Dash said loudly, “Now what?”

“Cold. Extreme cold,” Spike said intensely. 

He took a few breaths. He calmed his breathing down and focused. Cold was his weakest element, but he had to try. He learned a lot about ice and cold from spending time on the ice farm with Flake. He moved up and placed a hand on the side of the building. He concentrated for mere seconds before driving his claws deep into the ooze. As soon as he did a layer of frost spread out. The frost moved like a wave that swept over everything. The more the frost spread the more Spike had to concentrate. The frost soon receded a little. It was replaced by a small layer of ice. Spike's claws were encased in ice, and it also spread out to the ooze. He had to focus and concentrate even more to keep the ice from climbing up his arm and encasing him completely. It was as if the ooze could sense this. It sent out a few tendrils of ooze to attack him. He couldn't move. Any movement, no matter how small, would shatter his focus, and the ice. He tried to put up a barrier. One tendril bounced off, but the next broke through. It pierced the clouds next to him, missing him by mere inches. It retracted and they all poised for another lunge. Spike knew he could not take a hit like that now. But he didn't have to. As the tendrils came down he was hit from the side by something else. He landed back a few paces as the tendril pierced the clouds where he was standing. A moment more and he would have been skewered. 

“What is wrong with you? Why didn't you jump back,” Dash asked.

“I was stuck. And it wasn't even working,” Spike said.

“Okay. What's next,” Dash asked. 

“I don't know. I tried heat and cold and nothing happened,” Spike said.

“Well, you can't just leave Fluttershy in there,” Dash said. 

“I know,” Spike shouted.

“Then do something,” Dash shouted back. 

Spike quickly jumped up and glared at the building. He crossed the distance between him and it in just a few strides. He didn't even stop as he raised his fist. A hum and a crackle sounded off from him. Jolts of electricity arced from scale to scale as his fist moved through the air. He half yelled, half roared as his fist met collided with the ooze. The lightning shot from him as the booming sounds of thunder deafened the area around them.
Silence filled the next few moments. It was an awkward and uncomfortable silence that came before something big happened. Spike stood before the ooze. He had struck out of anger and rage. He was trained not to let emotions get the better of him, but it happened anyway. His head hung low as he breathed slowly to try and steady his racing heart. He stared at the ground. The clouds beneath were the only things he could see. And then something else came into view. A small, dark piece of something entered his field of vision. Spike looked puzzled. Another piece fell, bigger than the last. It looked like a shard of something. He picked his head up and gazed at the ooze. It seemed different somehow. Before it seemed alive almost, like you could feel the evil rolling off of it. Now, it just seemed still, like the calm before the storm. Only, there was no storm. Spike reached out to touch the ooze. Before his claws made it to the ooze it broke. A gigantic sheet of ooze shattered into countless shards and fell to the clouds below. Spike jumped back to avoid the shard rain. A couple of ponies rushed over and opened the clouds beneath the shards, allowing them to fall to the ground far below Cloudsdale. As they did this Rainbow Dash dashed through the now exposed wall, leaving a rather large hole in her wake. She was gone for a few moments and then emerged again. She had Flutteshy in tow. She dropped her off next to Spike and then flew back in. Pony by pony she raced in and out with all the injured ponies that were trapped inside. Five in all, not including Fluttershy. Once they were all out Dash returned to Spike and Fluttershy.

“You okay, Fluttershy,” She asked with concern.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied, “At first, it was really scary, but then I saw this 	bright light that came over the whole place. Then a smaller light after that. I 	don't know why, but I wasn't afraid of the light. And then a big boom went off 	and the whole wall was gone. Next thing I know you're there, Rainbow Dash, and I am out here. Thank you very much.”

“As much as I would like to take credit for that, I can't,” Dash replied, “The light came from Spike. He used his magic to save you.”

“Oh, it doesn't matter who it was,” Fluttershy said, “All that matters is that all the ponies are safe. But thank you too, Spike.”

Spike blushed a little and Fluttershy giggled. She knew how nervous he got in situations like these, even when they involved close friends. The last thing they heard before walking off was Spitfire. She was saying something about dropping it. Apparently, she was going to drop the entire building out of Cloudsdale. Drastic, but necessary. As Spike walked away with his friends he thought about how he destroyed the ooze just moments earlier. He wasn't quite sure how he did it. He struck out of anger. Did that have something to do with it? He wasn't sure. But now that all his friends were with him he did not think on it long. He just enjoyed the time he had with them. 

They stayed for the rest of the day and helped with the cleaning up of Cloudsdale. They were guests of the Wonderbolts that evening, for all their help battling the ooze and helping the pony citizens. A small party was to be held to celebrate driving back the Black Colts. But what was to be a small party, was not going to be so. Pinkie Pie entered party mode and made the whole thing a grand celebration. No pony really cared. It was kind of nice to see Pinkie Pie spreading her laughter and good cheer. All ponies everywhere needed some right now. There was plenty to go around as long as Pinkie Pie was there. They stayed the night that night. Tomorrow, they would all head back to the Crystal Palace. It was clear to Spike that Cloudsdale defenses were in tip top shape from the moment he arrived. So there was no reason to stay any longer. 

The Crystal Empire

Spike, Rarity, and Pinkie all climbed aboard the chariot the next day. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy would be flying close by. Instead of the two Pegasus ponies that flew the previous day, there were two Wonderbolts flying the chariot. 

