> Once, We Were Slaves
>  by stupidhand14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Planning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Spike was lounging in one of the castle’s many recreational rooms when he felt something coming from his throat. For a moment, he was startled. He had not felt this sensation in over a year, but he recognized it. A letter was coming through magical fire.
        Looking around, Spike made sure there was nothing flammable. Seeing no danger, he released the fire and watched as it burned away, turning into a scroll. Grabbing it, Spike looked for a name but could not find one. He looked for a seal, but there was none. He tried to identify the penponyship, but couldn’t find any familiar markings in it. He couldn’t even make out the language at first.
        Only one part of the scroll could he identify: the name at the end. Dragonlord Ember. Smiling, Spike decided to bring it straight to Twilight to identify what, exactly, it said. He found her on the balcony, overlooking ponyville.
        “Hey, Twilight,” Spike said as he approached. “I got a scroll from Dragonlord Ember, though I can’t read it.” Immediately, Twilight burst out of her chair, a grin splitting her face.
        “Is this her reply to my last message?” Twilight’s smile became contagious, and soon Spike was smiling as well.
        “I think it might be, but she wrote it in weird letters.” Spike held up the scroll, which Twilight took a look at.
        “These are… dragon runes,” Twilight concluded, with a bit of astonishment. “I didn’t even know dragons still used these archaic letters.” 
Spike looked at the page, and felt another strange sensation, this time in his eyes and head. As he looked at the scribbles, it began to click. What were once random signs became letters and words. He could only make out a couple of words, but the paper was slowly being translated by his mind.
“Spike, are you okay?” Twilight touched a hoof against Spike’s shoulder, snapping him out of his trance. Spike shook his head before looking at Twilight.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He took another look at the letter. “I don’t know. I felt something and now I can kinda read this scroll.” Twilight’s eyes brightened slightly, as if the sun had just caught them perfectly. Using her magic, she summoned a notepad and quill.
“Describe it,” Twilight commanded. “This could be an important discovery.”
“Uh, it started when I was looking over this again…” Spike described the situation as best as he could, but he couldn’t seem to find the words that fit correctly. After a few minutes, Twilight moved on back to the topic of the scroll.
“Do you think you can read the scroll to me?” she asked with a smile. “We can translate it later.”
“Sure, Twilight.” Spike opened the scroll as Twilight sat down on her chair. With a proud voice, he began.
        To answer your question, you need to understand our history. It is a mixed bag, but I think it will show some things to you ponies. This is our history, passed down from generation to generation. This is the second time it will  be set in writing.
Dragons were born free. We carved out our ancestral homes in what ponies call the badlands. We grew strong, powerful, and numerous. We were once the pride of the world. Nothing could surpass our vaults of treasure, nor our abilities in combat. We ruled the world when it was young, before pony civilization could conquer the wide reaches of Equestria.
However, a millennia past, something changed. It is a history that all dragons remember, and one that is ingrained within us from the moment we are born. Most dragons suppress these memories, but as the princess, I had to remember everything from the darkest time. The time in which our master bound us to his will. Once, we were slaves.
The next few runes Spike couldn’t read, but that didn’t matter. His eyes and head began to burn. He lost all sight, all vision, all senses. Everything was black. He was in this state for several seconds, losing all sensations and stimulus. Soon, memories began to surface.





        Sombra, king of the crystal empire and master of mind magic was facing defeat. Already, the forces of Equestria were gathering against him. They would be able to get through to fight him within the next year. In short, he was running out of time. He needed allies, but nopony in the world would ally themselves with his cause.
        His mind control armor concept still had a few years before he could  even build the first prototype. He needed to experiment, but crystal ponies were naturally resilient against his magic. Cursed happiness, love, and joy. 
        Instead of looking internally, Sombra cast his gaze on the map of the known world. It wasn’t completely correct, but there were many key empires that he was willing to contact. Saddle Arabia wasn’t going to join him, they were going through a civil war at that point. Zebrica, while a strong nation, readily defensible, was not going to join him. Apparently, his tyrannical control of the populace was against their beliefs. 
        That left one faction that he could call on for ready reinforcement and supplies: the griffons. Griffon mercenaries could aid his cause greatly, and they would only require gold to work. Unfortunately, he had no gold to give them. He needed help, he needed allies, he needed money. Again, he cast his gaze to the map. 
The only area he had not reached out to had been the badlands, where dragons reigned. But no one dragon could command another, and they only looked out for themselves. There was nothing to bind them to a lasting contract, they were simply animals.
A sudden idea came to his mind, and then Sombra had a plan, a devilish plan that would require a grand scheme, courage, and deceit. Conquering the dragons would give him the supplies and money he needed, as well as an army. He would, of course, have to make an example from some of the elder dragons. If it kept the majority of dragons in line, that was enough. Fear was always a great motivator, after all.
Sombra readied his supplies and donned a disguise. The populace was afraid of him, and a crystal clone wasn’t too much trouble to create as a stand-in for a few weeks. It would weaken him, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Before his departure, Sombra went into his most secret place, past a door only he could see, up stairs only he could climb. In this place was his most prized possession: The Crystal Heart.
“It’s about time you were of use,” he said with an evil smile. He struck the crystal heart’s outermost edge, breaking off a small piece. “This piece will do nicely.” He paused, looking at the crystal heart again, feeling its pulse wash over him. Even in its weakened state, it was still enough to cause him discomfort, even at a distance. Grabbing the piece, he felt a part of his hoof disappearing into smoke. Thrusting the shard into a prepared bag, he focused his energy on restoring the burned flesh. Darkness leapt from his shadow, attaching to his armored hoof. After a few seconds, it was whole once more and he glanced at the heart again. “If only I could destroy you as easily.” He returned to his throne room and waited until night had fallen. The next morning, a clone had taken his place and he had gone south east.
Sombra arrived to the dragon lands with very little difficulty. He only had to kill one squad of Royal Guards after they had, foolishly, got in his way. He looked at the new land he had arrived at. Dark orange, brown, and red stones for miles, with very little vegetation. The sun beat down on him, rising from his skin. Sighing in annoyance, he kept walking.
He had walked around two hours into the badlands when a creature landed behind him. It was pure black, a slender head, wings that stretched for 40 meters, and a mouth that could kill him in one bite. Sombra, however, was more than confident he could defeat this foe.
“Why have you come, pony?” the dragon asked. Its head travelled around him. Sombra found it slightly unnerving.
