Imago

      Spike was growing bored. He wished Rainbow Dash would hurry up and do her challenge. He couldn't get hungry, the cocoon took care of nutrition and hydration, but he could get very bored. A small bird had flown up next to his cocoon and started building a nest on a cluster of rocks jutting out of the cliffside next to him. He attempted to talk to it through the green slime to stay sane. "Kello! Undergul eather ere havin?" It just spared him a glance before it got back to work.

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      Pinkie Pie was baking a 25th batch of cupcakes when 'Spike' walked in. "Hi Spike! Want a cupcake?"

      "No thanks, I came by to see if you needed any help."

      "Actually, I'm baking some more cupcakes! Wanna help?" She was bouncing up and down.

      "Sure, what can I do?" Imago was worried, he once had a mission to diguise himself as a baker and he failed miserably just because he sucked at baking that bad.

      "You can take them out of the oven because you don't need mitts! After that, you can help me ice them and then eat them all!" Pinkie talked really fast. Imago went over to the oven, pulled the tray out and set it down. "Okay now you ice the ones on the left and I'll take care of the right." Okay Imago you have got this! He encouraged himself. Just put the icing there, don't squeeze the pouch too hard, some there, and the last little bit there...done! Pinkie Pie's side was perfect, whereas Imago's side was not, to say the least. There was one cupcake in the middle that had at least 75% of the icing, the rest were in bad shape as well.

      "So, how did I do?"

      "Spike, I don't know how to say this..." She looked at the cupcake in the center with fascination. "I think you created a new breed of cupcake!" Imago's eyes widened.

      "Really?" He said in disbelief.

      "Yes! The way you expertly put most of the icing on one cupcake is incredible! Can I eat it?!"

      "Sure, I just want to chat then you can have it." Pinkie Pie picked him up and slung him around.

      "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Spike, you are the best!" He couldn't breath. Didn't she know not to hold things by the throat, he wondered. She finally put him down and he gasped for air. "Okay Spike, what did you want to talk about?" Still recovering, Imago breathed out,

      "One moment." He sat there and panted for a good thirty seconds before finally asking, "What do you value most in the world?"

      "That's an odd question!" Pinkie thought for a moment. "The answer is my friends and family!" Imago was wondering where to go with this.

      "Anything else?" Imago was praying to Chrysalis in his head.

      "Well....Gummy! I don't love him as much as friends though!" Imago was out of luck. He didn't get anything out of this visit and now he needed to go move Spike.

      "Sorry Pinkie, I've gotta go, uh....send letters! Bye." He walked to the door. Before he could open it Pinkie jumped in front of him. "Gah!"

      "Give me the cupcake!" She looked as though she was going to murder him.

      "Okay here, bye!"

      "Okay, bye!" Spike wasn't lying when he said she could be crazy. He got out of the shop and looked in the direction of the canyon. He needed to find Rainbow first, to make sure she wouldn't be over there to see him move Spike. Twilight would probably know where she was. He ran to Sweet Apple Acres. On his way he bumped into a bunch of ponies, one seemed way too familiar, but he couldn't worry about that now. Imago finally arrived and saw Twilight trying to cast a spell over by the barn.

      "Twilight! Have you seen Rainbow Dash?"

      "No, but I think she said something about today being a lazy day."

      "Okay good, see you back at the library!" He said while turning away. Rainbow happened to be napping in a nearby tree and since Twilight was right about today being a lazy day, she needed some fun. She followed 'Spike' to the edge of town on a cloud and then he turned toward the direction of her practice canyon. What would he do there, she wondered. Imago was walking at a fast pace, but not running. He wasn't far now. Imago could only hope that Rainbow was at her home. Rainbow Dash watched as Imago approached the cliff and jumped. She sped as fast as she could, praying to Celestia that he was fine. She looked over the edge and saw a changeling doing something to him down from a green blob on the wall!

