Blood and a few other things

Chapters

Chess talk.
Stalling to answer questions 101
Basic interactions.
A Chess Game
Dreams
Discussion and nothing more.
A Simple Walk to a Simple Castle.
A not so warm welcome
Story Time! Sort of...
Another Day Comes
The first chapter

Chess talk.

Spike was currently walking through the royal gardens, an aura of calm surrounding him as he did so. It was peaceful. No beasts, no monsters, only peace.

The same couldn't be said Luna though. She was still trying to comprehend the events that had previously transpired and it was ruining her chess game with Celestia. Her thoughts were pulled from Spike and back to the chess game by the sound of her sister taking a sip of tea.

Celestia simply shrunk a tiny bit and gave a smile that told her that she was sorry.

"Sorry sister. I didn't think that would pull you from thought. Though you've been sitting there for a while. Is something troubling you? I'm sure that the events of last night threw you off and I'm always open to talk with you."

Luna almost felt like those words were somehow demeaning to her. Ever since she returned, Celestia always set everything aside to speak with her, even if it was to discuss basic plans. She didn't quite like it but she knew she was trying to be a good sister.

"Well, you are correct about two things"

Luna started

"We are greatly troubled and it does indeed have to do with last night"

Celestia set down her tea and looked at her.

"Do tell. Though I listen to problems from the nobles everyday I can always pay attention to my sister's"

Luna couldn't help but smile a small bit. She didn't know why that prompted something from her but it did. She let out a soft breath and looked at her.

"Well, the sudden appearance of Spike still troubles us but the main thing is that he says that we caused the suffering of what sounds to be hundreds."

Celestia nodded to show that she was listening.

"It is... hard to fathom if we are to be honest. What we wish to know most though is what he meant by it and why he blames us. He also seems to have learned some sort of magic as well which deeply confuses us."

Celestia raised a brow from behind her tea cup and her smile disappeared into a look of curiosity.

"It is rather unfamiliar as well. It is almost as if he drew the power to summon his weapon from... us."

A few moments of silence were shared between them and it was only then that they realised how silent it truly was. The noise of wind was non existent and the sound of breathing was unheard. Celestia gathered the courage to break it after a few minutes.

"I... am not sure how to respond. I can approach him and ask him about it if you would like"

She offered. Luna sighed and looked to the balcony.

"We suppose. We are just hoping that he does not hate us."

Celestia soft smile returned.

"I highly doubt he does Lulu. I will talk with him later today. For now, let us focus on this chess game. Maybe we can go out for lunch."

Luna turned to her and smiled.

"That would be delightful. Now, it was our turn, correct?"

She asked as she looked down to the bored. Celestia replied with a slightly wider smile and a "yep."

Luna made her move almost immeadetly.

Celestia's eye twitched.

Luna just smiled even more and looked at her with a knowing look on her face.

Down on the board, Luna had taken the one opening that would ruin Celestia's plan and cause it to backfire. Five hours of careful planning and calculating had been lost.

The end result?

Celestia flipped the table.

Stalling to answer questions 101

Everything was dark. It was all so dark. He couldn't see the flowers or bushes. He didn't see the pathway of which he stood upon. He could only see himself within the darkness. His mirror image just stood there and watched him, not moving just as he did. They stood there. He simply watched them. It wasn't uncommon for him to see this though. It had happened a lot ever since he had taken his mentors place. Gehrman was his name. He had taught him not with actions but instead words. Some would think that his mentors methods were horrible, useless, or unhelpful. Those who said that could never be more wrong. He opened his mouth to speak to again...

"Hello Celestia"

The world seemed to come back to him as he opened his eyes and looked at the rose bushes in front of him. He reached out with a hand that was behind his back and pulled a rose off with two of his claws then began to observe it, taking in every detail of which he could. It didn't stop him from hearing the nervous exhale of Celestia. He almost felt her unease when she spoke.

"Hello Spike. Are you enjoying the gardens?"

He looked to her with a turn of his head and set the rose in the colorful wall of a bush.

"Indeed. I find it soothing. It has its ways of calming me."

He replied as he turned his body to meet hers.

"What about you? Do you enjoy this place?"

"I do. It helped me many times when Luna was away. I don't know why though. I like to beleive that it was because she and I would go to the gardens to escape our work when we were younger"

The princess told him. Spike had begun to walk to the right and there was smile on his face. It seemed genuine. Celestia followed him shortly after. She took note of the nod from Spike that told her that he had listened, something a lot of ponies didn't do.

"Do you have any other reasons as to why the garden soothes you?"

He asked. Celestia was silent for a moment as she thought. There wasn't much now that she thought about it.

"No, I don't really. What about you? Is there a reason as to why to find it soothing?"

Spikes smile faded a bit. Celestia was trying to lead up to something. A question probably. Wonderful... he slowed to a stop and sighed.

"What is it that you want to know princess?"

She stopped and looked at him in bewilderment. How did he..? Whatever. He wanted to know so she would go to the point. She went over to a nearby bench and motioned for him to sit as she had just done. He refused by simply watching her and waiting for a response from her which she gave, albeit vague.

"What I want to know is what happened Spike."

He stopped and turned to her. He almost laughed a slight bit. She was still keeping up the "casual conversation" act.

"Celestia, I already know that you're building up to ask a separate question so ask what you truly wish to know, will you? I will not hate you for your words, only your actions..."

He said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. It was clear he had seen right through her and it was obvious that Celestia was confused. The two beings shared a moment of silence as the Princess thought only for that same princesses sigh to brake it soon after.

"Very well young Spike..."

He stiffled a chuckle and Celestia looked to him, confused.

"Oh, nothing. Just something you said."

He told her with a new smile. As she looked away to the bushes it disappeared and was replaced by a normal face.

"If you insist... Now, Spike, on the night of your arrival you had summoned a scyth of flame and my sister felt as if you had drawn your power from her... did you?"

She asked. Spike had raised a brow and looked to her curiously during this. When she finished though his look became one of disapontment.

"I guess that you are asking this for Luna, are you not?"

She nodded.

"Then she can ask me herself. Tell her to meet me in the gardens tomorrow evening. If she wishes to not come then she may refuse."

He said as he began to walk away. His voice and face had become devoid of life during it and Celestia almost felt as if she had hurt him. Before she could speak he had turned a corner and when she had gotten up to follow him he was gone.

"What has become of you Spike... you seem so distant now"

She said to herself sadly. She almost began to cry yet she couldn't bring herself to. She was thankful for that though because there was a sound of approaching footsteps behind her.

"Sister... We observed it all. Do not blame yourself for his pain. It is us who caused it. Let us put your mind on other matters. Would you willing to play another chess game with us?"

Luna asked somewhat hopefully. Celestia decided to not look to her sister when she spoke out.

"No..."

"Please~? We will attempt to speak normally if thou chooses to"

She couldn't help but smile a bit. She figured that she could humor her.

"Very well. Let us play a chess game sister"

Author's Note

So how's this look? Any recommendations or errors? If so then let me know. I'll listen.

Basic interactions.

Spike was a very interesting dragon. He was kind, he was caring, he was loving, and he was sweet. Now though he seemed dull. Empty if you will. Instead of being the vibrant cheerful young dragon everypony knew him to be he chose to be eerily calm. Refined. He walked everywhere and almost never spoke.

This of course led Twilight to worry. She thought that somebody had replaced him and that he was secretly a Changling in disguise. With the green fire and different personality it made perfect sense to her. She told Celestia about it and she dismissed it as nothing but Twilight knew something was up. It was probably just like when nightmare moon returned. Except this time it was boring. Yes she may have eavesdropped on Celestia telling Luna to meet Spike in the gardens when the evening came and yes she kind of took this opportunity to spy on them but it didn't matter! It was for the good of Equestria!

Right now Twilight could see him, a cane in hand as he walked forward to the central gardens. It was more open here and it had a wonderful view of the moon. Spike walked forward then stopped and looked up at the moon. Then he just watched it. He didn't move for minutes. He didn't even look like he was breathing. She couldn't even see him blink. When he did blink though it was when an audible sound of hoofsteps were heard approaching the same place. Said hoofsteps were soon muffled by the grass and were then silenced altogether when the source of the noice stopped several feet away from Spike.

"So Luna... allow me to start us off with a question..." He started as he looked up to the moon. He didn't move or even flinch. Not even a twitch was seen. Only his mouth moved now. "Do you still have dreams?"

The reply was slow to come, and when it came it was hesitant. Luna was visibly nervous.

"No Spike. We only traverse into others."

"...Very Well. Now, would you traverse into my own later tonight? I beleive that we have a viewer and they are not meant to hear these words."

Luna seemed to be confused by this as Spike turned to face the moon princess. Twilight on the other hand was confused and scared. She didn't know what to do. Had he found her? Was he lying and just trying to intimidate anyone who may have been watching? If so then it worked because Twilight teleported straight to her room. Sure it may have taken all her magic reserves and blown her cover but still.

Over within the garden was Spike and Luna. Spike had chuckled a small bit and a smile came to his face.

"Well, that was interesting, was it not? Come. Ignore what I said about the dreams and let us simply walk. I will answer your questions as you please" He told her as he began to walk past her, his left hand being held behind his back as walked forward with the stylish cane in the other.

Luna followed beside him, somewhat nervously but she seemed to be a slight bit more calm than before. They had even started an amount of small talk and several minutes passed as they walked. Then the conversation went to Spike and Luna had decided to ask the question she had been avoiding. After Spike pointed out her stalling of course.

"So Luna, what Is it that you wanted to know?"