“I have come with a proposition,” he answered with a smile. He had stowed away his armor and cape some time ago, leaving him bare and unassuming to the beast in front of him. “I wish to help unite the dragons of this fair land.”
“You wish to help us?” it sneered. “We do not need the help of some insignificant little pony, no matter what he wishes to do.” It took a few steps away, but was halted by crystals grabbing its foot.
“I am no ordinary pony.” Sombra struck a pose, crystals lifting him into the air. “I am King Sombra, Protector of the Crystal Empire and one of the greatest magi who ever lived.”
“Are we supposed to be impressed by that?” came a scoffing reply, though the dragon did not move away as the crystals receded. “What is it you wish to do?”
“I want to create an artifact capable of providing order and discipline into dragon culture, creating a king that would be able to control them all.”
“We do not need such trivial and unimportant ideas such as order or discipline.” The dragon began to move away again, it’s wings unfurled for flight. “And certainly no kings.”
“And what if you were the one in charge?” Sombra watched as the dragon paused. He could see the dragon’s mind working, going through the scenario. If it was in charge, it would have absolute power. And if what Sombra was saying was the truth…
“We… you and I, will have to discuss this,” the dragon finally answered. “Please, follow me. I know somewhere that we could speak privately.”
“Of course, but do tell, what is your name?” Sombra finally asked. “If I’m to work with you, it would be a useful piece of information.”
“Ah, of course. My name is…”
> Chapter 2: Execution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





The memory faded, as if stolen away. In it’s place was… darkness. Spike couldn’t see anything, but he felt unshackled. He could think again, he wasn’t living through the memories. He was in a void, a place he didn’t know. After a few seconds, he began to regain sensation.
First to return was the feeling of a plush bed. Taste came next, a staleness in his mouth. After taste came the feeling of paper in his claw, and then sight. His eyes were closed, and he doubted he had enough strength to open them just yet. Last to return was sound, and with it the crying of a mare nearby.
“Spike? Please, wake up Spike!” Twilight stood next to Somb--- Spike, who found himself in his bed at the castle. He looked around the room, but didn’t notice anypony else there.
“W-what happened?” he asked, though was quickly brought into the hooves of his… mother.
“You wouldn’t wake up, while reading you just sat down and wouldn’t respond.” She continued her vice grip on Spike, holding him tight against her. “I was so worried.”
“Twilight, I’m fine, really.” Spike managed to get her to stop hugging him. “Something weird happened while I was reading that scroll.” Twilight looked attentively at him, hoping to get more information, which he obliged. “It’s like I… got sucked into a pony’s mind. Like I was living through them.”
“What pony did you live as?” Twilight asked cautiously. Spike was forced to pause, thinking about whether or not he should tell her. After short consideration, he made up his mind.
“Sombra.” Twilight shivered at the name. She looked at him again, worry clear as crystals in her eyes. “It’s like I was… living his life, from the outside. I saw what he was doing, and I was just a passive observer.”
The two sat there thinking for a long time. Spike thought about the past, while Twilight looked to the future. This was an opportunity and a curse. Spike had knowledge nopony else could learn, knowledge that may have been destroyed in all other forms. But Spike may not want want to relive the life of a tyrant. Seeing those horrible acts and atrocities, he was still a baby dragon. 
“Twilight, I---”
“Spike, You---”
The two looked at each other for a few seconds before an tension breaking laugh filled the room. After, Spike motioned for Twilight so speak.
“You don’t have to continue,” Twilight told him. “If you don’t want to, I won’t force you or ask it of you again. I know you might be horrified by those memories, but you don’t have to relive them. You can stop now, and I won’t blame you.”
“Twilight, I want to continue.”
“What?”
“This is the history of dragons, my history!” Spike looked into Twilight’s eyes. Conviction shining clear in one eye, determination in the other. “I can’t walk away from this. It is something I have to see through.” Twilight watched Spike for several seconds. She saw how his confidence was not simply bravado.
“Alright,” she said simply. Spike lifted up the scroll, ready to let himself be dragged back into the world of the past.
Spike opened the scroll again, looking further down its contents. He trusted his instincts, looked deeply at one set of runes near the middle. Again, pain erupted from his eyes and skull. Soon, his senses were once again lost. In a world of darkness, where he could see nothing, he felt the memories coming to him. He let his mind enter the past.





“How do you propose to initiate your plan?” the dragon asked Sombra. 
The two were at it's not so humble home. In reality, it was well lit cave with no small amount of green moss hanging around. Even without direct light, the gold cast a yellow tint around the room. Sombra was tempted to simply kill the dragon and take the gold, but he had bigger plans. He would need help, and this dragon seemed useful.
“All I would need is some dragon blood,” Sombra informed. “I would need a few drops from each major dragon bloodline.”
“Why do you need blood?” The dragon slithered its way over to a pile of treasure, resting on the large coins that it had pilfered over the years.
“The blood is for artificing.” Sombra looked around for a chair, but found none. “I brought a special gem, which I will grow into a powerful object full of magic.” The dragon looked Sombra in the eyes, squinting slightly.
“You still aren’t telling me what the blood is for.” The two were now in a contest of stares, though Sombra had no wish to compete.
“From my research, I need to water the sprouting gem with the blood of the bloodlines I wish to control.”
“I have never heard of such a magical item.” The creature roused itself from the pile of treasure, instead choosing to circle Sombra. “Why haven’t I heard of this? If it is that powerful, why aren’t ponies a hive mind?”
“It requires a certain essence in the blood.” Sombra stared at his confederate, watching as it walked around him. “Dragon blood has a certain magic to it, magic that pony blood and most other bloods lack.”
“How did you figure this out, ‘King of the Frozen North’?” the dragon asked. The last words were exaggerated. Sombra clenched his jaw, trying not to show any real anger.
“I experimented on the blood of a snow drake that attacked my kingdom.” Of course, he would never admit to torturing the drake for its blood. To most of the world, he had simply killed the beast, protecting his lands.
“So, you wish for me to aid you in obtaining dragon blood?” The dragon smiled, though it didn’t reach its eyes. “You mentioned I would get to rule over the dragons. How does that work?”
“Whoever holds the stone will be in charge of the dragons, so you will lead them under my supervision.” The two locked gazes again. 
“What if I simply want to control them, and have an alliance with you?”
“I would be happy to give you that autonomy, but that will have to wait until after the Equestrians have been slain.”
