> Oh Spike We Hardly Knew Thee
>  by 5u0myn0n4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Introduction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on February 1st, 2017





It was a calm and relaxing morning in Ponyville. The sun was ready to rise, and all of its citizens were just starting to wake up. Just on the outskirts of the town lay the castle belonging to the Princess of Friendship Princess Twilight Sparkle. Inside the castle rested the princess, her No. 1 assistant Spike the Dragon. Her No. 2 assistant Owlowiscious, and her student Starlight Glimmer. Spike was Twilight's number 1 assistant for a reason, it was his job to do as Twilight requested, and he was more than happy to oblige every time. His loyalty to Twilight showed no parallel. The feels both shared for one another were strong as could be. Spike would go to the ends of Equestria if it meant helping out Twilight, and Twilight would do the same for him.

Everypony and dragon still lay dormant in their respective beds. Twilight started to awaken, letting out a heavenly yawn doing so. She peered over at Spike, who was sleeping like a baby in his little bed. Twilight smiled seeing her little Spikey-wikey so sound asleep. Twilight emerged from bed, and slowly crept up to wake Spike.

Psst "Wake up Spike." Twilight whispered. Spike rummaged and grumbled, and then his eyes slowly began to open. His vision was blurred, but he could clearly see a blurry outline of Twilight in front of him.

"Is it morning already?" Spike said. Spike was not a morning dragon by any means. Getting up was the single hardest part of the day. One of the only things that motivated him to get up were fun tasks for Twilight, or anything that involved Twilight's friends.

Spike slowly stood up, and stretched his dragon arms up and forward. Everyone in the castle enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of Starlight's pancakes. Starlight had heard that Twilight seemed to like pancakes... a lot. So she made pancakes her signature dish.

There wasn't much time for dilly dallying though, today was an exciting day for Twilight and friends. Pinkie Pie was throwing an outdoor party for a 1 year old Filly named Moon Beam. Pinkie had handled most of the planning and decorating, and had asked for friend for relatively small favors. Rarity had supplied a fashionable birthday filly-sized hat for Moon Beam. Applejack supplied apples for the apple dunking tub. Rainbow Dash was there just to make the party cooler, by about 20% or so. Fluttershy wasn't good with kids, but Moon Beam's parents owned an adorable pet cat that just so happened to need grooming. Twilight's only real job was to simple be at the party. Having royalty makes the party more special by default. Twilight wasn't was thrilled at the thought of being just an icon of being for the guests to admire, but she was happy to help in any way she could.





On their way to the party, Twilight let out a noticeable sigh.

"What's wrong Twilight?" Spike asked concerned.

"It's just... most of the ponies attending the party are just there because a Princess will also be there." Twilight said. "It makes it seem like I'm just using my title to attract attention, instead of actually doing things to help other ponies."

Spike teared up a little hearing Twilight's tale of woe. "Still worked up about this whole Princess thing?" Spike asked.
"Somewhat..." she answered.

"Come on Twilight, I thought you've moved on from this. Quit worrying about just being an icon, you know you're much more than that." Spike said. "Ponies look up to you for a reason, not because you have a crown, but because you are the embodiment and representation of Friendship. You know, the stuff that's so magic. The thing that makes every pony's life worth while? Friendship?"

Twilight sniffed a little. "You're right Spike, I should be less worried about being treated like a 2-Dimensional Princess, and be more focused on being the best pony I can for others to look up to."

"Exactly." Reassured Spike. Twilight reached her hooves over and gave Spike a little hug. "I knew can always count on you to know just what to say to cheer me up." Twilight said endearingly. "You'll always be my number 1 assistant, and best friend. I love you Spike."

Spike teared up a little, and hugged back. It was easy for the two to get sentimental sometimes. Each of them had things that bothered them. For Twilight, it was being admired for her title more than are actions. For Spike, it was more complicated, but it mostly stemmed from being a dragon living with ponies. Sure he was different, but most ponies didn't mind. Most anyway...





Twilight and Spike arrived at the picnic party set up just outside town hall. Pinkie had outdone herself with the decorations. Fillies and older colts enjoyed the apple bobbing Applejack had provided (kind of dangerous for a filly's party if you ask me). Rainbow Dash was flying laps as the little ponies (plus Scootaloo) watched enamored. Rarity gave Moon Beam the most fabulous hat one had every seen. Moon Beam was a small little pegasus filly. She had purple hair and light skin. She still had beady eyes. Fluttershy was tending to their cat who was a bit nervous around big crowds. Starlight was there because of course she was. Trixie was unfortunately busy on tour.

"Twilight!" Pinkie screeched right in Twilight's face. She could be a bit hyper at times. "I am so super excited that you and Spike were able to make it! It's not a party without the Princess of Friendship!"

Spike slumped a bit as he thought Pinkie had left her out, but then she finished her sentence "...and the most adorable baby dragon I've ever met, her No. 1 assistant Spike!" Pinkie concluded. Spike blushed at the flattering.

The party was an absolute hit. It had drawn the attention of many ponies all throughout Ponyville. It was as if the entire town had party fever. DJ-Pon3 and Octavia made a surprise appearance and provided a wicked soundtrack to the party. Soon a few ponies started to dance, and them some more, and soon a bunch.

"Wow Pinkie, this party is going better than I could have ever imagined." Twilight said, but Pinkie had somehow disappeared from her side, and was suddenly standing on DJ-Pon3's turntable!

"Come on everypony!" Pinkie cried out into a microphone. "I wanna see you shake those groove thangs!"

Soon just about everypony in sight couldn't resist the urge to boogie. Pinkie provided vocals to the music.





After a long day of partying, every pony was absolutely exhausted, and started to head home. The sun was just about to set. Twilight waved bye to the guests as they departed one by one, when Moon Beam's parents walked up to her. They didn't seem very enthusiastic.

"What's wrong Mr. and Mrs. Beam? Wasn't this not the most awesome party you've ever seen?" Twilight asked noticing the look of displeasure on the filly's parent's faces.

"No no it's not the party, although I could have done without the loud music. It's just I don't recall inviting a dragon to the festivities." Mr. Beam said as he pointed to Spike who was playing with Moon Beam herself.

"Pardon me?" Twilight asked confused. "I would imagine a lot of ponies showed up uninvited. This was quite the party.

"It's not so much the uninvited bit that bothers us, it's just dragons..." Mrs. Beam replied.

"You mean Spike?" Twilight asked still confused. "Surely you've heard of him right?"

"I'm afraid this is the first we've seen of your little pal in all honesty." Mr. Beam had said.

"Spike? Spike the Brave and Glorious? Assistant to the Princess of Friendship herself?" Twilight said.
"Doesn't ring a bell, he just looks like a common dragon to us." Mr. Beam said. "We didn't want to cause a scene with too many pony folk around, but want your little pet out of here."

These words struck a cord with Twilight.

"Hey, watch what you call my friend." Twilight snapped. "I don't go around insulting your friends. And who do you think you are judging Spike just because of his species!"

Spike was sitting down playing with Moon Beam, the latter of whom was wearing Rarity's hat. Spike had overheard the conversation Twilight was having, and was feeling real down about it. Moon Beam bopped Spike's nose and giggled, which was a warm pleasant surprise to Spike that made him smile. Even if her parents were rotten, at least the heart of the filly was pure and untainted.

"Your filly seems to like Spike." Twilight pointed out. "Why can't you?"

The parents grunted and scoffed.

"We've been inconvenienced for too long by dragons, and by family members obsessed with dragons." Mr. Beam said. "We are not going to allow our daughter to grow up like this!"

Twilight just stood perplexed, and kind of peeved. She'd never met ponies so prejudice to this extent.

Things were going okay with Spike and Moon Beam, until Spike had an itch on his nose, and felt a sneeze coming. Spike was directly facing Moon Beam, and as to not injure her Spike quickly turned his head to his left, and sneezed.

"AHH-CHOOO" Spike out out a big fiery sneeze. The sneeze caught a wooden post in fire, causing it to fall over onto a table cloth, setting that a blaze. A solid piece of flaming char landed on Moon Beam's hat. Basically the situation escalated from bad to worse very quickly.





The fire was all extinguished and no pony was seriously hurt, except for little Moon Beam herself who had a few burns.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Mr. Beam said with anger. "Can't trust a dragon. They be nothing but trouble."

"We're terribly sorry about what happened Mr. Beam." Twilight apologized. "But-" Twilight was interrupted by Mr. Beam.

"But nothing, that dragon of yours is dangerous and we don't want any part of 'em." Mr. Beam said.

"Yeah well... well..." Spike tried to form a sentence but was too choked up to. Spike fled the scene in tears. Twilight chased after. Starlight and the others stayed behind to clean up.

After the disaster was taken care of, every pony returned home and called it a night.





Back at the castle, Spike was still beyond upset. He busted open the door and marched down the castle hall. Twilight followed.

"Don't worry about today Spike, it was all an accident that spiraled out of control. Accidents happened." 

Spike entered his and Twilight's room without a word, slamming the door behind him. It was obvious he wanted to be alone to vent things out. Through the door Twilight could easily hear Spike in tears.

Twilight entered with care. Spike was in his little bed, crying. Twilight sat besides Spike.

"It's okay Spike, no pony was seriously hurt, and it's all over now." Twilight said trying to comfort poor Spike. "What happened back there doesn't represent who you are." Spike sort of let up but was still sad.

"It's not just the accident, which by it self is enough to cry over." Spike started. "It's those prejudice ponies. What if they're right? I caused all kind of damage, and I made little Moon Beam cry because I'm a monster!"

Twilight sat in silence with her mouth open. She had to think about what to say.

"Spike... don't let what two other ponies think about dragons make you feel like any less of who you are." Twilight said. "All that matters how you feel. You're an amazing being who does all he can to help any pony he could. Would a so called 'monster' do any of those things?" Twilight concluded.

Spike shivered, but he was feeling a tad better.

"No matter what happens Spike, I'll always have faith in you, and I'll always recognize your accomplishments where they happen. You've matured so much since you hatched from that egg, but you'll always be my little baby dragon. Just as it is your duty to assist, it's my job to always be there for you, to support you, through good times and bad, I'm here for you. Nothing can tear us apart." Twilight said.

Spike was still crying, only now his tears had hints of happiness to them. Spike arose from his bed and gave Twilight a really big hug.

"Thank you... Twilight." Spike said softly. "I know the world is far from perfect, and there will be days where all seems gloom and doom. But you somehow always manage to see the light in dark situations. And you always know what to say to make me feel better. I almost don't deserve somepony as kind and caring as you. I'm grateful that fate allowed us two to meet. I can't imagine myself under the watch of anypony else, or at least, not anypony like you."

"Oh Spike..." Twilight started. "When did you get all sappy?" She said jokingly to lighten the mood.

"What me? Don't pretend like you weren't getting all mopey dopey too." Spike said in a cheering mood.

Twilight giggled. "You're such a little rascal."

"I know." Spike said.

"And you're my little rascal." Twilight said endearingly. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Now... let's get rest Spike, I promise I'm going to make sure tomorrow is a better day." Twilight said.

"Thank you... Twilight." Spike said. They exchanged one last hug, and Twilight got up. She tucked Spike into bed, and then climbed into her own.

"Good night Spike. I love you, always." Twilight said.

"I... love you too... Twilight." Spike said choked up. He was still a bit congested from the tears.

The two closed their eyes and fell asleep. The beautiful light of the night was the only thing illuminating the room dimly lit room. Soon the sun would rise in the morning as it always does, shining light all across Equestria for all, except for Spike. Because the following sunrise would not shine upon Spike, as a very sinister somepony else had other plans in mind...





To be continued... in Chapter 2!
> Chapter 2: In Not So Plain Sight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on April 27th, 2017



Night had befallen Equestria. Twilight and Spike lay asleep in the same room, after Twilight had comforted Spike about events earlier in the day. Starlight had finally returned to the castle after helping to clean the mess made earlier. She walked slowly through the castle, unsure if either Twilight or Spike were asleep. Starlight opened the door to Twilight's room and saw them both asleep. She gave a little smile, and quietly closed to the door as to not bother them.

I hope Spike's not too upset over what happened earlier.Starlight thought. I wish I could have shown Twilight my new spell earlier today.

Starlight went inside of her room to go to sleep. She hopped into bed, but couldn't sleep, her latest spell was bugging her.
"Ugh" Starlight grunted. "I can save Equestria from an onslaught of Changelings, but I can't do this stupid simple spell."
Never the less she laid in bed trying to shut her eyes. The same went for the rest of Ponyville, they all went to sleep. The moon shined dimly in the sky. Starlight closed her eyes, and eventually did fall asleep some time later. All seemed well, but all was not well in Equestria.

Several hours later, deep into the night, Starlight had awoken, feeling thirsty. She got out of bed, and walked to the kitchen.
Gee, Twilight's castle sure is... scary at night... when it's dark. Starlight thought.

She poured herself a glass of water, and drank about half of it. She leaned on counter and bathed in the calm silence. That silence was interrupted however, when she started to hear a faint rumbling sound from outside the castle. She didn't think twice about it at first, but the noise grew louder, and the ground started to shake. Her eyes widened, fearing what the noise could possibly be. It wasn't typical to hear such a noise, let alone at night. She put her drink down, and ducked down behind the counter, wondering what to do. Should she investigate what was going on? Or wait it out? The ground was now really shaking, and the noise was very noticeable. She wondered if Twilight or Spike were awoken by the noise. Then, as suddenly as it came, the noise stopped. Some time passed, and there was a bit of silence. Starlight had wondered if whatever it was had passed by, but no. She could hear the main door slowly open, making a terrifying creaking noise. She'd never noticed the door creaking during the day, but it seemed amplified at night. Somepony, or something walked into the castle. She heard faint hoofsteps clash with the castle tile. They were trotting lightly, as if to be not heard, but she heard them.

Starlight wondered what to do next. Investigate? Or hide and hope they leave?
I have a bad feeling about this. she thought to herself. Whatever it is, I'm not taking this sitting down. I defeated Queen Chrysalis without magic. There isn't anything I can't take on with magic. And whatever it is, I have to protect Twilight and Spike.
With that, she made her conclusion.

It's time I investigate what's going on.She thought to herself. She stood up and investigated. There was nothing at the main foyer, but she heard some rattling down the hallway.

As young fillies, we are told not to be afraid of the dark, but the truth is that the dark and the unknown never stop being scary. It's only a matter of having the courage to face the fear, that is likely what your parents meant when they told you that there's no need to hide when it's dark outside. Any fear you have, just think of one right now, it all has to do from the unknown, not knowing. Twilight is afraid of quesadillas, because she doesn't know how her body will react to so much hot melted cheese inside of a tortilla. Darkness is scary because it can conceal anteing, your deepest darkest fears could be standing right in front of you. Or there could be nothing, but you have no way of knowing without the light.

Anyway, Starlight cautiously followed the sound of the hoofsteps, and wandered through the almost pitch black castle. Twilight's castle gave off a completely different mood at night than during day. By day, the crystal like interior lit up its guests. But at night, the large open rooms and empty space made every hoof-step echo, and trapped more darkness.
Starlight crept cautiously around the castle, following the sound of the steps down the hall. She couldn't see anypony yet, but she made some observations based on the steps. They were walking opposite her direction, aka away from her so she followed. Though faint, she could tell it wasn't just one pony, it must have been two or three, all trotting slowly.

After some cautious searching, the trotting just stopped.
Starlight wondered if it as all in her head.
But surely there had to be something, it couldn't have just bee nothing. Starlight thought to herself. Why would the sound go quiet... probably means they stopped trotting because... *gasp*... they found what they're looking for! But what? The question Starlight should have was not what, but who.

She hastily trotted forward, trying to keep pace, but not make a ruckus as to give away her location. The mysterious trotting started up again, but this time, it was coming towards her.

Starlight panicked, and hid behind a nearby closet door. The door had no openings, so they couldn't see her, but she couldn't see them either. Whoever they were. Starlight was shaking in her hooves. She saw the shadows of somepony wandering outside the door. The shadows paced, as if they were looking for her. It's clear they knew they were being watched. The shadows then went back down the hall which they entered.

What could they want. What's down that hall anyway other than *gasp* Twilight and Spike! They must be in trouble! Starlight thought to herself.

Starlight now had a better idea of the situation. Whoever they were, they wanted something from Twilight or Spike, and Starlight wasn't ready to let that happen. She opened the door and trotted down the hall towards them.
Starlight could see just past the corner where Twilight's room was, were the shadows. She made out at least three horses, and they were reasonably sized.

Whatever it is you want, you ain't getting it. Starlight thought to herself, still trying to stay hidden until the time was right.

Starlight charged up her horn's magic, ready to strike at whoever they were. She paused, and took a deep breath. And then, she jumped around the corner and shot a beam of magic forward. It hit something, and made a bright flash, temporarily blinding Starlight. She tried to regain focus, but the split seconds she was impaired were enough. Some force knocked her to the ground, and then started constraining her. She could hardly breath, and felt her head getting lighter and lighter. And then everything went blank.





The sun began to rise upon Equestria, lighting up the castle. Starlight opened her eyes and found herself lying in her bed tucked in. But how? Did the nighttime investigation even happen? Or was it a dream? She wasn't sure. Starlight got up out of bed and walked around the castle. Everything was like it was the previous day. Nothing was touched or misplaced, as if nothing had happened at night. She got up and trotted to the kitchen. Starlight found Twilight in the cooking something with absolutely zero cheese for breakfast.

"Good morning Starlight!" Twilight said warmly.

"Um... morning Twilight." Starlight said with a hint of hesitation.

"Something the matter?" Twilight asked. "You seem a bit... startled. Did you have a rough night?"

"Yeah." Starlight replied. I couldn't sleep all night. All because of this spell I've been trying to master."

"Which spell?" Twilight asked. "I'm sure I can be able to help."

"Well..." Starlight tried to think of a difficult spell to avoid talking about her possible nightmare. "I saw from your tree chandelier a picture of that one time you cast a spell on Rarity to give her artificial wings." Starlight explained. "And I thought it'd be really cool to try on myself. Unfortunately I haven't successfully done it yet."

"Oh that one... *giggle* that was quite a day." Twilight explained. "The day Rainbow Dash pulls off a Sonic Rainboom right in front our eyes in an effort to save Rarity and the Wonderbolts isn't a day you forget so easily."

"But you know well enough that magic is trial and error. I have a feeling something else must be bothering you." Twilight peered wanting to know more.

"I uh... had a bad dream last night." Starlight confessed.

"Oh. Of what?" Twilight asked concerned.

"I um... don't remember. I just remember being scared." she replied half lying. Everything seemed so ordinary, that she wasn't sure if last night was fact or fiction.

"Is that so? Okay then. Dreams sure are elusive things." Twilight said.

"Heh heh yeah..." Starlight took a sip of water from a glass that'd already been sitting on the counter. Could it be the same water she poured and left on the counter the night before? Her eyes widened.
I left a glass of water half empty last night didn't I? Or was it half full? Either way, if the glass is here, then did last night actually happen? Starlight thought to herself.

"By the way, have you seen Spike this morning?" Twilight asked. "He wasn't in his bed this morning and I haven't seen him yet today. So have you seen him?"

Hearing that had startled Starlight. Her heart sank, if her dream was real, she might have just figured out what they were after.

Starlight spit out her water in reaction to the realization.

"Uh he's... probably running some errands like he always does." Starlight said, trying to come up with an explanation. She didn't want to tell Twilight her dream in case it was just a dream and unrelated. She looked over and saw she spit all that water in Twilight's face...

"You know you could've finished your drink before you said something." Twilight said.

"Sorry Twilight." Starlight said.

"I just wish Spike would have left a note or something. It's not like him to leave unannounced. Where in Equestria could he have gone?"

Yes. Where in Equestria could Spike have gone indeed? I'll give you a hint, he was not running errands.

Find out the whereabouts of Spike in Chapter 3! (Or maybe find out in Chapter 4)
> Chapter 3: Where's Spike?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on  June 1st, 2017




"You sure you haven't seen Spike?" Twilight asked.

"I haven't seen him since yesterday, sorry Twilight." said Starlight.

Twilight looked a bit down.

"Well um, how about I make some pancakes?" Starlight suggested. And like that, Starlight began making some delicious pancakes. Cooking gave Starlight time to think. Obviously what she saw last night had something to do with Spike's disappearance, but she didn't know what, and didn't want to say anything until she knew for sure. She didn't want Twilight to think Spike was in danger, even though he very well could be.

Finally, the pancakes were finished, and they looked great.

"Well, breakfast is served. I hope you like it." Starlight said with some hesitation.

"Thank you." Twilight said, albeit a bit quiet. Twilight grew worried.

It wasn't like Spike to just leave unbeknownst. Spike was Twilight's number 1 assistant after all, he'd do anything for Twilight, this was very unusual for him. Twilight didn't eat too much of her pancakes. They tasted great, but she had butterflies in her stomach thinking about Spike. Even though Twilight hadn't said a word since being handed her pancakes, her expression spoke volume to Starlight, she could tell Twilight was unwell.

Starlight couldn't just let Twilight sit and mope all day, she had to do something.

"You know what Twilight? How about a walk around Ponyville to help clear the mind?" Starlight suggested.

"Yeah... that sounds like a nice idea." Twilight said. She was slightly in higher spirits, but not by much.

"You wanna finish your pancakes before we go?" Starlight asked. "I hear from your friends that you really like pancakes."

"Oh, of course. hehe." Twilight giggled. She forgot about the pancakes right in front of her.





After Twilight ate Starlight's wonderful pancakes, the two left the castle for a walk around Ponyville. Starlight hoped the calm atmosphere of the walk would take Twilight's mind off of Spike's mysterious absence, and that hopefully he'd return by day's end.

"Any idea on where he is?" Twilight suddenly asked.

"I honestly have no clue." Starlight answered.

"Is that so..." Twilight said looking down.

"But that doesn't mean that other ponies haven't seen him either! In fact, if any pony other than us has seen Spike, it's definitely Rarity. Why don't we drop on by?" Starlight suggested.

"I suppose." Twilight said with a slump.





On that note, Twilight and Starlight paid Rarity a visit at her boutique.

"Why hello Twilight, oh and greetings Starlight." Rarity greeted the two.

"Hi..." Twilight said.

"What's the matter Twilight? You seem under the weather." Rarity said concerned.

"Neither of have seen Spike all morning, and we're really worried." Starlight explained.

"Oh dear, I hope the little guy's okay wherever he is." Rarity said.

"So I take it you haven't seen him either?" Twilight asked.

"I wish I could say otherwise, but I'm afraid not darling." Rarity said. "Would you like to lay down on my fainting couch and have some ice cream? It always cheers me up when I'm feeling down."

"Ice cream? Spiked loved to gorge himself with ice cream." Twilight said, reminiscing about Spike.

"Err um, how about-" Rarity said trying to correct herself, but she was interrupted by Twilight.

"No thanks, I'm good, but thanks for the offer." Twilight declined. "In fact, Starlight and I best continue our walk I feel. Thanks anyway."

"You sure you two don't wanna check out some new dresses? Or commission new designs I could make for you, or-" Rarity tried to help, but Twilight interjected yet again.

"Nah, not today, I'm just not feeling it." said Twilight.

And with that Twilight and Starlight left the boutique.

"Best of luck darling, and my heart goes out to Spike on behalf of his well-being."

Starlight looked back, but turned back and walked forward with Twilight who did not turn her head.





Twilight and Starlight next headed to Sugarcube Corner for some sweets to treat themselves. Spike loved to bake, maybe he was there looking for new cake recipes for his gem cakes.

They trotted into sugar cube corner. Inside they saw the usual, Mr. and Mrs. Cake busy with plenty of orders, and the pumpkin cakes on the floor playing. And of course can't forget Pinkie who was at the register. The two trotted up to Pinkie to ask her if she'd seen Spike. Although they already sort of knew the answer.

"Morning Pinkie Pie." Twilight said.

"Morning Twilight, here for some of more delicious if not nutritious cupcakes?" asked Pinkie.

"Not really, have you seen Spike today?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie replied. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him since yesterday when burnt down the whole-" Starlight gestured Pinkie to stop what she was saying, and she actually did. Twilight was not amused anyway.

"Not helping Pinkie Pie." Twilight said mildly mad.

"I'm uh... sorry Twilight. I didn't mean-" Pinkie said.

"No, sure you didn't. You're Pinkie Pie, you always know what to say." said Twilight with mild sarcasm.

"Are you trying to say something Twilight?" asked Pinkie.

"Never mind, don't mind me, if I get mad or anything, it's cause I'm worried." said Twilight.

"Understood, and will quote you on that if need be." said Pinkie. "Any-hoo, did you check every corner of your castle? It is a pretty big castle, I've always worried that eventually I'd get lost in there. Maybe Spike is lost in the castle.

"Hmm, did we check every corridor of the castle Starlight?" Twilight asked.

"Come to think of it no." answered Starlight. "But I doubt he'd get lost, he didn't exactly move in yesterday."

"We'll look, but after we say hi to a few more towns folk. Thanks for you time Pinkie." Twilight said.

"No problemo, see you Twilight, good luck on the search." said Pinkie Pie.

With that, Twilight and Starlight trotted out of Sugarcube Corner.

The two bumped into Applejack who was delivering apples. She was busy, but they had a talk anyway.

"Have you seen Spike today Applejack? We can't seem to find him." Twilight asked.

"Sorry to say no Twilight. You think Spike could be in any sort'a trouble?" Applejack suggested.

"Spike's a capable dragon, he can fend for himself... I hope." Twilight said. "But the mystery is just eating me up right now."

"Well shucks, wish I do somethin' to help, but, I'm in kind of a hurry." said Applejack.

"That's fine, we all got things to do apparently." Twilight said.

The two ran into Rainbow Dash a bit after that.

"Rainbow Dash, you're a pegasus, and you've been flying around all morning, have you seen Spike?" asked Starlight, who was doing most of the talking for Twilight.

Rainbow nodded her head in disappointment. "Sorry guys, but I haven't seen him since yesterday." Rainbow admitted.

"That's okay, no other pony has seen him either, thanks anyway." Twilight said, and slumped away.

"Want me to look or something?" asked Rainbow.

"Sure, just keep an eye out, and let us know if you see any sign of him." Twilight said.

"You can count on me Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said, and then flew off.

"Sigh. This is really killing me. It isn't just his absence, but the mystery of it to." Twilight said. "If he just left a note, or said to me 'Twilight, I have important dragon business to attend to don't follow me bye' or whatever, then that's one thing, but nothing."

"I'm with you Twilight, I miss the little guy too." Starlight said.

The two sat besides the Ponyville statue in silence for a few moments. Neither one knew what to do next. No pony had seen Spike, it was apparent that he was not in Ponyville.

Starlight, thinking of ways to help Twilight, came up with an idea.

"Let's go see Fluttershy!" Starlight suggested. "Maybe she needs help with animals or something we could help out with."

"I suppose, alright then..." Twilight said.

And with that they headed for Flutters' cottage.

End of Chapter.




The suspense must be eating you up too. Where in the heck is Spike? Well, find out (sorta) in the very next chapter actually. Answering one question, will only bring up two dozen more questions.
> Chapter 4: Where am I?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on August 10th, 2017





Where in Equestria was Spike? Well, he was right here. But where was here?





Spike still lay sound asleep, as if nothing was wrong, but things were very wrong. He started to wake up slowly, yawning as he did. His vision was still bury from waking up, when he started to notice something wasn't quite right. He sat on his knees, and looked at his hands, he noticed they were handcuffed together. He panicked when he noticed this, and tried to pulled them apart, to no avail.

He wore himself out, and fell flat on his back. He surveyed the situation while laying back. Spike was in a dark and cold steel room, there was a steel bed, but not much else. Spike stood up to examine the room. He walked about half way to the wall, but suddenly his neck got caught caught on something. Spike only just now noticed around his neck, was a metal collar of some kind, attached to a chain connected to the floor in the center of the room.

Spike looked around in fear. What was this place? Why I here? Spike thought.

Surely this has to be a horrible nightmare. No way this can be real.

"If this is some kind of terrible nightmare, Luna can you please end it? I'm scared."Spike's request was met with silence.

Could it be this wasn't a dream? How could this be possible?

"If there's anyone here at all, please show yourself. If that's okay..." Spike's voice trailed off, fearing what could possibly be lurking beyond these walls.

It was mostly silence for what felt like an hour. But then suddenly, Spike heard hoofsteps from behind the door. It was the sound of heavy hooves against a metal floor. He knew he wasn't alone, his heart sank and quivered in fear wondering what lurked in the shadows.
The hoofsteps grew louder and louder, until they stopped just before entering the door. There was nowhere to run, all Spike could do was cower. The noise stopped but the door didn't open, which seemed odd.

Somepony, or something knocked on the door.

*knock knock*

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Spike asked. "And what I am I doing here?"

"I am your owner." a voice behind the door said. The voice sounded quite evil, as you would expect. Pick your favorite evil doer voice for this character.

"No you're not, you're just a door, and doors and I have a complicated relationship." Spike said sarcastically. Obviously the voice was coming from behind the door, but Spike was messing around. Anyone who's tried to have a conversation with another person with a door in between knows it's not easy and quite annoying. Spike had similar feelings. He didn't want to talk with some pony who couldn't even see.

He didn't need to guess any longer what was behind the door, as eye holes on the door opened revealing two sinister eyes.

"Is this better?" it asked, as their eyes gazed into Spike.

"Eh somewhat, but do whom do I owe this conversation to?" he asked.

"My name is both irrelevant and for you to never know. But if you insist on attaching a handle for the sake of reference, you may refer to me as Henry." he said.

"Henry? What kind of name is that? I've never heard of a pony with a name like that." Spike said.

It was true Henry was not a very pony like name, but it wasn't actually the pony's name. No pony knew his actually name, so they just called him Henry.

"Okay so let me get this strait, you're Henry the pair of eyeballs attached to a door." Spike giggled. For being trapped and held prisoner, he hadn't lost his sense of humor yet. Key word is yet.

"No you idiot." Henry snapped. "I am the most powerful pony you will ever meet." he said.

"I ain't buying it, if you were so big and powerful like you said, you wouldn't be hiding behind the door like a little coward. I don't blame you. Not many ponies would dare mess with Spike the Brave and Glorious." he said.

The door unhatched and began to open, revealing Henry's true physique. He was a tall gray horse, wearing a black jacket. A hood covered the top of his head. The most striking thing was how study he looked. He was big, and had a study build.

"Satisfied?" Henry asked.

"...Somewhat." Spike answered, trying to conceal his fear.

"Now that we got the introduction out of the way, how about telling me what in Tartarus going on!" Spike said.

"Let me explain things in a way so even your dim witted mind can understand" Henry began. These words hurt Spike inside, but he waited to let Henry finish.

"You now belong to me, and you will be doing what I say from now on. Any task I request, you shall fulfill." Henry said.

Before Spike was dumbfounded. It was a lot to take in. Before he could say anything, Henry spoke again.

"This concludes today's lecture." he started to walk away.

"Wait! I have so many questions still! Where are we? When are we? What are these 'tasks' you speak of? If this is today's lesson does that mean there'll be more? And most importantly, why do you suddenly own me instead of Twilight? What authority do you have to decide who I belong to?" Spike concluded after a long breath.

Henry took a deep breath before he gave his answer.

"You are in an undisclosed location. Several important tasks shall be demanded. Many lessons will be enforced. And you belong to me because you're sitting right here in my captivity." Henry stated.

"No further questions will be taken. You will remain here until you are needed. Dismissed."
Henry turned around and began to walk out. Spike wished he could run out the door but he couldn't because he was still chained to the floor.

"Wait so that's it?" Spike interjected. "Just because you captured me doesn't mean you own me! You're a bully and a thief and I will never do anything you said!"

Henry seemed to ignore, and trotted out the room and shut the door. Spike thought that was it, but the eye holes of the door opened. Henry continued to speak.

"I captured a dragon, isn't that reason enough for ownership?" he asked.

"No! Twilight is who I really belong to. She is a good friend and I'm her No. 1 assistant. You on the other hand are evil and I will never do your bidding."

"Mmm hmm, Twilight eh." Henry said. "Do you honestly think that Twilight Sparkle cares about you?"

"Of course she does, she's been my friend for as long as I've been alive, and she'd do anything for me!" Spike said. Twilight was a touchy subject.

"Mmm hmm, ponies and dragons living together. You keep living that fantasy." Henry said.

"This whole place feels like a fantasy, that is to say it doesn't feel real." Spike said.

"If you want to stay alive, here's my advice; forget everything you learned from those namby pamby ponies taught you, because all of it is wrong. When I'm done with you, you will learn the true power of dragons." Henry said.

"Never." Spike said.

"Hmm, are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure." he said in defiance. After Spike spoke, a huge surge of electricity ran through Spike.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Spike was electrocuted.

"If you ever attempt to speak up against me, you are wearing a shock collar that will shock you if you attempt to do so." Henry said.

"That's... that's messed up." Spike said exhausted.

"If you don't like being shocked, then best you do as I say."

"I'd rather die than serve you." Spike said.

"Well at this rate, don't be surprised if you eat those words." Henry said.

The eye holes shut and Henry trotted away.

Henry left leaving a lot of questions unanswered. What was so bad about dragons and ponies living together? Spike found that most ponies were fine with who he was. Aside from that one day earlier in the week.
What horrible things would Henry force Spike to do?

Spike was just left in the dark, both figuratively and literally. All he could do is sit and wait. Wait for what exactly is what really worried Spike.

Spike was still chained to the ground, so there was very little he could do, besides sit... and cry. And cry he did. He was trapped, and he missed his friends. Who knows if he would ever get out of this one.





Normally this would be where the chapter ends, but a few more things happened.





Spike sat in the dark for an unknown amount of time. There was no way of telling time, so it was hard to say, but after what felt like a substantial amount of time, hours perhaps, Henry was back.

The steel door opened and Henry walked in.

"Your time has come dragon." Henry said.

He flipped back his hood revealing that he was a unicorn. He used the magic to undo Spike's chain holding him to the ground. And then he dragged Spike by the chain connected to his shock collar out of the room, and through some dark hallway.

Spike tried to pull the other way, but he wasn't strong enough to overcome Henry's magic.

"Let me go! Where are you taking me!? HELP!" Spike could do nothing as he was dragged... somewhere. To do something...





Where was Spike being dragged? What horrors awaited him? Who the heck is this Henry character? And how and why did he capture Spike?

Stay tuned and find out in Chapter 6!

That's right, Chapter 6. From now on, chapters will alternate between Spike chapters, and pony chapters. Even number chapters being Spike, and odd number being ponies. So next chapter we will see the ponies' POV again. There may be some exceptions say if there are events big enough in either that warrant two chapters, then that mixes things up. And of course much later on, the two stories will... collide...
> Chapter 5: Under the Weather
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on September 4th, 2017




Last time we met up with Twilight Sparkle, she was feeling a bit under the weather about Spike to say the very least.
In this chapter, Twilight and Starlight Glimmer had arrived at Fluttershy's cottage to pay their friend a visit.





Fluttershy was in her cottage caring for animals as she typical did, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Oh, it sounds like I have guests." Fluttershy said.

She walked up to the door, and it was Twilight and Starlight.

"Hello Twilight." Fluttershy said.

"Hi Fluttershy.." said Twilight.

"Oh, is something the matter Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Something the matter? Why no, of course not. Everything's... fine." Twilight said, trying to not think about Spike.

"Well alright then, come in girls." Fluttershy said.

Twilight walked into the cottage, passing Fluttershy by. Starlight spoke to Fluttershy.

"Spike's gone missing." Starlight said.

"Oh dear, that just awful." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah, but try not to mention it, Twilight's been taking it pretty hard to say the least." Starlight said.

"She seems alright to me." Fluttershy said.

"She's been trying to cope. She may look alright, but it's really taking a toll on her internally." Starlight said.

Indeed, Twilight at this point was mostly trying not to think of Spike, not because she didn't miss him, she does, but she doesn't want her feelings to make her vulnerable or something. So she tried to act confident.

"So Twilight, what brings you around here?" Fluttershy asked.

Starlight nudged Fluttershy, as if her question was too pushy.

"Oh you know, I was in Ponyville, and then I ended up here... isn't that something." Twilight said.

"I suppose." Fluttershy said puzzled.

"So how have you been Fluttershy?" Twilight asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh the usual, I've just been helping animals. Cause you know, that's... what I do." Fluttershy said.

"Helping animals huh?" Twilight said.

"Yes, there was this adorable flying squirrel who had a broken leg. You just missed him, he made a full recovery and I released him into the wild." Fluttershy said.

"Cool story." Twilight said who was hardly paying attention. She was hovering with the birds inside the cottage.

"Twilight are you listening?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah totally." Twilight said.

Fluttershy started coughing to get Twilight's attention.

*cough cough cough* Fluttershy pretended to cough.

"Fluttershy are you okay?" Starlight asked.

*cough Spike* Fluttershy said.

"Fluttershy are you sick? That was an unusual sounding cough.

"Oh no I'm fine. What, did the cough sound unusual?" Fluttershy asked trying to get Twilight to speak about Spike.

"It was just sharper than usual that's all." Twilight said.

"So Twilight, why don't you like quesadillas?" Starlight asked, trying to change subjects.

"It's just all that cheese. Tortillas are fine, and so is cheese, but all that melted cheese confined between two tortillas is... bleh." Twilight said.

"But you're okay with pancakes? From what your friends say, youreallylike pancakes." Starlight asked.

"Oh yeah, me and pancakes have a long history." Twilight said.

"You know who else you have a long history with?" Fluttershy asked.

"Um... Owlowiscious?" Twilight asked.

"Well sure, but I was thinking of Sp-" Fluttershy was interrupted.

"You know I've always been wondering, is it spelled O-w-l-o-w-i-s-c-i-o-u-s? Because I've received letters from Celestia spelling it as O-w-l-o-y-s-i-u-s." Twilight said.

"I don't see why it matters the-" Fluttershy was interrupted.

"I mean the latter spelling is more faithful to the name Aloysius, but then there's that time Mayor Mare wrote a letter spelling it O-w-l-i-c-i-o-u-s." Twilight said.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy said.

"Gee, no need to shout." Twilight said.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but you were going off on a tangent." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah I tend to do that." Twilight said.

There was a moment of silence, Fluttershy saw this as a chance to jump in and change the subject.

"So Twilight, how's Spike?" Fluttershy asked.

Starlight nudged Fluttershy roughly to remind her not to speak of Spike. Twilight wasn't expecting the question, and was caught off guard. She sat in silence for a few moments before speaking.

"Oh, Spike, he's you know, busy." Twilight said.

"I already told Fluttershy." Starlight said.

"Well gee, thanks for breaking the news." Twilight said stern, to try to conceal her feelings.

"Twilight, we need to talk." Fluttershy said.

"Do we need to?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, because if we don't, you're never going to feel better just bottling up your feelings." Fluttershy said.

Twilight faced the other way, and tried not to entertain the question.

"Twilight, if you don't get this off your chest, you're never going to feel better." Fluttershy said.

Twilight grunted and didn't want to to talk.

"Come on Twilight, it's just you me and Fluttershy here, we're all ears." Starlight said.

"I..." Twilight's voice trailed.

"You what?" Fluttershy asked.

"*sigh* I miss Spike." Twilight said.

"Are you worried?" Fluttershy asked.

"...Yes." Twilight said.

"It's very unfortunate what's happened." Fluttershy said.

"It is..." Twilight said.

"Tell me more about Spike, and what he means to you." Fluttershy said.

"Spike's always been... delicate." Twilight said.

"Oh, is that so?" Fluttershy said.

"When I recruited Owlowiscious as an extra assistant, Spike was very paranoid, and ran away because... he thought I didn't... want him anymore. But of course that wasn't true. No one can replace Spike. He's my no. 1 assistant, and... my closest friend." Twilight said.

Twilight was showing a lot more emotion, now that she was letting her feelings show.

"Spike had been doing so well lately too. He saved the Crystal Empire twice, but every now and again, something comes up that reminds him that he's different from us. And he lets it get to him, no matter how much he seems to be coping. And then... this happens." Twilight lamented.

"I don't know where he could have gone. I don't even knowwhyhe left..." Twilight said.

"Twilight. We're here for you." Fluttershy said leaning in closer.

"Wherever he is, I just hope he's safe." Twilight said.

"I'm hope so too." Fluttershy said.

"I'm sure he is." Starlight said, trying to be optimistic. Of course we know she was being over optimistic.

There was some knocking on the door.

"There's someone at the door." Fluttershy said.

"Perhaps I shall get the door." Starlight said.

Starlight got up and opened the door. It was the rest of the main six, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.

"Hey Twilight. How are you doing?" Rainbow Dash said, sounding more reserved.

"Oh you know." Twilight responded.

"I brought you some of this Twilight." Applejack said. AJ had brought some apple cider.

"It's some apple cider to help... calm your nerves." she said.

"Thanks but no thanks. Drinking won't directly solve anything, it just makes you not think." Twilight said.

"Well, I just thought I'd try to help." Applejack said.

"Thanks AJ, I appreciate it, but right now I just need some time alone." Twilight got up and trotted out of Fluttershy's cottage.

"Where are you going darling?" Rarity asked.

"Somewhere, where I can be alone for now." Twilight said.

"But Twilight, we're here for you, you don't have to go through this alone." Rainbow Dash said.

"It's not that I don't appreciate your help, but I just want to be alone right now." Twilight said.

She trotted off in the other direction, leaving her friends behind.

"I feel so, useless right about now." Starlight said.

"I know, me too. I feel like no matter what I say I may say the wrong thing." Pinkie Pie said.

"Twilight's our friend, and I'm sure ain't nothing you could say that would change that Pinkie." Applejack said.

"Oh I don't know Applejack, you don't want to say the wrong thing to Twilight at the wrong time. She can be quite... touchy." Starlight said.

The girls sat around Fluttershy's garden all wondering how they could help Twilight cope with Spike's disappearance.

"You girls get the feeling that we're overlooking a very obvious solution?" Starlight said.

"Is it writing a letter to Spike since he has the ability to send and recieve letters?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"Whatever do you mean darling?" Rarity said, she did not hear Fluttershy.

"You know, like there's an easy way to find Spike we're not thinking of?" Starlight said.

"Like how Spike used to write letters to Celestia and she'd write back?" Fluttershy said.

"You're killing me sugarcube with all your cryptic, encoded drawl." Applejack said.

"Encoded... encoded... like letters, like the letters Spike would write to Celestia!" Starlight brainstormed.

"Um... that's sort of what I was getting at-" Fluttershy was interrupted.

"That's it! Let's write a letter to Spike and send it via dragon mail!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Let's go get Twilight right now and-" Applejack shoved her hoof in Pinkie's mouth to get her to be quiet.

"Hold on there sugarcube, let's not be too hasty." Applejack said.

"Indeed, let's all of us go visit Princess Celestia where she receives Spike's letters, so we may send one to... wherever Spike is." Rarity said.

"And let's just do it ourselves and not tell Twilight yet, in case we get a... unfavorable response." Starlight said.

"Or worse, no response." Applejack said.

Everypony looked at her.

"What?" she said.

"You bring up an interesting point darling, what's worse? No response? Or bad response?" Rarity asked.

"Well, we'll only know once we try out dragon mail, so, no time like the present." Starlight said regrettably.





With that, the mane six sans Twilight, plus Starlight went to Canterlot to see Princess Celestia, where they would try writing a letter and sending it Spike, and seeing what happens. What happens? Well keep reading and find out.
> Chapter 6: Fading Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on September 24th, 2017





Last time we saw Spike back in chapter 4, he was being dragged by sinister dragon tamer Henry to an unknown part of the facility.





"Let me go! When I get loose, I'm going to claw you to shreds!" Spike said.

Henry said not a word, as to not entertain Spike. He just kept dragging Spike deeper into the cold, dark, metal facility. Finally they had arrived at their destination. Henry flung Spike into a small cell, and slammed the door, trapping Spike inside.

"Let me out!" he pleaded.
"You won't have to wait long." Henry said.
"Wait long for wha-" the floor from underneath Spike's feet opened up, and he fell into a large circular arena looking area.
"What's going on here?" Spike asked.

Spike was in the middle of a circular arena.
A gate on the other side opened, and something emerged.

"Garble?" Spike asked.
"That's right pipsqueak. It's me." he said.

Indeed it was Garble. That jerk red dragon who teased Spike in the previous episodes 'Dragon Quest', and 'Gauntlet of Fire'.
Garble walked slowly from his entrance, he had a muzzle on his face, probably to stop fire breathing, and his wings are bound down. Otherwise his limbs were unbound.

"Heh, this is what I'm up against? This little pipsqueak? This'll be a piece of cake." Garble said.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"Put 'em up!" Garble said.
"Put up wha-" Garble punched Spike and knocked him over.
"Don't you get it? This is a fight! So fight!" Garble said.
"Wait, I don't want to fight!" Spike pleaded.
"But I do!" Garble said.
"Aaahh!" Spike screamed.

Garble continued to pummel Spike right there, while Henry and his henchponies watched from the side, safely outside the arena.

"I think you've totally lost it Henry." said a henchpony.
"Yeah, you've trained many fierce dragons, and now you're training this runt?" asked the other henchpony.
"Hmm hmm hmm. You underestimate his capabilities Sawtooth." Henry said.
"What do you mean boss?" asked the first henchpony.
"It's simple Jeff, it's called hidden potential. Never underestimate based on appearance. He make look useless, and believe me he is at the moment. But this dragon has an incredible amount of power deep within. It's only a matter of accessing it." Henry said.
And just like that, Henry's two henchponies names have been introduced as Jeff and Sawtooth.
"Whatever you say so boss." Jeff said.
"You should just cut him open right now. We'll get more use outta him." Sawtooth said.
"But that'd be such a waste now wouldn't it?" Henry said.

Spike continued to get pummeled, until a bell rang.

"Victory!" Garble exclaimed.
"The winner is Garble!" yelled a loudspeaker.

Gems showered down on Garble as a reward. Spike got zilch. Spike was an unrecognizable pile on the ground. He was alive, but he had been injured quite a bit.

"I suppose I better clean up the mess. You two put Garble back in captivity." Henry requested.
"Dang Henry, you used to tame some of the strongest of dragons, often dozens at a time, and apprehend them. I don't see what you see in this little dunce." said Sawtooth.
"You will see. You will all see." Henry said.
"You think you ought ease up? I mean, you don't want to kill the dragon before we get any use from him do you?" Jeff asked.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Every step necessary, and believe me, the payoff will be huge." Henry said.

Henry got up to retrieve Spike. Jeff and Sawtooth put Garble back in captivity using their advance tools. Dragons may be strong, but they were no match for their futuristic tools. One of which was a muzzle preventing them from breathing fire, not so high tech. More futuristic tools included the shock collars. Made controlling dragons possible.





Henry retrieved Spike and dragged him using a rope tied to him.

"That was the most pathetic display I've ever seen. You should be ashamed to call yourself a dragon." Henry said with most displeasure. He flung Spike into his room.
"I don't care what I may look like on the outside, or what you may think I am, but I know one thing for sure. I am Spike, and I would never fight another dragon for the amusement of others!" Spike said.
"You speak with such nobility, and just, we'll have to fix that over time." Henry said.
"And for the last time, I am not your pet! I am not your slave! You don't own me at all! You have no authority over me and I refuse to take orders from you!" Spike exclaimed.
"Well I think you ought to rethink your stance, you're not leaving anytime soon." Henry said.
"Twilight is probably looking for me now, and when she find this place, she's going to blow you to literal pieces!" Spike said.
Henry chuckled. "You think that that princess pony Twilight is looking for you. How sad. She's a pony, and you're a dragon, why would any pony care about a dragon?" Henry said.
"You're wrong! Twilight's my friend, and she'd do anything for me!" Spike said.

"Impossible. Dragons are feared and hated by ponies of Equestria. You're no different. You may be small, and live among ponies, but you'll never be one of them. Ponies will always look twice when they see you, try not to sit near you on the train, and you're more likely to be pulled by authorities while over driving a carriage. You think you have friends, but no matter what, Equestria will look down upon you for what you are. That's why you should side with me, I'm on your side. Do what I say, I can show you how to take revenge on those ponies. You're better than them, so why should they oppress you? Together we can destroy pony kind and rule Equestria for ourselves." Henry's long speech concluded.

Spike was about to cry, he tried not to succumb to Henry's words. Could he be right? Was it true ponies of Ponyville were biased against Spike just because he was a dragon?
"No, no, you're wrong! You're wrong about everything, and I'll never join you for as long as I live!" Spike said, standing tall in resentment.
"For as long as you live? So be it. Either join me, or die resisting." Henry said.
"Never." Spike said.
"Well then, I'll just let you think for a while, when I come back, you better have changed your mind." Henry said, and he exited the room slamming the door.

Spike held back his feelings, but after Henry had left, he immediately collapsed to his knees, put his hands to his face and started to cry. He eventually gripped his tail, curled up and continued to cry. This was the worst situation imaginable. Spike wished this were just a bad dream, and that when he closed his eyes, he would appear in Twilight's hooves, but no, this was all too real.

"Twilight... *sniff* I'm scared." Spike said stuffed up.  "Where ever you are, I hope you find me soon."





Spike laid down for what felt like an eternity ,until something knocked on the door.

*knock knock*

"Whoever's behind that door just go away!" Spike screamed.

The door opened anyway. On the other side was a cloaked figure that walked in with two legs.

"Go away! I mean it!" Spike yelled.

The figure walked up to Spike, and knelt down, and put its arm on Spike.
"Don't cry, it's okay. You poor poor little thing, not only physically harmed, but mentally too I can tell." it said, in a soft comforting voice.
Spike was still mad, he couldn't think strait, but the voice oddly soothed him.
"Wh-wh-wh-who... are you?" Spike said under his own breath. Spike looked up and saw what this mystery creature looked like, sort of. They wore a black cloak that covered their entire body, face concealed by a hood. The mystery creature spoke. 

"I'm a friend, I mean no harm, I just want to help." it said. Spike sat up, and tried to wipe some tears away.
"Reveal yourself." Spike requested.
"I really shouldn't." it said.
"I said reveal yourself!" Spike demanded.
"Okay okay, just keep quiet." it said.
They rolled back their hood revealing themselves to be none other than Princess Ember!

"Spike... it's me." Ember said.
"...Ember?" Spike couldn't believe his eyes.
"Yes Spike, it's really me, Ember. I'm here to help." she said.
"When did you get all sympathetic? You're a dragon, you're rough, and not sympathetic at all." Spike asked.
"Normally that's true, but these are dire times, and us dragons have to stick together." Ember said.

"Okay... then can you please get me out of here?" Spike asked.
"I... can't." Ember said.
"Okay then... anything you can do?" Spike was getting impatient.
"Not... really... yet." Ember said.

"Okay so if you can't help me, then, not to sound rude, but why are you here?" Spike asked.
"To... to check up on you." Ember answered.
"No I mean, why are you here? Why are you wandering around in a cloak and not chained up like the other dragons? Why are other dragons here?" asked Spike.
"I can not say too much, but basically Henry's captured many dragons from Equestria, and locked them all up here." Ember said.
"Where is here?" Spike asked.
"I can't tell you yet." Ember said.
"So why aren't you in captivity like the rest of the dragons?" Spike asked.
"I'll tell you later, it's too long a story to tell right now." Ember said.
"Well that's just dandy." Spike said.

"How are you feeling Spike?" Ember asked.
"How am I doing? Let's see, the diagnosis reads; Spike is in a lot of physical and mental pain! That's how I am!" Spike said.
"I'm so sorry to hear." Ember said.
"You're sorry? That's great! Apology accepted! Now how about instead of talking, how about doing?" Spike was a bit more pushy than he normally would be.
"I told you I can't!" Ember said.
"Why not?!" Spike asked.
"Because... Henry he... he..." Ember said.

"That's the other thing I've been wondering, who exactly is this Henry. Why did he kidnap me? How did he find me? And what's he trying to do with me?" Spike asked.
"I'm not able to tell you anything about who Henry is, nor can I disclose his plans. To be honest I'm still figuring out those details." Ember said.
"Some help you're turning out to me." Spike said rudely.
"Look, I'm trying as hard as I can to help!" Ember said.
"Doesn't seem like it." Spike replied with sass.
"The thing is, I could get in serious trouble for telling you anything. I've said too much as it is, I really shouldn't even be here." Ember tried very hard not to raise her voice, as to not give away her location.

"So why'd you even drop by in the first place?" Spike asked.
"Because I want to help." Ember said.
"Then help, by doing something." Spike said.
"I can't..." Ember said.
"Here we go again." Spike rolled his eyes.
"...yet. I want to help you escape, along with the rest of the dragons. I'm working on a plan. So just hang in there while I come up with something." Ember said.
"So is that it? Today has been awful. And you're just going to let me suffer through many more hoping you actually develop a plan?!" Spike asked in tears.
"I know you're in a lot of distress Spike, and even that's an understatement. But the longer I stay, the bigger chance of me getting caught, and getting in a lot of trouble." Ember said.
"We're up against a threat like no other. Henry's technology is years ahead of anything that exists Equestria, and he is very dangerous." Ember said.

