> Spike's Quest
>  by {EoH} Spike-Swagger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Spike's Quest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Spike's Quest
By: {EoH} Spike – Swagger
A.K.A. Mirror Pinkie


Spike, a short purple and green baby dragon, lay in his a bed sound asleep.  On the sides of the room, stood bookshelves lined with books.  On the other side of the room, by the window, there lay another bed, this one much larger than Spike's; this bed belonged to Twilight Sparkle, a lavender unicorn pony, but the mare was not in it.
Spike was turning in his bed mumbling something.  Suddenly, he shot up, covered in sweat, his eyes wide open.
“Twilight!”  He yelled as he sat up, “A... dream?... What a terrible dream... and it felt so... real... meh...”
The dragon disregarded the dream as just a bad nightmare and chalked it up to eating too many cupcakes the night before.
Spike got out of his bed and walked down the stairs into the library, but once in there he noticed that Twilight was nowhere to be found.
She must be at a friend's place or at the market or something,  thought Spike, but he thought it odd that she did not wake him like she usually would if she were leaving the house.  Spike walked over to the front door and opened it.
Something was odd about the village.  Very few ponies were outside, and those who were looked afraid.  They were talking about something but he was too far from anypony to hear them.
“Hey where is everypony?” Spike asked walking up to two ponies talking with each other.
“Have you not heard?” Asked one, “Ponies are disappearing.”
“Huh?” 
“About a week ago,” started the second, “Derpy went missing.  We didn't think much of it her being, well, Derpy.”
“But then Raindrop went to go find her,” the first one, “and she went missing too.”
“Then Rainbow Dash went to go find them,” the second, “and she hasn't come back either.  A search party was organized and one by one they too have been disappearing, and now everypony is too scared to go looking.”
“Did Twilight go searching too?” asked Spike with fear in his voice.
“Yes,” answered the first grimly, knowing how much Twilight meant to Spike.
“I have to go find them!” Spike shouted as he ran off.

Spike did not, however, go straight to the Everfree Forest where it was most likely they went missing.  He first went to Rarity's Carousel Boutique to see if the mare he loved was safe, but to his despair, the white unicorn was also not there.  Spike ran to Fluttershy's cottage on the edge of Everfree to see if she could tell him what was causing the disappearances.  Fluttershy was a pegasus that was really good with animals, so maybe she would know what was happening; maybe there was another cockatrice on the loose turning ponies to stone.
He knocked on the door.  It slowly opened from him hitting it.  Spike gasped.  The cottage was a mess, as if a tornado had rushed through it.  He searched the cottage for any sign of what happened.  On the floor next to the door he saw a piece of parchment with a note written on it.

Spike,
We came to the cottage to see if Fluttershy knew what was going on, as undoubtedly, you will too, should we not return.  She was too scared to look into it and we had to convince her to help us, but something is outside now and we fear it may be whats kidnapping ponies, so we are hiding, if I don't get home then it has taken me, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy to wherever it is taking everypony.  In that case you must venture out into the Everfree Forest and save us.
~Twilight
P.S.  I should describe it to you so you know to avoid it, it looks like--

The first letter of the next word was not written for it seems whatever had been outside came in at that moment and Twilight had to drop the letter to run or hide.
Spike gulped and turned to the door.  He walked to edge of the forest, and anxiously looked back at the cottage hoping that everypony would pop out, laughing after just pulling a great prank on Spike, but no such luck.  Nothing.  Just the cottage sitting there.  Spike turned back, and, gulping, took his first step into the Everfree Forest.

Spike had been wandering a while when he heard a deep mare's voice.
“What fool walks the forest alone
“When danger is near
“And everypony hides at home
“Shaking with fear?”
Spike jumped and turned to the source of the sound.  It was a zebra in a cloak standing in front of a small hut.
“Oh, hello, Zecora.”  Spike said.  Without knowing it, he must have gone to her hut instinctively so as not to be alone.
“At home you should be
“But now here you are
“An' you should hide with me
“Do not wander far”  Zecora warned him.
“All right I guess I can stay here a while,” Spike said as he walked in the hut followed by Zecora, “But I have to go save everypony.”
“You think you must be goin'
“To save friends
“But it's dangerous to go alone
“So take this,”  Zecora grabbed a handle with a long flat piece of leather on it.  She swung her head quickly and the leather flew off to reveal a sharp, shining blade.
“A sword?” Spike said, “I don't know how to use one.  I've only ever seen them in books.”
Zecora re-sheathed the sword and put the sheath and belt onto Spike's waist.  As Zecora strapped the sword to Spike she told him how to use it, how it is an extension of the arm.