“So you make this oath, to give me the gem to grant me control after we fight in your war?” Sombra knew what was happening here. A dragon’s oath was not to be taken lightly. They would kill an oath breaker in the worst ways possible, and every dragon would work to this end. If he didn’t keep his bargain, every dragon in the world would be after him. At least they would, if he wasn’t in control.
“Yes, I make that oath to you.” Sombra knelt before the dragon, though it wounded his pride. “Should you still live and want it, I will give you the Bloodstone after the war with Equestria. I swear this by the graves of my mother and father.” The last part was meaningless. Sombra never had any parents, the earliest memories he had were of that accursed orphanage.
“Very well, come, Sombra. I will take you to the head dragons… but you will be missing one ingredient.”
“What is that?”
“Dragon blood is not as potent as you assume, and is different from drake blood. Aged dragon blood does not carry the same potency. You’d need to distill it into a refined blood, but that would lose some of its properties.”
“I see.” Sombra paused to consider this new information. “What would this ingredient you suggest do?”
“It would enable the blood you’d obtain to be used to full magical potential, without any need to distill or ruin the blood.”
“What would this ingredient be, and where would I get it?” Sombra demanded. He needed to know what was so magical that it could increase the potency of a dragon’s blood.
“Do not worry about that, I will obtain the ingredients while you meet with the elder dragons to discuss obtaining blood.”
“As long as you get the ingredients, I have no objections.” The two waited a moment longer, seeing if the other had anything else to say. After concluding that neither of them had any more to say, they began to make their way to the main dragon hub.
Sombra flew on the back of his partner to the dragon’s main meeting area. There were caves cut into the walls of nearby cliffs, large enough for even elder dragons. There were many dragons flying around, each one appearing apprehensive at seeing a visitor coming in unannounced. Sombra reveled in their fear as he approached.
Sombra was let down on the main plateau, where most of the dragons were currently meeting. Sombra and his ally had already made a plan on how to get blood. They would only have one chance to get every major bloodline.
After a minute, five dragons flew up to the plateau. Each one was the size of a small castle, marking them as being over half a millennia old. They landed as one, and Sombra began to study them. The leader was clearly the gold dragon in the middle. The rest of the other dragons had ranks, but Sombra couldn’t make them out. The green dragon was probably the mate to the leader, while red, blue, and purple were likely in charge of their respective bloodlines.
“Why have you brought this outsider, this pony, into our most secret area?” the golden dragon asked, glaring at Sombra’s patron.
“He sought something I believed we are free to give him, something to further the advancement of all races.”
“What care have we for the conditions of other races?” the red dragon asked, spitting a bit of fire to their left. “We only care about one race: the dragons. We aren’t here to make allies.” Oh how wrong they were.
“It would be best if he explained it.” the black dragon moved to the side, motioning Sombra forward. After he began to speak, it turned and flew away, leaving Sombra to fend for himself.
“Greetings, my name is Sombra.” He shifted his gaze to meet each one of the dragons in the eyes, which was no small feat. “I wish to conduct research on the blood of dragons. I have recently discovered certain residue in the blood of some ponies, while others don’t have it at all. I wish to conduct the same experiment with dragons, to see if it is simply a problem for ponies, or a problem for all races.”
“Dragon’s blood? That is what you came here for?” the green dragon asked. “Why would you spend months of your life coming here for that?”
“I wish to finish my research in a timely manner.” Sombra saw the gears working behind the gold dragon’s eyes. They were all still suspicious, but he could tell a few were intrigued already. That is, until the red dragon spoke up.
“Why should we give it to this pony?” It turned to the others. “We know that ponies are tricky creatures, willing to employ different magics for their goals.”
“There is the possibility of blood magic,” noted the purple dragon. “It is entirely possible that the blood could be used in some form of blood ritual.”
“Then there is only one way to truly know for certain.” The golden dragon put its head down to Sombra’s level, looking at him eye to eye. “You must allow me to enter your mind, where I can see your intention.”
“I will allow this if it would ease your minds,” Sombra said with a smile. Double frostbitten pig in Tartarus! Now he would have to use valuable shadow energies in tricking them.
The dragon opened its mind and sensed its way over to Sombra’s. Sombra, with a mind that was protected by a wall of spells, opened a hole and hid the walls of protection. It took a great deal of concentration, but he was able to hide his own protections from the dragon’s mind.
The creature invaded his mind and began to tear through its labyrinth. Sombra scrambled to keep ahead of it, laying down false memories everywhere he could. Rather than seeing years of the King of the Frozen North, the invader saw years of studying and lab work. Rather than seeing hundreds of ponies slain by dark crystals, it saw hundreds of experiments and papers written.
The dragon’s mindspikes continued throughout Sombra’s mind, digging deeper to the past and recent memories. Here, it found memories of Sombra finishing his research on pony blood samples, showing some correlation. Finally, the trip to the badlands were shown in full, showing Sombra coming by humble means with only vials and flasks.
If the dragon had tried looking through the facade, it would have seen the truth, but it was inexperienced with a shadow user of Sombra’s caliber. Sombra, a true master of the mind, knew all the secrets of his own. He was able to hide everything from the searching mind of the dragon in a seamless ruse. 
After what felt like hours, the dragon’s mind retreated, exiting Sombra’s mind. It was then that Sombra returned to his body, away from his mind. He could feel the sweat in his body, and the draining of his shadow. Already, he could feel a majority of his shadow’s energy was depleted. Sighing to himself,it would take him a few weeks to replenish that energy.
“I have tested this pony before us, and find his intentions pure,” the leader announced. “I see no immediate reason for refusing to help him to the best of our abilities.” The fellow councillors nodded their assent. “Now, Sombra, what would you require from us?”
“I would just need a small vial from each of you, and a few from the younger dragons.” Sombra held up a few flasks that would be easily filled by the current dragons.
“Leave us,” the golden dragon commanded. “We must discuss.”
Sombra gave a nod and teleported to a nearby plateau to wait. Sombra didn’t talk to any of the dragons, nor did he appear to be looking for anything. He did, however, notice his partner sneaking into and leaving a few caves. After an hour passed, Sombra began to grow bored. He may have been patient in the Crystal Empire, but the heat of the sun burned all that away.
Another hour passed before he was recalled to the council of dragons. The group was still sitting in the same formation, far more stoic now.
“We have decided to grant your request,” the leader said. Sombra saw the red and purple dragons frown. “We do, however, want the full results of your investigation.”