“They will get you back faster than those other two ponies,” Spitfire said, “Least I could after you helped out so much.”

“Thank you,” Spike said, “And be ready. When the big hit comes, everypony is gonna need your help.”

“We are always ready,” Spitfire said with due confidence.

The chariot took off like a rocket, and almost sent Fluttershy reeling back. Spike grabbed her quick and pulled her into the chariot. She looked up to see him looking down at her. She blushed and moved over to Rarity. Everypony knew that Fluttershy was not a long distance speed flier. Spike would not ask her to do that. They were indeed going faster than the previous day. Spike now understood more why Rainbow Dash had such a fascination with the Wonderbolts. They were going to get back to the Crystal Palace in no time. 

It took nearly half the day to reach the Crystal Palace. Spike spent the time telling Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy his plans. Seeing as how they were both Pegasus ponies they could manipulate clouds. They were the perfect ponies for the job. Rainbow dash was excited and enthusiastic about the idea of having a bunker in the clouds. Rarity even volunteered to stay up there and put the cloud walking spell on any ponies who needed it. Perfect. Fluttershy was a little nervous at first. Spike was able to encourage her enough to give it her best try. That was all he could ask.

By the time they got back to the Palace they could see a few guard walls in the clouds had already been started. Nice. Rarity directed the Wonderbolts to the same part of the palace that they had originally left from. They all disembarked the chariot and landed. Cadance walked in soon after they arrived. A young filly followed close behind. 

“I didn't realize you had a filly,” Fluttershy said, “Who is the cute little one there?”

“What,” Cadance said, shocked.

“Oh no! I didn't mean it like that,” Fluttershy said, embarrassed, “I'm sorry! I was just wondering why you have a filly following you around. Sorry, again!”

“That's okay, Fluttershy,” Cadance said, “This is actually a friend of Spike's. Her name is Flake Frost, She is a very gifted Unicorn.”

“Aww, she is so adorable,” Fluttershy said. 

“Calm down, Fluttershy,” Dash said, “We have a job to do here. Remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Fluttershy responded. 

“So, where are we starting on this cloud forming thingy,” Dash asked.

“Split up. Dash, you take some ponies up above the city and form two shelters up 	in the clouds. They will hold the ponies the shelters on the ground cannot. That is first priority. Understand,” Spike stated matter of fact.

“Sure do,” Dash said.

“Good,” Spike said, “Fluttershy, Flake and I will head out to Flake's hometown. It's 	on the very borders of the Crystal Empire. Less ponies. We will work our way in 	and meet in the middle. Okay?”

“Very good, Spike,” Cadance said, “I will remain her to assist Rainbow Dash with 	whatever she needs. Although, I do not think she will be needing it.”

“Guess I'm headin' back home then,” Flake said, “Yep. I guess it's 'bout time I left the city anyways. Startin' to lose my ice senses.”

A silence went among the ponies present. Mostly the girls. Flake didn't realize what she said, or how strange it sounded. A few blank, confused glances were traded among the girls.

“Did I forget to mention that Flake is an ice farmer,” Spike asked.

All the girls exclaimed the oohs and ahs like they knew what Spike was talking about. They all had their jobs and they split up. Dash immediately shot out the nearest window and headed up for the clouds. Cadance and Rarity rounded up some more ponied to help her. Good thing it was a very cloudy day. 
Spike and Flake left Fluttershy. They headed down the train station. Cadance had this train specially ordered to take them right to Flake's home town. The three of them boarded and settled in it would take about an hour to get their.

They arrived to grand greeting. Word must have been sent ahead of them. The whole town almost had gathered by the train platform to welcome Flake back home. When Spike disembarked with her the cheer got even louder. Fluttershy wouldn't even come out until the cheers subsided. When she did finally make it off the train Flake announced her as friend and she got some cheers as well. Spike had Flake gather up the whole town so he could tell them what was going on. That's when he realized that building a shelter of clouds for the few ponies that were here would not be the practical thing to do. He thought fast and remembered the last time he was here. The clouds would still be used. Just not the extent that he had originally planned.

“You all remember the Black Colts that attacked. I am trying to prepare 	everypony, everywhere for another attack if it comes. That means shelter, food, and defenses. For you ponies here, that is easy. Flake can show you all to the caves where we drove of the ice imps. There is plenty of room to hold all of you. Spend the next few days preparing as much food as possible and start storing it in those caves. Make sure it can last you all a while,” Spike said.

“But what about defense,” A pony asked, “We are not exactly fighters here.”

“You don't have to be,” Spike said, “Because you already have all the defense you 	need. Many of you are around it every day.”

“The ice,” Flake exclaimed loudly.

“Yes. The ice,” Spike said, “If we can somehow put up lines of ice spires they can 	 defend for us.”

All the ponies took the next few moments to think about it. Spike had just given them a lot of information to process. It was doable, but still a lot of work. Spike took this time to talk to Fluttershy. She was even more shy and nervous in front of crowds than he was. He encouraged her to try and talk. She said the only pony she could probably talk to was Flake. Spike could work with that. He looked over at Flake. She was talking with some of the town ponies, answering some questions. Just one last thing, and then he would get to her. 

“One last thing,” Spike said, “This pony next to me is my friend Fluttershy. She will be coordinating the cloud forming. I need any Pegasus ponies here to help her. Guards will be coming. They will need a place to stand watch. Flake will be assisting her.”