After about an hour of training, Spike was getting quite adept at swordplay.
“Mastered the art of the sword
“You have indeed
“Before I say another word
“There's more you need,”  Zecora grabbed a mask off her wall and gave it to Spike showing him the leather straps inside for him to hold it by.
“Looks like a mask, this
“The other thing you must wield
“But what it truly is
“A protecting, wood shield,”  Zecora turned as if to grab one more thing, but suddenly pulled up her back right leg and bucked straight towards Spike.  Spike quickly brought up the shield to protect him.  Clang!  Zecora turned and said,
“With this shield
“You react well
“But let's see how you hold
“When faced with the creatures of hell,”
Spike look confused, “huh?”
Zecora walked out and led Spike to a clearing where there stood a short wooden creature.  It was shaped not unlike Spike but it had its differences.  Its head was more spherical and its body was leaner.  It was standing on a pile of red leaves.  The creature turned and saw spike.  Its eyes turned angry and it shot a giant nut at him.  
“Aah!” Spike lifted up his shield to block the projectile.  The nut ricocheted off and flew off into the forest somewhere.  Spike ran forward with his sword held high.  He brought his blade down onto the wooden creature, but it dug into the ground and he could not hit it.
“What?” Spike was confused, “How do I defeat it?”
“Strength and wit
“Must work together
“To kill it
“And many perils other,” Zecora said.
Spike walked halfway back to the edge of the clearing and heard the leaves rustle behind him.  He turned round just in time to block another nut from the wooden creature.  Again, the projectile ricocheted off into the woods.  Spike noticed that the creature either had no legs or was partially buried in the leaves.
If I can do this right, then it won't be able to dodge it.  Spike thought devising a plan to defeat this enemy.
The devil shrub fired again, and this time Spike angled his shield so the nut would hit it at a zero-degree angle.  The missile hit the shield directly in the middle and once again bounced off the shield, but this time flew directly towards Spike's enemy.  Before it could react, the devil shrub was hit by the nut and kicked out of the leaves.
“Here's my chance!” Spike said as he lunged toward the thing with his sword slashing it in its wooden torso.  The creature fell down defeated.
“Gruugh,” The creature spoke, “You win.  Who taught you how to defeat me?”
“Waa!” Spike exclaimed, “It spoke!”
“Many things can speak,” it remarked, “and I am not a thing, I am a deku.”
“What's a deku?” Spike asked.
“I am a deku and a deku is I,” the deku said as it got up, “and now, I am gone,” and with that, it ran off quick as the wind.
“What should I do next, Zecora?” Spike asked turning to face the zebra who had been guiding him.
“Next is what you came to do
“Your friends are in danger
“Saving them is up to you.” Zecora answered.
“But I warn you
“Beware his trickery
“Or nothing you'll be able to do
“Will get you victory,” and with that Zecora walked back home.
“Wait, where do I go?” Spike called out.  He tried to chase after Zecora but noticed she had left behind a package.  He opened it and inside was a map showing the way to a cave titled, “The Evil One's Lair.”  
Spike walked the path to the lair, not knowing of the birds in the trees watching him.  He was able to walk a while without trouble, but then he came up to a clearing where there stood a lone tree in the middle.  The tree was short, but about two feet in diameter.  Its leaves were not green, but purple and few in number.  Spike paid it no mind, except wondering why it was in the middle, alone, as he passed by it.  
Suddenly a branch flew towards Spike and smacked him in the chest and threw him to the edge of the clearing.  Spike got up to see that the tree was alive and moving.  It was using its roots as legs and its branches as arms, and a few knots in its trunk turned to eyes and a large hole underneath them represented its mouth and was filled with sharp teeth.
“A living tree?” Spike said, feeling confident that this adversary would be easily defeated, “Tree versus dragon, I'm sure you will win.” Spike sarcastically said as he charged toward it.  The treant brought down a branch toward Spike, but Spike quickly jumped out of the way and the branch smashed the ground.  Spike blew green flames onto the ent lighting it aflame.  The treant fell to the ground with a scream of pain.
“Easy,” Spike said as the ent fell to the ground, but it was not over.  The tree sprung up with great speed and kicked Spike into a large pine on the side of the clearing.  Spike turned to see just what his flame had done.  The tree had half burned very quickly, but what was left was not burning away, but just sustaining the flame.  The ent now moved with amazing speed and Spike could hardly dodge its attacks.
“I guess that wasn't a very good idea...” Spike said as he tried to devise a new plan.  The ent swung a branch towards Spike.  Spike got an idea.  Instead of dodging or bringing up his shield, he held up his sword to it.  The branch sliced nicely, and the ent let out a scream of pain as a purple blood-like liquid gushed out of its wound.