"Well isn't that just great..." Spike said in a slump.
"Don't worry, I'll visit frequently to help keep your moral up." Ember said.
"Thank Celestia for that. As harsh as I've been, I'm kind of glad you're here. Not glad that we're both prisoners, but glad I have you to talk to. If you weren't here, and without a single friend here, I think I would just... not continue on." Spike said.
"Spike, don't say that. You've got to keep going. For me, for your friends. For Twilight. I promise, there's light at the end of this... very dark tunnel." Ember said.
"Yeah right, Twilight probably doesn't even notice I'm gone." Spike said.
"Listen Spike, don't believe a word Henry has to say. He is lying to you, and manipulating you. He's telling lies so you do as he says. Don't let him win." Ember said.
"I'll try." Spike said.

"Anyway, good night Spike." Ember said hesitantly walking away. She didn't want to leave Spike, but there was little else she could do.
"Any last words you want to say?" Spike asked.
"Just remember who you are Spike, you're a wonderful creature who puts the needs of his friends before his own. You are wonderful, and do not ever forget out doubt that, no matter what Henry says. Adieu Spike." Ember said.
"...Adieu... Ember." Spike said.

Ember walked out of the room and quietly closed the door. There was a glimmer of hope, but not much, but it was better than nothing, I suppose. Spike curled up and cried himself to sleep.





Well then, there you have it. What happens next? Does Ember come up with a decent plan for rescuing Spike and thwarting Henry's evil plan? Whatever his plan is. Does Spike ever reunite with his pony friends? Didn't Starlight say she was going to try to write a letter to Spike and send it via dragon mail? How does that pan out? Keep reading and find out. See you in chapter 7. And if don't like this fic because it's too mean to Spike, well... though luck. The fic is what it is. If you don't like it, here's a secret, you don't have to read it. Although keep reading if you want to know what happens next.
> Chapter 7: The Letter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on October 11th, 2017





In the last chapter, we saw what Spike had to endure. But what were Twilight's friends up to in the mean time?

Last time we saw her friends, they were in Fluttershy's cottage wondering what they could do to help Twilight.
And then it occurred to Starlight (Fluttershy really, but she was too soft spoken to be heard), why not just write Spike a letter? He has the ability to send letters through dragon mail. Why not actually send a letter? It only made sense, and it seemed odd they didn't think of this in the first place.





Anyway, with that out of the way, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight, all took a train to Canterlot, and visited Princess Celestia. Twilight had written countless letters to Celestia, and sent them via Spike. And Celestia had written plenty of letters too, so they figured she could help. Twilight herself was at home in her castle, they didn't want to include Twilight in their experiment, in case they got... undesirable results.

The mane 5 plus Starlight went to Canterlot and visited Celestia in her throne room.

"Greetings ponies. It's been a while since we last spoke." Celestia said.
"Yes, it's been a while since Chrysalis returned and kidnapped all of us." Rainbow Dash said.
"Anyway, what brings you ponies around here? Where's Twilight?" Celestia asked.
"Twilight's... um..." Applejack thought about how to word the situation.
"Spike's gone missing!" Pinkie blurted out.
"Blunt, but true. Spike's been missing for a little while now." said Rarity.
"So I've heard. It is a real shame." Celestia said. "I certainly haven't seen him here. Do you have any idea where he could be?" she asked.
"Not a clue, but that's why we're here." Starlight said.
"Twilight used to write letters to you and send them via Spike. If it worked back then, we have reason to believe it should work now!" Rarity said.
"That's a brilliant idea! What are we waiting for? No time to lose, let's do it." Celestia said.

`With that, all of the ponies went to Celestia's... observatory? Library? Whatever room she used to be in when she recieved letters. They were in that room.

"So how do you want to do this little ponies?" Celestia asked.
"I don't know, just write a letter, send it... and see what kind of response we get." Starlight said.
"Why didn't you bring Twilight here?" Celestia asked.
"We didn't want to get her hopes up, in case this idea didn't go to plan." Applejack said.
"But a letter from Twilight would probably be the most effective way to get Spike's attention." Celestia said.
"I'm sure any letter from any of us oughta be just as good. We're his friends too after all." Rainbow Dash said.
"Mmm hmm. Let's do it." Fluttershy said.
"Okay then! What should we write...?" Starlight asked.
"Whatever we write, it's got to come from the heart." Applejack said.
"It better be grammatically correct to ensure that it isn't mistaken for spam mail." Rarity said.
"The letter's got to live up to our quality standard. Only the best letter, for the best little dragon." Rainbow Dash said.
"Ask him why we weren't invited to wherever he is!" Pinkie Pie said.
"We should just ask him where he is, why he's there, and if he could come home." Fluttershy said.

Starlight started scribbling down the letter.

"Okay! With all of your suggestions taken in to account, here's what I have so far." Starlight began to read.
'Howdy Spike, how are you doing we-" Starlight was inturpted.
"Howdy? Really? Do you want him to think Applejack wrote this herself?" Rainbow Dash asked. "It's got to have a hint of all of us."
"Right, duly noted." Starlight said.

Starlight erased the word and rewrote it. She read the next revision.

"Greetings Spike, how are you doing? We are very-" Starlight was interrupted again.
"Greetings!? Are we welcoming him to the Grand Galloping Gala!? No! This is an urgent letter!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Pinkie, that's not a mistake." Rainbow Dash said.
"No no, let me fix it anyway." Starlight said.

Starlight corrected the 'mistake', and read the next revision.

"Hi Spike, we-" Starlight was interrupted once more.
"I don't know darling, a simple 'hi' is far too casual." Rarity said.

Starlight furiously redid the first word again, and then began to read.

"Dear Spike." Starlight paused to see if any of her friends had suggestions.

"Okay? Good. 'Dear Spike' we-" Starlight was interrupted after all.
"Maybe you could-"
"Maybe you could keep QUIET and let me write!" Starlight snapped, not realizing it was Fluttershy who had spoken.
"Oh Fluttershy, I'm so sorry." Starlight said.
"I was just going to suggest adding some x's and o's at the bottom..." Fluttershy said.
"That's a sweet idea, I'm going to do just that." Starlight said.

She made some last minute scribbles.

"Alright, I think I got it this time." Starlight said, she read her final revision.

"Dear Spike, this is a letter from your friends. We are writing to you because we are very concerned. You left Ponyville so suddenly, and without a note or any thing explaining your absence. We are all worried, and would love to hear back from you. Sincerely, your friends in Ponyville. xoxo. How's that?" Starlight asked.

"Perfect. Now send the letter!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Should we? I mean. If Spike didn't leave a note, then maybe he doesn't want to be found." Starlight said.
"You're just delaying the inevitable darling. It's now or never." said Rarity.
"I don't know. I'm having second thoughts." Starlight said.
"What's the worst that can happen?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No reply. Or worse..." Starlight said.
"An honest letter putting into context why he left?" Applejack added.
"Or, Spike replies with his location and asks us to find him!" Rainbow Dash said.
"But like, Spike knows he can mail us at any time. If he wanted to write us, don't you think he would have done so by now?" Starlight asked.
"If we forgot about dragon mail, and I don't blame us, we haven't used it in forever, then he probably forgot to." Rarity said.
"Or maybe he doesn't have access to paper or a quill." Pinkie Pie suggested.
"Any other objections? No? Good. Let's send it Princess Celestia." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, here goes nothing." Celestia said.

Celestia used her magic, and (somewhat reluctantly) sent the letter. Her horn started to glow, and the letter curled up and positioned in front of her horn. Her horn grew brighter, until the letter went poof. It was gone. It was sent.

"...So, now what do we do? Fluttershy asked.
"We just wait I guess." Applejack said.
"I suppose there isn't much else we can do." Celestia said.





And so that's what they did. They waited... for about an hour or so. Ponies were pacing, were laying down, some even dozed off. Fluttershy rested her head on Rainbow Dash's stomach. Rarity took careful observations of the decor. After enough time passed, Starlight figured it'd been long enough.

"It's been an hour and still nothing." she said.
"Maybe we should head back to Ponyville. Twilight probably needs our support." Rarity said.
"You little fillies head back to Ponyville. I'll keep on the lookout for a letter, and notify you the moment I receive anything from Spike." Celestia said.
"We appreciate your help in these times Princess." Starlight said.
"Stay strong little ponies. Keep your spirits up." Celestia said.

And with that, our little fillies left the observatory, and headed back for Ponyville, empty hoofed.

Celestia wasn't ready to put all her eggs in one basket though, so to speak. She thought about sending a second letter, in case there was a fluke with the first letter. And so she decided to do just that. Celestia wrote a second letter, and sent it through dragon mail. This second letter, unlike the first one, reappeared in front of Celestia moments after she sent it.

"Huh? That can't be right." Celestia said.

She tried to send it again, but the same result. This could have only meant one thing.

"This letter isn't even reaching its destination. That can only mean *gasp* that the receiving end has been disconnected!" Celestia panicked.
"But, but, its can't be. Could Spike have undone the dragon mail spell himself? Or could somepony else have? What kind of pony would do such a thing? Undo a spell, that I cast many moons ago." Celestia said.





Princess Celestia had a flashback to long ago. When Twilight was still a filly, and soon after she had first received Spike, and the day she granted Spike the ability to send mail. Specifically a flashback to what was at first an ordinary day at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

"Okay little fillies, that's it for today. It's time to head home." Celestia said.
"Already? But I still have so many questions for you Princess." Twilight said. "If only there was some way we could still talk after class."
"Hmm, perhaps there is." Celestia said.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"Why don't I just show you little filly?" Celestia said. "Now if you don't mind. May I see Spike?" she asked.
"Sure, but what for?" Twilight asked.

Celestia put her horn up to Spike, and her horn glowed. Celestia had cast a spell.

"What just happened?" Twilight asked.

Celestia took a piece of paper, and used her magic on it. Moments later, Spike burped out the letter and it appeared in front of Twilight.

"Wow! Did you just send a letter through Spike!?" Twilight asked in astonishment.
"Yes, I did exactly that. Whenever you feel like talking, just write a letter, and Spike can send it." Celestia said.
"Wow, thank you Princess Celestia, I'll see you tomorrow at class!" Twilight took Spike and headed back for her home.

That evening, Celestia must have received at least a dozen letters from Twilight. Celestia chuckled "That little filly's mind knows no limits." she said.

Thus concluding the flashback.





"...I hope Spike is okay. That little dragon means the world to Twilight." Celestia said. "It's extremely unlikely Spike could ever undo the spell himself. So it can only mean, somepony else did. But who? There's only one pony I can think of who could have taken Spike, but... that's not possible is it? *sigh* Please be safe Spike..."





On that... depressing note, that concludes the chapter. What happened to Spike's ability to send and receive letters? If they can't send letters, how else are they possibly going to figure out where Spike is? What horrible things await Spike next? Find out in chapter 8.
> Chapter 8: Hope Has Faded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on November 14th, 2017





In the last chapter, we saw Twilight's friends attempt to send a letter to Spike. They sent the letter, but didn't receive a response. Celestia sent a second letter herself later on, but it came right back, indicating that the dragon mail spell had been undone. But how? Let's find out.





Spike was sitting alone in the cell for... hours? Days? All reference of time was gone. All he could do was sit and think out loud to himself.

"If my friends really do miss me, shouldn't they have found me by now?" Spike thought. "Unless... are we even friends?"
"What if we were never friends to begin with. Think about it. What good have I done for Twilight?" Spike asked himself.

Spike had flashbacks of times he disappointed Twilight, and there were a surprising number of moments.
"The Grand Equestria Pony Summit is just one example. I basically ruined the entire event." Spike said.

Spike sat in the cell, cold, and alone, the loneliest he'd ever felt. When all of the sudden, he felt something in his stomach rumbling.
"Oh man... what did I have for lunch?" Spike said feeling his stomach rumble.
Spike burped up a letter of all things.
And yes, it was the letter from the previous chapter.

Spike gasped.

"It can't be... can it?" He read the letter in his head.

"It's a letter from... my friends... Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, Celestia, Pinkie Pie and... Twilight... they do miss me." Spike said in tears.
"I gotta reply!" he thought.
Unfortunately, there were no quills or ink in the cell, so he had to improvise.

Spike pulled off one of his scales to use as a quill, but it would not write without ink.

"Oh shoot, come on. What in here can I use instead of ink?" Spike wondered.
The ink already on the letter had already dried, he couldn't reuse it. There was only one other source of fluid in the room.
"Oh man, am I that desperate?" Spike asked himself.
"Yeah I'm that desperate." he answered.

Just before Spike was about to (you know what he was going to do), Henry walked in.

"Uh, Henry! How's it... hanging?" Spike said hiding the letter behind his back.
"What have you got behind your back?" Henry asked.
"Uh... nothing!" Spike answered.

Henry used his magic and yanked the letter from Spike's claws.

Henry read it, crumpled it up and tossed it when he was done.
"So, still pen pals with that namby pamby princess?" he asked mockingly.
"No! I mean, what's it to you!?" Spike exclaimed.
"We'll just have to fix that." Henry said.

Henry stomped on Spike, and forced him against the ground.

"OW! Get off of me!" Spike pleaded.

Henry used his magic on Spike.

"What are you doing-?!" it felt like Henry's magic was strangling Spike. Spike's life flashed before his eyes.
As quickly as it happened, it was over. Henry got up and walked to the front of the room.

"What did you...?" Spike grabbed the crumpled letter, and breathed fire on it, but it simply disintegrated.
"Now you won't be able to send or recieve any more letters." Henry said.
"But... but that's impossible... I can't believe that you just undid that... I've been able to send letters as long as I can remember." Spike said.

Henry just grined. He had removed Spike's ability to send letters.

"Yeah well... well... I can still breath fire!" Spike said.

Spike breathed fire right in Henry's face. The fire scorched his face, but he didn't seem phased by it.

"What? But how...?" Spike was astonished.
"I've been burnt so many times it doesn't affect me anymore." Henry said.
"Well that's... that's something." Spike said.

"Enough horsing around, it's time for your next fight." Henry said.

"No! Not another fight! I don't think I can take a single other one!" Spike pleaded
"For the sake of my time, let's hope you don't." Henry dragged Spike by his chain collar.

"NO! Twilight! Any pony! Help!" Spike pleaded.
"How many times do I have to say it? Those ponies hate you." Henry said.
"You're lying! They wrote me a letter!" Spike exclaimed.
"That letter? That letter was the most insincere thing I had ever read. They didn't even spell out all their names, it just says 'friends in ponyville.' How do you even know that Twilight wrote it? I highly doubt she did." Henry said.
"Stop lying!" Spike yelled.
"Enough chit chat, we're here." Henry said.

Spike was tossed into a small cell, where the floor underneath him collapsed, leading him to the arena for his next dragon fight.





And thus the cycle continued. A nightmare cycle that Spike had been living through for what felt like a few days at least. The letter incident happened relatively early on, but the fights went on for days thereafter, maybe weeks.

No matter how many dragon fights Spike had to endure, it never became easier.

Spike was pulverized by Whip's tail. Torched by Fume's... fumes. Smashed by Clump's tail. Slashed by Snake's claws. Constricted by Baff's tail. Rex chewed up and spit Spike right out. Vex's horns made quite the impression. And those were just a few examples.
Despite how brutal these beatings were, Spike still would never attempt to fight back. How could some pony pit fellow dragons against each other in such a cruel way? Spike refused to fight for that reason, but the other dragons didn't see it that way.

There were many questions Spike had on his mind. How did Henry managed to capture all these dragons? Why were they all doing as he commanded? The mystery was made deeper by Princess Ember, who was not in captivity at all. She wore a black cloak and seemed to wander the facility freely. But why?

The fights were devastating. After each fight, Spike was battered and bruised. Spike was then chained up, muzzled, and dragged by to his room to be scolded by Henry. Henry put a shock collar on Spike early on, but he didn't use it very often surprisingly. Mostly he let the dragons do the damage, but from time to time he'd shock Spike.

Here's just one of example of a typical conversation following a fight.

"You are such a miserable pile of defiance." Henry said.
"You can crush my bones, and you can crush my limbs, but you can't crush my spirit." Spike said struggling to stand up.
"Give it up already." Henry said fiercely.
"I will never, do as you say." Spike said sternly.
"AAAAAHH!" Spike screamed. Henry activated the shock collar.
"You can't resist forever." Henry said.
"Watch me." Spike said.
"The longer you resist, the longer our agenda will take." Henry said.
"All the more reason to not do your bidding." Spike said.
"If you don't lift and claw and fight back against those dragons, I'll make sure your next few fights will be your last." Henry said, as he slammed the door behind him and exited.

After Henry left, all that was left for Spike to do was sit and cry. Soon thereafter, Ember would walk through the door and visit. At least most of the time. She would visit to comfort Spike, which was about the only thing keeping him going.

Here's how their latest conversation went down.

"How are you doing Spike?" Ember asked.
"Oh you know, the usual." Spike said with sass.
"So how's that plan of yours Ember?" he asked.
"It's uh..." Ember said.
"You have no plan do you?" Spike asked.
"I'm working on it okay! "Ember exclaimed.
"Okay..." Spike said.
"Don't give up Spike..." Ember said.
"I'm trying..." Spike said.
"Your friends miss you." Ember said.
"And I miss them even more. I wish I could see them again, even just one more time." Spike said.
"I'm going to reunite you with your friends Spike. Trust me." Ember said.
"Can I trust you? You still haven't explained why your fellow dragons are being held captive while you aren't. What's with that?" Spike asked.
"I don't have time to explain during these meetings. All I have time to do is comfort you briefly." Ember explained.
"Mmm hmm." Spike said skeptically.
"I have to go." Ember said.

"Oh no you don't, I'm getting some answers. I'm sick of being in the dark, both literally and figuratively." Spike said.
"Okay. What's on your mind? And make it quick." Ember said.

"Your fellow dragons are being enslaved and forced to fight each other! But you, you just wandering around and let Henry get away with it!" Spike said.
"I realize that..." Ember said looking away.
"Why? Why haven't you done anything about it yet? Why hasn't he locked you up? What's your affiliation with Henry?" Spike asked.
"..." Ember didn't say anything.
"Is Henry the real villain? Who's really behind all this?" Spike started asking harder questions.
"..." Ember covered her mouth she didn't want to speak.
"Answer me!" Spike demanded.
"...It's complicated." Ember said in tears.
"Ember?" Spike noticed Ember was getting choked up.
"I just let this all happen... I'm a terrible leader." Ember said on her knees, and covering her face.
Spike walked over and hugged Ember.
"Oh Ember, we're both victims aren't we?" Spike said.
...yep." Ember said.
"I've never seen another dragon cry before." Spike said. "It's not like dragons to be all vulnerable."
"I guess your pony friends have rubbed off on both of us." Ember said.
"I'm glad we have each other." Spike said.
"Me too." Ember said.

"Whatever's on your mind, you can tell me." Spike said.
"But I can't tell you everything." Ember said.
"Is it because you can't tell me? Or you don't want to tell me?" Spike asked.
"...I must go. I've spent too much time here." Ember said.
"Aww... but I feel like we're finally getting somewhere." Spike said.
"The less you know... the better, for now." Ember said.
"But I want to know what exactly is going on." Spike said.
"I'll tell you everything, but now's not the time. Once I break us both out, I'll tell you everything." Ember said.
"Okay..." Spike said.
"You trust me right Spike?" Ember asked.
"I'm not sure who to trust anymore. Reality feels so skewed." Spike said.
"I understand. Good night Spike." Ember said.
"Good night Ember." Spike said.

Ember walked out of the room. It was dangerous for Ember to stay in the room for too long, so there was no time for exposition.
And once Ember left, the cycle would repeat. Fight, then scolding, then Ember, and then maybe an hour to nap if Spike was lucky, but it never felt like long between fights. It was like an endless nightmare with no end. The cycle went on for days, maybe weeks at this point. No sign of hope, just bruises.





And that brings us to now. Spike sat in the cold cell, when Henry entered.
"It's time." he said.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Spike. At this point he knew what to expect.

Henry dragged Spike by the chain to the arena.

"What's your big idea anyway? How and why have you captured all these dragons? And for what? You're just making us fight each other. What's your plan? What's the goal here?" Spike asked.
Henry did not answer, he just threw Spike into the arena.

Spike's next opponent, was a rematch with Garble. The first rematch surprisingly.

"So squirt, back for another beating?!" Garble said?
"Why do you insist on fighting? Can't you see this is wrong!?" Spike pleaded.
"But beating up defenseless pipsqueaks like you is too much fun." Garble said.
"That's the most horrible thing I've ever heard! Henry's the one you should be fighting!" Spike said.
"No can do. We've all tried individually, but Henry is untouchable." Garble said.
"How do you know? Have you tried team work? If you and the other dragons teamed up, you could probably overthrow-" Spike was interrupted when he was punched in the face by Garble.
"You use big words for a dragon who doesn't fight. Now fight!" Garble demanded.
"I don't want to fight! I refuse!" Spike yelled.

Henry and his two hench ponies watched from the sidelines.

"I just don't know what you see in this dragon, boss. Maybe it's time to call it quits on him." Jeff said.
"Watching the little guy get clobbered is painful to watch. You should just put him out of his misery now." Sawtooth said.

Henry growled, he was clearly getting impatient.

"I've had enough of this. Hit your opponent!" Henry yelled.
"NO!" Spike yelled back.
"This is your last warning! Either fight that dragon, or I'll make you!" Henry threatened as he held up his remote control.
"Never!" Spike asserted.
"Have it your way." Henry said, he then turned up the dial, activating the shock collar around Spike.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Spike screamed in agony at the pain and collapsed.
"Shocking your own dragon to death? Fine, just get this match over with." Sawtooth said.
"Boss, are you so sure about this?" Jeff asked.
"Trust me, I got this." Henry said, as he dialed his remote to continue the shock.

Spike continued to be shocked.
"Just make the pain go away!" Spike exclaimed.

Spike threw his fist forward, and miraculously hit Garble square in the chest, knocking him back, onto the ground. Garble was out cold. The shocking stopped.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" Spike ran to Garble's side, but he was out.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of applause over a loudspeaker, followed by gems raining down on Spike.

"G-g-gems?" Spike was surprised to see gems raining from the ceiling, his eyes widened. He picked one up, and put it in his mouth.
"Yum. Maybe things aren't all bad." he said.





After the fight, Spike was still dragged to his room, only now Henry's hench ponies Jeff and Sawtooth dragged bags of gems into Spike's room.

"So, what does victory feel like?" Henry said.
"Mmm, these gems taste great, but you still suck." said Spike.
"I see you're still being a bit rebellious, we'll continue to work on that." Henry said.
"Work on nothing! This doesn't change anything, you can't bribe me into working for you with just a few gems." Spike said.
Henry smirked.
"You so sure about that? Don't those gems taste good? Don't they make you forget all your troubles?" Henry asked. Spike started to feel memorized.
"Just put up a fight, and more gems could be yours." Henry said in a hypnotic tone.
Spike shook his head.
"No way! Don't think this means I'll pony up and serve you. I still refuse to listen you." Spike said while laying on a pile of gemstones.
"Heheh, we'll see about that." Henry said with a smirk.

Henry and hench ponies left the room, and slammed the door.

"What's his deal?" Spike wondered, and then proceeded to eat more gems.





Ember entered the room a few minutes later.

"Are you okay Spike?" Ember asked.
"Oh yeah, I'm doing great." Spike answered while eating gems.
"Wow! What a load of gems you got!" she said.
"Yeah I know. Pretty cool huh?" Spike said.
"Where'd they all come from?" Ember asked.
"I totally beat up Garble in my latest match, and I was awarded all these gems." Spike said.
"Oh no, you're not giving in to Henry's orders are you?" Ember asked concerned.
"What? Nah! Trust me, there's no way I'll ever give in to Henry's orders. I just threw a single punch, and well, Garble's not as tough as he looks apparently. He went down with just one hit. Besides, a dragon's got to treat himself from time to time you know? It's been a while since I've had a decent meal after all." Spike said.
"What are you going to do next fight? Are you going to fight back or...?" Ember asked.
"You know, I didn't think that far ahead. Nah, probably not. I got plenty gems as it is." Spike said.

"Okay then... Mind if I?" Ember reached for a gem.
"Claws off!" Spike said knocking Ember's hand. "I earned these myself! I won all these in a fight. Not you." he said, sounding a bit rude.
*GASP* Ember gasped.
"I mean, um... sure." Spike said, catching is odd and rude behavior.
"You sure you're okay Spike?" Ember asked again.
"Trust me, I'm still me. Everything's fine. Or at least as fine as they can be given we're still stuck here." Spike answered.

"What about your friends?" Ember asked.
"My... my friends?" Spike hadn't thought about his friends in a while.
"Yes, your pony friends. Don't you miss them?" Ember asked trying to remind Spike of his friends.
"You know, you're right. I do still miss them, a lot." Spike said.
"And they probably miss you too." Ember said.
"You're right, they definitely miss me, and they probably aren't feeling too good without me." Spike said.
"That's probably putting it lightly." Ember said.
"Okay... so, breaking out. How's that plan?" Spike asked.
"The plan. The plan's going... good." Ember said.
"You still don't have a plan do you?" Spike said.
"No no, it's in the works. It's almost done actually." Ember said.
"...really." Spike said doubtfully.
"Yeah, I mean it. I just have to check a few things to make sure everything will work." Ember started to back up towards the exit.
"Well anyway, I gotta go. And remember, stay true." Ember said.
"Yeah yeah." Spike didn't really listen, he just munched on more gems.
"Well alright then... bye." Ember said.
"See ya!" Spike said.





Ember turned around and exited the room, and was quite worried. Normally Spike is in shambles after a match, and is in need of comfort, but right now he was just enjoying his gems, not giving much thought. Was Spike honest when he assured Ember that he was fine? Or was he starting to slip? And what of all those questions still unanswered? Who is Henry? What's his plan? Why are all these dragons in captivity? Why wasn't Ember of all dragons in captivity? Where is this secret location anyway? Can Twilight and friends ever hope to locate Spike? Just what, happens next? Gotta keep reading to find out.
Stay tuned for Chapter 9!
> Chapter 9: Twilight Snaps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on November 28, 2017





In the last Chapter, we saw where Spike was being held captive, and things were not going very well. In this chapter, we will see how the ponies in Ponyville were doing. And as of late, not well. The ponies still had no clue as to Spike's location.
The last time Twilight's friends tried to contact Spike directly, it didn't work. We saw their previous attempt two chapters ago, but that was not their last attempt.

There was a huge search effort across Equestria dedicated to finding Spike. There were several search parties spanning many locations over the course of days, but every attempt to locate Spike turned up empty. No pony could find Spike. Twilight Sparkle lead most of the searches. She lead searches in Appaloosa, Manehatten, Griffonstone, and more. Many ponies would volunteer to help, but no matter the number of volunteers, it didn't seem to matter. Though all their help was appreciated, it was so far all for not.

Twilight grew more distraught with each failed search, she was in utter shambles. Her friends all felt awful, but there was not much they could do. What could they even do with Spike's whereabouts still unknown?

It had been days now, nay, weeks since Spike disappeared. Finally, enough was enough, and Twilight made the difficult decision to halt searches for the time being, to the surprise of everypony. Twilight decided to put official searches on hiatus until further notice.
And that brings us to the present time. Just how were Twilight Sparkle and friends coping at this stage of the story? Let's take a look.





Ponyville was fairly quiet. Ponies still went about their daily lives, but there was an unsettling atmosphere in the air. Twilight's sadness seemed to flow through the air and affect everypony to an extent. Twilight rarely come out of her castle anymore, and her friends were growing worried. Fluttershy had decided to visit Twilight. She hadn't spoken with or seen Twilight in a few days, and was worried for Twilight's well-being.

"Twilight? It's me, Fluttershy." she knocked on the front door of Twilight's castle.
"Hello? Are you home?" she asked.

The door opened, it wasn't locked, or even closed all the way. Fluttershy decided to enter.

"Twilight?" she asked wandering the castle. The castle was eerily quiet. No activity in the front room. Fluttershy decided to check the library.
"You in here Twilight?" she asked.
"Oh hey Fluttershy." Twilight said. She was in the library, sitting on a couch reading a book.
"Hi Twilight. So how are you doing?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh you know, just fine." Twilight said. She seemed perfectly fine.
"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked.
"Because, you know who is still..." Fluttershy said hesitantly.
"Oh, right..." Twilight looked down.

There was a pause in the atmosphere.

"So, what have you been up to?" Twilight asked, quickly changing the subject, and changing mood.
"Oh the usual. Or at least, as usual as possible." Fluttershy said.
"So anyway, it's been nice talking." Twilight pushed Fluttershy all the way to the front door of the castle.
"Oh? You sure you don't want to talk anymore?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not particularly. Anyway, bye!" Twilight slammed the door in Fluttershy's face, and proceeded to trot the other way.
"But what about Spike?!" Fluttershy asked through the front door.

Twilight stopped in her tracks when Fluttershy mentioned the name, Fluttershy could hear her hoofsteps from inside. But then she soon continued to trot away. Fluttershy was confused. She kicked her hoof in the dirt, and thought. And then she got an idea. She knew what she had to do.





Later in the day, there was some more knocking on Twilight's door. Twilight trotted to the door, and opened it. It was her friends. Fluttershy had gathered Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash together.

"Oh, hey girls." Twilight said peaking through the door.
"Hello darling, we need to talk." Rarity said.
"Not to sound rude, but I'd rather not." Twilight said, not in a sad tone, but more in a disinterested tone.
"Too bad, it's been too long, we got some catchin' up to do." Applejack said.
"Alright, if you insist. Follow me." Twilight said.

Twilight lead her friends to the map room, where they each sat down in their own respective thrones. Starlight Glimmer joined the ponies, and stood beside Twilight. And now they were all ready to talk, or rather ready to try talking.

Twilight was in such a calm, yet stern mood. No pony wanted to say anything that could upset Twilight, but at the same time, they did want to talk about Spike. It was kind of troubling that first she called off the searches, and now she didn't even seem want to talk about him at all. They all sat at the map table in awkward silence, not sure what to say, until finally some pony spoke.

"So Twilight, how's your... wings... working out?" Rainbow Dash asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Oh just fine." she replied.
"Have you thought about trying out for a wonderbolt?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"You know, I'm confident I definitely could become a wonderbolt if I tried, but I'm already Princess of Friendship. And although first Princess Wonderbolt would be neat, I think that'd be overachieving." Twilight said.
"Is that... so." Rainbow Dash said, awkwardly ending the conversation.

"So Applejack, how have your apples been?" Twilight asked.
"Oh you know. Apples, have just been... apples." Applejack replied.
"Have you prepared any grape juice lately?" Twilight asked.
"Since when has grape juice been your specialty?" Starlight asked.
"No grape juice recently. As a matter of fact, grape juice has always been a side... passion... sort of." Applejack said, awkwardly ending the sentence.

"And Rarity, have any ideas for new fashion lines yet?" Twilight asked.
"Not as of late darling. New ideas are very hard to come up with. Some days I come up with new lots ideas without even trying, and then there's long periods of creative drought. Just depends on my mood, and right now my mood has not been the best." Rarity replied.
"Mmmhmm. So is that all?" she asked.
"I mean, I suppose... that's it darling." Rarity said.

The atmosphere was growing especially awkward. Normally having conversations wasn't so hard for her friends to do, but something was off about Twilight that didn't resonate well with the other ponies.
Finally, Pinkie had enough, and stood up and shouted.

"Okay, since we're all thinking it I'm just going to say it; is anypony going to mention Spike?!" Pinkie stood up and exclaimed.

The awkward silence now became an uncomfortable awkward silence.

"Um, Pinkie? We try not to mention the S word in the castle." Starlight said.
"Why not?!" Pinkie asked, gritting her teeth.
"It's just what Twilight told me, and it'd be respectful if you respected her request and-" Starlight said, but was interrupted last minute by Twilight.
"No no, it's fine Starlight. She wants to talk, so let's talk." Twilight said.
"I agree, let's talk. Speaking of talking, why don't you want to talk about Spike?" Pinkie asked.
"It's not that I don't want to talk about... you know who, it's just, not the right time." Twilight said. She didn't stare Pinkie in the eyes, she sort of wandered off.
"So when is it the right time Twilight?" Pinkie asked.
"Eh... sooner or later I guess..." Twilight said, seemingly not even answering the question.
"So what you're saying is, just because you can't find Spike you've decided to both give up the search, and forget about him?!" Pinkie exclaimed.

The room went silent.

"Well, give up is a harsh way to put it but-" Twilight started, but was interrupted by Pinkie.
"BUT! That's exactly what you're doing!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I just can't believe you would do such a thing!"
"I'm with Pinkie Pie! It's one thing to take a break and not search for a few days, but I think it's just shameful that you're choosing to forget all about Spike! Pretending that he never existed so you don't have to deal with the... with the loss!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

Everypony was shocked and looked at Fluttershy. Twilight gave her an angry scorn.

"I mean... that's just my... opinion." she slumped underneath the cutie map.
"You think I haven't been trying to find him?" Twilight started to show her true feelings.
"More like tried! You-" Pinkie started, but was interrupted.
"You think I haven't tried?! I searched everywhere! I've spoken to leaders across Equestria! None of them have seen him! Not in Appaloosa, Crystal Empire, Manehatten, nowhere!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Just because nopony has seen Spike, doesn't mean he isn't out there somewhere!" Pinkie argued.
"W-well at this point! I'm... I'm starting to have doubts!" Twilight shouted.

*GASP* everypony in the room gasped.

"How can you say that Twilight?!" Rarity asked.
"If there's anything I've learned in my studies, it's that the theory with the most evidence is typically the one that's correct. And right now, evidence saying that Spike is still out there is... is non-existent!" Twilight blurted out.
Every pony gasped again.
"Even if we assume Spike is... *gulp* is choosing to not think about him the right way to handle this situation?" Applejack asked.
"If anypony has any better idea, I'd love to hear it!" Twilight said in tears.
"Calm down Twilight. We're your friends. We want to help. Spike was- I mean is our friend too." Rainbow Dash said.
"Spike was your friends too, but Spike and I were... extra special friends." Twilight said tearing. "None of you know what I'm going through!" she said.
"Twilight! You're not the only one with a reptilian companion! Me and Gummy share an inseparable bond, just like you and Spike." Pinkie Pie said.
"And remember when Tank went into hibernation? Remember how devastated I was? We've all gone through hard times Twilight. You're not alone on this." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well this is different. Hibernation is temporary. With Spike it's just... gahh!" Twilight said.
"Just say what's on your mind Twilight!" Pinkie got in Twilight's face.
"I want to be left alone! Now get out of my face! " Twilight snapped in Pinkie's face.

Everypony went quiet. Pinkie got choked up.
"Yeah- well... Fine! If you want to be left alone, then... then fine!" Pinkie exclaimed, and stormed out of the castle.

Everypony looked at Twilight.

"What are you all looking at?! This meeting is dismissed!" she said and trotted out of the room.





Meanwhile, Pinkie was quite peeved outside.

She walked away from the castle in spite.

"Gee, it's sure not like Twilight act so rude. Not to mention she didn't appreciate my advice. She just shot down everything I had to say!" Pinkie thought out loud.
"Then why not help ponies with more open minds? Ponies who'd appreciate your help." said a voice.
"Who said that?" Pinkie asked.
"Psst. Come here." said a mysterious pony in a trench coat, standing adjacent to Pinkie.
"If Twilight doesn't appreciate my help, then who will?" Pinkie asked them.
"Try Ponyville hospital. There's lot of sick ponies who can use some positive energy, maybe a laugh or two. You may even find somepony there with something shocking to tell you." said the trench coat pony.
"Hmm. You know what? You're right! I think that's a swell idea. Thanks stranger!" Pinkie turned around and trotted the other way.
"Wait a second. What do you mean somepony might have something shocking to tell me?" Pinkie asked, but when she turned around again, the trench coat pony was gone.
"Huh. Where'd they go? Oh well, maybe they had somewhere important to be. When you gotta go, you gotta go!" Pinkie said.
"Well then, I guess I know where I'm heading off to." she said as she trotted off.





Back inside the castle, Twilight's friends were at a loss for actions.
Twilight trotted off to her room, and Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight were all out of ideas.

"Should we...?" Fluttershy asked, not knowing how to end her question.
"*sigh* This is taking a bigger on toll on Twilight than I could have imagined." Starlight said.
"I haven't seen Twilight act this bitter in all the time I've known her." Rarity said.
"Yeah well, nothing like this has happened before to her so..." Starlight said.
"The way Twilight just snapped at Pinkie was totally not cool." Rainbow Dash said.
"Wow, Rainbow Dash is calling out another pony for their actions." Applejack said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Rainbow.
"Oh nothing." Applejack said slyly.
"I think it is best if we give Twilight time to vent out her feelings." Rarity said.
"Agreed. You can face the bull head on when it's angriest, or wait for it to use up its energy and crash." Applejack said.
"AJ always coming up with the country analogies." Rainbow Dash said.
"Girls, stay focused. I think we've done all we can for now. It's probably best if we gave Twilight room to breathe." Starlight said.
"I don't know, it doesn't feel right to just do nothing and wait for Twilight to get better." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, we're low on options." Starlight said.
"Touche darling." Rarity said.
"Anyway, I suppose that's it for now. We'll just leave Twilight alone for now, and hope she gets better." Starlight said.
"I guess it is. I wish Twilight the best of wishes." Fluttershy said.
Rarity, AJ, and Rainbow Dash all nodded and agreed with Fluttershy.
"Well, see you later girls." Starlight said.

With that, her friends all left the castle, and they waved good bye to each other.

"Where do you think Pinkie Pie went?" Fluttershy asked.
"Probably doing whatever Pinkie does." Rainbow Dash answered.





Meanwhile, Starlight broke her own rule, and wandered to Twilight's bedroom door. Rainbow was right, it didn't feel right leaving Twilight all to herself, even if she says it's what she wanted.

"Twilight?" Starlight knocked on her bedroom door. "Are you in here?"

Starlight wandered into Twilight's bedroom. Twilight was laying on her bed, face planted into her pillow. She was crying, Starlight could hear, and see the tears pouring from her face.

"Are you okay? It's not like you to snap at your friends." Starlight said.

Twilight said something, but her voice was too muffled to hear what it was.

"You know, your friends have a point. You cant just stop thinking about Spike and let yourself forget about him." Starlight said.

Twilight sat up and looked at Starlight.

"Whether Spike is out there, or... not. It's important to acknowledge him. I know how special Spike was- I mean is to you." Starlight said.
"...But it hurts to think about him." Twilight finally said.
"But forgetting isn't the answer." Starlight said.
"The more I think about, what he means to me *sniff* and what I mean to him, the more it hurts." Twilight said. "And the more I think about how much I love him, and how much he loves me... *sob*."
"Well no matter how much it hurts, you aren't going to feel any better by pretending he never existed." Starlight said.
"Hmph." Twilight said.
"Tell me about Spike. I'm sure you have a hundred stories you could tell me about you and Spike." Starlight said.

Twilight sat, and reminisced about Spike...





She had a flashback to a cold night in the castle.

"Twilight?" asked a scared Spike.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you tonight please?" asked Spike.
"Okay. Anything for you my sweet little prince."
"Thank you Twilight."

Spike climbed into bed with Twilight. He brought his own blanket, and laid snuggled beside her.

"What was your dream about?" asked Twilight.
"In my dream, everyone in Equestria had disappeared besides me. I was all alone. It was so awful." Spike said.
"Well thank goodness that was only a dream. Because I can assure you, you don't have to worry about feeling alone." Twilight assured.
"I feel so safe in your grasp. I hope that never changes." Spike said.
"I promise to do everything in my power to protect you." Twilight said.
"Really?" Spike asked.
"Of course. Nopony's going to lay a hoof on you on my watch. And if they do, they'll regret the day they decided to mess with my family." Twilight said.
"I'm glad I can count on you Twilight." Spike said.
"And I'm glad we met on that faithful day. Receiving my cutie mark was only half of what made that day magical. The other half, was having the honor of hatching you, and calling you my... my friend..." Twilight said.
"*yawn* Good night Twilight." Spike was falling asleep. Twilight's story put Spike to sleep, in a good way.
"Good night Spike." she said.

They both closed their eyes.

"...I love you Twilight." Spike said.
"...and I love you too, Spike." Twilight said.





Flashback concluded.

"Spike is... Spike's my best friend in all of Equestria. I love all of my friends, but Spike, has a special place in my heart, reserved just for him." Twilight said.
"I promise you he's out there. I just know it." Starlight said.
"I know he is. He's brave, and doesn't give up easily." Twilight said.
"So why should you?" Starlight asked.
"I haven't fulfilled by promise to protect him, but that's going to change. I'm going to find him. Oh Spike, wherever you are... I'm going to find you." Twilight said.





And there you have it. Twilight tried to hide her feelings, but all she was really doing was bottling them up.
Who was that mysterious trench coat pony who spoke to Pinkie Pie? What did they mean when they said somepony at Ponyville Hospital might have something shocking to say? You the reader knows where Spike is, so how much longer do you think he could survive? Will Twilight ever find Spike in time? Or will it be too late? Keep reading and find out.
> Chapter 10: Remember Who You Are
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on December 21, 2017





In the last Chapter, we saw to what extent Spike's absence was affecting Twilight Sparkle and friends. So what exactly was going on with Spike you ask? Twilight and friends may not know where he is, but you the reader are fortunate as to be able to see him every other chapter. Last time we saw Spike, he was still being held captive by a mysterious and villainous dragon tamer, whom is referred to as Henry. We saw how worried Twilight was, so how was Spike himself fairing at this time?





Spike was sitting alone in his room as he did. Most of the time he was sitting and waiting for things to happen.

"Oh Dear Celestia, I know you can't hear me but, I'm so lonely. I miss my friends so much. The nights are cold and lonely, it's as if even Princess Luna isn't able to find me using my dreams." he said.
"Oh Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, F-Fluttershy, R-Rarity. I never got to tell Rarity my secret feelings for her. I think she already knows, kind of. But... I never had to opportunity to really tell her how I really feel about her." Spike said.
"In fact, I don't think I've told any of my friends the fullest extent of my feelings."
"And Twilight... I... I miss Twilight, a lot." Spike said.

Just as Spike was feeling sad, he grabbed a gemstone and ate it. He'd been laying on a pile of gems the whole time.

"Mmm. Good thing I have these gems to help drown out all my sorrow. Heck, I can't even remember what I was so upset about a few moments ago." he said, quickly forgetting his woes.

"It's time for you next fight." Henry said walking into the room.
"You got it." Spike said. Yes you read that right, Spike actually said that. He didn't resist like he did before.

Spike had changed since we last saw him. Before, he was defiant, but now, he was starting to slip. Two chapters ago, when he won his first fight against Garble, he was awarded gems for winning. Since then, Spike had become hungry for gems, and the only way to get some more was to win more fights. Spike could not overcome his desire for gems, and so he gave in to Henry's commands.
Spike still wore a shock collar, but Henry rarely used it at this point, as Spike mostly listened to him anyway.

Henry brought Spike to the arena, where he battled other dragons. Spike was a formidable foe, completely mindless and only after gems to satisfy his greed. The Spike we knew was lost. Henry and his two henchponies, Jeff and Sawtooth watched from the sideline as Spike fought other dragons. 

"Wow, Spike's really on a roll now." Jeff commented.
"I never should'a doubted you boss. Leave it to ya to tame any dragon!" Sawtooth said.
"It was easy. The dragon may talk loud, but he was easy to crack. It was only a matter of time." Henry said.

Spike had basically become a fighting machine. The dragons that pounded him before, now barely stood a chance. One match he won using only the one two punch. Another match he showed his opponent dragon the power of fire breath. Each time Spike won, he was awarded gemstones, which served to feed his ever growing hunger for gems. He no longer thought about the immoral nature of fighting, he cared more about satisfying his thirst.

His mind was growing corrupted with greed.

It wasn't just Spike's mind that had changed, his physical appearance also changed. He appeared larger, taller, and more lizard-like. I think you're starting to see what's going on.

After each fight, Spike was put back in captivity, and was given gems for his efforts, which of course fueled his greed.

Henry had this to say after his latest fight.

"I knew you couldn't resist. You stood your ground longer than I expected, but with enough prodding, I knew you'd succumb to your dragon roots." he said.
Spike simply grumbled a bit as he ate his gems.
"Isn't it great to be powerful? This is only the beginning. I have big ambitions, and you're going to fulfill them." Henry said, observing how much Spike had grown in the past few days. Spike again didn't respond as he was more interested in his gems than Henry's words.
"Anyway, keep this up, and Equestria will be ours in no time." Henry said and exited the room, slamming the door behind him.





A few minutes later, Ember entered the room as she usually did, but unbeknownst to either her or Spike, this would be the last time they would meet like this. Ember had her hands behind her back, as if she was holding something...

*gasp* "Spike!" cried Ember. "Oh no. It's so much worse than I thought. This is happening faster than I could have anticipated. I'm too late aren't I?"

As mentioned, Spike appeared very dragon like, not like his usual baby dragon appearance anymore. He wallowed in his gems, greed had gotten the better of him. It started with one punch against Garble, and has only grown into something worse. Spike was about ten times his original size, walked on all fours, and didn't act like his old self. He could speak, but most of the time chose not to, and when he did, his speech was quite crude, and his tone all deep.

"What blue dragon lady doing in Spike's den?" Spike asked, except it didn't sound like Spike at all.

"This is exactly what Henry wants isn't it?" Ember said.
"Is it? You're his accomplice, you tell me." Spike was also getting sassier.
"I am not his accomplice!" Ember argued.
"Sure, that's why you're letting him torture your fellow dragons while you do nothing." Spike said.
"If you're so concerned about the other dragons, why are you allowing yourself to hurt them?!" Ember asked.
"Hey, gems come first." Spike said.
"Dang it Spike! This is exactly what I feared most. Henry's been using gems to turn you into... into a monster!" Ember said.
"Look, I do what that Henry guy says, and I get all these gems. So really, I don't see the downside." Spike said.
"I can't believe you'd say something like that!" Ember said.
"You're Spike the dragon, messenger and friend of the Princess of Friendship, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" she said.
"Twi-light...?" Spike said. Hearing her name seemed to have an effect on Spike.
"You can't ignore your past Spike. Think of your pony friends. Aren't they worried sick about you? What about Rarity? The pony you have a crush on. What about Fluttershy? Pinkie Pie? Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Twilight? Sparkle?" Ember said, hoping that mentioning Spike's friends would be enough to snap his mind back to normal.

Spike's eyes widened, things were looking up, but hope was lost when Spike shook his head.

"Are you gonna eat that gem?" Spike asked, sounding like an older dragon again.

"Didn't you listen to what I just said?!" Ember exclaimed.
"What you're saying sounds familiar-ish, but I really couldn't care enough to try to figure out why. Now why don't you walk back through that door you came in from, and just leave me alone!" Spike demanded.
There was a period of silence where Ember stood speechless.
"So... it is too late... we've lost you." Ember said chocked up.

Spike wasn't just missing, he was lost.

"So can I eat these gems or what?" Spike asked.
"You know what, I'm going to eat this gem, to discipline you! Maybe that'll knock you out of this." Ember said grabbing a gemstone.
Spike hissed. Ember gave back to gem to stop from making a loud noise.
"Fine, take it back, you little jackass." Ember said.
Spike snatched the gem away from Ember and devoured it.
"Okay, this is not good, this is not good at all." she panicked aloud.
"Why blue dragon still in Spike's den?" Spike was growing upset.
"Oh this is really not good." she said.

Ember had to figure out a why to snap Spike back to normal, or risk losing the old Spike forever. She could leave and think of a plan later, but by then it may have been too late. She had to think of something quick. And luckily for her, she had a something behind her back.





"Alright, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice Spike!" Ember said.
"What is blue dragon on about now-" Spike's eyes lit up.

Ember pulled out the Bloodstone Scepter from behind her back, and held it to Spike's face.
"This is sort of a last resort, but it just might work." she thought out loud.
The scepter glowed. It mesmerized Spike, and froze him in place. It's the same scepter from the episode Gauntlet of Fire.
The same scepter that was the prize at the end of the gauntlet. The same scepter, that whoever holds it is Dragon Lord. But why was it here?

"Now listen to me Spike!" Ember said. "You are Spike the dragon. Don't remember what that means? Well take a look!"
Ember used the scepter to mess with Spike's head, and bring up past memories.

Spike's life flashed before him literally. He saw the moment, he emerged from his egg, actually more like the moment he burst out of his egg in a big magic explosion. His early days in Canterlot with Twilight. Moving to Ponyville and meeting his friends. The many hardships, but also the many touching moments.
We remember the past abstractly. You're not going to remember every word in this fanfiction, but what we take away are abstract feelings. Though small details were cloudy in Spike's partially corrupt mind, the abstract feeling of love he used to feel around his friends was breaking through.

"Remember who you are!" Ember's voice echoed within Spike's mind. "Spike the dragon, assistant to the Princess of Friendship, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Finally, Spike's mind cleared and he finally snapped out of it.

"GAH! Ember is that you? Where am I?!" Spike yelled in his normal voice.
"It's me, Ember. But is that you Spike?" Ember asked.
"I don't know, I think I'm me, but I'm all... this." Spike said. "What happened to me?" he asked.
"You've been fighting other dragons to earn gems. Henry's been filling you with greed, and this is exactly what he wants." Ember explained.
"That's terrible. I can't believe I let myself lose control." Spike said.
"Me either, but Henry has a way of manipulating others." Ember said.
"Well what do we do now?" Spike asked.
"We're going to get out of here now! It's too dangerous around here, we gotta escape." Ember said.
"Right now? What about your plan?" Spike asked.
"Err, I haven't practiced it, but I've ran through the idea enough times, it should work." she said.
"That doesn't strike me as confident." Spike said.
"Well we don't have many other choices." Ember admitted.

"Anyway, how we gonna escape if I'm still big? Why am I still big anyway?" Spike was indeed still big. His mind returned to normal, but his body didn't. He even had a gem in his hand without realizing it.
"I don't know. It's as if the scepter only cured half the problem." Ember suggested. The scepter's effect was only partly effective, and actually seemed to be wearing off slowly. They needed a more permanent solution.
"Your mind is back to normal, but not your body. So we're halfway there. We cleared your mind, now we need to clear your heart completely." she said.

"So then how do we do that?" Spike asked.
"I'm not sure. Has this ever happened before?" Ember asked.
"It did once before." Spike answered. "This is just like that time in Ponyville where I got all super greedy and turned into a huge beast and broke a lot of things in Ponyville."
"Yes... yes that's it!" Ember came to a realization.
"This is exactly like that! Henry's been filling you with greed, so he could turn you into a vicious dragon, and use you as weapon to conquer Equestria!" Ember had figured out Henry's evil plan for sure.
"But I don't want to be used as a weapon of mass destruction used to conquer Equestria. I just want to be Spike! And I want to go home! With Twilight, and Rarity, and all my other friends back in Ponyville!" he cried.

He kicked gems out of his way to resist the greed.

"Think, what made you normal again the last time this happened?" Ember asked, hoping for a solution.
"Well, it'd gotten so bad to the point where I had kidnapped Rarity, and it was when I saw the jewel around her neck. That jewel, that I gave to her. She said it was given to her by a true friend, and hearing her say that, brought back fond memories, and reminded me that I I-... that I have strong feelings for Rarity." Spike explained.
"Hmm, alright then, so only a special gem was able to trigger that reaction. And without your friends here, simply thinking about them doesn't seem to be enough." Ember thought out loud.

"When you went on a rampage in Ponyville, only an act of love was able to bring you to normal, I guess that's why the scepter only cleared your mind, it isn't capable of filling you with love." Ember speculated. The scepter didn't quite work all the way, they needed something more... personal.

"Um, I have one idea, but... you probably won't like it." Ember said.
"Whatever it is, doesn't matter, we're desperate." Spike said.
"Well... what if we..." Ember blushed.
"Just say it Ember." Spike demanded.
"What if we... kissed?" Ember said under her breath.
Spike paused for a moment.
"Think about it, an intense emotional response was enough to revert you completely back to normal, so I don't see why it shouldn't work this time." Ember said.
Spike was still silent. He was processing what she was saying.
"You do have a crush on me right?" she asked.
"Uh..." Spike wasn't ready to answer.
"You don't have to answer that now. All that matters is that we make you... you know." she said.
"Alright, if you say so, let's do it." Spike said.

Ember and Spike got into position. Tall Spike had a different... feel from small Spike to say the least.

