The Fall of Equestria

As Spike continued going around for groceries driven by the hope of eating his beloved emeralds, Twilight sat in silence lying on her stomach in the center of her library surrounded by her various bookshelves. Usually Twilight would happily be going out and about getting her groceries done. Running into friends, talking to the various ponies at the stands, but today was different. Instead of Spike staying and finishing the daily chores, Twilight stayed lying on the floor in a state of complete sorrow. She lays there for a while holding a roll of parchment down below her hoof. She wasn't supposed to tell Spike about this or Rainbow Dash, she can't possibly disappoint her teacher now could she? She shakes her head, but if she doesn't tell them...then what kind of friend would that make her? A liar? Untrustworthy? No no she shakes her head again, she is not any of those things. Because the truth has to float up eventually, it can't just stay under forever. She starts to nod her head knowing that she is right.

Knock, Knock.

She hears the knock on the door, her ears perking up from the noise. She did not want to open it, already knowing who it was. Twilight slowly rises up from her lying position, trying to delay opening the door.

Knock, Knock.

Again the knock on her door, she slowly trots over to the door, every step she takes feeling heavier and taking more energy.

Knock, Knock.

Twilight stands at the door, her heart heavy. She reluctantly begins to use her magic the door now glowing with her aura. The door begins to open, she looks down in shame, the sun coming in the house. The door is now fully opened, and behind the door is her worst fear.

                                                                                     ***

Spike opens the wooden door carefully holding the various bags in both his claws along with the roll of parchment that Twilight used to write down the list of groceries. Spike puts a claw to the door and knocks three times. He waits for a while and the wooden door opens, but Twilight isn't the one opening the door. Instead a white pegasus stallion wearing royal guard armor with blue eyes matching the color of his blue mane which sticks out in places through his helmet. The stallion at first looks down at Spike with a disappointed look on his face. Spike returns the gaze with uncertainty in his eyes. The stallion takes off his helmet and moves a bit to give Spike room to get in the house.

"Come in Spike." The stallion says in a deep commanding tone.

Spike walks in the house looking around the dark room. A few feet away Twilight sits at the table that sits near the bookshelves, her face illuminated by a candle sitting in the center of the table. The stallion closes the door behind him and stands next to Spike. The stallion starts going towards the table where Twilight sits, but Spike does not follow.

"Come on." The stallion tells Spike motioning with his white hoof for him to follow.

Spike follows behind him, Twilight's face now becoming more clear. In the firelight Twilight looks down at the table, her eyes puffy as if she had been crying for years on end. Spike stops following the stallion and instead rushes over to Twilight in order to comfort her. When he reaches her he puts his claw on her shoulder. She turns to him and smiles.

"Oh Spike." Twilight says looking on at Spike with a smile.

"But Twilight why-" Spike is cut off by the white stallion.

"Please Spike take a seat." The white stallion tells Spike.

Spike just looks at him. Angry. Did he make Twilight cry? His insides begin to boil with hatred to this stallion. But Spike manages to listen anyway and sits down at the table, making sure to be close to Twilight. The stallion slowly does the same. No one speaks for a while, the room felling as if in perpetual silence until.

"Well congratulations Spike."

Spike lets go of his angry look replacing it with confusion. Congratulations? For what?

"What you don't know?" The stallion questions looking at Spike, and then to Twilight. "I'm sure you would have told him by now, Miss Sparkle." The stallion says still looking at Twilight but she does not return his gaze, still looking down at the floor almost in shame.

"Tell me about what?" Spike asks again looking from the stallion to Twilight.

Twilight just continues to look at the floor, the firelight revealing a tear going down her left cheek. Spike try's to reach over in order to brush the tear off, but is stopped by the stallion's voice.

"Well Spike I've come to take you with me. To serve in Celestia's royal army " The stallion tells Spike.

Shock swoops over Spike, his eyes turning wide. He looks back to Twilight again, with a worried look on his face. He didn't want to be taken away from his town, from his home, from his friends...from Twilight. The stallion realizes Spike's expression and starts to reassure him.

"Spike don't worry I guarantee you'll be fine. Besides this conflict is sure to be resolved in only a week at most a month." The stallion finishes.

"What...what conflict?" Spike says barely managing to get the words out.

"Spike, we of Celestia's army are sworn to defend Equestria from all enemies foreign...and domestic."

Could it be?

"Appleoosa is starting trouble, they've been talking about seceding and becoming independent."

This is just what Applejack had told him in the market earlier that day.

"And Spike we have reason to believe that these words will soon ring true. So we need your help."

"My help? But I'm just a small dragon." Spike says, doubt in his voice.

"But Spike we don't have enough ponies to spare for this, so we need any able bodied pony...er well dragon to aid us in this-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" A hoof hits the table, Spike turns his head to Twilight her purple hoof on the table. Her face contorted into an expression of both grief and anger. The stallion looks over at Twilight, his face stays neutral as if he knew this was to come.

"Now Miss Sparkle you surely must understand that-"

"NO! NO! I don't understand! How!? How could you possibly justify taking a baby dragon to fight in a war!"

The stallion still keeps his face neutral, and his voice calm. "I don't justify it. But Celestia insisted that-"

"Don't give me that crap!" Twilight roars cutting through the stallion's words, like a knife through butter. "How. how could this..." Twilight begins to weep her tears hitting the floor, with a small pitter. Spike reaches over again, but this time Twilight takes him in a tight embrace, her tears streaming onto Spike's back. "Don't go Spike." Twilight barely chokes out through her tears.

I won't. Spike thinks but the thought does not come out verbally.

"Look Miss Sparkle, I'm very sorry but this is how it's supposed to be. I know you may not see it like that now, but in due time I know you'll grow to understand." The white stallion says.

Twilight does not respond, keeping Spike in her embrace.

"Look I'll...I'll give you two some time. OK? But after that I have to make sure that I catch the train...with Spike to Canterlot, where he will be issued officially into the royal army." The stallion awkwardly stands back up on his hooves again and trots to the door. The door opens and once it closes, Twilight slowly releases Spike from her embrace. Her purple eyes looking into his bright green ones.

"Spike...Spike we've been together for so long. Ever since you hatched out of that egg, I knew that something special had happened." Twilight's eyes begin to well with tears. "And...and I knew too that...that you would become...something...something  more than just my assistant." A tear moves down Twilight's right eye. "My...my...beloved friend." She hugs him again Spike slowly returning the embrace. "I don't want to lose you Spike." Twilight says through her sobs. Twilight releases him again keeping her hoof on his shoulder. She begins to use her magic, and a small green bag matching the color of Spike's spines comes down the steps from their room. The room they shared for what seems like decades. The small bag slowly drifts into Spike's claws, the weight of the bag causes him to drop all the groceries still in his claws. Spike barely smiles blushing from the mess, he begins to pick them up, but Twilight uses her magic putting the various fruits and vegetables in their respected bags and puts them on the table. Twilight giggles meekly. "Spike...I...just-"

The door opens ajar a cold breeze coming in causing the candle flame to flicker, the white stallion standing at the door, awaiting Spike.

"Spike, It's time to go."

Spike looks back at Twilight, her face going from anger at the stallion, to grief at the loss of Spike, and finally acceptance. She gently nudges for Spike to go with a warm smile on her face. Spike moves to the door, looking back at Twilight, who gently waves her hoof goodbye to him. Spike stands at the door now, readying himself to put his foot over into the outside world. Reluctantly he pulls his foot up from the floor and outside, now next to the stallion. The stallion closes the door not even allowing Spike to say good-bye. The night air blows on Spike, like a leaf floating in the wind taking him wherever it pleased.