Is all Hope Lost?

Embarrassment is a common type of negative emotion, for everyone and every pony goes through that kind of feeling once in a while. For Spike, he has been embarrassed by many thighs in the past, but those; thieve were just very small thighs compared to what he was going through right now. He was forced to wear a jester’s uniform and had a trumpet with him.

It was at a small stage in the castle in Canterlot, and Roseblood was there to watch and keep an eye on him. Turns out, Roseblood wanted some entertainment and live music, and she made her own pet a jester against his free will, and forces him to perform for his queen and her followers.

Spike just wishes his friends would come back to their senses and back to the light. He really hoped for a miracle to happen, but he knew damn well that it would not come unless Roseblood has fallen out of power, or died in some way. He sighed and readied his trumpet to play on for this little forced concert.

Twilight, the corrupted elements of harmony, and the princess and Shining Armor were there to see and observe this little performance. Oh how Spike wanted to back down and just leave, but he had no choice, he needed to perform to not get on Roseblood’s bad side and be possibly tortured by her if angered.

One of the things he was forced go perform for her and her corrupt friends was ride a unicycle while juggling a bunch of knives and daggers with the sound of circus music playing.

Spike was sweating like crazy with pressure, worried that he would have one of those knives piercing his head if not careful.

It went on for an agonizing ten minutes, but then Roseblood finally barked: "Stop!"

Then the baby dragon stopped his juggling and got off the unicycle. After that, he dodged the falling knives which landed on the stage with a loud "Shing!" Heard every time one dropped.

Spike gulped and said: "yes, my queen? What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Said Roseblood flatly. "I just grew bored with this." Then she had that thinking face on her.

"Aww! I was enjoying that!" Pinkie Pie complained

"Oh shut up, Pinkie Pie!" Roseblood barked at her.

"Anything else you want me to do?" Spike asked nervously.

"Hmm... well, you have amused me with your talented juggling skills." Said the evil mare with a smirk. "Now... play me a song."

"That's it?"

"For now." Then she conjured a small lute for him to play for her and her subjects. "Go on, play."

The baby dragon gulped and slowly began playing this lute. However, Fluttershy threw a tomato at the stage.

"Boooo!" She shouted. "Play with more feeling!" Spike gulped and tried playing it with more feeling, and the yellow pegasus smiled. "Ah, much better." She said in her kind voice.

The humiliation was just so much to bear for him to take in, and his fingers were starting to hurt from excessive playing on this lute.

He just wished this would just stop and, as usual, he wished things would go back to the way it was before Roseblood ruined everything.

Alas, he was starting to doubt if hope will ever be possible ever again now that Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were under Roseblood's full control.

Was it truly hopeless? Can Equestria be truly saved at all? Will these new and old allies be enough to stop her from taking over the whole earth?

"Spike," Twilight said. "Why are you in La-la land?"

The baby dragon then snapped out of his train of thought. "What? La-la land? Don't be ridiculous. I was just thinking about... what song I should perform on this next."

"Oh. Well make it snappy!"

"Now now, Twilight." Rosevlood silenced her gently. "Try and be more nicer to the adorable little boy. He is my new pet after all." Lokking back at Spike, she said: "I have a perfect song you you should play for all of us."

"What's that?" Spike gulped

Roseblood had a sly look on her face, and she said: "I have these notes that play my new national anthem as the new queen." She handed him three pieces of sheet music and the first one was titled: "Shadow of Equestria." On the top of it.

"Shadow of Equestria, huh?" Spike asked

"Yes. A fitting name for a beautiful and evil queen of Equestria. This will go to not just Canterlot, but Ponyville, Manehattan, Las Pegasus, and everywhere in Equestria that will honor my name and glory."

Now Spike felt really ashamed of singing a national anthem of a mare who painlessly usurped the throne of Equestria with her magic.

"I don't really have a choice here, do i?"