"Ember? This kiss is purely a means to an end right? It doesn't actually... mean anything?" Spike asked.
Ember paused to think about what to say.
"...This kiss is whatever you want it to be Spike. Whatever it takes. We'll discuss the technicalities later. " she replied.
I can't believe I'm actually about to do this. Ember thought in her mind.





The two puckered their lips and kissed. Gross. Or maybe you're into that kind of thing. Spike enjoyed it quite a bit, he felt very relaxed. The plan was working, his body began to shrink to normal size. Everything was going well, but then the worst thing imaginable happened.

*ZAP*

Spike's shock collar had suddenly activated and began zapping the two. Ember fell back in pain. Spike screamed in agony. Ember turned around and saw Henry and his two hench ponies Jeff and Sawtooth standing at the entrance.

"So this was your big plan? You know, if you wanted to make love to the dragon, you could have just asked." Henry said with snark.
"It's over Henry, you can consider our alliance over!" Ember said.
"You can't double cross me, because I just declared you an enemy. Not to mention, you've just undone all of our hard work." Henry said, observing Spike shrinking to normal size.
"Too bad! I'm busting Spike out of here. I'll be back with reinforcements, and we're going to free the other dragons!" Ember called out.
"Hmm, quite the tall order. You're not going anywhere traitor." Henry threatened.
"Ember? What's he talking about? What does he mean by 'traitor'? What is this alliance you speak of?" Spike asked.
"Nothing! He's talking about nothing!" Ember said.
"What's the matter Ember? Afraid to tell him the full story?" Henry asked.
"Shut up!" Ember exclaimed.
"Afraid to tell him that you're a failure? A failure who surrendered all of her dragons to me?" Henry said.
"What is he talking about Ember?!" Spike demanded answers.
"Nothing! He's lying!" Ember said.
"Am I? Or are you afraid of the truth? Afraid to admit that you've failed?! You failed your dragons." Henry inched forward with his weapons. The moment grew ever tense. Ember had to do something fast.

Without a moment to spare, Ember grabbed Spike, and breathed fire in Henry's way. It was enough distract him, and fly past him and escape the room.

"After them!" Henry yelled. He and Sawtooth ran after, but Jeff trailed slightly slower.
Nevertheless, a chase ensued.
Ember flew through the halls of the complex as fast she could, while carrying little Spike.

"Do you know the layout of these halls!?" Spike asked.
"Too well!" Ember answered.
"Where are we going!?" Spike asked.
"The exit!" Ember responded.
"What about the other dragons!?" Spike asked.
"We'll be back with reinforcements!" Ember answered.
"But we can't jus- *ZAP* GAAHH!" Spike's shock collar activated, Ember still managed to hold onto Spike. She was forced to endure the pain, or else drop Spike.
"Hang... on... Spike! We just need to get out of range!" Ember said in pain.
Spike's shock collar was on full blast, the pain was unbearable, and Ember couldn't get the collar off, no matter how hard she tried. The collar conformed to the diameter of Spike's neck.

As suddenly as it started, the shock collar stopped.

"It stopped!" Spike said.
"We must have gotten out of range of Henry's remote control!" Ember said. "I think the exit is just beyond this turn!" she exclaimed.
"So what exactly happened between you and Henry!?" Spike asked.
"I'll explain everything when we escape, right now we're in a hurry!" Ember said.

Unfortunately, Ember would not be explaining what happened to Spike, as fate had other plans.

"Where are we anyway? What lies beyond these walls!?" Spike asked.
"We're in the middle of-" Ember started to say, but she was unfortunately interrupted.
Henry appeared from behind the corner and slammed them both into the arena which just so happened to be right next to them. The arena was a pit, so they fell downward.

"I have to hand it to you Ember, I admire your efforts, but not enough to let this go unpunished." Henry said looking at them from above.

Jeff and Sawtooth jumped down, each carrying electric spears.

"I never trusted you, you know." Henry said as he jumped down into the pit. "I anticipated your rebellion from a mile away."

Ember did her best to fight off Henry's henchponies, but they didn't play fair. If it was just one opponent, Ember may have been able to take them on, but against two, it wasn't so easy. Ember breathed fire into Jeff, who was hesitant, but she was literally stabbed in the back by Sawtooth's electric spear, he was a lot more blunt. Ember was shocked and fell to the ground.

"Ember nooo!" Spike cried in horror, watching Ember collapse in pain.

Ember tried to get up, but Jeff and Sawtooth chained her up.

"You don't have to do this Jeff!" Ember said.
"I'm sorry Ember, but I have to. The boss' orders come first." Jeff whispered.
"It's not too late, you can-" Ember was interrupted.
"Quit your yappin' dragon! You're our prisoner now." Sawtooth said. He got out his chain and tied up Ember.

Henry walked up to Ember.

"I knew you'd try to pull a stunt like this, which is why I have a special punishment for you." Henry said, as he put a muzzle over Ember's mouth.
"No! Stop this! You can't do this!" Spike cried.
"You'll never get away with this Henry!" Ember cried.
"Oh, but I already have." he said.
"You can't hide forever, Twilight's going to find you eventually, and when she does, you're in for a world of hurt!" Ember exclaimed.
"...Heh, we'll see about that." Henry pulled a gem from his coat pocket, and tried to shove it in Spike's mouth.
"NO! I won't let you! Not again!" Spike pushed the gem away, against the force of Henry, desperately trying not to ingest the gem.
"Eat it!" Henry demanded.
"NO!" Spike resisted.
"Stop this now!" Ember called out trying to move, but she was tied up.

Henry struck Spike in the head, knocking him to the ground. While Spike was down, Henry shoved the gem into his mouth.

"Mmm, delicious." Spike's pupils dilated and appeared more lizard-like again.
"Spike no!" Ember cried, as that's all she could do as she watched greed fill Spike yet again.
"Quit yelling blue dragon." Spike said. It was too late. Greed had consumed his mind already again.

Henry dragged Spike to his room, while Jeff and Sawtooth dragged Ember towards a dark room in the compound.
"Spike! Don't succumb to greed again! Remember Henry's plan! You don't want to be a weapon! Don't forget who you are! Don't forget about Twilight! Spike! Spiiiiiiike!" Ember yelled, until a metal door slammed, and her voice cut off abruptly.





Things were looking very grim at this moment. The Spike we all know and love was lost under a cloud of greed. Henry had so far successfully used greed to control Spike. Ember's sacrifice was seemingly in vain. She had been captured, only to have Spike be controlled anyway. With all the other dragons in captivity, and with all the ponies unaware of Spike's location, had Henry won? Would his terrible plan to turn Spike into a giant dragon and conquer Equestria succeed?! What's going to happen to Ember now that she's captured?

Will Twilight ever find Spike? Finding Spike certainly won't be easy, there were hardly any clues as to his whereabouts. It's going to take some expert detective pony skills to find Spike. And who was the pony with the expert detective skills up to the task? Find out in Chapter 11.
> Chapter 11: Pinkie Investigates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on January 8, 2018





It had been several weeks since Spike's disappearance. This chapter takes place one day after the events of Chapter 9. Without Spike, Twilight was in shambles, and her friends grew worried. They wanted to help, but they had done all they could. Or rather I should say, they've done almost all they could do. A certain Pink pony wasn't ready to give up, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. How were Twilight's friends doing since their conversation yesterday?





Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all having lunch at the Ponyville Café. Twilight and Starlight were in the castle, and Pinkie Pie... well we'll get to her.

"I just feel terrible, we've done everything we could, but after searching most every inch of Equestria, nothing. And now Twilight's more heartbroken than ever." Rarity said.
"I know right? This sucks, I've never felt so helpless before. I wish I could just fly to wherever Spike is and bring him back home where he belongs." said Rainbow Dash.

No pony wanted to admit defeat, or give up, but the odds were stacked against them.

"You've been quiet sugarcube, anything on your mind?" Applejack asked Fluttershy.
"My biggest worry, is that if Twilight remains in isolation for too long, what that can do to her psyche. If she continues to mope in her room alone, I fear after enough time she may fall into a spiral of depression..." Fluttershy said.
"Wow Fluttershy, way to be a downer." Rainbow Dash said.
"I'm sure it won't get to that point darling." Rarity said.
"Maybe not, but I'm still concerned." Fluttershy said.
"When did you become a negative nancy? Where's Pinkie to lighten the mood?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"I think she mentioned something about helping out ponies in the hospital. She said something about wanting to help any pony she could, as she didn't feel helpful around Twilight." Applejack said.





And that brings us to Ponyville Hospital, where Pinkie Pie was indeed there helping out. She had walked up to the clerk's desk, and asked what she could do to help. The clerk told her she could hand out flowers to help cheer up the sick and injured ponies. The clerk pointed Pinkie in the direction of the rooms, and she went on her way.
Pinkie was standing in the hall, about to enter the rooms and cheer up ponies, but was having second thoughts.

Okay, here we go. Should I be cheery and over the roof? Or is that not appropriate? Twilight didn't seem to appreciate my energy, so why would these patients? Maybe this wasn't a good idea. I took that stranger's advice yesterday, but now I'm not so sure what to do.

"What's the hold up? Why are you standing there?" asked a doctor who was passing by.

Alright Pinkie, you can do this. You gotta believe in yourself. Keep it lively, but not too over the top. she thought.

Finally, Pinkie worked up the confidence to enter the room.

"Hey every pony, it's your neighborhood party planner Pinkie Pie!" she said.
"And while I am known for parties, I'm here just to put smiles on your faces with smaller, not so loud acts of kindness, like handing out flowers." Pinkie said.

Pinkie surveyed the room. There were three patients in this particular room. She walked up to the first patient on the right.

"What do we have here? A case of the pony pox? I remember when Apple Bloom had the most severe case of pony pox I'd ever seen. You look to be in better shape than she was, and I hope you get well soon." Pinkie said. She put a flower on the desk next to the patient.

The patient couldn't speak, but they nodded and smiled.

Pinkie walked to next patient, a pony who looked sick to the stomach.

"Oh what's this? Looks like some pony's eaten baked bads, been there done that. Least fun experience involving sweets I've ever had. Here's a token of my good will, and I hope you recover soon." Pinkie sat the flower on the patient's lap.
The patient tried to speak, but Pinkie insisted they not as to not strain their voice.

Finally was the last, and most perplexing of the patients in the room.

"And here we have... huh? What do we have here? I don't recognize this. This pony is completely frozen! But without ice!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
"Excuse me Nurse, what's going on here?" asked Pinkie the nurse in the room.
"This? Oh this. It is unusual indeed, what we have here is the most severe (and first actually) case of paralysis." the Nurse explained.
"Tell me nurse about this Paralysisasisasisasis." Pinkie asked.
"It's like, imagine not being able to move your body. It can happen after being affected by a huge surge of electricity." the nurse explained.
"Hmm, electricity. That is pretty shocking... Shocking, that's what the stranger told me yesterday. Is this what they were talking about? Pinkie thought.
"How long has the patient been here?" she asked.
"I forget the exact amount of time, but I believe he came in the day after you planned that big party for the baby Ponyville." the nurse said.
"The day after Baby Moon Beam's party? Hmm, *GASP* Spike went missing the day after Moon Beam's party! Coinkydink!? It seems unlikely, but it's a lead, and we haven't had any lead until now. Something tells me this pony knows something important." Pinkie said.

"Whatever you say, but looks like he won't be speaking anytime soon." the nurse said.
"Darn. So tell me nurse, do you know what caused this?" Pinkie asked.
"We don't know exactly, all I know is that this is how paramedics found him after the train derailing incident." the nurse said.
"Interesting, hmm, wait... WHAT TRAIN DERAILING?!" Pinkie asked.

"You didn't hear? The night of the party, the Friendship Express derailed late at night on its way to Ponyville for docking. The incident injured the few ponies who were on board, but thankfully no lives were lost." The nurse said.
"I'm mostly surprised that the train derailed and nopony told any of us! Was this talked about at all?" Pinkie asked.
"It was in the foal free press." The nurse held up the newspaper with the exact article. "But I guess the story was overshadowed by the disappearance of Spike the Dragon." the nurse flipped to the front page, with the headline; Spike the Brave and Glorious, Gone Missing.
"How does an entire train derail anyway?" Pinkie asked.
"They didn't say any details, other than it was an accident." The nurse said.
"Who is they?" Pinkie asked.
"...No comment." the nurse closed her lips quickly.





"Alrighty then, so what do we have in front of us? A pony who was paralyzed in a train accident that happened on the same night Spike went missing. We don't know how the train derailed, or how this pony here was paralyzed, or how Spike fits into this if at all." Pinkie pondered. "GAH! So many questions! This looks like a job for Detective Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkie pulled out her detective hat and put it on her head. She then pulled out her pipe and put it in her mouth, and blew bubbles. All in the name of unleashing Detective Pinkie Pie. Equestria's Greatest Detective.

Pinkie paced back and forth.

"Let's do some deep thinking. Spike just might have been involved in this incident, and that pony is the only one I know who definitely saw it. Did Spike attack the train? What did the pony see?!" she thought out loud.
"But without his eyewitness account, my ideas have no evidence to back them up! Oh, if only you could talk. The things you could tell me." she said.

Pinkie was thinking of solutions, when she got an idea.

"Maybe he can! A little medicine always cured something to an extent. I'm no expert on medicine, but I know a Zebra who is. Leave the detective work to me, and the healing to her." Pinkie said.

Pinkie zoomed out of the hospital, and returned soon thereafter with an elixir.





"Alright so normally I would've have shared my conversation with Zecora, but I handled everything behind the scenes. All you need to know is that she gave me this elixir that she said will cure this pony's paralysis. She said "If this pony has, what you seek, a dash of my brew, will make him speak." I know that this seems anti-climactic, and you're probably already typing up a review saying "You introduced a mystery just to solve moments later? There's no build up!" Well first off, thank you for the feedback, and second, this is only a small piece of the puzzle. I'm on a mission to solve the big mystery of Spike's location. I thought I'd just cut to the important details. Sometimes if you have a lot of ideas, it pays to streamline them." Pinkie said.

"Who are you talking to?" the nurse asked.
"Nobody. I'm just thinking out loud." Pinkie said.





"Zecora gave me this medicine which is supposed to cure the paralysis." Pinkie said.
"I'm not sure how I feel about you using experimental medicine on my patients." the nurse said.
"What did you say? I was too busy feeding this medicine into his snout." Pinkie said. She had already poured the medicine down the pony's snout.
"This had better work, otherwise you'll be hearing from my lawyer." the nurse said.
"It's got to work." Pinkie said.

The elixir didn't seem to do anything at first, but then the pony started to twitch. Then got up in a pinch.

"AAHH! I'm sorry I just wanted to help sir!" the pony sat up and screamed.
"Wait, this isn't the railway, this is a hospital. How long have I been-?" he asked.
"You've been in a coma like state for a few weeks! And we just cured your paralysis. Now get talking!" Pinkie demanded.
"What was the last thing you remember seeing being blacking out!?" she asked.
"Woah, slow down, I just woke up." the pony said.
"Fine, let's take things slow. I'm Pinkie Pie, and you've been frozen for a while, and I'm very curious as to what happened to you before you blacked out." Pinkie said.
"Well, I'm the Conductor of the Friendship Express. And if you're curious, I suppose I can tell you what I saw while it's fresh on my mind." the Conductor began to explain.





The Conductor narrated his flashback of the night Spike disappeared.

"Me and the other ponies in charge of operating the Friendship Express were on the train. We had departed from the Crystal Empire and were bound for Ponyville to dock the train for the night. We were about halfway there, when..." His voice tailed off.
"When what?" Pinkie asked getting closer and widening her eyes.
"And..." he gulped. "Disaster..."

Everything was going well, when all of the sudden there was a massive collision at the front of the train. Every pony in the cabins flew forward, and then sideways as the train fell of its rails and landed on its side. It landed on its side, and made a deafening sound of metal screeching against the ground. The train came to a screeching halt. As quickly as it happened, things went quiet.

All the ponies were in the dark, and injured. Most couldn't get up, and even fewer had any idea what to do. The Conductor was miraculously fine, he was in the front cabin. He used an emergency exit on the ceiling to get out of the train. He made his way outside to investigate what they could have possibly hit.
He trotted to the front of the train, and just ahead of him, he saw exactly what hit the train. He wished he could forget what he saw.

"What did you see? What hit the train?" Pinkie asked.
"What I saw, it was, *gulp* some sort of carriage, but not an ordinary horse drawn carriage, some kind of horseless carriage, made of metal." The Conductor answered. "It was huge, about half the size of a train cabin, had wheels made of rubber, and these bright spotlights at the front. There were three ponies standing next to the machine." he said.

"I approached the carriage, and then..." he explained.

The Conductor was gripped by a powerful magic force. The eyes of the largest of the ponies lit up, and stared into his soul.

"What are you doing? Stop this! AAAHH!" the Conductor screamed. And then his world went blank.

"I felt a huge sensation of pain throughout my whole body, and that was the last thing I remembered before everything went blank. And the next thing I knew, I was here woken up by you, which brings us to now." he said.





The flashback concluded.

Pinkie thought deep about the story.

"So... the night Spike vanished, a horseless carriage made of metal crashed into the Friendship Express? What has that got to do with Spike?" Pinkie asked. "You didn't see Spike there did you?"
"I didn't see Spike, but maybe he was inside the horseless carriage. It must've been heading opposite way we were if it crashed head on." the Conductor suggested.

"Right, if it collided head on, and you were heading to Ponyville, then the horseless carriage was going the opposite direction, meaning they came from Ponyville and headed somewhere North." Pinkie said.

"Are you still hurt?" Pinkie asked.
"A little, but I'll recover, thanks to you." the conductor thanked.

"You're welcome. And thank you very much for your insight Mr. Conductor Pony. Any evidence is valuable evidence." Pinkie said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a baby dragon to find!"
"Good luck on your search Pinkie Pie." the conductor said.





Pinkie Pie wasted no time assembling the evidence. She theory crafted in her secret party planning room. She had a giant map of Equestria on her wall, with all the areas the ponies had searched for Spike crossed out with red marker, and thumbtacks embedded in the map. Pinkie was using her new knowledge to try to figure out where Spike could be.

"Assuming there really was a so called horseless carriage that collided with the train but survived, and assuming Spike was inside said carriage, then it leaves reason to believe that Spike was taken by whoever the driver of the metal horseless carriage. Metal horseless carriage, metal horseless carriage, gee that's a mouthful. I should shorten it. Horseless carriage? Carriage? Ca-ca-... car? Sure we'll go with that car." she said.

"The train was heading South to Ponyville when it collided with the car, meaning the car was doing the opposite. It was departing from Ponyville after kidnapping Spike, and heading North." she said. "So we can safely assume that Spike is North of this latitude." She drew a latitude line in her map.

"Hmm, but we already searched North, but maybe we didn't search far enough North." she thought.

Pinkie looked at her map.

"The furthest point North we searched for Spike was the Crystal Empire, however, that isn't the Northernmost point in Equestria." Pinkie looked beyond the Crystal Empire.

"Could Spike, be hidden... in the-" Pinkie's thought was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.
"It's the mail! What kind of mail have we got today?"

Pinkie went outside, and met with Derpy who was delivering the mail.
"Thanks." she said.
Derpy gave a wave and a smiled and flew off.

"What do we have here? It's a letter from the Yaks!" she said.
Pinkie read the letter in her best Yak impression. "Dear Pink Pony, Yaks receive letter written by pink pony asking of purple dragon."

"Wait a second, I never wrote a letter to the Yaks! So what gives? Is there an identity thief sending letters under my name? Eh. I'll worry about it later." Pinkie said.

She kept reading the letter in Yak impression.

"Yaks no see purple dragon in snow, however, Yaks do find mysterious tracks in snow. Tracks not made by Yaks, or ponies, or dragons. Not sure if related to purple dragon, but Yaks thought Pink Pony be interested." -The Yaks.

Included was a photo of the tracks in question. Pinkie took one look at the photo and gasped.

"These tracks look like they were made by something traveling on rubber wheels! They match exactly with the Conductor's description of the metal horseless carriage car thingy!" she exclaimed.
"The Yaks sure are smart, they apparently have photography, and even wrote the coordinates, and which way North is relative to the angle the photo was taken."
"But how can I be sure about the validity of all of this? The Yaks' letter and photo look legit, but the fact that I never wrote them a letter makes this very strange." she said. "Let's just see how this fits into the puzzle before I cross this off.





Pinkie ran back to her investigation room, and placed the photograph on her map where the coordinates said it was taken.

"If we follow the coordinates, that would mean the photo was taken here. If North is that way, then the tracks were heading East, this way." Pinkie drew a line on her map.

"If Spike was kidnapped by somepony driving a metal horseless carriage car heading North of the Crystal Empire but East of Yakyakistan, then all this evidence paints an picture pointing..."

Pinkie drew an arrow on her map. She then drew a circle that the arrow pointed to.
She started at the map for a moment.

*GASP* "Oh my gosh!"

Pinkie had figured it out.

"TWILIGHT! I KNOW WHERE SPIKE IS!" Pinkie ran out of Sugercube Corner with the news, yelling and screaming through Ponyville. She ran strait for Twilight's castle to deliver the news.





"Twilight! I-" Pinkie busted through the doors of Twilight's castle, where Applejack immediately put her hoof in Pinkie's mouth. The other members of the mane 6 were in the castle too.

"Hold on there sugarcube. What's got you more riled up than a dog at a barking convention?" Applejack asked.
"I have important information I have to relay to Twilight." Pinkie said.
"I'm not if now's a good time darling." Rarity said.
"But this is important!" Pinkie said.

"Oh hey girls." Twilight and Starlight walked into the room. Twilight greed her friends. "Didn't know you were here. And Pinkie, sorry for yesterday." she apologized.

"I forgive you. How are you feeling yourself Twilight?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm good. After some much needed rest, my mind is in a much better place. I've developed a newfound motivation for searching for Spike. I'm willing to turn over every stone until I find him." Twilight said.
"Funny you should mention Spike, that's just the reason I'm here." Pinkie said. "I have some startling information to tell you."
"You do?" Twilight wasn't expecting Pinkie to have information.

"You girls aren't going to believe this." Pinkie said.
"We aren't going to believe?" Starlight asked.
"Uh, I mean, I hope you believe, because I got big news." Pinkie said.
"Whatever it is just say it!" Rainbow Dash said.

Pinkie took a deep breath, and spoke.

"I think I might know where Spike is." Pinkie said.
Everypony was silent.
"You do?" Twilight asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I mean, I don't know for sure, I haven't looked there myself, but I did some detective work of my own, and I have some compelling evidence!" Pinkie said.
"Are you sure about this darling?" Rarity asked.
"When have I been wrong?" Pinkie asked.
"Where do I start?" Rainbow Dash started.
"Okay so some of my first assumptions aren't always on point, but when the detective hat comes on, it's serious time." Pinkie said
"Watch out guys, Pinkie's serious." Rainbow threw her hooves up and said sarcastically.
"Really I mean it this time. I have evidence, I can prove it!" Pinkie reached over and pulled map of Equestria, she presented it to her friends.

"As you can see, these are all the locations we searched for Spike. We've searched almost everywhere, except for..." Pinkie pointed furiously to the Northern section of the map.
The mountains North of the Crystal Empire were circled in red marker, and a picture of Spike was pinned in the middle.

"I believe Spike was taken North, beyond the Crystal Empire. He's hidden somewhere in the snowy region of Frozen North." Pinkie Pie said.

Every pony was silent.

"I can see you're all silent with awe. Allow me to explain myself." Pinkie took a deep breath before beginning her lengthy explanation.

"Here's what happened; Something broke in and entered your castle and stole Spike right from under your snout! They stuffed him in some kind of horseless carriage, and drove North. On the way, they collided with the Friendship Express, causing it to derail. The carriage was unharmed, which is remarkable, and scary. They paralyzed a pony who I met at the hospital, and they continued to drive. Normally that'd be it, but my friends the Yaks found, THIS!" Pinkie pointed to the picture of the tracks. "Tracks that match the Conductor's description of what he saw. The truth is obvious. Spike was kidnapped and taken to some secret facility in the Frozen North!" Pinkie exclaimed.

She and the other ponies looked at her map, and read the notes she'd written. After a couple of minutes, all the ponies in the room were up to speed.

"Twilight? Twilight?" Pinkie asked, but Twilight stood silent.
"I'm impressed with your detective work. It's just, it's..." Twilight didn't know what to say.
"It's an interesting theory sugarcube, but, I just don't know about it." Applejack said.
"It's more than a theory, this is strong evidence pointing towards Spike's possible location!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"I want to believe you Pinkie, but you might be in over your head this time." Rainbow Dash said.
"Nonsense! If you want more proof, then let's go to this super secret location. Even if there's nothing there, it's one location we haven't looked yet, and that has to be worth something." Pinkie said.
"I mean, what are the odds an entire train derailed and none of us noticed?" Applejack asked.
"News can fly under the radar." Pinkie said.
"How long did it take from start of investigation to now?" Rarity asked.
"Just today." Pinkie answered.
"I think this is too soon. You've only just started your investigation, and here you are with an audacious theory." Rarity said.
"I'm serious about this! I have evidence! E-v-e-d-e-n-s-e!" Pinkie was so serious she spelled evidence wrong.
"I've never heard Pinkie talk so seriously and so strait. And when Pinkie Pie is actually serious, you know it's serious." Fluttershy said.

"I think what everypony's trying to say is, is that this is a lot to take in at once." Starlight said.
"What I was going to say, was that I have to admit it, but your evidence is... compelling. Spike didn't run away, he was taken, and based on this evidence, that's where he was taken." Twilight said. "For weeks there's been no trace, and now to have a solid lead, it feels, I don't know how it feels."
"See, I knew all my detective work would lead to a breakthrough." Pinkie said.
"Why would Spike be taken that far North?" Fluttershy asked.
"It makes sense actually. It's the perfectly place to hide a dragon. He could be hidden in some bunker or compound, where it's mildly warm inside. If a dragon were to escape, they wouldn't make it far in the blistering cold.

"So even if you've potentially figured out where Spike is, the question remains; who took Spike?" Rarity asked the dreaded question.

There was another period of silence, that was soon interrupted.

*knock knock*
Somepony was knocking on the door..

"There's somebody at the door." Applejack said.
"Don't answer it Twilight. Or at least if you do, hide the evidence Pinkie. I have a bad feeling that somepony's on to us." Fluttershy said.
"Oh relax. I'm sure there's nopony dangerous at the door." Twilight said trotting to the door.

Twilight opened the door, and there were two ponies at the doorway.

"Hello Twilight." said the pony.
"Do I know you?" Twilight asked.
"Remember? That Pink pony planned a party for our daughter." the other pony responded.
"Oh, I remember you now. We were at your daughter's party at the beginning of this story." Twilight said.
"I honestly forgot all about you." Applejack said.
"Wow Applejack, I get your thing is honesty, but that was kind of rude." Rainbow Dash said.
"Mr. and Mrs. Beam correct? You were rude to Spike that day, even before the accident." Twilight said.
"And we're deeply sorry." Mr. Beam apologized.
"We have our reasons for being bias, but that doesn't make it okay." Mrs. Beam said.
"What reasons?" Twilight asked.

"More on that later, but we're here about your lost dragon." Mr. Beam said.
"What's it to you?" Twilight asked.
"We have some important information we think you'd be... interested in hearing." Mr. Beam said.

"We don't need your insider info! I already figured out roughly where Spike could be." Pinkie said. "He's very likely based on our evidence around this red circle North of the Crystal Empire. Take a look."
The two looked at Pinkie's map.
"This is really convincing, but do you know who took Spike?" Mr. Beam asked.
"All I know is that there was a metal horseless carriage (or car for short), based on these trails an eyewitness testimony. As for who or what was driving the car, we can only guess." Twilight said.
"Well we think we might know, who took Spike." Mrs. Beam said.
"Who?" Twilight asked.
"The pony who stole your dragon is..."
"Is who!?" Twilight asked.
"Our son..." they said simultaneously.
"WHAATT!?" Every pony exclaimed.
Pinkie drank a glass of water, just to do a spit take.
"WHAAATT!?" Pinkie screamed and spat in Starlight's face.





Wait... what?! Things just got weird. These characters we saw in just the first chapter aren't one offs? How can this be? Their daughter was little baby Moon Beam, but their son... took Spike? It's all very strange indeed. Tune in next chapter where the story continues. Who's perspective next chapter? Find out later. You won't want to miss it.





Apologies if this chapter is on the longer side, but there is a lot of information to get through.

Also, my other fics aren't abandoned, they're just taking more time than this fic, but they are coming.

Have a nice day.
> Chapter 12: Some Back Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on January 25, 2018





It was a typical day at the dragon lands. Princess, I mean, Dragon Lord Ember was basking in the glory of being the newest, and youngest Dragon Lord. She had all the dragons beneath her knees, and at her bidding. Being Dragon Lord should have been easy. Dragons are mostly loners, they don't require maintenance, or guidance, just the occasional scolding to put them in place. That is what Dragon Lord Ember thought, but there are some things... you just can't prepare for.





"Ah, this is the life. Becoming Dragon Lord is the best thing that's happened to me." Ember said to herself. She sat on her throne like the royalty she was.
"I make the rules, and I call the shots!" she said triumphantly.

Yep, she was enjoying the life.

As dragon lord, she didn't have many responsibilities, however, she did find herself answering some questions from time to time.

"Uh Ember? Where do you want this rock?" Vex came into her throne room and asked her.
"Put it rest rest of the rocks. Duh." Ember said.
"Oh, I probably could have figured that out." Vex said.
"You don't say?!" Ember said.

Vex flew off to do other dragon duties.

"Any more questions? No? Can I relax now...? Good." Ember leaned back and relaxed, basking in the glory of being dragon lord. That didn't last long until she was interrupted yet again.

"Dragon Lord Ember!" Clump and Fume flew towards Ember. They looked very worried, and were basically panicking.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Ember asked, expressing genuine concern.
"Garble's gone missing!" they exclaimed.
"He what!?" Ember raised her voice.
"We were out hunting with him when he wandered off, and then we heard a loud noise, and saw a flash of light. We went to look for him and then couldn't find him!" Fume explained.
"Well then go back and find him!" Ember demanded.
"Why? Because he's your friend?" Clump asked mockingly.
"What? No! Because he owes me a foot rub! Besides, no dragon is going to slack off on my watch! Now go and find him!" Ember said.
"Right away your dragon lord-ship." they said.

With her command, Clump and Fume flew off to look for Garble.





A few days passed, but neither Clump or Fume ever came back.

Ember was taking a walk through the dragon lands, searching herself for Clump and Fume.

"Ugh. Where are those slackers?" she asked herself.

In fact, the rest of the dragon lands was beginning to feel a lot more... quiet.
Ember surveyed her land. There were very few dragons around. Even during non-migration periods, it was usually populated by plenty of dragons. Right now however, there were very few dragons, quite an alarming sight.

"What if something bad actually happened to them?" Ember wondered to herself. "Where are all my dragons going? Either everyone decided to ditch at once, or something bad's happening."

"What do I do? I'm the leader, I should know what to do, but I'm not so sure right now." she said to herself.

"Lord Ember!" Fizzle called out. He flew to Ember's side.
"What is it?" she asked.
"They're coming!" he alerted.
"Who's coming?" Ember asked.
"Them." Fizzle pointed over yonder.

Ember could see a tower of smoke in the distance, and something heading their way. She had a very bad feeling about what was coming, but wasn't ready to step down from any threat.
Ember, and what few dragons still remained by her side were ready for anything (but really they weren't).

What they saw stunned all of them.

It was an armored car, and it was driving into the heart of the dragon lands. The dragons watched as it came in closer. It rolled up to, and parked only about a dozen meters from Ember.

The dragons weren't sure what to do. Was it was worth attacking now? Or should they wait to see what could be inside the vehicle?

Finally after some tense moments, two doors on opposite sides of the car opened, and two ponies stepped out of the vehicle, one marginally larger than the other, and both wearing fireproof body armor and masks. They had heavy gear attached to them.

"May I help you pony?" Ember asked the mystery ponies.
"Yes you can. I'm conducting a little experiment, and I require that you and your dragons all surrender this instant." the pony said.
The dragons laughed at the idea. Surrender? No way!
"Just who do you think you are?" Ember asked.
"Pardon my manners, allow me to introduce myself. They call me Henry, and this is my second in command Jeffery. You may consider us researchers of sorts. Now then, if you would, surrender at once." Henry said.
"Why should we!?" Ember asked.
"You wouldn't want to end up like your other dragons now would you?" Henry said.
*gasp* "What have you done with Garble and the others!?" Ember asked startled.
"If you go down easy, you can find out sooner than later." Henry said.

"Pfft. You make big talk, but you're just a pony. What could you possibly do to harm us!?" Ember asked.
"If you refuse my orders, I'll show you first hand." Henry said.

"I'll give you the count of three to surrender." he said.

"What do we do Ember?" asked Vex.
"I don't know yet." Ember said.
"How do you not know? You're the leader!" Vex said.

"One..." Henry counted down. 

"You're not actually afraid of this pony? We're dragons. We're tougher as nails, ain't no pony knock us down!" said Billy.

"Two..." Ember and the other dragons were getting in fighting positions.

"Alright dragons. Get ready for the fight of your lives." Ember said.
"That's what I like to hear!" Fizzle said.

"Three!" Henry called out.





At that, Henry and the dragons engaged in combat.

Vex lunged forward, when Henry pulled out his weapon of choice. He fired an electric harpoon directly into Vex. It electrocuted him, tied him up, and brought him crashing to the ground.

Every dragon gazed in shock and horror.

"Don't hold back! Keep going!" Ember commanded. She commanded her dragons while she stood a safe distance away.

Fizzle flew up to try to breath fire onto Henry. Partly thanks to his armor, Henry resisted the flames long enough for Jeff to fire a harpoon into Fizzle, which electrocuted him, and brought him to the ground.

Snake flew up and tried to claw Henry. He dodged it, lunged forward and kicked Snake in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

Whip snuck up from behind, and tried to knock over the car with his massive tail. Henry spotted him, grabbed him by the tail and flung him up and over, slamming him onto the ground.

Prominence flew after Jeff, but Henry pressed a button on his remote control, which detonated a net that launched from the side of the car, trapping and electrocuting her.

"No!" Ember cried out, watching her dragons fall one by one.

Billy breathed fire from distance, it was ineffective against Henry and Jeff's armor.
Henry fired a harpoon, but Billy was far enough away to dodge it.

"So they're fighting smarter, but not smart enough." Henry said to himself.
Henry pressed a button on his remote.
"Sawtooth, it's time. Deploy it now!" Henry ordered through his walkietalkie.
"Roger that sir." Sawtooth said.

With Henry's command, Sawtooth piloted a flying machine with a giant propeller (some of you may know them as 'helicopters'). It flew up from behind the hill, and hovered overhead.

The helicopter looked menacing, so the dragons regrouped around Ember to strategize.

"What is that thing?" asked Ballista.
"I don't know what that flying machine is, but I know that I don't like it!" Ember said.
"Should we attack it?" Barry asked.
Ember thought about what to do next. Their plan (or lack there of), wasn't working.
"Here's what we're going to do. Half of you attack their air machine, the other half attack the land vehicle!" Ember commanded.
"Whatever you say!" Baff said.

The few dragons remaining swarmed, covering half and half like Ember said.

The first swarm of dragons flew towards the helicopter to attack. They attempted to breath fire on the helicopter, but it was ineffective. Sawtooth dropped a net on the dragons, trapping most of them. He then pressed a button in the cockpit that electrified the dragons entangled in the net.

Henry and Jeff continued to fire harpoons into the dragons that swarmed on the ground. None of them stood a chance.

Henry twisted Viverno's neck, and threw him onto the ground. And just like that, Ember's army of dragons were reduced to a bunch of broken spirits. There were no remaining dragons in the immediate vicinity that were able to fight.

"It's over Lord Ember. Your army's defeated." Henry said. "Do you surrender now?"

There was one last hope. Ember wielded the Bloodstone Scepter, as a last resort. She pulled it out and used its powers to try to zap Henry.

"Fighting with magic huh? Two can play at that game." Henry pressed a button on his remote, which activated an antenna that retracted from the top of the vehicle. Ember zapped the car, but the antenna acted like a sort of lightning rod, and absorbed the blast.
"What the?!" Ember wasn't prepared for this.
The rod charged up, and fired back the energy directly at Ember. It hit her square in the chest, and she to the ground.

Ember looked upon her dragon subjects, as she and they were tortured and brought down. They were no match for Henry's advance technology. Maybe they could keep fighting, but Ember couldn't stand to watch her subjects be pulverized any further.

"So, what's it going to be?" Henry asked.
"I... I surrender." Ember said.
"Excellent." Henry said.
"Jeff, Sawtooth, round up the dragons. They're going on a little trip." Henry said.

Jeff tied up all the downed dragons, and rounded them in one place, where Sawtooth hoisted away to Henry's secret location.

"You're coming alone too. You'll be our official ambassador for dragon and pony communication needs." Henry walked up to Ember and handcuffed her.
"Very well, I will do as you wish." Ember conceded defeat.
"Excellent choice." Henry said.

And just like that, Ember agreed to let Henry take her dragons away to his lair, and to join Henry by his side in his efforts.





The events you just read were all Ember's flashback. These were events that took place even before Spike was captured. And so that brings us to the current events.
To recap, last time we saw Ember in Chapter 10, she had double crossed Henry and tried to escape with Spike, but her plan didn't work, and she was captured. Being Henry's ambassador didn't work out as she planned. She had hoped that even after surrendering, she could find a weakness or a way to exploit Henry, and save her dragons, but things don't always go according to plan.

Now, after being captured, she sat in a chair, tied up and muzzled in a dark room, waiting for whatever punishment Henry had in store. Waiting gave her time to reflect on things, hence the really long flashback.

Finally, Henry entered the room.

"It's time." he said.
"Do your worst." Ember said.

Henry pushed Ember on the swivel chair through the facility's prison hall, where all the dragons were held captive in cells. He wanted to humiliate Ember before the next phase of his punishment.

Ember looked to her side, and saw to what extent the dragons were being treated. She saw all the dragons were muzzled, behind bars, and their wings were tied up. It was truly horrific sight to behold.

Dragons in captivity included Garble, Fume, Clump, Vex, Fizzle, Crackle, Snake, Whip, Billy, Baff, Rex, Prominence, and more.

"Look everyone, it's Dragon Lord Ember!" Garble said mockingly.

There was a huge uproar of hate and disapproval coming from the dragons. The dragons roared with disgust.

"You suck!"
"You betrayed us!"
"You sided with the enemy!"
"How could you let this happen?"

How could I just let this happen indeed? Ember thought with deep regret.
It was at that moment swiveling through the hall that her mistakes stared her directly in the face. She let all the dragons down big time.

Finally, they made it to the end of the passageway, where they entered a door into another room.

"Double crossing your dragons was your first mistake. Double crossing me was your next mistake." Henry said.
Ember didn't say anything.
"Being leader is a hard job. How does it feel to have to have completely failed?" he asked.
Ember didn't answer.
"Don't worry about it. You weren't a total failure. After all, you did give me the excellent idea to capture Spike the Dragon." Henry said.
Ember's eyes widened, she had forgotten that at some point, she had mentioned Spike, and where he was to Henry.

"And he's become quite the fighting machine I must admit." he said.

"You're not going to get away with this you." Ember threatened. "Twilight Sparkle's going to find this place, and she's going to save Spike, and all the dragons, and kick your sorry flank into oblivion!" Ember exclaimed.
"Even if Twilight did find this place, I don't think she'd like what she would find." Henry said as he attached an apparatus to Ember's head.

Henry exited the room.

"Now then, any last words?" he asked through an intercom.
"I hope you rot in Tartarus." Ember said.
"Not a chance." Henry pulled a lever, and sparks flew, so to speak.

"Finally we'll get some good use out of her." he said.





Later, Henry went to check on Jeff, who was doing maintenance on the car.

"How are repairs on the vehicle?" Henry asked.
"They're going as routine." Jeff said.
"I can't believe you actually crashed into that train." Henry said.
"Well the rail way is built directly on the fastest route from Ponyville, a passage cutting through the Crystal Mountains, leading to our secret location here in Frozen North." Jeff explained.
"Still doesn't change the fact you collided with a train and almost derailed our entire plan. How shortsighted. You're lucky I didn't fire you right then and there." Henry scolded.
"Sorry boss. I promise to make it up to you." Jeff apologized.
"For your sake, you better." Henry said.

"Also, I've been wondering, why did you build the gas station outside of the compound?" Henry asked. "It's a pain to have to go out in the freezing cold just to fill the gas tank."
"But boss, keeping a large deposit of gasoline in this building full of fire breathing dragons is just asking for disaster." Jeff answered.
"That actually makes a lot of sense. I didn't think about it that way." Henry said.

Jeff continued to repair the car. The same car that was used to invade the dragons lands, and used to capture Spike. It was damaged after Jeff (who was the pony driving on that fateful night), crashed it into the Friendship Express, exactly as Pinkie predicted.

"Boss, do you ever think about...?" Jeff started a question.
"Think about what?" Henry asked.
"What your life was like, before you started to pursue dragon hunting?" Jeff asked.
"Never. Not for a second. I made the right decision by leaving those back stabbing ponies behind." Henry said.
"I see.." Jeff softly replied.
"Do you think about your pathetic little life before you were fortunate enough to run into me?" Henry asked.
"I try not to." Jeff said.
"And you shouldn't. We're so close to achieving great power. Don't let the opportunity pass you by." Henry said.
"Understood boss." Jeff said.

"What's Sawtooth up to at the moment?" Henry asked.
"He's having lunch. He's eating spaghetti again." Jeff answered.
"Lazy brute he is." Henry said.
"I know. And he never shares!" Jeff complained.

"Well, it's no big deal. Everything is going just as I planned. At this rate, nopony can stop us, not even Twilight Sparkle." Henry said.

"Why aren't you worried about Twilight?" Jeff asked. "What if she finds us? It's entirely possible."
"Let me tell you a story. Capturing these dragons was easy. Do you know why?" Henry asked.
"I think I know why, but I like it when you explain things." Jeff answered.
"Because they are so uncooperative. They attack individually, which made exploiting their individual weaknesses a cake walk." Henry said.
"Twilight Sparkle on the other hand, does know the power of friendship, and what it can do. So I had to think of a less direct approach, to get under her skin." he explained.
"That's why I captured her dragon. Without him, she's probably miserable, to the point of treating her other loathsome friends less. This will weaken their friendship. The Princess of Friendship is most powerful when united with her friends."
"By her self, she's strong, but beatable, but with her friends she's almost invincible. That's why, the hope is that by this point, their friendship is broken just long enough, that a fully grown Spike will trample all of them." Henry explained.
"Simply an ingenious plan." Jeff said.

"But what's the plan in case Twilight does find this place?" Jeff asked.
"If she comes with her friends, we unleash the dragons, and it'll be one hell of a throw down. If Twilight shows up alone, well then, she'll walk strait into our trap." Henry said.

"Speaking of Spike, how's our little secret weapon coming along?" Henry peaked into Spike's room. Spike was unrecognizable. He was a very large dragon consumed by greed, exactly as Henry planned. Spike was about twice Henry's height.

"The power of a mighty dragon, all under my control." Henry gloated.
"Just one more fight, and then it's time. For the next run, I want him to rip and tear a dragon to shreds." he said.
"Um boss, you wouldn't mind if I selected Spike's next opponent would you?" Jeff asked. "You always pick Spike's opponent."
"Eh, why not? Spike's only one fight away from being an indestructible killing machine. None of the other dragons stand a chance anyway." Henry said.

"I can't wait to see the look on Twilight's face when she sees what's become of the little dragon. Soon Spike will be capable of mass destruction, and our takeover can begin. I can see it now, a mighty dragon, under my control, trampling those puny little ponies. I'll be unstoppable." Henry said.

"Even if Spike ends up not working out, there's always Plan B., which I think Ember would be glad to help us out with." he said.
"Have you convinced Ember to help us for real this time?" Jeff asked.
"Let's just say this time, she won't have a choice." Henry answered.

"My plan is full proof, Equestria will be mine in no time at all." Henry said.





And there you have it. Some backstory on how Ember and the dragons ended up in the sticky situation they were in, and a glimpse at things to come. What happens next? Pinkie just discovered the location of Henry's secret lair, so what are Twilight and friends to do next? Will Henry's plan succeed? Or can it be stopped? It's going to take nothing short of a miracle to save the day this time.
Pinkie already figured out where this location is, so tune in next time to see what Twilight and friends plan to do with this newfound knowledge.
> Chapter 13: End of the Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on February 2, 2018





Last time we saw Twilight and friends, they were paid a visit by Mr. and Mrs. Beam. Pinkie had thrown a party for their daughter Baby Moon Beam way back in Chapter 1, where the elder Beams were rather rude to Spike. Here we are now, and they have admitted that their son is the pony who took Spike. This information shocked everypony in the room. How could it be? Their daughter was a little filly, how could theirs on have taken Spike? Well there's a lot to explain so let's just jump into it.





"Your dragon took my son?! Er- I mean your son took my dragon?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yes. I mean, we don't technically know for sure, but there's a very strong chance." Mr. Beam said.
"What gives? Why are you just telling us now and not earlier?" Twilight asked. She was getting a bit short tempered.
"Well we weren't sure, but based on new revelations, it's clear Spike was taken, and if any pony would steal a dragon, it's our son." Mrs. Beam said.
"How could little Moon Beam's brother possibly steal Spike?" Pinkie asked.
"What exactly makes your son a prime suspect anyway?" Twilight asked.
"We thought you didn't like dragons. What's your son doing meddling with dragons anyhow?" Applejack asked.

"Well, it's a long story, but we wouldn't want to bore you with the details." Mrs. Beam said.
"No no, go ahead. Tell us. What happened to your son that would possess somepony to do such a thing?" Twilight gave them the okay to explain.
"Well, okay. Here's what happened." Mr. Beam said.





Mr. and Mrs. Beam began telling their woe filled story about their son.

"Our son's real name is Shine Bright Beam, he was always fascinated by dragons as a filly. He wanted to grow up and study dragons. He was always so disappointed that there were almost no books written about dragons, so he took liberties into his own hooves." they explained.
"He would sit outside for hours, sometimes days on end, observing the sky with his binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of a dragon flying on by. He mapped out their migration patterns, and learned about their yearly migration gathering."

"One day, he set out dragon food on our porch to try to catch a close of look of a dragon, and it worked. One showed up, and he was able to study it up close. He discovered that dragons also spoke our language, and they became friends. It took a while to get used to, but we didn't mind at first."
"And then came that fateful day. It was show and tell day at his school, and he wanted to share all the knowledge he had learned about dragons with the school fillies. He was so excited. We'd never seen so much joy on his face. He had brought the dragon to show and tell."
"And then what happened?" Twilight asked.
"...Disaster."

The show and tell went horribly wrong. A huge inferno had engulfed the schoolhouse. The fire burned the entire schoolhouse to the ground, leaving a smoldering pile of ash where it one stood.

"We don't know if it were an accident, or deliberate, but the schoolhouse burnt to the ground."
"All the fillies made it out of the schoolhouse safely, but we never saw our son again after that day."
"We weren't sure if he had run away, or perished. We had no way of knowing, he simply vanished after that day."





"From that day forward, we wanted nothing to do with dragons, they'd brought us nothing but pain and suffering. We vowed that if we were to ever have another filly, that we'd keep them as far away from dragons as possible, hence our poor behavior towards your dragon earlier. And for that, we sincerely apologize." they apologized.

"I accept your apology." Twilight said. "That sounds like a terrifying situation for sure, I give you my fullest condolences.
But... if you haven't seen your son for years, what makes you think he's the one behind this?"

Mr. Beam walked forward, pulled a folder out of his coat, and placed it on the cutie map table.

"Where'd you get this folder?" Twilight asked.
"We can't tell you, but it has some information you might want to see." Mr. Beam said.

Twilight looked through the folder, and read the first sheet of paper out loud.





"Property of *****; Updated report written by Agent S****** *****." (the * represent letters that were blacked out with marker)

"Day LXIV, strange tire marks once again found running parallel of the Celestial Sea, and pointed in the direction of the dragon lands. The markings do not appear natural, most likely made by ponies."
"Day LXV, it was becoming clear based on other prior evidence, that whoever these mystery ponies were, they were mapping out some sort of plan, and we had to intercept."
"Day LXVII, we came the closest we'd ever come face to face with the perpetrator. Our evidence concluded they'd be north west of dragon peninsula, and lo and behold, there they were. We approached with caution, but our cover was compromised. I managed to escape, but the other agents were not so fortunate. I still haven't been able to locate them since."
"Day LXIX I returned to the dragon lands, this time under cover, but it was too late. I didn't see a single other dragon roaming the area, unlike the weeks prior. Not even the leader of the dragons was present, and the bloodstone scepter was also missing. I was too late, he had captured all the dragons and had vanished into the unknown. Weeks of careful planning, wasted. We had failed."





Twilight took a step back after reading the report.

"So... what exactly does this all mean?" Starlight asked.
"The dragons are in trouble. Spike's just one of many dragons who have been captured." Mr. Beam said.

"Our son is part of a group of rogue ponies. They've invaded the dragon lands and captured most of the dragons." Mrs. Beam said.
"How do you know your son's a part of this group?" Twilight asked.
"Technically we don't know for absolute certain, but it makes too much sense. Our son, a pony who wanted to study dragons, vanishes. Years later, mystery ponies start kidnapping dragons. It seems too likely to be a coincidence." Mrs. Beam said.
"These rogues are almost certainly using code names, but we're not sure what those names are." Mr. Beam said.
"They've been capturing dragons and taking them to some unknown location." Mrs. beam said.

"Unknown until now!" Pinkie smirked and pointed at her board of evidence.
"Yes indeed. Your Pink friend here may have just figured out the location of their operations. Your dragon and many others could be hidden in the snow of frozen north." Mr. B said.
"It makes sense. Some sort of structure most be there, to keep dragons warm inside. With an icy cold environment, outside, they wouldn't be able to escape, and make the complete journey." Twilight said.

"So where does this so called "metal horseless carriage" fit into all of this?" Rarity asked. "That's where I get lost."
"That's a great question. And a great reminder that we must issue a great warning." Mrs. Beam said.
"Twilight, you're up against a foe like none you've faced before." Mr. B said.
"You know how Nightmare Moon used her magic to shatter the Elements of Harmony? Or how Queen Chrysalis used her changing powers to plan a sneak attack on Canterlot? Well our son has his own tactics. He uses advanced technology and weapons, and clever strategies to accomplish his goals." Mrs. Beam said.
"What kind of advance technology are we talking about?" Twilight asked.
"Picture in your mind the horseless carriage Pinkie described in her notes. Imagine a giant nightmare machine on wheels, racing fast as a pegasus, but on land, made from almost three thousand pounds of metal. And that's just scratching the surface of the dangerous technology in our son's disposal." Mr. Beam said. "Imagine strong enough weapons to be able to tame and capture an army of dragons. Imagine what kind of harm he could do to any of you fillies with the same technology."

"So then what are you saying? Are you saying it's too dangerous to proceed?" Twilight asked.
"We're saying... be careful if you choose to go." they said.
"Well I appreciate the word of warning, and what you describe, and what this report describes sound intimidating, but I've survived a number of dangerous situations just fine. Besides, if all this evidence means Spike could be there, I have take the chance, no matter the risk." Twilight said.
"We understand. We'd do anything for our little one back, and we're sure you'd do the same." Mrs. Beam said.





"So was that a yes or was that a yes?!" an eager Rainbow Dash said.
"Yes, I'm going, and getting Spike back." Twilight said.
"Awesome! So what are we waiting for? Spike's right there, let's just do it!" Rainbow Dash said with enthusiasm.
"Yeah! Let's do this thang!" Pinkie said.
"So what's the plan darling?" Rarity asked.
"The plan is, you ponies stay here while I retrieve Spike myself." Twilight said sternly.
"WHAT!?" all of her friends were surprised.

"Now hold on there sugar cube. You can't be serious right? You're not just seriously going to fly to this cold and dangerous place all alone are ya?" Applejack asked.
"I have no choice." Twilight said.
"You do have a choice. You can choose to bring us along." Pinkie said.
"I have to do this alone." Twilight said.
"Why? We're your friends. Together we always pull through and do all kinds of awesome things." Rainbow Dash said.

"This is different. In the past we've saved Equestria from villains bent on world domination. But this is personal. That pony took Spike from me. This is between us. I'm going to settle this by myself." Twilight said.
"But Twilight, Spike's our friend too." Fluttershy said.
"My decision is final." Twilight said with a cold look.

Twilight grabbed a map of Equestria from her shelf. She scribbled some notes and copied Pinkie's map, circling the area in the North where Spike was.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going alone." Twilight said.

