Her name was...

It was only a whisper but Spike could hear it. In this moment, the act of listening was all he could muster, he couldn't move. His hands and feet were there, he could every pulse of life coursing through them, but the minute he attempted to move such a limb, It was as if there nothing but thin air there. What was this sensation? Was he dead, maybe lost in the void of spell gone wrong? The whisper returned only slightly this time, barely inaudible. Spike tried to listen as close as he could, as hard as he could, but the voice always stayed out range, just enough to make him question what is what actually saying. Then his eyes opened and suddenly he could see ground fast approaching. He tried to move, anything to perhaps break the fall, but he was still frozen solid like a block of ice, and the fear of death was growing ever the more closer. His eyes closed as he waited for the inevitable, then everything went black. "You...are...lost."

Just then Spike's body lurched forward, his eyes opening quick as the wind, a gasp escaping his mouth as life was breathed back into body. "No!" He screamed in fear of the impending splat on the forest floor. His eyes and hands scattered across his person, testing every part for any injuries or otherwise. "W-wait, I'm alive?" Spike continued to check his person, specifically his head for any damage, a gash, a cut, anything. A sigh of relief was the result when no such injury was present, but that relief was quickly challenged when he began to think and examine. His eyes darted around the landscape as quick as they could, none of this was familiar to him. Now that he was aware of it, he wasn't familiar to him. "What happened to me? Where am I?"

He tried to pick his brain, anything of relevance to his situation, but nothing, nothing came of it, not even his own name was there. Nothing made sense, nothing was right. That's when his eyes focused on a light in the distance, it was impossibly bright, so much that it made him cover his sensitive eyes. He didn't know what that light was, but something about it felt...inviting. His feet began to move on their own, and soon he was walking towards the light with no hesitation. It engulfed him within seconds, like a blanket being wrapped around a newborn, it was warm yet blinding. He couldn't even see any of his body parts at this point. He realized that he was now floating downward, the light beginning to dim and the warmness of it's embrace beginning to fade. "You...are...forgotten." Another whisper came to him.

This time he was wide awake, and he heard it clearly. "I am...forgotten?"

"Lost..."

As the voice said the final words, the light finally faded around him, and he gently touched the ground of the forest once more. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret, yet for which he did not understand. "I'm...lost? But lost where? Who is there to forget me?"

Humming, the tune of something very familiar, was coming from ahead. It was a serene voice...soothing and beautiful...but something about it was unusual. It sounded sad...as if it were being used to comfort the pony in question. Spike had to know who it belonged too, and so his steps began forward into the unknown. The sound of the grass shifting beneath his claws was the only other noise he could hear, his focus locked firmly on the voice, then the whisper returned."The one...has arrived." Spike tried to his best to ignore the whisper, the voice was his only concern and he wanted nothing but to find it's mysterious origin. "The one...has arrived." It repeated. "Arrived...arrived...arrived."

Again and again, the whispers began to multiply and rise in volume, making spike covers his ears in an attempt to block them out. Each one seemed to be louder and louder than the last, blending in with the others to create a vortex of annoyance that was seemingly standing next to him, speaking right into his ear. The voice was becoming obscured by the combined storm of whispers, and Spike hated that. He tried to walk faster but they persisted, walking turned to jogging but they persisted, jogging turned to a full on sprint and finally the voices began tread behind him, but were quickly catching up. The sprint felt infinite, the longer he ran, the more voices that seemed to tread behind him. He was exhausted at this point, his claws tired, his lungs overworked. With so much fatigue, his legs finally gave out and he rolled to the ground, The voices soon surrounded him once more and once more, he covered his ears in horror. "Stop it...Stop it....Stop it...Stop it!"

"Ciel?"