The ent was now angry.  It swung its flaming head toward Spike, who instinctively held up his shield, which was not a good move.  Spike's shield caught on fire and he was forced to drop it to the ground.  In his shock and panic at suddenly not having a shield, Spike was distracted enough for the ent to smack him with a good shot right to the head and chest.  Spike flew from the hit and his sword flung out of his hand and stuck in the ground on the opposite side of the clearing.
“It.  Is.  ON!” Spike yelled as he leapt atop the flaming tree and bit his dragon-teeth into its trunk and ripped a large piece out of it.  With a large hole inside it the ent was now more vulnerable to fire and Spike shot a hot, fiery blast right into the hole.  The treant burned away from the inside out and all that was left was a pile of ashes.
Spike walked over and picked up his sword.
“Ugh, I wish I had something to eat.  All this fighting is making me hungry.” Spike complained as he pulled the sword from the ground.  Just then he saw a cave filled with gemstones.
“Gemstones...” Spike said as he licked his lips, and walked toward the cave, “Wait!  I need to save everypony!”  Spike began to walk away.
“No.  Come back.” Said a whispery voice.  Spike turned round to see a beautiful cerulean mare beckoning him to come to the cave.  Spike obeyed, but he felt something was off about this mare.  
“Go ahead and eat your fill.”  She said in that same whispery voice.
“But I have to go save my friends,” Spike argued.
“They will last a bit longer while you restore your energy.” Whispered the cerulean mare.
“I guess,” Spike said as he grabbed a gemstone intending to eat it, but that's when it struck him.  The mare had no mark on her flank as all other adult ponies in Equestria did.  “Wait, why don't you have a cutie mark?”  Spike dropped the gemstone.
The mare grew angry and moved in to punch Spike, but Spike was too good at fighting now to not dodge her slow movements.  Then, the mare transformed into a griffon and lunged to Spike, who just barely didn't get out of the way and the vile temptress's griffon-claws sliced his cheek and spilt his red dragon-blood onto the all-colored gems beneath them.  Spike charged at her, but she again changed, this time into a large red stallion, who bucked Spike right in the left cheek sending him to the ground half conscious.  
Spike got up wobbling side to side, the fighting spirit still with him.  He charged the stallion again but this time as it changed he thrust his sword into it as it was transforming.  It turned into water and fell to the ground forming a large puddle.
Knowing his foe to be vanquished, Spike grabbed a few gemstones and ate them as he walked, but after only a short distance, he grew tired and fell into a deep sleep.

Spike was walking in a very dense, dark, dank forest.  He could recognize it as the Everfree forest, but he did not know why he had ventured out into it.  He turned to walk home; however, he quickly realized that he know not his way and ended up turning all the way around, falling into a panic as he could not figure a direction to turn.
After about a minute, or an hour, of this, he stopped turning and made up his mind to just walk and hope, just hope, that he could get home, or at least out of the forest.  
He'd been walking for hours, or minutes, or days perhaps, until he came to a castle.  He walked up to the gate and past the courtyard up to a set of large double doors, and proceeded to knock.  Just before his fist struck the wood, a voice interrupted him.
“Come in,” a royal voice ordered.
Spike pushed open the doors into a large throne room.  There were many ponies around preparing a feast or something.  He looked up to the large, ornate, golden throne.  Sitting in it was a white, winged stallion wearing a golden crown.
“Greetings, young dragon,” the pegasus welcomed Spike, “Welcome to my castle.  It is one of many for I have conquered many lands.”
“Hello, my name is Spike,” Spike introduced himself, “Where am I?”
“You needn't know that, yet,” the pegasus informed, “You came here to receive my warning.”
“Warning?” Spike was confused, “Who are you?”
“I am Conquest,” the pegasus revealed his identity, “all lands shall be mine through war or diplomacy, but in the end, the world will be mine.  You are not here to listen to me boast.  You will leave my castle and encounter three more stallions like myself, and unlike myself.  Should you pass their tests, you will succeed in your quest, should you fail... well,”
Conquest looked over to the side of the room.  Spike followed his gaze and perceived in the corner of the room a royally-clothed pony's body being dragged away.
“You'll end up not much better than he,” Conquest said, “the stallion who was king.”
“Did you-?” Spike started.
“Through war or diplomacy,” Conquest cut him off, “but believe me.  I am a good guy, especially compared to the next you will encounter.  Now go!”
Spike was pushed out of the castle by royal guard.
“Take this,” said one guard, “it may aid you.”  