Flake heard this an went along with it, for a second. When she fully heard and comprehended what Spike had said, she stopped. Her eyes shot open and she looked over at Spike. He was looking right at her. Before she could say a single word, Spike was already casting his spell. It was a variation of the same spell that ponies used to walk on clouds. Flake closed her eyes tightly. She could feel herself being raised in the air slightly. It was weird though. She could still feel something solid under her feet. She opened her eyes and saw that she was indeed standing on a cloud. 

“There you go,” Spike said, “Your own personal cloud. You think where you want it to go and it goes there. It won't last all day, though, so come back down when you feel it start to dissipate. Fluttershy can take you up whenever your ready.”

Spike turned to the crowd. They were all beginning to disperse. He said lastly that he would be helping out in a general manner. The briefing ended and everypony set out to do their jobs. Fluttershy and Flake headed up and into the clouds. Flake was freaking out on her little cloud. Spike couldn't help but laugh a little. And the work started. 

The next few days went by quickly. Everypony did their jobs, and did them well. The general store manager pony was very helpful. He let the town use his cart to transport the food supplies to the cave outside town. He had to show the ponies the way there. The cave itself was just as Spike remembered it. Some of them already knew because they were the ones that got all the things the ice imps stole out. He did say Flake would do it, but she had her head in the clouds at the moment. The cave was spacious and could easily hold all the ponies as well as enough food to last them until next harvest season. 
Over the next few days, the ponies loaded more and more supplies into the cave. Fluttershy and Flake formed the clouds into a few long stretches that went around the town. Everything was done and ready in just a week. Spike got Flake from the clouds himself the last time. She liked her experience up there, but she preferred her hooves firmly on the icy ground. After all work was done and goodbyes said, Spike went back to the Crystal Palace. Flake stayed behind with her family. He took a long look at the town as the train got farther and farther away. The cloud defenses were put together nicely. They would really help, even if they were smaller than normal. Now he had to make sure the ones at the palace were up to standard.

He arrived back at the Crystal Palace later that evening. He was amazed at the sight before him. Guard ponies were everywhere. Many were boarding the train. They were headed out to more of the towns on the outer borders. Spike overheard some ponies talking. Cadance had sent out groups of Pegasus ponies to all the towns. They all followed Rainbow Dashes instructions and shaped the clouds accordingly. Nothing, however, could compare to what Dash had done. It was like a sight from legend. The entirety of the sky was blocked out by massive cloud formations. Two enormous round, bubble like shapes could be made out against the white overlay. All around them and the rest of the city many smaller clouds could be seen. These clouds were much smaller than the bubble shelters, yet much larger than the post Fluttershy had set up in Flake's hometown. These were for the guards to stand watch. More Pegasus than Spike had ever seen in one place were flying about, moving from cloud to cloud. He could see that there were also many ponies using the cloud walking spell. It was almost like another city up there. Rainbow Dash saw him gawking at the clouds and flew up to him. 

“So, what do you think? Pretty awesome, right,” She asked.

“Wow. You did all this in just a week,” Spike asked.

“You kidding me,” Dash replied, “This only took me a few days, and then a few more, but it was totally less than a week.”

“Awesome,” Spike said, “Can you round up the others and meet me back here? We're going back to Ponyville.”

Spike himself was a little stunned by his outburst. He had a sudden urge to leave and get back to Ponyville. He couldn't explain it. Rainbow Dash did not seem to notice. She accepted the task and flew off to collect the other Ponyville ponies. Within a half hour they were all on the train back. Spike was silent in his seat. It just now struck him about what was in his future. Galeek was coming, and he had to stop him. Could he even stop him? What would it take? He gazed over the girls gathered there. They were all talking and joking amongst themselves. It was probably going to be the last time any laughter was heard for a while, from anypony. Spike cringed a little. His ooze scar was acting up. It was close now. The return of Galeek. It was all coming together now, and Spike had no idea what he was going to do. 
> Ch.16 The Calm Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	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.”
> Ch.17 The Dark Dragon King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ponyville was in uproar. Word spread that the evil that was coming had arrived. Ponies were scrambling and running around with no clear objective. Twilight was able to get them under control after a while. She was able to get them headed toward the shelter in the Everfree Forest. Zecora met them at the edge of the Forest and guided them in. Spike immediately headed for the library. What he wanted was an item in the library. His backpack. It held everything that he needed to fight Galeek. He found it and dragged it outside. He pulled his latest coat out and slipped it on. He felt a rush of power as the enchanted garment slipped over his scales. He grabbed the crystal medal that Cadance gave him. He slid that over his head. The crystal pendant held a small remnant of crystal power direct from Cadance. Spike would need every last ounce of power. 
Before he could grab anything else he was interrupted. A blast of black ooze landed only a few paces from him. The ground exploded with ooze and dirt. Shouts and yelling could be heard coming from the edges of town. Spike picked himself up off the ground. Twilight rushed over to him. She was saying something, but Spike did not hear what. All he heard was Twilight telling him to follow her. She ran one direction and Spike followed her. She led him to Luna, and her chariot. 

“Get on, Spike,” Twilight said.

“What? Why? What's going on,” Spike said.

“We all felt a very large spike in raw magical power,” Twilight explained, “It could be Galeek. Luna will take you there. We will meet you as soon as we can.”

