Light faded  as the sun set over Ponyville. With the twilight drawing to a close, the business end of town was starting to hang it up for the day. Food vendors gathering up unsold produce, cook wear sellers locking up their products, and mostly all taking their proceeds of the day home with them. Yes the rather busy day had come to a almost tranquil close. A familiar stand is also closing up shop for the day. The orange mare with a tied straw mane wiped a bit of sweat from her brow as she adjusted her stetson hat. She smiled to herself after a hard days work and kicked the stand. The side corners flopping to the side and compressing slightly as it was now ready for transport.

"Woo-wee, we got quite the hall come in tahday, didn' we spike?" she asked turning her head. To her right, adjusting the straps of the stand over his newly broadened shoulders, stood a young dragon. He was roughly the same height of a stallion while standing on his hind legs. His natural purple scales gave way to the lime green on his underbelly and muzzle. His reptilian eyes, a emerald green with light lime tinting around the corneas. On his back were folded wings which matched the purple scales on his back. He smiled having finished the straps over his shoulder and directed his gaze towards the freckle faced mare.

"Yeah, it sure was a good day Aj," he said in agreement. His voice had matured and so did his manners as the years came and went. He was no longer the adolescent who rode on the new princess' back, but a young drake who was respected by all of Ponyville. "Well the sun is almost gone. Lets head back to the farm so we can drop this bad boy off," he said jokingly. Aj smiled and laughed lightly

"I reckon that's a bang up idea partner," she said turning and heading toward the rode. Spike soon followed after her. The two walking and talking on their way back to Aj's home at Sweet Apple Acres.  "So how is Twilight now that she is officially moved into Canterlot with Princess Celestia? Ah haven' heard from her in what feels like a year," the farm pony asked wondering about her dear friend.

"You know Twilight, wrapped up in her studies and hardly comin' up for air. She sent me a letter a few days ago saying that she would be coming by to visit. I already asked Pinkie if we could set up a party at the library for her, and naturally she said yes," Spike recalled stroking his chin with his free claw.

"Well ain' that the bee's knees. Seein' Twi for the first time in a while, ah can't wait! Yeehah!" she shouted jumping in the air. Spike smiled softly seeing Aj so happy.

"Yeah, once I drop this off at the farm, I have to head back to the library to start the set up for the party," the dragon said looking at the sky. The two continued to talk a while longer. Almost at the barn, Spike smiled knowing that once the cart was dropped off, he could give his wings a good stretch and head back home in no time. He yawned slightly and looked to the turning leaves. Autumn had set in quietly and seemingly suddenly. He held one of his claws up and caught a golden leaf as it swayed from the tree to the beaten dirt path. He smiled softly and let it fly from his hand.

"You alright there sugarcube?" Aj asked looking back at him.

"hmm? Yeah I'm fine. Just admiring the scenery," he said with a pleased smile. Aj smiled, but her smile swiftly contorted to a look of distress as she heard something hard drop to the ground. Spike had in the blink of an eye had fallen to the ground to his knees. His mouth a gap as if screaming at the top of his lungs. His wings snapped to attention with his claws tightly clamped to the fins on the sides of his head where his ear holes were.  His eyes closed tightly as if searing pain was shooting through his entire body. "SPIKE!! SPIKE CAN YOU HEAR ME?!?" Aj shouted putting her hooves on his shoulders shaking him wildly. He thrashed his head back and forth as if pleading for something to stop. His mind was ringing with pulses of what felt like malevolent magic and malice. The pain that ravaged his body, through the spikes on his back and head to every single scale was like being pierced by thousands upon thousands of small knives. Each one meant to kill, maim, and torture his body with endless suffering and death.

"You are the one that stole from me my kingdom.....I will find you dragon.....and I will rip everything you love from your miserable pathetic hands...." a dark foreboding voice called from all directions. Spike tried to scream but his voice was gone. He felt helpless, small, and weak. The same way he had felt quite often when he was smaller. His eyes snapped open with feral eyes. His voice returned with one thunderous results.

"NO!!!" he screamed. He reared his head back and let loose a stream of emerald flames into the air that changed the color of the leaves to emerald and lime in the blaze. Aj backed away slowly. Her eyes staring at the dragon and his display of raw emotion. He panted. The pain was gone. His hands dropped to the ground as he stared at the dirt. Trying his best to figure out what in the world just happened to him just now. His eyes were wide as he looked up at the now distant mare who was now further down the road. "Aj?" he asked. His voice horse and weak. He felt his body grow heavy from his dragonic outburst. He raised and attempted to extend his arm, but fell short as he lost consciousness.

