The door shut silently behind them and Spike took his time to look around the hallway they were in. This hallway was a bit more decrepit than the part of the temple he was originally in as the walls and columns had more cracks and vines growing on them. The vases and tables that were usually outside the alternate doors were either destroyed and/or turned over.

Ark looked down both sides of the hallway and there were no corrupted in sight. He gestured with his hoof for Spike to follow and they began their trek further in to the broken temple. The trotting and footsteps slightly echoed through the hallway, and the silence was just adding to the haunting factor. Spike trekked silently alongside the robed stallion, and he just stared at his stoic face.

Ark had obviously seen some action throughout this event, his face had a few shallow cuts and small bruises. The robes had few holes in the legs and chest area, and the blue and white had faded due to time without proper care. His mane and coat were messy, the brown main had many messed patches and had a small semblance of brushed, long hair. The coat's blue had a few patches of dirt and dried blood, but he was overall still in pretty good condition all things considered.

"You need something Spike?" Ark asked without turning to him.

Spike jumped in surprise but quickly calmed himself, "Sorry...I was just looking at some of your wounds and clothes and I've got to ask, how long have you been here?"

Ark chuckled and responded, "Haha, well I've been here for about four months, but I've been in the company of corrupted ponies for about five weeks." He looked around the corner and checked the other direction.

"Four months? What exactly were you doing here anyway?" Spike queried, "Those aren't normal mage robes seeing as instead of just being some sort of cape that covers the body, it's actually a shirt and pants with a cloak only covering the legs. I don't understand what type of job would call for different clothes."

Ark didn't answer, he had his ear on a door that had some damage on it and after he pulled away he looked forward. "The clothes are custom-made actually, and I needed the clothes for job mainly distinguishing among the staff. Normally it's usually lab coats, but that's in another part of the temple," he explained.

Spike gave a small chuckle and looked around in the hallway, the murals repeated the same story he had seen before but now there were two more ponies alongside the main black alicorn. Ark spared a glance and his eyes brightened at the sight, he trotted over to the mural and squinted at the depictions.

"This was part of what I did here actually; being the part-time chronicler and chemist was basically all I did," he said pointing at the mural.

"Wait you can understand this? I mean I can kind of see what the story is, but I still don't get what actually happened," Spike mumbled looking down.

Ark smiled and turned back towards the mural, "Basically this is a rather unknown story about Equestria before the three pony tribes. It is known as 'The Age of Alicorns' and as it implies this was the only existence of ponies at the time. However, that black alicorn is known as Black Aether and he was the first dark alicorn to rise to power by utilizing dark magic," he explained in a scholarly tone.

Spike then turned to an alternate mural that depicted ponies, dragons, griffons, changelings, and zebras fighting against multiple dark alicorns. At the back of the unionized creatures were two alicorns one with pink mane and white coat the other with a blue mane and a dark blue coat. He gasped and Ark turned towards him, he took a look at the mural and gained a look of recognition.

"These are Celestia and Luna right?" Spike questioned. Ark trotted next to him and looked silently at the mural.

"Yes actually, but the odd part is that this time of alicorns dates back to four thousand years before Princess Twilight's coronation. Which doesn't make sense does it? Celestia and Luna came in to history when they brought the three pony tribes came together right? So, why does this story exist Spike?" Ark grilled question after question.

Spike was stumped,'He's right! There has to be something wrong here, but if this story true, then why would it not appear anywhere?' he wondered. Ark saw that distant look in the drake's eye and smiled a little smugly.

"Stumped are ya? Doesn't surprise me, I mean who would want the most bloodiest time in the history of Equus to be known it was caused by the ponies?" he questioned.

Spike turned to him with wides eyes, "You mean that--"

"Yep, Equestria was built on the deaths of others, but Celestia, Luna, and the other leaders at the time didn't want the story to get any farther. So they destroyed each and every document detailing the ordeal, wiped the memories of most of their respective populations, and hunted any and all practitioners of dark magic. All that remains are the memories of Celestia and Luna, the small stories passed along from ruler to ruler, and the shattered remains of story that are just told as legends," Ark finished and let loose a small sigh staring distantly at the mural.

"But this can't be right! Why would the Royal Sisters cover up something like this?!" Spike cried.

"Shhhhhhhhhhh!" Ark shushed pushing his hooves on to Spike's mouth, "Will you be quiet!? You could've just given away our position!" he growled. Spike pushed his hooves off his face and glared at the stallion. Ark shook his head and resumed his trotting down the hallway with Spike following suit. They continued through the hallway in silence and Spike cast a few glances at Ark.