Spike knew not to argue with Twilight. When she was serious and set on something there was nothing that could change her mind. Spike got on Luna's chariot with her. Her guards took off and soon after they were out of Ponyville. They were headed in the direction that took them away from almost everything that resembled civilization. They flew for at least an hour in silence. Until it was broken.

“I do not where we are going,” Luna said.

“I do,” Spike said.

He looked down at the ground below them. For a while now the entire landscape seemed to be noting but barren. A wasteland that nothing grew in. It took a moment for Spike to realize that the land was key. The barren wasteland was the same as the  nightmares. Spike focused on the memories. He scanned over the scenes from the nightmares, looking for any landmarks or scenery that could lead him to Galeek. There was nothing. Star Ethereal made sure of that. She buried any trace of Galeek a very long time ago. There was nothing to look for. 
The ponies pulling Luna's chariot were tiring, so they landed and rested. Spike and Luna set out searching. He knew they were close. He could feel it in his scales. They walked away slowly, scanning the area for any signs of Galeek. There was not much to search. The area they were in was flat and lifeless. Rocks were the only things there in abundance. There were a few small piles of rocks that were scattered around. A single large mound of boulders centered it all. The only other thing that they could see was a tall cliff. They were at the bottom. 
It didn't take long for someone, or something, to start making noise. Luna did not seem to take notice. Spike made no indication that he knew. His enhanced hearing allowed him to track down the sound, and whatever was making it. He tracked the noise until it was right behind him. Then he struck. He flashed his eyes green and charged his claws with power. He turned with his claws raised and ready. When he saw what he was attacking he stopped mid strike. 

“Princess Celestia,” Spike said with shock.

“Spike,” Celestia said, “What are you doing here?”

“I came with Luna,” Spike said.

“Sister,” Luna said, “I am glad to see you here.”

No more words were shared between the three of them. A violent shaking ripped through the ground. Cracks and crevices emerged by the dozens. As the dust settled, the three of them heard a new noise. It was low. A rumble that vibrated the very air in the wasteland. Spike felt a coldness travel through his scales. He powered up and snarled. 

“Galeek,” Spike yelled as loud as he could.

The rumble continued. So did the quaking and the shaking. The cracks and crevices got bigger. Dust filled the air and the sound deafened the trio. Through all the noise and dust more could be heard. It was a deep, evil sound that resonated in the very soul of whoever heard it. Spike knew it. Laughter. A deep, growling laugh that invoked the same evil its owner did. Spike growled and roared. Then it appeared. The ground opened and gave way all at once. A gaping hole in the rocky ground formed. In its place was a new landmark, one that Spike recognized. A tremendous pit of black ooze. The surface of the pit was undisturbed. The ooze bubbled on the surface and seeped out any crack it could find. Several smaller pits sprang up and out of the ground around the central large pit. As the three of them watched in horror at what was happening before their eyes, the ooze changed. Something on the central ooze pit was coming up. The ooze rolled off the thing like water. It slowly rose up and up. Through the ooze scales could be seen. Black scales, with read spikes protruding through them. Two arms spread wide before coming to rest at sides. A head emerged and eyes flashed open. Red glowing eyes that portrayed the evil and twisted mind they belonged to. This being that came from the ooze grinned an evil grin and looked down at Spike. 

“I am here, young blood,” Galeek said, “I must admit I am surprised to see that you are. It is good to see that not all dragon magic has died with me. Now that I am free I can use this magic to take back the land that that pesky pony Star Ethereal took from me. At least she can no longer pester me.”

“That was my mother, you monster,” Luna screamed.

She took steps toward Galeek as she screamed at him. Celestia tried to stop her, but it was no use. Luna just kept going. It didn't matter how powerful Galeek was.  Luna was raging. Galeek did not seem to notice, and he certainly didn't care. And suddenly, Luna was silent. Like slow motion, a small blast of ooze came from Galeek's hand. Luna was hit directly. She was struck while her head was raised proudly. She landed at Celestia's hooves. 

“Luna,” Celestia gasped in horror.

Spike eyed Luna. A glow more intense than ever built up in him. He lit up with a magic fury. He roared in anger. His feet dug into the ground as his anger shook the very core of the wasteland. He locked his angered eyes on Galeek.

Galeek threw up his hands and laughed. A swirl of black ooze traveled around his hands. More ooze came seeping out of the cracks in the ground. With one final push he cast the ooze out. It spread out in all directions like a tidal wave of black shadows. Spike leaped back to Celestia and Luna, throwing up a protective bubble when he got to them. He broke the bubble a few moments after. The entire landscape of the wasteland had been changed. What was once just a rocky, dusty, barren land was now an ooze contaminated black, dark marsh. Spike turned to Celestia. She was leaned over Luna, crying. Luna was hurt, but still alive. He stepped back from the ground where the bubble was. It was the only place not marked by ooze. He quickly put up another bubble, but this was different. Spike was outside and the bubble was not to protect. Celestia looked up at him as he finished his spell. With one quick motion they were gone. He was alone with the monstrosity, the master of the ooze, the evil that he was waiting for. Spike was alone with the Dark Dragon King, Galeek.
> Ch.18 Spike Against the Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike launched attack after attack against Galeek. His anger led his hands and his soul powered his magic. He threw innumerable fire blasts. His magic blasts did little to help. Every ice blast seemed to freeze everything but Galeek. No matter what he did nothing seemed to work. After a few moments he stopped. He took some time to catch his breath. 

“You have such passion, young blood,” Galeek said mockingly, “It is too bad you fight for these ponies. You could be a grand ruler in my new dragon empire.”