      "Hey, you!" Imago looked up just in time to get a kick to the jaw. "Leave Spike alone!" This was not good, Imago thought. She came at him again and he countered, punching her in the stomach and throwing her back up to the clifftop. He worked faster on the cocoon, but she was relentless. She tackled him and they started barreling down to the ground fast. She was pushing him down to make sure it does more damage. Imago tried to get away from Rainbow, but the ground came too fast. She pulled up at the last second and let him hit the ground. As soon as Imago hit the bottom he heard a nasty crack. He knew it was his shell. Rainbow Dash stood over him with her chest puffed out, like she'd won a race. Imago took a look at his back and regretted it immediately. He had a large crack in his shell right above his wings. Miraculously, his wings were in flying condition and could be used. There was green blood everywhere. His eyes started to tear up and he cried. For the first time in nineteen years he cried. Rainbow started to gloat. "Yes, I know I'm amazing, don't waste your tears." She couldn't stop grinning. Imago looked up at her with his eyes watering and face bloodied. She felt kind of bad, but then she thought of Spike and the guilt went away.

      "I-I'm not like the others. I w-was helping him down." Now she felt really bad. She walked a little closer. "I'll never fly again!" He slammed his face onto the ground and had a crying fit once more. She felt terrible. Rainbow walked over to him and crouched to say,

      "Don't worry, it's okay. Your wings will heal up in no time." He looked up and replied,

      "You really mean it?"

      "Sure I do! They dont even look that bad now!" He leaned in for a hug and she hugged him, being careful of the wound. They sat there for a moment, eyes closed, in a loving embrace. The silence finally broken when Imago whispered,

      "Sucker." Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open. The wound was almost completely healed. He swept the legs out from under her and broke one of her wings. She screamed.

      "AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" He then punched her in the throat lightly to knock her unconscious. He couldn't believe she fell for it. Granted the fall hurt really bad, and those tears weren't as fake as he wanted them to be, but he's alive now. Imago flew up to Spike, who had witnessed the whole thing, and finished detaching him from the cocoon. He pulled him out and he shouted,

      "HEEELLLLLP!!!" Imago spit on his mouth for the second time and looked for a hiding place. Everfree had too many hikers and tourists, canyon doesn't even need an explanation, Ponyville no. Imago was getting tired. Every movement of his wings sent pain shooting up his back. Spike noticed the wound and started beating on it. Imago let out a yelp and they plummeted to the ground. It was only about 15 feet this time though, so he picked himself up and collected Spike. He bound his limbs soon after. Imago was annoyed beyond belief.

"My queen, are you there?"

"Wait a moment, I am tending to the hatchlings." He waited. "Alright, what do you need?"

"Your highness, I need to ask something of you."

"Yes?"

"The place where the dragon I have been impersonating has been found and I need to move him. May I take him to the Hive's dungeon?"

"Hmm...I suppose so, just be sure to blind him on the way here. We don't want him knowing where the Hive is."

"Yes my queen, of course."

"Come see me in my chambers when you arrive, I'll be expecting you." Imago spit in Spike eyes and kicked him for earlier. He would have to go around Ponyville and through the Everfree Forest to get to the Hive. He took off in the direction of the hive sprinting because he would need to be back for when Rainbow Dash woke up.

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      Imago was now walking through the Everfree, tired beyond belief. Between running and carrying a thrashing Spike, it was grueling. Spike eventually stopped and fell asleep. About halfway through, a few hikers started following him in the bushes. He knew they were there, he just doesn't like killing without letting the victim have their fun. One decided to throw a rock at him. It hit him, but it was small and he hardly felt it. The other hiker got another rock and threw it at him, except this time it lodged itself in his wound. He stumbled and fell in excruciating pain. Spike rolled off and the two ran over and picked him up. Imago finally got the rock out and looked them in the face. One pegasus and one earth pony He stood up and said, "If you give me the dragon back you can leave here alive." The one not holding Spike snorted and laughed.

      "As if!" He hit Imago on the gash again. He struggled to stand.

      "Do that again, I dare you!" Imago hissed. Idiot #1 tried again, but Imago caught his hoof and broke it.

      "AAAAHHH! I'm sorry!"

      "Too late for that, now isn't it!" He said as Idiot #2 kicked him in the side. He yanked Idiot #1 and made him crash into #2, causing him to drop Spike. #2 stood back up and tried to fly away, but Imago grabbed #1 by the broken hoof and flew after him. #1 wouldn't shut up! As soon as they were high enough he dropped #1 to his doom. He caught up to #2 and stabbed him in the chest with his horn , before tearing his Jugular with his fangs. He dropped the bleeding, helpless body and flew back down. He saw Spike trying to roll away and went to get him. When he did, he set off in the direction of the Hive again.