“Of course,” Sombra responded with a smile. “I will be more than happy to show you the results in person, perhaps with some application even.”
Behind Sombra, a new dragon landed. It was also golden, but far younger than the leader. It still had large wings, but was nowhere near as big.
“Please, give my son the flasks for the smaller dragons.” Sombra did as he was commanded, as well as giving each of the major dragons a flask.
“For the pursuit of knowledge,” the blue dragon said happily, putting in their required blood. The rest followed suit, red blood filling the once clear flasks, as well as overflowing slightly.
Before long, the young dragon had returned with filled flasks as well. Sombra put these in his saddlebags before bidding farewell. Getting a ride from his partner, the two began the return back to the cave for part 2 of the plan.
“How did you do that, Sombra?” the black dragon asked as it beat its wings.
“Do what?” Sombra was still not comfortable with flight. It forced him to rely too much on another creature, even if it was his temporary ally.
“Tricking…” wind suddenly cut in, drowning out the name, “...convinced them to give you blood?”
“Mindspikes are very crude tools, especially for a dragon.” Sombra shifted his weight, trying to get closer to the creature’s ear. “I was able to construct a facade of false memories, and your leader didn’t dig into my mind to discover the real memories. He saw fabrications, nothing more, and believed them true.”
“I… was unaware any creature could do such an act,” the dragon admitted. “What more do you know of mind magic?” The dragon landed in front of the opening to its home.
“Allow me to show you,” Sombra said confidently, walking back into the cave. Finding the darkest corner of the cave, he dug a hole and began the ritual.
Sombra started out by bringing out the crystal shard he had taken from the heart, placing in front of him, in a small hole, along with some seed crystals that he had created. Focusing his magic, he created three main spells to bind the crystal. The first was a harmonic energy disruptor. As long as it was in place, it wouldn’t hurt him. The next was a purification spell, making sure it was a 100% pure, undamaged crystal before the process started. The last was a corruption spell, to change it from its sky blue to a dark red.
With the color change came the reversal of its purpose. The crystal heart was an artifact which used the energy and happiness of everypony to strengthen it, making it more powerful. This power was, in turn, cast externally to protect the Crystal empire. This new weapon, the Bloodstone, would be the opposite. It used external energy, the wielder, and forced a compulsion onto the creatures from the same bloodlines as were in the stone. It would attack them through the mind, using the same principle that others used to protect themselves.
Smiling at the way he had twisted the artifact meant to spread harmony, Sombra buried the shards before him. If even a single ray of light was able to touch the Bloodstone in its infancy, the spells would fail. If any of the energies of harmony and goodness spread to it, all the work would be reversed. Burying it was the only way to make certain the ritual would not be disturbed.
Besides environment, the Bloodstone also needed to be given the blood of the creatures it would bind. Without the blood of the dragons acting as a reagent, the Bloodstone would render itself inert, ceasing to grow, and render all the effort for nothing. Sombra turned to his partner.
“Where was that ingredient you said you would pick up for the blood?” he asked.
“I have them right here.” The black dragon brought out ten oval shaped eggs. They were gold, red, green, blue, and purple, while the rest were an assortment of mixed colors. Each one didn’t appear to be ready to hatch, though they were all the same size. 
“What are those?” 
“Dragon eggs, from each of the five major bloodlines,” the beast said with a bloodcurdling smile.
“How is that supposed to help the blood retain its power?” Sombra picked up one of the eggs with his magic and levitated it over to him. Before his eyes, a black fire washed over the egg, coming from his partner. The fire appeared to act as a catalyst and the egg began to break open. One crack appeared, then another. Before long, a baby dragon burst free from the egg and the fire stopped.
“You must mix this blood with that of an adult dragon’s,” the black beast informed Sombra. “Any dragon’s blood will do. This baby’s blood is full of magical essence, but lacks any substance. Mixing it with the substances obtained from the other dragons will strengthen your spell.” Sombra couldn’t help but smile at the atrocities he was about to commit.
“Interesting,” was his only comment as he began the next part.
Sombra kept the baby levitated and summoned a small crystal blade from the earth, black as the mane of its summoner. 
“A slight tip,” his partner interrupted. “Dragons have a more pronounced artery in their arms when born. These usually become inaccessible as a dragon matures, and muscles cover and protect them, along with heavier scales.”
“Thank you,” Sombra said with a smile.
Without hesitation, he slashed the baby’s arm. It began to cry out as pain flooded its fledgling nervous system. It had only lived a few minutes before it was on the brink of death. Dripping the blood into a small goblet, Sombra mixed in a vial of blood from the other dragons. 
After the wound had stopped bleeding, Sombra moved on to the next arm, draining more blood from the baby dragon. He only went through this process for one goblet of strengthened blood, but the dragon still died. It appeared that there was less blood in its body than he had expected. More's the pity.
“Already dead?” the black dragon asked, grabbing the dead newborn in its claws. “Oh well.” Without a care, it tossed the corpse into the corner of the cave, away from them both. Maybe some fungus would get it, though neither Sombra nor his partner truly cared.
Though the spells he cast on it were powerful, the Bloodstone could only absorb so much at any given time. The larger it was, the more powerful. The next day, he poured more blood. Like a plant with water, the Bloodstone drank it up and grew. He continued this process for a week before receiving any visible results. At the end of the week, a small black rod was sticking out of the dirt and he was out of the first goblet of blood. Now, his spell could survive the light and harmonic energies of the world.
He repeated the process with the next baby dragon, using his partner’s corrupted fire to bring these dragons into the world, he drained its blood, but was careful to leave this one alive. With a bit more care, he was able to keep two baby dragons alive, though he had drained of a majority of their blood. He was even forced to use magic to keep his blood cattle alive a bit longer so they could replenish enough of their blood supply for his use.
From there, the results became much more noticeable. By week two, it had already grown to its full height, with the main gem emerging in the center. At that time, four of the 10  baby dragons were dead. By the end of week three, it was done. A staff had been grown, capped with the Bloodstone. To one side of the cave were three skeletons and seven corpses of baby dragons. Sombra was admiring his hoofiwork when his partner approached.
“Is it finally done?” it asked as it looked at the newly forged weapon. “That staff is small. I won’t be able to truly grip it in a few years.”
“You aren’t supposed to.” Sombra turned to his ally. “Come, let’s test it.” 
The two made the flight back to the main canyon once more. This time, the creatures were not nearly as suspicious as before. They recognized him and, though still tense, they believed he was here to repay his debts. How foolish of them.