Spike responded with another magic blast. He had vented his anger over Luna against Galeek. He still had much to be angry for, but now he had time to think. Smoke Shadow taught him better than this. Passion is power, but letting emotion rule your power takes away control of yourself. He calmed himself down and stood tall against Galeek. 

“You will not hurt any more ponies, Galeek,” Spike said strongly and proudly.

“That is King Galeek to you, young blood,” Galeek said.

“You were a king in your time, but not here. Not now,” Spike said, “Your time 	has gone. It is way past time you joined it.”

“How can you say such words when you yourself use dragon magic from my era, taught by a dragon of my era,” Galeek asked.

Spike did not respond to Galeek. The time for words was over. Spike's eyes glowed as the power flowed through him. He roared one last time. It was not a roar of anger, or fear. No, this was a roar of power. A roar of confidence. This was the roar that let all know that Spike was not afraid. The ooze itself seemed to tremble at Spike's mighty roar. Galeek responded with a roar of his own. He roared at the very ooze he controlled. Spike took the open opportunity. He threw a powerful blast into the air above. With a quick downward move of his hands, Spike crashed the blast in Galeek's head. He followed up with fire breath hot enough and powerful enough to reduce Ponyville to ashes in just mere moments. He stopped after a short while. Galeek shielded himself with a wave of ooze that took the fire for him. He was angered about the first blast, though. He snarled and started his own attack. 
Galeek thrust his hand out toward Spike. Enormous, thick tendril of ooze shot out toward him. The twisted and snaked through the air. Spike nimbly dodged and evaded the ooze. With each move he made came a swipe from his claws. He cut the tendrils dozens of times. Each one he cut grew back. It didn't matter how much he sliced off because there was always more following. Spike could not keep this up forever. He took one advantage he had. He leaped high into the air. Quickly as he could he breathed a flame into his hands and closed them tightly. He crashed back to the ground with force. As the tendrils shot back toward him. Exactly what Spike wanted them to do. Incinerate. He cast out the flame wisps to the ooze tendrils. They met with a flash of light. The flame wisps burned and consumed the tendrils with a terrifying effectiveness. They traveled all the way to Galeek himself before he could stop them. Once they met the ooze pits the wisps stopped. Spike released his closed fists again. Each of the wisps exploded. At least no more tendrils would be coming for Spike. Galeek recovered from the attack quickly, but he was angrier than ever.

“You really think you can stop me,” He shouted, “I have the power of a king, as well as the power of the ooze. You are just a young dragon with mere months of training. You cannot stop me. I AM KING!”

“Not anymore,” Spike shouted back. 

Galeek flung a volley of ooze blasts at Spike from one hand and then the other. Each and every one never hit Spike. He used his own magic blasts to counter them in the air. Ooze droplets rained down, clouding the vision of both of them. Spike was ready in that situation. He ran forward and Mana Stomped. He closed his eyes as the world around him came into a new kind of view. He could sense every last drop that hit the ground. He could see Galeek through the dark drizzle. A fireball formed in Spike's claws. He launched it out but kept it from hitting Galeek right away. It went a few paces before Spike yanked it off course. He spun around fast, taking the fireball in a complete circle before crashing it into the side of Galeek. An explosion ripped through the ooze around Galeek. His frustration could easily be heard. That gave Spike a small amount of satisfaction. 

“You will not stop me,” Galeek hissed. 

With a wave of his hands, Galeek created towering pillars of ooze from the smaller pits. The pillars did not stay standing, as Galeek felled them with his lowering hands. The pillars landed on both sides of Spike. The ooze spilled out. Seconds later, the ooze raised and formed. Black Colts by the dozens rose from the ooze. Great. As if one ooze monster was not enough. He reacted with a feat of quick spellcasting. He threw up a wall of stone on one side, cutting him off from those Colts. Right away, without a second of pause, he turned to the other side. Out of one hand came forth a cold so extreme ice imps would run from it, if they could. Out of the other came a fire of such intensity that nothing could withstand its blaze. Both elements met with a clash of power. A field of steam was created as the two elements collided. Spike's Mana Stomp was still active, allowing him to see through the steam. All the Colts were either burnt or frozen. He turned his attention back to the other side. The wall prevented much of the steam from getting to them. It also hid Spike's position. He used this, running to the wall and leaping to the very top. He perched himself at the top and gazed down at the Colts. A Grand Thunderoar rang out. The air around the Colts and the ooze became charged. A spark zipped through the air as Spike roared. A small spark set off a chain reaction of lightning and electricity that fried the Colts. 
Spike didn't realize that Galeek was also attacking. He attacked when Spike threw up the wall, expecting him to move in that direction. When Spike did not move as expected Galeek's frustration increased. Again, he tried to attack. Again, he failed. Spike leaned in to his attack when he used his fire and ice spells. Galeek's attack barely missed him, grazing the spikes on Spike's back. Spike didn't notice. As Spike leaped to the top of the stone wall, another of Galeek's attacks nearly hit him. As he propelled upward the blast soared just beneath the claws on his feet. Galeek was fast growing from frustrated to furious. In his anger he lashed out a big blast of ooze. It obliterated the stone wall that Spike was perched on. He barely escaped falling under the debris. He leaped back without even the slightest scratch. 

“You are beginning to annoy me, young blood,” Galeek said angrily.