"Think about everything we've worked for as friends. All the hardships we've been through. All the challenges we've overcome. You're just going to ignore all that?" Pinkie asked.
"I've already said it. This is personal." Twilight was growing short tempered.
"But Twilight, you have to put away your own personal vendetta and do what you feel is right." Rarity said.
"Like Fluttershy said, Spike's our friend too. We miss him just as much as you. We want to help." Rainbow Dash said.
"I said I'm going alone!" Twilight raised her voice.
"Have you neglected that fact that we all love Spike just as much as you?!" Pinkie asked.
"None of you loved Spike as much as I did! I hatched him! I raised him from birth! He's my dragon! And I'm getting him back myself!" Twilight snapped.

Twilight's words shocked everypony. Everypony went quiet.

"Oh you guys, I didn't mean..." Twilight started.
"We just wanted to help Twilight..." Fluttershy said, feeling down.

"You guys... I-I meant..." Twilight wasn't sure what to say.
"We understand how much Spike means to you. That's why we want to help. It's not that we don't believe in you. It's because we care about both of your safeties." Starlight said.
Tears poured down Twilight's face.
"I understand. But... I can't allow myself to put you all in danger over my problem." Twilight said.
"It's our problem too. Somepony messes with Spike they mess with all of us. We're in this together." Applejack said.





*sniff* "Very well then, if you girls want to come along, then by all means." Twilight said.

This temporarily lifted some spirits.
"WOOHOO!" Pinkie cheered.

"However..." there was a catch to Twilight's plan.
"However... what?" Rainbow asked.
"Here's the plan. I'll fly to the Crystal Empire to meet with Cadence and Shining Armor." Twilight explained her plan while she packed her saddlebag for the journey. "Once I explain to them the situation and prepare myself, I'll embark through the icy chill of Frozen North to the area marked on Pinkie's map. There, hopefully, Spike will be waiting." she explained.
"So then how are we participating?" Pinkie asked.
"You guys are free to tag along, but I'm going to fly ahead and not wait for you." Twilight said blunt. "If you make it to this location, neat, but if I settle things before you even get to the Crystal Empire, even neater."

Her friends thought about her plan.

"..Seriously?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I mean, whatever works for you Twilight, I guess..." Starlight said.
"So you're just gonna leave us in the dust while you do all the work?" Fluttershy asked.
"Think of it as, I do all the hard work, and hopefully I finish before any of you have to lift a hoof." Twilight said with a phony grin.
"Yeah... sure... wouldn't want us to lift and hoof in the name of helping our friend." Rainbow Dash said sarcastically.
"And how do you suppose we keep up with you?" Rarity asked.
"You can take the Friendship Express. Trains go remarkably fast for their huge size." Twilight answered.
"Hello? The train kind of derailed." Rainbow Dash said.
"That was weeks ago. The train's probably fixed by now. Is it?" Twilight asked.
"I believe so. I saw it running this morning." Mr. Beam said.
"Well there you go. Anyway girls, I'll see you later-" Twilight was about to fly off.
"So is that it darling?" Rarity asked.
"This is some lousy good bye." Fluttershy said.
*sigh* "Well, alright. I'll meet you at the train station, and leave when you do. That way we have an even start." Twilight said.
"Sure I guess that works..." Rainbow Dash said unsure.
Honestly you're making this more complicated than it needs to be darling. Either bring us along, or abandon us, instead of this phony middle ground you're trying to pull. Rarity thought in her head.





At the train station, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Starlight waited for the now working Friendship Express. Twilight was courteous enough to wait until they got on the train before she just left them behind. Mr. and Mrs. Beam were also there at the train station.

"Ugh, trains take forever to show up." Twilight said.
"Um, you can leave Twilight. If you don't want us holding you back, you can just go." Rainbow Dash said.
"No no, I owe it to myself to be courteous to my friends and leave at the same time they do." Twilight said.
If she was really courteous, then we'd be doing this together, as a team. Fluttershy thought.
"Look the train's here!" Pinkie pointed at the incoming train.

The newly repaired Friendship Express had arrived, and was ready to take the mane 5 + Starlight to the Crystal Empire.
There wasn't much else left to do, it was time.

"Well, here we go. It's the beginning of the end isn't it?" Twilight said.

"Are you still sure you want to go alone?" Starlight asked.
"I have to. Spike's in trouble, and I have to save him myself. Can't afford anything slowing me down." Twilight said.
"Are you saying we would slow you down?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm not saying that but..." Twilight started.
"But you're saying it." Applejack said.
"You would slow me down... in a technical sense. Nothing personal." Twilight said.
"Mmm hmm." Applejack said.

*sigh* "I just want to get this over with. The longer I wait, the more trouble Spike could be in. I just want Spike back." Twilight said teary eyed.
"Don't worry, we have your back. Even if it physically takes us longer to get there than you, we're with you in spirit." Starlight said.
"You got this Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"There's no challenge you can't overcome Twilight!" Pinkie said.
"Whether you do this alone, or with us, bring Spike home where he belongs." Rarity said.
"Give those no good dragon thieves what's comin' to 'em." Applejack said.
"There isn't any villain too big or too bad for you to defeat. You got this!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Good luck Twilight, I know you can do this." Starlight said.

*sniff* "Thank you girls, I wouldn't be able to do this without your moral support. Even though I have to go alone, that doesn't mean you aren't supporting me." Twilight said.
"That's exactly what it means actually." Applejack said.
"Don't ruin the mood." Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight got ready to fly, by stretching her wings. She tried to be confident, but she was very nervous.

"And Twilight, what are you going to do to our son when you meet him? How exactly do you plan on... you know." Mr. Beam dared not finish his sentence.
"You're not going to, you know..." Mrs. Beam alluded to.
"...I mean I don't want it to come to that, but we'll see." Twilight wasn't sure how to answer.

Twilight took a deep breath. "Well, here I go. I'll see you girls later, and hopefully with Spike by my side."

"We will Twilight. We will." Starlight said.
"...good bye." With that, Twilight flapped wings, and took off into the sky, and headed north, to look for Spike. Her friends watched as Twilight flew further and further away until she vanished due to foreshortening.





"So... now what?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well I guess that just leaves us then." Rarity said.
"I still think we should have gone as a team." Pinkie said. "Sure Twilight can do it alone, but we could have done it together."
"Well, Twilight is the Princess, and she knows best... I hope." Starlight said feeling unsure.
"Enough chit chat, let's just board this train already." Rainbow Dash said.

The mane 5 were feeling... bipolar. One the one hand, sure they were all on a journey to save Spike, but on the other, Twilight had basically abandoned them. She flew ahead of them, and had every intention of settling things herself. None of her friends were thrilled with the idea, but they couldn't convince her otherwise.

The mane 5 plus Starlight boarded the train.

"Y'all coming along Mr. and Mrs. B?" Applejack asked.
"Nah. Not right now. But we'll catch you later for sure, to see what's become of our son." Mr. B answered.
"Well alright then." AJ boarded the train.

The Friendship Express departed for the Crystal Empire, where Twilight's friends would have to figure out what to do next.





"Are they gone?" asked a mysterious voice.
"They just left. You can come out Ms. Sweetie Drops." Mr. Beam said.
"Good, it's getting tiresome hiding in the shadows." Bon Bon stepped out of a bush.
"Thanks for your invaluable information Ms. Sweetie Drops, you helped us a good deal, but more importantly, gave Twilight an idea on what to expect." Mr. Beam said.
"It was nothing. Besides, Pinkie Pie deserves a lot more credit. She did what all of our agents failed to do, she found villain's secret hideout location. I guess it took a mind as silly and creative as hers to do it." Bon Bon said.

Bon Bon (Codemaned; Agent Sweetie Drops), was the one who wrote the report that Twilight read. She works for secret agent society S.M.I.L.E. She and her team had been investigating the attacks on the dragon lands. She was the anonymous pony who gave Pinkie the tip in chapter 9. She can't let the mane 6 know about S.M.I.L.E., but she and her agents worked in the shadows, guiding the mane 6 in the right direction from time to time.

"Are you going to follow them?" Mr. Beam asked.
"Nah. I had my chance. I've done all I could. I did the field work, now it's time that Twilight and her friends to do the dirty work..." she said.





Twilight was flying through the sky, through the clouds and past the wind.
"Hang on Spike, I'm coming." she said to herself. This should have been a big, heroic moment, soaring through Equestria on her way to save Spike, but Twilight couldn't help but have this sinking feeling that had mistreated her friends.
"Am I wrong for leaving behind my friends?" she asked herself. "No way. You're fine. I'm saving them the trouble of having to fight my battles. You'll be fine without them. This'll be a quick and easy task... I hope..." she said under her breath.





On that note, here is where the story stands right now. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight all sat in a train heading for the Crystal Empire. As for Twilight herself, she flew through the skies of Equestria where she was heading for the Crystal Empire, where she would prepare herself, before she embarked on her toughest mission yet. Will Twilight succeed in rescuing Spike? Or will she finally met her match? Will the evil Henry and his gang of dragon hunters have their way and use Spike to cause mass destruction? Or can he be stopped? Can Twilight do this alone? Or does she need her friends more than she realizes?

To be continued...
> Chapter 14: Beginning of the End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on March 13th, 2018





It's been a wild ride so far, but the ride has only begun. Chapters 1-13 were phase 1, but now with Chapters 14 onward, we enter phase 2, the homestretch, but things are far from over, they're only just getting started.





To recap, Twilight Sparkle and friends had figured out where Spike was hidden! According to evidence gathered by Pinkie Pie, he was taken far up into the Frozen North region by a dastardly group of ponies. In addition, two ponies, Mr. and Mrs. Beam had informed Twilight that one member of that group was their long lost son, Shine Bright Beam. With this new knowledge in tow, Twilight embarked on a journey to Frozen North to find Spike. She flew through the sky while her friends followed behind on land, as Twilight wanted to do this alone. Twilight's first stop was the Crystal Empire, where she planned to meet with Cadance and Shining Armor, before venturing into the arctic tundra in search of Spike. But was it too little too late?





As for Spike, he had grown in size to a large sprawling dragon. The evil pony Henry had manipulated Spike's mind by filling him with greed. It was Henry's ultimate goal to turn Spike into a large vicious dragon, and use him to conquer Equestria.

Dragons are greedy creatures by nature, but Spike was different. He may be a dragon in looks, but living with ponies had taught love and kindness. Dragons naturally aged by gathering as much stuff as they could. But since Spike practiced kindness instead of greed, so he remained small for the most part. Besides that one time in Secret of My Excess, and of course now.

What set Spike apart most of all from other dragons, was a spell that Twilight Sparkle had cast on Spike's egg. Because of the spell, Spike had hyper accelerated growth powers. Meaning, when presented with greed, Spike can grow very large very quick, much quicker than any other dragon. This spell however came at the cost of wings. It is theorized that Spike was prematurely hatched, which explains his odd color and lack of wings, although that's just hearsay.

Henry knew of Spike's accelerated growth powers, and it is this reason that made him coveted. Taming a large dragon was not practical, and raising a smaller dragon to adulthood would take... a very long time. And then there's Spike, a naive, and easily manipulable dragon, with great potential to become large and powerful in only a matter of days, rather than years.

Which brings us to now. Henry figured that just one more fight would be enough to make Spike a full sized dragon. At that point, the invasion on Equestria would begin.

Was all hope lost? After all, Spike's growth is not permanent. A side effect of Twilight's spell, is that Spike's the only dragon who's been observed to age backwards. When Spike went on a rampage in Secret of My Excess, Rarity was able to revert Spike back into a baby dragon. If love could set his heart free once, can love prevail again? Or will hate win this time?





Henry slowly opened door to Spike's room, and entered. Inside, was a large sprawling dragon, who besides sharing name, bared no resemblance to Spike, but nonetheless was indeed Spike, but with his mind corrupted with greed, and his body grown as an effect.

"My gosh you've gotten big." Henry said.

Spike simply growled. Larger dragons aren't known for their speech.

"Today's the big day. The day we've been working towards. Just one more fight, and then the real fun will begin." he said.

Henry pulled on Spike's collar to drag him to the arena. Actually, there was no need, with a push of a button on his remote, it activated the shock collar around Spike's neck, which directed him to follow Henry to the arena, where the last fight would happen.

Henry put Spike in the pit, and met up with Jeff and Sawtooth in a balcony overseeing the large arena.

"So, this is it. Everything we've worked towards, has been building up to this." Jeff said.
"This is only the beginning. The real action starts after the fight, and then prep for the invasion begins." Henry said. "Just one more fight, and one more round of gems, and he should reach his maximum capacity."
"Those ponies won't know what hit 'em." Sawtooth said.
"But why stop now? What is Spike's maximum capacity anyway? In theory, couldn't he keep absorbing greed indefinitely?" Jeff asked.
"It's hard to say. Spike's the only dragon of his kind, so it's not like this has been observed before. We're treading uncharted territory. His capacity could be limitless for all we know, or maybe it isn't. Greed isn't binary after all." Henry said. "Just know this, after this point, he'll be stronger than any dragon in all of Equestria, and those ponies will stand no chance."
"I see..." Jeff said.

"So, who's the unlucky dragon you selected Jeffery?" Henry asked.
"You're about to see him." Jeff said.

Indeed, Henry allowed Jeff to pick Spike's final opponent.





The door opposite Spike opened, revealing his opponent was... Crackle! Not a very climactic last fight. Crackle was not a very capable dragon, in fact he didn't even speak much at all.

"An interesting choice for an opponent Jeff." Henry said.
"Heh, yeah well, I figured since it wasn't super important who his last opponent was, I thought I'd make it an easy one, so he doesn't injure a claw or something before the invasion." Jeff said.
"Smart thinking, for once." Henry said. "Start the countdown Sawtooth."
"The fight will commence in 3... 2... 1!" Sawtooth said.

On that cue, the fight began. I'll spare you the details and just say that Spike won hands down. It wasn't a competition really. Spike had become a fighting machine.

To finish Crackle, Spike lifted him up and over, and threw him halfway across the arena, thus ending the conflict.
Loudspeakers surrounding the arena played an applause, and gems rained down from the ceiling.





"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here til Thursday!" Spike basked in the glory of his latest victory. He grabbed as many gems as he could hold.
"Now then, to finish the job." he said.
"*Hrrgh...*"
"What the...?" Spike heard groaning from Crackle, but it didn't sound like Crackle, it actually sounded even more familiar.

Crackle peeled away his skin revealing...

"TWILIGHT!?" Spike exclaimed and dropped all his gems.

Underneath the fake skin, was Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle? It seemed that that was not Crackle he pounded, but instead a disguise made by Rarity.

"What the hell Spike?! You totally messed up my wing! Ow!" Rainbow Dash said in pain. She trotted off with anger.

"Rainbow Dash wait! I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you!" Spike tried to apologize, but things only got worse.

"I thought you were different from other dragons. I thought you were civilized!" Rarity yelled. "But clearly I was wrong, you're just as savage as any other beast. Good day sir!" Rarity trotted away as well.

Spike was absolutely devastated by what Rarity said, and he hadn't even heard what Twilight had to say yet.

Twilight faced away from Spike, and stared at the ground, intentionally trying not to look at him.

"Twilight... you know I'd never harm any pony on purpose right?" Spike asked her.

Twilight said not a word, she just look down at the ground, so that Spike could not see her eyes, nor could he begin to imagine what she was feeling.

Finally, Twilight spoke.

"If I were you, I wouldn't show your face in Ponyville anymore, or anywhere in Equestria for that matter. Everything I thought I knew, was a lie. I lied to myself for all those years, but today I saw the truth. You're a dangerous dragon that cannot trusted. Consider your status as royal assistant revoked." Twilight said.

Spike could barely speak he was so torn up. Spike ran after Twilight.

"Wait! Don't go! I-I-I didn't mean to hurt you! Really!" Spike said, but Twilight didn't respond.
"I'm so sorry! I've never regretted anything in my life more... but, I swear this isn't who I am!"
"Isn't it?" Twilight held up a mirror, and Spike saw just how vicious and hideous he looked.
"Don't come crawling to Ponyville unless you want to be chased away. And don't ever think you could be anything more than what you are." And with that Twilight flew out of view.
"Twilight! Don't go..."

Spike collapsed on his knees, put his claws against his face, and began to cry. How could he have let himself injure his best friends? Was he really just a savage beast after all?
"Is this who I am...? No, it can't be! No! NOOOO! *ZAP* AAAAAHHHH!" he felt a enormous pain in the form of an electric shock. Spike screamed inside his head.





This shock woke Spike up and temporarily brought him back to reality.

Fortunately, Spike did not actually hurt Twilight, it was just a hallucination. Fighting Crackle brought back memories of that time Rarity, Rainbow, and Twilight, were all disguised as a dragon resembling Crackle, so fighting Crackle messed with his memory, and so he thought he hurt the real Twilight, even though he didn't. Twilight was somewhere else in reality.

Henry meanwhile had zapped Spike with the shock collar. From his perspective, Spike had stopped in his tracks after defeating Crackle, he wasn't even accepting any of the gems, and he was confused why.

"What's going on? Why isn't he taking any more gems?" Henry activated the shock in Spike's collar in an attempt to regain control.

Spike screamed in agonizing pain trying to resist the electricity, whilst Crackle stood in place awkwardly. No matter how hard Henry zapped, Spike wouldn't listen.

"What happened!? Why, isn't, he, responding!?" Henry was growing impatient.
"Uh, I don't know sir. Maybe a malfunction with the collar, or um, perhaps you uh-" Jeff was interrupted.
"You did this!" Henry accused Jeff.
"Uh-what? No no no way boss." Jeff said.

"This is your doing isn't it. You selected Spike's opponent. Something about that dragon triggered a reaction within Spike, and you knew this would happen." Henry said.
"That's ridiculous sir, I would never do something like that." Jeff lied.

"I knew I couldn't trust Ember, but one of my own cohorts? I should have seen this coming a mile away. You're weak, and always hesitant when given difficult commands. You and Ember were in cahoots all along." Henry said.
"Maybe I was, and you know what, maybe I'm done taming dragons! Maybe your promise of 'learning more about dragons' has gone too far!" Jeff stood his own ground.
"So, finally standing up to me aren't you." Henry said. "Tie him up Sawtooth."
Sawtooth growled and beat up and tied Jeff up.
"I'll deal with you later. Right now, I must find a way to salvage this." Henry said.

"Now then, let's turn things up." Henry dialed his remote to near full blast, and Spike continued to scream. But the screaming, didn't stop. Despite the electricity, Spike endured more pain than he normally could. It was almost as if his mind was somewhere else.

"How is he resisting this? What's going on in that dragon's mind?!" Henry asked himself.





Spike went into another trance. He had another hallucination.

Inside of Spike's mind, there was a lot of complicated abstract things going on, so I'm going to visualize it it.

Imagine if you will, Spike, little baby dragon Spike we all know and love for this visual representation, laid inside of a bubble, in a fetal position. Inside the bubble, it was calm, almost too peaceful. And outside the bubble was utter chaos. Hate and anger gathered outside of the bubble. Every negative thought Spike had ever had, or could ever have, manifested outside, and the bubble was the only barrier between Spike and these negative thoughts.

But what force conjured up this bubble? And what was keeping it in place? Why it was his conscience of course. His good conscience to be specific. Good conscience we shall refer to as Angel Spike. Angel Spike quite literally descended from above, and sat next to Spike's bubble to speak to him.

"Spike? It's me, your good Conscience." Angel Spike said softly as to try to comfort Spike. "It's okay Spike."

"Not it's not okay! I hurt Twilight!" Spike raged. "I hurt her because I'm a monster! A cold-blooded scaly slimy monster!"
Spike cried. He covered his face with his claws.

He still thinks he hurt Twilight for real. He had been under so much stress lately, that the line between reality and imagination was blurred, to the point where they felt like one in the same.

The angrier he got, the more violent the outside of the bubble became.

"Why did ever think I could be with ponies?! I'm a dragon! I've witnessed some horrible things in my time here., but it's exposed me to the truth. Dragons are monsters. Ponies and dragons can never live together!" Spike ranted.
"You know that's not true! You're a part of Twilight's family!" Angel Spike said.
"I could never be a part of Twilight's family! I never was in the first place!" he cried.

"That's not true Spike! You ARE Twilight's family!" Angel Spike said.

Devil Spike ascended from the depths below to rain on the parade.

"Greetings wusses." Devil Spike said.

"Go away! We're having a moment." Angel Spike said.

"Listen Spike, why hold back who you really are? You're right, you're an almighty dragon! Your entire life you've been neutered from that reality, and taught to be weak. You shouldn't have to listen to any pony! Not Twilight, not Henry, not any pony at all! Take Equestria for yourself." Devil Spike said.

"That's ridiculous, don't listen to what he said." Angel Spike said.

"Like you said Spike, dragons are terrible vicious creatures. Look at these claws, and those teeth. Truly terrifying. Strike fear in the pony's eyes. Ponies hate dragons, and dragons hate ponies. You have the wisdom of ponies, but the might of a dragon. You have the best of both worlds, and you can rule over all of them." Devil Spike.

"That's not true Spike! Dragons and ponies don't have to be separate! They can join hands and assimilate in peace. You being Twilight's assistant is the first step to that future!" Angel Spike preached.

Spike didn't respond to either of their takes, he just sat in the bubble and remained stressed.

"You're your own dragon, now when you get back out there, I want you to take a stand, state your dominance, and attack those ponies yourself." Devil Spike said.

"I don't know what to believe anymore!" Spike cried.

The anger started to seep through the bubble, and the bubble started to crack under the pressure, like a submarine at the depths of the ocean.

"Spike! I can't hold the bubble any more! It's going to burst! When it does, just remember, Twilight's looking for you!" Angel Spike pleaded.

"Pfft. When you get out into the real world, put on a show. I wanna see sparks fly! Put your foot down and be your own dragon!" Devil Spike said.

"...no... No...! No!... NOOOO!" Spike let out a blood curdling scream. The bubble burst, and the negative aura surrounded Spike. His mind became a void hot it was too bright to see anything.





Outside in the physical world, at that burst of anger, Spike managed to rip the shock collar off of his neck, tearing it to shreds.

"Uh oh." Jeff said.
"That's... not good." Sawtooth said.
"I've worked too hard to let this all go to waste." Henry said.

With Spike now free from the shock collar, and all his anger had built up, he was about to go on a blind rampage.

"This is really frustrating. That dragon possesses so much power, and controlling it should have been a cinch, but instead everything's gone wrong." Henry said.
"What do you suppose we do now boss?" Sawtooth asked.
"Sometimes you just gotta cut your losses and move on." Henry said. "With no way to tame Spike now, it's time for Plan B."
"But boss, Plan B hasn't been tested yet." Sawtooth said.
"Then consider this the test run." Henry said.
"If Spike doesn't want to cooperate, then let's show him the way out." Henry said dastardly.





Meanwhile, at the Crystal Empire, Cadance and Shining Armor paced anxiously at one of the balconies on the castle. Sunburst was there too holding Baby Flurry Heart in his hooves.

They waited nervously for Twilight's arrival. Finally, she had arrived. She came into view, and landed on the balcony.

"Twi-ly, good to see you sis." Shining Armor said.
"Good to see you all again." Twilight said.

Twilight was still in a bit of a sour mood to put things lightly.

"So... how have you been lately?" Cadance asked awkwardly.
"I have been okay, all things considered." Twilight answered.

Cadance and Shining Armor had already been informed of Spike's disappearance. They had been contacted and requested to help ready Twilight for the journey into Frozen North.

"Do you have everything I need?" Twilight asked.
"This saddlebag should have the essentials for traversing the Frozen North." Cadance said.

Twilight looked through the supplies.

"Alright, just as I requested, I got my map, compass, warm coat, rations, mask."
"What do you need the mask for?" Shining Armor asked.
"In case things get... smokey." Twilight replied.

"Do you even know where you're going Twilight?" Sunburst asked.
"After some comprehensive research, we have strong reason to believe Spike is somewhere in this region." Twilight showed them her map of Frozen North, the region she believed Spike was located was circled.

Twilight put on a heavy snow coat, and made sure she had only the essentials, as to not carry too much that would weigh her down while flying.

"Alright, this should be all I need. I think I'm about ready for liftoff." Twilight said.
"So about that..." Cadance began.
"What about that...?" Twilight asked.
"Cadance and I have been talking, and we think that the journey across the icy landscape is extremely dangerous." Shining Armor stated.
"Yes it is, and your point?" Twilight asked rudely.
"And we thought that it'd be wiser to send some royal guards in search of Spike instead, and-" Cadance said before she was interrupted by the angriest Twilight she'd ever seen.
"WHAT?!" Twilight yelled.
"We just feel that it's too dangerous for you to go." Cadance said.
"I can't even believe what I'm hearing. First my friends and now you!?" Twilight said.
"Twilight Sparkle, calm down, let's just talk about this for a second." Shining Armor said trying to ease the situation.
"Yes! Allow me to talk. I'll be fine, I'm adequately equipped! Y'all crazy if you think I'm gonna let anypony else fight my battles! I'm flying north in search of Spike! Alone!" Twilight yelled.
"Twilight, even if we were a bit rash about decision making, you can't just go!" Cadance warned. "At least have some back up."
"Why does everyone feel the need to fight my battles for me?! This is personal, I'm not gonna have a bunch of guards do my job for me!" Twilight said.
"This is Spike we're talking! My life has been so empty and miserable without him! I can't stand the idea of him being held captive for a moment longer!" Twilight tried to speak but couldn't articulate the words she was so teared up.
"We understand how much Spike means to you." Cadance said.
"No you don't! My friends said the same thing, but they don't know, and clearly you don't know either! If you knew, you wouldn't try to stop me from saving him! Can you imagine if something terrible happened to Baby Flurry Heart?!" Twilight said.

Everypony gasped. Even Flurry herself, gave Twilight a pair of sad eyes.

"Oh my gosh, what have I become?" Twilight reflected on her actions since arriving.

Twilight gazed at Flurry Heart, who looked so sweet and innocent. Flurry looked sad about what Twilight had said. Flurry's face said all the words Twilight needed to hear. Her expression said something along the lines of "You're not acting like yourself auntie Twilight."

Flurry Heart smiled at Twilight, filling her with just enough hope, and confidence.

"If this is something you need to do alone, we understand, just... please be careful, please." Cadance said.
Twilight wiped her face.
"Thank you... both of you, for... just thank you." Twilight said. She didn't need an exact reason to thank, she just felt thankful all of the sudden.
"I'm just about packed, I got oats, I got heavy clothing in case it gets cold, I'll be fine." Twilight said.
"Oh and when my friends arrive, tell them I'm sorry for being such a jerk back at the castle." Twilight requested.
"Sure thing." Shining Armor replied.

Twilight gave some last minute hugs, took another look at her map to see where to go, and then was she ready. She got into take off position, took a deep breath, and took flight. She flew into the cold, desolate mountains north of the Crystal Empire, and she knew somewhere, Spike was there.

"Are we really going to let her go alone?" Shining Armor asked.
"We'll give her an hour and then we follow her." Cadance said.
"I hope she knows what she's doing." Sunburst added.
"I hope so too."





Meanwhile, back at the hideout, things were still going pretty catastrophically.

Spike had broken free of the shock collar, and was about to go on a rampage. Fortunately for Henry, he had a backup plan, just in case Spike proved too difficult to tame.

"You ready boss?" Sawtooth asked.
"Absolutely." Henry answered.

"Are you sure about thi-." Sawtooth cautioned.
"Just do it!" Henry said.

With the of a button, Henry's Plan B was in effect. Just opposite of the arena, a large door opened, revealing what Henry had been working on. Now stay with me on this one.

On the other side of the door stood all of the other dragons, except something was different about them. They were geared up with body armor, and wore specially made helmets that controlled their minds. The helmets were still in the prototyping phase, and building one big enough for a larger dragon like a fully grown Spike wasn't yet possible. So Henry had built proof of concepts and controlled the teenage dragons he'd captured. Ember was the first test subject after her betrayal, and after some encouraging results, he built more to control the other dragons.

There stood a weaponized Garble, Fume, Clump, Ember, and many more were all his puppets.

"What do think the ponies will fear more? One large and powerful dragon? Or an army of smaller, but still vicious dragons?" Henry asked.
"The pony who practiced one move 1,000 times is deadlier than the pony who practiced 1,000 moves one time." Jeff said.
"Pff, what do you know?" Henry dismissed Jeff's comment.

The dragon army was a backup plan in case Spike didn't work out, and at this point Henry had given up on raising Spike.

"Attack the dragon." Henry had ordered his armor of mind control dragons to attack Spike.





Things were looking bleak. Spike was on an out of control rampage, and was about to fight against an army of mind controlled dragons.
Meanwhile Twilight was flying through the icy cold of Frozen North, in the hopes of finding Spike. How would Twilight react to what she found? Who's to say she'll even find Spike? Their best guess was just that, a guess based on the best evidence they had. By no means was she certain she'd find Spike there.
The area marked on Twilight's map was a very rough approximation of where Spike could be, and Frozen North was quite an expansive region.
Even if Twilight knew where she was going, Frozen North is a savage and icy cold region. Is Twilight really prepared for the journey, or the destination?

It's the beginning of the end, but the real action is only getting started. You don't want to miss what happens next.





Also, as you may have noticed, from this chapter onward, we will see Twilight and Spike's perspective in the same chapters, rather than alternating like before.
> Chapter 15: A Clash of Metal and Claws
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on April 22nd, 2018





In the last chapter, we saw Twilight Sparkle embark into the frigid region of Frozen North, in hopes of finding Spike. She had gone by herself, despite the danger that lay ahead.

Meanwhile, Spike had broken free of Henry's control. But the bad news was that he was an out of control rampaging dragon. To salvage the operation, Henry initiated his Plan B, which involved unleashing an army of mind controlled armored teenage dragons to attack Spike.

It is safe to say that both Twilight and Spike were in trouble.

But before we check on either of them, let's check on Twilight's friends, since we haven't heard from them in a while, and as a matter of fact they had just arrived at the Crystal Empire.





Twilight said that they could follow her, but to stay behind because she wanted to save Spike herself, so that's exactly what they did.

The mane 5 plus Starlight had now arrived at the Crystal Empire, and met up with Cadance and Shining Armor, and Sunburst, atop the castle balcony. Twilight had already met up with them last chapter, but now it was their turn.

"Sunburst!" Starlight greeted.
"Starlight!" Sunburst greeted back.
"Good to see you again." he said.
"It's good to see you too." she replied.
"Ahem. Greetings your majesty." Rarity greeted Cadance formally.
"Greetings fillies." Cadance said.

"Between me and you Sunburst, we have really got to hang out when there isn't a crisis going on." Starlight said.
"Yes indeed, about this, crisis." Shining Armor said trying to get on subject.
"Yes, the entire reason we're here. Where's Twilight? Has she passed by yet?" Applejack asked.
"She was here, but she just left." Sunburst answered.
"And you let her go into that weather alone?!" Pinkie Pie pointed North at the icy landscape ahead.
"...Yes." Shining Armor replied.
"She didn't at least wait for us once she got here?" Fluttershy asked.
"Nope. She was in, and she was out within a few moments honestly." Cadance answered.

Her friends were very concerned.

"We have to go after her!" Rainbow Dash rushed out, but AJ halted her.
"Now hold on there. Twilight said that she didn't want any of us followin' her." Applejack said.
"But she could be in danger!" Rainbow Dash said.
"True, but see here's the thing. I've been thinking, and maybe Twilight's right. Maybe we're the ones who've been selfish, and we should abide by her wishes." Applejack said.
"Are you serious?! She needs us more than she thinks she does." Rainbow Dash argued.
"You think she ain't capable of handling this situation on her own?" Applejack asked .
"No, but a little help doesn't hurt!" Rainbow Dash replied.

"I can't say I disagree with Rainbow Dash here." Fluttershy said. "Even if Twilight can save Spike by herself, it would be easier as a team. Not to mention the snow storm may prove too formidable."

"You want us to follow Twilight into that icy landscape, just to get told off again? She acted so rude earlier." Rarity said.
"You don't think she'd tell us to back off again do you?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Frankly, if her previous behavior is anything to go by." Rarity replied.
"But we can't just abandon her in her time of need!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Why? She left us." Applejack said.

"She needs our help!" Fluttershy asserted.

"Look, Twilight's just a little upset over losing Spike. If we find him, she'll be happy again." Rainbow Dash said. "How could you not want to help!?"
"She's got everything handled. She is a super duper alicorn princess after all. She doesn't need our help. She said so herself!" Applejack argued.

The arguing was getting pretty heated. The other ponies watched it unfold.

"What about you Pinkie Pie?" Starlight asked. "What do you think we should do?"
"Don't look at me. My weapon of choice is a party cannon. I don't want to pick sides." Pinkie said.

"Well I sure hope you would! You're the pony who said Spike would be here, you outta have a stance."
"Girls, stop arguing and think of a real plan!" Starlight said. "I'm sure Twilight would appreciate your help regardless."

"What do you know about Twilight? You're just her little student! You haven't known her as long as we have!" Applejack said.
"Excuse me!?" Starlight was offended.
"Woah AJ, there's no need to get all personal." Rainbow Dash said.

"Come on girls, talk it out." Cadance said.
"Let's all take a moment and think this through rationally." Shining Armor said.
"Remember, compromise!" Sunburst added.

"I'm Twilight's friend too AJ. And I didn't spend an entire season being her apprentice, nor did I save your sorry flanks from Queen Chrysalis, just so some country pony could tell me to buck off!" Starlight said to Applejack.

The ponies all continued to argue.

"Why couldn't your investigation and evidence have said that Spike was located in some tropical resort? Instead of this icy hellhole!?" Rarity asked rudely.
"Excuse me?! For once, you sound even more ridiculous than I do!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I just followed the trail of clues. It's called deductive reasoning! Facts care if you're a little cold, or if your mane gets a little frizzy! Science speaks the cold hard truth!"

Rainbow and Applejack butted heads while Starlight yelled with anger. Pinkie and Rarity found the most interesting thing to argue about. Cadance and Shining Armor tried to be the voices of reason.

Fluttershy backed away from the arguing and slumped onto the tiled floor.

"I don't get it. We all have the same goal. We all want to help Twilight find Spike. What are we arguing about?" she said to herself. "They're arguing about what Twilight would want, but I know this for sure, we're not doing her any favors by fighting. I sure hope she's more coordinated than we are."

Unfortunately, she was much worse off.





Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was flying through the vast icy region of Frozen North, in search of Spike.

She carried a map and compass in front of her using her magic to hold them. The map showed Frozen North in its entirety. On it, was drawn a circle which (based on Pinkie's data), was where Spike was most likely located.

She was moderately equipped for the journey. A relatively thin snow coat was the only thing that protected her from the cold. The coat couldn't be too thick, as it would have weighed her down, and made flying harder. Flying was already difficult enough as it was.

She wandered through the icy winds, and I do mean wandered. Navigating the landscape proved very challenging. Clouds covered the entire sky, making the sun impossible to see. Luckily Twilight had the compass, so she knew which way North was. Her map was actually of little help. The area circled covered a large and vague area, making a precise location to search difficult to pinpoint. Not to mention, the fast winds made it hard to hold the map steady in order to read it. And even when she could read the map, the snowy hills and rocky terrain underneath the snow all looked the same, so it was hard to gauge where she was on the map, and where she was going. A mild snow storm limited her field of view, which was like the icing on the navigation cake. All of these factors combined made for a miserable time, and one of the toughest challenges she had faced, but she didn't give up. Spike's life was on the line, and no weather nature could throw was enough to stop Twilight from trying.

Inside, Twilight felt conflicted. She had snapped at Cadance and Shining Armor for attempting to send guards to look for Spike instead. Although she did make up with them, she never formally apologized, or said sorry. She hadn't yet had a chance to say sorry to her friends either. Was she letting herself get carried away?

Twilight was shivering, but she barely thought twice about it, as she was more concerned with locating Spike than her own safety by this point. She flew slowly, as to conserve energy, constantly looking back and forth between the map, the compass, and the area around her. The wind kept pushing her hair into her face, distracting her. She used her magic to move the hair out of her face.

Twilight was so distracted by her hair, and the rest of the elements, that she finally lost concentration and dropped the compass.

"Oh no no no no no no!" she cried.

The compass plummeted downward, and embedded it self deep into the thick snow below. Twilight panicked and flew down after it. She searched desperately for the compass, but surprisingly, a metal compass in the snow proved impossible to find. Twilight had lost the compass, a crucial tool for navigation. She fortunately still had the map, but what little good it did. She looked at the map, and then at the landscape, but she had no idea where she was, or which way she was oriented.

"Ugh! What use is a map without a compass?!" she cried. She crumpled the map and tossed it away.

"SPIIIIIIIKE!" Twilight cried as loud as she could.

She got up and flew around in a panic.

"Didn't I already pass this rock? Was I going this way or that way?! GAH! Everything looks the same!" she cried.

She was officially lost and didn't know where she was.

"AAAAHHH!" Twilight screamed as loud as she could. Out of anger and frustration, she lit up her horn, and fired a concentrated beam of energy onto the snow beneath her hooves. This created a mild explosion of snow and magic around her.

The blast created a clearing in which Twilight stood in place breathing heavily, while she come to terms with failure. She had then run all out of energy and collapsed onto her knees, and then her side. She laid down on the ground, while a steady stream snowfall slowly piled on her.

"Well, this is just great! Fan-pony-tastic! You've really gone and done it now!" she said. "Ugh, I guess this is it then. Is this how it ends? Not slain by some big evil pony, but instead overcome by the hands of mother nature herself."





Twilight sat in the cold, shivering, while the snow started to cover her.

She felt absolutely defeated. She had failed in her search for Spike. She had come all this way, she was almost there, but navigating the snow proved too challenging. Now it seemed like the end of her road. One simple mistake may have sealed her fate.

*sigh* "I guess Spike won't ever be seeing me again. I made one promise to Spike, and that was to protect him, and I failed to keep that promise. I failed in my duty to protect my little... friend."

Twilight couldn't get up, she was too cold to move her limbs. So she took the time to think, and reflect on... life... while she still could.

"If only I had known that that last good night, really was our last good night. I wish I could have just one more conversation, because, there are a few things I've been wanting to tell you."

Twilight took a deep breath, and spoke out loud.

"Oh Spike, if I could speak to you one more time... I would tell you how much you mean to me. I'd tell you that I would not be where I am, without your love and support. I'd tell you that, I appreciate everything you do for me. I'm so grateful to have such a generous little guy like you as my assistant. Whether or not you're successful in your efforts, your heart is in the right place. You put others' needs before your own, and you live to help other ponies. You should be proud of yourself for that. You should really pat yourself on the back from time to time, you deserve it - you stress yourself out too much. I know it's been hard for you, being a dragon living with ponies, living with that identity crisis, but it's truly remarkable how many friends you've made. You're proof dragons and ponies can get along, and live together. *sigh* Lastly, if I could talk to you just one last time, I would tell you that... that I love you. You are loved and appreciated, and you mean the world to me, Spike. I'd go to the ends of Equestria in order to save you. And well, I guess I did exactly that. But um, I guess it just wasn't meant to be..."

She sat in the snow for a moment reflecting on what she had just said.

"Who am I kidding? Words are useless. If I could see you again, I would just want to give you the biggest hug that I can. A hug would express my feelings better than words ever could. But, that's not likely either... I guess I'm never going to hold you again..."

*sigh* "Oh Spike, wherever you are, I just hope you're better off than I am..." she said.

A few drops of tears poured from her face. Twilight laid in the frigid ice storm, and closed her eyes... The snow had buried about half of her body.

...

She tried to relax, but she felt uneasy, as if she was forgetting something.

"Who am I fooling? I don't deserve any sympathy. Some princess I turned out to be. I was a lousy princess, and lousy friend. Ironic, as I was supposed to be the Princess of Friendship. I failed to live up to both halves of that title. All my friends wanted to do was help and I spat in their faces. I was so focused on finding Spike, that I let myself forget about my other friends."

"I let myself forget how important my other friends were to me. Pinkie Pie, bringing endless laughs to me and countless other ponies. Rainbow Dash, with her determination and loyalty. Rarity's generosity is unparalleled. Fluttershy with her profound kindness. Applejack was an honest pony I could always count on. Being Starlight Glimmer's teacher felt just as much a learning experience for me as it was for her, and I'm grateful for the time we spent together. Shining Armor's the best brother ever, and Cadance is the best sister-in-law I could have asked for. And I feel just beyond blessed and grateful to have been an aunt for precious little Flurry Heart."

A stream of tears covered her face, which crystallized in the cold.

The snow continued to fall steady.

"If I could talk to the rest of my friends one more time, I'd say I'm sorry for being so selfish. I never would have been Princess of Friendship without them. I let my love for Spike turn to hostility towards everypony else I cared for. I don't deserve to be Princess of Friendship with behavior like that."

"Well... I guess this is it..."

Twilight closed her eyes. The the snow kept coming down, until it had now almost completely buried her...





Meanwhile, Spike was in for the fight of his life. He was a large (but not too large yet) dragon, with sharp claws, and a ferocious attitude. He had broken free of Henry's control, and was about to go on a rampage.

But Henry was not ready to give up so easy. He had a back up plan in case 'Operation Spike' didn't go as intended. He had equipped all the other dragons with armor, and mind control helmets.
This group of dragons included Garble, Fume, Fizzle, etc., and even Ember was under Henry's control. After her betrayal, she was experimented on like the rest of the dragons.

"I want you to attack the purple dragon. Do what you must to apprehend him. Letting him live is optional. Now, go!" On Henry's command, the dragons, attacked. The dragon army rushed in and piled on top of Spike.

Spike was caught off guard when he was tackled and pinned down. He found himself piled underneath the other dragons. Their sheer numbers made them formidable. The dragons ganged up and pounded Spike while he was down.

Spike did not fight quite yet. He stayed in place and endured the pain. The onslaught of dragons made him quite angry, and the tension was building up.





Let's take another journey inside of Spike's mind, since there is a lot going on in his head.

Imagine this time, Spike's body floating, and in a lot of pain, no longer safe from the protection of the imaginary bubble.

Angel and Devil Spike returned have a word with him.

"Look at you, you're literally the dragons' punching bag!" Devil Spike chuckled and mocked.

"How are you feeling Spike?" Angel Spike asked.
"I'm angry!" Spike screamed.
"That's right! And who are you angry at?!" Devil Spike asked.
"I'm angry at Twilight!" Spike exclaimed.

"But Spike, how is that possible?" Angel Spike asked.

"If she really cared, she would have found me by now! But she hasn't! And she only raised me because she felt sorry for me!" Spike proclaimed.
"Nah, she only raised you because Celestia made her." Devil Spike said.
"That makes me even angrier! That tells me she never liked me in the first place!" Spike said.
"And you're right, she never did. If she cared for you, she never would have let you leave her sight. But she just let you go." Devil Spike said.

"That's not true! You know Twilight cares about you! She's probably one her way right now to rescue you!" Angel Spike said.
"Well then where is she?! What's taking her long?! I have no doubt she's not coming!" Spike said.
"She never cared about you. She probably doesn't miss you one single bit." Devil Spike said.

Devil Spike's words provoked more anger in real Spike.

"Stop it!" Angel Spike cried. "You're making him angrier!"
"That's the point." Devil Spike assured.

"There is no point! She made me feel like I had meaning. She made me think I had self worth. I worshiped her. She brought meaning into my life. But it was all a lie! If she wanted to find me, she would have done so by now! She's probably not even looking for me! That ungrateful... b-b-backstabber!" Spike exclaimed. "The only thing I know now is pain!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Devil Spike was beaming with glee.
"This is terrible! None of that is true!" Angel Spike said. "What are you trying to accomplish by making real Spike angry?" he asked.

"It's simple. Dragons grow by feeding off greed. However, greed doesn't necessarily have to be satisfied with physical objects. It can also be fueled with emotion." Devil Spike explained. "The angrier Spike gets, the more he wants to be angry and destructive. And it's that lust for destruction that can make Spike an unstoppable killing machine! Together we can defeat all those other dragons."

"That's terrible! Spike would never say or do anything of the things you're saying." Angel Spike said.
"Really? Do you know who I am? Do you know who you are?" Devil Spike poked his angelic counterpart.

Angel Spike paused to think for a moment.

"You and I are two sides of real Spike's mind. You're the optimist who still believes in friendship, and magic, and all the other pony junk, while I'm the realist. I'm a manifestation of Spike's doubts and grievances. Everything I tell him to do is still true to his character." Devil Spike explained.

"But, it isn't right. Violence isn't the answer!" Angel Spike said.
"We'll let real Spike be the judge of that." Devil Spike said.

"Come on Spike, shake my claw, and we can do this together. You, and me, your evil side, can win this fight, and rule Equestria with an iron claw." Devil Spike offered Spike.
"Don't do it Spike. Shake my hand, and we can set things right." Angel Spike offered his claw too. "We can prove that love always prevails."
"Shake his claw to pussy it out and die." Devil Spike mocked.

Spike closed his eyes, extended his arm, and shook... Devil Spike's claw.

"NO!" Angel Spike cried.

"Excellent." Devil Spike evaporate, and his particles merged into Spike.

Angel Spike evaporated, and faded away slowly... Almost a metaphor for Spike's vanishing innocence...

Spike opened his eyes, and his pupils had a very lizard-like glare to them.

"...Let's do this." he said.





In the physical world, Spike was ready.

Spike mustered his strength and emerged from the pile of dragons. He stood up and blew them away.

Henry and his henchponies watched the event in awe.

"Woah, that's some real power." Jeff said.
"Now this is what I call a fight." Sawtooth said.
"It is impressive. Why don't we view this from a higher vantage point." Henry proposed. "Sawtooth, come. And bring the traitor."

The three horses made their way to the upper balcony of the arena. It was a higher vantage point to view the sparks fly, while remaining out of harm's way.

Spike stood across the entire army of mind controlled dragons. He and the rest of the dragons stared down intensely, waiting for someone to make a move.

The moment was tense, but it was interrupted when Snake was the first to lunge forward. He reached out to claw Spike, but Spike grabbed him by the wrists, twisted his arms, and tossed him at the rest of the dragons.

The dragons all charged at Spike, and he charged head first into them. Billy took a bite out of Spike. The bite hurt, and Spike swatted away Billy with immense force. Fizzle circled overhead, Spike grabbed his tail, reeled him in, and pounded him against the ground. Even Whip's enormous tail was like a twig against Spike. Spike used his own tail to easily topple over Whip. Revenge sure felt good.

The cannon fodder had gone, now it was time for the real dragon to come. It was Garble's moment, he lunged forward with fury, but Spike intercepted, and managed to throw him over. Garble proved to be probably the most formidable foe. He stood up, and breathed fire on Spike, he resisted, and Spike charged forward and knocked Garble in the head. Angry Spike was bigger and stronger than Garble. He then lifted Garble over his head, spun him around and flung him at high speed into the wall. Garble impacted the wall at such high speeds, it shattered his entire armor, including the helmet. He hit the wall so hard he stuck for a couple moments, until falling forward, and fainting on the spot. Spike had knocked Garble out completely cold.

"Such destruction." Henry watched as both his plans fight each other.
"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish by having the dragons battle each other? HUH?! You'll have no army to conquer Equestria with when all is said and done." Jeff said.

Henry was about to smack Jeff, but at the last second decided not to.

"Pfft, I'll think of a proper punishment for you later." Henry scoffed. "I can assure you that everything is fine."
"I hope your so called research pays off after this bloodbath." Jeff said sarcastically.
"Silence him Sawtooth." Henry commanded.
"With pleasure." he said.

Clump charged forward and wrestled Spike. The two interlocked, but Spike was stronger. Spike lifted Clump, despite his enormous weight. And then tossed him up and over, and then he landed on Fizzle and Baff, knocking them all out and shattering their gear with the impact.

Fume stood up and breathed fire a huge stream of fire onto Spike. Spike endured the fire. Once it cleared, Spike breathed his own fire onto Fume, melting the armor and knocking him out.

Finally, Ember sprung into action. Next to Garble, Ember was probably the strongest of the bunch. She flew up and stabbed Spike with her claws. Spike screamed in agony from the pain. The pain caused him to grow in size. Ember also tried to twist Spike's neck, which also induced a lot of pain. A bunch of dragons ganged up, and pinned Spike on his back. Spike's anger grew, and he too grew even larger in size physical size. Spike now towered over the other dragons.

Henry, Jeff, and Sawtooth watched in awe as Spike grew so large, he was almost at eye level with them at the upper balcony of the arena. He was about the same size as his maximum size from Secret of My Excess. Was that his size limit? Or could he grow even bigger?

"It's magnificent. Such power, still untapped." Henry said.
"It's terrifying. The amount of destruction possible." Jeff said.
"Exactly." Sawtooth added.

Spike swatted Ember away. He breathed fire all over the room. He was so big, that the amount of fire was a large inferno. He sprayed the dragons beneath him with a shower of fire. It melted the armor and helmets of the dragons in its wake, and he kicked the dragons out of the way for good measure. He stepped on Prominence, and kicked her aside. He was so big, basically trampled over any grounded dragon in his way.

Ember was ready for more, she came flying in for another hit, but Spike tail whipped her across the room. Shattering her helmet, and knocking her out cold.

Rex and Scalio circled overhead. Spike shot streams of fire at them, but in doing so, he actually blasted a hole in the ceiling, opening an exit to the outside. Spike also breathed fire down the corridors of the facility, breaking the cells, and freeing any remaining dragons.

The hole in the ceiling let light in. And miraculously, the sun was shining, and a beam of light shined into the arena directly onto the fainted Garble. The sunlight hit Garble's eyes and slowly woke him up.

"...What? What's happening?" he looked around and watched his fellow dragons getting beat up by Spike. The helmet was shattered, and he was under his own free will again.

Vex was knocked out by Spike, and he fell right beside Garble.

"Hey, look! Light!" Garble nudged Vex. "It's an exit!"

The other fainted dragons who had their helmets broken off started to wake, and they noticed the exit too.

"Look everyone! There's an exit!" Garble shouted. He caught the attention of the other dragons.
"Huh? What?" Ember was still just waking up.

Garble whistled. "Come on everyone! Let's get out of here!" he commanded.

The dragons all got up, and followed Garble's orders.

Ember stood up and looked around. Spike was huge and out of control, and the rest of the dragons were injured, but just starting to stand up.

"Come on Ember, we're getting out of this place!" Garble said.
"But what about Spike? " Ember asked. "We can't just leave him here."
"He'll be fine. Look at him. He's a killing machine." Garble replied.
"But what about Henry?" Ember asked. "Aren't we going to stop him?"

"NO! You all come back here at once!" Henry yelled as he watched the dragons escape. All that hard work that went into capturing them, gone to waste. He so loud, that Spike noticed, and drew his attention towards Henry.

"He's got this under control. Come on!" Garble said.

The dragons all fled the building. Ember hesitated. She wasn't sure if leaving behind Spike was a good idea. Surly Spike could take on Henry on his own right? Anyway, against better judgement, she followed the other dragons out. She grabbed the bloodstone scepter on her way out. Can't forget that.

"They're getting away!" Sawtooth cried.
"Doesn't matter. They're cold blooded. They won't survive for long in the icy landscape. They'll freeze to death long before they reach the dragon lands. Precisely the reason why I built this facility here." Henry said confidently.

Or so he thought. The dragons all breathed a ball of fire that surrounded the group. The ball of fire kept the dragons warm, so they didn't get too cold as they traversed Frozen North.

Henry was distraught to see the dragons cooperating, and figuring out how to escape alive.

"It looks like they'll be fine out there." Jeff tantalized.
"Grr, no matter! This changes nothing." Henry said.
"What's the new plan wise guy?" Jeff asked.
"The new plan is the old plan." Henry replied.

The three looked over Spike, who was still in the building. Spike had his sights set on Henry and his two henchponies. Jeff and Sawtooth were fearful, but Henry was unphased.

Spike walked forward slowly, eyes set on Henry. He charged his fire breath, and was ready to fire, until...

With the press of one button on Henry's remote, harpoons shot from the wall, and embedded themselves in Spike's body, sending strong pulses of electricity through his body. This caused Spike to roar in agony.

"I didn't expect I'd have to use this." Henry said.

A giant contraption hanging overhead from the ceiling lowered next to Spike. It was a giant electromagnet, and it was pointed right at Spike. He had fallen into Henry's final trap.

*gasp* "Y-you wouldn't! You told me we'd never actual use this device on Spike!" Jeff said. "You wouldn't do this to Spike would you?"
"It's for the best. He'll be the most powerful dragon in Equestrian history, and he shall follow my command!" Henry said.

Henry stepped forward, and started operating on the control panel in front of him. "Now then, let's see exactly how much power is locked within you."





Will Twilight's friends get over themselves and agree on a plan? Or will they keep arguing and make no progress? Is Spike done for this time? Or can he still escape? Will the other dragons go back to help him? Or have they learned nothing from this experience? And is Twilight... okay? Is she getting out of this one in tact? Or not?