The council of dragons once again met with Sombra on the plateau he had been on a month earlier.
“So, Sombra, did you discover anything of interest?” the golden dragon asked. “I hope your research was swift and provided something.”
“Yes, it did.” Sombra pulled out the Bloodstone staff. Holding it in front of him, he activated his own version of the Canterlot Voice. “Bow before me!”
The assembly of dragons looked at Sombra in confusion before they began to shine. With the shining came an unbearable need to do what Sombra had commanded. Those that attempted to resist were struck with pain, no longer able to think clearly. Each of the five dragons before Sombra resisted, despite the pain.
“Wh… What have you… done to us?” the leader asked in clear pain and shock. His eyes were wide with pain and incredulity. 
“I had hoped you wouldn’t resist.” Sombra approached the leader, staff in hoof. “You could have made a fine ally. Now, don’t move!” The golden dragon felt the pain increase, preventing him from moving or reacting.
Sombra walked up to the dragon before using crystals to elevate himself up to its chest. With the ease of a warrior, Sombra plunged the Bloodstone into its chest. Blood soaked into the Bloodstone as it sucked its prey dry. However, it wasn’t in deep enough. Using his magic, he forced the staff in deeper, making it dig into the heart. Into the center it stabbed, taking every drop of blood with it. Not a drop of blood fell from the wound, the stone all consuming. It would not be stopped until it drank its fill.
After several minutes, the stone was done drinking from the creature before it. The once proud leader of the dragon race was nothing more than an empty husk. It had deflated, with only muscles and organs to keep it filled. It was completely drained of blood. The oldest creature on Equus was dead, for no other reason than to feed a rock.
“Now then…” Sombra turned back to all the dragons gathered at the canyon. He raised his voice back into the pseudo-Canterlot Voice. “This is an order from your master. You will stay within the badlands until I say you can leave. When I call, you will come. When I give you an order, you will follow it. None of you will lay a claw on me, and you will all be obedient.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Sombra saw his partner approach, a smile plain on its face.
“Don’t forget to tell them to obey me,” it reminded.
“For your first order, seize this dragon.” Sombra pointed to his old ally, who was quickly swarmed by dragons far bigger than it. It was swiftly pinned to the ground, struggling against 6 other dragons, one for each appendage.
“What are you doing?!” it shouted. “We had a deal!”
“The deal was to put you in charge after the war if you still lived.” Sombra walked up to the liability. “Unfortunately, you are free of my control. That makes you dangerous, and I never promised not to kill you.”
“Oath Break---” 
Sombra plunged the Bloodstone into its heart. Already, the stone was thirsty once more. New bloodlines would always make it thirsty. Before long, that body too was nothing more than a husk for what was once life.
Even as the dragons were falling under the sway of King Sombra, even as their free will was stripped away, they made a choice. From that day on, the name of the betrayer would be erased from all memories. As a punishment for its crimes, that dragon’s name was forgotten, never to be uttered. It would simply be known by their act of treachery. All records of its existence were destroyed. It was as if it had never existed to nearly all dragons, save those allowed to know.





Spike felt like he was in that space between past and present again. He was still in the dark, but he couldn’t see, hear, feel, or smell anything. After several seconds, they once again returned to him. Looking around, he saw Twilight was still by his bed, waiting with some water and a book. She seemed to be nervously fidgeting, unable to get into the book.
Twilight noticed Spike fidget slightly and quickly moved to his bedside. Looking at him, she got extremely worried. His eyes were still far away, with tears on the cusp of them. His claws were clenched and his jaw was locked. He trembled slightly, though he was warm to the touch. His breathing was heavy. Twilight had only seen this one other time: the first time her brother had returned after seeing combat.
“Spike?” Twilight finally asked, putting a hoof on him. “Spike, are you okay?”
“Twilight?” Spike’s eyes flashed open. He looked around for her and, upon seeing her, latched onto her neck. At that point, he finally broke down into tears.
“Tw-tw-twilight! There was…. I was…. So many… I saw how…” He could speak no longer. Putting his voice into crying. Crying for what he saw, the nameless babies, the dragons that were murdered by Sombra. He cried for a long time, giving his voice and eyes to the dragons that perished for a monster’s ambition. It wasn’t until night had come that he had run out of tears to give.
The entire time, Twilight was there for him. She kept him in her motherly embrace, holding him tight. She cried with him, cried for his pain. She didn’t know his anguish was not for what he saw, but for the innocents that were killed, the extinction of a culture. Still, she gave her tears as an offering to the dead as well, not knowing who they were for. By the time night had arrived, Twilight had been out of tears for a while.
“Hey, I’m back!” came the voice of the castle’s newest resident. “Good news, I got some new spices to try with the food tonight.” She walked in obliviousness through the castle’s halls. “Hey, where are you, Twilight? Spike?” A pause came. “Anypony at all?”
A teal glow gripped the doors to Spike’s room and opened them. Outside stood Starlight Glimmer, her saddlebag still on. She came upon the scene of Twilight and Spike holding each other, tears still fresh on their faces.
“What happened?” Starlight asked in shock more than anything else. Her former enemy and now teacher was crying, as was her closest friend. Whatever could drive Spike and Twilight to tears must have been severe. However, instead of getting an answer, Twilight and Spike looked at each other, conveying in looks what to say.
“We’ll tell you over dinner, or maybe after,” Twilight said softly. “Could you go get that ready?”
“O-of course, Twilight.” With a final glance back, Starlight went off to go make dinner. She would save the herbs and spices for another night. No need to experiment when something was clearly going on.
Starlight walked out, leaving Twilight and Spike in the room. They did not break their embrace for several minutes longer. After they broke their hug, Twilight went to freshen up, leaving Spike temporarily alone with his thoughts. He was still shaking, his mind still stuck in the past. It took him a minute to force himself to go to the bathroom and clean up. Using a wet cloth, he wiped away any evidence of tears or pain. He looked in the mirror and saw the same dragon he had earlier that morning. Yet, how much had he changed?
Stepping out into the hallway, he waited for Twilight. After she arrived, the two went to the dining room. There, Starlight was  waiting for them. She sat in her normal chair, across from Spike, with a bowl of salad between them. Twilight and Spike took their seats and, without a word, the three began to eat in silence.
The silence that permeated through the room was stifling. Nopony talked, said a word, or looked up from their food. Not even Twilight tried to start conversation, instead stewing in her own thoughts. For Starlight, the silence was awkward. For Twilight and Spike, it was what they needed in the moment.