"Of course you have a choice." Aaid Rosevlood. "You can play the song willingly like a good boy, or I can force you to play it." The red magic glared in her eyes again. "And I can assure you, it will hurt."

Just like that, Spike began playing the notes and chords in the order of the sheets.

It sounded rather nice and beautiful, but, it was rather haunting as well, like a slow, goth metal song.

Spike unusually thought it sounded rather good and melodic in an evil way. He was reprimanding himself in his mind telling him not to enjoy this music piece, because it was in support of Roseblood and her evil regime.

Despite his conscience scolding him inside his head, Spike didn't stop and continued playing onward, for he knew his life would be on the line if he made Roseblood angry.

Meanwhile, she, the princess', The elements of harmony, Shining Armor, and Flurry heart were loving this new kind of song

It was really good that Rosevlood was still not going to kill him, for this was certainly pleasing her.

"Roseblood," Spike sang. "You are the queen of the shadows, may you forever haunt the creatures who wallow."

The evil mare smiled amusingly, and she was surely happy to have her own pet like this doing this special favor for her.

"She will crush any opponents who dare to dwell, then she will send them all to burn in hell."

The ending notes and chords sounded beautiful and haunting at the same time, and there was a sound of small applause from the crowd in front of the baby dragon.

Awkwardly, Spike bowed his head in thanks to his crowd

"Well, that was certainly a nice performance." Roseblood said.

"Yes. Why couldn't I have created that kind of national anthem for us?" Said Celestia with an evil laugh.

"It is certainly a wonderful song." Said Luna.

Just then, Flurry Heart threw some tomatoes at the stage where Spike was, and a rain of tomatoes endlessly came crashing on the stage.

Spike was running as fast as he could, but Flurry was trying to hard to have Spike be pelted by them.

Twilight, her friends, and the other brainwashed friends just laughed at Spike's misery instead of helping him. Even Roseblood laughed at Spike's misfortune and misery like this, and she immediately told her followers to cease this.

"That us quite enough." She said. "Now, I think you deserve a little treat from me for being obedient and willing to play my new anthem like that."

The baby dragon's face didn't change one bit, and he still looked embarrassed and shameful in this kind of degradation. "A treat?"

"Oh yes." Said Roseblood. She pulled out a dog bowl of gems and jewels sparkling under the light. She slowly gave it to Spike by placing the food bowl in front of him. "Here you go. A reward for making this special request by yours truly."

Without hesitation, Spike picked up the bowl of gems and shoved it down his mouth and throat.

"Well, I suppose you are well-fed now?" Asked Luna.

"Oh yeah." Said the baby dragon.

"Now, why don't you go to my room?"

"Am I in trouble?"

"No. If you were in trouble, you would know it."

"That's a fair point."

"No. I just need you to catch your breath. Perhaps you should take a nap for the time being."

Spike found it a little weird, but he said: "okay."

"And after your little nap, we are going to Ponyville to address to my new subjects over that little town in the valley below us."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. And That's not all," Roseblood continued. "I have a special task for you to do, and you to do alone."

Roseblood was certainly not making it easier for the baby dragon to endure his new life as her pet. There was no telling what she might do with him next. The baby dragon was about to walk to Roseblood's room, when he suddenly fell over a banana peel. Landing on his back, feeling dizzy.

"Haha! That is comedy gold!" Said the evil mare.

Spike didn't mutter a word, but went up to the master bedroom, and heard the sound of his brainwashed friends laughing at his suffering. The poor kid had tears streaming down his face, sobbing quietly.

He then sunk his head into the pillow after he landed on the bed, and began crying louder than before.

"It's no use." He said. "It's no use. I guess Roseblood will be the new leader of Equestria after all." He liftes his head with his eyes looking bloodshot and tears streaming down his cheeks.

He was trying so back to hold more tears in himself, but to no avail for he was weeping some more. He was starting to think that Equestria was doomed after all.