Spike and Ark soon came to a large door, activating his magic he pushed it open and walked in. Spike watched and followed.

'I don't get it what was so bad that they tried to erase it from history?' Spike wondered. It didn't add up to him, as Celestia and Luna had both proved to be benevolent rulers, but none of what Ark had told him could possibly be true.

'Wait, how does Ark know all about this? He didn't explain it completely, and he did say he was a 'chemist.' Spike thought and his eyes widened. He ran up to Ark to question him, but was stopped by the sites in front of him. Walls towered above him halfway filled with books, and the tables had many of the books in stacks. The vines and cracked foundations had reached this library as well, but it still held some of the luster it must've had in its prime. The cold stone floors were replaced with grey smoothed wooden floors, the walls were now ivory white with golden flower design stretching up to the ceiling.

Spike stared up at the ceiling which depicted what looked like alicorns that looked older than Celestia and Luna but the moon alicorn was a stallion and the sun alicorn was a mare.

'Are those their predecessors?' Spike wondered. He looked back at Ark who was rummaging through a few stacks of books his eyes focused on each title. Spike turned to different table and saw saddlebag lying on the table, curious he walked over to the bag and shook whatever contents it had. A few ink bottles, parchment, and quills spilled out onto the table.

The parchment had runic symbols and notes detailing each one, but the strange thing was they resembled the circles he saw that had rougher symbols and overlapping lines. He saw they all had numbers at the bottom, so he hopped on to a seat and began to organize them. Ark had a few papers in his magic grasp and he placed them in his saddlebag. He looked around and saw Spike looking at the papers, wondering what he was looking at he trotted over to him and Spike had finished ordering them.

"Finally!" Spike sighed as he stared at the small stack. Ark looked over the shoulder and his eyes widened in surprise, 'Holy shit! That hoofwriting is Christy's! I thought those notes were lost with her...That means this is her saddlebag. But where is she?' he wondered.

"What?" Spike gasped spurring Ark look down at the notes, ""Change in appearance, injections, victims?! ARK WHAT THE HAY IS THIS?!" Spike bellowed whirling on Ark.

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he shushed loudly, "Haven't we been over this!? Be quiet!" he ordered.

"Don't you dare dodge the question Ark! What was that thing you said about being a chemist!? These note detail some liquefaction ritual and then injecting the liquid in to victims which caused them to turn in to these corrupted! What were you really doing here? It obviously wasn't history," Spike snarled. Ark backed away in a bit of fear but he stood firm in the face of Spike's hateful gaze.

"You really want know? Simple, the whole history chronicler was a coverup, I was the pony behind making that liquid you read about and those notes belonged to my assistant Crystal Quill," he answered.

"We were tasked with finding out how to utilize the ritual in order to create puppets that could go almost or on par with Celestia," Ark muttered in disdain, "It's not like we had a choice to stop them, we were held at swordpoint and if that didn't phase us they threatened friends or family."

Spike could only sputter in response, one one hand this pony was a killer but at the same time he was forced to do their bidding. "If what you say is true, why did you take the job?" Spike asked.

"I needed the bits and it was a high paying job and things took a bad turn and now ponies are dead," he put it simply with a small shrug.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?! YOU'VE KILLED PONIES AND YOU'RE JUST SHRUGGING IT OFF?! DON'T YOU REALIZE YOU'VE HURT PONIES, OR ARE YOU JUST A COLD-HEARTED KILLER TO REALIZE THAT?!" Spike caterwald once more.

Something snapped in Ark, and it was like lightning spread through his body before he surprised Spike with a wrathful stare, "'A COLD-HEARTED KILLER AM I?! LISTEN HERE YOU UNDERDEVELOPED LIZARD! I REGRET EVERY SINGLE DAMN ACTION I HAVE IMPOSED ON THESE PONIES, SO DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND I AM SOME APATHY-DRIVEN ASSHOLE WHO DOESN'T CARE FOR WHAT HE CAUSED?!"

His voice ricocheted off the walls and out some doors, and Spike was left in shocked silence. Ark, granted he only met him a few hours ago, had always been nothing short of calm and collected. Spike didn't know how to respond, especially after what he called Ark.

'I messed up big time....Nopony deserves to be called a killer, especially with that reaction.' he mulled over sadly.

Ark's furious gaze burrowed down on Spike, but it withered at the sad look in the hatchlings eyes. He gave a sigh of resignation, it wasn't fair for him to explode on Spike, nor was it fair for him to make Spike seem like a fool.