The guard was holding a sword for Spike to take.  The sword was seemed ordinary enough.  Spike took it and tied the scabbard to his waist, and walked on.  The land outside the castle had changed, or Spike was remembering wrong for there was no forest, but in its stead, a large field with hills on the sides.  Spike watched from the top of the largest hill.
He saw, in the valley, two armies of armored ponies engaged in an epic battle.  One army was many, the other was strong.  The strong army was out numbered twelve to one, but seemed to still be winning. 
Spike also saw, on a hill behind the strong army, a massive red stallion talking to a smaller, brown mare.  Spike walked up to them.
“Yes, sir,” the mare said just before galloping off into the fray.
“Glorious, is it not?” the stallion asked looking at the battle going on in the valley.
“Gruesome, I would say,” Spike replied, disgusted by the idea of a mass killing such as this.
The stallion turned his head toward Spike.  The stallions red coat seemed to flicker with red and yellow as he moved as a flame flickers with red and yellow as it burns.
“Oh?” the fiery stallion asked.
“Why do you do this?” Spike begged.
“Indeed, why fight?” the stallion stated, “Am I trying to prove something?  That they are weak and I am strong?  That was known already or it would have been foolhardy to engage in this combat.  Do they have something I want?  Maybe, but that is also not the reason.”
“Then what is?” Spike asked.
“Mostly because of my name,” the stallion looked back at the battle, “War, I am War.”
First Conquest, now War? Spike thought, Who's naming these guys with such weird names?
“It is more than a weird name,” War said as if responding to Spike's thought question, “They are descriptions, and titles.”
“Uh-huh...?” Spike said a little confused.
“Earlier, we were speaking of why I am fighting this fight,” War changed the topic back, “Look closely at my enemy.”
Spike squinted, trying to see them in more detail.  He could see that they were not ordinary.  Nopony in the valley was.  War's army was made up of large stallions.  Too large to be ponies, they must be horses.  The other army was wearing odd armor.  It was specially designed to make then look like dragons.  In fact, it seemed that some of the warriors on the other side were dragons that were just young enough to be a little larger than a pony.
“They are wearing...” Spike started.
“Yes, they like dragons,” War said, “and I hate dragons.”  War turned his head again towards Spike.  This time, he was angry and showing his teeth.  They were sharp and non-pony-like.  Suddenly War leapt towards Spike, giving out a shout.
Spike jumped back just in time.  Spike readied his sword and charged towards War.  War did not try to dodge until the last second, but when he did dodge, he ducked under Spike horizontal swing and bit Spike in the side, spilling much of Spikes blood onto the grass.  Spike yelled in pain, but brought down the sword into War's shoulder, spilling War's blood onto the grass as well.  Spike and War both pulled back at the same time.  War licking his lips, Spike shaking the blood off the sword.  War showed no pain; whereas, Spike could hardly take his left arm off his side from the oddly burning pain of War's bite.  
Spike knew he could not win this fight normally.  He had to use cunning and wit, and trick War into defeat.  Spike looked around to see what could aid him.  War took the opportunity to charge toward Spike, but only four feet out from Spike, he rolled counter-clockwise round Spike a fourth turn, and leapt toward Spike's bitten, left side.  Spike had no time to react, except to have an expression of shock take his face.  War bit Spike's left arm and leapt back.  This wound, as well, burned Spike, causing a pain that brought him almost to passing out.  Spike staggered back and fell onto a tree.  War jumped at Spike his mouth wide open to bite again, this time; however, he was going for Spike's head.  Spike smirked as a plan came into his mind.  War was flying through the air to Spike, who stood up and breathed green dragon-flame into War's mouth and down into his lungs.  Spike expelled flames with such force that War was propelled backwards.  
War let out a shout of pain as the flames burned through him.  The stallion fell to the ground.
“You fight well,” War's voice came from his body, though his lips didn't move, “You have passed my test.  Next you must go through that desert there.”
Spike turned round to where the castle was earlier.  In its place there lay a massive desert.  Spike turned again towards the valley, but that too was now desert.  Spike once again turned round and walked to a small village he saw not very far off.  
Spike's mind wandered as he walked.  Some things were forgotten, some things were remembered, some realized, some denied.
Why am I walking in this desert?  To get to that village.
What's in the village?  What I need.
What do I need?  An answer.
An answer, but is there a question?  You ask if there is a question, therefor there must be.
Okay, where was I?  In a forest.
A forest? Everfree.
“How did I get here?”
“You are still in the forest.”
“What?”
“This is a dream.”
“When did I start dreaming?”
“When you came to the castle.”
“Why was I in the Everfree Forest?”
“To save Rarity.”
“Rarity!” Spike exclaimed.
“You broke the pattern,” Spike's voice said, but from out of his body, “I was having so much fun.”
