“You want me to do what?!” Spike shouted angrily. It was out of the question and ridiculous in every meaning of the word. “You want me to give in to my greed!? The last time I became an uncontrollable monster who simple took whatever he wanted!!” Spike screamed at the omnipotent voice.

“SILENCE GORAAN!” the voice boomed. The young dragon was silenced. His fear of this unknown creature snatching his voice. “Mastery is not the same as falling victim to one's nature. To understand your fekiw, your greed, you shall learn of true desire,” the voice called. “In the coming days, your opponent will plague you with vicious assaults on your mind and body. Seek to destroy your possessions. You will learn to defend them,” the voice said now in one central area. Spike looked at the location of the voice. Within the darkness he saw glowing lime green eyes approaching him. As it drew closer to the light suspending the young drake, he caught a glimpse of it. An elongated snout, dark violet scales with an emerald green underbelly, long horns that jutted from its head backwards, and several long fangs that hung from its mouth.

“You're...”Spike began. The dragon before him spoke once more.

“When you have found your precious treasure, you will obtain the knowledge of the spark. A immediate knowing of that which is yours and yours alone. When that treasure is bartered for, you shall gain to be ice. Freeze your heart to the one trying to persuade your treasure away. Finally, when you feel that your treasure is threatened, you will release the force, to drive the would be threat away. Remember these words Goraan,” the dragon said backing away into the darkness once more. Spike reached out and attempted to call for him. But as he did, the area went as white as snow. Spike's eyes snapped open and shot up from his impression in the ground. His head snapped back and forth trying to get a fix on where he was. Pain instantly shot through his back and head as the feeling of his wings being out of joint came rushing to the forefront of his mind. His body lurched forward, curling up in pain. Silent tears of agony dripped down his muzzle. Through heavy pants he started to regain some level of composure.

“Wait, isn't Zecora's place around here somewhere?” he asked looking around. He stood up slowly. He groaned loudly and sighed trudging along the river side. While he walked the undefined path to Zecora's home, in Ponyville, a group of mares were searching high and low for the missing dragon. From the center of town, Applejack and Pinkie were trying to find some clues as to what was happening to Spike. Applejack even constructing a letter to send to Twilight to send assistance. On the outskirts of the forest were Fluttershy and former C.M.C members Scootaloo and Applebloom.

“I know I saw him head in this direction,” Scoots said. She was driving her scooter pulling a red wagon along behind it. Inside were Applebloom and Shy. The orange speedster skidded to a stop and hopped off, borderline running to the forest. She was stopped short by a yank on her tail. She looked back to see Bloom holding her back.

“We have to stick together if we are going to find him,” Fluttershy said sternly. Scootaloo looked the most concerned. She blamed herself for what happened. The image of spike wrapped around her groaning loudly in pain still fresh in her mind.

“We gotta get to him fast. Who knows how much pain he is in,” she said looking back at the forest. Her head slowly slumped down. “It's my fault he's hurt,” she said softly. A tear tried to escape the corner of her eye. She noticed it and quickly wiped it away. While her head was tilted downward, she saw a trail of dried blood. Her eyes snapped open and screamed immediately. “SPIKE!!!” she shouted. With no hesitation what so ever she dove into the forest. Her heavy trotting drowning out the screams of Bloom and Shy to stop. Applebloom cursed loudly and turned toward Ponyville, sprinting.

“Applebloom, where are you going?” Shy asked louder then normal.

“Tah get mah sister! Iffin we're goin' into that there forest, we're gonna need her!” she shouted back. In the Sugarcube Corner, AJ and Pinkie were writing a letter. Pinkie wrote while Aj dictated to her.

“Princesses. We got ourselves ah humdinger of a problem here in Ponyville. Spike has up and run from town after a brutal fall savin' Scootaloo. She told us that there was somethin' not quite right about that dragon. So we humbly request immediate help in trackin' him down. Sincerely, Applejack Apple,” she proclaimed. Pinkie took the note down feverishly.

“Oh this is super duper not good,” she said writing nervously. “I saw Spike last night and he was not good. He looked upset and bothered,” Pinkie said.

“That ain't nothin' compaired to what happened while we were headin' back to the farm,” Aj said remembering Spike's first outburst. She shuddered at the thought of his powerful scream and display of dragonic power. “At any rate, we gotta wait fer the princesses to get back to us....ugh, how are we gonna send this here letter?” Aj asked. Pinkie smiled.