Find out the answer to all of these and more, in Chapter 16.
> Chapter 16: The Two Faces of Spike
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on May 21st, 2018





In the last chapter, Twilight Sparkle had gotten lost in the snowy region of Frozen North while looking for Spike. Twilight's friends were arguing about whether Twilight wanted their help or not. All of the dragons that Henry captured, Ember, Garble, etc, had all escaped. All the dragons escaped, except for that is Spike. Spike himself was a bit... tangled up at the moment. As Spike was trying to escape, he was caught in Henry's final machine. One that he had built to control larger dragons should the opportunity come about.

Can Spike escape? Can Twilight be saved? Will her friends agree on a plan? Let's find out.





Spike had grown to about his full size. Although it was unknown if he could grow any bigger. He was caught in Henry's machine, which was designed to control larger dragons.

Henry operated the machine from inside the safety of the control center. It was a little room that hung from the ceiling, at about eye level with Spike. Inside were also his henchponies Jeff and Sawtooth.

"All of the dragons escaped. Your plan to rule Equestria with an army of dragons didn't work." Jeffery said.
"Spike will be the only dragon we need to conquer Equestria." Henry said.

"We're going to need the full power of the generator!" Henry pulled a lever which powered up the machine. The machine was powered by the main generator, which also powered the facility. And indeed it was pushed to its limit.

"What exactly is this machine going to do?" Jeff asked.
"Let's just say that once the machine has done its job, Spike will under my control." Henry said. "And that is when we invade Equestria."

Jeff had double-crossed Henry earlier. It was his idea to have Spike fight Crackle. When Spike saw Crackle it brought back memories of Dragon Quest, and his mind spiraled out of control, leading to the disaster happening right now. As a temporary punishment, Henry's other partner Sawtooth kept an eye on Jeff. His ultimate punishment would be determined later.

Spike was caught in the middle of the large machine. Harpoons fired from the walls stuck into his side, sending energy through him. His limbs were bound by the large grips.
Things were going as planned. An immense amount of power surged through Spike.

Spike roared as the pain flowed through his body.

"How does this big 'ol machine work boss?" Sawtooth asked.
"I don't know. It just sends electricity and energy through his veins, and hopefully it will yield positive results." Henry replied.
"Awesome plan H.G.L., glad you thought everything through." Jeff said sarcastically.
"I told you not to call me by my initials!" Henry said.
"Oh I'm so sorry, then I'll say your full name Mr. Ha-" Jeffery was about to spill Henry's real name, when Sawtooth started to slowly strangle him. Not enough to actually suffocate him, but enough to silence him.

"Yes, keep him silent." Henry ordered.

Sawtooth withheld Jeff to keep him silent.

Jeff watched the horror unfold outside the safety of the control room. Seeing large dragon Spike roar in agonizing pain was almost more painful to watch. It is about then when Jeff had noticed that something seemed wrong.

*alarm*

An alarm went off, along with a flashing red light.

"Uh oh, hey um.. boss?" Sawtooth noticed the alarm, and was worried.

*reactor level reaching critical level* said the loudspeaker.

"We're almost there, just a little more..." Henry said while operating the machine.

Spike continued to roar while trying to break free.

"Should we... do some...thin..." Sawtooth was saying, but Jeff silently knocked him out. Jeff had known Sawtooth for so long, he knew about his pressure point. If he just applied pressure there, he would lose his balance and get dizzy. Quite convenient!

Jeff did the thing, and slipped free of Sawtooth's grasp. Using the crucial seconds he had, he slowly snuck up to the control panel, to try to do something to stop this horrible operation.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Henry turned his head suddenly. His cover had been blown pretty quick.

Jeff's eyes widened and he pushed a random lever.

"Don't touch that!" he yelled.

Pushing the lever sparked and caused a short circuit. The control panel sparked and electrical smoke poured out.

Henry used his magic to bind Jeff. Sawtooth regained his balance.

*error error* the loudspeaker said.

"What did you do?!" he said with anger.
"I don't know. I just pushed a random lever. How's that different from what you're doing!?" Jeff replied.

*system overload*

"Now you've done it." Henry said.

The two watched Spike as the catastrophic events unfolded. With the machine broken, more power surged through Spike than expected. The entire thing was out of control.





Let's take another look into Spike's mind.

Devil Spike was puppeteering real Spike, as part of their agreement from earlier, but the metaphorical strings were tangled. There was an immense amount of energy, but it was too much to handle.
Angel Spike came back to check on them.

"How's it going you two?" he asked.
"I feel like I have the energy of a thousand suns! ...But I can't control it." Devil Spike said.
"Look who's talking, I'm the one whose mind is a visual metaphor for the body currently being tortured out there. I'm the real one, while you guys are just illusions I made up for the sake of having someone to talk to." Spike said. "I have all the power!"
"Then release all your energy onto those who wrongfully used you!" Devil Spike said.
"I would if I could." Spike said. "But right now, it's too much to control. Everything in the outside world is just a big stressful blur, it's hard to focus."

"So what's the plan now wise guys? How's anger worked out for y'all?" Angel Spike sassed.
"It's going just dandy, as soon as I break free, I'm going to step on every last pony in Equestria!" Devil Spike replied.

Spike tried once more to break free, but he was bound too tightly in the physical world. Not to mention the whole machine going out of control.

"Look, I don't like you, and you don't like me, but we can agree on one thing. Spike's in trouble, and we have to do something." Angel Spike said. "Twilight's not coming, so we have to take matters into our own claws."
"I hate to say it, but you're right." Devil Spike replied. "So what's your big plan huh?"
"The only thing we can do is to join forces. Alone, neither of us are stronger enough to break free, but together we can-" he was interrupted.
"Bleh, you lost me at 'we'." Devil Spike said.
"I'm not asking, I'm telling!" Angel Spike grabbed Devil Spike's arms and tugged.

When his claws made contact, they burst in to flames.

"What are you doing?!" Devil Spike exclaimed.
"The only solution!" Angel Spike said. "Unifying Spike's thoughts into one is the only way we're going to get out of this!"

"You know what, I think I can handle things without a conscience. You guys are lunatics." real Spike said to his good and bad conscience.

The two united together, forming a more powerful being.

"Come on Spike, those horses are literally handing you free energy. Joins us, and we can be the ultimate life form!" his united conscience said. "Stronger than any dragon, more smart than any horse! The best of both worlds, we can rule over all of them!"
"Um, no thanks." Spike said. "I prefer being me."
"Too bad!" they gripped Spike, and sent all the energy around his mind directly to his core.
"AAHH! Too! Much! Power! Stop! AAAAAHHHHHH!"

...

All the energy injected by the machine flowed all through Spike's body efficiently, and in a way in which he could actually use. He was now fully charged and ready to leave his mark.





In the outside world, Spike started to move, and his head faced the control deck balcony. He had begun to charged up his fire breath.

"Um, Henry?" Sawtooth said.

The three ponies looked at Spike.

"He's going to fire!" Jeff cried. He panicked and tried to pressing more buttons on the control panel, maybe in hopes of stopping it.
"GAAAHH!"
"AAAHHH!"

*glass shatters*

Henry charged forward and pushed Jeff out the window of the indoor balcony. They both plummeted downward.

The very next moment, Spike fired his breath at the control panel they were just in, and the entire thing blew up in a fiery explosion.





Meanwhile, Twilight was still lost in the snow. She sat underneath the snow. She was cold, but surprisingly fine.

"Ugh, how long does it take for a pony to freeze?!" she said. "Don't you remember the first rule of thermodynamics? The snow is made of water, which is an excellent insulator. The snow is actually keeping you warmer than open air would." she nagged herself.

*humph*

Twilight sat in the snow, mostly just bitter now. She let out all her anger and sorrow earlier, so now she just sat to catch her breath. Maybe try to get up later, maybe not. She didn't have a plan, just kind of sit and see what happens next.

...

*roar*

She heard a faint roar in the distance.

*gasp* "I recognize that roar!" Twilight sat up immediately and surveyed the area. The field of view had gotten better, as the storm had calmed down slightly. She panned her head from left to right, at first there wasn't anything but the same old frosty landscape, until, she spotted a tower of smoke peering over the horizon.

"Has that tower of smoke always been there? *gasp* That must be where he is! There's no doubt about it!" Twilight sprung to life. She jumped out of the snow, stood up and stretched her legs.

She took a deep breath, gazed at the smoke, terrified of what it could be, but there was no turning back now. She stretched her wings and launched herself into the sky.

"Hang on Spike! I'm coming!" Twilight soared towards the smoke. But was it already too late?





Meanwhile, Twilight's friends continued to argue with each other.

Shining Armor, Cadance, and Sunburst tried to calm them down, but the uproar was too great. Flurry Heart smiled devilishly as they argued. Smug little twerp.

Fluttershy did not participate in the crude banter. She had a pair of binoculars, and peered into Frozen North, hoping to catch of glimpse of what could be going on. She surveyed the distant landscape for quite some time, until she spotted the same tower of smoke.

"Ooh. Oh my. That looks bad." she said. "Um, girls."

Fluttershy tried to get her friends' attention, but they didn't seem to listen.

"Even if were did venture into the snow, how are we supposed to find Twilight and Spike?" Applejack asked.
"Maybe if we follow the column of smoke." Fluttershy said, but she was ignored.
"Hello?! Pinkie has a map! Finding Spike's location oughta' be a cinch!" Rainbow Dash said.
"If it's so easy, then I'm sure that Twilight's got everything handled!" Rarity said.
"Judging from the dark smoke, I think there might be trouble." Fluttershy said softly, but nopony seemed to listen.

"Don't think I'm done arguing AJ." Starlight said. "I still have a few words to say."

*sigh* Fluttershy slumped in shame. Twilight and Spike were in danger, and her friends couldn't get over their argument.
"Oh Twilight, you deserve better friends than us." she said." I hope you find Spike safely soon."





Meanwhile, back at the facility, Henry's plan was in flames.

He and Jeff fell from the upper balcony down to the ground below. It was quite an impact, but they were both able to get up.

"Way to go." Henry said sarcastically.
"Look out!" Jeff pushed Henry out of the way of the falling debris.

The balcony fell down and impacted the ground. It made a loud metal crashing sound and broke apart into a bunch of fiery fragments.

"Sawtooth no!" Jeff cried.

He and Henry rushed to the control panel. Henry however wasn't concerned about Sawtooth, he just cared about his objective. The control deck had been blown to pieces. There was one functioning monitor that showed Spike's power level, but he couldn't start or stop the machine.

Although Spike was able to fire his breath, he was still tangled in the machine, and couldn't move to escape the building. His energy levels surged out of control.
Basically everything was screwed.

Jeff was searching for Sawtooth, when Henry used his magic horn and pulled him in.

"This is all your fault!" he said. "You somehow knew that Crackle would trigger a reaction in Spike!"
"I had to, I couldn't allow your horrible plan to go through!" Jeff said. "I wasn't going to let you turn Spike into your weapon!"
"How dare you betray me. You are nothing without me." Henry said. "You were exiled. I took you in when no one else would!"

"No, I ran away. You were exiled for your crimes." Jeff said.
"What crimes? Attempting to expand Equstria's knowledge of dragons? I don't see what's inherently wrong with that." Henry replied.
"You don't see why this is awful?!" Jeff argued.
"I didn't start off by kidnapping dragons. I tried being reasonable, but that namby-pamby pony princess turned her nose up at almost every opportunity to teach her students the fascinating culture of dragons. She wasn't as forward thinking as I was." he replied. "So I left voluntarily to pursue my own ambitions."
"And look at just how dandy that turned out." Jeff said.

"You signed up for this by joining me!" Henry said.
"Wrong! I didn't sign up for this." Jeff pointed at Spike who was not doing well. "You promised me that we would work together and further Equestria's knowledge of dragons. But I hasn't learned anything, other than that dragons aren't monsters, you are!"

Henry just gave a stern glare.

"All this time, you've been capturing dragons so you could rule Equestria. Well no more! I'm putting my hoof down now!"
"Congratulations, you've matured so much." Henry said sarcastically.
"I'm ready to stand up against you." Jeff said.
"Well then, let's see how you stand your guard." he replied.

Henry used his magic on Jeff.

"Ow ow! I can't... breath... please... *gasp* stop..." Jeff gasped for air.
"What's the matter? Can't take the heat?"

Jeff slowly ran out of breath, until his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Henry dropped his body on the ground with a thud, and total disregard for his well being.

"Good riddance." Henry said.

He walked forward and surveyed his base. The entire place was in shambles, and on fire. Smoke filled the entire building.

*Reactor core at critical level*

"What a shame." he said.

*Meltdown immanent*

He stood mere feet from Spike, whose mind was spiraling out of control. He caught in the reactor, and large amounts of electricity continued to surge through him.

"Perhaps I did bite off more than I could chew." he said.





Twilight flew towards the smoke as fast as she could. But was she fast enough?





Meanwhile, the dragons continued their path home, but Ember was feeling uneasy. She regretted leaving Spike, she only did so because the other dragons were in a hurry to escape.

"I'm kind of worried. Spike's still in there, and he hasn't escaped yet?" Ember wondered.
"I told you, Spike's fine!" Garble said.
"But shouldn't he have escaped by now?" Ember wondered.
"Look, we finally escaped from that hole, and I ain't going back for no one!" Garble said.
"But we-" Ember was bumped.
"Keep on flying." Clump said.
"Fine..." Ember kept flying the way they were.

Ember let her own subjects push her around. She could have commanded them to go back for Spike, but she chose not to. Her status of dragon lord was already on shaky grounds, because after all, she did surrender and let her subjects get captured while she sat pretty by Henry's side up until she double-crossed him. She didn't want to do anything more that could spark a rebellion.





Back at the facility.

"Well, talk about my plan going up in smoke." Henry said.

"My dream of furthering Equestria's knowledge of dragons (using force) proved too ambitious." Henry said. "Years of technology research, burnt to a crisp. So much for advancing Equestria's technology as well."

Spike was stuck, and Henry had no way of influencing what happened next.





Inside Spike's mind,

"This is ridiculous. It feels like we're never going to rule Equestria at this rate." Devil Spike said.
"Then perhaps, it's time for a fresh new start." Spike said, in an otherworldly tone.
"What are you going to do?" Angel Spike asked.
"The only thing I can do. What I must do..." Spike said.
"You don't mean-?"
"Oh I mean it."

"But Spike, it is incredibly dangerous." Angel Spike warned.
"I've made up my mind." Spike said.
"What if it backfires, and that's the end up us?" Devil Spike sobbed.
*sniff* "That's the risk I have to take. To protect Equestria and stop Henry." Spike said.

"And if we don't make it out alive, you two were the best positive and negative sides of my brain a dragon could have asked for." Spike said.
"Daww, that's all I've ever wanted to hear." Angel Spike said.
"Pfft, don't get me all sappy." Devil Spike said.

"You ready?"

"Let's do it. It's time for a new beginning." Spike said.

His mind lit up bright, until everything was white.





"Hmm?" Henry noticed Spike... started to glow! "Can it be?" he was amazed.

Henry rushed to the last monitor to read the power level.

*Power level exceeding triple xxx*

"Amazong. A phenomenon theorized long ago, but never observed... until now." he said.

*total meltdown in t minus 10 seconds* the loudspeaker said.

*9*

"Whether or not a dragon's power was limitless or not is what stumped ancient pony scholars for generations. But today, it appears that I finally have the answer." he said.

*8*

Henry thought about his next course of action, whilst Twilight raced towards the smoke.

*7*

"Before, the plan was to keep filling Spike with energy and see what happens, but now that we know his exact limit, we can do it much more efficiently and effectively next time. This is actually quite useful information." Henry smirked.

*6*

Spike's glow grew brighter.

*5*

"I never thought I'd see this with my own two eyes. Truly a miracle of nature."

*4*

Twilight hurried to the facility as fast as she could, but fast wasn't fast enough.

*3*

"You win this time Spike, but don't think this marks the end of our endeavors. This is only the beginning. Equestria's darkest day is still to come."

*2*

"Heh heh. Oh Spike. We hardly even knew thee..." Henry said.

*1*





Twilight was flying, when all of the sudden, an extremely bright light flashed where the smoke was. As bright as day. It was enough to blind her.

The flash of light was so striking, that time felt frozen. There was no sound, just light, until, the shock wave had reached her.

*BOOM* "AAAAAAHHHH!" The powerful shock wave sent Twilight flying back many meters, and into the snow. A powerful gust of wind and debris flew by.





*BOOM* The shock wave passed by the dragons.

*gasp*
*woah*

The dragons were a safer distance away. They observed the large explosion coming from the facility. They were in awe at the size of the blast.

"Woah, that's one heck of an explosion." Garble said.
*gasp* "Oh no... Spike." Ember said with fear.





Back at the Crystal Empire, Twilight's friends were still arguing.

Fluttershy continued to view the smoke from her binoculars, when she saw the same bright flash of light.
*gasp* "Oh my goodness."

"Um, girls?" Fluttershy urged.
"You're acting ridiculous!"
"No, YOU'RE acting ridiculous!"
"Girls! Girls! Hmph. *deep breath* GIRLS!" *BOOM*
The shock wave passed through the crystal empire at the end of Fluttershy's sentence.

The shock wave shook the entire ground, and everypony felt it.

"Wow Fluttershy, you've been working on your shout I see." Rainbow Dash said. "Or hear, would be more accurate."

"Yeah, so anyway, it's just-" Fluttershy started.
"Look at that, it looks like a-" Applejack interrupted, but Dash interrupted her back.
"Now AJ, it's Fluttershy's turn to talk." Rainbow Dash said. "You have the floor girl."
"Thank you Rainbow Dash. As I was saying, There was a billow of smoke way off in the distance, but now it looks like the epicenter of a large explosion." Fluttershy said.

The ponies all looked off into the distance, and indeed, it was true. There was so much smoke now, it could be seen without binoculars.

"That looks bad." Cadance said.
"Very very bad." Shining Armor said.
Sunburst had no words. His jaw just dropped and his eyes widened.

"Is there any doubt now that Twilight is in trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Nope. No doubt about it." Applejack admitted.
"Twilight and Spike are most definitely in danger, and they need our help!" Rarity said.
"And we better hurry. Who knows what could have happened just now." Pinkie said.
"We may already be too late." Applejack said. Rainbow Dash glared at her for thinking negative. "I mean, even if we were to follow Twilight into the cold, there's no way all of us can be equipped properly." AJ said.

"Say no more." Cadance said.
"You all need a way to get over to Twilight in a jiffy? We got you covered." Shining Armor said.
"We have a spare hot air balloon that Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight can ride." Sunburst said.

"Awesome. I don't even mind that all of us traveling by air would be slower, so long as we're all there supporting her together." Rainbow Dash said upbeat.
"I didn't expect that coming from you." Fluttershy said.
"What can I say? She needs all of our help." Dash said.

"So what do you say? You girls willing to help Twilight?" Sunburst asked.

"There's something I gotta say first." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm sorry AJ for arguing with you earlier." she apologized.
"It's okay Rainbow." Applejack accepted the apology. "And I'm sorry for trying to convince everypony to sit on the sidelines. Twilight and Spike need our help." she admitted.

"Pinkie Pie, I'm sorry for whining, I have a bad habit of doing that." Rarity apologized.
"And I'm sorry for snapping when you questioned my comprehensive investigation." Pinkie apologized back.

"And Starlight, I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Applejack apologized.
"It's fine AJ, I forgive you." Starlight said. "We shouldn't be arguing with ourselves, we should be helping our two friends."

Everypony apologized to each another.

"Stop it with the apologies girls, you're making Shining Armor liquid pride again." Cadance said jokingly.
"My little sister is so lucky to have friends like you." Shining Armor said choked up.

"Whether she wants to admit it or not, she needs our help!" Starlight said. "We're her friends, and it's our responsibility to help Spike too."

"So what do you say girls. Are you all ready for an epic mission to save Twilight and Spike?" Sunburst asked.
"Yes we are." the mane 5 and Starlight said simultaneously.

"Let's do this thing!" Rainbow Dash said.
"YEAH!" they all cheered simultaneously.





Back in the heart Frozen North, Twilight got out of the snow, and gazed upon the sight in horror.

What was originally a pillar of smoke was now a giant plume of smoke and fire.

Twilight's heart sank the more she took in the sight. Spike had to be here, there was no doubt about it. All the evidence said so. But this, something very very bad must have happened here.

"I'm... too late." she said.

She flew closer to see exactly where the smoke was coming from. It looked like a metal structure peeking out of the snow. And inside, Twilight could only guess, especially now after the disaster.

*cough* *cough* *cough* She got too close and breathed the smoke.

I better put on my gas mask. Twilight put on her gas mask.

She took a deep breath, terrified of what kind of disaster could have happened, and what could still be lurking within. Was Spike okay somewhere in the depth of the ruins? Or... not?

But despite all these fears and concerns, she took a deep breath, and entered the fiery remains of the facility.

To be continued...
> Chapter 17: The Confrontation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on June 10th, 2018





Previously, Twilight Sparkle had finally found the secret location where Spike was being held captive. Unfortunately, she was too slow, and a large explosion occurred in the heart of the secret base. The odds were bleak, but with all due caution, Twilight readied her gear, and slowly ventured into the smokey remains of Henry's hideout.





Twilight entered the facility, not knowing what to expect inside. She descended slowly through the smoke and into the depths of the burning building, not knowing when her hooves would touch a floor.

"SPIKE?!" she cried. "ARE YOU HERE!?" But no response. Nothing but the sound of burning rubble and sparks from electrical wires gone loose.

Eventually, her hooves touched down on the metal floor. She surveyed the area, but the viewing angle was limited by the smoke.

Well... you're not going to find him just standing here. she thought.

It was bad enough just standing in place, but she found the courage to explore this awful location further.

She wandered through the scorching hallways. The mood was as worrying as it was eerie. She wasn't sure what was more scary, the idea of there being no life, or the idea that something unknown was still lurking inside...

Twilight found many notable features in the facility. She found a circular pit which looked like an arena (The very same one you may recall being where the dragons battled for Henry). She wandered through a set of empty halls containing over two dozen jail cells. She dared not imagine what they were used for. (You the reader should know this as where most of the dragons were kept captive in between fights).

Finally, Twilight found a small metal room containing many shattered gems. The walls were marked with claw marks, and some scales littered the floor in the room.

"He was here, I know it." she said out loud.

Indeed. You the reader may remember this as the very same room where Spike first woke up and realized the horror bestowed upon him. This is where Spike first met Henry, and where he was held captive.

"But where is he now?" she wondered. Oh no... 

She was starting to piece together the picture, and she didn't like what it implied.

"I'm too late... aren't I..." she said. "I wasn't fast enough..."
"SPIIIIIIKE! WHERE ARE YOU!?" she cried, but still no response. The place was by all accounts empty.

She continued to explore the ruins of the facility, hoping to find just a glisten of hope, but each passing moment only lead to more and more sorrow.

There were a lot of papers that littered the ground. She stepped one pieces of paper in particular that looked important. She read the paper, and what she found confirmed her worst nightmares.

"Let's see... *gasp* oh no..." she read to herself.

The papers detailed a plan to make Spike big and greedy by exploiting his greed induced growth with the allure of gems. The ultimate goal of the operation was to control Spike and use him as a weapon of mass destruction.
Twilight was not fond with what she read.

"Hidden deep inside of this dragon is enough magic to wipe out an entire army. Once he is fully grown, nothing will stand in my way when I unleash Spike upon the land. It's the perfect revenge plot after what the Princess took from me-" The rest of the text had burnt away.

"So it's true... You were kidnapped for nefarious purposes..." she said.

Twilight was appalled by the plans. Her worst fears had been confirmed. She crumpled the paper out of spite and tossed it into a pile of flames.

"I don't understand though, what happened here? Where did everypony go?" There was zero doubt Spike was kidnapped and taken here. But where was everyone? What lead to the horrible disaster that took place?

The sheer emptiness of the facility had Twilight gravely worried for the worst.





"SPIIIIIKE! WHERE ARE YOU!?" she cried.

*sob* "I can't believe I'm too late."

Tears fell from Twilight's face as she had begun to cry.

"I... *sniff* I've failed you, Spike. You always helped me no matter what, but this time, I failed to return the favor. I let my guard down, and this happens to you. I wasn't able to save you..."
"All I want is to see my little baby boy again, so I can tell you how much you mean to me." *sniff* Twilight kept crying.
"Oh Spike... *sniff* I can't even begin to imagine what happened to you...*sniff* I don't want to imagine..."

Twilight got on the ground and let all her tears out. She was so close, but still so far from seeing Spike again.

Just as Twilight let her guard down, she heard what sounded like other hoofsteps against metal. She immediately lit up, turned around and blasted magic in that direction with all her fury. She went from sad to angry in less than a second.

*BOOM* The blast sent metal and flames flying.

"WHO'S THERE!?" she shouted.

She used her magic to lift the debris and see who was lurking.

*cough cough*

Twilight approached to see what it was. There was definitely a pony lurking, and it stared back at her.

"Princess... Twilight Sparkle?" the pony looked up.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Twilight shouted with anger.
"I'm, uh, Jeffery, and..." he said. Indeed it was none other than Jeffery! You know, the pony who double-crossed Henry. He looked up and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Oh thank goodness it's really- *gasp* you." Jeff said, but Twilight gripped him with her magic.
"WHERE'S SPIKE?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"He's not... here?" Jeff replied.
"WHERE. IS. SPIKE!?" Twilight asked again.
"Look, I'm just-" Jeff began, but Twilight interpreted.

"You got a lot of nerve sneaking into my castle and stealing Spike from me!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Please give me a moment and I can explain everything!" Jeff pleaded.
"Oh you have nothing to explain!" Twilight exclaimed. "I know everything! You captured Spike so you can turn him into your weapon!"
"That's technically true, but-" he said shaking.
"But nothing!" she yelled.

"Please... *gasp* let me go." Jeff pleaded. She put a tighter grip on him.
"How could you just take Spike away from me?!" Twilight's voice started to choke up. "Ripping away an innocent child from his... *cough* Have you no soul?!"
"I don't know... I did a truly horrible thing..." Jeff replied.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just blast you away right now!" Twilight said.
"I have no excuse... what I did was inexcusable. So go ahead and do your worst. I deserve your harshest punishment for my crimes." Jeff admitted defeat.

Twilight stared down Jeffery with an angry glare. The angriest glare I think she'd ever given any pony. Her heart was in such emotional turmoil, and she was ready to unleash it all on Jeff.
As for Jeff himself, he looked defeated and lost. He had given up, and accepted his fate.

Twilight's horn glowed, she was ready to just release all of her anger out all at once on Jeff.

But at the last second, she turned around and directed her powerful magic blast towards the opposite direction, resulting in a large magic explosion.
*BOOM* *CRASH*
There was a loud boom and an aftermath of metal on metal sound. It was an intense blast for sure.

*breaths out* "I can't... I just can't do it." Twilight said.
"You put me through so much pain and suffering, but hurting you won't bring back Spike." Twilight started to cry again. "I expected to find an absolute villain, but you're just pathetic. You're nothing." she said. "I came all this way... for nothing...
*sniff*" she began to cry.

"I know an apology will do no good, but I am well and truly sorry for everything I've done, Twilight." Jeff said.
"What are you apologizing for?!" she said with anger. "I don't need your sympathy."

"I know what you're going through Twilight." he said.
"No you don't! You can never know the pain I'm going through right now." Twilight said.
"Losing your family is... *gulp* the pain is indescribable." Jeff said. "I was separated from my family long ago. The feeling is terrible, losing the ones you care so much about."

Twilight stood in place thinking about what Jeff just said. How could he possibly know sympathy?

"Wait a second..." she wondered. It is about now when she remembered what Mr. and Mrs. Beam had told her back in Chapter 13.

"I wonder if this is how Mr. and Mrs. Beam felt when their son ran away... *gasp* I almost forgot." she said aloud.

"We know who kidnapped your dragon. Our son." their words echoed.

"Could their suspicion be correct?" Twilight wondered. "Is their son really the one responsible for kidnapping Spike? If that's the case, then that would mean...?"

"Listen, your name wouldn't happen to be Shine Bright Beam, would it?" Twilight asked Jeff.
"Yes, but how did you know my real name?" he asked.
*gasp* "I can't believe it, it's really is you." she said.
"How do you know my name?" he asked again.
"As luck would have it, I've actually met your parents." Twilight replied.

"You have?!" Jeff was astonished. "When did you meet them?"
"I met them when Pinkie Pie threw a huge party for your little sister's birthday." Twilight said.
"I have a sister!?" Jeff was amazed. He was totally unaware.
"Yep. And she is adorable. In fact, she even made buddies with Spike." Twilight said.
"That's incredible." he said. "I had no idea, that's so great to hear."

"How did my parents know I was here?" Jeff asked.
"They heard about Spike's disappearance, and thought that you were most likely to be the pony responsible, and I guess they were right." Twilight said.

"Do they miss me?" he asked.
"They miss you dearly. They were so worried the day the schoolhouse burned down. They weren't even sure if you had made it out alive." she said.

"What happened on that fateful day anyway?" Twilight asked.
"I made it out of the school fire alive, but I chose to run away from home. I was so ashamed of what had happened, I never wanted to talk to any pony again. I ran away as far as I could." Jeffery said.
"And on my way out of town, that is when I ran into him." Jeff explained.
"Who is him?"
"My boss, the real mastermind behind all of this. The pony whose idea it was to capture Spike in the first place. That is the day I met Henry." Jeff said.
"Henry? What kind of name is that?" Twilight replied.
"It's a code name, we all use code names to hide our identities." Jeff answered.
"Well then what is Henry's real name?" Twilight asked.
"His name is...*giggles*
"What's so funny?" Twilight asked.
"I'd rather not say it now, it might just distract from the seriousness of the operation. It's not an important detail." Jeff said.
"Oookay then." Twilight said.

"So anyway, Henry took me in, and he promised me that together we would research dragons and spread our knowledge across Equestria. But instead, he built tools designed to capture dragons. He rounded up as many dragons as he could, and trained them to fight for him. Until eventually... *gulp* we took Spike."
Twilight's mood went down when Jeff reminded her of what he did.
"Look, if I had known that one day I would be stealing a baby dragon from the Princess of Friendship, I never would have joined him." he said. "I regret ever joining Henry's crew."

Jeff's story seemed believable, and his tone sincere. His story lined up with everything else she had heard.
But ultimately it was Jeffery's choice to follow Henry, so Twilight didn't give too much sympathy yet.

"Anyway, let's get down to this." Twilight said. "What's the deal with this Henry guy anyway?" she asked.

"Everything. The entire operation was his idea. He built this facility, it was his plan to capture all the dragons, and it was his plan to kidnap Spike and turn him into his weapon."

"So he's the one who drove to Ponyville and snatched Spike from me." Twilight said.
"Actually I was driving the car..." Jeff said.
"I see." Twilight raised an eyebrow of suspicion.
"Look, I told you, regret all of it." Jeff admitted.

"Why should I believe any of what you're saying?" Twilight said. "If you want my trust, tell me where Spike is."
"I wish I knew, but I don't. If Spike or Henry were here, it'd be obvious, but since there's no sign of them anywhere here..."

Twilight paced back and forth and brainstormed on where Spike could be.

"Hmm. They're not here at all. It's almost as if, they... escaped." she theorized.
"That's it! They probably just escaped, and they're going... somewhere... maybe." she said. "Jeff, if you were Henry, and you had to escape with Spike, where would you go?" she asked.
Jeffery thought for a moment, and then figured out.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of it earlier? Henry is one heck of an escape artist, I know exactly where Spike and Henry are, but you better hurry." Jeff said.
"But what about you?" Twilight asked.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about saving Spike. I've lived my life and made my mistakes, but Spike has a long life ahead of him."

"Okay, just tell me where they are." Twilight requested.
Jeffery whispered into Twilight's ear where Henry and Spike were.
"Alright, makes sense to me. In that case, I'll be on my way." she said.

Twilight got ready to depart away from the hideout.

"And Jeffery..." she said.
"Yes Twilight?" he asked.
"..." Twilight wanted to thank him, but thanking this pony seemed wrong, so she just stood in silence.

"Oh and Twilight, be ready for Henry. Do not underestimate him. Do not let your guard down for a moment. He doesn't fight fair, he will stab your back the moment you turn around." Jeff said. "He is a powerful unicorn, do not underestimate him."
"Duly noted." Twilight said. "But, I'm a Princess and an alicorn, how powerful could he possibly be?"
"Very." Jeff said. "It's best not to take him head on."
"Hmm, not head on, then maybe I should have a less direct approach..." she wondered.

"One last thing before I go Jeff. Please tell me, who exactly is Henry? If you're Mr. and Mrs. Beam's only son, then who the heck is Henry?" Twilight asked. "What's his backstory if any?"
"I better tell you Henry's backstory, it will put a lot of things into context." Jeff said. "Indeed, I am Mr. and Mrs. Beam's only son, but Henry on the other hand You see, Henry is-" Jeff was speaking, when he noticed another figuring sneaking up from behind Twilight.
"TWILIGHT LOOK OUT!" Jeff pushed Twilight out of the way, pulled out a sharp weapon and stabbed the horse. It was Sawtooth! He wielded a sharp blade, and tried to sneak attack Twilight, but Jeff ran up, and the two stabbed each other.
"JEFF!" Twilight used her magic to finish off Sawtooth. He fainted once again.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?" she asked.
"I'm *cough* fine..." Jeff replied.
"No you're not, you have a giant wound." Twilight said. "Should I go find help?"
"No, don't worry about me, I'll be fine *cough.*" Jeff said. "Please, find Spike, bring him home, and stop Henry!"





Meanwhile, the dragons were continuing their journey home to the dragon lands. They witnessed the huge explosion from Henry's hideout, but kept on flying anyway.

Ember however was growing worried of Spike, and had to speak her mind to the rest of the dragons.

"Guys, we have to go back! That was a really big explosion and there's no sign of Spike." Ember said.
"No way!" Garble said.
"No way? Spike could be injured or worse!" she argued.
"Stop, just stop!" Garble said. "What's with you wanting to help out and be nice? It's gross." Garble said.

"Why should we listen to you? After all, you betrayed us and joined forces with that Henry guy." Garble said.
"Look, I had to do something, and while not the best decision, we're all here now. All except for Spike however, so let's go look for him." Ember said.

"No way!" Garble shouted.
"Are you serious?!" Ember exclaimed. "Even after Spike saved all of your lives, you're all still incredibly ungrateful!"
"In case you forgot Ember, dragons don't do friendship." Garble said.

That familiar phrase blasted Ember, and got her thinking in the moment.

"You know, I've been thinking, and you know what I've thought of?" Ember said. "Have you ever wondered why ponies are the dominant species? I mean dragons are much stronger than ponies, so why are they the ones who rule the land?"

"Well that's because of... uh..." Garble wasn't actually sure, nor was any other dragon sure.

"Well I have a wild theory, so hear me out. Maybe, just maybe, ponies rule the world because of their friendship! Think about it, they've cooperated and built a society together! By unifying the earth unicorn pegasus, they've come together and built an advanced society." she said

"But us dragons have done the complete opposite! We don't cooperate, we're just a bunch of loners who keep to ourselves! Whether it's because of pride, or spite, or whatever, but let me tell you. We may be full of ourselves, but guess which species rules this world. I'll give you a hint, it's not the self indulgent scaly nimrods! We dragons have made zero progress in the past several thousand years because we refuse to!"

"What are you saying?" Garble threatened.
"I'm just saying that... that maybe there is something to this friendship thing after all." Ember said.

Every dragon gasped, shocked by what their Dragon Lord just said.

"The ponies learned to work together and they've done some incredible things, and maybe, just maybe, we dragons can learn to do the same thing. We can do great things if we all come together! And we can start by looking for Spike. So who's with me!" Ember said with excitement.

Unfortunately, despite her... interesting speech, there were no takers.

"Wow, no takers? I guess friendship is lame after all!" Vex said.
"Cooperation? No way!" Clump said.
"I don't want no namby pamby pony friendship junk crampin' my style!" Fume said.

"Fine, I'll do this on my own." Ember flew off embarrassed and disappointed.
"Alright Ember, see you never!" Baff said.
"FYI, I'm still your Dragon Lord. I'll be back, and when I am... ugh." she just flew off. The warmth of the Bloodstone Scepter kept her warm while she flew alone.

Ember flew back to find Spike, while the rest of the dragons flew in the opposite direction.

"Pff, could you believe what she said Garble about ponies being smarter than us!?" Fume said.
Garble was silent however. Almost as if there was a lot on his mind.
"Um, Garble?" Fume nudged.
"Huh? Oh, yeah... heh, ridiculous..." Garble said feeling unsure of how to feel.





Meanwhile, Spike started to awaken.

He started to open his eyes. The outside world was very white, a stark contrast from the blackness of his eyes being closed.

"Ugh... I feel like I intercepted an atomic bomb with my face..." he said. That wasn't too far from the truth. Spike was completely exhausted and out of energy.

Spike looked at his claws, and touched his head, from this, he was able to tell that he was back to his normal baby dragon size.
"Where... am I?" he wondered. He looked up, and saw a blank sky above him. He was completely desensitized, though he could tell it was cold.

"Am I... dead?" he wondered.
"You wish you were." said a familiar voice.

*gasp* "Henry!" Spike exclaimed.
"Yes, it's me." Henry had survived the blast and escaped with Spike in tow.

Spike started to gain consciousness, and was able to take in the surroundings better. He laid in the snow while Henry pulled on him with a rope tied to his neck.

"Ugh... Hey! What's the meaning of this rope!?" Spike asked.
"What's wrong, is it too tight?" Henry mocked. He wasn't actually concerned.
"Nah. It's just kind of uncomfortable, but thankfully we dragons have tough necks." Spike replied. "So tell me, where are we going?"
"Places. We still have much to accomplish." Henry replied.

"Wait wait wait. Slow down. I just woke up. What the heck just happened?" Spike asked.
"See for yourself." Henry pointed towards the ruined facility, which could still be seen from their location.

Spike looked upon the fiery remains of the facility in awe. What used to be Henry's hideout was now a huge fireball, with a plume of smoke pouring out. Truly a terrifying sight to behold.

"Did I... do that?" Spike said.
"Mmmhmm." he replied.
"I... I..." Spike teared at the sight of destruction he had caused. "...I can't believe it, such raw destruction, all because of me..."

"Yep. It is truly a marvelous sight." Henry said.

The height of the smoke cloud amazed Spike. "That smoke really does climb high into the atmosphere, almost as high as the tall mountains that surround us." he said.

Though they were on a flat plateau, not to far away were a range of tall mountains, including the tallest mountain in Equestria, Mount Everhoof.

"Wow, Mt. Everhoof sure is tall." Spike gazed at the mountains in awe.

"That is a big mountain, but you know what else is big? You at full size." Henry said. "That was an impressive show you put on Spike, but that was only the beginning of what is still to come."

"So that's the thing. What are you gonna do now that your stupid plan to weaponize me literally blew up in your face?" Spike asked.
"This is only a minor set back." Henry assured.
"You have a funny definition of minor set back." Spike sassed.

"Think of this as a fresh start, with new opportunities." Henry said.
"Whatever." Spike rolled his eyes at Henry's words.

Spike reached behind his back and scratched. In fact, he couldn't help but scratch.
*errgh* "Why am I so itchy?"
"Your skin is... peeling..." Henry observed.
"What the? But why?"
"I don't know, much is still unknown about the lives of young dragons." Henry said.
"Well whatever it is, it's really *ugh* irritating." Spike said.

"So tell me, Mr. Henry the not so capable, where exactly are going anyway?" Spike asked.
"Wait and see." he replied.

"That's it! I'm done with all the secrets!" Spike said. "You've done nothing but keep secrets! And I am so sick of it! I want answers already!"
"Answers such as..." Henry said.

"Just who are you anyway?!" Spike asked.
"I'm a researcher of sorts." he answered.
"No, who are you really? Where did you come from? What is your ultimate goal?" Spike prodded.
"It's been my long time passion to seek revenge on Equestria." Henry replied.
"Revenge for what? Who in Equestria did you any wrong?" Spike asked.
"That isn't important. What is, is that you're going to make that possible." he replied.

"But why me in particular? Why do you put so much emphasis on me? Why would you spend so much time training me in particular instead of any other dragon?"
"You have unique abilities that no other dragon possesses." Henry said. "All dragons grow with greed, but no dragon is capable of growing as fast as you." he explained. "During that brief moment of your maximum capacity, you were for that time the most powerful dragon Equestria had ever seen. Plus, your mind is feeble and easy to manipulate, which makes such power immense free for the taking... in theory. That is what makes you special."

"...So that's it? I'm just some freak of nature that you're exploiting?" Spike asked.
"Yep, pretty much." Henry replied. "There is nothing else significant about you whatsoever."
"Lies!" Spike shouted. "You're leaving out important details! There's something else you're not telling me!"
Henry did not reply, he just kept walking.

"None of this makes sense! How do you know about my abilities in the first place?!" Spike asked. "I demand that you tell me!"
Henry kept walking, silent. Spike leapt in front of Henry.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT ME?!" Spike demanded an answer.
"You ask questions requiring answers beyond your scope of understanding." Henry finally said. "If I told you half the things I knew, it would crack your tiny mind."

After the response, Henry walked right past Spike, who was frozen after being denied an answer. Henry continued to pull Spike through the snow.





Spike kept walking, and stared at the ground, bitter and full of angst. As they were walking, Spike had bumped into Henry, who had stopped in his tracks.

"Um... why are we stopping?" Spike asked.
"Halt! Who goes there!?" Henry exclaimed.

There was a mysterious pony way off in a cloud of fog. The pony said nothing as it walked forward. Henry was on guard, he readied his magic in case the pony was hostile, but it simply walked forward. Henry and Spike kept a watchful eye as this mystery pony walked forward. The pony wore a hood, and a gas mask, covering their face. The pony was now face to face with Henry.

"Who are you?" Henry asked.
"Who am I? Who are you? You shouldn't be out here in the cold all alone? And that dragon, he's going to shiver to death." they said. "Not to mention, the critter is probably just dead weight hanging on your back."
"...So?" Henry replied.
"So, I'm willing to take that dragon off your hooves for free. Give him to me, and consider him off of your back for good!"
"Hmm, thanks, but no thanks. This dragon is sticking with me." Henry walked passed the pony with Spike.

The pony ran to catch up to Henry and Spike.

"So, you wanna hang on to the dragon I see." they said. "Funny, because want that dragon too. Yes, I must have that dragon! I mean, it's just so weird!"
"Hmph." Spike grunted.
"I'm willing to pay you for that dragon." they said.
"Nice try, but I'm not some creature for sale!" Spike said.
"What could you possibly offer in exchange?" Henry asked.

"I got an offer that you just can't resist. Wait for it, 1,000 bits!" they pulled out a bag of bits. "Is it a deal or is it a deal?"
"No deal." Henry walked off. The pony chased after him again.
"Ahh, a higher bidder, I like that. Right, 10,000 bits?" they pulled out a bigger bag.
Henry was not impressed.
"Hang on, I got a deal you can't resist. 1,000,000 bits!" they pulled out a ridiculously sized bag.
But Henry stood angry and unmoved.

"Not a fan of cash? I can't blame you. You must be a pony who prefers checks." they wrote a check and presented it to Henry. "There you go."
Henry used his magic to rip up the check.
"So would you like that transferable or instead or..."

"No deal because this dragon isn't for sale!" Henry said.

His harsh tone froze the pony, and he continued walking with Spike.

"Of course, how silly of me. Selling a dragon. He isn't worth the raw material of his scales." they said.
"Hey!" Spike said.

"So you don't want the dragon after all. Alright then." Henry said.
"I didn't say that. I just mean, he's just such a strange dragon, why do you even want him?" they asked.
"This is a priceless dragon." Henry said. "He represents... many things. He is both my greatest accomplishment and greatest weapon. Why I tell you, I nabbed this little dragon from a sorry little pony princess, but she had it coming to her. Why I tell you-" Henry went on and on, but the pony and Spike started to tune him out.
The mystery pony and Spike looked each other in the eye. Spike looked deeply into the mask, and he could almost see the eyes within... eyes that looked very familiar...
"...Twilight?" Spike said softly.
"Shh!" they shushed him.
"-it's just another example of what comes around goes around. Isn't that just the funniest thing you've ever heard?" Henry said finishing his sentence. His glare turned to spite when he realized they weren't listening.
"Uh, yeah! Ha. Hilarious." they said, not knowing what was so funny.

"Spike is no ordinary dragon. He's a dragon domesticated by ponies, but also a dragon possessing an incredible untapped power." Henry hovered over the pony in a very terrifying and entrancing and hypnotic way.

"He makes quite a good assistant doesn't he? Wouldn't you say?" Henry asked.
"Um... I guess..." the pony was shaking.

"Spike is a very special dragon. Wouldn't you say? Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Henry said.

*gasp* Twilight let out a loud gasp, it was Twilight in disguise the whole time. Her cover was blown, and her identity was discovered.

Spike's eyes widened. "Twilight?" he said.

Twilight removed her mask and undid her hood, revealing her face. She turned and faced Henry.

"It really is you..." Spike said in amazement.

"Hello, Princess." Henry said.
"Hello, Henry." Twilight said.

To be continued...
> Chapter 18: The Chase
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on August 10th, 2018





In the last chapter Twilight Sparkle finally caught up to Henry, the horse who had kidnapped Spike. Unfortunately, Henry wasn't ready to give up Spike so easily.





"So, Henry I presume." Twilight said.
"Yes, that is me." Henry said. "It's about time you caught up Princess. I'm almost surprised it took you this long. Almost." Henry said.
"You've got a lot of nerve stealing Spike from me. You didn't even have the guts to do it in front of me, you did it behind my back."

"Twilight! You're here!" Spike clamored.
"Of course I am Spike. I'm here to rescue you. You didn't think I wouldn't show up did you?" Twilight said.
"You came all this way... just to save me!" Spike said emotionally.
"Of course. I've been so worried ever since you went missing." she replied. "I'd travel to the end of Equestria to save you, and well, heh, I guess I did just that."
"Oh Twilight, I'm so glad you're here-" Spike was interrupted by Henry.

"So, Princess. Where are your friends?" Henry asked, referring of course to the mane 5.
"They're... not here." Twilight answered.
"And why not?" he asked.
"Because..." Twilight's voice trailed off.

Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Because I don't need them to stop you!" Twilight said.
"You came all this way for the little dragon, but in doing so, you've neglected your friends in the process." Henry said.

Twilight was reminded of her other friends. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight Glimmer. She felt terrible about the way she'd treated them over the past few weeks. She was so eaten up by the loss of Spike, that she turned against them bitterly. After her brush with near death in the snow, she wanted to apologize to them so dearly. So much so, it was the first thing on her agenda after rescuing Spike.

"It's a that shame you came all this way for nothing. Spike isn't going anywhere. He's staying with me." Henry said.
"Twilight, I'm scared." Spike said.
"Hang on Spike, I'll get you out of this." Twilight assured.
"Look, I don't want any trouble." she said. "Just hand him over and we can make this easy."
"Why should I? Your threats are as hollow as your promises." Henry said. "Spike's mine, and he's coming with me."

"Don't make me have to use force." Twilight threatened. Her horn started to glow.
"Daww, the little pony princess wouldn't use violence to solve her issues would she?" Henry teased.
"I will if I have to. Spike's coming with me, by any means necessary." Twilight assured.
"Are you sure about that?" Henry asked.

Twilight's composure was slipping. The guilt of her friends was eating her up, and she was nervous in the face of this new adversary. Henry was so calm it was almost disturbing. It was almost as if this was all part of his plan. Could Twilight be walking right into some trap? Spike could see how nervous Henry made Twilight, and he wasn't going to let him get to her.

"You better watch yourself Henry! Twilight is no ordinary pony! She's one of the four princesses of Equestria! She is the Princess of Friendship, and represents the Element of Magic! She plays an important role in Equestria, and has saved the land time and time again! Whether she's standing alone, or besides her friends, you're no match for her determination and power! So you better think twice before you mess with her!" Spike said. "You can make all the threats you want, but Twilight's duty to unite ponies and stop evildoers like you! If you think you can rattle her with your words then you have another thing coming!"

"Thanks Spike. I needed to hear that." Twilight said. His words gave her a much needed confidence boost.
"Spike's right! I'm not afraid of you! Spike rightfully belongs to me and I'm not leaving without him!" Twilight said.
"Rightfully belongs to you? That's funny." Henry said.

"You two put so much unjust trust in each other." Henry said. "Poor naive Spike. He puts too much blind faith in the four princesses of Equestria, totally unaware of their dishonesty."
The two gave Henry a stare.
"And you Twilight, you should think twice about letting your guard down around a dragon. If not, you might get... BURNT!"
"AAH!"
"GAAH!" Twilight flinched.

Henry squeezed Spike to force out a breath of fire, but nothing came out, as the rope was tied too tight around Spike's neck.

"HA! You flinched! You were scared he was going to burn you wasn't he?" Henry said. "Dragons are vicious creatures, so it's best to keep them in check."
"Look, I don't know who you are, or what your agenda is, but I am not going to let you demonize dragons. Not now, they're so close to an alliance with the ponies, and I'm not going to let you undo all of that." Twilight said. "Just give me Spike and turn yourself in, and I won't have to teach you a lesson."

"Hmm, I tell you what, since you're so sure that Spike belongs to you, I'll make this easy after easy after all." Henry said.
"How so?" Twilight asked.
"You can have Spike... if you can answer this simple question." he replied.

"Pfft. Answer a question about Spike? Easy! I know everything there is to know about Spike. I know his favorite gem cake recipe, the book I got him for his first birthday, as well as the book I got for his second birthday, and the birthday after that, and-" Twilight said.
"Where did Spike come from?" Henry asked.
*gulp* "Except for that one." Twilight said shocked.

Twilight was ready to answer any question... except that one!

*gasp* Spike gasped. The dreaded question that haunted his life. The answer to this mystery stood between him and Twilight.
"Um... hmm." Twilight thought.
"You don't know?! Seriously?! I'm not surprised, I'm just amused." Henry said.
"Hey! That's not fair! You picked a difficult question on purpose!" Spike argued.
"No no, let me think..." Twilight said.

Twilight thought, but she could not come up with anything.

"Well?" Henry asked, growing impatient.
"Um... He came from the dragon... region... you know the one... where dragons roam... " Twilight answered.
"But how did a dragon egg end up at Canterlot of all places?" Henry asked.
"I don't know!" Twilight snapped. "But it's not like I haven't tried to find out! I must've asked Princess Celestia at least twenty times where Spike came from, but every time, she either doesn't give me a straight answer, or drops the subject!" she ranted.
"Typical. If there's anything Celestia's good at, it's secrets." Henry said.
"And whenever I try to research anything on dragons, there's almost no records!" Twilight said.

"Well if you don't know the answer, then I guess no Spike for you." Henry teased. "Pity, it's as if you don't even know Spike at all."
"What do you know about Spike?" Twilight was growing mad. "Wait, how did you even know that Spike was hatched in Canterlot?" Twilight asked.
"I know more about Spike than you apparently." Henry replied.

"Spike is my dragon!" Twilight tugged on Spike. "Give him back!"
"YOUR DRAGON?! HA!" Henry tugged the other way.

"What's so funny Henry?" Twilight asked.

"Finders keepers Princess. I found Spike, so therefore he belongs to me." Henry said.
"I think you meant that you stole Spike, from me." Twilight corrected.
"Found, stole. What is possession in the first place?" Henry pondered.

"Whatever you call it, could you two not pull so hard?" Spike cringed in pain as they each pulled on him.

"Give up now Princess!" Henry exclaimed.
"Twilight? Please help me." Spike was getting nervous.
"I will use force!" Twilight threatened. Her horn and her cutie mark lit up.
"But if you took Spike by force, how does that make you any better than me?" Henry teased.

This made Twilight very angry.

"I'm nothing like you!" Twilight exclaimed.
"I think you and I have more in common than you want to admit." Henry said.





Tension in the atmosphere built. Until that tension snapped.

"If you want Spike so bad, then take him!" Henry said.

In a flash, Twilight fired a powerful beam of magic at Henry! But he blocked it with an equally powerful magic shield. The magic collided in an intense concentration of energy. Twilight's blast was powerful, but Henry's shield withstood it. The magic connected and made for a stunning light show.

The magic spells wore off, and Twilight flew forward, but Henry used his magic to grab Twilight and throw her onto the ground.

"GAHH!" Twilight cried. *plunk* she landed in the snow.
"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried. Watching Twilight get thrown like a rag doll was almost too hard to watch.

Twilight jumped out of the snow, charged her horn, and lunged towards Henry. But in an instant, he and Spike disappeared into the ground!

Like that, Henry and Spike were gone again!

"SPIKE! WHERE ARE YOU!" Twilight cried. Searched the ground, but it was solid.
"I'M DOWN HERE!" said a muffled Spike's voice.
"WHERE IS HERE!?" Twilight exclaimed.