“Then I must be doing something right,” Spike replied with a smirk. 

“You know nothing of my power, young blood,” Galeek said, “I was the most powerful dragon there ever was. I was defeated by that pony, and cast into the ooze. But the ooze only made me stronger. I have more than enough power to defeat you.”

More of the ooze pillars shot up from the pits. With them more ooze spilled onto the ground. As the ooze slowly made its way to Spike it changed. At first, Spike thought it was going to be more tendrils, but it wasn't. As the ooze got closer, a giant, sharp thorn erupted from the ooze. Spike sidestepped quickly, just barely getting away from the ooze. It was not enough. More ooze was coming, and with it more spikes. From each direction the ooze pooled, and from each direction the thorns came. Every way he turned a thorn shot up to meet him. Unbalanced as he was from the first, Spike was unable to rightly evade the thorns. He was on the defensive. Constantly stepping back, twisting and ducking, Spike could not keep his focus. He put barrier after barrier over his arms in attempts to try and fend off the thorns. At first, they worked. However, little by little, Spike was worn down. The thorns bounced off his barriers. Finally, after Spike put up a barrier using both his arms it shattered. A truly massive thorn quickly came out of the ooze. Spike's barrier did nothing to stop it as it shattered the barrier. The force of the hit threw him back. 

“Do you see now? I have more than enough power to defeat you,” Galeek sneered, “You cannot stop me. You never could.”

Galeek continued to abuse Spike. While he was laying on the ground Galeek threw a small blast of ooze. Spike was too weary to move. A direct hit sent him through the air. He hit the ground hard and rolled. Before he was finished rolling Galeek struck again. A flat tipped thorn shot from the ooze behind Spike. The thorn impacted directly into Spike's back, pushing him closer to Galeek. Spike stumbled forward. He managed to stay on his feet, much to his own surprise. He didn't know how he was going to defeat Galeek. It seemed hopeless right then. But Spike was not one to give up. He wearily raised his hands toward the sky. Even as the sky itself was already dark, an even darker layer of clouds moved in. A heavy rain started pouring down onto the two of them, putting out any fires that were burning. Spike groaned as lightning strikes landed all around the battlefield. They were small and quick flashes of light against the dark sky.

“I am almost impressed,” Galeek said mockingly, “A young dragon in your state should not be able to move, and yet here you are. Still casting spells as well. As I said, I am almost impressed.”

Spike wasn't done yet. He glared at Galeek as the rain ran down his scales. One last push of magic. The biggest bolt of lightning yet came flashing down into Spike's waiting hands. He took the lighting onto himself. Each and every scale carried the power from that one bolt. It took Spike just a moment to gain full control over the power in that bolt. But in just that one moment, Galeek sent a tidal wave of ooze. It washed over Spike like he was nothing, sending him back and across the battlefield. The ooze subsided, and Spike was still there. He struggled a bit to get to his footing, but once he did he ran for Galeek. After a few long paces Spike stopped and took a deep breath. Galeek figured another of his fire breath attack was coming. It was, but not in the way he was expecting. Spike gathered the fire in his body and released it out in his breath, but only in small amounts. In quick succession Spike let loose Fire Breath Flares. Galeek put up a wall of ooze to protect from a massive wave of fire breath. When that didn't happen he let it down. A blanket of flares greeted him. There hot touch and harsh light blinded him temporarily. That was all Spike needed. He stepped forward just enough to ensure that Galeek would be hit. And then he unleashed the power of lightning and thunder!
The lightning arced through the darkened sky and the pouring rain. It pushed through the flares on its way to Galeek. But it never made it. A web of ooze tangles around Galeek. The lightning struck one tendril of this web and was diffused among them all. Galeek laughed evilly at the look of disbelief on Spike's face. He responded with a thin wave of ooze. It traveled down the center of the battlefield on a direct course to Spike. He was careening backwards. Into the mud and the ooze he found himself. His face was in the dirt. A puddle formed beneath him. He saw himself as he lay there. He was so tired. He didn't want to fight anymore. He felt like ever since he started learning dragon magic he spent most of his time fighting. He turned over on his back and stared up at the sky.

“Giving up already, young blood,” Galeek teased, “What would all your pony friends think if they could see you know? I wouldn't worry if I were you. You 	tried your best, and truly did impress me. This little exercise was just what I needed to start my first days of freedom.”

Spike lay there, looking up at the sky. The clouds and the rain were all he could see. That was all that was there. And then he saw something else. The clouds shifted, and parted. A small clearing in the clouds appeared. Spike saw a familiar sight that filled him with joy. The moon. He could see the moon. But it was more than that. The stars in the sky seemed to be moving, traveling across the night sky. He was probably imagining it, but he could swear that the stars moved to form the outline of a pony. Could it be? Star Ethereal? A soothing light came shining down. It filled Spike with a sort of calming peace. He could find no words to accurately describe how he felt in that moment. He raised himself from the mud and he dirt. He raised his head toward the sky and closed his eyes for a moment, to focus. He focused on his memories. He remembered just why he wanted to learn dragon magic. He wanted to do more, but it was not just that. He wanted to help his friends more. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. It started with them, but then he actually gained the ability he wanted, and he didn't help them. Not right away. Instead, he went out and made more friends. Luna, Flake, Strikfire, R.C. Keeper, Hammer Falls. All of them were also his friends. And he was fighting for them. He knew what would happen if Galeek got to them. In the next moment Spike had put his head down and set his eyes on Galeek. A new intensity ignited within him. Galeek could see it, and he was afraid.