“I got it covered!” she shouted. In the blink of an eye she had disappeared and reappeared with a gift box. She stuffed it full of cake and cupcakes and put the letter on top. Wrapping the box up she ran outside. Aj followed her as Pinkie pushed a pot out of place to reveal a button. She stomped her hoof on it and the ground began to quake. From the middle of the street the ground sank and then parted. The heavy sound of gears turning brought forth the rising of a massive cannon. It was light blue with balloons painted up and down the sides. Aj stared wide eyed at the cannon. Two thoughts going through her mind; the first, where did this behemoth come from, and the second, what was it used for. Pinkie shot around back and loaded the present into a box shaped slot. She hopped to the top and manned a gunner station. Adjusting the angle and trajectory. Aiming straight for the royal throne room.

“Party Cannon Max! FIRE!!!!!” she shouted hitting the launch button. The cannon physically recoiled as it let out an earth shattering boom. The present flying at sonic rainboom speeds towards Canterlot. “That should get to them in a manner of minutes,” Pinkie said hopping down. She pressed the same button again and the cannon lowered into the ground once more.

“Umm, Pinkie Pie?”AJ asked still dumbfound at the sight of the cannon.

“Yeah?” she asked looking back at the stunned farmer.

“What was that?” Aj asked. Pinkie just smiled.

“That's the ulti-party canon max! For making parties way away from here!” she said bouncing around. Aj just decided to roll with it an not question the matter further. As her thoughts drifted from the cannon, the area was assailed by the high pitched scream of the youngest apple.

“APPLEJACK!!! SCOOTS WENT AFTER SPIKE INTO THE FOREST!!” Applebloom screamed a good 50 feet from her big sister. She skidded to a halt with Fluttershy right on her hooves. The two panting heavily from the sprint.

“Now hol' on there, Sugarcube. What's goin' on?” Aj asked looking at the still wheezing Bloom.

“Scootaloo saw Spike's blood trail going into the forest. She screamed and ran after 'em. We gotta save her!” Applebloom cried out. Aj nodded understandingly.

“Pinkie, you stay here and wait for the princesses to respond. Bloom, Shy, we're goin' in after Scoots,” Aj said giving the orders. The three mares nodded and the group split. Within the forest, Scootaloo was following the blood trail that Spike had left behind. It was dry at this point. Denoting it had been quite some time since he had past through. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Timberwolf prints near the end of the trail.

“Oh Celestia please let him be ok,” Scootaloo said to her self looking around. She tried to determine which way he went next, though the trail had gone cold. She picked a direction and ran. In another part of the forest, the amethyst dragon trudged tiredly. His eyes scanning the area for a familiar hut. His pants were low and coated with agony and pain. He felt a rush of pain shoot through his body as Sombra began another mental barrage.

“You're weak. Pathetic. Worthless. You will never survive what I plan for you,” the echo called on the passing wind. Spike tried to ignore it.

“It's just in my head, its just in my head. He isn't here. He isn't here,” he told himself in a almost mantra like chant. The gale of insults soon swayed away like the wind they arrived on. With renewed silence, the dragon sighed a breath of relief. His breath cut short as he felt something pierce his scales and slide into his flesh. His eyes widened seeing a black crystal jutting from his stomach from the ground behind him. He gasped audibly as blood trickled down the grotesque wound. He felt his vision blurring. He was losing consciousness. His mouth began to stream blood as he watched the forest become engulfed in flames. He chocked on his own life blood as he slowly faded into darkness.

“There has never been anything you could do to stop me. I reside in your mind. It is my play thing now. What you feel. What you taste. What you think. I control. I will toy and contort your senses until I am satisfied. And only when I rip your beating heart from your pathetic chest will you know peace,” the dark king called. His glowing eyes fixated on the dragon. Spike coughed up more blood as he soon felt the ground beneath him shift and his eyes closed for what felt like the last time. The last sensation he recognized, was the sound of hoof steps approaching him. Then there was nothing. His nose twitched. Smell. He could smell something. Something burning. His eyes flickered open. His gaze fixed on the wooden roof that sit above him. Sensation returned as powerful shocks and jolts to his back, neck and chest. His upper body was a wreck. He tried to sit up, but his body bluntly said no. he sighed in reassignment as he stared at the ceiling. From his right side he could hear a door open and close. Hoof steps began to drown out the crackling of the fire beneath a black cauldron.

“It would appear you have begun to wake, though bringing you here was not a piece of cake,” he heard call out to him. He instantly recognized the dialect and inflection of the voice and smiled softly.

“Hey Zecora,” Spike said lightly to the zebra as she came into view. She smiled softly looking down at him.

