What are you willing to Sacrifice?

Scolding hot water cascaded down now damp scales. Spike stood under the shower head with his hand against the wall. His eyes staring blankly at the drain at the bottom of the tub. His body lightly trembled as if it couldn't stand it's own weight. He inhaled a deep breath and corrected himself. Closing his eyes he exhaled just as deeply. He felt his left arm tremble. As if still recalling the searing pain of crystal invading flesh. He clutched the trembling arm swiftly. Looking at it as if trying to will it to stop. He couldn't stop this fear.

“Gotta get this under control,” he muttered. As he released his arm, his eyes fixated on a black mark that had appeared. “What the?” he asked aloud examining it. It was moving, morphing into a shape. His eyes widened in fear as it took the shape of a horn. Black with a blood red tip. He panted heavily as fear began to take hold again. He darted out of the shower and grabbed the nearest piece of cloth he could find. Ripping it into strands he tied it around the image. His panting started to slow as he looked down at the now wrapped arm. “Whats happening to me??” he asked louder then he should have. He looked back to the broken mirror, then to his bandaged hand. His mind racing with the several thoughts. Why him, why now? He turned the knobs and turnied the water off. He toweled off, and handled his hygiene for the morning. Breathing a deep sigh he opened the door to the bathroom to be greeted by the princess of the night. Her deep navy blue mane and tail swayed ethereally with her constant flowing magic. Her wings were pressed against her midnight blue fur. Her navy blue eyes locked on the dragon with a look of worry and concern. She could not contain herself. She wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. The young dragon felt his cheeks start to burn with a deep blush as this was one of the last things he thought he would experience this morning.

“P-p-p-princess Luna, what are you doing here?” he wondered through stammers. He simply heard her constant sniffing.

“We apologize for not being able to reach you in your moment of need,” she said softly. She released him and wiped some tears from her muzzle. “Please forgive this intrusion as well. We were concerned about your well being. Never have we seen such frightening imagery inflicted upon one of our subjects.”

“Yeah, it felt so...real,” Spike said grabbing his trembling arm once more.

“We must go to our sister,” the night ruler said after calming herself. Spike cocked an eyebrow. He smiled softly,

“My sister or your sister?” he asked. She looked at him and tilted her head to the side.

“What do you mean? Of course we are referring to our...” she stopped mid-sentence and realized what she had been saying. She held in her laughter and smiled. Even in this kind of strain and stress on his mind, Spike was still ever the joker. “We shall meet my sister, as well as Twilight,” she clarified.

“So both of our sisters,” Spike said with a wink. Luna smiled laughing a little more. Seeing as how her traditional vernacular was indeed correct in this manner of speaking.

“Indeed. Shall we go?” she asked. Spike was about to say yes when he had a small realization.

“Wait, I have to help Applejack set up shop. As well as visit Fluttershy to go into the forest with her,” Spike recalled. Luna frowned. She knew that what she saw in his dreams were nothing to scoff or joke about and required immediate attention. However over the years she also knew of the drake's willingness to uphold promises and prior engagements above anything else.

“Very well, when you have attended to your business, please send word to my sister, and she will send for you immediately,” Luna said. She looked the dragon over. Her eyes widened as she saw light scaring on several patches of spikes and scales, as if they had regrown. That's when she noticed the bandaged claw, and the wrappings around his arm. “Spike what is this?” she asked. Placing a hoof on the claw.

“Oh that? Yeah I kinda broke my mirror last night. I gotta get it replaced,” he said rubbing his wrapped up claw. Luna's eyes darted to the wrapping.

“And that?” she asked. She was about to put her hoof on it. Spike jerked his arm and body out of the way and wrapped his free claw around it.

“That is nothing. Just another scrape,” he said. 'Why am I lying? She can help. Celestia can help. But...' he thought silently. Luna looked into the dragon's tired eyes and saw he was no where near 100% ready to tackle what seemed to be a busy day or that he was being truthful. “Spike, are you sure you will be alright for the day?” she asked softly.

“You don't have to worry about me, Princess. I will see you later today for sure,” he said with a thumbs up and a wink. This didn't help alleviate the mare's frown, but she breathed a bit softer then before hand.

“Alright then. Until we meet later this day then,” she said. Her horn ignited and in a surge of light, she was gone. Spike released his arm. He felt a surge of pain in that one spot as if it was waiting for Luna to leave. He immediately re-clutched it and fell to one knee. Within his mind the voice echoed once again.

“You bare my mark. When my power is matured, I will come for you and all that you care for,” it called once again.

“Shut up,” Spike grunted out.

“You will watch me take their lives”

“Shut UP!”

“And you will listen to their dying”

“SHUT UP!!”