"I'm sorry Spike....it was hard on me too you know I just...I..." he trailed off. Spike looked back up to him and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a door bursting open and the multiple origins of raspy breathing echoed through the library. Spike and Ark snapped towards the door and in stumbled three corrupted ponies. The lead corrupted had fallen on the ground and wasn't moving but his breathing was still audible. There were two stallions and a mare, one on the ground the others shambling towards the pair.

Spike's breath got caught in his throat as he stared at their yellow eyes and black veins spreading from their faces. Their muzzles had dried blood, their clothes and coat bore cuts and bitemarks, but the worst sight was the black substance petering out their mouths.

Spike watched the corrupted stallion shoot towards Ark and tackle him to the ground, he raised his arm to help him, but the mare had crashed in to the table knocking him to the ground. He felt his back scrape against the ground and he skid in to another table, he raised his head to look at the mare who had already recovered to prey upon him.

Spike groped to his side, not taking his eyes off of the mare, his hand picked on to a book and he heaved it in to his grasp. As the mare was face to face he swung the book with all his might against the mare. The impact knocked the mare away two feet, but his grasp was lost on the heavy book.

Spike spun around and ran in to the opposite end of the library, looking for something to knock out the mare. He shot a glance towards Ark who had gotten the stallion off of him and whacked him with his metal pole. Spike watched the stallion fly in to a bookcase and the remaining books fell on top of it. Spike's heard raspy breathing to his left he spun around and came face to face with the mare.

More of that black substance leaked from the mare's maw and it's raspy breathing radiated across his face. The heat from the breath sent shivers down his spine and he jerked back and slashed her face. He pushed himself to his feet and ran the opposite direction, the mare hissed and gave chase. He jumped up on to the table and climbed up the book cases tossing book after book down at the mare.

Spike didn't care if they hit or missed he just continued to scale the bookcase hoping to get as far as he could the crazy mare. He then felt a tremor travel up the bookcase and he held on for dear life. He turned his head down and saw the mare ram in to the bookcase causing another tremor to travel up the bookcase and make a few books hit Spike's hands and head. He grunted in pain and his grip began to slip.

The mare crashed into the bookcase once more and Spike's grip broke and he began to fall from two and a half stories. Spike felt small memories of him and Twilight flash before his eyes, and he felt a few tear sweep away from his eyes into the air. Just before Spike accepted his fate he felt something surround him and he saw a blue aura surround him. His eyes darted to the source and he looked at Ark holding the stallion away from his face, but holding Spike at the same time.

He lowered Spike a ways from the mare and gestured to run and get away from the mess. Spike shook his head and he turned back to the mare who screeched in anger. He jumped back as the mare swiped at him and he tripped over the books on the ground. Spike's heart pounded harder against his chest, and the gave an unearthly hiss before lunging at him. Acting out of instinct he opened his maw and let loose a small jet of green flames that engulfed the mare face. It reeled back in and gave a screech of pain.

Spike watched in horror, his flames had only ever been used to send messages not burn somepony. The pony dashed around the library crashing in to the walls and other tables. The flames spread farther down the mare and it soon fell to the ground in twitching ball of green flames.

Spike's entire world froze, his eyes dilated at the now blackening mare, and it screeching just faded away as the world shifted in to dead silence. His breathing slowed and the whole world faded out.

'I killed her.....

What have I done........

Am I a murderer........

What...would...Twilight...say......'

At the very edge of the thought Spike's mind shut down and he passed out. Ark whacked the stallion in the head and the stallion fell to the ground. He panted in exhaustion, and turned his head to look for Spike. He saw the poor drake curled on the floor out cold, and the remains of the mare that was attacking him was starting to die down.

Ark winced and trotted over to Spike, who laid there unmoving. He went to pick up Spike with his grip, but just as he activated his magic he heard a yell and the first stallion had jumped on Ark and dug his teeth in to Ark's shoulder.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Ark swore loudly. His voice echoed once more through the library and he tried to shake the stallion off of his shoulder. The teeth seemed to dig even deeper and his skin broke and blood flowed from the wound. Ark charged his side against the bookcase knocking the stallion repeatedly in to hardwood and books.

He grabbed books and table pieces and launched them against the corrupted, but it did little to deter the biting. The stinging was morphing in to a searing pain, he felt the flesh and hair being pulled and ripped from his shoulder. Adding more and more magic to his projectiles he rocketed them toward the head of the corrupted.

The pony began to let up, but only slightly and Ark was tired of having to deal with this stubborn stallion. He hopped, bucked, and galloped around the library ramming his rider in to the table and walls. Ark felt his horn glow in power and he picked up his metal pole and shot it towards the pony's head.