After dinner was done, Starlight stacked the plates a small distance away and turned expectedly to her two friends. Neither spoke, Twilight for lack of knowledge, and Spike from not wanting to tell.
“So, what happened?” Starlight finally asked, shifting her hooves awkwardly.
“Spike received a letter early today…” Twilight told the parts she was aware of, which wasn’t much. After explaining her part, she turned to Spike to finish up.
“I was shown vision from the past. Sombra… he…” Spike couldn’t finish the sentence. “He turned the dragons into his slaves, he created the Bloodstone.”
“Spike, that doesn’t make any sense,” Twilight interjected. “Sombra didn’t enslave the dragons. They weren’t even active during the war against Equestria. No history books or sources tell of dragons obeying King Sombra.”
“I know what I saw, Twilight,” Spike insisted. “You didn’t see what I did… what he did. The creation of the Bloodstone, the way he conquered the badlands… you didn’t see it Twilight, I did!”
“I believe you Spike, I’m just saying it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Twilight would have said more, had Spike’s features not changed suddenly. “Spike, what’s wrong?”
Spike felt magical fire from his stomach again. Another scroll was coming. No, two scrolls were coming from two different senders. With a burp, he spit them both out. Two scrolls were caught, one in a purple glow, the other in a teal.
One seemed to be another scroll from Ember. The other bore the seal of Celestia. Twilight opened the letter and scanned its contents. With a small intake of breath, she rerolled the scroll and got up.
“I have to go to Canterlot right away,” she told the pony and dragon in front of her. “Spike, you stay here with Starlight. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“A-alright,” Spike said feebly and waved goodbye. Twilight was already out the door, running to the balcony to take flight. Spike turned to Starlight, who was holding the scroll.
“What are these scribbles?” she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Why aren’t they just using Equestrian? It’s so much easier.”
“I don’t know, but I think it’s for me, Starlight.” Spike reached across the table and took the scroll from his friend. Looking over it, he read the contents.

        Spike, I know what you saw must have been hard. It is one of the most heinous acts ever committed against dragons by another dragon. I only showed you it so you would know. I’m sorry for it being necessary to endure as you have, but it is a rite of passage for any dragon before they mature. Further on in this scroll is the rest of the memories of that time. It is the final memories that you need to bear witness to. If you pass, you are a full fledged dragon, with the knowledge of the past to arm you. Good luck.

“What does it say?” Starlight asked, curiosity clearly getting the better of her. Spike just looked at her with a single raised eyebrow. “Something personal?”
“I’m going to bed Starlight. If Twilight comes home early, tell her I’m dreaming about the past.”
“Okay…?” Starlight watched as Spike left the room, probably heading to his bed. “What does that even mean, ‘dreaming of the past’?”
Spike got into bed and opened the scroll again. He searched for the beginning runes, his eyes quickly locking upon them. With an intake of breath, he allowed the runes to overtake him. He had to know the truth, all of it.
Spike felt his senses disappearing once more. This time, it was faster. He couldn’t even register anything changing as he lost his sight, hearing, and touch. In only a few seconds, he was back in the void, where memories were brought to him. Seeing the memories come into view, he allowed himself to get sucked back to the past.
> Chapter 3: Determination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire and Tyrant of the North knew defeat by his enemies loomed before him if things continued unchanged. Around his capital were the armies of Equestria, led by the two immortal alicorn sisters. The entire army was here, with nopony left to guard their lands and homes. Now was the perfect time to strike with his dragons.
Sombra raised his scepter to the sky, the red Bloodstone glinting against the sun’s light. He turned on his Canterlot Voice and turned to the south.
“Come to me, minions! Burn the Equestrian Army to ash!” he shouted. He knew his orders would be carried out, even if they couldn’t hear him, they would still come. He had forced the compulsion upon them. Returning to his throne room, he resumed his seat.
While waiting for his army, he cast his gaze back onto the map he had looked at many months ago. According to his clone, which was now dead, Saddle Arabia was still going through one of their civil wars. That would be an easy conquest, especially if he just burned it all to the ground. The idea was tempting.
Zebrica also presented itself rather nicely. The savannahs would make nice farmland, if he did choose to conquer it. Surely the ash that would come from burning zebras and grass would provide good fertilizer for the soil.
Lastly, the Griffon Kingdom. Supposedly, they had many magical artifacts and weapons of war. He might even let them live, if they submitted to him and formed the core of his policing force. Then again, if they were dead it’d be one less armed group working to overthrow him.
Looking at the sky, and breaking from his ponderings, Sombra grew curious. By his estimation, the first of the dragons should have arrived by now. Surely they would have obeyed, they couldn’t resist. The compulsion he had placed was too great. They would sooner die than disobey the order and go through the agony. They would come anytime now.
A trumpet sounded. Sombra, smug in his superiority, stepped outside his impregnable fortress. Turning himself to smoke, using up a portion of his shadow’s magic, he approached the lines of Equestria. However, there were no soldiers to greet him in combat. Instead, it was the two princesses, garbed in full armor and ready for battle.
Without warning, Sombra appeared from a summoned crystal in front of them, wearing his own armor. The two alicorns stood without fear. Instead, they simply stared at his entrance. They were not impressed, if their rolling eyes were any indication.
“I have seen better,” Luna noted. 
“Sombra,” Celestia said, drawing herself up to her full height, “honor requires us to offer you one chance to surrender the city and yourself. What do you say?”
“I decline your ‘mercy’,” Sombra answered with a bestial smile.
“Then we have come with an offer.” Celestia used her magic to pull off her golden vambrace. With casual grace, she threw it at his hooves. A direct challenge. A duel.
Sombra, still wearing his smile, reached down and picked it up, teleporting it back to his throne room.
“I accept your challenge. When and where?”
“Now.” Celestia and Luna took to the air and headed west. Sombra, turning himself into smoke, followed. There was no way that the two alicorn princesses would ever disgrace themselves by breaking their codes of honor. Not that Sombra had any trouble doing so, if it assured him a victory.
The two Alicorns stopped near a glacier, Luna moving a small distance away. This would be Celestia’s battle to fight. Light versus Dark. Sombra took his position on the far east of the small open area, while Celestia took the west. 
“Now,” Luna announced in the Canterlot Voice, “the duel will start when this spear touches the earth. Are both duelists ready?” Celestia nodded, followed by Sombra. Without anymore hesitation, Luna threw the spear into the air It landed blade down in the earth a few seconds later.
