Author's Note

Just in case you didn't go back, please read chapter 3 once more for me, will you? I've made two small edits(Particularly in the main 6's roads) that will come in handy for you later. Thanks, and enjoy!

Trick 3.5: Destiny

'Hmm, the flame road...' Spike lay in his bed, thinking over the events of the previous day. 'Compared to that, my life seems so slow now. So tedious and boring. But there's a world out there for me, all my own. I've seen it. And i'll see it again...'

"SPIKE!" yelled a voice.

Spike nearly jumped through the ceiling with how loud that yell was.

"C-coming, Twi!" Spike jumped out of bed and rushed to get dressed, barreling down the stairs like an enraged manticore all the while. Once he was down stairs he made his way to where he thought the voice had come from. He started with the kitchen only to see...

"Twilight, are you cooking?"

Twilight gave Spike a glance before going back to the meal she was preparing. "Yep! I know I told you couldn't have dinner last night, but I decided that I was maybe being a little too harsh on you. So I decided to make up for it by making you breakfast! Eggs and bacon, and pancakes, oh my!" Twilight giggled at her own joke. "Though my pancakes will never be as good as yours."

Spike had to pinch himself to check if he was dreaming. Twilight was cooking just for him? It was too good to be true.A big grin spread across his face as he imagined scenario after scenario of how this could play out. Twilight feeding him his food as he sat there at the table, a kiss exchange, awkwardly romantic atmosphere leading up to a confession, and then...

"Hey, there, Spike!" The younger sibling was brought out of his thoughts by a push from behind, which made him fall over.

"Ugh..." Spike looked up from his position on the ground only to see... "Rainbow Dash?"

"Oh, that's right! I hope you don't mind, Spike. Since I was making breakfast, I thought i'd invite the rest of the girls so we could spend the morning together."

Spike was left to watch as all five girls flooded into their home. 'I knew it was too good to be true.'

"C'mon, Rainbow, please?" Spike was on his knees, begging and pleading with Rainbow Dash, comical tears coming out of his eyes.

"Nope! Sorry, big guy. You broke Twilight's A.M.s, and you think i'm just gonna let you do the same to mine? I love you, man, but nope!" Rainbow Dash said, reclining back with her hands behind her head and her feet on the table.

"Rainbow Dash, people are eating! Put your feet down, that's bad manners!" Rarity said while giving her friend a disapproving look.

Rainbow immediately complied. "Oh, yeah, um...Sorry, Rares."

Rarity smiled at her."It's quite alright, darling. Just...do try to be more careful, alright?"

"I gotcha. Will do." Rainbow gives a mock salute and a wink.

Rarity sighs and shakes her head, still smiling. "What am I going to do with you?"

Meanwhile, Spike has moved on to ask Apple Jack. "Please, AJ. You have to let me borrow some parts.I promise i'll pay you back."

Apple Jack simply shakes her head. "No, I don't have to let you borrow some. And i'm not going to. Ya can't pay me for 'em either. I'm sorry, Spike, but, ya have ta shoulder the consequences of your actions. Not only did ya go off on your own and not tell Twilight anything, ya went behind her back and stole her A.M.s, using 'em without permission. And then ya broke 'em. And that's not even mentioning the fact that you nearly got yourself killed, jumping off of Canterlot Mountain like that."

"Aww, but-"

"No buts, Spike. A no is a no."

He went over to Fluttershy. "Surely you'll help me right, Flutters?"

"I really am sorry, Spike, but, Apple Jack's right. You need to learn you lesson. So you can't use my parts. I'm sorry."

He looked over to Rarity. She looked away. "Sorry, darling, but I have to agree. We were so worried about you. Maybe a few days without them will help you to learn to take better care of things, especially when those things belong to someone else."

His last hope. Gone. He slumped back in his chair, thinking about all the things he was missing out on. But then he remembered something. There was one more person he could ask.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie-!"