“And the most sweetest pleasure I will relish from it all, is knowing that you are too weak and helpless to stop it”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!” Spike screamed. From his core he commanded his flames to erupt from his mouth. But nothing came. His feelings of weakness consuming his body like a plague of unrelenting locus. Ready to devour his soul and being. The voice was silent once more. He panted lightly trying to regain some sense of balance. He stood against the wall just waiting. Wondering and dreading if the voice would return again. He looked around and sighed. He felt tired. He felt weak, but he had jobs to do. Heading down the stairs and to the door, he headed to the streets

As he walked the streets he kept feeling the darkening presence of the once powerful unicorn king. His eyes narrowed tiredly trying to stay awake. When his eyes closed his mind immediately raced to the night terror he had. His eyes snapped open and he shuddered. He sighed and tried and what felt as heavy as 3 manticores. He was so distracted he didn't feel the mare infront of him crash against his chest and fall off of her scooter.

“Ow! Spike watch where your going!!!” the orange mare called shaking her hoof at him. He looked up from his daze and ran over to her.

“Sorry about that Scootaloo. I guess I wasn't paying attention,” he said looking her over. She was sitting up now. Her deep magenta mane flowed down the back of her neck while the front was wild from the wind constantly blowing on it. Her dark orange coat was now slightly mudiled by the dirt she had now found her self in and gave her overall coat a dulled tint to it. She glared up at her with magenta eyes that hadn't really registered the condition of the blunt object she had hit. Once she stopped glaring and got a good look at the drake in question, her expression changed to that of confusion and possible concern.

“Jeez Spike, you dont look too good. You feelin' alright?” she asked. Spike held his claw over his right eye massaging it slightly. It had started to throb like an optic migraine.

“Yeah, i'm fine I think,” he said unconvincingly. He lowered his claw and Scootaloo immediately shuddered. His eyes was now had a lime green tint around the iris, and the iris itself was now blood red. He stared down at her. “What?”

“What's wrong with your eye?!” she asked startled. Spike cocked an eyebrow at her, looking at her like she was crazy.

“There is nothing wrong with my eye. Its just a little irritated because I didn't sleep well last night,” he said blinking. He rubbed his eyes again and looked down at the mare. “Did I rattle you when I knocked you over?” he asked. She grunted and grabbed his claw by her teeth. She lead him to a near by water barrel for passers by near the market place. She stood on her back hooves, pressed her front hooves on both sides of his head and forced him to look down. Spike looked, once again his reflection resembled the dark king. He glared at his reflection and slapped the water. “I don't see anything,” he said coldly turning his back on the mare. His voice grew colder with a sense of malice.

“Spike, seriously. Something is wrong with you, and its kinda obvious,” Scoots said putting her hoof on his shoulder. Spike felt his anger swell.

“I said it's nothing Scoots. Just drop it,” he said colder then before. The fearless mare wouldn't back down despite the clear warning he wanted to drop the subject.

“No Spike. I've known you too long to just drop it. Come on, maybe Zecora can help you out,” she said wrapping her forehooves around his arm. His head snapped to look back at her. Once again his eyes feral with primal rage. His wings snapped open and separated her from him. She fell back again and this time was overcast by his now daunting shadow. He glared down at her.

“I said, drop it,” his voice a little over a deep growl. His eyes snapped open wide as he looked down at her. She was shivering with eyes wide open staring at the daunting figure now before her. “Oh my gosh! Scoots I'm sorry! I-” he began. He reached down to attempt to touch her, but once he saw her shudder away from his claw he quickly withdrew it. He withdrew his claw and backed away slowly. He felt his head starting to swirl. “No...” he said softly. The ambient whispers of ponies going about their usual daily lives became whispers of hate and disdain.

“Look at that poor filly. She is terrified. That dragon is so cruel. Why do we let that monster stay in town? Such a savage creature. We should drive that beast out of this town! Lets do it! Kill the vile creature!” the voices all calling from all angles. He slammed his claws to the side of his head and backed up. His eyes slammed shut as he hunched forward trying his best to reclaim some manner of sanity. He was screaming in his head for the voices to stop, but they continued to hammer away at him. Scootaloo had recovered and looked at him. She and now several passers by were staring at the dragon flail his head back and forth. His jaw was clenched tightly and his fangs were bared as if being threatened.

“Stop it stop it stop it!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Then there was simply silence. His eyes opened timidly then fully. He looked around. He saw nothing. No ponies. No Ponyville. Nothing. Only darkness.

“It will never stop. Not until I have returned,” came the whisper he dreaded most. He saw green and red flames shoot up from the ground. The frantic dragon looked around seeing Ponyville in flames again. Black Crystals jaggedly sticking out of houses and the ground. His eyes were drawn to where flames were brightest.

“Dear Luna no,” he whispered. His eyes wide and glued to several mares. Black crystals pierced through their bodies. He dredged towards them. White hot tears rolling down his face. The mares got clearer as he drew closer. Recognizing the cutiemarks on severed flanks. He tried to swollow a growing lump in his throat. He felt his progress stop just shy of the first mare. His legs were pinned down. His body falling forward. His wings and arms now impaled from more crystals.