Sombra opened up with a crystal formation spell below Celestia’s hooves. She dodged just in time as several thin crystals emerged from the earth. She responded by firing a volley of magic missiles towards Sombra, forcing him to put up a small shielding spell to stop them.
Taking the initiative, Celestia charged Sombra’s position, a blade in hoof. Sombra summoned his own blade and charged to face her. Their blades collided, Sombra’s brute strength overwhelming Celestia’s grace. Breaking off the engagement, Celestia launched a small throwing knife at Sombra, who only barely dodged it.
Charging forward with his crystalline sword, Sombra began to hammer down on Celestia’s defenses. She was able to hold her own against Sombra this time, blocking each strike he could give. However, she was too focused on the frontal assault and didn’t react in time to stop a few crystal spears from stabbing her in her flank.
With a cry, she launched herself into the air, but Sombra was prepared for this. He used more crystals to pull her into the ground, holding her there. She couldn’t move, he had been beaten her through brute strength and luck.
“Do you concede defeat?” Sombra asked to the pony beneath him.
“I… do,” Celestia replied. “We will withdraw our troops and leave the Crystal Empire be.”
“Come and get your sister, Luna.” Sombra moved a small distance away. Luna took a single leap to her sister and began to break the crystal. 
Sombra had other plans. Renewing his attack, he launched several crystals at Luna, one of which made it through her armor piercing her chest. At the same time, he began to tighten the crystals around Celestia, hoping to crush her. 
“Sombra, you tyrant!” Luna shouted as she launched a powerful magical attack at the crystals hurting her sister. “Your word means nothing!”
The spell broke Celestia free, but she was badly wounded. Wordlessly, the two sisters looked at Sombra, anger mixing with cold calculation. However, they were both wounded and weakened. Sombra had the upper hoof.
Without another moment to spare, the two alicorns took to the air. An obvious choice, and one that would put Sombra at a disadvantage. Turning himself into shadow, he began to give chase. He reached half way when a sudden gust of wind pushed his shadowed form down.
“Sombra!” came a voice. Looking into the sky, Sombra saw the sun break through the clouds of the Frozen North. Two alicorns were silhouetted against the sun, but their eyes shined white with power. “You have brought chaos and disorder to the land. You have killed your subjects, broken oaths, and made war against the Harmony of this world.”
A blinding white wall formed around the arena. Pure magical energy, and worse for him, harmonic energy.
“The land cries out for you to be destroyed, to be driven away. The land’s harmony will be your undoing, now.”
Sombra looked around, trying to find a way to escape. In this state, he couldn’t teleport out. However, if he touched the harmonic energies he would be destroyed. He needed to attack, it was his only chance.
Charging up towards the princesses again, he tried to envelope them in his shadow, but a ray of light came down from the heavens, driving him back.
“You, the Monster of the North, will no longer bother the creatures of this land.” The two alicorns touched their horns together, and harmonic energy gathered around them. Complex weaves of spells formed around them and spread out over the field.
It was then that he finally figured out what the spell was: an imprisonment spell. He felt the ice beneath him crack open, and despite being gaseous, he was forcibly drawn down into the bosom of the earth.
The grinding mass of ice closed above him, leaving him only one option: waiting. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t access his magic, he couldn’t do anything. Even the Bloodstone was gone, back in his fortress.
After several hours, Sombra realized there was no escape and activated his last resort: putting the empire in stasis. If he couldn’t have the Crystal Empire, nopony could. Sighing, Sombra waited. And waited. And waited. For one thousand years he would wait for his revenge, to claim what was rightfully his.





Spike was forcibly sucked to the void between memories again. He expected to feel his body again, but instead saw a new line of memories before him. They were different than Sombra’s, they were somepony else’s. He entered the memories rather than returning to his old body.
> Chapter 4: Endings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        He was a fool. He was the leader of the Dragons. He was the oldest creature in Equestria, the single strongest dragon in existence. His study of the mind was equaled by none, yet he had fallen to a deception. He was stuck in the Bloodstone, forced to watch his subjects suffer because of his mistake. He could see all of them, see through their eyes, but could do nothing to stop them.
        “Come to me, Minions!” he felt come through the Bloodstone, through his spirit. “Burn the Equestrian Army to ash!”
        The compulsion rose over every dragon in the world. Pain, more vivid than anything that any of them had experienced rose over each one. Yet somehow, they resisted. Oh, some of the couldn’t resist for long, but they tried. Every young drake, every baby dragon, every adolescent tried to resist. The young weren’t able to continue for long, and were forced to begin their way across the treacherous land and sea to get any relief from the compulsion.
        The older dragons, however, held their ground. There were, of course, one or two that made it through, but out of the hundred and some adult dragons that could have left, only two did so. Others simply died. Two of the four remaining elders died from the pain, the Green and the Purple. They wouldn’t join him, he was stuck watching as his civilization suffered.
        Before, when Sombra held the weapon, he could have talked to him, accused him of the crimes he was committing, but he didn’t. He had learned to keep quiet after the black dragon had tried to attack Sombra’s mind and was swiftly erased from the Bloodstone, leaving behind only memories. He could leave when he wished, though he was not so inclined at that point. He would stay and watch over the world he had helped place on its path to destruction.
        Yet, that was not the case. Sombra was defeated and the compulsion that was once enforced vanished. Some dragons were saved from the pain while others, already unconscious, were unaware of the change. He cast his thoughts, but could no longer feel Sombra’s influence over the Bloodstone. If a spirit could smile, he would have.
        Suddenly, he could feel a new presence. This one felt more pure.
        Hello, who is this? he asked through the Bloodstone.
        I am Celestia, Princess of Equestria, and one of the two Alicorn Sisters. Who is this?
        It’s been a long time, my little sunshine.
        How do you… What?! You’re here, in this Bloodstone?
        Yes, I was deceived and slain by Sombra. Tell me, what happened to him?
        He lies defeated, banished within the northern ice. My sister and I are taking out the dangerous artifacts. We’re just leaving the Crystal Empire now.
        That is good to hear. A few seconds passed. Might I ask you a favor?
        What would that be, exactly?
        Destroy this staff and the Bloodstone.
        I can’t do that, it’s magic is linked to the dragons. If it’s destroyed, so are they.
        Is there nothing you can do to it?
        I can weaken it and guard it, though I’d rather not keep an artifact such as this in the hooves of ponies.