"Huh?" Spike opened his eyes to the sight of nothing, on his back once more with sound of water rushing in the background. His mind was beyond scattered at this point with no clue as to what just transpired, but he didn't care, his only concern was the voice that just called out to someone. It was the only true goal he had right now, and he wanted to stick to it, no matter what. Rising to his feet, he wiped himself off before venturing forward to a group of vines that lay hanging over a small opening. Upon swiping them aside, his eyes were immediately met with blinding light, making him squint in discomfort. His eyes soon adjusted and still, he was blinded, not by light, but by beauty. Sitting within this mysterious space he had been barreling through, was a white pond, glowing with an intense white, as if there something shining at the bottom, surrounded by green grass from the shore to the forest that circled Spike. There were no flowers however, odd considering this would be the perfect place. But even with those array of colors to add to the scenery, the pond itself would divert all attention, it's glow so enticing, so warm. "I've never seen something so beautiful its..." Spike's words trailed off, he began to approach the water, his eyes now lost in a haze as his body began to move for him. "it's..." His knees bent, his claws cupped to scoop the glorious substance from it's resting place, his eyes closed, his mouth drank. He was in heaven. It tasted of sweet milk, mixed with cinnamon, mixed with caramel, mixed with everything he could think of. That's when his eyes reopened, and his senses returned to him, confusion, worry, fear. Something was watching him.

"Ciel...You..."

"W-who's there?"

The silence was definite, but still Spike could still sense the presence in the shadows. It's gaze was cold, it sent chills down Spike's spine, yet...simultaneously, as if it were trying to feign it's icy glare, it invited spike, instilled a sense of warmth within his scaly body. That's when he turned to face away from the pond, his eyes finally meeting the being who's shadow had been cast on him, ever since he walked into the pond's presence. "Who....are you?" The young mare asked.

For a full minute, that question lingered, Spike's eyes never averting from the mare's. It was her, those eyes, that same chill, that same coldness, she was the one who fed such fear yet comfort into Spike's confused psyche. "I-I...I'm...its.."

All that left Spike's mouth at the mercy of her alluring eyes was a series of choked up sounds. "You...don't remember?"

Her voice was so soft, yet firm, she had power to her, but at the same time, this innocence. "I-I...can't?"

"You...are lost."

"B-but where?"

"The white pond..."

Spike turned to face the pond before him, it was still indeed white and shining like a night light. "What is it?"

"It is...the connection, a place in which all continues and exists."

"I d-don't understand."

"You're not...supposed to. You should not even be here Ciel, this place is not for your kind."

"Scarlet, I came to find you."

"It's not your battle Ciel, I am the protector of this place, and all who use it for ill intent shall meet my wrath."

"But why is this pond so special Scarl--" How...How did I know her name?

"This pond is fruit of our work, to connect everyone and everything. If it falls, everything coul--no, will, be at risk."

Our? Our work? What is...going on? "Scarlet you're obsessed with this pond, it is only done nothing but drive you mad." Spike's eyes saddened with worry, genuine worry he did not understand. "Those scarlet flowers in your mane...they used to mean so much more than just a memory. That glare you're shooting me did not used to be so cold, so foreboding, it used to be filled with an innocence unlike any other."

"You're speaking nonsense Ciel." she said as she began to step closer. "I am still the pony you knew in our filly hood, my eyes haven't changed, they've only gained a purpose."

"To leave everything behind and protect this?"

"To ensure this world...and my love's safety."

"I--" Spike was cut off when this pony he didn't even know, or at least he thought he didn't know, closed the gap to lock her lips with his. He didn't back away or shudder in confusion or disgust, instead his eyes closed and held the mare's face in genuine care. Spike lost his balance and fell backward with Scarlet on top of him, their mouths never separating the entire time. What was this feeling Spike felt? He didn't know her, and yet, he could feel something in his chest, his heart, his soul. True love? Perhaps a feeling of loneliness? Or was it regret, a thought lost to feelings more than his own, that she was indeed playing him for a fool? "(Gasp)" Spike lurched forward as his body shot to a sitting up position. His eyes scanned the surroundings quickly, his arms still cupping the air as if something were there. He was in the forest again, this time though, it looked different, dark and foreboding, and oddly green.

"S-Spike!" His head turned the side to greet the purple mare coming toward him. She was running as fast as she could until finally, she reached him, her hoofs wrapping around him instantly, and tears beginning to stream from her eyes. "S-Spike...I-I...I-I'm so glad...w-we've been searching...for ages."