Spike noticed that he was in the village now.  Everypony was skinny and looked starved.
“Who said that?” Spike asked.
“Ah, back to the questions and answers,” the voice replied, this time, not Spike's, but a ghoulish voice.
Spike looked over and saw a black stallion standing in a market stand selling bread and apples.
“Bread? Apple?” the stallion asked.
“Yes, please,” Spike was extremely hungry from his walk in the desert.
“Thirty bits for an apple, forty-five for a loaf of bread,” the stallion stated his prices.
“That's ten times what it should be!” Spike protested, “Who are you?”
“What this village is in.” the stallion answered.
“Famine?” Spike asked.
“Yes, that is I,” Famine answered, “and the poor shall plunge into starvation.”
“I'll see that they won't!” Spike once again protested.
Spike walked over the parched farmland and started helping.  He brought water from the well and worked day and night to get the farm producing crops again.
“It'll never work,” Famine taunted Spike as he ate a big, juicy, red apple and relaxed on a pillow.
“You can't stop me!” Spike continued working.
After a few days, Spike was hardly able to stand from hunger, but he had gotten the farm producing crops and, although he hadn't noticed until now, the land had changed from desert to a lush, fertile land.  Famine had been growing skinnier though he had been eating the whole time.  It seemed that others' hunger had satisfied his.  He fell unconscious from his hunger.  Spike fell into unconsciousness as well.
Spike awoke in a dark cave.  Floating around him were candles, some long, some short, some flickering out, and new ones lighting up.  Spike looked up and saw a pale-green unicorn, this time, standing over him, holding a scythe with its sickly-green magic.
“I am Death,” the unicorn informed Spike, as the baby dragon stood up, “and these are the flames of life.  Each candle is someone's life.”
Death grabbed two candle's with his magic and showed them to Spike.  One was short, the other long.  
“This is your candle,” Death said as he brought up the long one.
“Then, whose?” Spike began.
“The mare you love,” Death said, “This is Rarity's candle, and it is almost out of wick.”
“No,” Spike lamented.
“I offer you this,” Death said, “I can affix her candle atop yours and postpone her death,” Spike smiled with hope, “but in doing so, your flame will be snuffed out and your soul mine.”
Spike was shocked.  He sat there for a second and thought it over, sweat falling from his forehead.  
“Do not take so long,” Death warned, “Her flame will soon be out.”
“Do it,” Spike said.
“Hmm?” Death did not expect this answer.
“Make my candle hers and let her live,” Spike commanded.
“As you wish,” Death put the short candle on top of the long candle and fused them with a flash of green magic.  Spike's vision went black and he fell to the floor of the cave.

Spike woke in the Everfree forest.
A dream? Spike thought, Thank Celestia, it was only a dream.
Spike stood up and saw a dark figure standing in front of him.  The figure had two legs and two arms, so it wasn't a pony, but is was not anything Spike had seen before.  It wore a black cloak with thick, black fur on the shoulders and long sleeves that fell about six inches or so past its hands.  The rest of the cloak was in a similar, loose-fitting style.  Its face was a goat's skull, or perhaps he was in a mask.
“Feh!” the dark one said in a deep, dark, intimidating voice, “You are a strong one.”
“Who are you?” Spike questioned.
“I?” the dark one said, “I am the one you so unjustly hate.”
“You've been kidnapping everypony?” Spike asked.
“Yes,” the Dark One confessed.
“Then my hate is not unjust,” Spike defended.
“You know not my intent,” the Dark One, “You don't know what my actions will end to.”
“The end doesn't justify the means,” Spike said as he grabbed his sword in its scabbard.
“But doth it not depend on the end, however little?” the Dark One said as he flew away, “We will meet again...”
“Coward,” Spike cursed, but there was nothing he could do but continue on his quest.

After some time, Spike had come to a large cave with about a dozen cages in front of it.  Within the cages Spike could see all the ponies that were kidnapped.  Spike hurriedly started slicing off all the locks, but he noticed that he was not met with a happy reception.
Suddenly a massive snake-like monster slithered out of the cave.
“Everypony, get out of here!” Spike yelled as he readied his sword.  
“No,” Twilight protested, “We will help you in this fight!”
“No!  Go back to Ponyville!” Spike said to them, then turned toward the snake, “This is my battle.”
“All right,”  Twilight consented after a brief pause, “Everypony!  Let's get out of here!”  Everypony galloped away.
Spike turned back to the snake, which proceeded to smash open the last cage, the only one Spike hadn't opened yet, and grabbed its occupant in its mouth.  To Spike's dismay the pony the snake now had was an unconscious Rarity.  The mare he had loved the most was now in the clutches of a massive, evil snake.  Then, another giant snake came out and said, “Give up now, you are doomed if you fight on.”