"Well young Spike... we were wanting to know about our first encounter... when you summoned your weapon to our neck we felt as if you drew your power from us... we want to know if you did to be honest, so... did you?" She asked him.

Spike was silent for several moments then spoke up.

"Partially so."

Luna's ears had perked up as he spoke.

"I draw my power from the cosmos and that of which is around me. Mainly the stars."

He explained as they walked. Luna looked to him curiously. That was certainly something.

"Thats... interesting to think about. How is that possible though?"

He grimaced slightly as he recalled his memories of traveling through the nightmare.

"That is something I would rather not delve into."

"...It mustn't be that bad... is it?"

She asked curiously after she hesitated for a few moments. She was growing slightly worried for the drake. He had become more distant in the span of a few moments. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him that question? Well it was too late to revoke it now. He had let out a breath then looked behind himself and up to the moon. His whole body turned to face it and it was almost like he was looking at something.

"Luna... you have done some bad things in your past, yes. But in the past of where I was, their sins put everything you have done to shame. Your dreams would be tainted with the nightmare of which they brought upon the world and you would see things that shouldn't exist."

His voice was cold when he spoke his reasoning. The words held a small amount of pain in them as well, almost as if he was looking at something that hurt him as he spoke. Maybe it was regret? Luna didn't think on it and had instead looked at the ground, as if she felt guilty for asking the question.

"We are... we are sorry for asking that Spike. If you don't want to speak of that then We can avoid it entirely. We didn't quite know that our question would hurt you as it did. We would be glad to make it up to you though."

She told him. The last part sounded hopeful, as if she was a child who wanted to make a friend smile. Which was somewhat true in this sense, except Spike wasn't a friend... he was Spike. She didn't know what he qualified as now.

"Would thou be interested in a game of chess?"

Spike seemed to look back at her because of this and her small flicker of hope in making it up to him began to rise higher, as if it were a match that was being tossed into a pile of damp kindling. It was attempting to catch flame to be honest

"Very well Luna. It has been a long while since I've been able to play simple games that include strategy and thought."

He reasoned. The kindling of hope caught fire and she clapped her hooves together happily.

"Wonderful! We shall clear our schedule of any duties for the night." She announced cheerfully.

"Please do meet us in our chambers in ten minutes time. The guards will know to let you through."

"Very well. I shall leave you to go do as you wish princess. Besides, I have something I would like to do right now as well so this works out quite well." He told her.

She simply smiled. "Alright. We shall meet you later then. Farewell Spike."

"Farewell Luna..."

As he said his goodbye, a small smile came across his lips. With that spoken the two left each other at a casual pace and began to tend to what they willed.

Author's Note

So, how Is this going? Is the pacing well? Should I add certain details? Let me know! I want to get better and stuff so ye.

And to all those who have become interested in this; Thank you. It means a lot to me really. So thanks.

A Chess Game

The balcony of the Lunar Princess. It was calm, peaceful, and rather beautiful in some ways. An almost giddy princess sat atop their chair and waited for the sound of her chamber door to open, as that would be the signal for the arrival of the nights companion. Soon enough the signal was heard.

There was a click and and a clack as the one who opened the door wordlessly approached the balcony. They stepped onto it then took a seat across from the princess. Now, instead of being giddy, she was confused at their lack of action. Her visitor was a lot more calm and it was hard to tell what he was feeling. Silence was the only thing that accompanied them for what felt like ages and to be honest, she was almost worried. That worry turned to surprise though.

"I beleive it is your turn Luna"

She snapped into attention and looked at the speaker, confused. His voice was cold and rather intimidating for some odd reason. She ignored it though and threw away her worry as she looked at the board and the ticking clock that was just off to the side of it. Once she realised that it had almost made a full circle, her horn lit up in a panic and she moved a pawn two spaces forward. She hit the button for Spike to go next and he did so immeadetly, without any hesitation.

Luna didn't have a chance to think as Spikes pawn was pushed forward by a small bit of flame that surrounded the base of his chosen piece. All the while he had no expression and the audible click of his button was heard. After that he just stared at the board with his claw resting over his button in wait. He was impossible to read for some reason. She moved a pawn that was to the right of her first one a single space forward and just as she hit the button, a second click was heard. He had moved his knight and she hadn't a single moment to think. She moved another pawn after some short thought and just as last time, when she pressed the button and the click was heard, another click followed it not even a second after.

Spike was playing quickly and wasn't allowing her time to think. She may not have been the best at chess but she knew that if you wanted to win, you had to be thoughtful about your actions. This time she wasn't granted the extra time to think though. One of her knights went forward and Spike pushed one of his pawns right after. She moved a pawn and then Spike moved a bishop. She didn't even think as she made her next move and before she knew it Spike had one of his own bishops across the field. She looked at him for a split moment but he was still as stagnant as ever. She scanned the field in a frenzy and moved her other knight forward after a short moment only for Spike to take one of her pawns. She returned the favor immedietly and Spike moved his king to the side instead of taking his pawns killer with his knight he had moved in the beggining.

Somehow the next click managed to throw her off and she quickly moved a pawn only for his other knight to appear in front of it. She didn't know what he was doing but she didnt like it. She couldn't do anything about it though since she didn't have any way to attack it. With each click came more disaster for her and before she knew it she was making random, unthoughtful moves that Spike quickly punished again and again. Each piece lost felt like a slap to the face and each piece she took felt given to her. It didn't feel rewarding at all and she just felt like she was being toyed with. Soon enough her only pieces left were her king and a single bishop. Somewhat angrily, she slid her bishop forward several spaces. Then for once the clock ticked... and ticked... and ticked. Then it stopped. There was only silence after that and she knew what that meant. She waited for the two words of victory to be spoken. Then she waited... and waited. She looked slightly up from the board and to Spike who was just sitting and looking at her with a small smile. His words would have stung if they were what she had expected...

"Congratulations Luna... For the first time in years have I actually had to think about my next move..."

She lifted her head away from the board completely and looked at him curiously. Her anger was ebbing away, bit by bit and her curiosity grew with each second of his small pause.

"I will say that at first you had me confused. You corrected yourself in the middle of our match only for it to sadly fall apart in the end."

Her response was to frown at this

"That is not to say that I am not impressed though. Even within your anger, Part of you managed to think and gain back some control... Next time, don't panic. Instead, I would recommend that you run the clock so you may think. Each second is valuable and it is not a bad thing to wait."

She watched him and followed his movements as she spent a few moments to think, but before she could reply he had gotten to the door. He let a claw rest on it as he spoke his next words.

"I shall now be leaving Luna. I would like to do this next week at the same time if that is alright with you. Until then, I recommend you rest. Goodnight Luna. Rest well."

He opened the door and then slowly shut it behind him, signalling the departure of her companion. The click clack of his foot steps were only heard for a few short moments until the sound of the door closing managed to silence them with a resounding thud. Luna stared at the foot for a few moments then let out a breath as she slowly turned to face the moon. Questions plagued the lunar princesses mind but she was calm and rather thoughtful about them. Instead of being mad or confused she felt somewhat empty. She would be over it in the morning though. There wasn't a thing that a good nights rest couldn't fix.

Dreams

Two days had passed since the chess game and Spike could only look forward to the next one. He had heard that Luna was apparently in deep thought lately and for him, that was a good thing. It meant that she wanted to learn and he was more than pleased with that.

He had pulled out his cane and observed it as he thought of what he would do next. Maybe he would go down and practice with the guards. He shook his head. It was too simple and their training dummies wouldn't even withstand a single blow. Maybe he could travel through the dream again? No... that wouldn't be worth the pain. He had avoided it for years and there was no point to go back there. A small sigh escaped him as he let his cane lean against the side of the bed he sat upon. He would need to wait if he were to practice. It was late anyways so he may as well sleep and experience what it was like again. It had been years since he had last slept after all.

With a new, albeit simple goal in mind, he laid down and shut his eyes. And right as he did, he felt all his senses rush back to him in a flood of blackness. The sound of rushing wind greeted him and when it had faded, he slowly opened his eyes. Once more he was met with a dark void of emptiness. There was nothing here except himself. If he were to be honest, he was disappointed. He was expecting to be within something more... diverse and wild. Instead he was met with the familiar emptiness of his mind. So he began walking into the nothingness around him. He was calm and slow as he walked, clearly taking his time as he put one foot in front of the peg leg, then the peg leg in front of the foot again and again for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually he let out a disappointed sigh and stopped moving.

There was no point in walking if there was no destination. Spike looked at his claws and let a small amount of fire flicker in between them. Then he smiled as he thought of an idea. He could practice in here. The fire told him that he still had magic within this emptiness which meant that it could be his playground. He also knew that this emptiness was a dream and that all of the dreams in Eques could be seen by the lunar princess. Well, almost all of them. He looked up into the sky and let the flames rise, spiraling from his fingertips and Into the air for a few minutes. Then it stopped rising and seemingly disappeared. He let his hand disperse the flames on their fingertips then let them fall back to his side. He watched it rise and rise and then it seemingly disappeared. After that there was a massive crack that was heard and soon enough a green aurora began to become visible within the sky.