“That look in your eyes,” He stammered, “I have seen it before. But how can you have it? It’s impossible! Only Star Ethereal has that look! How do you have it?!”

“I am more than just a dragon with dragon magic,” Spike said fiercely, “My best friends are ponies. I have lived with ponies ever since I hatched. Star Ethereal herself told me that my soul was marked by ponies. I share their magic with them.”

“No, no,” Galeek yelled, “That is not possible. You can't do that!”

“You cannot win here Galeek,” Spike said strongly.

Galeek frantically started throwing blasts of ooze at Spike. Many of them missed him completely. Those that would hit him met Spike's barriers. He slowly started walking toward Galeek. He was freaking out now more than ever. He launched his tendril again. They shot from above, heading for Spike. Galeek combined that with the thorns, that traveled to Spike from the ground. Both attacks struck with an incredible amount of power. But Spike was unharmed. He crossed his arms, strengthening his barrier tenfold. He blasted the barrier outward, shattering the ooze extremities. Spike continued walking to Galeek. He started a small tornado in his hands. He separated it into many small wind blades. He released them all around him. The sheared through each and every last ooze construct, reducing to nothing but puddles. Spike stopped moving halfway to Galeek. 

“I have been beaten, battered, bruised, and bullied,” Spike said, “You may gain power from the ooze, Galeek, but that does not make you powerful.”

Spike finished his words and finished his business with Galeek. He was already powered up, but that was not enough. He remembered all what he was fighting for, and his power gained a new level. A swirl of magical green flames started around his feet. The flames swirled around and rose to circle around his entire body. He outstretched his arms to either side, allowing the flames to gather in his palms. With a final shout he slammed his hands into the ground. The resulting shockwave traveled out to all directions. The flames burned away all the ooze around Spike. The force of the shockwave hit Galeek like a moving train, stunning him. 
Spike's shockwave cleared the way for his next spell. All around lights started to appear. Bright, rounded lights that showed up all around him. Each bright light turned  into a dome of light, varying in size. At first nothing happened, but then Spike did something amazing. One dome of light, right next to him, burst open with brilliant light. Standing there, just after the flash, was none other than Luna herself. She was standing tall, alive and well. Galeek did not know what to think. He had blasted that very pony earlier. How was she standing there? He did now dwell on her, however, as more of the lights flashed. It revealed more ponies. After Luna, it was Flake, and then Twilight and the rest of the girls. One by one, more ponies showed until the whole area was filled with ponies. From fillies like Flake to princess's like Luna.

“What is this,” Galeek asked fearfully.

“My power,” Spike said.

After his words the ponies all moved. In unison they all looked toward the sky. Their eyes collectively turned green. They glowed to match the glow of Spike's eyes. Galeek looked on in horror. He had enough trouble with the one enemy. The young blood with magic was causing him trouble, and now he had help. A whole grouping of ponies appeared from nowhere in flashes of light. Just after all their eyes started to glow. What was going on?

“No matter what you do, young blood, you cannot stop me,” Galeek said.

“Ponies already did,” Spike said, “And I have their help.”

Around all of the ponies a soft light appeared. It surrounded and covered the ponies in a magic aura. All of it was centered around Spike. He took the light to himself and thrust his hands high into the air. The light followed and shot straight into the sky. The cloud cover cleared fast, revealing the night sky and all the stars therein. Each star seemed to shine more brightly than ever before. Galeek watched Spike as he did what he was going to do. Spike looked Galeek dead in his eyes.

“Ethereal Fallen,” Spike yelled out.

The light from the spell that surrounded all the ponies vanished. It flashed to Spike and then up to the stars. The whole sky flashed a bright green for only a moment.  The stars shone brightly, and everything went silent. Spike slammed his hands down as if he was hitting the ground. His hands stopped just in front of Galeek. It was like he was using his hands to point at Galeek. Yet, nothing happened. Galeek started to snicker a bit. It was quick turning into a maniacal laugh. But then it stopped. When he heard a crackling from a fire he quieted down. Galeek's eyes turned to the sky as that was where the sound was coming from. He could not believe the sight he saw.

Spike had somehow conjured up something that should not have been possible. A ball of fire was falling from the sky. It was a tremendous object that glowed white hot. The whole falling star had a green glow to it. To Galeek, it was as if Spike ripped a star from the sky itself and was throwing it at him. Galeek did not even have time to scream as the falling star struck him. A huge fire erupted from the sight of impact. It burned and swirled around the pits of ooze. The fire burned as the ponies and Spike powered down.

“Whoa,” Spike said, “That was cool.”

Spike walked up to the pits that held the ooze. The fire was still burning strong in the pits. Spike waved his hands and the flames died down. 

“Um, Spike,” Luna said cautiously, “What just happened?”

“Galeek is gone,” Spike said, “And so is the black ooze.”
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The ponies rejoiced after that night. All the ponies returned to civilization. A grand celebration was to be held in Canterlot. Spike was hailed a hero throughout all of Equestria. And the time after that much happened. 

Luna and Spike remained very close friends for many years after that. The two of them talked a lot, even when Spike was away. He did spend much of his time in the Royal Canterlot Castle when he was in Canterlot. Many ponies speculated that something more was going on between them, but nothing was ever certain.

