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"You may try to forget your pain from the past and move on... but it will find you... it always does."

-- Thebravenorse

Watching over the mighty grandeur that was the Crystal Empire's capital city, King Shining Armor smiled at the great progress that his small empire had accomplished in just under four centuries....

The Crystal Empire had grown greatly in the last few centuries. The once awesome city - that for some reason had been called an empire? - was now the capital to a real empire. Ever since that infamous day, 489 years ago, that his wife; Princess Cadence, rebelled against her aunts wises just to turn her husband immortal; the empire had continued to grow.

The empire even had colonies in the Zebra islands.

And all that progress was started thanks to the sacrifice that Princess Cadence had made, although, it's too bad she died before seeing her empire at its height of power.

The reason for Celestia and Luna not wanting Cadence using a spell called, Eternal Trade, was because the spell could only be casted by a creature that was already immortal, and for good reason.

The spell did turn Shining Armor immortal, but it had come at a great price.

It had only transferred Cadence's immortally to Shining, and there was no way to reverse the spell.

From that day, instead of asking for forgiveness from Celestia or Luna; Cadence closed off all trade with Equestria.

She spent the rest of her life with her husband, it was a great life; happy and joyful.

But a day had to come when she would die. Cadence lived a long and happy life as a mortal, but the day she died of old age, was the worst day in Shining Armors life.

But over time, Shining Armor had moved on and pushed his depressing thoughts aside. When ruling an empire, there was no time for moping around.

Work had to be done!

So from that day on, King Shining Armor had ruled the empire with a kind, but stern heart.

He continued to follow his dead wife's wishes and not communicate with Celestia, Luna, or even his own sister.

Cadence didn't have a problem with Twilight, she loved her sister-in-law, but this was more of Shining's wish.

Because after all... how could he face her after all this time?

Sighing, Shining Armor trotted away form the window and back to his throne.

Using his magic, he placed the crown back on top of his head.

It sparkled a brilliant gold and blue, it was a piece that defined him as king. After all; a king is nothing without a crown... or was it; a king is nothing without his people?

It had been so long that he had forgotten which was right. Maybe both...

He turned to his royal adviser.

"Flash Beam, whats on my agenda today?"

"Today your highness, you have a diplomatic meeting with the Griffin King. He wishes to divide the colonization of the Zebra islands between our lands.", explained the green and brown stallion, dressed in a royal tux.

He looked up from his paper and smiled. "Then you can have the rest of the day off."

Shining sighed in relief and smiled, for the first time that morning. "Good... I'm glad nothing to stressful will happen today-"

"Your highness! Your highness!" Yelled a guard, who charged through the throne-rooms door. The guards in the room and the king  turned their attention to him. The guard bowed, but panted for breath.

Shining Armor got to his hooves. Whatever news the guard had, it couldn't be good.

"What is it soldier?"

The guard looked up, his face white with fear.

"A dragon has been spotted outside the city wall!"

Everypony in the room gasped with shock, even Shining let out a curse under his breath.

"What was it doing? Is the dragon attacking the wall?!" exclaimed Shining, already grabbing his sword from off the wall.

The guard shook his head.

"No sir, its just... sitting there... watching the city." said the guard, feeling uncomfortable at the idea.

Shining Armor placed a hoof on the guards shoulder and gave a warm smile.

"You did good, soldier. Go home and get some rest. You earned it!" Shining turned to his personal guards, who awaited his command with spears in magic.

"As for the rest of you, let's move out!"

"Yes Sir!"

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Shining Armor and his troops stood outside the city gate. They all watched in fear and... confusion... at the dragon that stood before them.

He was not what they were expecting...

The drake was not the frightening beast that they were expecting. Instead the drake was about the same size as their king, he was violet with green spikes, and he didn't look menacing at all.

Actually, the drake smiled warmly when spotting the ponies.

Everypony was greatly confused, but not Shining Armor, because he knew who this drake was.