*alarms sound*

The ground started to shake violently. Something heavy was rumbling underneath. A big hole opened up from beneath the snow.

"What the..." Twilight thought.

She heard the sound of... engines revving up? And then, fast like a speeding bullet, something drove out from beneath the snow.

*VROOM*
*TIRE SCREECH*

Twilight stopped in disbelief. It was some kind of metal horseless... carriage! It was Henry's car! The same vehicle Henry had used to kidnap Spike! Now he was using it to make his getaway with Spike.

The vehicle drove circles around Twilight, kicking up snow. That and the blur made it difficult to get a clear look at the vehicle. Twilight circled around in disbelief. The car stopped and stared Twilight dead on. The headlights shined bright as day, into Twilight's retinas.

"AAHHH! I CAN'T SEE!" she cried.

In this moment, Twilight's life flashed before her eyes.

Henry hit the accelerator. All Spike could do was scream from inside the car.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY TWILIGHT!" Spike cried.

The car accelerated towards Twilight!

"AAAHH!" she screamed.

The car crossed Twilight's path. So much snow had been kicked up, that it was difficult to see what had happened. Spike's only view outside of the vehicle were two windows on either side of the cabin.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried.

Spike witnessed Twilight's dislodged coat fly past his view.

"NO!" Spike screamed.
"Looks like that princess really doesn't know how to put up a fight after all." Henry said.

The car drove away.

Was Twilight...? No of course not. Her head popped out of the snow. She managed to dodge the car just in time.
"HEY! COME BACK HERE!" Twilight yelled.

She spread her wings and took flight, chasing after Henry's vehicle.





And now begins the long awaited car chase. I know I've been looking forward to this since almost the start. This has been hinted for a long time.





Twilight flew after Henry's car. In the air, she got a better look at what she was up against.

Henry was driving a four-wheel vehicle, engine at the front. Henry sat in the front compartment with the steering wheel. Spike was tied up in a compartment in the back.

Henry drove fast, but Twilight flew faster. But it would take much more than speed to overcome this challenge.

"You're not getting away from me!" Twilight said. "Not with Spike you ain't!"

She fired a blast of magic Henry's way, but he swerved out of the way and dodged the blast. When that didn't work, she fired a barrage of magic blasts at Henry's way, but his driving skills were superb, he dodged every blast.

*PEW PEW PEW* "SWERVE* *SCREECH*

"So, you wanna play with magic? I'll give you magic!" Henry exclaimed.

Henry pressed a button in the cockpit, activating the car's secret weapon. A weapon that Henry hoped was powerful enough to defeat the Princess of Friendship herself. On the top of the car, extended a large antenna. It looked troubling, but Twilight scratched her head as to what it did.

"Now then, try this one for size!" Henry exclaimed.

Inside the car, Henry attached a probe to his horn, which tapped into his magic directly. The probe sucked as Henry used his magic.

"Ew... that's kind of gross." Spike said.

He aimed the antenna carefully, and then...

*PEW*

"WOAH!" a fast blast of magic nearly hit Twilight dead on, she barely dodged it.

The probe connected Henry's magic directly to the vehicle, so when he fired a blast of magic, it came out of antenna, with great force. Almost as powerful as Twilight's shots.

Henry fired a barrage of magic blasts at Twilight.

*PEW* *PEW* *PEW*

* BRZZZTTT *

Twilight maneuvered around the blasts, while charging up her own magic. She fired a magic blast back at the car.

*BAM* *POW*

The two exchanged beams of magic back and forth, while the car raced forward at high speeds through the snow. The car's special tires were well equipped for snow traversing.

"I'm putting an end to this right now!" Twilight exclaimed.

She took careful aim, and fired an especially powerful beam at the front of the car. But the shot was redirected and absorbed by the antenna! The antenna on top of the car sucked and pulled on Twilight's magic, like some kind of magic lightning rod. It put a near death grip on Twilight's magic.

"AAAHH! LET GO LET GO LET GO!" Twilight cried.

The antenna sapped Twilight's magic strait from her horn, and pulled it into a storage tank in Henry's car.

"TWILIGHT! BE CAREFUL!" Spike pleaded.
"Heh heh. This device sends magic both ways." Henry said.

The magic was deposited into a containment chamber in the middle of the car.

"First Spike and now my magic?! Is there anything you won't steal?!" Twilight cried.
"Want your magic back? Alright then, HERE YOU GO!" Henry pulled a lever. The antenna fired Twilight's magic back at her!
"AAHHH!" she cried.

*BOOM*

The blast hit her square in the face. The blast blew up a puff of smoke, obscuring the view. Twilight fell from the dust cloud and landed in the snow.

Spike watched in horror as Twilight fell from the sky.

"TWILIGHT! NOOO!" Spike cried.

Twilight's body impacted the snow below as Henry drove away. She tried to maintain consciousness, but was losing it. 
"No! Come back!" she pleaded. "...please!"





Twilight watched helplessly as the vehicle escaped.

Henry continued to drive, when all of the sudden.

*KA BOOM*
*SQUEAK*

The car hit something that released a blast wave. It hit a landmine? The car hit a colorful landmine, filled with confetti and streamers? That's what it looked like alright.

The blast knocked Henry's car against a stone wall.

"WHAT THE?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

He put his hoof against the accelerator, when, in an instant, a flash of light circled around his vehicle, and tired a rope around the car and a boulder.

Henry pressed the accelerator, but the car was stuck! It was tied to a boulder.
"I can't move!" Henry cried. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?"

*PLOMP*

"NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Henry said.

Something landed on the hood of Henry's car. It was none other than...
"RAINBOW DASH!" Spike exclaimed.

"So you're the jerk who took Spike!" Rainbow Dash said.
Rainbow Dash wasn't alone either.
"We don't take kindly to your behavior sir." Rarity said as she hopped into view.
"I see you ran into my hidden party cannon! Well that's just the beginning of what we're going to do to you!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"RARITY! PINKIE PIE! You're here too!" Spike said joyfully.

"You make me so angry! Stealing a baby dragon!? How could you!?" Fluttershy also appeared.
"We're gonna have a field day mowing you down." Applejack said.
"There's no way we're going to let you get away with this!" Starlight said.

"FLUTTERSHY! APPLEJACK! STARLIGHT! I can't believe it! You're all here!" Spike rejoiced.

"Girls! You all made it!" Twilight flew besides her friends.
"Sorry we came Twilight, we know you wanted to handle this alone." Applejack said.
"Are you kidding? I've never been happier to see you!" Twilight said.
"Girls! You all came, for me!" Spike said.
"Of course we did silly. We love you." Pinkie said.
"You're the most awesome dragon we know of!" Rainbow Dash said.
"We can't imagine our lives without you." Rarity said.
"You're just as important to our group as any one of us." Starlight said.
Their words warmed Spike's heart.
"Also, side note: I called it! Big metal horseless carriage!" Pinkie giggled.
"I gotta admit, your prediction was dead on." Rainbow Dash said.

"No, no, NO! This is not how it was supposed to play out!" Henry ranted. "I was supposed to steal the dragon, and defeat the lonely princess! You other ponies weren't supposed to show up!"
"You underestimate our bond Henry!" Twilight said. "Alone, you and I may be evenly matched, but your machines give you an unfair edge. With my friends by my side, there isn't anything we can't do! Now come on girls, let's save Spike together!" Twilight said.

"So now that you've reunited with your dumb friends, what are you going to do? Blast me with your rainbows and friendship and stuff?" Henry said mockingly.
"Hmm, that's actually not a bad idea." Twilight said.

The mane 6 started to glow. They all joined forces, and started to activate their Rainbow Powers.

"NO! I was being rhetorical!" he cried. Henry got very nervous at this sight.

"Oh hey. Rainbow Powers. You go ahead and... do that." Starlight said, watching them unify without her.

Spike was enamored by the rainbow colors and the glowing.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy all joined forces, and united, activated their Rainbow Powers!

"There's got to be something in this car that can stop them!" Henry said frantically.

Their manes transformed, and they were fully girls were charged up... but right before they could make a move, things went south very fast.

*FLASH*

"HEY! WHAT THE!?" Twilight cried.

* BBBZZZZ *

"AAAH!" screamed Rarity.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" exclaimed Fluttershy.
"I CAN'T MOVE!" cried Rainbow Dash.
"HE'S SUCKING OUT OUR MAGIC!" cried Twilight Sparkle.

Their Rainbow magic was being sucked out by the antenna and into Henry's vehicle.

"I've never held this much magic at once." Henry said nervously. "This had better work!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" the mane 6 all screamed simultaneously.

Their rainbow magic drained from the mane 6 and filled the container inside the car. Starlight and Spike watched in horror.

"SAY GOODBYE PRINCESS!" Henry aimed his laser at the girls, and fired!

"NO!" Starlight cried.

*BOOM*
*INTERCEPTION*

"WHAT THE?!" Henry exclaimed.
"OH MY LORD! STARLIGHT!" Twilight yelled.

Starlight leaped directly in front of Henry's blast, and absorbed the entire thing!

"WHAT THE?!" Henry was starstruck by Starlight.

With their magic drained, the mane 6 fell to the ground. *plump* Rainbow Powers were gone, they were back to normal. Starlight on the other hand was super duper charged! She held onto all six of their collective energies. She held so much energy, she could hardly control it.

"Starlight Glimmer!" Twilight cried.

Starlight fired the powerful blast away from anyone. Everypony watched in awe as the blast flew away... or did it?

"Uh... why is the magic heading back this way?!" Applejack asked.

The magic was absorbed back into Henry's vehicle.

"Don't want the magic Starlight? Don't mind if I do." Henry said.

Henry floored his vehicle, breaking the rope, and he drove away from the scene.

"HEEELP!" Spike cried.





"What the heck just happened?!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"We got totally got pummeled!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Did he just... defeat the elements of harmony?" Rarity asked.
"No! He just sapped our magic using his cheap machinery." Twilight said.
"Now come on... huh?" Twilight tried using her magic, but nothing came out! "My magic's gone."
"Mine's gone too!" Rarity replied.
"I still have some magic though." Starlight added.
"But where did your magic go?" Fluttershy asked.
"Um, hello? Magic went sucky suck into magic lightning rod of doom." Pinkie said.
"Or in layman's terms, Henry's got our magic." Twilight said stern.
"Flutters and I still have our flight though." Rainbow said. "So, I guess we're mostly fine?"
"But how are we gonna defeat him without magic?" Rarity asked.
"We better think of something fast!" Applejack said. "He's heading into the northern mountain range!"

The ponies watched as Henry's car drove towards the mountainous area.

"Then that's where we're heading!" Twilight said.
"What an odd choice. The rugged terrain has got to slow him down." Fluttershy said.
"Then it's our chance to catch up, let's go!" Twilight said.
"Right, there's no time to lose!" Starlight said. "Girls, let's go!

Starlight used her magic revealing the hot air balloon, which she made invisible earlier.

"You brought the hot air balloon?" Twilight asked.
"How else are we going to lug around so much dead weight?"
"Wow, that's not a nice thing to say about Applejack." Pinkie Pie said.
"It's so we all travel together. But the balloon may not cut it for this job." Starlight said.
"Good point." Twilight said. "You all follow in the balloon for support."

Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Starlight Glimmer hopped into the air balloon.

"Rainbow Dash and I will fly ahead to try to slow him down." Twilight said.
"Ahem, I think you mean Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and you." Fluttershy said.
"Atta girl. I like your spunky spirit." Rainbow Dash said.
"Okay, so the three of us will fly ahead, while the rest be our support." Twilight said. "Once we stop the vehicle and get our magic back, you get the jump on him. He won't know what hit him."
"Affirmative." Starlight said.





With that, the two pegasi and alicorn princess flew after Henry in his car, in order to rescue Spike trapped inside. Rainbow Dash flew above Henry, and then dove down at great speed. Rainbow was planning on hitting Henry with a Sonic Rainboom! She accelerated faster and faster, but she couldn't get fast enough.

"Why aren't I going faster?" Rainbow wondered.
"Look out!" cried Fluttershy.
*PEW*
Fluttershy nearly pushed Rainbow out of the way of Henry's blast.

"Guess the magic drain does affect us pegasi too." Rainbow Dash said. "I couldn't get enough speed to generate a Sonic Rainboom."
"Well then, think of another plan!" Twilight said.

The three flying horses flew after Henry. Dash kicked a patch of snow, to try to snow in Henry's car, but the avalanche missed and he drove past it. Fluttershy waited up ahead on a cliff face. She pushed over and dropped a boulder over the edge. Unfortunately, Henry drove so fast, he was already past the impact zone before the boulder contacted the ground. Twilight flew in closer to the vehicle, but she got too close.

*PEW*

"I wouldn't get too close if I were you!" He fired their Rainbow magic at Twilight. Using their own magic against them.

Twilight backed away to regroup with Dash and Fluttershy. The three regrouped with the rest of the friends in the hot air balloon.

"This would be much easier if we all had our magic!" Starlight said.
"Well we can't! Okay!? Because whoever this pony is, he is managed to invent a magic lightning rod that is both powerful enough to work on us! And compact enough to fit onto a motorized automobile!" Twilight said.

"Calm down Twilight. Let's just think of a new plan." Rarity said.
"And do it fast. That Henry's not waiting for any pony." Rainbow Dash said.
"We're going to need a better plan if we're going to penetrate his defenses." Applejack said.
"I got it. We need to come up with a new plan. We gotta take out that antenna if we're going to have a chance." Twilight said.
"I have an idea. How about we drop a bunch of pies on the car so he can't see?!" Pinkie suggested.
"Uh, how about a real plan?" Rainbow Dash nagged.
"Hmm, I still got plenty of rope. It may not have been enough to hold down the entire car, but maybe it's strong enough to tie around that antenna and pull it right out." Applejack proposed.
"Again, how about a real... actually that could work." Rainbow Dash admitted.
"I have an idea!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's going to be dangerous, but we don't have many other options."
"Well whatever it is, I'm down." Starlight said.
"Me too." Rainbow Dash added.
"And me." Pinkie Pie assured.
"What's the plan Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight whispered her plan.





Meanwhile, Henry continued to drive through the mountains.

"No sign of those ponies anywhere." Henry said. "Looks like they don't care after all, and have given up on you."
"No way! I'm sure they're just... regrouping." Spike said. "And you know, you're a pretty terrible driver."
"Just be grateful you're fastened tightly. Otherwise you'd be flying all over the cabin." Henry said.
"I'd rather be flying out of this dumpster on wheels." Spike sassed.

The coast seemed clear for now, but that intuition was incorrect, as Henry was in for a surprise.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash waited some ways up the road.

"Ready..." Twilight waited for the vehicle to be in just the right spot.
"Now!" she commanded.

On her command, Pinkie initiated phase one of the plan.

"Look out below! Or don't!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

She dropped a load of pies from the balloon down below.

The pies landed on the windshield of Henry's car.
*SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT*
"GAH! WHAT THE?! I CAN'T SEE!" Henry cried.

The car swerved around blindly.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy waited just up ahead for phase two. Twilight and Fluttershy waited on one side of a gorge, while Rainbow hid across from them. 

"Ready girls!?" Twilight asked.
"Um... are you sure about this..." Rainbow Dash took a metaphorical step back and realized just how ridiculously dangerous this plan was.
"I know I'm the irrationally fearful one, but this plan seems really scary."

Henry's car had just about reached them.

"NOW!" On Twilight's command, they lifted up a rope to catch the antenna.

"AAHH!" they all yelled.

The rope attached to the rod, but it did not give immediately, and it pulled them along for the ride.

The three pegasi held on for dear life.
"HANG ON GIRLS!" Twilight cried.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried.

Henry used his windshield wipers to wipe away the pies. He could now see out the window.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Henry exclaimed. "So this is your plan! A rope?! Seriously!?" he laughed.
"TWILIGHT! RAINBOW! FLUTTERSHY! CAREFUL!" Spike exclaimed.

Henry aimed his blaster at Twilight.

"I can't hold on! I'm sorry!" Fluttershy let go and tumbled onto the ground below.
"FLUTTERSHY!" Twilight and Rainbow exclaimed.
"WATCH OUT! HE'S GONNA FIRE!" Dash cried.
Twilight braced herself.





The two needed a miracle this instant, and a miracle was on the way!

Henry fired a blast of magic at Twilight, but the blast was intercepted by none other than...

"EMBER!?" Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Henry all cried simultaneously.

YES! Ember came back to help! She used the Bloodstone Scepter to absorb the shot of magic.

"Twilight! Rainbow Dash! Let go!" Ember exclaimed.
"WHAT?!" they cried.
"JUST TRUST ME! I GOT THIS!" Ember commanded.

Twilight and Rainbow nodded in agreement.

"AAAHH!" the two let go of the rope and tumbled through the snow. They watched as Henry and Ember sped off.

"I hope she knows what she's doing." Twilight said.

Ember took a deep breath, and prepared herself for the daring stunt she was about to attempt.

"It was foolish for you to come back Ember. You should have escaped when you had your chance!" Henry exclaimed.

Ember pointed the Scepter at Henry's vehicle and fired a blast of energy.

*BAM!*

The antenna started to suck on the Scepter.

"I BLASTED YOUR SCEPTER ONCE BEFORE! I'LL DO IT AGAIN!" Henry yelled.
"NOT THIS TIME HENRY!" Ember exclaimed. "THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!"

Ember flew in closer. The transfer of energy made the Scepter heat up, but Ember endured it, she had to. She flew in even closer, until she was right next to the antenna, on top of the car.

"AAHHH!" Ember yelled in pain, but this was the point of no return.

She flew next to the antenna and put a grip on it with her claws.

"THIS IS FOR EQUESTRIA! AAHHH!" Ember pulled with all her strength, and pulled the antenna clean out of the car!
*YANK* *BZZH*
"AND NOW, TAKE THIS!" Ember had thrust the Bloodstone Scepter down into the car with all her might!
*BAM*
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Henry panicked.
Ember had shoved the front of the Bloodstone Scepter directly into the car, piercing an opening in the tank, and all of the rainbow magic shot out of the tank.
*BOOM*
The magic rushed out of the tank. The force sent Ember flying off the car and onto the ground.

With the magic free, all of the magic returned to Twilight and friends! Their magic flew through the sky, and returned itself to their rightful owners!

The car, now out of control, swerved and careened its side into the rocky side.

"Look out!" Spike exclaimed.
"AAH!" he and Henry screamed.

*crash*

The car had a minor collision, resulting in the cracking, but not shattering of the window next to Spike. The entire vehicle came to a stop.

"EMBER!" Twilight, Dash, Fluttershy, and Starlight ran to Ember's aide.
"Are you okay?!" Twilight asked.
"I'm fine. I did what I had to do." Ember assured.
"Wow! You totally disarmed Henry's car!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "You were like AHH! And you went all close and shoved that Scepter in, totally wrecking the whole thing!"
"And we got our magic back too!" Starlight said.
"There were sacrifices to be made however..." Ember held up the now ruined Bloodstone Scepter. The crystal at the end was completely shattered. What remained was just a regular stick.
"What you did was extremely brave Ember, and we salute you." Twilight said. "Now then, there's only one thing left to do."

*vroom*

*gasp* their hearts sank at the vroom sound, because it meant that Henry's car wasn't out of commission just yet.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried.
Henry floored the gas pedal of the car, and drove away from the scene at high speeds.
"HELP!" Spike pleaded.





"Come on Twilight! Now that the antenna is gone and our magic restored, we can use our Rainbow Powers and blast that Henry into oblivion!" Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight hesitated however.

"What are you waiting for?!" Rainbow asked.

Twilight analyzed her surroundings. Henry was getting away, while the hot air balloon with the rest of her friends was still a fair distance away.
After careful examination of the scene, Twilight made a foolish decision.

"There's no time!" she exclaimed. She flew after Henry herself.
"Where are you going Twilight?!" Rainbow Dash asked.
"His one and only weapon/defense is down! With my magic back, beating him now will be a cinch!" Twilight said.

Twilight flew ahead of her friends and after Henry by herself.

"Twilight! No!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"Wait up Twilight!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"Don't do it Twilight!" Ember cried.





Henry continued to drive recklessly through the perilous and rocky mountains, desperate to escape.

Inside the car, Spike nudged himself, trying to free himself from the seat belt. "Hrrgh, mmm, aah!" Spike peaked his claws through, and managed to cut one belt, and from there he was unbound!

"Hey! I'm free-ish." Spike said.
"Take a seat!" Henry said.

Spike looked out the window, and saw...

"Look it's Twilight! She's coming!" Spike rejoiced.
"Just Twilight? Heh. Excellent." Henry said with a smirk.

Twilight had caught up to Henry.

"It's over Henry! You're defenseless! Pull over and I'll go easy on you!" Twilight threatened.
"You heard her, just give up now Henry!" Spike exclaimed.
"No!" Henry replied.

Henry floored the vehicle, which sent Spike to the back of the cabin.

Twilight flew after him. She used her magic on Henry's tires to try to slow him down!

*SCREEEEEECCHH*
*PEW*
"Woah!" Twilight almost got hit by a shot of magic.
"I'll shoot you down myself if I have to!" Henry stuck his head out of the top of the car. He put the car in autopilot so he could aim outside.

The two fired powerful beams of magic at each other

*PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* Back and forth!

The car's autopilot was smoother than Henry's own driving, and so, Spike took advantage of this.
Hmm, there's got to be a way out of this thing. he thought.
But the cabin was sealed tight, with no exits, so Spike had to make one.

Come on claws, don't fail me now! *POW* Spike dug his claws into the cracked window, trying to finish the job.

Outside the car was the fast paced magic duel of the century.

Twilight and Henry fired shots of magic at each other, until ultimately...
They simultaneously fired their strongest beams of magic, and they collided dead on.

*BOOM*

Their beams interlocked, and formed one solid and continuous beam of magic in between Twilight and Henry's horns. The beams were so powerful that they cut through solid rocks that got in between. The ground shook as this epic clash of magic waged on at breakneck speeds! It was now a matter of whose beam would win.

"GIVE! HIM! BACK!" Twilight exclaimed.
"NEVER! SPIKE BELONGS TO ME!" Henry yelled back.

The power of the beams grew stronger, so much so that somepony had to give in. But unfortunately, it is not the pony you want it to be.

"HOW COULD YOU TAKE A BABY DRAGON AWAY FROM HIS RIGHTFUL OWNER!" Twilight exclaimed.
"WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOURSELF!" Henry exclaimed.

Henry turned the car and slammed the brakes, causing to fall over on its side. *CRASH* Twilight came falling to the ground.
*SMACK*
"TWILIGHT! NO!" Spike cried. But he and Henry weren't out of the clear just yet.
"AAHHHH!" Spike cried.
The car toppled up and over.
*CRASH*





"Ugh, what now? Ah!" Spike had awoken, and was horrified at what he saw.

Henry's car had been completely totaled. Debris littered the ground. What remained of the car was a fiery mess of massacred steel and rubber. Spike laid on the ground just fine, aside from some bruises. He wasn't concerned about himself or the car however, he was worried about Twilight, who laid motionless on the ground.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike ran to Twilight.
"Please be okay Twilight..."
Twilight was completely unresponsive.
"...oh no." he said.
"Yes, such shame indeed." said a voice from behind Spike.

Spike turned around, and his heart sank.
"NO! IT'S YOU! BUT HOW?" he cried.
Henry had survived the carnage.
"My uh, strong will kept me going. But Twilight, apparently Twilight Sparkle doesn't want you as much as I do." Henry said. "She didn't have the spirit or determination to finish the job."
"You're horrible!" Spike exclaimed.
"Me? Why, that was an accident I swear. Car just got a little out of control."
"Either way, with Twilight out of the picture, you look like you're in need of a caregiver." Henry said. "And I know someone just right for you."

Henry carried Spike away...

"NO! STOP IT! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Spike tried to run, but Henry pulled on him with his magic grip.
"NO! TWILIGHT! HELP!"

Spike's voice became less distinguishable as Henry took him away.

"TWILIIIIIiiiii..."

...
> Chapter 19: Memories Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on September 15th, 2018





"What am I? Where am I from? Who am I supposed to be?" Spike's voice echoed.
"Uuugh! I don't know! For the last time, Spike, you were given to me as an egg. I don't know who found you or where they found you." Twilight's words echoed.
"I DON'T KNOW WHO FOUND YOU OR WHERE THEY FOUND YOU."
"I DON'T KNOW WHO FOUND YOU OR WHERE THEY FOUND YOU."

That one sentence from Twilight's past haunted her the more it repeated in her head.

.

.

.

"Do you have a question young Twilight?" Celestia echoed.
"Yes I do. I just wanted to ask. Where did Spike come from?" filly Twilight asked.
"...Let's ask a different question." Celestia responded.
"Okay... where do dragons come from?" she asked.
"Um... well. Let's see... um." Celestia paused.
Twilight waited for an answer.
"...Dragons come from eggs." Celestia answered.
"I already know that. I'm the one who hatched Spike after all." Twilight said.
"Indeed you are..." Celestia said.
"But where do the eggs come from?" Twilight asked.
"Well, when a mommy dragon and a daddy dragon-" Celestia started to explain.
"I already know how breading functions!" Twilight interpreted. "Who layed Spike's egg? Who are his mommy and daddy? How did a dragon egg end up at Canterlot? If hatching a dragon egg was your entrance exam, how come Spike's the only dragon in Canterlot?"
"Twilight I!-" Celestia snapped.

Celestia's outburst brought startled Twilight, and brought out a single tear to her face.
She noticed this and immediately felt bad.

*sigh* "You're too curious for you own good..." Celestia sighed.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"There is a lot about Spike that even I don't know..." Celestia's voice faded away.

.

.

.

"What do you know about Spike?" Twilight echoed.
"I know more about Spike than you apparently." Henry echoed.

.

"Who are you Henry? What do you know about Spike that I don't? And why do you look so familiar?" Twilight wondered. "Could Henry somehow be hiding the answer to Spike's origins? And if so, how is that possible?"
"What else might he know? Could he know possibly the whereabouts of Spike's parents? The chances are slim, but it's the closest I've ever been to answers. I have to find him, and find out whatever he's hiding."

"Twilight!" an outside voice exclaimed.
"Huh? Who's calling my name?"
"TWILIIIII-





-IIIIIGHT!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"AHH! I'm awake!" Twilight woke up from her dream.

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Starlight, and Ember all surrounded her.

"Are you okay Twilight?" Starlight asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Where am I anyway? What happened?" Twilight was dazed and confused.

"We're still in Frozen North. And you..." Starlight said.
"That was one heck of it hit you took just now." Applejack said.
"Judging by the wreckage, things must have gotten pretty intense." Rainbow Dash said.
"The wreckage? *gasp* Oh my goodness!" Twilight turned her head and noticed the car wreck.

The ruined remains of Henry's car sat in a blazing inferno, melting the nearby snow.

Twilight was now more aware of her situation. Her friends were all there, but she couldn't help but notice someone's absence.

"Girls? Where's Spike?" Twilight asked.

None of them spoke immediately. Applejack took off her hat and held it.

"Oh no..." Twilight feared the worst.

"We searched the wreckage, and the nearby area, but unfortunately..." Starlight started.
"There weren't no sign of anythin'." Applejack said.
"We're terribly sorry Twilight." Rarity said.
"No..." Twilight covered her mouth, and her eyes watered.





"Twilight, listen. We know you're upset, but we just wanna say-" Applejack was interrupted.

"Well then what are we standing around for?! They're still out there aren't they?! We have to keep look-OW!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Twilight!" her friends ran to her aid.

"What hurts?" Starlight examined Twilight.
"It's my leg, I think it's..." Twilight said.
"Your leg is broken!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

*gasp*

Twilight back left leg was broken.

"But how did this happen?" Twilight asked.
"We found you on the ground beaten and bruised. It must have happened when you were... *ahem* knocked out." Rarity said.
"Well, this is only a minor set back. We're still going to keep looking for Spike right?" Twilight said.

Her friends stood for a moment.

"Who wants to say it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I'll do it." Applejack walked forward. "I'm sorry to say this Twi, but we can't keep going. It's time we head home and call it."
"WHAT!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"You heard me right." AJ said.
"Look at yourself. You're in no condition to keep going." Starlight said.

"What, because of a broken leg? Pfft. That's nothing. Who needs legs!? I can just fly perpetually like Rainbow Dash. She always hovers, even when idle. Have you ever noticed that?"

Rainbow noticed she was hovering during this time, and landed she on the ground awkwardly.

"Listen Twilight." Starlight said.
"Listen to NOTHING!" Twilight exclaimed
"You're going to keep hurting yourself if you keep going!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Are you seriously suggesting that we call it quits now?! We can't quit now! We have to save Spike!" Twilight asserted.

"Twilight, believe us, it's not an easy call to make. But you're injured, and we're out of options." Starlight said.
"So you're just okay with quitting now, and leaving Spike at the mercy of Henry!?" Twilight said.
"No Twilight, that's not it. We just-" Applejack started.

"This entire time, none of you have been supportive!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Twilight." Rarity said.
"You seriously think I should just abandon Spike now in his time of need!" she ranted.
"Twilight, listen." Rainbow Dash said.
"I'm uh... not gonna get in the middle of this." Ember said, backing away from the argument.

"Are you girls afraid? What are you afraid of? Are afraid of the danger?" Twilight said.
"Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"Are you afraid that Henry's going to sneak up on you and steal your little buddies too?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, stop it!" Fluttershy said.
"Are you all afraid that you're going to DIE?!" Twilight yelled.
"We're afraid that YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" Fluttershy stepped forward and shouted.

Everypony went silent at her words.

*sniff* "...Seeing you lay motionless on the ground... we thought that you were... that you had..." Fluttershy cried. She was so choked up she couldn't finish her sentence. Rainbow Dash flew next to her for support.
"We weren't sure if you were gonna get up or not. *sniff* We were so worried, we feared the worst." Pinkie Pie said.

The weight of the situation all of the sudden hit Twilight in that moment. She put herself in danger, to the point where she put her own life at risk. Her friends were more concerned about Twilight's life than she was herself.
The thought of brought tears to her face.

"I understand your concern. Honest, I do. I'm not saying that this isn't dangerous, but we've come so far, and this could be our only chance. What if I never see Spike again?" she asked.
"What if we never see either you or Spike again? Losing one friend is awful, and we don't even want to think about the idea of losing two." Rarity said.

"But we're so close, we can't give up now." Twilight said.
"Twilight. Loss is a terrible thing to deal with. Trust me. But Spike ain't gone for good. We found him once, we can find him again." Applejack assured.
"We got LUCKY once. There's no guarantee we'll get lucky again. We may not see him again until... it's too late..." she replied.
"Are you saying my investigation was just dumb luck?" Pinkie asked.
"What? No, Pinkie Pie. That's not what I meant. I just-"

Twilight broke into more tears. It felt like Spike wasn't the only friend she'd lost along the way.

"I couldn't save Spike, and I mistreated you along the way. All this effort has been for nothing..." *sniff* Twilight cried.

Starlight inched forward, and let out huge sigh. She was about to say something that she thought she might regret.

"Twilight, there's one fact that you have to accept." she said.
"And what's that?" Twilight asked.
"You, lost." Starlight said.
*STOMP* "WHAT?! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Twilight snapped.
"Listen Twilight! I know the truth is hard to face. But look around, Henry got away with Spike, and almost killed you! He's probably long gone by now, miles away, and you have a broken leg. You. Lost." Starlight said.
"And this is supposed to cheer me up HOW?!" Twilight sassed.

"I'm just saying that it's time we cut our losses. These mountains are savage, and you could injure yourself if you don't turn back. We just don't want you to get more hurt than you already have. We gave it our all, but unfortunately it just wasn't enough this time. Henry got away, and it's time you accept that reality, and try again another day." Starlight said.

"Normally I would listen to reason, but there's so much more on the line this time. If there's even a slim chance of saving Spike, I have to take it. Any less would be a disservice to him *sniff* I love him so much, I can't abandon." Twilight cried.
"We love Spike as much a you Twilight. And we're not giving up on him. Henry won the battle, but not the war. He has no idea who he's messing with. After we rest up and recuperate, we'll be back and show him what happens when he messes with one of us." Starlight said.
"Yeah! Nopony can hide when Detective Pinkie is on the case!" Pinkie said.
"We're with you Twilight, really." Fluttershy said.
"We'll find him, that's a promise." Rainbow Dash said.
"Nopony messes with our Spikey-wikey and gets away with it." Rarity said.
"It's not over Twilight, we'll find him." Applejack said.

Twilight thought long and hard about what her friends said. She looked over at Ember, who had mostly sat back and watched the conversation unfold.

"And what about you Ember?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know. You think I'm good at decision making? Look where my judgement got me." Ember looked down at the broken Bloodstone Scepter. "With the Bloodstone Scepter shattered, it's going to be harder to win back the dragons." Ember said.

"What are you doing here anyway Ember? How did you get wrapped up in all of this?" Twilight asked.
"What do you mean win back the dragons?" Starlight asked.
*sigh* "A few months ago, Henry invaded the dragon lands, and captured a lot of the dragons. In an act of desperation, and to save myself, I agreed to join forces with him, while my subjects were made his prisoners. I lost the trust of most of my followers because of this. After we escaped, I tried to convince the dragons to turn back to help, but they refused to listen. So I came to help out alone." Ember explained.
"And we're grateful that you helped the way you could. Even though that does sound tragic." Rarity said.
"Sounds like you and Spike had it rough." Fluttershy said.
"Mmmhmm." Ember agreed.

"Believe me Twilight, as a dragon, the thing I hate most is losing and quitting. Dragons are typical known for never giving up, and fighting til the end, but your friends have a point. We're best off coming back another day and trying again." Ember said.

Twilight gave a firm stare. "Okay, I know what I need to do now."

She walked behind the car wreck.

"Twilight? Where are you going?" Starlight asked.

A few awkward moments passed, and then Twilight walked back from behind the car.

"You girls are right. I tried my best, but I was outwitted. They're out there somewhere, but right now, I need my rest. This isn't over, we will find Spike." Twilight said in an uncanny tone.
"So does that mean you're willing to retreat?" Applejack asked.
"For better or worse, yes." Twilight said.

"Don't worry Twilight, this isn't over." Starlight said.
*giggle* "No it isn't." Twilight winked.





Our heroes had came to the difficult decision to retreat. The non-winged equines climbed into the hot air balloon basket, and took to the air. The pegasi followed, and Ember joined the group.
They set off for home with Twilight... at least with whom they assumed was Twilight.

And on that difficult note... wait, this chapter's not over yet! You didn't think Twilight would give in to her friends' demands like that would you? NAH! It was a lie. That wasn't actually Twilight retreating, she actually conjured up a doppelganger out of magic to go home with her friends instead. That way, she could continue to search for Spike. The real Twilight hid behind the car wreck until her friends left. How absolutely dishonest.

"I hate that I had to lie to them, but I couldn't let them hold me back. I know I can do this. A little more searching couldn't hurt right?" she said to herself. "Hang on Spike, mama's coming. I don't know who you are Henry, but I'm going to find out."





Twilight searched the mountainous region for Spike alone. She spent a good few hours searching, but was coming up empty.

*sigh* "This is hopeless. And I don't know how much longer I can continue..." Twilight's wings grew tired, so she rested in the snow to not put any pressure on her leg. "Ugh. Face it, Henry's nowhere to be found. Starlight's right, he won."

Twilight thought long and hard about what to do next.

"So far, you've been searching for where you think he would hide, and that thinking has gotten you nowhere. But what if Henry actually wants me to follow him? And if so, where would be the most obvious place to go?"

Twilight peered her eyes around the area. Until, one landmark in particular caught her eye.

"The top of Mt. Everhoof?" she looked at the mountain peak, and noticed some activity at the top of the mountain. "That's got to be it. They're up there, I know it!"

"heeelp!" cried a faint but familiar voice.
*gasp* "That's Spike alright!" Twilight recognized Spike's voice coming from the summit.

Her intuition was right, she took a closer look, had successfully located Spike and Henry.

"There they are! Hang on Spike! I'm coming!" Twilight flew towards the summit, as fast as she could.

From Henry and Spike's perspective, they could see Twilight flying in closer.

"Twilight! You're alive!" Spike rejoiced.
Henry was not intimidated.

Twilight flew up and fired a beam of magic at Henry.

*BLAST*

He deflected it with his shield.

"Twilight you're okay!" Spike cheered.
"So Princess, I'm surprised to see you still alive." Henry said.
"What can I say? I die hard!" Twilight boasted.
"Nothing is too hard for me." Henry said.
"That's what she said." Twilight winked.

*ZAP* Henry fired a beam at Twilight, but she dodged it.

"You should have stayed in the dirt where you belong!" Henry exclaimed.
He continued up the mountain with Spike in tow.
"You're not getting away from me again!" Twilight said.

Twilight chased after Henry in an intense race up the mountain. Ultimately, they had reached their destination. The top of the world, the summit of Mt. Everhoof..





They had arrived at the summit of Mt. Everhoof.

Near to the top Mt. Everhoof was a circular plateau. A nice level plane if you will. On one side was a sheer drop off, which lead all the way down to the ground. It was so high, that it was above the clouds, and the drop off lead to a dense cover of clouds. On the other side of the plateau was a rocky wall which made up the remainder of the mountain's height. Halfway up the wall was a ledge that could be stood on. Just a few more meters higher was the tip top of the mountain itself. The area was of course covered in snow. Icicles hung from the ceiling of the ledge. This area is pretty pivotal, so keep the description in mind.

Twilight made her way to the top plateau of the mountain.

"Don't worry Spike, I'm here to-AH!"
*BOOM*
Henry shot a surprise beam of magic at Twilight, sending her against the rocky wall.
"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried.
"Hang on Twilight, I'll- AH! OW!" Spike said before being interrupted.
"You stay right here!" Henry tied the other end of the rope around Spike's neck to a rock.

Spike couldn't move, nor could he breathe fire. He felt useless in the moment.

Henry leaped down in front of Twilight, who laid on the ground after the blast.

"Daw, the little pony princess came back for her little friend whom she doesn't even deserve." Henry said.
"Who are you to judge? I hatched him, therefore, so shouldn't he be with me?" Twilight said.
"If you think you deserve Spike, then come and take him! That is unless you can't!"

Henry charged his horn and fired a beam of magic.
*BOOM*
Twilight flew into the air and dodged.

Henry fired multiple shots, while Twilight evaded them from the air.

"What's the matter Princess?! Scared?!" Henry teased.
*ZAP*
*BOOM*

Twilight hid behind a wall of rocks.

"This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea, this was a bad idea!" Twilight cried in panic. "Your friends were right, you can't do this! You're injured, alone, and he's more powerful than you anyway!"
"Did you come here to fight Twilight? Or to hide like a filly?" Henry teased.
"Don't be afraid of him Twilight, you can do this!" Spike cried. "You've faced way tougher foes and come out on top!"
"Spike's right, I can do this!" Twilight said in her head.

Twilight built up courage to fight back. She flew back out, and fired her own magic at Henry, creating quite the spectacle. Henry retaliated with his own blasts. Their beams intersected, causing a magic explosion.

*BOOM*

They both flew backwards.

*GAH!*
*AH!*

Twilight landed on her feet, hurting her broken foot. She lost her footing, Henry used this as an opportunity to strike while she was done. Henry used his magic to grab a bunch of frozen ice crystals to throw at Twilight.

"AH!" she screamed.
Twilight conjured a shield to block ice projectiles.
*shattering ice*
"GAH!"
The shield cracked open at the tail end of the assault.
Henry jumped up, and fired a shot of magic at Twilight.
"AHH!"
*BOOM*
The blast turned up a large amount of smoke and dust.

"Twilight! No!" Spike cried.

Was Twilight defeated? Nope.

She flew out of the smoke.

"Tell me where Spike came from!" Twilight demanded.
"I won't tell you anything!" Henry replied.
"So you do know!" Twilight said.
"So what if I do?! That's none of your business!" Henry asserted.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll make you tell!"

Twilight a fired beam of magic up at Henry, but not just any ordinary beam. This beam put a grasp on Henry's head.

*gah* "What? What is this sorcery?!" he said.

"No more secrets Henry! Time to open your mind!"

The spell activated, and a stream of magic aura surrounded Henry's and Twilight's heads, linking their minds together. Twilight and Henry entered suspended animation.

"Hang on Twilight! I'm coming!" Spike said.
Spike was still tied in place, but he could still wander far enough to peek his head into stream of magic.
"WooOOAAHH-" Spike joined together in the spell, and entered suspended animation as well.

.

.

.





.

.

.

"AAHHH!" Spike was falling! Until...

*ker plunk* he fell face first onto the ground.

"Oof, that's gonna hurt in the morning." he said.

"Spike? Is that you?" said a familiar voice.
"Twilight?" Spike looked over, and there she was.
"Spike!"
"Twilight!"

The two ran up to each other and reunited.
Twilight and Spike joined together in a great big hug!
"Oh Spike, I'm happy to see you again!" Twilight said.
"Oh Twilight, I missed you so much." Spike said.

Tears of joy ran down both their faces.

"I thought I would never see you again Twilight." Spike said.
"I was so worried, I almost thought the same thing." Twilight confessed. "But I couldn't give up. I knew deep down the whole time that I had to keep going."

"You came all this way to save me." Spike said.
"Of course I did. I would never leave you behind, or let you get nabbed by some random jerk." Twilight said.

"Speaking of, how have you been? What has Henry been doing to you this whole time?" she asked.

"Oh it's been absolutely terrible! Henry kidnapped me at night in my sleep, and he took me to his secret hideout where made me fight other dragons! I refused to fight at first, but then I did, and when I won, Henry started to feed me gems so that I would grow big and turn into a monster!" Spike said.
"That's horrible. So he really was exploiting your greed." Twilight said.
"Yep. But thankfully his plan went up in smokes. I grew too big to control, and then there was an explosion!"
"That sounds terrifying." Twilight added.
"Oh it was. I had never been more scared in my life." Spike said.
"What a relief I was able to find you when I did." Twilight said. "What happened next?" she asked.
"When I woke up after the explosion, I was small again, and then that's when we ran into you, and then the big crazy car chase happened, which ended with you getting knocked out. But then you got back up and flew up the mountain, and then used some kind of spell on Henry, and well, here we are... somehow. And that's the complete story of my my life through this experience, up until now."
"Yep. You've been through a lot Spike.
"We all have." Spike said.
"Well I'm just so glad you're here." Twilight said.

Twilight and Spike snuggled once more.

"But where exactly is... here?" Spike asked.
The two surveyed their surroundings.
"I don't know Spike." Twilight answered. "It looks like we're... nowhere."

"Where did Henry go? What the heck spell did you do anyway?" Spike asked.
"I thought I used a memory spell on Henry to peer into his mind, but I have no idea what we're here." Twilight answered.
"Maybe I did the wrong spell?" she guessed.
"No way. You're the most skilled spell caster I know. Your spells always work." Spike said.
"Heh. I'm flattered." Twilight said.
"So assuming your spell worked, what if we really are in Henry's memories..." Spike suggested.
"Then why isn't he here." Twilight asked.
"We're in the middle of nowhere!" Spike said.

It was true. The two wound up at some rock quarry. The sky was dark and overcast. Overall an unpleasant location. But here was something very special about this location.

Spike started walking off.

"Where are you going?! This place could be dangerous!"
"I'm having a look around. Surely this place has some significance, and I'm going to see what it is." Spike said.

They both looked around, and tread with caution. Twilight stepped on a set of bones, which made her nervous.

*gasp* "What's this thing?!" Spike exclaimed.
"Spike wait!" Twilight rushed over to Spike.
"What did you find?" Twilight asked.
"This." Spike replied.

In front of the two was a nest. Made from twigs and rocks.

"It's some kind of nest." Twilight pointed out.
"Mmm hmm. And it's giving me... strange vibes..." Spike said.

Spike inched forward.

"What are you doing Spike?!"
"I'm going to look inside if that's okay with you."
"...Yeah, that's fine..." Twilight said reluctantly.
Spike started to climb in, when Twilight spoke out again.
"Spike, wait! Before you look in there, I um..."
"You what?"
"I don't know if you should go in there. I have a very bad feeling about this. Are you sure you want to peek into that nest?"
"What is it Twilight? Why are you acting so strange?" Spike asked.
"It's just, um..." she hesitated.
"Just what Twilight? What's the problem? Do you not what to keep going?"

Twilight didn't say anything.

"Do you NOT want answers?! Do you not like the narrative the evidence is painting?! Are you afraid that the truth is going to change the way you look at things forever?!" he exclaimed.
"...maybe..." Twilight said hesitantly.
"Twilight." Spike said.
"Look, I thought I wanted to know the truth, but the closer I get to the reality of the truth, the more afraid I get." she said.

"Twilight. You can't be afraid to face the truth. The truth isn't always pretty, but I have to know. I've been searching for answers my whole life, and the biggest revelation of all could be in that nest right now. I have to see what's inside."
Twilight nodded, but did not speak.
Spike climbed into the nest, while Twilight waited outside anxiously.

A few moments passed, and seemingly nothing, until...

*gasp* Spike let out a big gasp.

"Spike!" Twilight panicked, and jumped inside the nest.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I knew it..." Spike said on his knees.





Twilight and Spike laid their eyes upon an incredible sight. There in that nest, was a single lone egg. One lonely spotted purple egg...
"It's..." she was at a loss for words.
"It's me..." Tears poured down Spike's face.

"Listen Spike, I know it's a lot to take in, but listen, I-"
"So is that it?!" he exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Like is that seriously it?! Just an empty nest?! Where the heck are my parents?! We came all this way, and no sight of my real parents anywhere?!" Spike exclaimed into the sky.
"Spike, calm down!" Twilight said.
"My parents really did abandon, me and left me for dead!"
"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed.
*sigh* "So it's true... I really am an orphan..." Spike fell to his knees, and laid on the ground.
"Oh Spike... I'm sorry we couldn't find your parents. I thought for sure this was it, but I guess not." Twilight said.

But what does this have to do with Henry? Is the spell looking into Spike's memories instead? But, if he wasn't born yet, then how... Twilight thought.

*sigh* "At least we have each other buddy." Spike said.
"You said it." Twilight said.
"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to me." Spike said, snuggling his own egg. "It's just you, me, some bones, and a large pair of talons..."
"WAIT WHAT?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"HUH?!" Spike looked up.





*CAAAAW*
"AAAAHHHH!" Spike and Twilight screamed.

Right there in the nest was a giant bird. A roc specifically. The roc swiped Spike's egg with its talons, and took flight!

"NOOOOO!" Spike cried.

Twilight tried to blast the roc with magic, but it had no effect.

"Why didn't your magic work?" Spike asked.
"Because I can't alter the past..." Twilight replied.
"OH COME ON! CAN THINGS POSSIBLY GET ANY WORSE?!" Spike exclaimed.

They needed a miracle, and well. I don't know how you define miracles, but here's what happened.

*BANG*

There was a loud and thunderous bang sound. The shock wave pierced their ears.

"What was that sound!?" Spike asked.
"I don't know, sounded like a cannon going off." Twilight guessed.
"Look!" Spike pointed.

The roc dropped Spike's egg.

"OH NOO!" Spike cried.

The egg fell, but it came to a slow stop in midair, as somepony's magic caught it.

"Nice catch Twilight." Spike said.
"That wasn't me..." she said.

It was none other, than...

"HENRY?!" they exclaimed.
"Don't act surprised." present Henry said, sneaking up on Twilight and Spike.
"AH! Don't scare me like that!" Twilight jumped.
"I've been hinting at this for ages. It should've been obvious by now." Henry said.
"It's just... I don't believe it." she said.
"Well there it is, right in front of your eyes." Henry said.
"It was you... you're the one who found Spike's egg." Twilight said.
"Mmm hmm." Henry confirmed.
"So wait, what happened to the..." Spike started, when suddenly.

*CAW*

The roc wasn't done just yet.

Past Henry hopped into a prototype version of his car, and tried to escape with the egg, but the roc was quick. It swooped down, and landed on Henry's car. Its talons put a tight grip and crushed the vehicle. Past Henry kicked open the driver door, rolled out of the vehicle, and pulled out and held some kind of object... it was shaped like a long stick. He took careful aim with the mystery object.

*BANG*

*CAW* the roc cried.

Whatever the object was, it made a loud sound.

*BANG BANG BANG*

Henry made three more bangs to scare the roc.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but if I must." he said.

*BANG*

*CAWWW*

The roc was hit by some kind of fast projectile. It was a glancing blow, and it was enough to scare away the roc for good. Now that it was clear, past Henry rushed to the vehicle, and pulled the egg out of the wreckage. The egg was miraculously okay.

"You saved Spike's egg from a roc?!" Twilight was astonished.
"Yep." Henry confirmed.
Spike himself said not a word. He just stared at the ground.





Past Henry pulled out a paper, written on it a spell.

"And now, using this spell, I will hatch this egg, and finally have my own dragon." he said.
Past Henry placed Spike's egg on the ground, put his horn to the egg, and read the spell aloud.
"enim eb lliw gnirpsffo eht taht os gge siht hctaH .rewop elbarusaemmi fo erutaerc ythgim a em nopu wotseb ,cigam yht hO!"

*FLASH*

A flash of light, too bright to see through, blinded Twilight and Spike. The light had subsided, revealing... that the egg did not hatch.

"What?! That should have worked!" past Henry grunted.

He tried again and again, but couldn't hatch the egg using his magic.

"Dang it. So if my magic can't hatch the egg, then maybe I should find somepony more powerful than I."
Past Henry gave it some thought.
"So I'll just take this egg to somepony more powerful than I, the most powerful alicorn in the land." he said aloud to himself.
*gasp* Princess Celestia..." Twilight said under her breath.
"Finally you're getting it. Now you know the truth." Henry said.

"All this time, I've been searching for the pony who brought Spike's egg to Canterlot, and this whole time, it was you..." Twilight said.

...

"I think when you hatch, I'll call you... Spike." past Henry said. Or Spica if you're a girl

"You also named him?! WHAT?!" Twilight exclaimed. "I can hardly believe this. Can you Spike? Spike?"
Spike still didn't say a word. He continued to look at the ground with a scorn.
"Say something Spike." Twilight said.
Spike didn't want to say a word.

"But if you found Spike's egg, how exactly did he end up with me?" Twilight asked.
"Don't play dumb. You already know half the reason of why." Henry replied.
"I presume you're referring to the fact that I hatched him, but what about the other half?" Twilight asked.
"That's the next part of our explanation. Now that you know how I found Spike, next I'm going to show you how you took him away from me!"

*ZAP*

Henry zapped Twilight and Spike to the next part of the flashback.
> Chapter 20: Memories Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on October 13th, 2018





*poof*

*faint talking*

"Do you hear that?" Spike asked.
"I wish I didn't." Twilight replied.

"It sounds like it came from behind that door." Spike pointed.
"Should we...?" Twilight asked.
"You came for answers, and answers await." Spike said.

The two crept up cautiously to the door, dreading what lay behind.

*door screech*
They peeked their heads into the room.

*gasp*

"What's she doing with him?" Spike said.
"What is he doing here period?" Twilight said.

The two watched the past events play out in front of them.

"Ah, professor, glad we could have this meeting." past Princess Celestia said.
"It always and honor to be in your presence." said a familiar rough voice.

"Surprised to see me here?"
*AH!*
The two were jump scared.

Another Henry stood besides them, this being the present Henry. The one in front of Celestia was Henry from the past.
Henry from the past sat opposite of Princess Celestia's desk, while simultaneously present Henry appeared next to our two heroes to commentate.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.
"You cast a memory spell, and wanted to see my past no? Well here you go." Henry replied. "I was one of Celestia's most knowledgeable professors."

"Today was a special day. I had spent months planning together an assortment of great lesson plans that would have taught Celestia's students about all the rare and exotic creatures in Equestria. Today was the day I presented them for her approval."

"Oh, that's... interesting..." Twilight said, waiting for the story to get good.
"But unfortunately, the princess was less than impressed with my hard work." he narrated.

Past Henry handed the papers to Celestia, and had a look at what he had written.

"Hmm, studies on the lifestyles and wonders of Griffons? Nope. The complete history the Hippogriffs and Mt. Aris? No thanks. A map of dragon migration paths? Not for my students." Celestia said.

"One by one she rejected each of my lessons that I had worked so hard to produce." Henry explained.
"How... unfortunate..." Twilight said, not sure how to feel about this really.

"But why my princess?" past Henry asked.
"At first I thought this was a joke. I don't see how any of this information could be useful to my school of gifted unicorns." Celestia replied.
"But princess, think long term. With such powerful magic, wouldn't it be invaluable to share our knowledge, and create new allies?" past Henry argued.
"No offense, but I don't see a future where ponies mingle with the likes of dragons any time soon. " Celestia said.

Spike was hurt by Celestia's words.
It was hard to see what Equestria was like in this period of time, especially with how far it's come in recent times.