The stallion was knocked off and Ark pulled and aimed the sharp end at the pony he impaled it through the head in to the wall. The body twitched and black blood sputtered from the point of entry. Ark sighed in pain and exhaustion he had enough of a hard time with dealing with the first pony, but they just wouldn't stay down.

He turned back to Spike who still lay unconscious on the ground, and letting loose one more sigh he picked him up and placed him on his back. He trotted towards where they had their bags and notes, picked them up, and trotted towards the now open door.

Two hours later

Spike's mind began to reboot and he felt a lot of soreness in his arms and legs. He opened his eyes and looked down on his body, bandages covered his chest, and parts of his right arm and left leg. He looked up and saw Ark laying down without his top robes on and a bandage around his shoulder and he let a small snore escape indicating he was asleep.

Spike saw a barricaded door and flopped down back on to the floor. But then the memories of what felt like it just happened returned back to him and he began to shake at every breath. He felt tears begin to flow from his eyes and small, quiet sobs rip themselves from his throat. The sobs began to escalate, and they filled the empty room and his sobs had reached the ears of his companion.

"What's up Spike," Ark mumbled still exhausted.

"I-I-I k-killed-d somepony," he sputtered out between sobs. Ark's head rose and turned towards Spike.

"So have I Spike so have I," he trailed off not knowing what to say next.

"How are you ok with that? Knowing that pony once had family and friends and you took them from the world, how can you stand that?" Spike whispered holding his hands over his eyes.

"I don't," Ark answered prompting Spike to uncover his eyes and stare at the stallion.

"What?"

"I said I don't Spike. I can't stand that Spike, and nopony truly can ever stand the fact they took another life. Here's my two cents if you wanna hear: You don't get used to killing, you just get numb to the pain," he said. Spike only stared at him confused and he rolled his eyes in response.

"What I mean is no one is used to it and sure it becomes easier over time, but the pain won't go away and the best thing you can do is just find a way to dull it," he explained. Spike looked away and crawled over to sit next to Ark.

"I feel horrible though, how will I deal with that fact?" he whispered.

"Everypony deals with pain in their own way Spike, and talking about it just happens to be the most therapeutic thing you can do," he concluded with a small hoof gesture. Spike laid his head against his companion's unharmed shoulder and sat in silence for a while.

"Hey Ark, how do you want to leave your mark on the world?" Spike asked suddenly.

"That's a tough question Spike, why do you ask?" He queried.

"I am just curious, and I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he said with a ghost of a smile.

Ark chuckled and responded, "I want to finish what my brother asked me to do, and what he asked me to do was "Bring the sun and moon down to Equestria," I still don't know what it means but I'll figure it out one day."

"What was your brother like?" Spike asked.

"He was like you I suppose he was always curious, confident, mature for his age, and many more things. Simple qualities you seem to hold very similarly to him," he muttered.

"That's nice, but I guess for me I just want to find my parents," Spike mumbled.

"You're an orphan? I thought Princess Twilight was your caretaker," Ark wondered.

"She is, and no I am not an orphan. I just don't know who my real parents are and I want to find them," Spike trailed off before continuing, "I've always lived in the pony world, and whenever I try to be a dragon all I do is cause problems. Dragons are greedy, self-centered, and horrible while ponies seem to scared, xenophobic, and mushy," Spike muttered.

"You feel you don't belong in both world and it's aggravating isn't it?"

"Yeah! Also no matter what I do, I'm always left behind on Twilight's adventures, and I just feel like-"

"Your next line is going to be "Like I'm not truly part of any family and that I won't ever find my place in the world" am I correct," Ark asked and finished with smug smile. Spike stared flabbergasted at Ark who had just predicted his line and the look on Spike's face was enough to send Ark laughing his head off. Spike soon joined in and the two clutched each other while continuing to laugh.

Suddenly, a bang hit the door and it, along with the barricade flew off the hinges, both Spike and Ark ceased laughing got up.

"Buck our lives, it's just one fight after another today is not our day Spike," Ark growled picking up his metal pole and preparing for combat. A purple aura cleared the dust and a purple female alicorn, with a velvet mane with one hot pink stripe, trotted in with her magic at the ready.

"TWILIGHT?!" Spike shouted.

Her eyes widened in response to the voice, "SPIKE?!"

"Well this just got more convoluted," Ark remarked.

Author's Note

Here's another chapter, I plan to take this as far as I can and I hope that whoever reads thoroughly enjoys it. See you in the next chapter.

Next time: Perfectionists don't Mix