He didn't even get to ask before she cut him off, twirling around like a ballerina across his vision. She spoke in a sing song voice as she said, "Sorry, Charlie!~"

This was it. He was done. His first taste of the world of A.M.s and it was over, just like that. He slowly rose to his feet, his head down, staring at the floor as he walked away, his plate in his hand. He placed it in the sink after raking off all the food particles he had left behind, and proceeded to his room, walking slowly. His dream was dead. And it would remain that way. From now until the end of time.

He made his way upstairs to his room, opened the door, and slowly closed it shut, locking it.

The six friends watched the whole display from the breakfast table. Rainbow spoke up. "Ya know, maybe if we-"

"No, Rainbow. He has to learn not to go doin' stuff like that." Apple Jack said.

Rainbow Dash looked around at all of her friends. They appeared to share AJ's postion on the matter, although Fluttershy was hiding behind her green hoodie. She sighed. "Fine. I'll leave him be." She continued eating her food, her mind stuck on just what Spike would do now that his dream was gone, and how he would see them all, knowing that they were the ones who took it away.

Later that day, Spike still hadn't even left his room. He was too busy curling up into a ball and crying. How could they take his dream away like that? Who were they to steal his wings away from him, the only things that he'd ever wanted?

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he locked that door, but he didn't care. He was now sitting on the balcony, looking out at the night sky. The sky was always so pretty at night. The moon, too, with how it shone down on all those who dared take a single step outside, blessing them and offering it's protection. He felt that Princess Luna was keeping an eye on all her little subjects, just milling about throughout the day, unaware of the dangers they could be in. He could just stay up here and stare at that moon for all eternity. At least, that's what it felt like to him now. He had nowhere to go after all, nothing to do, not dream to chase, so why not stay here forever, and stare at the stars? He had only had just a taste, a single bite of freedom, of the world was like outside Twilight's castle, and then it was ripped away. he felt like a part of him was missing now. A deep, integral part of his being. There was a hole there now, in it's place, and he knew it would likely never be filled, not without-

"Spike?"

What was that? Was someone calling him?

"Spike? Are you there?"

Someone was calling him! But, who was it?

"Spike, open the door! I need to talk to you."

Spike got up, dusted himself off, and walked toward the door. "I'm coming!" He answered back. He put his hand to the doorknob and opened the door, slowly.

Who he saw there, shocked him.

"Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash still couldn't get Spike out of her head. He had been devastated. How could everyone be so cold and unforgiving towards him? How could she have been that way? She thought they were doing the right thing. Making him see the mistake he made in lying to Twilight. But when she saw the look on his face, she was horrified. They had taken away his wings, and she had been a part of it.

They were currently at Sugar Cube Corner, having spent a large part of the day just hanging out and doing things like shopping, and partying, and traveling. They had taken a trip to Manehattan to go sightseeing once again and meet some old friends. No matter how many times they saw it, Manehattan always seemed to amaze them over and over. All except for Rainbow Dash, who had been a little down ever since leaving the castle.

Her friends must have noticed her condition, because soon, Rarity was calling out to her. "Rainbow, darling? Whatever is the matter? You can't still be thinking about Spike, could you?"

Rainbow sighed. "How could I not? We did something terrible to him and called it a 'punishment'. He's probably somewhere in the castle bawling his eyes out."

Rarity gave a small laugh."Rainbow, dearest, you worry too much. I'm sorry but I don't think taking away his toys will make him cry. He's too old for that. He's probably just pouting in his bed, screaming obscenities or throwing his pillow. He'll be fine."

"Rarity, you don't understand..." Rainbow said, her voice going low. Rarity had to strain slightly to hear her. But then, the fashionista mare said something unforgivable.

"Ha! What's there to understand, darling? It's just another case of a child having a tantrum. He'll be right as rain in the morning."

"I wasn't." Rarity had to strain even harder to hear her friend. "I-i'm sorry, dear. I'm afraid I couldn't hear you that time. What was that you said?"

"I SAID I WASN'T, OKAY?" Rainbow yelled, slamming her hands on the table and standing up, causing Rarity to flinch back and all attention to turn to them. Good thing it was only Twilight and her friends in tonight.

Rarity righted herself in her seat, and tried to calm her friend. "Rainbow, please... you're loud."