"It's easy to forget just how far Equestria's come, and it's odd seeing it regressed." Twilight thought out loud.

Past Henry wasn't taking it well either. He grew became visibly stressed.
"I was ready to snap right there, until..." he narrated.

"Ooh. Now this looks interesting." past Celestia said.
"What was that Princess?" past Henry asked.
"According to your notes, it says that a dragon egg can be hatched by unicorn magic. Is that true?"
"Why yes it is Princess." past Henry lit up. "Dragon eggs can be hatched by powerful unicorn magic. It is quite difficult, few unicorns have done it successfully, but it is a spectacle."

Twilight and Spike sank, they were afraid of where the story was going.

"Hmm, that sound like a novel way to expand the horizons of my student's capabilities. A way to incorporate magic, and dragons." Celestia said.

"I have a feeling you two know where this is going." Henry said.

"Well, I just so happen to have something very special." past Henry said. "Have a look, princess" Past Henry pulled out Spike's egg from his saddle bag, and showed it to Celestia.
"Oh, so you already had a dragon egg with you? How did you obtain this egg?" she asked.
"I found it all alone on one of my travels. No sign of the thing's parents." he said.
"So the little creature inside is an orphan?" Celestia asked.
"Yep. Good thing I found it when I did, who knows what could have happened to a lonely egg." Henry said.
"I see... And you say that dragon eggs can be hatched with unicorn magic?" Celestia asked.

"Absolutely. Or at least, it has long been theorized. Starswirl the Bearded speculated on it, and even attempted it, but was never able to successfully do it. If one of your students could do it, it would be a breakthrough in magic study." past Henry said.
"I like the sound of it. You have my interest now." past Celestia said.

"So is it a deal?" past Henry asked.
Celestia thought for a moment.
"Yes, it's official. I have decided to assign the task of hatching this egg to students attempting my new entrance exam!" Celestia said.
"Err- Entrance exam?" past Henry was surprised.
"Yes, I said entrance exam. Is there a problem?" she asked.
"Um, wouldn't you rather have more experienced unicorns give it a whirl?" he asked.
"I could, but where's the fun in that?" she asked rhetorically.
"Ehh, sure. That's fine." he said.

"As I explained, hatching a dragon egg, one of the most difficult spells known to unicorns, instead of tasking more experienced unicorns, she assigns the object to a bunch of inexperienced fillies strait out of magic kindergarten!" present Henry said to Twilight.
"That does sound like something Celestia would do alright." she said.
"Hmph." Spike grunted.

"So I guess the rest is history..." Twilight said.
"Not just yet. You're getting ahead of yourself." Henry said.

Henry's horn glowed, and zapped them to the next stage of the flashback.

*poof*

Twilight, Spike, and Henry appeared in the room where the actual exam took place.

"As you can see, Celestia introduced a new entrance exam for any students enrolling into her School for Gifted Unicorns. The rules were simple (as stated by the simple picture), hatch the egg, and be admitted into the school." Henry narrated. "Unfortunately, as mentioned, it was by no means easy. Days went by, but many a young unicorns could not do it. No pony could hatch the egg. Not unexpected like I said. I watched as many fillies failed to do it."

The scene went into fast speed. One by one, the three watched as filly after filly, tried to use their wittle unicorn magic to hatch the egg. But none were successful.

"I can see that no pony so far as been able to hatch the egg." past Henry said to past Celestia.
"You seem eager to see that egg hatch." she said.
"I am, err, I mean, it's just. I've never seen a baby dragon so close, it's an exciting prospect. But, insisting on these fillies to do it?"
"You're getting impatient professor. Not everything has to happen overnight." she said.

"The princess suspected that I was up to something, so from there I kept my mouth shut." Henry told Twilight.

"I was growing worried, perhaps my clever idea wasn't going to work. Maybe poor little Spike would never see the light of day." Henry put his hoof to Spike, but he swatted it away.





"And then came that fateful day. A day that I'm sure you're plenty familiar with Princess." Henry said.
*gulp* Twilight knew exactly which day Henry was talking about. The day of cutie mark reckoning.

They appeared once again in the study room, except this time, there was a very special unicorn being tested. One young Twilight Sparkle, that's who.
Unlike previous attempts, Henry was not present in the room. He grew tired of watching so many failed attempts, that he only oversaw every few. And of all days to skip, he had to pick today.

"How is this scene here if you didn't witness it?" Twilight asked.
"Your mind is here too. This is an amalgamation of both our memories." Henry replied.

Like attempts before, young Twilight could not hatch the egg. As Henry watched, he seemed... surprised, but not in a good way.

"This is my first time seeing this moment, and well... I'm underwhelmed." Henry said.
"Underwhelmed?" Twilight asked.

Before they knew it, young Twilight had already given up.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time." she said.

And then, just like magic, it happened.

*explosion*

The Rainboom happened. Young Twilight's eyes glowed white, and she shot a powerful beam of magic at the egg, causing it hatch! The Rainboom filled Twilight with a powerful magic. As you recall, her magic caused the instructors to levitate, turned her parents into plants, and she made Spike grow all big.

"I was in the courtyard when it happened, and I couldn't believe what I had witnessed. Some pony had done it, they actually hatched the dragon egg. I never witnessed such raw magic before. But now that I have a front row seat, I can see now what really happened." Henry said.

Twilight was confused as to what he meant.
Spike didn't express any feeling. It was obvious to Twilight that he was holding back lots of emotions, but she didn't feel it was a good time to speak right now.

Princess Celestia came in to calm the Twilight storm. Everypony in the room turned back to normal, and little Spike returned to normal baby size.





"Twilight Sparkle, I'd like to make you my own personal protégé here at the school." past Celestia said.
"Yes!" Young Twilight exclaimed.
"Oh, and one more thing, Twilight." Celestia booped her flank.
"More? My cutie mark! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes..." Young Twilight hopped up and down.

Normally Twilight would be overjoyed reliving her proudest moment, but learning of the circumstances that brought Spike's egg here in the first place made her look at it differently.





Ever wondered what happened next? Well, here's what happened in this story's context.

Young Twilight ceased her hopping when she noticed the instructors rolling the cart with Spike out of the room.

"Excuse me, where are you taking that dragon?" Young Twilight asked.
"We're taking him out of here. The test is over, and so-" they said.
"Can I keep him?!" she asked.
"you-uh-, you what?" they said.
"Can I keep him please?" she begged.
"Uh... you want this creature?" the instructors were baffled.
"Yes. I hatched him, don't I get to keep him?" Twilight said.
"I don't know, this is all very new to me." one of them said.

Princess Celestia intervened.

"What do you say Princess? It's your call." one instructor said.
"Hmm..." the princess thought.

"You said I had a special gift, and I have a special feeling about this dragon. Please?" Young Twilight begged.

...





*abrupt scene transition*

"You did WHAT?!" Past Henry exclaimed furiously.

He had a private meeting with Celestia in her office. Twilight, Spike, and present Henry watched the scene unfold.

"You heard me. I've decided to give the dragon to the filly who hatched him." Celestia replied.
"You gave away MY dragon to some FILLY!?" he shouted.
"Your dragon?!" Celestia repeated.
"I brought his egg here, did I not?" past Henry replied.
"And then you gave me the egg didn't you?" she asked.
"I let you BARROW you the egg! I had every intent on receiving the hatchling once the test was over." he said.
"You wanted me to hatch the egg... but then you wanted the dragon back after it hatched?" she asked.
"YES!" past Henry exclaimed.
"Well, if you wanted the dragon so bad, why didn't you hatch him yourself?"
"I would have if I could have! I tried, but I couldn't do it, even with a spell. And so I-"
"So you just used my students so that you could have the dragon to yourself?" Celestia said.
"That's... one way to phrase it." past Henry said.
"You made it sound like you were genuinely interested in helping my students learn, but now it sounds like you were just interested in your own gain." Celestia said.
"But princess, I swear on my own knees-" past Henry started.
"Enough!" Celestia interrupted.

Her words shook Twilight as she watched.

"I must ask though, why princess?" past Henry asked.
"I just, have a feeling about those two." she answered.
"You have a FEELING about them. But you don't have a feeling for me?! Who risked life and limb to find that dragon egg? Who had planned on raising that dragon MY way. Who could have, for the first time in Equestrian history, observed a dragon from birth to growth, and learned more than ever about dragon development and behavior?! All of that thrown away because you have a FEELING?!" past Henry ranted.

"My decision is final. And now I'm going to ask that you leave the room professor." Celestia said.
"You don't have to ask, because I was already on my way out." past Henry said.

"How convenient, because I've decided to terminate your position as my professor." Celestia said.
"Fine! I have nothing more to gain from staying here. I quit." past Henry said.
"Fine by me. Pack your things and get out of here." Celestia said.





Henry was on his way out, but he ran into some little filly with a baby dragon on her back.
*gasp* "It's you!"
"Excuse me, sir. Is Celestia in?" young Twilight asked.
"Move out of my way, you." Henry shoved his way past Twilight.

Young Twilight walked in.

"Who was that, princess?" she asked.
"Oh, that was uh... nobody." past Celestia said. "Now, about you and Spike, I feel that it is
"Spike?" young Twilight asked. "Is that his name?"
"It uh... can be if you'd like." she replied.
"I like that name, Spike!" Twilight said. "I like Spike."

"So that's how Spike got his name..." Twilight said, as she observed the scene. "I can't believe I completely forgot about this, and that I didn't recognize you earlier."
"I guess of all the moments of your day, our encounter was the most forgettable." Henry said.
Spike still had nothing to say. He just kept his arms crossed and looked down.





The scene went dark, and faded out.

All that was left was a speedy recap of what happened to Henry next.

"Things weren't so bad from there on out. I finally left Canterlot after that day, never to return. Later that day, I ran into little Jeffery. He had a different experience with dragons that day. He had just ran away from the fire at the schoolyard. I took him in as my own, promising him to join me on our journey to research dragons."

"We built machines for capturing dragons, and traversing the land. Finally, we invaded the dragon lands, and captured a group of teenage dragons. We had done it. We had dragons under our control, exactly of what I had dreamed of long ago. But in the back of my mind, I still felt less than satisfied. I always thought about the dragon whose egg started it all. It was you Spike." Henry said. "That's why I thought it would be bitter sweet to let you have the honor of being the main component of my revenge plot."

A bright flash of light signified the end of the flashback.





When the light cleared, the three were back on the summit of Mt. Everhoof.

"Now do you understand?" Henry asked.
"I get it now. You found Spike's egg, and you used me so that you could have him for yourself." Twilight recapped.
"Mmmhmmm." Henry confirmed.
"But when I hatched Spike, Princess Celestia gave him to me instead of you." Twilight said.
"And I've never forgiven her for that." Henry said.

"All this time, you-" Twilight started.
"I'm Spike's rightful owner. He's coming with me." Henry interrupted.
"No he's not! So what? This doesn't change anything! I hatched him! Therefore he's still mine!" Twilight argued.
"You never would have had an egg to hatch were it not for me!" he argued.
"You're just an over glorified delivery pony!" Twilight argued.
"You should be careful who you call over glorified, little ms. smile and and wave." Henry insulted.
*gasp* "You take that back!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Not before you surrender the dragon." Henry yelled.
"Never! Spike belongs to me!" Twilight said.





"Come on Spike, we're leaving this place." Twilight said.
"No." Spike said.
"What did you say?" Twilight asked.
"You heard me, I said no!" Spike exclaimed.
"Did you just talk back to me?" she asked.
"You heard what I said." Spike replied.
"What's gotten into you Spike?" Twilight asked.

*sniff* "I learned a lot during that flashback." Spike said. "I always held out hope, that maybe I'd find my parents, and discovery them to be caring, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I learned today that my parents didn't want me, and they left me to die! *sniff* And if they didn't want me, then why should anyone!?"
"Spike..." Twilight said, feeling the weight of his emotions.
"Think about it, what am I? What am I going to be? I'll never grow into a real dragon, and I'll never be a pony. I'm just stuck in this awkward middle ground for the rest of my life!" Spike exclaimed.
"Calm down Spike!" Twilight exclaimed.
"I didn't ask to be hatched into this world, nor did I ask to be saved." Spike said. "But here I am. Fate brought me into this world, but couldn't be bothered, to give me a purpose... *sniff*"

"She knew I was an orphan this whole time, and never told me.*sniff* I've been betrayed. I have nothing more to gain from being anypony's follower. If I have no room to grow, then I don't see a point of being a follower." Spike said. "I never gained from it anyway..."





"So does that mean, you're done with me?" Twilight asked.
"Huh?"
"This entire time you've been my assistant, you haven't enjoyed?" she asked. "Growing up under my wing, was really that empty?" Twilight got teary eyed.

Spike continued to tear.

"I did everything I could to make you feel welcome, and to bring meaning and purpose to your life. To make you feel like you belonged. But if this is how you feel... *sob* then I've failed in my duties, and I don't deserve to be your caretaker after all." Twilight broke down.

"Twilight..." Spike cried some more tears.

"If you don't want to be my assistant anymore, than *hic* just say so..." Twilight said. "If you'd rather side with Henry and be a real dragon, well, the sooner you tell me, the less it has to hurt..."

Spike thought he knew what he wanted. Seeing Twilight so sad, made Spike reconsider everything further.

"...I." he said.

"You what?" Twilight asked.

"I want my mommy and daddy!" he cried.
"Just let it vent out Spike..." Twilight said.
"They weren't around to give me their love... but you were Twilight." Spike said.
"Huh?" Henry was surprised.
"Twilight. I'm sorry. Nothing I said was meant to devalue all the love and care you've given me throughout the years... *sob* I didn't mean it that way. I still want to be by your side Twilight!" Spike cried.
"Oh, come here Spike!" Twilight said.

The two ran up to each other, to join, but their emotional moment was cut abrupt.





As Spike ran up, Henry grabbed Spike with his magic and reeled him back.

"Twilight!" Spike cried.
"Let him go!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Never." Henry said.
"If you cared about Spike, you would respect his decis-AH!"

*ZAP*

*BOOM*

The blast sent Twilight flying back, and off the mountain.

"Twilight! No!" Spike cried
"Pfft. That was too easy." Henry boasted.

Twilight flew back up, and came in with her own shot of magic.

*ZAP*

Henry dodged the blast and leaped onto a higher ledge.

"Why do you insist still on fighting?" Twilight asked.
"Well since Celestia isn't here to get revenge on, you're the next best target!" Henry answered.

Henry chased after Twilight. She flew out of the way, while Henry did leaps and bounds in her direction.

"You came all this way, because I took Spike away from you, but it was YOU who took Spike away from ME in the first place!" Henry exclaimed.

He fired another spell her way.

*zap*

*dodge*

Twilight dodged the shot once more.

*boom*

The powerful blast exploded in the distance.

"Please calm down Henry! I had no idea about any of this!" Twilight exclaimed.
"No you DIDN'T!" Henry exclaimed. "THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT!"

Henry fired a beam of magic, and Twilight fired her own beam. The two intersected, resulting in a big boom. As the smoke cleared, Twilight had more to say.

"I don't get it, you gave Celestia the egg." Twilight said.
"I let her barrow the egg, so that her students may learn something from hatching it. I didn't say she could keep the dragon inside!" Henry replied.

Henry fired a shot of magic at Twi, this time she blocked it with her shield, but it wasn't quite enough.

*shatter*

The shield broke, and Twilight fell a ways down the mountain. Thankfully she landed in some snow. Henry leaped down after her.

"I would have taken Spike from you right there, on that day. But Celestia would have been all over me. But there's no princess here to protect you now!"
*ZAP*
"You think everything is just handed to you, but you never stop for a moment and think about the hard work that goes unnoticed." Henry said.

Twilight leaped out of the snow, and engaged in some close combat.

"You're just jealous Henry!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Jealous of what? A flash of light in the sky? You couldn't hatch Spike either! It wasn't until that Rainboom came along, and powered you up! It was a stroke of dumb luck!"
"AH!" Twilight screamed.

*BOOM*

Twilight fell into a gorge below. Henry jumped down after her. He kicked what he thought was Twilight, but it turned out to be a pile of rocks shaped like her. Twilight was hiding.

"Come on out Twilight Sparkle!" Henry demanded. "What's the matter? Not strong enough to help your kid? You're a terrible caregiver Twilight. Spike has the power to be the most powerful dragon in the world! But instead, you make him serve tea and write letters!"

Twilight hid nervously in her hiding spot. But she's not one to let somepony get away with trash talk. Henry's words were irritating her.

"You've wasted his potential away! It's no wonder he suffers from an existential crisis! I could have given him a place! I could have made him great! Celestia made many mistakes, but her biggest was giving Spike to you!"

Twilight leaped out.

"There you are!" Henry exclaimed.

Twilight flew in front of Henry and fired magic directly at him. But Henry moved out of the way, and pushed her onto the ground. Twilight grabbed his leg, and flipped him over. Henry turned over, and dragged her down with magic. He put a stranglehold on her, but she slipped out. Henry tripped Twilight, and pinned her down.

"It's over, Twilight Sparkle!" Henry charged his horn to finish Twilight.

Twilight zapped some snow on an upper ledge, and knocked it loose. She flew out of the way, as the snow collapsed onto Henry.

She spread her wings and slipped free. She flew into the air to fly back for Spike.

Henry's horn glowed through the snow, until.

*boom*

He busted through, and chased after her.

"I'm here Twilight!" Spike cried.
"I'm coming Spike, just-AH!" Twilight was struck by one of Henry's beams, and she crashed atop the mountain.
"Twilight! NO!"

Henry landed on the ground next to her.

"THIS WILL END IT!" Henry exclaimed.

He charged his horn.

"It's over Spike, I've failed you!" Twilight cried.
"The only way you can fail me is by quitting! You said you'd never quit on me!" Spike exclaimed.

*gasp* "He's right." she realized.

Right before Henry's blast made contact, Twilight teleported out of the way. She fired one last beam of magic at Henry, and he fired his own. Their beams of magic collided together. Locking them in place. Putting the two in a stalemate. It came down to a beam battle.

"Very well, I'll let you go out in a more dignified fashion." Henry said.
"You talk big, but do you honestly think you can beat the Princess of Friendship in a magic duel?" Twilight exclaimed.
"I don't know. Can I?" Henry teased.

Henry had an edge of Twilight. His magic seemed to be nudging forward.

"What's the matter princess? Shaking?" he teased.

Twilight couldn't use all four of her limbs to hold herself in place, because one was broken. On top of that, her confidence was slipping.

"Who saved Spike from a vicious roc? Not you! Who showed Celestia the value of dragons first!?" he teased.

Henry's words affected Twilight, His beam nudged forward, as hers weakened.

I can't do this! I'm done for! I failed Spike. I couldn't save him, or even make his life worthwhile. Twilight thought.

Twilight was losing. Henry's beam of magic was gaining on her.

"Come on Twilight, you can do it! I believe in you!" Spike exclaimed.
"Spike's right, I can do this!" Twilight said.

"Yes you can Twilight!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Her friends came in just the nick of time to help. The hot air balloon rose over the ledge.

"Girls, is that you?" Twilight exclaimed.
"You came!" Spike cheered.

"Tell that bozo that you and Spike belong together!" Pinkie Pie cheered.
"Show him what happens to those who mess with our Spikey-wikey!" Rarity said.
"You got this Twilight!" AJ cheered.

All her friends were there. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Starlight rode in the balloon, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew adjacent to it. Although curiously, Ember was absent.

"Remember that fateful day Twilight! What happened after you hatched Spike?" Starlight exclaimed.
"Now's not the time for guessing games!" Twilight exclaimed.
"It's your cutie mark Twilight! Your cutie mark appeared after hatching Spike! If that isn't proof that you two are destined for each other, then I don't know what is!" Starlight said.

*gasp* "That's right." Spike realized.

*gasp* "She's right. My cutie mark appeared after hatching Spike. That can only mean one thing!"

Remembering this sent a surge of magic through Twilight. Similar to when the Rainboom passed by. Her cutie mark lit up, and her eyes glowed white.

"What happened that day was no accident Henry! My cutie mark is proof that all events were meant to happen. Spike is my destiny!" Twilight exclaimed. "You made one fatal mistake, Henry. You messed with my family!"

Her magic grew stronger, until it overtook Henry's, and then-

*BOOM*

She fired an extra powerful beam of magic at Henry, blasting him against the side of the mountain.

*BOOM*





A spectacular light show, that shrouded the mountain, and blinded everypony. When the light dissipated, and the smoke subsided, it had become clear what had happened. Henry sat against the wall, dazed and defeated. And Twilight stood (hovered really), in victory.

"I... I won?" Twilight said in amazement.

"Twilight?" Spike's eyes widened, and he looked at Twi.
"Spike!" Twilight cheered.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie cheered

"Way to go Twilight!" her friends cheered.

Twilight flew up the Spike, as he ran up to her.

"Come here you!" Twilight said. The two hugged.
"Oh Twilight! I'm so glad it's over!" Spike said.

"Twilight, I'm so sorry I said those things earlier. I was just so sad about what I saw in that flashback, I didn't mean to upset you." Spike apologized.
"It's okay Spike. I understand that it wasn't easy learning what had really happened, but here I am for you, and I'll protect you." Twilight said.
"I love you so much Twilight. So what if my parents didn't want me. As far as I'm concerned, you are my mommy. Helping you fills me with so much joy and plenty of enough purpose. I wouldn't have it any other way." Spike said.
"Do you mean that?" she asked.
"Yep." Spike assured.
"So are you just content with being my assistant forever?" Twilight asked.
"Well, when you put it that way..." Spike thought.
"I tell you what Spike, you deserve a far more essential title than just assistant. When we get back, I'll think of something special for you, you deserve it." Twilight said.

Spike smiled.

"And also, if you want, we can start looking for where you real family is. I memorized the location from the flashback, I think I can find the location where the nest was." Twilight said.
Spike thought for a moment.
"Eh. That's not really necessary. I already found my real family." Spike winked.
Twilight smiled in pleasure.

Twilight and Spike looked over at their defeated adversary. Twilight flew beside him.

"And as for you Henry, next time you want to play with Spike, you should ask nicely." Twilight teased.
Spike stuck his tongue out and teased Henry. There wasn't much he could do, or so they thought (more on that in a bit).

Twilight let Spike sit on her back, as she flew up to her friends in the air balloon above.

"I'm so sorry I that I lied to you girls. I feel so terrible about it." Twilight apologized.
"That's okay Twilight. We were pretty awful to you earlier." Starlight said.
"We never should have doubted your capabilities." Rarity said.
"We shouldn't have tried to make you quit like that." Applejack said.
"You were right Twilight, never give up until the end." Rainbow Dash said.
"I thought couldn't do it, but then I remembered what made Spike and I's bond so special." Twilight embraced Spike closer.
"Say, where did my doppelganger go?" Twilight asked.
"Your what? What did I miss anyway?" Spike asked.
"We told your doppelganger to look for the real Twilight... somewhere else." Starlight replied.
"We basically told your to get lost." Applejack said.
"Well then." Twilight said.
"We don't want some cheap imitation of you Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"We want the real you." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, we're all here, at last. Let's go home. Together. " Twilight said.





And so, on that happy note everpony lived... Who am I kidding? The story isn't over just yet. Yes, unfortunately, things don't end here. They only get worse. Henry wasn't done. He had some unfinished business.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but..." Henry reached behind his back, and pulled out a peculiar looking object. He used his magic to extend it, and it took full shape. It was a long stick, but not just any stick.
"You let fate decide the outcome of events, but I take action into my own hands." Henry said to himself.

Henry took aim with the object. It had a long steel barrel, and a wooden handle. I think know where this is going. Just as Twilight and friends were speaking, Pinkie noticed something was off.

"Twilight look out!" Pinkie yelled.

Twilight turned around, but it was too late to act.

"AAHHH!-" they all screamed.

*BANG*

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.

.

.

.

*thud*
> Chapter 21: The End of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on November 12, 2018





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.

.

Spike slowly woke up.
"Oh... what happened?" he said, dazed.

"Twilight! Spike!" the ponies cried.
Twilight and Spike were on the ground. They both took a fall after last chapter's... *ahem* incident.

"Huh? What?" Spike slowly started to regain consciousness.
*gasp* Oh my god! Twilight!" he screamed, when he saw what had happened.

Spike stood up, but Twilight was motionless. Her head was face down in the snow. Her wing had been damaged.
"Twilight! Please, get up!" Spike cried.

"Are you two okay?!" cried Rarity.
Pinkie, Rarity, AJ, Dash, Fluttershy, and Starlight were in the hot air balloon above, or hovering adjacent to it.

Spike put his ear to Twilight's chest.
"Please, *sob* oh no." Spike said.
*gasp* "She's still breathing!" he said.

"Hang on Twilight!" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Not so fast!" Henry said.
Last chapter, Henry fired a projectile, at Twilight's wing. He shot her right out of the sky. The pain was so intense, it made her faint instant.
"If you want your princess to keep breathing, then you ponies won't move forward another inch!" Henry pointed his weapon at Twilight again.
*gasp* "You wouldn't!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"But I already have. You thought that was impressive? I still have another three shots where that came from." Henry said.
"You're despicable Henry!" Fluttershy cried.

"I can't believe what you've done!" Rarity said.
"We've seen some evil, but you're on a whole other level!" Starlight said.
"I know. I actually defeated the Princess of Friendship." Henry said. "And I didn't need any special rainbow magic to do it. All it took was a little ingenuity."

*rumble*

"It's going to be okay Twilight." Spike said, embracing her.
"Let this be lesson fillies. This is what happens when you let faith govern your life. It only gets you so far. If you don't put your hoof down and take what you want, then some pony else will." Henry said.

*rumble*

"Is the mountain shaking?" Fluttershy asked.
"Shh..." Applejack said.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to claim the dragon that is rightfully mine. And you ponies are going to stay right where you are, until my escape helicopter arrives. Failure to comply will result in, let's just say, bang." Henry said.

Henry inched forward, keeping his weapon pointed.

"We gotta do something!" Rainbow Dash said.
"What can we do? If we move, he might fire again! We can't risk it!" Starlight said.

*rumble*
The rumbling was getting more intense.

"Come on Spike, don't resist." Henry said.
"You can intimidate me all you want Henry! But I'm not going to let you get away with this." Spike said.
"Move out of the way so I can get a clear aim." Henry said.
"Never. In fact, get any closer and I'll *hiccup*" Spike tried to breath fire at Henry, but that rope was still tied around his neck. It was just tight enough that he couldn't expel fire.
"Ha. You're in no condition to fight back. Now, don't try my patience Spike." Henry said.

*rumble*

"I feel so helpless." Fluttershy said.
"Is there an earthquake?" Starlight asked.

"What's going on?" Henry asked.

Henry looked up, but all of Twilight's friends were accounted for, so it wasn't them. There was someone else lurking.

*bump*

Something heavy was lurking beneath the ground.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Henry pointed his weapon around, trying to find the source of the vibration. The shaking made it tough to aim.

*rumble, rumble, rumble*





The side of the mountain started to shake.

*gasp*

*burst* The thing burst out of the side of the mountain. It sent rocks flying forward, and a cloud of dust. The mystery assailant rushed forward and knocked Henry back, which caused him to drop the weapon.

*oof* *cough cough* Henry coughed.

"No! What are you doing here?" Henry said.
As the smoke cleared, they showed their identity. It was none other than...
"Garble?" Spike said in amazement.

"That's right Henry, I'm back." Garble said.
"And so am I." Ember said, emerging from the cloud of dust. She was noticeably fatigued from earlier, but Garble stood strong.

"Ah ha! So this is the part where an army of all the dragons come back to defeat Henry!" Pinkie said.
"Actually, it's just us two..." Ember said.
"Not what I'd call an army." Henry scoffed.

"Regardless, this ends now Henry. It's time you payed for your great crimes, surrender immediately." Ember said.

"I'm hardly surprised to see you again Ember, but you Garble? I never thought I'd see the day where you cooperated with anyone. I thought you didn't like Spike or ponies." Henry said.
"I may not like Spike, but i like you a whole hell of a lot less!" Garble said.
"What a quaint way to word things." Henry said. "Let me guess, you came back because now you embrace friendship." he teased.

"No way! I came back because, because... because we have some unfinished business!" Garble said.
"Come on, say it." Ember nudged.
"Okay fine I'll say it. I'm here to save Spike! Because, you know, dang it, maybe there is something to this, friendship junk!" Garble said. "Ember told me that, you know, maybe our primitive dragon ways are holding us back, and we could do so much more if we joined together and-"

While Garble was rambling, Henry, figuring they were distracted, used his magic to reach for his weapon. Ember caught wind of this.

"Oh no you don't!" Ember breathed fire Henry's way.

*gah* Henry flinched.

"Now!" Ember exclaimed.





This is where the action begins.

The two ganged up on Henry before he could grab the weapon. They lunged forward and began their fight. Ember began with a breath fire. Henry shielded himself from flames, but then Garble came in and slammed into the shield. *shatter* the shield broke. Henry ran to the side, and fired magic at Garble, but then Ember came in and bumped into Henry.

"Woah..." the girls watched in awe as Henry fought Ember and Garble.

"Don't just stand there! We have to help Twilight!" Spike cried.
"Spike's right, now's our chance!" Starlight called into action.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to save Twilight and Spike!" Rainbow Dash said.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew down, and lifted Twilight and Spike up slowly.
"Careful, her wing is damaged!" Spike said.
"Easy does it now." Fluttershy said.

Our pegasi heroines carefully lifted Twilight and Spike up to the balloon. They hoped that Ember and Garble could distract Henry for long enough.

Ember and Garble held off Henry while they helped Twilight. Garble flung a boulder at Henry, but he kicked it with his hind legs, shattering it. It didn't tire him out at all.

"You're just jealous that you'll never be as powerful as Spike." Henry said.
"Doesn't matter! Because friendship isn't about being the best, it's about helping each other out!" Garble said.

"And you Ember, even if you win, you failed as a leader! You'll never be the dragon lord your people deserve!" Henry said.
"You captured my people, destroyed the Bloodstone Scepter, and hurt the Princess of Friendship. The best thing I can do as leader is stop you!" Ember said.

Their battle raged on. Henry body slammed Garble, and shot magic at Ember. He knew their patterns very well, after watching them fight in captivity. Just taking on both at the same time was tricky, but not impossible. Garble and Henry entered an intense grip, and pushed each other. Somehow, Henry's strength came through, and he tossed Garble against the wall. *BAM* He then blasted his magic at some upper snow, causing it to collapse onto to Garble, effectively finishing him off.

*gasp* the ponies gasped.
"Garble! No!" Ember exclaimed.

Henry held up Ember with his magic.

"You're mad Henry. You're a mad, jealous, jerk. And you're not going to win." Ember said.
"It's been a pleasure working with you Ember, but it's time for your reign as Dragon Lord to end, now." Henry said.

*crack*

Henry did a thing with his magic, and Ember fainted. And like that, Henry defeated Garble and Ember.

"Sorry you two. I know you both just wanted my attention, but I have my sights set on a different dragon." Henry said to them.





Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash plopped Twilight and Spike into the hot air balloon basket.

"It's okay Spike, you're safe now." Applejack said.
"No it's not! Twilight's hurt! Like, really hurt!" Spike cried.
"You two are going to be fine, you're safe in here." Rarity said.
"Hey! Just where do you think you ponies are going with my dragon?!" Henry said.
"Come on, we gotta get out Twilight of here!" Rainbow Dash said.
"But we can't leave behind Ember." Starlight said.

With no one in Henry's way, he lifted his weapon, and aimed it at the balloon.

"Watch out! He's gonna fire!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"AAHH!" everypony screamed.

*BANG*

.

.

.

Pinkie opened one eye. "Are we dead yet?" she asked.
"I don't think so." Rarity answered.
*gasp* "Starlight!" they cried.
"What the?!" Henry exclaimed.

Starlight was blocking the bullet with a magic shield! The bullet had a lot of kinetic energy, and depleting it all with magic energy, took a lot out of Starlight.
The grinding of the bullet against her shield made for a spectacle light show.

Henry was awestruck at Starlight's magic.

"ERR... HURRRGGHH!" Starlight used every bit of energy she could.
Until.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed.
*WOOSH*
The bullet dropped down perfectly vertically into the snow. It was so hot, it melted all the way through.

*phew* "Believe it or not, that was the single hardest thing I've ever done with magic." Starlight said.

"Impressive showing Starlight. Unfortunately for you, it's curtains." Henry said.

Henry aimed his weapon again. Starlight, wasn't having none of that!

"Oh no you don't!" Starlight jumped out of the hot air balloon and fired a massive stream of magic at Henry!

*BOOOOM*

She landed on the ground below.

 *heavy breathing* "I think we're good now-OH MY GOSH!" Starlight said.
"AAH!" they screamed.

After the dust cleared, they could see that Henry was completely unscathed.

"After seeing your impressive defense power, I expected some more umph from your offense Starlight." Henry said.
"I'll show you umph!" Starlight exclaimed.

Starlight and Henry engaged in an epic magic battle.

*ZAP*
*BZZT*

"GO STARLIGHT!" Pinkie cheered.

They fired beams of magic that hit dead on.

*Boom*

"If Twilight Sparkle couldn't defeat me, then how is a discount version of herself supposed to win!?" Henry teased.

This really ticked off Starlight. She leaped onto the upper platform, and dodged Henry's shots. More powerful back and forth magic.
*pew pew pew*

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Rainbow Dash said.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy pushed the hot air balloon, to try to escape. Henry noticed immediately, so he gripped the basket with his magic, and pulled in the opposite direction.

*oof* "What the?" Henry's magic pull force overcame the pegasi's push force.
"You're not going anywhere!" Henry said.

Starlight shot magic at Henry, and it struck him. He released his grip on the basket, and the pegasi continued to push.

"Stay out of my way Starlight!" Henry said.
"I'll never let you get away with this!" Starlight said.
"You can't keep me from my dragon any longer!" Henry reached for the weapon up, and quickly tried to aim it. Starlight, risking life and limb, ran forward to try to stop it. She shoved it upward with her magic.

"Look out!" Starlight cried.
"AAHH!" they all screamed. Everypony braced for the worst.

*BANG*

.

.

.

"...Are we dead now?" Pinkie asked.
"I think we're still... alive... somehow." Rarity said.
"HA! You missed us Henry!" Pinkie said.
"Did I?" Henry said.
"Um, girls? Why are we going down?" Spike asked.

They looked up and noticed a hole in the hot air balloon.
The balloon lost altitude quickly, and then fell onto the ground below.

*thud*

"Oh... shoot." Pinkie Pie said.
"We're screwed!" Spike said.
"We're grounded." Rarity said.
"Now how do we escape?" Fluttershy asked.

Meanwhile, the battle between Starlight and Henry was still raging.

"Your magic is strong, but your technique is brute force!" Starlight said.

Starlight used magic tricks. Henry fired a blast, but starlight opened a portal, that redirected it into Henry. He barely conjured a shield in time to block the blast.

*boom*

Starlight used a cloning spell, to make multiple illusions of herself.

"GAH!" Henry shot a dome of magic in all directions, taking them all out. "And you rely on gimmicks to give yourself an edge!"

Starlight leaped into the air, and their magic collided dead on.

*boom*

The blast sent them both flying back. *heavy breathing* Henry and Starlight had a stare down.

*urrgh* Starlight's knees gave out.
"What's the matter? Run out of steam?" Henry teased.

Henry used his magic to take hold of Starlight.

"Let me go!" she tried to resist his grip.
"How are you so powerful?" Starlight asked.
"I thought you of all ponies would have known what it's like to be fueled by revenge." Henry said.
"I used to, but I learned, there's a better way! It's not too late Henry!" Starlight said.
"It is too late, by a several years." Henry said.

Henry trapped Starlight in a magic lock. So was incapacitated.





"Now then? Where was I? Oh right." Henry said.

The basket, with all our ponies, was on the ground, just mere feet from Henry.

Everypony huddled inside.

"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked.
"We tried flight, now we do fight." Applejack said, pulling her hat down.

"It all comes down to this girls. We've risked life and limb, and fended off great evil before. This is no different. We have save Twilight." Applejack said.
"It's going to be okay Spike. We got this." Rarity said.
*gulp* "You're right. Just believe, and anything's possible." Spike said, with waning confidence.

"Y'all ready?" AJ said.
Everypony put their hooves in the center, disbanded, and leaped into action.





Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, flew into action. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack leaped out of the basket.

"So, you five also want to fight? Don't bother. This doesn't concern any of you." Henry said.
"No way! You mess with Twilight, you mess with all of us!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Without your leader spearheading your actions, how could you possibly hope on winning?" Henry said.
"We don't need Twilight to do incredible things!" Pinkie Pie said.
"We can be special in our own unique ways!" Applejack said.

The mane 5 sprung into action against Henry. (While Spike hid with Twilight in the basket of the now grounded hot air balloon.)

Rainbow Dash circled around Henry, and swiped the weapon right from his hooves.

"I'll take that." Dash said.
"Give that back!" Henry fired magic at Dash, but she passed the weapon to Applejack, who bucked it over to Rarity.

"You fillies have no idea what you're playing with!" Henry said.

"Catch!" Rarity said.

The ponies tossed Henry's weapon around.

"I got it!" Pinkie caught the weapon and held it up.

*BANG* the weapon fired.
"AAHH!" Pinkie cried.

Henry's magic pulled the trigger remotely, and the recoil launched it out of Pinkie's grip.

"How dare you make me waste my ammo. Now I only have one shot left." Henry went for the weapon, but Rainbow came in at high speed. Henry braced magic shield, as Dash impacted.

*bam* kicked the shield.

The impact sent decent recoil through Henry.





"Guys, he's not after the weapon!"

Henry charged forward towards the basket c

"AHH!!" Spike cried.

*THUD*

"WHAT THE?!" Henry was halted by Fluttershy of all ponies.

"ERRRGH!! I need some help!

*pomf*

Rainbow Dash flew to Fluttershy's aid, and pushed against Henry. Pinkie joined in too. Rarity was too skittish to jump in.

Applejack lassoed Henry's horn, and pulled him back.

"You fillies have no idea what you're doing!" Henry exclaimed.
"Spike belongs with his friends!!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

*BAM*

They knocked Henry off his hooves, and he skid across the ground.
Spike watched from the basket.
...

"Did we do it?" Pinkie asked.

*heavy breathing*

Henry used his magic on Fluttershy.

"Ooh. Ah!!" she screamed.
"Let her go!" Rainbow Dash flew forward.

Henry kicked Rainbow Dash 

*SMACK*

"AH!!" she cried. "Oh it is on!!"

Rainbow Dash flew high into the air, and then proceeded to dive down at high speeds.

Rainbow Dash flew up high into the sky, and dove back down at high speed towards Henry. She was almost about to perform a sonic rainboom, until, she came to a grinding halt.
*SCREECH*
Henry had grabbed Rainbow Dash with his magic.

"That sound, those colors. You're the one who did that dreaded Sonic Rainboom!! he said.

Henry pointed Rainbow Dash away from the mountain, and then-

*pew*
"AAH!" she cried.
"Rainbow Dash!" the ponies cried.

Rainbow was sent flying miles away from the mountain at great speed. She was out of the picture essentially.

"Now to finish you off Fluttershutter." Henry said.
"AAAA-*crack* Fluttershy lost consciousness just like that.

Henry dropped her into the snow. *plop*

Two down, three to go. Henry said in his head.

Spike watched the scene unfold from inside the basket. He then looked at Twilight, who showed little sign of well being. He was losing hope. He covered his eyes with his new wings, he couldn't bear to watch his friends be hurt.

"What do we do now? We tried everything?" Pinkie panicked.
"Everything, except Pinkie." Rarity said.
"I don't get it." she said.
"Why don't you show Henry some of your Pinkie powers." AJ winked.
"Oooohh. Okay." Pinkie said.

Pinkie Pie got in Henry's face.

"Say, that's a nice weapon you got there." Pinkie said.
"Heh. It is a marvel of engineering isn't it." Henry commented.
"This thing kind of reminds me of my party cannon." Pinkie pulled out her party cannon.
"You two already had a brief introduction when your car hit one, but here is up close. Mine works like yours, only mine delivers fun, while yours delivers pain." Pinkie said.
"Wha- but how?" Henry befuddled.
"How what?" she asked.
"How is this device possible?" Henry asked.
"I don't know. It's a party cannon. When the fuse runs out, ka-boom!" Pinkie explained. She also started the fuse.
"But how? You ponies haven't discovered sulfur yet!" Henry said.
"Sulf-... sul what now?" Pinkie said.
"Your technology is far too primitive for such a device. I'm supposed to be ahead of the curve! So then what powers this device? What fuel does it use? And not to mention, where did this come from? You pulled it out of nowhere! That's impossible! You're just an earth pony!" Henry was perplexed by everything Pinkie said or did essentially.

"I'll let you in on a secret Henry, you don't have to be a unicorn to bend reality. All you need is Pinkie sense." Pinkie Pie said.
The fuse was almost out.
"And as for you Mr. Henry, SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE PONY!"
The cannon went ka-boom! Rarity fired herself out as a projectile, hitting Henry square in the face.

*wa-bam*

"You think I can't be aggressive? I'll mop the floor with you for messing with my little Spikey-wikey!" Rarity said.
"Now Applejack!" Pinkie cried.
Applejack spun a rope and tied it around Henry's horn. Henry tugged at it. Rarity fired diamonds at Henry, and Pinkie fired confetti and pies at Henry. Their onslaught was effective!

Pinkie fired a never ending supply of pies from her party cannon, and Rarity shot shiny rocks and minerals at Henry.

"Hey, we're actually doing it!" Pinkie said.

Their ammunition buried Henry in a pile of pies and rocks.





"I beg of you to reconsider your decision princess."
"My decision is final."

.

.

.

"And once the pony princess hatches you from your egg, you'll be all mine little one. Nothing will get in between us. Nothing at all..."





Great tension built up from underneath.

"ENOUGH!" Henry erupted. His horn lit up.
*BOOM*

He emerged from the pile enraged.

He fast approached Rarity.

"Please, not the face!" Rarity pleaded.
Henry gently blew "ah..." Rarity fainted.

Henry shoved Pinkie Pie into her own party cannon, and stuffed her in a corner.
"Oh no, AAHH!" Pinkie cried.

Henry swiped the rope from Applejack, and tied her up.
"I think you look better tied up Applejack." Henry said.
"I'm going to pretend you did not just say that." Applejack said.
Spike peaked out of the basket, and was mortified. All of his friend had been defeated by Henry. He crawled back in, and looked at Twilight, whom was still unconscious.





"It's okay. Everything's alright Twilight. We're not at the top of Mt. Everhoof about to be killed by some psychotic evil horse with a deadly weapon. No no. We're just riding the hot air balloon down to Ponyville to film the intro. Just close your eyes and it's like everything's alright..."

Spike closed his eyes and imagined himself and Twilight peacefully riding the hot air balloon down to Ponyville to meet up with their friends. Where they would snap a photo and send it to Celestia.
But no matter how tight he closed his eyes, or how hard he tried to imagine, that didn't change the reality of their grim situation.
When he opened his eyes, Twilight was still injured and unconscious. And a very dangerous horse was right outside the basket.

His friends all laid in the ground, bruised, defeated, or imprisoned.
"I'm sorry everyone, for putting you in danger." Spike sobbed. "Garble, Ember, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Applejack, Fluttershy. You all came back to save me, and look what happened to you all.
*sniff*
"I'm so sorry Twilight, *sob* this is all my fault. None of this would have happened if you just forgot about me. I'm not worth the trouble I put you through *sob*. Spike cried.
"You're more hurt than you've ever been. You may never get up, or ever fly again, and it's all because of me. I am a monster, because I did hurt you..." Tears poured down Spike's face.

"...Sp...ike..." Twilight said.
"Twilight?" Spike asked. "What is it Twilight?" "...h-e-lp..." Twilight pleaded.

Their somber moment was interrupted by Henry, who tipped over the basket, and out came Twilight and Spike.

"Look at you now, Princess of Friendship. Oh how the mighty fall hard." Henry said.
Henry looked at his weapon.
"You're not enough worth using my final projectile on." he unsheathed the handle of the weapon, revealing a sharp blade underneath.

"It's time to bid farewell to any life left in your miserable thieving soul." Henry said.

Henry lunged the weapon forward, but it was caught.

*shing*

*gasp*

Spike grabbed the blade with his bare claws, and stopped it.

"Let go Spike!" Henry said.

They tugged on the blade, until-
*snap*
The blade snapped in half.

"Stop right now, Henry!" Spike pointed the sharp part of the blade at Henry, but Henry pointed the barrel at Spike.

"Get out of the way, Spike, I don't want to hurt you." Henry said.
"Point that thing at me all you want, because I know for a fact that you're not going to fire another shot." Spike said.

Spike stood, stern, and unfazed, face to face against Henry, and his deadly weapon. He was going to protect Twilight at any cost. Even if it meant, risking the ultimate price.

"...wait, you said that you don't want to hurt me?"
> Chapter 22: Spike Rises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on December 15th, 2018





Spike stood face to face against Henry, atop the summit of Mt. Everhoof. Henry was the pony who originally discovered Spike's egg, but in a bizarre turn of events, he has come back to take Spike back from Twilight.
Henry had already made it past the mane 5, Starlight, and Ember and Garble. Spike was the last line of defense before Henry reached Twilight's unconscious body. Henry was armed, but so was Spike. Henry wielded a... weapon. The kind of weapon that shoots small but deadly projectiles. You know the one. Spike only held a fragmented blade. Though Spike was still itchy, and covered in weird ride spots, he was determined to not let Henry win.

Previous, Henry said something interesting to Spike.





"Um, what did you say Henry?" Spike asked. (If you missed last chapter, Henry said that he didn't want to hurt Spike, odd given his aggressive behavior)
"Err, I said, move aside, or you will get hurt." Henry threatened, as if only attempting to sound tough.

Spike was initially confused by Henry's... odd behavior. But after giving it some thought, Spike thought he had figured it out at last.

"Move over Spike, so that I can wrap this up." Henry said.
"Never. I'm not backing down, and I won't hurt Twilight any further!" Spike said.

Spike kept his feet planted. He wouldn't be moved so easily.

"You've got a lot of guts, standing against the face of death." Henry said, pointing his weapon right at Spike.
"You're all talk Henry. I know for a fact that I'm in no real danger." Spike said.
"You are in more danger than you can comprehend." Henry said.
"No. I'm in no danger because you aren't going to use that weapon on me." Spike said.

Henry was caught off guard by Spike's words.

"W-what makes you so certain?" Henry got more aggravated.
"I get you now. It took me a while, but I think I have you all figured out Henry. You aren't going to kill me, because you have too much to lose. You wouldn't dare hurt me because I'm your greatest accomplishment." Spike said.

"...What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Henry asked.
"You found me as an egg, and brought me to Equestria. You saved me, and made my life possible. You're the reason I'm even alive. And I know for a fact that you're proud of that. But without me, what are you?" Spike said.
Henry, didn't respond immediately.
"I'm everything you ever wanted. I'm the reason you're here right now. You'd be depriving yourself if you killed me. You need me more than you want to admit." Spike said.

*sniff*
*huh* Spike noticed something. Henry was... getting emotional...?

"It was always my life long dream to raise a dragon of my very own. And I came so close to making that dream a reality, but alas, she got to live out my dream." Henry pointed to the unconscious Twilight.
Spike was... touched by Henry's words?
"I captured all of those other dragons, to fill the void left by your absence. I was going to use them to lead an attack on Equestria, but something felt missing. That is why I came back for you. It seemed like such a cathartic plan at the time. I would've crushed the Princess of Friendship with the very dragon she took from me. It almost worked too, but sometimes, life plays out different than you anticipate."

"You inspired me to capture other dragons, and you were the last dragon I captured. It all came full circle." Henry said with heavy... emotion.





Spike was stunned. He stood in place, feet cold and in the snow. His words were a lot to process.

"...No, just no." Spike said. "I see what you're doing, and it isn't going to work. You seriously want sympathy from me now?! After all that you've done!? Are you kidding? You think I'm that gullible?"
"Are you not gullible? I assumed you were." Henry said.
"You want me to feel sorry for you, but it isn't going to work. First of all, you hurt Twilight! You shot a bullet through her wing! She may never fly again, or worse! Not to mention how you treated all my other friends!"
"Twilight this, and Twilight that. I don't want your sympathy, I want to know why you gravitate to her!" Henry said.

Spike's eyes widened with spite. "Do I have to spell it out!? In case you didn't know, Twilight is the most loving pony I know. She's strong, and brave, and the nicest pony there is! The love and kindness that Twilight gave to me *sniff* made me who I am! She filled me with hope, and joy, and warmed my heart. *sniff* "And I only got a chance to know her, because of you. But here you are, on a mission to tear us apart, and I won't let you." Spike said.

Thoughts were circulating in Henry's mind...

"If you want to get to Twilight, you have to go through me!" Spike pointed the sharp blade in his hand at Henry.

"I could care less what happens to her to be honest! What matters, is that you reunite with me, as intended, before Celestia took you away from me." Henry said.
"Whether or not what happened back then was right or wrong, I don't know. I'm just judging things purely as they are now. And after all the horrible things you've done to me and my friends, there's no way I'll ever join you!" Spike said.





Spike's words resonated with Henry. Spike could only imagine the thoughts going through his head.

..

"...I didn't come all this way for nothing!" Henry pulled on Spike's rope.
"Hey! Stop it!"Spike tugged the other direction.
"You're coming with me Spike!" Henry said.
"No!" Spike said.
"Join me and we can rule Equestria together!" Henry exclaimed.
"Never!" Spike exclaimed.

They tugged on the rope harder and harder. The rope tightening around Spike's neck. Spike started to glow, something unusual was happening. The rope was starting to actually hurt. They pulled, until the rope snapped.

*snap*

Spike's momentum flung him backwards.
*smack*
He hit his back against a rocky wall. The force released all of his stored up fire at once.

*BOOOM*

Spike ignited and burst into flames.

"What the?! No!" Henry cried.

But from the ashes, emerged something new. Spike emerged, and he had finally grown his wings.





Henry backed away, he even dropped his weapon. Spike walked forward, and picked up the weapon.

"What a terrifying device." he said out loud.
*cough cough* "That's a fine piece of engineering you're holding is it not?" Henry said.
"It's terrible! A device invented for the purpose of killing? That's horrible!" Spike said.
"If you don't want it, then I'll just take it from you!" Henry exclaimed.

Henry latched his magic onto the weapon, and tried to take it from Spike. Spike pulled on it the other way.

"Stop it Henry!" Spike cried.
"Give me the gun!" Henry exclaimed.
"No!" Spike yelled back.
"Give it to me, now!"
"Never!" Spike pulled back, flapping his wings.
"Give it, that's an order Spike!"
"You're not the boss of me and you never will be!"

*shatter!*

Henry's magical grip on the weapon was shattered.

The momentum sent Spike backwards. He skid on the ground, and landed beside Twilight. The knock back pushed them closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Why not?" Henry asked. "I offered you everything you could have wanted. I could have made you into a powerful dragon. Feared, and revered by all. Look at what Twilight's done to you! You're pathetic. You're a laughing stock. You can hardly even call yourself a dragon. This was your chance to show everypony and dragon what you're made of! You wanted to be a dragon? I could have made that happen, and all you had to do was just listen to me!"

Spike thought about all the times he had been mocked for being... more of a pony than a dragon. He thought about how great it'd be to be the toughest dragon there was. But then he remembered all the hard times Henry brought in trying to do just that.

"Grr... no! Let me explain something to you Henry! I don't need your assistance, because I'm already admired and revered by many, not for being a big ferocious dragon, but for being a brave and noble hero, and that's all I could ever ask for. That's something you'll never understand, what it's like to actually be liked by other ponies. Twilight isn't just my friend because she hatched from an egg, it's how she went about raising me. She cared for me, nurtured me, taught me respect, friendship. You have to actually earn my respect! By doing nice things!" Spike exclaimed.

Henry was about to speak, but Spike interrupted him.

"Let's see what you've done. Positives, you found my egg, and brought it to the safety of Canterlot. And..." Spike said.
"Negatives! You captured a bunch of dragons and held them prisoner! You kidnapped me in the middle of the night. You locked me in a dark metal room, chained to the ground, and claws handcuffed. You made me fight other dragons! You fed me gems until I grew into an out of control monster! You hurt my friends. You hurt Twilight, to the point where she may never fly again! You brought much harm to my friends!"

"If I never grow up to be what you consider to be a real dragon, then so be it! You've done horrible things Henry, and I don't want anything to do with you, so just GO AWAY!" Spike exclaimed into Henry's face.





Henry got very... choked up...

"...fffffine!" Henry said.

Henry grabbed the weapon from Spike.