Spike chuckled and looked up at it. Only in his dreams could he achieve such a feat. Breaking the seal of the Princesses dream and replacing it with one's own was not easy. It's quite the impressive really. You cannot simply do it. You have to focus and put effort into it. You need to beleive in the dream first, and Spike knew that this dream was real. Now he could shape it be whatever he wanted. Maybe he could create Yharnham again but this time allow it to be devoid of life and not be full of beasts. He could remove the signs of the Healing Church and replace them with whatever he wished. All he needed to do now was do it.... but he couldn't. He couldn't do any of that because he didn't believe that was possible. The crimes of the Healing Church would forever be there and he couldn't change it. The beasts would be there as well and he couldn't change that either. The reason for that was because the beasts themselves were crimes of the church. He let out a sad sigh and frowned while he looked down at the blackness before him. He shut his eyes.... Then a thought came to him.

This didn't mean that he couldn't create his own world. His own dream to escape to whenever his eyes shut. It could all be so perfect... with large bridges, and complex buildings. Massive forests that spanned for miles with trees that eminated beauty. All of It could be real! All of it could be his. Not the beasts nor the church's. It would be his. A dream that was truly his own... He looked up then exhaled a breath of hope. His eyes opened, and now? Now he saw a meadow of flowers before him. And past that? He saw his very own Yharnham in the distance. Now of course it wasn't Yharnham. It looked different. It still had the same charm though. What would he call it though? The same light was shining above and there was a sea of still water in front of him for miles and miles past the field of flowers. He would need to think on that so for now he would enjoy himself. He bent down, his joints popping as he did so, and plucked a flower from the ground below only to examine it with a soft smile. What were they called again? He couldn't remember they're name but that didn't matter.

Spike did remember having his own name for the flowers when he first entered the dream so maybe he could use that. He called them Moonflowers if he remembered correctly and they did seem to reflect it's light so it was somewhat fitting. He set it back down and onto the soft ground beneath him then stood up and turned back to his shining creation ahead. It was something to be proud of and what he saw was something he would remember forever. There was a large full moon rising up from behind it, basking it all in a beautiful pale white light. If only he were in that city right now. He laughed to himself a small bit as he began to think of his ways to travel there. That could wait for the next night though. His time was nearing its end and he would need to reawaken soon. He smiled to his creation one more time that night then closed his eyes and waited to come back to the waking world.

In a few moments his eyes had opened and a bright light seemed to flood his vision. A hand was held up to block out the sun as he clambered back to his feet. It appeared that he had fallen off the bed. It was quite silly of him if he were to be honest. He brushed himself off then grabbed his cane as he turned to the door with a renewed vigor. He felt happy for the first time in ages. Maybe he would allow himself to eat. A nice breakfast with the Princesses sounded wonderful if he were to be honest. With that decided, he stepped forward and opened the door. A new day started now and with it started the existence of his own dream.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this. I wanted to add to it and I've wanted to do something like this for a short while.

If there are errors or any recommendations you have then let me know.

Discussion and nothing more.

“So what you mean to tell me sister, is that Spike managed to break away from your dreamscape?"

Luna nodded. It was true and it had terrified her. The very moment she had entered the dreamscape of Spike she had been forced out with an almost unfathomable force. She almost shuddered at the memory. The sound it made had terrified her and she woke up sweating as if it were a nightmare. Only now did she have the courage to speak to Celestia about it and even then it was touchy at that.

It was not that she afraid to discuss it. It was simply because she didn't know how to. It was like when she was young. She tried to start painting and she had all of these grand ideas that were right there, she could even almost see them but the words to explain it and the actions that would be needed escaped her. Now she was simply throwing the paint onto the canvas in hopes of understanding. She didn't know what to do really So She simply spoke, or in this case, nodded.

A small sigh managed to escape Celestia as she looked out to the gardens. If Spike had changed so much then... She didn't know what to say. She saw her son but couldn't seem to beleive he was there. His gaze was unreadable even by herself and that was a feat in its own right. The tea cup that held her favorite tea was lifted up to her lips with her magic and, once it was she took a sip then set it down. She turned back to Luna and took in her features. She seemed to be confused and she couldn't blame her because she was confused as well.

"Well... that's interesting i suppose. It shows that he's not only powerful but very serious about his privacy. He almost seems like Twilight when she was my student..."

Several moments passed and Luna couldn't help but agree. He had only spoken to ponies when needed and hadn't said a word otherwise. If he didnt interact with anybody else then it could be unhealthy as well.

"What do you suggest we do then sister? He has stayed here for about two weeks and although he seems to be comfortable here, he hasn't done anything but roam the gardens."

For once, Celestia didn't have an answer. She didn't quite know what to do. He hasn't done anything wrong and he's incredibly kind when interacting with others. He's just... distant though.

Luna had already begun to think of things to do in order to hopefully help. Maybe they could send him to Ponyville? She knew that this would take away her chess buddy but maybe if she had a talk with him she could find a way to play anyways. Perhaps there was a magical chess board that acted similar to Twilights magical book she had heard of? It could work. She could even get it as a gift for him and eve-

"-una? Luna? Are you alright?"

Luna was pulled from her thoughts and looked back up to her sister.

"Hm? What was that sister?"She asked innocently.

Celestia just cracked a smile. It appeared that her sister was thinking about something. She wouldn't ask.

"You seemed to fall into thought for a solid minute or so. Are you feeling alright?"

Luna felt her cheeks grow red out of embarrassment but kept a steady tone nonetheless.

"Of course sister. We are simply thinking of how we are to continue our chess games if he were to move to Ponyville"

The sun princess raised a brow. "Move to Ponyville you say? Why are you thinking of that?"

Luna shrugged. It was clear she was going off of a whim.

"Well, when Twilight refused to socialise you sent her there. This isn't quite the same case but if he were to go back there then he would be able to interact with a friendly community and possibly make friends."

Celestia seemed to be listening closely and the more she listened, the more it made sense. Her argument, or rather, suggestion made perfect sense. It could work out smoothly. Spike was sure to catch on but he most likely wouldn't mind either. Or so she hoped.

"Very well. We can send him there within the week. I am sure he will understand as to why we are sending him there as well."

Luna nodded in agreement as she stood up. She had a soft smile on her face.

"Would you like us to inform him now Sister?"

"Yes Luna. It would be best for him to hear it from a somebody he is aquanted with."

"Very well. And sister..?"

"Yes Luna?"

"Is there a spell that can allow a chess game to be played from afar? Such as having two separate boards that mimic each other?"

She smiled softly. She still wanted to play chess with him which, admittedly, was sweet. They seemed to get along somewhat well too. Maybe Luna had made a good friend? Well, more of an aquantence at this rate but still, maybe she had.

"Yes sister... I believe that there is. Would you like me to have a set of boards linked for you and Spike?"

Celestia could see a small smile begin to take form on her sisters face.

"Yes sister. That would be wonderful..."

With that, the lunar princess began to walk off and through the halls of the castle in search of Spike. He was most likely in the gardens so all she had to do was walk down the stairs, through a hall, turn right, turn left, go down some more stairs, realise she took a wrong turn, go back, take a right, take a left, then take another left. After that she had arrived to the gardens and began her search.

Hopefully it wouldn't take too long. She released a breath and then her search began yet, just as it started it seemed to end. Spike was right there. He just walked around the corner and started to head towards the doors of which she was standing in. It was almost funny really. She was expecting something difficult but nope, he was right here, walking beside her and into the castle. She should probably stop him and talk now that she thought about it. She shook her head then turned to see Spike walk further and further away. She quickly ran up beside him and started trotting along side him.

"Hello Spike. How have you been?"

Right now she was expecting was expecting him to sigh and say something along the lines of 'Your not here to talk, what do you want?' Or something. She was surprised for him to reply with the exact opposite though.

"I've been well. And as for you princess?" He asked.

His hands went behind his back as they walked. A small smile seemed to have fell upon his face at some point as well. Probably from her awkward silence that lasted for a few moments.

"I have been... well, I suppose."

He nodded o show he heard her as they walked. "That's good to hear. No nightmares I hope?"

"None lately. It's nice I suppose. I actually was able to sleep early."

"Really? That sounds enjoyable to say the least. I also realise that your not speaking in the royal "we". Is there a reason for that if I may ask?"

Luna just kinda stopped thinking for a moment. Was she not using it? Well... that was something she supposed. She supposed she could try to keep it up then.

"Um... no actually. It has just seemed to occur."

"Well, it sounds interesting if I'm to be honest. I think I enjoy it."

She smiled a bit.

"Thank you young Spike. It is nice to know that our-"

She stopped herself and her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

"My efforts haven't gone unnoticed"

Spike seemed to crack a smile, almost as if showing a slight approval for her correction.

"I doubt they would princess. Now, I beleive you would like to ask me a question?"

He said as they walked. They ended up arriving in the dining room which was seemingly empty.

"Indeed I would Spike, and although it is rather sudden, I would like to ask, on behalf of my sister, if you would be willing to move to Ponyville. She has a fear that you are becoming anti social and most likely fears that your seclusion would amount to an awakening of your "nightmare self" if you will. Or that's what I felt she was trying to convey."

Spike had stopped moving right when she said the words "nightmare self". When she looked back to him, her gaze was pulled into his eyes. Within them was... nothing... She turned to him fully and began to approach slowly.

"Um, Spike..? Spike?"

His eyes seemed to travel to hers as he snapped out of his trance. His smile was gone and he wasn't readable. At all. He just looked... empty.

"Spike are you Alright?"

She asked nervously. She had stopped on front of him and looked to him. Then he nodded.

"Yes Luna. I am alright. I am simply thinking, is all."

He answered. Luna frowned. Did she hear pain within his voice?

"And tell Celestia that I will be ready to leave within the hour. I would rather leave sooner than later"

Spike continued as he began to walk forward and past her. He was blank and his steps were again much more sharp. It was like he was wearing a mask. Should she stop him? Maybe... She didn't quite know. He probably needed some time to think but... She would need to tell him about when he would leave.