"I'll be as loud as I want you little-" Rainbow tried to say, but was cut off by Apple Jack.

"Now, hold on, there, Sugar Cube. No one's throwing any names around."

"Aj's right, Rainbow. What's going on with you tonight?" It was Twilight this time. She came over to touch Rainbow, but just before she could lay even a single finger on her friend's shoulder, she was shoved away.

"Don't touch me!" Rainbow yelled. Twilight looked visibly hurt. She stepped back, and looked away.

"Rainbow, please. What's wrong?" She said.

The multicolored girl took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Then she sat down, and looked at all of her friends. This...was gonna be painful. "I'm sorry. It's just that...none of you get it."

"Get what, Dashie?" Pinkie asked, looking worried for her friend.

"None of you understand what Spike is going through. None of you understand what it's like to lose your dream. To have it shattered right in front of you."

"Then make us understand, Rainbow. Show us. Tell us what you mean." Twilight came back in for another try at comforting Rainbow. She held on to her arm, rubbing gently, in soothing circles.

This seemed to help, as Rainbow sighed again, this time looking much more relaxed and calm. When she spoke, it was with an even tone. "Do you guys know the story of Spitfire?"

"Rainbow Dash?" Spike said, shocked.

"That's right. It's me, kiddo." Rainbow said as she stood just outside the door, which Spike promptly closed in her face not a second later.

"Wait! Spike, please!" Rainbow's yell was muffled by the door.

"Go away!" Spike yelled back in anger. He didn't wanna see her right now. He didn't wanna see any of them right now. He had had enough of them to last a lifetime as far as he was concerned.

"I'm not here to make you feel worse! I just wanna talk! I promise, okay?" Rainbow was getting desperate at this point.

There was no way all she wanted to do was talk. She was probably lying, so she could come in and rub it in his face.

"I...I don't believe you," Spike said.

Rainbow sighed once again. She was getting really good at that now. "Look, man. I don't know what to say to make you believe me, so just open the door and i'll show you instead."

He didn't want to believe her. He didn't want to think she could be trusted. He hated her. She was the first one to shoot down his dream, save Twilight herself. But at the same time, he couldn't do it. He couldn't not trust her. He had grown too close to her for that. And so he found himself getting back up, and opening the door again...

Only to be enveloped in a big hug. He didn't say anything, and neither did she. All they did was stand there, basking in each other's warmth. Until finally, she let him go.

"What was that for?" Spike asked. But then he looekd into her eyes. She was crying.

"I'm...sorry, Spike. I'm so, so, sorry. I...we, took away your dream. We ripped apart your world before you could even begin to experience life and threw you out into the cold and we are so, so sorry."

Spike huffed and turned his back to her. "Too late for that now isn't it? I already can't use them anymore."

"I know, Spike, and we are so, so sorry for what we did to you. We just don't know how to make it up to you." Rainbow held her head down in shame.

"You can start by telling me what you're doing here. If all of you are so sorry, then where are the rest of the girls to give their apologies?" Spike challenged.

"I volunteered to be the one to speak for everyone." Rainbow answered, sniffling.

"Oh? And why is that?" Spike asked, wondering why she would volunteer to fix something when she was the first to refuse him his dream.

"Because...because I know what you're going through." she answered.

"Explain." was all Spike said as he crossed his arms.

"Okay, but-" Rainbow was cut off

"But what?" Spike asked, suspicious of her.

"Can I come in first?"

Spike considered this, and then moved out of the way of the door to let her in. He closed the door after her and watched her for a while.

Rainbow made her way over to the balcony, and sat down, looking up at the stars like Spike had been doing. "Back when I first started A.M.s, I was young. Around your age, Spike. I was the same way you are now. Hopeful. excited, full of life."

Spike simply joined her on the balcony, listening to her story.

"I loved my life with everything I had. My parents, my home, my friends. It was all just perfect. Then, came A.M.s I remember the first time I ever saw a pair being used. It was in a performance done by the Wonderbolts, a famous magic rider team lead by the one I would soon know as the current Flame queen, Spitfire. Watching her flames burn the very road she ran on was like watching a magic show with real wizards on the stage."

Spike continued listening.