“Never!” Spike yelled.
Spike noticed a metal shield lying on the ground and kicked it up in the air and grabbed it in his left arm, wielding it in one quick, dextrous action.
Spike twirled his sword in his hand and said, “Bring it on!”
The snake thrust its head forward intending to grab all of Spike and swallow him in one gulp.  Spike jumped aside and thrust his sword in the foul demon's neck.  The snake pulled back in pain lifting Spike into the air by his sword.  Spike flew through the air, his sword no longer impaled within the neck of the snake.  The snake went for the vulnerable falling Spike, and swallowed him whole.
As Spike was moving down the snake's esophagus, he thrust out his sword and cut a massive gash down its neck, which allowed him to jump out and slice the neck of the snake all the way through.  The snake's head and a good part of its neck that was now separated from the rest of its body and fell to the ground lifeless.
“You're not so tough!” Spike yelled, “Unless...”
The creature walked out of the cave revealing its entire body.  As Spike had guessed, it was a hydra, and the neck it had just severed now split and grew into two heads, increasing the demon's head count to three.
“Hahaha,” The hydra laughed, “You can't hope to defeat me like that.”
“But there is a way to defeat you!” Spike yelled as he charged towards the hydra.  The hydra thought little of his small opponent and didn't even try to get out of the way.  Instead, it just blew poison gas from one of its mouths at Spike, who was surrounded by the stuff that could kill a stallion with one breath.
“You fool!” the hydra boasted, “In your confidence, you charged right into my poison breath.”
“But I'm a dragon!” Spike yelled, emerging from the poison fog, “I am too strong for your poison!”  Spike sliced one the hydras heads off again.
“That won't work.” The hydra said in an annoyed voice.
“Wanna bet?” Spike challenged.  As the neck was about to split, Spike breathed flames onto the wound cauterizing it and preventing it from growing into two heads.
“Smart,” admitted the hydra, “but sneak attacks only work once.”
Spike went for another head and sliced it off too.  He intended to burn its neck, too, but the hydra reared back and got out of Spike's fire breath's reach.  The neck split and grew and the hydra was back to three heads.  
“Let's end this!” The hydra yelled as it thrust one head at Spike.  Spike jumped out of the way easily, but another head quickly soared towards him, but hit only his shield.  The hydra hit hard enough, though, and Spike felt a flash of great pain in his left arm as the force of the hydra ramming it broke his bones.  He dropped to the ground from the pain.  The hydra took  this opportunity to attack.  It brought one of its heads flying to Spike.  Spike noticed it and leapt aside sticking out his sword so that he cut right down the hydra's mouth.  The hydra screamed with pain as it puked up blood from its terrible wound.
“You'll pay for that!” The hydra brought one of its heads down quickly, trying to crush Spike beneath it, but Spike had other plans.  Spike jumped in the air with his sword held up high, and cut through the hydra's mouth and skull.  That hydra head fell to the ground dead.
“That hurt!” The hydra yelled as it blew poison again.
“That won't work!” Spike cried as he brought the sword to where one of the heads was.  The hydra had not used the smoke as a weapon; however, but rather as a smoke bomb and used this opportunity to get sneak attack on Spike.  It thrust its injured head towards Spike.  He saw the head, however, and did a back flip landing on the neck in a one handstand, but, with the fighting spirit flowing through him, Spike had forgotten that his arm was broken and his arm compressed under his weight.
“AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGH!!” Spike screamed in pain.  He tried to ignore it and stabbed his sword into the hydra's neck and sliced off its head.  He breathed fire once again onto the stub so it could not regrow.
“Just one head left,” Spike said as he turned to the last head, which was holding Rarity.  Without warning the hydra threw Rarity into the air and swallowed her whole.
At first Spike was shocked, but his shock was replaced by a silent rage not comparable to any rage he had ever felt before now.
“You shouldn't have done that.” Spike warned as he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand and stretched his arm back to its normal length, not showing an ounce of pain.  Spike walked toward the hydra in his silent rage.
“What?!  How did you not feel pain?  How are you not in despair from that mare being eaten?” the hydra questioned, his morale obviously broken.  Spike walked right up to the hydra, which was paralyzed with fear, and sliced its chest open.  He jumped inside it and sliced again, this time opening its stomach and pulling Rarity right from the hydra's stomach. 
“Run and I'll let you live,” Spike glared at the hydra, which ran for its life off into the forest.
Spike carried Rarity a little ways away from the cave.