"....ik.....spi......SPIKE WAKE UP!!!" he heard someone call. His eyes flickered open slowly. Looking up the first thing that entered his sight was the bright light that hung above his head. He  felt his eyes dilate, gradually adjusting to the new light. His eyes shifted to a young mare sitting next to him. Her yellow coat shined lightly in the light. Her red hair lightly covers her face as she screams his name over and over again.

"...Applebloom...I'm awake,"he grunted out lightly. The mare dropped onto his chest lightly crying.

"Don't y'all scare me like that Spike!" she shouted pounding his chest lightly. He sat up slowly looking around. He was in the barn.

"How did I get here Applebloom?" he asked slightly confused.

"After you collapsed, Applejack came an' got Big Macintosh, an' they carried ya here," she said wiping tears from her damping fur. He smiled softly and placed his hand on her head and stroked her mane a little. She looked up at him with large eyes as she sniffed back her tears.

"As far as I can tell, I'm ok now," he said looking at her. She smiled from ear to ear and wrapped her hooves around him. He smiled but soon felt that dark foreboding feeling creep back up on his mind. He knew this was an omen of sorts, but he had to keep it under wraps until he could figure it out.

"I should send a letter to Twilight about this," he thought to himself. He stood up and put Applebloom on the ground. He got a better look at her now that he was standing. She was up to his chest in height, her long red main no longer was tide in her signature bow, but now flowed naturally. Around her neck was a green bandana she used while wood working around the farm. On her flank was her coveted cutie make. It resembled a flower in full bloom with a couple pieces of 2 x 4 on both sides of it. He smiled and looked around.  "At any rate, I should get back home now. Tell your sister and brother thanks for looking out for me," the purple dragon said waving to the yellow mare. She looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?! You can't leave! You just woke up!" she shouted in protest.

"Applebloom, I will be fine. I promise," he said smiling. He gave her a warm hug before heading for the big barn door. Bloom protested a little more but soon realized she wasn't making any headway. He turned and waved before stretching his wings to their full span. He crouched down and leaped. His legs like springs propelling him into the air at a break neck speed. He tilted his wings and began to glide. He looked down at the farm and smiled lightly as he circled. He then flew at near top speed back to Ponyville. He descended and slowed his approach as he neared Sugarcube Corner wondering if they were still open. He landed and checked the operation hours. He was greeted with the door to his face. He grunted in pain and slide down the door to the ground. On the other side, the happy go lucky party mare looked out.

"That's weird, I got the 'beware of open door' combo, but I don't know why....oh hey Spike! What are you doing on the ground?" she asked looking at him on the ground. He slowly sat back up rubbing his head.

"You got a combo huh? That makes sense," he said with a light chuckle. He stood up and rubbed his head still. "Hey, you guys still open?" he asked.

"Uh-huh! Just for the next 10 minutes," she confirmed. He smiled and walked in with her bouncing behind him. "I take it you want your usual Sapphire Milkshake?" she asked.

"You can read me like a book Pinkie," he said with a smile closing his eyes. Pinkie smiled wide and ran into the back to prepare his drink. He sat with his arms on the counter. His mind kept recalling the voice. It sounded so familiar to him. Like something that he felt he was never suppose to experience. He growled to himself and sighed blowing out a puff of smoke.  "Geez. This is getting frustrating," he said low placing a claw over one of his eyes. He heard the sound of quick hoof steps running towards him. He straightened up and saw Pinkie with a tray on her back. She smiled and slide it onto the counter top for him.

"Here ya go! That'll be 3 bits," she said. Spike pulled out his pouch of bits and tossed 6 onto the counter top.

"Thanks Pinkie. I'll see ya later tomorrow ok?" he asked taking his shake with him. Pinkie smiled but then looked slightly concerned.

"Um Spike, you don't look too good. You should get lots of sleep tonight," she said with concern in her voice. He looked back to be met by her baby blue eyes which were rather large.

"I'm fine. Swear to Celestia I'm as fit as a fiddle," he said pounding his chest lightly. The pink mare smiled and nodded as he left the store. Walking through the streets he slurped down his milkshake. His mind soon wandered to his friends. Pinkie and Aj were just the same as always, Dash was away at Wonderbolt training, while Fluttershy was still living in her cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Then there was Twilight, who moved to Canterlot a about a year and a half ago after becoming an Alicorn. Then there was Rarity. He breathed a sigh of happiness laced with a slight bit of depression. She had also moved to Canterlot to further her fashion carrier. And even though his heart begged for him to stop her, his mind knew what was best for the love of his life. He encouraged her to pursue her goal of climbing the social ladder.  With a final embrace he sent her on her way. His friends were scattered slightly, but he still felt it in his heart that they would always remain connected.