She began to follow him and called his name as soon as he rounded the corner. He didn't seem to hear so when she turned the corner she... stopped. He was gone. She wasn't even three seconds late and he was gone... Luna sighed and began to head back to Celestia but... She could wait. She needed a few moments to think. Maybe she could go to the gardens. Still, wherever Spike was and whatever he had done, she didn't know and whatever he would do was another question in itself. Thankfully, that question was being answered as she walked.

Spike had gone and left the physical plane of Eques, now within his own dream. More specifically he was within the same field of flowers he had started in. And he was just sitting down in the flowers, thinking. Meditating really. Not to contain his nightmare, no. He had mastered that long ago. A nightmare was like a beast after all and he knew all that there was about them. Now he was simply evaluating how he felt and holding in his emotions.

The simple fact that Celestia thought of him as unstable was insulting. Those may not have been the words but that's how it came across. Perhaps she was simply afraid of him and wanting to take all of the precautions possible. He couldn't blame her. He was quite afraid of himself if he were to be honest. He sighed and closed his eyes. If it made the princess feel better then he would move... Besides, Ponyville was calm and such. The only downside was that Twilight was there... there wasn't a doubt that she would ask him questions though and he didn't want to bother with them. She already thought he wasn't who he claimed to be and avoiding her traps and questions would just be annoying.

"And to think This all started so I could save her..."

He muttered to himself as he shook his head. He was stupid for doing such a thing... Maybe he would still have his childhood if he had refused. He sighed and opened his eyes, allowing himself to stand up and look around. He didnt have any physical belongings so he could simply go wherever he pleased and retrieve them from the dream without need of baggage. Perhaps he could just leave now and get it over with. He wasn't one to run from his fears after all. He would wait as requested though. Celestia would most likely panic if he left immedietly and send out search parties again. The drama wasn't worth it so for now, until then, he would relax. Maybe even practice a bit... It wouldn't be the same as fighting a beast but he could still try. And so he did so until the morning sun came.

He awoke within the waking world and let his eyes open. He stared at the plain ceiling above and sighed. Once he got off the bed he looked around and then to the corner where a familiar lamp resided. He let a small grin spread across his face and approached it. It appeared that his connection to the real world had grown stronger. He knelt down and touched it with an outstretched hand and felt a familiar rush of wind greet him as he did so. He closed his eyes then began to feel a familiar pull that would bring him to the dream, yet he refused it and simply enjoyed the familiar feeling of the icy cold metal upon his scales. He stood up and let out a calm, pleased breath as he opened his eyes again. The lantern sunk back into the floor and disappeared, the little messengers that surrounded it following it into the emptyness of which it was dismissed. Today was starting off well. Celestia had apparently decided to let him "sleep in" and such so that made it a bit better as well he supposed.

He turned around and opened his door and walked out into the halls. He would most likely be leaving today if Celestia really wanted to make this happen so he brought his cane to his hand with a flash of harmless green fire and began to walk forward. Not even three minutes had passed when a servant came by and approached him. After a small exchange of the servant telling him that Celestia wished to greet him and such he began to head there, taking his time as he walked. It was too early for this but he didn't really have a say. The arrival to the throne room came all too soon as he took note of Celestia sitting on her throne, the mask of "I am a ruler and I love my subjects" was shining bright as day for him. He almost envied the ponies for their ignorance to the obvious mask. He shook his head and stepped onto the carpet and approached her. He didn't bother with kneeling once he was in front of her which would most likely send nobles into a frenzy of confusion. Thankfully there weren't any here to annoy him. He stared forward and watched Celestia. He had to admit, she had a decent mask but it was still easy to tell that she was slightly unnerved by his silence and mere presence.

"Hello Celestia..." He greeted plainly. "I assume that you have called me here to discuss my travel to the town of ponyville, no?"

There was a nod of confirmation before she spoke. "Yes I have Spike. I would like you to know that I can arrange your travel with whatever mode of transportation you would like. I wish for you to feel comfortable in your arrival and not feel out of place."

He scoffed at that last bit. Not feel out of place? Like that would happen.

"Very well then. I shall travel there by foot. It has been a long time since I have been allowed to travel on my own. Especially over such a long distance."

He answered. Celestia opened her eyes a bit. Travel there by foot? It was miles away! He must have been mad. And what did he mean by "allowed"? She pushed the thought away and kept her smile on as she brought over her tea cup.

"Then it that case, you are free to leave whenever you'd like Spike... Just please stay safe. I would hate to lose you after seeing you after so long" She told him earnestly.

"Do not worry Celestia. I am more than capable of defending myself. They do not call me a Hunter without a reason to after all..."

He said with a smirk. Before Celestia could reply, Spike had vanished. She had merely blinked and all that was left was a flicker of bright green flame which gifted her even more questions that she desired to have answered.

Author's Note

Hope you guys enjoyed this. I was experiencing a bit of writers block but I think I may have gotten over it.

If you have ideas or recommendations then be sure to leave a comment and such As well. I would love to hear your thoughts.

And also, chapter names are hard to come up with so feel free to recommend some names for them.

A Simple Walk to a Simple Castle.

The silent steps of Spike walking through the everfree forest weren't even heard as he continued his walk through the large forest, cane in hand. Surprisingly, everything was quite calm... nothing seemed to challenge him and to be honest, that was great for Spike because he was actually really enjoying this walk. This place reminded him of a certain place in Yharnham when he thought about it. What was the place known as when he was there? The forbidden forest? That was probably right...

His cane came into contact with the soft dirt below once more and he took another step forward. He had disregarded the paths a while back and although ponies would call him crazy for doing so, he really didn't care. This place was quite beautiful within the darkness it provided and he was enjoying it. For what reason, he didn't know but he still enjoyed it none the less. Perhaps it was because he had grown accustomed to the darkness during his time as a Hunter... Perhaps but he would rather not remember those dark, grim times. They were not comfortable memories at all and to relive them would be a greater pain then he could handle. At least this walk was peaceful. His mind seemed to be at peace as of now and he couldn't be more thankful for such a simple, simple gift...

The walk had continued on and on for a ways and the sun had become known to Spike as he neared the Forests edge. As he stepped out if it, he could see a familiar cottage. He would have smiled if he were younger but now ignored it and walked forward into the small town of Ponyville, seemingly devoid of thought.

Not even ten seconds had passed now and a pink blur knocked Spike over. Well, tried to really. He had looked to the right when he heard the beginning of a zip Like noise and immedietly took a step back, the pink blur of a pony passing him and ramming into a trash can. He looked down and placed a claw in his face as he let out a disappointed sigh. Foolish pony... Just as he looked back up and to the left he saw the same pink pony pop their head out of the trash can, the lid dropping off behind them as they spit out a banana peel.

"Ick! Ugh! Yuck! A-"

She didn't stop making disgusted noises. Spike took this as his cue to leave and did so. Maybe Pinkie was trying to make to make him laugh. It probably didn't occur to her that he didn't find another persons suffering to be entertaining, no matter how simple or silly.

By the time he began walking away he had attracted a few confused looks and soon enough he had attracted the look of Rainbow Dash who was just staring at him in confusion. It was clear she was confused as to how he had managed to dodge a pink cannon ball and how he didn't even seem surprised by it. Funnily enough, he had done it before and jumping out of the way of cannon balls was easy. Sort of.

He continued to walk forward with his cane and soon enough ponies just shrugged and went back to their business, not seeming to care that a "new" dragon had arrived in their simple little town. At least he wasn't being bombarded with questions by Twilight yet.

Spike looked around the town as he walked, passing the market place and a few more buildings. Nothing had changed and the town looked exactly the same. Even the eye sore of a home he was headed towards off in the distance. He didn't even call it a castle since it looked so small compared to the ones he had seen. Hell, he had seen a clock tower larger than her castle.

He grumbled a few words of something to himself and knocked on the door with his claw when he had arrive. Part of him wondered what he had missed while another part of him didn't really seem to care at all. He simply wanted to move inside and rest. Maybe he could read a book since he had nothing to do. That sounded like a nice idea so maybe he would follow through with it. Before he could think on the subject even more, the door seemed to open and a light cream colored pony head peaked it's head out and looked to Spike.

"Um, hello sir. Is there anything I could help you with."

Spike put on a soft smile and let his other claw rest on the canes handle as he looked to the pony. He didn't want to come off as intimidating so posture and words were a simple key to this.

"Not at all my dear pony. I am simply looking for Twilight Sparkle. She is expecting me and I do not want to be late. She most likely and a million questions after all and if I could, then I'd like to surprise her."

He answered in a caring tone. He came off as an old grandfather of sorts funnily enough and it seemed to make the pony smile.

"Well, if that's the case then I could lead you straight to her."

"Really? Well, if you wish to then you may. I do not wish to be a burden though..."

The pony shook their head and opened the door for him.

"Not at all. Now please, do come in. If you want to surprise her then we must get moving."

They said as they began to walk away. Spike chuckled a small amount and began to follow, the large door closing behind him as he did so.

"Very well then, lead the way..."

Author's Note

This is a bit shorter than I had hoped but I don't quite know how I could expand this. Still, it's something I want to work on and I'm enjoying this even though it's a bit boring at times. I don't want to rush anything though and sometimes, a simple chapter can define a lot.

And if I could do anything better then please let me know. I'm always looking to improve.