        What are you suggesting?
        Name a dragon as your successor. I’ll weaken the Bloodstone so compulsion only causes irritation, not pain. That way, dragons can rule dragons and you’ll still……
        Sunshine, I don’t need to continue in this world. I’m already dead.
        I know but…  No more words came. They didn’t need to. He could practically feel the tears streaming down her face.
        The Blue Dragon. That is who I name as my successor.
        Thank you.




        
        Spike went straight from the void into his own body. There was no longer any hesitation between the time it took for him to regain his senses and the past. The sun had recently risen and he needed some food.
        In the dining room, he found Starlight already up and having pancakes. Waving to her, he sat down and began to eat. Fortunately for him, she hadn’t “experimented” on the pancake flavors, trying to enhance them.
        “So…” Starlight said, clearly trying to step lightly. “Sleep well?”
        “You could say that,” Spike answered with a small smile. “You’d be surprised what you can learn in your sleep.”
        “Did you come up with a new idea that will revolutionize Equestria?” Starlight’s face was now painted with a smirk. Learning while asleep, how ridiculous.
        “Maybe I did. You’ll never know.” Spike now wore a teasing grin as Starlight’s face faltered. It was, technically, possible for him to have done something amazing last night.
        After several more minutes of Starlight trying to drill him for information, Twilight burst into the room, her mane slightly disheveled.
        “Good… morning?” Starlight asked rather than stated. Twilight stood there huffing for a few seconds before walking over to Spike.
        “I know what you went through,” she informed him. Grabbing him into her embrace, she let a few more tears fall. “You shouldn’t have been forced to go through all that. Celestia told me everything.”
        Starlight, still clearly out of the loop, sufficed herself to simply watch rather than participate. She knew the general idea of what happened, though not the specifics. Instead, she ate another pancake, leaving the emotional challenges to be faced by the two who faced them.
        “What did Celestia say?” Spike asked.
        “She told me of how Sombra created the Bloodstone, the betrayal, and the enslavement and near extinction dragon race. She told me how you witnessed all of it.” The two broke off the embrace.
        “So, what are we supposed to do with this information?” Starlight interjected.
        “What do you mean?” Twilight looked at her student, tilting her head slightly.
        “Well, you both have all the information of the fall of the dragon culture. You both know how it turned from freedom to enslavement to an autocracy… so what now? Are you going to turn it into a history book, put it out as a research paper, maybe even destroy all copies of that information and hide the truth?”
        “Spike,” Twilight turned to her number one assistant, “It’s your choice, since you carry that experience with you. You are the only dragon here, and it’s only right for you to decide to share such a thing with the world or not.”
        Their eyes turned to Spike, even those that the others couldn’t see. The eyes from the past, the ones from the dead and the ones that would never be remembered without him all turned to him, watching. They all were waiting for his answer.
        “I can’t choose,” he said. “I…  I need a few minutes to think about this.”
        “Of course.” Starlight looked behind her, out towards the door. “Oh, Twilight, I forgot, there’s a spelI found earlier that I wanted you to take a look at.”
        “Sure, let’s go.” Twilight took a final glance to Spike, who was now staring off into nothingness. She left the room, leaving Spike by himself.
        What could he do? He couldn’t simply choose the future of this information on his own. It belonged to the dragons, every one of them, and they deserved the choice, not him.
        A tingling sensation began to arise from Spike’s stomach.
        Why did he have to decide? He wasn’t the Dragonlord, he wasn’t the one in charge. He was just an assistant, a dragon raised by ponies. Why did he have to decide?
        The sensation grew, and the gasses in his stomach began to prepare themselves.
        Maybe he could ask Ember to decide. She seemed willing to take charge. Or maybe a group of dragons could form some sort of council to decide.
        With an unconscious burp, Spike released a new scroll. Opening the rather small scroll, he found only a handful of words.
        
        If you need to talk, we will always listen. All you have to do is open your mind.

        Spike looked at the words again, reading through them and feeling confused. Was there some sort of hidden meaning? Was it a code? Did he get somepony else’s mail? Was there some clue in the past, something that would show him what he needed to do? 
        As Spike was thinking, he began to subconsciously scratch the back of his head. Ever since he had given Ember the Bloodstone Scepter, he had felt a knot on the back of his skull. Twilight said there was nothing, but he was sure there was something. He had been trying to ignore it and hoped it would go away.
Wait… Bloodstone Scepter, opening the mind, that knot in his head… of course!
 Spike, with a triumphant grin on his face, sat on the floor. He began to focus on the knot that had formed. He needed to untie the knot, open himself up once more. Very carefully, and with painstaking slowness, he worked to unravel the knot until he finally felt it give way.
Again, his senses began to disconnect. Into the void he leapt, this time by his own effort. He could no longer see, feel, or hear anything. He was simply floating in the void. Without a guide, he wandered the void aimlessly, trusting in the note sent to him. After several minutes, a form came before him. A dragon, its scales pure gold, came up to him. It’s wings were pale white, and a silvery light illuminated its form.

        Hello, young one.
        You’re still here?
        Yes, I am and always will be here. A silence pervaded for a few seconds. You know of Celestia and Luna, and their immortal reign over Equestria. I am the equivalent for the dragons.
        Then you know the decision I have to make, right?
        I do, and it is one I would not give to any creature. But I have spoken with Dragonlord Torch and Dragonlord Ember, as well as a few other wise dragons. Each one is in agreement. You should make this choice.
        Why? Why me?
        In time, you will have your answer. For now, know that we see something in you that you do not.
        What is that supposed to mean?
        It means, stop asking questions and go with your heart. It has yet to lead you astray.
        
        With that, the dragon left Spike, leaving him to his thoughts in the void. However, the dragon never left, only shrouded itself in the darkness. Throughout Spike’s inner thoughts, it watched.
        Spike thought this over for a time. How could he follow his heart when it was torn? Sighing, he began to pace aimlessly in the void..
        The dragon race was counting on him to do something with this information, and they somehow knew he’d pick correctly. What made him more suited than any other dragon that existed thus far?
        He paused when the idea struck that it could be due to his sense of morality having been instilled by a kinder culture. 
Spike’s eyes widened at this realization. It was not analysis nor tradition that would guide his choice. Only what he thought was right.

        I know what I’m going to do.
        Then do so, young one.

        Spike ended the connection and walked through the door leading to the outside world. He needed to give his answer to Twilight.