"From that day forward, A.M.s became my world. I wanted nothing more than to get my hands on a pair of those skates. And when I finally did, I was so excited. 'I can finally be just like Spitfire', I told myself. I practiced day in and day out, over and over, nonstop until I was sure I was good enough. Until I was sure that Spitfire would notice me. But then..."

"But then?" Spike asked, his interest piqued now.

"It was then that it was all taken away from me. On the day I went to meet her, I was one of the fans to get a chance to get her autograph. I went backstage after one of her teams' performances was over. Now that I think about I can still clearly remember I was shaking in my shoes the whole time, I was so excited. She pulled out a picture of herself and grabbed a pen. Then she signed it and handed it over to me. I was so excited I nearly fainted. Then I asked the million dollar question.

'Excuse me, miss Spitfire? C-could I...join your team?' I was so nervous I could barely get a word out. And that's when it all came crashing down around me, because as I asked that question, everything went quiet. There wasn't a sound to be heard anywhere near the Wonderbolts' panel room.

Spitfire looked at me critically, her eyes boring into mine as if searching for something that only she could see. She got out of her chair and stood in front of me. She was glaring at me now, and I was one hundred percent sure she was gonna call security. But then, she did something much, much worse. She looked me dead in the eye, grabbed my shirt to bring me closer to her, put me back down, and said, in a chillingly serious tone I'd never heard her use even once on TV, 'This isn't your road. You can't join us.'

I was crushed. The only thing I had ever wanted had been ripped away from me. After everything I did, everything I trained for, everything I spent my entire life waiting and hoping for, my dream was gone, just like that.

Spike looked absolutely horrified. "So what did you do?"

Rainbow smiled at that question. "I did the only thing I could do. I trained. I trained, and trained and trained and trained. I devoted my life to A.M.s. I was determined to make Spitfire reconsider. For two years I trained as hard as I could, going back and showing off to her, desperately hoping for her approval. But every time. I was shot down. And then, one day, when I came back for what would be the last time, she finally told me."

"Told you what? What did she say?!"

Rainbow giggled. "Relax, Spike, i'm getting there." Her gaze returned to the stars. "I believe her exact words were... 'You still don't get it, do you? This is not your road. You are not meant to follow this path. You are letting your A.M.s rule you, instead of the other way around. Air Magic is about more than just skills and cool tricks.' Then she turned around and said, 'You'll never see the flame road by following around in my shadow like a lost puppy. Go find your own road, and come back when you understand.'"

"And did you ever come back?" Spike asked.

"Yep. To tell her thank you."

"Thank you?! For ripping apart your dream?" Spike scoffed.

"To thank her for helping me see the vast expanse of the sky with my own eyes, rather than by following after her."

Spike had heard enough. "So what does all this have to do with me. All i'm hearing is a girl who got her dreams shattered, like I did, only to give up on them."

"Then you're not listening Spike. Sure, she may have told me I couldn't join, but I was able to become my own rider because of her. I had finally learned that I didn't have to follow in someone else's footsteps to be a rider. I could do my own thing and still be seen and acknowledged."

"But still, what does this have to do with me?" Spike asked, curious as to wear she was going with all this.

"You've seen it, haven't you? The flame road."

Spike was shocked. "Wha- How did you-"

"No one begs to see the sky again unless they have tasted the freedom it provides."

Spike was silent, then chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"I know I am. My point is, Spike, I may not have been able to follow the road i wanted, but I found my own all the same. But you aren't like me. You've seen it. You can follow it. In fact, I think it's your destiny to follow it. And we can't stop you from achieving your destiny."

"So you're saying...!" Spike asked in anticipation.

"Yes, Spike." Rainbow giggled. "You can use my parts."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered. Then he had a thought. "Hey, wait. If you follow didn't follow the flame road, what road do you follow?"

Rainbow looked back at him and giggled again, winking and standing up, gesturing to herself in a pose. "I follow the Magical Rising Road!"

"What's so magical about it?" Spike asked.

"You'll find out, kiddo. Just keep on dreaming okay?"

Spike smiled for the first time that night. "Right!"