About 200 years ago, Spike the Dragon, the best friend to his sister, had suddenly and abruptly disappeared. Of course, the Crystal Empire was still cut off from Equestria, so Shining only heard of this information thanks to some trustworthy spies. From what he gathered, Twilight had freaked out like never before!  She used her powers as a Princess to conduct a search for the drake, but he was never found...

That was, until now....

"Spike... is.. that you?" asked the crystal king, taking a tentative step foreword.

Spike waved a claw and rolled his eyes.

"Do you know any other dragon who would actually sit still and NOT burn down a city? Let alone have a full conversation with ponies, so yeah, its me," Spike laughed and held out his arms, "Shining, it's so good to see you dude!"

That familiar sarcasm was all he needed to hear. Immediately, Shining Armor dropped his sword and embraced Spike.

Every guard there then realized that his dragon was their long lost savor!  So they all dropped their swords and bowed with respect.

"Long live our savor, the Great and Honorable, Spike the Brave and Glorious!"

As the guards did their practiced routine, Shining Armor cried into Spikes chest, he had missed the little guy greatly.

Well... not so little anymore.

"I-I missed you, S-Spike," He pulled away and rubbed his eyes, laughing a bit, "Last thing I heard, you suddenly left Equestria almost 200 years ago, and never returned. What happened?"

Spike sighed and rubbed the back of his scales.

"That's a long story, Shine. Can we go somewhere more... private?" Spike pointed to the guards.

Shining nodded. He could sense the seriousness in Spikes voice.

"Of course," He turned to leave, but he looked back to Spike and smiled, "It's good to have you back, Spike."

"It's good to be back, Shine..."

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Back inside the Crystal Plaice, Shining Armor and Spike sat across from each other at the dining table.

They had just finished their dinner and Spike was recapping his story to Shining, telling him every detail of why he left Equestria.

Once Spike was nearly finished, Shining interrupted and raised a hoof.

"So basically, you left Equestria because after the girls had passed away.... you were depressed and wanted to find..." He waved a hoof, encouraging the drake to finish for him.

Spike sighed and finished his story.

"I just couldn't take it anymore, you know. So one day I woke up and just left. Everything was changing drastically!  The girls deaths and the Crystal Empire cutting off trade," Shining Armor felt sorry for his old friend,"Hell, even Twilight seemed unaffected by the death of our friends. She just continued to work and work, never once did she cry, not ever at their bucking funerals!  But between you and me, I think that she's just hiding her pain. That's not healthy though,"

Spike's eyes glazed over and he grasped an apple with a claw. He held it up so that Shine could see. "I realized something during those first few years after the girls had died and from my long journey...."

Spike squeezed the apple with his claw and it was squished between his fingers, making Shining and his guards wince.

"Nothing last's forever...."  He looked right into Shining's eyes, with an expression that made the stallion feel very uneasy, "But you already know that all-too-well, don't you, Shine?"

Shining Armor's mouth was agape with complete shock. Even the guards in the dining room were left in total disbelief. Spike had taken things a little to far...

Spike blinked once and stood up, making his way to the door.

"I'm sorry for that... I don't know where that came from," He grasped the door handle, but turned and gave a sad smile, "Goodnight Shine... I'm sorry for what I said...."

Then the door close, but Shining Armor thought he heard the depressing drake whisper under his breath...

"Things will get better... for us both."

King Shining Armor removed himself from the table and trotted to a window. He looked out onto the capital city, and even with all its beautiful lights and wonderful night sky above, he could only frown.

"What happened to you out there, Spike? Why come back now? Why remind me of such.. pain," But in the window, his reflection only frowned back at him. It would almost appear as if it was... disappointed in him, for some reason that he couldn't understand.

"What happened to me?..."  He whispered to himself, placing a hoof on the cold glass, "Oh, Spike. Why have you brought me back such painful memory's, for what purpose could there be to feel this way?"

That night, Shining Armor didn't sleep all too well.... for a reason that he just couldn't comprehend.

All that he could think about that night was his reflection frowning back at him, and a certain green dragon who had brought back his once, mostly forgotten nightmares; about a mare who he loved and who had died... long, long ago.