Rarity awoke to see Spike carrying her.  Spike looked down and smiled lovingly.  Rarity smiled back, but she felt a warm, wet sensation in her back.  She tried to turn to see what it was.  Spike let out a groan of pain as she turned and dropped her on her feet.  Rarity looked at her back and saw the blood.  She looked at Spike's arm and said,
“Are you all right, darling?”
“Just a broken arm,” Spike said as if it was nothing.
“Oh, I simply cannot allow you to leave that untreated.  Rarity grabbed two strong sticks and some long leaves with her magic and fashioned a splint on Spike's arm.
“Thanks,” said Spike.  After a short pause, Spike said, “Uh, Rarity, can you get back to Ponyville without me?”
“Yes, why?”
“I have some unfinished business.” Spike turned back the way they came.
“All right, darling, but stay safe, please,” Rarity pleaded him, “I don't want my Spikey Wikey getting hurt.”
“I promise to get back unharmed,” Spike said turning back to her, knowing he might not ever see her again.  Spike had only one thing he wished from Rarity at that moment.  One little thing he wanted to experience at least once before never seeing her again.
Rarity saw it in Spike's face and embraced him, “Good luck, my little dragon,”
She pulled her head off his shoulder and kissed him.  Just a peck on the cheek, but it had great effect on Spike, who was sent into a daze from the kiss.  Little, pink hearts formed around Spike and lifted him into the air.  He levitated there for a second before Rarity pushed him away so he would get on with his quest.

When Spike returned to the cave, he saw that it was different.  The shattered cages and the hydra's severed heads were gone.  It was just the cave, sitting there, beckoning Spike to enter, and so Spike did.
A ways down the cave, Spike came to a large, circular room with large pillars in it.  In the center, sat the Dark One with his legs crossed.  Spike noticed that there were unicorn skulls affixed to the pillars.  All but one.
“So that's why you were kidnapping everypony,” Spike guessed.
“Yes,” the Dark One confessed, “I needed the skull of a unicorn with amazing magic power.  Luckily for me, I found another.”
Spike was confused, “Who?  The best at magic has already gotten back to Ponyville.”
“Oh?” the Dark One countered, “This one says she is the best at magic.”
Spike looked over to the side of the room and saw a turquoise mare with a magic wand cutie mark and a purple cape tied up and gagged.
“Trixie?” Spike asked as he put his hand on his forehead.
Trixie said something in a muffled voice.  It was along the lines of, “The great and powerful!”
“You think she is great at magic?” Spike asked, “She's just a braggart.”
“Why should I trust my enemies word?” the Dark One asked.
“Good point,” Spike said and grabbed his sword, “Shall we end it already?”
“So impatient,” the Dark One complained as he stood up to his full height of six feet, three times that of Spike.  Spike didn't even think about his height, he had defeated a creature much larger than this guy.
The Dark One stretched out his arms and he began to float a foot off the ground.  Lightning shot from the pillars to his arms and a magic, purple flame engulfed his hands.  Spike pulled out his sword and grinned, breathing green flames out the sides of his mouth.
The Dark One shot a dark fireball towards Spike, who easily dodged it by leaping into the air onto one of the pillars and launching himself from it towards the evil wizard.  The Dark One simply lifted his arm and flicked a finger toward Spike sending a magical force that sent Spike flying to the other side of the room.  Spike hit the wall, hard.  A shallow crater was formed when he hit.  Spike fell to the ground, but quickly leapt back up to his feet.
“I refuse to lose!” Spike said as he charged straight towards his foe.  The cloaked evil once again brought up an arm to send Spike flying away, but this time Spike turned sharply and started running in a spiral around the Dark One.
When Spike was about a foot away, he sliced the Dark One's back.  The Dark One cringed and bent his back backwards from pain.  He turned quickly and blasted Spike with magical force, once again sending Spike flying.  This time, however, Spike hit a pillar and it crumbled from the force.
“NO!” the Dark One yelled.  
“Huh?” Spike said, “You like these pillars, eh?”
Spike ran up to and thrust his sword into another pillar, but swords are not very effective against stone.  The sword stuck in a crack between two stones and Spike could not get it out.
“Haha!” the Dark One laughed, “You fool!”  He sent a massive jet of purple flame at Spike.
Spike jumped just too late and singed his right forearm.  Thankfully the flame did not use magic to keep hurting Spike as War's bite had in his dream.  Spike gave up on retrieving his sword and tried the spiral trick again.
This time, the Dark One put up a magical fence of flames in Spike way.  Spike turned sideways trying to slide to a stop before he hit the flames, but it was too late.  Spike slid right through the flame fence and singed his scales, which would not have happened had this flame been non-magical.  
The Dark One blasted Spike once again with magical force and sent him flying to the wall.