"You're right Spike, discovering your egg is the only good thing I've done for Equestria. But now, I'm going to add a second good deed to that list." Henry pointed his weapon at... himself.
"Wait, Henry, no!" Spike grabbed the weapon from Henry.
"Stop it! Get away from me!" Henry said.
"Don't! This isn't what I had in mind!" Spike pleaded.

Spike and Henry tugged on the weapon.

"No pony deserves this fate! I won't let you!" Spike exclaimed.





Meanwhile, just a few feet over. Applejack untied herself from the rope. She freed Pinkie Pie. She tried to free Starlight from the magic lock.

"Hang on Starlight, we'll get you out of there." Applejack said.

Rarity, and Fluttershy were unconscious on the ground still, and Rainbow Dash was still far away. They watched the struggle on the edge of the cliff. Spike and Henry fought over the weapon, while Twilight laid ride beside Spike's feet.





Henry tugged with his magic, but Spike's strength was immense. Pinkie and AJ watched, but dared not get close. They wanted to approach, but they feared it would be too dangerous to do so.

"AAAHH!"
"AAAHH!"

They both screamed as they struggled for control, until...

*BANG*

...

The weapon fired straight down. Thankfully no pony was harmed from the final shot. Spike and Henry looked down at the impact.

*crack*

The ground beneath them cracked.

"Uh oh..." Spike said.

The ground gave way, and collapsed.

"AAH!"
"AAH!"

"TWILIGHT!" Applejack
"SPIKE!" Pinkie cried.

"NOOO!" they all cried.

Spike, Henry, and Twilight plummeted down the mountainside.

...

..

.





With Henry gone, the magic spell dissipated, and Starlight was freed. They rushed to the side of the cliff. Rarity and Fluttershy both showed signs of regaining consciousness, Ember and Garble however were still out cold. Fluttershy slowly woke up. "Where's Spike?" She looked over at her friends, and saw the heavy emotion.

*gasp* Oh no... she thought. 

Pinkie Pie leaned on Applejack for comfort. They all teared up as they looked over the edge of the cliff. There was no sign of anyone, just thick clouds and fog covering the landscape below. With heavy hearts, they turned around and walked the other way...

.

..

...





*umph*

"Did y'all hear that?" Applejack asked.

They turned around, and hey couldn't believe their eyes. Their hearts fluttered and filled with hope. It was Spike, rising from the depths. He was okay! Using his new wings to fly back up to safety, and he carried Twilight in his arms. The cloud cover had cleared up, allowing the sunlight to pass through for the first time all day. Crepuscular sun rays shined from behind Spike as the sun sat just above the horizon. It was a sight to behold.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw, made her heart flutter.
"...Spike...?" she said softly.

Spike ascended up the mountain, with Twilight held in his grasp. They had made it back up to the top. Spike gently set Twilight in some soft snow. He himself laid down besides her, tired and exhausted.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie cheered.

"Shh..." Spike said.
"Sorry. Woo-hoo." Pinkie cheered quieter.

Everypony leaned in, to see if they were all right.

"Spike... you saved me." Twilight said.
"Yeah... I guess I did." Spike said.
"You guess?" Twilight said.
"I did what I had to do in a pinch." Spike said.
"Are you kidding? Spike, you're my hero. You saved my life, I'm so proud of you." Twilight said.
"You shouldn't be..." Spike said.
"Huh?" Everypony was confused.

"It's my fault that you're hurt in the first place. I'm sorry for putting you through this mess." Spike said.
"Spike, it's not your fault. You yourself didn't hurt me directly." Twilight said.
"Didn't I?" Spike talked back.
"It's okay Spike, I'm fine." Twilight said.
"No you're not, your wing is severely damaged." Spike cried.
"What, this?" Twilight looked at her injured wing. "This is just... temporary... *gulp* I hope..."
"I'm the reason you're hurt. I'm not worth the trouble I put you through." Spike said.
"That is not true, don't talk like that. I get it, you underestimate your own self worth, but you're just as important to our group as any one of us. You seem to forget why I came all this way. It's because you're my best friend, and now my hero. I love you so much, and I'm grateful for everything you do for me. I couldn't imagine being without you, so I did everything I could to bring you back, even if I put myself in danger." Twilight said.
"Twilight. *sniff* I love you too. I'm just hard on myself because, I only want to please you. You're so great, but it never feels like I live up to your expectations." Spike confessed.
"You put me so high on a pedestal, that you feel like your best is never enough for me. But Spike, as long as your heart is in the right place, and you put forth your best effort, I'm happy. And what you did today, *sniff* I've never been so proud of you, but more importantly, you should be proud of yourself." Twilight said.

Spike got the feels. Twilight's words warmed his heart.

"Oh Twilight. *sniff* I could never ask for anything more than to make you happy." Spike said.
"Oh, come here you!" Twilight hugged Spike.
"Group hug!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Starlight participated in a group hug.

"Ow, ow. Wing, and leg, still hurt." Twilight said.
"Sorry." Rarity said.

Her friends disbanded.

"Okay then, group around Spike!" Pinkie said.

They all group hugged around Spike.

"Aw you guys, I don't deserve this kind of love and affection." Spike blushed.
*woosh* "You did it Spike!" Rainbow Dash finally made it back to the mountain, just in time to congratulate Spike.
"Aw shucks." Spike was flattered.
"Sweet! You can fly now!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh yeah, it is really neat." Spike said.
"Looks like Dash has another flying buddy." Fluttershy said.
"We never lost faith in you Spike." Rarity said.

Spike blushed at hearing Rarity's words.





*umph*
*ugh..*

Spike wasn't the only dragon there. Ember and Garble started to awaken too.

"And you, you came back for us." Starlight said.
"Yeah... so?" Garble said.
"So, I think someone's starting to come around." Fluttershy said.
"You know what, fine!" Garble said. "I came back to save Spike. Sure he's, you know. But, out of all of us... he, *cough* I think he has the most to teach all of us, or something." Garble said.
"What he means is, thank you for releasing us Spike. I'm sure all the other dragons will come around too." Ember said.

"And Twilight, I'm sorry that we weren't of more help. It's just..." Ember said.
"It's okay, none of us were prepared for what we faced. But what matters, is that we're together again." Twilight said.





"I came all this way to save you, but it turned out that it was me who needed saving." Twilight embraced Spike. "I promise, things are going to be different from here on out, I'll make sure of it..." Twilight said.

*yawn*

"I can barely keep my eyes open *yawn* nighty night Spike..."

Twilight was still greatly fatigued, and she fell asleep/lost consciousness again.

"Twilight... I... *sniff* I love you... *yawn*... I'm tired too... I'm just going to lay right here next to you... and close my eyes..." Spike closed his eyes, and fell asleep next to Twilight. "I'm here for you, and I promise to always protect you from harm." he said as he dozed off.





"Mmm. These two have been through a lot." Starlight said.
"They definitely deserve a nice rest." Fluttershy said.
"Brr... How about some place warm? It's cold out here, and I don't know how much longer we can last." Rainbow Dash said.

The sun had just set below the distant mountains over the horizon.

"Well, we did lose our only means of transportation..." Starlight pointed to the destroyed hot air balloon. The wind was picking back up.





"Is it me, or is it getting windy?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I think so, this wind is really messing up my mane." Rarity said.
"It's too windy." Fluttershy said.

They looked up.

"Oh come on!" Rarity exclaimed.

An attack helicopter hovered above them. The helicopter was piloted by Henry's cohort, Sawtooth. He peeked his head outside the window.

"You maniacs! Look what you've done!" Sawtooth cried.
"What we've done?!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"You ponies are going to pay for what you did to Henry!" Sawtooth said. "I'm going to defeat all of you, and carry on with Henry's legacy!"

"We've been through a lot, and you're not going to intimidate us!" Starlight cried.
"We'll stand up against you!" Pinkie cried.
"We're not backing down now!" Garble said.

The mane 5, Starlight, Ember, and Garble, stood strong.

They were ready to fight, when all of the sudden, the big propellers of the helicopter stopped magically.

"Uh oh. AAHH!" Sawtooth cried.
"AAHH!" our heroes cried.

The helicopter plummeted. *CRASH* It crashed onto the ground and went up in flames.

Sawtooth popped out of the side. "Ow..." he was basically done.

"Wow! Nice spell Starlight." Pinkie said.
"That wasn't me..." Starlight said.

*royal horn*

The chariot of Princess Celestia had finally arrived! Yay. There were multiple chariots. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and Sunburst, and all arrived by chariot onto the mountain. They were accompanied by royal guards.

"It's about time you got here!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Rainbow Dash! Don't be rude." Rarity said.
"What she meant to say was, we're so glad to see you." Starlight said.

Celestia looked over the unconscious Twilight and Spike.

"Twilight!" Celestia rushed to Twilight, when she saw just how injured she was. Everypony was very worried for her.

"What happened to her wing?!" Cadance asked.
"She took one heck of a blow..." Pinkie said.
"Is she okay?" Luna asked.
"I sure hope so. She was conscious a moment ago, but that was one powerful blast she took." Applejack said.

"Where is Henry?" Celestia asked.
"Where did he go anyway?" Rarity asked.
"He kind of fell from the cliff, and I guess that's the end of him...?" Pinkie answered, feeling unsure.
"I sure hope that's the last we see of him." Rainbow Dash said.
I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Henry yet. Fluttershy thought.
"How did you know his name anyway?" Starlight asked.
Celestia went silent.

"It wasn't no fair. Henry had one of these here fancy boom stick weapons. Why, if we had our own boom sticks, it would'a been a fair fight." Applejack said.
"Or, if no pony has boom sticks, then no pony can get hurt by boom sticks." Luna picked up and snapped what was left of the weapon in half.
Everypony nodded and agreed with Luna's statement. Made sense to them.

"How did you find us?" Starlight asked.
"It wasn't easy, but thankfully we ran into a little help along the way." Sunburst said.
"Hey everyone..." Jeffery peeked out and said.
"Jeffery!" Ember said.
"I remember you, you were a member of Henry's crew." Garble said.
"Look, I did some terrible things, but I'm good now, and I helped Celestia find the rest of you. I figured Henry would try to rendezvous here." Jeff said.

"Well, we're glad that at least one of you saw the light, and came over to good." Starlight said.
"Uh, enough chit chat, how about we get the heck out of here?" Rainbow Dash said.

"Agreed. Let's get these two somewhere safe and warm." Celestia said, as she looked upon Twilight and Spike.
> Chapter 23: Not Quite Back to Normal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on December 28th, 2018





From Twilight's point of view, everything was dark. Her eyes were shut tight. That was until now, as they started to slowly peek open.

"Shh, she's waking up." somepony said.

She opened her eyes, slowly and diligently.The sight in front of her, was a warm one. Her friends, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight, all surrounded her.

"Good morning Twilight." Fluttershy said softly.
"Huh? Hmm. Five more minutes mom..." Twilight said.
"Spike, could you hand me my... Spike!? Where's Spike!?" Twilight panicked.
"I'm right here Twilight." Spike said. He sat next beside her on the hospital bed.
"Oh Spike, I'm so relieved to see you, come here." she said.

Twilight reached over and embraced Spike. Everypony else to hug Twilight.

"Ahh, ow, too close, everything still hurts." Twilight said. 
"Sorry." they said.

Every pony backed away.

"What happened anyway? Where am I?"
"You're in the Crystal Palace infirmary recovering." Starlight explained.
"You took one heck of a beating back there." Applejack said.
"So all that stuff that happened atop Mt. Everhoof, it really happened..." Twilight said.

Twilight laid in the hospital bed. Her hind leg was bandaged and in a cast. It was damaged after the... assault. Her leg was also in a cast.

"How long have I been out?" Twilight asked.
"I'd say it's been a few days since we reunited with Spike." Rarity said.
"It really happened. You really saved me Spike." Twilight said.
"Yep. They don't call me Brave and Glorious for nothing." Spike gloated.

"Girls, I'm so sorry. I put myself in danger, without regard for my own safety. Everything you did, you were just trying to protect me." Twilight said.
"It's okay Twilight, in the end, you were right. And while maybe it wasn't the path of least resistance, it worked out in the end." Rainbow Dash said.
"We did it, we really did. Together." Fluttershy said.
"Yep. And it only took 80,567 words, 22 chapters, and almost two years of continuous writing to do it! And that's not counting the edits, and delayed mirrored publishing to fimfiction!" Pinkie said.
Everypony was confused...
"...what?" Spike asked.
"It's only been a few weeks since Spike first went missing." Rainbow Dash said.
"Teehee. Never mind." Pinkie winked.

Everypony started chit chatting.





*knock knock*

"Oh. I believe you have some more visitors Twilight." Rarity said.

Applejack opened the door for the visitors.

It was Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, as well as Shining Armor, with Sunburst who was carrying Flurry Heart.

"There's my little sister after she saved the day again." Shining Armor said walking in.
"Oh please, Spike's the real hero of the story." Twilight said.
"I'm glad to see you awake Twilight." Cadance said.
"Thanks." she said.
"It is a Princess' duty to bring peace, but you really pushed your luck Twilight." Luna said.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Twilight said.
"I know how hard it is when someone else's life is on the line, someone you care deeply about. But it's important to always think about all your loved ones when you do something dangerous." Sunburst said.
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Don't be reckless. Lesson learned." Twilight said.





Twilight couldn't help but notice that Celestia was much more quiet than usually. She hadn't said a word yet.

"Um, Princess Celestia?"
"Yes Twilight?" she said.
"Um... when I found the pony who kidnapped Spike, he told me some things about Spike. Things I wasn't previously aware of." Twilight said.
"Did Henry tell you that he was the pony who found Spike's egg, and brought it to Canterlot?" Celestia said.
"So does that mean?" Twilight asked.
*nod* "It's true." Celestia said reluctantly.
"Wait, so Henry was the pony who found Spike's egg!?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"WHAAAAT?!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"That's pretty wild." Fluttershy said.
"It's hard to believe that someone as sweet as Spike was found by someone as nasty as Henry." Rarity said.
"Why didn't you ever tell us Celestia? I asked so many times, but you never told me the truth." Twilight said.
"You and Spike have such a special bond. I didn't want to say anything that could make you think you weren't meant for each other. Or fill either of you with doubt." Celestia said.

"But you're right, Twilight. By not telling you, and letting Henry get away all those years ago, I put a giant target over your head by leaving you with Spike. I could have prevented this all from happening, but I let my guard down and... this is all my fault." Celestia cried.
"It's not your fault Celestia." Twilight said. "You had no idea what was going to happen."

"Where is Henry right now anyway?" Cadance asked.
"Good point. He wasn't at the top of the mountain when we arrived, and he still hasn't been found." Luna said.
"WHAT?! You never found Henry!? He got away?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"The last we saw of Henry, he, along with you and Spike fell down the side of the mountain." Fluttershy said.
"So Spike, you were the last one who saw Henry. What happened down there?" Twilight asked.

Spike thought about that fateful day. The last day anypony had seen Henry.

"Henry's gone. You don't have to worry about him anymore." Spike said.
"Are you sure-" Twilight started.
"I'm absolutely sure!" Spike interrupted.

Everypony went quiet after his outburst.

"...Well anyway, we didn't want to disturb you for too much longer." Shining Armor said.
"You need a lot of bed rest, so we'll leave you at peace." Cadance said.

Pinkie nodded. And with that, they all headed for the exit.

"Come on Spike" Luna said.
"But I um-" Spike said.
"It's okay. Spike can stay here for a bit. I can sure use the extra protection." Twilight said.
"Of course." Celestia said.
"I mean, I could sure use some bed rest too." Spike said.
"Besides, Spike and I have a lot of catching up to do." Twilight said.

Her friends all exited the room.





"It's just you and me Spike." Twilight winked.
Spike smiled.

Spike laid in the bed with Twilight for the better part of the day. They each took periodic naps. Sometimes Twilight napped while Spike sat awake, and watched her. And at other points, Spike was sound asleep, while Twilight watched her little Spikey-wikey sleep. It was as warm and cozy as Spike could have hoped.

"I missed you so much, Spike." Twilight said.
"I missed you too Twilight. It's been too long since we last cuddled." Spike said.
"Agreed, it's been too long since we had some this kind of quality time together too." Twilight said.
"You saved my life Spike. I made the journey to save you, but the tables turned at the end there." she said.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yep... yes I did. And now everything's back to normal." he said.
"Yeah, everything's back to the way it was..." Twilight said.
"It's something wrong Twilight?"
"What? Oh, nothing."
"That wasn't a sigh of relief. That was a sigh of, discontent?" Spike asked.
"What? No no no." Twilight replied.
"Well, is there anything bothering you?" Spike asked.
"I mean, forget me, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"It's just... are you just content with being my assistant again?" Twilight asked.
"I mean, of course. Helping you out is what I do best." Spike replied.
"But like, don't you ever wish you could be more? Don't you ever wish for more?"
"Well, when you put it that way... I suppose maybe..." Spike answered.

"It's just like, think about it. Over the course of our time in Ponyville, I became an alicorn princess. Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt, Rarity opened a boutique in Canterlot like she dreamed. We all saved the world. You've saved the Crystal Empire twice, and saved who knows how many lives by defeating Henry. After all that, I've only ever given you the duty of assistant, but, *sniff*, I think you have more potential." Twilight said.

"More potential, than helping you?" Spike asked.
"I mean, if you want to help me still. You can, but..."
"Do you not want me to help you anymore...?"
"No no no no no. Not at all. In fact, forget about it." Twilight said.

Twilight took a closer look at Spike. He had multiple bandages, and bruises from the experience.

"Are you okay Spike?" Twilight asked.
"Me okay? You're the one who I should be asking that too. Your leg's broken, and your wing is... *sniff*
"But Spike, you took quite a beating too. You have scuffs and scratches, and bruises. What did Henry do to you?" Twilight asked.
"I think I already said, but the long and the short of it, Henry made me fight other dragons and fed me gems so I'd grow all big and ferocious." Spike replied.
"Were you scared?" Twilight asked.
"I'd never been so scared in my life. The scariest part, was being separated from you, not knowing where I was, or if you'd ever find me." Spike answered.
"What about you Twilight? Did you miss me?"
"Of course I did, Spike, I had never been more miserable than those weeks where you went missing. All I could think about, was finding you, but every effort to find you turned up empty. My heart sank with each failed attempt. I thought I'd never see you again. I had no idea where you went or why you left."

Spike looked at Twilight's injured wing.

"I'm so sorry Twilight. *sniff* It's my fault that you're hurt." he said.
"It's okay Spike."
"No it's not. Your wing's hurt. What if you never fly again?" Spike cried.
"Spike, I'm fine. I'm sure to make a full recovery, I just need rest. In fact, let's both get some more rest." Twilight said.

Spike seemed uneasy. He laid back down facing the other way. Twilight couldn't tell if his eyes were closed or not.

The last thing I want to do is send you away. It would break your heart. But, I can't help but feel like, I'm doing you a disservice by keeping you as my assistant. I know you're capable of bigger things. Twilight thought.





Late at night, Twilight was abruptly awoken by Spike sleep talking.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you!" Spike sleep talked.
Twilight woke.
He's still upset about what happened to me I can see. Twilight thought. She assumed he was dreaming about her. But her assumption was wrong.
"I'm sorry Henry!" Spike cried.

Twilight was shocked.

"What exactly is he dreaming about...?" Twilight was so curious she spoke out loud.
"It doesn't have to be this way, we don't have to be enemies..." Spike cried.
"Oh my goodness..." Twilight said. She thought she knew what was on Spike's mind. "Well, if we ever do find Henry, I have a feeling what comes next..."





The next morning, Starlight came into the room. Spike was sound asleep, but Twilight was awake. She couldn't sleep with all on her mind.

"How is he?" Starlight asked.
"He's fine. A bit distress, but he's well. He's got a strong heart." Twilight said.
"And how about you? You look like you got a lot on your mind." Starlight asked.
"It's just, I wanna do something special for Spike, but I don't know what." Twilight said.
"Has he 'graduated' from his duties as assistant?" Starlight asked.
"Definitely. But I don't want to send him away."
"Hmm." Starlight thought.
"What have you been up to since I've been hospitalized?" Twilight asked.
"I was getting to that. While you've been here, Ember and I have been talking with the other princesses, and I think you and Spike are going to like what what we've been talking about." Starlight said.

*knock knock*

"Speaking of, I think that's her." Starlight said.
"May we come in?" Ember asked.
"Of course, come on in." Twilight said.

In came Ember and Garble.

"Oh hey, it's been a while. How are you?" Twilight asked.
"We're fine, but what about you? You took the hardest hit of anyone." Ember asked.
"I've seen better days, but I'm fine." Twilight replied.
"I hope your reputation as Dragon Lord hasn't been tainted after your temporary alliance with Henry." Twilight said.
"Yeah, about that. Garble and I just came back from trying to explain ourselves to the other dragons." Ember said.
"And how did that go?" Starlight asked.
"Better than you would expect. At first they were rough, as expected, but after we explained the whole story, they seemed legitimately grateful that Spike set them free." Garble said.
"That's fantastic to hear." Twilight said.
"And also, Princess Celestia and I have been discussing for a while, and we're planning something big. Something I think you and Spike are going to like." Ember said.
"Something that will change dragons and ponies forever." Garble said.
"Ooh, tell me more." Twilight said.

Ember told Twilight about their plans. She was caught up to speed. You the reader will find out later.

...

"I think that sounds amazing, but, what about Spike? We have to do something special for him." Twilight said.
"I haven't been good Dragon Lord, I let my people down more than once, and well. He already turned down his first offer to be Dragon Lord, I don't know if he's come around."
"It's worth the offer, but I doubt he'd want it. All Spike really wants is... *gasp* I got it!"
"Got what?" Starlight asked.
"I know exactly what to do for Spike." Twilight said.

...





Later that day, Spike had awoken.

*yawn* "...What day is it?" Spike asked.
"Wednesday dude." Starlight said.

*knock knock*

"I think that's the doctor." Twilight said.

Indeed it was. The doctor came to visit, along with the mane 5 and Jeff. Ember and Garble had already left.

"We're back!" Pinkie greeted.
"And we have an update on your injuries Twilight." the doctor said.
"How are you two feeling?" Rarity asked.

*yawn* "I slept like a baby. I feel almost completely recovered." Spike said.
"We're glad to hear Spike." Rainbow Dash said.

"I'm feeling much better too. But, doctor, what's the update?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah doc, what's the update?" Spike asked.
"The good news is, Twilight, your leg has pretty much made a full recover. It wasn't really broken in the first place, so it should be all good by now." the doctor said.

Everypony was relieved.

"Well that is great to hear." Applejack said.
"...And what about my wing doc?" Twilight asked.
"That's the um... *gulp* bad news." the doctor said.
"Oh no..." Spike said.

...

The doctor broke the news. The shot from Henry's weapon had permanently damaged Twilight's wing. To the point where it would never be capable of flight again.

Everypony's heart sank at the news.

*sob* Spike cried a heavy stream of tears..
Twilight also cried.

"This is just, the worst possible thing!" Fluttershy cried.
"You took the words right from my mouth." Rarity cried.

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all grouped around Twilight and Spike, and cried. Everypony cried with heavy emotions. Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood, but couldn't hold back their tears.

*sob "How could he take so much away from me!?" Twilight cried.

Spike felt a mild case of survivor's guilt. He had gained wings after this adventure. But Twilight had lost one.

"I'm sorry Twilight!"
"It's not your fault Spike! It's not your fault!" *sob*

Jeff waited for their tears to subside before he spoke.

*sob* the ponies continued to cry. After a few minutes, the noise had lessened, and he spoke out.

"Um, Twilight?" Jeff said.
*sniff* "Yes, Jeffery?" Twilight asked.
"I know this is a lot to take in, but I..." he started.
"Yes?"
"How do I put this? You may never use your wing again, but that doesn't mean you won't ever fly again." Jeffery said.
*sniff* "What do you mean?" Twilight asked.





*cut to outside*

All the ponies (mane 5, Starlight, princesses, Shining Armor, Sunburst and Flurry Heart) gathered anxiously around Twilight, Spike, and Jeff underneath the Crystal Castle.

Twilight stood on all four legs. Her legs were fine, but everypony was eager to see if Jeff's idea would work.

Jeffery was installing a metal wing over Twilight's broken wing.

"Henry and I prototyped this as a side project. It was meant to give flight to flightless horses. But maybe, it can bring flight back to injured flight horses." Jeff explained.

Twilight tried moving her new wing.

"It's a bit... stiff." Twilight said.
"Give it a try. Just flap, like you would normally. It's lightweight and aerodynamic." Jeff said.

Twilight flapped the metal wing, along with her working one.

*creek* The metal wing made pleasant metal sounds as she moved it. Everypony cringe at the sound.

Spike, and everyone else really, held their breath.

Twilight hovered for a little bit.

"I think it's... working-WOAH "
*plop* "Oof."

Twilight hovered for a bit, but she fell onto the ground.

"I'm getting mad deja vu right now." Twilight said. (She was of course referring to when she first got her wings, how hard it was to fly at first)
"I'm sorry that the invention didn't work. Sorry for raising your hopes..." Jeffery said.
"It's okay Jeff. You tried, and it was a far-fetched idea anyway." Twilight slumped.
"Come on Twilight, give it another try. I still have faith." Spike said.
"If you say so." Twilight said.

Twilight tried the metal wing again. This time, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She flapped harder, until... she became airborne.

Everypony held their breaths once again.

Twilight opened her eyes, and like that, she was airborne.

"It works! It really works!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Wow, it actually does work." Jeffery said.

"Woohoo!" Twilight flew around the courtyard with her new wing.

The sight relieved, and warmed the hearts of everypony.

"Come on Spike! Fly with me!"
"I'm coming!" Spike flapped his wings and flew after Twilight.

The two chased each other around the castle.

"Woo!"
"Ah ha ha ha!"

They laughed and played while they flew around. Everypony was so glad to see Twilight flying again. Twilight and Spike landed back under the castle.

"Thank you Jeff! Thanks to you, I can fly again!" Twilight said.
"Don't just thank me, thank H-, *ahem* never mind... I would say thank Henry for half inventing these wings, but he also *ahem* you know..."

"You really are smart Jeffery." Twilight said.
"Yes he is." said somepony.
"Who said that?" Jeff asked.

Jeffery turned around. It was his parents!

"Mom, dad!" Jeff said.
"Son!"

Jeff ran up to his parents.

"Scarlet and I were so worried about you." Mr. Beam said.
"It's been years since you ran away, we feared the worst." Scarlet Beam said.
*gasp* "Is that her?" Jeff asked.
"Yep. This is your little sister." Scarlet Beam said.

She held little baby Moon Beam. The resemblance between Jeff and MB was clear to see. They had the same swirly mane styles, and almost identical eyes.

"I've been away from home for so long, so much has happened while I was gone." Jeff teared up. "Oh I'm so sorry. I promise never to have anything to do with dragons anymore."
"You don't have to stop interacting with dragons on our account." Mr. Beam said. "We may have been a little harsh earlier, and we shouldn't base dragons on what happened all those years ago."
"Our opinion was entirely based on the accident at the schoolhouse. But Spike has shown us that dragons can be... sweet, and brave." Mrs. Beam said.

Spike smiled.

"If anything Ember has told me is any indication, then things are about to get a lot better for both ponies and dragons." Twilight said.
"Huh?" Spike asked.
"Oh, you're about to see." Twilight said.
"Tomorrow's going to be a historic day for ponies and dragons." Celestia said.
"After much discussion with the princesses, and the all the other dragons, I think we've reached... well, you'll see tomorrow." Twilight said.
> Chapter 24: A New Era
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on January 8th, 2019





Today was the big day, and Twilight and Spike paced inside the Crystal Palace, waiting for their moment. Twilight adorned a beautiful sparkly dress, complicated with her crown.

"So, today's the day huh?" Spike asked.
"Yep. It's truly incredible." Twilight replied.
"Are you nervous?" he asked.
"A little bit..." she replied.
"Is there anything in particular bothering you?" Spike asked.
"Well for one, it's just... what will everypony make of my metal wing?" Twilight asked.

After losing her wing from a devastating blow, she was given a new metal wing to replace the old one. It worked great, but was definitely noticeable.

"Twilight, no one is going to mind. It's not like you're a different pony. You're still the same you, metal wing or not. You're still the same great, amazing, wonderful, brave princess, who shines much brighter than anyone else who follows her..." he trailed off at the end.
*sniff* "Thanks Spike. Your words really do help. What happened is what happened, so we can only look forward. I have a metal wing, and it is what it is. I hope you enjoy your new wings." Twilight smiled.

"It is with great honor we all welcome..." a voice called from outside.

"That's our cue." Twilight said.
"Are you ready Twilight?" Spike asked.
"Only if you are." she replied.
"Anytime." he said confidently.

"...presenting, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Spike the Brave and Glorious!" Celestia announced.

Twilight and Spike walked through the curtain, and onto the Crystal Palace balcony. Their friends awaited them. The other princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. As well as Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Sunburst, Ember, Garble, and Jeffery. Beneath was a massive crowd of both ponies, and dragons. In the crowed were all their friends and family. The dragons who had been previously captured all came back for today's ceremony. As well as dragons who weren't captured too. Their friends were all dressed very formally, even Ember and Garble dressed up for the occasion.

"Thank you everyone for attending." Twilight announced. 

The crowd went quiet as they listened to her. 

"Ponies, dragons, every creature in the crowd right now. We are all gathered here to celebrate this historic moment. Today we commemorate the start of something that may have seemed impossible, not to long ago. But a lot has changed in Equestria. This used to be a land where , earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi fought over land and resources, but we have long since put that behind us. But unifying the EUP was only the beginning. We still have such a long way to go. And at this moment, we all take a giant leap forward. Today we start the official alliance between ponies and dragons."

Everyone in the crowd cheered and clapped.

"For too long, ponies and dragons have lived separated, isolated from one another, but no longer. Today, we put away all prejudice, join hooves and claws together, and start a new order. Something greater, something stronger, than either of our individual forces." Twilight spoke to the crowd.

Ember stepped forward.

"And now, Dragon Lord Ember will shake with the four princesses of Equestria." Garble announced.

Ember stepped forward, and shook hoof and claw with Princess Celestia. Celestia then stepped aside to make way for the others. Ember then shook hands with Princess Luna, followed by Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadance), and finally, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

"And with that, it is done. The pony and dragon alliance is official. Ponies and dragons will live as one. As a team, unified, and stronger together." Luna announced.
"Hoof and claw, we have each other's backs should danger come our way." Cadance said.

*crowd cheer*





And with that, the ceremony was just about done.

"Thank you everyone for attending. But before we go, there is one more thing. Something I should have done a long time. Spike." Twilight said.
"Me?" he asked.
"Yes you. Stand here Spike."

Spike stood in the middle of the balcony. Everypony gazed at him, curious what was coming.

"I've been thinking a lot about our journey, not just this story, but everything we've been through. I journeyed all the way to Frozen North to save you, but in the end, it was me who needed saving. You saved my life, Spike. You've expressed unparalleled bravery and courage in the face of danger. To merely consider you my assistant after such a noble act, would be a great dishonor to your legacy."

Spike was flattered, but he was also worried about where this was going.

"That is why I'm here to present to you a special opportunity." she said.
"Um... okay." he said.
"Spike after much consideration, I hereby set you free." Twilight said.
"I'm... what?" Spike asked.
"You're free from the confines of my rule. From now on, you're your own dragon, free to make your own decisions."

The crowd was stunned.

"Twilight, I..." Spike was speechless.
"You saved my life, I have nothing more to teach you." Twilight said.

Spike was stunned. He didn't know what to think at first.

"That's extremely generous of you Twilight. But, does this mean you're sending me away?" he asked, with a single tear.
"Not necessarily. You make your own decisions now, but I would like to present you the choice between two special offers. I'll pass it to you Ember for the first offer."
"Thank you Twilight. Spike, after much thought, me and all the other dragons, would like to offer you the chance to be our Dragon Lord." Ember presented Spike with the newly rebuilt Bloodstone Scepter.
"You want me to be your dragon lord? You think I'd make a good ruler?" Spike asked.
"Absolutely Spike. I fell short of my duties, and I think you'd bare the torch stronger than I did." Ember said.

Spike thought about the idea of being dragon lord. It sounded neat to have ever dragon obey his command. But something would be amiss...

"I'm extremely flattered by your offer. And Twilight, I'm incredibly grateful, for the opportunity, but, *sigh* I don't know. I'll relay what I said before. It's not that being dragon lord wouldn't be great. It's not that I don't think I'm cut out for it, but my gut tells me that there's only one place I really belong." Spike said.
"I had a feeling you wouldn't want to leave. I understand." Twilight said.
"There's no place I'd rather be, than by your side." Spike said.
"Very well, you may stay, however, don't expect things to be the same. Things are going to be very different from now on." she said.

That sentence made Spike worried. What was the catch? Would Twilight make him work extra hard?

"Spike, take a knee." Twilight ordered.

Spike got on his knee, although he wasn't sure why.

"Spike, my fateful assistant, trustworthy companion, and... best friend. You are one of the bravest creatures I know of, so I'm going to do something extra special. It is with a heavy heart, and a ton of emotion, that I make this promotion. Spike, I hereby make you, my honorary Knight of Friendship."

Spike was amazed and in disbelief by what she had said. His jaw dropped and eyes widened.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash placed a necklace with a medal around Spike's neck. The emblem was shaped like Twilight's cutie mark. Spike was speechless.

"It is your sworn duty to protect me and the rest of Equestria from any and all harm. More will be expected of you, but the gratification will be much greater. My life is on your shoulders Spike, my knight." Twilight said.

Spike was... overcome with emotion.

"I don't know what to say Twilight *sniff* this is such an honor *sniff* this is the greatest thing I ever could have imagined *sniff* I won't let you down." Spike said.
"I know you won't." Twilight said.

Twilight put her hoof out, to shake with Spike. However, Spike just lunged forward and gave Twilight a big hug. She embraced it. She felt it was the right thing to do.

*loud cheering*

Thorax was in the crowd, and couldn't help but shed some tears for his friend. Twilight's parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light felt proud. Spike was family to them.

Ember gave the signal. "That's our cue everyone." a dragon in the crowd said. 

The dragons hovered in the air, and breathed fire ninety degrees up into the air. The streams of fire coalesced into beautiful fireworks.

"Woah..." Spike said.
"It's beautiful." Jeff said.
"Dragons don't have to be destructive anymore. Our unique attributes can help ponies too." Ember said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Celestia said.
"Now then, how about we celebrate?!" Pinkie said.





Every pony and dragon was enjoying the festivities.

Ponies and dragons came 'round and congratulated Spike.

"Congratulations Spike!" said a crystal pony.
"Thanks." he replied.

"Wow Spike, incredible." said a pegasus.
"Thank you, you're too kind." he replied.

"Thank you for releasing us." Fizzle said.
"It was my pleasure." Spike said.

The next pony to come up to Spike was a particular one. It was a purple unicorn, with a cover over her right eye.

"Spike, I don't know if you remember me, but I am just so proud of how much you've grown." they said.
"Thanks. But, who are you?" Spike asked.
"We used to play pretend knights together in pre-school, but here you are, a real knight, for a real princess." they said.
*gasp* "I think I remember you..." Spike said.





Later, Spike even met up with other friends.

"Spike!"
"Thorax!"
"Spike, I'm so happy for you. You're a knight now!" Thorax said. "That's like, the coolest thing!"
"Aw thanks." he said.

Spike was greeted by Twilight's parents.

"We're so proud of you Spike." Twilight Velvet said.
"Thanks, it really means a lot hearing that from you." Spike said.
"You've grown so matured. It brings proud tears to our eyes."

Twilight Velvet (Twilight's mom), was like another mom to him.

But suddenly, the sky lit up. Everyone looked up, and there was a fireball in the sky!

"What is that?" the crowd of ponies asked.
"Don't look at us, that's the glow of a phoenix." Ember said.
"Did you say phoenix?" Spike asked.

The fireball descended, and dissipated, revealing.

*gasp* "Peewee! You're all grown up, just me! You came to celebrate with us!"
Peewee nodded and chirped.
"Garble, this is Peewee, he's the phoenix who hatched from the egg that... we found together. Remember?" Spike said.
"...oh right, heh." Garble said.

Garble sort of almost made Spike smash Peewee's egg, but that's in the past.

"Ah ha, this is kind of awkward..." Clump said.
"Um, no hard feelings Peewee?" Fume asked.

Peewee nodded. Though it wasn't clear if he was aware of the events that took place before he hatched.

"I saved your egg and I hatched you. I did double duty." Spike said. Unlike me, who had two different ponies do each respective role.





"Spike, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Ember said.
There was a shy dragon behind her. She was orange, with purple on her head and tail.
"Spike, meet Smolder." Ember said.
"Uh, hi there." Spike said awkwardly.
"So, you're the one who got rid of that Henry guy?" Smolder asked.
"Yeah, I suppose that-" Spike was interrupted.
"Good residence. Me and the other non-captured dragons were worried sick." Smolder said. "Why, he wasn't hidden so well, and if you hadn't taken care of him, I would'a ripped him apart myself!"
"Yeah, heh, good residence..." Spike trailed off, sounding unsure.





Spike was even visited by the cutie mark crusaders!

"It's so good to see you again, Spike." Apple Bloom said.
"We were so worried about you." Scootaloo said.
"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. It's been a while. How have you-"
"Is it true what they said!? Did you really defeat an evil dictator single handed?" Sweetie Belle squealed.
"Well, I wouldn't say it like that but, yeah, I pretty much saved the day." Spike said.
"That's so noble of you Spike!" Apple Bloom said.
"You're so brave and heroic." Scootaloo added.

The cutie mark crusaders felt honored to be in Spike's presence.

"You're like actually a knight now. That's so dreamy." Sweetie Belle fell over in awe.
"Aw shucks, you're making me blush." Spike said.

The three fillies all gave Spike a group hug.





The festivities continued through the day.

"Wow, the party is going great." Starlight said.
"It's so well organized." Ember said.
"Leave it to Twilight to organize a party in a neat and orderly fashion." Rainbow Dash said.

*AHH!*

There was a cry among the crowd.

*vroom*

*gasp*

"I should have known something would have gone down." Twilight said.
Henry!? Spike thought.

Everypony cleared the path.

It was Henry's car! It drove through the streets of the Crystal Empire.

"It's Henry!" Twilight cried.
"How did he rebuild the car?" Starlight asked.
"Don't know, don't care! Come everyone!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Huh? Oh right." Spike said.

Everyone sprung into fighting pose. The car stopped, and the top hatch opened. Revealing...

"Stop stop stop! It's me!" Pinkie said.
"Pinkie Pie?!" Twilight asked.
"What is going on here?" Applejack asked.
"You're never going to believe it. The yaks have been going through the ruins of Henry's hideout, and they found an entire warehouse full of cars!" Pinkie said. "These things are the future! No more slow transportation!"
"I don't know if that's a good idea-" Starlight started, but Pinkie interrupted.
"Anyway, I'll meet you all back in Ponyville!" Pinkie went back into the car, and started it back up, but it wouldn't go.

*sounds of engine not working*

Everyone shrugged and looked at each other. Finally, Pinkie Pie popped out of the car again.

"Um guys, what it mean when this red needle points to 'E'?" Pinkie asked.
"Um... it means don't worry about it." Jeff said.
"Hahahahaha!" everypony laughed.
"Haha... I don't get it." Pinkie said.

With those shenanigans out of the way, the party continued.





Everyone partied through the night. But eventually, it was time to wrap everything up.

"Well, we best be one our way before the cold starts to roll in." Garble said.
"It's been an honor to join in this alliance." Ember added.
"I tell you what, the last thing I ever saw me doing was embracing friendship. But, something about finding a common enemy in Henry, it helps to come together in times of desperation." Garble said.
"And in the process, you know, it ain't so bad." Baff said.
"Yeah, you ponies have all kinds of cool things... that I plan to share of course." Vex said.
"So does this mean you dragons are going to live among ponies?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not necessarily. Old habits die hard. We belongs to the dragon lands." Garble said.
"But anytime you ponies need assistance, you know who to turn to." Ember said.
"If any more wise guys come along and cause any trouble, you can count on us to be right by your side." Garble said.
"Thank you. Although, what could possibly happen next?" Twilight asked.
"Oh you never know when things could get stormy." Ember said.
"And Spike." Garble started. "You done good. You've done really good. I'm proud."
"Thank you, really." Spike appreciated what he said.
"Last chance Spike. You sure you don't wanna come to the dragon lands?" Ember asked.
"Eh... maybe later. I still have a lot of catching up to do with my pony friends." Spike said.
"You're welcome anytime at the dragon lands Spike." she said.
"Now come on dragons, let's fly!" Ember commanded.

Every dragon stood in formation in streets of Crystal Empire. They flapped their wings to warm up. Finally, they each took off into the night sky. Every pony waved goodbye. The heard of dragons breathed a ball of fire around them to keep them warm through the icy landscape. Spike watched feeling bittersweet. Watching his fellow dragons fly away, whilst he remained.





It was time for the other ponies to leave as well. Our heroes had spent enough time in the cold, and they were ready for the warmth of Ponyville. The mane 6, Spike, and Starlight waited for their train to take them home. Celestia, Luna, Cadance. Jeffery and his parents came to say goodbye, along with his sister Moon Beam.

"Girls, I just want to take the time to thank you for putting up with me for as long as you have." Twilight said. "I know I acted terribly to you earlier, and I'm sincerely sorry for my behavior. But you came rushing to my side anyway. Were it not for you, I would've probably frozen in the snow alone. I couldn't have saved Spike without you."
"Of course. We'd do anything for you two." Fluttershy said.
"Friends never give up on other friends." Applejack said.
"We all love you and Spike, and couldn't imagine life without either of you." Rarity said.
"You two make our lives awesome." Rainbow Dash said.
"I'd say something inspirational, but I just feel like crying tears of joy." Pinkie Pie said.

Every pony smiled.

"And of course, thank you Spike for saving me." Twilight said.
Twilight's words resonated through Spike's heart.

*CHOO CHOO* The train pulled in and had arrived at the station.

The mane 5, and Starlight were ready for board the train for Ponyville.

"Twilight, take care." Celestia said.
"Until next time." Luna said.
"See you soon!" Cadance said.
"Don't be reckless." Shining Armor said.
"Be sure to write back to me Starlight." Sunburst said.
Flurry Heart made funny noises, and waved by to ever pony.

Jeffery and his family waved goodbye too.

"So what are you going to do now, Jeffery?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'll definitely continue researching. Now that we're friends with dragons, it's an opportunity to learn a lot about each other." he said. "As well as be older sibling my little sister always deserved." Jeffery held baby Moon Beam. "Not to mention that I still have some things to clean up, up north." Jeff said.

His mom and dad stood on either of his side, proud of him.

"Good bye!"
"See you soon!"

In a single file line, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, and Starlight boarded the train. Twilight and Spike however did not.
"Aren't you coming Twilight?" Starlight asked.
"You go on ahead. Spike and I are going to take the scenic route." Twilight said.
"Yes, the scenic route. Just us." Spike said.





There is one more chapter to go. Come back next time for what might be the very last chapter.
> Chapter 25: The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally published on January 16, 2019





Early morning, high above the skies of Equestria, Twilight and Spike flew above the fluffy clouds. The sun hadn't yet risen above the horizon, but the orange sky in the East was an indicator that it would be up soon. The two were very playful.

"I'm gonna catch you!" Twilight teased.
"Oh no you won't!" Spike laughed.

Twilight chased after Spike.

"Watch out, I'm a cyborg princess!" Twilight said, referencing her new metal wing. "I'm gonna catch you and turn you into a vicious beast! And conquer Equestria!" she mocked.
"Oh no. But I want to be me! I can't let my dragon roots take over! I have to be true to myself!" Spike said in an over exaggerated tone.

Spike was flying, and it seemed like he was in the clear. When all of the sudden, Twilight popped out of the cloud in front of him.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed.
"AH!"
"AH-"

*BONK*
They bump into each other, tumbled and landed on a cloud. They exchanged an awkward look.

"HAHAHAA!" they both laughed uncontrollably.

They laughed until they ran out of breath. They then decided to just stay put, and lay down on the cloud together and cuddle. They took the time to just enjoy, the simpler things in life. The fresh air, the cool breeze, the softness of the clouds.

"Oh Spike, I'm so proud of you." Twilight said. "You really are so extraordinary."
"Oh please, I wouldn't be half the dragon I am were it not for your guidance. You made me who I am."

Twilight just smiled.

"I love you Spike. You're the best assistant, excuse me, the best knight a princess could hope for..."
"Thank you Twilight. You're the best... *ahem* you're my best friend. I love you too."



	

"So, what exactly is going to be different from now on?" Spike asked.
"Many things. You'll be involved with many important duties. You'll basically be royalty. Maybe you'll even be in charge of solving your own friendship problem." Twilight replied.
"Any challenge that fate may throw my way, I'm ready for anything." Spike said.
"That's good to hear. You're so grown up now." she said.
"So does this mean that I'm too grown up to ride on your back?" he asked.
"Yes." Twilight said affirmatively. "Besides, you have your own wings now. That are probably better than mine..."
"Well whatever. Not that I'm going to miss rides anyway. Just like I won't miss the coziness of you putting me to sleep..."
Twilight snuggled Spike closer.
"Hehe. Not everything has to change so drastically." Twilight said.

Twilight crawled forward and embraced Spike. She began to sing Spike a lullaby.

"Nice try Twilight, but I'm too old for..." *yawn* His eyes grew heavy. "Is it bed time already?" he tried to resist, but he gave in.

Even though Spike was her knight, deep down, he was still her child. Spike dozed off and leaned against Twilight. She smiled and cuddled with him. Twilight also rested her eyes, but ended up falling asleep too. They both rested their eyes, but ended up taking a short nap on the clouds.

"You make me feel so safe. I promise to make sure nothing happens to you again, so long as you promise to protect me." Twilight whispered.
"Of course. For as long as I live." Spike said while dozing off.

.

.

.





Some time later, Spike opened his eyes, but had to squint, because the sun was in his eyes.

"Wow... it's beautiful." he said.

Twilight also woke up just in time to watch the sun rise. The direct sunlight reflected off the clouds, creating literal silver linings. The orange glow of the sky onto the clouds was a sight to behold.

"Wow, Equestria is so beautiful from high up." Spike said.
"Mmm hmm. It almost makes you forget about all your worries." Twilight said.
"Yeah, almost..." he said.

Twilight knew what was on Spike's mind.

"You're thinking about Henry aren't you?" she asked.
"...yeah..." he replied.

It wasn't easy to forget about Henry. The pony that, Spike recently found out, was the one who originally discovered his egg. And then Henry kidnapped him and later tried to hurt Twilight.

*sigh* "Why Spike? What do you see in him? He's crazy."
*sigh* "You know, I really shouldn't give him any thought, but, he did save my egg. Were it not for him, I wouldn't be here. I would never have met you were it not for him."
"But Spike, he kidnapped you, and tried to hurt us. He would have gone all the way had you not defeated him."

There was an awkward pause when Twilight said that last part of her sentence.

"...You did defeat Henry right?" Twilight asked.
"...sure, you call call him defeated..." Spike said hesitantly.
"What happened on top of that mountain? Is there anything you haven't told me yet?" Twilight asked.
"...maybe." Spike replied.
"What was the last thing Henry said to you? Come on, tell me. No secrets between us." Twilight requested.
"Well... this is what happened..." Spike said.

Spike explained what exactly happened after the three of them plummeted from Mt. Everhoof.





Flashback to the last time Spike ever saw Henry.

.

.

.

Previously, Spike, Henry, and an unconscious Twilight fell down the side of Mt. Everhoof. Details were spotty, but Spike remembers closing his eyes, and things going dark. That was until he heard a voice speak out.

"Spike..."

Spike opened his eyes, he and Twilight were on an unstable ledge. Henry clung onto the side, dangling above the abyss below.

*gasp* "Henry!" Spike called out.
"Go, get out of here Spike!" Henry exclaimed.
"What?" Spike asked.
"I said go! Help Twilight. Use your wings and get yourselves to safety." he said.
"But I can't really fly just yet." Spike said.
"Yes you can, I know you have it in you." Henry said.
What an oddly encouraging thing for him to say. Spike thought.
"But what about you?" Spike asked.
"What about me? You hate me, you don't care if I plummet to my death." Henry said.
"I don't hate you Henry... *sniff* I'm just disappointed in you. You saved me, and brought me to Canterlot, where I met Twilight. It's just such a shame that you kidnapped me and attacked my friends. You could have been so much more... *sniff* You could have been somepony for me to look up to." Spike cried. Tears ran down Spike's eyes.

Henry paused to think.

"All this time, I thought I wanted power, and revenge. I thought that reuniting with you would give it to me. But if I've realized anything, it's that all I really wanted... was to see... my boy again..." Henry said.
"Henry..."
"I let you down, Spike. I thought I could give you a purpose, by exploring your inner dragon. But I got carried away, and used you to fuel my evil plan." Henry confessed.
"Come on Henry. Join us. We're a really forgiving group. Apologize to Twilight and Celestia, and we can be together..."
"No, it's too late for me. Besides, you can't save both me and Twilight." Henry said.
"Yes I can! I know I can!" Spike exclaimed.
"You don't have the strength to lift both of us, now go. Go to her, save her, she needs you more than I do... You're going to save her, and when you do, everypony is going to look up to you as a hero. Just like you deserve..."

*sniff* Spike was getting teary eyed.

*crack* The mountain side was getting less stable.

"Don't go Henry! We can start over, starting now!"
"Good bye Spike... it feels like I hardly knew you..." 

Henry let go of the ledge, and fell down the mountain side.

"Henry!" Spike cried.

*crack*

There was no time to spare. The rest of the ledge was ready to collapse. Spike grabbed onto Twilight, and flew her up the mountain, where the story continues and he meets up with his friends.





"He fell down the cliff. And it seems like no pony has seen him since..." Spike said.
"So... you think he meant it?" Twilight asked.
"Personally, I think so... Or at least, I hope so... I think he was a corrupted pony, who could have been saved. Maybe I'm being gullible and buying a lie, but I wanna believe..." Spike lamented.

Twilight paused, not sure what to think. Spike laid on his side, as if he was feeling uneasy.

"Don't you wish that things could have panned out slightly different? Like, Henry not being evil?" Spike asked.
"I mean, of course, I don't ever aim to make enemies. But, he proved that he didn't want anything to do with friendship." Twilight replied.
*sigh* "You know, I used to have dreams of meeting my parents... but now... when I close my eyes, and try to imagine my parents, instead I see you, and I see... him..." Spike confessed.

Twilight blinked twice, sort of amazed by what Spike said.

"How do you honestly feel about him? Be honest. Don't leave out any details just because I'm here." Twilight requested.
"Well, you know, I'm just disappointed that, he's the closest I've ever been to my origins, but he turned out to be evil. Like does that mean I was destined for evil? I could have learned so much, and he probably had so much to teach me about myself... but he was more interested in turning me into a big evil dragon..." Spike said.

You would think that Twilight would be jealous, that Spike is interested in a different pony to look after him. But she understands his sentiments. Henry was a pony who could have taught Spike things about dragons that she was not aware of. Nopony wants to make enemies, and Twilight too wonders what it would have been like if he didn't turn evil. He could've been an ally with great knowledge of dragons. That being said, he did try to kill her, so she was very conflicted.

We still don't know what happened to Henry, if he's still out there or not. He could have perished, or he could still be out there... Twilight thought. She didn't like Henry, but was willing to listen to what Spike had to say.

"What would you say to Henry if you met him again?" Twilight asked.
"If I ever saw him again, I would tell him that, I'm truly grateful for what he did. For giving me the opportunity to live, and to meet you. I think that's all he really wanted, was to be appreciated by me." Spike said.
"Well, um, if we ever do find Henry, I'll um, try to reach some sort of... compromise I guess." Twilight said reluctantly.
"Promise? Even after everything he did?" Spike asked.
"I promise Spike." Twilight replied.

She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of ever befriending Henry, considering the damage he did to her, but if Spike had believed, then she owed it to herself to give him a chance.





"Now what do you say we head back to Ponyville?" Twilight asked.
"I'm right with you." Spike replied.

Twilight and Spike took to the air and headed home to the castle. The view in the air was spectacular.

"You can see so much from up here." Spike said in amazement. "I can see our home from here!" He pointed to Twilight's castle down below in Ponyville.
"Let's fly home Spike." Twilight said.
"I'm right behind you Twilight."
"No, you're right beside me, as equals." Twilight said, smiling.
"Not if I get there first! Race ya!" Spike rushed ahead of her.
"Come here you!" Twilight said playfully.

Twilight and Spike raced through the sunbathed clouds, and headed home.

As for their future journeys, it is hard to say what shape they may take. So much has changed throughout this journey.
There is one thing that is certain, however, and it is that so long as Twilight Sparkle watches upon everyone in Equestria, her faithful knight Spike would be there by her side. Always and forever. With love to spare.

The End.

For now...?