Flake stayed at the family ice farm for a while before moving on. After one season where she helped another filly learn to use magic she realized that that was what she wanted to do with her life. Her cutie mark appeared and she became known as the best teacher of young Unicorns in all of Equestria. 
As it turns out, Snow Banks did return. With Flake going away to teach ponies, the farm needed another pony. Snow Banks eventually put aside her differences and decided to work for the Frosts. She proved to be an invaluable asset. She had a talent for handling money and became the family financial adviser. She found herself to be very happy there. 

Princess Cadance and Shining Armor continued happily as the rulers of the Crystal Empire. Shining Armor healed from his wounds nicely. He was able to get back to his full duties as Captain of the Guard before long. Cadance fulfilled her promise to the ponies on the outer edges of her kingdom. In just a few short years she managed to drive away almost all of the ice imps from the caves. Many of the small towns were also increasing in size. An unexpected side effect. The Crystal Empire returned to its greatness once again.

Twilight and the girls went on with their lives. With Twilight being a princess most of her time was spent with royal duties. That kept her busy, but she tried to spend as much time as she could with her friends. That was not always easy with the lives they led. 
Pinkie Pie went on to become one of the most successful and popular party ponies in all of Equestria. Her Party in a Box was extremely popular. Ponies everywhere talked about it. She enjoyed every cake filled moment of her life.
Rainbow Dash went to her flying dreams. Years after she was honored to be a member of the Wonderbolts full time. She spent much if her life with them. She even went on to become the leader of the Wonderbolts. She could not be happier with her life. 
Applejack remained pretty much the same. She stayed at Sweet Apple Acres for as long as she could. She was able to keep the orchard the same. It didn't change size or anything. The only major change was Apple Bloom, who grew up to work on the farm for many more years. Applejack's life was a good one, and she like it just fine.
Rarity also met her dream. Many of the most beautiful dresses worn by the most important ponies came from Rarity. She moved to Canterlot and got a much bigger shop. She had more contact with Twilight than most. She made most of her dresses for important occasions. She also traveled around gathering the best materials. It was the best life she wanted, and she loved it. 
Fluttershy also remained in Ponyville. She never cared for such things as fortune and fame. All she cared for was the animals that she tended to. Although, because of her friends word traveled around about her and her amazing skills with animals. She became one of Equestria's living legends. A pony that could calm and care for any animal, no matter how big or small. More than before she got requests from ponies all around. They always asked if she could help with a certain animal situation. She got a little more fame than she was used to, but she still enjoyed the work she did. 

As for Spike? For a while it was all good. The danger was gone and Spike was able to relax. Spike stayed for a while with Twilight in Ponyville. Because of his size he actually had to find a place of his own. He took a page out of Zecora's book, and created a home in the Everfree Forest. It was on the very edge, and could be seen from the town. He spent a whole year with Twilight back in Ponyville. Although they all traveled around to help the ponies rebuild. Galeek and his minions caused a lot of destruction. But Spike was happy to do the work. Anything to help other ponies was something he could get behind. Not to mention that some of the damage came from him as well. 
After all was said and done, a year later, Spike resumed his former job. His PAD status remained intact and he took up the mantle once again. While on his travels Spike also did one other thing. He made it his personal mission to track down and recover anything he could about dragon magic. He searched the land far and wide. He found little, but that did not stop him from looking.

And so life went on in Equestria. The evil had been vanquished. The day had been saved. Heroes all were named. It took many years, but all that was destroyed was built again, better than before. And soon after that the whole incident faded into the past. 



Six young fillies sat around a fire. The expressions on their young faces, they were just what one would expect. From the very beginning the fillies were immersed in a tale of magic. With powerful heroes, pretty princess's, and a dark evil to be fought. Each of them wore a look of awe and intrigue. Their eyes were wide with anticipation for more of the story to be told. But this story, this time, was done. 
Words faded into the air. A grand epic had been told. The dragon behind the fire gazed deeply into the flames as they danced across the nighttime air, casting a warm glow into the dark sky. The Smokelight disappeared and the fillies stared up at him, eagerly waiting for more to be told. Their eyes filled with a longing for more stories. After a few moments of silence the fillies realized that there was no more stories. They whispered back and forth to each other. They traded their thoughts on the story to between each other. 

“That was the most awesomest story ever,” One young filly exclaimed. 

“Sure as sugar, it was a darn good tale,” Another filly said. 

“That story was simply marvelous,” Said a third filly. 

“It was one of the best stories I have ever heard,” Said the next filly.

“I loved it! It was amazing,” Shouted another pony. 

“It was quite enjoyable,” The last said softly. 

“It is always good when my stories are enjoyed,” The dragon said, “I have found that you young fillies always enjoy my stories the most. It makes me glad to see the joy in your young eyes.”

The dragon wanted it to end there. He said his farewell and set the fillies on their way home. On the other hoof, the fillies did not want the night to end. The dragon said his farewell, but the fillies did not leave. They sprang to their hooves in an instant, and all started talking at once. They talked and shouted, begging and pleading for another story. They were young and energized. But the old dragon wanted nothing to do with the loud noise created by the fillies. 

“Silence,” He said strongly.

It was almost like the whole area pulsed. The fire flickered and shook before returning to normal. The leaves on the trees blew gently. The filled fell silent as soon as they heard the word. Again, they stared up at the dragon. 

“I know you want to hear more stories,” The Dragon said, “But that is for another time, another night. Go home now, and may many stories yet come.”





The End