“Oh yes. I will do this to them, and you. I will haunt you till you break. I will torment you with these images till you bleed from your eyes. I will twist your perception of the ones you love to that of hate. I will not stop until I force this glorious and beautiful sight to become your worse reality,” the whisper said once more. He tilted his head to the side a saw the dark king he had seen in his reflection. “I will plague you till the day you die at my hooves. Try as you might to escape. Try as you might to hide. There is no escaping,” he said. He stomped the ground and the last feeling Spike felt, was a crystal guiding its way through the bottom of his jaw and straight through his own skull.

Spike's eyes snapped open. He screamed. The pain feeling so real. His claws tore down his face peeling scales off in the sudden force of his own claws. Leaving 3 long scratch marks on his face. His scream rang through the entirety of Ponyville. His scream came to an abrupt halt as he felt his lungs empty and a feeling of nausea sweeping over him. He dropped to his knees and planted his claws into the ground. His eyes were bugged out. His body trembling. He looked to his left and right quickly. The looks of concern shifted faster to dark silhouettes with illuminated white eyes glaring at the drake. All their voices taunting the young dragon constantly. The words monster, disgusting, and beast kept swirling around him in a cyclone of hate and loathing. In the back of his mind he knew that this was Sombra trying to break him. But that voice was so drowned out by the words he feared the most to be called, it remained only but a whisper to the suffering dragon

“Spike?” Scootaloo asked softly. Her look of terror was now replaced by one of total worry and concern.

“I'm not a monster!” he shouted. Tears streaming from his eyes. “I'M NOT!!!” he screamed. In one motion his wings opened and he propelled himself off the ground. The quake of wind left by his sudden burst left a strong whirl wind in its wake. Causing everypony in the area to attempt to cover their stands and faces. Scoots, who had been closest to the source, was scooped up and thrown into the air. She screamed flapping her wings franticly. Flailing her limbs she started to fall like a sac of apples. She looked towards the dragon.

“SPIKE!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs shutting her eyes tightly. Spike heard his name. Turning his head he saw the falling mare. His eyes widened. Stopping in mid-accent he closed his wings and forced his body to turn. Opening them once to scoop as much air in as possible and propel himself forward. He gritted his teeth and pressed his limbs tightly to his body. Nothing else mattered in these brief few seconds. The wind around him began to focus on a single point in front of him. He was gaining speed too quickly. His eyes focused on his goal; save Scootaloo. He was closer now. He reached out extending his claw as far as he could reach. He could feel the bottom of her right hoof. They were so close to the ground. He wouldn't have time to open his wings. Finally he had fully caught up a good 100 feet from the ground. There was no time to think about what he had to do. He took the pony into his arms and held her against his chest. Rotating himself just on impact. He roared out. Searing pain shooting through his body. He clutched the mare tightly protecting her. Several ponies ran to the scene, including one of the mares he was suppose to be helping.

“Oh no,” the soft whisper of a butter yellow pegasus came in disbelief. She as well as Applejack gazed into the dragon shaped impression on the ground. Spike's body was outstretched except for his wings, which were now broken from the impact, and his arms, that tightly held Scootaloo. The young mare opened her eyes tentatively .

“I'm alive?” she asked. She felt her wings being held down. She looked up to the now lightly grunting drake who had literally risked his body to save her. “Oh Celestia! Spike! Spike, can you hear me!?” she screamed out. His head moved slightly as if in acknowledgment of her at least calling to him. “Somepony help! Please!!” she screamed again as tears flooded her eyes. Spike's eyes opened. They were normal once more.

“I'm..ok, Scoots. Can you stand?” he asked. His voice was strained. He released her from his grip, but she remained on his chest.

“Spike, don't move. We have to get you to the hospital,” Scootaloo said between choking on tears. He smiled.

“Good...you're ok,” he said contently. He moved his arms, pushing himself up slowly.

“No you have to stay still!” a mare said running into view. Before the two was the yellow pegasus. Her peach pink mane covered her right eye. Her sky blue eyes gazing down at them, worried out of her mind. “Please, Spike. We need to get you ether to the hospital or my cottage to get you medical attention. Your wings look broken in several places,” she said looking him over. He grunted loudly trying to unfold his wings. It hurt. A lot. He looked at shy. Flashes of that disturbing image showed her mutilated as well as his closest friends. He shuttered at her getting close. He took a step back. She looked at him confused. His face was bleeding from his own claws. He looked back at her. He took another step back.

“Shy...I'm sorry!” he shouted. He turned on his heels and ran.

“Spike, no! SPIKE!!” the pegasus called out to the now distant drake. He sprinted in pain. His body was raked with torment from his fall. He panted and coughed, grunting. He found himself at the edge of the Everfree forest. Leaning against a tree he finally stopped. His breath stagnant as he inhaled sharp breaths. From his mouth was a steady trickling stream of blood.