“You're too boring!” yelled Spike as he hit the wall with his feet and jumped off.  Spike was flying towards the Dark One, but half way through his flight he game a shout and fighting spirit propelled him towards his foe faster.  Spike left a trail of bright green energy as his speed doubled.  The Dark One was too surprised to even make an attempt at blocking and was smashed in the side of the face with Spike's fist.  The goat skull shattered and the Dark One flew away, doing a half turn in the air, and slammed into a pillar face first, crumbling the pillar and burying him in rubble.
The Dark One jumped up out of the rubble and faced Spike.  His hood was down too low for Spike to see his face.  Spike ignored this fact, and faced his opponent.  He gave out another battle cry and a green energy blasted out from his left arm, destroying the splint, and enveloped it, healing the break.
“You should give up now,” Spike advised, “I could defeat you with one arm, but now I have two.”
“You think I was giving it my all?!” the Dark One yelled.
“Not at all.” Spike said as he charged forth.  The Dark One matched Spike's charge and flew towards the hero as well.  Both of them brought up a fist and punched at the same time with the same hands.  Spike brought up his left hand to block the punch, as did the Dark One, and they both stood there holding the others' fist, pushing as this turned solely into a competition of strength.  
Strength and wit... thought Spike as he figured out what to do next.  The next instant he let his legs fall forward, and pulled himself so that he landed a fierce double kick right into the Dark One's gut, and right as he kicked he let go and sent the Dark One flying to the ceiling from the blow.  
The Dark One hit the ceiling, leaving a shallow crater, and fell back down to the ground.  He raised himself with dark magic and said,
“My power is not in strength,”
“Switching back to your cheap tricks?” Spike taunted as he took a fighting stance.
“Always,” the Dark One smiled.  The Dark One raised both arms and a black magic cloud spilled forth from either sleeve.  The clouds flew toward Spike still connected back to the Dark One.  He was using them like giant magic fists.  
Both were flying at Spike super fast.  Spike let out a louder battle cry than before and readied both hands to fists and held them at his sides.  As the black magic fists came to either side of him, Spike shot out both arms and met the Dark One's magic fists with his own dragon fists, which penetrated into the black magic.  Once in all the way, Spike opened his fists and let out another battle cry bursting and scattering the black magic.
“My turn!” Spike yelled.  Spike jumped forward, halving the distance from him and his foe, and blew a massive green flame at the Dark One.  The vile sorcerer had no time to respond and was engulfed in the green dragon-flame.  Spike walked forward blowing more and more flames onto the Dark One.  When he was very close, he jumped up and punched the dark one right in the chest and sent him flying to another pillar, smashing that one too.
“Last chance to give up,” Spike offered.
“Never,” the Dark One choked out, spitting blood onto his chest and the floor.  He staggered to his feet.  One of his eyes was shut and blood covered half his face, “I will... fight on!”
He struggled to make a small fireball and send it at Spike.  The pitiful ball of purple flame did not scare Spike a bit.  Spike saw how weak it was and just pounced it away as if it were a fly.
“It's over!” Spike yelled as he jumped in the air, did a front flip, and brought his knee down onto the Dark One's head, smashing it.  The Dark One's body fell to the ground, lifeless.
Spike walked over to, and unbound Trixie.
“Good thing I used my magic to help you in that fight,” Trixie boasted.
“You did nothing,” Spike said.
“Feh!  Just another naysayer!” Trixie complained, saying, “nay” with an exaggerated neigh, and teleported away.
Spike groaned and left the cave.  Because he was no longer fighting, when Spike got back to the mouth of the cave, the fighting spirit left his body and his left arm instantly broke again back to the way it was at the start of the fight with the Dark One.  Spike groaned with pain, but kept walking back to Ponyville, where he knew he could get his arm treated properly.

When Spike got back to Ponyville, he had noticed that the party-organizing expert, Pinkie Pie, had organized a party and decorations were everywhere.  As Spike walked passed the threshold into town, the festivities began, cheering, dancing, music-playing, et cetera...  The whole village was partying, and there was much rejoicing.
Spike went straight to the hospital to get his arm fixed up.  They put his arm in a cast and Twilight performed a spell on it to help it heal faster.  The doctors also held Spike at the hospital for that day so his arm could heal.

The next day, Pinkie Pie was still throwing a party at Sugar Cube Corner, but at this one, there were fewer party-goers.  When Spike got there, he said hello to everypony and joined in the festivities for a little bit, but after about half an hour of the party, neither Spike nor Rarity were seen at the party.  What were they doing?  Where were they?  The answer?  I shall not say, for they deserve their privacy every once in a while.


The End