A not so warm welcome

Spike looked at the large closed door in front of him. The pony that was guiding him had said that Twilight and all the others would be there and he nodded and let them head off to do their own thing. Part of him thought of how the two he had seen earlier had managed to get to the castle so quickly but he didn't question it. Rainbow was a fast flier and Pinkie could seemingly warp parts of reality to go where ever she pleased and that was a subject best left untouched for now. Perhaps it was similar to the way he could warp dreams... Perhaps...

He grumbled a few words to himself then reached forward to open the door but stopped himself. Why not use magic? Well, it ruined some of the fun so that could be a reason. He rolled his arms then stepped forward and opened the doors, walking forward as he did so. Maybe he could change his clothes. They cleaned themselves whenever he visited the dream but he could be due for a change and he was taking after Gehrman a bit too much. He chuckled to himself and continued forward.

Once the doors were open, he looked up and was surprised to see that none of the six had taken notice of him. He shook his head and listened to their conversation which was unsurprisingly about him.

"I'm telling you-" Twilight started. "-He's a Changeling! It doesn't make sense for him to return after so long! Spike wouldn't act like this either!"

She argued. AppleJack shook her head and let out a sigh, clearly exhausted from this. Fluttershy decided now would be a good time to speak.

"It doesn't make sense for a Changeling to imitate Spike though... Besides, they were reformed..."

The Pegasus said softly, seemingly not wanting to come off as rude. It was almost like she was trying to speak some sense into her while being friendly. Sadly, it was useless.

"Unless this Changeling isn't reformed!" Twilight countered, her hoof outstretched.

Everyone groaned.

"Come on Twilight! If it was a Changeling then they would have slipped up by Now!" Rainbow said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. The alicorn didn't seem to let up though and spoke again.

"Any ordinary Changeling would, but not Chrysalis!"

A few shocked gasps were heard and Spike facepalmed.

"Chrysalis knows what she did wrong last time so that means she would do everything she could to act properly, such as acting as a different Spike entirely! And not only that, but it would allow her to, to get close to us! She already has Celestia and Luna on her side! Imagine what she could do with the support of the crystal ponies! And everyone-"

Each and every word that Spike heard made him grow more and more agitated with the mare. She was being stupid... The evidence didn't point to Chrysalis at all and he finally had enough. He growled slightly and took his cane into both of his hands and brought it to the ground with enough force to make a loud crack resonate throughout the room. It wasn't heard over his shout though.

"Enough!"

The room grew silent and Spike steadily walked forward to Twilight who looked at him with fearful eyes.

"I have had enough of your foolish ideas and this pointless squabble!"

He said as he walked. He still had more to say though. Much more. Spike continued to yell as he approached, not caring about what anyone thought.

"If I wanted to take over this place then I could have done so easily! And why is it that when I return, you are not grateful!? I have suffered through eons of torment just so you could live! I have paid the ultimate price just so I could see you survive another day because I loved You! Couldn't you see that!?"

He waited for a response and but received none. His claws shook as he looked at her. He narrowed his eyes then opened his mouth again.

"Answer me, you blithering idiot! If you are the princess of friendship then why can't you see that I wish for nothing but to see the one I saw as my greatest friend survive!?"

His voice was full of anger. Not hatred but simply anger. An anger that every single one of them could feel. Starlight was watching from a doorway with wide eyes and a toothbrush in her mouth, confused and slightly unnerved. Finally, after what felt like a decade of silence, the alicorn spoke up, struggling with her words for a moment.

"I... I won't fall for your lies Chrysalis-"

"I am not Chrysalis! If I was then I would have trapped the princesses! I would have been feeding! I would have been doing everything to gain false trust! If I were Chrysalis then I wouldn't have attacked Luna as I did! If I were Chrysalis then I would not have seen reason! Can you not realize this?!"

Spike yelled, the fury in his voice not being withheld. He had cut her off and caused Twilight to become slightly fearful. He watched her closely and a part of him was disappointed with himself. He needed to have more control. He was better than this. He began to compose himself and his breathing slowed down. Soon enough he backed up from the shocked Twilight as Apple Jack spoke

"He had a point there sugarcube... even I know that Chrysalis would have done something by now..."

Fluttershy nodded from the back. Apparently, she had stopped hiding behind her mane. Twilight turned to them and then back to Spike, and then back to them confused.

"D-Don't tell me that your falling for it as well!" She cried.

They just looked at her as she tried to find something else to say. Rainbow even let herself land on her throne and sit.

"Well fine! I'll just... I don't know, bit if you want him to stay then go ahead! Just don't blame me when he becomes Queen Chrysalis!"

Nobody knew how to respond except for Spike who only did so with a small sigh that caused Twilight and the others to look at him. Everyone but Twilight saw the hurt that resided within his eyes. She didn't hear the hurt within his voice either even though he wasn't trying to hide it.

"Very well. I will retire for the night and leave you be. When I wake up I will leave the castle as well so you won't see me..."

With that, he began to head to the door of which Starlight stood in. After she stepped out of his way she looked to the others and saw them too stunned or confused to do anything. After looking to Spike and back to them she ran down the hall to follow Spike who had just rounded the corner. When she rounded it though, he was gone. Nothing was there and she began to run through the halls in search of him, calling his name in a concerned tone. A good friend always listened to their friends problems and she wanted to be a good friend to him because he clearly needed one. She just hoped that he would still be willing to converse with ponies after this.

Story Time! Sort of...

Author's Note

Hey everyone! I wanted to thank you guys for your comments and such. It does a lot and makes me feel incredibly happy. It even encouraged me to write more so thank you.

If you have any ideas then don't be afraid to let me know by the way! I'm always looking for ways to improve my story and add to it in a meaningful way. Love ya guys!

Story Time! Sort of...

Spike was sitting in the field of white flowers that resided within his dreamscape again, his eyes closed and his body at peace. Sadly, the same could not be said for his mind, which was racing with thoughts. Thoughts of what? Why the hunt of course. More specifically, the first hunt he ever partook in... He had been thinking about it quite a lot recently and not even he was sure as to why.

Perhaps he was asking himself some sort of question. Perhaps he was simply reliving his memories to remind himself of what type of creature he was. If that were the case then why? He still didn't know but with time he settled on one answer... He was punishing himself. He was doing it because he had almost snapped. Because he had somehow managed to become weak enough to let his emotions take hold.

That was one of the main rules as a hunter. To disregard emotion. It had come into use multiple times during his hunts and even outside of them. It allowed him to assess situations in a way that others wouldn't be able to. Without emotion, you were able to stare your nightmares directly in the eye and it allowed you to think in an unbiased manner. It even allowed you to forgo the titles of another and look at them as an equal which was one of his favorite things about lacking emotion.

His eyes cracked open and he slowly looked up at the moon from the position he sat in and then to the city beneath it. Perhaps he could explore the city of which he created? There was still a lot to explore after all, and since none of the pathways were blocked he could explore freely. He mentally shook his head and sighed. Dawn was approaching soon and he had promised that he would leave the castle. Technically he wasn't in the castle though so a little exploration couldn't hurt. Besides, he could teleport from the castle and to the town at any point so why should he rush?

Spike let himself stand up and approach the strange lantern once more. Once he knelt before it, he let his arm stretch out to it. The feeling was strange but he welcomed it as he always did. The world became dark and he soon arrived at his special city. It still needed a name... Lordran perhaps? No... It felt as if that was already tainted by something dark. He wanted something that was new and that had a feeling of life to it. He stood up and looked around a bit. Perhaps he could just call it The Lunar Wake. It sounded nice and he couldn't help but agree with the name more and more.

The smile that graced his lips was the brightest it had ever been as he began to walk through the open streets of his city. Tonight would last forever if he so willed it. And for several hours, he did. This realm was a gift to himself. It wasn't a bad thing to indulge himself either, was it? It probably wasn't, and if it was bad then he had done far worse.

He had lost track of time after an hour or so. He was just lost in his own tame excitement. He knew he should probably wake up though since he could recall somebody running after him before he vanished into his dreamscape. They were most likely worried about him if he guessed correctly. He sighed and closed his eyes with a small smile. At least tonight was peaceful.

After a few moments, he let his eyes open up to a small flash of green flame. It appeared that his little teleportation spell had worked and that he had managed to successfully travel from his dreamscape to his chosen point in reality. Now, he could go where he pleased and the one place he could think right now would be the Ponyville park. So it was there that he went.

As he traveled, he took note of ponies hat were glancing at him awkwardly. Thankfully these glances disappeared after a few seconds and he was quite happy with such a simple thing. Nobody had seemed afraid of him and nothing wanted to attack him. Except for the Cutie Mark Crusaders which promptly slammed into his back and rolled with him as he went forward several feet, only for him to land on his back with three exited fillies on top of him. Their unified shout of happiness made him smile.

"Spike!"

The dragon in question let out a jovial laugh as he sat up, setting the fillies aside as he did so. He could at least act happy. Maybe he'd trick himself into being happy

"Why hello you three! You've most definitely grown!"

By now some ponies were looking at the group and a few mutters were beginning to travel. Spike didn't seem to care as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Yep! And we won't stop for a long while!" Scootaloo chimed.

He chuckled a bit as he bent down and ruffled her mane.

"I believe it. Now, would you three care to tell me why you tackled me to the ground with extreme force?"

Spike asked, his smile not wavering in the slightest. Scootaloo squirmed out from under his claw and went to stand by the other two.

"Well, ah was kind of against it for a moment but the other two wanted to do it and I didn't want to be left out."

"So you joined them in a welcome-back-Spike cannonball?" Spike asked. The three nodded excitedly.