"Ages? C'mon Twilight, I haven't even been gone that long. You sent me in here to get supplies for a spell from Zecora remember?" Twilight continued to sob a river into spike's shoulder, his words seemingly never have reached her. "Twilight, you're being overprotective again hehe, come on, stop being dramatic."

"S-Spike...y-you've been g-gone for so long...I thought you died in here...swallowed u-up by the crazy plants or some random m-monster..."

"You're kidding right? I can handle danger alot better than you guys give me credit for. I might smal--" His words were suddenly choked in his throat, when he realized his limbs were a lot longer than normal, His voice was considerably deeper than it used to be, and more importantly, Twilight's mane was a mess, as if she had forgotten what the sun looked like for a while. "Twilight, why are you such a mess? If I know Rarity, she'd gasp and say something like "How uncouth Twilight, you can't go around looking like that" or something to that effect right?"

"S-Spike, I've m-missed you s-so much..."

"Uh, me too Twilight." he said petting her head. That's when he was taken for surprise when Twilight leaned her teary muzzle up from his shoulder and locked lips with Spike. In her haste, Spike had no chance to react, but after a moment, realized what was happening and suddenly pulled away. "Whoa whoa whoa Twilight, what are doing?"

"Kissing my h-husband you d-dummy. Y-you've been gone for so long, I almost forgot what it was like to have you around, Lavender forgot what it was like to have you around. Those times when you call me beautiful for no reason, those t-times I would come home angry, and y-you being the awesome drake you are, would s-simply make draw me a bath and do anything to comfort me. Those times I would m-massage you and listen to your problems whenever you were stressed. And all those times our baby girl was made fun of for being a d-dracony, and you completely escalated the situation to protect her. I miss it all Spike."

Wait, what? But...married? I'm only a kid...and I have kid...and my body it's...so much bigger...my voice is deeper... "Twilight how many years have I been gone?

"You've b-been gone for 17 years hon, 17 long and agonizing years. But now that you're back, we can finally get things back to normal a-around here hahaha. Smolder and Ember have missed you the most, even more than me it would it seem. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some kind of secret crush on you or something. And Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have been doing nothing but sea..."

Twilight's voice trailed off as Spike retreated to his mind, now in deep and constant thought. His eyes shifted to his body and back to Twilight. Her smile was the undeniable proof of the obvious. She was so genuinely happy and full of life now, that spike knew the truth. He was 17 years in the future. He always expected time travel to be a bit disorienting, but then again, he expected to be doing that with somebody on purpose, not off some accidental event. Marrying Twilight, having a kid with her? These are things he could have never predicted. The real question is...he couldn't remember. Something was missing from his memory, like a whole lot. All he remembers is the trek to Zecora's and poof, he's here. But then again, does it matter? He was in the future and that's a pretty big bomb that just dropped and exploded half of his logical understanding. His goal now should be to figure out what's changed instead of how to get back. Everyone says that they enjoy their life in the present, but who knows, a life with Twilight and their child, may be better than he thinks. Still, he shouldn't shun the idea of getting back, keep it on the bleachers until it's needed, or unfortunately, he doesn't enjoy the life he's woken up too. "H-hey Twilight?"

"Huh? Y-yes hon?"

"let's head back now. I...um....haven't seen everyone in a while you know."

"Oh yea, everyone else is really worried about you. Y-you're eager to put their worries at rest I see."

"You could say that."

"Well then off we go, the faster we get out of the Everfree, the faster we can spend some alone time catching up."

Spike's face blushed with embarrassment as they began walking, his mind swimming with a new sense of curiosity he hadn't felt before, or at least he thought, the feeling was oddly familiar as if he had felt this same level of excitement before. It wasn't like when he met the dragon lord for the first time, or when he got his wings, instead...it was a whole new life he was looking towards, and something about that was a mix of excitement and fear.

Excitement, will his life be better, and fear, will it ever be the same?

Author's Note

This is short, there is no denying that. but let's be forgiving of good old Lunala, as he's been out of the writing scene for way too long now.

This was a test to see if I could still write my heart out and thankfully it succeeded in my book. I may continue this, when I get my real flow back up and running, so that chapters can be truly worth it again.