He found his walk at its end once he had reached the Golden Oaks Library. He walked in and yawned ascending the stairs slowly. His long tail dragged and thudded against the stairs as he reached the bathroom. He looked into the sink of water and slapped his face with the water. He sighed and looked into the mirror. As he looked at his reflection, his eyes widened seeing a jet black unicorn instead of his own. The eyes glowed with green and malevolent magic. His mane wild and just as black as his soul. His horn was curved upward, black half way up till it faded into a bloody crimson. His red eyes fixated on Spike.

"I will kill them all. And you are the reason they will all DIE," he said cold and tauntingly. He smiled as a fist smashed the mirror. Spike's eyes were bugged out and feral once more. He panted, sweating heavily as he pulled his trembling fist from the glass. His hand was bleeding. His eyes examining the damaged he had done to himself and the fragmented glass shards that now resided in his fist. He left the bathroom and slid along the wall to the ground. He continued to pant until his heart finally started to calm. He stood up. The silence in the library was deafening. He couldn't stand it right now. He headed to Twilight's old room and sat at her desk. He grabbed a quill and dipped it in ink and began composing his letter.

"Dear Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight,

It has been some time since I have written to you all and I hope you are all doing well. The reason I am writing this letter is because I am starting see things. Images of the long defeated king Sombra. I don't know why, but I feel as if he is still alive. And is possibly going to return. I can't really explain it, but I think he blames me for his lose at the Crystal Empire those years ago. I'm not sure what to do. Please let this letter arrive to you swiftly.

Your loyal subject,

Spike Draco Sparkle"

He finished his quick letter and proceeded to roll it up. After sealing it with a red ribbon and gold wax seal, he shot a small emerald flame that engulfed the letter and incinerated it. Teleporting the letter to the fireplace of the celestial monarchs. He sighed and turned the light out. Crawling into his bed he looked at the ceiling as the looming darkness of his drowsiness took him.

"RUN!!! EVERYPONY RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!" the screams of a mare rang through the air of fire and destruction. Spike was air born, soaring through the falling waves of crystal like projectiles that were raining from the heavens. Spike shot bursts of flames to try and destroy some of the larger pieces, but was only adding to the problem. As he destroyed the large ones they broke into smaller fragments that could not be stopped by him. He watched as his efforts worsened what was happening to his beloved Ponyville. He swooped in and scooped up as many ponies as he could. Taking them to a protective bubble that surrounded the library. He repeated this process over and over and over. Each time returning with a few less scales then the last time. He panted as his blood from ripped off scales trickled down his chest and head. Several of his spikes ripped off and left as open wounds. He saw the mare he was holding on this trip. Her white mane now stained with her rescuer's blood.

"Spike you have to rest! Please you can't keep leaving the barrier!" she cried out. She didn't get a response from him as he landed just outside the bubble.

"Go!" he shouted at her. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him with her.

"No Spikey, I won't leave you!!!" she cried out. Her royal purple mane a mess from the flying. She squeezed his arm trying to drag him along.

"THIS ISN'T UP FOR DEBATE!!!" he shouted. He beat his wings. The gust swept the mare up and into the barrier. She beat on the barrier calling out to him. The tears would not stop running down her face. On his was a smile. 'She's safe. They are all safe,' he said thought content. His smile faded and was replaced with a ear shattering scream as several crystals slammed into his wings and pinned him to the ground. He screamed louder feeling even more pierce his limbs and tether him to the ground permanently. He reared his head back and forth trying to free himself. "NO!! DONT YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!!!" he screamed in protest. He felt a hoof firmly plant itself on the top of his head.

"No, you will watch as they die," the same voice he had been dreading for what felt like months called down to him. Leaning in just enough for the dragon to see his eyes. They were half closed and on his muzzle was a very smug smile. "You fought to protect them. Much like I fought to reclaim my kingdom that you help steal from me. And now, just like my kingdom, you will lose every," he said with his face now looking towards the library. From underneath the ground crystals shot forth. The sounds of screaming mares and colts alike rang louder then any cry of agony the dragon could muster in that one instance.

"Spike! You must awaken!!" he heard but ignored, his pain felt so real. His cries of agony and depression rang louder and louder.

His eyes snapped open and screamed at the top of his lungs. He panted hard. His eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. His claws were ground into the sheets and mattress. He looked around. The room was intact. Nothing was destroyed. He felt his chest and limbs. Checking his wings lastly he sighed heavily and dropped back to his bed in a cold sweat. He looked to his left and saw a letter from the princess.

"To our faithful subject Spike

We have received your letter and grow concerned for you. Tonight when you dream, Luna will visit you to try and aid you any way she can. Please receive this in good health.

Sincerely

Princess Celestia"

The dragon read this over and over again. He looked out the window.

"This will not end well...not in the slightest," he said grimacing the thought of what felt like a on coming threat