Equestrian Elseworlds: The Dueling Drake

Crystal Empire, Arctic Zone

A lone, hooded stallion stood on Spike's grave, reading the text of the gravestone. In his black aura stood a matching ring, and that ring had a symbol that consisted of five vertical lines and a triangle that pointed downwards. Then, the stallion proceeded to say:

"Aah, you have lived such an awful life. I know all about you thanks to my newfound powers. Now, let's put this last ring to good use. Spike Solaris of Equestria, RISE!!!" With that, the ring plunged into the dirt, and after several seconds, a clenched claw rose.

Friendship Castle, Ponyville, Equestria

Twilight had woken up in the middle of the night, for she heard something below. She got out of bed and went to investigate, only to see a bipedal form whose height was equal to Celestia's. She got closer, and she was shocked at what she saw: It was Spike, but at the same time it wasn't: His purple scales were a dull gray, and his spines were black. He wore a black cloak with a white symbol that matched the one on the ring. The same ring was on his left index claw.

"Yo ho, all claws,

hoist the colors high.

Heave ho, thieves and beggars;

never shall we die.

Yo ho haul together,

hoist the colors high.

Heave ho, thieves and beggars;

never shall we die." Spike sang, as he got down from the ladder. "Hello Twilight, I ordered the books, just like you told me to ten years ago." With that, his mouth formed a maniacal smile.

"Spike, I thought you were dead!" Twilight answered.

"Ever since when was I alive?"

"Listen Spike, I'm-"

"Sorry? That won't solve anything, for all I know, I'm still dead!"

"No Spike, it was not my intention to-"

"Forget and condemn me to slave work and solitude for the last five years of what was called 'life'?! Dandy job there, plothole!"

"*Crying.* Spike, I didn't know about your feelings back then!"

"Oh, so I was an emotionless husk back then, eh?! I was shunned by many due to what I was, and this increased when you became the so-called 'Princess of Friendship'! There has been conflict over that light, it's about time I turned it off. The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies. We crave your hearts and your demise, By my black hand, the dead shall rise!"" With this, Spike went to the shadows and got an odd scythe that had a black lantern where the scythe's heel was. With a deep breath, he yelled:

"Ponyville, RISE!!!" With that, several hooves rose from the ground, for the undead ponies of long ago were rising. Shocked at the sight, Twilight flew out of the castle. As she was flying, she saw how the village was taken over by the undead. She found her friends in Rainbow Dash's house.

"Twilight, do you know how those things appeared?!" Rainbow asked, worried. Fluttershy was curled up in a ball, Applejack was as worried as Dash, Pinkie's mane was flat and Rarity was crying, her eyeliner was running.

"I don't know how it happened, but Spike-" she began crying, which didn't let her finish what she was going to say.

"What about it, what happened to Spike?" Applejack asked.

"I woke up in the middle of the night, and I heard noises downstairs. I went to investigate, and I saw Spike organizing the books as if it were any other day, but he, he was one of them, and he made the dead rise!"

"That simply cannot be, I'm sure there is no spell to do that!" Rarity said.

"Well, there isn't unless-" The phrase was cut off, for several undead ponies barged in, and they made way for the undead leader.

"Hello girls, long time no see," Spike said, in a distorted voice.

"Spike darling, I-" Rarity was cut off.

"-Were never interested in me, I know Rarity, you thought about getting your perfect stallion prince and have your 'Happily Ever After', but I must tell you, this is no motherbucking story!"

"Alright Spike, I'm-" Applejack tried to say.

"-Mighty sorry for not letting me help, no matter how useless my help could've been? Well, had I not been there, you would've been mince meat ten years ago, and also a good servant of mine!"

"Girls, get your magic ready!" Twilight said, as they got in the formation they used to do to use the powers of the Elements. Twilight, getting the magic the other five had, she charged a blast at the undead dragon who wielded a scythe, causing smoke. When the smoke faded, the girls' jaws dropped in disbelief, for Spike was still standing.

"News flash, friendship does not work on the dead!" Spike said, laughing along with the undead ponies. "Let me finish what I began, Rainbow, you are a self-centered plothole who promised teaching me to fly, but you didn't, so I asked Gilda for help. Pinkie Pie, you didn't organize any parties for me from my second year here, and you know that gifts are unnecessary, but the presence of the guests is! Fluttershy, you broke your promise of seeing the Dragon Migration. You asked for a monster, so here it is!" Spike said, lunging at the yellow Pegasus, ending her life. "Welcome to your nightmare Twilight, it's about time Equestria stood in peace." With this, the undead charged at the Alicorn and-

Twilight was in the Crystal Empire, so she quickly went to where Spike was buried, which was right in front of the Crystal Heart, all in honor of the savior. It looked just like it did hours ago, for it had all been a dream. She saw an old stallion of white fur and a gray mane that stood at the side, checking the grave.

"Hello missy, what brings you here?" the elder pony asked.

"He died because it was my fault," Twilight answered.

"Take a seat young one, let me tell you a little something." Twilight took a seat, before the stallion continued. "They call me the Caretaker, and my job is to make sure the dead sleep peacefully. My job is one not many are interested in or respect, but it is quite important."

"Why in Equestria is it important?" Twilight asked.

"Because I make sure the spirits don't get mad. In the many years I've dedicated to my mark, I've stopped many construction plans from destroying these resting places, and many graverobbers from taking the only thing the spirits have to remember when they cross the river."

"Well, it makes sense, thank you Caretaker."

"Your welcome missy, now if you'll excuse me, there is one last friend who wants to say goodnight to him." With this, Peewee flew in, curling himself up on the dirt and getting ready to sleep. With this, Twilight smiled softly, for rest was assured, all thanks to the old stallion who hid a mysterious past.

Domino City, Japan, Earth

Three days after Spike's arrival

The fact that Spike did not know how to play Duel Monsters shocked Jaden, and the facts that the dragon-blood did not know what it was, and also the fact that he came from another dimension shocked the duelist even more. It brought them to the degree of doing the following...

"Wake up Jaden!" Spike said.

"Come on, it's 5:00 A.M. in the morning..." the young adult said.

"I find this situation quite ironic, being that the student is waking up the teacher."

"I'm going, I'm going..." With that, their arduous training began, and by training I do not refer to waxing cars, sanding floors, catching flies with chopsticks nor painting fences, but to a classic...

Spike was pulling a wagon, and in that wagon stood his coach.

"Tell me the way turns are distributed," Jaden said, while reading from a book.

"Draw Phase, Standby Phase, Main Phase 1, Battle Phase, Main Phase 2, and finally End Phase!" Spike yelled, while he continued pulling the cart...

Time later, he was in a freezer room, and instead of punching meat he was identifying monsters from a booklet Jaden had.

"Metalzoa!" Jaden pointed to another one.

"Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" And so on, and three weeks later their training concluded.

"We did it!" Spike said, while he walked home.

"Yes indeed," Jaden answered, while he ate a chocolate bar. That night, Spike was in the living room, when out of nowhere, Jaden gave him a card: a Level 3 Fire Warrior; her name was Elemental Hero Burstinatrix.

"When you apply that exam, don't let fear take over, instead let the strength of willpower guide you, no matter how awful it may seem," Spike's mentor said, with a smile.

"Thank you master," the former drake answered.

"Call me Jaden." With this, Spike went to sleep, for tomorrow he was going to apply an entry exam to enter the most prestigious school of Duel Monsters, Duel Academy, which was created by Seto Kaiba himself.