"Makes sense I suppose. Now, is there anything you'd like to do before I continue on my way? I'm headed to the park so I can relax a bit. I want to stay out of Twilights feathers so I'm off on my own."

Scootaloo was the first to speak up out of the three of them.

"Yeah! Why were you gone for so long? It's been ages since we saw you! Even Celestia was worried!"

Spike raised a brow and summoned his cane in a flash of green flame then began to lean on it a bit.

"Oh really? Interesting. But, I've been off on an adventure if you'd like to know. A dangerous adventure that I don't want to speak in detail about, but an adventure none the less."

A series of disappointed Aww's came from the three causing Spike to chuckle and ruffle Scootaloo's mane again.

"Don't worry. There is some stuff I can tell you about so you'll still have something to work off of."

"Really!?" The three asked in unison. He nodded once, still smiling even though he was slightly unsettled by how in sync they were.

"Really."

They looked at each other exited then looked up at him.

"Can you tell us a story now?" Sweetie Belle asked suddenly.

He placed a claw on his chin and let out a "Hmm" in mock thought. He placed it back on the cane and looked at them with a now genuine smile.

"Aw heck, I don't see why not. Come on, follow me to the park and I'll tell you about a dear friend of mine."

Another unified yay was given as well as a shout about them being "Cutie Mark Crusader story listeners" even though they had their cutie marks. A soft laugh came from him as he turned around and began to walk. He heard the scampering of some hooves as he walked forward, signifying that they were trying to catch up, which they did in a short moment.

He looked down to his right and saw Applebloom who was trotting with a cheerful pep in her step. To his left was Scootaloo who was doing the same. Then there was Sweetie Belle who was behind them. When he slowed down and stopped, he felt her bump into his leg and grew concerned when he turned and saw her on her rump. He gave her a worried look.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah! I was just thinking is all..."

He raised a brow and looked at her, clearly not buying it.

"About..?"

"Just about stuff really. Nothing I wanna talk about really."

He smiled and nodded. He was glad that she was honest like that.

"I can understand that. Would you like me to give you a horsey back ride so you can think as we travel?"

A nod and smile was the response he received so he bent down, picked her up, and set her on his shoulders which received a comment from Scootaloo.

"Hey, unfair!"

"Oh hush you, you can get a ride next time."

She looked as if she was going to reply but instead remained silent, satisfied with the promise of a ride. After a few feet or so of walking, the small farm pony beside him spoke up, albeit nervously.

"Uh, hey Spike? If Sweetie is gettin' a ride now, and Scoots is getting one next, does this mean that ahm third?"

"If you'd like. If not then you can pass."

He answered. He felt a soft nudge on his side and looked down to see a smiling Applebloom.

"Thanks Spike..."

He reached a claw down and ruffled her mane.

"Its nothing Applebloom."

They arrived at the park after a few more minutes of walking, the mood still bright between them all. After going over to a tree, he set Sweetie Belle down and sat against the tree with his legs crossed. The others sat down expectantly and Spike took a moment to take in his surroundings. There were a few families out here, some with young foals, and some with young adults. He even saw a few couples. One of them was a pegasus and an earth pony, and surprisingly, there was a unicorn and a wolf sitting on a bench. His smile became a bit brighter as he saw the unicorn blush after receiving a boop to the muzzle. It was truly a strange yet marvelous world he resided in.

This was a nice change of pace to be honest. Maybe he could do this some more. A small cough was heard from Scootaloo and he turned to the fillies once more.

"Oh! My apologies. I got lost in thought. Now, you wanted to hear a story, correct?"

They nodded with eager smiles.

"In that case, this may take a while. If you want, go grab a snack or do your business. I'll wait."

They didn't move.

"Alright then. In this case, allow me to tell a story. A story about an old friend of mine named... Gehrman..."

And that is where the story began. The story of how he hated the man who seemed so cold. How he eventually began to understand the man. Even how he began to take after the man and how when he passed, he honored his memory by fulfilling an oath he had sworn to him.

By the time the story ended, the sun had began to set and the others were looking somewhat tired, clearly forcing themselves to sit up. It would have taken longer if he didn't leave out the violence though. He left out a lot of things, to be honest. He left out the fact that Gehrman was the very first hunter of beasts and that the hunt existed. He left out the existence of beasts. How Gehrman had been enslaved by a great being known as the Moon Presence. Spike even left out the part where he killed him as an act of mercy. Perhaps when they were older he would retell the story. For now, he would tell them the good of his journey.

Right as his story came to an end, a series of rapid hoof steps came to him, causing him and the other three to turn to the source. Soon, they stopped and were replaced by some pony catching their breath.

"Heya Starlight! Spike was just telling us about a friend of his named Gehrman!"

Starlight looked up and smiled, still catching her breath.

"That's great Applebloom... Maybe I'll ask for him to tell me about them... For now though, I wanted to come ask if he's alright... I've been searching for him all day after all..." She said.

Spike stood up and he heard his joints pop. He stretched a bit as well and when he was done, he looked at the fillies and smiled a bit.

"If that's the case, you three should leave. I'm sure that she's tracked me down for something important. Plus its late..."

Several Aww's were heard once more.

"But I can stay up Spike. Besides... I don't need sleep."

Scootaloo said. She yawned right after and Spike shook his head. Fillies...

"Uhuh. I can stay up a while longer too!"

Sweetie chimed. Spike was about to speak up only to hear two thuds as the two speakers passed out. Applebaum was just staring at them in shock.

"Don't worry Applebloom. I'll get them home. You go ahead and rest."

"Thanks, Spike. Can we spend some time together tomorrow?"

He shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I want to help some ponies around town and find out what I've missed."

To his surprise, she was fine with that

"Alrighty. I'll see ya later then. G'night Spike."

She said as she stood up. He tipped his hat and smiled

"Goodnight Applebloom. Sleep well..."

He smiled and watched her walk off towards her home. Then he turned to the two fillies and hoisted them over his shoulders. Once that was done, he turned to a smiling and somewhat worried Starlight. He began to walk.

"Come along Starlight. If you wish to say something then now would be a good time."

She perked up and chased after him, only to walk beside him shortly after, not speaking for several moments. He decided to try again.

"So, what is it that you wanted Starlight?" He asked plainly. She gave a weak smile.

"Um... Well, I was wondering if you were alright after what happened. You seemed rather hurt."

He nodded as he walked onto the pathway.

"That I did. And yes, I am alright Starlight. I am still hurt by what was said but there is nothing I can do."

When he spoke, she seemed a bit uneasy from this as they walked. It felt as if he wasn't being honest. It was getting darker now as well so that only added to the feeling of worry.

"Alright. Well, if you're alright then that's good. If you ever need to talk though, I'm more than willing to listen..."

"Thank you Starlight. Now, you wouldn't happen to know where Scootaloo lives do you?"

"Oh, I know. I can lead you there if you'd like." She asked hopefully. He shook his head and dismissed her.

"No thank you. Directions are all I need."

"Oh... In that case, take a left on the next path. It'll be the seventh house on the right."

Spike nodded.

"Thank you. You may go do your own thing now."

She nodded and slowed down a bit until Spike turned the corner. She probably should have tried more... Spike, on the other hand, was thankful she didn't try more. He just wanted to get these two home and go rest. So he did. He sped up his pace a small bit and walked forward and took the left. After that, he counted houses and set Scootaloo on the correct doorstep. After knocking, he walked away and began to head to the Carousel Boutique. Once he arrived, he repeated the same process and walked off into the night, only to be engulfed once more by a flash of green flame...

Another Day Comes

Farm work.

It builds muscle, keeps you healthy, and manages to keep you occupied when bored. AppleJack would know this cause she does this sort of work every day. The rest of the Apple family would know this as well since they all did farm work at some point in their life.

Something else that they knew? That working too much wasn't healthy. You need to relax and take a break sometimes. And for AppleJack now was one of those times.

There was a nice little apple juice box in hoof, a Stetson hat that was tilted enough to block out the afternoon sun upon her head, and a calm satisfied yet proud look on her face as she leaned against the apple tree she had come to find as her favorite.

Nothing could ruin this moment for her. Not even an approaching dragon that was wearing a set of clothing which looked incredibly similar to what Spike wore. Why? Because she knew that was Spike. She also knew that since he was walking, he meant no harm.

Her eyes opened a bit more and she looked up as she set the juice box aside. She gave him a friendly tip of the hat as he approached and sat up some more.

"Howdy Spike! What brings you here?" She asked as he arrived.

Her eyes were drawn to his cane as it came onto the soft ground below. It looked like it could do with a good polishing and the more she looked at it, the more she seemed to imagine what it would look like. She mentally shrugged the thought away and looked up at Spike who was closer now.

"Not much. I'm simply wishing to check up on you to see if you need any help. Besides, It would be nice to catch up after all this time." He explained.

She couldn't help but smile as she stood up to look at him more clearly.

"That sounds mighty fine then. Sadly, ah don't have any more work that needs to be done so you can't help me with anything."

For some reason, this brought a small smile to Spikes' face and she felt a bit better.

"In that case-" He started "-Would you mind catching me up on what I've missed?"

Now it was her turn to smile a bit more.

"Not at all. Come on inside the house and I'll tell ya." She said.

With those simple words now said, she turned to the house and looked back to Spike, waiting for him to signal that he was ready to follow. He simply smiled and spoke his simple response.

"Very well. Lead the way AppleJack."