“Your wounds indeed were quite severe, on your death's bed was my greatest fear. For a few days it will take your body to heal, for the wounds you carry are very deep to feel. Damaged wings and broken ribs abound, you are quite lucky that you were found,” she continued.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” he grunted loudly. He looked down at his body. It was taped heavily with bandages. Underneath were many healing salves that Zecora made for healing wounds and ailments. His wings were sore, but at the least reset in their sockets. He sighed contented for the moment and tried not to think of anything. Or more simply, just trying to put those daunting images out of his mind. His eyes closed, trying simply to relax. He let the ambient nose fill his thoughts as if in meditation. He began to slowly but surely release built up tension from the strain of Sombra's relentless assaults. Within this realm of subconsciousness, a new sensation made itself known. At first, it was a pulse. A single wave of what felt like sound, resinating from his body outward to the world around. The drake's eyes reopened and he looked around. There was only the sounds of Zecora working on potions. He shrugged slightly and closed his eyes once more. He felt the pulse once more. This time, he let it flow, much like waves on the shore. This pulse echoed through his being. The feelings that arose were intresting to say the least. He felt as if his body was in tuned to the forest itself. Every sway of the branches, the way the current carried objects down stream, and even the movement of animals. All these things became more apparent to the dragon.

'What is this feeling? It feels so...natural,' was the only way he could rationalize the sensation in his thoughts. In this realm between conscious thought and unconsciousness, he felt total peace with his surroundings. The calm waves washed over his tattered body in a soothing rhythm. Then, the rhythm became violent. It became terror filled. Spike didn't break his trance, but felt his consciousness fly from his body. His essence now flowed along the pulse waves through the forest. After just a few seconds, he found the source of the disturbance. A orange Pegasus was running through the forest.

“Scootaloo?” he asked aloud. His trance was broken, and his awareness of the forest faded. He looked back and forth. “Zecora? Has Scoots been here?” he asked. A ting of worry was in his voice. He had sensed something else wrong.

“Scootaloo has not come by for a 'how are you' for quite a while. Tell me Spike, has your meditation caused you to sense something vile?” she asked curiously. He sat up. Gritting his teeth as he forced his body to bend.

“Yeah, I don't know what, but I think she may be in danger,” he said through clenched teeth. He held his stomach and groaned louder. The pain was intense.

“Very curious it is to see, for one such as yourself to feel the pulse that flows so free,” the zebra said approaching him once more.

“The 'pulse'? What is it?” he asked.

“The pulse is the force that moves us all, everypony has it, large or small. It resides in the heart and causes our flow, but surely this you already know. Compared to a pony or dragon, it is of a large scale. For this pulse you feel is much larger the a whale. The planets life is what is eternal, but for a normal being to feel it, is normally futile,” she explained.

“So, I was feeling the planet's heart beat?” he asked. She nodded.

“More likely then not, it is as you say, but somehow you sensed something different about this day,” she said looking down at him. He looked at his claws.

“Scoots...where are you?” he asked himself. Just about a 100 yards from Zecora's hut, Scootaloo was running full blast through the forest. She couldn't let herself stop until she found Spike. Her pace slowed as she felt herself run out of breath. With one last push she plopped against a tree. Her magenta main flopped in front of her eyes due to he wild running. She sucked in as much air as she could and released it just as fast. Her throat burned from lack of water. Her eyes barely slits as she struggled to keep them open.

“Feels like I've been running for hours,” she said rather annoyed at the lack of head way she was having. She stood up slowly and bucked a rock that was sitting next to her. “Ugh! Where is he!?” she shouted. The rock sailed through the air like a homing missile. Its arch and trajectory spelling out pain as I made contact with the head of beast. Its lion like mane adorned its neck. Its body hardened muscle under a thick coat of dark orange fur. Its long scorpion like tail swaying back and forth as he stood. Spread lazily were a pair of bat like wings that flapped as it rose. The creature growled in annoyance and turned its massive frame to face the cause of his disturbance. There he saw the mare. Tired, breathless, vulnerable. The perfect target. It narrowed its gaze cold black eyes at the tired out mare. Its wings folded against his sides as it began to stalk her. Its steps slow and methodical as he approached her from behind. He licked his chops and prepared to lunge. His final step was a grave miscalculation. The snap of a tree branch he had been so careful to avoid sounded from under his massive paw. Scootaloo's head snapped to attention and twisted to look behind her. Her pupils grew small as she was now face to face with the hungry beast. It roared out in slight frustration at alerting its target. To which, Scootaloo reacted in the most civil way possible. She screamed at the top of her lungs and ran.

“HELP!!!” she screamed darting between trees. Constantly watching the Manticore keep pace with her. Another ear shattering scream let loose from her mouth. Spike felt his body convulse. As if his entire being was throbbing. His eyes grew wide as he seemed to sense what was happening.

“Scootaloo...” he said softly. He felt her. Her fear and panic. “How can I?” he asked. Zecora looked at the dragon.

“Spike?” she asked simply. He looked at her.