She shook her head a small bit from the way he spoke and began to walk, her smile staying and not daring to falter. It was somewhat amusing that he was being so formal. It was also slightly concerning. When she knew Spike he was just a little drake who had a love for gems and comic books. Now he was formal enough to go to one of those fancy high up parties in Canterlot and blend right in. Did he know that she was alright with him not being formal? She should probably remind him...

"You can just call me AJ Spike. No need for being formal here. 'Sides, we're family and I'd rather be treated as an equal. Not as some fancy pony up in Canterlot." She reasoned.

"Very well AJ. Now, since we're walking, why don't you fill me in on what I've missed? I'm sure there's a lot that I'm not aware of and I trust that you'll fill me in on all that I've missed."

"Of course. Is there anything you'd like me to start off with?" She asked.

She had turned to face him when his footsteps increased and was somewhat surprised that he was beside her now. To say that his height wasn't at least somewhat intimidating would be a lie but she kept that to herself.

"Perhaps we could start with what my... Disappearance caused? I heard that Celestia issued a search for me."

She nodded a bit as they approached the house. It was a good place to start and she actually knew most of what happened quite well.

"Alright, sounds good." She said as she went up and opened the door.

"Here, go on inside and ah'll get ya something to drink."

He tipped his hat and entered the house. He had to duck under the door frame a bit and she found it somewhat amusing.

"As you wish AppleJack." He said.

She watched him go take a seat on the floor, sitting cross-legged with his cane on his lap. Once she shrugged her thoughts about him using her full name away, she went inside, shut the door, and went to the fridge to pull out some apple juice. After she grabbed two mugs from the pantry for said juice, she began to debate on whether or not to bring out some cider as well. She perked her ears up and listened for AppleBloom...

And she listened some more... Almost a minute had passed now and there was nothing. Just to be safe, she spoke up.

"AppleBloom?" She called loudly up the stairs.

She didn't get a response so she smiled. She wouldn't have to worry about a pestering filly who wanted their first sip of cider if she grabbed some for her and Spike it seemed.

She went over to a floorboard and lifted it up to reveal her cider stash. It had some light stuff mainly but underneath it, she had a special thing of AppleJack-Daniels, a cider that was reserved for special occasions. This wasn't one of them though so she grabbed two small bottles of light cider and went over to the glasses only to pour them. Once she quickly washed the bottles, she put them back and brought the mugs to the table.

"Sorry ah took so long Spike. Ah was debating on getting ya some cider or not and since Apple Bloom ain't here, ah figured I could. Besides, you're old enough for a drink ain'tcha?" AppleJack asked as she slid him the mug. He took the drink in his grasp with a smile. It had a light froth on it, just like hers.

"That I am AJ."

He said as he raised his glass

"That I am..."

He promptly took a sip from it after speaking and didn't seem to care that it was a light drink. When he set it down, the smile on his face seemed to stay. It was more of a satisfied one though and was more calm somehow. AppleJack herself had decided to join him in a small drink from her mug. She set it down as he did and shared the smile.

"So. How should we do this? A question for a question?" She asked.

Spike nodded once. He seemed to be thinking for the second he waited before speaking up.

"Yes. But if there are questions that I don't wish to answer, then I won't. You can ask a question in its place though." Spike informed her.

She nodded to him and her smile went from satisfied to understanding in a few moments. The air around them seemed to become less dense as well, as if a barrier had been lifted from between the two.

"I getcha. Now, do you still want that answer as to what happened when you were gone?"

"Indeed I do. And I trust that you'll only leave out unimportant things?"

"Yep. Now, ah don't quite know what Twilights first reaction was, but I can tell ya that it was most likely fear and panic. I think you'd like to know the more important things though, wouldn't ya?" She asked.

Spike was taking a sip of cider when she asked the question and when he was done, he responded with a nod.

"I would like that very much. More specifically what my disappearance triggered. I'm sure that the Crystal Empire was in disarray no doubt?" He questioned, a smirk tugging at his lips.

AppleJack smiled a bit more and spoke up.

"They were the most worried about you by a long shot Spike. When word got out that you were missin', they were the first to start looking. Besides Twilight and the others of course."

Spike couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Really?" He asked with a shake of his head. "I had a feeling that was the case."

AppleJack just smiled. She didn't know why it was entertaining enough to make him chuckle.

"Now, I believe it's your turn to ask a question. I don't want to give you a question that would take ages to answer after all and I could probably just ask... Well, Luna mainly. Either her or Celestia." He explained.

AppleJack nodded and hid her curiosity of his pause behind a sip of cider, hoping he wouldn't see through the small act. If he did then he didn't show it as her mug was set down.

"Alright. Now, since it's my turn, where'd ya get your cane? It seems nice and although it could do with a good cleanin' It still looks good."

He looked at his cane then lifted it up and onto the table by the handle.

"This old thing?" He said as he set it down.

She nodded and looked at it. She could almost see a strange pattern in it.

"Well, it was a gift from a friend. Nothing more really."

"Are ya sure?" She asked as she leaned closer to it.

"Yep. Now, just cause I'm curious, how's Granny Smith doing?"

The words seemed to act as some sort of bait that AppleJack fell for easily.

"Oh, Granny Smith?" She asked as she came back.

It was just now that she realized she had been pulled away from the topic of his cane. She almost sighed from her defeat but didn't and continued speaking. She'd ask about it later. It could be a sensitive subject though so maybe she should leave it be... Yeah, she probably should. Maybe she could focus on the subject at hoof. Which she did.

"Well, she's still alive and kickin' that's for sure. Just yesterday she tore into Big Mac for workin' too hard again." She said with a chuckle.

Spike seemed to smile, almost looking relieved for some reason.

"That's great then. I'd like to talk to her at some point if I could. Do you think I could stop by on Saturday?" He questioned.

"Sure thing Spike. Ah'll let her know. Now, since you just asked a second question, I'll go ahead and ask two as well."

Spike opened his mouth to reply to that but could only let out a small breath and roll his eyes with a smile. She could tell he was confused for a second.

"Alright then. Ask away." He told her with a smile.

AppleJack gladly took the opportunity and did as such, her expression turning from a happy one to one of thought. What should she ask? Maybe she could ask about Gehrman? AppleBloom seemed to be talking about them a lot when she came home. She almost dismissed the thought but couldn't. She was curious and couldn't help herself. The clink of a mug being set down brought her away from her thoughts, causing her to speak up as she looked at Spike.

"Well, when AppleBloom came home she was talking all about this Gehrman fella. Could you tell me who they were?" She asked.

Spike's smile almost faltered. Was he nervous about something? It could be the case but she wasn't quite sure. A few seconds had passed and then an answer came from Spike.

"He was my mentor of you will. A kind old man who was too selfless for his own good to be honest. I'd rather not go into details right now though. Now, second question?" He asked plainly, clearly attempting to dismiss the subject

She almost frowned a bit. It was clear he wasn't telling her something but she wouldn't pry. Besides, the next question she had would probably be more than enough.

"Alright... Uh, so this might be ah bit of a sensitive subject but where were ye if I might ask? It's been three years and I'm curious. Ya dont have to answer though. Ah don't wanna force ya into anything uncomfortable." She reasoned.

For almost three minutes there was silence and AppleJack began to worry. Had she overstepped her boundaries? Maybe she went too far? She didn't know but she was nervous enough that it showed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity for her, there was a sigh that broke the silence.

"If you must know AppleJack, my disappearance landed me in a place known as Yharnam. It's a beautiful yet horrid place that Rarity would love if she could ever see the good of it." He told her.

AppleJack's ears perked up as she listened. What did he mean by horrid yet beautiful?

"How so?"

Spike raised a brow, not understanding what she meant.

"How so what?"

"How is it ugly and beautiful?"

He thought for a moment and his smile faded into an empty expression. He took the mug of cider and raised it to his mouth, only to take a decent sip and set it back down with a clink. A sigh escaped him as he did so. Not one that signified a good drink though. It was a sigh of nervousness if you will.

"AppleJack... How good are you with violence?" He asked casually.

The question was too calmly asked and she grew concerned. She didn't know what to say so she thought back to her times with violence, grasping for any understanding that she could. She had been in a lot of fights before. They were mock ones and were just simple self-defense things but she still did so that could count as violence. Sometimes she had to patch up AppleBloom from a stunt as well so she could handle blood. Not a lot but she still could. She came to a conclusion after a few moments.

"Well, I'd like to think that I'm quite alright with it." She answered, "Why'd ya ask?"

Spike snapped his fingers and a tiny ring of fire traveled outwards and faded into nothing.

"I ask you because my story is incredibly violent AJ. Very violent."

She raised a brow and dismissed his magical action from before.

"Can you give me an example?" She asked.

She didn't quite believe him. Violence in Equestria wasn't really heard of so the most she was expecting was some simple fighting. She wanted to be sure though and she grew even more nervous from his look as he listened.

"Very well. You want an example, no? Because I can avoid this topic entirely if you want." Spike said.

She didn't know what to say. She still wanted answers though so she spoke up again.

"I think ah can handle it..."

Another sigh escaped him and he shook his head.

"Alright. Then here, I want you to imagine that you are walking into Canterlot, the moon shining brightly in the sky and the air being still as you walk. Then I want you to imagine the scent of blood rushing to you and as you look around, you see corpses of beasts and pony alike scattered across the streets. Then you continue forward and you see a mob of ponies, some holding torches but most holding crudely shaped weapons as they gather around a pile of corpses with a burning wooden stake coming up from its center, a beast strapped to it all the while. You can hear the crackling of the fire and begin to question if it is coming from the beast or the wood. Then as you approach it, they all turn to you, collapsed pupils and deformed faces. Without hesitation, they begin to try and kill you, no strategy. Just brute force... And then, you die because you saught the truth."