“Scoots in trouble!” he shouted. His body moved, ignoring the shooting pain. With one bound he reached the door and took off running. In the distance he could hear Zecora screaming for him to come back. That was not important now. Nothing else was. He had to find Scoots now. He ran on all fours. His body, now running on pure adrenaline screamed through the forest at break neck speeds. Bounding off of trees simply to change direction on a dime. “Where is she!?” he cried out. As if on command, a small shock hit his body like static. His head whipped in the direction of that nudge and headed that way. More shocks nudged him on the proper path until he saw the orange Pegasus running for her life. “SCOOTALOO!!!” he screamed. She couldn't hear him over the sound of the beast charging at her.

“You can't save her,” a familiar whisper called. Spike gritted his teeth.

“Screw you!!” he shouted. “I will save her!!!” he screamed. His speed increased as more shocks seemed to hit his body with each lunge forward.

“The beast has claimed her for his meal. There is nothing you can do to protect her. She will die to keep it alive,” Sombra said bluing the dragons vision with images of Scootaloo being eaten. Spike gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. His pupils became slits from anger.

“NO SHE IS MINE!!!!!!” he screamed. Instantly his vision cleared. His iris' turned from their lime green to pail gray. The sparks now became full on bolts as he dashed. He let loose a feral roar that shook the forest to its core. The Manticore turned its head to see what dared release such a roar. To its horror it saw a large bolt of lightning barreling towards it. It veered to the side as it past. When it faded, it's pray was gone. Looking back and forth the beast tried to locate the pony. Its eyes fixed on a bright being standing 30 meters from it. There was its pray pressed tightly in the arms of a dragon. Its body was glowing a light blue aura that streamed off small streaks of lightning. Its eyes were transfixed on the beast in front of it. Scootaloo opened her closed eyes slowly. Taking in the bright sight of the dragon that held her tightly.

“S-s-s-spike?” she asked timidly. He looked down at her. His feral expression softened. Hoping to somehow give her a sense of calm. He smiled at the mare. Her cheeks felt warmer now. Her heart beating faster in his embrace.

“Wait here,” he said softly. He set her down and began to walk to the beast. It recoiled slightly, but realizing that to get his meal it would have to kill the dragon, it growled and lunged. Spiked growled and charged it as well. The two collided, Spike holding the Manticore back by its front paws. The beast roared and spread its wings to try and scare it. Spike tried to release his own wings to show his lack of intimidation, but his body was till heavily taped. He looked up and the Manticore grinned a fanged smile. It bared down harder and started to force the dragon back. Spike gritted and tried pushing back. His adrenaline was running out. Pain was steadily creeping back to the forefront of his mind. The beast roared and swung its scorpion tail forward. The barbed end jamming itself into right pectoral of the drake. Spikes eyes widened and his body crumpled under the beast. It proceeded to stomp violently on the dragon. Scootaloo watched in horror as spike was pummeled before her eyes.

“Scootaloo!” She heard someone call from behind her. Her head turned to see Aj, Shy, and Applebloom come running into view. The Manticore heard the call and shifted his attention to the new ponies.

“NO STAY BACK!!!” Scootaloo screamed. The Manticore roared and lumbered over the now bleeding dragon towards new pray. Spike lay motionless in a small pool of his own blood. The 4 mares began to back away slowly. Applejack getting in front to server as a shield for the others. The Manticore was now upon them. Its tail primed for a strike. In the darkness that was Spike's mind, one thing cut through the darkness. It was a scream. A scream that came from a delicate mare who was important to him. More screams. His friends. They needed him. They needed him now. His eyes snapped open. In the time it took to blink, the Manticore's tail was halted. It turned back to see the dragon holding it by its tail with a death grip. Blood streams were apparent on the abdomen and mouth of the dragon. His eyes now colder then before as he stared at the beast. It growled and pulled its tail. The dragon's grip tightened. His body was now radiating that same aura again.

“Get the hell away from my friends!!!” he screamed. He gripped the tail and pulled hard and fast. The sudden force ripped the tail from the beast completely. It screamed loud recoiling in pain and agony. It doubled back in pain, screaming. Spike looked at Fluttershy.

“I know all animals are important to you Shy, but this beast had no reservations about killing you all. And for that...it must die,” he said looking at the beast. He growled and roared. Leaping onto the beast's back and jamming the barbed tail into it's eye. Spike repeatedly jammed the tail into its body until it slowly stopped moving. With one last bellow the lightning he was releasing formed a bolt and shot at the Manticore's body. The beast let loose one last pained howl before it's life finally ended. The four mares looked on as Spike stood over his kill. He panted looking down at the chard corpse now before him. He looked over at his friends. “You're safe....thank Celes...ti...” he trailed off before slipping into a unconsciousness once more. His body flopped to the ground unceremoniously. His stomach had started bleeding again. He was weak. And now, all was quiet. No Sombra, no manticores, nothing. Only the darkness that now filled his mind

Author's Note

These chapters are getting longer. damn. shout outs to captainnana for editin this chapter. hopefully the next chapter will be out by monday or so