AppleJack was at a loss for words. She thought she couldn't feel sick but this? This caused her to feel as such. She almost threw up because she had imagined it so realistically. Spike continued to speak after a few moments.

"That is what Yharnam was like AppleJack. Dark, gritty, and horrible..."

She struggled for words. He was surely joking with her, right? She looked to his eyes, trying to read him and tell if it was a lie. Instead, she only saw pain and truth.

"But... But why? What would even cause that?" She asked in a confused tone.

She wasn't sure how else to respond. Is that what Yharnham was like? He said that it was beautiful! A small grim chuckle came from Spike and she almost shivered from it.

"Greed of course." He told answered. "The greed of man and the lust they have for power."

Her mind began racing with even more questions as soon as she processed what he said. Because of all of this though, she couldn't find a question she wanted to ask. She didn't know how to find one out of the many she had.

"Now, it is my turn to ask a question and I intend to do as such, and to lighten the mood, how is Apple Bloom doing?" He asked, clearly attempting to move on.

AppleJack had spaced out for a few moments in thought, her mind still processing everything until it finally came to processing what he said. Her head jerked up and looked at him.

"What was that Spike?" She said sheepishly as she raised a hoof to scratch the back of her neck. "Ah got lost in thought..."

"I asked you how AppleBloom was doing." He repeated to her.

"Oh, her? She's doing alright. Ah think she might have her first crush which is kinda cute." She said with a small smile.

Spike seemed to smile a bit as well and it could only make hers grow. Somehow after experiencing whatever that horrible Yharnam place threw at him, he still had enough of a heart to smile at a simple crush.

"Oh really? Do you know who it is?" He asked curiously.

AppleJacks smile only grew. She knew exactly who it was. She leaned forward a bit and Spike did as well.

"Well, don't tell AppleBloom that ah know, but it's most definitely ButtonMash." She said in a whisper.

Spike raised a brow but was still smiling.

"Her? My, I didn't think such a thing." He said somewhat loudly.

Her? But ButtonMash was a colt? She opened her mouth to correct him but stopped when she saw Apple Bloom out of the corner of her left eye. Spike was a sly drake indeed...

"Yep. Could be wrong though." She told him with a larger smile.

A relieved-looking younger sister was off to the side, clearly eavesdropping. Spike seemed to catch her though. Did he change the subject because she was here? No. She didn't react to him speaking about Yharnam so she had to of arrived shortly after the subject changed. Spike stretched and looked out the window then grabbed his mug and stood up.

"I'm gonna go ahead and get some more cider. Do you want some AppleJack?" He asked as he walked over to the kitchen.

By the time he stood up she heard AppleBloom scamper up stairs.

"No thanks Spike. Ah'd like to continue the conversation though." She told him with a smile.

She could see Spike rinsing out his cup.

"Alright. That sounds like a good idea I suppose. I'd like to leave within the next two hours though. I plan on spending some time in the park before the sun goes down." Spike said as he dried his mug.

She saw him set it in the cupboard right afterwards and then watched him walk back into the room and sit down.

"Alright. Now, where were we?" She asked with a small smile.

After that, the two had seemed to connect even more and AppleJack had learned some things about him. Don't ask about his past because its apparently violent. Also, he seemed to enjoy the cider because it was sweet to him. There was also the fact that his cane was special to him and although he didn't need it, he always kept it nearby for some reason. Comfort perhaps? She shook her head and dismissed the thought. It wasn't her place to delve into such sensitive matters.

When the time came for Spike to leave, he did so politely and quietly. He cleaned up a bit, assisted AppleBloom with a drawing for tomorrow, and then left. Part of her was saddened that he left but she could always invite him tomorrow. If she could find him that was. Maybe she would be lucky enough to find him under an apple tree or something... Eh, probably not.

Author's Note

Hey! I'm sorry this has been forever but I kept trying to write past five thousand words. I decided to let it end off here though so I could continue. I may came back and amp it up some though.

And hey! Who would you like Spike to visit next? Rarity? Rainbowdash? Fluttershy? PinkiePie? The cakes? Or would you like a chapter that's devoted to himself? Let me know. Really. I'll listen.

The first chapter

Twilight Sparkle was beyond terrified of what stood in the center courtyard. Ahead of her and the mane six was a figure who looked so familiar yet distant. This figure was Spike.

She was baffled though! How had he returned?! She opened her mouth to speak but her voice was weak and nervous. "Spike?"

She sounded pitiful...

No longer was he a short chubby dragon no, because this dragon was intimidating and tall. Garbed in a black hat along with a brown leather jacket and trousers, as well as a tattered mantle and a scarf he stood. What was most strange though was that one if his legs was missing, and in its place, a peg leg which he used to turn away from the bright moon and face the voice that had spoken.

Twilight, Rarity as well as the others froze from the blank expression that Spike wore. Some if them spoke, nervous and afraid.

"Sp-Spike? Is that you?"

"Darling?"

Yet nothing happened as he slowly walked to them and the others, the limp in his step because of his wooden leg visible. They didn't move as he approached and were thus pushed away as he quickened his pace and split through them and towards one pony in particular.

Luna.

He went up to her and quickly grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground in a single motion. A cold and deep voice was heard before anybody could dare speak. Not even Celestia attempted to make a move, too shocked and surprised that her surrogate child possessed the strength to lift her sister with but a hand.

"You..."

They all took a step back.

"You did this to me..."

Luna drew in a breath

"Wh-What?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say since she was immediately thrown into the ground with enough force to cause her to skid along it.

"Don't you play games with me you monstrosity!"

He yelled, his voice full of sudden rage and anger. Only Celestia was able to pick out the emotion of pain from his voice. He quickly limped over and moved his hands like he held a weapon. A weapon appeared in a wreath of green fire and was pressed to her throat.

"You know fully well what you have done and I will not be toyed with!"

He cried out once more as he pressed the blade closer thus causing Luna to pull herself back from it.

"We do not know what thou means! What have we done to you?"

She said as she looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. Spike didn't seem to care. He let out a yell and in a swift yet sudden movement had slammed his scythe down upon the soil of which she laid. Or had previously laid. She had teleported away and was on her hooves backing up further onto the court yard. Spike slowly began to follow, breathing heavily and limping on his peg leg as he did. He was interrupted by a shout from behind. It was Celestia.

"Spike! Whatever it is that has happened you must not fight over it! We can speak about this!"

He stopped in his tracks and faced towards Luna, watching her intently while listening to Celestia.

"And how is that Celestia? How can you negotiate with a monster?" He spat with venom clear in his voice.

"You can't, but Luna isn't a monster. You can speak with her."She answered him.

There was silence after that and everybody seemed to become relieved. Luna even stopped backing up and spoke.

"Spike, we are deeply sorry for whatever misery we have caused to thou but please allow us to speak of it. Please tell us what we have done..."

A sigh was heard and soon after that, a chuckle. A chuckle that seemed to echo across the court yard like the laughter of death when an immortal had been slain.

"Do you really need me to voice your horrendous crimes aloud? Have you truly blinded yourself from the pain and misery of which you have caused? All the lives you have ended just because it would help you and your "special little ponies?"

He asked with a smile. He seemed to think that it was rather silly for some reason. PinkiePie didn't understand the joke nor did the others.

"What's he laughing at?" The pink mare asked curiously. She didn't get a reply at all and Spike just continued.

"Tell me... why did you do it Luna?"

He asked as he looked to her after he recovered from his bout of chuckling.

"Why did you remove all the evil of your special dream realm and send it to a separate plane of existence? Did you think that the plane was meaningless? That that realm didn't matter? That it would survive on it's own and prosper to become something great?"

He asked as he took another step towards her. Everybody was listening to his words carefully. What did he mean by any of that? Their thoughts were thrown away when he continued to speak to the fearful Luna who was beginning to back up again.

"Well? What is it then Luna? What was your reasoning..?"

The sound of Spikes breathing was the only noise that was heard as he waited for his answer. Spike hadn't moved nor had anybody for what felt like several hours until a voice was heard by them all.

"Luna... no matter what you do I will always have it in my heart to forgive you. If Spike wants an answer then please give it to him." Celestia told her.

Luna gulped and looked back to Spike who hadn't moved his gaze or even a muscle.

"Spike... we... we believed nothing would come of it... We thought that it wouldn't effect anything... to hear that our actions have caused this much strife hurts us so but please... forgive us. We didn't think of the consequences at the time. We were foolish young Spike. Allow us to learn."

More silence met the group but soon enough Spike had managed to speak.

"Very well."

His weapon disappeared into nothingness and Luna looked visibly relieved as did the others.

"But do know that the cycle of death still runs and that it is impossible to end it on your own accord. The punishment of knowing that their pain is as eternal as your life will be enough of a price to pay."

Those words caused a look of guilt to slowly take form upon her face and the others to grow saddened and confused. He didn't allow them to speak though as he released a breath and looked to the moon once more.

"Celestia?"

She turned her head towards the dragon who had spoken.

"I beleive it is time to raise the sun. And might I ask for a room? You told me there would always be one for me if I ever needed it."

He stated. Celestia was snapped back to reality and spoke up.

"Y-Yes. I'll call for somebody to escort you to your room"

"My thanks but there is no need. And Luna?"

He turned to her and she looked at him sadly.

"I do not want your forgiveness. Only for you to learn from this and make it up to those who have suffered"

He told her. With that he turned and began to walk off, the others moving out of his way as he entered through the doors and into the castle.